TresSugar

Geeky Style to Keep Kids Warm

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:59:40 PST

The whole family needs to keep Winter chills away right now, but don't dress junior in any ordinary sweater. Showcase their emerging geek in snuggly sweaters worthy of paleontologist-in-training or future astronaut. Check out our picks for cozy handmade geek gear.

Mom Dresses Toddler in Pretty Woman Hooker Costume

Tara Sharp — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:50:00 PDT

Are the pageant moms on Toddlers & Tiaras trying to out-crazy each other? Last week it was a girl wearing boob and butt pads for her Dolly Parton costume, and now a mom thought it was a good idea to dress her 3-year-old daughter in Julia Roberts's prostitute outfit from Pretty Woman. What was this mom thinking? Well, the mom defends the hooker outfit as no different from gymnastics wear or a swimsuit, saying:

"I'm raising my child just as well as any mother does . . . I take my kid to church every week . . . at least I'm not forcing them into sports and getting my child injured like some parents."

Hmmm . . . I'm at a loss as to how parents who get their children involved in sports can be equated to, much less considered worse than, a mom dressing her toddler as a prostitute. But watch the video clip for yourself, and share your thoughts on the baby hooker in the comments!

Toddler Wears Boob and Butt Pads For Dolly Parton Costume

Tara Sharp — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:30:26 PDT

Little girls have been made to look like sexy women in a variety of disturbing ways during beauty pageants, but just when we thought we'd seen it all, last night's Toddlers & Tiaras managed to surprise us with a new one: boob and butt pads.

The mother of a 4-year-old contestant dressed her little girl in the same Dolly Parton costume she wore when she did beauty pageants - fake boobies and butt "enhancements" included. The mom claims this is her daughter's favorite costume, despite the girl having no clue who Dolly is and being embarrassed by the faux chest when other girls ask her about it. And what's worse, no one seems to find the butt-shaking routine and fake rack on a 4-year-old appalling; the judges call it "cute." Watch the video clip now, and tell us, do you think this is harmless fun or crossing the line?

Guess How Much It Costs to Raise a Kid?

SavvySugar — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:15:45 PDT

We all know that raising kids costs a lot of money, and that amount has been increasing over the years. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture released a 2010 report on the costs of raising children, and it seems that the cost has risen by 22 percent in five decades. Guess how much it costs to raise a kid from birth to the age of 17 in a middle-income, husband-and-wife family?

Take the Quiz

French Lingerie Line Targets Little Girls

Tara Sharp — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:00:00 PDT

A new French lingerie line targeting children and teens is causing quite an uproar. Called Jours Après Lunes, this "loungerie," as the company calls it, is intended for girls ages 4-12 and features striped, ruffly, and bow-adorned underwear, camis, and boyshorts. There's a baby line, too, but there's nothing scandalous about onesies.

While you could see easily this loungerie sold for adult women at Victoria's Secret, the pieces themselves aren't that outrageous. Where the line gets blurred is with the company's photos. The shots of the little girls and preteens on the site look more like setups for boudoir photos than pictures of children. The girls are wearing jewelry, makeup, and tousled bouffants, while making pouty faces and posing like women.

But what do you think? Is this whole concept innocent and cute, or do you think it sexualizes little girls?

Best Job Training Happens in Preschool, Economist Finds

Emily Co — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:59:06 PDT

A good reason to seriously consider enrolling your kids in preschool: it seems that the skills that help workers gain better job opportunities are learned in preschool, according to economist James Heckman.

Heckman found in his study that employee training programs for unskilled youth in their early 20s don't make an impact on job prospects, and in some cases are detrimental to the worker's quest to find a job.This is because the students are missing the abilities learned in preschool that are needed to learn new things, which Heckman terms "soft skills." These include the ability to "pay attention and focus, being curious and open to new experiences, and being able to control your temper and not get frustrated."

In fact, the Perry Preschool Project has data to support Heckman's theory. In that study, researchers followed a number of subjects whom them placed in two groups - one that went to preschool two hours a day, for five days a week, and another that led normal lives without enrolling in preschool. When they followed up with the participants about 20 years later, they found that the boys who went to preschool earned 50 percent more than those who didn't. The girls who went to preschool were 50 percent more likely to have a savings account versus the girls who didn't.

NPR says:

If [the kids] learn these skills now, they'll have them for the rest of their lives. But research shows that if they don't learn them now, it becomes harder and harder as they get older. By the time the time they're in a job training program in their twenties, it's often too late.

Heckman is an economist so he thinks about this as a cost-benefit analysis. To him, the message is clear: If you want 21 year-olds to have jobs, the best time to train them is in the first few years of life.

Sunday Confessional: I Don't Want Children

Tres Community — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 03:05:06 PDT

This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.

I don't want kids but my boyfriend does. We've been together for 4 years and he keeps thinking I'll change my mind. I don't think I will, but I don't want to break up.

There's lots of cool stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups, and maybe we'll feature it here on TrèsSugar!

Is Child-Free the Way to Be?

LearnVest — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:15:15 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes . . . a jet-setting lifestyle, a novel and posh townhouse in London.

For Sonja Lewis, an expat in her 40s, there was never a carriage, stroller or burp cloth. Or childcare. Or school tuition. Instead, Sonja opted out of the idea that all women need children in order to be fulfilled and complete - and now wants to tell the tale.

In her new novel The Barreness, Lewis explores the fraught and emotional territory of going child-free. We called up this Georgia-born journalist and writer in her current home in London - where she happily lives with her husband-and asked her all the questions you’d be too polite to ask.

Why did you write this novel?

I guess you could say I got married late (about 37 or 38) and became obsessed with whether I would have children. And I eventually concluded that being a mother wasn’t the right thing for me.

The previous generation seemed to stereotype non-mothers as selfish, hardcore people, and I wanted to make it clear that women can be fulfilled without becoming mothers. Exploring the subject in the form of a novel gives me free range in how I approach it.

Why did you decide not to have children?

You have to consider the commitment; it’s a lifetime role. As much as I love children, when it really became a viable option for me, the financial commitment, the personal commitment, everything I had to take into consideration . . . It just didn’t make sense.

For more on a child-free lifestyle, read on.

What You Need to Know About Custodial Savings Accounts

LearnVest — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:15:48 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Whether you’re starting your first job or your first day of elementary school, it’s never too early to learn about personal finance. In fact, teaching your kids (or your nieces and nephews, for that matter) about the value of money will help them for years to come. And there’s no better way to help them prepare for a financially secure future than to set up their first savings account.

What’s A Custodial Savings Account?

A custodial savings account is a savings account that you open in a child’s name. Although they are usually opened by parents saving for their children’s education, custodial savings accounts can be opened for any minor under a custodian’s name. Anyone, including friends and relatives, can contribute to the account, but the underage child can only withdraw money with the permission of the person who opened the account. There are no limits to the amount of money that can be deposited into a custodial savings account, but amounts over $12,000 are subject to the gift tax. When the child reaches a certain age (usually 18 or 21), he or she will get full control over the money in the account. While custodial savings accounts are usually opened to set aside money for college, it’s ultimately up to the child to decide what to do with the money once he or she comes of age.

Read on to find out more.

Do You Want Your Kids to Attend Your Alma Mater?

LilSugar — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:17:46 PDT

This year's March Madness has been extra mad, and this weekend brings us to the final four. Watching the series with your family is a ripe time for reminiscing your college years and experiences at your alma mater. Do you hope your children will attend your school of choice, or are you completely open to whatever colors they decide to don?