Beware, child identity theft is on the rise. Recently an 8-year old, from Indiana,  who isn't  old enough to get her own credit card, found out she is already the victim of identity theft.

The mother discovered from the Internal Revenue Service that someone used her 8 year old daughter's information on their tax returns.

With child identity theft becoming a huge problem in the US it is suggested that you run periodic credit checks on your kids.  There are many monthly services available that will send you e-mails when there has been activity that could affect your credit score. If find that your child's identity has been stolen you will need to file a police report and report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

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Preschool time is just about upon us.  Go ahead and cry because your baby is growing up so fast.  Or, do the happy dance because you now have a few free mornings again. I will wait for you to finish. All done now?

The question now becomes do you have your preschoolers backpack all sorted out? No? Not, to worry. Here is a little cheat sheet on what preschool backpacks are all about, what to put in them, and what not to put in them.  Happy school days everyone.

PICKING A PRESCHOOL BACKPACK

Preschool backpacks are a bit smaller than regular backpacks. Some come with wheels, some without, some look like regular backpacks, and others are shall we say more interesting.    When picking out a preschool backpack you should consider your child's personality, what they are going to need to put in their backpack, and how are they actually going to end up lugging it around.

Backpacks with wheels are a bit heavier because of the plastic wheels. They are great for the preschooler who loves to drag their stuff on the ground. If your preschooler insists on wearing the backpack you might want to skip the wheels. If you frankly don't know you might opt for a backpack like the one above that allows you to do both. The monkey backpack from the NeatoShop has removable wheels for added flexibility.

WHAT TO PUT IN A PRESCHOOL BACKPACK

1. A change of clothes. When putting in a change of clothes you should keep in mind the changing weather. Lighter clothes for the end of summer and spring and warmer clothes for fall and winter.

2. A change of underwear. Accidents happen.

3. Something comforting. Separation can be hard for kids. Sometimes a little something comforting can help make the separation easier. This could be as simple as a family picture.

4. A sweater or jacket. Some little people are fussy when it comes to classroom temperature.  You might find the air conditioning to be set perfectly and they might be freezing.

5. A label. It's best to label all your little one's belongings including their backpack. This helps to ensure that you come home with your stuff and not some other kid's stuff.

WHAT NOT TO PUT IN A PRESCHOOL BACKPACK

1. Toys. Preschool is a time to learn the art of sharing, but just not with your toys. Toys from home can easily start a classroom war.  Avoid putting toys in a preschoolers backpack unless specifically instructed to do so by the preschool teacher.

2. Writing utensils (pens, crayons, markers). Most preschools like to control the distribution of writing utensils. This tends to keep little graffiti monsters in check.

3. Food. Allergies are a big concern at schools these days. It is best to only include a snack or drink in the backpack if your school requested it to be included. Don't worry most schools provide their own snacks.

4. Dangerous items. I think this is pretty self explanatory. Keep items that requires adult supervision out of the backpack.  Just because your kids is responsible and a genius doesn't mean that his classmates are as well.

CAUTION: CHECK YOUR PACKED BACKPACKS BEFORE SCHOOL EVERYDAY

Kids are notorious for hiding things.  You will want to recheck your kid's backpack before they leave for school.  If you don't you just may get an angry that your child's  roly poly collection has invaded the classroom.

Every year, on the first full weekend of August, Twinsburg, Ohio hosts the Twins Days Festival.  The festival is in celebration of multiples.  Anyone of multiple birth, not just twin birth, is welcome to join in the fun.  Over the course of the weekend there is a golf tournament, games, dancing, parade, and talent show.

All this talk about twin fun kind of makes me wish I had twins. OK, not really.

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The Associated Press is reporting that a premature little girl who was declared dead was found to be very much alive in her tiny coffin. The Mexican parents heard strange noises during the wake.  They opened up the coffin and found their newborn daughter to be very much alive. The doctor who declared her dead is now under investigation.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gL6y90yvosQaOj_gVb5u_TQteMdgD9HDKCA01

Little, 7-year old, Julie Murphy of Oregon wanted to open her own lemonade stand.  She lives in quiet area so her Mom decided to help her set up shop at a local art fair.  The fair is considered a grass-roots event and is relatively unstructured.

After 20 minutes, a "lady with a clipboard" came over and asked for their license. When Fife explained they didn't have one, the woman told them they would need to leave or possibly face a $500 fine.

Under Oregon law any lemonade stand, even those run by kids in front of their own home, are required to have a license.

Helen Jung has more: Link

Photo: Torsten Kjellstrand / The Oregonian

It is estimated that one-third to one-half of all Americans cannot swim.

In a 1994 CDC study, 37 percent of American adults said they couldn't swim 24 yards,  the length of a typical gymnasium lap pool. A 2008 study conducted by researchers at the University of Memphis found that almost 54 percent of children between 12 and 18 can do no more than splash around the shallow end of a pool.

This means that a large number of American parents and child caregivers are not equipped to save a drowning child.

Can you swim well enough to save a drowning child? If you can't you might want invest in some lessons of your own before heading out into the water this summer.  According to the numbers you very likely could be on your own if something goes wrong.

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A research study, about to be published in the Journal of Consumer Research, suggests that women who are ovulating tend to buy sexier clothes.

"Our mating choices need to be optimized at that time, so we need to make sure that we’re looking good," Durante said. "Since poor mating choices have very high consequences when you’re ovulating, it makes sense that you need to really be on your game."

Who needs and ovulation kit when you can just track your lingerie expenditures?

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Jeffrey Zaslow of The Wall Street Journal had a great article on the grumblings of stay/work-at-home parents.  They feel used and under appreciated by the community.  You call them when you need an errand run, or your kid is sick at school. You want them to babysit when you are in a pinch. You expect them to pick up the slack at the PTA, volunteer for you at church, and car pool your kids.   Seriously it has all the makings of a bad marriage where you sir never even say thank you.

Ms. Fitzpatrick, a Jupiter, Fla., blogger and freelance writer, finds that PTAs, church groups and charities zero in on people like her—those who don't work in an office. "You're expected to pull the weight of all the people who can't," she says. "It's as if I have to explain what I do all day." A veteran stay-at-home mom who has been saddled with looking after the kids of working parents, Ms. Fitzpatrick says that at times she has felt like "the doormat of the neighborhood."

The internet has provided these doormats with an outlet to vent, a community to vent to, and the courage to just say no.   So don't be surprised if they next time you call your stay/work-at-home friend asking for a little help you get a less than pleasant response and the phone slammed down in your ear.

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In case you are wondering the "I AM NOT YOUR DOORMAT" doormat is available at the Neatoshop.  It's the perfect I'm sorry gift for your stay/work-at-home friend.

Laura Dekker is only 14-years old and is about to attempt to sail around the world alone.  She is aiming to beat the record for youngest sailor  that was set by 16-year old Jessica Watson of Australia.

Laura's departure is actually a year late.  She had hoped to set out on her voyage at the ripe old age of 13.   The Dutch courts, however, prevented her departure on the grounds that missing school and being alone for such a long time would harm her education and be psychologically damaging.   After completing additional coursework in safety, acquiring a larger vessel, and preparing for sleep deprivation she was released from guardianship.

But her plans and legal wrangles have contributed to a global debate over the wisdom of allowing ever-younger sailors to take on the risks of sailing the high seas alone.

This of course begs the question of what type of pronged test do you develop for determining whether a child is allowed to attempt such a feat.  Clearly, age should just be one factor in the analysis.

Arthur Max has more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i2PUhRibN-l9UVKecyuyuzHrexIwD9HA4UUG0

Photo: AP/ Evert-Jan Daniels

Are  designer diapers not unique enough for you?  Do you want to be a trendsetter in the poo-poo wear department?  Then Zany Zebra just might have what you are looking for. This company allows you to design your own cloth diapers.  You design the applique, pick the colors, and they put the whole thing together.

I love it! I do, however, find it to be a slightly unusual way to treat and showcase your artwork.  I imagine some  people would be highly offended if you pooed all over their masterpiece.

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Admission to the happiest place on earth is about to get a little more expensive. Disney theme parks will be raising prices on Thursday.

The cost of a one-day adult ticket price at Walt Disney World will raise to $82, up $3 from $79. The new six-day pass will be $242, or $40.33 a day, up from $38.50 a day. Park Hopper add-ons will be $54, up from $52.

At Disneyland, the base price is going up to $76 from $72. Savings and discounts are available in a variety of packages. A one-day Park Hopper pass will be $101, up from $97. A six-day Park Hopper ticket, for example, will be $256, bringing the average one-day visit down to $42.67. A six-day Park Hopper pass through Wednesday is $254, but online and other discounts are available.

Oh, and they will also be raising the price on parking too.   Price increases and a shrinking family budget, this must be what drove the Hatter mad.

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A Chicago Teen was left in jail by his Mom. Ravontay Hutchins is accused of stealing a pizza delivery guy's car. The 17-year old was quickly arrested after a brief foot chase by police. His bail was set at $25,000.

When Chiampas set Hutchins' bail at $25,000, his mother told the judge "I've got [the money to bail him out], but he's staying here, locked up!" and stormed from the courtroom.

The Mom said her son was spoiled.  He was welcome to sit in jail and think about that while his Dad was in Iraq.

Tough love, sometimes it has to be done.

Kim Janssen has more: Link

Yes, it looks like designer diapers are a trend that is likely to stick around at least through the holidays.  Now you can get designer diapers  with your little poo-monster's initials. These run about $1.50 a piece and are disposable.

The same company also offers a diaper that has "change me" splashed across the butt.  This one is my personal favorite. It's a perfect gift for that not so attentive parent who lets their kid's diapers turn into bowling balls.

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Kickbee is a band worn over the pregnant belly that will update your twitter account when your baby kicks.

The application receives the sensor values and analyzes them. When a kick is detected, a message is posted to the social messaging service Twitter via its API (Application Programming Interface). Twitter makes it easy to share these short messages of "I kicked Mommy!" with family and friends, and allows them to be sent as text messages to any mobile phone in the world. The Twitter account can also act as a data log that can be accessed later for visualization or archiving.

OK, I'm not convinced that everyone is as excited about the baby kicking as the Mommy to be is, or would really want a twitter update from your belly. That said, I still think this is cool.  I love the idea of being able to keep a record of kicks. Plus, the ability to log data on kicks might actually come in handy. When I was pregnant with my oldest I had to do kick counts.  This would make that process a breeze.

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Investigators are alleging that Atlanta school teachers helped students cheat on standardized tests.  More than 100 teachers at 58 different schools have been implicated.  Teachers are said to have pointed to the correct answer and even whispered answers to students.

According to the report, Investigators also acquired an audiotape on which students were heard saying that a teacher had given the students writing assignments as homework two days before the exam. Those same writing assignments, the student said, appeared on the CRCT.

So much for the honor system.

Rebekka Schramm has more: Link