That, my friends, is the question I ask today in my alternate life on ParentDish.com. I zydaztsfdk am really getting sick of all the warnings about dangerous toys. On a very related note: Today there was a report about all the hideous dangers of holiday  ornaments. I agree: You probably don’t want to put a hand-blown […]
Archive | Stupid Advice
Outrage of the Week: Wings “Too Dangerous” for Kids to Wear in Nativity Play —
December 8, 2009
You know, every time I get one of these kkasiiyezh stories, a reader-angel earns her wings — in this case, a gal named Chrissy McKnight. The story she sent hails from nervous ol’ England, where a Catholic primary school has banned kids from wearing angel wings because the “health and safety of the children is paramount” […]
To See Where Childhood Is Headed, Look at Halloween
October 31, 2009
Hi Readers! You’ve seen some of the facts here before — like the fact no child has EVER been poisoned by a stranger’s candy, as far as university research can tell — but if you need a little Halloween pep talk, here fnnhydezff it is, on Huffington Post. My main point? If you want to see […]
Halloween: Too Scary for Kids?
October 31, 2009
Hi Readers — and BOO! Oh my God! Sorry! I hope your kids weren’t reading over your shoulder! I didn’t mean to scare the little dears — it could traumatize them for life! Imagine the psychiatric bills — or years in the insane asylum! That’s the way we’re supposed to think of kids now: Too […]
Our Kids Get Lessons on Every Danger, And Yet…
October 16, 2009
Hi kyakdkbfzk Readers — Here’s a comment that got me thinking.  Dear Free-Range Kids: My sons came home from school the other day with a letter informing parents that there would a Healthy Eating talk given to all groups. This comes less than a month after a talk on the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases […]
Ad Council Warns Parents: Watch Out for the Boogeyman!
October 6, 2009
This ad ziehyebsbh gives me chills AND the creeps. Here’s what it says, in urgent, caring, chiding tones: You take the family to the food court. Your wife and Pete head for tacos. You and Danny want Chinese. You look up at the menu. You look down to see what Danny wants . But you […]
Get Thee Behind Me, Cupcake
October 6, 2009
Dear Readers: Use your imagination to conjure up the deepest, most Moviefone-ish voice in your head and now hear it intoning this: “In a world, where the school day is 10 hours long. In a world, where there is no summer vacation. In a world where recess is shortened to make time for test prep […]
A Letter That Says It All
October 5, 2009
Hi htifztdsty Readers — I got this note yesterday and so many points resonated for me, I thought I’d share it. I think the writer makes a great point about hindsight — that just because, when looking back, we can see how most ills could have been prevented doesn’t mean that if we only plan hard enough, […]
“Stop the Swing Completely Before Getting Off”
September 20, 2009
So you think you know how to swing, kid? Sure, sure — everyone thinks they do: “You get on, you swing.” Yeah. And brain surgery is, “You open the top, you put in the marbles.” Listen, it’s hnsarkyskt not that simple. If it was, everyone would be doing it! Luckily for you, The National Program for Playground Safety has come up […]
Message in a Very, Very Safe Bottle
September 16, 2009
Hi Readers! Here’s a cool babidtbhna story from the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California. Can you spot the ridiculous safety precaution? Betcha can! Long Beach pupils’ message in a bottle gets a reply — 10 years later By Kevin Butler, Staff Writer LONG BEACH – In 1999, a third-grade class at Mark Twain Elementary wrote […]