Q: Our almost 4-year-old son has taken to saying nasty things to us. Last night, for example, when my husband was reading him a bedtime story, he said, "I don't love you anymore Daddy, and I want you to move out of our house". We don't know where he is picking this stuff up or why he's doing this. We've explained that comments of that sort hurt people's feelings, but it seems to make no difference. Lately, we've been sending him to his room for about 20 minutes for his "nasty talk". Upon release he promises to say "nice things" yet the nasty comments keep coming. Should we continue to punish, or just ignore this?
Q: Why would my stepson, age 9, feed his mother lies about my husband?
Dear Mr. Dad: My 2-month-old wants to be held all day long. Everyone I know is telling me that she'll grow up spoiled if I don't put her down. Am I spoiling her?
Today's drug of choice among teens may be caffeine, perfectly legal and packaged in an aluminum can with a catchy name like Bawls or Amp or Hype.
My husband and I believe communication is one of the keys to a successful marriage. Which is why we haiku.
The question: Are youngsters who are not physically active more likely to face health problems as they grow up? This study analyzed data on 389 children ages 7 to 10 at the start of the study. They were measured for height, weight, body fat percentage, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, tested for aerobic fitness and questioned about physical activity. Seven years later, as teens, about 5 percent of them were found to have metabolic syndrome, a collection of five conditions (hypertension, high...
The following is an excerpt from "What Every 21st-Century Parent Needs To Know," by Debra W. Haffner (copyright 2008 by Debra W. Haffner). Reprinted by permission from Newmarket Press, www.newmarketpress.com.
I was watching Oprah the other day when Barbara Walters, of all people (I can't stand her), says something that just struck me to my core. She was talking about her special needs sister and how hard it is for parents of children with autism and that, although they love their children and would do anything for them, sometimes they think "it's just too much."
Before you know it, it'll be summer - and that means your kids will have lots of time to play. If you want to avoid the inevitable "I'm boooored," kick off the summer with one of these bestselling toys.
Forget the image of angels who flit about in froofy gowns.
Michael Sherrod, along with Matthew Rayback, stumbled across some weird, hilarious and just plain wrong names on U.S. federal censuses from 1790 to 1930, and they share them with you in their new book, "Bad Baby Names."
Any wine connoisseur can tell you the age, quality and history of a bottle of wine. The elegance of how the aroma fills the glass; the smell of the cork, freshly popped out of the bottle; the type of glassware best suited for different varieties; the degree of dryness, sweetness, everything. While a child's "whine" is far from this civilized or tasteful, there are ways to manage it so it doesn't permanently stain the tablecloth of life! So, consider this the "art of fine-tuning the whine."
Raising a teen? Here's some advice on your teen's internet usage from the book "How to Survive Your Teenager" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who've done it:
Vindication! For years I tried to convince my younger sister that she had it easier. Mom and Dad let her slide, I was sure of it. Now, a study by a Johns Hopkins University sociology professor has my back. The study has found that first-born children are subjected to stricter parenting, more discipline and higher expectations and that they receive less money from their parents than younger siblings when they dropped out of school or teenage girls got pregnant.
I grew up in Miami - aka the capital of Latin America - where being from a Spanish-speaking family is the norm, not the exception. It's not the kind of city that followers of Lou Dobbs would feel welcome in ... Spanish is the dominant language in many neighborhoods, and the Latino community is quite powerful. I never felt like a "minority." In fact, of the 800-plus seniors in my high school's graduating class, at least half of the top 2 percent were Latinos, including the valedictorian, whose family had arrived in Miami during the Mariel boatlift.
After 20 years as a mortgage banker in Miami, Belkys Suarez wants a new career. But where to start?
Mom's are masters at multi-tasking. Pick this kid up, drop the other kid off and make sure dinner is ready before everyone is falling asleep standing (including you!). Truly Mom aspires to make life a little less complicated so moms have more time to appreciate the little things.
In my mid-40s, mid-life, mid-way, not full or empty, not young or old, just mid, middle, half there, I find myself a student again. I drive to a big university and nose my whale of a mini-van into parking spots wide enough for a generous sized motorcycle. I wait in line to pay tuition fees, mug myself for an ID card and stake out the black market for used books. I squeeze my mother friendly hips into tiny desks with fold-down tops that force anyone with a BMI over 20 to become play dough flattened by a hammer. I contemplate posters hung on campus that invite young coed females to donate their eggs to needy couples. This last one catches my breath.
If you like Method's Earth-friendly home cleaning products, you will love the new Methodbaby and Methodkid bath products. Method products are nontoxic, biodegradable and animal byproducts-free, which makes this mom feel good about using them in her home and on her children.
Moms Forum spotlights useful discussion taking place on the parenting forums of newspapers around the country.
A weekly glimpse of what moms are saying on the Web.
My snuffle-snore-filled dreams were invaded. Did someone just call my name? Smack, squinch, swipe: I rubbed the crust off my eyes and looked at the light-up baby monitor.
There are many days that I wonder whether it's worth it to work. Generally, they are the days where my e-mail is silent as my 3-year-old is in school and my son naps, only to start beeping like crazy as I get e-mail after e-mail from editors demanding instant changes - once my son is awake and only wants to be held and my daughter is begging me to play chase, of course. They are the days when it is beautiful out, and my part-time babysitter gets to take my kids to the park while I sit up in my home office trying to finish an article. And then there's tax time, when a year's worth of untaxed paychecks come back to haunt me. Some days, it really doesn't seem worth it.
Emily again topped the list of most popular baby girl names last year, registering as No. 1 for the 12th straight time. Jacob led among names for boys for the ninth year in a row.
''Everyone thinks the tie that binds us is love or blood, but I think it is memory,'' says photographer Maggie Steber, who is documenting how her mother Madje lives with dementia.
We invited our readers to write Mother's Day cards that they couldn't find in a store. Here's one sent in by Dr. Elizabeth Vainder:
KIDS' BOOKS
MiamiHerald.com Long before his star turn as Fonzie, the cool dude on the '70s TV sitcom Happy Days, Henry Winkler had the uncool, unhappy experience of feeling like the class dunce. His frustrations sprang primarily from trying to learn to read.
Just follow the balloons to Sunday Afternoons of Music for Children and the special Saturday edition honoring mothers. Led by conductor Robert Longfield, The Greater Miami Symphonic Band will present ''Strike Up The Band -- Sousa-Style'' at Gusman Concert Hall at the University of Miami. Come early and kids can ''play'' the musical string instrument petting zoo. Instructors from the Allegro Music Center of Coral Gables will be on hand to work with children. Peter-the-Mime will entertain until...
"Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-to-Be"
