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A couple of years ago, my friend started calling his 3-month-old Matthew “Money” after the Weird Al Yankovic lyric – “I call him ‘Money’ for short.” The name became so engrained in the family’s life that one day when my friend’s wife mentioned planning a party for Matthew, my friend was confused for a moment who Matthew was.

As parents, we all come up with silly little nicknames that bond us to our kids, from the pointless (my husband and I call our 3-year-old by her initials although she already has an insanely short name. Three letters are a mouthful, man!) to the warm and fuzzy (my best friend calls her son Sam, Sam-a-Lam-a-Ding-Dong).

So why do we reach for nicknames after spending nine months choosing the perfect names for our little ones? It’s pretty simple, according to Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard and the brain behind www.babynamewizard.com. “Baby nicknames are more for the parents than the babies," she said via e-mail. "We're expressing our emotions through the names. Also, a grown-up name like Sebastian or Victoria can be something you have to grow into. If your baby is being giggly or wiggly, a more giggly-wiggly name may fit the moment better. And the babies like that we're making silly sounds with big smiles on our faces!”

I love hearing how people come up with their nicknames, so I asked some friends to share the stories behind their choices.

Think battling for dominance on the soccer field or roller derby rink is tough? Try following up two hours of heart-racing competition with a load of laundry, a stack of bills and two little ones needing baths. 

On Saturday we headed out to play in the bubble jets at Tower Grove Park. In our eagerness to get out and enjoy the sunshine, I completely forgot to pack sunscreen.  During the summer I keep tubes and bottles of it everywhere – the car, my purse, the swim bag – but with the rainy spring, I was slow wrapping my head around the usual summertime routines. Luckily the boys didn't burn, but I sure did.

Turns out that more than two-thirds of youngsters are like mine were Saturday, playing in the sun without being adequately protected.

A big question looming in many parent’s minds this time of year is “What can I do to help my child retain all the knowledge he gained this school year?” Educators call this loss of information summer slide, or summer setback.

St. Louis is a wonderful place to live, but there are a few drawbacks to living in the middle of the country. Like no beach. But you don’t need to go all the way to Florida to enjoy a little sun and sand. The Magic House is making all our dreams come true with Sandcastle Beach! Ten truckloads of sand are transforming the backyard of The Magic House into a beachfront park. Take a stroll along the boardwalk, cool off under an ocean mister or relax under a beach umbrella while the little ones search for hidden shells. A world-champion sand sculptor is building a gigantic 75-ton sandcastle along the beach’s shore. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

The experience that often makes me feel alone in my role as a stay-at-home father is when I take my daughter to the park on weekdays.

I want a smartphone so bad I crave it. 

I’ll admit it. When I need a fix, I’ll head to the cell phone kiosk at the mall so I can caress the keyboards and touch screens until the salesperson says, “Ma’am, I’ve told you repeatedly to stop making out with the BlackBerry,” and gently rips my lover from my clutch. 

Then I sadly walk out the door with my five-year-old, beat-up flip phone that has treated me well but is as technologically advanced as a Zack Morris phone. 

Getting my first bra in fifth grade was a little on the humiliating side because 1) I had developed earlier than my more petite friends who teased me about my growing chest (which unfortunately did not keep on pace with the rest of my body as I got older), and 2) My mom picked out a stark white bra wrapped up in plastic from JCPenney which today reminds me of the Seinfeld “bro” (or “manziere” if you lean toward Frank Costanza) or an Ace bandage.

Today’s bras are nothing like ours from the 1980s. Department and specialty stores are packed with an abundance of padded, push-up and lace bras that tweens can choose from, but at the same time, leave their parents sobbing in the aisles over their little girls’ quickly diminishing childhoods. In fact, just a few weeks ago, the British retailer Primark pulled its padded bras off its shelves after media and customer outrage accused the store of sexualizing young teens.

Is anyone else feeling sleepy right about now?

The deadline for entering our Cover Kids Contest 2010 is closing in! Enter your child by Monday, May 10 if you'd like your child, or yourself, to be a part of the contest. Cover Kids 2010 is a search for real kids of all ages, sizes, ethnic backgrounds and abilities that will culminate in the winners being featured in our magazine and our Back-to-School Fashion Show in July.

When my son was just over a year old, I finally gave in to my husband's worrying and made an appointment to have the baby's eyes checked.  Not because I was noticing any Continue reading »