Work & Life

Like millions of Oprah fans I sat glued to the TV Monday afternoon to hear the talk show queen reveal a family secret: she had a half-sister that had been given up for adoption in 1963 and Oprah's mom hid it from everyone. Of course, when you find out your sibling is one of the richest people in the world, like Oprah's half-sister Patricia did, you probably want to celebrate and tell the world. What's shocking is how Patricia kept the secret for approximately four years once DNA test confirmed their connection. All the focus is on Oprah, but I want to dish about her mother, Vernita Lee.

I have a niece who is deaf. She's a married working mom with two sons. I have another niece with Down Syndrome who works full-time and has won awards in her local Special Olympics. So people with disabilities have a special place in my heart. I've watched my nieces do things some people might have thought was impossible for them. If they had been born 20 or 30 years earlier, no one would have expected them to work outside the home or support themselves. Thank God that's not the expectation now. That's why tears came to my eyes when I saw this story on CNN about a Florida family who opened Casey's Cookies so their disabled daughter and other young people with special needs could get vital job skills.

All over Facebook last week, I saw links to this controversial Wall Street Journal article written about the tough, no nonsense parenting approach Chinese mothers have. It's an excerpt from a book, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," by Amy Chua. I can imagine some American moms and dads were offended by the viewpoint that we are too lenient on our children and that causes them to fail. I was raised in a pretty tough, no nonsense household by American parents. We had expectations of good behavior and good grades. My parents were also very clear that the front door is where democracy stopped and a loving dictatorship began. You can find lots of articles and blog posts blasting Chua. I'm not going to add to the noise. She's a mom on a mission with books to sell. That's my take on it. Although she's getting criticized left and right, she also knows there's no such thing as bad publicity.

According to ABC News, Meritus Medical Center in Maryland will no longer allow delivery room pictures or videos until five minutes after the birth. Critics say it's because the hospital features the photographic evidence could be used in a lawsuit. Some parents are upset because they'll miss their child's first few moments of life. Here's the flip side. KSDK-TV reports that thanks to Skype and a laptop webcam an Airman based in Afghanistan got to see his wife deliver their son in an operating room in Missouri. Feel free to comment on where you stand. Do webcams and cameras belong in the delivery room? Are they a distraction to the medical staff?

A Mommy Talk Show Facebook fan recently asked for some potty training advice. She posted: “if you find any good videos about potty training… specifically getting them to poop on the pot…. Please let me know!!!!” So I did some digging. Since my son isn’t of potty training age yet …