this is the band kids are crazy about?

If you've got kids under 12, you probably know about this, but I was perplexed by a sign in our neighborhood that seemed to indicate a shortage of ubiquitous office supplies. My sister, the mom of two kidlets, informed me of the latest tween craze: braceleting your wrists with as many colored rubber bands as possible, Nefertiti style. There's a "designer" band called SillyBandz but I guess kids in our neighborhood settle for off-brand. I mean band. Benign as fad sounds, it's been banned from some schools. Lucky for recession-hit parents the craze is so economical.

for the dad who has, um, everything

Thanks, Malled, for pointing me to a purveyor I would surely never have found on my own. 

Too late for this year's Father's Day, but hey, you might want to bookmark the site for next year. Unless you live in Glasgow or Edinburgh where Father's Day is now banned. Reportedly, the new policy was put in place in deference to the growing number of single-parent and same-sex households. But isn't this penalizing kids with involved dads?

According to the Telegraph :

Father’s Day cards banned in Scottish schools

Thousands of primary pupils were prevented from making Father’s Day cards at school for fear of embarrassing classmates who live with single mothers and lesbians.

The politically correct policy was quietly adopted at schools “in the interests of sensitivity” over the growing number of lone-parent and same-sex households.

It only emerged after a large number of fathers failed to receive their traditional cards and handmade gifts.

Family rights campaigners last night condemned the policy as “absurd” and argued that it is marginalising fathers, but local authorities said teachers need to react to “the changing pattern of family life”.

An Office for National Statistics report in April found that one in four British children now lives with a lone parent — double the figure 20 years ago.

The Father’s Day card ban has been introduced by schools in Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Clackmannanshire.

Scottish mums can rest easy--Mother's Day still passes the PC test. 

Thanks to DKR,  involved dad who lucky for him lives this side of the pond.