|
Healthy eating now considered a mental disorder
According to this report in The Guardian newspaper and echoed on several online sites recently, eating healthy is now considered a mental disorder among some psychologists.
Orthrexia nervosa, which is Latin for “nervous about correct eating,” is a term coined by a California doctor and used to describe individuals who "can be overweight or look normal. They are solely concerned with the quality of the food they put in their bodies, refining and restricting their diets according to their personal understanding of which foods are truly 'pure'." ... Read more
Free and cheap family fun for the weekend
We're just a couple days away from August and our minds are racing. Have we finished our back-to-school shopping? Can we squeeze in one more summer trip before school starts? Well, here's one thing you won't have to worry about -- we've got great ideas to keep you busy all weekend long. Maybe these can take your mind off school madness.
At the America’s Finest vs. America’s Bravest Benefit, we aren’t brave enough to say which team gets which title but police and firefighters will take to the ice for a rough and rugged hockey game to benefit the families of slain police officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab on Saturday. So be America’s Kindest and bring at least a $5 donation to the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, 5309 29th St. E in Ellenton. The fun starts at 2 p.m. (the game is at 3:30) and there will be other events including a firefighter/police football tournament, a board breaking competition by Six “R” Martial Arts, a car wash, dunk tank, face painting, firetruck display, appearances by U.S. Olympic pairs skaters Mark Ladwig, Amanda Evora, Jeremy Barrett among others, clowns and various children’s activities. And here are other events this weekend to help the families of the officers.
Cinderella is a Patel Conservatory’s Youth Theater production that wraps up warmth and hilarity for a tale that touches children and adults alike. 7:30 p.m., The David A. Straz Jr. Center for Performing Arts Ferguson Hall , 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. $10-20 advance, $12-$25 day of show. Call (813) 229-7827 for more details. ... Read more
Help less fortunate kids get off to a good start at school
We all know money is too tight to mention. That's why over at Things to Do (tampabay.com/things-to-do) we've been searching for back-to-school deals and events that could help you save a buck or two. And while you're out shopping, throw an extra couple of packs of pencils, pens, notebook paper or even a backpack into your cart. And here are a couple of events where you can help kids who struggle to get to school every day because they don't have supplies or clothes to wear. ... Read more
New parents' sex lives take a hit
It's no secret that lots of parents say that after their children are born, their sex lives fizzle. Babycenter.com chatted up about 5,000 parents a couple years ago and found that once a child arrives, the bedroom becomes more of a makeshift nursery than a place to connect with your mate.
Well, two years and 5,000 more respondents later, BabyTalk magazine is now asking new parents how they feel in its Big Sex Survey. And the numbers are pretty grim. Of the 10,000 respondents, 96 percent of them were women. And the picture they paint of sex after baby isn't pretty. ... Read more
The art of riding shotgun
While school is out this summer, I’m teaching my young teenaged son other important skills he’ll need in his life, like how to do his own laundry and make scrambled eggs. Since much of this summer is spent on family road trips, I’m also attempting to school him another invaluable life skill: how to ride shotgun.
This one is proving much more difficult.
He has spent his entire young life relegated to the back seat where stale pretzels and forgotten dreams go. Now that he is older, he gets the distinct honor of riding in the front seat now and then. But as with driving, I have to remind him that the passenger seat is not a right but a privilege and he should treat it as such. ... Read more
How lenient are you on missing school?
So I read this story on the Pinellas School superintendent rolling out her new get-tough school attendance policy. Car troubles or vacations will no longer be excused absences. You have to be in class for at least half the class to be counted present. Those who have an A or B in the first three grading periods could be exempted from taking their final exams — as long as they have no more than four unexcused absences from any class.
This is tough? Am I missing something? Maybe I'm a hardened crone, but I think four unexcused absences is still pretty high to still allow an exam exemption. If you are more than 10 minutes late to a class, I wouldn't mark that present without a good excuse. My kid has been in school 7 years now and I don't think we have even one unexused absence in all those years combined. ... Read more
Dora the Explorer as you've never seen her
And we're not talking about tween Dora either.
Help! I need advice for flying with a 1 year old
The Transportation Security Administration's "Traveling with Children" page says nothing about teething rings, snacks and sippy cups when you are traveling with the junior set. Any advice from veterans (recent fliers) for a rookie Momma flying for the first time with a 12-month old (weekend trip, so packing for just three days)?
We'd especially love to hear from someone who has found a way to survive with all carry-ons, now that many airlines charge a fee for checked bags, though many will waive fees for car seats and strollers.
~ Dory Knight-Ingram, Times mom
[Times files]
... Read more
Free and cheap family fun for the weekend
Time sis certainly running out for this summer. After hanging out with some mom friends earlier this week, one kept saying, "No, it is not time for school already!" I am both sad and happy about it: Sad because I like for my kids to have some freedom during the summer and it seems the weeks do go by super fast. Happy that we will soon be back on a schedule. The summer months can be crazy with one camp here, another there. It's a nice feeling to know that they will go to one place and stay put for several months.
In the meantime, there is no reason to let the rest of the summer go by without keeping busy. Here are a few events to pass the time.
If you don't mind your older kids getting really dirty and they can stop saying "I'm bored" for a bit, then you will all love the TASCO Teen Extreme Mud Wars at St. Petersburg's Spa Beach at the Pier approach at 10 a.m. today. They can roll in the mud, play mud tug of war, dodgeball and dance in the mud. No "ewwwws" allowed for this crazy event which has an session for grownups who like to play in the mud on Saturday. Cost on Thursday is $5 per kids in grades 6-12 or $50 for a team of up to 12 participants. Call (727) 892-5060 for more details.
If your teens would rather not get too dirty, then try letting them be the game pieces on a crazy big game board at Libraryopoly at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W Bearss Ave., Tampa. Use play money to buy teen books and to pay rent for landing on another player's book space. This free event is open to middle and high school students ages 13-18 at 6 p.m. tonight. Call (813) 273-3652 for details. ... Read more
Here's a shock: Sarah Palin not so supportive of Bristol and Levi's engagement
The other shoe has dropped. It turns out that Sarah Palin isn't very happy at all with her daughter Bristol's decision to get back with her ex and father of her child, Levi Johnston (even though she seemed to support her daughter when the announcement was made). "My mom is not 100 percent backing us up right now," said Bristol Palin in the new edition of Us magazine. Now there's a shock. Johnston, who posed for Playgirl, bad-mouthed the Palins throughout the time he and Bristol were apart and generally did anything he could to be a celebrity (Kathy Griffin -- really?!?) has now turned over a new leaf, Bristol Palin says. Her mom isn't buying it -- yet. ... Read more
Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
