Rexanne's Web Review - Issue #37

Shopping

I received a terrific book for Christmas, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston. Feng Shui is the ancient art of arranging your living space and furniture to better allow the flow of Chi, or positive energy. After reading 2 and a half chapters of this book, I was inspired to toss all the unnecessary clutter invading our home. My girls and I spent the entire weekend packing much of our "clutter" in bags for the homeless and women's shelters. I can feel the good energy flowing already! ;-)

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Of course I have a Valentine site! Everything WWW and not, for a perfect love day. Consider it my way of spreading a little love on the toast of life. ;-) Here it is:
Rexanne's Valentine

Now on to:

Reader's Comments:

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Jessica wrote this about last week's topic, privacy:

"You're so right about privacy and children! I've taught my kids, from an early age, to respect my property and I'll respect theirs. I don't know if I'd look at my daughter's diary or go through her drawers. I hope I don't ever have to make that decision!"

I hope none of us do, Jessica! Thanks for your input.

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And new subscriber Suze wrote:

"I have been reading your web reviews and they are so informative, I could spend hours at your site! Thanks for the info!"

Hey, thank you, Suze and welcome!

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OK, here's the scoop:

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Quote of the Week: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. - Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

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This Week's Web Review is Sponsored By: Bargainchildrensclothing.com
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Has it been a little dull around here for you all lately? Here's a topic sure to spring controversy and howls in either direction!

If circumcision were a choice I had to have made, I would have run frantically from the hospital with my newborn son to protect him from the procedure. His father would have chased me down, insisting his son "look like he did." All I can say is I'm terribly relieved I didn't have to live through that. Nor did I have to make the agonizing choice of protecting my baby from pain or disrespecting my husband. It would have been a huge battle of conscience. I was spared and given daughters.

The decision to circumcise an infant boy or not is, in the USA and I'm assuming, most of the world, still a parent's sole responsibility. More and more doctors and pediatricians are recommending against routine circumcision. The controversy is beginning to reach epidemic proportions and will soon be a major issue facing new parents. I feel very sorry for those parents. They will be bombarded with opinions at every turn and surely go though hell with it, unless they have settled this issue between them before the baby's birth. Hopefully, they will agree. The problem I foresee is the parents not agreeing on circumcision, creating a stressful situation where there should be only joy.

Cultural tradition and religious practices notwithstanding, there is no longer a medical or rational reason to circumcise a child other than for purely cosmetic reasons. Circumcision is a very painful procedure, performed on a completely innocent and unsuspecting baby. This procedure rattles me to the point that I have refused to attend the Bris of more than one friend's baby son. (A Bris is a Jewish ceremony whereby a Rabbi circumcises an infant boy ... with a lot of witnesses.) Please understand, I have absolutely nothing against the Jewish faith. I have nothing against any faith, even if I do not agree with their beliefs or practices. I DO, however, have something against anyone who inflicts pain on an innocent child. This would include some cultures that also routinely circumcise adolescent girls. If we agree that this is a barbaric ceremony, can we then apply some of that sensibility to infant boys? Sure, male circumcision does not alter a boy sexually but it does cause considerable pain to our babies without any apparent benefit to the child. The issue of cleanliness is no longer a factor. In modern society, frequent bathing is as common as brushing one's hair.

Routine circumcision is obviously not malicious intent to senselessly cause pain to an infant, however, there is much information available today, most of which supports the case against circumcising. Not at least questioning this practice is burying one's head in the sand no matter how the parents choose to proceed.

Consider the recent poll numbers obtained by American Baby magazine on circumcision:

57% chose to circumcise
42% chose not to
2% were undecided
20% said it was a hard decision to make

Granted, as life decisions go, circumcision is not one of the most enormous in relation to the impact it will have on our babies. I believe it is more an issue of questioning generally accepted practices that no longer serve logical purposes. As neonatal circumcision is still performed on the majority of boys, (at least in the United States), this controversy should continue for a number of years. It will be interesting to see how our culture progresses and what the poll numbers will be like in ten years.

This first link is to an article that lists the reasons so many medical doctors are taking a stand against routine circumcision. At the end of the article are links to various letters from parents, their experiences and feelings. Some agree, some don't. These letters offer very good insight on this issue: Surgically Altered - The Circumcision Controvery

Another excellent link is to the US government's 1999 policy statement regarding circumcision on the American Academy of Pediatrics web site. Both the pros and cons of routine circumcision are explored: Circumsion Policy Statement

And another study report about neonatal circumcision can be found on the American Medical Association's web site: Neonatal Circumcision

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Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com – http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

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This article is available for reprint at no charge providing the resource box with the writer's information is included and remains intact.

Have an opinion about this topic or a story to share? Please send it: My Opinion

Food & Cooking Site of the Week: Shanghai Recipes

Who's ready for a little culture shake up in the cooking department?

Shanghai Recipes is positively inspiring, with an extensive online cookbook in English of Chinese foods. From Cantonese regional recipes to Zhejiang dishes, this is an amazing cooking site.

There are definitely recipes here that you will recognize. If you're Chinese, you'll probably recognize most of them. I'm betting even the most seasoned Chinese chef would wonder about a few of these, however.
Ever heard of Stewed Shark's Fins With Pigeon Meat? Me neither ... ;-)

While many of us might not attempt a meal using a variety of these delectable recipes, some of us may try one or two dishes if we can find the ingredients. Take a walk on the Chinese side and explore this fascinating site!

I think the Feng Shui book has inspired me more than I realized ... ;-)

Bon Appetit!

While on the cleaning fling, we sifted through all my younger daughter's books. There was a pile for the homeless, another pile of keepers and a very large pile of Little Critter books that we agonized over. Although both my girls have outgrown the beginning reader status of these books, we love Little Critter, his delightful stories and time-honored messages. The books stay! :-)

Here's the good part ... Little Critter has his own web site! And it lives up to every expectation you will have. With games, jokes, coloring pages featuring Little Critter, puzzles, special Shockwave movies and much more, your kids will have a blast here.

Time to go clean out a closet and give up the computer to the kids for an hour or so. ;-)

"To remove a bandage from a child's skin, soak a cotton ball with baby or mineral oil and rub it gently over the outer edges of the bandage. The bandage will lift off easily without hurting."

"If your kids have left crayon marks on the table tops or walls, use a damp cloth dipped in dry baking soda to remove the stains. Works great!"

Got a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it here for possible publication in one of the next issues: Tips

Have you ever come home from the pediatrician's office with a copy of your (astronomical) bill and a mini-chart the doctor has given you with your baby's growth development listed? Want to know ALL the things your baby will be evaluated for on those well-baby check ups?

This site, from About.com, supplies those mysterious growth charts, from 0 to 6 months to 3-years-old. You'll be able to see what the doctors look for, what your little cherub is likely to do and how he will develop in the first three years of life.

Ready for another addiction? ;-) Diamond Mine is one of those games you'll either wish you never found or be ecstatic over.

The object of this game is to switch one gem with another, making groups of three or more of the same color and shape. Those are then eliminated and other gems drop in their places. Keep it going for as long as you can until there are no moves left.

Here's a beautifully designed page with an equally beautiful poem, describing all the ways children honor us with their love. We just need to have our eyes open enough to see it. Enjoy!

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The fine print: This newsletter is copyright - 2000 - in its entirety. Please pass it on, but also please leave it intact. :-) You are receiving this email because you sent a specific message asking to be placed on the mailing list for this newsletter. If you wish to be removed from this list, see the unsubscribe notice above. This is NOT SPAM, nor will you ever see a recipe featuring SPAM in this newsletter! ;-)

I have personally checked out the links provided here but they could possibly lead you to any number of bizarre and/or offensive sites. Surf at your own risk. The DIRECT links on this page are all family friendly unless stated otherwise. While this newsletter is family friendly, it is not necessarily intended to be read by children. Parents should always monitor their children while they are on the Internet.