Ask the Experts
Because children are not born with an owner's manual that tells us the best way to care for them, it is often a trial and error process. We hope that we can provide some helpful information, education, and resources along the way as well as opportunities for family fun.
Ask the Experts is a collection of articles that cover topics of interest to parents and caregivers with children from infancy through adolescence.
Ask the Experts
| Articles |
| Kindergarten: Get Ready!, by Deb Kraft & Dorothy Heitjan |
| The College Application Process, by Carla Palffy, M.Ed, LPC |
| Planning for the Transition to High School, by Barb Skelly, MS.ED, LPC |
| Planning for College Tuition, by Dan Tripp |
| Helping Your Children Cope with College Stress, by David Votruba, PhD |
| To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate . . ., by Ronald C. Strickler, M.D. |
| An Epidemic of Over-Programmed Kids, by Susan Fell |
| Family resiliency makes a difference, by Julie Brewster |
| High costs of over-scheduling, by Mary Beth Garvey |
| Let kids be kids in order to beat stress, by Beth Quinn |
| Unplugging the holiday machine, by Sean Hogan-Downey |
PDF Downloads |
| I have seen the recent Dateline NBC Programs about predators on the internet and find it alarming. What should I be doing to keep tabs on my kids? |
| Do you have some general tips or basic rules you can give on being a good parent? My kids are fairly happy and healthy, but I want to make sure they stay that way! |
| What is burnout and how do I know if that is what I am feeling? |
| My child in middle school is so moody! What can I do to make life at home more peaceful yet still have them do what they need to do Ð like school work and help around the house?
|
| When should my daughter start to share her toys?
|
| What is the biggest health threat for our children?
|
| There seems to be a lot of controversy about immunizations lately. I have three children, the oldest of which is about to go away to college in the fall and I am wondering if she should get both the immunizations for cervical cancer and meningitis. Do you have any information on that?
|
| My daughter is a senior in high school. We have agreed to host a graduation party for her at our home. Do you have any information on the laws with regard to drinking and driving and parents hosting parties etc?
|
| It's summertime and I know I am in for three months of fighting amongst my three children. Is there any advice you can give me to help them act a little more civil to one another Ð and keep my sanity at the same time? |
| What is the choking game? |
| My husband says our teenage son needs to get a job this summer. Aren't there restrictions on what a teenager can and cannot do? |
| Any ideas on how to keep my kids from getting bored this summer? |
| Everywhere you turn, people are talking about MRSA. I hear conflicting reports about the risks
involved. Some schools are closing but others, like Grosse Pointe South, are not. Do you have someone
who can clarify this? |
| What are social networking sites and can they be safe for kids? |
| I've heard that some of the programs that The Family Center has sponsored like last year's annual parenting symposium in March "How Much Is Enough" were recorded. How could I find out what programs were taped and learn where to get one to borrow? |
| Why is it such a struggle to get some children to do homework? |
| Any tips for parenting my teenagers? I know my son is not a man yet - but he's not a child either. It's hard to know how much "parenting" he needs right now. |
| My two year old is beginning to throw tantrums. I can deal with them at home but in the grocery store or the mall is embarrassing. Any suggestions? |
| Parents often ask us what to do about bullying, whether it happens at school during lunch, in the halls, or through technology like text messaging or on-line chatting. Susan Fell, Student Assistant Specialist at Brownell Middle School provides the following food for thought. |
| Lots of parents have been asking for a program on healthy lifestyles, nutrition, tips on building good eating habits and getting their families active. |
