Long Island Parent Talk

Dealing with the aftermath of a severe weather event, such as superstorm Sandy, is hard enough. Add children to the equation and it's a heck of a lot harder.

You know you can get through it -- power outages, house or car damage, downed trees --  but it can be challenging when your kids don't understand what's going on and you're stuck in the house.

My husband and I have been trying...

Happy Halloween! In my ongoing quest to find tasty, kid-friendly meals for you that are appropriate for the whole family, this week I chose a spooky, frozen dessert your kids can enjoy after a night of trick-or-treating. I found the recipe in "Halloween Tricks & Treats & Other Nifty Stuff," by Fiona Hammond (Barron's; $8.99).

I Scream At Bugs (Makes 6 ice cream cones) Ingredients...

For a lizard, Roughie's got a lot to teach my son, Harrison.

Roughie, as my 8-year-old son named him, is a baby bearded dragon. As far as reptiles go, it is among the cuddliest kinds a child can own. By cuddly, I mean it likes to sit on its owner's chest, closes it eyes when it is pet and answers to its name. Check out YouTube and you'll even see some who swim, ride tiny skateboards and play...

It reminded me of a scene from 1976's “The Bad News Bears,” only not.

It was a soccer game, not baseball, and none of the coaches were drunk. But England, the so-called winning team at my friend's son's match did something I hadn't yet seen as the mother of an 8-year-old boy who has played baseball, flag football and basketball (as well as soccer).

After the customary handshake on the...

If your child comes home after trick-or-treating on Wednesday with a trading card pack for “Plants vs. Zombies” in his candy bag, or a free coupon to download the video game of the same name, here’s what that’s all about.

The American Dental Association and PopCap Games launched a campaign this year to combat the scads of candy kids get – and eat – on Halloween. As dentists know, too much...

Earlier this year, a study conducted by Watch, a British TV channel, found that one in five parents surveyed skip reading classic fairy tales, such as "Cinderella" and "Rumpelstiltskin," to their children because they're too scary.

In fact, one-third of the 2,000 parents reported their children were actually brought to tears when the Big Bad Wolf gobbles up Grandma...

Looking for tunes to get into the Halloween spirit? Or, better yet, something to play in the background as you greet trick-or-treaters?

"Be Afraid of the Dark" from Reader's Digest is a fun collection of classic songs from scary movies, TV shows -- and even some classical music.

Among the songs are:

"Tubular Bells," the main theme from "The Exorcist"

"A...

Get into the spirit of Halloween with this autumn-inspired craft from Spoonful.com, a new website from Disney that is filled with thousands of crafts, games and recipes for children and families.

Rosetta's Frosty Leaf Ghosts What you'll need ... - Silk maple leaves, or other similarly shaped leaves (sold in craft and department stores) - Scissors - Waxed paper - White fabric paint - Paintbrush...

Last year it was suggested we evacuate our Oceanside home when Irene, then named a hurricane, was approaching. My husband and I probably would have stayed, but since we had our daughter, I wanted to make sure we were in a safer area, just in case. It's funny how your mindset changes when you become a parent.

Thinking back to last year, I realized now how unprepared we were for a real emergency....

If you've ever wanted to climb across the tree tops, you're in luck. Crestwood Country Day School and Camp (313 Round Swamp Rd., Melville) is unveiling their new Tree Top Adventure Trail at their Fall Fair and Open House at 11 a.m. tomorrow. Families are invited to play high in the trees as kids and adults alike can climb through an intricate webbing of trails that connect rope and barrel bridges....