(By D. Hanousek) Yesterday, a close friend pregnant with her first child posted a link on Facebook to an article about a mother who was arrested for allowing her 10-year-old to get a tattoo honoring his late brother. Said friend posed the question, "Would you let your 10-year-old son get a tattoo, for any reason? What if the tattoo is to honor the passing of his brother; is that acceptable?" I immediately felt my emotions heighten as I wrote the comment, "Er, circumcision is legal. So is piercing your infant's ears. Don't get me started..." This led me, of course, to the confession that when it comes to hot-topic children's issues, to me, ignorance is bliss. more ›

Police issued an Amber Alert this morning for a missing 11-year-old San Jose girl. Her name is Taylor Vo (Asian, 5'3") and she was taken at around 1:15 a.m. Friday. Police describe the suspect as Tri Le, 42 y/o, Asian male, 5'6". He has black hair and brown eyes and "was last seen wearing a black cap, black jacket and blue jeans. more ›

(By D. Hanousek) After changing park benches three times over the weekend, I realized that I have a confession to make. I don’t want to be your friend. Sure, we both have kids and we both live in the city. And, whaddya know, our kids like to play in playgrounds, too. But, check it out: any communication beyond a nod or a friendly smile "hello" is not necessary. In fact, if I may be candid, it's simply unwelcome. more ›

A 12-year-old boy was injured during a shooting on Saturday in San Francisco's Hunter's Point neighborhood. "A 23-year-old man was shot and a 12-year-old wounded by fragments of shattered glass after gunfire erupted in the unit block of Osceola Lane around 2:12 p.m.," reports SF Examiner. "Two men, aged 18 to 25, approached the victim and fired several shots." more ›

A five-year-old Oakland boy died at Children's Hospital late Friday night after being struck in the neck by shots fired from a car passing by his family's taco truck on International Boulevard. Gabriel Martinez Jr. was the only victim of the drive-by shots that rang out just before 9 p.m. Friday. He was transported to the hospital where he was declared dead about an hour later. more ›

As Mercury News reports, shameful San Jose resident Sandra Lizbeth Contreras-Velazquez was arrested last week for allegedly befriending about half a dozen elementary school-aged girls in order to sneak away with their gold jewelry. more ›

A little after 6 p.m. on Monday night, eight people were shot in West Oakland, including a one-year-old baby. The shooting occurred on the 700 block of Willow Street when a group of men wearing hoodies appeared and shot at a group standing near a catering truck. Here's surveillance video of the shooting: more ›

Earlier this month, Natural Resources, which has been providing quality gear, clothing, classes, and support to San Francisco parents for the past 25 years, reached out to its customers for some help, announcing they were in danger of going out of business. Their campaign to raise $45,000, which ends this Monday, has been quite successful, and they're only $5,418 from reaching their goal. more ›

Miguel and Erik Cerda, two brother who took the law into their own hands on a brutal child molester, decided on a trial rather than a plea deal yesterday. The budding heroes (?) face charges that they tortured convicted San Jose child molester Avelino Rodriguez. "The man was attacked after duct-taping the mouth of an 8-year-girl so she couldn't scream as he sexually molested her last Thanksgiving," reports NY Daily News. "Molester Avelino Rodriguez was whipped, punched and burned with a cigarette in retaliation for the incident." more ›

Like the plot to a John Waters movie, Riverside County supervisors voted to ban sex offenders from decorating their homes with holiday accents and leaving lights on during Halloween night. "They also cannot answer their door to pass out candy to children," reports AP. more ›

A five-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital late yesterday afternoon after being struck by a private shuttle near Third Street and Williams Avenue in the Bayview. The boy had been walking behind his mother and a sibling while crossing Third Street when the shuttle made a right turn and struck him. The shuttle was only carrying one passenger who was not injured. SFPD says the driver is cooperating with the investigation while they try to determine who was at fault. more ›

If dragging your child to a drug-fueled party in the desert is your bag, you're in luck. Parenting newsletter Red Tricycle recently published this jarring Insider’s Guide to Burning Man with Kids (which we spotted on 7x7) and it is nothing short of genius. Burners/parents Harley K. Dubois (Harley) and Cory Mervis (Lady Merv) shed some light on hanging out on the playa with kids. A few recommended tips: more ›

This Friday, 826 Valencia is hosting 8 hours and 26 minutes of non-stop writing as part of their 2nd Ever 8/26 Day Write-a-Thon to benefit the organization's free student programming. We can hear all those knuckles crackin' already! more ›

Members of the Santa Rosa SWAT team were at the South Park Day and Night Festival on Saturday. They were there to demonstrate to attendees what they do and, most notably, to show off their big weaponry. Many participants, it seems, were furious over the fact that they allowed children to hold their guns. Some as young as 5. more ›

Update: Sadly, the bodies believed to be those of the father and daughter were found in the suspect's vehicle last night in a remote area of El Dorado County, near Placerville. more ›

An statewide amber alert was issued Friday morning. A four-year-old white boy was snatched in Atascadero. Officials said was kidnapped from a church. He is described as a white male, 3' 6", 33 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes. The suspect, Annette Hale, is described as a 52-year-old Hispanic female, somewhere around 5' 4", 200 lbs. with brown hair and eyes. more ›

Self-righteous parents of the Bay Area, listen up! This week is National Breast Feeding Week (August 1-7), and you're invited to braise in your own holier-than-thou juices regarding infant nutrition this Thursday at Todos Santos Plaza during the farmers market from 5 to 7 p.m. It's all in recognition of World Breastfeeding Week, and it's hosted by the Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program of Contra Costa Health Services' Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program. more ›

The nascent taste bud's loss is now the juvenile waistline's gain. So to speak. See, the noted fast food chain announced today that the McDonald's Happy Meal will receive a healthy makeover. Accused of aiding childhood obesity, the new Happy Meals will boast apple slices, reduced portion of french fries (boo!) and a wider selection of small drinks, including... more ›

An 11-year-old girl was hit by a stray bullet in the Western Addition late Friday night during gunfire that resulted from an argument amongst some nearby teens, reports Bay City News. According to the Chronicle, the girl was at a sleepover at her cousin's house at Turk and Laguna when a bullet came threw a window, struck her in the heart, and passed through her body. She was taken to SF General Hospital with life-threatening injuries and has remained in life-threatening condition as of about Noon Sunday. more ›

Poor little fella. Or poor little spoiled brat. Depending on how you want to look at it. See, at last night's Giants-Dodgers game, this kid was left with zilch after failing to catch a foul ball. We've been there. It's devastating. Such hope. Such loss. The good news, though, is that the Giants creamed LA 5-3, and "stadium staff was shown handing the kid a foul ball of his own before the game ended." more ›

Raven Stewart, 26, and Lache Rodriguez, 24, were arrested on Friday in connection with a series of car burglaries in Emeryville and Berkeley. They are suspected in at least five smash and grabs, and they even brought along a 4-month-old infant for the fun. Charming. more ›

Census numbers show that San Francisco families are fleeing the city for other bays. Why? Well, for starters, larger houses, roomier backyards, and more affordability. As soon as wee ones leave the stroller stage, it seems, parents decide to ditch the city. And while the younger, more jaded San Franciscan might think that's just swell -- really, who wants to see a stroller at their favorite bar? -- this flight is not good for a thriving metropolis. more ›

Hello Magazine snagged the first shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger's secret son, Joseph, 13, and an exclusive interview his former housekeeper/mistress, Mildred Baena. It is, of course, most sensational. And here's our favorite part of the interview: "When his grandmother sat him down one year ago to explain that Arnold Schwarzenegger was his father, he exclaimed: 'Cool!'" more ›

Robert Jeffrey shared with the world this joyful lip-sync routine set to Madonna's triumphant "Vogue," which he performed in 1991 during a vacation with his parents. He was nine-years-old at the time. Jeffrey explains: more ›

On Tuesday afternoon, a 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl where whisked to San Francisco General Hospital after tumbling out of a second-story window on the 2600 block of Newhall Street. While their exact condition has not been made public, they were awake when emergency crews arrived at the scene. No word yet on what exactly led to their trip the window. more ›

California Highway Patrol confirmed on Wednesday that there was evidence that 15-year-old missing Danville teen, Allison Bayliss, committed suicide. Allison had been reported missing on Monday when her family found her bike parked near the Golden Gate Bridge. more ›

Part of National Missing Children’s Day on Wednesday, May 25, the Presidio Trust, the United States Park Police and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association will hold a free Fingerprint Your Child from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. Fingerprint cards will be given to parents to keep and distribute to law agencies if, God forbid, anything bad should happen. Parents can also add additional information such as a physical description, medical and dental records, even a DNA sample on the cars, which can then be used by any law enforcement agency to help identify a missing child. No other personal information collected will be kept or stored by any government agency. more ›