The Chatterbox

The Chatterbox

News and views from the staff of FamilyEducation.
Subscribe to The Chatterbox's blog

recent posts

Lindsay's picture
May 8, 2012
Children's Author Maurice Sendak Passes Away
Maurice Sendak, children's author known for childhood classics like Where the Wild Things Are and Outside Over There, died today from complications from a stroke. He was 83 years old. Sendak was widely considered to be one of the most important children's book artists of the 20th century, largely due to his way of "unsanitizing" typical nursery rhymes. While most author's offered minimal trouble and always happy endings in their books, Sendak offered dark, sometimes terrifying, stories that delved deep into the human mind's psyche. His characters were often...
Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are
Lindsay's picture
April 25, 2012
Teens Resort to Hand Sanitizer to Get Drunk
With prom season upon us, teen drinking is a topic on many parent's minds. And while most parents might keep an eye on their liquor cabinet to prevent any alcohol from disappearing during any pre- or post-prom parties, there is another product teens are using to get drunk, and it's not that hard for them to get their hands on it. Hand sanitizer. So far, six teens have ended up in the emergency room with alcohol poisoning from drinking it. Admittedly, when I first saw this on the news, I had visions of teens just squeezing it directly into their mouths right from the bottle. But...
Alcohol, Hand Sanitizer, Teen Drinking, Teen Drug Use
Erin D's picture
April 24, 2012
Graphic New Children's Book Promotes Veganism
A new children's book called Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action came out today, and it has some pretty gruesome drawings illustrating animal testing and consumption.   I'm a meat eater (eating organic/free-range as often as possible) and an animal lover (dog owner for life!). I think many people are both, and we shouldn't ignore where our food comes from. There's definitely room for improvement in our food production standards and ethics. But... as child psychologists point out, that's not necessarily for a child who's...
children and veganism, Children's Books, Children's Health, Nutrition, Vegan, Veganism
Lindsay's picture
April 20, 2012
Seattle Breaking Ground for Self-Sustaining Forest
In honor of Earth Day on Sunday, I wanted to give props to Seattle for their most recent project-- building a massive, edible forest just outside the city, free to the public. Yes you read that right-- Massive. Edible Forest. Free! The city has already broken ground on the dedicated 7 acres of land just 2.5 miles outside of Seattle. Among the trees that will be planted are apple, pear, permisson, chestnut, and walnut, and will be availble to all Seattle residents and visitors, both human and otherwise. The hope is for the forest to eventually become completely self-sustaining. Although it...
Earth Day, Going green, Seattle, self-sustaining forest
Lindsay's picture
April 12, 2012
Prescriptions to Be Required for Use of Antibiotics on Livestock
For over 35 years, antibiotics have been used on livestock by ranchers and farmers. Low doses of these drugs over a long period of time help the animals grow larger. Bigger= more meat= good for everyone, right? Not quite. Using small amounts of antibiotics over long periods creates strains of bacteria that are resistant to the drugs’ effects. Humans who become infected with these strains cannot be treated with routine antibiotic therapy. Tens of thousands of people die each year from antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. While it's unclear how many of these strains come from...
antibiotics, disease resistance, FDA, livestock
Erin D's picture
April 11, 2012
The Prom Dress Crackdown
I'm fortunate to have missed the puffy-sleeve prom dress era (as much as I love the '80s!). But looking back at my prom wardrobe -- compared to today's scantily-clad styles -- you could say I looked downright dowdy. To my dad's delight, I'm sure, the "in" styles were almost exclusively long gowns. They had high halter necklines, substantial straps, or decent coverage even if they were strapless. They looked pretty stylish and elegant, in my opinion -- on a night that used to be about elegance and being on the brink of adulthood.   Not too get...
prom 2012, prom dress codes, prom fashion, raising daughters, raising teens
Erin D's picture
April 10, 2012
Welcome to FamilyEducation's New Look!
You have probably noticed that FamilyEducation.com got a makeover! The FE Team was thrilled to officially launch the spruced-up site this morning. Welcome to our new look! It's the same great parenting content you've always relied on but it has a modern design and should be much easier to navigate. Every topic, from Babies to Teens to Mom's Life and more, is packed with popular related articles, advice, and activities that are perfect for your family. Your favorite features, such as our Printables Center and informative slideshows, are still here but with a fresh...
familyeducation.com, Parenting, parenting websites, websites
Erin D's picture
April 5, 2012
Airline Introduces Separate Kids'/Kids-Free Sections... Not!
A childless, frequent-flying Facebook friend of mine just posted "Awesome" and linked to this video from the Canadian airline WestJet introducing it's Kargo Kids program -- "an exciting new program allowing guests to travel on select child-free flights, creating a quieter and more relaxing inflight experience, while children travel in a 'special VIP' area of the aircraft." I don't know if said friend actually watched the video but, alas, APRIL FOOLS! The program -- the answer to many parents and non-parents wildest traveling dreams -- is a sham....
April fools, Family Travel, kid-free airline, Traveling with Kids, WestJet Kargo Kids
Lindsay's picture
March 30, 2012
What's Race Got to Do With It?
I'll admit it-- I'm a Hunger Games fanatic. I tore through all three books in less than a week. (Side note: I might catch some flack here, but I was Team Gale the whole way through. Don't hate me!) And I was really sad when I was done. Not because I didn't like the ending, but because it meant I didn't have the books to look forward too anymore. I mean, what the heck was I supposed to do with my time now? I counted down the days until the movie came out, just to finally see if what I had dreamt up in my mind was similiar (or vastly different) from how the producers...
Hunger Games, Racism, Twitter
Erin D's picture
March 23, 2012
What the Heck Is "Hunger Games"?
Brace yourself for your local movie theater to be taken over by millions of shrieking fans -- not of wizards, werewolves, and vampires -- but of... warring teenagers? I thought you just had to go to your local junior high hallways to take that in. Hmm... I haven't gotten caught up in The Hunger Games mania yet, but I am planning to read the book(s) to find out why in the world it's all the rage. My loose understanding of it, based on the movie trailers I've seen, makes it look like some mix of Gattaca and Gladiator -- a futuristic world of fights to the death. But kids (...
Hunger Games, Pop Culture, Teens, young adult fiction