Brad Pitt, who starred in tinsel town's The Mexican with Julia Roberts has allegedly contacted his former co-star to ask for some very particular advice. Pitt is due to have twins with partner Angelina Jolie in the impending weeks. Roberts has already tackled that project with twins Hazel and Phinnaeus (who are three if you can believe it!).
According to a "source" (and you know how we feel about "sources"), Brad contacted Julia to ask advice on how to deal with raising twins. The source claims Brad was "frantic," which I find hard to picture, about whether or not the rules or parenting twins are different than parenting a singleton.
The alleged response? No, it's just harder. I don't know if that is true or not--I think it depends on how you look at it. I know several couples who had twins and they've said since they never had kids before (the twins were their first) it wasn't any different or any harder because they had nothing to compare the experience to. Brad and Ange, however, already have a brood going with daughters Shiloh and Zahara and sons Pax and Maddox.
There's a lot to appreciate Maggie Gyllenhaal for--she's a great actor who tackles thoughtful roles. Perhaps the producers of her new movie appreciate her even more now that she's a mom. Gyllenhaal recently used her parenting skills on the set of the movie Farlanders to calm two of her co-stars.
Gyllenhaal is starring in the film, her first since becoming a parent in 2006, alongside eleven-month-old twins. At one point the babies were crying incessantly and unable to be stopped. Gyllenhaal slipped into mother mode and calmed them so filming could continue.
Maggie thanks her lucky stars she was a mother and had learned those skills. Says Gyllenhaal, "If I had not been a mom and known how to calm a baby, talk and hold the baby, the whole day would've been wasted." She also stated that she felt like a mom the whole day, not just at home but also on the set. Brings new meaning to the term 'working mother,' eh? good work, Maggie!
Hey, remember Molly Ringwald? Well, she's back, and in more ways than one. The former teen star, memorable for such culture- and era-designing movies such as Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, is now starring in a television drama about teens. This time, however, the forty-year-old is playing mom to one of them.
And that teen happens to be pregnant. You may recall Molly is no stranger to the teen pregnancy plot. She played a pregnant teen in the movie For Keeps. Perhaps she'll be drawing from that experience for her latest project. Another project Molly has going for her is motherhood, so this role should be an easy one (as if being a mother, even playing one, was EVER easy!).
According to Molly, the key between moms and teen daughters is really communication. Her hope is to spread that message and curtail as many unplanned pregnancies as possible. The movie is titled The Secret Life of the American Teenager as is set to debut July 1st.
If you could request one thing from your employer, what would it be? Permission to work from home? A flexible schedule? On-site childcare? All of the above?
Much of it boils down to what Karen calls "form over function." When employers require that employees sit at their desks from 8 AM to 5 PM every day, are they really cultivating productivity? Karen says no, and I have to agree.
Lately I have been a little concerned about what seems to me to be the mainstreaming of teen pregnancy. Maybe it's just me, but movies like Juno and television shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenagermake getting pregnant in high school seem like a viable option. I know teen pregnancies happen - it happened to me. And while having a child while I was still a child myself didn't exactly ruin my life, it sure made it difficult. And being the child of an unwed teenage mother was no picnic for my daughter, either.
Perhaps NBC's new show, The Baby Borrowers, is the antidote to all that. The whole purpose of the show is fight teen pregnancies. The show gives five couples ages 18 to 20 the opportunity to find out what it is really like to be responsible for the life of another person. The couples will live together and begin the journey with a simulated pregnancy. After the empathy belly comes off, they are charged with caring for an infant. For television purposes, life is fast-forwarded and after a few sleepless days of baby care, the couple is given a toddler to care for. After that, they get a tween, a teen and finally an elderly person.
The show, which which is based on a popular British show, debuts June 25. My girl is too young for it now, but I intend to tune in to this interesting social experiment. Will you watch? If you've got teens, will they be watching?
After a recent verdict, many parents in Maui, Hawaii and elsewhere in the US certainly are. Nearly $700,000 was awarded to the parents of Lauren Crossan, an eighteen-year-old who fell to her death from a Maui hotel room. The teen, who was in town with chaperone Susanne Sadler, Susanne's daughter and another teen, was seen drinking alcohol within hours of reaching the hotel.
An arbitrator ordered Sadler to pay $690,000 to Crossan's family after finding the chaperone partially responsible for the girl's death.
Some schools are so concerned over getting into this kind of trouble that they're going so far as to purchase liability insurance. Some parents are considering it as well. Others feel that it's simply the American way to sue rather than accept responsibility for actions. And some fall in between: A lawyer representing the Crossan family, who has represented many such families whose children have been harmed in the care of other parents, basically said that crappy parenting leads to problems.
What do you think? Is it ridiculous for parents to consider purchasing liability insurance to cover themselves when children who are not their own find their way into their care, or is it just a sign of the times?
Stewi Griffin (of television's Family Guy) make want Gwen Stefani dead, but somehow I can't get enough of her. The singer and business woman, who has her own line of clothes, bags and perfume, is set to be mom to baby number two any day now, but she and husband rocker Gavin Rossdale don't know the sex.
Rather than choosing to find out, they are going the other way and keeping the suspense until the last minute. But, how to buy? How to decorate? How to have fun while you wait (outside of your reunion with No Doubt)? Not a problem. The rockers plan on having a Goth baby and painting the child's nursery black.
Rossdale is quoted as saying this to OK Magazine in regards to whether he was going pink or blue with the nursery. I'm sure Gwen,already mom to Kingston, was amused at the remark if anything. The whole thing is probably a joke, but I wouldn't put it past these two to actually follow through with it! I wonder what color Kingston's room is!
I know at least one dad who says that being laid off from his job and becoming a stay-at-home dad is the best thing that's ever happened to him. (I'm not sure his wife would agree). Not only does he get to spend his days with his children, he's lost 50 pounds, lowered his blood pressure, and is no longer suffering the daily stress that came with his job. Roger recently wrote about wanting to be a stay-at-home dad himself, and how many other fathers feel the same way.
At our own preschool pickup, there were usually more dads than moms waiting out in the hallway everyday. In general, I've found that most of the activities my kids participate in have a good number of dads involved, and in many, at least half of the adults are men. Sarah Gilbert over at WalletPop wonders if part of the reason dads are more involved today has to do with the economy. Are dads spending more time with their kids right now because they aren't working? Or are dads just more involved in general?
Actress, Givenchy spokeswoman and all-around pretty lady Liv Tyler recently spilled the beans on what life has been like since becoming a single mom. The Hulk star recently split from Spacehog rocker Royston Langdon and has been going it solo with their four-year-old son, Milo.
Tyler, who has always seemed so down to earth to me, despite being daughter of rock legend Steven Tyler, says she spends her evenings at home in front of the television instead of partying. And, she likes it!
After five years in a high-profile marriage, I can imagine Liv, or anyone, enjoying the quiet life! Tyler says her other favorite activity other than holing up in her New York City pad is eating popcorn and going to the movies. With two new movies out (The Hulk and the previously released The Strangers) I can imagine wanting to spend a little down time at home!
Admit it: at some point in your life as a parent, you have added up all the things you do for the children and the house and the family. If you are lucky, this accounting has not been part of a larger wrangle about what's fair in your house, but it is more likely that this equity math has come up in a less-than-pleasant discussion with your spouse or partner, one in which you accuse each other of not doing enough, and then list all the things that you do to keep everything rolling.
We all do it; it's inevitable. Or is it?
This weekend's New York Times magazine features an article by Lisa Belkin about couples who have consciously chosen equal parenting -- the completely fair distribution of labor within the home. They divide work and laundry and kid duties 50/50, even if this means working less and scheduling more. And for these parents, equal is successful. But is it realistic?
Statistically, no; in couples where both the husband and wife work full-time, surveys show that the wife does 28 hours of housework and the husband, 16. That's not even close to a 50/50 split. One sociologist found that in families where the wife worked full-time and the husband stayed home, the wife still did the majority of the housework.
According to a recent report, actress Bridget Moynahan recently admitted she feared being a single mom and motherhood. Moynahan found out she was pregnant nearly moments after she split with her ex--football superstar Tom Brady. Brady began dating supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Bridget gave birth to their beautiful son, John Edward Thomas Moynahan.
Moynahan says she is "...a traditional girl" and that she always figured she'd settle down and get married. She did not ever see herself going through parenthood alone. She was also candid about having a newborn, for which we get no real training, and how scary that is. I find this kind of honesty from celebrity parents so refreshing. Most of the time they make it look so easy to have a large lifestyle and kids.
I think Bridget--and any parent who goes through parenthood alone--is extremely brave for what she's doing. I admire that she and Tom are still on decent terms (at least that is how the media is presenting it) and trying to get along for the sake of their son. Could I do it? I don't know. I think it's amazing what single parents accomplish. My husband is out of town on business for a week and I am finding it very challenging to get anything done! Still, if that's the way things were, I would gladly sacrifice washing those dishes in the sink for taking full responsibility for my son. Moynahan basically agrees with that sentiment and says she wouldn't trade the role of motherhood for anything, though, and doesn't appear to be looking for anyone's pity.
Among the thing I love about my daughters' school is their dedication to both indoor and outdoor exercise. During all but the coldest winter days, they took the kids outside for at least a 15 minute recess each morning. They were also diligent about reminding parents that without the proper winter wear, being outside in the snow isn't much fun.
Over at That's Fit, Bev recently wrote that improper clothing was just one thing keeping kids at childcare centers indoors. Other barriers included poor footwear, such as flip flops in the summertime, parent focus on cognitive skills over play, and staff preferences (not wanting to go outside themselves, for instance). Even mulch was reported as a barrier, because the kids threw it or ate it.
Maternity leave in the U.S. is scandalously short. If we're very, very lucky, we get six weeks of paid leave (though I've yet to meet anyone who was paid for their maternity leave). The law requires six weeks of unpaid leave, and employees who qualify can stretch that out to twelve weeks through FMLA, if the household can go that long without the income. To me, that's just not enough time for many mothers.
One solution some employers have come up with is allowing new moms to bring their babies to work with them. According to the very supportive boss in the video, it's a money saver. He's flexible and supportive and doesn't expect 100% from his employees who are also parenting on the job, and in return he gets loyalty and longevity from his staff.
A lot of people in the technology industry consider Microsoft to be pure evil. It turns out that they aren't completely evil after all. The company has partnered with the Companions in Courage Foundation to deliver gaming kiosks to children's hospitals around the country, loaded with an xbox 360 video game system, games, and TV shows and movies.
The kiosks will also let hospitalized kids play games and chat with other kids in other hospitals over a private network. The first batch was installed at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle and the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California.
"Entertainment, creativity and personal connections can be important factors in alleviating some of the isolation and discomfort these children experience each day," said Companions in Courage founder and National Hockey League Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine, speaking of kids who are in the hospital for an extended period. "These gaming stations are a perfect complement to the interactive playrooms."
The mission of Companions in Courage is to build interactive playrooms in hospitals throughout North America. "It's extremely gratifying to witness the joy and excitement of these children and teens when they have a chance to break away from the normal hospital routine, and make new friends while playing video games," said Cynthia Sparer, executive director of Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian.
For once, I have to say -- and this pains me to no end -- good job Microsoft!
New research suggests that children who attend day care or are frequently exposed to other children through playgroups or playdates may be at a decreased risk of developing leukemia.
According to this article from Yahoo, leukemia is thought to be cause by one or two triggers. One is a genetic abnormality. The other is an infection that sets off a chain of events that leaves the body vulnerable to leukemia. Experts theorize that children who are frequently exposed to common childhood illnesses build a stronger immune system, thus "switching off" the second trigger.
Parents of kids in day care or school know how frequently kids get sick when they're around other kids. Look at it this way -- at least there's a silver lining to all those runny noses...a healthy immune system.
Lately I have been a little concerned about what seems to me to be the mainstreaming of teen pregnancy. Maybe it's just me, but movies like 
Admit it: at some point in your life as a parent, you have added up all the things you do for the children and the house and the family. If you are lucky, this accounting has not been part of a larger wrangle about what's fair in your house, but it is more likely that this equity math has come up in a less-than-pleasant discussion with your spouse or partner, one in which you accuse each other of not doing enough, and then list all the things that you do to keep everything rolling.
New research suggests that children who attend day care or are frequently exposed to other children through playgroups or playdates may be at a decreased risk of developing leukemia.
