A while back, Skepchick published an article from their early days. Risa Beckwith explained the pressures she faced as a woman who had decided not to have kids:

So here’s the reality: I am childfree. That means that I have no children…by choice.

Those of us who identify as childfree use this term instead of ‘childless’ – because ‘childless’ implies there is a lack of something in our lives. People without ferrets wouldn’t identify themselves as ‘ferretless.’

Childfree does not mean that I hate children. I like older children. I just don’t want any of my own. Very smart people look at me like I have two heads if I ever say that I don’t really like babies, so I rarely bring it up anymore. Saying that I don’t like cats but I don’t kill cats either also does not help.

She goes on to list the most common ignorant reactions by people who don’t believe her when she says she isn’t interested in reproducing:

1. “You’ll change your mind.” I am nearly 35 years old. I’m pretty sure that 1) I know my own mind at this point, and 2) Don’t you think that if I wanted children, it would have happened by now? Other CFers prefer to say: “When did you know you wanted children? You’ll change your mind.”

I’m running into similar assumptions–and a similar entitlement people seem to feel about announcing their expert opinions on my personal life–with regard to the expectation that since I’ve recently produced one child, another one must be on the way soon.

See, it’s not enough to pop just one out. Everybody wants to know, when am I having the next one? » Continue reading “Only Children”

Breast milk is getting a lot of attention these days.

First, Daniel Angerer, a chef in New York City, made cheese from his wife’s breast milk. He and his wife had a surplus of milk on hand for their child, and he decided to experiment with it. I personally wouldn’t rush to eat it, but that’s no shocker–I won’t even eat cauliflower. (The NYC Health Dept. has made sure the breast milk cheese isn’t actually on his restaurant’s menu.)

However, I don’t know if breast milk cheese deserves the full-on media “gross out” reports that have been circulating the past few days. It’s been talked about almost everywhere, and the Today Show even tricked someone into eating a bite. (Watch his reaction when he finds out what it is.) Making the cow comparison, the NY Post ran a photo on the front page of the mother with the headline “Moo!”. How old are we? While the breast milk cheese may be a bit off the beaten path and not to everyone’s liking, it’s only breast milk, folks. I’m no hippie, but who cares what these people do with it behind closed doors? Well, here’s what Chef Angerer had to say:

» Continue reading “Breast Milk in the News”

I’ve been off the blog lately due to a move that took forever. We just got the internet hooked up in the new place. I’ll be back with longer posts once I unpack some more stuff, but here’s a quick little bite via Respectful Insolence.

It seems Randy’s million dollars may be claimed by this McSweeney’s author’s paranormal abilities:

Delightfully, I have not only a love for the scientific method but also a demonstrable paranormal skill! I have the ability to control men’s minds with my vagina.

So, is that paranormal…or just normal?

This is a nice short article by a father of a child with autism.  The title says it all: Try reason, Not “Everything”

The skeptical dads over at Science-Based Parenting blog and I have teamed up with Elyse from Skepchick and Heidi from She Thought to create a new podcast. But wait, this one has a new twist: it focuses on parenting. Skeptical parenting. Secular, skeptical parenting!

Colin Thornton, who is heading up the effort, partnered with the Foundation Beyond Belief, to create a weekly podcast called Podcast Beyond Belief, which will feature news items and discussions about skepticism and secular humanism that are of interest to parents. Each week we’ll feature a questions submitted by parents like you, and we’ll have answers supplied by experts. Also, each week we’ll feature an interview with a special guest.

In his introductory blog post, Colin said:

Each episode will feature a round-table discussion of the latest parenting science news, in addition to interviews with well-known science advocates and secular humanists. We’ll also have a regular feature called “THE FAQ”, where we’ll forward on your toughest parenting questions to qualified experts and report back their up-to-date science-based answers.

Our first episode includes a discussion with Dale McGowan, the founder of our “parent” organization, Foundation Beyond Belief. You might also remember him as the editor and co-author of Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers. Dale spoke about secular humanism, and how those principles fit with the foundation’s ideals. We expect to have some listeners who may not understand what it means to be a secular humanist. It’ll be nice to have Dale’s explanation (and example) of humanist philosophy on our first episode to provide context for people new to the concept of freethought.

Be sure to also check out our second episode next week when we sit down with John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants, the duo who created the new children’s album “Here Comes Science“. The interview went in unexpected directions, and before I knew it, Flans was talking about vaccines, Andrew Wakefield and 9/11 conspiracies.

If you have questions for the FAQ – please send them to podcastbeyondbelief@gmail.com. We’ll pick our favorites to send to the experts for their answers.

We’re still in our infancy, but we’re all passionate about the subject matter, and we feel like this is an important effort. We’d like to use this podcast to help inform, educate, and entertain other parents. So, maybe next time you put the baby down for a nap, or put the kids on the bus, or get in your car to go to work, you can give us a listen!

With winter upon us, the two most dreaded words for parents are SNOW DAY. We know that means coming up with crafts, meals, activities, games, and more just to keep our kids entertained. That’s what we have to do, right? We have to come up with ways to keep our kids stimulated, energized, learning, and happy. Only…we don’t.

The wonderfully insightful Lenore Skenazy (of Free Range Kids) argues that we’re overdoing it. Our kids don’t need us to jump through hoops to keep them entertained. Let THEM do it themselves.

You must play with your kids is so ingrained that we feel terrible when we’re bored sick by the idea of pouring another imaginary cup of tea. But maybe, like most pain, that boredom is trying to tell us something: Kiddie games are for KIDS. They really don’t need us!

No one is saying to neglect your kids. There are times for museums, classes, swim lessons, and games of Chutes and Ladders with Dad. However, it’s also important to let children do their own thing without an adult giving direction. Sometimes we forget that.

So, thanks to Lenore for the reminder!

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With the recent discrediting of Wakefield’s research, this story is particularly annoying. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking an outbreak of the mumps since last summer and released their findings this week. At this point, over 1,500 people–mostly school-aged children–in New York and New Jersey have been affected.
» Continue reading “Mumps Outbreak in NY, NJ”

The National Academy of Sciences has a great online interactive tool called “I Was Wondering…“, which highlights the contributions of women in science. The site includes features on cool female scientists, a timeline of their discoveries, and games. Also, there’s a section called “Ask It!” where readers can submit their own questions.

The site, based on this series of books, is targeted toward tween girls:

What would it be like to build the first robot that could interact with people? Or to study human remains in search of criminal evidence? In Women’s Adventures in Science, readers will learn about the trailblazing women who are leaders in a variety of scientific fields, from robotics to forensics.

The site looks like a lot of fun and I hope that it inspires more young girls to embrace science.

[Via Science-Based Parenting]

A recent Dutch study has concluded that nearly 1 in 10 children aged seven to eight hear voices, but most aren’t bothered by them. About 3,800 children were surveyed and asked whether they heard one or more voices that only they themselves could hear.

Nine percent of the children answered yes. Only 15 percent of these children said the voices caused them serious suffering, and 19 percent said the voices interfered with their thinking. Boys and girls were equally likely to report hearing voices, but girls were more likely to report suffering and anxiety due to the voices.

I don’t quite know what to make of this information. This seems like a lot of kids. I’m a bit skeptical that there weren’t some children answering in the affirmative just for attention, or perhaps seeking approval. After all, we’ve seen many examples of the power of suggestion over people.

However, even if the numbers are reliable, experts say not to panic if your child hears voices. They conclude that most children suffering from auditory vocal hallucinations will not have any long-term effects from the condition. One of the study’s authors, Agna A. Bartels-Velthuis of University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands, said, “In most cases the voices will just disappear. I would advise them to reassure their child and to watch him or her closely.”

Perhaps these hallucinations account for some of the children who are attributed with “special gifts” such as psychic abilities? Many kids claim to have imaginary friends; but, perhaps, to some children, these friends are not really imaginary. Rather, they are voices inside their heads. It’s interesting research.

The team plans on following up in a few years to study how the auditory hallucinations evolve and what effect, if any, they have on the child’s behavior.

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The 3rd annual “Doodle 4 Google” contest begins today. Kids in grades K-12 can design their very own Google logo and the winner will have it displayed on Google.com for a day. They win other cool stuff, too:

In addition to the winner’s art appearing on Google.com on May 27, 2010, they’ll also receive a $15,000 college scholarship, a laptop computer and a $25,000 technology grant for their school.

Not too shabby.

The theme this year is “If I Could Do Anything, I Would…” and doodles must be submitted by March 31, 2010. It’s great that Google celebrates creativity in kids. If you’ve got a young designer or doodler at home, this could be a fun project.