Mom's Happy Hour: Parenting News and Gossip Your Friends Are Talking About

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. And then we add a little bit of snark and a whole lot of judgment.

Imma let you marry me

Last week, you could hear the sound of millions of hearts breaking when Kanye West proposed to new mom Kim Kardashian, complete with a 15-carat ring, a rented-out baseball stadium, and a 50-piece orchestra playing Lana Del Ray – quite the step up from his original idea of baking the ring in a Cheddar Bay Biscuit at Red Lobster. We’re pretty sure Kim is already pinning Mason jar candles and paper garlands to her Pinterest wedding board in preparation for her big day.

Dolphins take a bite out of tigers

Two years ago, tiger parenting was all the buzz in the child-rearing world. Born out of Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, tiger moms focused on their children’s quest for individual achievement and excellence. This year, dolphin parenting, which celebrates playing, fun, open communication, and intimacy, is gaining momentum among parenting experts.

While I think I’m more of a dolphin than a tiger, in all honesty, when this parenting stuff gets too rough, I switch into cat parenting mode. I hide under the bed when my kids are too loud, hiss when a toddler won’t stop touching me, and act aloof and bitchy for no apparent reason.

Rainbow Loom bracelets become the new gateway jewelry

There’s a new addiction threatening the well-being of school children across the nation. The Rainbow Loom bracelet addiction starts with just one hit – a simple rubber band bracelet in a kid’s favorite color – and quickly escalates into an orgy of starburst bracelets and double X necklaces and fishtail rings. The problem has gotten so out of control that schools in the New York area have banished the bracelets and looms from school grounds altogether. I’m all for a ban – if anything to eliminate the rubber bands that keep ending up in my carpet/couch cushions/purse/soup/shoes/coffee.

Temper tantrum causes dad to channel Milli Vanilli

Remember when you were eight and had fantasies about winning Puttin’ on the Hits with your lip-synced rendition of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”? Well, here’s this dad’s grown-up version. Only it’s on YouTube. And his Whitney is a temper tantrum-throwing six-year-old. While commenters bashed the dad for mocking his child, others cheered. Yes, it’s not the most mature way to handle a temper tantrum, but after you’ve tried reasoning, ignoring, arguing, and crying, sometimes all you can do is laugh and tell yourself, “This too shall pass.”

Someone’s been hitting the holy water

If you don’t watch TV, check the Internet or breathe, you might not be aware that three-month-old Prince George of Cambridge was christened last week at St. James’s Palace in London. The event was truly an affair to remember – the baby unleashed a massive blowout all over the christening gown, slipped out of his parent’s grip into the baptismal font, and spent the rest of the day watching his kin eat fried chicken and drink Pabst and Ski. Oh wait – that’s my kid’s christening. I’m always confusing our two families.

Eight-year-old launches a million dollar idea

Grade schoolers have a knack for losing everything they get their hands on – books, toys, teeth. And erasers are no exception. When second grader Audrey Frazee of Tennessee kept misplacing her erasers, she and her family developed Eraselets, trendy rubber bracelets that can also be used to rub out mistakes. Since launching the jewelry line three years ago, the family has sold more than 2.5 million Eraselets according to USA Today and is giving the aforementioned Rainbow Loom bracelets are run for wrist domination. It’s a pretty impressive achievement – not too many people become industry moguls before learning their multiplication tables.