Parents often tell me that their toddler doesn't eat anything, yet most of those toddlers are growing and developing fine. First step is to check with your pediatrician and make sure that your daughter is truly gaining weight and growing appropriately. Here are a few reasons why she may not be eating what you think she should:

You don't fully define the members of your family outside of yourself and your daughter. Is her father involved? Does he have an opinion on the co-sleeping? My sense is that perhaps your nuclear family consists only of you and your daughter, and the situation has been going on for a very long time -- perhaps the entire eight years of your daughter's life.

While some children self-soothe through auditory, olfactory or taste sensations, many are comforted by tactile sensations. 

She CAN have almost everything you eat, as long as it's cut into small pieces. Infants actually learn to eat by mashing food with their gums, so even toddlers who don't get their first tooth until they're a year old do fine with soft pieces of grown-up food. I find that one-year-olds love eating small pieces of steamed veggies (such as carrots and sweet potato), whole grains (pasta, cereal and bread) and chicken. Take whatever you eat, cook it a bit more if needed or mash it slightly so it's soft, cut it into small pieces and serve it as finger food. Thick yogurt works well when it comes to learning to use a spoon, and most infants and toddlers love it.

First, support your daughter. Help her understand why people stare and whisper. Explain to her that it's their problem, not hers -- and that she is beautiful and wonderful and strong. Emphasize that she is differently-abled.

It is critically important that schools and families work together. I suggest you talk to his teacher or the school administrator who handled the cheating -- assuming it was discovered.

There are actually two important questions rolled into your one: what to do about a bullying situation and how to talk to your teenager.

How old is that boy at school? Obviously his behavior is inappropriate at any age, but it may need to be handled differently if he is younger or older.

It sounds like your daughter may need some encouragement and reassurance. Try sitting with her and helping her along the way. If an assignment is long, break it into smaller, more manageable sections so she can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Starting middle school can be an exciting time filled with many challenges, including changing classrooms, meeting new teachers and making new friends. To help ease the transition for your son, take a tour of the school ahead of time and walk to each of his classes if you know where they are.

Since you have a history of a consistent bedtime routine and your toddler previously slept well, it does sound like something is causing him discomfort and disrupting his night. He's at the right age for teething and some toddlers do experience quite a bit of pain as teeth poke their way through sensitive gums...ouch!

You are lucky to have family members taking care of your son. I know it's hard, but try not to take it personally when he chooses them over you.

Of course she loves her mommy, but at this age it may be more of the routine, or the way that you hold and sooth her that she's attached to. Help your husband and dad experiment with different soothing methods while you are near that they can then use when you are out.

It's often helpful to look at the "why of behavior"-- what's motivating your child to act in a specific way. Four-years-old is a bit on the early end for this type of behavior. Most children at that age are just beginning to differentiate the possessions of others from their own, but most four-year-olds understand that Mommy's purse does not belong to them.

Thunder can be scary for some children. If your son is oversensitive to loud noises in general, you may want to buy earmuffs to wear during a loud storm. Get two pairs so you can wear one too.

From your description it sounds like you are alone with your son for a significant portion of the day -- which must be a very difficult mix for an active toddler and a bed-resting mom!

Sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with your daughter. Let her know that it's her choice whether or not she wants to play soccer, and that you'll love and support her whether or not she plays.

You are probably both right! Piercing is both a sign of individuality and a way to fit in. One recent study revealed that one in three college students had some type of piercing.

Your 20-month-old doesn't intend to hurt you. It's just his way of expressing himself, but that doesn't mean it's okay. You do need to teach him how to appropriately touch and that hitting is not acceptable. Model the words and behavior that you'd like him to copy. Say, "Gentle, make nice to Mommy," as you softly run his hand down your arm. When he does hit, say "No" firmly. Put him down and then redirect his attention.

I'm sorry you have an early riser, and I know it's exhausting, but 6:30 is when some children wake up. While you can try black-out curtains, an earlier or later bedtime, and even ignoring the crying, it may not make much difference. She's had a full night of sleep and now it is morning and that means playtime! As my son says, "The world is bright. Get up!"

First, if he hasn't seen his pediatrician lately, consider going in for a visit just to make sure he is growing and developing well, and that nothing is causing him discomfort (like an ear infection). Next, you need and deserve a break ASAP, so that you don't end up even more frustrated and exhausted. Enlist your spouse, partner or get a babysitter or mommy-helper so you can have some quiet time to do whatever will help you feel better.

Depending on where you live, you might be able to visit a children's museum with a mock plane so your child can see what the process is like. At a minimum, you might try a trial run to the airport so she can see the hustle and bustle of the security process, the crowds, the lines etc.

Sleepwalking is common, especially in kids ages 4 to 8. We don't know what causes sleepwalking, but it does tend to run in families.

Exposure, exposure, exposure. Kids are outstanding imitators. They imitate whatever they see, whether it's positive, negative or neutral.

To quote Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years, "Who you are in fifth grade is who everybody else in fifth grade says you are." That's a harsh reality of middle childhood, and you are so right when you point out that friendship is critically important to an 8-year-old.

A new baby and a new house -- wow. Your daughter's life was recently turned upside-down. It's not surprising that she's having accidents. That's a normal reaction at this age.

Fear is an intrinsic human emotion -- a vestige of our days as cave people when fear was critical to survival. In many cases, that is still true today: fear protects us from many risks. That said, it's important to differentiate a fear from a phobia.

How unfair — and perfectly ridiculous — it is that people make assumptions about others based on something as simple as the way a person's pants hang or the way he styles his hair? As if intelligence can be measured in the inches between a boy's waist and the top of his jeans, or kindness, honesty, and trustworthiness be determined by the length of one's hair. Really, it's quite infuriating to think that in this day and age, people still take it upon themselves to make mass pronouncements about a massive group of people based on something so simplistic as the way they dress.

When young girls first start wearing makeup, they usually wear too much. She's lucky to have you to guide her. Explain to her that beauty comes from within and that too much make up can actually distract from her natural beauty. At age 11, lip-gloss and a tiny bit of eye shadow should suffice.

No matter how you choose to address the co-sleeping issue, it's critical that you and your husband are in agreement. Talk out any options first and make a decision to support each other. This won't be easy, but after a week or two of difficult nights, most children make the adjustment smoothly.

Teenagers will test you. They'll try out bad language and bad behavior at home, just like little kids will try out potty language at home. They know you won't disown them. It's a safe place. Nevertheless, even if you won't disown them, it's important for you to respond consistently: "We don't talk like that around here." If the bad language doesn't gain them anything and doesn't create a scene, they're more likely to stop using it.

If you ask a group of kids how you should handle your niece, one of them will probably say, "Don't send any more presents." My advice is a little softer. I suggest you let the niece know that you're expecting a thank you for your gift this year -- and if there is none, you won't be sending gifts in the future.

Since your son is 10, there's a strong likelihood that he witnessed or heard many arguments when you and his father were together. Many times parents think the children are asleep or oblivious to the violence, but in most cases they're very aware but afraid to talk about it.

Your child should be able to sit through an entire meal by the time she's seven or eight. When she's younger, she can sit for a portion of the meal. If she gets fussy and restless, you can excuse her from the table. It works well if you set up a play area near the table so you can keep track of her and so you can expose her to the social interactions at the dinner table.

Many researchers feel 10 is the "most fearful age," so your daughter may just be living up to that adage. To determine if you need professional help with her anxiety, it's critical to determine how much her fears are getting in the way of her daily activities.

At 2 ½-years of age, many children crave the social stimulation of a preschool classroom -- the routines, the novelty, the other children. Many, like your daughter, still prefer to speak in telegraphic one-and two-word phrases, but within the next month or so, you should start to see an increase in her word combinations, as well as a huge spurt in her vocabulary -- possibly helped by the new stimulation at school!

You'll have to start by talking to your son. You can't talk about this in the middle of a whining event. Try it at a different time. An 8-year-old is old enough to control his behavior; so as soon as the behavior stops working, he will let it go. Tell him that the whining is too much, that it happens every time he doesn't get what he wants and it's not going to work any longer. Be perfectly clear. Say, "We don't whine any more."

You can start when they are infants. Begin by establishing a culture of respect and consideration early on. You can do this by showing respect and consideration for everyone (including the baby) in the household. "Please" and "thank you" go a long way to creating that atmosphere of respect. "Please" turns a demand into a request and "thank you" shows appreciation. Requests and appreciation are essential parts of a culture of respect and consideration. So make it a habit.

Kids nowadays look up to their favorite pop stars just as we admired ours back in the day. But in years past our idols' private lives were rarely made public. As parents, we may be reluctant to "go there" with dating and abuse issues, especially with younger children. But you have to address Chris Brown's alleged assault of his girlfriend, Rihanna. These two young people are talented, beautiful, rich and cool - everything most kids aspire to. Tell your children that stars are human, which means they are vulnerable; can make mistakes; get into trouble; and do stupid things. Chris and Rihanna are no exception. 

Here's the deal: You had a baby with a teenager, and though you've been forced to grow up and take responsibility for another human being's life, your baby's father doesn't necessarily feel the gravitational pull of having to act like an adult in a grown-up relationship. This is because he's still a teenager. 

As the mom of three rather balky waker-uppers, I feel for you. I bought an alarm clock for one of my kids. And he took to it with great enthusiasm, cheerfully setting the alarm for the next morning. Yes, it did manage to wake him. But then my son climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over his head. So, in all, a mixed verdict.

Your newborn still needs to feed when he wakes up every 3 to 4 hours at night. That said, good sleep habits are best formed at a young age, and there are some things you can do now to make it easier for your little one to begin sleeping through the night in a few months:

You have my sympathy--and my empathy. As a toddler, my son furiously protested being in his car seat, so I had to entertain him, unseen, from a distance and drive carefully at the same time. Talk about stress! The best options for amusing a car-bound toddler meet the criteria ofrequire novelty, independence, and safety, since --you can't constantly keep handing him things, or play patty cake, nor constantly can you watch him constantly as you're driving. Some ideas:

Yes, this should concern you. Talk to the school and see what the teacher has to say.

If you find out it’s true, talk to your son. A 9-year-old should be able to understand the difference between right and wrong, so talk to him about why he is acting this way. Ask him how he would feel if a friend bullied him. It’s important to let him know that along with such actions come consequences. At this age, a consequence might be a withdrawal of privileges such as watching television, playing video games, playing with friends or other activities.