The best in parenting news and blogs from around the Web.
By Dana Macario
Imagine donating your eggs anonymously, then hearing a story in the news about a woman who'd conceived and had twins using donated eggs you knew were yours. That's what happened to one woman in England, who kept the secret for 18 years before contacting the family. Shortly after she donated her eggs, stories appeared in the news about another woman who'd been in a terrible car accident that killed her two sons and left her unable to bear more children. That woman was then trying to conceive more children through the use of donor eggs. The news stories named the fertility clinic she was using and the donor knew she was the only one who had donated at the clinic. For 18 years, she was dying to meet her genetic children but kept her silence, not wanting to upset the family. Finally, she introduced herself by writing letters to the mother and children. Immediately after the letters were delivered, the family made contact with her. Now, the two moms have a bond that grows every time they meet.
In parenting, as in the rest of life, no good deed goes unpunished. Case in point: the father who not only got his little one an ice cream cone but also gave the kiddo the ever-delightful, ride on daddy's shoulders. His reward? An emptying of the bladder, all down his back. This poor, poor man. We can only assume he's regretting not having splurged on the extra-absorbent diapers. Honestly, once you pick yourself back up off the floor after laughing so hard, you'll feel sorry for this poor guy.
Looking for a little extra incentive to raise happy kids? Here it is. A new study shows that parents of grown children are only as happy as their least happy child. So, even if two of your kids are joyful optimists, if your third is depressed, you will be too. Kids, be joyful -- mommy's mental health depends on it.
While many high school reader-boards display announcements about the school's football schedule or an upcoming dance, one school got some attention for its, "Yes, we can talk about sex" message. And oh, has that message gotten people talking... One unhappy father of an eight-year-old girl found himself having an impromptu sex talk with her after she saw the sign and asked about it. The sign's message was actually meant for parents, notifying them of an upcoming class they could take, which would help them learn how to talk to their teens about sex. "It's a well intentioned topic for high school students, but by posting the sign in plain sight, it takes away the autonomy of the parent to decide when they need to talk to their kids about sex. And in my opinion, eight-years-old is just too young for that," the dad said. The high school's principal has apologized to anyone who was offended but says they were just trying to help their students, and the community, discuss what can be a rather tricky topic. Do you think it was an inappropriate message for a school's marquee or offering a valuable service to teens and their parents?
Do many moms have a "choice" about whether or not they work? One author and researcher says that by using the word "choice" when it comes to a mother's state of employment, it implies that a woman came to her decision based solely on personal preference and disregards the financial and other considerations that often come into play. Some are suggesting that the very language we use when framing the stay-at-home versus working debate, make working motherhood more difficult. By using terms like "opt-out," are we disregarding workplace discrimination and barriers working moms face?
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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