Word on the web is that new papa Jay-Z wrote this little ditty for his daughter Blue Ivy Carter.

He references a miscarriage Beyonce had and that their daughter was conceived in the City of Lights.

It's a sweet rap but doesn't top Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely."

Ugh, this story is one of my worst nightmares. The other nightmare centers around a man in a rubber suit (but that's another story for another time.)

A Coral Springs man is accused of videotaping young children, mostly naked 5-year-old girls, at the beach as they showered.

When it's time to rinse off there is usually an elaborate dance of me rinsing off my 4-year-old daughter while keeping her clothes on, or her dad holding up a towel, or me stripping off her top and slipping on a dress before rinsing her bottom.

How far do you go to shield your kid when rinsing off in public at the pool or beach?

Here's the video of John Jefferson Field's appearance in bond court on Nov. 29, 2011:

One of the best parts of parenthood is seeing my child mimic the things me and the hubbie do -- like grabbing her plastic purple rake to help with the gardening. Or clomping around the house in my heels. Or clicking her plastic cup of apple juice when we make a toast.

But having a kid mimic the college sport of chugging while downing Capri-Sun blended with water is outrageous.

Watch and squirm. Just remember to push your slack jaw closed:

We are deep into the princess phase. For my 4-year-old it's always all about the princesses.

We must buy every published book (Golden or chapter) about Cinderella or Belle or Snow White. I must have ready answers to the behaviors of the princesses such as whether princesses pee, why Jasmine always wears pants, what Tiana likes to cook, why did Sleeping Beauty touch the spindle, why isn't Pocohantas in the coloring book?

For months, I resisted living and breathing princesses but have completely surrendered and now use their traits to keep the house in tip-top shape and my daughter active.

"Snow White loves scrubbing floors, don't you?," I ask my daughter.

"Let's read five books tonight just like Belle!"

"Tiana loves cooking dinner for her family, what are you making tonight?"

So I was more delighted than a princess at a ball when my coworker gave me the scoop last week about arranging for a Disney princess to call my daughter. The call from Belle congratulating her on being such a good helper "to her family and friend" threw my daughter through a loop. She wanted to know how Belle got my number and how did the princess know she was a good helper. Me: "I emailed her."

If your girl (or boy) is obsessed with princesses you should definitely request a call. Oh, and the princesses don't make calls until their morning chores are done, so the first scheduled call isn't until 10 a.m.

(Pictured: Salma Hayek and her 2-year-old daughter Valentina with Tiana, Cinderella and Snow White. Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney via Getty Images)

Another study has been released that will scare the bejesus out of many parents. This one -- filled with a few ums, ifs and buts -- says that the chemicals that make sure the car seat won't be engulfed in flames could cause disabilities.

Great. Now what?

Well the brains behind the study offers this reassurance: "Parents should use a car seat regardless of what our tests show, said Jeff Gearhart. "None of the results of our findings mean you shouldn't have a car seat, even if that car seat is the poorest one we tested."

There are parents who have a great sense of humor and do the coolest things with their kids. These are not those parents.

I am paying dearly, every day, for words that I've banned.

Like stupid. It is a word discouraged at school and when told by my 4-year-old that stupid is a word we shouldn't use, I whole-heartedly agreed as much as I could while trying to keep my eyes and ears peeled to the action of Law & Order.

Um is on the list, too. And hate (which I clearly say more than I realized because every other second I'm reminded that "hate is strong word and we aren't supposed to say it."

And when she jokingly called me a knucklehead, I banned that word but said bobohead was completely acceptable because that's one of my favorite words and I didn't want that on the no-no list.

What words do you regret banning?

(Photo: Mikko Luntiala, Flickr)

This video of a Florida teacher punching a student isn't the whole story but it's alarming. I mean, geez, what the heck did this student do to make the teacher cold-clock him, and what is going on in classrooms that a teacher would resort to violence?

The state attorney isn't going to charge the woman with child abuse but the school district is investigating the incident so she's not out of the woods, yet.

Should teachers be trained to walk, or run away, from threatening situations like this or are all parents now on notice that their misbehaving child will get a beat down in class?

With the news of Osama bin Laden's bloody demise seemingly everywhere, what have you said to your kids about how he died or how you feel about his death?

One of our schools' reporters talked with a Pembroke Pines principal about his decision to talk about bin Laden's death with his sons and students. This is what he said about the gory details:

"We don't get into all that," said Principal Carlton Campbell. "We focus on purpose and political ramifications. They can only handle so much."

Tina Fey is pregnant. Stop. The. Presses.

I know it's not major news but I admire moms who have more than one child -- in a wow-she-must-be-on-good-drugs-way. (The 40-year-old comedian and her hubby have a 5-year-old daughter, Alice.)

Continue reading "Tina Fey is going to be a Baby Mama, again" »

So we decide to go to brunch at a popular Miami restaurant. I'm worried that we won't get a seat for hours, so I drop my husband off at the front door with instructions to get the first available seat and then I go park the car.

When my daughter and I meet up with him, the hubby says he couldn't get the first available because the restaurant won't seat us at the bar with a kid. Really??

Now let me tell you that this a 90% restaurant with a small bar and seating indoors and out. And we're there at 11 a.m. to eat, not just sidle up on a bar stool and have a breakfast of Bloody Marys.

I tell you I was outraged. Out.Raged. My husband wasn't bothered and thought it was a reasonable request.

We did end up getting great seats at the chef's table, which is a bar that looks into the kitchen. We weren't banned from ordering alcoholic drinks so I couldn't figure out what the difference was from eating at the bar with our daughter and ordering drinks, and eating at the chef's table with our daughter and ordering drinks.

Continue reading "Can you sit with a child at a bar?" »

Abercrombie has done it again: Outraged parents, fired up the internet, gotten free publicity -- all for its collection of "lined" bikini tops for young girls.

As ridiculous as I think it is to sell a padded, triangle-shaped bikini top for a young girl (and I'm not sure if it's worse that the top is padded/lined or that it's styled in the racy triangular shape seen on skin models) parents don't have to buy it for our kids.

Continue reading "Abercrombie's padded bikini top" »

We're big fans of Dr. Seuss but have yet to make green eggs and ham for the 4-year-old. I just found a recipe for eggs in a basket topped with spinach pesto that looks yummy enough for me to actually stomach green-coloring on eggs.

So this week everybody who is anybody is celebrating the doc of rhymes. My co-worker Doreen Christensen found a great link to printable Dr. Seuss activities including mazes, games and math quizzes.

Happy Seussing!

"There's ... a guy. I'm home alone. He opened the door. Can you send somebody real quick," says the Miami 12-year-old girl to a police dispatcher.

I had goosebumps listening to this call. Cynthia Valdes sees an intruder outside her house door, grabs her cell calls her Dad and then calls the police. She then hides in a closet and for 10 minutes whispers details about her house, her location and the intruder to the dispatcher.

In school, my almost-4-year-old daughter has learned what to do during a lockdown. At home, we've created a basic fire plan: Go out the front door. No toys. No shoes. But I didn't even think to teach her what to do if an intruder comes in the house. Cynthia did a phenomenal job and has great manners to boot. Near the end of the call she whispers to the dispatcher: "I really appreciate your help."

So what have you told your kid about what to do if an intruder comes into the home? Will this call make you come up with a plan?

I'm not sure how to feel about this story.

Here's the story in a nutshell: A 35-year-old tries multiple time to have a child and can't, and her mom then volunteers to be a surrogate and at the age of 61 gives birth to her grandchild.

Sara Connell, left, holds her new baby Finnean Lee Connell, on Thursday at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago. Sara’s mother, Kristine Casey, 61, served as a surrogate for her daughter. (Stacey Wescott, Chicago Tribune / February 12, 2011)

In all honesty one of our favorite family activities is watching TV. It's usually a show that involves men passing, laying up or hitting a ball; or the news; or House Hunters International (Can't get enough of seeing people shop for homes overseas).

But a few months ago, I introduced a new activity and it's now in the top 3 favorites: doing puzzles.

I was never a puzzle person. I liked doing the word game Jumble with the hubby, but for a buck I couldn't pass up testing out how our girl would respond to doing a puzzle.

It's been great seeing our nearly 4-year-old figure out the fits and I'm loving the dollar sign on this activity. And it was fantastic to have these on hand during our cold front when none of us wanted to venture past the driveway to collect the trash cans much less play outside.

Have you stumbled across a really fun and super-cheap activity? Tell me about it! (Just don't bombard me with chiding messages about how we should be spending loads of time outside. We do that.)

On really good days, we cook dinner at home with the nearly-4-year-old sous chef helping out. This week we were on the ball and ate at home three nights, went out one night.

Our favorite places to eat as a family are casual, cozy and make our daughter feel like she's a star. And of course they serve good food. Our neighborhood Flanigan's has a server with the same name as my daughter, and the server goes out of her way to say hullo and sing out their name as she walks past our seat. How sweet is that?

El Tamarindo Cafe, a place I reviewed for the Sun Sentinel's Food section, has all the qualities we look for plus yummy food. It's a great spot if you have kids who want to practice their Spanish as the servers will gladly play along. And the portions, generally, are shareable.

UPDATE: The standoff and the lockdown of Davie schools are over.

Five public schools and four Nova schools are under lockdown as police investigate a Davie neighborhood.

If you're a parent who has a child at one of these schools we'd like to hear from you. How worried are you? How did you hear about the lockdown? Have you been in contact with your kid by cell?

Let us know. We'll have the latest updates on the police investigation and lockdown on SunSentinel.com.

One parent at a Davie school voices his frustration with the lack of communication between the school and parents.

Some things should just be for kids: bottles, whining, cartoons. And these footed pajamas I've seen at Target and online are one of those things.

If you're grown you don't need to pad through the house in pajamas with "drop-seats."

Really, what is next? Bounce houses for adults? Although, I do make exceptions for corn dogs, which I've seen in various forms (some stuffed with lobster instead of hot dogs) on menus.

I was over the moon about my girl going to big-girl school until I looked at the school calendar and realized she'd be off for two weeks.

What the heck was I going to do with her for two weeks?! Luckily, auntie returned home from college for her break and was able to play X to my girl's Miss Daisy. So the little one was occupied at gymnastics camp, at the museum and in the kitchen decorating gingerbread cookies with her bestie.

Maybe next year, I'll burn a week of vacation to be home during my daughter's winter break.

The nearly 4-year-old: I want to be Tinker Bell
Me: OK, you can put on your Tinker Bell costume when we get home.
Her: No! I want white skin like Tinker Bell.
Me: (big thump sound as my heart sinks)

So the conversation painfully plodded along about why she wanted white skin ("because everyone has it") and why she should be happy with her skin color and a list of other cool people who have her skin color (mainly, Auntie Lee).

I really didn't expect to have this conversation with my daughter. I thought that because we have friends with brown and white skin that it wouldn't be a problem. That she would see people who look like her are just as desirable. But, after this conversation I really realized she doesn't see enough folks like her in her world. Yes, we have Tiana and supporting cast like Iridessa from Tinker Bell's Pixie Hollow, Quincy from Little Einsteins and Princess Presto from Super Why.

But with the exception of Tiana who just came on scene there aren't any brown stars in kiddie world created by Nickelodeon, Disney, Hollywood. The brown kids starring in TV shows for kids her age are truly of color: Sid the Science Kid is blue, Unique of Backyardigans is Pink. And it's not just TV. Children's books still overwhelmingly feature white kids or animals, and I don't know about you but who wants to be a pig named Olivia?

So I love the idea of Kisha's Kids. (I'm not loving the price; this rug pictured at left costs $100.) Kisha is a mom of four who lives in Plantation and started creating rugs, artwork and dolls because she was frustrated with not being able to find room accessories that looked like her kids.

And that's what I want too: Everyday kids' stuff to more often come in shades of brown. Oh, and to find them at Target. Oh, and world peace.

I'm curious, what have you done to make sure your kids are comfortable in their skins?

My fellow mommy blogger Brittany has been looking high and low for a pregnant doll for her daughter.

And since I'm all about encouraging weirdness in others, so I was ecstatic to have stumbled on this pregnant doll that, wait for it, gives birth. (Thanks, New York Times' Motherlode blog.)

The MamAmor dolls are far from Barbies. They are rounder and softer and deliver their bundles of joys naturally. Oh yeah.

The yarn-haired dolls come in browns and pinks and creamy whites. For a mere $130, one could order a mom that is bonding with her wee one, a mom that is breastfeeding, one that has a belly and a cute two-piece swim suit, or one that can give birth. There are also babies for sale.

I love Christmas. The smell of Douglas Fir. The lights on the tree. The seafood dinner with family. The presents.

And I love hearing about how other people celebrate Christmas. What they must do. Like the friends who help serve meals to those with less. And the families that host cookie exchanges.

What are your family Christmas traditions?

One of my Mommy friends is outraged which means I'm outraged.

Her daycare has decided that it would be a great idea to have 2-year-olds wear uniforms. Oh, and the shirts with the daycare's insignia are $15 and can only be bought one South Florida store.

We're talking about uniforms: khaki pants, shorts or skirts and the special-order shirt for kids ages 4 and younger.

The brains behind this policy says in a letter sent home that the uniforms will "assist our children to focus on the most important task, which is learning and growing in an environment that enhances school spirit, good self-image and school unity."

Last I checked, Woody T-shirts worn by 2-year-olds wasn't getting in the way of learning ABCs and they didn't have self-image issues.

This policy seems like an unnecessary cost, but if for the greater good -- security and spirit -- parents are made to use uniforms shouldn't they be able to shop around for a cheaper shirt that meets that criteria?

When my 3-year-old daughter asks why things are made the way they are, like why lollipops are on a stick and why is her sweater is purple and why don't school buses have safety belts, I say: "That's the way the factory made it."

This week following a barrage of such questions, she asked how did the factory make her. Oy!

Talking about Satan was much easier (especially after your input). So like a good parent I ignored her question.

When I was telling my husband this morning about her inquiry he decided to tell our daughter that she came from my stomach to which she replied: Was the stomach empty? (Silly Dad, this was the train wreck I was trying to avoid.) And he said "No," and then she said incredulously "Was I in your stomach with the food?" So I spoke up and said you were in my uterus which sent her into silly oral conversions.

Her: Your what?
Me: My Uterus
Her: Your uterus?
Me: Yes, my uterus
Her: Uterus! (imagine high-pitched squeals as the words are eeked out)
Her: Uterus! (imagine high-pitched squeals as the words are eeked out)
Her: Uterus! (imagine high-pitched squeals as the words are eeked out)
Her: Uterus! (imagine high-pitched squeals as the words are eeked out)

So I need some help here. How the heck did you tell your kids how they came into the world, and how old were your kids at the time?

Photo credit: tostadophoto.com/Flickr

We parents have enough to worry about than a silly study that says teens who text more than 120 times a day and spend 3 hours on Facebook are more likely to have had sex, had alcohol or used drugs.

How could these behaviors correlate with hyper-texting and spending a few hours a day on Facebook?

This study has to be skewed by people who don't understand the new social network has moved from sleepovers and notes passed in class to text-messaging and Facebooking.

I think we'd be better off making sure our kids know how we feel about underage drinking in the age of Four Loko, as my fellow mommy-blogger Brittany talks about, and homecoming parties hosted by negligent parents.

Photo: Iowa high school sophomores use their cell phones during a pre-test in their science class. Larry Fisher/Associated Press.

Last week our girl got sick and was moaning and whining throughout the night. Who heard her? A groggy me. Who got up with her? A groggy me.

My husband and I split the parenting duties well, and it's never an issue about who will feed her or bathe her or teach her how to dress herself. But when she gets sick I seem to get stuck with the late-night soothing and someone wakes up refreshed and someone else wakes up cranky and bleary-eyed; I'm not calling any names.

What happens in your happy home? Cast your vote.

Halloween is three days away. Do you know what you're doing, what the kids are wearing?

Since my girl is still hip-high in past years we've opted for the more safe trick-or-treating at daycare or the supernova-bright mall. But this year, I want her to roam the street at night and plan to plant treats and games at neighbors' homes for her to collect. My daughter is one of two kids on the block and we get little foot traffic on Halloween so this should go as planned.

The second-best thing to getting all that candy was being out in the dark. Any other night, as a kid, I had to be in before the street lights came on.

What will you do this year?

This story of the 17-year-old charged with shooting his 12-year-old friend just strengthens my resolve to not let my daughter be at friend's house without me or her Dad there.

And I especially don't go for closed-door playdates.

Friends are more than welcome to come hang out at our house or meet us at the park. You can check back with me in nine years when she's the same age as the victim and see where I am with my resolve.

My coworker Linda Trischitta has three polls on her blog asking parents:

• If they search their child's room and belongings?

•What parents would do if they found weapons?

•How do they monitor their child's playmates?

Feel free to join the conversation or cast your vote.

Once upon a time there was a grandmother who refused to keep underwear on her grandson. When the nearly 4-year-old came to visit, she would strip him of his undies and put diapers on.

His mom, the evil daughter-in-law, was furious. She said, in probably a shrill voice, that the grandmother was emotionally damaging her son, that the grandmother wasn't listening to the wishes of the parents, that the grandmother was down-right nuts. (Actually, she wasn't really brave enough to say that the mother-in-law was outta her mind.)

The two silently warring women went before the wise and wishy-washy judge: The Son/Husband. The grandmother relented and started letting the boy wear underwear over his diapers.

And the family lived bitterly ever after.

This is a true story from the blog Motherlode, and another case of when Mothers-in-Law Go Too Far.

I value my life too much to talk about that one time when my mother-in-law went too far, but I invite you to rag on yours. Just leave out really specific details, unless of course you're a brave-mother-something.

Hurry up weekend and get here, I'm ready for my leisurely breakfast.

I want pancakes cooked by my husband. I want to have my daughter tell me which section of the newspaper she wants and watch her struggle to fold it just so. I want linger at the table.I want someone to top off my coffee.

And if the cook is on strike then I want to go to the chain Original Pancake House (where kids eat free if you're in the seat before 9 a.m. on weekends) or The Florida Room in downtown Fort Lauderdale (where we eat outside and get sniffed by passing dogs) or Marian's Bagel Host in Plantation (where it feels like home, and infants and toddlers are given a bagel-on-a-string to nosh on). Anywhere that's casual and where the servers won't give me the ugly eye for bringing in a 3-year-old.

But I can be persuaded to give another restaurant a try. Where do you like to go for breakfast on the weekends?

I created an activity monster. My daughter has to have something to do every day afterschool and on the weekends.

I blame is on the blasted parenting tome What To Expect: The Toddler Years. I took the section on how children need consistency to the extreme and so we were going to the library on Thursday nights because our branch stays open to 8 allowing me to make it there after work. And then Fridays were spent at the park and Mondays and Wednesdays were craft days at home. And Saturday morning was occupied by dance class. And then there were swim classes and mid-week playdates and more crafts. And then my head started spinning.

We're not so hot and heavy with the set schedule, but we're still doing something most nights and weekends. These days our activities are low-key but I announce them as if it was the next Olympics game and the crowd of one goes wild.

I hit gold with an after-work trip to our neighborhood firehouse and I think you should try it, too.

It turns out that if the firefighters aren't busy or having dinner, an officer will give you and your kid a tour. You'll have to set expectations low with the kid because without setting up an appointment you may get turned away.

We got lucky and my 3-year-old got to sit in an engine, put on the hat, see the hoses and then we went upstairs to see the pole and meet the crew. The firefighters were so sweet to her: complimenting her on her dress; asking her to show them how her shoes light up.

Our neighborhood firehouse is a newer one, so there is a movie room, private bunks and computer stations. But the crew still likes to hang out in the kitchen and we had a blast just talking to the men about their day, their kids and life in the firehouse. My girl was thrilled at the end of the tour.

Oh, and if you have other suggestions for taming or entertaining my activity monster let me know.

{Photo by Vince Alongi/Flickr}

OK, I thought it was a wee bit early to talk about Halloween but then my colleague Daniel Vasquez busted out with Toys R Us' list of hot toys for Christmas/Hannukah.

The plan was that the whole family would dress up to the delight of the 3-year-old as Cat in the Hat (that would be Dad), Thing 1 (that would be me) and Thing 2 (that would be our daughter). We had settled on this back in February after watching Mike Meyer's Cat in the Hat for the umpteenth time.

But the direction of the winds has changed and this morning my preschooler told me she wanted to be Tinkerbell. So my work on a Halloween costume is pretty much done. We have a Tinkerbell costume bought for a friend's Princess party earlier this summer. My daughter has pretty much worn the costume every weekend at home, at Home Depot and at the Grands' house.

All we need is to make a wand. I'm thinking: cardboard, lots of glue and lots of green glitter.

This will be the first store-bought costume for the 3-year-old. Abuela made the other costumes: Year One's kitten suit and Year Two's Minnie Mouse dress.

There are so many good ideas of homemade costumes that I'm kinda bummed we won't be doing one this year. I had my eye on this judicial outfit by Disney's Family Fun magazine.

[Discarded toilet-paper rolls are used to make the hair and gavel. An oversized black shirt could work as the robe.]

What is your child wearing for Halloween?

No time to shop + upcoming trip to cooler climate X outgrown clothes = swapping online.

Last week I turned to thredUp.com, a swap-shop for parents who are looking to share and select clothes for the kiddos. My box of long-sleeve shirts, pants and skirts came in the mail five days later. And they are perfect for the weekend getaway up north. I paid $13 for a box of clothes and am thrilled that I don't have to make a trip to the store.

Without becoming a shill for thredUP, I will say that I think this online exchange will be great for filling in the gaps in my 3-year-old's wardrobe. The company sent me a pack of flat-rate boxes to stuff with my girl's hand-me-downs. I'm not sure how many moms and dads on thredUP will be interested in my summery goods but we'll see.

The idea is you pick what you want and share what you don't need. You can choose mostly tops, mostly bottoms or a mix by season. Since we only have one season here I'm not sure how often I will need to use thredUp.

How do you replenish and supplement your kids' wardrobe on the cheap? I'm always on the hunt for other ideas. (And yes, I do go thrifting.)

It's only a matter of time before your kids have their bookbags filled with homework assignments. And we know most times they won't be doing it alone. You'll be there with a light or heavy hand.

If you've had a heavy hand in your child's homework, we want to hear from you. Only to learn how slippery that homework slope could be and how you've changed your ways. Or heck, even how pitching in helped your kid along.

It happens often. My 3-year-old will be spinning in an aisle or quietly playing with an iPhone game from her seat in the shopping cart when The Stranger starts to talk directly to her.

Then The Stranger gets ignored. And deep inside I start to beam.

I've told her she can't talk to strangers until she's an adult and has a job and a car and her own home. Of course she can't wait to be an adult.

I'm hoping this behavior stays with her when she's 9 and riding her bike in the neighborhood and The Stranger shows up with a puppy or candy or a friendly hello and she doesn't take the bait like these smart kids in Boynton Beach.

I usually offer The Stranger an explanation, which the 3-year-old has memorized: She can't talk to strangers. I know it seems rude but it's easier that way.

And the response I get is overwhemingly positive. Some Strangers have even told me that they've encouraged their child to have the same rule with the grandkid. And in my head I scream: Then why the heck are you talking to her?!!

But I know it's not only the strangers we have to worry about. So the 3-year-old does get reminders that she shouldn't go in the homes of our great neighbors without us. Ever.

How do you handle the stranger-danger talk with your kids?

Horrors of all horrors: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are letting one of their daughters dress like a boy.

The paparazzi-fueled magazine US Weekly brought this to light, I'm sure, so we can discuss the finer points of nature vs. nurture or how parents are letting their bratty kids rule them.

But I think it's fine that 4-year-old Shiloh wants to wear boys clothes. All the time.

There are things that are not up for debate in our household: The 3-year-old will eat vegetables and fruit, she'll brush her teeth, she'll clean up after herself.

But what she wears is pretty much determined by the one who doesn't work, doesn't have money, doesn't go shopping. Crazy, huh?

She wants to wear dresses. All the time. And not just any dress; it must have tulle or gem stones or rick-rack or bows. And so I indulge. I think it's great to allow her to make her own decisions on things that aren't critical to her safety or education.

I'm told this princess-dress phase will pass. That she will soon be into Hello Kitty and have nothing to do with dresses. So why stress over it now?

How do you handle the clothes battle with your child?

"The last three men nominated to the Supreme Court have all been married and, among them, have seven children. The last three women — Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Harriet Miers (who withdrew) — have all been single and without children."

It's time for family-friendly policies trumpets this New York Times story. The Times story focuses more on the walls working moms encounter and how tactics that feminists employed should be used today to force change in workplaces.

But I think the call-to-action should be broader. When I say family-friendly I'm talking about all the single ladies who have to schlepp Nana to Coral Springs, or see the doctor or prepare for their book-club meeting. I'm talking about the men with or without kids who have community and family obligations.

In my days without a child, I would hear the grumbling about so-and-so being able to take off because they have kids. And it would be tremendous if there was more latitude given to parents in the workplace to attend the midday recitals and graduations, to log back into work once the kids are in bed. (I'm fortunate to be in a workplace that supports parents.)

However, I'm a big believer that this same flexibility should be afforded to those who don't have kids.

The Times story puts the onus on businesses and policy-makers to incite change. But to corrupt a NRA saying: Businesses don't make the work-life balance. People make the work-life balance.

So what's the next step?

Our 3-year-old wants to do it all: brush her teeth, make the pasta, get the "wrinkles" out of the bed, load the washing machine. And we want her to do it all. The hope is that she'll crave being on her own and fly the coop promptly at 18 and return only to deliver airline tickets to bucket-list destinations.

But the road to independence is littered with major fashion mishaps.

Each morning, I give her two outfit choices. Then she chooses -- while I'm out of sight -- her socks and shoes and puts them on.

Sometimes the pairings are dynamite. (How cute are those hot-pink socks with kelly-green shoes?!?)

Most times her choices are, um, inventive. Exhibit A: Turquoise socks with muted-silver shoes. Really?

Art Linkletter is dead but kids keep saying the darndest thing. Go figure.

And we don't have to wait for one of the big networks to compile the videos for a TV special.

YouTube has them all waiting to tickle our funny bones.

There's the video that the world saw of Charlie biting big-brother's finger. It starts out harmless and then it turns hurtful quickly. More than 213 million views make it the gold-star of kids gone viral videos.

But have you seen the video of the girl having a fit because her parents suggest they give away the newborn sibling? (Video No. 4)

Or the one in which the toddler tells Mom he only likes her when she gives him cookies? (Video No. 5)

Check out all 14 videos of kids gone viral.

"Charlie bit my finger"

It happened at dinner.

My husband said to our 3-year-old, as way of encouragement, that she should eat her spinach because it'll make her poop green.

HULLO, I'M EATING! (Well, I could actually lose a few pounds and that statement made me forget my appetite.)

That got me to thinking what other wacky things parents are saying to cajole their children into eating their fruits and vegetables.

I put the questions to my Mommy Friends who offered up a few gems. Feel free to use these tactics with your own children. And, wise mamas and papas, be sure to share your Words of Encouragement with us.

Broccoli, it's the new popcorn

When Lauren was about 3 or 4 I wanted her to eat broccoli. She wouldn't. She said it smelled funny. So one time we were having movie night. Instead of making popcorn, I made a big, steaming plate of broccoli. I added butter and I ate every last piece. No matter how much she begged, I wouldn't give her any. I told her it was "big people food" and I didn't think she was ready for it.

So the next time I made broccoli, she said, "Mommy, I sure would like to try that big people food." At first I said absolutely not. Then I looked suspiciously over each shoulder then whispered, "I'll give you a little, but don't tell anyone. This is not for little, bitty girls like you."

She very seriously nodded her head and wolfed down my broccoli. Now, she's 12, and to this day when I make broccoli she cheers. CHEERS! For broccoli.

-- Sherri Winston, author of The Kayla Chronicles

Yucky food is the best food

My parents told my brothers that brussel sprouts were frog eyes with blood (served with ketchup). They told my sister mushrooms were angel-bread. And I told my daughter Beka that broccoli heads are trees, where the birds live. She loves birds so she eats it right away. She only eats the tops.

Also when it comes to new round fruits I have to tell her they are apples to get her to take the first bite.

-- Sarah Dussault

Food as science

For the most part, my dad gave very weird sage wisdom: Corn is a good tracer -- if you get my drift.

And he gave some foods some weird names like honey is bee puke. Minced, dried onions are clipped toenails (My sister won't touch onions to this day.)

Mountain Dew is panther pee-pee.

My parents also told us that onions cure colds, and ketchup goes with everything, which it practically did.

And Dad taught one of my sisters to mix everything up in one big heap. Said the food got mixed in the stomach, so might as well start the process early. I make a point to this day to keep my food separate.

It's any wonder that I don't have a lot of food issues.

-- Belinda Long Ivey

A wonderful mommy friend of mine shared a list of 10 Mommy Commandments on her Facebook. I love them!

I share gently used clothes and toys. I share coupons and deals with my mommy friends. And tips on where to take the little ones to play without spending the mortgage.

Here are the first five of the commandments:

I. Thou shall always return the Tupperware. Clean.

II. Thou shalt not judge the Mommy Friend who: formula feeds, gets the epidural, vaccinates, works outside the home or works inside the home.

III. Thou shalt not crucify a fellow Mommy Friend for choosing not to join the PTA.

IV. Thou shalt not steal baby names, nursery patterns, blog posts or another Mommy Friend’s thunder.

V. Thou shall offer that frazzled stranger mom in the throes of an ugly public tantrum a word of encouragement, but never advice.

Read the other commandments.

And let me know what's missing.

"A Washington lawyer has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming he is the father of basketball star LeBron James," reported CNN.com this week.

LeBron is now part of the South Florida family and as such I feel I have to defend him against this frivolous lawsuit. (His agent and lawyer, I'm sure, are a bit busy getting him settled in with the Miami Heat.)

The D.C. lawyer Leicester Stovell claims that in 1984 he slept with LeBron's mother and a few months later Gloria (we're on a first-name basis now) told him she was pregnant. Stovell admits she didn't say: I'm pregnant and I think the baby is yours.

Oh, and he didn't think anything of it until 20 years later.

"Stovell said his only request was that the child, if a boy, play basketball. He said his memory of the encounter resurfaced more than 20 years later, "after being asked whether I had a son, and I then systematically explored all of my past for that possibility."

Give me a break, mister.

If Stovell's lawsuit goes anywhere and he's granted the DNA test (this would be the second one he's taken; the first one didn't establish him as Dad) and is proven to be the father I say he owes LeBron at least $100,000. That would be his share of the estimated $200,000 that it takes to raise a child these days.

If he had an inkling that he was a father than it was his responsibility to find out 24 years ago. Not now when LeBron is lined up to rake in $99 million with the Miami Heat on top of his gazillions from product endorsements.

I've heard that come summer, thousands of families flock to beaches and parks to picnic -- in the middle of the day.

Can you imagine that?

Our summers are so brutally hot that I wouldn't dare to have a picnic with the family at the beach or park during high noon. We do like to eat outside and have had great meals on the covered patio, on the beach in the hours after dawn.

And nothing makes a picnic more fun than low-stress cooking -- whether you pick up ready-made food from the grocer or make sandwiches at home.

I'm planning on trying a couple of Mark Bitman's 101 quick, grilled dishes for our next picnic and Parenting.com's Chicken Spinach Quesadillas.

What's your favorite thing to pack for a picnic?

I am so glad to be done with diapers. No more messy cleanups, more money in the wallet.

But when I saw the commercials for Huggies jean diapers, I wished for the days when the little one was still padded. The tagline says it all: The coolest you'll look pooping in your pants.

I think wee ones look their cutest in onesies or jeans.

And now designer Cynthia Rowley has a line of super-cute (and super-expensive) diapers for girls with motifs of madras, stripes, ruffles. The Pampers diapers will be available at Target later this month.

I am so getting a pack of the Rowley-designed diapers for my girlfriend who is expecting.

On the drive to daycare my 3-year-old usually flips through one of her books. This morning, the reading was from Let It Shine, a lushly drawn book of three spiritual songs.

Now I must make it clear that we are not a church-going family. We believe in being kind to others, being thankful for what we have and not pining for what others have (unless what they have is $24 million and that we want. Actually, we'd settle for a lump-sum of $1 million).

So when the little one got to the line that goes: Don't let Satan blow it out, there came a pause and then the question. What is Satan?

That's when the angel popped up on my left shoulder and said pointedly: See that's why the child needs to be in Sunday school.

My answer was that Satan is a person that we couldn't see. A bad person.

Then came the follow-up question: Why is he bad?

At that point I pulled out my Get-Out-of-Sticky-Situations card and said: I don't know.

And the subject was quickly changed.

Maybe I should have just said Satan was a stranger and she should never, ever talk to him or go anywhere with him.

How have you explained religion to your children? Jesus and Satan? Good and evil?

Walt Disney World is the happiest place on the world.

If you don't go with a 3-year-old. Or on an empty stomach.

We went to Magic Kingdom during Memorial Day weekend and returned with lessons learned and fond memories. Here is my list of do's and don'ts for parents/grandparents/aunties and uncles traveling with wee ones.

Do

Pack a backpack of snacks and nearly frozen bottles of water and juice. You will feel like you're dying of thirst by the time you make it to the entrance gates.

Go at night when the sun isn't beating the life out of you. Sure you'll have fewer pictures to share but everyone will be much happier standing in line in the shade of night.

Sneak away from the parade or fireworks' show about 10 minutes into it and go to the nearby rides. We sailed through It's a Small World queque during the fireworks show.

Risk limb and nasty glares and grab a seat on the resort bus for the little one who insists on sitting in a seat by herself because dammit she's 3.

Don't

Wait to get to the park to eat and then ride the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups. You can have Casey's yummy mini corndogs later.

Forget to buy T-shirts, stickers, books emblazoned with your kid's favorite Disney character before leaving home. We hit a home run with the Disney gift bag I made for the little one and had a free pass to not buy stuff from the park gift shops.

Take a 3-year-old on the Haunted House ride and not expect to hear about it. For weeks.

Think you have to do it all.

A health care law passed in March puts an end to breast-feeding in the office bathroom stall or broom closet.

The law requires that employers provide a private place for breast-feeding moms AND the time to do so. The break time doesn't have to be paid, but the space must be secluded and reserved for breast-feeding.

Bosses of 50 or fewer employess will have to comply, too. Exemptions will be made for those employers who demonstrate that setting aside a private room would cause an "undue hardship."

What do you think of the law? Is it a welcome change?

This story is heart-wrenching: A 13-month-old boy dies after choking on popcorn. According to the Orlando Sentinel story, the dad was on the computer when the kid came over and "frantically tapped" him on the arm. Good grief.

I let my daughter eat popcorn when she was about that age. I would break off the brown parts that stick in the craw and give her the puffed kernels, and when that got too time consuming I made the switch to Pirate's Booty, a popcorn imitator.

But this story has me rethinking allowing her to eat popcorn. It's like the stories of children found drowned in buckets of mop water. I will not leave a bucket of water unattended with her around. I'm too scared that the freak accident would happen on my watch, in our house.

The go-to-guide for many parents, What to Expect: The Toddler Years, warns against common toddler choking hazards such as hot dogs, whole grapes, nuts and, yes, popcorn.

Is this story about the toddler choking to death on popcorn frightening enough to make you stop doing the same?

Since our daughter was a cell, the hubby and I vowed that we would continue to travel -- with or without the rugrat. We wouldn't wait until she was 5 or 10 and was better able to grasp the adventure.

So two months into her post-utero life she had a passport (man, what a hassle that was getting a newborn to look at the camera) and we boarded a flight to the Bahamas. We've stuck to our vow these three years without much ajada until my solo trip to Barcelona.

For six nights I'd be a world away during dinnertime, bathtime, watching Thomas-the-Train-time (Yay!). So we planned on connecting on Skype. And it worked -- mostly.

There were several times when the "image" dropped and I had to restart the webcam. But I got to see what she wore to school (another dress); what she was having for dinner (tortellini); the boo-boo she got at school.

The highlight was when I gave her a kiss and she exclaimed: No mommy, not on my chin on my cheek.

Oh, and all of this video conferencing didn't cost me a pretty penny. Skype is a free program, my hotel Wi-Fi was free. Ain't technology grand?

One too many weekday mornings begin with me and my daughter screaming through the bedroom walls.

Her: Mommy, Come here!

Me: Lauren, you, come here!!

Then the pitter patter of bare feet on tile.

Usually she chats or hums while I try to catch a few more winks. But on Tuesday, she chatted and I listened.

Here's what the nearly 3-year-old had to say about what she wants to do when she grows up:

I knew it.

Mamas in labor can eat without the fear of dying, says a new study reported in the New York Times this week.

Nearly 70 years of dogma have prevented women in labor from snacking or drinking. When I checked into the hospital to deliver my baby, my snack-in-hand was met with a gasp and mandate: Throw away the apple.

The apple? Not this Pink Lady bought in the dead of a Midwestern winter for a pretty penny. No ma'am. I couldn't fathom going hours without eating or drinking.

The concern is real. Bits of the apple or Sprite (which I had later in the day during lunch) could have made their way from the stomach to the lungs if I were put under general anesthesia. However, the study notes, most women given anesthesia are given a regional dose -- as was I.

Like with any study there are flaws in this one, mainly that there were only 11 case studies and 3,130 women included.

The best thing that could come from this study is a healthy discussion between women, doctors and researchers about whether the embargo on food during labor can be lifted.

Perhaps it would be better to suggest that it's OK for most women to have 3 ounces of chicken broth or a fist-full of nuts during labor.

In these tough times more moms and dads now barter rather than pay cash.

Our Lifestyle reporter Liz Doup is looking for parents who barter to share their stories.

So, if you bake a cake for a neighbor in exchange for her transporting your kids. Or you repair a roof in exchange for getting your pool fixed. If you barter with friends, or strangers, Liz wants to talk.

You can reach her at ldoup@sunsentinel.com.

I heart peanut butter. On toasted wheat bread. On untoasted wheat bread. In cookies. In candy. But not in ice cream.

And now my daughter is part of the Peanut Butter Cult. She requests peanut-butter sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I haven't saved so much money since she stopped wearing diapers. There is nothing like a peanut butter sandwich consumed on the way to a restaurant to ease the dent in our bill.

And for the one-too-many nights when a proper dinner hasn't been planned for, I reach for the jar of creamy peanut butter.

I know for many families, having a speck of peanut butter can lead to severe allergies.

For me, it's a nutritional time-saver and low-cost meal. (Why this topic was never covered in the parental tome What to Expect: The Toddler Years is beyond me.)

When my sister was a kid, there was no end to how much butter-coated noodles she would consume.

What's your child's favorite low-cost meal?

(Picture by 52 Projects)

When the news about Haiti's devastating earthquake was contained on my laptop -- through online reports, Flickr pictures and Twitter feeds it was easy to shield my daughter. But by Wednesday the horrific pictures of despair, destruction and death were plastered on the TV, and I couldn't turn it off.

Last night, the hubby and I were parked on the sofa watching news reports from Haiti. We talked in hushed tones about what was going on and what we could do when the 3-year-old bopped over and asked in a pitched voice: "What's Going On?"

So we talked about the earth shaking. About how mommies and daddies, grandmas and grandpas and little girls and boys are hurt. All of that information was met with silence.

Had we said too much?

Then I said that we were going to send money to help with the rescue efforts (she knows all about rescue efforts because we're a few blocks down from a fire station and with each siren's wail I'm peppered with questions about who's in trouble, what will the rescuers do, what happened).

My husband asked how much she wanted to give. She said: six monies.

So I went online and donated money to Red Cross' international response fund.

How are you explaining the fallout from Haiti's earthquake to your children? What has been their reaction?

Katie Holmes' 3-year-old is wearing high heels and E!Online is aghast. Really, E!Online? Do you have a child?

High heels fit for a toddler have come to roost in my house, so I won't wag my finger and tsk, tsk with the best of them.

What started out as shoes to complete the Minnie Mouse Halloween costume has snowballed into nearly daily requests from my little one to wear her sparkly yellow high heels. And I let her. In the house.

For months she's clobbered the tile floors in my high-heel shoes and Dad's ginormous sneakers. So why not a pair of play shoes made just like an adult's to go along with her kid-sized kitchen, and doctor instruments and screwdriver (the tool not the drink)?

Where do you stand in the high heels for toddlers debate?

Mama Kim at Moms at Work has some great suggestions for making sure your high-schooler gets his/her daily allowance of vegetables.

Under the category of why-didn't-I-think-of-that comes the tip to create a Chopsticks night. "Asian cuisine is so vegetable friendly, you won’t need to do as much persuading. And soy sauce makes everything better. (Just make sure it’s low sodium!)," writes Kim.

Check out the six suggestions and you smart mamas and papas out there share your tips for getting the kids to inhale vegetables.

My days of masquerading as a stay-at-home mom have come to an end.

For months, for one weekday, I have been able to frequent the haunts of stay-at-home moms: Parks, indoor playgrounds, children's museums, water parks.

I marveled at their ability to call a girlfriend in the middle of the day and talk for long stretches. (What luxury to have a friend available!)

I marveled at their firm bodies. (Who has time to work out?)

I marveled at their expertise. (No, I didn't know there was an indoor playground four miles from my house.)

My time spent with the moms reinforced three things about parenting:

Be prepared. I'd see the mom with the jogger stroller and exercise clothes and think: brilliant idea. Darting from swing to slide is exercise, right?

Have a support system. Many of the moms came in twos and swapped tales and advice on carving out personal time and the latest oddity their child exhibited.

Diversity is the spice of life. In talking with some of the moms, I found that their routines didn't break away from the cycle of park, library, nap time, museum. I was able to share tips for places and restaurants that didn't scream kids but would satisfy both parties. Kids need exposure to things that aren't tailored to a T for them, too.

I didn't realize the bliss that comes with an after school snack until my days as a latch-key child ended and I started staying with Mrs. Fort.

It was then that I had a choice of a Snickers bar or strawberry-flavored milk. For a girl whose sugar rush was derived from raisins and toast-and-honey this was a treat.

The afternoon snacks I make for my girl aren't as likely to send her into a diabetic coma. However, I try to recreate the pleasure that comes with eating something unchartered; hence last week's creation of Jello-filled Orange Halves.

My daughter found it to be a culinary curiousity; our 13-year-old neighbor quickly declared the wedges "cool."

If you have a favorite snack you like to share with your kids, tell us about it.

Here's how to make the gelatin-filled orange wedges as plucked from American Girl magazine:

Ingredients

1 package of flavored gelatin

3 oranges, halved hortizonally

1 muffin tin, or container to hold the orange halves upright

Knife

Spoon

Slice three navel oranges horizontal. Use a knife to score out the orange, cutting between the pith and flesh. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the orange.

Prepare the flavored gelatin as the package directs. Pour gelatin mix into the hulled orange halves and set oranges in a muffin tin to keep the liquid upright until its firm. It can take 2 hours for gelatin to harden. We used ice cubes instead of cold water to hasten the firming process.

Once gelatin is firm, remove orange halves from fridge and slice in fourths. Dig in.

Note: We used raspberry gelatin which blended well with the orange flesh that couldn't be dug out of the halves.

The Duggars seem to have no problem juggling family and friskiness -- with baby number 19 on its way. Where do you stand?

Homework is to school as good times is to a glass of mojito. What, mojito is a bore you say?

Getting the kids excited about homework can be difficult, one friend found a great way to get her 7-year-old interested in completing his worksheets and reading assignments. I think the idea, copied from Family Fun magazine is genius.

Here what my friend Vanessa had to say about the Homework Station (pictured)

"We got our fav magazine Family Fun and found the Homework Station. Ojore thought that it was like his own cubicle and loved the idea of having a special space to do his homework. By the time we finished creating the board, Ojore couldn't wait to get his first homework assignment."

You'll need:

1 Tri-fold foam board. The kind used for science projects.

A stapler and staples

Glue dots

1 strip of magnetic tape

A few magnets

2 clothes pins

A calendar

A craft knife or scissors

A zippered pencil bag

The instructions

We cut the board in half with a craft knife. (It can make two work stations.) We first put the magnetic tape in the center the board and then added clippings from magazines based on my son's suggestion we picked out words such as homework, school and glued them all over the board.

On the left side of the board we cut holes to insert the clothes pins to secure his weekly assignments. The calendar was placed in the center of the board with glue dots to mark activities and important dates.

We also adhered a pencil bag with staples. The right side of the board was decorated with cork squares for personal notes.

Our July trip to the home of Mickey and Minnie was a super-success. The 2-year-old was thrilled to meet the "princesses": Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Belle. And tickled at the mess Goofy created in Mickey's kitchen.

This weekend we're hoping to welcome Mickey and Minnie to our South Florida home with a hug.

The longtime couple will be on hand for the opening of the remodeled Disney store in Aventura Mall on Saturday. The mousekeeters will greet their public from noon - 4 p.m. at the mall's center court.

Coupons for 20 percent off will be given to families who have a chance to shake the mitts of Mickey and Minnie. The catch: You have to use the coupon this weekend.

Other treats lined up for the grand-opening include free Mickey Mouse ears to the first 100 children to enter the store. The festivities begin with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m.

Radio Disney will pitch in with music and games.

I popped into the store over the weekend, and spotted cute Wall-E, Buzz Lightyear and Minne gear from cups to sleepwear; some of it discounted by 40 percent. I'm sure I'll make it out of the store for less than what we spent at Disney World this summer.

The store is on the lower level of Aventura Mall, 19575 Biscayne Blvd., near JC Penny.

Does baby love to drop it like its hot?

Then take thee little one to Baby Loves Disco on Saturday.

Scratch that.

The traveling party, which put up stakes at the Fort Lauderdale nightclub Revolution for nearly two years, featured a DJ, juice boxes and cool vendors such as Yummy in My Tummy, a local maker of organic baby food.

For South Floridians, the party has ended.

Baby Loves Disco "decided to downsize and keep fifteen cities, including Orlando," said Ellen O'Halloran, the local co-host.

The Philadelphia-based company, which has been throwing these fiestas for about five years, had about 30 host cities.

"It's very unfortunate because we just had a Kids Crown award from South Florida Parenting, and now I'm getting all this feedback about the need for a party" like Baby Loves Disco.

Ellen is looking for locations now to host a similar party for kids and their parents in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

"I definitely feel that its necessary to have an outlet for families," she said. For more info on the planned September and November dates, email Ellen.

For mamas, going from day wear to night wear usually takes a change in jewelry or the slipping on of a pair of sexy heels.

But what's a kid to do when going from the beach to a playdate?

A collection of cute sun hats by Purple Alex solves that dilemma. The playful beach hats are cotton-lined, machine washable and come in five sizes from newborn (13 inches) to big kid (18 inches).

But will kids LOVE it?

We gave a Purple Alex hat to a South Florida 1-year-old and here's what her mother reports:

After spending a long day at the pool in which my daughter, Madison,
surprisingly kept this adorable hat on, she didn't even have rosy
cheeks! This made Mommy very happy.

It doesn't get any better than that.

Is your kid attached to a piece of clothing? Tell me about it. (My 2-year-old wants to wear her hand-me-down ladybug rain boots all the time. Rain or Shine.)

New parents get mounds of "essentials," which mainly amount to junk: teeny blankets, stuffed animals and fancy outfits that will only be worn once.

For new mothers (and the dads) these five books are the new essentials:

Modern Girl's Guide to Motherhood. This frank and cheeky book has advice on feeding a baby with a stuffy nose (turn on the hot water and close the door), getting your sexy back (lose the maternity pants) and what to do with those egg cartons (turn them into paint palettes).

Baby, Make Me Breakfast. This picture board board has clear instructions to help your child be a caring and helpful addition to the family. For wry mamas and papas, Lisa Brown's series includes Baby, Mix Me a Drink.

What to Expect: The Toddler Years. The compendium covers it all -- from dealing with tantrums to introducing "adult" foods.

Good Dad / Bad Dad: Do's and Don'ts from the Trenches. This straight-forward guide to parenting includes instruction on baby-proofing the house and setting up college funds.

How to Potty Train a Monster. There are a gazillion books on how to get the little one using the bathroom, but few books address the real spoke in the wheel: Parents.

This Fourth of July shake up your tradition of grilling and gathering with the family by checking out a fireworks show outside your neck of the woods.

Here are six shows in the tri-county that seem worthy of the trek. If you know of a Fourth of July festivity that uniquely caters to kids and their parental units, let me know.

All events listed are on July 4.

In Broward County:

Davie: Cool off at 10 a.m. with a free family splash pool party featuring a DJ. Plus World War I and II military equipment show, bounce houses, climbing wall and free birthday cake. Purchase food or bring your own; grills and tables available. Country music group Shadow Creek kicks off festivities at 6 p.m. in the ball fields, fireworks at 9 p.m. Pine Island Park, 3800 SW 92nd Ave. davie-fl.gov. 954-797-1163, 954-797-1000.

Get to Vista View Park early to get the best seats to see fireworks displays across Broward County. Bring beach chairs and blankets. Food vendors on site. 6-11 p.m. at 4001 SW 142nd Ave. $5 per vehicle or $1.50 for walk-ins, bicycles and motorcycles. 954-327-8797.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea: Beach Blast begins with a parade at 10 a.m., headed north on Bougainvillea from Town Hall to Pine Avenue. Join the fun 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at El Prado Park, El Prado and El Mar drives. Amusement park, classic car show, DJ and steel drum music. Fireworks shot off at the beach at El Prado Drive at 8:30 p.m. 954-772-3336.

In Miami-Dade County:

Coconut Grove: The All-Day Celebration kicks off with an old-fashioned picnic 11 a.m. at the Barnacle house. Lawn games, kite-making and knot-tying demonstrations are highlights. 305-442-6866. Scavenger hunt registration begins 2:15 p.m. at Mayfair Passage, Grand Avenue near Mary Street.

Hot dog eating contest happens 4:30 p.m. at CocoWalk. Concert featuring bands Ryan Stone Music, First October, JT4 and Campo Deluxe Jazz Quartet will be 4 p.m. at Peacock Park, fireworks at 9 p.m. 2820 McFarlane Road. 305-444-7270.

Miami: America's Birthday Bash includes 3-7 p.m. Kids' Zone with inflatable slides, carousel, hoops and face painting. The park will be open all day. Fireworks over Biscayne Bay at 9 p.m. Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd. 305-358-7550.

In Palm Beach County:

Delray Beach: A sand sculpture contest, bicycle and scooter parade, music, food and fireworks. 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m. at the intersection of A1A and Atlantic Avenue. 561-279-1380 ext. 3.

Wellington: A patriotic pool party with music, games and more from 12-5 p.m. at Aquatics Complex, 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. Games, rides, face painting, food and more from 6-9 p.m., fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Village Park, 11700 Pierson Road. 561-791-4733.

If it rains on your parade this weekend, don't despair. Regroup, pack a snack for the kids and head to one of these 10 places for indoor fun.

TODAY: It's happy hour, but not that kind, with free admission from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 3 at Young at Art Children's Museum (11584 State Road 84, Davie, 954-424-0085). Activities, stories, refreshments and giveaways are tied to the museum's exhibit, "Alice's Wonderland ... A Most Curious Adventure."

SATURDAY: Rain? Ice? Big difference. Especially when the ice is indoors -- and free! Glacier Ice and Snow Arena (4601 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, 954-943-1437) will have free ice skating from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. There will be music, games and sleigh rides, too. Skate rental is $3, or bring your own.

ANYTIME: The little scientist you're raising might enjoy the Children's Science Explorium at Sugar Sand Park (300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton, 561-347-3913). Currently on display is "Pattern Wizardry," a hands-on exhibit meant to help kids discover how patterns organize and enrich their lives. It's perfect for kids ages 5-12. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Read the story for seven more options for where to go with the kids this weekend.

Once upon a time there was a board game that families played until the cows came home. Not so much because they enjoyed playing Monopoly, but because that's how long it took to crown a winner.

Now there's a version of the classic Parker Brothers game that can be played in 15 minutes.

My savvy 12-year-old neighbor, Chabella, recently tested out the card game with three other preteen friends (two boys and a girl) here are her impressions on Monopoly Deal card game:

• First impression: "This looks like a confusing game to play."

• What's cool: The game doesn't last as long as other Monopoly games.

• What needs improving: Nothing.

• Would you recommend it: "Yes, it's easy to play and you can play it anywhere." No need to collect teeny board pieces.

Anthony is a creative type. He likes to draw and pal around with younger kids.

The 12 year old is one of nearly 1,000 children in Florida in need of a stable family life.

Taking in a child from foster care is an awesome thing to do. If you're considering opening your home to a child now in the state's care, check out the traveling exhibit Children's Trust Heart Gallery on Saturday at Dave & Busters in Hollywood from 4 - 6 p.m.

During the exhibit, potential parents can "meet" some of the children available for adoption and get answers to some pressing questions, such as what financial and emotional support is available, how long does the adoption process take, do the birth parents have rights?

The next birthday party I need to plan is months away, but I'm already starting to think about the theme and I was gravitating toward something grand like a morning at the movies, or a spa day at Le Petite Youth Spa or a tea party at The Breakers. (I jest, sort of.)

Then comes a story about how to reduce the cost of hosting a birthday party. And another about parents hosting parties during the week instead of on weekends because the rates at places like Chuck E. Cheese are cheaper.

I'm all for making sure the birthday party is about the KID and not pleasing the adults so the tips make sense:

1. Limit the number of guests.

2. Skip the goodie bags. (Whoa, pump the brakes! No goodie bags, really?)

3. Have a plan. (A good resource is PBS.)

4. Have age-appropriate games.

5. Don't go overboard. No limos or red-carpets.

What do you think? Are this tips on-point, or is the writer off her rocker saying parents should ditch the goodie bags?

It's raining, it's storming, the kids are going batty.

Here are four fab things to do:

• Go out. Head to Chuck E. Cheese (just don't forget your headache-busting pills). There are games suitable for children as young as 2. Entry is free. Most games require one token at 25 cents a turn. Go bowling, window-shopping at the mall or to an arcade such as Boomers.

• Get baking. Dig the frozen bananas out of the freezer and make banana bread. Or whip up a batch of cookies. Recipes for peanut butter, chocolate chip and sugar cookies.

• Bond. Create a wacky story. One person starts a sentence, the next person finishes fills in a verb or adjective; the next person completes the sentence. Break out the board games, such as Apples to Apples.

• Break the rules. Hand one of the kids a can of whipped cream and send him/her off to start a food fight in the bathroom or on the patio.

A Georgia father is in the running for Bad Dad of the Year award for poisoning his young children in order to extort money from soup-maker Campbell's.

The man was ordered to prison for 100 years. Following the charges his wife divorced him, the Associated Press reported.

I'm nominating this sucker to FloriDUH, which chronicles wacky antics of folks in the Peninsula state. He's not from Florida but he deserves special mention in their upcoming Bad Dads round-up that will be done in the same vein as the Worst Moms of the Year.

What do you think of the sentence for this Dad just to the north of us?

When it's not raining this weekend, the kid will be in a body of water or with her blades of grass between her toes.

Funtastic Fridays in Hollywood is on our to-do list. It's a free party just for kids.

Saturday is looking good for a Florida Marlins game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Salsa great Oscar D'Leon is performing a free concert after the last run.

Another good bet for your budding movie critic, is the Delray Beach Film Festival, which is showing five films for FREE. One of the showings is a collection of puppet shorts by the daughter of master puppeteer Jim Henson.

Here's a round-up of things to do with the kids this weekend:

BROWARD COUNTY

Free Math Trial Class: Weston. This hour-long class for ages 6 to 11 is an opportunity for parents to observe their children in a real classroom setting. Parents will see firsthand how their children perform, think and respond to new ideas. To register, call 954-791-2333 or visit www.imacs.org. 4 p.m. IMACS, 2585 Glades Circle, Weston.

Funtastic Fridays for Kids. Music, magic and more are in store for youngsters and their families. Every Friday from 5-9 p.m. Anniversary Park, 20th Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood. 954-921-3016. Free.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Pre-K Make and Take: World Turtle Day. Did you know that there are 25 types of turtles in Florida? Pre-k kids and their families will learn more about our shelled friends while making a paper turtle craft. Loggerhead Marinelife Center will be joining us with a special presentation. 6-9 p.m. Schoolhouse Children’s Museum, 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach. 561-742-6780. $2.50 fee per child in addition to admission; members receive 10 percent off.

Science Club: Airplanes. Make paper airplanes and watch them fly. Age 8 and older. Register. 3 p.m. Wellington Branch Library, 1951 Royal Fern Drive, Wellington. 561-790-6070.

The Commedia Cinderella. May 22-23. The players Arlequin, Columbine, Punchin and Rosetta will infuse new life and energy into the classic tale of Cinderella using the theater art form commedia dell’arte. The troupe’s players will thrill audiences from young to not-so-young with acrobatics, dance, music and quick wit. May 22 at 7 p.m. May 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sol Children Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. 561-447-8829 or www.solchildrentheatretroupe.org.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Greynolds Park: Creatures of the Night Hike. Come learn about the mysteries of the night and what lurks around the park when the lights go out. A naturalist will take you on a night hike through the park in search of its nocturnal residents. A walk through the park will follow a presentation. 7:30-9 p.m. Greynolds Park Boathouse, 17530 W. Dixie Highway, Miami. 305-948-2891. $6 per person.

Read on for Saturday and Sunday happenings.

Continue reading "Mom on the Go: Stuff to do with the kids this weekend" »

A hankering for fried chicken led us to a Piccadilly in Hollywood.

The cafeteria-style restaurant is the closest I can get to Morrison's Cafeteria. There were many Sunday afternoons spent in the carpeted dining room of the Skylake Mall restaurant "dining" on the Blue Plate special or inhaling the fried shrimp.

At Piccadilly, I had the three-piece chicken dinner with two sides for $7.49. A drink and side order of fresh fruit tipped my portion to $11. My husband had the chicken pot pie topped with a biscuit and two sides for $4.99.

A fantastic deal for a family, right?

We shared portions of our meals with the toddler.

Do you know of a better place for a family to get a great meal for less than $10 per person?

In April I wrote about three iPod applications that every parents should have: one for the kids (KidArt); one for the home (AllRecipes.com); one for the couple (FS5 Air Hockey).

And then there was the uproar over the inappropriate iPod app that allowed users to shake babies. (WTHeck, indeed.)

This week blogger Mama Sass at MomsMiami came up with apps that SHOULD be created just for moms, including "an app that provides an answer to some of those killer kid questions like "Mom, did you ever smoke pot?"

What's on your wish list of "must-have" apps for parents?