About six years ago, we made a short video of my son. He was (and still is) a passionate fan of Star Wars, and we used our new camcorder and my copy of Adobe Elements to throw together a 2-minute fan film starring a seven-year old Jedi warrior and (spoiler alert) his twin, Darth Menace….. read more

May 10, 2011 by Parent X in Parenting

An informal survey of six families revealed Mothers’ Day to be a “minor” holiday in terms of gift giving. All six families celebrated with a special meal The “mother” in all six families received gifts and cards from her children the ratio of handmade to store bought cards from the children was 7:5 the ratio…. read more

May 9, 2011 by Staff in Parenting

My husband and I have been struggling with something for a while now: whether or not to give our kids allowance. My childhood existed without an allowance. We had chores and everyone pitched in to help. If I wanted something I asked Mom and Dad. If they said “no” and I really wanted it, I…. read more

May 5, 2011 by Susan Lane in Parenting

The school bus is an icon of education. From the standard yellow to the trippy buses of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem and the Partridge Family, the school bus has been one of the most standard and recognizable parts of going to school. Young kids marvel at the flat front buses, wondering if their…. read more

May 4, 2011 by Parent X in Education, Parenting

Child discipline is one of those topics that are deeply divisive amongst most people, like de-clawing cats and whether you should or shouldn’t put ketchup on your eggs, and I’ve often strangely found that the loudest and most vehement arguments extend from those without any offspring of their own. But then, one day they find…. read more

May 3, 2011 by Rose F. in Parenting

An informal survey of 12 children ages 4 through 15 revealed some poor practices in terms of serving size management. 10 of the 12 children believed a 20 ounce soda bottle was “one serving” (the nutrition label says a serving of soda is 8 ounces, so the bottle contains 2.5 servings) 6 of the 12…. read more

May 2, 2011 by Staff in Parenting

When my son was born in September of 2000, my mother spent a few minutes browsing the gift shop at Chilton Hospital. A small, simple blue puppy caught her eye – and this little stuffed animal was one of the dozen or so stuffed animals given to my son during that first week of his…. read more

April 29, 2011 by Scott Copperman in Parenting

Today, all across New Jersey, school budgets and school board memberships are being voted upon. Our position regarding the current elections here in NJ, and for all states, is that the most practical vote is a vote FOR the budget. What the average voter does not realize is that the majority of the money spent…. read more

April 27, 2011 by Educator X in Education, Parenting

Last weekend I decided to help a few members of the community by supporting an upcoming ballot measure regarding the local community parks. Thinking that it may be a good lesson for my kids to learn about issues facing their community, I bribed brought them along with me.  Reluctantly, they came along and went door…. read more

April 26, 2011 by Susan Lane in Parenting

An informal survey of 6 children children ages 4 through 13 seemed to support the old comedy bit about childproof medicine bottle caps being anything but childproof. 4 of the 6 children, including the youngest, had no problem opening a childproof pill bottle. All 6 of the children were familiar with the push-before-turning mechanism, but…. read more

April 25, 2011 by Staff in Parenting, Things to Check Out