Moms in Boston and beyond

Barbara's Mailbag:
Santa-phobia

My 3 1/2-year-old son is afraid of Santa - so much so that he doesn't want Santa to come to our house.

Submit a question for Barbara

Parenting Traps:
Family tradition that doesn't try too hard

Traditions don’t have to be as contrived as a mushy side dish. Sometimes they just happen.

Holiday Preview:
Theater picks for kids

Critics' holiday picks for the whole family.

sign up for our weekend outlook newsletter

deals & contests

discussions

To read the latest discussions or post a reply, click on the links below.

<div class="Summary_Container1" id="Summary_Container{if true}_X{/if}">
<div class="Summary_ContainerHead">
<div class="Summary_ForumsTitle">DISCUSSIONS »</div>

<div class="Summary_ForumsPosts">Posts</div>

<div class="Summary_ForumsLatest">Last Updated</div>
</div>

{if items.length > 0} {eval}itemCount = 0{/eval} {for discoDiscus in items} {eval}itemCount++;{/eval}

<div class="Summary_Container">
<div class="Summary_ForumsContainer {if itemCount%2 == 0} Summary_ForumsAltColor{/if}">
<div class="Summary_ForumsTitle">
<div class="Summary_ForumsTitleImg">{if discoDiscus.IsQuestion == "False"} <img src="http://cache.boston.com/ver1.0/Content/images/forums/thread.gif"> {else} <img src="http://cache.boston.com/ver1.0/Content/images/forums/question.gif"> {/if}</div>

<a href="${discoDiscus.DiscussionUrl}&plckShowFirstUnread=1">${discoDiscus.DiscussionTitle}</a></div>

<div class="Summary_ForumsPosts"><a href="${discoDiscus.DiscussionUrl}&plckShowFirstUnread=1">${discoDiscus.PostCount}</a></div>

<div class="Summary_ForumsLatest"><a href="${discoDiscus.DiscussionUrl}&plckShowLatestPost=1">${dateCleanUp(discoDiscus.LastPostDate)} ago</a> by <a href="${discoDiscus.LastPostBy.PersonaUrl}">${discoDiscus.LastPostBy.DisplayName}</a></div>
</div>
</div>

{/for} {else}

<div class="Summary_Container">No new discussions available. Please <a href="http://www.boston.com/community/moms/forums">head to the Parents forums</a> and start one!</div>

{/if}</div>

Pregnancy | TTC | General | Infants and toddlers | All discussions

things to do

Find all family-related events

Family Filmgoer

One might want to dismiss "The Blind Side" as just a phony feel-good story in which an African-American youngster from the projects is rescued by idealistic white people and given a bright future. In this case, however, the story happens to be true and it's mighty involving and entertaining, even if director/screenwriter John Lee Hancock lays it on a little thick.

your kids

See all the galleries

featured blogs

10-year-old refuses to say Pledge of Allegiance until everyone has equal rights

November 23, 2009
A 10-year-old Arkansas boy is refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance at school until our country does a better job of living up to its ideals. "I looked at the end and it said 'with liberty and justice for...

Boys will be boys, and that's OK

November 23, 2009
For this month's Books We Like installment, I offer up one that made me less worried about raising a serial killer. The Way of Boys: Raising Healthy Boys in a Challenging and Complex World by Anthony Rao tells moms...

While She Naps

I've had this book, Soft Animals A to Z by Carolyn Vosburg Hall, for a while, and although I'd read all the patterns I had never sewn anything from it.

more news & features

barbara's mailbag

Santa-phobia

My 3-1/2-year-old son is afraid of Santa - so much so that he doesn't want Santa to come to our house even if it means foregoing presents.
-- O's mom, Needham

Voices

Mom vs. Mom

Anxiety fuels mom competition to score swine flu shots for their kids.

Parenting Traps

Family tradition that doesn't try too hard