When to 'Let It Go' and When to Tone It Down, Mom

Welcome to Mom's Happy Hour, in which we sort through the latest news about parents, parenting and pop culture so you don't have to.

Tone it down, Mom

Surprising, the “everybody gets a trophy” mentality many parents shower on kids may actually be hurting the very children it’s supposed to “protect.”

When our children are struggling, we think that being their own personal cheerleaders on Red Bull will keep them motivated. However, researchers at Ohio State University found that when we bestow inflated praise on children with low self-esteem, we actually lead them to shy away from taking on new challenges. They may feel they will disappoint us if they can’t live up to our praise. So when we edit “good job” into “super spectacular job, the smartest girl in the whole world!!!” we may be setting the bar just a bit too high.

Young singers “Let it Go”

There comes a certain age when kids singing pop songs makes me uncomfortable. KIDZ Bop singers wailing “Wrecking Ball” in harmony? Awkward goosebumps and just a little ear bleeding.

But 4-year-olds? Super cute. And two of the cutest crooners are singing the hottest song of the season. Dad Aaron Mendez recorded his two daughters, Maddie and Zoe, belting out “Let It Go” from Frozen. It’s sweet, heartfelt and the ending is drop the mike epic.

It’s almost as endearing as my own daughters’ rendition of “99 Problems.” Almost.

Maddie and Zoe sing "Let It Go" from Frozen from Aaron Mendez on Vimeo.

Old Spice Turns Moms Into Stalkers

Most moms dread the day their little ones because young adults. And thanks to Old Spice, their sons are propelled into a world of promiscuity and hedonism long before they’re ready. Or, in other words, their spawn are going on their first date to the movies.

“Mom Song” is one of the creepiest commercials of the year, but symbolizes every feeling felt by a mother of boys. In the Old Spice ad, moms stalk their sons as they enter the world of dating while singing a Fiddler on the Roof-esque swan song that captures the heartache that happens when your son transforms into a man.

Just be glad it’s Old Spice, mom. You can’t imagine the debauchery that occurs when one sprays on AXE.

Mom teaches her mean girl daughter a lesson

After her daughter cyberbullied other girls online, a Texas mom posted a photo of the tween holding a sign reading, “My name is Hailey. I am a kind, caring, smart girl, but I make poor choices with social media. As a punishment, I am selling my iPod and will be donating the money to the charity Beat Bullying, in hopes of changing my behavior as well as bringing awareness to Bullying. Because bullying is wrong."

Parents are torn. Many are cheering the destruction of the usual “What? Not my princess! Heavens, no!” response to bullying. Others feel the mom is propagating a cycle of cyberbullying by giving her daughter a taste of her own medicine.

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Pound the alarm – and get the birthing room ready

The hottest star on the rap scene will (allegedly) make his or her debut within the next nine months. Nicki Minaj is (allegedly) expecting a little one with fellow rapper Lil Wayne. Twitter was abuzz with congratulations this week (“If the rumor is true… Nicki Minaj and lil Wayne’s baby will be one incoherent and messed up baby”) as the rumor began spilling on the Internet like sizzurp in the VIP section.

The main question is – where can one register for a wife of Frankenstein wig bonnet? Or more important, can you wear grillz if you’re not yet teething?

Thanks for destroying the romance, Travolta!

Kids love a good romantic story, sans the icky kissing of course. I’m sure it’s why we’ve watched the “Summer Nights” scene from Grease 700 times over the holiday break.

Experts have found sharing you and your partner’s “how we met story” not only gives your child a peek into your past, but can actually strengthen his emotional well-being. As Dr. David Dollahite of Brigham Young University discussed with The Today Show, “Hearing the story of how your parents met provides a sense of identity and security for children, knowing that they are the product of a loving relationship that started even before they came into being.”

So, I opened up to my daughters. “Your dad and I met in a Yahoo! chat room in 2000. His name was Fozzie and mine was Darling Nikki (I see you laughing. And no, my screen name does not equate to the promiscuity Prince lyricized in Darling Nikki. You are a pervert, reader.). We talked online and then went on a date.”

My 7-year-old’s face fell. “That’s it? You didn’t fall in love on the beach like Danny and Sandy?”

So Gen X and Y parents who met online, prepare yourself for the disappointment you will soon bestow on your children who are exposed to the rom com.

_{Images: Aaron Mendez via Vimeo; Facebook}