Thing One is very much in the thrall of SpongeBob. It’s like an evil little cult that no one above a certain age need apply. I’m hoping that that age isn’t too far off in his case. I’ve tried to break him of the habit, but I haven’t had any successes even limiting his viewing. He knows when it’s one, and if he misses it all he’ll breaks lose. I certainly don’t think that every thing that my kids watch needs to educational, but the Sponge doesn’t even come close. Or at least I didn’t think he did. Until I read this…

You could go read this article but it really comes down to this… fill your house with books and read them.  Read them in front of your kids. Read them with your kids. Your children will be smarter for it.  It does make me wonder what’s going to happen when e-books are more common. Right now I’ve got a Nook which I’ve been doing most of my reading on lately.  And I’ve been using it enough to contemplate actually getting rid of some books I already own. I don’t think I’ll do anything too drastic anytime soon though. Maybe I’ll wait until they’re in college. On scholarships of course.

I had no idea India, one of the most populated nations on the planet, didn’t already have compulsory education.  If you think about it too much your head will hurt.

Kids either love taking baths, or despise them to the point running and hiding.  And of course the ones that really despise it are the ones that spent the whole day at a muddy playground. There’s nothing like that wet kid smell. So any enticement to getting them in the tub is helpful. How do explosives sound?

Sometimes you come across an idea so phenomenal that you can kick yourself repeatedly for not thinking if it yourself. Parenting’s Stinky Diaper Awards is one of those. There’s been a slew of bad parenting examples on television this year and these awards call ‘em out.

While I wouldn’t wear one of these myself (I’m much to classy), the Creatures would look adorable in it. If we can’t humiliate our children in the name of our childhood fascinations, why did bother having them?

Usually toy recalls are all about safety. Some stray toxic chemicals in the paint and off the shelves it comes. As it should be of course. But what if you’re misunderstanding what the toy is saying? What if instead of singing Jingle Bells that cute toy mouse is singing about pedophilia? I say return that thing for full refund.

So Disney’s newest, “The Princess and the Frog,” was number one at the box office. I suppose it isn’t much of a surprise, the Mouse doesn’t fool around when it comes to it’s Princesss movies. I’ve got to say though, from the few clips that I’ve seen in commercials and online, that the animation doesn’t look as impressive as I hoped for. Lately we’ve been watching Snow White and Pinochioo, and they’re just lush to watch. The colors are rich and deep. At times it’s almost like watching a moving watercolor. This new one looks a little flat. And not to be too mean… it looks like it was made for television.

Real menorahs have always scared me a bit. Open flame, multiplied by eight, might not always be such a wise thing. Especially with young grasping hands with no sense of restraint.  And don’t get me started about those electric ones you can buy at the drugstore. They might be safer but they’re so ugly they shouldnt exist. There are some good ground rules here on keeping things safe.

An interesting list of ten toys that should be avoided according to W.A.T.C.H. I had never heard of the group before but I’m a sucker for lists. Who knew a Curious George Counting book could be so dangerous?