The Mom Crowd

This has been going around lately on blogs & such, and I couldn’t resist sharing it here.

Have you seen this?  What are your feelings after reading it?

3.31.09. Today is the first ever “Spread the Word to End the Word!” I am excited to celebrate this awesome day with all of The Mom Crowd readers! As you know, the word “retard” is abused and misused by so many people. Most people use the r-word as slang or tongue in cheek, however, it is disparaging and hurtful to the millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their friends, and their families.

Spread the Word to End the Word is a campaign created by young people with and without intellectual disabilities to create a societal taboo on the r-word. The Special Olympics and John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs) are endorsing and publicly representing this campaign. Rallies are being held in work places, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, and colleges around the world. The state of Delaware will be asking all 40,000 high school students to pledge to not use the r-word in their vocabulary.

I challenge you to not just roll your eyes thinking this is yet another political correctness movement. I challenge you to hear the words of those with intellectual disabilities, their friends and their families. I challenge you to remove the word from your language that destroys the dignity of so many individuals in our world. I challenge you to “Spread the Word to END the Word” today and tomorrow and the days to come!!!

Any mother would be proud to be Soeren Palumbo’s mom! This kid has defined why the r-word is so offensive. I hope you will watch this high school student’s amazing speech!

I will close this with a personal message from Dr. Cox err…John C. McGinley:

(more…)

Welcome to the world, Roman Anton!

Born March 3, 2009

2:18 p.m.

9 pounds, 1 ounce

I’m sure Amanda will have more details in a future post, but for now, know that everyone is well and filled with joy!

This is a quote from a video I saw on Yahoo! this week.  It featured a mom named Erica, who writes for The Boston Globe and a mom website, Bo-Moms.   She was talking about whether or not Facebook makes you a bad mom.  The interview highlighted the pros and cons of online interaction with friends throughout the day, namely through Facebook, and concluded that, like any other hobby that a mom has, it is healthy – in moderation.

I enjoyed the interview, basically because I felt like I could relate to Erica so well.  She shared a story about her 2-year old physically grabbing her hand off of her mouse in an attempt to get her attention.  Yeah, occasionally things like that happen around here.  

I am a huge fan of Facebook.  It is a great way for me to stay connected to all of my dear, distant friends – and like the moms mentioned in the video, it helps me feel connected to the world outside my own little house.  I occasionally have an intelligent thought rattling around my brain – one not related to grilled cheese sandwiches or potty-training – and I relish the opportunity to share those thoughts with someone older than the age of 3.  Facebook is fabulous for that.

I always hear people say, “It’s a time-waster!” Yes, it certainly can be!  The key is however much time we spend on Facebook or any other internet activity is really our choice.  The interview discusses this: making a plan that suits your family best, whether it’s to get online for 30 minutes a day or to wait till the kids are asleep (which is what I do), and to keep family time the first priority.  If it’s something that keeps your emotional well-being strong, it’s not a bad thing.  Erica also says that “you’ll just know” if it’s taking too much of your time, the same way we try to keep our other hobbies in check.  At that point, we should just turn off the computer and settle in doing something else (with the kids!).

Do you use Facebook?  Do you like it?  How do you keep a healthy balance of internet time (or “me” time) and family time?  All practical suggestions are welcome!

UPDATE: 

Julie Vallesse says not expect a crack-down on Feb. 10th. Also, more about exemptions on Bloomberg.com. 

Baby Cheapskate has a new article stating that CPSC is hearing all the calls and emails and may be reconsidering the affect on consignment shops and yard sales.

I received this Thursday morning from San Antonio Fox News Anchorwoman, Bianca Vanezuela – ” Looks like legislators are taking note. Check out yesterdays LA Times. Local Goodwill says they arent to worried. Nationally they are working closely with the powers that be and believe changes will be made before February
10th. I’ll keep you posted.
Bianca”

Here is a link to the most recent LA Times article:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lead7-2009jan07,0,6917858.story

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If you haven’t heard yet Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that will go into effect on February 10th of this year. Retailers, toymakers, thrift stores, yard sales, hand made toy producers and consumers of used clothes and toys will all be affected. Some are even calling Feb. 10th National Bankruptcy Day, because of the severe impact they believe the law will have on the economy.

What You Need to Know

The CPSIA limits the amount of lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number. (Handmade Toy Alliance)

The lead paint limit is currently 600 ppm for children’s products. It will be lowered to 90 ppm on August 14, 2009. (CPSC Requirements)

The CPSIA was created in response to the enormous number of product recalls every year and the inability for the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to properly prevent dangerous toys from being imported and sold.

Up until October of 2007 the CPSC had already issued 544,000 product recalls due to high amounts of lead.

The law says that a “children’s product” means a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger. This includes clothes, toys, children’s books, cassettes, CD’s, printed game boards, posters, and other printed goods for used children’s education.  It also applies to some furniture “Furniture articles include, but are not limited to beds, bookcases, chairs, chests, tables, dressers, desks, pianos, console televisions, and sofas.”

How Does This Affect You?

The cost of children’s goods will rise, because manufacturers will have to pay for expensive third party testing. The cost will be passed along to the consumer.  (HTA)

Small businesses and handmade items may go out of business, because they can not pay for the third party testing. Etsy shop owners may go out of business.

Items that have not been tested by Feb. 10th may be considered hazardous and will not be available to resale and thrift stores may have to clear out their inventory if each item can not be tested by Feb. 10th. Goodwill and shops like Kid to Kid may be forced to shut down!

You may not be able to resell children’s items through yard sales, Craigslist, or Ebay unless the items have been tested for lead.

The official US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website about the CPSIA does not list the penalties for breaking the law.  The Consumer’s Union says the civil penalty caps have been raised from $5,000 to $100,000 per individual violation, and from $1,250,000 to $15,000,000 for aggregate violations.

What is Going on Now With the Law?

Congress passed the CPSIA in July 2008 and signed by the President on August 14, 2008.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission enforces the law. They met on Monday of this week and determined that certain natural fibers like wool will be exempted.

The CPSC is still considering finding an exemption for Resale, Thrift and Consignment Shops according to the Minneapolis-St.Paul NBC affiliate.

According to the timeline for the CPSC not every thing has been finalized yet.

Senator Hatch says that lawmakers can still alter the regulations and make exemptions, “The CPSIA was not intended to harm the kinds of small businesses for which you are concerned. It is apparent, however, that the regulations may need to be altered to make exemptions for certain categories of products and businesses.”

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Against:

Write Your Senators and Your Representative

Write to the CPSC

Vote on Change.Org

Sign a Petition

Join the Facebook group – Help Save Toys from the CPSIA

Become a Fan on Facebook

Join the Twitter group: Twittergroup #CPSIA

Take this survey about the economic impact of the regulations

Contact Your Local News Media Outlets

Share about the law on your blogs

For:

Visit the Consumer’s Union of the United States website.

Keep Up With the Latest Updates

Fashion – Incubator Forum

CPSIA Central on Ning

Homemade Toy Alliance Facebook group
What have you heard about the CPSIA? Do you agree with the law? Is it too soon to tell what is going to happen on Feb. 10th?