The premise behind the Elf on the Shelf is that Santa sends a special elf to your house to keep an eye on your children to make sure they are behaving. At night, when everyone is asleep, the elf, with his magic powers, goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa on who was naughty and who was nice. The fun part is that before sunrise the next morning, your elf comes back from his nightly report to the big guy and appears in another location in your house whether it is something as simple as sitting in the Christmas tree or something quite mischievous as making “snow” angels on the kitchen table. There is one simple rule — no touching! If you touch your elf, his magic will disappear and he will no longer be able to travel back to the North Pole. This has been a great way to keep little hands off of our elf, which the children lovingly named Elfie Rojo. Rojo is the Spanish word for red. You think they’ve watched too much Dora the Explorer? This is definitely the highlight of our holiday season and with each Christmas Eve, which is the day Elfie goes back to the North Pole to stay until next year, the kids tell him goodbye and we talk about all the fun memories we’ve had with him over the past couple of weeks.

Idea 1

Elfie Rojo has good hygiene

Our sneaky lil’ Elfie Rojo was found in the children’s shower up on the towel rack this morning. Elfie looked like he had just finished taking a bath and flossing his teeth. For this set up, I took an old rag and fashioned it around Elfie’s head and then slipped in a flossing stick for good measure. Of course, upon finding him, I commented on how it looked like Elfie was trying to remind the children to take baths at night and to keep their teeth brushed so they won’t get cavities. Not all of Elfie’s pranks have to be silly; with some of them I try to throw in a life lesson or two.

Idea 2

Elfie rides a butterfly

Elfie was found in my daughter’s room riding one of her butterfly decorations that hangs from the ceiling. Our family had just recently watched the movie Avatar so the kids thought that Elfie looked just like Jake Sully, the main character in the movie, riding one of the mountain banshees.

Idea 3

Elfie makes snow angels

In this Elf on a the Shelf idea, the kids found Elfie making “snow” angels on the kitchen table this particular morning and didn’t know whether to laugh or worry that Elfie would be in trouble. I pretended to be scolding Elfie for making such a mess, but the kids defended him and happily agreed to clean up the snow so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. Here’s a little tip: Double-sided tape helps to get your elf’s hands to stay where you need them to.

Idea 4

Stocking Exchange

Once again, Elfie Rojo was quite the prankster on this day! He decided to take down all of our Christmas stockings and switch them out for each family member’s underwear. Maybe he wanted to start a new trend? The kids thought this was quite hilarious! I was a bit mortified when my neighbor decided to pay me a visit and my undies were out for the world to see.

Idea 5

Elfie reads a book

I have a little doll bed that I use for my newborn photography sessions but Elfie thought it made for the perfect snuggle spot for him to read a book in front of our Christmas tree. I think we bought this little Christmas board book from the dollar store but it was the perfect size for Elfie to read. This can also be a good reminder for children who are at a reading age to practice their reading.

Idea 6

Elfie plays the guitar

Elfie Rojo was practicing the guitar when the children found him this day. I love to play guitar, although I find I haven’t had the time to play lately. Nestled into my guitar strings and with my music book opened to what else — ”Jingle Bells,” Elfie was ready to play and sing! A few days later, the kids and I took Elfie’s advice and sang ”Jingle Bells” while I clumsily fumbled through chords. It had been too long since I last played, and my fingers were so sore. Nonetheless, the kids didn’t care that I didn’t hit every note; they just enjoyed having Mommy time and singing!

Idea 7

Elfie was found zip lining through the boys’ room

This one was a bit difficult to do. I knew the boys had to be completely asleep for this one since I was going to be setting this up in their room. I hung ribbon from the ceiling to the other end of the wall and then taped Elfie’s hand to a candy cane creating a zip line. We had recently spent a weekend at the Longhorn River Ranch where there was a zip line over the river which the kids really wanted to do but it was just too high for them. The kids thought it was neat that at least Elfie got to zip line even though they didn’t get to this past summer!

Idea 8

Elfie Rojo loves ice cream — who knew?

After searching and searching that morning for Elfie Rojo, my daughter finally found him in the freezer holding an ice cream cone! The cone was one of the little food items that was a part of my daughter’s kitchen play set.

Idea 9

Elfie impersonates the “Big Guy”

I hung the tail end of a Santa hat into the kitchen cabinet and then sat Elfie into the mouth cut out of the beard attachment. Not sure Elfie fooled any of us with his disguise but the children thought it was funny. This made it difficult getting to our plates and bowls in the cabinet since you aren’t supposed to touch or move Elfie, but we managed for one day.

Idea 10

Elfie Rojo plays Scrabble with friends

Elfie Rojo, along with Hulk, Raggedy Ann and T-Rex, were found playing an intense game of Scrabble this morning. All the words on the board had something to do with Christmas — deer, trees, Christmas, hat, Santa, snowman, and of course, Elfie Rojo! Hulk was mad because he had all vowels and couldn’t play. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

Idea 11

Elfie writes a cautionary note to remind the kids to be good

The kids were particularly bad one day so the next morning Elfie was found by the front door holding a pencil with which he wrote the kids a note reminding them that they needed to behave to be on Santa’s Nice List. Here’s a little tip: I wrote this letter with my left hand in fear that my kids would recognize my handwriting. It took a little longer but they didn’t recognize it and the writing almost looks childlike which I think looks authentic.

Idea 12

Elfie takes a siesta

All that traveling back and forth to the North Pole and back has made Elfie Rojo very tired so he decides to relax and have a fruity umbrella drink. I hung a bandana between two poinsettias to make the hammock. The yellow game piece from our Trouble game became the glass and a toothpick with a small round piece of decorative paper became the drink umbrella. I think at this point, Mommy was ready for a little R & R too.

Idea 13

Elfie plays with toilet paper

Elfie reminded the kids that there were only five more days until Christmas. He hung toilet paper from the top cabinet and used Momma’s lip stick to write his message.

Idea 14

Snowball fight!

Using Lego blocks for barriers and marshmallows for snowballs, Elfie and Bumblebee set out to have a very fun time with a big snowball fight. Although, by the time I was able to get my camera out that morning to get a quick photo, half the snowballs had disappeared! My three little snowball eaters had already cleared out a bunch of the snow before this picture was taken.

Idea 15

Elfie turns the kids into Rudolph

This Elf on the Shelf idea was so much fun, but a little tricky to pull off. I initially thought about using lipstick, but the thought of it smudging off during the night and getting on all the pillows, was not pleasant. So I decided to use a washable craft paint instead. But then again, I struggled with the idea that the paint might still rub off in the middle of the night. So plan B, instead of painting their noses at the beginning of the night, I woke up early that morning and painted the red dots on about an hour before they typically wake up. At the most, if they did have that one last roll-over before getting out of bed it wouldn’t be too bad of a smudge and hopefully the paint would be dry within a minute or two after I applied it. I set up Elfie on the counter so when the kids walked into the living room they would see his note. The squeal of excitement from all three kids from this little red dot could be heard from the next house over!

Idea 16

Elfie plays pirate

Elfie Rojo, or should I say pirate Rojo, was found hiding in the kitchen cabinets in the Treasure Island skull mug my husband bought during one of his trips to Las Vegas. His pirate eye patch is made from a tiny piece of black craft paper and tied with some elastic string.

Idea 17

Elfie impersonates the “Big Guy” again

Elfie brought his own red Santa bag with little gifts for everyone. Each child received small do-it-yourself Christmas ornaments to make that morning after breakfast. Note: These types of ornaments can be found fairly inexpensively at any craft store or dollar store. For Elfie’s Santa beard, I first cut a small paper beard. Next I pulled off tiny bits of cotton ball and rolled them into smaller balls to glue to the paper beard. And once again, a good sized piece of double sided tape kept the beard on Elfie’s face.

Idea 18

Elfie plays I Spy

I spy with my little eye... Elfie Rojo! This particular morning, it took the children forever to find Elfie because he was hiding so well and even disguised himself as a girl complete with a pink bow! After what seems like several minutes and some discouraging comments from the children, I announced “I spy with my little eye, Elfie Rojo!” They all came running into my daughter’s room searching and searching until finally my son exclaimed, “There he is!”

Idea 19

Elfie was naughty and doodled on a photo

The children found Elfie perched up on one of our framed photos and he had drawn a silly mustache and other doodles on my oldest son’s picture. The kids thought this was a riot and laughed hysterically! I actually used a sharpie marker which I tested beforehand to make sure it would come off. However, if I would have had a dry erase marker, it would have worked better and saved me a little bit of scrubbing.

Idea 20

Elfie plays Twister

Elfie Rojo and his friends stayed up late playing Twister. He was actually in a sitting position when I went to bed that night, but by morning time, he was slumped over. Fortunately I think it made him look more genuine because it looked like he couldn’t stay on his color and fell over which is fairly typical in the game of Twister when you’ve got arms and legs going everywhere and your balance is off.

Idea 21

Candy cane sled in the snow

Elfie was found riding a candy cane sled in some marshmallow snow! Once again, the “snow” did not last very long with three hungry munchkins in the house. What was once a large mound of snow was whittled down to just a few snowballs by the time I came back with my camera. The candy cane sled was easy to make. Just hot glue a couple of candy canes together and set to dry.

Idea 22

Meet me under the mistletoe

Elfie Rojo hung mistletoe in the middle of our hallway which is the busiest area of our house because it connects our living room to the bedrooms. We found ourselves giving lots of hugs and kisses to one another that day — a perfect reminder of what Christmas is all about.

Idea 23

Elfie impersonates me

I am so flattered! The kids found Elfie in my office taking pictures with my old Iloca camera. His models were five McDonald happy meal figurines.

Idea 24

Elfie loves chocolate chips

Oh our crazy Elfie was found in the pantry this morning head down in a bag of half eaten chocolate chips in this Elf on the Shelf idea. This was actually a great cover up for me. You see, I love chocolate too and the night before I found myself eating chocolate chips by the handful and watching a movie. Thanks for taking one for the team Elfie and covering for a fellow chocoholic!

Idea 25

Elfie decorates the house with lights

Once again, Elfie Rojo proved very hard to find this particular morning. The kids searched and searched all over the house not realizing that he was outside! It looks like he was trying to hang Christmas lights on our house and also trying to drop a subtle hint to Daddy that it needed to be done. Being the little Elf that he is, he just couldn’t quite make it to the roof!

Idea 26

Elfie is captured by the Army men

The Army has captured Elfie and they are holding him hostage. With a little bit of rope and a Shake Weight , the army men try to keep Elfie Rojo from disappearing that night to go back to the North Pole. The mission was unsuccessful. Elfie escaped and was found in a different location the next morning.

More Christmas ideas

Creative Christmas card display ideas
An old-fashioned Christmas
Christmas Eve family traditions we love

by Jackie Ourman
as told to Julie Weingarden Dubin

When my first child, Jake, was born in 2004, he was dubbed a “micro-preemie” weighing only 1-1/2 pounds. The fact that he lived was a miracle. The doctors told us we had to get through the first two years — a cold could be deadly due to his weak immune system. I left my human resources job at an investment bank in New York City to care for Jake.

My little guy grew and got stronger but four days before his second birthday, we had friends over for a Super Bowl party and Jake had a severe allergic food reaction. His face was swollen and red beyond recognition, he had hives all over his body and he was wheezing. We learned that Jake was severely allergic to peanuts, several tree nuts and sesame.

In 2006, we had another son, Jeremy, and at about 1 year he showed signs of asthma. Testing found that Jeremy had the same life-threatening food allergies as Jake, in addition to egg and many environmental allergies. In 2010, we had our third son, Jarrett, and thankfully, he does not have any food allergies or intolerances.

Food or foe?

Today my boys are ages 3, 6 and 8. In addition to food allergies, Jeremy, 6, and I were recently diagnosed with celiac disease. We need to avoid gluten . I felt sad for Jeremy — no pizza, sandwiches, pasta or birthday cake. But I think it’s been easier for him since I was also diagnosed. We are in it together and I can empathize with him in a way that I think makes him feel he’s not alone.

I’ve always loved to cook and read about food. But my relationship with food became challenged when my love for food turned to fear. I couldn’t get past the idea that food could kill my kids.

Fear and isolation became a big part of my life because almost all of the social events in our society revolve around food. But I realized that I can’t isolate my kids or protect them 24/7. I could only do my best to try to figure out how to manage their food allergies. I became a member of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, which advocates for research funds and educates people on life-threatening food allergies.

A culinary education

I initially felt like I was throwing a pity party — focusing on all the foods that Jeremy and I couldn’t eat, but then I decided I was going to turn the situation around. I went on a quest to learn as much as I could about food and recipes for my family and also to raise awareness about food allergies and celiac disease in order to help others. I challenged myself to get more creative in the kitchen.

I’d focus on the delicious foods we could eat and I’d tweak recipes to introduce even more favorites to our menu. My palate’s been influenced by various cultures. My parents are from Egypt. My mother-in-law is from the Dominican Republic and I spent three summers living in Mexico. I love creating savory recipes. I want my kids to love food despite their dietary restrictions.

With my husband Jason’s support, I enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. I completed Culinary Management School last August, and now I’m in the Culinary Arts program. I want to help restaurants become more allergy-friendly and work with families with similar issues so they can transition to flavorful diets.

I feel so excited and passionate about the ability to potentially guide others. I started a blog, Celiac and Allergy Friendly Epicurean, in order to journal my experience and share recipes and resources dealing with food allergies and celiac disease.

Empower and inspire

I live and breathe for my children and want nothing more than for them to be healthy and happy and live their lives as carefree as possible. I don't want food allergies or celiac disease to define them.

Food allergies aren’t easy — they provoke a tremendous amount of anxiety and angst for us, however, we are thankful for what we have. I feel like I may be helping others in similar situations and that’s inspiring.

Read more Mom Stories

My son with Down syndrome models
My husband has Asperger’s syndrome
I’m in a band with my twin daughters

The Kennedy family came together when Irish-Americans Joseph Kennedy Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald married. The family has since become known for their contribution to politics, with the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960, to their glamorous lifestyle with Jackie Onassis and the famous “Kennedy Compound” in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Along with the glamour, came the tragedies, including the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr., as well as the assassination of his father JFK.

It is hard to deny the iconic status of the Kennedy family leading to our fascination of this All-American family that continues today. We pulled together some of our favorite baby names inspired by the Kennedy family.

The name Kennedy

The most obvious choice for a name after this iconic family is the name Kennedy. This name is actually classified as a baby boy name of Irish origin that means “helmeted.”

It is interesting to note, however, that Kennedy is actually a more popular name for baby girls! It has been steadily moving up the charts, with it ranked 139 on the Social Security Administration’s list of popular baby names in 2000 — and has moved up to number 90 on the most recent list.

The alternative spelling of Kennedi is ranked at number 445.

The new generation of Kennedy names

The Kennedy family continues to grow, with many of the fifth generation kids having four or five kids each!

Conor, the son of Robert Kennedy, has been in the news lately for dating Taylor Swift. The name Conor is an Irish name, as are many of the Kennedy names as a nod to their heritage.

More baby names

Preppy baby names
All-American girl names: The new classics
All-American boy names

Play for most children is innate, something they love to do with others, whether it's a parent, friend or classmate.

It's so important for a parent and their child to find something that interests both of them when it comes to play. This way, it is not only more enjoyable for both parties, but can be a learning experience for your child, as well as prime bonding time.

Play should be a mixture of many facets which can include some form of physical activity, cards, board games, technology, painting or a new hobby that both parent and child would enjoy.

Today's digital world is filled with high-tech toys and gaming systems, and as a result, imaginative play is becoming extinct. Lee Knowlton, CEO of Pump It Up, the nation's leader in the active children's party industry has offered the following five tips to help parents evoke their children's imaginations:

Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on the latest entertainment system, gadget or toy, visit your local resale or costume shop. Keep a trunk filled with dress-up clothes, hats, fashion jewelry, masks and other props that kids can choose from for inventive play.

Show your child how a stick can become a fairy's wand or a pirate's sword. Talk about how the local park or forest can be their castle or secret kingdom.

It may seem difficult, but try to give your children at least an hour or more of uninterrupted time each day when they can let their minds run free.

Books can spur a child's imagination, introduce them to new concepts and environments, and inspire them to think about things in a new way.

It's OK if your child has an imaginary friend or talk to themselves — it's actually great. Listen to what types of things they are saying and chime in to the conversation when appropriate.

Parents need to stop stressing about what to play or how they are playing and just realize any way you play is OK. Kids just want to be with their parents. Even walking around your neighborhood and looking for rocks and leaves — anything can be a way to connect and bond.

Before you beat yourself up too much about how much or how little you play with your child, remember this: According to Dr. Lawrence Mestyanek, founder of TAG Toys and renowned expert in early childhood development and education, "Kids actually need time to play, independently. It builds personal creativity skills, it helps them work through personal problems and it gives them confidence and a taste of freedom. Parents who are struggling to keep their interest in basic play activities might be pleased to learn that there are very real benefits to independent childhood playtime, which among other things can actually help improve relationships and open new channels of family communication."

Childhood is all about play and it should be fun for both parent and child alike!

More on children's playtime

Help your kids play independently
Creative everyday play ideas for kids
Signs your preschooler needs more playtime

There's an app for what?

Teen pregnancy is a social issue that we as parents hope to personally help combat as our children grow. An app from a national agency whose goal is to help prevent teen pregnancy claims to do so. But does it help or hurt?

Is bootylog
good for teens?

Many parents are horrified by the app and all it claims to do.

A new app called, of all things, BootyLog, markets itself as a digital black book where users can anonymously document sexual encounters, the types of birth control they used, and also allows them to rate their experiences as well as microblog about their hookups. This sounds like an app that is targeted toward adults, right? Not so fast. It turns out that this app is funded by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. So, it’s targeted toward… teens. What?

Jenna, mom of two, felt that the app was an extremely bad idea. “I'm horrified at this, both as a parent of two girls and as a 20-something-year-old woman,” she explained.

Straight from the horse's mouth

“By getting people to talk about sex — the good, the bad and the embarrassing — we think BootyLog will ultimately empower people to make healthier choices about sex and preventing unplanned pregnancies,” said Lawrence Swiader, senior director of Digital Media for The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “BootyLog shows that sex can be fun and responsible.”

Prevent teen pregnancy?

Many moms we spoke with were dumbfounded that the app is funded by an organization that has a goal of reducing teen pregnancy in the United States by one third between 2006 and 2015. Is an app called BootyLog a way to do it?

Rachael, pregnant with her third child, spoke from experience. “As I was a teen mother I can confidently say, that app would not help me not get pregnant,” she shared. “Bragging about sexual encounters and reading others brag is more like[ly] to promote risky sex than prevent it. Stick to the old-fashioned way of actually keeping communication lines open with your children.”

Wrong message

The app name itself is not something that you’d like to see on your child’s phone. “The fact that it’s called BootyLog is enough to put me — and I hope, most, other parents — off,” said Rachael. And Emily from Canada, only half-joking, exclaimed, “If I found out my kid was using an app called ‘BootyLog’ I would be smashing heads. This is not the right way to go about teaching safe sex.”

Others thought that the app would be a way to capture information that could be used in the wrong way — for example, someone making a profile and scoping out stories from teens. “It seems like a pedophile's delight, or a sick, sick person getting their jollies off reading stories,” explained Amy, mom of two.

Overall, the parents we spoke with could not believe that an app like this was funded by an organization committed to preventing teen pregnancy, and most felt that it would have the total opposite effect. So, moms and dads, now you know what to look for if you check out your teen’s downloaded apps.

More on parenting teens

Sex facts: Clueless teens are getting pregnant
How to deal: Your teenage daughter is pregnant
Are we glamorizing teen moms?

The effect of TV and other media

Secondhand media exposure — such as a TV playing in the background — can be detrimental to your child's homework as well as his creative thinking and development.

Why you should turn off the television

Contributed by Dr. George Drinka

Our children live steeped in a pop culture that revels in entertainment. More and more they spend their leisure time amused and amazed by media creations. In fact, the sheer number of hours of their media connection seems to be growing exponentially. While the creators of the media world may be cheering over this, their parents have reasons to be frowning.

The problem is that kids have other things to do, tasks vital to their development: Homework, communing with family and friends, and playing imaginatively, an activity vital to their becoming individuals in a society that always needs original ideas. How do the media impact on these developmental tasks? Often, not positively.

Secondhand exposure

A recent article from CNN.com describes an October 1, 2012 study published in the scholarly journal PEDATRICS that approaches this question in a surprising way. The journal article sets out to measure not the hours of time spent in front of the tube or tied to a video system or enraptured by YouTube that has become the daily fare of our kids. Rather it focuses on so-called secondhand media exposure and its impact on our kids. What is secondhand media exposure and how can this be a problem different than media over-absorption?

The article’s approach to these questions is a modest one. Its authors connected with almost 1,500 American families with children between the ages of 8 months and 8 years and took diary-like accounts of the goings-on in these homes on a given day. The question to be answered is not how much time the child lives absorbed directly in media connections but rather how long in a given day do the media serve as a background in the child’s life. The researchers discovered that these kids spent nearly four out of 16 waking hours sitting near a media gadget while engrossed in some other activity like playing or doing homework. The time is even greater when children have TVs in their bedrooms.

Is this a problem?

As the PEDATRICS article makes clear, such secondhand media exposure is known to have negative effects on children’s contact with their parents and family, on their imaginative play, and, especially by the middle grades, on homework. In numerous studies, children of various ages have been placed in rooms with TVs murmuring in the background as they set out to do homework or paper and pencil assignments. Not surprisingly, many kids do worse with the media humming and flickering nearby.

What’s the reason for this phenomenon?

Their attention spans are drifting, and they are not encoding in their memory what they’re assigned to learn. Since many kids now have TVs in their bedrooms and most kids do their homework in this very room, the two naturally collide in real life. I have not, of course, detailed the problems that such secondhand media exposure generates in children’s family life or their imaginative play. But the key seems their or their parents’ being defocused from each other due to the media gadget’s pull on them or the kids drifting away from any focus on their inner, imaginative lives, and their weaving in and out of one task into the other and doing not so good a job on either.

What is to be done?

The obvious recommendation is to remove TVs from bedrooms and turn media gadgets off during mealtimes, and to honor a child’s desire to play quietly by him or herself. The child will be encouraged to dig more deeply into one’s inner lives — a process at the heart of becoming an authentic human being.

Dr. George Drinka is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the author of The Birth of Neurosis: Myth, Malady and the Victorians . His new book, When the Media Is the Parent, is a culmination of his work with children, his scholarly study of works on the media and American cultural history, and his dedication to writing stories that reveal the humanity in us all.

More about kids and the media

Real Moms Debate: How much TV is reasonable for kids?
Can you keep the media from being a bad influence on your child?
How do the media usurp the parenting role?

Joint dysfunction and nerve irritation can impact young people in big ways — from causing headaches and sleeping troubles to bed wetting and asthma. Can chiropractic care help?

Improved child health with... a chiropractor?

Chiropractic care is a branch of medicine that focuses on the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Chiropractors focus on adjusting the spine to allow the proper functioning of the body via the nervous system.

Have you ever been to the chiropractor? This growing field is becoming an important part of maintaining optimal health — for kids and adults. Yes, seeing a chiropractor could really help your child.

Really? Children? Yes! Believe it or not, minor things like bumps and falls can actually harm joints and nerves — creating dysfunction and irritation that leads to ailments like headaches, sleep troubles, bed wetting and more.

Who is chiropractic care for?

Chiropractic care is really for everyone — from babies on up. "It can benefit kids just as it can benefit adults," says Dr. Katie Pinkus of Pinkus Family Chiropractic in Manchester, Vermont.

Pinkus says that chiropractic care focuses on healing the body, so that it can better communicate with itself — something that can be interrupted by misaligned vertebrae.

Dr. Carrie Getzmier, chair of the Minnesota Chiropractic Association communications committee agrees. "Gentle chiropractic care not only removes this nerve interference, but also stimulates the immune system, enhancing the child's overall health," says Getzmier. She says that babies with colic, difficulty breastfeeding, reflux and more could benefit from it.

The first appointment

The first appointment will vary based on the practice you choose. However, Pinkus says that in her office, the appointment is really a thorough evaluation. "We usually talk about nutrition and diet. We talk about prenatal and in utero and delivery care," says Pinkus. They also use special technology to do a neurological screen to see how the nerves are behaving — and which ones "are firing off too hard, what nerves are not firing off enough."

They also look at posture and gait.

Getting adjustments

When it's time for the adjustments, there is nothing to fear. Pinkus says that adjustments can be as minor as sustained pressure in a certain area, which varies in strength depending on what's needed. "It is not painful. If a child is young enough — most of my babies don’t wake up while I am adjusting them," says Pinkus. "We usually talk to the kids before the adjustment."

This non-painful, non-invasive branch of medicine could really help your kids. Why not give it a try?

Read more on child health

Chiropractic care for fertility
How to choose a chiropractor
Chiropractic care for breech babies

Celebrating every baby

Just because you already have a child doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be showered with love for your next baby. Baby “sprinkles” are becoming very popular for second, third and subsequent babies — a much lower key gathering.

Let the love rain down

With minimal pressure and an informal feel to them, a baby sprinkle party is a lovely way to welcome a new addition.

Never heard of a baby sprinkle? Instead of "showering" the mother with gifts, as in a baby shower, you "sprinkle" her with just a few necessities. As the name suggests, a sprinkle is a light shower. If the child is a second or third child, mothers typically already have most of the supplies needed to care for a baby.

Sprinkle with the daily essentials

A sprinkle stocks repeat parents with basic replenishable items they'll need right away and go through quickly. For example: Diapers, diaper cream, baby bathroom essentials and wipes. New outfits, toys, bedding and books are lovely gifts too and guests of a sprinkle should not feel restricted from buying big ticket items, but a sprinkle is mostly about family and friends celebrating a new addition. If there is a big gap between children or a different gender is expected, a full baby shower might be in order, but always consult with the mother to see what she is comfortable with, what items are needed and create your invitation accordingly.

Since a baby sprinkle doesn't have the formality of a baby shower, it isn't necessary to go all out when compiling the guest list, decorating, catering, providing entertainment and offering baby shower favors. A coed celebration with children is perfectly acceptable in the case of a sprinkle, so that the expecting mom's husband and child/children can be there, too.

What's a shower without games?

Games can liven up a party and break the ice and most guests will expect to play a game or two, but leave this the mother's discretion. One fun game to consider and a great way to include big brother- or sister-to-be is to ask guests to write their best advice for the sibling on a 3x5 card, which can make a nice keepsake book. Another game for repeat parents is “Remember When"— where guests share stories of their personal experiences raising their children and/or of pregnancy. These can be categorized into “funny,” “embarrassing,” or “sweet,” among others and the mommy-to-be plays judge as to who gave the best stories in each category. This game is great for gleaning a few tidbits of advice about parenthood.

Whatever you do, don't forget older siblings!

A new baby is very exciting, but it can also be very worrisome for a child. Some simple ways you can help ease their insecurities are by including the name of older siblings on the invitations, give the big brother or sister a special role at the sprinkle or a project they can be in charge of, encourage guests to greet the older sibling and if you are hosting a Meet and Greet sprinkle, allow the older sibling to introduce the new baby. A small gift will also go a long way. Becoming a new mom for a second time is always exciting and a sprinkle is a perfect way to celebrate!

More about baby showers

Baby shower alternatives for second babies and beyond
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More than just a Pretty face

Of course, we want our daughters to take pride in their looks, but also in all their other amazing attributes. With so much pressure from the media and society about girls looking beautiful, parents need to put the focus back on the things that really matter.

Contributed by Daphne Benedis-Grab

My daughter is beautiful. I can say that without sounding conceited because she is also adopted. I have nothing to do with the glossy black hair, bright brown eyes and delicate features that make her such a pretty girl — that credit goes to her birth parents. But what it means for me is that as she gets older I have to help her navigate what it means to be a beautiful girl.

When my kids were little everyone called them cute. And cute they were, running about in Pampers-covered bottoms delighting in each new discovery, their faces suffused with joy at the world around them . But then they got older and suddenly people were using new words to describe them.

A slippery slope

Now at 8 my son is called big and strong, a good artist, a fast runner, highly imaginative, smart, a good friend. And my daughter, who is also 8?

She's called beautiful. Pretty much all the time. My son is big and strong and all the other things on that list, as well as other things that may go by unnoticed. And it's OK if few people tell him that he is sweet with animals or a good listener because he hears enough to know that he has various traits and abilities that other people recognize and value. But my daughter? All she seems to get is pretty. And that is a slippery slope indeed, because the future holds a lot of false messages about beauty, its importance and what it truly is.

Photoshopped women smile out at us from magazine covers and billboards. TV shows and movies present only the most perfect and perfectly coifed versions of what it means to be a girl or woman. Everywhere she looks my daughter will see that a very specific, unattainable beauty is something she should be striving for. And I don't think it's overstating to say that I believe that to be a death trap.

More than just pretty

Of course I want my daughter to feel good about how she looks and to take pride in the clothes she chooses and the way she wears her hair. It's fun and it's also an important part of feeling good about yourself. But the key word is 'part' — it's one thing in many that she should value in herself and hear valued by others. I want her to know that in addition to being pretty she is also a hard worker, an excellent dancer, has a great sense of humor, is kind and compassionate and that she is smart. Though that one — smart — is another slippery slope.

Like most things that come up with my kids, the roots of my feeling about what they are dealing with goes back to my own childhood experiences. My daughter comes home with a story of how a girl told her she didn't want my daughter to play with their group at recess? Boom, I am back on my elementary school playground hearing Alison Brown tell me none of the girls in the group like me anymore. It makes it hard to react as the rational adult I at least attempt to portray in my parenting life. And the smart thing? That pulls me back as well, to the day in middle school when my mother told me that my sister was beautiful. "What about me?" I asked. "Well, you're nice looking," she said. "And you're very smart." My sister got the reverse message and I can tell you some bitterness lingers on both sides.

What does this mean for me now, when I am in rational adult mode? It means I understand how dangerous it is to believe that your identity is wrapped up in being one thing. I got over-invested in being smart, just as my sister got over-invested in being beautiful. And I want so much more than that for my daughter. I want her to know she is all kinds of things, that she has all kinds of strengths, and that she has flaws and shortcomings and places where she will need to work hard, like we all do. I don't want her to think that pretty is the beginning and end of who she is. I don't want her to be so limited and so invested in something that has her forever vulnerable to the judgment of others.

Making a list

One morning last week we got in the elevator and my daughter looked in the mirror and announced in a defeated voice, "I look ugly." The remark made my heart twist but I was able to calmly point out that the sickly yellow lighting of the elevator turned us all into ghouls and she immediately saw the truth in that and was able to move on. But later that day we had the first of what I suspect will be many beauty talks over the years. I didn't want to lay it on too thick so I started by telling her how great it was that she got joy from selecting her clothes and hairstyles, and that looking nice mattered to her.

"You are pretty," I told her. "But you are so many other things too, things that matter just as much as being pretty. Can you think of what some of them are?" The first word she said was strong, which made my heart sing. And then she listed several more, putting thought into it, thinking about what she loves, all the pieces that make her the person she is. It was a good list with a lot of things on it, which is as it should be.

I'm not sure how much difference one conversation makes when there is so much in our society that tells her her value begins and ends with her looks. But I think it's a beginning, and hopefully some kind of base that can anchor her back when the images of beauty threaten to engulf her self-esteem and sense of identity.

Hopeful — that is a good one to add to anyone's list.

About the author

Daphne Benedis-Grab, author of The Girl in the Wall, earned her MFA in creative writing from The New School, where she began the thesis that became her first book, Alive and Well in Prague, New York. She has worked a number of jobs including building houses for Habitat for Humanity and teaching adult literacy classes. She lives with her husband and their two children in New York City.

For more information please visit daphnebg.com and adamsmedia.com, and follow Benedis-Grab on Facebook and Twitter.

Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa took to Twitter to show off a photo of her two boys, 15-year-old Michael and 9-year-old Joaquin.

“Bro hawks!” she tweeted, with a link to a photo of the two brothers showing off their matching mohawks.

“Latina magazine named ur hubby one of the sexiest men alive. Keep him on a leash,” tweeted one follower to Ripa, referring to her husband of 18 years Mark Consuelos.

“So sexy!” Ripa wrote back.

It sounds like she not only lucked out with a fab husband, but great in-laws as well!

“You have the most gorgeous in-laws! And your mom-in-law needs her own cooking show - she's adorable!” tweeted one follower.

“I agree!” Ripa tweeted.

Bethenny Frankel ‏

What is on the agenda for Bethenny Frankel? “30 mins of yoga: check. Ballet w Bryn: check. Now I've got to dig into writing my next book: the Skinnygirl rules,” tweeted Frankel.

Her life isn’t all glamorous, however, as the new talk show host tweeted, “How come I didn't realize that I needed a waterproof mattress cover for when Bryn wets through her diaper?” she tweeted, followed by, “Bryn just had a post-nap meltdown worthy of an exorcism.”

“Being a work at home & stay at home mom means never working out bc my peanut constantly wants to be together which I can't resist," she later wrote.

It also sounds like her daughter kept the airplane entertained! “Bryn sang the whole abc song on the plane and the entire cabin clapped and cheered afterwards. Like a movie! Made me smile!” wrote Frankel.

Tori Spelling ‏

“The definition of toddler chic,” tweeted Tori Spelling, with a link to her website that showed her daughter with a tres chic outfit.

“Last week Stella was given the task of putting together a black and white outfit for school,” Spelling wrote on her website.

“Knowing that Stella is a ‘Go Pink or Go Home’ type of girl I thought this might be a challenge. But, when Stella emerged from her room wearing this chic, polished and on-trend black and white ensemble, I must say I was blown away. I constantly wonder how a 4-year-old can possibly have such a fabulous fashion sense. I’m obsessed with the way Stella mixed her prints here — pairing her white polkadot tights with a black and white colorblocked dress and a super chic coat. The knee-high black boots and the retro inspired feather headband complete the look, and make Stella the definition of ’toddler chic.’”

Kourtney Kardashian

“Squeezing in a morning workout! So what if its 15 minutes?! Better than nothing, right?” tweeted Kourtney Kardashian, who looks great after the birth of her second child, Penelope, in August.

“Baby alligators, otters and geckos, oh my!” Kardashian later tweeted, with a link to photos of her and Mason going to the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium.

“I highly recommend it. It was very modern and was very different than other museums I have been to,” she wrote. “They had a baby alligator that we got to see up close and touch, little baby otters that were swimming, turtles, lots of space items, geckos and lots more. My favorite part was the astronaut ice cream that I stocked up on.”

On a style note, she wrote, “I am wearing a Sam & Lavi shirt, Monika Chiang pants, Balenciaga flats and Hermes bag. Mason is wearing an H&M shirt, Gap shorts, vintage belt and Freshly Picked moccasins.”

Pink

“So excited! Going to see The Hives play! Impromptu date night,” tweeted Pink. “Praise The Lord my time is coming... Punx not dead #thehives”

“When I get inspired I wanna go home and shave my head and dye it blue. Willow may cry though- so... Maybe a light fuschia,” she later wrote, referring to her 1-year-old daughter Willow.

“Three generations... I'm thankful xxx,” she later wrote, with a photo of her mom holding Willow while Pink rubs her mom’s feet.

From Jennie Garth to Jenny McCarthy, check out more sweet, funny and wacky celebrity mom tweets here>>

Photos: WENN

Happy holidays! Now that we've roasted our turkeys and stuffed our bellies, it's time to focus on the holiday season. Are your kids all ready to be decked out in their holiday clothes? Did you remember the shoes?

We've scoured the interwebs for some of the cutest shoes for the holiday for boys and girls. Which ones are your favorite?

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Sometimes you think you’re more of a violin than a mom. Your kids work your strings to make you sing whatever tune they want to hear.

Take back your control

Your kids' demands seem to be getting out of control — they're becoming more demanding, and you’ve become a broken record of empty threats. So how can you start following through?

In theory, you get it. Really, you do. If you want to get your control back as a parent, you have to take a stand. You have to learn to say no — and mean it — so your kids will take you seriously. But how? It's so much easier said than done. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be pulling your hair out, right?

No more empty threats

"If you make a stand, be prepared to follow through," warns therapist Erika Myers. "This means, however, picking your battles carefully. My 2-year-old son wanted to eat crackers for breakfast one morning. I said no. He pitched a huge fit that lasted 30 minutes, but I held fast and he had cereal instead. After, I questioned why I had chosen to say no — did it really matter that much? I decided it didn't, so the next time he asked for crackers for breakfast, I put some peanut butter on them and happily gave them to him."

Avoiding power struggles: Parenting without bribes or threats>>

Consistency is key

"If you follow through nine out of 10 times, the 11th time your child will test you to see if you will give in again. Until they believe you are serious about what you say, they will push and test," says Myers.

Plan ahead

Counselor Angie Mabe suggests, "Ask any parent what they are constantly nagging their kid about and you will get a list of three to four grievances right off the bat. Take this list of grievances, write them down and then think about a consequence for each grievance and write the consequence next to the grievance. One of the problems that many parents have is trying to find the right consequence for the behavior. Take the guess work out of it and plan ahead."

Mabe continues, "So when the little individual, whom the majority of time you are proud to share a gene pool with, decides to act a fool, it will not take you by surprise. Pull out your list and enforce the consequence."

"Don't plead, don't bribe, don't cajole, don't threaten, don't yell. Keep calm, lay out the choices, administer the consequence," adds Meyers.

Be a broken record

"Kids have mastered the art of being a broken record, hence why you feel like you are a pushover for a parent. They wear you down and then they own you! You are so exhausted by their demands, that you seriously contemplate giving your 6-year-old the keys to your car, just to have some peace and quiet. If handing the keys over to your child has ever crossed your mind, then it is time to wear them out first," says Mabe.

"When the undesirable behavior occurs, pull out your list of consequences and simply state the consequence. If the child argues back, continue to say the same thing, over and over and over and over and over and over again. Kids will eventually get tired of hearing the same thing and give up! You gave them no room to argue or to use their kid logic," adds Mabe.

Read more on discipline

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Evaluating your discipline techniques
Parenting Guru: Is it wrong to punish kids?

If your teen is like most, he wants to go to bed late and wake up late — not the best plan when it comes to school. According to studies, only 8 percent of teenagers are getting the required amount of ZZZs they need.

Help your teen get the right amount of zzzs

The good news is, even if your teen’s sleep habits are all over the place, it is possible to get his internal body clock back on track.

How much sleep is your teen getting?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, "Sleep is, in essence, food for the brain. And insufficient sleep can be harmful, even life-threatening." So even if you read that and think your child is fine, that he's getting enough sleep, you could be mistaken. According to a study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health, "Ninety-two percent of teens aren't getting enough sleep each night."

So what qualifies as enough? The National Sleep Foundation strongly suggests that teens need nine hours of shut-eye each night with eight hours borderlining on poor.

Where does your child fall on this scale? Is he in the 8 percent of teens getting nine or more hours? Not likely.

So what gives? Why aren't teens getting enough sleep?

Turns out, your teen's body clock is at least part of the blame. According to a research report published by the National Sleep Foundation and the Sleep and Teen's Task Force, adolescent's sleep patterns undergo a phase delay for both sleeping and waking. Studies show that the typical high school student's natural time to fall asleep is 11 p.m. or later.

Plus, if your teen isn't going to sleep and waking at the same time each day , his irregular sleep schedules can contribute to having trouble falling asleep and waking, and fragmented, poor quality sleep.

Study: Morning light exposure affects teens' sleep patterns>>

No sleep = ?

So what are the negative consequences of your son or daughter not getting at least nine hours of sleep per night? According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens who don't get enough sleep:

• Have an increase of unintentional injuries, even death.
• Perform less well during the day.
• Experience negative moods and inability to control emotions; inability to stay focused.
• Have an increased likelihood of stimulant abuse.

The 4 deadliest drugs teens are taking>>

What can you do to help?

Dr. Frank Coletta, co-director, Pulmonary Medicine & Respiratory Therapy and director of South Nassau Communities Hospital's Sleep Medicine Center suggests:

• Make sleep a priority. Make a bed and wake-time plan and stick to it as much as possible, even on weekends. Not only will the teen get more beneficial sleep but it should be easier to fall asleep at a regular bedtime.
• Make time-management changes in order to get to bed on time, which means not only organizing homework, but nighttime school and sports activities, and even downtime.
• Establish an off time for the computer and electronic devices as teens can spend extra hours into the night surfing, texting and viewing instead of sleeping.
• Avoid eating, drinking or exercising within a few hours of bedtime. Stick to quiet, calm activities, and falling asleep will be easier.
• Parents should set a sleep plan when their kids are young and be consistent about following it as their children grow older. Helping their pre-teens with good sleep habits will make it easier to sustain healthy patterns through the teen years.

Read more about your teen's health

Encouraging teens to eat healthy
Eating disorders amp up with technology
Exercise and teen girls: How much is too much?

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Bed head and excited eyes are the markers of a great Christmas morning. Follow these tips on how to dress your little ones to get the perfect Christmas morning photo.

Dressing for Christmas morning snapshots

Natural

Sometimes the best memories are those that are 100 percent authentic. Have your kiddos choose the pajamas they want to wear. If it is the favorite tattered nightgown or too-tight footie, know that the imperfections will make your morning photos that much more endearing. Capture the details of their favorite sleeper by taking closeups of the imperfections — those elements will help you remember the feeling of their favorite morning of the year.

Details

Set up a shot that captures the details. Don't always capture the entire outfit in the frame. Take shots that focus on the hair bow and cowlick, or on the pant legs and cozy socks from grandma. Shoot hands in their shirt cuffs and in pockets of jeans. Take a shot of the baby in his or her outfit from last year to see how much they have grown.

Timeless

Have two photo sessions on Christmas morning: the first in pajamas or sleepwear with a just-rolled-out-of-bed look and the second in a new outfit they opened up.

Follow these tips to make your Christmas morning photos look professional. Remember, you can never get the moments back, so make sure to take more shots than you think you will need.

More tips on getting great shots of your kids

Creative pose ideas for kids
Tips for keeping kids happy during photo shoots
Best photography blogs for moms

The holidays are almost here, and there are plenty of fun, festive activities taking place for your whole family. When you are out and about enjoying the seasonal festivities, dress your kids up in colorful and cute outfits.

When dressing your kids for holiday activities, don't just consider how cute the clothes are — also take into account comfort. It's important that your kids are warm and cozy if they are going to be outdoors, and that they are comfortable whether they are indoors or out. Though it may be tempting to spend a bundle on expensive suits and fancy dresses for the holidays, remember the fact that your child may not wear the outfit ever again — by next year they will have most likely outgrown it.

More clothes for kids

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Fashion stocking stuffers for boys

We turned the tables on Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O’Dell — and interviewed her! The busy mom opened up to us about being a mom to Ashby, as well as her cool new educational app, Little Ashby: Star Reporter!

Celebrity mom interview Nancy O'Dell

Find out her inspiration behind her new venture and her surprising answer when asked how she would feel if her daughter wanted to be an actress.

Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O’Dell is known for getting celebrity moms like Hilary Duff and Angelina Jolie to open up, but this time it was her turn to talk about her life with her daughter, 5-year-old Ashby. O’Dell has created a new educational app called Little Ashby: Star Reporter which features a kid reporter who goes on fun assignments, with her first assignment being to cover "Santa’s Big Premiere" on Christmas Eve.

"I love that she is interviewing the biggest 'get' a kid reporter could possibly secure too — Santa, of course!" O’Dell tells SheKnows of her new children's app. "And just like real Hollywood celebrities do, Santa has a publicist — an elf!"

O’Dell said it was important to her that her app was fun, but educational. "One of the things I wanted to make sure [was] the app also taught kids good morals and values, so the story has that element as well," she said.

SheKnows: Tell me about Little Ashby: Star Reporter! What gave you the idea to develop your own app?

Nancy O'Dell: I have long wanted to do a series of stories about a little reporter who goes on these fantastic assignments with a "FUNtastic" crew. I always say I decided on my career as a reporter because it is ever-changing , and therefore, I am always learning something on every interview. Kids can't just travel around the globe in reality, but they can via an app! And I saw my daughter having such a great time using various educational apps, so it was obvious to me I should begin the series via an app.

Little Ashby: Star Reporter allows little ones to be able to go on adventures exploring all the places in the world while learning so much in the process. And it's working! Little Ashby's first assignment is to cover Santa's Big Premiere on Christmas Eve. The app is incredibly interactive and it has real videos throughout for kids to tap on and see, one being the Northern Lights which Little Ashby and her crew see at the North Pole. There are also games at the end to reinforce what they learn.

The other day, my daughter and I were watching a Christmas movie which had the Northern Lights in it and my daughter said, "Look, Mommy, the Northern Lights!" and then proceeded to describe to me what they were. She learned it from the Little Ashby app! Made my day!

SheKnows: Did your daughter help you come up with the characters?

Nancy O'Dell: Oh yes, she was my "tester-outer!" Every time I would get new drawings in of the characters, I would show them to her and she gave me great ideas on how to tweak them. She has a favorite character — it's Boomer, the boom microphone, who is really cool and laid back. I actually got my own audio guy at Entertainment Tonight, who has this really fun voice, to be the voice of Boomer! The other day my daughter wanted to call up Boomer, so "Boomer" and I called her from the sound booth at E.T. and it made her day!

SheKnows: You once said that Ashby is "boy crazy." Is she still a big flirt? Can you see her following in your footsteps as a reporter?

Nancy O'Dell: Oh yes, my little girl is still a big flirt. She has two older brothers, my stepsons who are 13 and 17, and she falls in love with all of their friends who come over. It is soooo funny to witness! As far as her being a reporter, she certainly has the curiosity to be one. I love seeing how much she loves learning! She asks such incredible questions to be only 5. It is so much fun to see how she is figuring out life. But, of course, I want her to pursue the career of her choice.

SheKnows: If your daughter told you she wanted to be an actress, what would you tell her?

Nancy O'Dell: Good question. I, for certain, wouldn't want her to be a child actress. I have had to report too many stories about it being such a difficult thing. As far as her choosing that as a path later on, I would probably describe to her the positives and the negatives that I have witnessed and then support her whatever she decides. That is most important!

SheKnows: I know your own mom passed away from ALS [Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease] when Ashby was a baby. How have you kept her memory alive?

Nancy O'Dell: I am a huge album maker, so that is always the best way for me to keep memories alive. I learned to do that from my mother. After she passed, my father sent me about 50 scrapbooks she had made of my life from birth up to the months before she passed away. I felt so connected to her looking at all of our pictures together and reliving the memories. I often go through those scrapbooks with Ashby, describing what a wonderful "Grandma Betty" she had and I tell Ashby that she has a special angel in heaven watching over her.

SheKnows: I love your daughter's name! What is the story behind it?

Nancy O'Dell:Ashby was named after my grandfather, who was such a great, honorable man. We had thought of it as a possible name for a boy. But my husband loved it so much, that even when we found out we were having a girl, he still wanted to name her that. I looked it up and found out it was dual gender indeed — perfect!

SheKnows: What are some of your favorite apps?

Nancy O'Dell: I, personally, am slightly addicted to Words with Friends. Gosh, I get so competitive on that! There's another app that my daughter and I love using together right now, which shows the lyrics to Christmas songs and we just sing along belting out the tunes! We have music in this Little Ashby app, and based on how big a hit I see music is with my 5-year-old, we'll be adding even more music to the next Little Ashby adventure!

SheKnows: I love that your app has Ashby interviewing Santa Claus. What are some of your family's favorite holiday traditions?

Nancy O'Dell: Ashby's assignment in covering Santa's Premiere is to come back with the story of what the Holiday Spirit is all about. That is also one of the things we try to do with our traditions. We have a board that counts down to Christmas starting after Thanksgiving. Every day, we all tack on the board a piece of paper saying what their favorite "gift" of the day was. But it can't be a physical gift, of course, but rather a kind gesture they witnessed, did themselves, or received from someone. That way it teaches them what the real gifts in life are!

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In 1951 reel life, I Love Lucy filmed its pilot episode. In real life, Lucille Ball was pregnant with her husband Desi Arnaz’s first child, Lucie.

Special needs on TV

At the time, CBS executives insisted no reference be about the fictional Lucy Ricardo’s pregnancy, as it was thought to be in poor taste.

Season Two of I Love Lucy found Lucy Ricardo pregnant once again, this time with son Desi Jr., and named "Little Ricky" on the show. CBS executives once again refused to use the "P-word" and referenced the less incendiary word "expecting."

Special needs on screen

The '50s through the '70s saw a plethora of family shows: The Addams Family, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Brady Bunch, Family Affair, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, The Munsters, The Partridge Family, The Waltons, et al. While married couples did share beds, very few were shown to have children with special needs. Some shows mocked or demeaned characters with special needs, while other shows portrayed differences in a positive light, albeit rarely as main characters: All in the Family , The Avengers , Gunsmoke , Highway to Heaven , Ironside , Kung Fu , Little House on the Prairie , Peyton Place and Police Woman .

Finally, on April 13, 1979, Like Normal People, the made-for-TV movie starring teen icon Shaun Cassidy, gave us a sensitive, up-close-and-personal look at two adults with development delays who fell in love and wanted to marry. Yet, thirty years passed before network television finally unveiled — in a positive, uplifting light — a major character with special needs, which, of course, was Chris Burke's portrayal of Charles "Corky" Thatcher, a child with Down syndrome in ABC Television's 1989 series Life Goes On.

Through the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, television shows continued to dip a foot into the proverbial "special needs waters" with shows like American Gladiators , The Cosby Show , DeGrassi Junior High , The Facts of Life , House , Las Vegas , Malcolm in the Middle , Monk , Nash Bridges , Once and Again , St. Elsewhere , The West Wing and Young Riders .

By the numbers

Recent reports estimate that 54.4 million Americans — 20 percent of the population/one in five residents — live with some form of disability. As autism and autism spectrum disorders alone now affect 1 in 88 children, expect that disability number to skyrocket in future years. For a multitude of reasons — not the least of which includes me trying to 'Momager' my son onto the set of Glee— we as parents of special needs children and front-line advocates must continue to help educate the general population about special needs individuals. In this instance, less is not more; more is more.

It is estimated that actors who are, or portray people with special needs represent only one percent of all spoken dialogue. While that might be true, the characters that portray special needs today show more fully developed, self-actualized people who have integrity, depth and honor.

Tellingly, these characters do not allow their differences to define them, they allow their differences to enhance them: The Amazing Race , American Idol , America’s Next Top Model , The Big Bang Theory , Boardwalk Empire , Breaking Bad , Game of Thrones , Glee , Little People, Big World , Parenthood , Real Housewives of New Jersey , Switched at Birth and Teen Mom 2 .

The other P-word

Television executives, producers, directors, managers, agents and casting and talent directors simply can’t afford — both figuratively and literally — to overlook the beautiful diversity and gifts our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters bring to the world. When my son’s "Piano Man" video went viral, one of the first executives to reach out to my family was from the Disney Channel!

In 1951, television executives refused to reference the offensive "P-word"— Pregnancy. In 2012, I am both humbled and grateful to live in a world where television executives still refuse to solely reference the incendiary "P-word." Only this time, the offensive "P-word" in question is: Perfection.

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Christmas through my eyes

Once it was dark enough for cars to need their headlights, my mother would call us from all corners of the house.

We would pile on our layers, a sweater first, then our heavy winter coats.

Snow boots were next, followed by scarves, hats and mittens.

We trudged through the snow to the car, buckled ourselves in and stripped off mittens, hats and scarves.

As she brushed the snow from the car and scraped the windshield of the ice layer that had formed, we waited in the car, anticipating all that we would see.

Once the car had a chance to warm up, she took her spot behind the wheel and pulled out onto the main road.

Some nights, the roads were covered with snow and on others, ice.

I can still remember the sound of her voice, “Oh! Look at that house! What beautiful Christmas lights!”

We took turns pointing out our favorites as we made our way through the streets.

Those nights spent driving around, looking at Christmas lights were as much a part of the holiday season as our freshly cut tree, Christmas Eves spent with grandparents and lazy Christmas mornings.

Make the holidays even more fun with these easy Christmas crafts for kids>>

Unavoidable Christmas changes

As a young woman who moved away from Maine and found her home in California, I recall feeling heartbroken that my children would never know what Christmas was truly like.

Yes, there would be a tree. Of course Santa would visit.

But, there would be no snow... no piling on of layers and bundling up in the car.

They would have less and that knowledge rankled around in my heart.

If you're away from home, you'll love these 7 ways to keep in touch with family over the holidays>>

Christmas through my children's eyes

But, once our daughter was forward facing in her car seat and tall enough to see out the window, we began packing her up and touring the neighborhood in search of Christmas lights.

There are moments of parenthood that etch themselves so vividly in your mind that they become a part of who you are.

And the look on Katie’s face when she saw each house is one such moment for me.

Last night, when I called the kids down from their playroom and asked if they wanted to go see the lights, they squealed with joy and ran for the garage.

I opened the car door and watched them each pile into the car, dressed only in their jammies.

No hats, scarves, mittens, coats or winter boots.

No waiting for the car to warm up.

But, now I see that none of those things really matter.

And when I heard my mother’s words leave my mouth, I was reminded that although some parts of Christmas may have changed from when I was a child, what I feel in my heart hasn’t.

“Oh! Look at that house! What beautiful Christmas lights!”

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