I had to take a couple of deep breaths in order to get past the first paragraph of this BBC News story: “Children whose mothers work are less likely to lead healthy lives than those with ’stay at home’ mothers, a study says.”

The study by the UCL Institute of Child Heath (ICH) focused on the families of 12,500 5-year-olds; the same children took part in an earlier study which found that those with working mothers were more likely to be obese or overweight by the age of 3.

So, let me get this straight: The new study “discovered” that the same kids who were likely to be obese or overweight by the age of 3 were also less likely to lead healthy lives at age 5? And that it’s all mom’s fault for working outside the home?

Sorry, BBC and ICH. I’m calling foul on this one.

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Just days before their fourth child was born earlier this month, supermodel and Project Runway star Heidi Klum filed a petition to take the name of her husband, Seal (whose full name is Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel).

Their sons, Henry Gunther Ademola Dashtu Samuel, 3, and Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel, 2, already have Seal’s last name, as does their baby daughter, Lou Sulola Samuel. (No word on whether their oldest child, 5-year-old Helene “Leni” Klum — who is the biological daughter of Klum’s ex, Flavio Briatore, but was legally adopted at birth by Seal – will change her name as well.)

Like many working women, I kept my name when I got married. Which means that I have a different last name than my children. But, unlike Heidi, I’m not changing my name to match theirs.
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Let’s face it: Whether you get the flu shot or not, and whether you’re worried about H1N1 (a.k.a. Swine Flu) or not, chances are you and your kids are going to be facing some flu-like symptoms this season.

Why? Well, even if you’ve gotten the vaccine, it can take as long as two weeks for your body to produce enough antibodies to protect you, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. And the flu shot only protects against flu — if you catch one of the many, many non-influenza viruses out there, you can exhibit miserable flu-like symptoms but not actually have the flu.

This isn’t a post about whether or not to get the flu shot. (Want to discuss that anyway? You’re in luck — this one is!). But if you’re looking for a drug-free way to ease the misery at home, regardless of the state of your immunizations, check out these options:
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We often talk about how technology has made parenting more difficult: 10-year-olds who demand their own $300 cell phones, teens and huge text-messaging charges, sexting, Facebook and online privacy issues, cyberbullying… the list goes on and on.

What you don’t hear or read as much about is how technology has helped those of us who have to parent from a distance.
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It’s hard enough to get going some mornings, but even if you have only one child to check up on, and even if your mornings are a piece of cake, there’s still homework, projects, extra curricular activities, household chores, and bedtime to deal with. Ideally, you want your kids to eventually take responsibility for these things themselves, but until then, how do you stay on top of it all? Especially given that you need to get yourself ready and out the door, often at the same time?
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I picked my youngest kids up from preschool the other day and decided to stop by the local farmers’ market on the way home. My kids love the farmers’ market — it’s bright and noisy and colorful, and they always get some treat to munch on while I search for the perfect tomatoes.

My daughter loves it for another reason: She seems to know everyone there.

We run into a few of her classmates, of course. But she also knows their parents, their siblings, and their pets — and greets each and every one of them by name.
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The school year has started in Texas, and this year, public high schools there will be required to teach students about the Bible.

Even though the courses are elective and are supposed to focus on how Christianity in general and the Bible in particular have influenced American history and society, some parents are furious. "I don’t want anybody teaching their religious beliefs to my child unless they want to send their child to my house and let me teach them my religious views," one parent told Texas news station KLTV . "There is no difference."

Which, I’ll admit, was my immediate reaction, too. And then I thought it over.
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My youngest children’s preschool recently hired a male teacher, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Our last experience with a male caregiver, at my kids’ previous school, was so positive that I was as sad as the children were to see him go.

Other parents don’t feel the same way about a male professional taking care of their young children, though. In a heated discussion a few months ago at Parenting.com, the parent of a preschooler wondered about a new male teacher in the toddler “potty trainer” room. The school hired a man to work in the 4- and 5-year-old classroom, which raised a few eyebrows, but this parent is particularly nervous about having a young man help her 2-year-old daughter in the bathroom. “I just don’t understand why a young man would want to be a daycare teacher,” the parent writes. “It makes me think they have an ulterior motive or something.
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I don’t know any parents who really expect to feel well rested while their kids are young. In fact, once you become a parent (whether through birth, adoption, or marriage), the phrase “a good night’s sleep” takes on a totally different meaning.

As our kids get older, we assume that they’re getting plenty of sleep. But how much sleep do they really need? And what happens if they don’t get it?
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The neighborhood kids are out on their bikes, and my youngest two want to join the fun. But my little son is only 2 1/2, and my tall daughter just 4 1/2 — younger than any of the other kids by at least a year, in spite of her height.

So I helmet them up and let them grab her scooter and his trike and push them into the cul-de-sac, and I stand there, by the mailbox, watching them try hard to keep up with the others. They can’t, of course — the difference between 4-1/2 and 5-1/2 can be steep, for some things — but they’re not discouraged. They try, and I watch, and then I notice… I’m the only adult out there.

Overbearing or just cautious? At what point can you — should you — stop hovering?
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