Parents Talk

Parents Talk: Ban Candy on Valentine's Day?

Some schools are keeping sweets out of the classroom.

What's Valentine's Day without candy? Some kids are finding out, as schools extend bans on classroom sweets to holiday celebrations out of concern for students' health. A Massachusetts school's decision to keep candy out has drawn national and international attention and criticism, as well as praise. Parents in Minneapolis, where a policy to promote better student health started last year, see messages like: "Students can bring valentines, but as you are shopping for valentines, please DO NOT purchase valentines with candy or send candy to school for the party." Our 11-year-old broke the news to me a few days ago: The general ban on sugary snacks at her school applies to Valentine's Day. "It's ridiculous," she said. "Fruit snacks are about…

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Penna1965

11:50 am on Monday, February 27, 2012

Margaret, high fructose corn syrup is just as bad as beet sugar or cane sugar. Sugar is sugar no matter the source. Limiting the sugar in everything is key. Moderation, exercise and diet.   more ›

Moms Talk: Are You Prepared For Halloween?

Costumes? Check. Pumpkins? Check. Schedule? Check. Plan for dealing with candy? Um...

We're in final Halloween countdown at the Marty house, and Vi couldn't be more excited. Halloween is her absolute favorite time of the year—except maybe Christmas. And Christmas only wins because the season lasts so much longer. In fact, if we found a way to either let her put on costumes and trick or treat for a month straight, or work wearing a fairy princess outfit into a Nativity play, there's a possibility that we would have created a new super-holiday that would send her into fits of joy. But for now it's nothing but Halloween, and Vi has been gearing up since, well, probably August. Yet I'm still not sure I'm entirely prepared. With a weekend to get ready, the placement of the holiday on a Monday this year is perfect. We have one …

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Moms Talk: Easter Means Home and Traditions

Does doing things homemade help make holiday memories?

Do you have favorite holiday traditions and recipes? Add yours in comments below.  With my children growing older, I have been looking for ways to rekindle the traditions I remember from my childhood and create new memories for my family.  The more we could create together, the more memorable the holiday would be. We couldn't wait to introduce Violet to her first Easter-egg dying session and assumed three years old would be old enough to start. Although we lost as many eggs in the process as we actually managed to dye—no matter how hard you boil, eggs won't stand being thrown on the hardwood floor—the attempt was sort of a success. Store-bought vs. Homemade Egg Dyes You can purchase the traditional Paas egg kit at Target for about $1.50 to…

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