Q: I have a 12-year-old son and he is so lazy. He never wants to help around the house. He just wants to lay around the house and play video games. I feel like all I do is yell at him and nothing works. How would you handle this? A: Having a child that age is hard; Walk into North Middle School
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Parental Control April 2017
Q: I have two children, ages 6 and 11. My 11-year-old son is always having trouble with homework, not getting it done. I've taken away his PlayStation, made him go to bed early, and I feel like I'm the one trying to fix things with his teacher. How can I make him care about his work in
Parental Control February 2017
Q: My 10-year-old wants a smartphone. I’m not sure I’m ready for that, but I don’t want him to feel left out. Is that too young? I know lots of kids have a phone nowadays. A: I can tell you from working in a school, kids are getting phones younger and younger. I personally think this question
Cookies Santa Will Love
Pumpkin Crunch Cookies These cookies are soft and crunchy all at the same time. And they stay soft, too. So they are a great option for a do-ahead dessert that you can take to any Thanksgiving or Christmas party. For the pumpkin, I prefer to use fresh rather than canned. But either will work
Parental Control December 2016
Q: What are your thoughts about letting your child sleep in the bed with you? My child is three, and it's something I sometimes do, but not all the time. I have other parents that tell me I'm awful and I'm going to mess up my child. A: This has been a loaded question for decades – to co-sleep or
Holiday Activity Guide 2016
Entertaining your kids can be a tricky business at the best of times, but even more difficult during the holidays. For kids, the thought of a few weeks off from school is enough to send them into a whirlwind of excitement. For us parents, it can be difficult to find something to do to occupy all
Parental Control October 2016
Q: I have a daughter in 4th grade and I find myself getting caught up in her “girl drama” that goes on at school. I feel like it’s happening to me and all my rational thinking goes out the window. Do you have any advice for how I can handle this better? A: Many people associate “girl drama” as
Parental Control August 2016
Q: I am a stay at home Mom. I have a son that will be starting kindergarten in August. I did not send him to preschool because I think kids go to school long enough and I wanted that time to be with me. Are there things that I need to be doing other than the basics to get him ready for school? I
Ear Infections Fact & Fiction
Ear infections, also known as otitis media, are one of the most commonly diagnosed illnesses in children. In fact, about 50 percent of children have at least one ear infection by age 1 and that number jumps to 80 percent by the third birthday. Concerned parents often have questions about how to