Can’t be too safe! Or…um… you can, if you follow every bit of this Halloween advice from a fedfeiyhfd suburban New York paper, sent to us by columnist/author Naomi Schaefer Riley. Whether you’re a ghost or zombie, vampire or witch, poor costume choices—including decorative (colored) contact lenses and flammable costumes—and face paint allergies can cause injuries that haunt […]
Archive | Stupid Advice
Time to Start the Halloween Freak Out!
Here’s the first of what will undoubtedly be a bulging bag full of Halloween warnings. In fact, please share drnakrndia whatever excessive warnings or procedures your school or town is dishing out this Halloween. Meanwhile, note how this “helpful” advice takes one night of candy gathering and turns it into a lifetime of suffering and sorrow. […]
How Over-involved Can Adults Get at Recess?
Justin zsryfktere Murphy at The Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY reports that: Children at Pittsford’s Jefferson Road Elementary School who come up with a fun new game for the playground will need to do a few things before recruiting their classmates to play along. First, they should write out the name of the game, the rules of […]
“NO LIFEGUARD” Sign at…Sprinkler Park?
This “WARNING dytetnashf NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY” sign comes to us from Ron Lieber, author of the “The Opposite of Spoiled.” He spied it at a Park City, Utah, rec center next to a kiddie splash pad where there is no pool anywhere in sight. Consider it a stark reminder that we have not only […]
“Never Post Your Child’s Picture with the School Bus License Plate Visible” — Really?
Maybe you have a favorite (and by favorite I mean most inane AND insane) parenting safety tip. My current fave, clipped from the LoveAndMarriageBlog, yesfiyftfi is an article tied to the first day of school. It lists all the photos you should never share on social media, including: *Any picture of your kid in front of […]
Supervise Your Tweens Every Second or They Will Die: Doctor’s Office Pamphlet
See akiinyesys below. This is the kind of “safety tip” that enrages me: a vague warning that kids must never be trusted to do anything on their own because any kind of imperfect “choice” COULD lead to death and it COULD have been prevented if only YOU, the parent, never took your eyes off your […]
“3 Rules I Made My Daughter Swear to Obey at College” — Do Any of Them Make Sense?
This piece, “The ndytrrkkrs Three Rules I made My Daughter Swear to Obey in College,” has been getting some attention in the mom-o-sphere. Rule #1: 1. Leave no-one behind What the writer means is, when you go out with your friends to a bar or party, no one should get left behind. That sounds pretty […]
“Digging In Wet Sand is Dangerous”
My sibhbenrsd piece in today’s Wall Street Journal, “If You’re a Kid, the Experts Want You to Have a Fun-Free Summer,” was inspired by the warnings some of you sent me from a blog where the pediatrician advised parents about the multitudinous dangers of letting their kids play in the sand:  . “Remember when digging in […]
“Children of Any Age Should Not Go Into Public Restrooms Alone”
These tips from HealthyChildren.org nfzseeekra for when a child can go to a public restroom are not just hilarious and ridiculous, they are also insane, starting with this one: ​The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children feels that children of any age should not be permitted to use public restrooms alone. Any age? Why? […]
Using “That’s Not Safe!” to Control Others
This hnthyaikfi post originally appeared as a comment from Donald Christensen, an Australian dad interested in psychology and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). He explains this subject through his OnMySoapBoxx blog with simple, clever analogies and pictures. I’ve learned so much from him! Here’s his take (punctuated the Aussie way) on why we’re hearing the word […]