FabSugar

Child Slavery in the US? Wealthy Immigrants Bring "Hired" Help

LibertySugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:42 PST

Well, this is just great. Behind the gated and planned communities of Southern California housewives aren't just employing children as drug dealers, they're smuggling children into the US to work.

As affluent immigrants move here from Africa, where the rich think nothing of employing children for little to no money, many bring children with them to employ for meager wages ($30-per-month meager). The US State Department found that in the past year, children from at least 10 African countries were sent to the US and Europe to work as maids.

To learn about one former child slave who found justice, if that's even possible,

The family that brought Shyima over when she was 10 from Egypt was reported by a neighbor. After a long court battle - where the couple tried to claim her as their child - they pleaded guilty to forced labor and slavery. They were ordered to pay $76,000, which hardly seems like enough but is the amount she would have earned at minimum wage; sentenced to 22 months (wife) and three years (husband) in prison; and deported upon release. Shyima was adopted, finished high school, and at 19 now wants to become a police officer.

If it's possible to call Shyima lucky, it could be said. Because child slaves are cloaked behind the curtains of private homes, her case is an exception. Tasks like sorting laundry, taking out the garbage, and ironing shirts can easily be mistaken as chores, so nobody can even estimate how many children are enslaved. And since none of it is considered abusive (at least not physically), cases are rarely prosecuted.

People who keep child slaves not only see themselves as employers but also as benefactors, giving poor children opportunities. Sure, if you call 12-hour work days and no education in a nice American home an opportunity. And many in Africa, including Shyima's parents, do.

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Do You Care Where Your Clothes Are Made?

FabSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:14:22 PDT

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Fab Flash: Gap and New Child Labor Claims

FabSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:00:22 PDT

After efforts in recent years to rebrand itself as a more ethical and socially responsible company, Gap is once again being criticized for practicing child labor. Despite launching rigorous social audit systems in 2004 to weed out such practices, the system is still being abused by its subcontractors.

After an article in yesterday's The Observer said children in India as young as 10 were beaten and made to hand-sew clothes, often for no wages, the company has made moves to bar thousands of clothes en route to stores. Gap said it was unaware that the clothes were made by underage workers and has stopped all work from the sweatshop in Delhi so that a full investigation can be conducted.

This newest revelation adds fuel for those campaigning to stop Gap from outsourcing its labor to the developing world, which is increasingly popular for Western fashion chains.

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Lil Links: 10 Dresses That Will Give You Maternity Clothes Envy

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:32:53 PDT

Maternity dresses that give you pregnancy envy - BabyCenter Blog
The number one rule you'll learn as a parent - HuffPost Parents
Take a peek at Katherine Heigl's baby Adelaide - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Steal the latest celeb maternity style: tie-dye - Celebrity Baby Blog
The pros and cons of 11 common labor positions - FitPregnancy
What kids can learn from failure - Parenting
Toddler truths to learn from Modern Family - The Bump
9-year-old reviews school lunches and gives them poor marks - Yahoo! Shine
5 reasons pink is a great color for boys - Circle of Moms
American Eagle to close 77kids stores – Child Mode

5 Things You Can Do For Your Mom This Mother's Day - and 5 She Can Do For You

Kate Stahl — Sat, 12 May 2012 05:42:34 PDT

Mother's Day is double the fun when you're a mom yourself. Not only do you get a day that celebrates you, but you have a whole new appreciation for your own mom, who definitely deserves some special attention. If you're both looking for ways to celebrate each other, consider the following 10 tips - five are just for you, and five are for her.

For You: She can offer perspective. When you're in the thick of sleepless nights, endless teething, and toddler temper tantrums, motherhood can seem overwhelming. But your mom survived it, and she can tell you how quickly "this too shall pass" and remind you to appreciate the fleeting moments.
For Her: You can allow her to revisit the early days of being a mom . . . without all the stress. Changing diapers, making bottles, and soothing baby breakdowns can actually be fun when you're grandma (or at least that's what our moms tell us), so let her step in and take a trip down memory lane.
For You: She can provide worry-free (and free!) babysitting. Grandparents are second only to you when it comes to caring about your kids. Take advantage of her desire to spend time with your lil ones and take a break!
For Her: You can give her your time. Offer to help her with a project in which you have expertise. Help her figure out that iPad or fancy camera, weed her garden, or just (finally) clean out your childhood closet.

Click here for six more Mother's Day gifts you and your mom can give each other.

Lil Links: A Cup of Tea May Shorten Your Labor

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:32:49 PDT

Drinking tea may ease nausea and even shorten your labor - FitPregnancy
A Mother's Day gift guide to cover every type of mother out there – Cool Mom Picks
There may be a link between junk food and autism - The Stir
Jessica Alba isn't planning on any additional babies, for now - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Daya Vaidya is expecting identical twin boys - Celebrity Baby Blog
Twenty-two guilt-free snacks for kids - Parenting
Titanic-inspired baby names - The Bump
Have you seen the breastfeeding, Oreo-eating baby? - The BabyCenter Blog
A mother who used a surrogate is denied maternity leave - LearnVest
What to do if your child is the bully - HuffPost Parents

Jessica Simpson Tells Jimmy Kimmel She's "Ready to Push"

Katie Henry — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:21:23 PDT

Jessica Simpson visited Late Night With Jimmy Kimmel yesterday to chat about her impending pregnancy and her latest TV venture, Fashion Star. Jimmy joked saying, "I would be honored to deliver your child on TV," should Jessica go into labor during their chat. She's not far from welcoming a baby girl with fiancé Eric Johnson, and when the moment comes Jess said she'll be drugged and "ready to push!" Check out what else she had to say in the clip!

Down but Not Out: Tori Spelling Shares Her Friend's Perspective on Raising a Child With Down Syndrome

Tori Spelling — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:02:22 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week, we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares a letter from her friend about her baby who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

Today, I’m sharing a guest blog by my friend Lisa, owner of Evolution Vintage. Her son was born with Down syndrome, and in honor of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st, she has offered to share her story. When I read this, I had tears streaming down my face - not because I felt sorry for Lisa’s son Blake, but because she inspires me as a mom. I hope you are as touched by her story as I was:

Down But Not Out
By Lisa Graystone

Friday the 13th turned out to be the luckiest day of my life . . . in hindsight. I gave birth for the second time to my son Blake under very traumatic circumstances. He was born blue, lifeless and his first sounds resembled a watery gurgle, not a cry. His birth was fast and as a result he had lungs full of water and had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice. I was unable to hold him before they rushed him to the special care nursery for respiratory therapy and monitoring. We spent six days in the hospital. During this time, due to the shape of his eyes, the doctors suspected Blake had Trisomy 21; also known as Down Syndrome (DS). He fought to live and to be here, only now to be faced with a prospective hurdle he would continue to jump for the rest of his life. The postpartum hormones were swirling as I sat down the hall from my new son who was fighting for his life; quietly smelling the receiving blanket from his NICU nest and pumping my breasts alone in tears. Nine agonizing days later, the test results confirmed the doctor’s suspicions. The joy and relief that my son was alive was immediately shrouded in darkness, sadness, despair and shock. I am under 35 and was not given the option of amniocenteses (the test that can conclusively tell you if your baby has DS). The blood test that was available I opted not to do because of the high false positive rate and the fact that there were no "risk factors" - my first child was healthy and my ultrasounds were normal and we were reassured that everything was "fine." I was surrounded by fear and unknowns, questions with no answers and a baby boy to care for.

Related: Children With Swag

I have no time to be on the "why me" program being the ambitious mompreneur that I am. I had to force myself to say: "WHY NOT" and bring it on to my already full plate. There seemed to be no other alternative than to take it head on and realize that the only thing I can control is my attitude, approach and perspective. I feel very lucky to have been given this boy and with him the opportunity for personal growth, education and evolution.

I introduced Blake to my family and friends (many who live 3,000 miles away in Canada) via this letter written from his perspective:

Keep reading to see Blake's letter and for more facts about Down Syndrome.

Lil Links: 9 Things You Should Never Say to Your Toddler

LilSugar — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:55:41 PST

9 things you should never say to your toddler - Parenting
Should pediatricians be allowed to "fire" their patients? - The Stir
Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie enjoy a prebaby movie date - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Kourtney Kardashian's rainy day maternity style - Celebrity Baby Blog
In defense of elective inductions - FitPregnancy
Presidents past and present holding their tiniest constituents - The Bump
Labor pain deconstructed - Momformation
The coolest indoor play spaces across the country - Yahoo! Shine
For your little fashionista: Chloé Kids adorable Spring/Summer collection – Child Mode

Labor Pains: 7 Ways to Ease the Pain of Labor

BabyCenter — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:37:43 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Nancy Johnson Horn about tips for easing labor pain.

I remember going into labor over 6 years ago with my first child. When my water broke 11 days early I couldn’t remember a thing, other than "pick a focus point on the wall" and breathe.

But there’s more you can do to make labor go a little smoother. Recently, I spoke to Hope Garland, an Affiliated Bradley Instructor, www.blossombirth.net, who recommended these amazing tips. So, if you’re weeks or days away from childbirth - don’t panic, just print out (or bookmark it on your smartphone) this post so you can reference it when you go into labor.

Pack in the protein: If you were about to run a long marathon, would you eat only ice chips? No. You need to eat a protein-rich meal. It will give you the stamina needed for labor (plus many hospitals won’t let you eat once you check in anyway). Make a plan to either keep something in the fridge/freezer/cupboard or know where you can go to get your marathon meal.
Don’t fight gravity: Remain upright as long as possible. Walk around or sit up, but don’t lie on your back. (Yes, that’s really me in the pic, before I found out I should be walking around.)
Hydrate thyself: Pack (and use) a water bottle. If you properly hydrate yourself during labor, you’ll increase your energy output by as much as 30%. Also, if you can keep drinking water, you may not need an IV that will really restrict your mobility. That’s when the ice chips and clear liquids can also help.
Breathe using your abdomen: Normal abdominal breathing increases relaxation, which you’re really going to need. Chest and patterned breathing may fool your body into stress mode, and you don’t want that.
Take a virtual chill pill: You’ve got to stay relaxed. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. If music helps, bring a preloaded playlist on your iPod, locate a focal point in the room and breathe. Banish as much negative energy as possible. While it’s not easy, stay as relaxed as you can through contractions – it will let your body do what it’s supposed to do.
Move around during labor: There are a variety of positions for labor. Try to change positions so you’re not in one place for too long. Speak to the nurse about how you can be monitored and still move around. Bring slippers for those lovely grippy hospital socks so you can walk the halls.
Make sure you have support and loving encouragement: Having your husband, partner, or trained birth partner can make a big difference. That support will do more for you than any amount of medication!

Do you have any tips to make labor a little easier? What did or didn’t work for you?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Quantity or quality time: Which matters more?
Five reasons you need the Origami Stroller - now!
The three greatest dangers for baby are . . .
Seven ways to spread the love this Valentine's Day
What do you say to pushy parents?

Source: Flickr User bradleygee