It makes sense that a new dad would stare down into his baby girl's eyes and never ever want to throw around the word "bitch" ever again, does it not? Now there is science to back up Jay-Z's change of heart, and the rest of the dudes out there who suddenly find themselves face-to-face with a daughter. Apparently new dads begin to change their mind -- for the better -- about traditional gender roles after they're blessed with a girl child.

Let's hear it for baby girls changing the world, one dad at a time! 

Now that my babies are 6 months old, I'm starting to see their little personalities coming through more and more. Before, I would take every angry cry or easy giggle as some hint of their future selves, but only now is it really starting to feel legit.

That being said, how much can you really tell about your child at this early age? I mean, one day, I've decided that "Herman" is lazy and loud like Mommy because he's not so into rolling, but loves just babbling away. Then, the next day, he's rolling left and right and flipping over and my whole "lazy" theory flies out the window. Point being, young babies change and grow and learn so quickly, can you really assign personality traits already?

Yes, I think so. 

Why Does She Scare Me So Much?If you have a daughter, you know all about this American Girl Doll. Or I should say, "dolls." Lots and lots of smooth-skinned dolls with fancy, expensive duds, just waiting to go home with your little lady as long as you shell over hundreds of dollars. It's a winning business model for the AGD folks, and I'm not one to begrudge anyone their success. Additionally, as a consumer of fun things for my kids, I'm not averse to buying them toys. I love toys. It's the cult-like following that I take issue with when little girls are sucked into the vortex of the cafes and showrooms.

Our home is American Girl Doll-free, by design. But something happened at the carpool drop-off lane that has me re-thinking my anti-stance. And it's probably the same thing that has happened to millions of mothers all over the U.S.A. who also swore they'd never drop a c-note on a toy.

My first, best, mom friendNot since junior high have female-to-female relationships been so fraught. I remember my first neighborhood mom meet-up in the park. It was more awkward than a first date, and there were a heck of a lot more naked breasts visible. I left feeling even more isolated and not sure how, exactly, I was supposed to connect with these ladies who only had one thing in common with me: A baby born in the spring of 2006.

Yet, I pushed on, and eventually found myself in the middle of a truly amazing mom gang. It's not easy, but once you've mastered the art of mom-friending, it's very satisfying.

This conundrum is deftly illustrated by the super funny blog post from The 818 wherein she confesses to having no idea how to make mom friends. We've all been there, sister, and I'm going to help you figure out how to separate the mom-friend wheat from the chaff.

The playground has rules -- general ones like park closes at dusk, no smoking, no loud music, and please no junkies leaving behind dirty needles. I made that last one up but that really should be a rule, don't you think? Along with if you are going to bring coffee for yourself, make sure you have enough for all the other moms and dads at the park, too. How great would that one be? (Psst. I like mine with milk and sugar.)

But there are some unspoken guidelines that some are mindful of and some aren't. These are rules I wish all the moms and dads and caretakers who go to the park with kids follow.

On Top of the WorldIf I had a dollar every time I shielded my daughter from age inappropriate things, I'd be a wealthy, wealthy, woman. After all, she was a toddler in New York City, and you can find inappropriate everywhere, and at any time of day. My son, however? Well, let's just say I've gotten a little lax the second time around.

First of all, he's the second child and is constantly exposed to older kid stuff. I can't divide the entire house into a "big kid" vs. "little kid" haven, so it all gets mixed up. At first I worried about what he might jump on top of, put inside his little mouth, or simply "see." But now I'm lightening up and realizing my older child probably would have been okay with a lot of restricted items as well. Which is why I'm no longer checking out the age requirements on every dang thing that crosses his toddler path.

If your kid is a second child, or just a badass, feel free to ignore the age requirements for the following as well.

I had one of those toddlers who hates putting on a coat. Actually, I think they all come that way. I remember reading in one of my child-rearing books that when my son said "no" to the coat I should calmly wrestle him down and put the coat on him: That means "yes." Obviously I was strong enough to pull that off -- well, just barely. But I went a totally different way. I let him walk out coatless.

Keep in mind it doesn't get dangerously cold where I live. We hover around the 30s and 40s for most of the winter. But for me, letting my son take minor physical risks like this and learn from experience has been more important than teaching him unconditional obedience, especially when he was a toddler.

I've got big plans for you, kidWhile making a bucket list may be so totally 2010, it seems that particular phrase will not die. (Pun totally intended.) Which is why one particular parenting "bucket list" caught my eye for two reasons: 1) You can't really call it a bucket list unless the qualifier is "before I die," and 2) hey, I totally want to do this too!

After all, in the middle of child-rearing chaos, you can easily lose track of the big picture. The big picture being, these kids will grow up and not want to have anything to do with you. Or they'll be bigger than you and you can no longer force them to share an ice cream sundae or even a conversation.

With that inevitability in mind, I created my own parenting list of 15 things I really want to do with my kids before they never want to be seen with me ever again.