We always find interesting ideas and conversations on other parenting blogs. Here are some that caught our eye this week.
Silicon Valley Mom's Blog posted a response to the recent Wall Street Journal article in which an economist alleges that children who grow up in rainy states can be more prone to autism.
The blog over at Parents magazine discusses the findings that girls do way more housework than their male siblings—and get more allowance to boot! Does the glass ceiling exist at your house?
The good folks at Babble make us feel better about being a little, um, lax in cleaning our son's toys that are constantly dropped on the ground. But for those better parents than us, they also provide tips on how sterilize toys.
Appropriately for the name of the blog, there's a nice tribute to diaper wipes and their many uses at The Poop .
Mother of a 9-year old with autism here -- SVM is correct, TV watching does NOT cause autism. Needless to say, economists are not experts in child development, I don't know why that fellow is getting so much press.
If you are worried about autism, here are some early symptoms in a baby about 1 year old: Baby does not point at things to show you what he/she thinks is interesting (like the doggie across the street, airplane in the sky); Baby does not imitate you (when you raise your arms to play "How big is baby?", baby does not lift his/her arms); Baby does not turn head when you call his/her name.
Early intervention can make a big difference in an autistic kid's development, so if you have any concerns, make an appointment with your pediatrican and demand a referral to a developmental specialist.