Reader Christopher bought his daughter a Webkinz stuffed animal — for those of your who are not familiar with these toys — with each animal you receive a code that is good for a one year subscription to a virtual version of the toy. After a year — you need to buy another toy or you lose access to your previous pets. Buying more than one toy per year doesn’t extend your subscription, you have to buy one each year to keep it going. Christopher thinks this is unethical.
kids
3 Ways To Cut Baby Costs Without Feeling Like A Terrible Parent
By 2.13.09
Our sister publication Consumer Reports knows that you’d like to trim your baby budget without risking the safety of said baby, so they’ve put together 3 tips that will help you do just that.
Chicago Considering A Partial Ban On Bisphenol-A Products
By 2.12.09
Chicago might become the first place in the United States to partially ban the sale of products that contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), the chemical that some studies have shown may have harmful effects on humans. They’re proposing to forbid the sale of any BPA product intended for children. Canada banned the chemical last year, but the FDA has so far come down on the side of manufacturers.
Seven-Year-Old Writes Perfect Complaint Letter, Gets Park Fixed
By 1.24.09
Louisiana seven-year-old Sydney Hotard fixed her broken playground by writing a well-crafted letter to her Parish President. Hotard was concerned that the plastic slide needed to be “more slippery” and that a nearby exposed electrical panel might be “dangerus.” Upon receiving the letter, Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet was so charmed that he ordered municipal workers to immediately fix the playground.
Gap Kids Planting Headless Tots For Spring!
By 1.23.09
This may be one of those posts where it turns out nobody else is bothered by it, but seriously, wtf is up with Gap Kids? Their little headless mannequins have always been a bit off-putting to me, but now they’ve gone full-blown Anne Geddes and placed the bodies in a weird context that makes them seem even creepier than usual.
By 1.13.09
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From Wikihow: 12 ways to teach your kids about money.
KidsSave Software Helps Your Child Track Investments
By 12.22.08
KidsSave is a kid-centric application (Windows XP only, with an OS X version coming out next year) that lets your child track allowances and other types of “income” and teaches the benefits of saving.
Coke Never Advertised To Kids, Is "Wholesome"
By 10.30.08
I don’t have kids, but if I did, instead of breastfeeding them I would give them bottles of Coke. That’s because Coke is “wholesome.” And if they grew up drinking Coke, it would be because of the decisions I made and choices I taught them to take, because Coke has never advertised to kids. Both these “becauses” are supplied by Coca-Cola. See, Dr. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff spotted an ad page 1632 of the June 17th edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal that said:
New Ideas For Kids' Books About The Lean Times Ahead
By 10.13.08
Last week, Slate published a list of children’s books about poverty, unemployment, shoe-eating, dust bowls, depressions, and recessions. From a late-19th century series called The Five Little Peppers through to 2007’s How To Steal a Dog, the list captures over 100 years of poverty-level slice of life–what we might call the Plight of the Raggedy Children.
FDA Considers Banning OTC Cough Medicines For All Children Under 6
By 10.2.08
Pediatricians are asking the FDA to recall all OTC cough medicines for children under six years old, and the FDA is holding a public hearing on the subject today. One reason this has only recently become an issue is that when the FDA originally set rules for OTC cough medicines, they were based only on studies for adults, not kids, writes the Associated Press. Although there’s a low risk of unintentional overdose—the AP says about 7,000 children are admitted to ERs each year—the other issue is that there’s very little evidence that they’re effective.
This Inflatable Walmart Decoration Is Adorable. And A Murder Scene!
By 10.1.08
We’re trying to figure out who this inflatable crime scene is meant for. With its puffy cuteness, built in lights, and “castle” style walls, it looks like it would be a perfect entrance to a backyard Halloween party for kids. But with its “crime scene noises” and someone-is-being-murdered vibe, it seems more appropriate at a celebration for short police academy graduates. Either way, it can be yours for $125 and a relinquishing of any sense of good taste. [Update: this post is meant humorously—I belly-laughed when I first saw the product.]
Banning Soda Machines In Schools Only Decreases Consumption 4%
By 9.17.08
A new study says banning soda machines in schools only decreased kiddie soda pop consumption by 4%. Guess the soda kids were drinking in school wasn’t necessarily being bought at school.
By 9.16.08
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Got a picky eater? Want to avoid getting one in the future? The NYT has 6 mistakes that you may be making when it comes to feeding your kids. [NYT]
Target's Generic Meds Are Maybe Too Generic
By 9.10.08
We’re big fans of Target’s smart approach to package design for medicine. They may want to give a little more thought to their OTC generics, however—how about using more distinct labeling for the children’s line, for example? One reader explains why this would be a lot safer.
Toys R Us Cracks Down On "Death Crib" Makers
By 9.5.08
One of the main features that a crib should have is “does not accidentally kill the baby,” so Toys R Us has decided to crack down on the manufacturers of the cribs that it sells, says the Chicago Tribune.
Is Walmart Passing Out Fake Back-To-School Supply Lists?
By 8.19.08
Blogger Kelby Carr says that her local Walmart has totally fake but official looking back to school supply lists posted in their stores. The lists not only contain some extra supplies that are banned from the schools, but are actually missing some supplies. Here’s how she describes the lists:
6 Back To School Money Lessons For Little Consumerists In Training
By 8.15.08
Ah, children. We know you’re trying your best not to mess yours up, but teaching kids about money is hard. If it wasn’t, this credit card would not even exist. So what do you do?
Which Restaurants Are Making Your Kids Fat?
By 8.6.08
Subway’s kids’ meals came out on top. Only a third of its Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items (apple slices, raisins, or yogurt), exceed the 430-calorie threshold. Subway is the only chain that doesn’t offer soft drinks with kids’ meals.
So how do you improve the nutrition of your kid’s meal the next time you eat at a restaurant? A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association gave the following advice:
“Don’t be too alarmed even when [studies] come out and seem hopeless,” said Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Ass>ociation spokeswoman. “With a few swaps and switches, people really can make healthier choices at these fast-food joints, especially when the decisions are made before going in.
