Moms Talk Around Town: Breast-Feeding, Bullying, Bieber and More

In Brighton, moms are discussing ...

Does public breast-feeding make you uncomfortable?

said: "My son is 10 months old, and I am still breast-feeding him, but not in public anymore. After a few awkward nursings, I decided it wasn't worth it. I feed him before or after going out or in my car or another private location."

said: "I think that people would rather judge than look at the benefits of what you are doing for your child. We as mothers sacrifice our bodies for nine months then continue to give to them for the rest of their lives, whether you are breast-feeding an infant or buying clothes for your teenager. People choose to not see the good in what you are doing to provide for your child."

In Oakland Township, Jen is wondering ...

How do you determine what music is appropriate for your child?

said: "I tried to be a 'wheels on the bus' kind of mom ... worst two weeks of my life. I'd have to agree with Kristin, as long as the words aren't explicit, I let them listen to what they like. I'm a lucky, my girl. My daughters (11 and 9) don't like Justin B. They think he's too bubble gum. I told my daughter that her friend got tickets to Justin's concert. She said 'goody-gumdrops for her. I'd rather see Nickelback.' That's my girl."

said: "No Disney music in my car! Both my kids love all kinds of music, other than kiddie stuff, which even they don't care for (thank goodness). So far, I've escaped having to listen to Bieber, and I did have to draw the line (a little) when my son Aidan started singing Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl' a little too much, but I laughed a lot at it as well. I love allowing them to experience all sorts of music, and yeah, lyrics are really the only issue from time to time."

In Rochester, moms are asking ...

Amid the recent tragedies, how do you best have a heart-to-heart talk with your child?

said: "I find that being really honest with my children, telling them the truth and not some sort of fairy-tale fabrication has made them deal with painful situations. It may be hard to discuss, but I feel that the more they really understand, they can better process and talk about with us so they can more forward."

said: "I think sometimes as a mom, it's natural to want to stop the hurt by switching the subject, but they really need to get it all out. So let them talk, talk, talk and just listen. Answer questions asked, as best you can, but let them know you might not know all the answers."

Do you have any advice for talking to your children when tragedy strikes?

In Birmingham moms are asking ...

Is it important to send your child to preschool?

said: "I think some amount of social interaction is expected by kindergarten anymore. Kids who've never spent time away from mama by age 5 will struggle. As will his/her teacher."

said: "I think preschool is the new kindergarten. Children learn in preschool, it seems, what they used to learn in kindergarten: letters, numbers, colors."

said: "As a teacher whose specialty is dealing with kids who don't do well with reading, who struggle, who have reading problems ... I'd have to say that NOW, in our time, yes, preschool is a good thing. Kids are expected to come to kindergarten pretty much ready to read. I know well how many times this happens happily and naturally at home. It did for me, and very early! And I loved it. But I've found that the kids who stay home without preschool or day care or any other kind of time away from home seem to have more adjustment issues, more separation anxiety, and yes—more problems dealing with the pressures of kindergarten than the kids who've had that experience."

What do you think: Is preschool necessary?

In busy Farmington, moms took time to answer ...

Where and how do you make time for yourself? Do you even take "mommy time"?

said: "As a stay-at-home-mom, keeping to a schedule is important for me and for the kids. By 8 p.m., the little one is in bed and the big one is on his own, it's mommy time. Some nights, that means snuggling with the mister, other nights I am watching bad TV until well after I should be asleep, or reading a good book. I don't always get to have that time, but I take it when I can. Big props to single parents, I really don't know how you do it!"

said: "When I do make the time, I like to meet up with a pal for coffee, get out of the house with the girls for a cocktail or, very recently, go out for knit night (Stitch & B*tch) at a local bookstore. I don't do it often enough, but I'm working on that."

said: "I think it is so important to carve some time out for yourself just to recharge. You can't take care of others until you take care of you! Even if it is just finding a few moments to just be."

said: "My favorite thing to do when I have 'mommy time' is to have coffee/cocktail with a friend. I also love to read or watch a little TV, but that doesn't help me to regroup and start fresh with my family. I need to completely get away and have a serious (or not-so-serious) adult conversation! "

said: "I look forward to warmer weather and walks in the neighborhood after dinner with my iPod. Today, it is 48 and sunny, and the iPod is charged! Time to dig out those running shoes."

In Fenton, we're asking ...

What food decisions have you made for your family?

said: "We've tried going vegan, eliminating dairy, mostly for ethical reasons but also because we were relying too heavily on it, and I personally noticed I felt better if I wasn't eating it. I made a lot of grain and legume dishes, veggie soups and tempeh recipes. It was a chore getting them to eat every night."

said: "I have read that it takes eating foods a number of times to develop a taste for them. If this is true, then hiding the vegetables or not will help your children develop a taste for them. I feel it is more important to focus on the attitudes around food and eating conscientiously."

What about you? Share your thoughts.

In Ferndale, it's about kids and money ...

Do you give an allowance to your child for chores? If so, how do you structure it? If not, why not?

Debbie MacLean Rossman said, via Facebook: "Our kids have two chore days a week. If they choose to not complete their chores for any reason, they are billed $5 per chore day. We do not pay them. If they come to us and make an arrangement with us to do their chores at another time, they... are not charged. This teaches them responsibilty of doing a task, completing it on time and it teaches them that their actions affect others. The chores are on a month rotation, also. So each child learns every aspect of taking care of the house. When they are ready to move out, they know how to care for their home. They also wash, dry, fold or hang their laundry. I taught them all at the same time. They were 12, 10 and 7. I haven't done their laundry since! They are also required to wash one towel with their laundry."

said: "I agree with Debbie. In our family, our kids do chores, assigned by me. They get allowances, paid by their dad. The two are not directly linked. If they don't do their chores, they lose other privileges. We believe that they are members of our family, so they should share in the responsibility of running it. And separately, they share the responsibility of spending our family's money. Luckily, my girls are not big spenders – yet."

Rob Gulley wonders: "Why is the title 'Moms Talk'? There are stay-at-home dads nowadays who deal with these kinds of things too, ya know. :p"

(Editor's Note: Good question, Rob! It seems as if more dads jump into a Moms Talk than they do a Dads Talk – for whatever reason. You are welcome any time, despite the title.)

In Dexter, the question of the week was ...

Does Dexter need full-day kindergarten classes?

said: "I like the idea and wish my kids had had full day. They were both ready. ... I think most kids these days are."

said: "I have a friend up north whose kindergarten was full day, and she hated it. Apparently, the entire second half of the day was play-based and almost zero curriculum. I would not be on board with full day if that was the case."

said: "Don't really know about the full-day thing, but I do know that our kids are way behind the rest of the world in all sorts of test scores. Now, I know that scores don't always tell the whole picture, but it cannot be debated that our education system is not keeping up with what is needed. Would full-day kindergarten change any of that? Who knows? If there was good content in the curriculum, it can't hurt."

Hey, Dexter moms, They talked about this last week, and this is . How about an inter-Patch discussion?

In White Lake, moms are talking about ...

What do you think about bullying in your child's school?

said: "Bullying is horrible, it makes a child feel very small and crushes his/her self-confidence. It can make a child physically sick as well. I am glad that our schools have adopted an anti-bullying policy, but I do feel they have gone a bit far. My 12-year-old daughter, who is in the fifth percentile for height and weight (very small), was almost suspended for three days because she tugged on her friend's arm. That friend fell and hurt her wrist. I had to go into the principal's office, my daughter wasn't allowed to do any extracurricular activities for a week and more. It truly was ridiculous and all because of the anti-bullying school policy. Kids today can't play tag (it's a form of pushing), roughhouse (it's fighting) or have any physical contact with other kids. It seems any type of physicality is a type of bullying."

said: "I think it’s important for parents to talk to their children about perpetrating bullying and what to do if you are being victimized. Most everyone has been the victim or initiated bullying themselves at some point in their childhood. Often it escalates from harmless gibes to damaging ridicule. The fact that this problem has come to light in recent years is the first step in correcting the issue. Fortunately, White Lake Township Library recently held a parenting program on the topic. I really believe it’s something that needs to remain at the forefront of discussion for the sake of the White Lake community and its children."

In Royal Oak, we're wondering ...

What will you do while your kids are on break?

said: "We're discussing this same topic in , and some ideas we had included taking the kids to the Detroit Institute of Arts, cleaning out closets, drawers and toy boxes and possibly calling Grandma"

Kristin Bull said: "Play dates. Start calling now before your kids' favorite friends' schedules get booked!"

This week, Clawson Patch asked ...

After a long day at the office, what are some quick but filling meals moms can prepare for their families?

said: "Use the slow cooker: A whole pork tenderloin can be put in the slow cooker pan with some sliced onion and yellow peppers the night before. Wake up, pour a bottle of barbecue sauce on top and plug it in. By the time you get home from work, the pork will be cooked and tender. Just tear with a fork and combine with the sauce. Steam some veggies or toss a quick salad, and you can have an easy meal of pulled pork sandwiches."

Tell us your own family recipes.