Dr. Primason holds a monthly parents’ meeting at Java Babies in Hastings-on-Hudson where a topical subject and Choice Parenting techniques are discussed. Usually held the first Monday of the month, the free meetings are open to all. To learn more about Choice Psychology or the parenting meetings, call (914) 478-2146 or visit www.choicepsychology.com.

ClassWish.org Helps Get Needed Supplies to Classrooms

At ClassWish.org, teachers can create an online Wish List of the supplies they need for their classrooms. Members of the community can visit the site and make a tax-deductible donation to help bring these much needed supplies to local schools.

The Children's Rnvironmental Literacy Foundation(CELF) helps schools and teachers teach sustainability.

How Your Kids Are Learning History

History is being made every day — so how will kids ever learn about it all?

Twelve high school students will soon be hiking, rowing and canoeing their way from the Catskills all the way to New York City, tracing the journey of the city’s first-rate drinking water to their own taps.

I just received the high school information packet for my son’s fall semester. In it is a detailed Indian Point Radiological Emergency Evacuation Plan.

As the school year begins once again, it’s a good time to think about what it is our children really need to be learning.

This past Earth Day marked a sea change for a lot of people, myself included. After reading everywhere about global warming and the resulting environmental crisis our planet faces and taking my son to see Al Gore’s 'An Inconvenient Truth', I’m committed.

Kids are more than the sum of the concerns we have about them. It’s so easy for us to get caught up in managing their disabilities, problems or issues — and forget to look at the whole child.

Kids who love trains are in for a special treat starting this month when multiple award-winning illustrator and author Peter Sis will exhibit original drawings from his children’s book, The Train of States at the Children’s Learning Center of the Katonah Museum of Art.

Sports: Surviving Little League

Every spring, during Little League season, the parks and ballfields of Westchester County are crowded with kids in bright baseball uniforms, parents cheering them on from the bleachers.

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands: Kids, hand-helds, and pornography

Parents need to be aware that with the advent of video iPods, portable game players and Internet-ready cell phones comes the danger of mobile pornography.

I’m a great believer in the importance of having music in one’s life. This month, music educator Michael Barry explains what music can do for kids in “Be-Bop Babies”.

Parenting Bookshelf: Choice Parenting by Richard Primason, Ph.D.

Ten-year-old Tim Patton* is having trouble in fifth grade — he’s not doing his homework. His parents are concerned because he also has some learning issues, and the school is recommending that Tim be evaluated, and perhaps begin taking medication. The Pattons* are getting very anxious, but are not sure what to do next.

On November 19, ‘Westchester Parent’ is proud to present Dr. Mel Levine in an exclusive all-day appearance designed especially for parents and educators of children.

According to a CBS News poll conducted on April 1, 70 percent of Americans oppose a reinstatement of the draft. A May Newsweek poll of 18- to 29-year-olds revealed that 36 percent of respondents would not serve. If you or your child has strong feelings about military service and the draft, what should you know, and what can you do? Big Apple Parent talked with Mary-Ann Greanier, a writer and activist with United For Justice with Peace and American Freedoms.org, who counsels young people about the draft.

When Tim* and Julianne Penn*’s daughters were young, Tim tucked them into bed and told them stories each night. With both parents working, as the girls got older, Julianne took care of the domestic chores and the nurturing and daily care of the girls, while Tim managed the household finances, mowed the lawn, coached the girls’ soccer teams, and sat on the school board.

Fifteen percent of all children ages 6-19 are classified as overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the percentage of overweight children in the United States has risen 200 percent over the last 30 years.Sedentary living is a known contributor to the obesity epidemic. As a result of the escalating obesity and physical inactivity of children, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) has just increased its physical activity guidelines for children ages 5-12, recommending that children now get at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours of physical activity each day. The authors of the revised guidelines, Dr. Charles B. Corbin and Dr. Robert P. Pangrazi of Arizona State University, advise the following:

The first time I saw a photograph of Chateau Lake Louise sitting at the edge of an unimaginably turquoise lake and surrounded by the snow-covered Canadian Rockies, I knew I had to go there. My husband, our two sons (ages 16 and 13), and I finally made the trip last summer and discovered that the region is even more spectacular than we had imagined because no mere photograph can possibly capture its grandeur.

Many families of high school juniors and seniors will be embarking on college visits this fall. For parents just beginning the process of college hunting, it can feel daunting. There are numerous books on the subject, but we’ve compiled 40 tips about the college search gathered from parents who have recently gone through the process with their own children. These are suggestions, not necessarily found in books, that have been gleaned from the actual doing:

The 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade came and went on January 24 of this year. Distracted by the impending war in Iraq and a flagging economy at home, most women I know didn’t pay much attention to the day. But perhaps they should have, instead of taking for granted our guaranteed right to have an abortion.

Following are some tips for a successful tag sale:

When our sons turned 10 and 13, my husband and I realized that our family summer vacations might be numbered - would our kids still want to travel with us once they hit the full-blown teen years? We decided to take them to Europe, and we chose England because it's the most accessible foreign country.

After a day at the Bronx Botanical Garden or the Bronx Zoo, you might be looking for a place to pick up a few groceries or have a good dinner before heading home. Travel only a few minutes southwest to Arthur Avenue and 186th Street, the "Little Italy of the Bronx".

Our July issue, which included Robin Green’s article, “New York State Close to Graduated Driver’s License”, went to press the same week the New York State Legislature agreed on a graduated licensing bill.