The Occupy Wall Street Movement continues, as disenfranchised Americans meet up, team up and speak up about what they see as the inequities of our country. Calling themselves the 99 Percent, the protestors express concerns about big business’ impact on politics.Yesterday marked the beginning of a week-long protest in the Journal Square area of Jersey City. Living in Parsippany, within Morris County (the eighth wealthiest county in the U.S.), in a town with a median household income of $86,013, versus the national average of $55,970, this issue is relevant to us. Parsippany has both McMansions…

I have a friend who received a surprising bill in the mail from her mobile phone service. Hundreds of dollars in text overages were reflected in her bill. It would seem her teenage son was texting very, very frequently. She pointed out that his grades required more attention than his social life and put some restrictions in place that included no texting during homework time. This was not her biggest text-induced headache, though. Her son is a popular kid and, as a junior in high school, enjoys texting with the girls. Girls who send racy pictures of themselves, baring cleavage. Girls who send…

As a parent, you have more life experience than your kids. What common sense advice, information that doesn't appear in textbooks, would you give your children? Here are some of my thoughts: Too many people go to school and expect to be handed a diploma and a job. Formal education teaches the basics, but you have to supply the drive. Be realistic. You can do what you love as a hobby, but if it's not an in-demand career, it's better to pursue something that you have the talent for that will pay the bills. Set a course for a work/life balance. If you realize from a young age that you intend to …

I have to admit this, I am a worrier. Having children gave me two more beings to worry about too. So, that’s why when Dr. Oz says, on his show, that apple juice has arsenic in it, my ears perk up. I am an apple juice fan, when it comes to toddlers. It’s such a pale, inoffensive color that blends so nicely with most clothing ensembles, unlike purple grape juice or red fruit punches.Apple juice, potentially dangerous? “No! Say it isn’t so!” my brain cries. Aside from a knee-jerk reaction, I did go to school for business, and, after several statistics classes, I’ve come to the decision that Mark…

Do you use an alias to hide your identity when posting online? If so, does it make you feel free to be yourself and honest? Or should your words be tied to your physical persona regardless of whether you are seen or unseen? I'm asking this because I saw a lot of earthquake-related re-Tweets Tuesday stating, "I think Chris Christie just jumped into the race." The information regarding the governor, at least at this point, is not true, but the posts kept appearing anyway. In addition to comments like those, when contentious issues arise in Parsippany, unkind comments sometimes pop up from …

I recently discussed college savings plans with a financial advisor for an article and received some interesting advice. The advisor recommended that kids have some "skin in the game," meaning she felt they should have some financial responsibility for coming up with the money for their education. This, she said, would help young people understand the value of college. Just imagine your kid's "a-ha" moment: "If I fail, I throw my own money down the toilet". My parents had a certain amount of money saved and let us know that we could either go to a reasonably priced school that would be 100 …

The debt ceiling has been big news lately.  It’s part of the whole package of problems associated with economic troubles we have had in the U.S.  This week, let's discuss how our economy is impacting your family.  Has unemployment, shrinking credit lines or the overall recession hit your home? Google Explorer provides a visual graph of unemployment rates, including NJ and Morris County here. In a nutshell, it shows that U.S. unemployment was at 9.7 percent as of June 2011, a bit higher than the U.S. overall, which was at 9.3 percent, while Morris County was faring better than most other …

There have been a lot of sunny days this summer.  What summer memory sticks with you so far?For me, I really enjoyed our week at the Jersey Shore. I liked walking along with my husband, taking turns pulling my toddler and infant along in their little red wagon on the way to the ice cream store. My infant scooted along the perimeter of the bay in her baby float, using it almost like a walker. My toddler and I proudly showed each other smooth stones we discovered along the water’s edge and loaded them into her toy dump truck. I am looking forward to hosting a big backyard barbecue for my …

I just attended a baby shower, where the invitation included a “Wishing Well” request to include a children’s book for the new baby.Each of us was tasked with inscribing a message to the newborn.  I thought this was a great idea: The new parents would end up with -a well-stocked library and a greeting card, all in one!This got me thinking.  There are so many good children’s books out there, and plenty of bad ones, too.  As a book lover, I liked the Berenstain Bears series when I was younger and now, I love to read it to my daughter.  The bear family's tree house is interesting and inviting, …

The jury's verdict yesterday that Casey Anthony was not guilty of the murder or assault of her daughter Caylee seemed surprising to many, given all of the publicity the case received. It didn't help Anthony's reputation when the public learned that she entered a Hot Bodies contest while her daughter was missing and that the missing persons report wasn’t filed until more than a month after the child's disappearance. In the eyes of many, Anthony was, at the very least, a narcissistic party girl--and a lot of us believed much worse of her.Blackstone’s Formula, which has been repeated in various …

I am very jealous of one of my mom friends.  She is from Italy, has a son my daughter’s age and he turns his nose up at fast food and prefers, in her words (served up with a beautiful Italian accent), “Grilled chicken, salad, pasta with some chopped vegetables or fish.”   It sounded so simple and beautiful.  But, it’s not that easy for me.  My daughter has always been picky and will happily forego food altogether if she’s otherwise engaged.  Even reminding her to eat is sometimes met with a tantrum.   When she was a baby, she would mostly just spit food out.  Her sister, at 7-months-old, on …

As I’ve recently started working part-time out of my home, I have explored nearly all methods of entertaining my infant and toddler.  One of my favorites is the library. It’s close, it’s convenient and best of all, it’s free. But, I have had two recent run-ins in the children’s book section that baffle me.  Both times, my toddler was fully supervised, working on the library’s puzzles and speaking in a normal (not screaming) voice.  Note that the children's section is on its own floor of the library, with its own computers. On one occasion, an adult left the computer area next to our table, …

For Father’s Day, dispense with Hallmark and join Patch in filling a page with memories of special fathers in our lives. Here’s a chance to get his name in print for the everyday but extra-special things he does that wouldn’t normally land him in the news.Let’s each write specific heartwarming dad memories.  There are no rules. Just share  something meaningful about your dad, grandpa, godfather—any father figure in your life.  Then, we can share our posts with the dads either electronically, or, for the unwired ones, you can print out what you wrote and slip it into your card.

Inspired by a friend’s recent visit to the Statue of Liberty, as well as the June 7 Asian Heritage Month celebration in Parsippany, this Moms Talk question is about what we do as moms to instill our culture into our kids.I’m curious as to whether the response will be different depending on the childrens' ages.  I would say that I know more about why my family came to America because of what I’ve witnessed—the drive for progression, hard-working people determined to better their own lives and those of their children. My maternal grandfather emigrated with his family at age eight, became a …

Recently, a friend posted an interesting question on Facebook: “Homeschooling—for or against?" Based on the ensuing discussion, it seems an increasing number of local moms going this route. Statistics suggest this follows a nationwide trend. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, the rate of homeschooling rose at least seven percent between Spring 2007 and Spring 2010.   The State of New Jersey homeschooling guidelines demonstrate lawmakers' general laissez-faire attitude toward the subject: “The law does not require or authorize the local board of education to review …

We all agree that exercising is important from a health standpoint. It not only keeps you fit, but also reduces stress. Studies conclude it raises serotonin levels and makes you happier. This is particularly important with moms who desperately need time for themselves, without the kids. Nowadays, there are many fitness facilities that offer babysitting services.  Sounds simple: Leave the kids with the sitter and go get fit. For a mother, though, doing so is not quite so easy. Mom guilt can rear its head. Just yesterday, when I dropped my children off at  the day care site, it was so …

Who has the right to take pictures of your children? In public places, anyone. But, should they?District 40 Assemblyman David Russo (R-Bergen) is sponsoring a bill that would outlaw anyone from taking pictures of a child in public without their parents' consent.   According to The Star-Ledger, “The bill would ban taking pictures or taping children in situations in which ‘a reasonable parent or guardian would not expect his child to be the subject of such reproduction.’”This was prompted by a 63-year-old-man who was photographing girls under the age of 10 swimming at a lake in Ringwood. When …

I recently read a parenting article, the premise was that children should be given an allowance and it should not be tied to chores or work, since doing so creates another parent/child power struggle. The author felt that being responsible for money should be its own learning experience. This week’s discussion is working children/teens. Do your kids get an allowance and, if so, is it tied to chores/housework of some sort?  If you have a teenager, do you allow him/her to work?  What constraints do you put on that? I’ve worked at various jobs since I was 13 (babysitting, then when I got my …

I've always enjoyed Mother's Day, even before I became a mother. It's a holiday with very little pressure. I always view it as an opportunity to dress a little fancier than usual and do something out of the ordinary with my mom and the other special mothers in my life.  My mom is the kind of person who gets very excited and happy about things that many people don't even notice.  She will be completely delighted by the first crocus of the season, a bird she hasn't seen on the feeder in a long time or a new flavor of ice cream. She's easy to please and it's always fun to surprise her with …

With the contentious school board elections today, perhaps we can stick to a more innocuous Moms Talk question regarding elections. Not all who vote, vote alone.  In fact, there is an official statement on New Jersey's website (I had to look) that states you can bring children under the age of 18 into the voting booth—there is no maximum occupancy listed.  I have always taken my older daughter, mainly because I would go after work to pick her up from daycare, then take her to the polls. At first, it was a matter of convenience, but she rather liked the whole process—the official part of …