Two ungrateful brats sue their mom for allegedly committing such egregious offenses as giving them birthday cards that didn't include cash or checks in them, forcing them to wear their safety belts, and refusing to take them to car shows. Oh yeah, she also failed to serve as a human ATM to her offspring. The horrors! What kind of lawyer would take on such a case, you ask? The answer is ... their father. Nice. Luckily, a judge in Illinois told the "adult" children where they could stick their lawsuit (hint: it wasn't in court). Normally, we find frivolous lawsuits annoying, but in this case, we'd love to see the mom counter-sue the kids for being colossal disappointments.
Speaking of frivolous, annoying complaints... Parents in England received a letter from the city council, notifying them that a neighbor had lodged a noise complaint -- against their four-year-old son, for playing too loudly with his dog in the family's back yard. Further complaints could result in the family receiving a £5,000 (nearly $8,200) fine. All of the neighbors deny being the ones who rained on this little boy's play and claim to be "disgusted" that anyone would take issue with such a "lovely" boy. The parents might consider checking the washing lines of their neighbors, trying to identify the crankiest-looking pants on the block.
Okay, kids -- it's pop-quiz time. Nope, not Geography. It's a mental health test. Worried about youth depression and suicide, an increasing number of schools are asking parents to opt their kids in for a voluntary, 10-minute, computerized mental health screening. With half of mental illnesses starting by age 14, people are recognizing the need for the early diagnosis and treatment of affected teens. Have you heard about these screenings in your community?
We hear a lot about "mean girls" and the role friendships play in girls' development, but what about the boys? Studies show that while boys' friendships are just as strong as girls' growing up, by their late teens and early '20s, those relationships start to deteriorate. Many claim that part of the reason for this is a societal connotation, where being emotionally expressive is seen as being "girly" or "gay." Some say that as boys' friendships wane, they are more likely to be depressed and that boys are five times more likely than girls to commit suicide. Research has shown that grown men with few friends to their name are at increased risk for ailments ranging from common colds to heart attacks. As a result of these studies and research, some are advising parents to help foster their sons' friendships.
Those do-gooders over at MADD, trying to squash everyone's good times. What a bunch of killjoys, with all of their drinking and driving responsibly non-sense. It's really time somebody let them have it. Oh they already did? The American Beverage Institute, a restaurant trade association (think places you might go to drink before driving home), has attacked the MADD charity, via a press release. The release's headline reads: "Mothers Against Drunk Driving Receives Another 'D' from Charity Rating Guide." The ABI claims that MADD isn't as efficient as some charities with its donation dollars. However, some allege that the trade group is attacking MADD for the sole purpose of discouraging people from donating to the non-profit, thus paving the way for weaker drunken-driving regulations.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.
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