Beatrice Models is one of the major players in Milan’s Fashion Industry. This model management agency has been operating successfully over 3 decades and it has made a good reputation for itself over the years. Beatrice Models has represented legendary superstars like Stephanie Seymour and Chanel Iman and many more.

Beatrice Models History:

Beatrice Model management has been around for about 30 years and it’s known for launching successful models. In early 2007, Beatrice Models changed ownership while their historic staff remained the same but permitted at the same time a surge of new positive energy, growth and expansion, in fact, their new luxurious offices in Milan’s center should be ready sometime in 2008.

Beatrice Models Clients:

Beatrice models have appeared in a many editorials, runway and advertising campaigns for an impressive list of clients like Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana to Prada and Gucci.

Beatrice model management has represented some of the most popular supermodels. Some of them are:

(Women) Marpessa, Estelle, Tanga, Cordula, Anne Catherine, Hannelore, Karen Elson, Maryna Linchuk and Masha Novosselova.

(Men) Scott Barnhill, Gabriel Aubry, Andres Velencoso, Ryan Locke, J.R., Roch Barbot, Samuele Riva, Andrija Bikic, Sean Harju, Blaine Cook and Jon Kortajarena.

Official Website:
http://www.beatricemodels.it/

Address:

Via Vicenzo Monti 47

Milan 20123

Italy

Phone: 39 02 469 2599

And Teach Them to Value the Dollar

by Vicki Salemi

In this age of designer toddler clothes and cell phones for second graders, here’s how two parents keep their spending in check, and keep the kids’ tastes down to earth.

Don’t succumb to peer pressure.  For David Mott, father of two, that means no video games in his home. “If other parents let their kids play, that’s their problem. I also don’t prohibit my kids from playing video games when they visit friends. I just explain to my kids my reasons for not allowing video games in my house. Reading and outdoor physical activity are healthier alternatives.”

Keep it simple.  “Sunsets are free. All you have to do is look,” says Mott.  “Like Rachael Ray says, ‘You can live richly without being rich.’ For me, this joy comes from cooking, hiking, cycling, reading. When I take my kids to Santa Cruz, I make it a point of pride to not cave into paying money at the boardwalk every time. We do hit the rides occasionally. But I teach them there is value in appreciating nature.”

Establish boundaries. If you don’t instill the value of the dollar now, it’ll be much more difficult to do later on when the treats get pricier.  Mott explains, “It’s important to set strict boundaries now to help them build limits. Free spending youths can turn into free spending adults with credit problems.”

Set an example. If you want to keep your kids grounded, it’s important to practice what you preach.  For instance, Mott is well educated and can afford to live more lavishly yet he chooses to not overspend.  “I try to be happy and grateful for what I already have in my life and that sort of rubs off on my kids,” he says.
Avoid specific stores. If you want to avoid tempting treats, simply don’t go into high-end stores, which may easily lure you to the cash register.  Shea Kelly, mother of a two year-old daughter and president/CEO of Chez Shea Baby, Inc. and DaBib, explains, “I focus almost exclusively on Target and Old Navy. Their stuff is adorable.” Sure, there’s also adorable clothing at Baby Gap and it’s OK to occasionally break down, she says,  but she makes it a habit of routinely going to the less expensive stores.

Create priorities. “If comes down to what you need to have versus what you want to have,” Kelly adds. “You can’t have everything you want.”  Plus, this instills a sense of values so when her daughter is older, she’ll be able to distinguish the two: what is absolutely essential versus what she wants.  “You learn to set a value associated with whatever those things are.”

Establish a rewards system. Rather than instantaneously giving your kid a new video game, parents like Kelly envision establishing an allowance when her daughter is a bit older. “There should be a sense of reward via an allowance,” she says.  This way, kids will get paid for doing chores around the house and may spend their hard earned money instead of spending yours.

If money were no object, do you think it’s OK to indulge or better to be frugal?

About:

Women Model Management is a unique modeling agency with an inspiration to embrace non traditional beauty. Over the past two decades women model management has launched the careers of many models who have acquired a good reputation in fashion industry today. Women Management company has offices in New York, Paris and Milan.

Today the agency commands the respect and attention of the most powerful photographers, designers, magazines and popular supermodels around the world.

Founder Biography:

Women Management was founded by Paul Rowland in New York in 1988. The company was founded with the vision to create a modeling agency that would promote all types of beauty, not only the traditional model that dominated the fashion industry during 1980’s.

After the success the company has had in New York, recently The Women Management Fashion agency opened offices in Milan and Paris. The vision was an agency that would encompass all types of beauty!

Clients:

Over the past two decades Women has launched the careers of models such as Isabeli Fontana, Carmen Kass, Iselin Steiro, Naomi Campbell, Kylie Bax, Natasha Poly, Elle Macpherson, Julia Stegner, Stella Tennant, Shana Zadrick and Kate Moss.

Contact Information

Official Website:
http://www.womenmanagement.com

Address:
199 Lafayette St. #7
New York, NY 10012
United States of America

Phone:
1 212-334-7480

6 Ways to Avoid Toddler Food Fights

Take the drama out of mealtime

By Dawn Papandrea

Karen Wright of Mankato, MN buys ketchup in bulk. Without it, her three-year-old son Grant refuses to eat anything — not graham crackers, cheese, or even yogurt. “At least it has lycopene and vitamin C,” she reasons. Plus, she’s hoping that eventually he’ll grow out of it.

From condiment gross-outs to tantrums over sandwiches with crust left on, toddler mealtime mania can be difficult to digest, but experts say it’s normal.

“Toddlers don’t have the same voracious appetites as babies do because they aren’t growing at as rapid a rate,” says Ann Douglas, author of the book “Mother of All Mealtime Solutions.” Therefore, they’re more likely to equate high chair time with experiment time.

In fact, Douglas says, “they’re little scientists at the dinner table.” Whether it’s investigating different food textures or establishing a sense of order, eating is simply one way that toddlers explore their world.

Here are six ways you can avoid daily food fights:

Brush up on your biology. They’re not just being picky. Toddler tastebuds are far more sensitive than yours, so bold flavors like Brussels sprouts, can be overpowering. Hint: If your child gags, he’s not faking. If you must, use creativity to sneak veggie servings in. For example, the mashed potato lover will most likely enjoy butternut squash. Dipping sauces and fun shapes can help, too, as well as fine chopping mixed veggies into rice and noodle dishes.

Nibbling counts. Don’t take it personally if your little one seems to be on a mealtime hunger strike. He will not go hungry. Provide healthy snacks that your child can munch on during playtime – sometimes this is referred to as grazing. All nutrients count even if they’re not eaten at the dinner table.

Cater to control-freak tendencies — sometimes. Establishing a sense of order manifests itself as a need to follow certain food rules (hence, why grilled cheese must be cut into triangles or different foods cannot touch). If separating peas from carrots will prevent a meltdown, it’s worth the few extra prep seconds, says Douglas. Just don’t give into every demand, all the time.

Tame texture trauma. How food feels is a big deal for little eaters, so pay attention to preferences. If soft, mushy foods are getting tossed, try offering raw veggies, toasted sandwich bread, and dry cereal (with a side of milk).

A method to food throwing madness. Rule of thumb: Don’t expect toddlers to sit patiently for more than 30 minutes. When she starts catapulting carrots, it’s a good indication that she is full or bored. It’s probably best to let her play with the refrigerator magnets or offer a high chair toy or two, so you can finish your meal.

Table manners are an acquired taste. She’s not trying to make a mess; she’s trying to figure out how spaghetti “works,” reminds Douglas. Let her, so long as you point out and praise examples of good table manners along the way. By the time she’s a preschooler, she’ll most likely pick up good table habits of those around her.

What are your toddler’s quirky food habits?

Review by Michelle Bruns

A growing trend among American children is not the latest fashion or a hot new slang word, it’s childhood obesity. This is a syndrome that experts estimate currently affects 25 million children. That’s a statistic that families cannot afford to ignore.

Amy Hendel, author of Fat Families, Thin Families: How to Save Your Family from the Obesity Trap, feels that becoming overweight is a trend that starts with family; a trend that can be broken by taking an active role and setting a good example for good family health.

Hendel bases the strategies in her book on her personal experience as an overweight child and her experience as a registered physician assistant. She has developed a health strategy for herself and her family, and turned it into a career as a family lifestyle therapist to help guide families in developing good eating habits together.

According to Hendel’s book, the eating habits children develop and take with them into adulthood are taught by the parents. The first step is to make the decision to change your family’s way of life. From food choices to exercise, Hendel’s 4 “P” action plan (planning, preparing, portion, and play), is the key to her sure-fire strategy.

Plan Together

One of the most common saboteurs of a successful healthy eating plan is lack of preparation. Making eating choices on the fly or based on convenience provides the opportunity for poor food decisions to flourish. Deciding on menus, creating shopping lists (examples are provided in the book), and hitting the grocery store is a family affair on the Healthy Family for Life (HFL) program. With everyone involved, family members can offer each other support and are personally invested in accomplishing their HFL goals.

Prepare Together

It is all-hands-on-deck when it comes to the kitchen. Scheduling time to prepare and cook meals reduces impulse eating decisions, teaches kids skills they will use for the rest of their life, and gives families time to bond. Whether your meal preparation style is “Quick and Easy,” “Adventure in the Kitchen,” or “One Day at a Time,” taking time to stock your pantry and make a day of preparing the week’s meals is the secret weapon to making your planned eating choices a breeze.

Portion Together

Using small plates and eating more slowly can help put your family in the black with portion control, but changing portion perception is not an overnight undertaking.  Hendel offers that, “It takes time to change any habit, and portion perception is probably one of the toughest.” The promise that your new “feeding habits” will help squash cravings and have you reaching for foods that are better for you can create an optimistic attitude. Switching unhealthy foods for healthier ones doesn’t even have to mean skipping dessert; it simply means substituting olive tapenade for mayo and sorbets for whole milk ice cream. Plenty of small changes like this can have your family leaning toward lean in no time.

Play Together

Eating healthier is only one part of Hendel’s plan. Grabbing your kids and getting active is a vital piece of the pie. Simple activities like planting flowers, playing tag, and walking the dog can burn up the calories you don’t need and boost your metabolism. You’ll not only feel better, you and your family will improve your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “about 20 million people have type-2 diabetes, and more than 60 million people are overweight or obese.” If the statistics are not enough to motivate you to move, then perhaps another opportunity for family bonding will.

Make the Choice

Setting realistic goals, avoiding food traps, and creating healthy habits are just a part of Hendel’s lifestyle strategy. Fat Families, Thin Families offers more than guidelines for healthy living; it offers families a chance to learn to become healthy adults together. Packed with sample grocery lists, menu ideas, and tips on supporting one another, Fat Families, Thin Families is your chance to bring your family closer together, beginning at the dinner table.

How do you make eating healthy and fun in your family?

Your children can learn a lot over the summer, especially on an educational vacation. Here are some smart getaways.

Learning in the sun can be fun!

By Mary Fetzer

School’s out, but that doesn’t mean your children can’t learn something new over the summer. With educational vacations like these, kids will have so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re learning!

Visit the Pueblo people

“Srai Wri,” is a Pueblo term that translates as “gather children together and share with them.” Built on the Santa Ana Pueblo reservation in New Mexico, the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa is an ideal place for an educational vacation.

Surrounding this family-friendly resort is a landscape of scrub grass, wildflowers, and the Sandia Mountains. The scene looks like it did 1,000 years ago, when the tribal people of Tamaya lived there. Adobe-style buildings and open courtyards reflect the architecture of the old Pueblo village.

The resort offers a wide array of cultural activities led by members of the Santa Ana Pueblo. Kids knead dough and bake bread in authentic clay ovens, create pottery masterpieces, and make their own adobe bricks. They can view ancient tribal weapons and masks at the Cultural Learning or 1,000-year-old ruins in the pueblo backcountry.

Families who want to learn more about Native American history should check out the Tamaya Experience Family Package at www.tamaya.hyatt.com.

Swim with the dolphins

Bored with the prospect of lying on the beach for a week? Learn something at the ocean by visiting Belize! Located south of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Belize is a small, English-speaking Caribbean island. Families can spend a week with biologists from the Oceanic Society as they conduct exciting, educational field studies of wildlife including dolphins, monkeys, and manatees.

Guided snorkeling adventures into exquisite coral reef habitats provide underwater access to the feeding and resting areas of dolphins. From there, families travel to the Community Baboon Sanctuary along the Belize River. Black howler monkeys, known locally as baboons, live harmoniously with Belize villagers and have little fear of humans. Vacationers can easily observe the monkeys in their natural habitat. After getting to know the howlers, families move on to find manatees. This vacation offers hands-on opportunities for family members to assist with tracking tagged manatees.

To learn more about Belize Family Week, visit the Oceanic Society at http://www.oceanic-society.org/famexp_Belize_family.

Explore Alaska

Experience the wild terrain of Alaska on a family-oriented adventure tour. Guests of the Glaciers and Wildlife tour from Austin-Lehman Adventures will experience close encounters with wildlife as they investigate Alaska’s wild terrain. They’ll explore the Kenai Peninsula by train, ship, kayak, bicycle, and foot.

Visitors to Alaska will be in awe of the abundance of breathtaking scenery and wildlife. Kids can hike to an active glacier, bike past gigantic waterfalls, and kayak the bays in search of seals and eagles. Accompanied by knowledgeable guides, they’ll learn about humpback whales, salmon, and puffins. The Glaciers & Wildlife adventure takes families to less-traveled areas for a glimpse of true Alaska. Busy days will end with a relaxing bonfire under the Alaskan midnight sun.

Alaska Wildland Adventures (ASA) offers the Alaska Family Camp where families can learn about Alaska’s native cultures and join in making their own Alaskan arts and crafts. Suitable for families with children ages 6-12, it offers rafting on the Kenai River and hiking on the trails of the Chugach National Forest.

More information about Alaskan expeditions can be found at http://www.austinlehman.com/trips/alaska_family___glaciers___wildlife/26.php and

http://www.alaskawildland.com/alaska-family-camp.htm.

Whatever your family does this summer, find a way to make it educational. Kids are curious by nature, so build on that with new learning experience. Keep it fun, interesting and unlike school, and they’ll enjoy learning.

Are you planning an educational getaway this summer?

The Brady Bunch and Beyond

Step families today

By Michelle Bruns

There is no such thing as too much love. And, nowadays, stepfamilies, or “blended families” are more common than even the beloved Brady Bunch was in 1969. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau’s report, Living Arrangements of Children: 2004, 11 percent of children (5.7 million) under the age of 18 live with one biological or adoptive parent and one stepparent.

Despite these growing statistics, sometimes I cannot help but wonder if my son will feel “different” in our blended family situation. But, the more I learn about it and the more our family unifies, I realized that our “non-biofamily” is more of a blessing than I would have ever known. Certainly, every family is different and there is no way to consider every possible scenario but, overall, blended families can fulfill the same basic needs as a traditional family. And, after divorce, a blended family can provide safety, comfort, encouragement, and a sense of belonging, even more so than a single parent. However, it is vital that members of a blended family recognize their special dynamic in order to maintain expectations and adjust to their evolving household.

According to Peter Gerlach, a board member for the Retired Stepfamily Association of America, the biggest failure stepfamilies make is to fall for common stepfamily myths, such as:

• “What I’ve learned in my first-marriage family should work well enough in my new family. Experience counts! We’re not really that different!”

• “I should (i.e. must) love my stepchild(ren), and treat them just like my own.”

• “If I disagree with my stepchild or their other bioparent, my mate will usually support me without great guilt or anxiety.”

• “As a bioparent, I shouldn’t have to choose between my new mate and my child(ren)!”

• “My mate’s absent minor or grown kids will never come to live with us permanently.”

• “If I’m consistently honest, sincere, and warm, my stepchild(ren) will surely come to like (or love) and respect me.”

• “Your and my kids could never come between us!”

Have you made some (or all) of these assumptions? Try not to be too hard on yourself. Merging two families into one is not an easy feat, and doing your best to learn along the way is the key to a healthy family environment. Although the challenges of raising a blended family can be great, so can the reward. The story I heard of a child feeling sorry for another child because they have eight grandparents when the other child only has four gives me hope that an acceptance of the stepfamily as a family unit is on the rise.

When you are feeling frustrated or doubting that you are making the right decisions, remind yourself that even “biofamilies” encounter bumps, pitfalls, and challenges in raising a family, so do not dismay. Instead of worrying whether or not your modern day family is sticking out like a sore thumb, focus on embracing the love that your expanded family can bring you. After all, you are not alone!

How have you helped your child(ren) cope in your new family?

5 tips to keep in mind as you approach (dread) college exploration time

by Gina LaGuardia

How the day got here is beyond you. All of a sudden, that little girl in pigtails who used to cling to your leg is spending more time surfing college Web sites than downloading videos off YouTube (for now, anyway). Last week she wanted to go to nursing school, this week it’s business, just last month it was engineering. Though an array an opportunities await her – she can, after all, be anything she wants – so does the confusion on how to start planning for college, which college to choose, and how to pay for it all….

Here’s a list of five tips to ease your mind in between pangs of nostalgia for lollipops and playdates being replaced with tuition price comparisons and the thought of her dorming:

1)    Know that there will be hurdles. With so much choice and so little knowledge (your college days are a long way off and times have definitely changed!), expect some confusion. To prevent information overload, hit into a trusted site like The CollegeBound Network http://www.collegebound.net/college, which has been advising college-bound teens on colleges, careers, and more since 1996 and provides easy-to-search profiles of four-year and community colleges along with career schools that offer specific training based on your teen’s professional interests.

2)    Get organized. If you thought organizing your child’s diaper bag way back when was key to your sanity, think again. Helping her manage all of her  college mail, emails, open house material, and then applications, essays, and recommendation letters (oh my!) is a job in itself. Use a calendar, charts, and a foolproof filing method you’re comfortable with, advise experts at College Data.com (https://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_getinarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10053). “The most important thing is to find a system that works for you. It does not matter if it’s an old-fashioned wall calendar, a stack of folders, an electronic spreadsheet, or all of these.” Some ideas to help get things in order: Separate schools by “Yes” factors that mean something to your child: Where a school is located, majors offered, cost. Then work through your files/choices that way to start.

3)    Avoid the December mania. We all know that preparing for the holidays is a major time suck – add college application deadlines to that mix and it’s a recipe for disaster. Unless you’re prepared. Make sure your child begins her senior year of high school ready to hit the ground running: Schedule an appointment with the school’s guidance/college counselor as soon as possible, and be sure to work on applications as soon as they are available, leaving plenty of time for reworking, proofreading, and ultimate completion and submission.

4)    Get your finances in order. Make an appointment with your financial advisor to figure out what moves (if any) need to be made with available money for tuition. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available January 1 of a teen’s senior year, but you can take a look at what data you will need for it ahead of time by logging onto http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Experts advise familiarizing yourself with the form, the process, and then adding (and checking off) the following items form your to-do list: Determine your dependency status; review the FAFSA on the Web worksheet; search for school codes; apply for a PIN; and make note (a big note!) of application deadline dates.

5)    Remember: You’re not alone. Millions of parents have navigated these tumultuous waters many times and survived! Ask them everything you can think of, log onto sites like College Parents of America (http://www.collegeparents.org) and The College Board’s parent portal (http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/), then be proud of the fact that your baby has approached this important milestone. It won’t be long before she’s walking down the graduation aisle with a college diploma in hand and you’re hit with a wave of nostalgia thinking back to these very moments. Good luck!

Gina LaGuardia, former editor-in-chief of CollegeBound Teen Magazine, is the editorial director of The CollegeBound Network. She has watched hundreds of parents stress about – and then bask in – the excitement of college plan

10 Parent-Friendly TV Shows for Your Toddlers and Preschoolers

They may even learn something while you take a break

By Mary Fetzer

I’m guilty. I admit it. I’ve used the TV as a babysitter.

As grateful as I am for that half-hour of peace and quiet, I’m sometimes freaked out by the “Poltergeist effect” the TV can have on my kids. Their trance-like state is penetrable only by the TV’s power button. To calm my uneasiness, I try to make sure the programs they watch offer at least some underlying value.  Here are my Top 10 guilt-free picks:

1. The Backyardigans, Nick Jr.

From the catchy theme song to the colorful characters, The Backyardigans is a preschool favorite. Pablo, Uniqua, Tyrone, Tasha, and Austin hang out in each others’ backyards, where playtime turns into lively 3-D adventures. They travel on a pirate ship, visit a haunted house, and go to Mars… anything the imagination can conceive. With impressive animation and outstanding choreography, the Backyardigans encourage children to sing, dance, and imagine their way across oceans, through jungles, and back in time. Like all Nick Jr. shows, The Backyardigans is 20-minutes long and commercial-free, so parents can get a much-needed breather.

2. Dora the Explorer, Nick Jr.

Dora the Explorer is a wonderful, interactive program for preschoolers. The bilingual Latina girl and her best friend, Boots the Monkey, face obstacles and solve problems together. Even though each episode features a different character in a different dilemma, the flow of the show remains consistent, delighting viewers. Children can always count on Dora and Boots consulting with “Map” about their game plan, digging into “Backpack” for helpful tools, and warning away “Swiper the Fox” as he attempts to foil their plan. Dora encourages children to converse with the characters (in both English and Spanish!) and to get up off the couch and moving. Always ready to help a friend, Dora is an excellent role model.

3. Little Einsteins, Playhouse Disney

There’s nothing pretentious about exposing preschoolers to classical music – just watch Little Einsteins. Leo, Annie, June, and Quincy, along with their helpful Rocket, travel to learn about instruments, notes, staccatos, and crescendos, with a soundtrack that features well-known classical music by composers such as Bizet, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart. Anyone who took music lessons as a child will appreciate the vocabulary and musical selections. And folks will be impressed when your four-year-old, upon hearing dinner music in a restaurant, exclaims, “Hey, that’s Johann Sebastian Bach!”

4. Handy Manny, Playhouse Disney

This delightful show is like HGTV for kids. Manny is the town’s handyman, a polite, helpful fellow whose good friends include a set of talking tools. There’s Rusty the wrench, Stretch the tape measure, Squeeze the pliers, Dusty the saw, Pat the hammer, and Felipe and Turner the screwdrivers. And don’t forget clumsy Mr. Lopart who always needs a hand. Little ones watch and learn as Manny and the tools solve problems by working together.

5. Caillou, PBS

Four-year-old Caillou loves his family and his home, but enjoys “escaping” to make-believe adventures in each episode. Preschoolers will identify with Caillou – his reactions, vocabulary, and expressions are so realistic that you’d swear he was sitting right next to you in the living room. Youngsters will be inspired by Caillou’s imagination, and comforted by the fact that other kids pretend, too.

6. Dragon Tales, PBS

Follow this brother and sister as they “fly with dragons in a land apart.” Six-year-old Emmy is brave, smart, and confident, and her brother, Max, is four years old. When they travel to Dragon Land, the siblings find help with their challenge-of-the-day from their dragon friends. Ord, Cassie, Quetzal, and Zac and Wheezie, with their unique personalities, remind us of our human acquaintances. The show cleverly illustrates how friends with different outlooks help us find solutions to our problems.

7. Curious George, PBS

The lovable monkey from our childhood storybooks comes to life in educational 15-minute stories. Like George, preschoolers are curious by nature. They enjoy exploring science, engineering, and math with George as he lets his curiosity lead him from one adventure to another. They empathize when he spills or breaks or ruins things, and they breathe a sigh of relief when the forgiving Man in the Yellow Hat makes everything better.

8. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Nick Jr.

It’s impossible to not like happy, little Wubbzy. He’s just a kid who likes to play with his friends Widget and Walden. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! shows children that friends can work together – and sometimes things get worse before they get better – to get out of sticky situations. Cooperation, tolerance, and friendship are the takeaways.

9. Go, Diego, Go!, Nick Jr.

If you like Dora, you’ll like her cousin Diego. Diego is an eight-year-old animal rescuer. With his trusty field journal, computer, and talking camera, Click, Diego offers a new lesson with each episode. Children will learn about the sound, movement, habitat, diet, family, and physical characteristics of exotic animals from around the world. Young viewers will come away with a newfound respect for the environment.

10. Berenstain Bears, PBS

Papa, Mama, Sister, and Brother Bear “live down a sunny dirt road in Bear Country.” Their old-fashioned tree house lifestyle doesn’t lack modern-day drama, as the kids struggle with sibling rivalry, teasing, bad dreams, and strangers. The Bear family gives kids a warm, family feeling that encourages respect and tolerance for one another.

So, check the guilt at the living room threshold and let your kids live – and learn – a little through TV.

What has your little one learned from TV?

What Your Choice in Baby Names Really Says About You

From old school to new school, any name is fair game

by Jarrod Thalheimer

The little stick turned blue and it became official. You’re havin’ a baby, which means the race is now on for choosing the best name possible. You hit the ‘net, buy the books, and begin scrambling to assemble your list of potentials. The ground rules are clear – you each retain veto power to ensure your child doesn’t get saddled with the name of that stalker you had in college or the stripper your husband frequented during his early-20s dry spell.  You’re both determined to pick the most perfect name ever for your little bundle of joy. But where do you start? How do you choose? A lot depends on how you and your significant other define yourselves.

Old School Parents

Old school parents possess a strong sense of tradition. They appreciate the tried and true names of history and the family that came before. The importance of honoring living and dead relatives by including their names on the birth certificate cannot be overstated. They would even be prepared to accept names like Edgar or Eunice if the relative was important enough. The likelihood that their children may posses a minimum of two middle names is high and jumping to as many as five is not out of the question. These are not mere names – they are unbreakable links to the past designed to influence the future.

Examples of old school names: David, Anne, Patrick, Victoria, Edward, Catherine, Robert, and Joseph

Hip Parents

Falling into the hip category usually causes the most problems due mainly to the basic definition of the term. “Hip” refers to being fashionably current, which is fine when you’re buying shoes or picking restaurants but can be brutal when it comes to choosing a name that’s supposed to last a lifetime. The hip almost always grab the “name of the moment” that, while insanely popular during the year of the birth in question, almost always results in the child sharing that name with three of four other kids in their class (think mid-eighties and Jennifer). Consider this – like-named syndrome is often “cured” when peers attach descriptive additions such as Fat Lucy and New Lucy, or Tall Ted and Small Ted.

Examples of hip names: Aiden, Emma, Jacob, Sarah, Ethan, Emily, Tyler, and Ava

Counter Culture Parents

These folks walk the fine line between desperately attempting to avoid group-think and veering dangerously off into being different just for the sake of being different. Determined to up-end societal norms, you’ll often find these frustratingly self-aware individuals going out of their way to choose names that broadcast their world view, incite debate, and subversively reveal the stupidity of the masses. It almost goes without saying that members of this group have very high opinions of themselves.

Examples of counter-culture names: Ziggy, Noam, Janis, Jimi, Stick, Revolution, Sage, Winston Smith (first and middle), Vishnu, and Nug.

Pop Culture Parents

This group is interesting in that they try to choose names that best reflect their happiest moments in life. These are usually based in popular media or commercial interests that struck a nerve once-upon-a-time but can still cross the spectrum in style. The desire to honor that which gave them so much joy in their youth is beyond question. In many cases these names provide the very best, and most intensely personal, advertising known to man as they link people and products together forever.

Examples of pop culture names: Bo and Luke, Fred and Daphne, Tiffany, Lexus, Jager, Obama, Macy, and Carl Jr.

Artist Parents

Of all the groups, this is the one that is almost completely free of even the softest grip on reality whatsoever. Their name choices go from the free-flowingly abstract to the outer reaches of hazy-crazy. There is little hard reason for choosing these names as they are often words, emotions, or even sounds that tweaked something, somewhere, sometime. For whatever reason, the parent feels it must be immortalized on a birth certificate. These names are usually constructed to achieve maximum attention (for the parents).

Artist name examples: Apple, Rain, Bloom, Tract, Patience, Dew, Whip, Fad, Folio, Cacti, and Beatrick.

Hopefully, most parents will recognize whatever category they fall into and either attempt to expand beyond it or, at the very least, soften their choice by employing a sensible middle name (Ptero David Smith). At least the kid will have a couple of choices as he grows up.

Telling the world who you are is wonderful and inspiring, but remember that the most important needs belong to the small child biding its time in-utero. The name you pick is something they’ll be stuck with for an awful long time, so going beyond your own chosen persona would be a nice gift to give your child. You remain free to pull a Johnny Cash (name your boy “Sue”) or show-off your affection for jingoistic Cuban T-shirts by naming him Che. Whatever you choose, just remember that someday you’re going to have to explain your reasons for doing so. Knowing that suggests you best choose wisely.

What made you choose your baby’s name?