momsmiami - Profile | Pictures | Blog
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User: momsmiami
From: South Florida
Joined: Dec 26 2007 - 09:40:45 AM
Last Visit: Nov 20 2009 - 03:19:05 PM
Website: http://www.MomsMiami.com
I am a: Work-outside-home parent
My work and family: MomsMiami is a team at The Miami Herald working to make raising kids in South Florida less exasperating. We hope you will find the humor to cope with the misadventures, some advice for taming the chaos, and some friends to help you through. We're all in this together.
Bio/Interests: MomsMiami loves the stories and photos you share of your children. -
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MomsMiami Moms & Kids 1 photos
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Tattooed Moms 2 photos
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Halloween 30 photos
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Scrapbooking 3 photos
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Hot dads 1 photos
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MomsMiami events 49 photos
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Email spurs mom businesses
Whitney Zimet, a busy Miami mom, has figured out a way to build her small business during all hours. She mingles with other moms, hoping to cajole them into giving her their e-mail addresses. Then, she adds the coveted address to the distribution list for her e-newsletter, I am the Maven, filled with coupons from advertisers. Even with texting and social media making headlines, e-mail marketing is emerging as a powerful...read more...Posted on: Nov 20 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Whitney Zimet produces the I Am the Maven newsletter from her Coral Gables home. (AL DIAZ / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Moms helping soldiers
Flea collars and a prayer are tucked inside a brown shipping box bound for a remote region of Afghanistan. Karla Smiley, 44, stuffs another box with chocolate chip granola bars, a pair of white socks, eye drops and ChapStick -- essentials for a soldier trying to survive the elements of a foreign terrain. Two boxes down, more than 1,200 left to go. ``Every soldier deserves a mom,'' says Smiley, of Fort...read more...
South Florida moms Karla Smiley, right, and Judy Smith, put together care packages for soldiers serving overseas. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA/MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Shooting for perfect holiday photo
My husband and I are photographers for The Miami Herald, and have faced some difficult assignments. But by far, the most challenging job we have all year is the annual Christmas card photo. This year, our boys are 7 and 10 years old, and we want to include our chocolate Lab as well. Over the years, we've had the boys run through hot sand and cling to coconut trees. We've tied them up in Christmas...read more...
Here is this year's attempt at the Michot family Christmas card. Adding a dog to the photo make take a few years off of your life ... but he sure is cute. (EMILY MICHOT)Finally, a black Disney princess
Holly Price Alford is over the moon about Disney's first black princess. Her 8-year-old daughter is, too, but not because the princess is black. "She understands that this is a princess who is African American,'' said Alford, who is black and lives in Meadowbrook, Va. "But do I think it's a big deal to her? No.'' Princess Tiana debuts in The Princess and the Frog...read more...
Princess Tiana, shown above on the cover of a journal, has already spawned a huge line of merchandise. (AP PHOTO/DISNEY) Below, you can meet Princess Tiana at Disney World through January. (AP PHOTO)Book Fair kids: Schooled in comics
School’s in session Friday for parents, teachers, librarians, anybody interested in knowing more about comic books. That’s sure to make a kid Hulk green with envy, isn’t it? BY SUE CORBETT Sue will be making her own appearance at the Miami Book Fair International, reading from her latest book, The Last Newspaper Boy in America . Sue will appear at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday,...read more...
Jeff Kinney, author of the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series, designed the poster for this year's Miami Book Fair International.Laid-off husbands help at home?
Lily Pabian and her husband, Jeff, learned to tag-team household tasks when he lost his job and she went from stay-at-home mom to part-time consultant. But the give-and-take turned into a juggling act when Jeff found work again three months later. Lily, a 37-year-old mother of three from Mapleton, Ga., kept working, but also kept most of the parenting responsibilities and housework. And experts say her...read more...
Peter Worden of Chatham, N.J., fixes dinner for the family, which he has been doing since getting laid off. (AP PHOTO / Mel Evans)Up all night texting
Between their crazy schedules and upside-down circadian rhythms, teens always have been somewhat sleep-deprived. Now technology is making it worse. Teens are not just texting, instant-messaging and surfing Facebook all day; they're sleeping with their cell phones or laptops, too. Or rather, not sleeping. And doctors and parents, many of them raised in an era when phones were attached...read more...
Are our boys in crisis?
We've never had a female president, and most CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are still white men. But William Pollack says there's a ''boy crisis'' in America. As proof, he cites several measures: • In schools across the country, boys get the majority of Ds and Fs; girls get most of the As....read more...
New firm: Moms for hire
As a mom, Dixie McDaniel Andrade wanted to work from home in a business that would give her flexibility to keep on eye on her kids, maybe even take them to the park midday. She found the ideal match as the new regional owner of Mom Corps Miami. From her home office, Andrade spends her days calling on companies, explaining how using a mom to fill a gap in their employment needs will benefit them. "It's low cost,...read more...
Dixie McDaniel de Andrade, mom of twins Gabriel, left, and Lucas, owns Mom Corps' Miami franchise. (PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Where to go for Halloween
There is so much scary fun to be had in South Florida this time of year, it's hard to choose which events to hit. Here is a rundown of some the big ones. See more posted by readers in our Local Events forum. And share your favorite trick-or-treat haunts in our Creative Holidays forum. For complete listings of adult fun, visit Miami.com . Deering Estate Ghost Tours The League of Paranormal...read more...
(Pete Krumhardt/Better Homes and Gardens/MCT)Three moms & a business
Broward moms Sheryl Rosenthal and Rebecca Joseph are on the verge of taking their home business to a new level. Their company, Free to Be Studio, designs and sells T-shirts for special events. "We were friends who started thinking, 'What can we do together?' We didn't like sitting home, but we didn't want to work in an office,'' Rosenthal said. BY CINDY KRISCHER...read more...Posted on: Oct 20 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Left to right: adults Sheryl Rosenthal, Florence Rosenthal and Rebecca Joseph. Kids Rachel Rosenthal, 9, Sammy Rosenthal, 6, Ty Joseph, 6, and Emma Joseph, 8. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR. / Miami Herald Staff)'Wild Things' film no cozy tale
Spike Jonze recalls how Maurice Sendak urged him to make the movie version of Where the Wild Things Are as dangerous as the book was when the children's classic came out in 1963. The question now is whether Jonze made it too dangerous. The film arrives in theaters Oct. 16, a year later than originally planned by distributor Warner Bros. The studio was queasy over the dark,...read more...
Let the wild rumpus start! Max in his wolf suit. (WARNER BROS. PICTURES)Autism charter school opens
Susan Leon spent years trying to find the right school for her autistic son, Reno. The public schools didn't have the right tools to teach children with autism, she said. And the specialized private schools were too costly. So Leon, a paralegal from Kendall, convened a group of parents and experts to create the region's first charter school exclusively for autistic children. The...read more...
Susan Leon dances with student Aaron Mizrachi in one of the second-grade classrooms at the new charter school. Below, teacher Anna Aeevedo shares a book. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR. / Miami Herald Staff)WAHM success: Purse sales
Kelly Warfel had been scanning the booths at a business expo in April when she stumbled upon a product she knew could sell - a purse with interchangeable handles and materials. While she isn't making gobs of money yet, Warfel has managed to create a work-from-home business selling the unique purses. She has made back her initial investment and says she has laid the groundwork for earning a...read more...Posted on: Oct 12 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Kelly Warfel, a Weston mom of two, has a home-based business selling purses with interchangeable parts. (JOE RIMKUS JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Meet 'Graceling' author
The heroine of Kristin Cashore's second novel, Fire , is named for the color of her hair -- a prismatic red that mixes shades of "sunrise, copper, poppy, fuchsia, and flame'' into a mane so dazzling she keeps it covered with a scarf to detract attention. That same word -- dazzling -- sums up Cashore's entry into publishing. BY SUE CORBETT For more on what the kids are reading -- or...read more...
Avoid work-at-home scams
For a parent, it sounds like the best of both worlds: working from home so you can make money AND spend more time with your kids. The lure of work-at-home companies is especially enticing at a time when many moms can't afford not to work any more and some may even need a second source of income. BY JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE. Read Julie's money-saving blog, Talk About Cheap, here . Follow...read more...
DIY Halloween guide
Remember how easy it was to do Halloween when you were a kid? Throw an old white sheet over your head, call yourself a ghost and head out trick-or-treating. Well those do-it-yourself days are creeping back, as parents are just saying no to high-priced specialty store kids costumes and relying on their own ingenuity to outfit trick-or-treaters. Arlana Kemplin of Lighthouse Point said she and her husband, Jeff Manresa,...read more...
Good sports: It starts with us
It's tough to be a good sport. Watch any youth sports game and you'll see the bad behaviors -- the yelling, the screaming, the blaming -- and that's just the coaches and parents. The bottom line is, if we want our kids to learn good sportsmanship, we have to set a better example. BY JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE. Read Julie's money-saving blog, Talk About Cheap, here . Follow her on Twitter . ...read more...
Drug-free effort: Family dinner
The simple act of sitting down to dinner with your kids may be one of the strongest tools you have to keep them off drugs. That's the idea behind Monday's "Family Day.'' Organizations all over South Florida are hosting free dinners, plus sharing information and giving parents tips on table talk that gets beyond "how was your day?'' MORE ONLINE Read more about local and...read more...
Wassup? Txt ur teen
Teens and texting is a subject that's often discussed in pathological terms. They're texting in class! They're sexting! They're running up $5,000 bills! They need thumb therapy! But texting isn't always bad. In some families, it's become a primary form of communication between parents and children. In fact, one of my favorite texts from kids is the earth-shattering query...read more...
Caring for your preemie
It happens from out of nowhere. You're chugging through your pregnancy -- months from your due date -- when suddenly you're told you're having the baby NOW. Terrifying, yes. But fortunately, South Florida is a good place to be if you have to go through this. In fact, mothers are sent to South Florida from all over the state, Latin America and the Caribbean to have their preemies because there are...read more...
New moms' back-to-work guide
Is your maternity leave fading fast? Cut back on the back-to-work chaos with these helpful tips from experts to get you -- and your baby -- prepared. SET THE DATE If your return date is flexible, you might be tempted to put off the decision as long as possible. Resist! The delay is nothing but unnecessary stress. Take the reins and move toward a decision. "The worst thing you can do is feel powerless,"...read more...
'Meatballs' & Miami childhood
As a kid in Coconut Grove, Phil Lord remembers that the picture book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs appealed to his budding appreciation of oddball humor. As a second-grader, "I recognized it as Surreal before knowing what Surreal was," he recalls. His well-thumbed copy was among the prized possessions his parents held onto for him when he graduated from Ransom-Everglades in 1993. BY SUE CORBETT...read more...
Phil Lord sits on the porch of his childhood home with the copy of the book that became his first film, 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.' (ALEX KOLYER / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)When to teach life skills
You walk into your bathroom, and the toilet paper roller is empty. On the back of the toilet sits a new roll, put there by a previous visitor who apparently never mastered the task of replacing a roll of toilet paper. Reloading the dispenser is just one of those things that kids should learn, things that will stay with them throughout adulthood. TALK ABOUT IT Should kids get paid for chores? Comment on Ana-Veciana...read more...
No off-season for sports injuries
As a new season of school sports and youth leagues gets underway, medical professionals are gearing up for the sprained ankles, skinned knees, broken arms and other injuries that inevitably come with the games. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 80 percent of sports-related injuries in children result from playing football, basketball, baseball or soccer. Two-thirds of those...read more...
Pregnant on the job hunt
Samantha Stone, 29, would like to have a baby soon. But with the job market tenuous, being pregnant in the workplace has become much more risky. Just look at the number of pregnant women who are blogging about job discrimination, filing lawsuits for unfair removal and turning to advocacy groups after being targeted in job cuts. BY CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN. Read Cindy's Balancing Act blog here . Claims of...read more...
Feed the kid's brain
Kids who want to stay focused and alert in school need to eat the right foods. Not power drinks and potato chips, but foods rich in healthy fats, protein and slow-burning carbohydrates that provide energy throughout the day. "Fats build the brain, proteins unite the brain, and carbohydrates fuel the MORE LUNCH IDEAS Bento boxes are the new thing for packing lunch. What do you put in your kids' lunch...read more...
This school lunch serves up energy: a turkey wrap with bean spread, fruit and chickpeas. See recipes below. (CRAIG KOHLRUSS / Fresno Bee / MCT)Kids' work can make artful display
Think outside the icebox when it comes to kid art. Children's first finger paintings and their more elaborate elementary-school drawings once were restricted to refrigerator doors. But interior designers, some of whom are serious art collectors, are changing that old-school practice. "You're allowing your kids to express themselves, and displaying their work gives them...read more...
Amy Murray of Kansas uses archival boxes to store the artwork by her 5-year-old son, above. (MCT PHOTOS)Homework space made simple
Kathryn M. Ireland, the former music-video producer turned interior designer, has helped with a textbook's worth of schoolwork while raising her three boys with her Saturday Night Live filmmaker husband, Gary Weis. Yet the full extent of their homework headquarters consists of little more than a nook in the kitchen of their Spanish-style house in Santa Monica, Calif. "You just find a corner and put up shelves...read more...
Big kudos for local park
Northgate Park in Lauderdale Lakes is more than just a park with basketball courts and slides -- it's 8-year-old Jordan James' ``secret spy'' training ground. It's where 12-year-old Ashley Ruid comes after school rather than going home to an empty house. It's the place Richie Dugazon, 25, credits with keeping him out of trouble and helping him turn around his life. ``Man, had it not been for the...read more...
Northgate Park is one of three new parks to open in the past three years in Lauderdale Lakes. (JOE RIMKUS JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Standing up to YOUR mom
Like it or not, your mom has parenting experience and opinions, and odds are good that she's going to shove them down your throat, uh, we mean share them, with you every chance she gets. Not a problem for your fam? Smile and give grandma a hug for us. But if you have unsolicited advice coming out the wazoo, here are a few tips to help keep your cool. SEE THROUGH IT...read more...
Easing school anxiety
Wendy K. Silverman, director of the Child Anxiety and Phobia Program at Florida International University, has been teaching children how to conquer their fears for more than 20 years. As a researcher and board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist, she sees youngsters whose extreme anxiety can keep them out of the classroom. With school starting, we talked to Silverman about her research and about what parents...read more...
Lunch out of the box
Blogger Deborah Hamilton has a fresh idea for school-lunch packers: the bento box. She sends her son off every school day with her own version of the compartmentalized Japanese lunch container. "I would like to say I have a master plan and my evil genius of bento kung fu tells me what to do, but really it's whatever I have in the house,'' said Hamilton, who blogs at www.lunchinabox.net ....read more...
Tips for the ER visit
We have had to rush our son to the hospital more than once, and each time was the scariest thing I have had to face. But looking back, it never turned out to be as bad as I imagined. And knowing what you should do -- and bring along -- makes the whole experience much safer and easier for the parent -- and the child. Emergency physicians suggest these tips in case you...read more...
Back to school: Going green
What’s the newest green trend this back-to-school buying season? Think before you buy. It’s not that difficult these days to coordinate the three R’s of being planet friendly - reduce, reuse and recycle - with reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic. Greening the back-to-school experience means thinking about what you really need to get your kids back into the classroom. Before you head out, take an...read more...
Raising kids to love food
Before she was a year old, Zoe LoSasso was introduced to the sharp, earthy taste of white truffle purée. Now 10, she doesn't remember that, but it hardly seems an accident that she loves yuca-crusted snapper with kimchee aioli, roasted broccoli with garlic and pizza topped with crushed red pepper. Like a growing number of American kids, the fifth-grader is being raised as an adventuresome eater. BY JODI...read more...
Jonathan Eisman, chef and owner of Pacific Time restaurant in Miami's Design District with his daughter, Morgan, with Blueberry parfait, and heirloom tomato salad. (MIAMI HERALD FILE)Loosening up on teens
Technology allows parents the unprecedented ability to supervise their children. A teen's exact location can be determined by a GPS unit on their cell phone. Software permits children's every computer keystroke to be monitored. Phone records can be accessed to review calling patterns, and new technology now exists for parents to recover deleted text messages from cell phones. BY GREGORY RAMEY...read more...
Skipping middle school
Who can forget their first day of middle school? Thousands of students can, as a growing number of urban school districts -- including Miami-Dade County's -- replace middle schools with K-8 centers. Students who live in Miami attendance zones for a K-8 center, or "elemiddle,'' can opt to stay in the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade, instead of moving to middle school....read more...
Annette Weissman, principal of Sunny Isles Beach K8 center, surrounded by some of her students, who range in age from 5 to 14. (MARIANNE ARMSHAW / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Backpack shopping guide
The kids only care about the colors and the characters. But when it comes to backpack shopping, moms know that comfort and durability are the key factors. Choosing a quality backpack -- and packing it correctly -- helps prevent back, neck and shoulder pain, especially for kids entering middle school, MORE BACK-TO-SCHOOL Do you have gently used school gear or uniforms to sell, trade or giveaway? Post them in Swap...read more...
So many choices for backpacks. The scene at a local Staples store. (JOHN VAN BEEKUM / Miami Herald Staff)How to buy a crib mattress
And you thought choosing a name was hard. Navigating the maze of crib mattresses involves more than noting your crib's measurements and heading to the nearest baby store -- especially if you're concerned about the chemical makeup of your child's bed. We turned to Sonya Lunder, senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group , for pointers on choosing a mattress that lets you all...read more...
Balancing Act: Mom cops
Move over Jon & Kate, let The Police Women of Broward County show you how real women raise kids -- and work. Smack in the middle of the debate about whether it is possible for women to have it all comes TLC's new series that sets out to capture the reality of women in law enforcement. It follows the lives of four ordinary women who alternately shuttle kids to school and, by the way, bust up drug...read more...
From left, Ana Murillo, Shelunda Cooper, Julie Bower, Andrea Penoyer star in the new show, 'The Police Women of Broward County.' (TLC)Saying no to sleepovers
Forget the sleepover rituals of junk food, "truth or dare'' and late night gab sessions that have ushered tweens into teens for decades. A new generation of parents are sticking to strict no sleepover rules. They call them "sleep unders'', "half-overs'', "late nights'' and "breakfast bashes.'' Come in your jammies, bring junk food, play all the...read more...
Miami girl on veg campaign
At age 8, Jasmine Messiah is an enthusiastic vegetarian, toting salads and fruit to school every day since she finds the alternative in the school cafeteria "not healthy.'' The Miami girl has tried to introduce her friends to the benefits of eating a healthy diet -- and now she's the real-life poster child of a campaign aimed at persuading Congress to require schools across the country to offer...read more...
Jasmine Messiah, 8, is the poster girl for a new campaign to get school kids healthier lunches.Beyond uniforms: Peace, neon
Peace, love and neon. For those middle- and high-schoolers who get to choose what they wear to school, these are the back-to-school buzzwords for a generation too young to remember those fashion themes the first time around, or even the second. This celebration of feel-good prints, including peace signs, flower power and butterflies, occurs against a backdrop of psychedelic colors and runs straight through...read more...
Do these outfits look familiar? 'New' fashions from Justice. (AP PHOTO)Mom, can I have a guinea pig?
When kids saw 101 Dalmatians and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, they sat up and begged for a title character of their very own. And so it goes with the guinea pigs of G-Force, the Disney flick that scurried to the top of the box office last weekend with $31.7 million. Aww, fuzzy, adorable little guinea pigs -- great pets, right? WE LOVE PETS Show off...read more...
The guinea pigs in 'G-Force' are heroic. Is your family ready for the real thing?Frugal moms ditch training pants
The recession is making life a little messier for some toddlers and their parents. Disposable training pants, long viewed as a staple in potty training children, are becoming dispensable as some parents choose value over convenience in the recession. These days, an accident here and there has become an acceptable tradeoff for saving some $30 to $100 a month. And many parents say that doing away...read more...
Mom Darcy Forsell, holding 6-week-old Kylie, had spent so much on diapers in her 3-year-old daughter's early years that when the time came for Liz to potty-train, Forsell decided to skip the training pants. (AP PHOTO)Summer health myths
Remember that annoying long list of things you were told as a kid to do and not do when you were supposed to be out having summertime fun? Well, it's time to separate the facts from fiction so your kids can enjoy themselves while you are not needlessly worrying. A few myth busters, from Woman's Day magazine: MORE ON SUMMER HEALTH Kid-safe mosquito defense . How to avoid heat illnesses . Why your kids should...read more...
Back-to-school checklist
The first day of school is rushing right at us. Have you been busy preparing, or too busy enjoying the kids' time off? "Parents enjoy the summer, too, and they don't want to think about school,'' said Stephanie Vozza, founder of Theorganizedparent.com and a mother of two school-age boys in Rochester, Mich. "Your head isn't there yet, but so many little things over...read more...
It's not too early to start shopping for back-to-school supplies. (AP FILE PHOTO)Tips for a fun game night
Economic woes are challenging families to find inexpensive entertainment options. Others are looking to get away from electronic gizmos and reconnect. For many, an old-fashioned family game night is the answer. A recent survey commissioned by Hasbro found that 48 percent of Americans believe game nights are the best type of family bonding. FAVORITE GAMES Have you tried family game night at your house?...read more...
Girls, puberty: What to say
The experts at KidsHealth offer this advice for talking to your daughters about puberty: 1. Start the talk early. By the time a girl is 8, she should know about the bodily changes associated with puberty. That may seem young, but consider this: 40 percent of 8-year-olds say they first heard about puberty from a source other than their moms or school. TALK ABOUT IT Share your tips and challenges on this issue in our...read more...
Fun summer science tricks
Chances are, they're bored. The first few weeks that school was out, the pool was a lure for your kids and a non-school book seemed a treat. But now, the kids probably just stare at you with those accusing eyes that say: "What are you going to do about this?" To help, we've compiled a short list of fun science experiments designed to combat summer boredom or survive rainy days. The ideas come from three...read more...
What's new at theme parks
Extreme rides, American Idol competitions and secret-agent missions are among the new thrills this summer at the Orlando theme parks. MANTA, SEAWORLD This roller coaster's preshow is a walk through a huge aquarium filled with real rays. Riders are then strapped facedown to the underside of the ORLANDO TRAVEL TIPS Get advice for saving money on Orlando excursions in Julie Laviolette's Talk About Cheap blog....read more...
Prepare to get wet if you take ride on the Manta, the new rollercoaster at Sea World.Travel: Utah dinosaur hunt
MOAB, UTAH -- A happy geological fluke has made Utah one of the world's best spots to hunt for dinosaurs. Throughout the rest of the United States, this fossil-rich layer of sedimentary rock is buried under prairies and forests. But in the badlands of Utah, the stratum rests near the surface, even along hiking trails. I consulted Utah's top paleontologists on the best way to make a four-day road trip to see the...read more...
You can see the powerful jaws of an allosaurus at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. Below, a cast of a duck-billed dinosaur is on display at the College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum in Price. (GINA FERAZZI / Los Angeles Times)Take kids to see turtles
Fifty baby turtles hatched into stardom. Within hours of being born, they had dug themselves out of a five-foot hole on an empty beach and found themselves wriggling around in two sand-filled buckets, surrounded by young fans. Soon they would be released into the ocean, where they'd make their way to the Gulf Stream and live out the rest of their lives. But first, came the lesson. IF YOU GO...read more...
Baby loggerhead sea turtles are hatching along South Florida's beaches this time of year. Programs give the kids a lesson on the creatures and let them see the hatchlings up close. (AP PHOTO / Sun Sentinel, Joe Cavaretta)Cool moms bake the cake
Kay Martin decided early on that she wanted special celebrations for her children's birthdays. For her, that meant homemade, hand-decorated cakes. "I bought a cake-decorating book before my first kid was even born,'' said Martin of Plain City, Ohio. She wowed guests at her daughter's first birthday with a three-dimensional cake shaped like alphabet blocks. "It got rave...read more...
This cake is covered in fondant, with all of the decorations made of fondant. The doll is a Ariel The Little Mermaid with the legs removed. The bottom cake size is a 10-inch round, topped with an 8-inch round. (AP PHOTO / Leslie Green)Tips for pumping at work
Returning to work after maternity leave can be a shock to the system, especially for women who breastfeed and need to pump milk while on the job. The intimate, unhurried nursing sessions that they shared with their babies are often replaced by the mechanical drone of a breast pump -- and a mad dash to squeeze in enough evenly spaced breaks throughout the workday to maintain their milk...read more...
New ideas for sun protection
Some new products are out claiming to pair with sunscreen to combat burns and long-term sun damage. Some are innovative. Others are goofy. But beware: Some may not be all they’re cracked up to be. Take for instance Heliocare, the “sunscreen in a pill.” This European product promises to fight UV-rays from the inside out but is just a high dose of antioxidants and should never replace sunscreen. LEARN MORE...read more...
Cheap water games for hot days
Kids whining that it's too hot to go outside? Here's a recipe for relief: Just add water. Jenny Rosenstrach, features editor of Cookie, a family lifestyle magazine, says parents can keep it simple and still make a splash when it comes to entertaining young kids. "I have a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old, and we don't have a...read more...
Must 'date night' be a chore?
A "date'' is butterflies in the stomach. Pants that flatter the rear view. Surprise endings. Its very distant cousin, "date night," is an uninterrupted meal. The pants you wore to that wedding one time. A baby sitter. Yes, we married parents know we're supposed to go on date nights. HAVE A GREAT DATE Our Mommy & We blog offers great local Date...read more...
Date night doesn't have to be anything fancy. A walk on the beach with your husband -- without the kids -- will do.'Character'-less kids rooms
Dora the Explorer can undergo all the makeovers she wants -- that Dora comforter is still getting chucked faster than last year's gym shoes when Hannah Montana comes calling. And therein lies the quandary for parents trying to decorate their kids' rooms in a way that's both whimsical and practical: Do you give in to the relentless onslaught of characters, themes and...read more...
White furnishings are a versatile choice that can go with changing wall and accent colors as the child grows.Kid-safe mosquito defense
Mosquitoes, those bloodthirsty spoilers of outdoor summer fun -- and their biting friends, black flies, gnats and no-see-ums -- are busily, buzzily feasting upon us. The standard defense against the hungry horde, DEET-based repellent, now has new company: armaments that are effective yet easier and generally safer to use, especially around children. And you'll never guess where this new muscle is...read more...
Mosquitoes photographed through a fluoresence microscope. (MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO)Lessons for kids in lean times
Cooking dinner instead of going out to eat. Renting movies instead of trekking to the multiplex. Families have been making this kind of little trade-off for months since the economy tanked. If a parent has been laid off, tougher financial choices loom: Do we keep paying for piano lessons? Can we afford a family vacation? And what about those college funds? READ MORE The United Way has more information...read more...
New camp: Island adventure
The rain was a gift. It came suddenly from the south, and we didn't have time to get off the island before the water started blowing in sideways, making it impossible to stay dry under our tent without sides. This didn't faze Guillermo Garcia Rodiles, one of the teachers at Miami's Eco Island Adventure Camp. He calmly adjusted the tent's bamboo pipes, down which the rain was flowing into a...read more...
Eli Horgan, a camper at Eco Island Adventure Camp on Dinner Key, hooks a houndfish. Watching him are Michael Rodiles and William Rodiles. (GUILLERMO RODILES) Below, kids snorkel near a sunken houseboat. (SUSIE HORGAN)Tips for 'bringing the baby'
Just because you have a baby, it doesn't mean you have to cut out ALL your usual grown-up fun. "You can essentially do everything that was in your prebaby life,'' says TheBump.com parenting expert Tammy Gold, founder of Gold Parent Coaching. "You just have to prepare.'' Read on for some summer tips. ROAD TRIPS For long treks with...read more...
Dad: Invisible next to Mom?
Father's Day has come and gone, and with it the annual flurry of dad-friendly gifts, heartwarming newscasts and the highest-ranking father in the land - President Barack Obama - taking time to urge his fellow fathers to step up when it comes to their kids. Fathers, Obama wrote in a letter to Parade magazine, need to "realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to...read more...
John Ofenloch gets stares from moms at the playground when he shows up during the day with his 3-year-old daughter, Morgan Bianco Ofenloch.Where to find the fireworks
Get out the star-spangled bathing suits; it's time to celebrate the Fourth of July. Gather up your beach towels, picnic blankets, lawn-chairs, and bug spray. And ponchos for whole family, because you KNOW it's going to rain at some point over this long weekend. Although a few cities -- including Coral Gables and West Miami -- have canceled the fireworks shows, there are plenty to choose...read more...
Good times at the zoo
Zoos in South Florida and around the country are reporting higher attendance as consumers look for affordable entertainment closer to home. Nearly 60 percent of the 120-member Association of Zoos and Aquariums reported attendance increases year-over-year in an informal survey in April. SAVE AT METROZOO With the MomsMiami Summer Fun Pass , moms get into Metrozoo for free with two paid admissions. You can use it at...read more...
More people are enjoying local attractions like Miami Metrozoo, instead of traveling this year. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Crowd safety: kid tats, GPS
Parents who fear getting separated from their children at amusement parks, beaches and other vacation spots are turning more often to new high- and low-tech safety devices. GPS tracking devices with wander alerts emit beeps or vibrations when a child strays too far. Digital watches and apparel have high-decibel alarms. And there's the SafetyTat , a waterproof tattoo created by a Baltimore-area mom who...read more...
In crowded places like theme parks, it's easy to lose sight of the kids. (AP FILE PHOTO)Cool water toys for hot days
Little gets on a parent's nerves more on a steamy summer day than a hot, irritable child complaining of boredom. With less money for mountain vacations or expensive camp programs this year, parents might want to invest in a few outdoor summer toys that will get the kids off the couch or out from behind video games. Here are some ideas ranging from the new and innovative to updates KEEPING...read more...
For $549.99, you can give the kids their own backyard water park with the Banzai Falls Sidewinder Blast. (MANLEY) Below, build a better batter. (FISHER PRICE)So you think your kid's a prodigy
Ethan Bortnick of Hollywood was just shy of 4 when his parents, Gene and Hannah, noticed him playing tunes by ear on his Elmo keyboard. Soon he had memorized more than 200 songs and was composing his own music. Now, Ethan, a recognized child prodigy, has at the ripe old age of 8 shared a stage with the likes of Beyonce, Santana and Celine Dion. He has performed on Oprah, Good Morning America and The Tonight Show...read more...
Ethan Bortnick's tiny hands make big music on the piano. (MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTOS)How to childproof furniture
The number of children injured when furniture falls on them has jumped 40 percent over the past 20 years. Putting up gates isn't enough. Here are tips from Dr. Jim Schmidt, co-founder of the Virginia Beach, Va.-based company Child Safety House Calls: Tether it. Secure any potentially unstable furniture to the wall. Rock each piece to test if a toddler's weight could topple...read more...
Tips from the Coupon Queen
Susan Samtur was armed with so many coupons Thursday morning that the Publix cashier had to keep hitting a button to make sure she got credit for it all. To be exact, she racked up $143.66 in coupon savings. Samtur, dubbed the Coupon Queen more than 30 years ago, was touring South Florida to share her savings secrets. On Thursday COUPON SOURCES The Sunday newspapers. Samtur's...read more...
'Coupon Queen' Susan Samtur breezes through a local Publix and gets nearly $169 worth of groceries for $11.77. (BOB EIGHMIE / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)What the kids are reading
Meet the new classics. Along with The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre and To Kill a Mockingbird , newer books are popping up on high-school curricula and summer reading lists -- and they aren't exactly your grandmother's traditional picks. At Cypress Bay High School in Weston, soon-to-be 12th-graders taking rigorous Advanced Placement English may tackle Memoirs of a Geisha and The Bonesetter's Daughter over the...read more...
Oscar Osman, right, reads from 'The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' to Monika Lambe and English teacher Samuel Brown. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)PTA Dad: 'I was missing out'
Mike Ryan had a strategy when he presided over his first elementary school PTA meeting -- a group usually considered "moms turf." He let the mothers in the room give him direction, advice and input. And then, after he listened, he pushed his ideas, encouraging the moms to help brainstorm ways to get more dads involved. "I knew if I was going to get anywhere, I had to recognize first that there...read more...
Mike Ryan, president of Sawgrass Elementary PTA, shares a playful moment with his kids, Conor, 11, and Molly, 9, at their Sunrise home. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Going green in the nursery
Raising a baby and going green can be a pricey proposition -- or a cheap one -- depending on which eco-friendly avenue you choose. Pricey organic crib mattresses can cost hundreds -- sometimes even more than the crib, said Rebecca Carter of Miami, mom of Oliver, 1, and founder of http://www.greenermiami.com/ . While it was a splurge, Carter and her husband, Edmundo, have saved in BY JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE. Read...read more...
How to get kids into science
Children who enjoy science develop strong analytical and problem-solving skills ... skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. But how can parents help their children appreciate science and generate enthusiasm to discover the world around them? Andy Allan, director of curriculum development at Champions Science Adventures summer camps, recommends taking science education...read more...
Tips for the job hunt
As the economy sours, many women who took time off to stay home with their children are reinventing themselves to re-enter the work force. Job recruiters say a resume gap doesn't have to be a liability, but you need to actively market yourself and your skills. Develop an Internet strategy that will help you and your experience stand out. Here are some tips to get you started from Heather...read more...
Cold meds still confusing
A new study shows parents widely hold the mistaken belief that they should use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines on babies under age 2, despite doctors and federal health officials advising against it as far back as 2006. MEDICAL ADVICE The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association advise: • Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold syrups, nose drops or...read more...
Over-the-counter cold medicines like these are not recommended for young children. (MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO)Get answers at childbirth class
Elementary education takes on new meaning at seven months pregnant. What does labor feel like? How can I prep for it? What's going to happen the first week back at home? Answer these questions and many more at a childbirth education class. Available in English and Spanish and in short and longer-form formats, local childbirth classes are a great way to prepare for the big day (and the following few weeks). MORE...read more...
Stop the sass: Be cool
I walked into the dining room one night and asked a cheery and simple question of my seemingly well-rested 9-year-old as she sat at the table. "Whatcha reading?'' "A book,'' she sneered, not bothering to look up. Urgh. I rolled my eyes and walked away to avoid getting snippy MORE ONLINE Girls growing up too fast. Share your tween angst in our Tweens...read more...
New Miley tour fights scalping
The last time Miley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus went on tour, kids were screaming for the Disney Channel star — and parents were screaming for the heads of ticket brokers, scalpers and secondary sellers who had gobbled up, then jacked up, seats for her sold-out 2007 shows. Such was the Mad Mommy fallout — a $60 ticket offered up for $4,000 online by tech-savvy money-grubbers! — the concert industry...read more...Posted on: Jun 4 2009 - 09:15:00 AM
Miley Cyrus performs on "Good Morning America'' earlier this year. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)Get those kids some shades
How important is it for my child to wear sunglasses? The long-term effects of excessive sunlight aren't seen early in life -- they show up when people are 60 or 70 years old and experience macular degeneration or cataract issues, says Steven Schiff, a New York optometrist. Just as parents want to protect their children from skin cancer by putting sunscreen on them, parents...read more...
Decorating to comfort kids
The comforts of home can have special meaning -- and increased importance -- for a child with special needs. For kids with autism, ADD or sensory and developmental issues, the colors, textures and shapes that surround them can make a difference in how they feel. "Our fast-paced world is a constant struggle for these children,'' said Aventura decorator Deborah DiMare, who specializes in...read more...
Deborah DiMare redecorated this room to make it more calming for a boy who was having trouble settling down at night. (PETER ANDREW BOSCH / MIAMI HERALD)School adds sensory room
At Hollywood Park Elementary School, a new sensory room is part classroom, part indoor playground -- a space teachers hope will help calm anxious kids and stimulate nonresponsive ones. In the freedom of the sensory room, the children "can come out of their shell,'' said teacher Maria Diaz. TIPS FOR HOME Read advice from a local decorator on how to incorporate colors and textures and...read more...
Aaliyah Alexander, 9, finds calm in this pool of balls in the new sensory room at Hollywood Park Elementary School. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)New rules on pregnancy weight
WASHINGTON - Telling a pregnant woman to eat for two is bad advice, especially if the mother-to-be is overweight or obese, a blue-ribbon panel of health experts cautioned Thursday. The number of seriously overweight women of child-bearing age is increasing, panelists said, and excessive weight gain leads to an increased likelihood of cesarean sections and retaining the weight BY THE...read more...
Under tumor, a baby's face
Eight days after Jordan Jamal Smith was born in March, his mother still couldn't see his face. The bulbous, 1.8-pound mound of liquid and tissue protruding from the newborn's mouth covered his eyes and nose, his cheeks and forehead. It had nearly killed him in the womb and threatened his life during his birth. But two University of Miami doctors executed a carefully crafted...read more...
Kimberly Robinson kisses her baby boy's face -- a precious sight after surgery to remove a large tumor. (HECTOR GABINO / EL NUEVO HERALD)6 stress busters for moms
Psychiatrist Judith Orloff offers six tips for combating the stress, worry, fear and anxiety that come from being a supermom and caretaker. LIMIT EMOTIONAL VAMPIRES Emotional vampires are people who sap your energy and leave you feeling fatigued, agitated or craving comfort food. Emotional vampires come in all forms, from needy children and critical spouses, to unpleasant coworkers and nagging parents. When...read more...
'09 Summer Survival Guide
Ah, summer in South Florida. The calendar marks the kids out of school for 10 or 11 weeks. The thermometer reads extreme heat and humidity. And the economic barometers point to little money to spend on camp and out-of-town vacations. But the water is fine, and cheap or free stuff to do all summer abounds. So MomsMiami has put together this handy list of boredom busters, newly updated and with links to all your...read more...Posted on: May 26 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Thalia: Just call me Mami
Mexican superstar Thalia loves her new role as mommy so much that she wrote a book about it. In Radiante! (Chronicle), the Mexican superstar, 37, celebrates the pregnancy and birth of her 19-month daughter Sabrina with husband music mogul Tommy Mottola. Cowritten by her ob/gyn, the book also gives tips about all aspects of a mother's life, from entertaining to exercising and eating well and getting along with...read more...
Mexican superstar Thalia wrote a pregnancy book with her ob-gyn.Tips for teen parties
I don't know what teen parties are like where you live, but here's a sample of party horror stories from parents and kids I know: • A kid invites a few friends over while mom and dad are away. Dozens of strangers randomly show up and trash the block. • Kids smuggle booze into a bar mitzvah bash and adults (understandably) freak out. • The DJ arrives late to a Sweet 16, bored boys start brawling on...read more...
'Hot mom' fitness book
Alison Fadoul, a 35-year-old mother of two in Miramar, is author of the newly published The Hot Mommy Next Door ($14.95, Morgan James), a diet and exercise book for women who want to get back to their pre-pregnancy shape (or improve on it). A certified spinning instructor, she holds a bachelor's degree from Florida State University and a master's from Nova Southeastern University. Visit her website here . ...read more...
Alison Fadoul, a mother of two from Miramar, wrote a fitness book for moms. (JOSHUA PREZANT / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Venetian Pool reopens
Just in time for the summer heat, one of the grandest public pools in the country, the Venetian Pool, has reopened in Coral Gables after a six-month restoration project. Among the renovations in the $730,000 project: upgrades to the bathrooms that make them accessible to disabled patrons; repairs to walkways, fountains, roof tiles and parts of the wrought-iron gate and cobblestone plazas that surround the pool; and...read more...
The water's always cool in the historic Venetian Pool. (CHARLOTTE SOUTHERN / THE MIAMI HERALD)Catch 'Mother Load' in Broward
If you've ever eaten Vienna sausages over the sink while you nuked chicken nuggets for the kids' dinner or pulled a class T-shirt from the dirty clothes for your child to wear on a field trip, you can probably relate to the comedy of Amy Wilson. The New York writer and actress, mother to kids ages 6, 4½ and 1½, BY JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE. Read Julie's blog on saving money, Talk About...read more...
Amy Wilson wrote and stars in 'Mother Load,' a one-woman comedy coming to Fort Lauderdale. (JOAN MARCUS)Meet 'Olympian' author
Pity the poor fan of Rick Riordan's popular series for adults about Tres Navarre, a Texas private eye with a PhD in medieval literature and an enchilada-eating cat. Beginning with the first book, Big Red Tequila, in 1997, readers could reliably count on a new mystery almost every year. Then Riordan's sons persuaded him to write down the bedtime stories he had concocted for them with characters from...read more...Posted on: May 14 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Art from the book cover.Why we love age 4
Four is the perfect age. At least right now, for my daughter. Yes, it's silly to say that because every age has its wonders. But here's why I love 4. 1. Four delights in walks or bikes around the neighborhood. Four still loves to collect treasure (sticks, flowers, etc) on these little jaunts. Four still reports with great enthusiasm that she met a neighbor -- or a neighbor's cat on her walk. Four walks...read more...
Saving money on prom
Prom season, that time of gowns and tuxedos, limousines and after-parties, arrives this year in the midst of economic crisis. But few teens -- or schools -- seem willing to make the party that caps off a student's high school experience a casualty of the recession. Many teens say they are cutting corners, searching for bargains and spending less cash in other parts of their lives. MORE ONLINE Read our money-saving...read more...
Janique Pingue, center, and other students find dresses for the prom at Becca's Closet in Pompano Beach. (ANDREW ULOZA / MIAMI HERALD)Mom 3.0: Wired to juggle
What's for dinner tonight? Check your recipe iPhone app and your electronic shopping list. Free for a play date next week? Sync your kids' schedules on Google calendar. Looking for ideas on potty training? Sign onto a virtual community and see how other moms handle it. How did the last generation of moms live without smart phones? WELCOME TO THE MOM NET You can write your...read more...Posted on: May 10 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Stefani Newman uses her iPhone to keep up with the activities of her daughters Nissa, center, and Natalie. She has a blog and uses Twitter, too. (JOSHUA PREZANT / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Fess up to mommy misdeeds
OK, moms, time to fess up. Sometimes, some days, you've had it up to here with your children. One more whine, one more fight, one more question, and you know you'll go off the deep end. That's OK. We've all been there, done that. You're human. So what if you occasionally resort to certain tricks to keep your sanity? Or to protect your waning parental power. Or to cover up a mistake. BY...read more...
Sharon Budd of Hollywood once tried to get away with 'burying' her 7-year-old daughter's gerbil in the trash can. Shanna, now 16, was not fooled. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Mother's Day events
Every day is Mother's Day at MomsMiami, but everyone else is offering special events for you this weekend. Here is a rundown of some of them -- and a list of the places with brunch specials, because we know you are probably planning it yourself. :) EVENTS AND SPECIALS Free Florida Grand Opera Outdoor Concert: 5 p.m. Sunday performance. Come early and get free admission to the Bass Museum of Art from 3 to 5...read more...
Are your kids' shoes too tight?
Chances are you've pushed, pulled or shoved your child's feet into too-tight shoes. Maybe your child had an overnight growth spurt. Maybe you bought the wrong size in the first place. Or maybe you're just trying to eke out a little more mileage. A study presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American IF THE SHOE FITS ... Tips on fitting from the American...read more...
Balancing Act: Earning from home
Many moms are finding themselves in a new scenario: seeking work-at home arrangements driven not by flexibility -- think soccer practices and piano recitals -- but as the best option to supplement family income. With a surge in husbands out of work, mothers are selling jewelry out of their kitchens, running businesses out of their living rooms and seeking Internet opportunities to make up for...read more...
Laurie Conway of Davie, mother of two, has been working from home for the floral industry for years. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Notes from 'free-range' mom
Writer Lenore Skenazy could have slinked off to mommyland, stripped of her self-esteem and parenting confidence after her public stoning for letting her 9-year-old son ride home alone on a New York City subway. Coulda, but didn't. Instead, Skenazy was buoyed by a healthy legion of supporters. She quickly followed up her revelation in he now-defunct New York Sun with numerous TV appearances,...read more...
Do you let your kid ride his bike to school alone?Kids today just can't WAIT
When my 5-year-old needs to use the bathroom right in the middle of a cartoon, she asks me to pause the television show. She's also asked me to fast-forward through the commercials. I had to explain to her that it was live TV. One mom told me her daughter wants her to fast-forward songs on the radio. WHAT DO YOU DO? How do you handle the 'gimmes'? Share advice and get tips in our...read more...
Are they done yet? How about NOW?Autism research breakthrough
Researchers say they have found the first piece of the genetic puzzle that someday may lead to a vaccine or better treatment for autism. A multi-university team, which included the University of Miami School of Medicine, has identified a gene associated with autism, according to a report published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed medical journal Nature. It may be only one of as many as 50 genes...read more...
Top spots for family camping
Some of the best of nature's playgrounds are right in our Florida back yards. From fishing to hiking and snorkeling, campgrounds all over the state offer great amenities for family trips. Here's a rundown. (To reserve campsites at state parks, visit www.reserveamerica.com .) • FORT DE SOTO PARK, PINELLAS COUNTY County park with 238-site, full-service campground that seems to have been created with families...read more...
Bahia Honda state park in the keys has shallow-water snorkeling and one of the best beaches around. (MIAMI HERALD FILE)The hypnobirth experience
I was in the bathroom just after midnight, wishing I'd skipped that extra piece of my husband's birthday cake. At nine months and a day, my pregnant body didn't have room for extra anything. A bit too slowly it dawned on me. This wasn't about cake. My heart began to beat as if it too, like the tiny person inside me, were ready to break free. Then I shivered. What had I gotten myself into?...read more...
Laura and her husband welcome their baby son, delivered through the hypnobirthing method. Below, a hypnobirthing class at the Hollywood Birth Center. (AP PHOTOS)Good Earth books for kids
The save-the-planet buzz is all the rage among the kids. And a fresh crop of books breaks down eco-issues into bite size lessons, simple reuse and recycle projects and easy ways to get inspired. An Earth Day sampler: 101 Ways You Can Help Save the Planet Before You're 12! (Sterling, $14.95, ages 6-up) by Joanne O'Sullivan. GREENER PARENTING MomsMiami is full of green...read more...
Keeping kids safe around pools
More children ages 1 to 4 die in South Florida every year by accidental drowning than by any other cause. The saddest part of that statistic is that it is preventable, said Anthoni Llau, an injury epidemiologist with the Miami-Dade County Health Department. THE SAD STATISTICS Most drownings occur in residential pools while children are unattended. For every child who drowns, four others are hospitalized for...read more...
Free or low-cost swimming and water safety lessons, like this class last summer in Cooper City, can be found all over Miami-Dade and Broward. (HERALD FILE PHOTO / JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE)Grown-up stars hit kid shows
Before I was a mom, I had only a vague idea where Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel resided on my cable lineup. I had graduated from Scooby Doo, Inspector Gadget and The Smurfs in the 1980s and had never looked back -- no exceptions. Not even for intended-for-adult fare like The Simpsons , South Park ' or Beavis & Butt-Head . But motherhood changes, among other things,...read more...Posted on: Apr 20 2009 - 06:00:00 AM
Nickelodeon's Handy Manny is voiced by native Miamian Wilmer Valderrama of 'That '70's Show' fame. (GETTY IMAGES)Kids make 'Fred' YouTube star
Every generation has its cultural touchstones -- those shared media moments on radio or TV that help define individuals as part of an age: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the "day that will live in infamy.'' The Beatles rocking The Ed Sullivan Show. The Brady Bunch....read more...
New 'spa' targets tots
Yasmine Klein gets over to Le Petite to refresh her mani-pedi and get her hair styled when she can. "It's always fun,'' said Yasmine, who has been to Le Petite about five times since it opened in March, "because it's painting with all different colors for the nails.'' Forgive her syntax. Yasmine is 4 years old. That makes her a typical customer at Le...read more...
Linett Negron, left, twists Nicole Kruse's hair into a fancy hairdo, all part of her special birthday at Le Petite Spa. Below, the cucumber treatment. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Easy homemade baby food
You don't have be an exceptional cook -- or even have a lot of free time -- to make your own baby food. "Making your own baby food has no science,'' says registered dietician and American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Ximena Jimenez. "It's very simple, and it's economical -- whatever you're preparing for lunch or dinner you can prepare for baby. You can control the texture...read more...
A few 'good mom' tips
A few experts on psychology and stress management offer some professional advice on how to be a good parent: Your child wants authority from you. Children do not want to perceive you as a best friend. In order for them to feel safe, they want you to act as the parent figure. You need extended family in the picture. If you have no relatives living close by, adopt your friends as family. Extended family helps diffuse tension...read more...
Where to find Easter fun
Easter egg hunts, photo ops with the Easter bunny and some uniquely South Florida events are on this weekend. Here's as rundown of the big ones -- and a most unusual underwater hunt: MIAMI METROZOO Continuous egg hunts for kids 12 and under, animal egg safaris, photos with Easter Bunny and games. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Miami Metrozoo, 12400 SW 152nd St., South Miami-Dade. Zoo...read more...
Girls growing up too fast
NEW YORK -- My 9-year-old daughter looks older than she is. Always has. Kids and -- worse -- grown-ups who should know better comment on it all the time. "Look how big her feet are," they observe, right in front of her. It's all good, we tell her, humankind comes in many shapes and sizes. "Some kids just grow early." Usually she smiles and goes back to hula-hooping, her stuffed...read more...
Kids & alcohol: Sobering facts
It's teen party season, with spring break on, and prom and graduation bashes not far behind. And for parents of teens come more worries about safety and the ever-present temptation for the kids to drink. Janet Mondshein, executive director of the Miami chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, offers some sobering facts in a chat with MomsMiami. The average age of a first drink...read more...
Ready for sleep-away camp?
If summer camp is on your radar and your child has (sniff) outgrown those early, clingy years, you may be contemplating sleep-away camp. But how do you know whether your child is ready? We asked some camp experts. TALK ABOUT IT Join the discussion on this issue in our Fun in the Sun forum. "Typically children younger than 8 are not...read more...
Spring break staycation
This week is spring break for most South Florida school kids. If you're not fleeing the area, there is still plenty to do, even outside day camp. For starters, come to the MomsMiami party at Metrozoo on Tuesday, April 7. Details here . Here are a few other ideas to get you through the week. WHERE TO CHILL Incredible Ice: The rink will be open for public skating from 1-3:30 p.m. Monday through April 12. It's...read more...
Grapeland Water Park, the first to open in Miami-Dade County, is a good place to cool off. There are several water parks in Broward, too. (MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO)'Momshells': Power or pressure?
CHICAGO -- There's no apron, no mom jeans or frump of any kind. These days, it's all about being a "momshell." You can find them just about anywhere, in Hollywood, in the White House -- probably in the house next door. And now a new reality TV show is on the hunt for the "Hottest Mom in America." "There's never been a hotter time to be a mom," says Jessica Denay. A...read more...
Eva Longoria plays a "momshell'' on Desperate Housewives . (AP FILE PHOTO)Troubling tale could help teens
Laurie Halse Anderson's new book, Wintergirls (Viking, $17.99, ages 12-up) just may be the scariest book you will ever read as a parent. But for a teenage girl, Wintergirls could be a life-saver. "It's a painfully beautiful story that not everyone will be able to handle,'' said Lorena Lopez, 16, a junior at Kendall's School for Advanced Studies. But she recommends...read more...
Happy Birthday to us!
MomsMiami turns 1 year old on Tuesday. (My, how we have grown!) And we're celebrating with a big party at Metrozoo . Grab the kids -- many of them are on Spring Break -- and join METROZOO COUPON Click here to print out the coupon to our Metrozoo birthday party. Check out our Giveaways page to enter to win other big contests to celebrate our first year. us. We'll have goody...read more...
Review: New mom show a dud
It takes a village idiot to raise a child, if In the Motherhood is to be believed. One woman leaves her daughters with a nanny who teaches them whale language. BY GLENN GARVIN, Miami Herald TV critic Another is too busy faking a pregnancy to get free coffee at Starbucks to ever actually lay eyes on her kid. And the third is a June-Cleaver-gone-fascist who has raised her children to believe that sorting...read more...
In the Motherhood debuts Thursday night on ABC.Miami-Dade fair is open
The Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition is up and running in South Miami-Dade with some new attractions and rides. Watch a video of opening day here . A new Tween Idol competition has local kids age 9 to 18 singing for a panel of judges -- including Syesha Mercado of Miami, a finalist on the seventh season of American Idol, and Grammy-winning singer Albita. The finalists chosen Saturday...read more...
Pharoah's Fury is ready to ride. (CHRIS CUTRO / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Find a summer camp!
It's time to start looking for summer day camp programs for the kids. Most camps are open for summer registration, and many of them will fill up quickly. FIND A CAMP Click here to search the MomsMiami Summer Camp Guide, or to submit a camp. We'll be adding new ones every day as camps finalize their schedules. SHARE YOUR FAVORITES Post comments on your favorite programs and share other...read more...
Adam Hadar of Hollywood prepares to run inside a plastic bubble during a relay race at Aventura's summer camp program last year. (MIAMI HERALD FILE)Calling all momtrepreneurs
Think you're on the verge of the next great invention? Marla Brock had that feeling, too. Brock, a Miami mom and lawyer, founded a successful website for family travel. She now plans to share tips with other innovative moms and dads at a new program to support parent entrepreneurs called MOMentum. "The idea is to create a community for moms and dads to come together to network and brainstorm...read more...
Two moms -- Karen Rappaport, left, and Denise Goldman, right -- started a successful diaper bag company called My Royal Heinie. (MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO)It's 'Twilight' on DVD
When Renai Cowan got her first taste of the Twilight series, it was all the rage among the sixth-graders at her school. A friend urged her to read it. When the movie came out before Thanksgiving, tween girls wouldn't stop screaming. By Christmas, she'd devoured all four books and seen the film. "It's very addicting,'' said Cowan. "When you read Twilight, you cannot...read more...
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star in the thriller Twilight. (PETER SOREL / MCT)2007: A baby boomlet
ATLANTA -- More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than any year in the nation's history -- and a wedding ring made increasingly little difference in the matter. The 4,317,119 births, reported by federal researchers Wednesday, topped a record first set in 1957 at the height of the baby boom. Behind the number is both good and bad news. While it shows the U.S. population is more than...read more...
Laid off? Stretching severance pay
When Carlos Pero learned his job would be eliminated, he took some comfort in learning he would receive three months' severance. But making that sum last has been more challenging than expected. Even with his wife working, the bills are coming due faster than the job interviews. "Now, it's all about trying to make and save money wherever we can,'' Pero says. As companies...read more...
Leslie Padilla, who was recently laid off, says one thing she can't afford to give up is networking that might lead to a new job. (PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)How to keep kids safe online
Parents who think putting the computer in the family room will keep their child safe online are in for a rude awakening, said Jaemi Levine of Coral Springs. It’s a lesson she learned the hard way. In 2004, Levine’s then 12-year-old daughter was lured to a face-to-face meeting with an Internet predator and sexually assaulted. Since then, Levine has created Mothers Against Predators to educate parents about...read more...
A cure for peanut allergy?
WASHINGTON — Scientists have the first evidence that life-threatening peanut allergies may be cured one day. A few children now are allergy-free thanks to a scary treatment — tiny amounts of the very food that endangered them. Don't try this at home. Doctors monitored the youngsters closely in case the patients needed rescue, and there is no way to dice a peanut as small as the treatment doses required....read more...
Hanna Carter, 5, of Roanoke, Va., takes a dosage of peanut protein from Nurse Practitioner Pam Steele at Duke University. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Family coaching for new moms
Like most first-time mothers, Gladys Sanchez worries about meeting her 2-year-old's needs. What should she do when he throws a temper tantrum? How much should he be eating? Is he speaking well enough for his age? "I want to do the best for Andys, but sometimes I'm not quite sure what that might be,'' says the Miami Gardens mother. "For example, he's very strong willed and...read more...
Family coach Iris Aguila, right, visits Gladys Sanchez with her 2-year-old son, Andys, at Sanchez's Miami Gardens home. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)What the doc is telling your teen
NEW YORK -- If you're the parent of a 'tween or teen, chances are you've been asked to leave the room during your child's visit to the doctor so they can have a private chat. Now of course I believe that teenagers should have a trusting relationship with their doctors. But while I'm sitting there alone in the waiting room, watching the younger mommies bounce babies on their knees, I can't help...read more...
‘Miami Ink' baby clothes
Meet the latest targeted consumers of tattoo art: the pacifier set. Four artists from the Love Hate Tattoo studio who came to fame through TLC's Miami Ink reality series have launched Ruthless & Toothless, a fashion line for tots. The Love Hate guys have put fire-breathing dragons and peevish samurais on pint-size garments. But that's where they draw the line: Busty babes have no place on a onesie,...read more...
The Ruthless & Toothless Geisha onesie, above, is $28. Below, clockwise from front: Yoji Harada, Darren Brass, Miguel Paredes, James Hamilton and Chris Garver. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)How to curb the arguing
In many families, parents think the kids will grow up to be lawyers because they seem to love to argue. In Nancy Milton's family, the parents are attorneys, but they try to keep the arguing to a minimum. Milton's specialty is mediation. And she's found the technique works well in her family life, too. Here's how it works: A FAMILY MEETING...read more...
Guide to free homework help
What was Abraham Lincoln's favorite food, anyway? If your child's homework is sending you on a fact-finding mission, if they're having trouble with algebra or don't know how to start a research paper, there's more help out there than Google. MomsMiami went on a fact-finding mission of our own, unearthing free Broward and Miami-Dade sources for tutoring, kid-friendly research materials and...read more...
Big families feeling scorned
PHILADELPHIA -- John and Dawn McCormick have witnessed the raised eyebrows and heard the comments. Are they all yours? God bless you. And even the occasional rude reproach: Are you done yet? "People do judge us,'' said Dawn McCormick, 42, whose narrow...read more...
The McCormick family, from left, Jack, 9, Griffin, 11, Kerry, 3, dad John, mom Dawn, Casey 7-weeks-old, Mikey, 2, Bridget, 6, Jaimie, 8, and Katie, 5 (ED HILLE/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT)Big baby expo this weekend
Despite the sour economy, consumers are still spending on kids. The American Baby & Family Expo this weekend (March 7-8) is counting on that continued interest. It will take place at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, with more than 100 exhibitors showcasing new products and child care information. GO, CRAWLERS, GO! Go to our Video page to watch a warm-up diaper derby held Friday at...read more...
In a warm-up event at Baptist Hospital of Miami's Early Learning Center, 2-year-old Bryan Landestoy rides for the chance to keep the pony. This weekend's expo will also include the popular diaper derby. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)The case against a nip, tuck
She looked in the mirror one day and didn't like what was staring back at her. Christy Magnani, 38, was getting old. OK, older. To many, this college professor and mother of two from Folsom, Calif., remains in the bloom of youth. But to her, the mirror did not lie. "I noticed this wrinkle here," Magnani says, pointing to...read more...
Christy Magnani makes dinner with her daughters, Alexandra, 13, and Ellyse, 9. (LEZLIE STERLING / SACRAMENTO BEE / MCT)One couple's IVF journey
This is crazy . . . This is what I'm thinking as I get a crash course on how babies are created in a petri dish. I'm sitting with my wife, Jill, in a consultation room at IVF Florida, a Margate clinic that specializes in reproductive medicine, particularly in vitro fertilization, aka IVF. IVF is a medical procedure by which ripe eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, fertilized with...read more...
Shop green, save green
Going green no longer means signing over your paycheck to a fancy specialty store. Saving the earth is coming at less of a price these days, particularly to families who want only eco-friendly items in their shopping carts. Here are some tips to keep those greenbacks in check while going green: TRY MASS RETAILERS While buying environmentally sound products used to mean blowing wads of cash at high-end shops, the times...read more...
Who's paying nanny taxes?
NEW YORK -- It's a given among the stroller set that many of them share a secret powerful enough to bring down political careers: They don't pay taxes on their nannies. Leslie Rubin, a lawyer who has a 5-year-old and a 9-month-old, doesn't want to name names. But she's pretty sure most of the parents in her family-friendly Brooklyn neighborhood aren't following the law. "I am...read more...
A poetic, but dark history
Last year, to her great surprise, Margarita Engle won the Pura Belpré Award, a prize for the best work for children by a Latino author, for her biography in verse about the so-called "Poet Slave'' of Cuba, a real figure from history named Juan Francisco Manzano. So even though her second book, The Surrender Tree (Henry Holt, $16.95, ages 12-up) was eligible for the award this year,...read more...
Facebook = marriage killer?
A dear friend ran into big trouble at her 20-year high school reunion. She ran into an old flame, and the chance encounter reignited old sparks. The problem? They were both married. There was no happily ever after -- just lots of gut-wrenching drama and one painful divorce. Nowadays, no one has to buy a flattering dress and travel to a forgotten hometown to reconnect with a...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONRaising a bilingual child
Ten-year-old Elle Futernick spends half her day at Key Biscayne Community School speaking Spanish in the classroom. Twice a week she practices her Mandarin Chinese, along with older brother Zander. At home her family speaks English. "I know how valuable language is in a global economy,'' says their MORE ONLINE Here are some websites with tips, programs and forums for bilingual/multilingual...read more...
Ten-year-old Elle Futernick and her 12-year-old brother Zander Futernick learn Mandarin Chinese from Kevin Kau at the Inlingua language school on Key Biscayne. (PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Bristol Palin on teen sex: Wait
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's 18-year-old daughter, an unwed mother, says teenagers should avoid having sex. However, Bristol Palin acknowledges that abstinence is "not realistic at all.'' She commented during a two-part interview recorded for Fox News Channel. Just days after the governor was named John McCain's running mate on the Republican presidential...read more...
Bristol Palin, teen daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, with her baby son, Tripp. (FOX NEWS CHANNEL / AP)How much of an allowance?
President Barack Obama has taken some flak online for giving his daughters only $1 a week in allowance. Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, weighs in with some tips on how much kids should get. (By the way, she agrees in her blog that the Dad in Chief, should cough up more). HOW MUCH TO PAY Bodnar says Sasha and Malia should receive weekly allowances equal to half...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONGetting kids to eat healthy
Parents play a key role in shaping young eating habits and attitudes about food, nutritionists say. But, too often, they're sending mixed signals. There's the mom who demands that her kids eat breakfast, then skips the meal herself. There's the dad who bans chips and candy, elevating the forbidden food to tempting levels. And there are parents everywhere resorting to rules and offhand...read more...
Ivonne Hamilton, an eating disorder specialist, joins her daughters for taco night. Cristine, 13, stirs salsa into ground turkey as her mother and sister Juliette, 10, look on. (CHARLOTTE SOUTHERN / MIAMI HERALD)How to find a preschool
Maybe it is time for Mommy to go back to work, or maybe your toddler needs a few hours of structured play time and socialization. Whatever your reasons, once you determine that it's time for preschool, it can be a big job to find the right one. You want to find a clean, loving and safe environment with experienced MORE ONLINE Miami-Dade and Broward Counties have searchable databases of preschool...read more...
Kids' letters to Obama
NEW YORK -- End war, forever. Make the planet greener. Please help my dad find work. Make it rain candy! Thousands of kids detailed their hopes and expectations for President Barack Obama in letters and drawings as part of a worldwide project, with 150 chosen for a free e-book being released on Presidents Day. Most had tall orders for the new guy in the White House. Anthony Pape, 10,...read more...
Aaron Van Blerkom, 7, of Pasadena, Calif., holds up his letter to President Barack Obama. (Kidthing.com/ AP)It's Grove arts fest weekend
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival, one of the country's most prestigious art events, returns this weekend for its 46th year, as strong as ever and not significantly affected by the recession. More than 150,000 people are expected to flood the streets of the Grove, strolling and perusing works by 336 artists from 36 states and three countries, hearing live music and watching cooking demonstations. MORE THINGS TO DO...read more...
One of the works on display: "Purity,'' by Theresa Honeywell.Taxpayers billed for octuplets
LOS ANGELES -- A big share of the cost of raising Nadya Suleman's 14 children could fall on the shoulders of California's taxpayers, compounding the public furor in a state already billions in the red. Even before the 33-year-old single, unemployed mother gave birth to octuplets last month, she had been caring for her six other children with the help of $490 a month in food stamps, plus Social...read more...
This 2006 photo from KTLA in Los Angeles shows Suleman speaking at a fertility clinic.Lead law could hurt kid stores
Claudia Cayne considers the hand-made, rhinestone embellished and silk-screened clothing produced by her Southwest Ranches company the antithesis of mass-produced, made-in-China apparel that fills the racks of Wal-Mart. But starting Tuesday, she believes she will have to discontinue the children's line that makes up 45 percent of the inventory at her company, I Believe K and C. That's...read more...
Claudia Cayne says the new law -- intended to protect children -- is so broad it could destroy some small businesses. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Q&A: Relationship tune-up
What ever happened to that romantic man who indulged your every whim? Oh yeah, that's him, the one you married, eyes locked on the tube, remote in hand. You haven't held that hand in a long time, much less felt a real connection. Couples are so overwhelmed with the daily drudgery of work, kids and home life, they neglect the very thing at the core of it all: their relationship. This...read more...
IVF ethics and octuplets
CHICAGO -- The thirtysomething patient knew what she wanted: seven frozen embryos transferred to her womb to maximize her chance of getting pregnant. But her doctor, Dr. David Cohen of the University of Chicago Medical Center, told her he wasn't comfortable doing that. "It's too dangerous,'' he recalls saying. It wasn't...read more...
Ulyses Guzman demonstrates outside the home of the Suleman family in Whittier, Calif. Nadya Sulman was released from the hospital last week. (AP PHOTO)Octuplets' mom on 'Today'
WHITTIER, Calif. -- The mother of newborn octuplets says she had six embryos implanted in her fertility procedure -- far more than industry guidelines recommend under ordinary circumstances -- and was well aware that multiple births could result. "I wanted them all transferred,'' Nadya Suleman told NBC's Today show. "Those are my children, and that's what was available and I used...read more...
In Nadya Suleman's first interview six giving birth to the octuplets, she talks to Ann Curry on the 'Today' show. (AP PHOTO/NBC)Spend imagination, not money
A cash-strapped Valentine's Day can actually help couples rekindle the true meaning of love. Sheryl Kurland, author of Everlasting Matrimony: Pearls Of Wisdom From Couples Married 50 Years Or More , gathered some tips from successful couples. They say the best gifts are the ones bought with time and thought, not a trip to the jewelry store. Some of their gift ideas: *...read more...
Mom is ultimate 'local' cook
A Coral Gables mom gives new meaning to home economics -- especially when it comes to cooking. Call her a frugalista or a hunter-gatherer (she blogs as the New Hunter Gatherer), Justine Raphael buys local food and uses every scrap. "I source the food others throw away -- the bones, the organ meats, the veggie trimmings. Whole meals can come from scraps," she said. MORE ONLINE Read...read more...
Justine Raphael has no microwave in her Coral Gables apartment -- and she makes everything from scratch. (AL DIAZ / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Teen 'sexting' = porn?
CHICAGO -- Though youth is fleeting, images sent on a cell phone or posted online may not be, especially if they're naughty. Teenagers' habit of distributing nude self-portraits electronically -- often called "sexting'' if it's done by cell phone -- has parents and school administrators worried. Some prosecutors have begun charging teens who send and receive such images with child...read more...
In this file photo, parents listen to police talk about how kids are using the web and cell phones to distribute inappropriate photos of themselves and others. (AP FILE PHOTO)No freebies for octuplets
LOS ANGELES -- Where is the lifetime supply of diapers, formula and baby wipes? The free van? The brand-new house? Women who give birth to six, seven or eight babies are often showered with dazzling gifts from big corporations, local businesses and strangers. But that is not happening with the Southern California mother who delivered octuplets last week. The news that she is a single mother with...read more...
When kids share a room
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With the economy and housing market in a slump, some growing families are making do with the space they've got instead of moving to a bigger home. That means their kids may start doing something that kids don't do much these days: share a room. But experts say some simple tricks can make shared bedrooms a happy place where children can express their individuality while fostering tight bonds...read more...
An arrangement like this can sleep three: Two beds and a futon. Experts advise skipping the character pieces, like the Dora lamp below, the kids will outgrow quickly. (MCT FILE PHOTO)PFCs may be linked to fertility
Chemicals found in everything from non-stick pans to skin creams may impact a woman's chances of getting pregnant, a new study has found. The compounds, called "perfluorinated" chemicals, or PFCs, are hard to avoid. They're found in many household items like food packaging, clothing, carpets, and personal care products. Researchers at UCLA looked at more than 1,200 Danish women and measured their...read more...
14,528 texts in one month!
LAKE FOREST, Calif. -- OMG!!! This isn't exactly proud papa news: My daughter, Reina, who recently turned 13, just racked up 14,528 text messages in one month. Thank God she's too young to drive. Given that she's had a cell phone for less than six months, and she is supposed to share the phone with...read more...
Sex after baby? Really?
The new parents to-do list: Diapers? Check. Car seat? Check. Sex? Uhhh . . . Sex therapist Ian Kerner and sex columnist Heidi Raykeil might be able to help overwhelmed parents bring sexy back with their new book, Love In The Time of Colic: The New Parents' Guide To Getting It On Again ($16.99, Collins Living). MEET THE AUTHOR Sex therapist Ian Kerner, co-author of Love In The Time of...read more...
Q & A: Overweight kids
An overweight child often has more than excess pounds to bear - they're often taunted by peers and can suffer health problems, now and later. MomsMiami met with Dr. Doria Aguilar, a Miami Lakes pediatrician with Palmetto General Hospital, to get some advice on how to keep our kids from getting fat. Overweight kids can experience body aches, joint pain and have a greater risk of high blood...read more...
Dr. Doris Aguilar checks in with Alex Mendoza, 15. (EMILY MICHOT / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Busy moms' guide to fitness
Many busy moms have a hard time working an exercise routine into their already jampacked days. But MomsMiami consulted some experts about simple ways to get a workout, even if you have no time for the gym. HOW TO GET STARTED * Exercise in short bursts. Do something active for 10 minutes at a time, said Carole Wood, group exercise director at Midtown Athletic Club in Weston. “Something is better...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONNew study on vaccine safety
CHICAGO -- A new study from Italy adds to a mountain of evidence that a mercury-based preservative once used in many vaccines doesn't hurt children, offering more reassurance to parents. In the early 1990s, thousands of healthy Italian babies in a study of whooping cough vaccines got two different amounts of the preservative thimerosal from all their routine shots. Ten years later, 1,403 of...read more...
MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTOAlternatives to plastic
Chicago Tribune reporter Trine Tsouderos , a mother of two, tried to live without plastic for a week. MomsMiami is posting parts of her story every day this week. Today: Some reasonable alternatives. Click these topics for previous posts: Why do this? ; The trouble with food ; Shopping -- and cheating ; Conclusions One of the hardest but also one of the most interesting and at...read more...
6 local Catholic schools closing
Conceding it can no longer support financially struggling schools, the Archdiocese of Miami on Thursday said six schools would close and signaled that some surviving institutions could become secular charter schools. The schools to be closed include St. Clement in Wilton Manors, Our Lady of Divine Providence in Sweetwater, Corpus Christi in Allapattah, Sacred Heart in Homestead, St. Francis Xavier in...read more...
Parents at Sacred Heart Catholic school in Homestead launched a campaign to save the school, but there isn't much hope. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Surviving week without plastic
Chicago Tribune reporter Trine Tsouderos , a mother of two, tried to live without plastic for a week. MomsMiami is posting parts of her story every day this week. Today: Her conclusions. Click here to read Wednesday's post on shopping -- and a little cheating; click here to read Tuesday's post on the trouble with food; and here for Monday's post on what brought this on. Coming Friday:...read more...
The no-gifts birthday party
First thing Big Guy wanted to know after he came home with a coveted party invitation in his backpack was what we were going to buy Birthday Girl. "It says not to bring presents,'' I told him. "Huh?'' TALK ABOUT IT What do you think of this idea? Have you tried it with your own kids' party? Have you been to a...read more...
Meet author: '3 Cups of Tea' for kids
Could books be a better weapon against terrorists than bombs? Is the pencil mightier than the Tomahawk missile? Greg Mortenson thinks so. As chronicled in his bestseller, Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson has been waging a decade-long campaign to bring peace to Pakistan and Afghanistan by building schools to educate children, especially girls. "The vast majority of the Taliban's foot soldiers are...read more...
"Three Cups of Tea'' author Greg Mortenson with schoolgirls in Afghanistan.No plastic, tough shopping
Chicago Tribune reporter Trine Tsouderos , a mother of two, tried to live without plastic for a week. MomsMiami is posting parts of her story every day this week. Today: Target Day. Disaster looms. Click here to read Tuesday's post on the trouble with food; and here for Monday's post on what brought this on. Coming Thursday: Conclusions. DAY THREE I wash three...read more...
Plastic-free week = limited food
Chicago Tribune reporter Trine Tsouderos , a mother of two, tried to live without plastic for a week. MomsMiami will share parts of her story every day this week. Today: The trouble with food. Coming Wednesday: A trip to Target. Read Monday's stage setter here . DAY ONE I wash my hair with the shampoo bar, put my son in a paper diaper and talk up the new Hello Kitty stainless steel sippy cup...read more...
Diapers, water, and all kinds of food: It all comes wrapped in plastic. (CHRIS WALKER / CHICAGO TRIBUNE / MCT)Can a mom give up plastic for 1 week?
CHICAGO -- Amid a recent flurry of worrisome reports about plastic, a simple question came up: Could we live without it? Chicago Tribune reporter Trine Tsouderos , a mother of two, tried to live without plastic for a week. MomsMiami will share parts of her story every day this week. Today: Setting the stage. Tuesday: The trouble with food. Could my typical family -- a mom, a dad, a...read more...
Trine Tsouderos challenged herself to live without plastic for a week. It wasn't easy! (ABEL URIBE / CHICAGO TRIBUNE / MCT)A better weekend with the stepkids
Step-parenting is a whole different ball game. I know -- I've been one now for almost 10 years. I've learned a few things in my tenure. Here's my list of things NOT do to with your stepkids on your weekend. (Now, my ideas may irritate custodial parents, but at my house we don't want to waste the few precious hours with the kids on things that aren't fortifying our...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONGet the kids to clean
There's something about the new year that brings on a cleaning frenzy in my life. I'm a big fan of fresh starts, and what better time than now to start with a clean desk, clean house, clean closets ... OK, now I'm getting carried away! Most kid-inhabited houses are anything but sparkling clean; in fact, an impeccable house makes me a little suspicious, or jealous at least. But order, like everything,...read more...
A sight to warm any mother's heart.5 days of fitness: Motivation
Every day this week, MomsMiami is offering quick advise for getting into a fitness routine for the new year. Today: How to motivate yourself. FIND A BUDDY It helps keep you accountable, and keeps you from getting lazy. “When you choose someone to work out with, find someone with similar interests and motivation,” said Rebecca Kelly, a trainer at Midtown Athletic Club in Weston. MAKE IT A PRIORITY...read more...
Find a buddy to work out with, to keep you motivated. This husband and wife work out together at home. (MCT FILE PHOTO)5 days of fitness: Include the kids
Every day this week, MomsMiami is offering quick advise for getting into a fitness routine for the new year. Today: How to make fitness a family affair. GET THE FAMILY ACTIVE Carole Wood, group exercise director at Midtown Athletic Club in Weston, dances with her kids. Rebecca Kelly, a trainer at the club, plays MORE ON FRIDAY Check back here Friday for advice on how to motivate yourself to exercise....read more...
The Wii Fit has turned exercise into a video game you can do with the kids. (MCT FILE PHOTO)5 days of fitness: Quick tricks
Every day this week, MomsMiami is featuring quick tips for getting into a fitness routine. Today: Finding time to squeeze in some exercise, whether you spend the day at home or at work. AT WORK If you work outside the home, it adds to the challenge of squeezing in me-time, much less anything that will break a sweat. But there are a few ways to do it: * Take a walk . Lunch may only take 15 minutes to eat....read more...
Stroller Strides classes are one way for moms to get together and motivate each other to exercise -- while spending time with their babies. (MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO)Broward rethinks homework
Danielle Jensen has had days when she couldn't go to dance class because she had so much homework. She wanted to join the volleyball team, but decided she couldn't juggle the practice with her studies. Sometimes she even brings her books to the dinner table. Danielle, 11, is in sixth grade. "It's sad to watch your 11-year-old kind of start acting like an 18-year-old,''...read more...
Danielle Jensen has so much homework, she sometimes has to skip other activities. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)5 days of fitness: Eating smart
MomsMiami knows most of us are too busy to figure out a fitness plan. So we've asked the experts for tips to make it easy to work diet and exercise into our everyday lives. We'll share new tips every day this week. Today: Eating smart. "Watch what you eat. “You can do all the exercise in the world, but if you’re sitting around eating chips and chocolate bars, it won’t do a thing,”...read more...
Your exercise routine will have bigger impact if you eat right, too. (MCT FILE PHOTO)Simple ways to be happier
In an effort to get my act together, I'm reading Coach Yourself to Success again. I find myself pulling it off the bookshelf every time my life spirals out of control. (So basically every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Oh and every other Sunday.) The book is full of easy tips to help you reach your personal goals. Here are five of my favorites for 2009:...read more...
Give yourself a time out every once in awhile. (ALEXIA FODERE / MIAMI HERALD)5 days of fitness: Getting started
Most busy moms don’t have time to read an article about getting fit, much less squeeze in a workout. So starting today, MomsMiami will offer five days of tips to help you kickstart your fitness routine for the new year. Today: Overall fitness EXERCISE IN SHORT BURSTS Do something active for 10 minutes at a time, said Carole Wood, group MORE THIS WEEK Check back here every day through Friday for more...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONMeet 'Traveling Pants' author; new series
___________ EDITOR'S NOTE: Ann Brashares' Jan. 15 South Florida appearance has been postponed. The author is ill. __________ One pair of jeans mailed like a postcard among four best friends separating for the summer is more than just a neat idea for a young adult novel; it's a franchise. The first volume of Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants generated three sequels (eight million...read more...
Ann Brashares, author of "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," is coming to Miami to read from her new series, "3 Willows.''The circus is here!
At Over the Top, the 138th edition of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus that kicked off Thursday in downtown Miami, it's ringmaster vs. clown. Who will win? "I'm the host,'' says ringmaster Chuck Wagner. "I get the best seat in the house.'' Yeah, right. That's what lead clown Tom Dougherty might say as he snatches away...read more...
The clowns of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.Take the kids berry picking
It's time for one of the many joys of winter in South Florida: The strawberries are in. What sweeter way to spend time with the kids than at one of the few pick-it-yourself strawberry fields that remain in South Miami-Dade. Broward's last remaining field, Batten's, closed last year. The strawberry season runs to about Mother's Day (or mid-April if the weather turns hot). Here's the info on this...read more...
This year's berry crop is bursting with sweetness. Tell the kids to grab a bucket. (PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)A real family circus
I always thought joining a circus sounded glamorous. It seemed a way to see the country, meet interesting people, be a part of something that aims to make kids happy. But I also envisioned it as a lifestyle that was in no way conducive to a family life. Until I met Mike Stuart. Stuart, 38, is the general manager of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & BALANCING ACT BY CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN. Read Cindy's...read more...
Mike Stuart, general manager of the circus, lives on the road with his wife, Mary, 8-year-old daughter Katherine and 3-year-old son Tylar. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF) Below, the elephant walk. ( JOHN VAN BEEKUM / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)How to cope with head lice
Talk about a head scratcher. Your child comes home with head lice and instantly your own scalp starts crawling with guilt and fear. What do you do? MomsMiami consulted the experts for the best advice on how to get rid of the pests and keep them from coming back. Three things to know right off the bat: 1. Accept that there is no shame in getting lice, said Shirley Gordon, director of the Head...read more...
Elisabeth Rivera plucks the pests from a patient's hair at Lice Source Services in Sunrise, one of a few treatment centers in South Florida. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Hot in '09: yoga, puppy
Get a dog -- not just to keep up with the Obamas -- grab a guitar, and break out the gourmet baby food. Those are just some of the things you'll need to do in 2009 to keep your kids hip to the latest trends -- and what kind of parent would you be if you didn't? Like, so 2008. Here are some of the hot trends for kids for 2009, from Parents magazine: 1. Zen arrives at...read more...
Max Arce relaxes at the end of his yoga class at Prana Yoga in Coral Gables last fall. Kid yoga will be hot in 2009. (GASTON DE CARDENAS / EL NUEVO HERLAD)How to handle a mouthy kindergartner
By ANGIE WAGNER, Associated Press LAS VEGAS -- The other day my girls put on princess dresses and paraded around the house. "I look pretty,'' my 5-year-old told her younger sister. "And you look disgusting.'' I was so shocked at the comment that she immediately was sent into a time-out while I tried to figure out why she said those nasty words....read more...Starting dental care at birth
BY DEBBIE CAFAZZO, McClatchy News Service New mom Christine Chansley had read all about baby bottle tooth decay. Nearly every baby book on the market warns parents not to put children to bed with a bottle of milk, formula or juice. The practice can lead to tooth decay. But Chansley, of Tacoma, Wash., had no idea that...read more...Just one resolution ...
It's that time of year again ... you know, time to set those New Year's Resolutions. The promises we make to ourselves and then break the first week of the year and forget about by the end of January. What do you say we don't do that this year? Instead, choose just one area of your life, and answer the following question: "What would you like to...read more...
MCT ILLUSTRATIONKids' book recalled; story was a lie
BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ, dmoskovitz@MiamiHerald.com Herman Rosenblat stood in a casual button-down shirt and slacks in his North Miami-Dade condominium Tuesday and said he never meant any harm. He had only meant to spread love, as his father once asked him to do. "Before he died of typhus, he called me to his bedside and said, 'Son, if you ever get out of this war, don't carry a...read more...Catch the Junior Orange Bowl Parade
BY XAVIER MARTINEZ, Special to the Miami Herald The Junior Orange Bowl Parade will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Tuesday in Coral Gables. The longtime Gables tradition will feature professionally built floats, local marching bands and representatives from dozens of community groups in South Florida. "The junior parade was started as an offshoot to the King Orange Bowl Parade in...read more...Undecking the halls
Admit it: After all that shopping, tree trimming and "Secret Santa'' skulking, you were almost over Christmas even before it arrived. Now that the holiday has come and gone, there is a sleigh-load of post-Christmas tasks to tackle -- and we're not talking about sharpening the elbows before diving into the post-Christmas sales. The answer is to map out plans for the post-holiday...read more...
MCT File IllustrationReady for Santa
It's not easy being Santa Claus. Just ask Lloyd Chang. It takes Chang nearly an hour -- and two helpers -- to put on the red-and-white suit, chunky black belt, wig and beard. There's also the powder that he must dab on to prevent the jolly old fella's white locks from matting to his skin. But there's much more to the act than simply having the look. Patience, a hearty...read more...
Santa's helper Shannon Portuondo adjusts the wig of Lloyd Chang moments before he makes a grand entrance at a party at the Lighthouse Point home of Victor and Adrianne Lago. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Fighting cavities amid the sugarplums
McCLATCHY-TRIBUNE Holidays mean sweets -- there's no getting around it. But with a little extra attention, you can help your kids keep their teeth clean and healthy, even after they've gorged on sweet treats. Here are some tips from the American Dental Association and Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt, author of You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? (Chronicle...read more...When every day is a no-school day
At the Bianco house in Hollywood, the kids sleep as late as they want, eat whenever they're hungry, and while away the hours doing whatever they feel like doing -- 365 days of the year. You might find Joseph, 13, Sierra, 12, and Alyssa, 7, playing video games, watching movies or teasing the cat. Or they may be researching a prehistoric fish, discussing a documentary or practicing...read more...
The Bianco children are home-schooled, but they take part in a sports camp at T-Y Park in Hollywood with other home-schooled kids. Left to right: Mom Mary Bianco with kids Joseph, 13, Sierra, 12, dad Joe and Alyssa, 8. (CANDACE WEST / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Seven toys to hate
The most evil toymakers are obviously the ones who make toys that can hurt or kill children. But right behind them are those who make the toys that make parents want to stab their eyeballs out with the nearest Phillips screwdriver. The consumer watchdog organization, World Against Toys Causing Harm, publishes a top 10 dangerous toy list each year. It keeps an eye on the toys tainted with lead paint,...read more...
This robot is especially offensive, as it burps and passes gas. (BLOOMBERG NEWS)Save the kids from iPod hearing loss
BY JODI MAILANDER FARRELL, jmailander@MiamiHerald.com They're called the iPod Generation -- all those kids wired to earbuds and MP3 players this holiday season as they hunker down to endure long road trips or relatives that visit even longer. But they're at risk of becoming the Huh? What? Generation. You've heard of BlackBerry Thumb? Now there's iPod Ear. With the...read more...
MCT File IllustrationNew faces for kids' rooms
From diapers to bedtime routines, newborns are bundled with challenges. But Kisha Holt, a South Florida mother, encountered other obstacles nine years ago, when she tried to accessorize a baby room for the first of her four children. From bibs to growth charts, Holt discovered a racial void in the juvenile furniture, clothing and accessories markets. Black or brown faces were virtually...read more...
Nina Holt shows off her bedroom rug from her mom's online shop that specializes in kids' decor with African-American images. That's her mom below and her brother, Jayse, at bottom. (PHOTOS BY MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD)Tips for the holiday cookie bake
Shortbread, Toll House, peanut butter and plain old sugar cookies. However you make them, people will eat them. But cookies also present a blank canvas for creative home bakers, especially at the holidays. Whatever your choice, make sure you start with quality ingredients, says Marc Haymon, who teaches baking and pastry at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Inferior butter with...read more...
These Christmas tree cutout cookies are easy and delicious. (ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO)How to get that perfect baby photo
McCLATCHY-TRIBUNE If you've got a newborn in your house this holiday season, chances are you're planning to take a few photos. Or a few thousand. Photographer Me Ra Koh, who has created Refuse to Say Cheese: Capture the Story , a DVD of photography techniques, offers a few tips for getting great pictures of the infant in your life....read more...Green parenting: Eco-holidays
When artist and environmentalist Harmony Jones sees metal scraps, odd cuts of wood, even plastic bottle caps, she doesn't see trash. She sees a creative opportunity for her and her daughter, Skyler, 9, to fashion found objects into ornaments for their Christmas ‘‘enviro-tree." This holiday season, green-minded revelers are putting their creativity to use and turning recycled materials into cards,...read more...
Seashells can make great ornaments. Hot-glue them together to make angels or paint them in shimmering colors. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)Fight is on for family leave
NEW YORK -- In some ways, conditions couldn't be better for those seeking to make family leave and paid sick days available to more American workers. In some ways, conditions could scarcely be worse. The work/family cause now has ardent champions in President-elect Barack Obama and self-described mom-in-chief Michelle Obama, who says it will be among her top priorities. The strengthened Democratic majority...read more...
Earlier this year, Michelle Obama participated in a roundtable on women's issues. She has talked about making issues for working families a high priority (AP FILE PHOTO)Tell the kids: Fewer gifts this year
CHICAGO -- For years, Roshelle Doty heaped video games, clothes, electronics, dolls and toys upon her children at Christmas. But like so many other parents navigating the rough economy, Doty recently sat her - 10- and 11-year old children down and explained that this year will be different. "I told them this Christmas they'll get two gifts...read more...
Gunda Palmer and her 11-year-old son Brett make a limited holiday wish list at Toys R Us. (MCT PHOTO)Amazon comes to Metrozoo
Wototo and Kara, giant river otters, along with Palenque and Reina, magnificent jaguars, and a pair of harpy eagles have arrived in Miami, bringing the sleek and taloned majesty of the Neotropics to a corner of Miami's Metrozoo called Amazon and Beyond. The last resident, a 17-foot anaconda weighing 300 pounds, arrives Dec. 2, in time for Saturday's grand opening of the $50 million addition....read more...
This tamarin will be in the marmoset walk-through at the new Amazon and Beyond exhibit at Metrozoo. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)The new hot toys: Old toys
Nothing evokes simpler, sweeter times better than a toy remembered from childhood, when morning cartoons and a bowl of Count Chocula cereal were all that was needed to start the day right. Maybe that's why so many recession-weary parents are finding Story by JODI MAILANDER FARRELL, jmailander@miamiherald.com . themselves drawn to old-fashioned toys this holiday season. In hard times, retro toys...read more...
Easy Bake Oven and Cabbage Patch Dolls, popular in the 1970s, are among the most popular toys today, too. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)Survey: Most kids are cheaters
BY DAVID CRARY, Associated Press NEW YORK -- In the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a new, large-scale survey suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethics. Educators reacting to the findings questioned any suggestion that today's young people are less honest than previous generations, but...read more...A new clue in the autism puzzle
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer CHICAGO -- Unique brain wave patterns, spotted for the first time in autistic children, may help explain why they have so much trouble communicating. Using an imaging helmet that resembles a big salon hair dryer, researchers discovered what they believe are "signatures of autism'' that MORE ON AUTISM MomsMiami blogger Renee McLeroy chronicles her...read more...Where to see 'The Nutcracker'
It may be billed as a Christmas ballet, but regardless of your religion (or lack thereof), The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition for any and every one. Despite attempts to update and consumerize it, at its core The Nutcracker is still a celebration of children's imagination and fantasy life, WIN TICKETS MomsMiami is giving away tickets to the Miami City Ballet's performance of The...read more...
Miami City Ballet dancer Deanna Seay in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, a holiday tradition.Gay adoption ban ruled unconstitutional
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER, cmarbin@MiamiHerald.com A Miami child welfare judge Tuesday declared Florida's 31-year-old ban on adoption by gay people unconstitutional, rejecting the state's claim that the law promotes public morality and the best interests of foster children who may be harmed by same-sex parents. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge ûCindy Lederman approved the adoption of two...read more...'It's not fair!' -- How to respond
By HEIDI STEVENS, Chicago Tribune Trying to find a good rejoinder to "It's not fair!''-- your kid's favorite complaint of late? That's a toughie, especially if you want your answer to be rooted in patience and maybe even offer a little perspective (as opposed to the ever-popular, but really pretty cruel "Well, life's not...read more...Motrin ad angers moms
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, AP Business Writer TRENTON, N.J. -- Can a tongue-in-cheek ad for a popular pain reliever backfire and turn into a huge headache for one of the most respected health product marketers? You bet — if the ad appears to be making fun of new mothers and their babies. That's what happened this month with an edgy Johnson & Johnson video SEE THE VIDEO Watch the ad on YouTube . Watch...read more...Pines ranked best place to raise kids
BY KIRSTIN MAGUIRE, kmaguire@miamiherald.com It's official: Pembroke Pines is the best place in Florida to raise your kids. In BusinessWeek's second annual roundup of top child-rearing cities, Pembroke Pines, with a population of 165,000 and a median household income of $76,535, outshone the rest. Determining factors included good schools and safety, which BusinessWeek weighted most heavily in its survey. Other...read more...Obama girls to go to Chelsea's alma mater
By LISA TOLIN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama and his wife have chosen a private school for their two daughters, opting for an institution that another White House child, Chelsea Clinton, attended a decade ago. Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, will be attending Sidwell Friends School, a private Quaker school with a campus in northwest Washington for grades 5-12 and another in suburban Bethesda,...read more...Holiday visitor survival guide
When the holiday season brings an onslaught of out-of-town visitors to your warm, sunny front door, how do you keep your sanity? MomsMiami.com consulted some seasoned hosts for some ideas. At one time, Stephanie and Doug Horton of Cooper City hosted overnight visitors so frequently they jokingly referred to their home as "Hotel Horton.'' SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS The...read more...
MCT File illustrationDining out in peace - with kids
Dining out with kids can be challenging. It requires manners, patience and self-control, all character traits that are under development for many kids. Young kids, in particular, may find it difficult to sit for long periods of time. Add to that the ambient noise of a restaurant, which can be distracting to little ears, and you've got a recipe for disaster. We've all witnessed the scene. Kids standing in booths,...read more...
MCT file illustrationMaking more time to play
NEW YORK -- In one classroom, a group of preschool teachers squatted on the floor, pretending to be cave-dwelling hunter-gatherers. Next door, another group ended a raucous musical game by placing their tambourines and drums atop their heads. Silly business, to be sure, but part of an agenda of utmost seriousness: To spread the word that America's children need more time for MORE ON FREE PLAY Read...read more...
These kids, photographed in early November at a park in Sunny Isles Beach, have the right idea. (CHRIS CUTRO / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Balancing Act: When business is slow
Some women who own businesses are laying off staff. Others are turning away less profitable work. While yet another is taking only clients who pay in a timely fashion. Entrepreneurs, the backbone of our economy, realize that these tough economic times take strategy to survive. In the worst economy since the Great Depression, many female business owners are more vulnerable. Most of them self-fund their...read more...
Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive of Build-A-Bear Workshop, has more than 400 stores, but the company is watching expenses like other businesses. (CHRIS CUTRO / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Child's plays for everyone
Already this season, families have journeyed to Oz together. This week and next, they'll watch a special car take wing to rescue an old man from some family-phobic villains. And soon they'll be able to see the return of a red-haired orphan, a collection of singing cats, athletic performers leading them on a jungle adventure. For sure, the touring Broadway season is bringing plenty of...read more...
Miami's Raul Esparza played family man and inventor Caractacus Potts in the Broadway production of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Below, the stars of "Annie." (JOAN MARCUS)The return of layaway
Olga Valeriano has found an old solution to her new budget crunch this holiday season: shopping on layaway. The concept that went out of style with the rise of credit cards in the 1990s is making a resurgence this holiday season among shoppers like Valeriano. At Kmart, she can put 10 percent down and spread out biweekly MORE ON SHOPPING It's hip to be cheap: Mama Sass blogs on the new...read more...
Sharon Barnett of Fort Lauderdale drops off some items at the layaway department at a Kmart in Hollywood. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Dinosaurs roar back to life
Before there were even continents, small Liliensternus dinosaurs first appeared. The reptiles grew in considerable stature when Brachiosaurus stretched his massive neck to munch tree tops. Finally, as Tyrannosaurus rex, tyrant lizard, grew to become one of the largest carnivores ever, dinosaurs ruled the Earth, but were doomed to disappear 65 million years ago. For the last two years, however, they have been...read more...
Two torosaurs prepare to do battle while the paleontologist/narrator, “Huxley, ” describes the action in a scene from "Walking with Dinosaurs. (JOAN MARCUS) Sonny Tilders, below, created the show.Meet 'Wimpy Kid' author
By SUE CORBETT, scorbett@MiamiHerald.com Jeff Kinney's latest entry in his phenomenally popular series about the struggles of middle school student Greg Heffley contains lots of fill-in-the-blank pages -- appropriate since Diary of a Wimpy Kid itself came into the MEET JEFF KINNEY The author will appear at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami as part of the Miami Book Fair International....read more...All hail the kid lit ambassador
BY SUE CORBETT, scorbett@MiamiHerald.com The power may have gone to Jon Scieszka's head. Halfway through his two-year term as the first-ever national ambassador for children's literature, he wonders why his car has no flags flying from the antennas. Where is his motorcade? "I want those flags they fly on limousines, and diplomatic plates,'' he MEET THE AUTHOR Jon Scieszka...read more...Mom of 18 adopting 2 more
There's no such thing as quiet in Lula Mae Walker's home. Loud, bouncy and boisterous are all permanent features of the modest, light blue house in Northwest Fort Lauderdale, the place where Walker has raised countless children: nine of whom she gave birth to, nine she adopted and countless foster children. As adults, few of them have strayed from the straight and narrow. Most HOW TO...read more...
Lula Mae Walker is in the process of adopting twin teenage girls Rossana, left, and Rossano Thomas. (LILLY ECHEVERRIA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)OMG, my MOM's on Facebook!
By JACKIE BURRELL, Contra Costa Times The angst was palpable on Facebook. "My mom tried to add me on Facebook today,'' read one online posting, "and I had to deny my own flesh and blood. You'd have done the same.'' Once upon a time, Facebook was a gathering place for college kids. No one had access to the social networking site started by Harvard...read more...Balancing Act: Outlook for working women
With the election behind us, now is an ideal time to look at whether working women are advancing and how they will fare as a new administration leads our country. Who better to discuss this topic than Carol Evans, founder of Working BALANCING ACT By CINDY GOODMAN . Read Cindy's MomsMiami blog here . Mother Media, who speaks Friday at The Women's Alliance National Conference in Miami about...read more...
Carol Evans is the founder of Working Mother Media.How to hire a nanny
So SuperNanny seems to be too busy to take your calls, and you need some in-home child care. Where to start? MomsMiami consulted several experts in the field to offer advice for finding a modern-day Mary Poppins or a suitable alternative. Their tips can also apply to your search for just the occasional baby sitter. The experts suggested breaking down the process into three...read more...
Illustration by TATIANA SUAREZ / FOR THE MIAMI HERALDAu pairs: A nanny alternative
By JENNIFER COHEN, Special to MomsMiami.com If you're looking for live-in help with the kids, you might consider an au pair. These college students from abroad can be like a big sister for the kids. Lori and Seth Wise of Davie have had au pairs for the past four years, most of them from Euraupair.com . Mother of a 2-year-old son with a second on the way, Lori Wise knew...read more...
Au pair Naiara Amaral holds Benjamin, 3, while mom Lori Wise holds 3-month-old Isaac at the Wises' Davie home. (JOE RIMKUS JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Dad's agony over son's addiction
BY CONNIE OGLE, cogle@MiamiHerald.com The sobering moment came early in Monday night's "Evening With...'' program, as it inevitably must when writer David Sheff is speaking. Sheff, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, and Fortune and Playboy magazines, asked the Miami Book Fair International audience how many of their families had been touched by addiction. ...read more...
David Sheff, author of Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction.Take the kids to the Book Fair!
The Miami Book Fair International is going on all week in Miami. The street fair and Children's Alley open on Friday, Nov. 14. Click here for the Children's Alley schedule and more information. Admission to the street fair is free on Friday; $5 on Saturday and Sunday; students 18 and under get in free. KINNEY CHAT MiamiHerald.com hosted an online chat with Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney...read more...
Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman created the poster, part of which is shown here, for this year’s book fair.Tips for landing part-time job
With the economic downturn, many stay-at-home moms are re-entering the work force, at least part-time. Ilyse Shapiro, founder of the job search Web site MyPartTimePRO.com, offers tips for job seekers looking for part-time or flexible employment opportunities. 1. PERFORM INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC RESEARCH. Despite the current economic situation, many industries are still actively hiring part-time staff, including...read more...
McClatchy Tribune File PhotoMiami's ultimate preschool
One of Miami-Dade County's most sought-after preschools has the potential to reshape the county's early education programs. At the United Way's Center for Excellence in Early Education, kids learn how to cook. They create art projects mimicking famous sculptures with recyclable materials. Children use the center's stage to learn about music and movement. "We've taken a...read more...
The United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education is a state-of-the-art preschool and child-care center. (JOHN VAN BEEKUM / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Books have tips for calmer parenting
By ANA ACLE-MENENDEZ, Special to MomsMiami.com Two authors are in South Florida this week, promoting their books on parenting and offering some advice on raising kids in a complicated world. Linda Lantieri, who wrote Building Emotional Intelligence: Techniques to Cultivate Inner Strength in Children (Sounds True, $22.95), and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, author of Taking Back Childhood: Helping Your...read more...Nun keeps faith in class for 71 years
Sister Kathleen Donnelly, the longest serving school principal in the Archdiocese of Miami, started teaching in the middle of the Great Depression -- before television, before cellphones, before computers. She was 17 years old. "It was a great adventure, very exciting,'' she recalls. "I felt right at home.'' Seventy-one years later, Sister Kathleen is still right at home...read more...
Sister Kathleen Donnelly, 87, has been principal of St. Hugh Catholic School in Coconut Grove since 1974. (PETER ANDREW BOSCH / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Holocaust kids' book has fairytale ending
______________________ Editor's Note: Angel Girl 's publisher recalled the book in December, after Herman Rosenblat admitted making up the story about the girl at the concentration camp. Read the story on that here . _______________________ Two years ago, Miami author Laurie Friedman read an item in The Miami Herald about Herman and Roma Rosenblat, a Miami-Dade couple with a unique how-they-met story....read more...
An illustration by Ofra Amit frrom Angel Girl.Study links TV to teen pregnancy
BY LINDSEY TANNER, Associated Press CHICAGO -- Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior compared with those who have tamer viewing tastes. Sex and the City, anyone? That was one of the shows used in the research. The new study is the first to link those viewing habits with teen pregnancy,...read more...Green parenting: Unplug
Going green by conserving energy in the home doesn't mean you have to give up modern conveniences or move to a treehouse. "You don't have to be a wacko who lives in a tent without electricity and bicycles everywhere,'' said Terri Murru, a mom of two who's passionate about the environment. "You can make a significant impact in your own way.'' ...read more...
The Murru family is serious about saving electricity in their home. Mom Terri is flanked by daughters Chloe, left, and Alie. (CANDACE WEST / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Blue Man Group opens kids' exhibit
BY LARRY LEBOWITZ, llebowitz@MiamiHerald.com Isaac Budyszewick pounds on a Dr. Seussian contraption of PVC tubes with the reckless enthusiasm and abandon of a 4-year-old. Just like his three favorite new heroes -- nameless, blue-skinned, black-clad, earless mutes, the nearly ubiquitous Blue Man Group. "He's been so excited,'' Isaac's mother, Favila Budyszewick,...read more...
The Blue Man Group opens a new exhibit at the Miami Children's Museum about sound waves. (HECTOR GABINO / EL NUEVO HERALD)MomsMiami Halloween Guide
Halloween is Friday night and if you're still looking for some ideas for celebrating, MomsMiami has got you covered. COSTUMES Still need costumes for the kids? Make your own. It's easy! Click here for some great ideas made from things you can find around the house. You don't even need to know how to sew. MAKE-UP Check out these tips for doing the kids' face painting. We even...read more...
Some healthy alternatives for class parties include jack-'o-lanterns carved from oranges and peanut butter sandwiches. (AP PHOTO)Women's vote hinges on family issues
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND BREANNE GILPATRICK, meklas@MiamiHerald.com TAMPA - As Sarah Palin traveled the crucial Interstate 4 beltway of Florida on Sunday, drawing thousands of supporters dressed in red, white, blue -- and pink -- she talked up the campaign's tax plan and energy policy, told supporters that she was hoping to come from behind like the Tampa Bay Rays, and lashed out at criticism of her...read more...
Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin hugs a baby while greeting fans in Kissimee, along with her husband, Todd. (AP PHOTO)RSVP - and bring your wallet
There is an army of women waiting to attack us with party invitations. Their invitations arrive innocently enough until you catch the product placement -- baby toys, sex toys, cooking supplies, scrapbooking supplies, home decor, jewelry. You name it, someone is hawking it in the guise of a social event. Quickly, you realize the pretty stationery is...read more...
A lively bowl of punch from a recent Passion Party.Cribs recalled; check yours
By NATASHA T. METZLER, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- A recall of nearly 1.6 million cribs, triggered by the suffocations of two 8-month-old infants, has prompted a government agency to urge parents to inspect older drop-side cribs for safety problems. Both of the suffocations involved infants who got stuck in a gap created TO LEARN MORE For details on the recall, visit...read more...Cheap food, fun for the kids
"Kids eat free.'' "Free admission.'' Music to a parent's ears. After digging deep to pay for child care, school photos, team sports, instruments, music classes, gift wrap fund-raisers, the list goes on and on . . . it's great to save a buck and still be able to do some fun things as a family. And who wants to cook -- and do dishes -- after coming home from work to...read more...
The local museums are always offering deals. At the Miami Children's Museum, where the kids can play firefighter among other things, you can get in free every third Friday from 3 to 9 p.m. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)How I got my kid to school on time
Two events the neighborhood's been able to rock-solid set watches by of late: 1. The school bus rumbling down the street, its brakes squeaking to a halt at the stop sign at 7:50 a.m. 2. Big Guy stumbling out the door 10 minutes later in tearful panic, shrieking "But I don't want to be late.'' ...read more...
(HERALD FILE ILLUSTRATION)Dan Zanes rocks the family in Miami
In some ways, nothing has changed for Dan Zanes since he was leading roots rock band the Del Fuegos in the 1980s. He's still hitting the road with his group in a van, still playing shows where the audience fills up an enthusiastically bouncing mosh pit. Except that these days, the mosh pit is filled with pre-schoolers. The roots rock has been replaced by infectious new versions of American folk IF YOU GO Dan Zanes...read more...
Dan Zanes, shown during last year's visit to Miami, plays the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)Halloween events are on!
The spooky fun has begun in South Florida with haunted houses, ghost tours and fright-filled festivals for adults and kids alike. Halloween night is the best bet for thrills and chills, but there is plenty to do beforehand. EARLY FRIGHTS ScareFest House of Horror takes over a portion of Miami's popular CocoWalk shopping center with 15 rooms on two floors; 20,000-square- HALLOWEEN TIPS Easy...read more...
One of the Miami Seaquarium's resident dolphins is ready for trick-or-treating.How to say no when $'s tight
Everybody's talking about money. Diminishing home values; mortgage foreclosures; climbing energy and food prices. Uncertainty over when things will take a turn for the better is making everyone tighten their belts. But how do parents explain this to their fashion-conscious middle-school kids? How about teens with dreams of out-of-state college or a new car? WHAT TO SAY...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONBalancing Act: Affording college in a crisis
Lee Taylor, a college senior, had every intention of going to grad school. But the state of the economy has her rethinking that plan. "I don't know how I will pay for it,'' Taylor says. The country's financial crisis is causing Americans of all ages to reconsider major life decisions. Many of them are taking a deep breath BALANCING ACT Read Cindy Goodman's MomsMiami...read more...Young moms confront breast cancer
When Zunilda Guzman first felt the lump on her left breast earlier this year, she dismissed it as an annoying byproduct of her menstrual cycle. She had no family history of breast cancer and a mammogram had given her a clean bill of health. A month later, however, the biopsy told a different story. Since June, the Miami Lakes mother has endured a double TURN THE TOWN PINK Join The Miami Herald...read more...
Zunilda Guzman, above, with 8-year-old daughter, Summer. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF) Below, Martine Rodney with her kids, Martha, 11, David, 14, and John, 6. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Talking to kids about politics
By SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS, McClatchy Newspapers We're in the midst of one of the most charged presidential elections in decades, and the children are watching. "Kids are more in tune to politics than most adults understand,'' said Val Weeks, director of Early Childhood Accelerated Program, a preschool for gifted children in Wichita,...read more...
Barack Obama and John McCain in a civil moment. (PAUL J. RICHARDS / AFP / GETTY IMAGES)Halloween make-up tips
Whether you're putting on a ghoulish face this Halloween -- or a glittery fairy princess one -- it can be easy with some expert advice. And you don't have to spend a lot of money. You can even make your own. Christine Brown of Wild Orchid FX in Orlando, former makeup director MORE HALLOWEEN HELP Our guide to easy Halloween costumes you can make. Talk about what your kids are wearing in our Mom2Mom...read more...
Girls love face glitter! Use small craft brushes to paint on intricate designs. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)Good habits for great students
A new school year means a chance for a fresh start, a clean slate, a chance to Get Things Right. What we know: Good students, the ones who do Get It Right, have something in common. They do things that work, that help them stay on top. We talked to some experts who know the whys and the hows of success at school. What we learned: All those things you thought you already knew, about...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONBalancing Act: Family issues on sidelines
BY CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN, cgoodman@MiamiHerald.com The other night, as the first and only vice presidential debate was starting, I was scrambling to get home from the football field where I had been sitting on the sidelines with other parents. The talk on the sidelines wasn't about Wall Street, or the stock market, Read Cindy's Balancing Act blog on MomsMiami. or foreign policy or even...read more...High-schoolers under pressure
Here's a multiple-choice question for the families of high school students facing yet another round of SATs and other standardized tests. Why has the college application process grown so stressful and all-consuming? A. It's supply and demand: There's a record number of graduating seniors heading off to college, just as some colleges and universities are capping or rolling back their...read more...
MCT FILE ILLUSTRATIONQuick Pilates workout aimed at moms
BY HOWARD COHEN, hcohen@miamiherald.com Naomi Lowit had her first baby, Sophia, 18 months ago. "I know how hard it is to get back in shape.'' So Lowit designed a class for moms just like her -- and sympathetic dads like hubby William Weyrowski -- at her studio, Nomi Pilates in North Miami (there's a Fort Lauderdale branch, too). Lowit calls it Innie and Outie....read more...
Misty Dedesma and her daughter, Ruby, bond over a workout at Nomi Pilates in North Miami. (RONNA GRADUS / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)New Fords will let parents set speed limit
By TOM KRISHER, AP AUTO WRITER So you think junior is a little too lead-footed when he drives the family car? Starting next year, Ford Motor Co. will give you the power to do something about it. The company will roll out a new feature on many 2010 models that can limit teen drivers to 80 mph, using a computer chip in the key. Parents also have the option of programming the teen's key to limit the audio system's volume,...read more...Schools pump up PE
When the talk turns to physical education, several things probably come to mind: running, jumping jacks, team sports, sweat. But walking to and from lunch? No way, say state legislators and health experts, who were concerned that some schools were using the time it took to walk across campus to meet a state law that said elementary school kids need to have 150 minutes of physical education a week....read more...
First-graders at Lakeside Elementary in Pembroke Pines, including Alexa Espinoza, get some exercise on carts during PE. (CANDACE WEST / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)4,000 Florida families in study
By FRED TASKER, ftasker@MiamiHerald.com The University of Miami Medical School has been chosen by the National Institutes of Health as the Florida leader in a 25-year nationwide, pioneering study of children's health, following potential mothers from before they're pregnant to when their children reach 21. The $54.6 million project, which will track 100,000 children nationwide, including 4,000 in Florida, will...read more...Parents sending kids to the gym
NEW YORK -- Like many parents, Diana Ennen had trouble getting her daughter Amber to exercise. So two years ago, Ennen decided that Amber was coming to the health club. Now age 10, Amber is using the stair stepper, lifting hand weights and doing situps on a stability ball. "She's lost some weight," said Ennen of Margate. "Her clothes fit better. You can tell she's firmer."...read more...
More parents are turning to gyms, like Action Fitness in Placentia, Calif., to get their kids into shape. (AP PHOTO)Teachers rewarded with supplies
BY HANNAH SAMPSON, hsampson@MiamiHerald.com Just this weekend, fifth-grade science teacher Nakitta Bryant went shopping for school supplies. Her wish list was long, but money was short. So the timing could not have been better on Wednesday when Bryant was one of 1,300 teachers nationwide -- and more than two dozen locally HOW YOU CAN HELP Click here to learn more about how you can help your...read more...13 booster seats get poor ratings
By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Several car booster seats do a poor job of positioning children to fit in their seat belts, according to a review by the insurance industry and researchers. The Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found Wednesday that 13 booster seats don't put children in the best...read more...Parenting an option for more gay men
BY DAVID CRARY, Associated Press Despite the high costs and legal complications, many gay men -- such as singer Clay Aiken, a single dad who came out last week -- are starting families. Adoption remains the most common way for gay men to become fathers -- unless they live in Florida. State law prohibits gay people from adopting, the only outright ban in the nation. In an exception, a Monroe...read more...A sportswriter's letter to her daughter
By MICHELLE KAUFMAN, mkaufman@MiamiHerald.com Dear Sophie, I am writing to tell you about a remarkable, brave woman whose biography you won't find on the third-grade bookshelves alongside the inspiring stories of Helen Keller, Clara Barton, Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhardt. Her name was Mary Garber, and she died last Sunday at age 92 in a nursing home in Winston-Salem, N.C. She wasn't as well-known as those other women,...read more...Easy Halloween costumes
Pull out the dress-up trunk, the junk drawer, the sewing basket. It's time to get ready for Halloween. Stores selling cheap off-the-rack costumes have made it easy to dress up the kids. But you can save some green by making your own -- and make more fun for the holiday. Even if you don't have time to make a costume from scratch, you can still enhance the store-bought get-ups with a little...read more...
Some easy costume ideas: Above, a living picture and a walking X-ray; below, a cheesecloth ghost decoration that could be costumized, a bunny based on a sweatsuit and a "bubble bath'' of balloons. (McCLATCHY FILE PHOTOS)Mom to Mom with Jenny McCarthy
Even though her bob and boobs are better than mine, I think I like Jenny McCarthy. I like her toilet trash humor, all the more shocking because it comes out of her perfectly pretty mouth. I like the fact that she juggles being sexy with being a mom. And, although I was initially wary of her criticism of vaccinations, I like that she’s asking questions and making people think twice. It’s been three years since...read more...
Jenny McCarthy appeared Saturday at the Dadeland Mall Macy's, which is getting an FAO Schwartz toy department. (PATRICK FARELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Does stripper deserve our sympathy?
Hanging next to Yessenia Cabello's little coffin was a green tulle ballerina dress with sparkles and cream-colored butterfly wings, a symbol of a sweet girl's dreams snuffed out in a misdirected jealous rage. Yessenia was laid to rest this week after four short years of life. Her stay -at-home, unemployed father shot his little girl. Jissela Cabello never checked on her daughter when she got home to find her husband...read more...Green parenting: Natural cleaners
Cleaning green can not only help save the earth, it can also put some cash back in your pocketbook and keep your family a little healthier. Debra Miller of Davie saves money by buying gallons of concentrated biodegradable cleaners and mixing her own in a spray bottle. She tries to unclog drains first with elbow grease, using a plunger or snake. She polishes wood with olive oil. "It's great for...read more...
Debra Miller's stepson has asthma, so she is careful about what she uses to clean her home. Here, she uses olive oil to dust her dresser. (CANDACE WEST / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)'Eragon' author comes to Miami Beach
By SUE CORBETT , corbett@miamiherald.com All Christopher Paolini, 24, did last weekend was sell half a million books. The wunderkind author of the Eragon series broke all records for his publisher with the release of the third volume, Brisingr (Knopf, $27.50, ages 10-up) which sold 550,000 copies the day it went on sale. This IF YOU GO Christoper Paolini will read from Brisingr at 7 p.m. Friday at the Lincoln...read more...
Christopher Paolini wrote Eragon at age 15. His third book has just been released.Gay adoption ruling 'a defining moment'
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER, cmarbin@miamiherald.com Two months after the foster child came to live in Wayne LaRue Smith's two-story Key West home, the brown-eyed 5-year-old boy looked up from the kitchen table and, in a plaintive voice, asked what seemed a simple question: ``Will you be my daddy?'' At first, Smith, a foster father who has cared for 33 children in state custody, could not say yes. Smith,...read more...
Wayne LaRue Smith, left, and Daniel Skahen embrace the boy, who has been in their foster care since he was 5. (CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)The Palin paradox
By AISHA SULTAN, St. Louis Post-Dispatch The moment's most high-profile mom has the most unexpected cheering section. Head cheerleader and first lady of the modern conservative movement Phyllis Schlafly wanted to throw a party at the Republican National Convention honoring Sarah Palin long before she secured the vice presidential nomination. ...read more...When your baby's having a baby
If your daughter is pregnant and planning to have the baby, many changes await your family. And though it's certainly not what most parents expect, it happens every day: Nearly 1 million teenage girls in the United States give birth every year. If your teen is about to become a mother (or your son has fathered a child), it can be overwhelming for all of you. How can you support...read more...
In the movie "Juno," a pregnant teenager decides to place her baby for adoption. (HERALD FILE PHOTO)Overscheduled kids are not getting ahead
By LISA DAVIS, McClatchy Newspapers Soccer. Baseball. Basketball. Volleyball. Travel teams. Gymnastics. Dance. Tae kwon do. Piano. Violin. Band. Quiz Bowl. French Club. Latin Club. Science Olympiad. Required community service. AP classes. SAT prep. Homework, homework, more homework. Tutoring. Therapist. When did family life become one giant to-do...read more...Should kids get breast cancer test?
Women are going for breast cancer gene testing in record numbers, forcing more parents to face a tough question: Should we test the kids? About 100,000 tests for breast cancer gene mutations were done last year, double the number in 2005. The trend may grow even more because of widening insurance coverage and a new law banning genetic discrimination. Medical experts advise against such testing before age 25, saying that...read more...
Cornell University freshman Jenna Stoller tested positive for the gene just after her 18th birthday. She wanted to be tested at age 13, but her mom made her wait. (ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO)Broward moms hit Sundance
BY DAVIA MAZUR , Special to The Miami Herald Think of Sundance Film Festival, and you might conjure impeccable mountain scenery, knee-deep powder, A-list stars, and expensive restaurants requiring reservations months in advance. Is this any place for seven South Florida suburban moms? Well, yes. And we're going back. OK, so maybe we didn't make all the super-cool private parties. But in a single week we saw a...read more...A child's death, the worst grief
By ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ , aveciana@miamiherald.com My boy returned from school in a foul mood, all anger and impatience. He slammed doors, sassed back, wouldn't meet my gaze. I demanded an explanation. ''Bobby -- '' he finally blurted, and burst into tears. I collapsed in the closest chair and buried my face in my hands. He didn't have to say more. I knew. A baseball pal, a classmate since elementary...read more...Artificial turf may contain lead
BY DAVID GELLES, dgelles@MiamiHerald.com Whether blasted by sun or stomped on by high school football players, the artificial turf field at Miami's Curtis Park stays a verdant green all year round. That's the benefit of fake grass -- it's durable and it never fades. But it turns out the chemical that keeps artificial turf so green is lead chromate, a known carcinogen, the suit says. If...read more...Hard times: Tale of 2 families
The Buxton family's life is stacked on shelves and piled into plastic bins in a corrugated metal warehouse behind a fire station in an industrial part of Sacramento, Calif. For the past four months, the offices of a social service agency have been the closest thing they've had to call home. Over in Citrus Heights, Calif., the Thomas family...read more...
Robert Buxton gives his daughter a good night hug at the California church where they are living while they save up to rent a home.Unemployment hitting women hard
BY TONY PUGH, tpugh@mcclatchydc.com WASHINGTON -- A sharp monthly rise in unemployment for women could be a sign that the economic slowdown has begun to hit working women with a force not seen since the 2001 recession. When the unemployment rate for women went from 4.6 percent in July to 5.3 percent in August, it was the largest one-month spike in the jobless rate for women in more than 33 years....read more...Balancing Act: Working and coaching
BY CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN, cgoodman@MiamiHerald.com Dirk Stealy knew it would create chaos in his life when he landed a lucrative contract to remodel Bob Evans stores in Central Florida. But there was no way he would let his work schedule keep him from coaching his son, Kole, in football. Each night after the Davie team practices, Stealy drives three hours to work, spends his evenings overseeing his...read more...
Basketball coach Mark Gilbert, a Miami real estate broker, explains the game to the girls in the Temple Beth Am basketball league. (ANDREW ULOZA / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Miami moms' Spanish dolls a hit
Three years after Abuelita Rosa and Abuelito Pancho sang their way into our bilingual, bicultural hearts, the plush, cuddly family known for its ay-tan-dulce lullabies and nursery rhymes has been adding members and prospering beyond its creators' dreams. From testing sales potential in two local stores in 2005, now Baby Abuelita dolls -- which sing when you press their hands -- are sold in 3,000...read more...
Carol Fenster, left, and Hilda Argilagos-Jimenez are the Miami moms who invented the Baby Abeulita dolls, now sold in thousands of stores. (AL DIAZ / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Rediscover your spouse
By AISHA SULTAN, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Many of us who came of age in the era of divorce and public-square adultery don't truly believe in happily-ever-afters. Some are willing to settle for close-enough-ever-after. A growing number don't see the point in making promises that seem to be so easily broken. Who wants to end up in a bitter or...read more...Kids' Books: An immigrant tale for teens
BY SUE CORBETT, scorbett@MiamiHerald.com The hero of Oscar Hijuelos' latest novel is Rico Fuentes, "the palest Cubano who ever existed on the planet.'' The sandy-haired 15-year-old (a great-grandfather was Irish) carries "get-jumped money,'' because in his 1960s Harlem neighborhood he MEET THE AUTHOR Oscar Hijuelos will read and talk about his new novel, Dark Dude...read more...Time management 101 for kids
The best lesson students could learn this school year has nothing to do with the 3 R's. Beyond reading, writing and arithmetic, the new buzzword for students surrounded by today's high-tech distractions is time management -- and it's a skill even many adults have trouble mastering. With typically overloaded schedules and time-stealing technology that ranges from computer video games and...read more...
New family portrait: single moms
Think of it as a new "normal'' in American family life. After creeping slowly and steadily upward most of the last 50 years, the number of babies born to young unmarried women quietly crossed a threshold in 2006. For the first time in a half-century of record-keeping, a majority of babies born to women younger than 30 were delivered by single women....read more...
Sara Bell Stockton is a mom of two -- Matthew Bell-Ross, 3, left, and Allissa Bell, 23 months -- who just got married. (KEITH MYERS / KANSAS CITY STAR)Advice for the job hunt
After dropping her kids off at school, Ellen Shupak heads to a job interview. This time, she's prepared to explain the gap in her resume and prove that even after five years at home, her sales skills still are sharp. Rising fuel and food prices and an ailing economy have forced stay-at-home moms back into the workforce. But these women now find themselves in a heated job market, competing with...read more...
Family health specialist Linda Fredrick went back to work after 16 years as a stay-at-home mom. (PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Key West judge: Gay foster dad can adopt
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER, cmarbin@MiamiHerald.com A Monroe Circuit Court judge has ruled Florida's 31-year-old gay adoption ban "unconstitutional'' in an order that allows a gay Key West foster parent to adopt a teenage boy he has raised since 2001. Declaring the adoption to be in the boy's "best interest,'' Circuit Judge David J. Audlin Jr., said the Florida law...read more...Injuries spike for kid athletes
In a time when increased regulation and better equipment have made youth sports safer than ever, a surprising type of injury is emerging from school gyms and playing fields in growing numbers: repetitive stress injuries. The causes, experts say, are year-round competition that leave little opportunity to rest overworked muscles and specialization that focuses on one joint or muscle group instead of exercising the...read more...
Michele Benz, Palmetto High's athletic trainer, wraps players' legs and wrists, below. Next photo, Samantha Benitez helps Brianna Hernandez stretch as Laura Villar looks on during cheerleading practice. (RONNA GRADUS / MIAMI HERALD)Disney does hurricanes
Howling winds send patio furniture whirlybirding off your porch. Your neighbor's roof tiles, flying like shrapnel, shatter the windows on your house. It feels like Ike, but it's really Mickey. Walt Disney World's Epcot opened an exhibit late last month that lets park visitors experience a major hurricane. StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes is what Disney calls ``edu-tainment.'' The storm is virtual, but...read more...
Walt Disney World's Epcot has a new exhibit: StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes. (AP FILE PHOTO)Ana Veciana-Suarez: How does Palin do it?
BY ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ, aveciana@MiamiHerald.com How does she do it? Sarah Palin, I mean. How does she juggle a baby with special needs, a pregnant 17-year-old daughter, a son going off to Iraq and the campaign for vice president? That's the question my friends, Republicans and Democrats alike, have been debating since John McCain nominated the governor of Alaska as his running mate. ...read more...Let Grandma take tween shopping
By AISHA SULTAN, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Julie Burchett, impeccably dressed with matching silver accessories and stylish silver hair, waited outside the Limited Too dressing room for her granddaughter, whose blonde hair had streaks of blue, purple and teal running through it. Kate Golder, her 9-year-old granddaughter, popped out in a V-cut short-sleeved...read more...Latest obesity risk: Liver damage
TRENTON, New Jersey -- In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teenagers have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants. Many more may need a new liver by their 30s or 40s, say experts warning that pediatricians need to be more vigilant. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in...read more...
Irving Shaffino, 15, developed liver disease and had a transplant last year. (AP PHOTO / ZACH LONG)Boy kept humor despite cancer
From the minute he was born, on Nov. 22, 1995, at 8.2 pounds, Bailey Blu Kayes was ``a whole lotta kid.'' He was, said his mother, Nicole Bailey, ``all energy -- running full speed, nonstop.'' But during the winter of 1999, something slowed him down. He was ''walking into stuff, not like you would do as a joke, because you'd get hurt,'' she said, and complained of headaches. Just after...read more...
Bailey Blu Kayes died Aug. 31 at age 12. His wisecracks kept adults laughing through his pain. (PHOTO COURTESY OF BAILEY FAMILY)Moms fired up over Palin
Nancy Linley-Harris spent Thursday morning in front of her TV, replaying the Republican National Convention on TiVo. The politics are exciting, but that's not what caught her attention. It was Sarah Palin. Governor of Alaska. Republican vice presidential nominee. And mother of five, including a 4-month-old son with Down syndrome. "She's one of...read more...
Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin calls herself a hockey mom. Here, she's cheered on at the Republican National Convention. (EMANUEL DUNAND / AFP / Getty Images)Teens aren't shocked over pregnancy
BY JAWEED KALEEM, jkaleem@MiamiHerald.com They've seen Juno, the box office hit about a pregnant teen. They've heard Jamie Lynn Spears, sister of Britney, say she was carrying at age 16. They tune in for The Secret Life of the American Teenager , an ongoing ABC drama about a pregnant 15-year-old. Now add Bristol Palin, spotlight of the week. When Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah...read more...Broward teachers to cut hours
Frustrated at the stalemate in negotiations about their raises, Broward County teachers vowed Wednesday to paralyze the school system by working less. Surrounded by thousands of tattered bedroom slippers, worn-out sneakers and plastic flip-flops -- symbolizing how they've given their "soles'' to education -- teachers protesting in Fort Lauderdale said they would only "work to the...read more...
Protesters gather around a pile of shoes outside Broward County School District Offices, saying they've given their "soles'' to education. (NISSA BENJAMIN / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Palin's grandbaby: Don't go there
Every mother knows you don't throw stones at glass houses -- certainly not at Sarah Palin's extended-family igloo. Republican John McCain's perky vice presidential pick, a mother of five, will soon be a grandmother. At 44, the Alaska governor wowed conservatives with her walk-the-talk family values when she delivered a baby boy with Down syndrome and reportedly was back at work in...read more...How to help your child's school
From the school bus gas fund to the cafeteria food bills, schools across the nation are suffering this year. Throw South Florida's deep budget cuts into the mix, and you find schools more dependent than ever on contributions from parents and local businesses. A Miami-based charity makes it easy to help local schools. At Adopt-a-Classroom, parents can donate money online to a public or private school teacher...read more...
South Florida's schools need all the help they can get this year from parents and local businesses. (ALEXIA FODERE / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Meet the goody bag queens
Kristie "Lu'' Fink has always liked to shop. One might say she has a bit of a problem. "One time, I found these cute Curious George stamp pads, mini gel pens and plush back-pack clip-ons on closeout, really, really cheap, and I just had to buy them," Fink said. "I'd bought the lot and my husband would ask me, ‘What are we going to do with all of this stuff?' But I...read more...
Shelley Goldstein, left, and Lu Fink prepare goody bags for a birthday party. (JENNIFER COHEN / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)Helping a child cope with grief
Madison BuShea loves her daddy. Photos of them together hang above her white day bed in her pastel blue room: their first ride on Space Mountain, a visit at the zoo and a hug during "Daddy Warm Up Time'' when she would watch TV with her father after her bath. On Saturday, May 13, 2006, Douglas BuShea left for work by 7 a.m. He kissed his wife and kids and drove to an overtime air-conditioning...read more...
Maira BuShea lost her husband in an accident on the job two years ago. Her children, Madison, 11, and Douglas, 7, have quilts made from their father's clothes. (PETER ANDREW BOSCH / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Childhood friend gives kidney
The night before Jonas Read became a kidney donor, his mother was almost frantic. Dressed in his hospital gown, he mocked her concern: "Oh, no, you can't go driving around. What if you get in a car accident? No, you can't do this because you're gonna die. No, you can't do that because you're gonna die. Everything was gonna kill me!'' To calm her, Read, 19, said: "If I die, give...read more...
Dianne Pence of Davie cries after hugging Jonas Read, 19, of Jacksonville, as Jonas heads to surgery. One was Jonas' kidneys was transplanted to Pence's son. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Rachael Ray's new cookbook for kids
By BECKY SHER, McClatchy-Tribune If you can get past the gratingly cheerful title, Yum-O! The Family Cookbook, TV chef Rachael Ray's latest, is actually pretty good. Very good, in fact. "Yum-O'' is one of Ray's trademark exclamations, and the name of her nonprofit, which promotes healthy eating and cooking to kids. (Proceeds from the book go to the charity.)...read more...Run your family like a business
By MERCEDES M. CARDONA , Associated Press NEW YORK -- Prioritize, delegate, outsource. They're all good management concepts for keeping businesses running smoothly. But can they help get the laundry done and put dinner on the table? Absolutely, say life coaches. Heads of households should set goals, outsource tasks and review team performance at home just as business managers do. "At work, for whatever reason...read more...Voters keep Children's Trust
BY EVAN S. BENN, ebenn@MiamiHerald.com Miami-Dade County taxpayers on Tuesday voted heavily in favor of continuing to pay for a broad spectrum of children's programs benefitting tens of thousands of kids every year. Voters permanently renewed The Children's Trust, which generates about $100 million a year for after-school and summer camps, health education and a 24-hour hot line for parent...read more...Students protest midwifery closing
BY ERIKA BERAS, eberas@MiamiHerald.com About 30 Miami Dade College students and their supporters showed up Monday at MDC President Eduardo J. Padron's office to protest the cancellation of the midwifery degree program. The protesters demanded a meeting with administrators. They met at Padron's office at the college's Wolfson campus in downtown Miami. Earlier this month, the...read more...Mom tattoos show off kids
Call it Mommy Ink. Mothers of all ages are hitting the tattoo parlors -- and it's not about nostalgia for their rebellious youth. They're getting sentimental tributes to their children: their kids' names, their baby footprints, their portraits, even their finger paintings. "Moms come in and say, 'I've always wanted a tattoo, now I have a kid. Now I have a...read more...
Brittany Beaver with her baby son Jordan and her tattoo of his footprints (NISSA BENJAMIN / MIAMI HERALD STAFF) Below, Kookie Zeno and her son's portrait. (JENNIFER COHEN / FOR MOMSMIAMI)It's not flirting, it's harassment
Sometimes a teenage girl's biggest problem isn't getting a guy to talk to her. It's getting a guy to stop. Christia Brown, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, and Campbell Leaper, professor of psychology at the University of California Santa Cruz, asked 600 girls age 12 to 18 about their experiences with sexism and sexual harassment. What they found was...read more...
MCT IllustrationMeasles at 12-year high
BY FRED TASKER, ftasker@MiamiHerald.com Parents' resistance to having their children vaccinated has helped cause an outbreak of 131 cases of measles in the United States so far this year, the biggest number since 1996, federal health officials said Thursday. Of the 131 cases, 112 of the children were unvaccinated and 16 were younger than 12 months old and thus too young for vaccination, said Dr....read more...Get organized for school year
As we start a new school year, I realize I need to kick my organizational skills into high gear. This is the time when working parents like me try to adjust to new routines without going completely nuts. I'm already beginning to worry about keeping up with my kids' activities, homework, school holidays and work deadlines, but then I think about Michelle Hurst. About a year ago, Hurst wrote me for time...read more...
Michelle Hurst, center, and her son Nicholas, 7, of Southwest Ranches listen to the Diane Hatcher, a professional organizer. (ANDREW ULOZA / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Kids head back to class
Early to bed. Carry a backpack. Eat what's in your lunch box. Olivia Zarraluqui had spent days drilling the routine into her 4-year-old son Jose, who is starting pre-kindergarten this week. On Monday, "we were all ready to go,'' Zarraluqui, of Coral Gables, said. But then Tropical Storm Fay undid all her work by delaying the start of HOW'S...read more...
Lolliette Romero prepares her classroom at Fienberg-Fisher Elementary School. (RONNA GRADUS / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Fay's wrath: child-care woes
For the second day in a row, South Florida parents are struggling with the same gut-wrenching dilemma: With schools still closed due to Tropical Storm Fay, what will they do with their children as a regular workday looms ahead for them? That's the real wrath Tropical Storm Fay brought when it forced the TALK ABOUT IT Share ideas for coping with the storm and keeping the kids entertained in...read more...
Fay no child's play: Cliff Fischer holds onto his boogie board as Hurricane Fay approached the Keys. (AP PHOTO)Hispanic births keep U.S. growing
BY KAT GLASS , kglass@mcclatchydc.com WASHINGTON -- If it weren't for Hispanic births, the United States could be confronting long-term population declines similar to those in Germany, Japan and other industrialized countries. Hispanics are the only ethnic group now producing more than two children per family, according to a Census Bureau report released Monday. That's the number necessary to...read more...Tips for healthy lunchbox
Another school year is here and along with it the daily dilemma over how to pack a healthy lunch that the kids will eat. Studies have shown that eating a well-balanced lunch helps keep minds sharp and prepares kids for an afternoon of learning. However, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, even though your child's school cafeteria is required to match federal government...read more...
At a recent YMCA event, kids learned how to make their own healthy lunches. (Photo courtesy YMCA)Phelps giving kids swim fever
BY EVAN S. BENN AND NATALIE P. McNEAL, ebenn@MiamiHerald.com South Florida's pools are teeming with kids who want to Be Like Mike. Michael Phelps, that is. Phelps inspired legions of swim fans when he made Olympic history last week, picking up more gold medals than any Olympian in any sport. "I stay up every night to watch him, and then I get so excited I can't go...read more...
Eight-year-old Guido Dominguez warms up during swim team practice at the Scott Rakow Youth Center in Miami Beach. He's been staying up late to watch Michael Phelps. (PETER ANDREW BOSCH / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Local kids skipping vaccines
More than 10,000 students sought exemptions from required vaccinations last year in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe county schools, giving South Florida some of the highest noncompliance rates in the state. And the percentage of South Florida children not having their shots when school starts is growing, according to Florida Department of Health READ MORE "Vaccine court'' ruling spotlights the...read more...
Eleven-year-old Aaron Blackburn of Coconut Creek is quieted by his father's hands. His parents believe vaccines triggered his autism. (CHARLES TRAINOR JR. / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)'Vaccine court' ruling spotlights autism
BY FRED TASKER, ftasker@MiamiHerald.com One reason vaccines and autism are in the news is Hannah Poling. Born in Baltimore in 1999, she was normal until she got five shots in one day when she was 18 months old, her parents say. Her behavior changed. She would scream, stare at fans and lights and run in circles. The diagnosis: autism. Her father, Jon, 37, a neurology...read more...Autistic kids' behavior stirs furor
By DAVE KOLPACK, Associated Press FARGO, N.D. -- When a 13-year-old Minnesota boy was banned from church after parishioners complained about his behavior, it exposed a painful truth so politically incorrect that some people feel guilty just saying it out loud: Some autistic children can be annoying and disruptive in public. The case of Adam Race and others like him has laid bare conflicted...read more...
Pastors Susan and Hartmurt Kramer-Mills of the First Reformed Church in Brunswick, N.J., revised its services to accommodate Sandy Boyles' son Walter, 18, who is autistic. (ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO)Green parenting: Compost 101
You won't see members of the Bejlovec-Wilschke household in Pompano Beach scraping their dinner plates into the garbage. The eco-friendly family recycles everything they can -- even their table scraps are fed to the dogs or pitched in a backyard composting bin. Scott Bejlovec and Carole Wilschke have composted for more than 20 years. When Travis, 14, and Katie Rose, 10, were born, they learned at a young...read more...
Scott Bejlovec and Carole Wilschke and their kids Travis, 14, and Katie, 10, are avid composters. When they remodeled their kitchen, they built a compost bin into the counter, shown below. (NISSA BENJAMIN / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)College kids turn to food stamps
BY EVAN S. BENN AND SCOTT ANDRON, sandron@MiamiHerald.com In a down economy, some Florida college students have found a new form of financial aid: food stamps. The number of Sunshine State students receiving stamps was up 44 percent in July compared with to the same time in 2007. That's about twice the rate of increase for food-stamp recipients in the population as a whole....read more...Last-minute Orlando trip: Look for deals
BY JANE WOOLDRIDGE , jwooldridge@miamiherald.com South Florida parents making that end-of-summer dash to the theme parks are in for sticker shock: One-day adult ticket prices have hit $75 -- plus tax. Good news: Florida residents who book online don't have to pay full price. Recently introduced ''meal deals,'' online restaurant coupons and falling gas prices are also helping to contain costs. And if you can...read more...Actress' book makes math fun
BY SUE CORBETT, scorbett@MiamiHerald.com TV actress Danica McKellar, famous TV actress, will appear in Miami this week to promote negative numbers. And exponents, distributive property, working with variables, graphing inequalities, and numerous, mind-bending ways to solve for X. Or Y. Or Z. Take your pick. That's because in addition to her roles on TV's The...read more...
Danica McKellar takes a teen magazine approach to math in her new book, Kiss My Math .How to find the right backpack
When it comes to buying the right backpack for the new school year, it's the moms who are doing the homework. Choosing a good quality backpack -- and packing it correctly -- helps prevent back, neck and shoulder pain, especially for kids entering middle school, where they may have to haul heavy textbooks, laptops and sports gear for the first time. There are hundreds of kids' backpacks to choose from, with prices...read more...
The Swiss Gear backpack, left, is a good choice for a middle-schooler who wants to look cool. The character backpacks from Disney Store, right, are OK for small kids who don't tote heavy books. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Beware the nanny poacher
Someone made a move on our nanny. The other woman started calling "Kiki'' while we were on vacation. Kiki is the nickname my son gave our nanny when he could not pronounce her real name. Kiki, by the way, has never been considered an employee. She has been a dear family friend for decades and has loved our children since they were born. The other woman knew all this....read more...
Hands off: Scarlet Johansson's character in The Nanny Diaries was too attached to the boy in her care to quit. (ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO)Tips for buying kids' computer
The most expensive item on your back-to-school shopping list might be a new computer. But with thousands of choices on the market, how do you find the right model, style and software for your kids? Bridget Carey, The Miami Herald's tech writer, has put together a guide on what you need for kids of all ages -- from preschoolers to college students. Check it out here at...read more...Mom start-ups thriving
Miami mom Karen Rappaport had been on the go, trying to juggle wiping her baby's bottom and searching for a diaper when she came up with an idea -- create a diaper bag with a wipe holder built in. Within months, she and mom friend Denise Goldman quickly discovered the road from idea to thriving business is paved with challenges. "We thought that manufacturers would be happy to get...read more...
Lorena Cedeno is the owner of Benini Bug on Sunset Drive. The Internet business she started at home grew so much she opened a store. (MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)DVD spotlights special-needs kids
BY ASHLEY FIERMAN, Special to The Miami Herald Craig Woloshin is a father and camera operator in Davie who stumbled across a good idea -- making a DVD targeted at special-needs children. "It's really important to not only explain to kids, but also show them that everyone is different and unique in their own way,'' Woloshin said. Woloshin joined the ranks of...read more...How to deal with heat illnesses
Our bodies create a tremendous amount of internal heat. We normally cool ourselves by sweating and radiating heat through our skin. Under certain circumstances, such as unusually high temperatures, high humidity, or vigorous exercise in hot weather, this natural cooling system may begin to fail, allowing internal heat to build up to dangerous levels. The result may be heat illness, which can come in the form of heat...read more...Young parents invent candy game
Eric and Monica Ash moved to northwest Broward from Alexandria, Va., in May with a newborn, a toddler and no regular paychecks to cover the mortgage or employers to subsidize the health insurance. Eric says they're living a dream. It's a sweet, if risky, dream that has turned drives to the supermarket into business trips for Monica and the composition of Reese's Pieces into a matter of serious...read more...
Eric and Monica Ash, parents of two young kids, have developed a trivia board game all about candy and snacks. Target stores will start selling it this weekend. (CANDACE WEST / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Saving $ on back to school
Diana Ennen considers back-to-school shopping a contact sport, an activity that you train for year-round -- not just in the final weeks of summer before school starts. While others fret over these tough economic times, the Margate mother of three has discovered that "it's easier to find bargains now. There are more sales and deals. You just have to be on the lookout for them.'' ...read more...
Margate mom Diana Ennen, center, a veteran back-to-school shopper, is always on the lookout for a bargain. Her daughters Amanda, 14, left, and Amber, 10, help show off her latest finds. (CANDACE L. WEST/MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Boys: Born to be wild?
By ZOE ELIZABETH BUCK, McClatchy Newspapers RALEIGH, N.C. -- Maybe some boys really were born to be wild. Researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill announced this week that they had found three genes that appear to affect the probability of a life of crime. The study looked at roughly 1,100 boys in...read more...Advice for the school 'leap years'
Eleven-year-old Talya Carness is counting on her older brother, Noah, to help her get ready for the transition to Palmetto Middle School next year. After she gets her class schedule this summer, "I'm going to go to school with my brother and maybe one of my friends and go to find our classes." Having her own version of middle-school MapQuest will help Talya get over at least one set of...read more...Posted on: Jul 29 2008 - 06:00:00 AM
Talya Carness will soon enter sixth grade at Palmetto Middle School in Pinecrest. She's a little nervous. (ALEXIA FODERE / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD)War ripping apart military families
By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Far from the combat zones, the strains and separations of no-end-in-sight wars are taking an ever-growing toll on military families despite the armed services' earnest efforts to help. Divorce lawyers see it in the breakup of youthful marriages as long, multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan fuel alienation and mistrust. Domestic violence experts see it in...read more...Cellphones, cancer and kids
NEW YORK -- When Amy Morris' twin boys, then 11, went on an academic trip to Washington last year, she agreed to give them cellphones at the program's request. But this summer she was dismayed to learn that girls at her 8-year-old daughter's day camp were using cellphones they'd taken along in their backpacks. "We were outraged," says the Connecticut mother, who adds that the camp didn't know....read more...
A college student talks on her cellphone the day a warning came out warning that cellphone use should be limited because of a cancer risk. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Family cruise to the Bahamas
''Mom, they look like dead people,'' one of my daughters whispers. It's 6 a.m. and my family is huddled on deck chairs in the pre-dawn chill aboard the Discovery Sun cruise ship. Other passengers sprawl around us under black rental beach towels, deep in slack-jawed sleep. The 20-something girl next to me is limp, her head resting on the arm of my chair. But my two kids, ages 8 and 9, are too excited to...read more...
Jodi Mailander Farrell brought daughters Annie, left, and Lucy on the five-hour Discovery Sun trip to Grand Bahama Island.Green parenting: where to start
Parents are doing more than tossing empty cans into a recycling bin to teach their kids to be kind to the environment. Green parenting today clues kids in on how what they consume affects the community, and ultimately, the world. Jayne and Howard Rosenbaum of Bay Harbor Islands teach their kids, Joshua, 14, and Dara, 9, how the resources they use touch those around them. "We teach the...read more...
Jayne Rosenbaum and her 9-year-old daughter Dara share a fun workout on a trampoline outside their Bay Harbor Islands home. They're holding mangoes and pears from an organic co-op. (MARSHA HALPER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Slava brings snow to Miami
Remember Let It Snow ? The vintage Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn tune conjures a wintry frozen world outside, a warmly cozy one inside. Slava's Snowshow , which will begin previews at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on July 24, flips that script. The forecast for scorching, midsummer Miami? Inside the Sanford and IF YOU GO Slava's Snowshow is coming to the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet...read more...
Slava's Snowshow will bring a blast of winter to the Arsht Center this month. The show is recommended for kids over age 8. (VERONIQUE VIAL)5 family vacation ideas
We all live such hectic, pressured lives in our daily existence that it's vital to enjoy periodic family vacations away from our homes, free of our daily responsibilities. It is tremendously important to enjoy interludes when parents and children can concentrate on each other and jointly experience stimulating, unfamiliar surroundings, sharing each other's reactions and emotions, getting to appreciate one another....read more...
The Norwegian Sky has a three-night cruise from Miami for $229 a person.Ana Veciana-Suarez: A year of letting go
By ANA VECIANA-SUAREZ, aveciana@MiamiHerald.com For a moment I am back at that place of long ago. It is his first day of preschool. He is wearing blue Mickey Mouse sneakers and a cowlick that has swirled his hair into a hint of early rebellion. When I leave him at the door, his chin quivers. Eyes search for welcome, for familiar space. When he cries with those heart-wracking, body-heaving sobs of anger and hurt,...read more...Black infant mortality rate higher
BY NICOLE BARDO-COLON, nbardo-colon@MiamiHerald.com Lying in her hospital bed, Jeronna Pierre was told the baby girl she carried for eight months had died in her womb. Nine months later, at three months pregnant, she lost a baby again. Pierre, of Aventura, is part of a disturbing trend in Miami-Dade County where the infant mortality rate among children of black mothers is twice that of...read more...New 'Sesame Street' toy: Sweatshop Ernie?
By KAT GLASS, McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON -- The Sesame Workshop and a U.S. toymaker launched investigations Tuesday of allegations that some Sesame Street toys are being made in a Chinese sweatshop. The National Labor Committee, a New York-based foreign-labor watchdog, released a report Monday claiming that some 600 workers -- many of them teenagers -- put in...read more...
This "Sesame Street" toy is listed in a report as having been manufactured in a Chinese sweatshop.Baby, let's go dancing
Strobe lights and disco balls are about to win over a whole new generation of fans. "Baby Loves Disco,'' an afternoon dance party for parents and kids to boogie down at a real discotheque, makes its South Florida debut at Fort Lauderdale's Revolution Live! nightclub this summer. The events are like living room dance parties, only they take place in a IF YOU GO Baby Loves Disco...read more...
Shake your groove thing -- or your hula hoop -- at a Baby Loves Disco party, coming soon to Fort Lauderdale.Kids get a taste of CSI
Shayna Grife carefully studied the ridges that her thumb left in the ketchup when she laced her finger on a piece of cardboard in front of her. The pint-size sleuth studied the lines looking for arches, loops and whorls, wanting to know what kind of fingerprint she left. "You can see it the best in the lipstick,'' the 9-year-old said, as she used a magnifier to look at her board, colorfully marked by...read more...
Vanessa Lovius, 8, fingerprints herself at the Nort Miami Public Library's CSI camp. (JOSE IGLESIAS / MIAMI HERALD STAFF)Brangelina twins arrive
By COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press NICE, France -- Brad Pitt was emotional but calm, Angelina Jolie laughed and chatted. The world's most famous celebrity couple were joined in emotion during the birth of their twins — a boy and a girl — and all "are doing marvelously well," the doctor who delivered the babies in a seaside hospital on the French Riviera said Sunday. The newborns — Knox Leon and...read more...Families connected by transplant
Trine Engebretsen dreamed about meeting the family of Amanda DeLapp, the organ donor who saved her life. She didn't know it then, but her donor's family had the same dream. The strangers cried and laughed together for hours Friday afternoon when they finally met at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. Twenty-four years ago, a gravely ill Engebretsen became Florida's first liver transplant recipient....read more...
Keisha DeLapp, left, holds a picture of her older sister Amanda, who died in 1984. Her liver was donated to Trine Engebretsen, shown in the photo held by DeLapp's mother, Alisha. Below, Engebretsen today. (AP PHOTOS)Dad Obama: No more interviews for kids
WASHINGTON -- (AP) -- Don't expect to see more of Barack Obama's young daughters on television any time soon. The Democratic presidential candidate and his wife, Michelle, allowed the syndicated program Access Hollywood to interview their daughters, Malia and Sasha, as Malia celebrated her 10th birthday. The four-part interview began airing Tuesday. On Wednesday, Obama said he had...read more...
Barack Obama says he and his wife, Michelle, probably won't let his daughters, Malia and Sasha, do any more TV interviews. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)No @#%& swearing!
TACOMA, Wash. -- First there was the sound of 3-year-old feet running. Then a thud. Finally, Paul Nimmo heard a very audible swear word roll off his child's tongue. After running to make sure his son was OK, he was ready to react. "Initially, it was funny,'' he said. "Then I wanted to get mad.''...read more...
MCT IllustrationTalking to kids about losing your job
BY CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN, cgoodman@MiamiHerald.com When Millie Puldon learned her job would be eliminated, she agonized over how to tell her three kids. "I didn't want to worry them,'' recalls Puldon, a single mother. When she did tell them, her 9-year-old daughter broke into tears and asked, "Are we poor now?'' Job loss is hitting employees of all kinds, and...read more...
