I think it’s safe to say that those that don’t see the humor in this tactic (aka “the old switcheroo”) aren’t parents. What do you think everyone…is this cruel or funny? In case you are wondering, I’ve watched it three times and I’m voting “funny”.

Enjoy!
Dr.MOZ

I know, you’re looking at this toddler and wondering what she is doing on the baby blog. She’s not a baby at all. Actually, she is five and from what I can tell…she doesn’t want to get married until she has a job first. This is just a small reminder that your rolling, burping

little bundle will have her own opinions (and entire life planned-out) before you know it. Enjoy the baby phase!

Have a great weekend,
Dr.MOZ

As a general rule, I like to keep things clean but this parenting video (not safe for work)  is just too perfect to ignore. If you are a new parent that frequents public parks, you’ll eventually have a conversation with a perfect stranger covering all the hot topics

(breastfeeding, sleep sharing, immunizations, TV, developmental milestones, etc.) that will end up just about as good as this does.

Enjoy!

Dr.MOZ

There’s nothing quite as funny as seeing our parents in photos long, long before they had kids. It can be hard to imagine our parents living footloose and fancy-free, but make no mistake my friends…they too were awesome before you came around. If you don’t believe me, just visit My Parents Were Awesome and I think you’ll see what I mean.

Something to keep in mind while you are posing for pictures with carrot sticks in your nose isn’t it? Have a great time with the family this holiday weekend everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Dr.MOZ

I just received a note that the producers from the reality TV show Nanny 911 are looking for “outgoing, charismatic families who need help managing day-to-day family obstacles“, so I thought I’d pass along the information. If your family lives in Connecticut, New Jersey, or New York, and you would like to learn more… check out the casting details here!

Break a leg,

Dr.MOZ

• 99% boys and 94% girls play video games with little to no variation across socioeconomic groups
• Three-quarters of teens report that they play with others at least some of the time
• 5 most popular games include a variety of genres: #1 Guitar Hero (Rhythm), #2 Halo (First-Person Shooters), #3 Madden NFL (Sports), #4 Solitaire (Puzzle), #5 Dance Dance Revolution (Rhythm)
• 72% of parents say they “always” or “sometimes” check the ratings before their children are allowed to play a game
• 62% of parents say that video games have no effect on their children one way or the other
• 31% of parents report that they “always” or “sometimes” play along with their children

I can’t say that I’m surprised that a third of parents play video games with their kids, I’m just amazed that they are able to learn these newfangled controllers. Do you play

video games with your kids? If so, what are your favorites? Are “newfangled” and “duh” actually words? What kind of a blog is this anyway? Please click on the comments button above to tackle these important issues.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

I’d like to welcome the brand spanking new blog MimosBlog.com to the blogging scene! MimosBlog is the online arm of the popular Spanish-language parenting magazine Ser Padres, and relative to Parents magazine and GoodyBlog. They welcome Spanish and English comments (and email), so drop by MimosBlog for the latest parenting news en Español!

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

Do you remember your first “kid job” at the lemonade stand, or perhaps you took an occasional lawn mowing gig from your neighbor? Looking back, it was a great way to learn the value of money and anything that pulled us away from the TV for a few hours during the summer was probably a good thing. That being the said, something didn’t sit quite right when reading about a new Florida-based company that markets to 5 to 15 year-olds on Springwise yesterday.

In a nutshell, kids join a franchise with a one-time $25 set-up fee which qualifies the new franchisee (your kid) to participate in company forums and gives access to their products (soap, beeswax candles, clothing, etc) at wholesale prices. The start-up kit for

this particular franchise includes a certificate, printable business cards, and “how to sell” instructions. Some of the advertised benefits include (a) teach your kids the value of money (b) how to make it in business (c) help your kids get a jump on life.

So, what’s my beef with the kid-biz trend? As with most kid-related businesses that rub me the wrong way…the target market. In this case, it’s recruiting kids five to fifteen-years-old, and the product doesn’t seem to match the “under ten” demographic. Sales tips on the website stress the importance of a firm handshake, good eye contact, asking for the sale, and other skills that don’t exactly mesh with the prospective franchisee. Sure…these are all undeniable “must have” skills for an adult salesperson, but do you really want your five-year-old working on a firm handshake?

The real question is, what aren’t your kids doing when they are practicing their pitch in order to close the big beeswax candle sale to you neighbor? Whatever happened to riding bikes, practicing the perfect armpit fart noise, or dressing up the family pet in dad’s clothing? What do you think folks, am I just a little old-fashioned or are our kids being pushed out of childhood a little too early these days? Click on the comments button to let me know what you think!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

It’s that time of year again everyone! You know…the time of year when we ruin a kid’s perfectly good day surrounded by toys and candy, only to hand them over to a Carny in a red suit. See hundreds more of these horrifying (and hilarious) scary Santa shots at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s “Scared of Santa” gallery and Metromix’s “Even More Scared of Santa” photo archive.

Do you have a good tip for keeping our kids calm during a Santa visit? If so, click on the comments bubble above to share it!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

(Thanks to Junior Society for the tip!)

Dear Dr.MOZ’s current giveaway includes two fantastic daddy gifts, and you get to choose your favorite prize!

* For new and expecting dads, we’re giving away The GoodFather gift CD-ROM by Dr.MOZ which teaches new fathers baby skills to a fun gangster parody “he can’t refuse.”

* More experienced dads (and moms) might prefer Dadditude by Philip Lerman which the New York Times calls “welcoming dad lit.”

Enter by clicking on the comment bubble above before Friday, Dec. 28th at noon (PST) and let us know which prize you would like to win. Please see the “Contests” tab above for complete giveaway rules. Dear Dr.MOZ is moderated throughout the day, so don’t worry if your post isn’t instantly viewable. Remember bloggers, your chances of winning double if you mention this giveaway in your blog or website.

Good luck everyone!

Dr.MOZ

Parentricity: Have you heard about the new parenting website in the works called Parentricity? They are looking for a few new recruits, so why not drop by and join the community (www.parentricity.com/letmein) and shoot a friend request to one of the great bloggers involved like Jason from DadCentric?

LMJ vs YouTube: Speaking of recruits, our masked moms at League of Maternal Justice (LMJ) are looking for a few like-minded blogs to post a video response to their breastfeeding montage recently banned by YouTube. As you may remember from our past LMJ post, Preggerella and Lactivista first battled Facebook’s ban on breastfeeding. It appears that YouTube finds breastfeeding obscene as well, so head over to LMJ’s headquarters to learn more!

Blogparty at goodyblog: Goodyblog just launched a blogparty where readers can win everything from the Parents Holiday Gift Guide. The gift list is HUGE and all you need to do to win is place a comment by December 14th, so check it out and win!

Win The PaPa Pack Daddy Diaper Bag Gift Combo: Now that you are in the winning mood, visit this week’s Dear Dr.MOZ giveaway to win The PaPa Pack from your very own Dr.MOZ! Our popular daddy gift combo includes the fantastic sling-style diaper bag with a modern unisex style, and the GoodFather gift CD-ROM for New Dads packed inside the main compartment. Individual sections (insultated bottle bag, cell phone, etc) help keep dad’s gear separate from the baby gear, and the built-in changing pad with a zippered wipes holder makes diaper changes a breeze! We will only have one winner, so get your own daddy gift combo before they are gone at The PaPa Pack’s main page on the Dr.MOZ company website.

BAM: Looking for a fun way to get your toddler to help clean up his or her toys? If so, head over to Parent Hacks to learn the “BAM” game.

The Power of Honey: Today at The Not So Crunchy Parent, MC discusses a study showing that honey can be more effective at treating kid’s cold symptoms than over-the-counter cough/cold medicines. As with most studies, this one was financially backed by the industry with the most to gain by the findings (The National Honey Board in this case). Like MC says, this doesn’t make the study unreliable so visit The Not So Crunchy Parent to learn more.

Thanks again for visiting everyone, and don’t forget to share your ideas about today’s topics by clicking on the comments bubble above.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

As those of you coming to this blog through our company site may already know, a portion of sales coming from Dr.MOZ’s GoodFather line of daddy gifts go towards supporting the development and hosting of our free directories and resources for new and expecting parents. One resource that we’re particularly proud of is our small but growing directory of US adoption agencies which includes organizations from all 50 states. Our directory also includes links to adoption forums and online communities, so please let us know if you have an agency or group not already listed in the Dr.MOZ Adoption Directory and we would be happy to include it!

Those looking for unique adoption gifts, books, and related products should visit our retail partners at the AdoptShoppe. You’ll find a useful collection of products created especially for adoptive parents along with an amazing deal on our PaPa Pack daddy diaper bag gift combo!

Have a great Monday!
Dr.MOZ