Makeover Madness for Children’s Cartoons? Less belly fat, more muscles, and a cell phone

It appears that our yesterday’s favorite cartoon characters are getting extreme makeovers to cater to the modern tastes of today’s kids. According to the New York Times, these classic characters are being “freshened up” in order to add upward momentum to the rough sloping economy.
Apparently, the YouTube generation is interested in less belly fat [...]

Tell Me Lies: Children Learn to Flatter at age 4

Like to hear how much your child adores you? Children learn to tell social lies around 4 years old—that’s right, they learn how to flatter others and tell you just what you want to hear!
In the spirit of the Powerful Word of the month—honesty–it’s humorous that we don’t always want our children to tell the [...]

Miss Minnesota Contestant Raises Financial Awareness: The Queen of a Thousand Smackers

Cash. Coin. Coconuts. No matter what you call it, people are talking about it. Or are they?
My husband, Jason, and I often discuss the strange fact that we don’t learn about managing money in school. And yet, it’s vital to existing responsibly and independently even before we graduate into the “real world.”

The Facts:

The [...]

Fast and Furious: Is the “Quick” and “Convenient” Food Offered at Your Children’s School Killing them?

As we’ve covered in the past, A 2001 Harvard School of Public Health study found that for each soda or juice drink a child drinks a day, the child’s odds of becoming overweight increase 1.6 times.
Two angry Moms, Amy Kalafa and Susan Rubin, would be horrified. With their documentary, they’ve been trying to make [...]

Just say no…later…to Drugs: Have Teens Gone Mad or Are Adults Sending Mixed Messages?

Friday Musings: An Opinion Piece by Dr. Robyn Silverman
Hold onto your tempers and excuse my temporary sarcasm. The last few weeks offer a bumpy, pot-hole infested ride.
Recently, it seems that free speech has been taken to the limit but at the same time, convoluted messages are being sent and practiced all over the US. My [...]

Earthquake Response: How to help children cope when a disaster strikes

photo from: MSNBC: XINHUA via AFP- Getty Images

The tragic earthquake may have occurred in China, but it has rocked the whole world. Especially due to the very high death toll and the percentage of children lost in the disaster, hearts around the world are heavy.
Whenever a worldwide tragedy occurs, children look to their parents [...]

Beyonce’s Sesame Street Walkers: Bootylicious Babes or Pimped Out Preemies?

Welcome to “Girls Gone Wild,” Little Tykes Addition. These ads featuring Dereon Girls clothes might provide a momentary laugh if they came out of an old “dress-up box” or if the girls were doing a mock “Pussy Cat Dolls presents Girlicious” audition. But the idea that they’re aimed for public view is alarming.
Still raw from [...]

More Video Games to Keep Kids Inside?

I’m all for fun, educational games. And on rainy days, really cold days, or sick days, they’re a great option. They can even be a good option when children need a “wind-down” time– although a book can be a better choice. But over the last few days we’ve talked about the great [...]

Eating Disorders Revealed: Interview with High Schoolers Who Used Their Challenges to Inspire Others

All teens deal with struggles in their lives. It takes a powerful teen to admit she has a problem, work through her challenges, and use what she’s learned to help others. This article is the result of an interview with Alex Shabo, a teen who is recovering from an eating disorder and helping others [...]

Everyone Inside! Texting and Threat of Mulch Wars Keeps Kids off Playground at ChildCare

No Playground for Kids in Child Care: Why More Kids are Staying Inside
Flip flops. No coat. The threat of Mulch Wars.
According to the New York Times, these are just some of the surprising reasons why some children are banned from the playground, as found in a new study on children’s physical activity out of Cincinnati’s [...]