The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has recalled Heinz Apple broccoli, pea & brown rice and Mott's Fruitsations Fruit Rockets – Unsweetened Strawberry due to a detective seal, causing potential spoilage.
Families don't look like they used to. Over the years, the traditional "nuclear" family has all but evaporated into a mushroom cloud. With the rise of fertility treatments, the family has seen all kinds of permutations and blends - from same sex to step and everything in between.
But the new family unit is bigger and more confusing than ever, but is that a good thing?
Sean, Jaco, Daantje, Dewi, and Sjoerd think so. The two women and three-man unit from the Netherlands are about to find out. The multiple-parent unit plans to raise a child together in two separate homes.
The logistics go something like this: Daantje will soon give birth following artificial insemination. Both homosexual couples are married, while Jaco and Sjoerd's relationship also involves a third partner, Sean.
It’s complicated, to be sure. But the party of five claims it will share equal rights and responsibilities, and even signed and notarized the terms of the agreement to make it binding.
Legally, a child can only have two parents. However, the biological mom can appoint a further legal parent. In this case, Jaco.
"We wanted to make sure that there was one legal parent in both households, because we're splitting the upbringing equally," explains Dewi. The idea being that someone in both homes holds legal rights over the child, particularly in case of travel.
"The laws weren't written for people like us, so we're constantly looking for ways to make things work for all five of us. Sometimes, that can make you a little opportunistic," said Sjoerd.
With so many viewpoints and voices involved, you would think basic parenting decisions would prove next to impossible. Yet the group insists it is more willing to compromise and negotiate parents who lock horns. Case in point: the family had no problem agreeing on the baby’s name. How many couples can say that?
If the multi-parent family looks strange, maybe that's due to its novelty. Besides, is it really so different than that of families rocked by divorce then forcibly united through remarriage? Those families also operate dual households, and many unfortunately do so with hostility.
The multi-parent version strikes me as a friendly democracy. In cases where it works, the dynamic could prove ideal. But if it goes wrong, it has the potential to go catastrophically wrong.
At least, as the group points out, when it comes to raising baby there will be fewer sleepless nights and more pay slips to go around. If you believe that it takes a village, their many hands will no doubt make lighter work of raising a baby.
And while we’re running with the clichés, the risk is that there will also be too many cooks in the kitchen - five parents, 11 grandparents, and no fewer than 21 aunts and uncles, to be exact. That’s one Christmas dinner I wouldn’t want to cook, one birthday party I’d rather not plan...
You tell me: is the multi-parent family the way of the future or a logistical nightmare?
Health Canada, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (US CPSC) and MZB have jointly recalled children's light-up watches in the following styles/models*:
Description - Style
*SKU/Style number and manufacturer’s name can be found on the back of watches.
The case-backs may detach from the watch case, exposing the module to water and causing a potential chemical burn or skin irritation.
While Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents related to the watches, MZB has received 10 reports, one of which occurred in Canada, in which users experienced skin irritations or chemical burns.
Customers are advised to stop using the recalled item and return it to the nearest retailer for a full refund or store credit. Alternatively, customers can contact MZB for a refund by calling 1-888-777-7085. For more information, visit MZB's website.
From August 2012 to June 2015, 58,800 watches were sold in Canada at various retailers, including Winners, Walmart, Sears and Target. Approximately 2 million of the watches were distributed in Canada and in the US.
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