St. Louis Smart Mama: Return to the Sunday Surf: 9/12-9/25

I was hesitant to start doing a Sunday Surf in the first place because I just kept thinking about how then you have to, like, actually commit to having a post for every Sunday. But then I remembered that:

a) it's my blog and I can do what I want and
b) very few people are reading anyway.

So chances are pretty good that, most Sundays, you'll find a Sunday Surf here. And if I have a week like last week, you won't. I'm pretty sure that, in those instances where I don't manage one, nobody is really going to care anyway . . .

This week, however, I have somehow managed to pull a few things together from the past few weeks on the web.

A recall of many types of Similac infant fomula due to the possible presence of beetles and larvae has made big news in the parenting world. In an article at The Stir, Formula Recall Brings Out the Mean in Breastfeeders, Julie Ryan Evans poses an interesting question about whether it's ever okay to use a moment like this to tell mothers that this is why they "should" have breastfed. There are a lot of statements in the article that I don't care for -- because it's pretty obvious that all they're trying to "stir" up over there is controversy and web traffic -- but Evans' makes a valid point that catty and unproductive comments are "not really necessary when women are terrified about a product they may have given their baby that's making them sick." This unfortunate incident does highlight the risks of formua feeding, but it also highlights the need for compassion for parents who have made choices different from our own.
Apparently, Katy Perry is too hot for Sesame Street. A segment that the popular singer taped for the show will not be broadcast on television due to complaints over her "skimpy" costume. The outfit doesn't bother me at all, but I can see why some parents complained. It's a cute clip and a catchy song if you want to check it out. Though you may be a bad parent if you let your kids watch it . . .

A two-part discussion of separation anxiety at Secrets of Baby Behavior struck me as something a lot of new parents might be interested in. (And if you're looking for some blog controversy on the issue of toddlers and separation, go back a few months and check out this post at the already controversial Peaceful Parenting blog, and then read this post post at Raising My Boychick). The last two aren't new but they definitely provide food for thought, particularly if you're interested in attachment-style parenting.
A recipe for Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies that contain no sugar or butter at Weelicious. I know the no-butter-or-sugar thing doesn't sound promising, but click on over and go look at the picture. They look soooo good! And the blog/website has a ton of great recipes for babies, toddlers, and older kids, plus daily lunch box pictures for those of us who struggle to know what to pack that's both healthy and fun day after day after day.
If you live in St. Louis, you don't want to miss Come Play! at COCA on Saturday, October 2 from 9-3. Find out all about the free event from St. Louis Kids Magazine.
Mom-101 always makes me smile, but I particularly enjoyed her post this week about the use of stars as a behavior/reward system in kindergarten. Are you a star-parent or a no-star parent? Clearly, lines have been drawn in the sand . . .
Elita at Blacktating shared a link to an article called Why African Babies Don't Cry. I always find it fascinating to see how our assumptions about what to expect when raising children are so heavily influenced by cultural norms.
A study of 253 California hospitals was released this month, showing that c-section rates are significantly higher at for-profit hospitals than they are at not-for-profit hospitals. Um, duh. Hospitals make a lot of money off of birth in general, and c-sections in particular. That's why Ricki Lake's movie was called The Business of Being Born . . .