jquery.withchildren.js

// Say we got: <ul> <li>Foo</li> <li>Bar</li> </ul>
// Fade list entries one by one, with a 200ms interval
//
// $.withChildren('ul:first', 'li', 'fadeOut', [], 200)
//

;(function($) {
  $.withChildren = function(element, childSelector, _method, args, after) {
    var childTag = childSelector || {'DIV': 'div', 'UL': 'li'}[$(element).get(0).tagName] || 'div';
    var children = $(element).find('> ' + childTag);
    (function(e) {
      $(e)[_method].apply($(e), args);
      var self = arguments.callee;
      if ($(e).next().length) { setTimeout(function() { self($(e).next()); }, (parseInt(after) || 1000)); };
    })(children[0]);
  };
})(jQuery);

// *cough* documentation:
// $.withChildren(<selector for finding child nodes>, <method called on children>, <arguments for method>, <interval>)
//
// Pluginize it
$.fn.withChildren = function(childSelector, _method, args, after) { 
  return this.each(function() { $.withChildren(this, childSelector, _method, args, after) });
};