Wire Family

Parents these days frequently are blamed for being too involved with their kids' schooling and after-school activities. Their typically overbearing nature has even inspired a nickname: "the helicopter parent."

By mid-May the temperatures are rising in many parts of the country. But we don't want pressures rising as well. Blood pressure that is. May is National High Blood Pressure Awareness Month. Blood pressure is considered normal when systolic pressure (the first and higher number) is less than 120 mmHg and diastolic pressure (the second and lower number) is less than 80 mmHg.

Nia Vardalos didn't enter motherhood with ease. This Canadian-born, Second City-trained actress and author (most well known for writing and starring in the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding,") pulls back the curtain on her struggles to become a mom in her new book, "Instant Mom" (Harper One, $26.99).

The Whale Pod, a wall-mounted product for storing children's toys in the tub, immediately gained my affection. That's because after my daughters piled all of their tub toys inside there was still room to add in that lonely Barbie doll at the top.

Party food is my favorite food. Small bites. Finger foods. Hors d'oeuvres. Whatever you call them, those perfect one- or two-bite bits are so much fun.

At the convenience store, my 5-year-old agonized over his choices: the miniature Reese's cup or the mini-Tootsie Roll?

With divorce rates so high, I think it's important to remember how this huge change can impact families with children, as well as how you, as parents, can put aside your differences to help your kids through it.

The big news in baby names recently was the Most Popular Names 2012: Top 1, Top 10, Top 100, Top 1000.

Summer is a time for enjoying the great outdoors. When you are aware of your child's dominant sense you can be a little more prepared for their unique set of behaviors and needs, making the experience even more enjoyable and safer.

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Amy Grant has sure had a busy spring season. She recently partnered with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and created a public service announcement (PSA) for them focusing on the need to be prepared when making tough family decisions. The mom of five also has a new album coming out soon.

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial kickoff to summer and with that, barbecue season. It can be tempting to load up on all your favorite calorie-laden barbecue staples - cheeseburgers, chips, dips, potato salad, pies and cakes - but there are ways to indulge while also keeping your calorie count in check. After all, with summer also comes swimsuit season.

Tanner McArdle earned a perfect 36 on his ACT college entrance exam. His grade-point average exceeds 4.1. He ran varsity cross county and plays in the orchestra at Anoka High School. He volunteers for two food shelves. He's "the complete package," his principal says.

A few months ago, Cheetah Boy ran away from a party when the cops came. Yes, my 15-year-old son was almost busted. When he came home and told me this, I nearly fainted. Really, I thought he'd be old enough to drive at least before he embarked on a life of crime.

When Keith Bellows' firstborn, Adam, was 18, his idea of getting outdoors was "opening a window," Bellows says.

When soon-to-be mothers are feeling exhausted and ready to give up, Krissy Maher, a labor and delivery nurse at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, regularly calls in the Pushing Specialist.

Nia Vardalos made an art of airing the family laundry. A delightful, bighearted, lucrative art.

Attention swimmers: More than half of the public pools tested in a new study contained bacterial evidence that someone may have pooped in the pool.

It is the kind of tree house that a kid could spend all day and all night inside.

Little Carter Silveira was sound asleep in the Sutter Memorial Hospital neonatal intensive care unit.

An outraged Janet Agranoff watched in 1996 as "60 Minutes" aired a report about "dying rooms" in Chinese orphanages, where infants and toddlers - most of them girls - were left to starve. When the report ended, the obstetrician-turned-stay-at-home-mom looked at her husband and said, "We're going to China."

KENNEWICK, Wash. - A Pasco, Wash., baby is being treated to prevent rabies after she was bitten twice by a rabid bat last weekend while on her grandparents' deck.

Most kids (and plenty of parents) like to build - forts, castles, towers, model airplanes, and more - which explains why there are so many products out there designed to help us do just that. They range from simple wooden blocks and kits that show us how to construct all sorts of cool things using objects that we have around the house, to the most complex building sets. There's a wonderful sense of accomplishment that one gets from stepping back and looking at a completed project. Most of the time, though, that's about all you can do with it. But there's a special thrill that comes from seeing whatever you've built come to life: electrical projects that turn lights on and off, radio kits that receive real broadcasts, and, of course, anything that moves. This week we're taking a look at two very different construction sets that will provide hours of parent-child entertainment, both during the actual assembly process and afterwards, when it starts to move.

Five years ago, Nick Moeder and his friends counted themselves lucky. In the dark heart of the Great Recession, they were starting college rather than trying to start a career.

On a typical June day last year, 3-year-old Jolan Jackson was sitting at the dining room table in his booster chair waiting for his meal.

At some point - Mother's Day or Father's Day, Christmas Day or birthday - we've all given and received the equivalent of the pink bunny suit that Ralphie is forced into in "A Christmas Story."

Like many people, I have always loved animals. That sentiment didn't prevent me from getting bitten in the face by a dog when I was about 4 years old.

It was the first week of my first job, and one of my co-workers was showing me around the building.

You took 10 years of piano lessons. Should you become your 7-year-old's teacher?

Dear Mr. Dad: With all the talk about bird flu and swine flu I'm in a panic about germs. I'm putting antibacterial soaps all over my house and hand sanitizers in the car and my kids' backpacks. Is there anything else I can do?

Q: I'm faced with a dilemma. My parents are divorced and my father has been remarried for 20 years. I love his wife and she is like a second mom to me. Plus, my wife and I had our first child three months ago - not to mention my wife's mother lives nearby, and my wife has a bonusmom as well. If you do the math that's five yours, mine, and ours moms. My wife wants to see her "moms." I want to see mine - and my wife is a mom for the first time. I didn't mention that my grandma lives five miles away. How do I juggle all this using good ex-etiquette?