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What's going on with those kids? Every Wednesday at 1 p.m. we'll post a question or a topic related to parenting and kids. Add your two cents! And if you have any suggestions for topics, send an email to brandie@patch.com.The moms and I were talking about bin Laden's death and I wondered if they talked to their kids about it. It seems like it depended on a few things: Are your kids old enough to remember the events of 9/11? How old are they, and does that matter when it comes to how much detail you go in to? Jill said that back in 2001, she told her 5-year-old that "bad men who hated the U.S. crashed planes in to the Twin Towers in NYC." They didn't want her to hear something on the school bus and be upset. Her daughter was satisfied with that answer and never asked another question. Jill said nothing to her…
It may not look like it outside, but it's springtime and the kids are on break. So. What do you do with them? As a stay at home parent, is it easier to keep the kiddos occupied? Or does it just mean you can't get any of your work done? If no grown-ups are home during the day, who takes care of the kids?
I saw this ad and had to ask the Moms Council, is this a big deal? According to CBS, Fox News, and a host of other news outlets and blogs, it is. The ad is for J. Crew nail polish, and it shows the J. Crew president and her son, laughing on a bed. The son's toenails are painted bright pink. A quote on the website reads: "Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon." Meagan Braganca doesn't see any problem: Why would anyone be upset over painted nails? Jill Berry said it reminded her of this news story about transgendered children…
Today's Parent2Parent column focused on toys -- the ones we're nostalgic for, and the ones we hope the kids never ask for. Here are some of the toys that the Moms Council aren't crazy about: Anne Gonnella: I loathe barbies, and these Bratz dolls that are out now, and others I can't remember the name of... I do not want to raise my daughter with these images of what women and teens and even tweens should look like. And I'm sure there are people who will vehemently disagree with me on that. Jill Berry: Cheapo kiddie games that your children love but the games are so poorly constructed that …
"Don't share too much information on the Internet." Parents say this to their kids over and over again. But glance at the Facebook pages of some of your friends, or cruise the blogs, and you'll find parents are sharing a lot of their kids' information, too. From potty-training tips to cautionary tales, some of the information parents share with the world is intensely personal. One of our MomsTalk contributors draws some strict lines: "My children are 7, 12, and 15. I don't blog their names, birthday dates, school, grades, the names of their friends, names of their school or names of their …
Howard High School sent an e-mail out to parents last week, asking parents to keep an eye on their kids’ clothes: The warm weather has arrived! Please check out what your child is wearing to school. Today’s beautiful weather brought some “not so pretty” sights to school. We realize that finding the proper length shorts can be a challenge but it can be done. In truth, the real issue is that the shorts are way too tight, and some without the proper under garments. The tops are way too low and reveal well beyond cleavage. We go through this every year and it becomes a very unpleasant …
Today is the second week of Maryland School Assessment testing for all 3rd through 8th graders. Schools need ALL kids to take the test AND do well so that schools meet their AYP -- annual yearly performance. Teachers do teach to the test, which is tricky for kids who have test anxiety. Question: Does standardized testing/MSAs show what your child knows? Or are the MSAs used by schools simply as a way to bolster their standing in the school system?
With a calendar overflowing with work, school, and church activities, it can be hard to find time to spend with friends. Enter the community center. Do you find that you see neighbors and the parents of your children's friends ONLY when you visit your local libraries, community, and recreation centers? Do you schedule play dates after library storytimes? Or enroll your children in the same dance class so that you can hang out with your friend while the kids are in class? Some people don't take advantage of community and recreation centers at all, some folks find themselves at the library …
I'm thinking of ways to raise my daughter not to be too materialistic, especially when it is so very cheap and easy to get lots and lots and lots of toys and clothes. (I just went to the tot swap in Columbia on Friday, so stuff is on my mind.) A related topic is on the perception of used goods. I have bought almost all of her stuff used, which makes me feel really good about being able to reduce and reuse and live a little more sustainably. I worry a little about what happens when she gets older and how the peer pressure may make her feel bad for having used things. As a child I was made to …
People who home-school their kids seem to feel very strongly about it, but the rest of us are often like, "Whaaaat?" It seems like the ultimate hubris to think that you can teach your children better than a trained professional. You take your kids to a doctor or dentist or even the barber, why not a teacher? Also, how do parents think they can provide the same appropriate socially developmental experiences? I'm not judging at all -- just trying to understand the mindset.
This comes from Anne, one of the mothers on the Ellicott City Patch Moms Council: My parents watch my daughter during the day, and I consider them to be part of our basic family unit. However, if you go looking for family memberships to things, most businesses define it as parents/child. So I can't let my parents use our family zoo membership to take my daughter there without me, and if we all go, they pay separately. It seems like there should be more flexibility in today's world about how a family is defined. I'd be interested in knowing from other parents in the area how they experience …
"Just hit him back." I've heard a parent say that to a child who was bullied in elementary school, but is that the right response? Some parents would say so, but others look for different ways to resolve the age-old practice of bullying. Last week a few parents got together with Rosanne Wilson to discuss bullying in schools. Their frustration was apparent: frustration at the schools, the administration, other parents and, of course, the bullies. In your opinion, what's the best way to handle bullying?
