Having grandparents is a privilege not every child gets to experience. With many couples waiting longer to start a family, grandparents are often no longer around or well enough to be involved in their grandkids' lives. Children don't get to know them, let alone forge that special bond.
An Australian couple is hoping that is not their reality. The parents have posted a classified ad in search for "volunteer grandparents."
The job description includes all the fun things about being a granny or bubbee, like having picnics and playing board games. The only credentials required are that you must be "of a certain age" and enjoy spending time with wee ones.
“People say it takes a village to raise a child, so I’d just like to expand their networks,” said mom-of-three Yvonne De’mille, whose children range in age from a six-month-old infant, a toddler and a teen.
She doesn't want her kiddos to miss out on the valuable relationship between octogenarians and little ones and plans to interview prospective grandparents.
Though some may find De'mille's ad peculiar, there is no doubt that such relationships are as beneficial to the elders as they are to the kids. And for every child out there who misses having a grandparent, there are elders who would light up at the chance to connect with a child.
Up until she passed a few years ago, my grandmother was a key player in my life. She taught me to drive. She made me laugh. She made me think. My relationship with her was categorically different than my relationship with my own mother. And that's what made it great.
I don't think you need to be blood relatives to truly connect with someone. It just takes time and effort to foster that relationship. That's why this idea is so inspired.
I hope De'mille finds the perfect candidate for the job.
The world is mourning a 17 year-old gorilla that was shot dead at Cincinnati Zoo after a four-year-old child climbed into the enclosure.
Even though staff at the zoo defended the decision to kill the endangered 400-pound animal, a petition “Justice for Harambe” was launched to hold the boy's parents criminally accountable for the gorilla's death.
“They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life,” said zoo director Thane Maynard.
Even though such accidents are incredibly rare (this was the first since the Gorilla World enclosure opened in 1978), the debate is not about whether the parents were to blame or whether zoo staff made the right judgment call.
The only talking point right now should be the fact that zoos as we know them continue to exist.
Threatened animals deserve to be protected, absolutely. We need zoos for conservation purposes alone. Why we continue to keep wild and exotic animals in captivity for the interest and entertainment of humans has nothing to do with the welfare of the animals and everything to do with lining human pockets.
There are plenty of ways to learn about animals without gawking at them through enclosures. Sure, we've come along way from small cages. Yet the more "open concept" such enclosures become, the greater the chance of this kind of encounter.
Even under the "best" circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for gorillas or other primates & in cases like this it's even deadly.
— PETA (@peta) May 29, 2016
Until we move away from the construct of public zoos, such tragic encounters will happen more often - and at great cost to animals and humans alike.
Image Source: Daily Mail
Health Canada, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (US CPSC) and Mayborn USA Inc have jointly recalled the following five types of spill-proof Tommee Tippee Sippee cups with a removable, one-piece white valve:
| Name | SKU | UPC |
|---|---|---|
First Sips Transition cup
| 54800305 548052 548003
| 6 66519 48003 2 6 66519 48052 0 6 66519 48003 2
|
Trainer Sippee cup
| 54801205 54801210 548012
| 6 66519 48012 4 6 66519 48012 4 6 66519 48012 4
|
Sippee cup (including Cute Quips)
| 54805005 548057 54805310 54805010 548050 548031 548018
| 6 66519 48050 6 6 66519 48057 5 6 66519 48053 7 6 66519 48050 6 6 66519 48050 6 6 66519 48031 5 6 66519 48018 6
|
Sportee bottle
| 54802105 54802110 548021
| 6 66519 48021 6 6 66519 48021 6 6 66519 48021 6
|
Insulated Swiggle/Sippee tumblers
| 54803405 54803410 548034
| 6 66519 48034 6 6 66519 48034 6 6 66519 48034 6
|
First Sips Transition cup | 52258610 | 6 66519 22586 2 |
The 200-300ml (7-10 ounce) plastic drinking cups were sold for babies aged 4 to 12 months.
The white valve on the cup may develop mould if improperly or infrequently cleaned, posing a health risk to children.
In Canada, there were more than 484 reports of mould found inside the valve, and 3,066 complaints in the U.S., with many children experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Customers are advised to stop using the cups immediately and contact Mayborn USA Inc. to receive a free replacement cup.
For further information, customers should contact Mayborn USA Inc. by telephone toll-free at 1-866-214-1537 from 8:00 a.m. ET on Mondays, 24 hours a day, until 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays, or via the Tommee Tippee website.
From December 2014 through May 2016, approximately 227,000 cups were sold in Canada through various retailers, and approximately 3.1 million in the United States.
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