Jon Gosselin Loves His Kids, His Girlfriend And The Jews
Divorce & Custody, Celeb Kids, Celeb Parenting, Behaving Badly, In The News, Media, Extreme Childhood, Twins, Triplets, Multiples
Problem is, it's costing him.
His legal battle with his ex seems to grow exponentially every day, which, of course, sends the media frenzy on Jon-dom into the stratosphere. We called Jon for a quick chat to catch up on how this is impacting his parenting and ended up talking about everything else.
ParentDish: So, what's going on?
Jon Gosselin: I'm just trying to be as cordial as possible. I messed up at the beginning and now I want to be a nice guy, make better decisions and do the right thing.
PD: Why? What did you do that you consider bad moves.
JG: Meeting Kate Major [former reporter for Star magazine] and Stephanie [Santoro], the nanny. Those were two things.
PD: What's with you and family friend Hailey Glassman?
JG: Me and Hailey are still together. It was hard for her in the beginning. We are going to stay together. She talks to people. She's so friendly. She just goes up to people and says, 'I love your shoes.'
PD: Are you two going to get married?
JG: We don't talk about getting married. She's seen how messy my divorce has been and she says it makes her not want to get married. She laughs about it. It's so different than it was with Kate. It's so comfortable with Hailey and her family. They are so nice. They gave Kate a free tummy tuck, worth $20 grand. I mean, hello? It's free surgery.
PD: How is Hailey adjusting?
JG: I apologized to Hailey that I shouldn't have been hanging out with anyone else. I love her to death and she could've walked away.
Black Barbie, But Why The Long Hair?
In The News, Toys & Games, Shopping
Except for the hair. The hair is straight.
And that has some parents crying foul.
According to a report by The Associated Press, the new dolls have "fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheekbones" and resemble a black person's features rather then Mattel's 1960s attempt at racial inclusiveness, which "was essentially a white doll painted brown."
While parents and pundits are praising many aspects of the new line -- a focus on education and mentoring, for example, and the varied skin tones -- they are also asking about the hair.
At first, this may sound silly. But look at the trailer for Chris Rock's new film, a documentary called "Good Hair," that explores the relationship that black women have with their hair.
Twitter Follow Friday on ParentDish!
Love Twitter? So do we! It can be tough to keep tabs on all your favorite "Tweeters" from the "Twitterverse" -- but don't worry, we've got you covered! Here's our favorite parenting Tweets of the week, raw and uncensored, typos and all, just as you see them on Twitter. Follow ParentDish on Twitter to join the discussion (who knows, maybe we'll feature you here!).
Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
Ten Percent of American Babies Are Born Too Early
Newborns, Pregnancy & Birth, Development, In The News
Around the globe prematurity is a major issue: Worldwide, nearly 13 million babies are born before the 37th week of gestation, and more than a million of them die each year. Sadly, the numbers appear to be on the rise.
Prematurity is most severe in Africa and Asia, where more than 85 percent of preterm births occur. The second-highest rates are found in the United States and Canada, where more than 10 percent of all births are premature. In this country alone, the rate has skyrocketed in the last 25 years, jumping 36 percent, mainly due to the increase in multiple births, assisted reproductive technology and pregnancy over age 35.
Reviews: What's New This Week
In Theaters Now: Free Style
"High School Musical" star Corbin Bleu gets serious in his new film "Free Style," a coming-of-age drama about a hard-working high school senior hoping to make it big as a professional motocross racer. The movie touches on serious subjects like race and absentee fathers but doesn't go too deep. A few scenes featuring underage drinking and innocent romance make it real while the racing scenes make it fun. Rated PG, OK for Kids 11+
On DVD: Imagine That
Eddie Murphy stars as a divorced dad learning to put his daughter before his career in "Imagine That." Aside from a few mild insults and some blatant bad behavior on the part of dad, the film is innocent and family-friendly and good for more than few laughs. Rated PG, OK for Kids 6+
TV: Secret Girlfriend
If the title of "Secret Girlfrield" makes you cringe a bit, you are on the right track. Featuring immature slackers objectifying women, the movie is based on a series that previously aired on the Internet. It's rude, crude and original only in it's use of a gimmick that has the actors speaking directly to the camera as if it were a character in the show. Rated TV-14, Iffy for Kids 15-18
Duggar Grandbaby Born
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The newest baby -- who joins the already enormous clan -- weighed in at 8 pounds and measured 19 1/2 inches. Mommy Anna and Daddy Josh, the oldest of Michelle and Jim Bob's 18 children, tossed aside Grandma and Grandpa's self-imposed tradition of using first-letter J names for all the kids.
The supersize family continues its growth spurts, as Grandma Michelle is pregnant with baby #19, who is due in March.
Cross-Dressing Teen Told to Dress 'Manly'
Teens & tweens, In The News, Education, Amazing Kids
Are skinny jeans, makeup and flats disruptive clothing choices for school?
If you're a 16-year-old boy attending Georgia's North Cobb High School, the district seems to think so.
According to a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jonathan Escobar -- a Miami transplant who had only been attending the school for three days -- says an assistant principal at North Cobb told him he needed to dress more "manly" for school, or think about home-schooling.
"I told myself I can't accept this," Escobar told the AJC, after he withdrew from the school.
It's Twins -- For The Third Time -- For Florida Parents
Newborns, In The News, Weird But True, Twins, Triplets, Multiples
All three sets of twins were conceived with the aid of fertility treatments, but it's still a rare occurrence -- as is seeing a family of six kids all younger than age 7. And Nick and Kathleen receive plenty of attention for their big brood.
"People are always saying stuff, always coming up, always, you know, taking that turn back and looking again to see, oh my God, or people are pointing," Nick told Miami's NBC news station.
The Hinrichsen's latest arrivals were taped for an episode of TLC's A Baby Story, and according to Dad, these are the last babies for the fast-growing family.
Montana Upholds Same-Sex Partner's Parental Rights
Same-sex couples in Montana now have the same rights as married couples to pursue child custody in court.
The Montana Supreme Court, in a 6-1 ruling, upheld that right Tuesday. Justices decided a woman who shared responsibility for two adopted children with her former partner was entitled to parental rights.
Montana law does not allow same-sex couples to adopt children, so only one partner can legally be regarded as the adoptive parent. According to court documents, Barbara Maniaci and Michelle Kulstad agreed that Maniaci would be the adoptive parent on all the legal paperwork, but the two of them would raise the children together. As a result, Kulstad was not listed as the legal parent.
Some people hailed Tuesday's ruling as a victory for people -- gay and straight -- who care for children outside the bounds of traditional marriage. Others said it opens the doors to outside parties who want to lay claim to children.
Blind Boy Uses Sonar to See With His Ears
Kids 5-7, Medical Conditions, In The News, Special Needs, Amazing Kids
Lucas Murray uses echos to visualize his environment, and according to The Sun he may be the first person in Britain to use the method, called echolocation. He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth to locate objects based on how the sound bounces back to him.
Lucas's family learned of the technique when they saw Californian Daniel Kish on TV and asked him to visit the family at their home in Poole, Dorset. Kish, 41, founded the World Access for the Blind and taught Lucas to use echolocation over an intense, three-day period, according to The Sun.
"I really like the clicking system, but it was quite hard to learn," Lucas told that newspaper.