Parents Talk

How Do You Handle a Child’s Temper Tantrum?

What sort of evasive action do you take when a child screams or cries to get their way?

Whether you have kids or don’t, you've likely seen a child throw a fit in a checkout line at a grocery or heard the wails and cries coming from the toy aisle. What happened? Some kid didn’t get what he or she wanted and resorted to a full-out assault on his or her parents complete with tears, screaming or my personal favorite—the wet noodle collapsed on the floor. Or, maybe your kid just likes to throw the temper tantrums at home. I still remember going absolutely nuts on my mom when she wouldn’t let me wear my favorite pair of pink jeans because they were in the dirty laundry. And, no, that wasn’t last week—I was probably about 7 years old. I’ve seen parents handle the situation a variety of ways. I’ll admit, I’ve used some of these …

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Becky Glander

2:56 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011

Sometimes the best word for kids to hear is "no" when they beg for things at the store. I always felt like such a wonderful parent when I was able to say "no, I don't have the money to buy that for you today." If they throw a tantrum after saying "no," then you just feel reinforced that they shouldn't have gotten a prize. It's when the sweet little thing says "OK, Mommy" that you want to run over…   more ›

Parents Talk: Should Kids Be Allowed to Curse?

Whether you call it swearing, cussing, cursing or profanity, should it be coming out of a child’s mouth?

A difference in family values could mean the difference in whether a child uses profanity or not in public. But, is cursing really all that bad? From my experience, cursing in school is usually frowned upon. Although, walk down any crowded hall at many junior and senior high schools and you are likely to hear “those” words float around with ease. When my kids (now teenagers) were growing up, I was careful not to expose them to swearing—whether it be at home, movies or in public. I knew what would be expected of them in school and I didn’t want to be “that mom” that laughed it off when her kid threw out the “s-word” when their blue crayon broke. It’s still pretty PG around our house for the most part. However, I’ve always disagreed with the…

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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: How Do You Explain Budgets to a 4-year-old?

My child's need for 'adventures' is turning into a drain on my wallet.

With almost a full month of school under our belts, we're starting to develop a sort of rhythm to our new life. Every weekday Vi and I grab the bus to school, I drop her off, and I get her again once the bell rings.  While her father and The Bass are still at work and daycare, we have a couple of hours every afternoon to simply hang out together, having a snack, reading stories, and doing a little cartoon-watching while I make dinner. Our routine is mostly down pat—I bring something small to eat and drink, we head to the library, read books together in the children's room for an hour or longer, then catch the bus back home. At this point, the librarians all know our names and our favorite chair in the corner, and that Vi is obsessed with …

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Amy Paddock

8:37 am on Thursday, September 29, 2011

It is hard. We all get into a routine, and forget that it affects how our kids view money or perhaps more likely - what money means. Things change, and kids don't understand it. I have been there, so I understand. One fun event turned out kind of fun. We couldn't afford restaurants either when my child was young. So, we made menus at home as an art project, (cut out pictures from magizines) with …   more ›

Viewfinder: Fridley Safety Camp, Day One

The two-day camp is in its 17th year.

For 150 Fridley kids, Tuesday was the first day of the two-day Fridley Safety Camp, now in its 17th year. Coordinator Liz Chevalier of the Fridley Police Department said the camp, dedicated to teaching kids about many facets of safety while they have fun, draws a full The camp attracts volunteers like Dave Lenzmeier, a counselor for the purple team this year who said he has volunteered for so many years he has "a rainbow of shirts" from past camps. Chevalier said senior citizens have always helped out: one volunteer this year is 90 years old.

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Moms Talk: How Not to Leave Your Child in a Hot Car

As death toll hits 500, here are safety tips—not only for 'bad parents.'

It was almost one year ago that a Minnesota couple left their six-week-old baby in the back of their car on the hottest day of the summer. The parents, who were visiting the CVS pharmacy on Central Avenue NE in Minneapolis, just south of Columbia Heights, left the windows rolled down while they went inside, but the car still reached temperatures of more than 100 degrees. (The baby survived.) Some parents do it on purpose, thinking it will only be just a second and as long as the windows aren't shut it can't be that dangerous. Others have it happen accidentally—the result of a change in routine (such as one parent taking the baby to daycare when that's not usually his or her job, and heading straight to work instead), or a mixup such as one…

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Moms Talk: Road-trip Tips for Car Travel with Kids

We're heading off on our first road trip since we became a family of four, and I'm scared to death.

Memorial Day Weekend is almost here, the official launch of summer and weeks when the Land of 10,000 Lakes becomes the highway of 10,000 road trips. We're getting an early start on the family vacation this year with a long weekend in Omaha for my grandmother's 90th birthday, an event I'm both excited about and filled with dread over. I can't wait to finally greet my family, many of whom have never even seen our new son, except via Facebook pictures and YouTube videos. But the actual process of getting there? That is definitely not something I'm looking forward to. Night Driving "We learned pretty early on from our car trips to Omaha with Vi that our best bet for easy traveling was to take off shortly before she was ready to go to bed, and …

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Samara Postuma

8:18 pm on Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Ah! I just wrote about this today! :( Sorry I missed seeing this, would have loved to pass along my tips!! Hope it was a good trip!   more ›

Summer ROCKS for Kids in Fridley Program

Kids get special destinations and parents get peace of mind.

Are you looking for something to keep your kids busy and active this summer? The Fridley Parks and Recreation Department is once again offering the popular summer ROCKS program for kids completing kindergarten through seventh gradd this school year. The ROCKS program meets Monday through Friday for nine weeks of continuous recreation and enrichment activities. The program is based at the Fridley Community Center and Commons Park, but Wednesdays are field-trip or special-event days. Kids will get a chance to visit places such as Hyland Park, Cinema Grill, Valleyfair, Bunker Beach, Nickelodeon Universe, Vertical Endeavors, Cascade Water Park and more. This low-cost program ($125 per week) offers children opportunities to participate in clubs…

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Fish out of Water

Video: Taking Scissors to Kids' Hair

What's is like to be hairdresser to the younger set?

Times are tough, the economy is struggling and many people are looking for ways to cut back—me included.  As I shelled out almost $30 for a simple kid’s trim at one of those sports-themed children’s hair boutiques recently, it occurred to me: trimming my budget could be as simple as trimming my own family’s hair. (And by family I mean everyone except me.) I quickly calculated that this snipping scheme could save the Metz clan more than $500 every year!  So off to the Internet I went, in search of the answers to my do-it-yourself hairdo questions. Unfortunately the World Wide Web was unable to unlock the secrets to kid's hair cutting—although I did learn that the FLOWBEE Vacuum Haircut System now costs more than $100. Plan B: I headed to …

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Robin Marty

4:52 pm on Monday, April 25, 2011

I think you just have to be sort of fearless with it. Plus, let them watch a video. I cut my daughter's hair once a year, usually between her birthday and Christmas. This was the first one, at 2 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/92599314@N00/4291374285/in/set-72157622965748903 http://www.flickr.com/photos/92599314@N00/4292114882/in/set-72157622965748903 this was this year. http://www.flickr.com/…   more ›

Viewfinder: Families Flock to Spring Fling at Springbrook Nature Center

Easter Bunny, Flying Pig, Llama, Kangaroo and dozens of volunteers greeted hundreds of families at Springbrook Nature Center's annual celebration.

It was less than springlike weather but the turnout was impressive anyway at Springbrook Nature Center's annual Spring Fling event Saturday afternoon. If you were among the few who weren't there, check out this photo gallery by Dave McCoy.

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