PINNING GETS STRESSFUL

by Stefania Revelli Inspiration. Creativity. Sharing. Inadequacy? While the undeniable popularity of Pinterest has inspired everything from vacation ideas and kids’ crafts to holiday baking tips, the Pinterest pressure is on for many moms. A Today.com poll found that 42% of mom respondents have “Pinterest stress,” or anxiety that they can’t compete or perform on […]

“Mommy penalty” pushes women’s wages down even further

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Even though women have made big strides in recent decades relative to education and career, they continue to make less than men — on average about 7% less for comparable positions. And a recent survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that women with children typically make […]

Hip Moscow restaurant teaches gourmet kids’ recipes

by Victor Sonkin WHAT’S HAPPENING Ragout, a hip Moscow restaurant, is offering courses for parents of toddlers, teaching them to cook diverse high-quality food (Ragout.ru, November 2012). The courses are scheduled over three days. The first day is devoted to children aged 5-8 months, the second to children aged 8-14 months, and the third to […]

H&M puts families in aesthetic harmony

by Nissa Hanna WHAT’S HAPPENING H&M is playing stylist for the 2012 holiday portrait season with the launch of its Fashion Family Collection. Matching motorcycle jackets for everyone? Not quite. The line offers complementary styles for hip parents and their ultracool kids. Save for some chic mama jackets that are replicated for sophisticated little girls, […]

Australia’s Smiling Sling makes baby an integral part of the workout

by Katharine Milner WHAT’S HAPPENING An Aussie mum and personal trainer has come up with a unique way for women to keep their baby close when they return to exercising. Smiling Sling looks like a traditional baby carrier, with straps over the shoulders and around the waist and a pouch for baby to snuggle against […]

Kids play matchmaker for single parents on UK site

by Krisha Kinnersley WHAT’S HAPPENING They say kids know best — but could that apply to the dating game for single mums and dads? A British dating site is putting that concept to the test by inviting kids to create profiles for their over-50 parents (HuffingtonPost.com, 17 August 2012). My Lovely Parent was created by […]

Pregnancy tests at bars put out the message that babies and booze don’t mix

by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING As part of a “Think Before You Drink” campaign commissioned by Healthy Brains for Children, Pub 500 in Mankato, MN, has installed what could be the first of many pregnancy test kit dispensers in bar bathrooms (StarTribune.com, 19 July 2012). Users simply need to swipe their credit card to pick […]

SittingAround.com lets babysitters accept credit cards

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING SittingAround.com, a Boston-based social network that connects parents with able and qualified babysitters, is giving a free Square dongle — the plug-and-play swipe-card reader that facilitates easy P2P payments via smartphone — to babysitters who sign up to be members of the network (TechCrunch.com, 25 May 2012). That will allow […]

From Delhi to Beijing, by Way of Miami

by Josh Kimball Every year, Iconoculture throws a marketing and consumer insights extravaganza called Iconosphere. This year’s conference takes place in Miami, but as always, its insights are global. The wide-ranging agenda is stuffed with sessions on topics ranging from the Five Key Mom Segments to the future of shopping to a discussion examining what […]

Barbie goes bald for a good cause

by Abby Carlen WHAT’S HAPPENING After parent-inspired Facebook group “Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let’s see if we can get it made” scored thousands of likes within hours, toymaker Mattel instantly responded by announcing the creation of a bald friend of Barbie (Good.is, 18 April 2012). The doll will be exclusively distributed to children’s hospitals in […]

THE KIDLESS ARE ALRIGHT

by Abby Carlen I’ve never missed a baby shower or a first birthday party. I don’t shy away from burping a newborn. Rather than cringing at the sound of my nephew’s screech, I appreciate his verve. I also appreciate being home alone. Today, being kidless has less of a stigma than it did years ago. […]

Economy turns “emerging adulthood” from phase to full-blown lifestage

by Jana Branch WHAT’S HAPPENING Thanks to a dearth of jobs and amenable Boomer parents, “emerging adulthood” is going from a blip on the sociological radar screen to full-blown lifestage. Clark University psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett identified “emerging adulthood” as a lifestage for young adults ages 18 to 25 that is about “identity exploration, instability, […]

ON BRANDS AND BLOCKS

by Josh Kimball Girls looking for a new buddy can now say hello to Lego Friends, a line of Lego blocks aimed at females age 5+. What sets these toys apart from the traditional stackables? Mostly, a color palette that’s deemed more female-friendly and minifigs that are more doll-like. Any direction change by a well-loved […]

SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE DARK SIDE

    by Charlotte Beal At Iconoculture, we frequently focus on more aspirational attitudes of consumers. We’ve talked about how consumers are taking on new responsibilities for their health, how they’re gamifying new aspects of their lives in order to achieve personal goals, and how some people are giving up fast fashion and fast food […]

Netherlands theatre offers to book the babysitter

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING Amsterdam’s Theater Bellevue is helping liberate parents to see films and shows. In September 2011, the theatre added a babysitter booking facility to its ticket reservation system (Springwise.com, 7 September 2011). The Bellevue has teamed up with the Babysitter Central Kriterion agency to offer childminding to Amsterdam consumers booking advance […]