How Can Over-Protective Parenting Cause an Injury?

On a playground slide….that’s how. “Orthopedic specialists say they treat a number of toddlers and young children each year with broken legs as a result of riding down the slide on a parent’s lap.” In Tara Parker-Pope’s piece on this surprising risk, she quotes Jed Dickman, whose 18 month old toddler’s sneaker got caught on the side of the slide, resulting in a fractured tibia. “My wife was just trying to keep Hannah extra safe and make sure she didn’t fall; she felt very guilty about it.”

What’s the upshot?

This may be one of those counter intuitive situations when a child is actually safer by herself. During the summer, have fun and be safe!

NewsFlash: Women Enjoy Child Care Tasks More than Men

In case you haven't read a thousand articles/studies on child care, read one more. Tara Parker-Pope (always excellent) makes several important points in her recent NY Times Magazine essay:

1. On 16 out of 25 child-care tasks like changing diapers, women report higher levels of enjoyment than men.
2. Women are far more likely to take advantage of family-leave benefits than men.
3. Men have more than doubled the time they spend on child care since 1985. Yet women still spend twice as much time with the children as men (surprise, surprise).

How about surveying fathers on the child-care-enjoyment-gender differences and asking.....Aren't you lazy because you married the greatest woman in the world who also happens to be the Mother of all Mothers? Therefore mothers...your diligence increases our laziness. I don't have to worry about repercussions; my wife is way too busy to ever read this blog.

In honor of my birthday blog post, I want to thank both of my parents (in heaven) for having taken such great care of me and.....doing it with a smile!