Illegal Babysitting

An extremely typical and traditional job in America is babysitting.  I myself have babysat for countless families since I was about twelve years old.  Who would have thought that such a common practice could be illegal?

According to an article at CNN, a woman in Michigan is being fined, and may possibly face jail time, for watching her neighbor's children on a daily basis.  Michigan's Department of Human Services claims that it is illegal for this woman to allow her neighbor's children to stay at her house because she is not registered as a day care business. Many families can no longer afford to pay a day care to watch their children, and leaving them with a friend is a lot more economical.

What do you think?  Is the Department of Human Services going overboard or should this practice be limited?  Letting friends and babysitters watch afer children is such a common practice in American society; it is possible to do away with it?

Michelle Obama's Role in Heath Care Reform

On Friday, the First Lady addressed the public about health care in the United States today.  An article from CNN that I read described Michelle Obama to be "humanizing" the issue.  She told stories of experiences from her own life supporting universal health care and its importance to every American. 

Michelle Obama has a certain power over America that the President does not; she has the ability to make people feel more related to political issues.  She has the ability to move away from logistics and make an issue more "human".  She really is playing her role as First Lady.  Why does the public feel so compelled to listen to her words?  Why does the public feel that they can relate to her?  Is the First Lady always a woman we can relate to?

Walking to School is Dangerous?

An article in the New York Times about children walking to school surprised me.  This article discusses how many parents won't let their kids venture just two blocks away to catch a school bus or walk to school themselves.  Parents are concerned about their children getting abducted while walking alone.  While, unfortunately, kidnapping is a concern, some parents are going a little extreme.  Children are being individually escorted out of schools by an official to an approved car, parents wait in the car at bus stops with their children.  Are these precautions absolutely necessary or are parents crushing their child's independence?

Every once in a while, we will hear a horror story on the news about something terrible happening to a child when they are only blocks away from their homes.  If these kinds of abductions are preventable by parents, why shouldn't they drive their child to a location only a few minutes away?  What are parents teaching their children though these safety precautions?