Long Island Parent Talk

My daughter is not quite 2 and she already understands the concept of cleaning up her toys. Well, realistically, it's only some of the time. 

Most nights her playroom is in complete disarray. When I tell her it's time to clean up, she starts singing her version of the "cleanup song" and puts a few things away. It only lasts about 30 seconds, but I'm happy she's trying. 

James...

Superstorm Sandy continues to do collateral damage -- this time to high school students.

In my son’s district, this week should have been midterms week. The kids would go to school just long enough to take that day’s subject test, then return home to study for the next day and to get some decent sleep.

This year, due to Sandy sapping school days from the calendar in the fall, midterm...

Looking for things to do with the kids this weekend? From Monster Jam and a Bari Koral performance to ice cream, nature crafts and more, there's much to do on Long Island. Here are my top five picks for fun, family-friendly activities this weekend:

1. Monster Jam at Nassau Coliseum (1255 Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale). Big trucks take over the Coliseum on Friday at 7:30 p.m.,...

NickMom has launched a new comedy feature called “Storytime for Moms” that spoofs popular children’s books, with the first one called “Shaved Legs” as a play on Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham.”

“Do you like Shaved Legs and Spanx? Would you like them in the carpool lane? Could you like them with book club wine?” asks the two-minute cartoon video, which is online at Nickmom.com. It will also...

In my ongoing quest to find tasty, kid-friendly food appropriate for the whole family, this week I chose a healthy twist on a traditional kid-friendly dish -- meatballs and spaghetti squash. I found the recipe in "The Digest Diet" by Liz Vaccariello (Reader's Digest Association Inc., $24.99). 

Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients -1 spaghetti squash...

Celebrity parents aren't the only ones known for their uber-stylish lifestyle. 

Now Tinseltown's tiny tots are stepping into the spotlight, sporting trendsetting hairstyles that just may be influencing your kids' dos.

Cozy Friedman, author of "Cozy's Complete Guide to Girls' Hair" (Workman; $15.95) and founder of Cozy's Cuts for Kids and So Cozy products, predicts what...

When my daughter was an infant, singing was the only way to get her to calm down or fall asleep at night. Mind you, I can't carry a tune, but it didn't matter to her if I sounded off-key. She would relax whether I sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or a commercial jingle.

Maggie is not quite 2 and she still embraces music. She sings every song from her favorite TV shows and plays...

Other moms, married moms, often ask me, “How do you do it?” when it comes to the logistics of my son’s extra-curricular activities and other child care planning.

The truth of the matter is, as a single parent, I don’t see much difference between myself and other parents with two or more kids. It’s hard, but doable. I rely somewhat on family, and on a neighbor -- who is also a friend and single...

You may want to rethink your kids' after-school snacks. According to new research, pairing healthful foods together, such as an apple with cheese, may satisfy children's cravings and keep them feeling fuller, longer.

Researchers from the Food and Brand Laboratory at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, Ithaca, gave 201children in third to sixth...

Two new books help Jewish parents with the rituals of two life events: birth and bar/bat mitzvah.

"A Time to Be Born: A Jewish Baby Journal," written and illustrated by Connie G. Krupin (Arbador, $49.95), helps parents document their baby's first five years of life and their Jewish traditions, and includes explanations of why Jews wear costumes on Purim, how to make challah and blessings...