Attack on Public Unions: The Protests Continue

YouTube - 100,000 Strong

Very inspiring video of the 100,000+ protestors. Even though the national media seem to be tiring of this story, this protest continues NATIONWIDE. Every single state in the nation has had a rally of some sort. Why? An assault on public sector workers hurts all workers. If we see the demise of unions, all the gains of the previous decades will roll back. If a rising tide lifts all boats, what does a sinking/whirlpool do to all the boats? We're all in this together--don't let billionaires convince you otherwise.

Automating Motherhood - Steady Mom

So simple, it's genius. A simple list...not unlike the type that's being encouraged in hospital settings. You know what it does there? Decreases errors and improves outcomes. What it would do in the home is DECREASE STRESS and improve outcomes (by outcomes, I mean clothes picked up off the floor, homework done, that sort of thing). All good! From healthcare settings to the home--Thank you, Steady Mom!
  Automating Motherhood - Steady Mom
http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2010/02/08/gawandes-checklist-manifesto/

Vending Machines in Schools: The Top 5 Dangers on Campus

Vending Machines in Schools: The Top 5 Dangers on Campus
Vending machines are unsustainable. They encourage food consumption in the absence of hunger. They encourage consumption of high calorie, low nutrient foods. Thus, they contribute to the growing problem of overweight/obesity and malnutrition. They are overpriced, and therefore a poor consumer choice. They use unnecessary packaging, and are therefore bad for the environment. Any way you look at it, vending machines are a poor choice for schools--including colleges and universities. Let's create better alternatives.

Why They Are Rallying - Inside Higher Ed

Why They Are Rallying - Inside Higher Ed

Fired up dispite 25 degrees and snowing

Nothing makes me happier than to see average, working Americans standing up for their rights. Hurting one group of working and middle class workers hurts all workers. We're all in this together! I especially appreciated the private unions, who would not be effected by this bill, who came out and stood in the cold weather with us in a show of true solidarity.

Time to Support Teachers' and other Public Employees' Rights!

Time to take a stand. The last thing we need to do is to pit public employees against private employees. Unions make easy scapegoats, but the reality is that unionized employees have lost wages and benefits along with everyone else over the last few decades, and the power of unions has greatly declined. Can anyone really think this is just a financial issue? Doesn't this seem to be union busting, pure and simple, with deficit reduction put forward as a convenient justification?

As long as we squabble and fight each other for meager resources, then the trend of stagnant and declining wages for the middle class will continue, while the richest will continue to get richer (and avoid taxes). Hurting public unions will not raise the wages of the average worker. It will hurt everyone--it will continue the expansion of the inequality of wages between the top and bottom earners. And, in case we need the reminder, we need teachers, police officers, fire fighters, and other public employees. 

A good Family and Consumer Scientist stands on the side of what's right, rather than waiting for the right thing to become popular. Support your teachers and all the other hard working public employees. Collective bargaining is, after all, as American as apple pie, and as democratic as the ballot box. 

Let's pay for the things that really matter, and fix the things that are actually broken. And to my Wisconsin brothers and sisters: overcome!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/18/wisconsin-union-protests  

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/11/wage_inequality.html

Parenting Resources: USA.gov

Great parenting resources on this website, including child care information, parent education, and health education.

Parenting Resources: USA.gov

Crazy Talk and American Politics: or, My Glenn Beck Story - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

We have a responsibility to interject reason into political discussions. Unfounded conspiracy theories are distracting us from finding real solutions to our nation's problems. I would like to take this opportunity to declare crazy, paranoid talk in the news and inf0-tainment media unsustainable.
Crazy Talk and American Politics: or, My Glenn Beck Story - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Laughing gas returning as option for laboring moms - Yahoo! News

Laboring women need options. This is one that may work for some women, and it's relatively inexpensive compared to an epidural.

Laughing gas returning as option for laboring moms - Yahoo! News

Is Breastfeeding advocacy anti-feminist? An essay by Katherine A. Dettwyler — Lactivist Leanings

Feminism, to me, is supporting women in all their various roles--especially motherhood. I have enjoyed Katherine Dettwyler's work for decades. It never, ever occurred to me that her work was somehow anti-feminist. Such a narrow view of feminism does not advance the cause of women's rights, and it does not improve our well-being.
Is Breastfeeding advocacy anti-feminist? An essay by Katherine A. Dettwyler — Lactivist Leanings

Celebrity Booby Trap: Bethenny & Rachael Ray Frown on Public Breastfeeding

As long as we force breastfeeding women into back rooms, societally we will all lack familiarity and comfort with it, and breastfeeding rates will remain lower than our stated public health aims. We all benefit from breastfeeding. It is better for the infant, the mother, and society. Not only are famlies not spending money on a product they don't need, but they're not polluting the environment with all the unnecessary packaging and bottles, etc. I don't know this Bethenny person, and I've never been a Rachael Ray fan (we can all open cans, Rachael), but it seems to me if you are in a position of having people actually *listen* to you, you should use that opportunity to be an advocate, not yet another obstacle.
Celebrity Booby Trap: Bethenny & Rachael Ray Frown on Public Breastfeeding

Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children: The Role of Maternal Dietary Restriction, Breastfeeding, Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods, and Hydrolyzed Formulas -- Greer et al. 121 (1): 183 -- AAP Policy

This revision of AAP recommendations regarding introduction of foods that are common allergens is just about the muddiest document I've ever read. Aside from recommending breastfeeding, particularly during the first 6 months, this is about as close as I've ever seen the AAP come to saying, "we just aren't sure what you should do." Unfortunately, sometimes recommendations from the medical community are based on very little actual science. We now have enough data to know that we need more data.

Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children: The Role of Maternal Dietary Restriction, Breastfeeding, Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods, and Hydrolyzed Formulas -- Greer et al. 121 (1): 183 -- AAP Policy

Work-life and dependent care experts in the human resources field

What employers want: the perfect, workaholic employee with no life. Reasonable? No, since such a lifestyle is unhealthy. What is needed is more flexibility to achieve a better work-life balance. Read more.
WFD Consulting: Work-life and dependent care experts in the human resources field

New Bureau of Consumer Protection

Take a look at what the Obama administration is doing to protect consumers.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/02/07/robins-story-andrews-story-new-bureau-protect-consumers?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl

Raising Healthy Children: Translating Child Development Research Into Practice - Guerra - 2011 - Child Development - Wiley Online Library

This is a must read issue of Child Development, a publication of SRCD. Would love to see FCSRJ do something like this. People need to understand how research connects to their daily lives. More importantly, research needs to be focused on improving the quality of people's lives. If we can't or won't reach out to the public, then ultimately we haven't accomplish a thing. Translational research should really be what a Family and Consumer Sciences is all about.
Raising Healthy Children: Translating Child Development Research Into Practice - Guerra - 2011 - Child Development - Wiley Online Library

Obama May Take Big Step Against Campus Sex-Assault | Womens eNews

Obama May Take Big Step Against Campus Sex-Assault | Womens eNews

Great New Resource for Pregnant Women and New Mothers

Website:

http://www.text4baby.org

Mission:

Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. Text4baby is made possible through a broad, public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations. Founding partners are HMHB, Voxiva, CTIA - The Wireless Association and Grey HealthCare Group (a WPP company). Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor, and premier sponsors include WellPoint, Pfizer and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services. The mobile health platform is provided by Voxiva and free messaging services are generously provided by participating wireless service providers. Implementation partners include BabyCenter, Danya International, Syniverse Technologies, Keynote Systems and The George Washington University. Contact Information: General Inquiries info@text4baby.org For information about becoming a partner or technical assistance for existing partners, please contact: partners@text4baby.org For media inquiries, please contact: media@text4baby.org or call 202-944-1968

Products:

Disclaimer Text4baby provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.

Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/text4baby

Challenges to the Health Care Law

Love Diane Rehm. Good discussion about the healthcare law and all the controversy around it.
Challenges to the Health Care Law

The University of Arkansas has a new tool for family life education - Navigating Life's Journey | NCFR

The University of Arkansas's Cooperative Extension Service is offering a new, free resource: Navigating Life's Journey. You can sign up to receive weekly e-mails to help you improve your personal well-being and family relationships. The research-based ideas come from dozens of the world's best family life experts so you can trust that they are credible and will work in your life. There will also be a practical suggestion of how you can apply the idea to your life. Interested?
The University of Arkansas has a new tool for family life education - Navigating Life's Journey NCFR

Future of Children journal - Fragile Families | NCFR

The latest edition of the Princeton-Brookings Future of Children journal is on Fragile Families. Click on the link below to download for free.
Future of Children journal - Fragile Families NCFR