If you have a picky eater who's well out of toddlerhood, do not despair! Whether you've gotten a bit off track with meals or are just starting to introduce solid foods, now is the perfect time to get going in the right direction.

I wipe my children's faces a certain way, I caress their knees or elbows in a certain way when they fall down and I scold them in a way that only a parent can.

I know many mothers and caring nannies who have witnessed inappropriate behavior by other nannies they know on the playground, at a playdate, in stores or at school, but choose to keep their mouths shut due to fear or anxiety about how their comments might be received.

Being on all three sides of a guest list -- inviter, invited and uninvited -- can help children not only become more resilient, but also more conscientious and empathetic. It's up to parents to use parties as opportunities for chats about friendship, kindness, and etiquette.

While it's natural for parents to want to give their children everything, make sure that along with toys and praise, you give your children the regular reinforcement that makes thankfulness a part of who they are, not just something they do.

If you listen carefully to the answers you are given by a prospective nanny, you will have a really good idea of who the person is that you are interviewing.

We owe it to the numerous women who show up every day to care for our children not to let headlines override our own judgment -- and their good work.

I ask all of you to hold your children a little closer today.

It's every parent's worst nightmare. Literally. But what has followed is inhumane: A torrent of finger-pointing from the press and the public that implies the parents are at fault.

It's enough to be a working mother -- constantly inundated by the discussion of whether or not we can "have it all" -- and then to hear this awful tale that plants a seed of fear about how maybe you can't even trust the one person who, for those of us trying to do it, helps us keep it together.

On the list of people who make their victory possible are always agents, managers, assistants, parents, spouses and often God. But almost never the women who care for their homes and families all day.