A model on the November cover of Teen Vogue is a 19-year-old who reveals in the magazine that she is pregnant. The magazine’s editors didn’t know about the pregnancy until after the photo shoot, and they didn’t consider pulling the cover. Many advocates against teen pregnancy said parents should use the cover as a way to talk to their kids about sex and the importance of planning pregnancies for the right moment in their lives.

This cute exchange helped me realize that I no longer have a baby or a toddler. I have a little girl. I know that smothering our children stunts their development, but I must admit that it is hard to let go and let them grow. . . Now I understand what seasoned parents used to tell me in the mall or grocery store when they saw me and Gabrielle during her infant months. “They grow up so fast. Enjoy every moment.”

How do we keep our kids safe? How much protection is too much and when do we draw the line?

The Walt Disney Company is offering refunds to parents who bought any of the “Baby Einstein” DVDs in the past four years because an advocacy group says that the colorful, musical videos don’t make babies smarter and may be the primary contributor to kids’ waning attention spans when they get to school. Raise your hand if you actually thought that sitting your infant in front of the TV for hours on end was a recipe for brilliance.

Halloween may be the one time kids get a temporary free pass to eat sweets, but those trick-or-treaters wearing braces might be in for a fright if they eat the wrong stuff. The American Association of Orthodontists offers several braces-friendly recipes for Halloween parties.

Santa has always had a monopoly on the good cookies. But it took Julia Usher a while to ponder the bigger issue: Why should the winter holidays get all the gingerbread? And why should something as deliciously fun as a cookie exchange be relegated to December?

My son is a junior in high school, and it’s time to start thinking about college for him. There’s so much to figure out: tests, preparation for tests, campus visits — not to mention financial aid. Where should we begin? Who should we talk to?

How old is too old to trick-or-treat? Did you tell your kids when to stop or did they decide on their own?

Several weeks ago, in this column, I encouraged parents to not ask principals for teacher reassignments, as in “I think my child, who has a learning problem, will do better with Mrs. Whimsy because from what I hear she’s more patient.” As one might imagine, I am now the Certified Hero of Principals Everywhere. On the other hand, some parents who previously enjoyed reading my column have now decided I am Parenting Satan.

QUESTION: I grew up in a Southern Baptist church where they taught us to turn the other cheek. However, I’ve had just about enough of my husband’s ex-wife’s abuse. For years now, I have employed all the healthy habits you promote and nothing seems to get better. It is very clear that his ex-wife finds me despicable, and she doesn’t even know me. I did not know her or my husband when they divorced, yet she seems to blame me for everything that went wrong in her life. Help!

Come meet a new penguin friend, Pablo the Penguin, from Nickelodeon’s hit show, “The Backyardigans” at the South Carolina Aquarium from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 7. Included with general admission to the aquarium in Charleston, enjoy an imaginative day not far from your child’s own backyard with Pablo-themed activities, as well as [...]

Visitors to the South Carolina State Museum Saturday, Nov. 7, will be able to discover the forces that cause earthquakes and have fun doing it.
The State Museum will partner with the College of Charleston to present Earthquake Awareness Day, a day of activities, earthquake history and education at the museum from 11 a.m. to 4 [...]