How Far Would You Go to Provide for Your Kids?

If you recall, I blogged about Mimi Faust and her abandonment issues stemming from her mother.  If you follow the Love and Hip Hop series you know she underwent cosmetic surgery on her breast, which she revealed during the show.  Now that she has a new relationship, her fiancé and her have cut a lucrative deal with Vivid, a well-known porn company, and are releasing their "sex tape".  Now that she is no longer with her promiscuous and manipulative sperm donor, she has turned to this option as a revenue stream.  Ladies, what would you do in this situation? Do you feel her decision was really warranted? 

This is Realest Mother Dearest signing off. 

Itunes Refunds for Child Purchases

iTunes just issued a policy update which allows you to request refunds on apps purchased by your little ones without your permission.  Just thought I would share.
Realest Mother Dearest signing off.

Fatherhood, a Documentary ALL Parents Can Learn From

 Click Here to Watch the Series

I know Mother's Day comes first, but do not let the title fool you.  Although Frank Azaria, voice actor for the animated series , "The Simpsons", takes the angle of fatherhood, the panel of experts and fellow fathers share advice and anecdotes about parenting which could be of use to any parent.   

The 12-part series spans a few years.  Although Azaria intended to use the documentary to investigate parenting and whether or not he wanted to embark on the journey, his girlfriend became pregnant, and we are able to watch his son, Hal, from the beginning.  

From having a premature son (10 weeks early!) to teaching an only child to socialize with others because the whole world doesn't revolve around him anymore, we get to see how Azaria and others deal with each phase.  Heavier subjects such as death and God are even discussed.

It took some doing but I completed all 12 segments, and I feel it is worth the time.

This is Realest Mother Dearest signing off.  

Child Abuse Awareness

               
         I'm not going to go into the gory details of the latest viral video of a man beating his daughter for disappearing for 3 days as well as wearing a slip of a dress in public.  If you are interested, you can watch it here.   I'm also not about to make you gag at the mother of 5 who was imprisoned for neglecting her children in filth, but if you are curious you can click here. What I will say is, it's easy to look at such an obvious outlier such as public abuse and say "that's not right" but there are other forms of abuse that are dismissed every day.
          April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and here are some signs of abuse.  Hopefully if you are guilty of some these behaviors your will seek help.  Psychology Today categorizes child abuse as physical, emotional, verbal or sexual.  The abuse can be the result of neglect.
         I often find myself engaging in thought-provoking conversation about what is acceptable in the way of chastisement for children.  It is hard to know at times if you are doing the right thing for those with older children, but if you don't understand what abuse is, you will exact it on your child, thinking the ends justifies the means.  Verbal abuse is more than just a firm tone of voice; it is berating a child into obedience.  I have witnessed parents using this tactic and I always want to say something but parenting is such a sensitive subject I refuse to volunteer information.  Embarrassing your child in front of his or her friends about a bedwetting problem with not help them get over it any faster, especially if bedwetting comes from a lack of emotional security.
         If there is anything I can say about these horrific tales of neglect and abuse, I would like to say be careful with your words and actions, even in moments of extreme anger.  A child's wrongdoing is not an opportunity to hand out whatever punishment comes to mind.  A heavy hand only provokes wrath after so long.
     
        This is Realest Mother Dearest signing off.

Wi-Fi and Children's Health

As I type this entry, I am using the Wi-Fi in my home.  I am in an apartment, and there are several nearby Wi-Fi ignals.  Each signal carries its own, albeit low, radiation, and although the research on Wi-Fi and health is inconclusive, many people are complaining of a myriad of symptoms ranging from headaches to difficult sleeping.  Some schools ban the use of Wi-Fi in the interest of sparing children from the potentially harmful effects.

The debate still rages on, but I know personally, some of my close friends as well as myself have experienced symptoms that seem to disappear when the wifi is disabled or the ethernet cable is employed instead.  Here are some suggestions to consider when at home:

• Disable the Wi-Fi when it is not in use. 
• Disable the Wi-Fi habitually before bedtime.  
• Limit your use of Wi-Fi during the day, i.e., allow yourself so much time for frivolous games and Facebook, then find other things to do.

After you have done these things for about a week, document how you feel, how your children behave, and how your sleep patterns are affected.  You may be surprised.  There is another claim that plants cannot thrive near wireless routers, which is troubling to say the least.

Investigate for yourself, and tell me what you think.  This is Realest Mother Dearest signing off.