In this competitive era, parents are naturally curious to determine whether their child is destined to freakishly overachieve—or just to stare resentfully at his imported wooden toys. Luckily, the Internet offers various checklists for giftedness. Though most paint a picture of a driven knowledge seeker, one such list, created by The New South Wales Association […]

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Nature vs. nurture department: Here, we have a video of Britney’s offspring, Sean Preston and Jayden James, spontaneously dancing to “Toxic” during London rehearsals for her European tour. I think you’ll agree that both boys have a precocious gift for choreography: Jayden strikes a killer pose at 00:10, while Sean executes a tricky crissy-cross leg […]

» Continue reading "Britney Spears’ sons: Are poppin’ dance skills an inherited trait?"

Here at Perfect Baby Handbook HQ, we have a short list of banned words. The first is “Danny.” The second is “Gokey.” Consequently, we’ve been forced to exult in the downfall of a certain “American Idol” contestant through the use of coded hand gestures. Our hands are aching…so much to discuss. After all, the key […]

» Continue reading "A stern warning for parents about a certain American Idol"

All over the planet today, offspring took the opportunity to spend a little extra quality time with their mothers, whether at the Olive Garden, a cafe in Marseilles, or a godforsaken desert. Let’s listen in on three of these emotional tete-a-tetes: 1. Mrs. Heather Camel and daughter Emma Augustine Camel Mrs. Camel: I think you’re […]

» Continue reading "A look at some very private Mother’s Day moments"

I recently popped up in BookCourt, Brooklyn’s leading independent bookstore, as part of the Perfect Baby Handbook “tour.” As this video of the proceedings reveals,  the tour requires me to look people in the eye while making ludicrous assertions about “bird cleavage” and babies who join Facebook. Attention West-Coast readers: In a more laid-back, centered, […]

» Continue reading "The Perfect Baby Handbook—Live in Brooklyn"