Mikaloo.com

Mary Josephine Ray, nation's oldest

2010-03-09T10:43:00.002-05:00

Associated Press

WESTMORELAND, N.H. - Mary Josephine Ray, the New Hampshire woman who was certified as the oldest person living in the United States, died Sunday at age 114 years, 294 days.Ms. Ray, who died at a nursing home in Westmoreland, was active until about two weeks before her death, her granddaughter Katherine Ray said.
"She just enjoyed life," Ray said. "She never thought of dying at all. She was planning for her birthday party."
Even with her recent decline, the granddaughter said, Ms. Ray managed an interview with a reporter last week.
Ms. Ray, born May 17, 1895, was the oldest person in the United States and the second-oldest in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group. She was also recorded as the oldest person ever to live in New Hampshire.
The oldest living American is now Neva Morris, 114, of Ames, Iowa; she was born Aug. 3, 1895. Nearly three months older than Morris is the oldest person in the world, Japan's Kama Chinen, who was born May 10, 1895.
Ms. Ray was born in Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, and moved to the United States at age 3. For 60 years she lived in Anson, Maine. She lived in Florida, Massachusetts, and elsewhere in New Hampshire before moving to Westmoreland in 2002 to be near her children.
Her husband, Walter, died in 1967. Survivors include two sons, eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
Morris, the Iowan now believed to be the oldest U.S. resident, lives at a care center. Only one of her four children, a son, is still alive.

1 in 4 parents buys unproven vaccine-autism link

2010-03-09T10:38:00.001-05:00

By CARLA K. JOHNSON

AP Medical Writer

One in four U.S. parents believes some vaccines cause autism in healthy children, but even many of those worried about vaccine risks think their children should be vaccinated.
Most parents continue to follow the advice of their children's doctors, according to a study based on a survey of 1,552 parents. Extensive research has found no connection between autism and vaccines.
"Nine out of 10 parents believe that vaccination is a good way to prevent diseases for their children," said lead author Dr. Gary Freed of the University of Michigan. "Luckily their concerns don't outweigh their decision to get vaccines so their children can be protected from life-threatening illnesses."
In 2008, unvaccinated school-age children contributed to measles outbreaks in California, Illinois, Washington, Arizona and New York, said Dr. Melinda Wharton of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thirteen percent of the 140 who got sick that year were hospitalized.
"It's fortunate that everybody recovered," Wharton said, noting that measles can be deadly. "If we don't vaccinate, these diseases will come back."
Fear of a vaccine-autism connection stems from a flawed and speculative 1998 study that recently was retracted by a British medical journal. The retraction came after a council that regulates Britain's doctors ruled the study's author acted dishonestly and unethically.
The new study is based on a University of Michigan survey of parents a year ago, long before the retraction of the 1998 study. However, much has been written about research that has failed to find a link between vaccines and autism. Mainstream advocacy groups like Autism Speaks strongly encourage parents to vaccinate their children.
"Now that it's been shown to be an outright fraud, maybe it will convince more parents that this should not be a concern," said Freed, whose study appears in the April issue of Pediatrics, released Monday.
Some doctors are taking a tough stand, asking vaccine-refusing parents to find other doctors and calling such parents "selfish."
A statement from a group practice near Philadelphia outlines its doctors' adamant support for government recommended vaccines and their belief that "vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities."
"Furthermore, by not vaccinating your child you are taking selfish advantage of thousands of other who do vaccinate their children ... We feel such an attitude to be self-centered and unacceptable," the statement says, urging those who "absolutely refuse" vaccines to find another physician.
"We call it the manifesto," said Dr. Bradley Dyer of All Star Pediatrics in Lionville, Pa.
Dozens of doctors have asked to distribute the statement, Dyer said, and only a handful of parents have taken their children elsewhere.
"Parents have said, 'Thank you for saying that. We feel much better about it,'" Dyer said.
The new study is based on an online survey of parents with children 17 and younger. It used a sample from a randomly selected pool of nationally representative participants. Households were given Internet access if they didn't already have it to make sure families of all incomes were included. Vaccines weren't mentioned in the survey invitation and vaccine questions were among others on unrelated topics.
Twenty-five percent of the parents said they agreed "some vaccines cause autism in healthy children." Among mothers, 29 percent agreed with that statement; among fathers, it was 17 percent.
Nearly 12 percent of the parents said they'd refused a vaccine for their children that a doctor recommended. Of those, 56 percent said they'd refused the relatively new vaccine against human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer. Others refused vaccines against meningococcal disease (32 percent), chickenpox (32 percent) and measles-mumps-rubella (18 percent).
Parents who refused the HPV vaccine, recommended for girls since 2006, cited various reasons.
Parents who refused the MMR vaccine, the shot most feared for its spurious autism link, said they'd read or heard about problems with it or felt its risks were too great.
The findings will help doctors craft better ways to talk with parents, said Dr. Gary S. Marshall of the University of Louisville School of Medicine and author of a vaccine handbook for doctors.
"For our children's sake, we have to think like scientists," said Marshall, who was not involved in the new study. "We need to do a better job presenting the data so parents understand how scientists have reached this conclusion that vaccines don't cause autism."
___
On the Net:
Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org/

American Gangster

2007-11-03T20:07:00.001-04:00

American Gangster
WTOP - Washington,DC,USA
Dee is the author of two children's books, "Tower to Heaven" and "Two Ways to Count to Ten," as well as a book of poetry and short stories titled "My One ...
See all stories on this topic

MOVIES ON TV THIS WEEK
Dallas Morning News - Dallas,TX,USA
Children and a mystical lion unite against the White Witch. 'PG' AV (CC) (145 min.) (STARZ: Thu 1:50 am, 9:50 am, 8 pm) A CINDERELLA STORY ** (2004) Hilary ...
See all stories on this topic

Thalidomide children and Lead Testing

2007-10-24T10:22:00.001-04:00

Thalidomide is back ...
Daily Mail - UK
Her parents were immediately pressured by doctors and priests to put her in an institution
- the fate of nearly half of all thalidomide children. ...
See all stories on this topic

For the Family
Philadelphia Inquirer - Philadelphia,PA,USA
In addition, there will be lead testing for children's toys
on Friday at the Burlington County Health Department off Woodlane Road in Westampton. ...
See all stories on this topic

Why Are Americans So Fearful?

2007-10-19T22:36:00.001-04:00

Why Are Americans So Fearful?
The Daily Scare - Cincinnati,OH,USA
Virtually no field has been left un-sown with seeds of fear: terrorism, domestic and foreign; "other" races; unsafe food; diseases; unsafe children's toys; ...
See all stories on this topic

'Nobody's Perfect': A Musical Based on the Book by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney

2007-10-16T08:13:00.000-04:00

The world premiere of the musical "Nobody's Perfect," based on the 2006 book co-written by Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, opens Friday at the Kennedy Center.

As in her other two books, Matlin writes about what she knows best: being deaf.

"Nobody's Perfect" continues the story of Megan Merrill, a fourth-grader who lost her hearing as an infant. When a new girl, the seemingly perfect Alexis Powell, arrives in Megan's class, Megan goes out of her way to make Alexis feel welcome. But Alexis is anything but perfect when it comes to being a friend. She rejects Megan time after time. What is wrong with her? Megan wonders. Is it because I'm deaf?

When the girls are teamed for a school science project, Alexis's secret comes out. We won't spoil it for you. Just remember: Nobody's perfect.

The musical, for ages 9 and older, runs through Nov. 3. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the Kennedy Center Box Office or by calling 202-467-4600.

Bilingual Summit Stresses Parental Inclusion

2007-10-07T14:51:00.000-04:00

By Lonnae O'Neal Parker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 7, 2007; Page C04

After giving his welcoming remarks in Spanish to Hispanic parents filing into the auditorium of Northwestern High School yesterday, Prince George's County School Superintendent John E. Deasy worried that with his less-than-perfect command of the language, his invitation -- "We want you to visit your child's school" -- might have sounded like an order, "Visit your child's school!"

But despite his "deadly accent" and any grammatical mistakes he might have made, Deasy hoped the message was clear. There should be "no barriers to accessibility with everything we provide in the schools."

In English and Spanish, the message of inclusion was repeated all day.

More than 1,000 parents signed up to participate in the school system's first Dual Language Parent Summit, and just after 9 a.m., several hundred parents and children had filed in. The summit's goal was to stress the importance of parental involvement and to open doors to a growing population that has at times felt reluctant to engage with school officials -- or unwelcome.
(more... )

Woman Writes Children's book to support school in Haiti

2007-10-07T09:11:00.001-04:00

Woman writes children's book to support school in Haiti
Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago,IL,USA
By Kim Mikus | Daily Herald Columnist Ruth Paul-Caudle was a teenager when she left Haiti to attend Lake Forest College. Growing up with 11 siblings, ...
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Children's Health: Lead Paint Testing

2007-10-04T21:45:00.001-04:00

Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint
American Chronicle - Beverly Hills,CA,USA
TheNewES.com) So that's the list of 20 items that are more dangerous to the health of children than the lead paint in Mattel toys. ...
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Scientists Lend Expertise to Green Chemistry Initiative
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
Goldman is a Professor at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on environmental health policy, public health, and children's ...
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Straight Answers
South Carolina Now - South Carolina,USA
How are we to know that our children's drinking cups are safe? Is there anywhere I can purchase a test kit to test lead in toys and other household items? ...
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Welcoming Ways: Creating Your Baby's Welcome Ceremony With the Wisdom of World Traditions

2007-09-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

Book Description
This enchanting book is the perfect way to welcome a newborn into the world. Tender paintings of babies from around the world are complemented by inspirational wisdom, diverse customs, and rituals celebrating new life. The undated format allows parents to record baby's first year milestones. From the award-winning author/illustrator team of Andrea Alban Gosline and Lisa Burnett Bossi. Nine complete at-home celebrations are described in full detail, including readings for parents and honored loved ones, ideas for making altars and sacred spaces, and activities that allow young children to participate in the happy event. This book is an indispensable guide for families seeking to welcome their babies into a modern world with the wisdom of ancient tradition. Each ceremony is accompanied by a heartwarming illustration.
(more... )

New wave of toy recalls over lead

2007-09-28T11:15:00.000-04:00

By Abigail Goldman
Los Angeles Times

Federal regulators recalled more than 500,000 toys Wednesday because of lead paint, including 200,000 Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys from RC2, the company that began the wave of lead scares with a June recall of 1.5 million trains.

The seven separate lead-paint recalls of Chinese-made toys included hundreds of thousands of products made exclusively for two retailers: Target and Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts. Lead paint also caused problems for playthings and jewelry manufactured abroad by two companies that sell to a wide variety of stores.

Target warned about excessive lead in paint on about 350,000 of its brightly colored Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Children's Sunny Patch Chairs.

Jo-Ann Stores recalled 16,000 toy rakes because lead in the paint on the rake handles violates federal lead standards.

Toymaker Guidecraft announced the recall of 10,000 Floor Puppet Theaters because surface paints on the 52-inch toy stage also contain excessive lead.

RC2 recalled five Thomas-series train toys and 800 toys from its "Knights of the Sword" series, because three models of action figure showed higher-than-allowed lead content.

Under current regulations, children's products found to have more than .06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.

Two companies also recalled toy jewelry:

â€¢ Rhode Island Novelty recalled about 850 Children's Spinning Wheel Metal Necklaces because of high lead levels in the clasps.

â€¢ Toby N.Y.C. expanded a recall announced last month of crystal, pearl and wood-bead jewelry sets, adding 23,500 more Toby & Me sets with heart and monkey pendants.

No injuries have been reported in connection with any products recalled Wednesday, federal officials said.

"After the first set of recalls, retailers and manufacturers reported they would take a very systematic inventory to determine whether any of their products were in violation of the lead-paint standard," said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "These recalls are a result of that inventory."

Vallese added that consumers should expect more recalls.

Lead paint has been banned in the United States since 1978 because of lead's link to brain and neurological problems.

Material from The Associated Press is included in this report.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

Please, Baby, Please

2007-09-27T17:55:00.001-04:00

From Publishers Weekly
Many grownups will recognize the title as the comic carnal plea uttered by Lee (as Mars Blackmon) in his 1986 film, She's Gotta Have It. Now, the filmmaker and his wife/co-author, who have two children, have turned those words into a G-rated parental entreaty-directed at an inexhaustible toddler. "Go back to bed,/ baby, please, baby, please./ Not on your head,/ baby baby baby, please!" The large typography seems to writhe in vain supplication. The cherubic toddler, whose chocolate ringlets circle her head like restless electrons, tests her parents' patience in myriad ways, and Nelson (Just the Two of Us) has a knack for picking just the right angle. For the first of his handsome, burnished-toned acrylic spreads, readers share a toddler's eye-view. In the foreground are the feet of the prone, exhausted mother, a plastic ring from a stacking toy hanging from her left big toe, as a very wide awake baby plays horsey on her stomach. The clock on the VCR reads 3:01 a.m., and a bedtime video playing on the TV clearly makes no impact whatsoever. A tantrum when it's time to leave the playground, plus a chaotic meal and bath occasion other imploring phrases from the parents, whose presence Nelson suggests with just a foot or an arm outstretched to the youngster. But at book's end, the tables are turned: "Kiss me good night?/ Mama, Mama, Mama, please," says the girl, standing in the doorway of her mom and dad's room. The final wordless picture, a loving embrace, leaves no doubt of who loves this baby. Ages 2-5.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
(more... )

Go Barefoot

2007-09-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

About the Book
Go Barefoot is a highly imaginative and simple book with colorful pictures to stimulate young readers to think about the world around them. From Macmillan's Ready Go series for very early readers to enjoy at school or at home.

Author's Note:
Young children learn at a sensory level. Walking barefoot on wet sand, hot pitch, or cushiony grass offers different experiences within. "Go Barefoot" was inspired by the joy I feel when I communicate open heartedly with my
environment. I want to encourage this feeling of discovery, and respectful attention in young children.
Teachers' Key (Ages 4-6):
Go Barefoot is for readers who have learned the past and future tenses. You may enjoy using the rhymes and rhythms to practice choral speaking with small groups or the whole class.

(more... )

The Senses and Your Newborn

2007-09-20T23:17:00.000-04:00

During the first weeks of life your newborn may seem to do little more than eat, sleep, cry, and provide dirty diapers for you to clean up. But in reality, all of your infant's senses are functioning already, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of this new world.

It's hard for us to know exactly what a newborn is feeling - but if you pay close attention to your baby's responses to light, noise, and touch, you can see his or her complex senses beginning to come alive.

Sight

Your new baby can see best at a distance of only 8 to 14 inches, and focus when gazing up from the arms of Mom or Dad. Your newborn can see things further away, but it is harder to focus on distant objects. Still, the light shining in from a faraway window may catch your infant's eye.

After human faces, brightness and movement are the things a newborn likes to look at best. Even a crude line drawing of two eyes, a nose, and a mouth may keep your infant's attention if held close enough. Although your baby's sight is functioning, it still needs some fine tuning, especially when it comes to focusing far off. Your baby's eyes may even seem to cross or diverge (go "wall-eyed") briefly. This is normal, and your newborn's eye muscles will strengthen and mature during the next few months.

(more... )

Child Slavery in Haiti

2007-09-20T20:43:00.000-04:00

Featured on PBS Foreign Exchange
Maplewood, NJ - September 20, 2007 -

On September 21, 2007* the public television international affairs series
"Foreign Exchange: Where AmericaMeets the World" with Fareed Zakaria will focus
on the issue of child slavery
in Haiti
in the form of the restavèk system. The segment will feature Guerda
Lexima Constant, of Fondasyon Limye Lavi, Beyond Borders' partner organization
in Haiti,
and Briel Leveille, of COSEDERF, the Children's Rights Committee of Fond des
Blancs.

In the New York metropolitan area the program will
be aired on Saturday, September 22, 2007 at 10:00am on WNET Channel 13. *For
local
broadcast times go to http://www.foreignexchange.tv
and
click on "Where to Watch." (more... )

Kenya: Children Hooked to Miraa

2007-09-16T17:02:00.000-04:00

East African Standard (Nairobi)

15 September 2007Posted to the web 15 September 2007

Lawrence Kinoti
Nairobi

Eleven-year-old Joshua Mwithia wobbles and almost trips as he heaves under a heavy load on his back. This is his fifth trip to Mutuati shopping centre, one of the drop-off points of miraa (khat) in Meru North.
Nathan Karithi, a Standard Four pupil at Nkamathi primary school speaks on his cell phone which he bought using earnings from miraa.
Mwathi is tired and emaciated but he has to toil on because he has a family to feed. His 14-hour daily job involves harvesting and ferrying miraa from various farms. (more... )

Patrick denounces limits on children's healthcare program

2007-09-16T17:00:00.000-04:00

By Alice Dembner, Globe Staff September 15, 2007

Governor Deval Patrick yesterday called on President Bush and Congress to revoke new rules he said would deny health insurance to thousands of Massachusetts children and hurt the state's effort to provide coverage for all its residents.

The restrictions imposed by the Bush administration are "dumb" and would "weaken, if not kill" the State Children's Health Insurance Program, Patrick said. The national program, funded jointly by the state and federal governments, covers 6.6 million children nationally and 90,500 in Massachusetts. (more... )

Tanzania: President Urges Parents to Educate Children Within Country

2007-09-16T16:56:00.000-04:00

15 September 2007Posted to the web 16 September 2007

Edward SelasiniArusha

President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete on September 6 urged parents to enroll their children in local schools rather than send them to neighboring countries.
He said good education does not mean enrolling children in schools outside the country as quality education is found in the many schools spread all over Tanzania. "I don't see why people are wasting their money to take their children to neighboring countries while our system of education is good compared to that offered outside the country."
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The president was addressing parents at the Trust St. Patrick School at Sakina which was celebrating its 10th anniversary. The President has two children at the school, one in class seven and another in form two. (more...)

Toys R Us, Mattel take on new toy testing steps in wake of China fears

2007-09-14T17:35:00.000-04:00

UPDATE09.12.07, 3:12 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Thomson Financial) - The CEOs of Toys R Us and Mattel (nyse: MAT - news - people ) told a Senate panel today that they are stepping up safety testing for all their toy suppliers in the wake of ongoing fears about the safety of toys made in China.
'We will not tolerate products that do not meet our rigorous safety standards,' Toys R Us CEO Gerald Storch told senators today.

Steps the toy retailer is taking include testing of each batch of toys, and support third-party testing of toys. Storch said the company would also launch a toy safety website and improve its toy recall system, including adding a Spanish language recall service.

He also said Toys R Us supports shorter timeframe between which possible safety problems are identified and a recall is issued, and production code stamps on toys to help track the source of recalled toys.

Mattel CEO Robert Eckert, who apologized to parents who might have bought unsafe toys from his company, said the manufacturer has also launched a new campaign to improve communications with customers, including through paid advertising and the establishment of an 800 number and a website.

Eckert also said Mattel is now requiring that every batch of paint used on toys must come from a certified supplier, and then retested. Paint on finished toys must also be sampled by Mattel for lead before toys hit the shelves, and the company will increase unannounced safety inspections of subcontractors.

Eckert acknowledged that one problem his company faces is making sure Chinese manufacturers do not outsource production to non-authorized companies, and said he is currently examining the extent to which this has happened. He also said toy design can be a problem that has nothing to do with whether a toy was made in China or elsewhere.
Both companies said they have already terminated relationships with toy suppliers, which is a standard option for both companies in the wake of a safety problem.

Storch added that Toys R Us supports strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and expanding the financial resources to the Commission, to ensure product safety.
Sally Greenberg of the Consumers Union told the Senate panel that the Commission is not doing nearly enough to ensure product safety, and said the Commission needs much more funding in order to be effective. Earlier in the hearing, Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois said Commission staff has been more than halved since 1980, and said he supports legislation introduced today that would increase staff from 400 to 500 by 2013.

Storch said Toys R Us sells toys made around the world, but that up to 80 pct of the dolls and action figures it sells are from China. Eckert said 65 pct of the toys offered by Mattel are made in China.

pete.kasperowicz@thomson.com
pik/wash/ajb

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Obese Children Miss More School Days

2007-09-11T21:58:00.000-04:00

By Juhie Bhatia

HealthDay Reporter
Friday, August 24, 2007; 12:00 AM

FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- As children get ready to head back to the classroom, a new study finds school absenteeism is higher among overweight kids.

Obese fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders miss an average of 12 school days over the school year -- about two days more than their normal-weight peers, according to research published in the August issue ofObesity.

"This is the first study of its kind," noted study author Gary Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia. "We're not saying that obesity leads to absenteeism, but whatever the relationship is, mathematically, as more kids get obese, more will be absent. That has lots of academic implications."

Foster and his team looked at 1,069 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders in nine inner-city Philadelphia elementary schools. More than 80 percent of these children were eligible for free and reduced-price lunches.

Homeroom teachers recorded the student's attendance for the school year, and the youngsters' weight was measured in the second semester. The kids were put into one of four weight categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese.

The study found that obese children were absent significantly more than normal-weight children: 12 days versus 10 days over the school year. Even after the researchers adjusted for age, race/ethnicity and gender, obesity was still a significant contributor to the number of days a student was absent.

"This study suggests that it is possible that obesity prevention programs could have the effect of improving school attendance in addition to reducing weight-related health risks," said Dr. Thomas N. Robinson, an associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford University and director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. "If obesity prevention also increases school attendance, even small improvements may produce very large benefits across the population as a whole."

The researchers don't know why obesity and absenteeism are linked, but Foster said the reasons are more likely to be psychosocial than medical, since there aren't as many medical issues at this young age. That said, childhood obesity has been linked with health problems such as asthma and type 2 diabetes.

"The most immediate problem for obese children is the reduced self-image and insecurity caused by explicit teasing or implicit disapproval from peers, parents and other family members," said Dr. Michael Dansinger, an obesity researcher at Tufts-New England Medical Center. "Obese children are often teased and bullied by other children, and this could certainly lead to extra days of missed school. Excuses for staying home from school become much easier to find if school is often unpleasant or scary," he said.

Foster suggested that future studies look more closely at the relationship between obesity and absenteeism, particularly since this is the first study to discover the correlation, and the study has some limitations. For example, even though the two extra days of school missed are statistically significant, it's unknown if they will have a great impact on a child's academic performance.

The researchers were also unable to show how obesity and school absenteeism were linked. This is partially because the children's weight and attendance were not recorded over time, Dansinger said.

"The researchers were unable to rule out the possibility that an underlying factor, such as relatively high or low family income, was a contributing cause of both obesity and absenteeism," he said. "Also, the researchers studied only inner-city children, a group with relatively low income and relatively high rates of absenteeism regardless of body weight. The link between obesity and absenteeism may differ somewhat for suburban, rural or private schools."

Still, the findings may encourage parents and the school system to work harder to keep children's weight in check. Foster recommends that parents be good role models, limit TV time, and create a healthy environment, including healthy eating and lots of physical activity.

"This study is just one view of the tip of the iceberg in which childhood obesity may have much more far-reaching negative effects on our society than any of us can imagine, and it should trigger us to be even more vigilant in finding solutions," said Robinson. "If more school absences are occurring now, these cannot be made up for in the future, and we may be losing a generation or two while waiting for action."

More information

For more on childhood obesity, visit the Obesity Society.

SOURCES: Gary Foster, Ph.D., director, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia; Thomas N. Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of pediatrics, Stanford University, director, Center for Healthy Weight, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.; Michael Dansinger, M.D., obesity researcher, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston; August 2007,Obesity

Mikaloo.com: Being a Dad

2006-05-11T17:42:00.000-04:00

Little did I know that after the amazing day that my daughter was born, that the days to follow would be even more amazing and incredible. As a father I knew that I would teach her many things, but I did not expect the great things that I would learn from her.

One ordinary Friday afternoon after daycare, we walked slowly to the car. She carefully took each step as to not dirty her new Dora the Explorer sneakers. She had one hand tightly wrapped around my fingers, while the other held an abstract drawing that she titled “green dinosaur.” With the self-confidence of a three year old, she wanted to open her own door and buckle herself in the car seat. “Where we going, daddy?” she asked as we pulled out of the parking lot.

As part of our normal routine, we headed toward a nearby grocery store. “We’re going grocery shopping,” I said. “Oh! Grocery shopping!? OK!,” and she turned her head to look out the window. After a short moment of silence, unexpectedly, she proclaimed, “daddy, you’re a boy, and I’m a girl.”

I grabbed the steering wheel a bit tighter, and, although I heard and understood her clearly, I said, “huh?! What did you say?” She repeated again in the same manner, “daddy, you’re a boy, and I’m a girl.” At that moment, her babyhood flashed in front of my eyes, and I made a mental note to call my uncle in Haiti for a manchèt, a Haitian made machete. I never expected this moment this soon. I imagined her finding about boys and girls on her thirty fifth birthday.

“What about mommy?” I asked questioning her knowledge. “Mommy is a girl,” she answered confidently. Since America has gun control but not machete control, I would need a long and sharp machete. I shadowed her as she learned to crawl up the stairs and nervously held her hands as she learned to walk, but I was absent when she learned the difference between boys and girls.

“What about your uncle?” I asked, hoping one right answer is just a fluke. “Uncle is a boy.” Two could be just a coincidence. If machetes can give independence to Haiti, a machete can protect a daughter against high school boys.

“What about grandma?” I asked, thinking that three would be pattern. She thought for a moment and replied, “grandma is a boy.” With that answer, I decided to put ordering the machete on hold.

As we pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I smiled, as I saw her, in the rear view mirror, drawing an abstract dinosaur on her Dora the Explorer sneakers.