Joe Schatz is the man behind Joeprah.com and the proud stay-home father of three daughters. His take on parenting has drawn praise from national media, and his daughters think he's alright, too.

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Palin's Folly: Parenting Meets Politics

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How to Destroy an Annoying McDonalds Toy

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Showing entries for Category: parenting

How to Destroy an Annoying McDonalds Toy

1 comment

July 28, 11:51 PM

by Joe Schatz, Parenting Examiner

The number one distributor of toys in the world is McDonalds and nearly all of these toys I would classify as being annoying. The toys are either poorly constructed, serve little to no purpose and most notably they make annoying sounds making them the bane to parents everywhere. Shamefully, our family has collected a few McDonald’s toys during these summer months, and while most of these toys are simply thrown away when the kids aren’t looking, some remain hidden under seats in our minivan. You wouldn't even know the toys are there except for the fact that almost all McDonalds toys make some kind of annoying sound. For instance the Kung Fu Panda toy, which is a perfect exampl of a toy serving no purpose, it doesn't move its arms, it doesn't have buttons to press or a game to play, rather it simply makes one of two "kung fu" noises when jolted. Well, when you have a pair of these toys lodged in the belly of your minivan making karate noises whenever you drive over an uneven patch of expressway it starts out being comical, but during longer road trips it stops being funny and starts to get annoying--really, really annoying.

This past weekend we made a trip to Cape May and on our way home the duo of toys sounded off around 200,000 times much to my dismay. Around karate chop sound ninety-five-thousand, I realized that I now hated Jack Black and I also hated karate chop sound effects (which I proudly make on my own from time to time). When a toy offends your senses as much as the Kung Fu Panda toy did for me you have little recourse but to simply take out your frustrations on said toy. Feel free to watch the following instructional video:

Fun Facts about McDonald's Happy Meals:

McDonald's is the worlds largest toy distributor due to the popularity of the "Happy Meal"
The very first Happy Meal was served in 1979
The first Happy Meal was the Circus Wagon Happy Meal in McDonaldland Fun-To-Go in St. Louis
In Brazil the Happy Meal is known as "McLanche Feliz" (Happy McSnack in Portuguese)
In Quebec the Happy Meal is known as "Joyeux Festin" (literally meaning "Happy Feast" in French)
Happy Meals are served at 31,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries

Have Happy Meal toys ever inspired you to either throw them out or destroy them? How do your kids feel about the toys from different fast food restaurants? Do they have favorites?

For more from this Examiner check out his homepage here.

Topics: parenting , parenting humor , mcdonald's

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Teen Pregnancy: Why the U.S. Lags Behind Europe

2 comments

July 15, 11:38 PM

Of all the industrialized countries in the world, the U.S. has, by far, the highest instance of teenage pregnancies with a rate that more than doubles the nearest competitors. After posting on the topic earlier this week, I did some further research... Read More
Topics: parenting , teens , portrayal , pregnant women , teen , pregnancy

Is Jamie Lynn Spears OK?

15 comments

July 13, 2:28 PM

As teen pregnancy rates run rampant ‘OK’ magazine thinks it’s ‘ok’ to put out an article that supports/glamorizes Jamie Lynn Spears as a mom and her recent delivery. What young girls in the US need now is a teen-idol-turned-pregnant-teen-turned-new-mom... Read More
Topics: parenting , portrayal , teen , pregnancy

My Kid is Smarter/Stronger/Better Than Yours: Comparitivitis

4 comments

July 8, 1:22 PM

On a recent playgroup date I had I was sitting there talking to a group of moms and it happened. One mom said was talking about the developmental milestones of their toddler and said something like, “My _____ (insert trendy name like Caden... Read More
Topics: parenting , children , comparitivitis , hyper parenting , comparisons

2 Teens, Who Think They're Paris Hilton, Steal from Girl Scouts

4 comments

May 29, 3:37 PM

What's up with Florida? Two West Palm Beach area teens robbed a 9 year old girl scout for over $160. Apparently, they both think they are Paris Hilton as they flaunt their diva-ness on camera. What is even more shocking is how remorseless... Read More
Topics: parenting , Paris Hilton , Role Model , teens , stealing

Can Single Dads be Both Mom & Dad?

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May 27, 12:58 PM

This morning, I came across an interesting article from across the pond that highlights the plight of single dads. As I began to read the article, I wasn’t sure where it was headed: “According to a close single mother friend of mine, ‘All... Read More
Topics: fatherhood , parenting , moms , dads

You and Your Voyeuristic Child

6 comments

May 21, 5:37 PM

I think there is absolutely ‘a time’ when, as a dad to daughters, you notice, “You know what, being naked around the girls feels weird.” This naked awareness is a cultural change in a household like ours that is used to... Read More
Topics: fatherhood , parenting , moms , dads , daughters , parenting humor , children , toddler , naked

Is it Possible to be Over-Involved as a Parent?

1 comment

May 21, 1:53 AM

Is it possible to be over-involved in your children's education? Apparently, the answer is yes. In the schools of DC's metropolitan suburbs there is alarming trend surfacing of the "over-involved" parent. What is an over-involved... Read More
Topics: parenting

Is Your Baby Hitler?

2 comments

May 14, 10:56 AM

Have you noticed that you have been getting ordered around an awful lot lately? Is the person doing the ordering a zealot who seems to have an unquenchable thirst for power? Is this person also under 2 1/2 feet tall and less then 2 years... Read More
Topics: fatherhood , parenting , parenting humor , Hitler , Baby

Mr.Mom's Day?

2 comments

May 12, 9:33 PM

As I went out shopping for gifts for my wife and both of our mothers, I began to notice how society markets gifts for moms. Really what started it all was that I was having a hard time finding the right card for my wife because a good majority... Read More
Topics: fatherhood , parenting , stay at home dad , moms , dads , parenting humor , mr. mom , mother's day