For the third time, I joined the Fids and Kamily - Kids and Family Music Awards, run by Stefan Shepard of the Zooglobble family music blog. To be eligible, albums had to be released during the period of November 1, 2008, to October 31, 2009. A stellar group of family music critics, ranging from Gwyneth Buter of Gooney Bird Kids to Robbie Schaefer of Sirius/XM Radio (the Kid Place Live channel) each sent in their 10 favorite picks. This year, the They Might Be Giants snagged the #1 poistion, followed by Lunch Money. Get the entire poll and read about the runners-up and everyone else who was nominated.

And watch for the fourth annual Family Man Recommends list of the year’s best albums to be posted in January.

This is an important safety alert because of the number of cribs and the severity of the possible accident. Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. is recalling 2.1 million drop-side cribs, 147,000 of which have the Fisher-Price logo on them. Prompting this is the death of four infants who became trapped and suffocated when a space was created between the drop-side door and the mattress due to faulty parts. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges “parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.” Go to the CPSC site for more information.

Romi Lassally, Editor in Chief of the Truu Confessions sites (including True Mom Confessions), is distributing a weekly rundown of highlights from her sites. The concept is for people to unload their thoughts about what really matters in life in an anonymous way to form communities of people supporting each other to make it through all the nuttiness we experience. One example: Not So Quiet Time -
“If I thought I could actually do it comfortably, I would go to the bathroom and try and take a nap while sitting on the toilet.” Check out this week’s list.

A few years ago, I sought the counsel of Dr. David Swanson when my wife and I needed more help with managing our parenting challenges. Swanson was down-to-earth, non-judgmental, and incredibly direct in his advice, which we use to this day. Now, any parent can access Swanson’s insights by reading his new book, Help–My Kid is Driving Me Crazy: The 17 Ways Kids Manipulate Their Parents, and What You Can Do About It. Part of what makes Swanson such a valuable resource — in addition to being a husband and father — is that he treats children, teens, and families as a whole. Even though he’s writing for parents who are beleagured by their children’s use of negotiation, self-victimization, and emotional blackmail, he’s also firmly advocating for the well-being of the children. This book can really help adults feel better and stronger in their efforts to parent their kids.