With the holidays practically right around the corner, your kids have probably been salivating over the thick toy catalogs and have written their wish lists. Before you start comparing your budget to their desires, put down “time and money for charity” as the first item, and plan to make your kids a part of it.

It seems like any other day, and at the end of it, you expect to return home with the hormone-filled boy, who will spend time eating dinner but may not say a word, and he’ll go off to his room where he spends most of time now that he’s a teenager. However, today will not be just like any other day. The phone rings at work, and it’s your child’s school. Your child is en route to the hospital via ambulance. And the rest of your life and his will never be the same again.

Thanksgiving is next week. It officially kicks off the holiday season. This year my children will spend Thanksgiving with me and then Christmas with their father and his wife to be. I have never faced a holiday season with so much hope and yet so much dread. I especially hate divorce during the holiday season.

Our daughter just turned 13, and we agreed to give her a cell phone and private Facebook page. Coming to this decision wasn’t easy. My husband and I debated the topics for many months, and the pressure has been tough. Society hasn’t helped, particularly considering she had a toy cell phone that lit up and beeped when she was a toddler.

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!

Parents bottom line on “The Blind Side”: This inspiring “Just do the right thing” family film based on a true story is suitable viewing for ages 10 and up.

Parents bottom line on “Planet 51″: A A “Shrek” writer scripted it, so there’s a hint of the naughty hanging around the edges of this kids-only cartoon.

Experience the magic of winter – inside – as Snowville opens Nov. 21 at EdVenture Children’s Museum, 211 Gervais St. in Columbia. The interactive exhibit offers all the fun that snow has to offer without having to go outside. Learn about the joys of ice skating, the excitement of sliding down snowy hills and the [...]

Carolina Children’s Home is working to provide Christmas gifts for 60-plus children. This year you can help make Christmas a special time at the home by sponsoring a resident or cottage, volunteering to wrap gifts or by simply making a donation. Here’s how you can help.

Experience the magic of winter – inside – as Snowville opens Nov. 21 at EdVenture Children’s Museum, 211 Gervais St. in Columbia. The interactive exhibit offers all the fun that snow has to offer without having to go outside. Learn about the joys of ice skating, the excitement of sliding down snowy hills and the [...]