Best Of The Web: December 21-27

Contributors: Briehn Trumbauer

Here’s a weekly roundup of parenting articles that piqued
our interest. Enjoy! —

Are you offended or empowered by the idea of breastfeeding
in public? TIME gathers the top
10 breastfeeding controversies
that have parents talking. (TIME)

From hands-off to cool to tell-it-like-it-is, there are so
many different dad types. Here’s a humorous
look at some of them
. (Babble)

Impressive. Amy Corbett Storch gets crafty with these Star Wars
snowflakes
. No, really. (Amalah)

Kindergarten costs $36,970 a year at the Dalton
School. So who’s running the place?
See this short profile
of Elisabeth “Babby” Krents
for a bit of behind the scenes. (NY Times)

Rebecca Woolf is consistently one of the most popular mom
bloggers out there. Here’s her latest on returning
home for the holidays
—with some pretty awe-inspiring photos. (Girl’s Gone Child)

Good news on the child obesity front. Our city has witnessed
a decrease
(1.2%) in obesity rates
. While it’s a modest decline, it’s the largest drop
in any major U.S.
city! (Baby Center)

Mom,
are we the 1 percent
?” Motherlode blogger
Randye Hoder thinks it’s time to talk to your kids about finances and Occupy
Wall Street. (NY Times)

Come January, Lego will release a new line of Lego
Friends
, designed to target the female kid population. Five archetypal
girly characters, dressed in pinks and purples, will come with a setting such
as a splash pool or dream house. (Huffington
Post
)

Not to scare you all silly, but heart
attacks are at their highest this time of year
. Stay healthy and read this
article to the end for tips on how to take care. (USA Today)

Reader stories take center stage at Kristen Howerton’s blog.
The latest is about a
military family trying to adopt
, and will have you contemplating the value
of such a special choice. (Rage
Against the Minivan
)

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

Gaga Madness

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">Gaga is the hottest new sport in NYC. We've taken the fun of GAGA and pushed it into overdrive. Energetic coaches, pumped up music, sideline commentary, gear giveaways and more. Stay active and keep fit with this new craze that's sweeping the city.</span></p>

The Music Institute of Long Island

<p dir="ltr">Established in 1990, the Music Institute of Long Island (MILI) is a classical music school staffed by exceptional instructors from many of the most prestigious conservatories and graduate music schools in the United States and Europe. Long Island’s foremost musical academies, its instrumental programs include violin, viola, cello, piano, flute, clarinet, saxophone and voice classes. MILI has been voted # 1 BEST MUSIC SCHOOL Consistently. </p> <p dir="ltr">They teach the Traditional, Suzuki, and ABRSM methods. Students participate in All-National, All-Eastern, All-State, youth orchestras, and score highly in NYSSMA and Royal Academy Music Festivals. First prize winners of competitions earn solos at Carnegie Hall and with orchestras. MILI offers Fall/Spring semesters plus Summer Sessions. Semesters include 15-17 weeks of private lessons, solo recitals with a final GALA Concert featuring chamber music.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>About the Directors: Carol & Geri Kushner:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The sisters are violinists, violists, chamber coaches & performers. They believe in instilling the love of music,  fostering proficiency, success, confidence & believe all MILI students achieve success.</p> <p dir="ltr">Degrees BM, MM (+), K-12 certifications, attended Manhattan School of Music, Queens College & Stonybrook University.They have been adjunct professors at Syracuse University, Aaron Copland School of Music Pre-College & Five Towns Colleges, Stonybrook University & have taught in L.I. public schools.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9f5dcc8-7fff-2ad2-edea-98d61c367d72"></span></p>

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">  </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day’s robot in their own “workshop”.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">  </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">  </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">The Foundry’s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>