In an enthrallingly smart, clear-headed essay in this week’s New Yorker, Jill Lepore slams the “bad parent” movement into historical context. Lepore’s immediate target is the current bestseller Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman—the book that triggered a million mommy-blog posts in the dramedy [...]

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You’ve gotta love babygadget.net for its nursery-decor suggestions. Some of its finds, like this chest of drawers that costs more than a high-end fridge, are achingly charming. Others are—shall we say?—thought-provoking. One recent post, showcasing Danish bunny-themed wallpaper, provoked this pensée: At what size does a baby rabbit become disturbingly monstrous? Here are three designs [...]

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Yesterday’s creepy encounter with TheCuteKid.com gave me the impression that Americans value Cuteness in their young above, well, everything—and that all kids naturally strive for it, too. Then I saw this (circa 2007) local-news clip of Autumn Poovey, an Ohio high-school cheerleader who, as her puzzled mother says, “didn’t want to be cute anymore.” Autumn’s [...]

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Candid admission: Earlier tonight, I saw the horror movie Drag Me To Hell (a smartly cheesy film about a young mortgage-loan manager cursed by a bug-eyed gypsy). I’m a little jumpy, unhinged. But even if I’d been calmer when I stumbled on The 2009 Cute Kid of the Year website, I suspect it would have [...]

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If you haven’t seen this promo for “Jon & Kate plus 8,” please do so now, so we can discuss. It teases the upcoming announcement of a “life-changing” decision the couple has made. You’d hope their decision is to stop selling their family crisis like it’s a Snuggie (“Act now and get this tearful toddler [...]

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