NEW YORK (AP) – Shocking or no big deal? A woman breastfeeding her 3-year-old son is the cover photo of this week’s Time magazine for a story on “attachment parenting,” and reactions ranged from applause to cringing to shrugs.

The photo showed Jamie Lynne Grumet, 26, a stay-at-home mom in Los Angeles who says her mother breastfed her until she was 6 years old. She told the magazine in an interview that she’s given up reasoning with strangers who see her son nursing and threaten “to call social services on me or that it’s child molestation.”

“People have to realize this is biologically normal,” she said, adding, “The more people see it, the more it’ll become normal in our culture. That’s what I’m hoping. I want people to see it.”

Some questioned why the magazine used the photo of Grumet, a slim blonde pretty enough to be a model, to illustrate a story about a style of childrearing that’s been around for a generation. The issue includes a profile of the attachment parenting guru, Dr. Bill Sears, who wrote one of the movement’s bibles, “The Baby Book,” 20 years ago.

Mika Brzezisnki, co-host of MSNBC’s weekday morning program “Morning Joe,” suggested on the air that the cover was needlessly sensational: “I’ll tell you why it bothers me _ because it’s a profile of Bill Sears!”

On Twitter, the cover inspired X-rated jokes along with concerns that the child might be teased when he’s older. But on many message boards, there was debate about whether it’s OK to breastfeed beyond babyhood.

Bobbi Miller, a mother of six who lives in Arkansas, expressed disapproval in a tweet and said in a phone interview, “Even a cow knows when to wean their child.” Of the cover, she said: “Why would this even be out there? It’s ludicrous. It’s almost on the verge of voyeurism.”

But Bettina Forbes, co-founder of an organization called Best for Babes that promotes breastfeeding and supports women who want to nurse their children beyond babyhood, said she hopes the cover “will make mainstream America less squeamish” about women breastfeeding children of any age. “It’s high time we talk about these things,” she said.

Reaction to the cover underscored a cultural rift between traditional childrearing and what some have deemed “extreme parenting.” The attachment philosophy encourages mothers to respond to their babies’ every cry and form close bonds with near-constant physical contact through “co-sleeping” (letting them sleep in the bed with parents rather than in cribs) and “baby-wearing” (carrying them on slings instead of pushing them in strollers).

Retail chains including Target, Wal-Mart and Safeway did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the magazine, which goes on sale Friday, would be displayed in stores.

Time Managing Editor Rick Stengel said he had not heard of any retailers concerned about displaying the cover. But he acknowledged that the image is “provocative. We’re posing an interesting question about a subject that couldn’t be more important _ how we raise our children. People have all kinds of mixed feelings about that.” (BETH J. HARPAZ, AP)

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Never-ending online 3D book allows worldwide sharing of Christmas wishes messages

Bratislava, Slovakia (MMD Newswire) December 13, 2011 — Have a special Christmas wish? It could be the wish heard ’round the world. 3D web design company SUNAEON has launched a website, www.Christmas-Wishes-Book.com, that allows people all over the world to share their holiday hopes and dreams in a unique – and never-ending – 3D “book.” This project gathers Christmas messages from people around the globe in a single place, allowing everyone to express his or her thoughts to the world, and even to send those sentiments as a Christmas e-card.

“I believe that by uniting wishes from all over the world, we can create a unique Christmas story,” says Marian Bayer, product development leader for SUNAEON. Bayer also notes that the late Mother Teresa said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Christmas-Wishes-Book.com definitely makes those kind words easy to speak, or rather to write; it’s free for all users, who need only log onto the Web site and follow the easy, intuitive instructions.

Says Bayer, “Christmas-Wishes-Book.com is a site for everyone who enjoys Christmas – people of every age, gender, nationality, and race.”

Christmas-Wishes-Book.com has only been up and running for a short time, but has already established itself as a grab bag of goodies, much like Forrest Gump’s axiomatic box of chocolates. It’s a forum for the sweet and the whimsical, the serious and the silly, the profound and the humorous. All voices are welcome, and hundreds of Christmas wishes and messages have been added so far, ranging from expressions of longings for world peace and freedom, to personal Yuletide messages to loved ones, to an exhortation to Santa to “lose the beard.” Navigation buttons allow for effortless maneuvering through the wish book.

Bayer says that Christmas-Wishes-Book.com is the first online book of its kind that allows all people to share and send their Christmas wishes. It’s designed to be a fun experience. “The unique 3D design, with its animated Christmas ambiance, offers an unusual way for people to express themselves and to send and share Christmas e-cards,” says Bayer. “And by writing wishes and sending them, you bring joy to your family, friends, and to the world. If that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.”

SUNAEON is a European-based creative team offering some of the most progressive sites in the field of 3D, featuring unique animated models, while at the same time striving to be as user-friendly

Article source: PRNewswire

Save a tree and your sanity by utilizing some of the many tools the web has to offer. With everything from textbooks, notes, references, and more available on the web, it can save both time and save space in your backpack. So grab your laptop, mobile device, or even desktop and use these top ten tools for students to save some time, money, and the planet.

1. Remember the Milk http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ – Even the latest tablet’s technology still has trouble keeping up with Remember the Milk’s capabilities. First derived as an online grocery list, it has now evolved into one of the premiere note-taking and to-do list tools on the web. It can help you plan your schedule, assign tasks, customize how you receive the tasks, and much more.
2. Merriam- Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/ – This leading dictionary maker has all the frills you would find in a paper version online, with a few extras thrown in. Get audio pronunciations, links to other words, and much more. They also have a thesaurus, medical dictionary, and encyclopedia online.
3. Easy Bib http://www.easybib.com/ – Use this free app to make automatic bibliographies and citations for your research. It lists the most used options for citing including books, newspapers, journals, and has 58 total ways to cite something. You can also get a paid service which can help with APA and Chicago styling.
4. Calculator.com http://www.calculator.com/ – Go way beyond that handheld calculator or even your own devices with a visit here. They have over 15 calculators to choose from including standard, graphing, currency, and even a few for fun.
5. Google Docs https://docs.google.com/– A few years ago, the standard was Microsoft Office and their Word program. Now, there are many alternatives, including this free one from Google. In addition to document creation and sharing, it also offers options in spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, and forms.
6. Prezi http://prezi.com/ – Need to make an impressive presentation without paying for PowerPoint? Then stop by this free, cloud based application. Prezi allows you to import media, gives you a full tool set, the capability to work with others, and much more.
7. PDF Xchange http://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer – Get the free alternative to Adobe’s expensive PDF software. The free version offers all the options of Adobe’s free reading version, plus many other tools that can help you work with the popular PDF formatted documents. The full version is also much cheaper than Adobe’s counterpart.
8. Spark Notes http://www.sparknotes.com/ – Go to where notes and college combine. You can look up notes by area of study, college, or even by specific test. There is also loads of college related fun here.
9. 30 Boxes http://www.30boxes.com/welcome.php – Need a free and simple calendar app? Then stop here to the award winning online calendar. You can arrange your entire calendar online and even share with those who are also on the application.
10. JSTOR http://www.jstor.org/ – Why go the library to find a journal when it is probably featured here? This is one of the largest online databases for academic journals spanning every topic from African American studies to zoology. Accessibility is greater when logged into through a participating institute.

Natalie Dawson owns the site Masters Degree Resource. She enjoys writing articles about everything in the education field.

FEMA, National Commission On Children And Disasters Announce New Partnership To Promote Fire Safety Awareness For Families

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (MMD Newswire) February 21, 2011 — With home fires on the rise in winter months, and a new study showing that young children are at an especially high risk of getting seriously injured or dying in residential fires, today the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Commission on Children and Disasters are announcing a new public awareness campaign to help keep children and families safer from the threat of home fires.

As part of this effort, FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration is releasing a new report on the risks fires pose to children. The report, which is based on the latest available data released by the National Center for Health Statistics, found that young children face the greatest – and a growing – risk of death or serious injury in home fires. As such, 52 percent of all child fire deaths in 2007 involved children under the age of four. This was a slight increase from the most recent study previously conducted in 2004. Click here for a copy of the report.

“When you take some time this week to practice and learn about proper fire safety for families, especially children, you are taking the initial steps toward protecting your household from the risks and dangers associated with fires,” said FEMA Region III Regional Administrator

Ms. MaryAnn Tierney. “Practicing proper fire safety will help you to empower yourself as well as your family to become household emergency managers.”

In addition, the report found that:

* Deaths from fires and burns were the second leading cause of accidental deaths not related to transportation, after drowning;

* Boys are at higher-risk of dying from fires than girls;

* Between 2006 and 2008, smoke alarms were not present in at least 23 percent of residential fires;

* African-American children are at an increased risk of fire deaths; and

* Low-income children are at greatest risk of exposure to home fires.

To help families protect their homes and loved ones – especially young children – from fires, FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Commission on Children and Disasters are asking families to take simple steps now to prevent fires in their residences, and partnering with leading organizations across the fire, emergency medical services, public health and emergency management fields to get the message out.

To provide families with important tips about fire safety and lists of additional resources, FEMA is launching online and social media tools,

Article source: PRNewswire

UK (MMD Newswire) March 1, 2011 — A new £33.5 million project will follow 90,000 British children from birth to tell us more about the factors affecting the health and happiness of society, Universities and Science Minister David Willetts announced today.

In a speech given at the British Academy, David Willetts confirmed that the Birth Cohort Facility Project will bring together the UK’s leading portfolio of cohort studies starting in 1946, and includes a new birth cohort study starting in 2012. This will involve children and families from all backgrounds across the UK, and is nearly five times bigger than the previous study conducted in 2000.

For the first time in a study of this kind, a series of samples will be collected from parents and the child. This will reveal more than ever before about the complex interplay between social, economic, biological, environmental and health related experiences and conditions, and how they relate to problems later in life.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, said:

“This Government is committed to the long term – to making decisions today that will promote a better future: a more prosperous economy, and a fairer society. In order to tackle intergenerational social mobility, breaking the pattern of deprivation being passed from one generation to the next, we need to know more about long-term outcomes from birth. The Birth Cohort Study will improve the evidence base we need to make the right investments in our drive to break down the barriers to a fairer society.”

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said:

“Birth cohort studies provide a unique insight into all the factors affecting people’s lives and are central to our understanding of child development. They produce powerful evidence that informs Government policy on a wide range of issues, including social mobility, inequality, education and public health.

“This is turn has positive economic impacts through changes in the delivery of public services, earlier diagnosis of diseases and improvements in quality of life.

“The 2012 study is the largest yet. This research will help us understand more about the needs of individuals than ever before, and ultimately strengthen the fabric of our society.”

Previous studies have provided groundbreaking research on the dangers of excessive drinking amongst young people, the consequences of teenage births for parents and their children and the role that child growth and development plays in cardiovascular disease and other health disorders.

The Birth Cohort Facility Project will create a UK centre of excellence, facilitating comparative analyses of data across previous studies, and helping illuminate how health and

Article source: PRNewswire