I got this in an email today (thanks April) with the subject “all parents and children need to watch this.” It’s pretty moving. I think there are multiple lessons in it. Let me know what you think.

The Internet is all a twitter with people being “over” all this Michael Jackson “hoopla,” but I’ve go to say that I think it’s a good reminder for all of us. He was larger than life for sure, with lots of friends and family. His life had its ups and downs, but one thing is for sure, his kids love him.

At the end of the memorial service at the Staples Center today, Paris took the mic and told the world what a great Dad Michael Jackson was.

Isn’t that all we are all searching for at the end of our lives — to be known as a great Mom or Dad?

A couple of days ago I Tweeted about a segment on “Good Morning America” where they featured a woman who is on a crusade to ban cupcakes at children’s birthday celebrations in school. I got several comments from friends and thought I’d open up the conversation here. The Mom in the story wants parents to have to sign a permission slip before their kids are allowed to eat sweets at school. She comes from a family history of obesity and doesn’t want her kids to have to deal with this in their lives.

Going Overboard?

While I think she’s on the right track with wanting her kids to eat healthy, I think she’s taking it too far. She gives her kids plastic containers to bring to school so that if they get a cupcake, they are to put it in the container and bring it home. Once home, they will talk about it and they might be able to eat it.

All I can think of is these kids toting home cute little frosted cupcakes, then still not being allowed to eat them. I’m pretty sure I’d scarf that cupcake down before I made it home.

Moderation

I think it’s about moderation. We can’t control everything our kids do. We aren’t with them all day. If we mandate permission slips for each and every thing our child is to ingest, it won’t teach them about self control.

• You can read the GMA story here.

What do you think?

Photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu.

One of the episode’s of Oprah last week was about talking to your kids about sex. What is the best age to start talking about the “mechanics of sex”? The emotional part of sex? Self stimulation? Masturbation? Even … vibrators?

It was an eye-opening episode for sure. Dr. Laura Berman (a sex therapist, who also has a twin sister who is an MD), says that we should start doing this when they are young. On the show, she walked an embarrassed mother through the mechanics of sex conversation, using print outs of the female and male genitalia (available for download on Oprah.com). The daughter was 10.

Dr. Berman says that 10 is not too young for this conversation, and that by the time the kids are in middle school we should have had this first conversation so that we can begin to have the other parts of the continuing conversation as they age.

She even suggests we tell our daughters about the possibility of using vibrators around the age of 15 or 16. As you can image, this caused quite a stir in the audience.

Kids today are sexting on their cell phones and talking (even engaging) in sexual conversations and acts at very young ages. I’m grateful that the Oprah show decided to expose this to us so we can prepare our children (boys included).

This Thursday, the conversation continues on Oprah — what to do if your child tells you he/she is ready to have sex.

Related:

• Dr. Berman created a booklet, “Handbook: How to Talk to Kids About Sex” and is offering it as a free download on Oprah.com.
• Get the free anatomy graphic downloads (internal female anatomy, external female anatomy, male anatomy).

Our local grocery store chain, Publix, sends out a newsletter to parent’s based on their kid’s age. The latest issue contains a section on making family time a priority. It’s a good reminder to schedule this time into our busy lives. Here’s what it says:

This spring, focus your efforts on renewing family bonds. Hold a family meeting and establish priorities for the new season. Start by setting goals involving the people who matter most to you. Designate at least one day a week as Family Day, insisting on spending uninterrupted quality time with the ones you love. Decrease invading activities that take you away from your family throughout the week, and above all else, focus on renewing your family.” (Source: MOPS International.)

– Publix Preschool Pals Newsletter, Spring 2009

Keywords here are:

• Establish priorities
• Set goals
• One day a week is Family Day
• Uninterrupted time
• Decrease activities that take you away from family

I think it’s a great reminder that we often tend to overlook because we are busy trying to figure out what to get on the dinner table. This week, try to take some time away from all the distractions to spend some quality, uninterrupted time as a family.

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu