Sorry boys, just because you were born to the same mother at the same time, doesn't mean you're twins. Your mom's two uteruses disqualifies you for inclusion in that club. Wrap your head around this one -- a mom in India has two wombs, conceived two babies at separate times, and gave birth to both of them within an hour of each other. That not enough to take in? She didn't find out about the second baby until she was in labor. What are the chances?! According to experts, about one in 50 million.
Did you wait until your kiddos were two before potty-training? If so, you may have set them up for a lifetime of weak bladders and painful infections. Canadian researchers have said that kids who aren't potty-trained until two or older, don't have enough time to master the art of bladder control before they start school, putting them at increased risk for accidents. They recommend that you sit little ones on the pot no later than 18 months of age. They also say that diaper-wearers don't learn to properly empty the old bladder, making them prone to infection. If you're feeling bad about waiting until your kid was two-and-a-half to start training, don't beat yourself up -- teachers in Britain are complaining that some kids are showing up for school still wearing their "nappies" because their parents hadn't found the time to train them... At what age did you start the potty-training process?
When Brooke Shields was 14, she sparked a national controversy over the Calvin Klein jeans ad with the tagline, "You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." Some say that seems nearly mature and elderly compared to recent photos of a 10-year-old model in France. A photo spread in French Vogue, featuring the young model striking provocative and seductive poses, is raising eyebrows around the globe. Little Thylane Loubry Blondeau has even posed topless, wearing only a strategically-placed necklace to cover her chest. Where some see art, others see the over-sexualization of a young girl.
Parents who've lost a child too young, can, understandably, not want to let go. But, if that child was a 17-year-old girl, would extracting and freezing her eggs after her death be going too far? That was the plan proposed by two Israeli parents whose teenage daughter was killed in a car crash. They initially petitioned a court to allow them to harvest, fertilize and then freeze their deceased daughter's eggs. The court said no to the fertilization but agreed to allow them to save her eggs. However, public opposition in Israel was so strong, the couple has since dropped their plans. Were they reasonable in wanting to keep a bit of their daughter with them through the creation of a grandchild or would it have been pushing moral boundaries too far?
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.