The Chatterbox

The Chatterbox

News and views from the staff of FamilyEducation.
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archives

July 28, 2010
The Brittany Murphy Rumors and More on Toxic Mold and Home Hazards
The mysterious deaths of actress Brittany Murphy (of Clueless fame) and her husband, Simon Monjack, have kept the rumor mill churning. Murphy died at home in her bedroom in L.A. in December, and Monjack died in the same place five months later. So the latest rumor is that they both died due to toxic mold in their home. Their autopsies revealed that they both died of acute pneumonia and severe anemia (and both had prescription drugs in their system but not enough to be the cause of death, the coroner reported). But the coroner is quelling the mold rumors this week, saying mold did not appear...
Celebrity Deaths, household hazards
July 21, 2010
Does a Silly Bandz Ban Make Sense?
School's out for summer, but an increasing number of school districts across the country are banning Silly Bandz bracelets that are all the rage to kids right now. What's your take on this? To kids, Silly Bandz are fun, bright-colored rubber bracelets that take the shape of animals, fruit, and other cool stuff when they're not on their wrist. They hoard 'em and trade 'em. I even saw a kid selling them at a little table at his parents' yard sale this past weekend, doing a brisk business. A Silly Bandz dealer! To parents, Silly Bandz are a cheap way to please, reward, and entertain a kid (...
ban, Silly Bandz, Toys
July 14, 2010
It Costs More than Ever to Go to the Movies -- Worth It?
Remember when it used to cost a few bucks to see a movie at the theater? We all know those days are long gone. Movie ticket prices had a record increase last year – and they'll only keep climbing. The huge success of Avatar had an affect on movie prices, the National Association of Theater Owners says, because the 3-D film increased the need for more sophisticated equipment and operations. (If your family saw Avatar, you probably remember the sticker shock, between the regular admission, the 3-D glasses, the outrageously priced snacks... you could've eaten at a five-star restaurant...
Family Entertainment, Movie Prices, Movies
July 7, 2010
A Bad Marriage May Be Worse than Divorce for the Kids
If you're in a terrible marriage, staying in it "for the kids" may do more harm than good, a new study shows. The study tracked kids ages 10+ with parents in a high-conflict marriage in the early '90s and circled back to them a decade later to see the effects of their parents' relationship. The kids, by then young adults between ages 18 and 34, were more likely to be in a happy and healthy relationship themself if their warring parents divorced. While children of divorce can go through a very difficult period in the years surrounding a divorce, the longterm effects of having parents in a...
Divorce, Effects of Divorce on Children, Marriage