Stuff of interest to thinking mamas.....

• The Rest of Us by Rebecca Steinitz. A great essay on working mothers.
• Mom's behavior key to Dad's involvement with kids. Encourage the man and reap the benefits.
• Cold medicine for children can be deadly, from Science Daily.
• Childhood cancers vary by region, sex and race. Northeast has higher rates of juvenile cancers.
• Should we stop having children to save the earth?
• Take action on Phthalates in Toys!
• The bases have changed. Kids are getting it on, just not the way you may think.

Notes:

On teenagers having oral sex: Not a shocker to me. I have known that kids are using their mouths for more than back-talk for a long time now. Maybe its because I worked in a field related to sexual issues, and so I read, talked, heard about teens' activites more than other parent-types. Now, my son isn't even 2 yet, but you bet your sweet bippy that he is going to know everything I (or more likely his dad) can tell him about the joys, risks and problems that sex can bring, and I mean all the kinds of sex. Am I alone in not feeling weird about talking to kids about sex? I don't think you need to be vulgar or share your life history, but being honest about sex seems to be a very important part of raising responsible and healthy kids.