Big Kid Buzz

Photo by superpowers1279

Many CafeMoms think that opposite sex toddlers sharing a bedroom is no big deal, but the room is split on whether opposite sex teen siblings should share quarters. Some states even have laws that prohibit it.

But here's a new kid sleeping question that popped up in Advice for Moms -- same sex siblings sleeping in the same bed.

jen_wikstrom's 5 and 6 year old sons share a room, and they always end up sleeping in the same bed, even though they each have their own. They are not foster children (there are laws governing those types of sleeping arrangements). She wants to know if it's okay to move the bed out of the room and let the boys sleep on the one bed, since they always end up there anyway.

Ordinarily, we'd expect our teenagers to (at times) be moody, mouthy, and disrespectful, or to have an attitude. But lots of moms say their tweens are exhibiting disrespectful behavior, and they're wondering what to do about it...

Photo from D*S

Love this red, white, and blue themed big boy's room — although with a few slightly more feminine accents, it could easily work as a girl's room too. Love that.

Photo From StuckatProm.com

For years I was pretty proud of myself for using silver duct tape to hold together my car. But these high school prom-goers have found a much more creative purpose for this relentlessly sticky substance: They've used it to make prom dresses and tuxedos as part of the "Stuck at Prom" duct tape scholarship contest.

Photo by lilysmommy8503

This year, Fourth of July finally falls on a Saturday. Hooray!

Photo by 3lilmonsters411

Summer is not complete without numerous evenings spent at the ballfield. I love baseball, whether it's pro (go Yankees!) or little league, and yes, I'm that person who's screaming embarrassingly loud. Here are some links I love to get you in the baseball spirit:

Photo by djw1971

CafeMoms are always asking for ways to get their teens to talk to them, so we're helping out with a weekly dinner conversation-starter.

This week's topic:

Choosing good friends.

Photo by Cafe Sheri

Research shows that teachers typically spend between four to six weeks re-educating students on material they have forgotten over the summer.

So how can parents prevent the dreaded summer brain drain when pool parties, play dates, and boogie boarding are all kids are thinking about?

Duane Sider, an education expert at Rosetta Stone, offers fun tips on how to keep kids minds active during the lazy days of summer break.

Photo by mamasblessings

I know some moms are worried about letting their children participate in cheerleading because of the (sometimes) negative image and stereotypes often associated with teen cheerleaders. But I find this news to be way more alarming: Cheerleading is the most dangerous sport, causing more serious and deadly injuries among high school athletes than other sports.

PassionDiva_NY visiting McCafe at the McDonald's

Moms' Quality Correspondents Summit.

The following is a guest post from CafeMom member PassionDiva_NY.

Mmmmm coffee. One of my favorite drinks. On our second day of the 2009 McDonald's Moms' Quality Correspondents Summit, we visited McDonald's corporate office to learn about what went into creating their coffee line McCafé.  

Before their national release of McCafé, you could buy regular coffee at McDonald's. However, it was not a signature blend. The research to create their custom premium coffee blend began in 2004. It took two years of market research, finding potential suppliers, visiting coffee farms and learning about the entire coffee making process.