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Strollerderby
The strata of subject matter covered in children’s books today is broad and yet niched. There is hardly an issue children face today that isn’t comfortingly address in a book somewhere out there. Which is great. Then again, there is some subject matter better left alone.
Is the nuclear family over?
If it’s not, it’s certainly changing, says the British Families and Parenting Institute. A recently issued report found that parents are increasingly seeking help from grandparents, aunts and uncles as they deal with changes and setbacks in their own lives. “Families were pulling society in multiple directions, between work and home life, singleness and cohabitation and marriage, between growing older and forming families across our many cultural divides,” according to executive director of the institute Dr. Katherine Rake. Soon, she adds, there will be no one typical family structure. Continue reading »
Recently a commenter asserted that raising a child is identical to raising a dog. “Both can be encouraged to good behavior through rewards and discouraged from bad behavior through punishment.” “Both demand enthusiastic praise and consistant (sic) (non-angry) discipline.” “Just like a dog, you must put a plastic cone on a child’s head to keep them from chewing on their butt.” Okay, I made that last one up. Or did I?
Many took umbrage with the commenter’s remarks, but I (always the scientist) decided to put them to the test. Over a weekend I pitted my three-year-old against our 1 ½ year old border collie to once and for all resolve the question: who is smarter, a toddler or a dog? Here are the competitors.
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
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