October 31, 2007

On Kids, Butts, and Google Image Search

The other day my wife informed me that Son #2 (currently seven years old) had run a Google images search for ‘butts’ on her MacBook when he was supposedly searching for information on reptiles. And yes, he was sitting right out in the middle of the dining room in plain view when he did it, though we didn’t see it happen.

When I asked him about it, he was very forthright. Yes, he had searched for butts. But according to him, he actually had been searching for pictures of alligators, and then got the bright idea of trying to figure out where an alligator’s butt is located — he has a suspicion that it’s right up there under the base of the tail, but he wanted to be sure. :)

He went on to say that he forgot that he was doing a “picture search,” and accidentally wound up with a bunch of pictures of butts (thankfully he didn’t do a web search, as the results are actually worse).

He went on to say:

“But they all had clothes on. Well, except one, but that was an ancient Egyptian. And there was also a lady wearing a bookini.”

(And yes, he actually used the term “bookini.”)

When I did the fatherly thing and asked him if he had any questions or wanted to talk about anything, he got a disgusted look on his face and said:

“No. I’ve seen enough.”

And that, dear friends, is our first lesson in keeping an even tighter leash on the kids when it comes to internet access.

October 29, 2007

Keeping Track of Toy Recalls via RSS and E-Mail

Are you worried about the recent toy recalls? Having trouble keeping up with what’s safe and what’s made of lead? Then look no further than the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s master list of toy recalls, which can be accessed here. The list is arranged chronologically, with the most recent recalls at the top.

And yes, I know what you’re thinking…

If only they offered an RSS feed.

Well… They don’t, but we do!

Simply add the following url to your favorite feedreader and you’re good to go:

Toy Recall RSS Feed: http://www.raising4boys.com/toyrecalls/

Alternatively, you can sign up to receive recall updates via e-mail.

Note that this feed only gives you the titles of the recalls, but the titles are pretty descriptive, so that should be more than enough to decide if you want to click through for more information.

Also note that, while the above url redirects to a FeedBurner feed that I’ve created, you should subscribe via the link listed above in case I have to make any changes to keep this feed alive in the future.

Finally, I thought I’d take this opportunity to plug our regular RSS feed, which provides you with the full text of everything we write. We also offer an e-mail version.

(Special thanks to The Consumerist for pointing out the CPSC list.)

October 28, 2007

From the Archives (October 21st - October 27th)

Here are some of our favorite Raising4Boys (subscribe) post from a year ago this week:

» Crazy for Care Bears
» Kid Quote: Coke, Caffeine, Fries and Ketchup
» Playgroup Connections, Part Deux

And here are some of my favorite FiveCentNickel (subscribe) posts from a year ago:

» How to Order Checks Without Getting Ripped Off
» Checkbook Security
» Lose Weight, Save Gas

And here’s what was going on two years ago:

» Opening an Emigrant Direct Savings Account (Part II)
» Bernanke Tabbed as Greenspan’s Replacement
» Improved Security for Online Banking

October 25, 2007

The Five Year Old Vandal

Few things in life tick me off more than when one of our kids willingly damages our house (although getting turned over to collections for a bill that’s not actually late ranks right up there). This isn’t common occurrence, mind you, but it does happen. For example, I returned home the other day to this:

Apparently, Son #3 got in trouble and my wife sent him to his room for a timeout. He then decided that it would be a good idea to grab a pencil from his desk and take out his frustration on the wall. Bad move.

We, of course, read him the riot act. I also told him that he’ll have to help clean it up. Moreover, if we incur any costs during the process (like having to buy paint or a paintbrush) he’ll be paying for it out of his allowance. But for the time being, we’ve left the marks on the wall. Hopefully they’ll serve as a reminder to him not to lash out.

October 24, 2007

Parenting Quote - Monta Henrichs Crane

“There are 3 ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone to do it, or forbid your child from doing it.” -Monta Henrichs Crane

October 21, 2007

From the Archives (October 14th - October 20th)

Here are some of our favorite Raising4Boys (subscribe) post from a year ago this week:

» Teaching Kids the Value of a Dollar
» Reclaim Your Weekends

And here are some of my favorite FiveCentNickel (subscribe) posts from a year ago:

» Withdrawing Funds From Upromise
» Is Ethanol the Answer?
» Opening a Vanguard SEP-IRA and Executing a Direct Rollover
» Plastic Bags for Fifty Cents at Airport Security

And here’s what was going on two years ago:

» Money Saving Ideas
» Call 411 for Free
» More Online Financial Calculators

October 17, 2007

MRSA Outbreak in Schools

Uh-oh… All 21 school buildings in Bedford County, VA have been closed down and are being sanitized after a 17 year old student died from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is a form of a common bacteria that has evolved resistance to all “first-line” antibiotics. Previously restricted to hospitals and clinics, MRSA is increasingly turning up in small outbreaks outside of healthcare settings, such as in prisons and/or schools, amongst athletes, etc. This a pretty scary prospect… According to the CDC, MRSA infections killed nearly 19,000 Americans in 2005, 50% more than were killed by AIDS during the same time period.

[Source: FOX News]

October 15, 2007

Creative Kids: The Solution to the World’s Problems?

As we were driving by the Health Department the other day, our ten year old piped up and said:

“Dad, do you know what would be a great idea? Vaccine pops. You know, lollipops with vaccines built in. Or maybe popsicles, since those are even easier to eat. That would be awesome, because everybody hates shots.”‘

Brilliant. Ignoring for the moment that delivering vaccines into an acid-filled stomach might not be a particularly effective approach, this sort of creative thinking that has me convinced that the world would be a better place if all of the bigwig think tanks included a few imaginative kids.

October 14, 2007

From the Archives (October 7th - October 13th)

Here are some of our favorite Raising4Boys (subscribe) post from a year ago this week:

» And Now He’s Nine - Zoo/Pirate Birthday Party Revisited
» C-Sections Pose Risk to Babies

And here are some of my favorite FiveCentNickel (subscribe) posts from a year ago:

» Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for a Discount
» Health Insurance: HMOs vs. PPOs
» Cashing in Our CDs (or Not)

And here’s what was going on two years ago:

» Online Financial Calculators Galore
» Crash Course in Estate Planning
» Buying Term Life Insurance, Part V (Epilogue)
» Calculate Your PayPal Fees

October 13, 2007

Carnivals - Week of 10/08/07

Raising4Boys participated in two carnivals this week. Here they are along with links to our articles that were included in each.

The Carnival of Family Life included “Planning a Ten Year Old Birthday Party.”

The Best of Me Symphony included “Soccer Gameday Tips for Parents.” Also included was “How to Decide if Travelling to a Sales Tax Holiday is Worthwhile” from FiveCentNickel.