Mom2MomSC

About 9,350 youth beds were recalled Thursday because the toy chest that's attached to the bed can entrap children.The Consumer Product Safety Commission says a 22-month-old boy in Roseville, Calif., was killed when the lid of the toy chest on his LaJolla Boat Bed fell on his head, entrapping and strangling him.The CPSC says the lid supports on the toy chest don't work properly and can close too quickly.The recall involves two youth beds by Bayside Furnishings of San Diego, Calif. The beds are the LaJolla Boat Bed and the Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Bed.

The following recalls have been announced:- Jack Distribution LLC and its two wholesale distributors - G & N Works Inc. and Devine Distribution Inc. - are recalling select lots of Rize 2 The Occasion and Rose 4 Her supplements because they may contain erectile dysfunction drug components that are not declared on the packaging. The supplements may contain thiomethisosildenafil, a chemical that mimics the active ingredient in Viagra. This compound could interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease.

In the mid-1970s, I attended a seminar that promised to train me to become an instructor in positive discipline methods. It turned out that the methods amounted to one: talking. Any behavior problem could be solved, the trainer told us, by properly reasoning with a child. Furthermore, he said, adults should answer children's questions honestly. To not do so is to disrespect them, to deny that they are intelligent. By this point in time, I had had enough experience with trying to reason with my own kids to recognize baloney when I heard it.

Dear Mr. Dad: Our first child is due in six months and we've decided I won't be going back to work. How do we go from dual income couple to single income family without feeling the pinch too much?A: Congratulations on thinking about this now-I'm always surprised at how many couples put off talking about money until they're on the way home from the hospital, baby in hand. The very first item on your list should be to pay off your credit cards. (If you don't have any credit card debt, you're already one step ahead).

Q: I met my wonderful husband and his three kids in 2005. Although they share the kids equally, his ex doesn't believe in co-parenting. She thinks we should leave HER kids alone, but that is not going to happen.This was our fourth Father's Day together. I took my stepkids shopping and got my husband a gift from them for the past four years. This year without asking me, his ex bought my husband a present from the kids - a polo shirt. He loved it, but I forbid him to wear it because I know who really bought it.

After watching its bigger rival McDonald's Corp. try to woo mom, Burger King Corp. is launching a new marketing and promotional campaign Monday meant to grab her attention."A large part of our customer base is parents with children," said Russ Klein, president of global strategy, marketing and innovation.

Having a baby?

The following is an excerpt from "Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too" by Susan Callahan, Anne, Nolen and Katrin Schumann (copyright 2008). Reprinted with permission from The McGraw-Hill Companies, www.mhprofessional.com.MOTHER-GUILT: IT'S JUST A BIG, FAT EXCUSE! Even though almost anyone can recognize the negative effects of running on empty - and the positive effect of feeling appreciated and centered - lots of mothers out there can't seem to make downtime a reality. Why?

As many moms know it can be difficult to ease an older child into the idea of having a new sibling. Brooke Shields' new children's book, "Welcome to Your World, Baby" ($16.99, HarperCollins), helps little girls see just how much fun a sister can be. Shields, who has two daughters, writes about the excitement one little girl feels when her parents first bring her new baby sister home from the hospital. Most of the pages are filled with the girl's future plans for activities like playing dress-up, having tea parties and performing plays.

We know inspiration when we see it: in our children's artwork and wacky inventions, in their proud smiles, and in the strata of dried paint on their smocks. But how can we, as parents, help kindle that spark?