True Heroes at Boston Marathon Provide Kindness for a Broken City

April 16, 2013, 8:22 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
It will take a long time for the horror of what happened at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon to settle in. The two bomb blasts that killed several people, including an 8-year-old boy, have forever changed the American landscape. But my fellow Americans, I have a favor to ask. Let us not focus on the atrocities today but on the lights in the dark, on the heroes who rushed in to help even as the hurt and afraid were rushing out. I'm talking about the first responders, yes, but I'm also talking about the former New England Patriots player who scooped a woman into his arms and started running. I'm talking about the doctor who was waiting for his wife to cross the finish line who instead rolled up his sleeves and started treating patients. I'm talking about the Bostonians who -- not knowing if there was a madman on the loose -- still opened their arms and their homes to people in need.

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'Teen Mom' Chelsea Houska Has Perfect Trick for Bashing Your Ex in Front of the Kid

April 16, 2013, 10:09 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
When I hear a mom badmouthing her kid's dad right in front of the child, I cringe. Literally. I can feel my face turning into a grimace, and I draw back my shoulder blades. So I was pleasantly surprised when I was watching Teen Mom 2 recently and heard Chelsea Houska talking about her ex-boyfriend, Adam Lind. Notice I said "pleasantly." Chelsea has had her fair share of problems with her good-for-nothing ex, enough that she deserves her time to rant about him. But she's also made it quite obvious that she's aware little Aubree deserves a relationship with her dad.

Harvey Weinstein Has Baby at 62 and We're Still Picking on Halle Berry?

April 16, 2013, 11:09 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Harvey Weinstein just became a new dad. The 62-year-old movie producer's wife, Georgina Chapman, just gave birth to a baby boy. Did you hear all the outrage across America? What? You didn't? Well, no, of course you didn't. Because America was up in arms that Halle Berry dared get pregnant at 46 (going on 47), but no one is saying a darn thing about how old Harvey is going to be when his kid graduates from high school.

Parents of Child Killed at Boston Marathon Need Privacy

April 16, 2013, 12:41 pm

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Post by Jeanne Sager
All day long, I have seen photos of little Martin Richard stream by me. The 8-year-old killed by a bomb at the finish line of the Boston Marathon has quickly become a symbol for a national tragedy. To moms and dads across the country, he is one of our own children. But now Martin's dad, Bill Richard, has released a statement about the loss of his son, and the message couldn't be any clearer. In the classiest way possible, Bill Richard is asking the caring public to please, please, please back off his child. Of course, he didn't use those words, exactly. But it's clear that this father is grieving today, he's overwhelmed, and he'd really like some space:

Brothers Each Lose a Leg After Surviving Horrific Boston Marathon Bombings

April 16, 2013, 1:25 pm

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Post by Jeanne Sager
If you had loved ones in Boston yesterday, you probably rushed to a phone or a computer to try to track them down. But in the chaos after the bombing at the Boston Marathon, communications were a muddle, and many people were forced to sit and wait, not knowing if the people they loved had survived. Once such woman was Liz Norden, whose sons, Paul and JP Norden, have gone viral today. The brothers were both at the marathon's finish line, enjoying Patriots Day. Each lost a leg in the blast, but they're expected to make it. Thank goodness. Some good news. Finally.

10 Boston Marathon Bombing Rumors That Need to Be Stopped Immediately

April 17, 2013, 8:15 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
It happens each time there's a national tragedy. The rumors come out. The fake stories abound. And for the Boston Marathon bombing, it's been no different. From conspiracy theorists spouting off about false flags to Sandy Hook Elementary School tie-ins and everything in between, the Boston bombing myths have spread like wildfire. People keep on sharing them, and until they know different, they likely will keep the insanity going. So here's your chance to make a difference. Here are the truths about the Boston bombing, your ammunition to stop the myths and lies:

Shot Glasses and Beer Mugs Being Given as High School Prom Souvenirs -- Really?!

April 17, 2013, 9:17 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
I consider myself pretty easygoing as a mom, but here's where I have to draw the line: souvenir shot glasses for kids at the prom. And by shot glasses, I mean exactly what you're thinking: the small cup you use to throw back a jigger of straight liquor. In a world where we have to throw annual mock drunk driving accidents every year just to convince kids not to get blitzed on prom night, I shouldn't have to tell you this is a bad idea. But considering kids just came home from the big dance at an Idaho high school toting their brand new shot glasses, it seems I do.

10-Year-Old Denied Food and Water by Police ... Because Her Dad’s a Criminal

April 17, 2013, 10:18 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
News has come out of China that a 10-year-old girl was recently hauled in by police and detained for 20 hours without food or water. Her crime? Being the daughter of a dissident. That's right, she was just a relative of a supposed criminal. She hadn't actually done anything wrong because she's just a little kid, but cops bullied her anyway! Man, I feel lucky to be an American today.

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15 Things Never to Say to Parents of Biracial Kids

April 17, 2013, 10:40 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
It's been 46 years since Mildred Loving, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, convinced the Supreme Court to end race-based marriage restrictions in America. These days, mixed-race babies account for 7 percent of the kids born to American moms every year. One of those babies has risen all the way to the office of the presidency. So why are the parents of biracial kids still hearing the same tired, old comments our parents and grandparents heard (or, God forbid, made!) back in the day? Turns out America is still full of a whole lot of racist thinking, and it's not just the people you'd expect. When The Stir talked to moms and dads, we heard a lot of people say things without even seeming to understand that they're being rude. Could this be you?

I Buy Name Brands for My Kid to Protect Her From Bullies

April 17, 2013, 1:34 pm

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Post by Jeanne Sager
When you're the mother of an only child, you tend to live with a heightened awareness of what it means to be "spoiling" your child. You're being warned right and left that it's inevitable, so you try your darndest not to do it. And yet, as I read writer Amanda Low's article "I’m Afraid Not ‘Keeping Up With the Joneses’ Does a Disservice to My Daughter" this week, I realized that what some call spoiling is just something I call protecting my kid. I'm not as far gone as Low. I don't feel like my family needs to go out and build a house just so I'm giving my kid a childhood that's "as good as" her friends'. And yet, there are things I refuse to let her go without that are undoubtedly a mark of caving to societal pressure.

Parents Awarded $90 Million for Tragic Death of Their Daughter at School Bus Stop

April 18, 2013, 7:37 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
As parents, we tend to live in fear of being "that mom," the one who complains about something her kid's school is doing and ends up being labeled as the pain in the butt. But this may change your mind. A family has been awarded $90 million in a lawsuit against their daughter's school this week because the Maryland school failed to keep their 13-year-old safe. Ashley Davis was crossing the street to get on her bus when a motorist hit her. She died as a result of her injuries. Her devastated parents decided to sue the Prince George's County Board of Education rather than the motorist for one simple reason.

10 Boston Charities to Support -- Plus 4 Charity Scams to Avoid at All Costs!

April 18, 2013, 9:02 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
There are some sick people in America. They see tragedy like the Boston Marathon bombings not as a chance to step in and help, but as a time to take advantage of people's good hearts. And so we have a host of scams and fake charities, all ways to bilk Americans who want to help the people of Boston out of their hard-earned money. Is that you? Do you want to help? We have good news for you. There are legitimate charities to aid the victims of Monday's cowardly act of terror at the finish line of the nation's most historic race. We've got them here. We've also got a list of scams that you should avoid (and report!).

Sex Offenders Now Required to Post Bright Red Signs in Their Yards -- About Time!

April 18, 2013, 9:40 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Do you know where the pedophiles are living in your neighborhood? What about your kids? Do you want them to know? What if you had no choice, because every sex offender in the neighborhood had a giant red sign planted in their front yard? That's the new law in Bradford County, Florida, and I have to admit it sounds kind of ... awesome.

15 Adorable Babies in Big Goofy Glasses (PHOTOS)

April 18, 2013, 10:08 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
It may not be on your typical list of baby milestones -- you know, walking, talking, eating from a spoon -- but at some point, just about every kid gets a hold of somebody's glasses. And then everyone just has to crowd around to get a picture, because really, is there anything sillier than a baby in glasses? No, really, is there anything that makes you smile quite as wide? I may be the biggest goober on the planet for admitting this, but I laugh every time I see an itty bitty baby with a big ol' pair of glasses on their face. And if you're just like me, we've got good news!

6-Year-Old Etan Patz' Confessed ‘Killer’ Might Be Changing His Story

April 18, 2013, 12:40 pm

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Remember Etan Patz, the first "child on a milk carton," whose alleged killer was finally arrested last year, more than 30 years after the 6-year-old disappeared? As if 33 years of not knowing wasn't bad enough for his family, they've been delivered another blow today. Accused murderer Pedro Hernandez' attorney has come out to insist that his client is innocent, even though the New Jersey man allegedly confessed to killing the child last fall.  Attorney Harvey Fishbein doesn't think his client should ever have to face accusations of killing little Etan at all. He wants the whole case thrown out. When are these poor parents going to catch a break?

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'Glee' Recap: NeNe Leakes Is All the Crazy This Show Needs

April 18, 2013, 7:39 pm

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Thank heavens for NeNe Leakes. After the insanity that was last week's school shooting, Glee owed us an episode that wouldn't piss off half the country. Tonight we got that in Sweet Dreams, a little number that sent Finn off to college and Rachel into Broadway auditions. But it was the Real Housewives of Atlanta star who actually made us laugh in an episode that was long on angsty existensialism and short on the fun stuff that makes us watch Glee.

Dad and Daughter Deploying Together Aren't Afraid of the Challenge

April 19, 2013, 7:45 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
You don't often hear about members of the same family going off to war. But in a nation where the kids of military careerists are six times more likely to enlist than their peers, a dad and daughter deploying together is bound to happen. That's just what Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael A. Mogg and his daughter, Spc. Miranda A. Mogg, an intelligence analyst, will do soon. The Moggs are both being deployed to Afghanistan. Together.

'Teen Mom' Star Finds Out Twitter Isn't Private -- Oops!

April 19, 2013, 8:55 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Teen Mom 3 hasn't even gotten its air date, and already one of its stars has learned the drawback to being famous. Brittany DeJesus just learned the definition of "private" for reality stars. Twitter? Is definitely not private! DeJesus is sister to Briana DeJesus, one of the four moms set to be chronicled in the second spin-off from the original Teen Mom. She played a critical role in her sister's 16 & Pregnant episode because she too got pregnant as a teenager. Unlike her sister, however, Britt chose an abortion, and the dichotomy between the two girls' paths has been celebrated as an important lesson that can come from featuring them both on Teen Mom 3.

8 Superpowers That Come With Motherhood

April 19, 2013, 9:47 am

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Did you ever see one of those shirts that asks, "I'm a mom, what's your superpower?" I think it's more than a little silly. But if I had to be honest, a tiny part of me gets it. I may not be leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but there are things I can do now that I have a kid that I never could before. It's not about moms being more powerful than other women, so much as moms learning they're a lot more flexible and adaptable than we ever thought possible or really ever needed to think about. Behold the awesome abilities that come with new motherhood:

'Day of Silence' Explained -- Why Your Kid Isn't Talking Today

April 19, 2013, 12:29 pm

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Post by Jeanne Sager
Did you notice your teenager was quieter than usual today? No, it wasn't hormones. Today is the annual Day of Silence, the one day a year when kids zip their lips to show support for their LGBT peers who are forced on a daily basis to keep their mouths shut about who they really are out of fear of retribution. They're sending a powerful message to the world without saying a word, and it's not just about the rights of gay kids in America.