My post about CafeMom discriminating against dads sparked quite a reaction from many CafeMom elitists members. I was called “CafeMom Spy” and “idiot”. Yikes.
I got some support from some of my dad peeps – Bill and Jason. And, lo and behold, I got supportive comments from some moms, too. Thank you Vicky and Jenny. I’m glad I’m not alone on this one.
I still maintain that CafeMom’s policy is ridiculous. Continue reading Response To CafeMom Brouhaha
CafeMom bills itself as “the largest social-networking/community site for moms AND the leading women’s/parenting site on the internet”. 
Their other claim to fame is that Andrew Shue, of Melrose Place fame, is a co-founder.
SuburbanDaddy is a modern kind of guy, secure enough in his own parenting abilities and generally in touch with his mommy side. Most of my readers are moms, and I regularly follow and comment on mom blogs, and on other parenting community sites. I was welcomed, along with many other dad bloggers, into the BlogHer advertising network, “the community for women who blog”.
So I thought nothing of it when I registered for an account at CafeMom. Then, shortly after registering, I received this email:
Your CafeMom account has been canceled because the site is ONLY for moms and moms-to-be. We recommend a site like www.parentsconnect.com (no relation).
We appreciate your cooperation.
*The CafeMom Admin Team
How ridiculous is this? With the limited amount of information given at registration, I can only assume they determined I wasn’t a mom because I used suburbandaddy as a username.? Please.? I could easily have used a different username with mommy in it, and then they would have accepted me.? What’s the point?? Isn’t this 2008?
I know of some 5 year olds who drink coffee. I have seen parents give sips of coffee to kids as young as 3.
I have never let my kids try coffee or soda. It’s not that I’m a health nut. We go to McDonalds, eat frozen pizza and candy. But coffee just seems a bit extreme.
[poll=14]
To those readers who are new parents, here is something you may want to see to know what to expect in a few years. Thing 1’s power struggles have been fodder for this site before. But this time, I actually caught one on tape.
This one was actually pretty tame by his prior standards. It started one weekend afternoon. He gave up taking naps on weekends a long time ago, even though he takes one every day at preschool.
The sequence of events is as follows.
Thing 1 says he needs a tissue. But he goes into his “I’m too weak and it’s too hard to move” routine, choosing to lay on the stairs instead. After making the long trek up the stairs, he returns to say there are no tissues. More accurately, there are no tissues because he put them all in the trash. The whole box.
I send him to his room. Crying ensues. After being in his room for a few minutes, he starts to bang the door. I go up to check. He denies doing it.
More of the same. More crying. Just another day with a four year old.
I can’t wait to show him this video in about 25 years, when he has a new baby, so he’ll know what to expect.
This week is National Turn Off Your TV Week.
Turning off the television gives us a chance to think, read, create, and do. To connect with our families and engage in our communities. To turn off TV and turn on life.
A nice thought, but I don’t think I could make it. Well, maybe a few weekdays, since I don’t watch much TV during the week. Usually I can barely stay up 30 minutes later than the kids, which doesn’t leave much time for TV. But on a weekend!? We need at least a few shows on the Disney Channel, or a movie or two to help smooth over the rough spots.
I just did battle with a not-quite-three-year-old for 30 minutes, trying to get him to take a bath after no naps the entire weekend. Did I plop him in front of the TV for 25 minutes to watch Mickey Mouse afterwards? You bet. Was it the only time today he went without a tantrum for 25 minutes? You bet. It helps him transition to bed.
I know, I know. I’m a terrible parent. Whatever. For what it’s worth, I watched way more TV when I was a kid, and I think I turned out fine. And what I watched wasn’t nearly as educational as what they see. Remember Tom and Jerry? I showed it to my kids this weekend and they absolutely loved it. Seeing it now, it’s a little on the violent side. Not to mention the political incorrectness.
Needless to say, there will be no National TV Turn Off Week in my house.
The idea for this week’s poll was suggested by 2lilpumpkins. It’s actually a topic I’ve been meaning to rant write about for a while.
There are many products which are so useful, time saving, and efficient, that we take them for granted. The light bulb. Air conditioning. Microwave ovens. Even something as simple as a fork. All these inventions have made our lives better. The improvement is so immense, the decision to use them is so indisputable, that nobody discusses it anymore. Or so I thought.
One such invention is the disposable diaper. Ever since 1961, when Pampers were introduced, parents everywhere have been relieved of the need to deal with cloth diapers. Yet there are still people debating which type of diaper to use.
Given the cheap cost and wide availability of disposables, why would any parent actually choose to use cloth diapers!?! Ok, I know I’ll get some reaction from the environmentalists out there, on how bad diapers are for the environment. Maybe disposable diapers aren’t helping the environment. But compared to serious dangers, like greenhouse gases, diapers are hardly topic #1 on Greenpeace’s agenda.
[poll=13]
Based on a certain recent history example , it would be unwise to declare anything “Mission Accomplished”. But I’m about to do it anyway.
I hereby declare Mission Accomplished on Thing 1’s potty training! He was a late starter, and we had many, many, many struggles along the way. Partly because of him being our guinea pig for potty training. And partly because he is unbelievably stubborn, uh, steadfast.
But I think we can say we’ve closed the book on that milestone. Thing 1 hasn’t had an accident in at least a month. (He still wears a pull-up to bed, but I think that’s a developmental thing he can’t help). He actually tells us when he needs to go, or, even better, just goes on his own.
I thought this day would never come. I know, I may have just put a major jinx on it, but I don’t care. Mission Accomplished!
Last week’s very popular poll about leaving kids unattended in cars came from an anonymous suggestion. So, I’m soliciting ideas for future parenting polls.
Have a parenting topic you want other parents to weigh in on? Leave the idea in a comment and I’ll consider it for a future weekly poll. Of course, you’ll get the blame credit and a link.