Baby Gates

How do you deal with broken highchairs?

Filed under: Babies, Toddlers, Places to go, Health and safety, Baby essentials, Mealtime

Ever get tired of eating at home or suffering through take out? Ever fantasize about going out to a nice meal that someone else cooks, someone else serves you and someone else cleans up? Ever figure out how to turn that fantasy into a reality and actually get you, your spouse and your kids out the door at a reasonable hour before things get too crowded and miraculously find yourselves seated at a table at--oh!--a restaurant?

You've finally managed to sit down and rest your aching feet, your aching back, your aching everything. You've got the kid's food and his toys and his diaper changer and your spouse has managed to put down the stroller and find a safe place for it out of the way. The server has brought the high chair. And, as you're sliding the baby down into it, you realize it's broken. The latches don't work or don't exist or whatever. You kindly ask for another one, explaining this one is broken.

The server obliges and brings you another one, which is, alas, also broken. Not only is it not safe, but it simply won't hold your son, who is more excited than ever to be in a new place with new faces and smells and ever so much excitement. He can't sit still. In fact, he won't sit at all and you have to hold him down to keep him from standing in the high chair.

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Pregnancy tips all moms can use

Filed under: Just for moms, Fun and activities, Holidays, Mommy musts

Hey, it's Mother's Day. Just because you're not a mommy yet doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of yourself like one. I can tell you from past experience, how you treat yourself while you're pregnant will very much impact how you take care of yourself (or don't) when you're a mom. And, take it from me, it's important to do both. It will make you a happier person and probably a better mom to do so.

MSN offers several keen suggestions for moms to be to make it through the day and keep on track. even if you're not a mom to be, and are already a mom (or not!) I think there is something in this list of suggestions that would benefit us all. So, if you have time after your Mother's Day brunch, check out these tips and see which ones you might like to give a whirl.

I myself am partial to the one regarding taking naps at lunch. I don't know how well this would fly at my office or anyone else's, but if you have the ability, I say go for it. Sleep during pregnancy is of the utmost importance. After you become a mom, it's downright essential. And it seems none of us parents ever gets enough. Heaven forbid those of us without TiVo stay up late enough to watch the latest episode of Lost!

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Mom movies

Filed under: Just for moms, Media, That's entertainment

Sadly, there appears to be a dearth of movies that feature female leads at all, let alone mothers, except, perhaps, on the Lifetime channel. As XKCD points out, the ratio of male-to-female lead roles is definitely out of whack. Can you think of a big-budget film with a female lead (where the female wasn't just a love interest)? Sure, there's Tomb Raider and The Devil Wears Prada, but for every movie like that, there are literally dozens -- if not hundreds -- of movies with male leads.

Now consider the plight of the mother in Hollywood. Or, rather, lack thereof. Moms seem to be just an afterthought. Someone to give context to the male lead's homelife. Frankly, that kind of sucks. Still, I was able to come up with some maternal movies for Mother's day. Take a look at my list and then see if you can add any more in the comments.

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Denise Richards: argument over vaccinations ended marriage

Filed under: Health and safety, Medical conditions, Celeb kids, Celeb parenting

When Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen broke up way back when, many speculated that playboy Charlie had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing. There may or may not be something to that theory, but according to Denise Richards, the final straw in the relationship had nothing to do with another woman. She says it was an ugly disagreement over vaccinations that made her realize her marriage wasn't going to work.

Denise says that when she decided to vaccinate four-year-old daughter Sam, Charlie accused her of poisoning their child. "I knew when he said that, that the marriage wasn't going to work," she tells Rebook magazine.

While that does seem a little harsh, I've seen first hand right here at Parent Dish how the subject of vaccinations can divide parents. In the end, the best we can do is agree to disagree. But when mom and dad have different opinions, things can get a little more complicated. Have you and your partner found yourselves on different sides of the vaccination debate? How did you work it out?

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Most powerful lesbian moms

Filed under: Just for moms, Money and work, 2Moms2Dads, Celeb parenting

Generally speaking, moms have a lot of power at home. Some moms, however, wield a lot of power outside the home too, and that takes a lot of effort and determination. Dana over at Mombian has compiled a list of the most powerful lesbian moms in America. These are women who are not only caring for their kids, but are also making a difference in the world.

The list includes a lot of women we hear about all the time -- Melissa Etheridge, Mary Cheney, Rosie O'Donnell -- as well as some you might not have heard of at all -- Lisa Brummel (senior vice president for human resources at Microsoft), Megan Smith (vice president of new business development at Google), and Karla Drenner (Georgia State Representative).

Of course, everyone's definition of power is different, but I think we can all agree that these are women who are definitely higher up on the ladder than most. And if that weren't enough, they're also all moms -- probably the most challenging and difficult job on the planet. Cheers to all of them!

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A goodbye and a welcome

Filed under: Media

On the dashboard of the software that powers ParentDish, there's a little box that tells each blogger how many words and how many posts he or she has written.

The dashboard tells me tonight: you have written 527,463 words and 1854 posts. That is a lot of words; that's an unfathomable amount of posts.

I started writing here to supplement my income when things were tight financially during my maternity leave with my infant. My son was just a tiny baby, not yet walking, not yet talking. This blog has taken me through Nolan's first steps, my many parenting blunders, and provided me with perspective and sustenance during what was certainly the most emotionally wrenching year of my life. During my tenure here, in the beginning, I was my fiance's partner -- now I am just my son's Mother. We're doing so well, our hearts are full, I'm on a journey of learning to be a better parent.

Your comments, over the years, have helped immeasurably. I consider many of you friends, and sometimes I lie awake in bed thinking about Anji's suggestion or Meagan's words of solidarity and your sharing has helped me be a better Mother -- and in many instances, a better person. Even some of the crazy trolls have helped -- I've grown a thicker skin, become more secure in my own convictions and strength.

This is a slightly long winded way...

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American Idol dad banned for bad behavior

Filed under: Teens and tweens, Celeb parenting, In the news

David Archuleta is one of three contestants left in the final round of this season's American Idol, so it stands to reason that the pressure is on. But it's hard to say who's feeling the pressure more, David or his dad.

Jeff Archuleta, who is allowed backstage because David, 17, is still a minor, recently lost his backstage pass for not following the rules. Though Archuleta had been warned about his overbearing influence during rehearsals in the past, he broke a rule last week that cost the show extra money. When David sang the song "Stand By Me," his father added in a verse from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls," which American Idol then had to pay for.

According to Wikipedia, this isn't the first time Archuleta has been accused of overstepping his role of stage parent. Naomi Judd, who worked with the family on Star Search once said that Jeff Archuleta was the "worst stage dad," and that security measures had to be put into place during that series as well.

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