Karen Alley, The Daily Post. As web editor, Karen blogs every day about news and events that are going on either in our area or on a national realm. Bringing together hot topics with local ties is what keeps her perspective on the news interesting.
Renee, Teen-dom Tales, provides a look into the life of a mom of a teen, a stage of life that brings with it a whole new realm of parenting challenges.
Stephanie, Mamma Said, writes witty and insightful posts chronicling the development of her two young boys, ages 3 and 1. As a Greensboro resident, they're out and about at locales around the Triad quite often, and she also brings in the working mom perspective at times, with her part time job.
Lisa, The Single Mom's Soliloquy, adds a different spin on parenting as she writes about the issues, challenges and joys of raising a daughter as a single mom. Her look at life in the new world order of blended families and split families is refreshing and sometimes controversial.
Heather Maggs, of The Time Out Corner, presents a humorous blog on the roller coaster life of a stay-at-home mom of a toddler.
Myra Wright, familiar to you as our editor, also blogs inPiedmont Ponderings. It's a great outlet for her creative sense of humor, and she brings some great perspective to life in King as the mother of three kids.
By the time you're reading this, you've probably already got the turkey in the oven and are watching the Macy's parade with your kids, or you're getting ready to hit some of the great sales this weekend that started on Black Friday.
Don't forget that PiedmontParent.com is also a great Thanksgiving tradition. We've got everything you need right here. Our special Thanksgiving page is packed full of information, from recipes toThanksgiving movies and TV specials and even ways to help others on this holiday. We've also got great information in our online articles, including time-saving tips from Murphy Gregg of Diamondback Grill in Winston-Salem.
And if you're tired of hanging out at home and need to get out, check out one of the many movies premiering this weekend, we've got links to reviews from our home page, or head out to some of the great family events in the Triad. Our Calendar is full of ideas like the Turkey Trot puppet show at Old Salem.
Even though the calendar hasn't quite switched over to December yet, the holidays are very much on our mind, with Thanksgiving this week and Christmas soon after. Piedmont Parent's December issue has already hit the stands, and that not only means great information in the magazine, but also cool new stuff on our Web site! Check out our online exclusives on the American Girl Bistro in Atlanta and the stats on green Christmas shopping as you plan your holidays. And we've also updated our private school directory, to help make those hard decisions on where to send your kids to school next year.
Don't forget to take our poll, and of course, enter to win tickets to the Greensboro Ice House! It's a great way to spend some family time together this holiday season.
The headlines are gripping: Two Children Saved from Fire. A neighbor pulled out a five-month old and firefighters saved the four-year old, who's now being cared for at Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati. The story is a tragic one, and scarier for parents of young children. But it's an all-too-familiar narrative this time of year, when temperatures drop and we try to find ways to stay safe, yet we bring holiday decorations, lights and trees into the house.
Fire prevention month was in October, and most of our kids heard at some point "stop, drop and roll." But take that a step further this month, and do your own fire safety checks. The Consumer Product Safety Commision has a complete fire safety checklist, and the additional space heater information comes in handy as well. Don't forget to test your smoke alarms, and install them if you haven't done so already. And after you decorate your house for the holidays, run through this holiday fire safety checklist.
Get your kids involved. Let them help make a plan to get out of the house, and even let them help test the smoke alarms. Then check out the information, games and activities on the US Fire Administration's Kids Page.
If you'd like to help the Greensboro family, contact the local chapter of the American Red Cross.
Yesterday marked the beginning of National Family Week. I know, with Thanksgiving this week and more holidays around the corner, you might be asking why we need one more thing to celebrate. But instead of looking at it as an additional celebration, the timing actually helps bring some meaning to the rush of planning and cooking or traveling to a Thanksgiving dinner. When it all comes down to it, what's important? Eating part of a huge turkey, or spending time with our family?
The Alliance for Children and Families started National Family Week to help promote the idea that children do better when the come from strong families, and families do better when they have support from communities. Suggestions for celebrating this week include getting out to meet your neighbors, or if you already know them, host a picnic or get together. The more support we have from people close to us the better with raising kids. And what better time to get together than the week of Thanksgiving, when it's all about gathering around with groups of people and eating anyway?
If planning a neighborhood get together is a little much right now, you could also sit down with your kids and write a thank you note to someone who has helped out your family. Check out Crayola.com for some other activities. Or use this opportunity to encourage your employers to be a litte more family friendly. For ideas, visit our resource page and look at winners of this year's Family Friendly 40 contest.
And of course, spending time with your own family is a great idea. Make it a point to eat meals together, the benefits are numerous, and the meals don't have to be complicated. Or institute a family game night. This blog has some great ideas on how to start, and Hasbro has suggestions for game.
With a family dinner or family game night, you'll remember to be thankful for your family all year long.
Twilight--one of the biggest series to hit book shelves since Harry Potter is making its film debut tonight. If you haven't heard of it yet, you will. The rabid fan base behind Stephanie Meyer's books is sure to make this an instant hit with sequels to come. But as a parent, what do we need to know about it? Sure, like most vampire stories, it's got plenty of sexual inuendo. But unlike vampires through the ages, this one remains abstinent in a very chilvarous way. And the story centers around Bella, a teen who falls for one of the vampires, who is facing the common teen issues of feeling like an outsider and figuring out where she fits in with life.
Couching these issues in an entertaining book/movie is a great way to bring up good discussions with your child. You can talk about vampire films, what makes a good romance novel, and even issues of sex education if you're feeling edgy. But for tonight, if you're going with your daughter to the movie, just sit back and enjoy the chance to spend some time with your teenager. It's something that gets more precious the older they get.
Here are some movie reviews and other resources, to read up on the phenomenon.
New Jersey Ledger: Move Over Harry Potter, Bella and Edward are in Town
