Halloween is the time of year when your child is inundated with visions of ghosts and goblins, witches and monsters. It's easy to understand how all these creatures have have earned their scary reputations-they represent unkown forces with evil intent, or at least the intent to scare little children every October.Last week, Lynn, a mother of three young children, was walking with her youngest, when a neighbor's black cat wandered up, looking for some friendly attention. Lynn's little boy screa...

The popular saying goes like this: Breaking up is hard to do. Yet, when it comes to marriage in the U.S., a large percentage of us do it. Divorce, however unpleasant, is commonplace in today's society, and dealing with it during the holidays is a fact of life with which adults and children alike must deal.A divorce - especially a fresh one - can be particularly trying during the holidays. The Yuletide season is one of giving and family, and the dissonance of a divorce can greatly threaten the jo...

You're dashing with your kids, from store to store, madly trying to finish your Christmas shopping. You know that it's only a matter of time before the clock runs out on your children's patience, and they start to crash. They're tired of the Christmas CD you've been playing in the car, and the games you've brought along have run their course. You've got three more malls to hit today, and your biggest fear is trying to shop with bored children.Here's one way to keep them entertained-dazzle the...

Whether you celebrate the holidays for their religious significance, or as a time for the fellowhip of friends and family-if you have small children, you know that Santa's visit is definitely the focus of their attention.It's not unhealthy, according to most experts, for children to learn to relate to the season from an inherently selfish point of view. As every parent knows, in early development, kids regard what is satisfying-whether it's a hug or a meal-as special, so if a holiday promises p...

What's not to love about Thanksgiving? It's the start of a four-day weekend. You don't have to get up too early. Sometime in the afternoon, you gather with family to share a huge, delicious meal, with guaranteed leftovers. There's football and a long nap for dad, fellowhip and fun for everyone else. Best of all, except for the food, no shopping is required to have a wonderful day. For that reason, alone, adults love Thanksgiving.Your kids probably love it, too-a day off from school, filled...

So, it's that time of year, again. Your son is being bombarded with thousands of commercials, touting all the must-have toys and kid-gadgets available this Christmas. He's at the age now, when he pays attention, and of course, he wants everything he sees. And he's obsessed with getting the word out. Time for the tried-and-true letter to Santa Claus, when parents learn each year just what's expected of them, to make their child's Christmas merry.All your friends with children are facing the ...

Remember when Christmas shopping was something you could put off until the last minute, and then rush through, in one evening? Alone? Ahhh-those were the days, weren't they?Now you have little shoppers, and you can't rush through anything, anymore, and a trip to the store-any store-is an operation which requires military-style planning. You can't wait until late at night. You can't slide and squeeze and speed your way through the crowds. And, most of all, you can't dawdle, examining someth...

Are you a movie buff? A Christmas fanatic?Who isn't, right? Well, you've come to the right place, because we're crazy about movies and Christmas, too. And, thankfully, there are some good Christmas movies out there ... the kind that put you in the holiday spirit year 'round, even during the dog days of summer!In fact, there are so many great Christmas movies, so many memorable characters and wonderful story lines, that picking a handful of flicks that stand above the rest is difficult. But we're...

Santa's elves make all kinds of toys at the North Pole. From lavish electronic devices to simple board games, those in St. Nick's employ are a versatile group. Unfortunately, however, not all toys are safe for all age groups. In fact, children under three or four years of age are particularly prone to choking on small objects (they put everything in their mouths!). For this reason, it's imperative that parents of tots in this age group closely monitor what Santa places in the stocking and under ...