Each week, our Patch sites ask area moms, dads and grandparents to chip in on questions posed by mom councils in Moms Talk. This week, parents discussed the end of school and the beginning of summer, as well as handling that racket of music.Camping Out: What criteria did you use to select a summer camp? At what age should children begin to attend camp?Martha Baur wrote: “My 10-year-old is going to sleep-away camp in North Carolina for two weeks. My 7-year-old wants to be like her big sister and go to sleep-away camp, so she's going to Cub Creek -- a darling animal camp in Rolla for a week. …

Each week, our Patch sites ask area moms, dads and grandparents to chip in on questions posed by mom councils in Moms Talk.This week, St. Louis area parents sounded off on children and social media, accepting the word “no,” fears, and planning. No Means No: How do you handle children who won't take "no" for an answer? Haley Morgan wrote: Telling your kids "no" is one of the biggest gifts you can give your children, and I think one of the hardest things to do as a parent. I have always told them that it is my job to tell them “no” sometimes because I love them. If they in turn tell me I am the…

Each week, our Patch sites ask area moms, dads and grandparents to chip in on questions posed by mom councils in Moms Talk.This week, area parents took on various topics of bullying, explaining tough news and those unhealthy school lunches.Positive Reinforcement: How do you handle tough news?Alison White wrote: I always want to try to answer my daughter’s questions honestly, but I don't want to tell them too much because at the age of 5, I think that they should look at the world through rose-colored glasses. I have explained in 5-year-old terms that, yes, some natural disasters could affect …

Each week, our Patch sites ask area moms, dads and grandparents to chip in on questions posed by Patch Moms Councils. Now we’re featuring the most interesting of comments from area readers from the St. Louis region. This week’s topics range from talking to your children about disasters to the proper etiquette for visiting a new mother in the hospital. Here’s what you had to say:   O’Fallon Patch: How do you start a conversation about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan? Should you discuss it with your children? Anita Branson wrote: With tragedy all over the news and Internet, finding ways to …