Moms Talk Around Town: Bin Laden, Mother's Day, Teen Drinking

Royal Oak

stephen @suzanne sadlocha: "This is a really fun day for me. Both of my daughters are moms, so we like to go out to eat at our favorite restaurant in Clark Lake. Just all being together and realizing how much we have in common as mothers is enough for me to feel wonderful. In the past I have always received the most beautiful flowers, and what could be better than something to enjoy all summer long. Happy Mother's Day to all MOMS. YOU DESERVE IT."

Canton

Thomas Frey: Bin Laden's death is no doubt a difficult topic to discuss with kids, but I don't think it's a question of vengeance or forgiveness. The discussion should be about self-defense. Bin Laden was a very "bad guy" who would have killed more men, women and children if given the chance. The world is a safer place without him.

Farmington/Farmington Hills

Vera Lucksted: I am really happy for the Wii, we can golf, bowl and play baseball all in the comfort of our home. It's something both kids and I enjoy.

Karla Dorweiler: We're lucky to have two great libraries in Farmington and Farmington Hills, which is where we often go on a rainy day. At home, we save some activities for just such days—e.g. certain board games (Mousetrap), blanket forts in the basement and messy projects like painting and cooking. (Chocolate chip cookies always taste better when it's gloomy outside!) And often, my kids put on their rain jackets and boots to play outdoors despite the rain.

Berkley-Huntington Woods

Alissa Malerman: I'm thankful that my kids are little. I can still get away with "we caught the bad guy." I cringe when I think that one day I will have to explain to them who Osama bin Laden was and what happened on 9/11. I suppose when the time comes, I will handle it the same way I usually handle telling them about horrible things that happen — I will focus on the heroes.

Brighton

Heather Camps: Not only do I think that it sets a horrible example to allow teens to drink "under supervision" at your home, but it is also illegal, and if anyone who disapproves find out, you could find yourself in more trouble than just social disapproval. Maybe your kids wouldn't think drinking at parties is necessary if, as an adult, you don't model that behavior by including alcohol at every social gathering. Focus instead on spending time with your friends and family and less time on mixing drinks to model what a party is really about.

Fenton

Vera Hogan: If they are old enough to ask the question, they are old enough to hear the answer. Tell them the truth about 9/11 (what details you share should be age-appropriate) and that this man was the sick individual who engineered the tragic event.

Ellie Shansky: Yes, he was a hateful man, yes, our government was right to find him and keep him from doing this again, whether through death or prison. The tricky part for me is that our government (and others) take part in wars all the time, wars that not everyone agrees are justified, and casualties of those wars are considered regrettable but a necessary part of war for the greater good.

Oakland Township

Tracey Moro: Good question. I'm one of those moms who never plays video games — period. My kids do, but their time doing it is limited. I can't really control what games they play except when they are at home — when they go to their friends, it's out of my control. You must just keep an eye on behavior and make sure they spend their time doing other things like playing outside, reading and board games, too. I have no problem letting young ones, even toddlers, play video games — it's the way of the world today, and by the time they are teens, the technology will have advanced, so they should get on the bandwagon. There are plenty of really cool games out there that don't involve violence.

Celia: My mom bought our family a Wii this past Christmas after two years of our 5-year-old son playing hers every time we visited her house. We definitely monitor the games that he plays. Go, Diego Go!, Mario Kart and SpongeBob are great, kid-friendly games, as well as any sports games. We have him so accustomed to playing these "safe" games that even at a friend's house, he will tell the parents that "my mom doesn't let me play guns." (I should note that I am a paramedic, and therefore gun safety is a HUGE topic in our house).

Jessica Mardlin: I tend not to monitor the video games my daughter plays. The only ones she has access to, at home anyway, are those that I've purchased. I will not purchase video games that I deem inappropriate, so I don't see the need to monitor. I do, however, limit her time on them. :) As far as computer games are considered, there is a wonderful website/browser called KidZui. Your kids only have access to those sites that YOU approve of. Love that they have a built-in monitoring system, too; each week (or as often as you want), they email me a report of exactly what my daughter has been up to!

Rochester-Rochester Hills

Janice Rex-Weaver: In our school, teachers have an agreement that while appreciation gifts are very appreciated, kids are asked to bring gifts of small useful items, i.e., toiletries, socks, hats, gloves, etc., to be then donated to a local agency to help those needing a little help right now. Teachers are honored, and others benefit from it, too.