http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/ en-us Copyright 2009 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:20:14 -0500 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:06:04 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=1.53 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss My mother spent her formative years in a convent boarding school in India where, when it came to popular music, anything other than Pat Boone was off limits. When I was a tween, my mom allowed me to buy Madonna's... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/should_you_monitor_your_kids_music_choices.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/should_you_monitor_your_kids_music_choices.html Lylah M. Alphonse Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:20:14 -0500 Barbara Meltz took your parenting and child-caring questions on Monday. Click the "Replay" button below to read a transcript of the chat. Parenting chat with Barbara Meltz... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/parenting_chat_4.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/parenting_chat_4.html Chats Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:46:21 -0500 No one really knows what causes autism. A recent article in Science Direct indicates that children living near toxic waste seem more likely to have autism. Though the thimerosal/MMR vaccine theory has been debunked, many parents feel that the mercury-laced... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/treating_autism_diet_aba_and_other_interventions.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/treating_autism_diet_aba_and_other_interventions.html Lylah M. Alphonse Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:26:46 -0500 I ran into a problem recently, when my youngest kids' school and day care were closed, my husband was away, I had to work, and I had no backup childcare. Yeah, it made for a tough day.... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/interviewing_a_new_babysitter_15_questions_to_ask.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/interviewing_a_new_babysitter_15_questions_to_ask.html Lylah M. Alphonse Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:50:49 -0500 The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 out of 150 kids have autism, an increase from previous estimates. With autism now more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined, if your child isn't on the... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/inside_the_mind_of_a_child_with_autism.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/inside_the_mind_of_a_child_with_autism.html Lylah M. Alphonse Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:43:18 -0500 My 4-year-old has become a bit of a social butterfly, flitting from playdate to birthday party to after-school adventure in the cul-de-sac with the neighbors. Which is great, except now I'm faced with a birthday party dilemma: Invite the whole... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/a_birthday_party_dilemma_invite_the_whole_class.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/a_birthday_party_dilemma_invite_the_whole_class.html Lylah M. Alphonse Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:25:37 -0500 Kent and Angie Potter's oldest son, Sam, was born prematurely, and from the very beginning they had a swirl of doctors and specialists around them, helping them navigate the world of preemie development. So when Sam started exhibiting severe developmental... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/autism_awarenes_resources_that_can_help.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/autism_awarenes_resources_that_can_help.html Lylah M. Alphonse Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:41:07 -0500 The first time my toddler's caregiver took me aside at pick-up time to talk about "the incident," when my little boy was about 18 months old, I was a little concerned, but not very much so. The bite hadn't broken... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/my_toddler_bit_his_friend.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/my_toddler_bit_his_friend.html Lylah M. Alphonse Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:28:55 -0500 Barbara Meltz took your parenting and child-caring questions on Monday. Click the "Replay" button below to read a transcript of the chat. Barbara Meltz parenting chat... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/parenting_chat_3.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/parenting_chat_3.html Chats Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:28:27 -0500 Most people hear the word "autism" and automatically think of Rainman, the 1988 film starring Dustin Hoffman as an autistic savant with an affinity for numbers and a painful need for routine. But as any parent with a child on... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/does_my_child_have_autism.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/does_my_child_have_autism.html Lylah M. Alphonse Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:05:28 -0500 When I picked my fun-loving 4-year-old up at preschool yesterday, she greeted me with, "Mama! April first is tomorrow! We can fool people with jokes and make people laugh! More than normally!" I've never been one for pranks, but I... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/april_fools_fun_for_the_family.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/04/april_fools_fun_for_the_family.html Lylah M. Alphonse Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:45:58 -0500 The prevailing wisdom is that TV is terrible for young children. But a new study by the researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School shows that while TV viewing doesn't benefit very young kids, it doesn't seem to... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/tv_not_so_bad_for_toddlers_after_all.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/tv_not_so_bad_for_toddlers_after_all.html Lylah M. Alphonse Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:08:10 -0500 Staff writer Linda Matchan had a great piece in the Globe the other day, offering advice from therapists on handling the hard choices parents often have to make when times are tough. But if you have never discussed money with... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/talking_to_kids_about_money.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/talking_to_kids_about_money.html Lylah M. Alphonse Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:48:17 -0500 Like most parents, I think my kids are pretty amazing. I shoot videos of them singing or playing or putting sunglasses on the dog or whatever silly snippet of their childhood I don't want to forget. I embarrass my teens... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/is_it_right_to_feature_kids_in_viral_videos.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/is_it_right_to_feature_kids_in_viral_videos.html Lylah M. Alphonse Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:13:57 -0500 I was a pretty tame teenager -- just ask my mom. Or my brothers, who would say that as long as "tame" = "goody-goody" then they'd agree. Sure, I had a mouth on me (what teenager doesn't?), and I churned... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/if_you_drank_as_a_teen_dont_tell_your_kids.html http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/blog/2009/03/if_you_drank_as_a_teen_dont_tell_your_kids.html Lylah M. Alphonse Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:21:48 -0500