Moms Around Town: Pink Nail Polish for Boys, Bullying and 'I (heart) Boobies'

Brighton

: "This is exactly why I think that we should embrace our child's decisions with their interests such as sports, clothes, etc. (unless their interests will hurt themselves or others). What will we be teaching them if we don't support them? They will only feel that what they like is wrong and that, in turn, something is wrong with them."

Clawson and Royal Oak

What do you put in an Easter basket? (, )

: "I usually do some sort of activity or coloring book. Maybe some new markers or paints. Sometimes a book or a movie. I put a little bit of candy in there, but not much."
: "I like to stay away from the candy ... there's alot you can do without candy. Activity pads, coloring books, crayons and colored pencils, brushes, barrettes or hair bands. Stuffed animals, dolls or larger figure toys such as trains, hand puppets, flower seed packets, a small set of gardening tools and gardening gloves, hats for both boys and girls, lip balm and sunscreen, homemade candies, storybooks, puzzles and brain teasers, sunglasses, movies, music CDs."
: "For teens, I have put in 'try-it size' toiletries, nail polish, purse-size cologne, make-up, manicure kits, sewing kits, small memo pads, note cards, sudoku books, bookmarks, picture frames, mouse pads, gift cards for fast food, posters, movie passes, snack-size bags of trail mix, nuts, gum, mints. Instead of baskets, I fill "reusable" containers — plastic storage boxes, beach bags, totes, sports bags.": "I like to put in chocolate eggs, Cadbury eggies and a chocolate bunny for the candy. I try to put in other things such as bubbles, ink stamps, stickers for a fun theme and then, finally, I like to put in things that they need, such as socks, hair accessories, etc. It's sometimes a challenge to find things, but the kids really enjoy it!" 

West Bloomfield

Do the "I (heart) Boobies!" fundraising campaigns, which apparently aim to bring a fresh, irreverent approach to breast cancer awareness screenings, go too far? 

: "Yes, I think it is really inappropriate for girls or boys to wear that kind of awareness bracelet at school. I am shocked that the federal judge and breast cancer awareness people do not see how it can be distracting for teenage boys to be bombarded with that kind of message while they are supposed to focus on algebra!"
Camille Maniscalco-Dery (via Facebook): "My thought is, 'Is that really necessary?" Why do people have to take it to the next level ... for shock value? Or what? Sorry, I think it's rather rude and crude ... not appropriate for school ... ."

Berkley

: "Give up all carbs. It isn't forever, just until you get back into your pre-baby clothes. Also, invest in a jogging stroller and use it! Use it at least three to five times per week." 
: "I spent a lot of money on a treadmill. It made me feel so guilty, I made sure to use it! It's hard to do as a parent, but it's really about investing in yourself: time and money."
: "Breast-feeding and walking worked great for me. Every day, I took a little walk with my son, and it got us both fresh air. That, and setting a good example with self-care, which includes exercise and healthy eating."

Farmington/Farmington Hills

: "We sent our daughter to Christian preschools, which is providing her some knowledge about the Lord. Easter involves egg-dyeing, a visit from the Bunny and a nice meal shared with family. This is very similar to how I was raised."

: "Growing up, my household was very Catholic. At an early age, I realized the church did not answer my questions to my satisfaction. As a young adult, my faith wandered yet always stayed true to Christianity. My husband and I now have a church that works very well for us, and we love raising our two daughters in the comfort of a loving church family."

: "I grew up in religious home. And I think it did have an impact on me. I didn't recognize it at the time, but I think it did give me a sense of being connected to something larger than myself, larger than my family and the ever-so-small world around me. But I steered away from religion — while I'm not skeptical of God, I grew skeptical of religion. ... I've wondered if it's too late to introduce my now-14-year-old, who has rejected the idea of religion, to God. "

Ferndale

: "My kids are still fairly young (2 and 4.5), so we aren't watching all that much TV. What we do watch is either shows/movies on DVD, or I DVR PBS shows. At this point, I really want their shows to be educational, fun, and I don't want them inundated with commercials. My husband took our son to Toys R Us as a surprise for a big milestone, and his comment was, "What is this place?" That made me feel really good that he hasn't been saturated with commercialism yet! I'm sure that time will come, but for now, Dinosaur Train, Super Why and Wild Kratts rule in our house."

: "I don’t like my kid watching commercials. So much of cable television has gone to 18 minutes of content and 12 minutes of advertisements for 30 minutes of programming. And we pay for the privilege of watching it. The media corporations must be pleased about that.

"Needless to say, we don’t really watch television at our house, but we do watch a lot of movies. I’ve found that many of Hayao Mayizaki’s animated films are not only appropriate for children but also far more genuine than the standard formula movies that are being manufactured out of Hollywood. They are particularly good for girls as, generally, the protagonists are young girls in some type of struggle that need to use their inner strength. But they all have elements that boys will be attracted to. I recommend them all."

Fenton

: "People have become too sensitive. If a bully constantly badgers another repeadedly, that's one thing, but oftentimes, it is just harmless teasing being blown way out of proportion."

: "One day, our daughter had enough of him poking her and being in her face, so she slapped him in the face — he left her and others alone from that day on."

 "I disagree. What one person considers 'harmless' can have a serious emotional impact on a sensitive child. And yes, there are all types of people, sensitive ones included.

"Why is it that the sensitive child should 'toughen' up and get used to being called names, picked on, etc? I don't do that as an adult, and I don't know many civilized adults who do act like that. There are negative situations (disagreements, differences of opinion, etc.) that are part of life.

"... When I was in school, I was called 'scum' because I wore the same clothes twice in one week (I had a very practical mother who felt it didn't make sense to wash clothes that were still clean) and was called 'lopsided' and had my bra snapped because I developed early. This was not 'harmless.' It impacted my view of myself as a woman, made me feel like there was something wrong with the changes that were happening. It was humiliating. I was too embarrassed to tell my parents ... I knew they loved me, and I didn't want them to know that others didn't. Many kids are ruthlessly teased for being different or perceived as different, day after day. 

"It's not threatening, it's not physically harmful, but it can and does have psychological effects. ... Expecting people, even little ones, to be empathic, decent human beings isn't being too sensitive. We have a tendency in our world to say, 'Everyone has problems ... I had to endure hardship, so why shouldn't he or she?' instead of saying, 'Wow, I know what it's like to feel like that. I really wish someone would have been more sensitive to what I was going through.' The world would be a much more nurturing, peaceful place if we taught our kids to come from that perspective, if we approached our own kids that way."