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Kids can be art collectors, too
This weekend's Gasparilla Festival of the Arts has a special treat for kids, a special kids-only shopping tent for Art Collectors in Training.
The ACT program is for ages 6 to 14. Last year, more than 115 artists donated 400 small pieces of art to the ACT collection. Children shopped in a “kids-only” shopping zone, purchasing items priced at $5 to $10. Artwork was labeled with the artists’ names and booth locations so the children and their parents could meet with the artists face to face.
It was so popular they had to hold back some of the art for Sunday or they would have sold out on Saturday. ... Read more
Taking aim at potty training a boy
I feel like I’m a pretty decent mom-to-a-boy. I don’t pine for pink. I can whip up a Play-Doh truck or Lego train in minutes, as requested. A little dirt and grime is no biggie. And I look forward to teaching my son how to keep score at baseball games like my dad taught me.
But there’s one area I am feeling particularly, uh, ill-equipped these days.
I have no idea how to stand up to pee.
My son is 2.5 and began potty training at day care six months ago. His teachers started him sitting, which was great by me, and we took it slow. Within the past month, the whole process has really started to click with him and I guess now that he feels like he has mastered the timing, he is ready to change things up.
As with everything child-rearing, I feel like I’m a step behind him.
He hurried into the bathroom on Monday toward his little red potty and then suddenly stopped. “I want to stand,” he said.
Help? ... Read more
Single moms now the majority under 30
Our colleague Lane DeGregory did a very well-written look at the life of a single mom that you can read here. She was prompted by the news that for the first time in history, the majority of births to American women under 30 take place outside marriage. And the fastest-growing group in that number of single women having babies? Moms just like Jamie Lee Zehnder she profiled — white women in their 20s with some college education.
What does this say about us that more young women are on this path? The feminist blog Jezebel says it's actually a good thing, that is shows women aren't settling for a poor union and unhappy marriage just because they have a baby. ... Read more
Parenting tricks from around the world
An eye-opening book by Mei-Ling Hopgood landed on my desk this week called How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm and Other Adventures in Parenting
The suburban Michigan mom is now living in Buenos Aires and was shocked by some of the parenting customs she encountered (like letting kids stay up all hours of the night), and realized how our American "rules" of child rearing are unheard of in other parts of the world. It started her on a quest to learn how other cultures approach our common challenges of bedtimes, feeding, playtime and potty training. She discovered:
China: Where children as young as 12 months are fully potty trained. From early infancy they wear split trousers and the parents (or more likely grandparents who watch the child for their working parents) hold the baby over the potty and make a clicking noise so the child associates it with going to the bathroom. This confirms my theory that dog training and tot training are eerily similar. ... Read more
Free and cheap things to do with the kids this week
We've got free block parties and free concerts and free pancakes, oh my! There's also a high-octane and hugely popular motocross show in town, Nuclear Cowboyz. Read on for more wallet-friendly diversions:
The downtown Clearwater’s free street festival, Blast Friday, this month will feature a performance by ’70s hitmakers Pablo Cruise. (Admit it, you can’t help but blast the radio when the slick synth-rockers ask, “What you gonna do when she says goodbye?”) There will also be a variety of vendors, plus food, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. The street fair begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday with entertainment outside until 10 p.m. in the 400 block of Cleveland Street in Clearwater. Free.
Nuclear Cowboyz Freestyle Chaos has two shows roaring to town this weekend. For the uninitiated, Nuclear Cowboyz is a show that combines the sport of freestyle motocross with the plot of, well, a B movie. Catch them this weekend at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Tickets start at $10 for ages 2 to 15 and $20 for adults. (813) 301-2500. ... Read more
Here's this year's Rays giveaways
I'll admit it, I love free stuff. I don't care if it's junk. Gimme it. When they are shooting T-shirts out of cannons or dropping coupons from above, that will be me making a dive for it. Maybe it's because my newspaper has a strict ethics policy that won't let me take even a cup of coffee from a source, so when I'm allowed a chance you can bet I snag the swag.
So I am gleefully rubbing my hands together over the newly released schedule of promotional items to be given away at the Rays games this season. You can snag an adorable bear with the face of Don Zimmer (or is it creepy?) at the Tigers game June 29, or relish the memory of the Evan Longoria’s walkoff home run with a special figurine at the April 21 Twins game. The bobblehead giveaways include Joe Maddon and DJ Kitty!
Single game tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. on raysbaseball.com and Monday at all outlets.
Here are some highlights, but you can see a complete promotional schedule here, which includes some pictures. ... Read more
Sex change operations for kids on the rise
Interesting to read here that doctors not only have guidelines about giving children sex change operations, they say they are on the rise.
By some estimates, 1 in 10,000 children have the condition known as "gender identity disorder." Offering sex-changing treatment to kids younger than 18 raises ethical concerns, and their parents' motives need to be closely examined, said Dr. Margaret Moon, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' bioethics committee. ... Read more
The myth of the "mama's boy"
It's rare that the mere title of a book gets me to exclaim, "Finally!" but that's what I muttered under my breath when I arrived this morning and found this from our book editor awaiting my perusal: The Mama’s Boy Myth: Why Keeping Our Sons Close Makes Them Stronger written by New York Times contributor Kate Stone Lombardi.
Mothers are constantly warned not to be too close to their sons, don't cuddle or coddle them, he needs to learn to be a man, after all. The spark that started Lombardi on her quest to write this book was when a friend "confessed" that she and her son were particularly close. The kind of supportive relationship that would be bragged about with a daughter was somehow a dirty little secret with a son. Lombardi "confessed" that she too rejected the mama's boy pressure and saw nothing wrong with nurturing the relationship. Over and over, she found women who delighted in their closeness with their sons, but didn't want their names used or spoke in hushed tones. This of course is because the image in pop culture of a boy who's close with his mom is of a man who is timid, wimpy, unmanly -- one who can't form healthy adult relationships.
But Lombardi found that research shows the opposite to be true. ... Read more
Garden in a truck aims for picky eaters
My 2-year-old dismisses most vegetables with a “yuck.” Same goes for fruits, unless it’s applesauce.
But fruits and veggies grown in the bed of a truck?
Well, that might be enough to get the attention of this truck-loving, picky eater.
Truck Farm -- a garden on wheels -- is coming to Tampa, thanks to a national grant and a mom with a passion for healthy living.
Marisa Langford, a mother of three with her fourth on the way, received a “We Can” grant last month that will provide up to $10,000 for programs locally that promote nutrition and exercise. Only 18 community sites nationally got the funding. “We Can” (short for Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) is an effort through the National Institutes of Health to educate parents and prompt community change. Its three main goals are to encourage healthy eating, increase activity and reduce screen time. ... Read more
Insider tips for Rays Fan Fest
If only the Rays could draw the crowds during games that they will likely see Saturday at the Rays Fan Fest! We have some insider tips on how you can make the most of this free day at the stadium on Saturday with your kids, meeting players, running bases, touring the club house and maybe even having David Price phone a friend for you. Read on for tips from Fans Fest veterans on how to make the most of a day at the Trop: ... Read more
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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.
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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
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