Have parents gone overboard? Is the pressure for an over-the-top party too much?

One in five teenagers smokes, and in Missouri one in four adults smoke. And if you find a pack of cigarettes in your teenager’s room or jacket, don’t buy the ‘It’s my friend’s’ excuse. If you smell smoke on their clothes or hair, don’t go into denial and accept that only their friends smoke. Experts tell us that talking to our children about the dangers of smoking is an important way to prevent them from picking up the habit. But, it can’t just be all about talk.

Take action. Snoop through their rooms. Listen when they talk to their friends. And, if you catch a whiff or have the slightest suspicion they may be smoking, drag their butts to a cancer ward to show them where this addiction will lead them. It will take more than just talk and public service announcements to lower the rates of teen smoking.

It’s so hard to find reliable, good, affordable care for children. Why isn’t this issue more of a priority for our legislators? Our government has the money for corporate welfare, tax breaks for multi-national companies and hedge fund managers. But no money or political will to help middle class, working parents afford quality care for their kids.

Why?

Some doctors and medical groups have stated their opposition against getting ultrasounds for nonmedical purposes. But, given the technology’s long history of safety, (and Tom and Katie’s personal ultrasound machine at home), are doctor’s overreacting to what could be a lasting keepsake and way to bond with baby to be?

You can read the latest story here. While it seems there are an increasing number of these sorts of crimes by teachers, the perpetrators tend to be men. Do cases involved female teachers get covered the same way? Do they provoke the same reaction as cases involving male abusers?

Some teacher’s college pictures can come back to haunt them. But, don’t we all realize that teachers are human, too? Do we really expect them to santize their lives? What would you consider inappropriate on your child’s teacher’s Facebook page?

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Given the cyclical hype surrounding each Next Big Thing — from HSM to Hannah Montana — we’ve come to expect 9-year-olds to act like rabid, obsessed fans. But, indulging this behavior (I’ve GOT to see it tonight or I’ll just DIE!) has also become acceptable in many parenting circles.

I’ve got a colleague who admits there are families scheduling their vacations around this premiere. Isn’t that ceding a little too much power to the Disney marketing machine? Or is simply a smart way to keep a 9-year-old from pouting through an entire week-long family vacation?