About The Parenting Blog
Probably more than any generation before us, we're the most obsessed with parenting. We read guidebooks and magazines, tune in to morning show experts, pause to consider what other moms and dads at the playground are doing, and forever second-guess our own maternal and paternal instincts. People warn you that parenting is the hardest job you can possibly have. "Say goodbye to a full night's sleep for the next 18 years," they say. Then you think about people like your great grandparents who raised eight kids in a three-room apartment without the benefits of things parents of today take for granted, like dishwashers, disposable diapers, and portable DVD players. How did they do it?

Back then they didn't have electronic learning toys, or put their infants on waitlists for competitive pre-school programs, that's for sure. Bedtime counselors and those dubbing themselves "Super Nanny" would have been unemployed during their era. And forget about shopping cart protective coverings and keeping antibacterial hand cleanser in every room of the house–germs make kids stronger, they'd declare!

What was true then as it is today, though, is that once you think you get the hang of being a parent, some new curve ball comes your way (a winter full of stomach flu and the croupe, potty training, sibling rivalry, puberty!). The only thing you can do is learn how to deal as you go, have a few laughs along the way, and realize that kids are more resilient than you give them credit for. Once you take the pressure off of yourself, parenting can be the greatest job you'll ever have. That's what this Parenting Blog is all about! Just forget about sleeping in.

The Flu Makes You Blue
Wow, this flu has gotten worse since I mentioned it last week. And now my wife is down for the count. I managed to get the kids to school, who ...

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Food Recalls
FDA to Detain Milk
Products From China
Chinese products that contain milk will be detained at the U.S. border unless tests show they are not contaminated, reports The New York Times. The new Food and Drug Administration Watch List is a belated effort to get a...

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FDA to Detain Milk
Products From China


Ailing Children on the Rise?
Our children are using more drugs. No, not the ones that send narcotics officers crashing into your house. It’s those other kinds, th...

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Deflation Helps Consumer,
But Will Hurt Americans
Home prices crashed first. Now gas prices are dropping about 10 cents a week in Arizona. Will price slashing soon begin in other areas of the ec...

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But Will Hurt Americans


Melamine Risks Extend
Beyond Eggs and Milk
While all eyes are still focused on the economic crisis facing the world, the Chinese food disaster continues to worsen. Earlier this week, we...

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Beyond Eggs and Milk


It Comes Down to Calories
Halloween is all about calories. My kids can’t wait. But parents aren’t so lucky. We pay a high price for gorging in high-calo...

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Food Recall
Melamine Found in Eggs
In recent months, my wife and kids have become hard-boiled egg fans. It makes sense: mild flavor, travels well and despite rising food prices, st...

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Melamine Found in Eggs


Kidney Stones Aren’t
Just for Dads These Days
Exactly 15 years ago, I celebrated my 30th birthday with my first kidney stones. A horseback riding trip a few days earlier apparently dislodged se...

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Just for Dads These Days


Setting the Beach Scene
While a vacation is a wonderful way to refresh the spirit, it also means an avalanche of laundry, unpaid bills, putting away suitcases, fixing up the garden, etc. Hence it taking me two weeks to post some photos on our travels. As each spot has it’s own ...

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Yum, Sugar in a Bowl
This story came out before I left on vacation, but it’s worth repeating for those who may have missed it: Consumer Reports found that ma...

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