Long Island Parent Talk

Jessica “Daisy Duke” Simpson is having trouble losing her baby weight — and I am going to stop typing so that my fingers are free to play the world’s tiniest fiddle in her honor.

OK, I feel better now.

In the run-up to her first commercial as a new spokeswoman for Weight Watchers and her big reveal Monday on the new Katie Couric show, headlines from an interview where Simpson spoke about...

Tube alert! Nickelodeon will premier a new animated preschool series at 9 a.m. Monday called “Tickety Toc,” with new episodes at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well. It’ll then continue to air weekdays at 9 a.m.

The half-hour television series is about twins Tommy and Tallulah and teaches kids about friendship and problem solving. Tommy and Tallulah live in the Tickety Tock clock...

Today is National Grandparents Day — a day to celebrate and reflect on all the grands in your life.

My 18-month-old daughter, Maggie, has a special bond with her grandparents. As a working mom, my husband and I are fortunate that our parents help watch Maggie during the week.

According to my parents and in-laws, reading is one of their favorite activities to do together while we're at...

Sometimes a lesson needs a hook.

My son, Harrison, his friend, Nate, and I had gone to a Huntington beach, deciding at the last minute to go fishing. We improvised, bringing hotdogs we had in the fridge as bait. Nothing was biting, except the flies. Then a bee appeared.

It startled Harrison, who backed into Nate, who was holding one of the rods. Suddenly Harrison was turning around and...

The coming autumn reminds us that first-time parents are a little bit like college students: we rarely sleep and we love free stuff. Saf-T-Swim, a Long Island swimming school, beckons us stroller-pushers with a deal that also gives parents a fun indoor activity for the fall.

The company, which has ten locations on Long Island, offers free swimming lessons for babies age two months to six months....

I kept asking Harrison, “Are you feeling OK?” as I patted his cheeks and forehead quickly and routinely to feel for a fever. Each time, he would tell me, “I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

It took me a few weeks to catch on that a new strain of an end-of-summer bug had overcome my 8-year-old son.

Harrison has traditionally been quite vocal about where he feels the balance in life should be...

Head to Green Acres Mall (2034 Green Acres Mall, Valley Stream) on Saturday for a Back-to-School Kids Club event from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Activities include arts & crafts, face painting, trivia games, prizes, music and dance performances.

From 1-2 p.m., you'll also have the chance to meet Long Island children's book author, Scott Starkey, who wrote "How to Beat the Bully Without...

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, which encourages children to collect coins for the charity on Halloween in its signature boxes, is sponsoring a contest for kids to design the box that will be used at Halloween 2013.

Original designs for the “Create-a-Character” contest can be submitted online at trickortreatforunicef.org. Winning designs in three categories -- children ages 4-8, ages 9-12 and ages...

Looking for things to do with the kids this weekend? From a classic musical to famous circus acts, fall fairs and more, there's so much to do on Long Island. Here are my top five picks for fun, family-friendly activities this weekend:

1. Cirque du Soleil: Dralion at Nassau Coliseum (1255 Hempstead Tpke., Uniondale). Kids and adults alike can enjoy an unique performance of gymnasts, acrobats,...

If it’s September, it’s National Head Lice Prevention Month.

Yes, along with never-ending homework assignments and the endless stream of school flyers, your child might soon be coming home with some unwanted visitors.

But there are ways to prevent head lice, which are tiny insects that make their home on the scalp. Kathy Zappulla, president of DeLiceful, a company that treats head lice...