Grasshopper New Media Presents...

A recent MSN-Zogby poll showed that one in four U.S. shoppers plans to spend less on toys for the holidays this year.
Gee I wonder why?
Could it be the recalls for lead? How about the ones for choking hazards? What about the increased awareness of legal toxins like phthalates allowed in children’s toys and accessories?
The poll […]

I recently ran across a brief article with a quote from Helena Bonham Carter, talking about the insatiable need everyone has to participate in pregnancy:

‘Carter, who’s eight months expecting with Tim Burton’s baby, told blackbookmag.com, “People - particularly men - saying with surprise, ‘You’re still drinking caffeine?’ as if I’m performing a criminal […]

And the winner…oops, I mean losers are. Well, there are a few. Each year Consumers International publishes a list of winners of the Bad Product Award. You may have heard of The Consumers Union, the publishers of Consumer Reports, well… they re a member of Consumers International. From their website:
Consumers International (CI) is the only […]

A good way to get Boobaby to eat is to sequester her food inside a container she’s never had to open before. Maybe it’s got a screw top, or I’ll cover a normal plastic container with shrink wrap: only making getting to her food a little more challenging will entice her to bother. Otherwise, it’s […]

As a new mother I often looked like death warmed over… no?!, really?! OK, we all did. That up every two hours schedule with a newborn can wreak havoc on one’s looks! Everyone said, “You need to get him to sleep so you can!”
It wasn’t until we took our first big plane trip though, that […]

Editor’s note: Kid Concepts is a feature comprised of essays written by kids, giving all of us an opportunity to view their world. Please welcome Grey Gallagher to GNMParents. According to his mom, “Grey is a nine year old country bumpkin who likes to read, run, and raise chickens, but he is happiest when […]

Both Toys R Us and The Specialty Toy Manufacturers released Best Toys for 2007 lists.
Meanwhile….Recalls make toy shopping a source of Anxiety and Made-In-USA Toys (Are) Hard To Find .
Are any of the toys on either list made entirely in the US or another first world country? Should parents stay […]

Of course, it had to happen. A public information program, touting healthy living, got caught in the recall scandal. State finds lead hazard in its free lunch totes blares a headline in the recent Los Angeles Times. The offending giveaways were part of the “Eat Fruits and Vegetables and Be Active” campaign sponsored by […]

There’s a heavy debate going on in the United Kingdom, concerning teens and alcohol, and the parenting that plays a part. Here’s a link to one of many news items/editorials from the UK. The spark for this current debate was a remark by Cheshire Chief Constable Peter Fahy, who very clearly pointed the finger of […]

Boobaby and I were walking home from the park with Cry it Out Mike and his little girl the other day when a San Francisco Lady remarked on how cute the girls were. Maybe you don’t know the San Francisco Lady type? Briefly, she had bright pink hair (roots well exposed), multiple piercings, and […]