ML Interest Tag: lean

We Love Mark Zuckerberg’s Words of Widsom from Recent Post

by Red Tricycle

CEO of Facebook and proud father, Mark Zuckerberg, recently shared a photo of him with feeding his daughter. “Most important meeting of the day #LeanInTogether” he captioned.

Photo courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg via Facebook

Not only do we agree with this millennial billionaire, but so do plenty of dads. After Zuckerberg shared his ‘meeting of the day,’ Dads on Facebook are posting their fatherly pictures in support.

Quoc Pham commented with this adorable picture of his daughter: “Mark Zuckerberg I completely agree that any meeting that involves your children are important. Right now one of my kids is in the PICU right now potentially with cancer, and spending every moment with her is worth it.”

Photo courtesy of Quoc Pham via Facebook

#LeanInTogether is the NBA’s campaign with LeanIn.Org for gender equality. “Men have an important role to play in reaching equality, and everyone benefits when they do. Children with involved fathers are happier, healthier, and more successful. Couples who share responsibilities have stronger marriages. Diverse teams and companies produce better results. Leaning in is not just the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do” says the foundations website. 

How’s your ‘most important meeting of the day’ going? Tell us in the comments below!

— Noelle Buckband

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Supercool Southpaws: 70 Left-Handed Heroes to Admire

by Amber Guetebier

For parents, the fascination with figuring out whether a child is left or right handed starts at birth and can last through Kindergarten (Tip: Your child has a 10% chance of being left handed, unless both parents are left handed, and then it increases to 50%).

Most kids don’t show a preference for the right hand or left until around age 2 or 3, and some children remain ambidextrous until they’re 5 or 6. There is some interesting research about when and how child develop preferences here, including whether it develops invitro.

Whether your littles are just mastering the art of holding a crayon or leaning to the left or right, International Left-Handers Day is a celebration of all the dextrous lefties in the world. Read on for cool facts about some of our favorite famous left-handed celebs.

Photo by Angelina Earley via Flickr Creative Commons

Leonardo da Vinci
You probably know him from the Mona Lisa but it may surprise you to learn that Leonardo wrote more than 13,000 pages of writing in notes and journals. Cooler still is that most of it was in mirror-writing: you have to hold it up to a mirror to read it. (Give it a try!) He also invented many things including a mechanical knight, a steam cannon and multiple flying machines.

Photo by OnInnovation via Flickr Creative Commons

Bill Gates
Sure, he co-founded Microsoft, but did you also know he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth? He’s also been given the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest you can achieve, by the Boy Scouts of America. What tops that? Well, he does has have Costa Rican flower fly named after him: Eristalis gates.

Photo by Miriam Pottoni via Flickr Creative Commons

Pink
This fierce and fabulous left-hander was born Alecia Beth Moore in Doylestown, Pa. An outspoken animal rights activist, she’s recorded seven hit albums and her performances often include impressive acrobatics and dance moves. In 2011 she gave birth to a daughter whom she named Willow Sage.

Photo by Barry M. Hackner via Flickr Creative Commons

Barack Obama
The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hi. You probably already know he is the proud father of two girls and an avid Chicago White Sox fan, but did you catch his appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show? Jimmy dubbed him the “Barackness monster.”

 In fact, five recent presidents have been left-handed: Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Photo by Peabody Awards via Flickr Creative Commons

Jon Stewart
Funny man, political satirist and Peabody Award winner Jon Stewart proposed to his wife with a New York Times crossword puzzle, designed wit with the help of editor Will Shortz. She said yes. They have two children, Nathan born in 2004 and Maggie born in 2006. Sidenote: Jon Stewart has been officially named a chief by the President of Liberia.

Photo by Mike Mozart via Flickr Creative Commons

Tina Fey
Born Elizabeth Stamatina Fey, she’s well known for her TV works like 30 Rock, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Saturday Night Live. She might win the award from your kiddos for coolest left-hander ever: she’s appeared on Sesame Street , iCarly, and the 2014 film Muppets Most Wanted. She’s even had a pint of Ben & Jerry’s named after her character, Liz Lemon. Fey is also a mommy of two girls: Alice born in 2005 and Penelope born in 2011.

Photo by Juan Salmoral via Flickr Creative Commons

Lady Gaga
Known for her outrageous costumes and elaborate shows, Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She has an entire genus of ferns named after her, Gaga;  a wasp, Aleiodes gaga; and even an extinct mammal, Gagadon.

 

More South Paw Celebs

Robert De Niro

Angelina Jolie

Prince William

Robert Redford

Sarah Jessica Parker (& Matthew Broderick!)

Keanu Reeves

Jerry Seinfeld

Nicole Kidman

Julia Roberts

Jim Henson

Luke Perry

Seth Rogan

Mary-Kate Olsen

Owen Wilson

Bruce Willis

Lisa Kudrow

Morgan Freeman

Diane Keaton

Mark Wahlberg

Matt Dillon

Tim Allen

Michael Landon

Justin Bieber

Oprah Winfrey

John Slattery

Ben Stiller

Emma Thompson

Paul McCartney

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Jay Leno

Demi Moore

Prince Charles

Celine Dion

Martina McBride

Drew Carey

Matt Lauer

Whoopi Goldberg

Richard Simmons

Goldie Hawn

Ron Perlman

Pierce Brosnan

Teri Hatcher

Dan Aykroyd

David Bowie

Spike Lee

January Jones

Eminem

Babe Ruth

Ashley Tisdale

Dennis Quaid

Jimi Hendrix

Ed O’Neill

A.J. McLean

Niall Horan

Greg Kinnear

Oprah Winfrey

David Letterman

Jim Carrey

 

 

Whose your favorite left handed hero? 

 

—Jacqui Boland & Amber Guetebier

 

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Stay Calm & Parent On With Secrets From Zen Moms

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

It’s not like you weren’t expecting your life to get kicked up a notch (or 10) with a new baby. The shake up is what makes being a new parent so exciting, right? But, if you need a breather, don’t worry. There are simple strategies for sneaking in everything from yoga to acupressure that’ll ensure you won’t lose your cool (or your mind!). Read on for tips from relaxation experts, all who have made it through the newborn stage in the past.

Photo: kellinahandbasket via Flickr

Be a Wall Flower
To create instant calm, lay on the floor with your legs leaning against a wall. According to Gail Grossman, a yoga studio owner and mom of two, it’s super-relaxing for the legs and back and it can also re-energize the entire body. Bonus: when your baby gets old enough, she can join in on the get-zen practice before bed.

Make a Face
When you’re feeling wound up, let loose by making a funny face, suggests Emily Francis, mom of two and author of Stretch Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Basic and Assisted Stretching. Start by inhaling and holding your breath. Shut your eyes and  tighten your jaw. Then open your eyes and mouth as wide as you can, stick your tongue out as far as you can and do a very audible exhale to push out the tension, and make your bambino crack a gummy smile.

Turn Your Bathroom Into a Spa 
Can’t make it to yoga? Don’t worry, says Rebecca Rissman, certified yoga instructor and author of Yoga for Your Mind and Body. Instead, find another way to devote quiet time and energy to yourself. Anything can be yoga if you do it with intention. Do you love painting your toenails? The next time your little one is napping, head to your bathroom, light a candle, and paint away.

Press Here
Acupressure has been used for thousands of years for many types of ailments, including stress, says Kerry Boyle Jenni, a licensed acupuncturist in Montpelier, Vermont. The point right between your eyebrows can be slowly and repeatedly tapped on for a quick calming effect.

Photo by Phoebe via Flickr

Pretend Your Stress is $$$
See your stress level as currency, says Anita Marchesani, Ph.D, a licences psychologist. . How much stress” do you really want to expend on your crying babe, knowing you have a limit to how much you can comfortably give without stretching yourself too thin? Resist giving away too much of your peace and joy in life in exchange for something that has no value.

Don’t Forget to Breathe
When your baby starts to cry, pause and take one slow deep breath before responding, says Stephannie Weikert, a yoga therapist in Baltimore. You can add to this practice by saying to yourself as you inhale, “I breathe in peace,” and when you exhale, “I breathe out love.” The words peace and love can be replaced with anything that feels right to you.

Do you have any tips for finding inner peace as a new parent? Dish in the comments section below. 

–Ayren Jackson-Cannady

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Off the Handlebars: Red Shirts — Who’s Holding Back Their Kindergartners?

by scott wardell

Editor’s note: This tongue-in-cheek opinion piece is the third in a series of humor essays in a new parenting column for Red Tricycle called “Off The Handlebars.” Love it? Hate it? Let us know what you think.

Hey little man, that’s a real nice red shirt you’ve got on there. Did your mommy get that for you? Are you going to Kindergarten? You are? Yay! You look so grown up, how old are you? 5? 6? 7? Wait – I can’t count how many fingers you’re holding up…your Adam’s apple is moving too fast for me to follow….is that chest hair I see sneaking out from your red shirt?

Fine then. Let’s have a few beers (you buy!) and talk about why you’ve been “held back.” I’ll take notes.

  1. You’re going to “get ahead”– and stay ahead.
  2. You got your baby teeth in late.
  3. You were born in the summer.
  4. Your friends – born in spring, winter, and 1982, are all going to Kindergarten later, so you’re just following their lead.
  5. It’s a sports thing. Even though you’ve never really played on a team before.
  6. You read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. Because you already know how to read.
  7. It’s controversial, and you’re a controversial kind of guy.
  8. Being a class TA builds good leadership skills.
  9. Preschool is fun. Why hurry out of a good thing? And besides, Kindergarten is the new 1st Grade.
  10. Mom wanted it this way.

This is good stuff. Thanks. Now, keep those chest hairs patted down for a minute because the community activist group, Parents of Children Who Wear Green Shirts would like to respond. They are too passive-aggressive to say anything to you in person, and their kids barely know how to hold a pencil, so I’ll just go over these parent notes as diplomatically as possible. Remember – I’m just the messenger here.

  1. They hate you. In the same way they hate people with nice cars and low mortgage payments, they think you’re a smarmy little turd who is gaming the system.
  2. Their 5 year-old kids were born in the spring, summer, winter and fall. They’re all going off to Kindergarten this year because, well, that’s what you do when you’re 5.
  3. Preschool is expensive. Or have you noticed? By the way, how much did that red shirt set you back? Is it designer?
  4. Their kids have trouble sitting still, also. As well. So there.
  5. Entering school a year late just so you can get your kid into the gifted program or have them be the tallest one on the sports team is lame.
  6. Parents who have kids in school most of the day are happier parents. Happier parents = happier kids.
  7. Parenting experts say the best way for kids to learn is to give them challenges and let them fail.
  8. Why is life so unfair?????????
  9. Kindergarten: Just Do It.
  10. It all evens out in the end.

Hmmm…. I see you’ve finished your beers and are now filling out college applications, so I guess we’re done. Mind if I ask a few people over here what they think of your red shirt?

[Leaning over to next table] Psssst – what do you think about this thing called “redshirting?” Is this a “boy thing?” Do you think this trend is waning– or gaining– speed? Most importantly, what are you planning on doing with your own kids when it comes Kindergarten time?

— Allison Ellis (Seattle Mom of two, including one Kindergartner, ready or not.)

Editor’s note: This tongue-in-cheek opinion piece is the third in a series of humor essays in a new parenting column for Red Tricycle called “Off The Handlebars.” Love it? Hate it? Let us know what you think.

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