Survey of the Day: Many Moms Would Rather Be Thin Than Have Smart Kids
Aug 10, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News, Sex | Tags: Yet Another Survey
The TODAY show and Parenting.com partnered to conduct a survey — oh, how we love us some juicy survey results! — of moms about their “secrets and confessions.” Here are some of the more interesting finds:
- Nearly one in five moms admits medicating their child to get through a special event like a plane flight; one in 12 does it just to get some peace and quiet on a regular night.
- Half have knowingly sent a sick kid to daycare or school.
- 85 percent use their kids to get out of social obligations.
- Nearly one in three uses work as an excuse to avoid taking care of the kids.
Okay, I’ll confess, I’ll confess! I’m guilty of #2 and #3, and am not above resorting to #1. I’ve also had to walk away from a screaming baby or two in fear of LOSING MY FREAKIN’ MIND. (Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: Mind? That ship sailed a LONG time ago, Candy. Ha, ha. Very funny, Mom.)
More fun facts:
- 44 percent of moms would rather be 15 pounds thinner than add 15 points to their child’s IQ.
- One in four fears their partner is a better parent than they are.
- One in ten wishes their child was the opposite sex – and of those moms, 60 percent have boys.
Hmmmm… no, no and no. I’d rather add 15 points to my children’s IQs, so they are brilliant enough to develop a line of delicious chocolates that miraculously make me lose weight. Win-win!
Ouch: Tooth Fairy Pinching Pennies in This Tight Economy
Aug 7, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News
As if living in the shadows of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny isn’t hard enough, now the Tooth Fairy has also been hit hard by the recession. Yes, a recent survey found that the national going rate for a child’s tooth has seen a 40-cent decline this year: From $3 to $2.60.
As you can see to our right, the recession has also sadly affected the Tooth Fairy’s waxing and gym budget.
What’s worse? A full 10% of kids are reaching under their pillows … and coming up empty. Compare that to last year when just 6% of kids found no reason to flash that increasingly toothless grin. Ouch.
“It’s a cardinal sin not to (pay),” said Rakshanda Liaqat, a mother of two in Phoenix. “It’s about a child losing a part of her and the warm belief that the tooth fairy will take care of her precious tooth.”
No, it’s about the warm belief that the Tooth Fairy will leave some serious cash money.
“Now, on the other hand, counting the number of teeth your kid loses. And that, too, multiple times in a year? And that, too, having two kids? I can understand the economic recession the Tooth Fairy goes through in terms of her salary.”
Liaqat tried to leave $10 for every tooth her son lost — “but my son didn’t lose much of his teeth after the recession hit.”
“He lost it right on time. Before the debt crisis,” she said. “Amen to that!!”
Ten bucks! Geesh. Reminds me of a story about my aunt who left $10 under her grandson’s pillow. Then, hours later, regretted leaving so much money so she tried multiple times to switch it to a five-dollar-bill, only to have him wake up or roll over every time she tried to do so.
Needless to say, he got his ten bucks. Well-played, kid. Well-played, indeed.
News Roundup: USA Vies for Breastfeeding Record; Toddler Swallows Pen; Woman Eats Hubby’s Ashes
Aug 5, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News | Tags: Weekly News Roundup
Moms across the country are getting together to try to break the world record for the most women breastfeeding at one time. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! [Chicago Sun-Times]
“Mom Charged With Using Gun To Steal Teen’s Bike.” I’m sure she had her reasons. [CBS Boston]
App turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch into a baby monitor. I’m still waiting for the app that transforms my iPhone into a margarita-making machine and babysitter. [Consumer Reports]
Pacifier weaning tactics. I see a big career ahead for the Binky Fairy! [Babble]
Toddler recovers after swallowing ballpoint pen, shows promise for careers as circus sword swallower and/or esophagus graffiti artist. [CBC.ca]
On this Sunday’s My Strange Addiction: Woman can’t stop eating her dead husband’s ashes. I think she misheard his last words: “A time will come again when you will MEET me.” [TV Guide]
Husbands Most Likely to Cheat, Agree to Do Electric Slide at Weddings
Aug 4, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News
Here is some romantic news: Weddings aren’t just for celebrating marriages, they’re also for betraying marriages!
IllicitEncounters.com — which I just googled and touts itself as “a discreet and confidential extra marital affairs dating service for women and men” (how sweet!) — surveyed 2,000 cheating men (their own clients, I presume) and learned that the most popular place for men to cheat is — YUP! — weddings. In fact, one third of them had cheated at a wedding where they were sans wife.
*SIGH* Whatever happened to loyal husbands who simply got wasted at the open bar, went back to their hotel room and passed out in front of a cheesy Skinemax flick? Or am I just an ol’ romantic?
The places men are most likely to cheat:
Wedding: 32 percent
Bachelor party: 27 percent
Office Christmas party: 21 percent
School reunion: 9 percent
Meanwhile, women thought their partner was most likely to cheat at these places:
Office Christmas party: 37 percent
Bachelor party: 35 percent
School reunion: 17 percent
Wedding: 11 percent
D’oh.
I have to admit, there IS something about that Electric Slide that is… well…ELECTRIC! No wonder everybody’s getting it on.
News Roundup: Giuliana & Bill Rancic Talk Adoption; Woman & Toddler Rob Bank; Restaurants Ban “Brats”
Jul 28, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News | Tags: Weekly News Roundup
Awwww. How nice that this kid got to meet a legend like Hugh Hefner! [Tots & Giggles]
Giuliana and Bill Rancic discuss the possibility of adoption, surrogacy. I think they should adopt that little guy who’s always hanging around the E! set. What’s his name… Ryan? [The Celebrity Stork]
Deputies say woman with 3-year-old boy robbed bank, then dropped off kid at daycare. Must have been take your child to work day! [Bay News]
Pole dancing class for 7-year-olds slammed. Well, I say it’s never too early to start training to become a Real Housewife! [MyFoxNY]
More establishments are banning parents with young kids, aka “The Brat Ban.” Hmpf. When are restaurants going to make their dining areas Loud Cell Phone Talker-free? [Babble]
Now I’ve heard it all: Mouth-washing moms less likely to have a preemie. I smell a marketing opportunity for Listerine… and it smells like minty booze. [Reuters]
Captain Obvious Study: Men Are Kinda Nasty
Jul 27, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News | Tags: Dudes
If you’ve been wondering why your husband’s boxer briefs are stiff enough to walk to the washing machine, a new study may shed some light (where the sun don’t shine): Turns out, one in eight men wears his underwear two or three times between washes. Also: More than half of the men surveyed admitted they rely on the “sniff test” to determine whether they wear their clothes over again, without washing.
Based on these findings, I may just be a dude. Or a new mom with no time for frivolities like clean underwear. Either/or.
Clorox, which apparently has too much money on its hands, paid for the phone survey of 1,200 people, and presumably wants us to be so disgusted we douse our respective men in bleach.
Also noteworthy: Single women were more than twice as likely as married women to buy new clothes — instead of bothering to do the laundry. In fact, more than a third of unmarried women own more than 20 pairs of underwear — presumably another way to avoid the chore.
Based on those findings, I may just be a single woman as well. (Yes! I buy a lot of underwear, and wear them for long periods of time. No wonder I don’t have more friends.)
Not surprisingly, married men and women have slightly different perspectives about who, exactly, is even doing the laundry. Nearly 41 percent of men said they share laundry duty with their partners. However, women asked the same question said only 29 percent said their partner help.
All I know is, the “sniff test” is NASTY. Anybody with class knows the proper way to determine cleanliness is to throw the clothes against the wall and see if they stick. I mean, really. Geesh.
News Roundup: Discipline Fail; McDirty Playlands; The “Poo Poo Head” Book Ban
Jul 22, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News
This kid’s”punishment” is probably going to make him the coolest kid in school. [BuzzFeed]
World, meet Denise Richards’ new daughter, Eloise. Eloise, meet world. [Celebrity Stork]
If the Big Mac doesn’t give you a coronary, this study of fast food playlands will. [Shine]
Woman wins appeal to have “Diaper Baby” book banned from library for using the phrase “poo poo head.” Well, isn’t that just a load of poo. [ABC]
Study: Sharing bed with toddler won’t harm development. But it won’t exactly do wonders for your marriage’s sex life. [USA Today]
Pregnancy smartphone apps: Which ones are useful? I don’t know about the apps, but the smartphone is great when you need something to throw at your husband during labor. [NPR]
News Roundup: Kate Hudson Announces Son’s Name, Critic Likes ‘Pooh’ & Nursing Moms Make Mistakes
Jul 15, 2011 | Filed Under: In the News | Tags: Weekly News Roundup
And the name of Kate Hudson‘s son is… (Hint: Not “Google,” but ______) [The Celebrity Stork]
Kids claim their “parents just don’t understand” technology. Example from this week’s column: “My mother deleted everything off her Facebook wall to make the Internet faster.” [College Humor]
The top 50 shopping sites for moms. Because that’s just what I need: more encouragement to shop. [Babble]
The 10 biggest mistakes breastfeeding moms make. Hopefully, #11 isn’t accepting Arnold Schwarzenegger’s national offer for “free private lessons.” [The Stir]
‘Pooh‘ a welcome respite to kid-movie mayhem, writes TODAY show critic. Also just fun to say: POOH! POOH! POOH! [MSNBC]
Jenna Fischer of ‘The Office’ confirms they’re working in her pregnancy by introducing second baby for Jim and Pam, rather than, say, having Pam gorge on vending machine fare. [Fox News]
