In Westbury, a Treehouse for kids and parents

July 20, 2008

Four-year-old Andrew Margaritis, dressed in a white martial arts uniform snugly cinched with a green belt, gleefully flipped his mother onto her back at Orly's Treehouse in Westbury one recent Thursday morning.

Recent columns

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Ways to put child's sleep issues to bed

  July 20, 2008

  My 2-year-old wakes up at 2a.m. daily screaming, "Mommy, I want to come down!" This has been going on for more than a month. We've tried several times letting her cry it out for up to an hour, but that hasn't worked. Out of pure exhaustion, we've resorted to bringing her into our bed. How do we get her to sleep in her crib all night?

• Parents missing children at camp are 'kidsick'

  July 13, 2008

  When Judy Ackerman sent her 10-year-old daughter off for a trial weekend at a sleep-away camp this past winter, she had a hard time letting go of the suitcase.

• Chill out: Air conditioner is fine for infant's room

  July 13, 2008

  We live in a Cape Cod home, and the upstairs gets hotter than 80 degrees. Is it all right to install a room air conditioner in my child's room? She is 2, still in a crib. Also, I am wondering at what temperature it should be set.

• Tips for parents who miss children at camp

  July 13, 2008

  Just as you taught your child ways to comfort herself when she is homesick, you need to use the same skills when you miss her. Camp directors and veteran parents whose children go to sleep-away camp offer these tips:

• Russian American Kids Circus on Stage

  July 6, 2008

  School's out. No more worries about letting your children stay up late on a school night. No fears the kids won't get their homework finished if you fill up their days and nights with too much fun.

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Water in dog bowl not good for child

  July 6, 2008

  My 2-year-old daughter keeps drinking out of our dog's water bowl. Can she get sick from this? I am looking for ways to discourage this, but she seems to keep doing it. Now that the hot weather is here, I really don't want to remove the bowl when we are at home. Any suggestions?

• Why do kids have secret clubs?

  June 29, 2008

  "Gwanga, gwanga, galoolie, kariba, kariba, kariv."

• Anniversary Hula hoopla

  June 29, 2008

  Can you still swivel your hips like a 10-year-old? The Hula Hoop turns 50 this year, so give the colorful plastic ring a nostalgic try and see. After all, it's conceivable you still have a Hula Hoop in the garage, as the toy remains a childhood toy staple.

• When a child has trouble making friends

  June 29, 2008

  I am at my wit's end with my 8-year-old, who just finished third grade. My son has always been overbearing and immature with other kids. He wants to make friends desperately but lacks the skills. He acts silly, exaggerates stories and sometimes says things that put down other children to make himself look better, which I perceive as a self-confidence issue. He seems to have no friends. Today I asked him what he did at recess, and he said the kids wouldn't let him play basketball so he sat on the side and drew pictures by himself. This breaks my heart. I have spoken to his teacher, principal and school social worker. I've made an appointment with an outside psychologist. What else can I do?

• SUMMER DAYS: FOR MORE

  June 23, 2008

  Orly's Treehouse

• Helping parents stay close

  June 22, 2008

  Trying to keep the intimacy going while dealing with the demands of young children? Read about some of your contemporaries who are striving for the same.

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Daughter's acting like a 'mean girl'

  June 22, 2008

  My fifth-grade daughter used to be best friends with a girl in her class. Recently, she made a new friend who says she doesn't like the other girl. So my daughter has essentially dumped her old friend. I feel awful for the girl and for her mom. On top of that, my daughter then sent an insulting text-message to the jilted girl's cell phone. The other mom called me and asked me to talk to my daughter about it. I am stunned by my daughter's "mean girls" attitude; she's never behaved this way before. What can I do?

• LI KIDS: Behind a ‘dry drowning’

  June 22, 2008

  Oh, great. Another thing for parents to worry about.

• A guide to Adventureland amusement park

  June 19, 2008

  With gas prices so high, who wants to drive to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey? Instead, take the kids to Adventureland, "Long Island's Amusement Park since 1962."

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Son resists going to school

  June 15, 2008

  My fourth-grade son doesn't want to go to school. Every morning, he says he doesn't feel well. We've taken him to the doctor and given him a complete physical, even blood tests and X-rays. Nothing is medically wrong. I've talked to his teacher, who says he has friends and is doing well academically. I've explained to him that school is his job, and he has to go. But the morning comes, and it's like a broken record. What can I do to break this pattern?

• Starting young: Kids on the campaign trail

  June 8, 2008

  Raymond Rose took off a week in late May and flew to Puerto Rico to help Sen. Hillary Clinton with her quest to win the Democratic primary there.

• Brushing up on ways to clean kids' teeth

  May 26, 2008

  Brushing my 2-year-old's teeth is difficult because he won't open his mouth, or, when he does, he'll then bite down on the toothbrush. He also sucks the toothpaste off the toothbrush and swallows it. Any recommendations for my sweet, but sometimes stubborn, boy?

• TotSpot: Web social network for parents and babies

  May 25, 2008

  You think a tween is too young to have a MySpace page?

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Gauging night light safety

  May 19, 2008

  I recently purchased two night lights for my grandchildren that are supposed to have light sensors that turn them on and off. Unfortunately, they do not work correctly and are on 24 hours a day at my grandchildren's house. Each light has a protective covering that is always cool to the touch and covers the entire outlet. My grandchildren live in a house built in 1920. Can having the lights on at all times cause a dangerous situation, such as an electrical fire? My children think their mom has lost a screw, but I would like to be reassured.

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Don't reward tot's bad habit

  May 12, 2008

  I'm at the end of my line with my 2-year-old granddaughter. Every time she gets upset, she starts crying and throws up. I know she's not sick, or having any kind of stomach problems. I'm convinced she does it on purpose. What can I do to make her stop?

• LI KIDS: Protecting your child in the hospital

  May 11, 2008

  It's bad enough when you hear your child must be hospitalized. But now, a new study shows that one in every 15 hospitalized children experiences medicine mix-ups, accidental overdoses or bad drug reactions.

• Lohan's mom nabs parenting award

  May 7, 2008

  Dina Lohan tried valiantly to keep the subject on motherhood last night at Carlyle on The Green in Bethpage State Park as she was swarmed by a score of videographers, camera people and reporters asking about her daughter Lindsay's foibles.

• Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina, named a 'Top Mom'

  May 6, 2008

  Let's face it -- if a group can score Dina Lohan at an event, chances are celebrity-crazed Long Islanders will attend just for the chance to see her.

• Beth Whitehouse: Discussing business with a child

  May 5, 2008

  My husband has his own business and discusses upcoming deals or current business strategies with our 12-year-old son when he puts him to bed. I would like our son to be tucked in and kissed good night by both of us, perhaps talk to us or watch TV for a few minutes and then have lights out. I do not object to our boys having superficial knowledge of our business because I believe it helps them understand that the things we enjoy in life come from hard work and to develop a healthy respect for financial responsibility. My objection is discussing, in detail, business deals with our 12-year-old as though he is a peer who works for the company. Am I being too sensitive?

• A night out for new moms

  May 4, 2008

  Mother's Day is next Sunday, so why not treat yourself to an early celebration? On Tuesday night, Mingling Moms, a business that brings together new mothers on Long Island, is experimenting with its first pre-Mother's Day extravaganza.

• Comfort your baby when shifting caregivers

  April 28, 2008

  My daughter has recently returned to work and leaves her firstborn, who is 6 months old, with me one day and her friend another day. On the weekends, the baby is with her father. She is a delightful, happy baby who smiles and coos all day. The problem is that the minute she sees her mother at the end of a long day (her mom works a 12-hour shift), she cries hysterically. My daughter's well-meaning friends say the baby is angry at her for leaving her. Is there any way to help this little baby?

• Huntington third-graders' lesson in adoption

  April 27, 2008

  One recent Friday, 9-year-old Sarah Grassi woke up and announced to her mother: "OK, Mom, we're going to court today. I have to dress just so, and I can't wear sneakers."

• PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Got milk for tot? Some guidelines

  April 21, 2008

  How much whole milk should an 18-month-old be drinking each day?

• Blogging you vacation keeps loved ones in touch

  April 13, 2008

  Last summer, my son and I joined my boyfriend and his daughter on a vacation to Williamsburg, Va.

• Finding a summer camp niche

  March 23, 2008

  When 11-year-old Alfred Nieves heads to day camp this summer, he won't be doing the archery/arts and crafts/swim routine.

• Proper shoes give toddlers good footing

  March 3, 2008

  How important are really good toddler shoes? My 19-month-old is walking and running like crazy, and I haven't purchased a really good pair of walking shoes yet - the kind from stores such as Stride Rite. They seem pricey, but I will purchase them if they really make a difference.

• Giving 6-year-olds milk in baby bottles isn't OK

  February 25, 2008

  My twin grandsons will be 6 years old in June, and their mother still puts them to bed with whole milk in baby bottles. Is this OK?

• Kid's Hannah Montana eBay bid is trouble

  February 11, 2008

  Without my knowledge, my 8-year-old daughter signed up for eBay and bid $700 for Hannah Montana paraphernalia. Worse yet, she won her bids! I e-mailed the seller explaining the situation, and he was furious. Am I legally responsible for this payment?

• When should children use fluoride toothpaste?

  February 4, 2008

  My 18-month-old takes daily vitamins with fluoride. I give her bottled water, not water from our faucet. Does she need to drink water with fluoride? When do we start toothpaste with fluoride?

• In parents' bed, four's a crowd

  January 21, 2008

  My 4-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl sleep with me at night. I can't get them to stay in their own beds. They won't get into bed; they just attach themselves to me when I try to leave them in their rooms. My husband just wants to lock them in their rooms, but I don't see this as an option. The constant walking them back to their beds won't work if they won't even climb into bed. Please help!

• Chat with Internet pal's mom

  January 14, 2008

  Our 16-year-old son has a girlfriend several states away whom he "met" online three years ago. He's never met her in person. He has been calling her on his cell phone a lot lately, always when no one else is around. The girl and her mother have planned to visit on a few occasions - never by invitation - but have canceled each time. I'm afraid he'll get himself in trouble, but if I cut off his cell phone or Internet he would resent it. He's doing very well academically, is polite and has a couple of friends at school. Should I trust his judgment? If not, what should I do?

• Kids adjust to child custody schedules

  January 7, 2008

  My granddaughter and her husband are estranged and live about 500 miles apart. To have equal sharing of their 2 1/2-year-old daughter, they have devised a schedule in which each parent will have the child for one month. The schedule started last month, and when the child was returned to her mother, she appeared shy and quiet. This is the way she behaves when she is approached by someone she doesn't know. She adjusted soon thereafter. What impact does this schedule have on the child?