Whoever coined the phrase, "It's so easy, it's like taking candy from a baby," likely hadn't ever tried to pry a lollipop from a toddler's sticky hand. Like the rest of us, kids are known to have a bit of a sweet tooth. And, well-meaning bank tellers, grocery store clerks and grown-ups nearly everywhere, like to help our little cuties indulge in some sweetness by offering them lollipops. Writing at Babble, one dad wants to see the practice banned. He hates that adults are constantly offering his kids sweets for two reasons: "A) it’s candy from strangers, B) it’s candy." We tell our kids not to take candy from strangers, but then we go ahead and allow them to accept candy from strangers all the time. He wishes all of these kind, caring people would ditch the candy and hand out stickers instead. Do you think he has a point or should we just be grateful that people are expressing kindness to our kids?
Congrats, moms! We're raising a generation of inventive, imaginative kids
Today's lifestyle often seems rush, rush, rush. Kids go from school to ballet to Spanish tutoring to oboe lessons... There's little time for kids to just hang out and play. Surely, that lack of unstructured play time combined with structured activities is killing kids' imaginations, right? Wrong. As the Globe and Mail reports, a new study out shows that kids today are more imaginative than kids were a generation ago. Researchers were surprised by their findings, they had thought that kids who have less time to play wouldn't develop imaginations as strong as kids who had more time for free play. One of the researchers even wondered if the video games and other technology kids use actually helps them develop their imaginations, in ways we don't normally see. Hooray! Don't you just love stories that say moms today are getting something right?
When is it okay to skip school? When you're hangin' with the Pres
A kid can get in some serious trouble for playing hooky -- unless they get a note from the President. Then, not only do you have a guaranteed get-out-of-jail-free card, but you also have the best absence note of all time. As Hypervocal.com reports, a fifth grader in Minnesota took some time off from school to watch his dad introduce Barack Obama at the Honeywell factory, where his dad works. Not only did Tyler get to meet the President, he got a note for his teacher, on Presidential stationery, which read, "Mr. Ackerman -- Please excuse Tyler... he was with me! Barack Obama." Just imagine how much that note was shown off on the playground.
Mom chokes her daughter's bully
If a bully's picking on your child, you probably want to throttle the kid. But you shouldn't. For one thing, you can get arrested for doing that. Just ask Florida mom, Debbie Piscitella, who choked her daughter's bully and was arrested for child abuse as a result. Debbie's 13-year-old daughter had posted some pictures of herself with her mom at a concert. Then, the nasty comments started in, one of the cruelest saying that the young teen was "too ugly to rape." Exactly the kind of comment that will make a mom's blood boil. Debbie's daughter became depressed over the situation. Then, the mother-daughter duo were at the mall, when Debbie's daughter spotted her tormentor. Debbie approached him and told him to stop saying those things to her daughter. She says he just kept walking and she "just snapped." According to KSDK News, Debbie then grabbed the boy by his backpack and started choking him. At first, the kid's mom didn't want to press charges, but after seeing his neck, she changed her mind. If the state chooses to charge her, Debbie might be facing a third degree felony, which could land her up to five years in prison.
Marijuana mom busted for driving with her baby on the car roof
A stoned mom in Phoenix was arrested for driving while her five-week-old son was asleep in a car seat on top of the car. The baby fell off the car in the middle of an intersection and was miraculously unharmed. The mom drove all the way home before realizing that she didn't have her baby with her. Earlier that night, the mom and her boyfriend had been out smoking pot at a park, before heading off to buy beer, with the baby in tow. On the way to get beer, police stopped the boyfriend and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence. Upset by her boyfriend's arrest, this gal did the logical thing -- she went over to a friend's house to smoke a bowl or two... Then, she drove. With her baby on the roof of the car. Reuters reports that the mom was booked into jail on child abuse and aggravated assault charges and the baby was placed in Child Protective Services.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers.