Moms Talk

Moms Talk: Planning Family Vacations

Local moms address parenting issues in this weekly Q&A.

The temperature rises, out come the flip-flops and shorts --and before you know it the kids are on summer break. It's about that time and this week we want to hear from local parents about planning family vacations.  What factors do you consider most important when planning a family vacation? Do you go for Disney World and the beach or something more educational, like a trip to Washington, D.C.? Do you put the whole family on an airplane or do you enjoy some quality road trip time?  Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Share your thoughts and weigh in on the conversation in the comments section below. If you have another topic you would like to see …

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Jordan Lanham

2:26 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Thanks for the comments Trish and Anita!   more ›

Moms Talk: How Much is Too Much?

Local moms address parenting issues in this weekly Q&A.

From soccer games, to play practice to piano lessons and of course the dreaded homework--it can be tough to fit it all in your child's schedule.  How do you find a balance for your and your children's routine? How many activities should kids be involved in? Let us know where you draw the line.  Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Share your thoughts and weigh in on the conversation in the comments section below. If you have another topic you would like to see discussed, send it to jordan.lanham@patch.com 

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Patti Baratta

7:16 am on Thursday, April 14, 2011

As kids get older, club/select sports seem to take over lives. We got to a point where the kids had to choose favorite activities in an attempt to limit our crazy schedule. The one thing that I insisted on was learning to read music. Once they had a feel for the basic piano, I let them drop it. One picked up the guitar and is an amazing self taught guitarist. The other is not interested in music…   more ›

Moms Talk

Moms Talk: Kids and Social Media

Local moms address parenting issues in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part of an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: How do you talk to your kids about bullying? How do you explain the difference between "tattling" and a situation where an adult needs to be made aware of what's going on?  This week's question:  What is the appropriate age to allow your children to interact on social media? If your child has a Facebook, Twitter or Myspace account, how do you monitor their activity and make sure they are making safe choices with the information they share?  Share your thoughts and weigh…

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Trish Feldt

2:31 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I don't allow my kids to have much access to the computer, but they are only 6 and 8 years old respectively. I have been thinking about this though, and I think I will have to follow the individual policy for the site. For instance, Facebook requires all users to be 13 years of age. To monitor their usage, I will make sure that I am their "friend" or follower on the site. Not only to keep tabs on…   more ›

Moms Talk: Discussing Bullying with Your Kids

Local moms address parenting issues in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part of an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: Many parents struggle with the decision whether to send their children to kindergarten or hold them back if their birthday is between the months of May-July. How do you decide when your child is ready for school?  This week's question:  How do you talk to your kids about bullying? How do you explain the difference between "tattling" and a situation where an adult needs to be made aware of what's going on?  Share your thoughts and weigh in on the conversation in the …

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Trish Feldt

10:39 pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Bullying is a real problem in school these days. I am lucky and haven't experienced it too much yet, but I know the time will come as my boys get older. The only advice I can give at this time is for parents to be involved with their children and to keep open lines of communication. Being able to recognize the problem as soon as it begins is so important. Usually you can tell the difference …   more ›

Moms Talk: Deciding if Your Child is Ready for School

Local moms address parenting issues in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part of an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: How do you start a conversation about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan? Should you discuss it with your children?  This week's question:  Many parents struggle with the decision whether to send their children to kindergarten or hold them back if their birthday is between the months of May-July. How do you decide when your child is ready for school?  Share your thoughts and weigh in on the conversation in the comments section below. If you have another topic you would…

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Trish Feldt

8:33 am on Thursday, March 24, 2011

Anita, I completely agree. Another thing to consider is that each child is different. Both of my boys are August birthdays so they are the "older" kids in their class, not starting kindergarten until they were 6. Looking back, that was so good for my oldest son, because he would not have been ready for kindergarten when he was 5. My younger son on the other hand, would have been ready for …   more ›

Moms Talk

Moms Talk: Discussing the Earthquake,Tsunami in Japan with Your Children

Local moms address parenting issues in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: Life as a single parent is tough at times.  What are some tips to help make my life and my children's lives less stressful? This week's question:  How do you start a conversation about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan? Should you discuss it with your children?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below and don't forget to check out our Real Mom of O'Fallon column this Saturday to hear how one local mom approached the issue. 

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Trish Feldt

5:32 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2011

Great idea Anita! I go deeper into this topic in my mom column this week, I hope that others find it helpful. Check back soon for it!   more ›

Moms Talk

O'Fallon Moms Ask and Answer

Local moms discuss parenting in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: My daughter is in middle school and has acquired a new set of friends that don't make the smartest choices.  How do I show her that these friends are not the type of friends she should have, without pushing her away?  This week's question:  Life as a single parent is tough at times.  What are some tips to help make my life and my children's lives less stressful?

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Anita Branson

1:14 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011

I have been a single parent for almost 10 years now. After my divorce, what helped me and my daughter to survive was to co-parent with other single parent (or family). It happened by chance for me both times and it had amazing results. We shared meals, took turns watching the kids when one wanted to run errands, and helped each keeping the kids in line. I know my co-parenting friends kept me sane…   more ›

Moms Talk

O'Fallon Moms Ask and Answer

Local moms discuss parenting in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part an initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: Parenting is hard work and I sometimes lose my temper with my children.  What can I do to make sure that the lines of communication stay open, even when I get frustrated? Moms Council Member Trish Feldt's Answer: A friend of mine once told me that yelling at your children is the equivalent of a temper tantrum.  We've all had our children throw a temper tantrum and know that can be embarrassing and frustrating to endure.  They don't accomplish anything and you don't solve …

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Trish Feldt

6:14 pm on Wednesday, March 2, 2011

This can be a very tough situation. Your daughter is in a vital stage of growing up and you will want to be her ally not her enemy. If you try to prevent her from seeing her new friends, she will resort to lying and deceit, which is exactly what you want to avoid. I would suggest that you have your daughter invite the new friends over to your home so that you can keep a watchful eye and ear on …   more ›

Moms Talk

O'Fallon Moms Ask and Answer

Local moms discuss parenting in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is a new feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: What is the average age when kids start having sleep overs? This week's question: Parenting is hard work and I sometimes lose my temper with my children.  What can I do to make sure that the lines of communication stay open, even when I get frustrated? Feel free to offer your suggestions in the comment space below!             

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Kari Prinke

12:49 am on Thursday, February 24, 2011

I admit that I have had trouble with losing my temper with my children. When my kids were little, and I didn't know any better, I resorted to raising my voice and yelling at them. But as my children get older, I have found that it is not productive to lose it in front of them. Sometimes I have to give myself a time out. I tell them mommy needs to go think about how I want to respond to you. I go …   more ›

Moms Talk

O'Fallon Moms Ask and Answer

Local moms discuss parenting in this weekly Q&A.

Moms Talk is a new feature on O'Fallon Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to local moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of smart moms take your questions, ask their own, give advice and share solutions. Last week's question: My tween is starting to need to use deodorant.  How do I address the changes that are happening to their body? O'Fallon Patch Moms Council Member Kari Prinke's Answer:  I started going through this with my now 11-year-old fifth grader, when she was nine.  I started noticing that she had body odor and needed to shower daily, instead of every other day, and that she needed to use deodorant.  This is a very delicate subject, so I wanted to make sure that I had the…

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