Parent Talk Q&A

'We're Moving:' How To Tell The Kids

This week's Parent Talk topic.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a topic and question: For many parents, the process of selling, buying, and moving can turn life upside down. How do you tell your children? How do you move without completely disrupting their world? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for this segment.

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Parent Talk Q&A

How to Keep Lines of Communication Open with Children

This week's Parent Talk topic.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a topic and question: The question: "How was your day at school?" The answer: "Fine." This scene is fairly common when kids come home from school. How do you elicit a better answer to that question from children? Or do you ask other questions that get conversation going about how your child's day was? How do you keep the lines of verbal communication open in your household? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every …

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Annemarie Holloway

3:16 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011

PS: In addition to asking about the best part of their day.. they each get a turn to answer, "what was the worst part of your day?"...   more ›

Parent Talk Q&A

Kids and Jealousy

This week's Parent Talk topic.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a topic and question Your kids look at how their friends families live and may feel jealousy - they have a nicer home, go on nicer vacations, drive nicer cars, have cooler toys, etc. How do you help children understand this? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for this segment.

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Parent Talk Q&A

Kids and Chores

This week's Parent Talk topic.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a topic and question: A lot of parents use chores as a way to teach kids responsibility, whether it's taking the dog for a walk or washing dishes. How do you decide who does what chore around the house in your family? How do you make sure those chores get done? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for this segment.

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Lisa Livingstone

2:12 pm on Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Our family just created a Velcro Chore Chart. At the beginning of the week, each child draws four chores out of a bowl to do for the week, and then places their chores on the chart. Each child is paid $2 for doing their weekly chores. If they don't do their chore(s) $.10 is deducted for each time it is not done. I have to remind them to do their chores, but it's helping to teach the kids …   more ›

Parent Talk Q&A

Children and Allowances

This week's Parent Talk discussion.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a few questions: Should children be given allowance? How often, how much and what are the terms, if yes? What does this do for children? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for this segment.

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AN INSIDE LOOK

Leah's Passing Teaches Us All

Like little Sarah before her, Leah has inspired us all to love every day.

I was on my way to New Hampshire last Tuesday with my wife and 3 year-old grandson when we received word 5 year-old Leah Fernandes passed away after a relatively short battle with cancer. Suddenly our few days of vacation at StoryLand with our beautiful grandson became all the more precious. I never had the pleasure of meeting sweet little Leah, but have known many of her family members for a long time. While the death of any child at such a young age is heartbreaking, Leah's story of battling her aggressive form of cancer and her family's tireless efforts to support her are particularly wrenching and touching. It was incredibly sad and yet inspiring to watch Leah and her family cope with the awful situation that enveloped them. And it …

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Parent Talk Q&A

Disciplining Your Children

This week's Parent Talk topic.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a topic and question: Disciplining children is a neccessary part of them learning right from wrong. Which methods do you think are most effective? Time outs? Grounding? Chores? If you have any creative ways, please share. Also, what do you do when you and your partner do not agree on methods? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for this segment.

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Families Enjoy Fun-Filled Frenzy Day [VIDEO]

Indoor play area now open to the public.

Frenzy, an indoor play area for kids and teenagers, lived up to its name during the business’ grand opening Sunday, July 17. About 300 kids raced through the inflatable obstacle course, jumped around in the bounce house, got thrown off a mechanical bull and more.  Ed MacMillan and his fiancé Karen Goodburn are co-owners of Frenzy. Having three kids and not knowing what to do with them locally got them thinking.  “There was nothing in Norton for kids,” MacMillon said.  MacMillon worked for Roche Bros. Supermarket, and his hours were severely cut. Even through the temp agency the hours were inconsistent and the pay was not enough to make ends meet. So he and Goodburn, who as the owner of Children’s Haircuts has experience with kids, decided …

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MUSINGS ON MOTHERHOOD

Leading by Example

It's easy to slip up in more ways than one.

I just tripped and fell over my daughter's back brace in the hallway (she wears a brace for scoliosis) and I said a bad word. My son asked if it was a bad word, and I said “Yes, don’t ever repeat it!" I used to swear, but when the first child came along, and at age 2 repeated what I’d just said – I swore (the other kind), that I’d never use bad language around my children. And 99.9 percent of the time I don’t say anything bad, but when I get hurt, sometimes a bad word slips out. It’s important to admit you’re human to your children. Say “Mom said something that she shouldn’t have said, that’s a bad word that we shouldn’t repeat." The pictures of the playroom show my children are human too, and don’t like picking up their toys. It is like …

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Parent Talk Q&A

Curing Those Summertime Slumps

How to keep children active during the summer.

Each week, our council of experts and smart parents take your questions, give advice and share solutions in this parenting column. This feature will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a topic and question: It's almost summer vacation time, and after the hype wears off, many kids will start saying how bored they are, or will spend a lot of time watching television or playing video games. How will you keep your kids active this summer? What are some good programs or things to do in the area? Please comment in the box below, and check Norton Patch every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for this segment.

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Annemarie Holloway

6:20 pm on Tuesday, June 28, 2011

https://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&shva=1#inbox/130d822258cbf52d Another great resource for trips into Boston!! (Can you tell I am originally from the south shore?) I guess, I could use some R.I. resources for kiddos activities during the summer!   more ›