Huge recall: More than 2.1 million cribs a suffocation risk

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission conceded Tuesday the agency “hasn’t been acting as quickly as it should” on crib safety problems.

Interviewed on morning news shows in the wake of the largest-ever recall of cribs, Chairman Inez Tenenbaum pledged that the CPSC would “firmly but fairly” enforce a law Congress passed last year giving regulators greater authority to police the industry.

More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada are being recalled following reports of four infant suffocations. The CPSC said the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based. Sales of the cribs...

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Thanksgiving breakfast a special tradition

By Bernadette, Los Angeles Moms Blog

When my family and I arrived in this country we had to learn a LOT about tradition. I remember opening the door on our first Halloween and wondering what people wanted. The following year I got the opportunity to experience trick or treating and I remember thinking, “Wow, you just knock on peoples’ doors and they GIVE you candy??? America is awesome!!!”

My mom tried her best to make it possible so that we could experience these traditions, Thanksgiving being one of them. She worked at a small mom-and-pop printing company while my dad stayed in the Philippines to help support us. Only now, can I “really” appreciate all her efforts to take care of four girls, by herself, in a new country. I knew it...

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The lost names of 1880

nameberry.com

I was combing through the Top 1000 Names of 1880 the other day for another project (ah, the glamorous life of the baby name expert), and I was blown away by how many names on the list had been totally forgotten. I don’t mean just marginalized, like Ethel or Beulah, but no longer even in our naming lexicon.

We tend to think of strange, invented, unique names as being a recent phenomenon, as if in the past everybody was named John and Mary, and it’s only since 1968 that we’ve had names like Hallie and Freedom.

But in fact, naming innovations have always been a part of American culture, and examining the list for 1880 the first year for which we have records makes that crystal clear. The roster contains literally hundreds of...

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Mom startled by 12-year-old’s interest in beer pong

By Marla Jo Fisher, The Orange County Register

My 12-year-old son asked me this morning, “Mama, did you ever play pong?”

My middle-aged brain immediately interpreted this to mean, did I ever play Pong, the first-generation arcade game by Atari, where a little ping-pong ball bounces back and forth endlessly on a black-and-white video field that looks like a tennis court.

I told him, “Oh, yes, I played that game! Back when I was in college, my friend’s dad owned some machines he rented to restaurants and clubs and he would set one up for us to play for free.”

Boy looked at me patiently. “No, I mean pong. Like, with beer.”

My first thought was, “How does a 12-year-old boy know about beer...

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Eight tips for motivating young athletes

McClatchy-Tribune

A big concern of parents and coaches is that their players are not motivated. Rarely does trying to motivate youth with yelling, threatening or negativity work to bring on increased motivation. Those methods usually backfire, serving only to create tension and alienate kids from wanting to play. Adults of unmotivated kids should not give up hope.

Parents who remain positive with their words, actions, and display patience with their kids have the best chance of seeing their kids’ motivation improve. Kids who have success usually become motivated, but success is fleeting and does not come right away for many. Until success comes, parents and coaches will inspire players with their attention, approval and knowledge. Parents, who stay attentive...

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Waterproof puppet theater just one example of fun in the tub

By Ruth Spiro, FamilyFun magazine

Ages: 12 months and up

Pretend play: All the world’s a stage, but the tub rim makes an especially good one when you pull the shower curtain aside for an impromptu performance. To create a handful of bath friendly finger puppets, wash a pair of rubber gloves (to remove any powdery residue from the packaging), then cut off the fingers and use permanent markers to draw a face, hair, and other details. Allow the ink to dry, then let the show begin. (For safety, make sure little kids don’t put the finger puppets in their mouths.)

Ages: 18 months and up

With water and a little imagination, kids can turn a bevy of kitchen castoffs — plastic funnels, measuring...

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Report cards another area for competition between brothers

I’ve found sibling rivalry spills over into pretty much every area of my sons’ lives.
I’m used to the “I’m bigger, faster, stronger” battles and the “I was sicker than you!” and even the “Mommy loves me more!” squabbles between my two boys.
At age 9 and 6, everything is a competition – usually for my attention.
But report cards came out and for the first time, 6-year-old Ethan is getting graded in all the same areas as 9-year-old Ryan.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the boys’ interest in each other’s report cards.
I am a huge believer in doing everything I can not to label the kids.
I don’t want one child to be the “good student” and leave the others feeling like that role is filled so they don’t have to work as...

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Breastfeeding promotes good health in general as well as during a crisis

By Brenda Gutierrez, McClatchy-Tribune

Many moms know breastfeeding is a good idea, but did you know it could save lives?

“During emergencies — such as an earthquake, flood, flu pandemic, or conflict — where there may be no electricity or refrigeration, and no clean drinking water or feeding bottles, breastfeeding is readily available, safe and clean, requires no supplies, and helps protect babies from illness,” said Dr. Marianne Neifert, author of “Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding” (Sterling Publishing, $14.95) and a Colorado pediatrician with 25 years of expertise in breastfeeding management.

But for mothers who have concerns or struggle with breastfeeding, La Leche League has lactation consultants and...

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You want to make what?

My aversion to cooking is well known to anyone who has the slightest bit of knowledge about me.

Oh, I keep thinking I’ll get better at it. I collect recipes and cookbooks like they are going out of style, and every Christmas my significant other fulfills my wishes and buys me the latest in kitchen gadgets.

The problem? I end up being forced to dust them all for lack of use.

I’m just not a natural at it, and I never will be. My failures in the kitchen were amplified when I worked at the Akron Beacon Journal because I sat alongside this wonderful reporter named Lisa Abraham, who covered county government at the time but was an unabashed foodie. (In a fitting sidebar, Lisa has since moved to the food writer’s job there, and just won honors from the...

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Vicks nasal spray recalled

By the Associated Press

CINCINNATI — The Procter & Gamble Co. is recalling some 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after the company found bacteria in some samples during routine testing.

Spokesman Tom Millikin describes the voluntary recall as a precaution after small amounts of the B. cepacia bacteria were found in the over-the-counter product at the German plant where it’s made.

Millikin says no illnesses have been reported. He says the bacteria could harm people with chronic lung problems or weakened immune systems.

Three lots of the spray sent to stores in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom are being recalled.

The company, which is based in Cincinnati, says it has informed regulatory authorities in the...

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