All Family
- Disney Princess paint: New way for girls to be fashion victimsDisney Princess paint: Lifestyle branding 鈥 from furniture to bedding to clothes 鈥 designed to envelope little girls in the cartoon dream is one new way to create fashion victims.
- Michelle Obama receives thumbs-up from daughters on new bookMichelle Obama gets approval from her daughters on her book "American Grown," which traces the story of the White House garden through photographs, recipes and anecdotes from the elementary school kids who help maintain it.
- Father's Day: Celebrate big brothers who support younger siblingsFather's Day is a time to celebrate big brothers who fill a void in caring for their younger siblings. Whether it is fixing breakfast, brushing hair or walking them home, these 'little fathers' deserve recognition.
- David McCullough defends 'you鈥檙e not special' speech; we agreeDavid McCullough defends the 鈥榶ou鈥檙e not special' speech he gave at Wellesley High School last week. The English teacher addresses the current 鈥榚veryone is special鈥 plague that is not helping students, parents or employers.
- David Cameron left daughter at pub. Hey, been there done thatDavid Cameron accidentally left his 8-year-old daughter in a pub, and the reaction from parents in Britain and abroad has been overwhelmingly sympathetic. It happens to the best of us.
- Father's Day gifts: Skip the grill and let your kids get creativeFather's Day gifts should come from your kids' imagination, so skip the generic grill or tie and let them create something from the heart. The simplest gift is often the best.
- Amber Portwood: MTV 'Teen Mom' a role model for better or worse?Amber Portwood, the MTV 'Teen Mom' star headed to a five-year jail prison term for drug charges, apparently has some real influence with teens. A poll shows she has convinced 77 percent of teens that pregnancy and parenting are really, really hard. But what about the 23 percent who said she made it look easy?
- Whipping by belt: California official resigns for beating stepsonWhipping by belt: A California irrigation official in the Imperial Valley resigns after a neighbor caught him on video beating his stepson during a game of catch.
- Youth sports: The problem, say kids in a new poll, is adultsYouth sports, through the eyes of kids polled by i9 Sports, have a problem: the adults who run them. Eighty-four percent of kids said they either want to or have quit a team, and a third wish adults didn't watch their games because it makes them nervous.
- Creflo Dollar: Megachurch pastor denies choking daughterCreflo Dollar, the World Changers Church International megachurch pastor, was arrested Friday for allegedly attacking his 15-year-old daughter. He sermonized Sunday calling the incident an exaggeration of an "emotional" family conversation and he denied choking her.
- David McCullough: Wellesley teacher says grads 'not special'David McCullough, Wellesley High English teacher, slices and dices teen exceptionalism. 'You鈥檙e not special,' he says, 'Your planet ... is not the center of its solar system, your solar system is not the center of its galaxy, your galaxy is not the center of the universe.'
- Dog hero in Ghana rescues newborn babyDog hero rescues newborn baby in Ghana and joins the ranks of other African dogs who've become national heroes.
- Teen texting and driving: More than half admit to doing itTeen texting and driving is a national problem, according to the first federal statistics released on the topic, with 58 percent of high school seniors admitting that they text or e-mail while driving.
- Mister Rogers goes viral in PBS remix of 'Garden of Your Mind'Mister Rogers, the PBS children's TV icon of聽 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' gets a fresh remix. The mash-up puts his old school message in 'Garden of Your Mind' to a new beat.
- Emergency room visits an overreaction to childhood scrapes?Emergency room visits for typical childhood playground accidents are probably an overreaction. Attitude adjustment to fearful parenting is necessary:聽 "worst-first" is not the best philosophy.
- Disney bans junk food, Mickey Mouse brands health. Hmmm...Disney's new ban on junk-food advertising during children's programming has been hailed as an important public health step. But what about the company's new initiative to brand "health food" with a Mickey Mouse label?
- Senior pranks: School districts draw line between fun, vandalismAs graduation nears, school districts are dealing with increasing pranks by high school seniors. These senior pranks, mostly harmless and done in good spirit, can escalate to vandalism. Where do school officials draw the line?
- Dog with no family lawyers up to resist adoption; town dividedDog in New Mexico has a bank account, a Facebook page and a lawyer. Blue, a free-roaming Australian cattle dog has lived in front of a general store for two years without incident and without family. He resists adoption. But a recent deadly pit bull attack on a person in a nearby town has turned some against him.
- Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth: Too young to get engaged?Miley Cyrus, 19, and Liam Hemsworth, 22, announced their engagement today, raising questions about Hollywood's romanticized depiction of (too?) young marriage and its impressions on the average teenager.
- Free games: the power of a kid鈥檚 imagination vs. gigabytesFree games needed for your kids this summer?聽 Look no further then their own imaginations, give them unstructured time, and encourage creation. It can make a messy kitchen table, but too much media can create another kind of mess.