Best Of The Web: February 15-21

Contributors: Sharon
Beesley, Elizabeth Raymond

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

Laura Mayes, a traditional mom by most measures, doesn’t
appreciate being lumped in with the Millions Moms who have registered outrage
at JCPenney’s choice of Ellen as a spokesperson. Go
Laura! (Babble)

Affluent, born-abroad parents prefer to send their kids to NYC
public schools, more so than local parents. Why are they less comfortable with the idea of our private
schools? (NY Times)

Just for fun. Don’t you wish you could take a pic of your
kid that looked just
like this? We do. (Dooce)

Puppet justice is served. Supreme Court Justice Sonia
Sotomayor makes a visit to Sesame Street
to settle the infamous Baby
Bear vs. Goldilocks case. (TIME)

The YouTube video of a dad shooting his daughter’s laptop
has gone viral with almost 23 million views! But did this father
go too far? Many disagree with his actions; some applaud him. (Forbes)

Kids with disabilities find it hard
to make friends. Read about one mother’s heartbreaking experience. (The Huffington Post)

Following fashion week? Check out Mara
Hoffman’s “hypnotic” prints for fall. (Lady and the Blog)

As we all get used to the idea of a world without Whitney
Houston, co-stars describe her on the set of her new movie Sparkle as being “mother-like.” (NY Post)

A Chicago
charter school actually fines students (five bucks!) for infractions. Judy
Browne-Dianis, Advancement Project co-director, explains why she is protesting
the school’s policies. Check out this video and see what you think. (CNN)

Check out this heart-warming story of a mother who had labor
induced so her dying husband could meet his new baby. See him hold
his new daughter. (CBS News)

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp

Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp offers five daily rotating activities such as swimming, ice skating gymnastics, rock climbing, parkour, indoor/outdoor turf, and courts plus more in its ample 175,000 sq. ft. facility and 35-acre outdoor area. Aviator Summer Camp also offers off-site and on-site field trips such as a day at Green Meadows Farm, Launch Trampoline Park, and a Brooklyn Cyclones game. The summer camp runs from 9 am-5 pm with early drop off and late stay available. Bus transportation is also available throughout Brooklyn. Lunch and an afternoon snack are included. Sign up by February 28th to receive up to $300 off camp with early bird discounts.

British Swim School - Manhattan

The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.&nbsp; British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School&rsquo;s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!