Doris Stein lost her 4 1/2 year old daughter, Jessica, due to complications from the flu in 2002. Now Doris and her husband are part of a group of families called Families Fighting Flu who work to promote flu vaccinations and were instrumental in influencing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to expand the recommended age for flu vaccines to include children up to the age of nineteen. Doris spoke with Paige about how critical it is for parents to be aware of complications that can arise from the flu and the importance of vaccinating the whole family to protect against both the seasonal flu and H1N1. Please visit www.FamiliesFightingFlu.org for more information, and please, protect your family and friends by getting vaccinated.

Hopefully things are starting to slow down around your home now that the holidays are over. How about taking advantage of that and making a New Year's resolution to spend a little more "slow" time together as a family? The Mommies are working on it; Gretchen is focused on family dinner and conversation, and Paige says her family enjoys game time at the end of a busy day. Leave a comment and share what you like to do, or plan to do, to help your family "unplug" from all the distractions and focus on what’s really important—each other!

We all know reading with our children is imperative to their development, and happily book stores and libraries are overflowing with choices. So Paige and Gretchen are checking in with Erica Perl, author and reading expert, to get her advice on how to pick great books to read with your 3-5 year old. Her ideas include looking for books that are concise and well written, have fun and engaging characters, and are visually interesting. Try to find books that you enjoy too, since you may well be reading them many, many times!

Every parent wonders if their child’s development is “normal” at some point (or many) in their child’s life. It’s helpful to know what developmental milestones your child should be reaching at each age. Gretchen and Paige talked with Anne Dolin, author and educational specialist, about milestones in reading, speech, and comprehension. For more help and information on child development, we like the book How is My First Grader Doing in School?: What to Expect and How to Help, by Jennifer Jacobson and the other books in the series. You can also click here and here for more great information.

Adding to their audio show, the mommies show you a sample of what MommyCast Videos will bring you. It's fun. It's educational. It's MommyCast Videos!

An estimated one in three children in the United States is overweight. That’s an alarming number! Gretchen has a passion for dance and exercise and was thrilled to visit with Shannon Miller, seven time Olympic medalist, about the Shannon Miller Foundation which is dedicated to fighting childhood obesity.

With seven kids between them, Paige and Gretchen have seen a tantrum or two. So has Dr. Rene Hackney, founder of Parenting Playgroups, and she filled the mommies in on techniques for avoiding tantrums, and then what to do when one (oops) happens anyway. You’ll want to try her techniques for tracking triggers, teaching “emotion language,” and more.

Almost nothing is as wonderful as bringing your own sweet baby home from the hospital, but new parents can feel overwhelmed too.  As part of our series, My Baby, Me & My World, sponsored by Pampers, Gretchen and Paige share what it was like when they brought home their first newborns.  They had questions about diapering, sleeping, playing…everything!  You’ll smile when you hear what they did, and for more helpful information on everything baby, check out what the experts say at Pampers.

Paige and Gretchen talk with car seat expert Bob Wall about the basic functions of child car seats, how they work, and why they are built the way they are.

Are you gearing up for the holidays?  We have some great book recommendations for you to read with your family this year!  Paige and Gretchen invited author and reading expert, Erica Perl, to share some of her favorite holiday books, including Mrs. Muddle’s Holidays, Celebrate Hanukkah, D.I.Y. Kids, and The Spatulatta Cookbook.  These books make great gifts, but if you buy one early, they also have wonderful ideas for making your holidays more fun and meaningful.  Erica also has her own delightful new book, Ninety Three in my Family.  We know you’ll enjoy it!

Season's Greetings!  Join Gretchen and Paige as they talk with children's book author and reading expert, Erica Perl, about some great holiday books for you and your family.