I previously posed the question if parents had to choose one,  would they prefer their children to see nudity or violence in television and movies. The results were rather one sided, with 90% of respondents indicating that they would prefer nudity to violence. (Please feel free to weigh in if you have not already.)
A recent article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer indicates just how much of an impact violent portrayal on TV have on children. And it’s not simply truly violent movies, but cartoons which casts physical injury in a humorous light which influences children as well.
For example, toddlers and babies …read more

I’ve mentioned before that my wife and I try to pay particular attention to the foods we eat while she is pregnant to make sure the baby is getting everything he needs and nothing he doesn’t. Apparently there are more links between a pregnant woman’s diet and a child’s health than I was aware.
According to a seven year long study by University College Dublin,
“The diet of pregnant mothers plays a significant role in the chances of their children developing asthma.”

The National Fatherhood Initiative has a listing of the top fatherhood facts. As I looked over the list I was immediately struck by how negative the list is. It focuses primarily on the side effects of bad fathers and broken homes rather than the positive influence of involved and caring dads. I’m just rather surprised that a group which is essentially a father’s advocacy group would put out a list that reads as though it was written by a jilted single mother.
That said, the last of the top ten was informative and worth mentioning:
Children with involved, loving fathers …read more

It is no doubt that after having 5 kids I have all the time in the world to play. I gain hours of reading time, coloring, and even stacking blocks. What else did I gain? A few pounds.
Though I have worked hard to lose weight I tend to bounce around which is actually not that good for you. It is that much better to remain a constant weight than to gain weight only to shed it 6 months later.
But a recent article supports that daddies are the most effected when it comes to children.
Parents have long griped …read more

The cold hard truth about postpartum depression is there are just as many men who suffer through this as there are women. Though women are the ones who get all the attention, men sit in silence and in pure agony not just seeing their loved ones go through this, but they actually take on the same exact symptoms.
Symptoms of postpartum depression are the same as clinical depression such as sadness, fatigue, hopelessness, and drastic changes in mood and appetite. It can be as excessive as preoccupation with a child’s health or as serious as inward thoughts of harming the …read more

This question pops up all the time. When the children are young they are so adorable when they suck their thumbs. But as they get older we begin to get concerns as parents. Dental issues, peer pressure issues, and poor eating habits possibly? And the real question is, what are the implications if my child doesn’t stop sucking their thumb soon? I know half my kids are thumb suckers and the other half, well.. they suck fingers or fists. Of course I don’t have much concern for my 4 month old gnawing down on her fist as she is now …read more

I am not opposed to Day Care as a last resort, however I do firmly believe that Day Care can cause some real behavioral problems among children. So even though I think they should be used for last resort I also believe there is a trade off. You may need Day Care but at the same time your child needs extra attention to make sure they are not developing any behavioral problems.
When parents have a choice whether or not to send their kids off to Day Care or have one parent stay home I definitely think the parent must …read more

OK so the joke is on me. No I do not own a hot tub and yes I have 5 kids under the age 7. So am I a walking case study? Who knows. But thanks to Fertility Blog for pointing out a recent study done which took 11 men and monitored their behavior and sperm count levels for 3 months as they took periodic dips into the hot tub.
Not surprising we find that those who spend more time relaxing in a nice hot jacuzzi had a lower level of sperm. But as they spent more time out of …read more

Well some people may not be terribly shocked but apparently parents have less sex. The question is less sex than what… or who? There is more sex going on prior to when a baby is born. Thanks to Kate Bagott and hlei for discovering this article and posting it because I can’t see it unless I register… and I am just too lazy to.
The biggest factor for parents is after a baby is born. There is a huge drop in sexual activity and sexual behavour.
Studies have found that there’s a 40% drop in sexual activity within the first year …read more

I always used to pick fun at the idea that children are the way they are because of their parents. I mean I knew it to be true to a certain degree but what bugged me were the people who were caught committing these horrible crimes and then turning around to say it was because they were neglected as a child. Or maybe they weren’t held enough as a baby.
What I really dislike is when people blame their childhood on everything. I mean there are people that come from terrible backgrounds and come out just fine down the road. …read more