Moms of young kids weigh more than childless women, says a new study in the journal Pediatrics. Perhaps you’ve noticed this yourself in your own anecdotal studies on the playground? It’s not earth-shattering news. What is new here are some theories about what might be causing these weight differences between mothers and childless women. When we talk about mothers’ bodies,  it’s often about how hard it is to lose the leftover baby weight. But it turns out those lingering pregnancy pounds may not be the only factor. According to this study, mothers of young children consume over 300 calories a day more than their peers who don’t have kids, and more empty ones. They’re also less likely to exercise regularly. This last part was true for both mothers and fathers.

Here’s how moms stacked up: Continue reading »

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The Understanding Society Study is an ongoing look at individual, social and family life in the UK, following 40,000 families over several years. In early findings—culled from a sample of men, women and children aged 10-15,  the study’s authors report that a child’s happiness seems to directly correlate with how happy his or her mother is in her marriage.

In families where the mother described herself as “perfectly happy” with her marital relationship, almost 3/4 of children surveyed described themselves as “completely happy” with their family situation.In families where mothers said they were unhappy in their marriages, that number dropped to 55 percent.

Interestingly, while children’s family happiness seemed to directly align with their mothers’ marital happiness, the same was not true for fathers.

Continue reading »

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Sipping tea in the Mom Cave.

We all need a little time to ourselves now and then. And if you’ve got kids, finding that time can be difficult.  In fact, short of leaving the house, it can be downright impossible to escape the demands of motherhood and just be yourself for a while.  Unless, of course, you’ve got a Mom Cave in your house.

According to New York designer Elaine Griffin, a Mom Cave is the feminine version of the Man Cave, a place where “the woman who nurtures everyone goes to nurture herself.”  In Griffin’s world, that room would be filled with family photos, a comfy chaise lounge and a well-stocked bookcase.  It’s lively and welcoming – but only for Mom and select visitors deemed worthy of entry into her personal space. Continue reading »

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Is everything we know about shaken baby syndrome wrong?

For years, mothers couldn’t turn around without hearing about shaken baby syndrome. I remember being compelled to watch a video about it and sign a form saying that I understood the dangers before being allowed to leave the hospital after giving birth to my son.

Recently, though, the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome has come under sharp scrutiny. As DePaul University law professor Debrah Tuerkheimer writes in an op-ed in Tuesday’s New York Times:

For the past 30 years, doctors have diagnosed the syndrome on the basis of three key symptoms known as the “triad”: retinal hemorrhages, bleeding around the brain and brain swelling. The presence of these three signs (and sometimes just one or two of them) has long been assumed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the person who was last taking care of the baby shook him so forcefully as to fatally injure his brain.

But closer scrutiny of the body of research that is said to support the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome has revealed methodological shortcomings. Scientists are now willing to accept that the symptoms once equated with shaking can be caused in other ways. Indeed, studies of infants’ brains using magnetic resonance imaging have revealed that triad symptoms sometimes exist in infants who have not suffered injuries caused by abuse. Bleeding in the brain can have many causes, including a fall, an infection, an illness like sickle-cell anemia or birth trauma.

Tuerkheimer points out that hundreds of people — mothers, fathers and babysitters among them — are currently serving time in prison because they have been accused of causing shaken baby syndrome based on evidence that, once believed to be convincing, has now become suspect. Continue reading »

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Do you ever worry that, as a mom, you are a little pushy with your son?  Do you tell him what to wear, who to hang out with and what exactly to do in every situation?  Are you always pressuring him to do just a little more, a little better?  Are you worried that you might be raising a mama’s boy?

Well, don’t be!  If you and your son are anything like a bonobo, one of our closest primate relatives, your overbearing ways are going to push him right to the top of the ladder of success!  What’s more, once he’s up there, he stands an excellent chance of finding a fertile female who will give you lots of wonderful grandchildren.

This weird bit of information, courtesy of the Daily Mail, comes after a recent study found that in the bonobo world, mid and low-ranking males tend to have more mating opportunities when their mothers get involved.  Bonobo moms who chase away rivals and take an active role in their son’s social lives are rewarded with successful sons.  And the aforementioned grandchildren.

As an example, the Daily Mail points to tennis champion Andy Murray.  His mom is a notoriously pushy parent who stands on the sidelines and eggs her son on during matches.  And Murray’s career is on fire.

So go ahead and push, but beware.  If you are going to raise your son like a bonobo mother, you should also know this: Male bonobos are known for more than staying close to their mothers.  They are also famous for enjoying intimate relations in group settings with whoever happens to be handy.   So, there’s that.

Image: courtneybolton/Flickr

More from this author:

Why Kids Need Recess

The Creepiest Ultrasound Image Ever

What Trendy Bracelets Are Schools Banning Now?

For Some Kids, Back to School Means Back to Headaches

Would You Throw a Baby Gender Party?

Do You Know What Your Kids Are Texting?

Class Size: Does it Really Matter?

Babies Remember Moments of Neglect

How to Get Out of Bed and Back to School

Day Care Costs More Than College?

Superheroes Bad Role Models for Boys

The Ever-Expanding Schools Supplies List

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If you are in a long-term relationship, you are likely familiar with the concept of the 7-year-itch. The origination of the term is unclear, but the meaning is not.

This is the time when we start to reevaluate our partners, our lives and ourselves.  The shine wears off and reality sets in.  We see that the person we’ve chosen to spend the rest of our lives with is actually a flawed human being who sometimes gets on our nerves.

We get bored.  We get restless.  We buy sports cars and have affairs.  In the end, some of get us divorced and some of us stick it out.

But for some parents, the marital 7-year itch is only the beginning of the disillusionment.  For them, there’s a 7-year parenting itch as well.  Continue reading »

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To binky or not to binky? That is just one of many questions that can drive Mommies apart.

Anyone who’s ever read a Mommy blog or looked at parenting network threads knows how viciously women can judge one another.  But as USA Today points out, mothers often criticize each other’s parenting skills face-to-face as well. 

Stephanie Bello, 31, a stay-at-home mom from Alexandria, Va., hits the nail on the head when she says “modern moms are commonly denounced for being overprotective, but you’re looked at as a bad parent if you are in the ER with your kid.” Exactly. If you hover over your kids at the park, you’re smothering. If they fall off the swing, you’re incompetent. There’s no way to win.

Parenting rifts can be caused by generational differences, too. “By the time a mother’s kids are in middle school, much of what she knows about baby care may be considered out of date — or even dangerous,” says March of Dimes blogger Andrea Moleski. Ten years ago, “parents considered themselves progressive if they gave their kids apple juice instead of soda or Kool-Aid.” But pediatricians now recommend cutting juice with water or avoiding it altogether. Continue reading »

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