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By Dana Macario, TODAY Moms Contributor
Take that, Disney: London now has a "Princess Prep" camp, where little girls take etiquette lessons, have tea at Kensington Palace, ride horseback in Hyde Park, and even work with a royal charity. Of course, after their parents pony up the $5,000 fee, they may be the ones who need charity.
Divorce parties are familiar, but an actual ceremony (complete with ring smashing) with friends and family present to finalize a divorce? Apparently, the trend is gaining popularity in Japan. Do you think a ceremony like this would be difficult for children whose parents are splitting up, or a way to help them accept what's happening?
For such small creatures, kids sure come with a lot of stuff. How's a busy parent to keep up with which toys, gear and food items have been recalled? Now there's a website that tracks all kid-related recalls; the way the recalls have been coming lately you might want to set your rss feed.
Teens - Big Brother is watching you. Or at least restricting what you're listening to if your parents bought you a Ford. The automaker is developing a system that will allow parents to block several Sirius XM channels. It's all so very Pirate Radio, we wonder if 30 years from now there will be a delightful indie film celebrating whatever brilliant workaround today's teens develop for this new system.
Please mind the Gap. American students are increasingly taking an English-style "Gap Year" between high school and college to travel or volunteer. While we wish it had been popular when we were in school, we also hope it falls out of fashion before we have to foot the bill for our kids to do it.
Not sure you can sing along to Frosty the Snowman one more time? Need some new music to help wean your kids off the Christmas carols? Here are some kid-tested, parent-approved music ideas for you.