Ericka Kammerer wrote: ...the kids are finally off to school! Woo hoooo! They were so eager to go, our only picture of them actually stepping onto the bus is blurry ;-) They zipped up to the beginning of the line and scurried right onto the bus without even looking back :-( Well,...

Hi. I hate my DD's carseat. It is a hand-me-down from my sister. Anyway, the long and short of it is, I need to get her a new car seat. Can someone recommend one that - is good for a non-latch car. (If a seat is latch compatible, does it make it NOT appropriate for an older car) - comfortable for...

My DD is 11 mos old. On average she takes 2 naps per day. Most of the time she actually sleeps for her naps, but sometimes she won't. I'll finish giving her the bottle and put her in the crib for a nap, but she's wide awake. Sometimes she'll briefly cry and then go about her business...

I'll be taking my not-yet-diaper-trained dd to swimming lessons soon. Their pamphlet mentioned that she should be either wearing a swimsuit or a little swimmers type diaper. I was wondering if these are standard instructions. I was curious if she's wearing only the swimsuit, is it ok if she pees in...

DD10 has been best friends with this girl since kindergarten. She has always been a sweet, wonderful kid, until the last year or so. Her parents are going through a pretty sordid divorce, and I know that has a lot to do with her recent change in behavior, which I see as a form of crying out for...

My DD, 12 years old, is a great lovely girl, but immature. About 2 months ago I got to know she sometimes (not always, fortunately) hang out with a not very good crowd, some of them boys and girls older than her. I wouldn't say bad kids, but all of them kids whose parents are so involved with...

We live in an area where there are a lot of immigrants and therefore the majority of kids at the local elementary are ESL kids. Since Sophie does not fall into that category, I have some reservations that she would thrive in a school that concentrates so much on the ESL aspect. I have some other...

My 3 year old will start pre school this fall IF he is potty trained. We have to get this done within a couple of months. Any ideas for rapid toilet training? TIA

DD spiked a fever of 105.9 Saturday. I took her in right away. Of course, her temp got down to 102.3 when I finally got in. The doc said maybe roseola. Midnight Sunday, I fell asleep next to her. She rolled over and put her face on mine. It burned hotter than I've ever felt. I normally don't...

I saw an ad in Parents magazine (while pumping, no less :)) for advanced formula (LIPIL) for toddlers from 9 to 24 months. Apparently better than cow's milk etc. Up to 12 months old I understand but why till 24? It has this in regular and soy versions. Has anyone else seen this?

Hubster and I have dear friends with two daughters, who will be 7 and 4 in a month. I'm running out of ideas for a birthday gift (we usually try to either get one gift for both, or something we can get both of them). Last year it was a set of velvet cloaks, the year before it was a box of...

The following is an excerpt from the book The City Parent Handbook: The Complete Guide to the Ups and Downs and Ins and Outs of Raising Young Kids in the City by Kathy Bishop and Julia Whitehead. The City Parent Rules Teaching Tolerance Rule #1: Examine your lifestyle. Are the only people you...

Ok I adore my little cup cake but she is gonna drive me bonkers if she does not start sleeping in her room again. Last night she woke up at 3:30 or so and did not fall back to sleep until about 5 am needless to say i was tired at church this morning when Dh reminded me that he wanted to go to...

Does anyone know where I can find a pattern to make ballet slippers? My husband is a vegetarian and we both try and avoid leather when possible. I just cannot find ballet slippers that are fully non-leather. I've found some that are canvas, but still have leather soles. However, I can't seem to...

Hi. I've lurked for a while, but never posted before. Before we start, let me tell you about myself. I'm a single father. My daughter Jenna is 7 years old, born in January of 1997. I've never posted before, but this past weekend, I had a unique parenting problem. I finally decided I'd ask...

We should not tolerate lies. Not in our homes, not in society and not in courts -- perjury! Why the hell was this father punished? The boy should be punished! ========================== Attorney charged with child abuse By The Associated Press

Hello - I'm new to this forum. I live in Cleveland, OH and I'm trying to find a babysitter for my 11 year old daughter. I have no clue where to look. I only need someone to watch her some weekends here and there, maybe a weeknight every once in a while - either for one evening, overnight, overnight...

My partner two girls, 4 and 2 years old. The 2 year old almost looks after herself and amuses herself endlessly with whatever can be found around. The 4 year old is relentless in her need for attention. She constantly has to be talking, commentating on everything, interrupting etc. Even her...

How does one begin the process? My DS is 29 months old and it is time for him to move to his own bed. How do we begin the process? on weekends we take naps with him. at night he sleeps with us. he never sleeps alone except at daycare. I would prefer a gentle method. I will not shut him in his...

I just got e-mail from my sister, with a picture of her not-quite 2 yo in a cast that starts just under her belly button and goes down to her toes on both legs, with a rod between the two legs. (She fell -- no long term problems likely, but the next month or two should be, um, interesting.) So --...