Author Archives: Christopher Byrne

Anyone who loves children’s literature is sad this week learning of the death of Maurice Sendak. I know I am.

At this writing, we are about halfway through the annual Screen Free Week, the brainchild of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC), an advocacy group that tries to reduce the impact of advertising on kids.

Call me old fashioned. Toilet training is a rite of passage. It is something children need to master before entering school. Toilet training can generally start around 22 months to 30 months, and typically boys are trained by 38 months and girls at a slight more precocious 36. Effective toilet training requires muscle control, awareness of body activity and the motor skills to get on the toilet. In talks with pediatricians, it’s evident that this can evolve naturally, as children grow up and are increasingly uncomfortable with a soiled diaper. That’s when parental guidance comes in, educating the child about the body, supporting his or her growing awareness and being gently reassuring in the inevitable accidents that happen along the way.

I grew up in a much less technology-powered time, as virtually any adult did today. We had no iPods or internet, and other than game shows and the occasional horror movie there was nothing on TV for kids in the afternoons—and even those weren’t primarily directed at kids. It simply wasn’t possible to live in [...]

Recently, I had the opportunity to see an amazing show called “Circus in a Trunk,” performed by The Piccolini Trio, three exceedingly talented young people who are making a living clowning around.

When I was a kid, my family loved word games—Scrabble, Anagrams a now sadly long-forgotten game from Parker Brothers called Probe. We would banter in puns and parody and in our home being quick-witted was the same as being a sports star.

I’m hoping that this is the year we can all start having an honest conversation about toys, gender identity and socialization. It’s certainly a topic that can get people all worked up, but is it real? I don’t think so. Like so much in the media in the “age of outrage,” this is often something that’s cooked up so that people can a) pontificate on talk shows and b) sell books or consulting services. Either way, some people are getting rich making you think that a color (pink) has the mystical power to form the personality of the girls in your life.

You know about renting films, cars, even handbags or bridesmaids dresses. But how about renting toys for your kids? Is this a good idea? Certainly several sites and some news outlets have been buzzing about this as a new trend. While it might seem a good idea, there are some things you’d probably want to consider before signing up for one of these programs.

With Christmas less than a week away, many of us are very concerned about giving as we race around to try to finish our shopping for everyone on our lists. (I know I’m nowhere near finished, and this may finally be the year that everyone gets funny socks.)

Sometimes you just have to laugh. I wonder if there isn’t anything in the media or entertainment world these days that can’t provoke adult outrage from someone seeking—and too often getting—publicity. And it all usually comes from one very popular but horribly misguided practice—adults projecting their unresolved personal issues and political agendas on anything that comes in their sights. It doesn’t matter if their opinions makes no sense or ignores the facts; it’s all about getting attention and shocking.