Here's Liz Atwood with this week's Tween Tuesday:

I was happy to learn that the Maryland State Board of Education is taking another look at its zero tolerance policy. Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Bowie reports that the board is aiming to revise its discipline procedures in order to keep more kids in school. The new policies could reduce school suspensions by about a third, state officials said.

Already, some principals are having second thoughts about suspending kids for non-violent behavior. It’s time they did. I’ve been shocked to see the number of suspensions skyrocket in my kids’ elementary school. Call me soft, but I find it hard to accept that elementary school children should be suspended unless they bring a weapon to school or try to burn the place down.

I know a little about school discipline. For many years, my mother worked in a high school where her job was to keep the kids who were given in-school suspension. She had to make sure the students did the work they were supposed to be doing in the classroom. I am sure that a day with my no-nonsense mother was a more effective punishment than allowing the kids to stay home for a day.

When my mother died, a young woman I did not know came to the funeral. With tears streaming down her face, she told me my mother was the best teacher she ever had. Apparently, she had learned something from in-school suspension.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Teens
        

Here's Liz Atwood with this week's Tween Tuesday:

My kids have been lucky not to have developed any food allergies. Many years ago, my older son pretended he was allergic to tomatoes. He had his teachers and babysitter believing he would fall deathly ill if he ate a tomato. The truth was he doesn’t like the taste of tomatoes, which our sitter discovered one day when she asked us about his “food allergy.”

We all got a laugh out of it, but when kids have real food allergies, it’s not funny. Scientists are starting to unlock the secrets of why kids develop these allergies and have begun to find ways to treat the problem.

A recent article on Parenting.com says doctors are experimenting with introducing microscopic amounts of the foods that cause allergic reactions in hopes kids’ immune systems will learn to tolerate the foods. One day these kids may eventually outgrow their allergies.

Have you wrestled with food allergies in your home? Did your kids eventually outgrow them?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Teens
        

Moms around the world can probably tell hundreds of stories about trying to breastfeed their babies for the first time.

As much as some people say it's "natural," it's not always that easy. Maryland healthcare providers are trying to make the breastfeeding process easier for new moms.

My colleague Andrea K. Walker reports:

Officials hope that improving support for breast-feeding inside and outside the hospital will not leave mothers to figure out it for themselves. Recommendations include requiring lactation nurses at hospitals, promoting exclusive breast-feeding and encouraging immediate bonding between baby and mother. The state also wants hospitals to stop giving out free formula samples that they say may entice mothers to give up on breast-feeding in a moment of desperation.

I was lucky that Jake -- who is now 2! -- latched on pretty easily though there were moments where things did not go as smoothly. If a mom wants to breastfeed her baby, it's important that family, friends and spouse or partner provide support and encouragement.

While healthcare providers, doctors and hospitals try to encourage new moms to breastfeed, they are also sending mixed messages. In my situation, I had access to lactation nurses at the hospital, but I was sent home with free samples of formula.

What kind of support and services should doctors and hospitals provide? Should the state push efforts to stop free formula samples?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Parenting in general
        

Here's Liz Atwood with this week's Tween Tuesday:

Folks are still talking about the Super Bowl commercials. While the Clint Eastwood car commercial appears to be the most controversial ad this year, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) is more concerned with the 14 million kids under age 21 who watched the Super Bowl and saw the alcohol ads.

Dr. David Jernigan, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who heads the center, opposes the tactics companies such as Budweiser use to market their products. Their ads often feature dogs and horses, making them appealing to kids, his group says. This year, one of the most popular commercials aired during the Super Bowl included Weego, a rescue dog who fetched beer for his owner. Budweiser is even donating money to rescue shelters for folks who click on the Facebook page and vote for the commercial.

My boys were among the millions who sat through all the Super Bowl ads. Did they have an impact? I don’t know. My kids seemed to like the car and Doritos commercials more than the beer commercials And while I’ve never drunk a Budweiser in my life, I’ll have to say it wouldn’t seem like the Super Bowl to me if I didn’t see one commercial with the Clydesdales. I missed the Weego ad, but Budweiser’s Prohibition ad gave me the chance to tell my 15 year old about the failed Eighteenth Amendment. It was one of those teachable moments.

What about you? Did your kids seem to notice the alcohol ads?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Teens
        

Here's Liz Atwood with this week's Tween Tuesday:

I noticed a few days ago that the Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation that would require kids under age 13 to sit in the back seat of the car. Currently, the state recommends kids under 13 sit in the back, but doesn’t require it.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a great idea. The Maryland State Medical Society, also known as MedChi, supports the measure as a way to reduce the chance of kids being seriously hurt in car crashes. That’s good, of course, but I have more selfish reasons for supporting the plan.

If the law passes, I won’t have to play referee with my kids about who gets to sit up front. One boy is 10, the other 15. The matter will be settled. The younger one will complain of course, but I’ll be able to say, “Sorry, honey, that’s the law.”

I already use that answer when he moans about going to school. “Sorry, you can’t stay home from school. That’s the law.”

So I’m asking the legislature on behalf of parents throughout the state—pass this law so I’ll have one less argument to settle. And maybe while you’re at it, pass a law that settles which kid has control over the car radio.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety, Teens
        

As mothers, we talk about having and wanting choices on how we raise our children.

Some moms in Maryland want to have the option of delivering their babies at home and want the state to ease standards to do so. Supporters say the state places too many restrictions on obtaining a midwife. In Maryland, more than 500 moms delivered their babies at home last year.

My colleague Andrea K. Walker reports on this grass roots effort:

They are working with a Montgomery County delegate to introduce legislation that would open the door to more midwives delivering babies at home. ...

Heather Brown, 35, of Pikesville, delivered two of her babies at home, including a daughter born seven weeks ago. She said state officials need to be more open-minded about home births.

"It should be a valid choice for women who want to do it," she said. "It should be a woman's choice and not the doctor's and the medical establishment. It's not fair for the government to make it so difficult."

State health officials oppose loosening the restrictions, citing safety concerns. Currently, certified nurses or doctors must be present during home births.

But as the story points out, the majority of home births around the country are performed by other types of midwives, including certified professional midwives, who Maryland does not allow to deliver babies at home.

It's a fascinating debate, and I'm interested in hearing from moms who have delivered at home. Why did you choose a home birth vs. a hospital birth?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Expecting