by Jennifer Lance on February 8, 2010 · 1 comment
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sonyaseattle
Stop the erectile dysfunction commercials!
Ugh, it happened…after years of seeing erectile dysfunction (ED) commercials on TV, my eight-year-old daughter finally asked, “What was the commercial about?” I told her to ask her father, but he wasn’t home, so I was stuck. I’ve always been honest, so I told her it had to do with penis problems (not bathtubs). She went, “Eewww,” and that was that. I was lucky she didn’t ask me what kind of penis problems. Really, I’m surprised she hasn’t asked before now with how prevalent the commercials are on TV.
Beyond personal annoyance at seeing men talk about their penis problems daily on TV, I think it is really inappropriate these commercials are not limited to adult programing or late night. In fact, why do we think it is ok for our children to be confronted with any pharmaceutical commercials? [read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on December 31, 2009 · 5 comments
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kowitz
FTC finds PG-13 movies are marketed to young children
If you are like me, you’ve taken your eight-year-old child to a PG-13 movie. After reading all of the Harry Potter books, how could we not go see the movies? As a parent, that is my choice, but unfortunately, many movies are marketed to young children even though they carry the PG-13 rating. For example, a four-year-old child in my preschool has seen Transformers 2 even though it carries a PG-13 rating because he loves the toys. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has found for the seventh time that “movie studios intentionally market PG-13 movies to children under 13, and the movie industry does not have explicit standards in place to restrict this practice. The growing practice of releasing unrated DVDs undermines the rating system, and confuses parents.”
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on December 28, 2009 · 7 comments
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Keith Bacongco
Background TV negatively affects adult-children interactions
There were times in my childhood after my parents’ divorce that the television seemed to always be on to fill the empty space. It’s not that uncommon in many homes for the TV to be on when no one is actually watching it. This background TV noise has previously been shown to interrupt play and negatively affect children’s attention and focus, but a new study has found it also reduces “both the quantity and the quality of interactions between parents and children”.
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on December 4, 2009 · 6 comments
by Jennifer Lance on October 24, 2009 · 9 comments
For parents who were suckered into Disney’s Baby Einstein concept, the company has announced they will give full refunds on up to four videos. The basis of the refund is to compensate parents who actually believed the videos would make their children smarter. UPI reports:
The move comes after Disney’s Baby Einstein Co. last month announced “enhanced consumer satisfaction guarantees” after lawyers had threatened a class-action suit for false advertising. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,” a letter from the lawyers reportedly said.
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on October 12, 2009 · 0 comments
I am not a fan of electronic gizmos for kids, but I am a Mac fan. When offered an opportunity to review a new app for iPhones and iPod touch by Parents Magazine, I decided to approach it with an open mind. Previously, I’d bashed such applications, but this one is different.
My own personal experience involves my five-year-old son, who has verbal apraxia. The tracing activities are wonderful in providing him with a unique way to practice fine motor skills while engaging with letters, shapes, and numbers. I am also thrilled to have him using the iPod touch, as soon he will be using it as an AAC device to help him communicate.
The green factor in this app may be a stretch, and for that dear reader, I apologize; however, if your are looking for an app to entertain your child on the car, airplane, waiting room, iPlay n’ Learn may be for you. Heck, you can’t beat the price. [read the full article...]
Think that lovable, furry ol’ Elmo couldn’t get any sweeter? Well, now he’s using his helping hands by reminding kids to wash theirs in an effort to fight swine flu.
A new ad campaign, sponsored by three government agencies, will feature Elmo and Gordon teaming up. They’ll spread the message on how not to spread germs: wash hands frequently, cough and sneeze into your elbow, and keep your hands away from your face.
The best part? They don’t mention the swine flu vaccine in any of the 30-second PSAs. See?
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[read the full article...]
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