Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Weigh in on this week's topic with our Mom's Council.
Where do you come down on the great TV debate? How much TV time is OK for your kids? Is it OK to have your 3- or 4-year-old watching television for three hours a day? How about seven hours a day for your teenager? Or, is one hour too many? Maybe you believe TV time is wasted time. Maybe plugging your kids in front of the TV is the only way you can get dinner made. Tell us about it. Has your opinion changed as you (and your kids) have gotten older? Be honest. Tell us what you think in the comments below. And suggest any other topics you want to discuss in the future.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Share your insights on this week's top topic with our Moms Council.
Q: Do you think TV shows like the MTV series 16 and Pregnant glorify teen pregnancy, or truly show how it is? Do you think these shows do a good job of depicting how challenging it is for teen moms? Or do you think they encourage teens to pursue that lifestyle, even though the reality may be a far cry from the TV version? If you have teenage daughters, do they watch these shows? Do you forbid it? Would you rather take away the remote and lock your daughter in her room until she is 30? Bottom line—are these shows sending the wrong message? A: You tell us. Join with the Crystal Lake Patch Moms Council in sharing your opinion. Just login in the upper righthand corner and post a comment. It's free, it's entertaining and it's a great way to …
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Abercrombie was marketing a padded bikini top for pre-teen girls. The new swimsuit outraged many parents. What do you think?
Abercrombie & Fitch recently angered parents across the nation when it announced it would be marketing a padded bikini for girls as young as 7 years old. Abercombie—which has a kid's chain, Abercrombie Kids—has drawn controversy in the past for selling thongs for children and its provocative advertising, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Abercrombie has since back-peddled. The company originally said it would market the swimsuit as a padded push-up bikini meant for children as young as 7 years old. On Abercrombie's Facebook page, the company wrote that Abercrombie would market ths suit simply as padded and said they agreed with those who said it would be "best suited for girls age 12 and older." Q: What do you think? Is this absolutely …
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
This week's "Mom' writes about the importance of the Children's Defense Fund.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Marian Wright Edelman, a formidable Civil Rights leader and the first black woman to pass the bar exam in Mississippi, founded the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) in 1973 as an extension of her work with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fight against racial discrimination. Developing the CDF enabled her to concentrate primarily on children’s issues. “To ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life…” This declaration, pulled from the Children’s Defense Fund mission statement, serves to preserve and protect the innate benefits of education and a sound future for children everywhere. This goes beyond a simple statement of improving children’s programs and policies in our school systems, …
Weigh in on this week's topic.
Q: Where do you stand on the issue of mandatory child vaccinations? Should parents be able to choose to have their children vaccinated? Since kindergarten registrations are underway, we thought it would be an appropriate time to bring up one of biggest debates in parenting—whether vaccinations should be required. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, illnesses like hepatitis, tuberculosis, smallpox, measles, mumps–and more than 20 others–are preventable by vaccination. Traditional mainstream medical practices say that children should receive vaccinations at early ages, but some suggest links between those vaccinations and other serious health problems, including autism, and look for alternatives. A: You tell us. Log …
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Weigh in on this week's topic.
Q:What do you think of the new car seat recommendations? The American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations that children younger than 2 remain in rear-facing car seats and children younger than 8 should remain in booster seats. The new policy was published online March 21 and quickly spread across the country, sparking much discussion among parents. How could you physically get a 20-month-old turned around and into their seat? How comfortable would they be? Does it matter? Isn't it only about safety? A: You tell us. Log in and give our readers your insights. If you haven't signed up, do so in the upper right-hand corner. It's free and easy. The Crystal Lake Moms Council will be sharing their insights along with you. Discuss.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Moms, and others, weigh in on this week's topic
Q: Too young for technology? At what age do you allow your kids access to technology? An iPod at 5? an iPad at 7? Or nothing until they are 13? How do you limit it? A: You tell us. Log in and give our readers your insights. If you haven't signed up, do so in the upper right-hand corner. It's free and easy. The Crystal Lake Moms Council will be sharing their insights along with you. Discuss.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Moms, and others, weigh in on this week's topic
Q: How do you find your "Me Time?" With the temperatures heating up many schedules start becoming difficult. On top of the normal responsibilities of work, meals, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc., there's now baseball, band, soccer and more. But it's important that every mother gets some time to herself. A break away to read, relax. How do you find ways to relax? Is it a planned thing (Mommy gets Thursday nights off to have dinner with friends)? Or do you have little ways, little tricks, to take mini-breaks throughout your days? Share your "tricks" with our moms! A: You tell us. Log in and give our readers your insights. If you haven't signed up, do so in the upper right-hand corner. It's free and easy. The Crystal Lake Moms Council will …
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Moms, and others, weigh in on this week's topic
Sex, drugs and rock ’n roll!! Q: How much do you tell your kids? Did you ever drink alcohol before you were 21? Ever sneak out of the house when your parents were asleep? Ever smoke a cigarette, or anything else? Did you have sex before you were married? What do you say when your kids ask you about your past? How much truth do you tell? A: You tell us. Log in and give our readers your insights. If you haven't signed up, do so in the upper right-hand corner. It's free and easy. The Crystal Lake Moms Council will be sharing their insights along with you. Discuss. Check out what a Moms Council on a sister site is saying on the same topic here.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Moms, and others, weigh in on this week's topic
Q: How do you work with grandparents? Every grandparent wants to treat their grandchildren the way they couldn't treat their own children—and that means spoiling them. Other than keeping them out of harm's way, the major issues connected to "how will this affect them later in life?" have all flown out the window. Want to play in the sandbox in your new dress? Sure. Should we skip nap time today? OK. How about a huge bowl of ice cream 10 minutes before your bed time? Sounds great! Grandparents are a huge part of a child's life but have they earned the right to spoil their grandchildren? If they do, how do reprogram your kids when you get them home? Do you even bring the subject up to the grandparents? A: You tell us. Log in and give our …
Angie K
11:56 am on Friday, April 29, 2011
That IS sad, Melissa. It reminds me of a media story a few years ago - after a popular movie came out about high school football and in the movie there was a situation where a teen committed suicide. Afterwards, there was a wave of teens committing suicide in a similar manner and the evening news shows kept reporting on these stories and then more teens got the idea and went on to try it. It was … more ›