Thingamababy

Teaching children to shut up

AJ — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:16:35 +0000

My daughter’s kindergarten class received its H1N1 inoculation yesterday. Parents were invited to attend at the appointed time to help ease any fears. About one-third of the parents showed up and my daughter had no problems whatsoever. Oh, but things weren’t totally peachy. The parent(s) of at least one student declined the vaccination. A problem arose [...]

Dolphin-attended water births

AJ — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:28:04 +0000

Behold a video clip of a dolphin-attended water birth from Le Premier Cri, a documentary about birthing experiences around the world. Sadly, I’m a product of the American monolingual education system. I’m unable to efficiently google for dolphin birthing centers located around the world. However, one such center exists in Hawaii and was profiled on the [...]

Book Review: How Whales Walked into the Sea

AJ — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:05:32 +0000

The whole world is a family.” –My 5-year-old daughter on the beautiful message she gets from evolution, all of us derived from a common ancestor. I previously reviewed Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story, and while it was a good introduction to concepts behind evolution, it’s a bit esoteric for young children. I was lucky to [...]

Winners: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

AJ — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:10:18 +0000

Behold the winners in the Meatball King Giveaway (Burger King and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Movie). Thank you to all who entered, sharing one of their favorite parenting websites with us. The winners: Amy H. from Indianapolis, Indiana — The Burger King gift pack shown at right consists of a huge popcorn container, Burger King [...]

Winners: Hot Peas ‘N Butter

AJ — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:02:50 +0000

Three Thinga-readers in the Hot Peas ‘N Butter CD Giveaway have each won a copy of Best of the Bowl: Ingles Y Español. It’s the CD my daughter is currently enjoying (read my review). Thank you to everyone who participated and taught me something about Latin American music. The winners: Teresa from Sunnyvale, Calif. Francine from Sacramento, Calif. The [...]

Halloween recap – How was yours?

AJ — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:34:30 +0000

For several of our Halloween activities my daughter dressed as a witch. On Halloween night she decided to combine her witch costume with a bat cape and velvet masquerade mask to become the Vampire Witch Super Hero. To criminals, she casts the illusion of being a helpless victim. When bad people approach, she bites them, releasing [...]

Le Premier Cri: An awesome film you’ll never see

AJ — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:45:13 +0000

Contest updates and other miscellany will be posted this weekend. In the meantime, here’s a trailer for a French documentary, Le Premier Cri — The First Cry. Title captions: The four corners of the world Follow the fate of extraordinary women Beyond cultures A universal moment Life holds its breath A film by Gilles de Maistre The [...]

Short film on parenting, childhood, old age

AJ — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:36:58 +0000

Here is a short, subtle Greek film on multiple subjects: What is that? The film begins 40 seconds in after a lengthy presentation of credits. What’s it it about? Reminiscing about childhood, your children Lamenting the loss of childhood The relationship between father and son Having patience with elderly parents Having patience with children The sense of wonder in [...]

In photos: How you know you picked a good elementary school

AJ — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:01:54 +0000

Alternate title: From principal to rock star in 30 minutes. I just want to share some photos, but I’ll say some things you disagree with first. Let’s brush over the three ways parents shouldn’t select elementary schools. 1. Not test scores! Parents decry the mess made by No Child Left Behind… then turn around and meticulously pour [...]

Refunds: Baby Einstein DVDs

AJ — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:48:08 +0000

Ta-dah! The whole educational video claim has come to roost. Baby Einstein, aka Walt Disney Company, is offering refunds on Baby Einstein DVDs purchased between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009. They’re not defective. They’re just not educational, and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you have no business showing them to a [...]