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Insider tips on what to read, play watch
Summer boredom should be settling in fast by now, but it can be tough to keep up with what's appropriate for kids to read, play or watch. Luckily we can get some tips from people who have already slogged through these things.
For reading, check out the Summer Reading List from the state's reading initiative called Just Read, Florida! And check out this interview by reporter Jeff Solocheck with Barbara Elzie, deputy director of the program. There's lots of resources for parents and for kids of all ages.
For movies, Yahoo Kids now has a blog called Connected Parents that includes reviews of movies that are designed to alert parents to content, from violence to language to adult themes, that parents might not be aware of based on the movie trailers. For example I know more than a few parents who wished that Toy Story's Woody wasn't constantly calling Buzz an idiot, a word many parents try to keep out of their toddler's lexicon. Common Sense Media is also a great site to bookmark for reviews of books, DVDs and books with an eye toward questionable content. Our Steve Persall's weekly Family Movie Guide is a great way to get a quick view of what's in theaters, but a more in depth review is needed when those movies come home and are viewed multiple times.
For video games, I find myself on the site What They Play almost weekly for insight into game content. My 10-year-old is even using it to so he knows not to bother asking me if he can rent Assassin's Creed from Hollywood Video because I don't think killing people is funny or a sport.
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
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Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
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THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
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Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
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