Rush Limbaugh has always been a gaseous windbag, but "slut" and "prostitute?" Really? For anyone who may not have heard, the old right-wing shock jock blamed the victim. He waged a personal, and inappropriate attack on Sandra Fluke because she advocated insurance coverage of birth control. "I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation," he said in a diluted apology that came only after advertisers started pulling out. The wrong words? Ya think? Personally, I've never been a fan of shock jocks—on either side of the political spectrum. There is very little, if anything, that has ever …
Here’s an idea: In order to prevent pregnancy, let’s create a penis plug. I’ll get seven of my girlfriends together to design them. We can make them in different sizes, in a variety of fashion colors. We can have a carrying case for men to slip discreetly in their wallets. Whaddya think? That’s about as sensible as the eight stuffy old white men who are making decisions about women’s reproductive rights. Shame on the Republican majority House Oversight Committee for convening to discuss the Obama administration’s stance on birth control and health insurance—eight men and not a uterus among …
If Rick Santorum is to be believed, “the radical feminists succeeded in undermining the traditional family and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness.” As I sit at my kitchen counter nursing my newborn and attempting to earn a living, I can’t help but think Ricky boy is full of crap. Yep, I’m a stay-at-home mom. I used to rock the suit every day. I worked in the Loop. I owned my own agency. I traveled the world. I climbed the corporate ladder. I hit the glass ceiling. I shattered it by choosing to stay at home with my kids. First of all, I’m not buying the…
We have a great country. Yet, sometimes there are blemishes. One such blemish is named Circuit Court Judge David C. Dally in Missouri. He’s more like a pimple, really, a pimple on the behind of the American justice system. Judge Dally terminated the parental rights of a mother because she was an undocumented worker. She was jailed for two years and her son was adopted against her will. The boy, now 5, has been living with an American family, Melinda and Seth Moser. They call him Jamison. They all speak English. The birth mother, Encarnacion Bail Romero, is from Guatemala and speaks only …
Homeschooling, like most things, is a personal decision each parent will make. Most families don't have the luxury of the option. Those who do should seriously consider it. Socialization is one of the main excuses I hear from people who are anti-homeschooling. I think that's a bunch of hooey. Children who have brothers and sisters must learn how to be part of a family, to take turns and to be considerate. Those are incredible socialization skills. Also, there are lots of ways kids can learn to be social outside the home. Team sports, group activities, music lessons are all ways to be part of …
While much of the country was getting ready to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, a group of hoodlums jumped a 17-year-old boy in a Chicago. They called him the N-word and Asian slurs. Someone recorded Sunday's 3-minute attack, then posted it on YouTube. This is bullying to the extreme. I can't help but ask myself "where are the parents in all this?" First of all, we don't know yet how old these thugs are. Still, that doesn't seem to sway my opinion if they are 16 or legally adults. Where did they learn that it was OK to call people racial slurs? Where did they learn it was OK to hit defenseless …
A child I know has eight cavities and needs a crown. The boy is 5 years old. Someone that age only has 20 teeth. So that means he has cavities in nearly half his mouth. That takes effort. In order to get that much trouble, he would have to have both a bad diet and poor brushing discipline. Time and again, I complain about parents who refuse to tell their children no. Not only do kids thrive on structure, it keeps them from harm. If parents say, "No, son, you cannot eat that sugary crap," and, "No, son, you cannot go to bed without brushing your teeth," kids like this one wouldn't have to …
Happy holidays. Did that offend you? How about if I wished you a merry Christmas instead? There seems to be a growing number of people who get ticked off if they hear the wrong greeting. A friend once told me a story about how he, his wife and two daughters were filling up at a gas station. A woman across the pump wished him a merry Christmas. He smiled and replied the same. Then, she got a little smug and asked, "That's OK for me to say, isn't it, 'merry Christmas?'" My friend laughed as he told me the story. "Probably the only four Jews in the entire town happened to be in my vehicle at …
There are some acts of momhood that border masochism. I am talking about the things we do above and beyond that cause us to lose our wits. This week's self-punishing task was Christmas photos. Unjustifiably confident, I thought this would be a breeze. Having been in advertising and marketing for two decades, I have supervised many a photo shoot. In fact, one of my primary clients was an educational publisher; I have worked with many child models over the years. And yet, when it came time to shoot my own kids' photos, I was thoroughly unprepared. We hired an area photographer, Rick Bishop, who…
Last week's column, "Standing Up For Our Kids," struck a chord with many moms. My inbox has been full of messages from women who could relate to condescending men. I hate to point the finger at doctors, because they certainly aren't better or worse than other professions. Nor is my one story indicative of the entire medical practice. However, women have told me horror stories about their experiences having children over time. What I have heard is not pretty. For example, a friend who is now a grandma said that her labor was excruciating. No surprise, she swore like a trucker. (As did I, by …
The "don't worry your pretty little head" attitude is alive and well in 2011. Yes, it is better now than in the recent past. Still, the occasional arrogance of male superiority still rears its ugly — and certainly little — head. As moms, we are genetically inclined to be on the front line of defense for our children. Few things make me see red like when a man is condescending. That angst is exponentially worse when the situation involves my children. Such was the case after the birth of our baby Grace. She was born Coombs positive, which indicates a high bilirubin in her blood, causing …
Last summer I wrote a column about my 20-month-old son's inability to talk. Clearly, he could hear, communicate and understand. Apprehensive to start fixing what ain't broken, I didn't want to start speech therapy too soon. I invited readers to weigh in. Several comments were similar to what most friends and family told me: he'll talk when he's ready. I was surprised how many people had experiences like mine with their own children. Yet, two readers, Lori and Sandy, made the most sense to me. They said in essence, get an evaluation; what could it hurt? My insurance covered it, so I did. My …
Mothers unite! Nearing the end of a pregnancy means we feel like a celestial object orbiting somewhere East of Pluto. No matter how big or little we are before pregnancy, by the end, the once-considered "delicate" condition is everything but. Now that my pregnancy is nearing the end, I'm seeing my doctor twice a week. The baby is healthy, leaving little to discuss with all the face-to-face time with Doc. At first I complained about the discomfort and sleeplessness. Doc dutifully listened, empathized, then shrugged. There was nothing he could do. It's part of the deal. I stopped complaining. …
Sorry, Joe Paterno, you get no badge of honor from me. Legal obligation or not, you flunk the humanitarian test, despite what it says on your statue. If you have reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused, you call the police. Period. A reported eyewitness account of an adult man imposing sexual intercourse on a young boy in the shower is most certainly reasonable suspicion. As the story is being reported, Jerry Sandusky, a defensive coordinator for Penn State for 33 years has been charged with 40 counts of sexual misconduct with eight minors. The alleged abuses happened over the …
How people worship is entirely up to them. So long as we don’t hurt each other, I don’t typically judge other peoples' religions. So when it comes to Halloween, I have to chuckle at all the religious fervor — and idiocy. So right off the bat, let me just 'fess up to being a devout Christian who is also a practicing Roman Catholic. I attended Catholic grade school and university. I am also Irish, which has definitely influenced my opinion on the matter. With that said, I don’t get my undies in a bunch or hide under my bed when it comes to Halloween. I don’t believe the devil is out to get me …
Obesity. Depression. Bullying. Stress. These are all challenges children face every single day. These are also challenges that can be resolved or lessened by having a strong family nucleus. Of course, there is no one simple solution to all kids’ problems. However, teaching children how to handle their problems can be the solution. Family dinner is one way to do it. I don’t think any adult would argue that kids today face different challenges than we did when we were young. Some things are the same, sure. But the intensity is certainly different. When I was a kid, rumors would spread the old …
They say ignorance is bliss. Some things, I just don’t want to know about. Then after a discussion with State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow about video games, a chill ran down my spine. I realized I better wise up and quick. Our family has a Wii. It stays in the cabinet most of the time. We mostly play bowling and baseball, although I keep threatening to get back to yoga and kickboxing. That’s about the extent of it, though. Other than that, I know violent video games exist, but I couldn’t pick the boxes out of lineup. Talking with Glasgow opened my eyes wide. First of all, he’s a fascinating …
Teaching teens to drive can be crazy-making ... for both teacher and student. Thinking back to my early driving days, I remember all the stupid things I did. I took the required driver's ed class, but that’s about all the practice I got. My dad took me out a couple times, but I couldn’t really say that either of my parents actually taught me to drive. Crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers,” the website says. It says causes for teen …
This sickened me the first time I wrote about it. It sickens me even more, still. Doug Hutchison (aka old man) and his teen bride, Courtney Stodden, are well on their way to a reality TV series. According to E! News, Merv Griffin Entertainment is picking it up. So guess who went on E! News? Courtney's mom, Krista Keller. (Blagh!) When I first wrote a column about Hutchinson, 51, marrying Stodden when she was only 16, I couldn't understand how the parents could approve. Now I get it. Keller is Courtney's manager. Keller stands to make some fat green by marrying off her little girl. That's …
I love teachers. My mom's a teacher. My cousins are teachers. My sister-in-law is a teacher. My aunts and uncles are teachers. My best friends are teachers. In a past life, my clients were textbook publishers — and teachers. Education is serious business and I will wholeheartedly stand up and applaud each and every educator for what they do day in and day out. I believe all schools should be palaces. I believe education is the silver bullet to improve our society. Teachers should make triple-digit salaries, hands down, no question. Let it be established that I am a big fan of teachers. Now …
