I’ve always said a busy day of climbing at the park or chasing after a mate with a Tonka truck will tire my son out and ensure a good night’s sleep. Now new research is backing up my opition. A study of 500 children published in The Archives of Disease in Childhood found that active children fall asleep faster than those that partake in R&R. The study found that for every hour a child sits still, they will increase the time needed to fall asleep by three minutes.

What’s interesting is that it was irrelevent whether children spent time in front of the TV or reading a book. Movement versus non-movement was what determined how easy it was for kids to fall asleep.

Is there anything safe for our babies anymore? Health Canada recently detected bisphenol A (BPA) in baby food packaged in glass jars with metal lids. They say levels are too low to pose health or safety concerns but the levels in some brands were similar to those in the recent baby bottle scandal that caused us all to rush out and spend $20 for a “safe” plastic bottle.

The recent baby survey looked at seven brands and 122 total products. Ninety-nine products tested positive for BPA. How is this possible?

The BPA migrates from the plastic linings of lids into the food. The plastic coating is necessary to prevent corrosion of the metal and the resulting contamination of food.

Does this mean I’m going to stop feeding my baby jarred baby food? No, most foods tested did have quite low levels. But it does mean I’ll skip certain products and avoid My Organic Baby. Ironically, the organic line had by far the highest levels of BPA. Their carrots topped the list at 7.22 ng/g (as a comparison PC Organics carrots had 0.95 ng/g).

For a full list of BPA concentrations in baby food, click here.

Who says reading US Weekly can’t be educational? Granted there’s not much to learn from following Lindsay Lohan’s ups-and-downs but sometimes popular culture can make us look at our own lives and encourage us to do something we’ve been avoiding. Listening to the coverage of Michael Jackson’s untimely death may bring you flashbacks to bad 80s leather jackets or rekindle bewilderment over his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley–did that actually happen? Whatever you feel for Michael Jackson, it’s almost impossible for any parent to listen to Michael’s sad life and not feel something for his three children–and what will happen to them now.

The answer seems to be his mother will get custody (with Diana Ross as a backup provider). Since Michael seems to have nothing but unfond memories of his own upbringing, one wonders if he really gave much thought to who would provide for his children should something happen to him. Didn’t the pop icon once brag he would make it to 150? If one believes they are invincible, why put much thought into a will?

When it comes to our own children, all of us are a little guilty of the invincibility act. Can any of us really picture our children’s life without us? For this reason, too many of us either have no will (or one with too little thought put into it). Is your named guardian really the best option should something unforseen occur?

If you’re one of those parents without a will (or one in need of updating), I encourage you to do it sooner rather than later. Don’t know where to begin? Cookie has a great article outlining the three easiest ways to make a will. It’s a great place to get started.