My family has relatives sprinkled in Maryland, North Carolina and Florida, so traveling to see them is just part of our normal routine. And our boys are now 8 and 13, so the tough-traveling years are pretty much behind us.

But I feel for those parents with younger kids, particularly when they have to keep their kids cooped up on planes to see Grandma and Granddad, Auntie or Uncle. I’m thinking about a recent radio commercial I heard for earphones, in which the announcer brags that his high-quality earphones even block out a howling kid sitting nearby. Nice.

I think most parents – except those of us who are perfect – empathize with a parent whose kid simply loses it on a flight. We realize that there before the grace of God goes us.

Apparently, that’s not the case with AirTran, which threw a mother, father and 3-year-old girl off a flight when the child had a tantrum before the plane took off. You can read complete details “here,”:http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070121/COLUMN01/701210459/1008/NEWS02?page1in in this column by my longtime friend and former reporting partner, Dianne Williamson of the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette.

Here’s the abbreviated story: The little girl apparently enjoyed the flight to Florida to see her grandparents, but when she got on the plane to return to Boston, she had a meltdown. Instead of being shown some sympathy, the parents were shown the door of the plane. AND, they were banned from the airline for 24 hours, meaning they had to spend an extra day in Florida, which they weren’t counting on. An AirTran supervisor had the gall to tell the dad how she would never tolerate her child acting in that manner. (Can you believe this?) Later, AirTran officials apologized and refunded the family’s ticket costs and offered them free tickets elsewhere, which they rejected. Good for them.

I know many parents take along activity bags, games, books, all kinds of things to make Junior’s travel time less arduous for everyone. But sometimes, just like for Felix the Cat, even that bag of tricks simply won’t work.

What tactics do you use to soothe your kids’ nerves while traveling? Or yours?

When I first learned I was pregnant, I went to Google News and excitedly searched for pregnancy health tips and baby news. I don’t do that much anymore. I quickly learned that there is an endless supply of tears waiting for anyone who dares to type “baby” in Google News.

Before I became a parent, I must have seen the headlines about murdered children, abandoned infants or toddlers who died because their parents were busy smoking pot in another room while they suffocated to death. But I don’t remember being affected the way I am now.

Just yesterday, I was driving from an interview assignment when the radio announced an infant was found in a trash chute in the Bronx. I felt myself freeze inside and quickly changed the radio dial. I know that ignorance is not the answer, but sometimes you have to protect yourself. A while back, my colleague and fellow Parents’ Place blogger Gayle sent me a gruesome article about a baby’s death that was so terrible I won’t repeat it here. I still have images from that story in my mind, and they still give me pain.

I don’t know what the right response should be. I know I hug my daughter and give her even more kisses after I hear about another child’s suffering or death. But I wish there were more I could do. As a mother, you just want to grab careless parents and shake them (or worse), but maybe there’s a better way to reach them before the tragedy and help them understand and appreciate the precious gift they’ve been given.

How do you cope? And what can we do? (And what kind of world do we live in when a mother accidentally suffocates her 8-week-old son in an effort to shield him from rats?)

Boing Boing, one of the Web’s most popular blogs, has some funny posts about food packages for children that are supposed to teach science, but instead spread misinformation. I like this gem from Pomodoro pasta: “Mars is the closest planet to the sun, but it’s not the hottest — Venus is!”

(Incidentally, the way I memorized the planets’ order was this mnemonic: Many Very Early Men Jerked Sodas Up Near Pluto. Alas, since Pluto is not a planet anymore, this no longer works. Any suggestions for a new one?)

I felt myself cringe when I saw the headline and blurb on the front page of today’s Salon: “The bunny vs. the blue box: Annie’s Homegrown Macaroni & Cheese is the pantry staple of harried, organo-hipster parents everywhere. But is it any healthier than the day-glo noodles of our white-bread childhoods?”

I cringed because Annie’s is in my cupboard right now, and I, like other suckers customers have paid a premium for the brand with the idea that it’s better for Pumpkin than Kraft. This article dispels most of that comforting idea.

In a point-by-point comparison of ingredients and nutrients, writer Anastacia Marx de Salcedo discovers that Annie’s and Kraft are pretty darn similar, even to the calorie count (Annie’s 270, Kraft 260) and protein content (Annie’s 10 g, Kraft 9 g).

She goes on to suggest that moms and dads would find it just as easy to grate some cheese on pasta and mix it up with a pat of butter and splash of milk. If you’re up to it, she also provides a recipe for white sauce, so the cheese doesn’t get clumpy:

White Sauce
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. white flour
1/2 to 2 cups milk

Melt butter in small frying pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until a smooth paste is formed. Add a tablespoon or so of milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat process until desired consistency is reached. For cheese sauce or as base for soup, this should be somewhere between ketchup and heavy cream. Remove from heat.

What I found interesting about the article is that it had me down pat. I’ve been buying Annie’s mac and cheese and snack crackers simply because the marketing touted them as “natural.” Now, I know that the term “natural” is pretty loosey goosey when it comes to the food industry. But even so, it somehow gave me the permission I needed to buy processed food for my daughter. In an ideal world—where I have ample time to schlep to Whole Foods every week—I would never buy processed food. But, in my life, the fact remains that despite my ideals to buy actual whole foods, we do end up eating boxed mac and cheese and store-bought cookies. (From Mrs. Green’s, no less.)

This story reminds me that it is almost as easy to grate your own cheese. (Ironically, I have a rectangle of Cracker Barrel chedder in my fridge, which I bought with the intention of making some homemade mac and cheese.) And cookies are actually one of the easiest foods to make. So maybe I’ll try to rely a bit less on Annie’s Homemade and more on Julie’s homemade.

(I do want to speak up a bit in Annie’s defense because some of the company’s products are certified organic, which is a priority for many parents.)

What about you other moms and dads: Do you buy Annie’s? And, if you do, do you think it’s healthier than other processed foods?

(Update: Vote in our new poll on what you feed your kids!)

Do you and your children share the same last name? And, if you don’t, have you found yourself facing special aggravation — and perhaps assumptions about your marital status?

I got to thinking about this topic after reading this very interesting post from my colleague Amy Vernon, metro editor for the Rockland County edition of The Journal News and LoHud.com and mom. She blogged about reader reaction to a story about two sisters who gave birth 17 minutes apart in the same hospital. Some people assumed that the sisters were unmarried because they don’t share their husbands’ names. (They also assumed they were illegal immigrants because they are Hispanic, but that’s another topic.)

In today’s world with blended families, stepchildren, second marriages and women opting to keep their own names, I imagine that the issue comes up quite a bit.

I nosed around a bit on the Web and spotted this Harvard study that found that just 2 percent to 4 percent of women kept their own last names after marriage in 1975. By 1990, that figure was 23 percent. In 2000, it had dipped to 17 percent. The professor who led the study speculates that younger women don’t feel the need to “make a statement” by keeping their names.

Full disclosure: I took my husband’s last name when we married in 1993. He was actually very firm about wanting to share a last name for the new family we would be forming, but he wasn’t insistent that I take his name. In fact, he was willing to take my name — or even come up with a third one altogether. (I declined. I figured I’d never live that down with his family.) Keeping in mind potential future kids and not wanting to burden them with a hyphenated name (you’re welcome, Pumpkin), we opted to use my name as a middle name and his family name as a last name.

What about other parents? What choice did you make about last names, and how is that working out now that you have kids?

Tonight I saw Pumpkin’s first molars (yeah!). The teeth, which seem surprisingly big in her tiny mouth, have been making their presence known before I could feel or see them in how they’ve changed our Pumpkin’s behavior.

I was hoping we would escape the teething blues altogether because she didn’t seem to suffer when her incisors came in. Apart from some drooling, we didn’t notice any upset with the arrival of teeth 1 through 8.

But for the past couple of weeks, Pumpkin has been cranky and sensitive, hugging her favorite stuffed animals closer, complaining when we’ve taken something away and in general being a bit needy. She’s also reverted to chewing on her plush toys, a habit she left behind months ago. She’s also been resisting when I brush her teeth, a task she once tolerated and actually seemed to enjoy — she even used to take a turn with the brush. But for the past few weeks, I’ve had to lay her on my bed and hold her mouth open to get at her teeth. And, most disturbingly, the past three nights she’s woken up in the night crying and upset — which is also not typical.

So, tonight, after we washed her face, when I took her into my room for tooth brushing, I reached inside her mouth to feel around to see what might be happening. I was surprised to find three (!) molars coming in — two on the bottom and one on the top. Poor baby! No wonder she’s been fussy.

(It’s interesting that the teething experience has even caused her to regress a bit. She normally enjoys holding my hand or her Grandma’s and walking up the stairs, but lately has been demanding to be carried. She was also crawling around the kitchen today — something she hasn’t done since she mastered walking this fall.)

Pumpkin’s been a late teether all along. I checked out this very handy chart online and saw that the first bottom molars were actually due at 12 months. Her 12-month mark (from her due date) was July 27. The top molars are scheduled to come in at 14 months. I’m wondering whether this means it will be another six months before the next round of bottom molars come in — or whether she will “catch up” and get more teeth sooner. Any other parents of late teethers out there have some insight?

I kept her up a bit later than her usual bedtime tonight in the hope that she will sleep the night through — and we had a pretty vigorous game of ball in the evening that I hope went some way toward exhausting her. (Yes, we play ball in the house!)

I’m wondering if anyone has a suggestion for what might make her feel better? I’ve seen Tylenol recommended, but I’m a bit reluctant to give medicine unless she has an actual illness. Any remedies work particularly well for your kids? Want to share your teething wisdom? (Bad pun intended.)

So tonight we mark another milestone. She’s on the road to childhood. A future of crunchy snacks and steaks awaits. (And, just think, in six or so years, those teeth she’s suffering so to bring into being will be under her pillow waiting for a dollar from the tooth fairy.)

Just a few days ago, we had the opportunity to break out Pumpkin’s “Boo Bunnie” for the first time. I received it at my baby shower, and until now, it was tucked away in the freezer waiting for that first “boo boo” significant enough to merit ice.

One morning before work, Pumpkin and I were playing a favorite game that’s a mix of hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo. She runs back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room and I “hide” behind the wall separating the two rooms. When she comes around the corner, I jump out and yell “boo!” This is pretty hilarious stuff when you’re 1 and a half.

Well, on this particular day, when she ran back into the kitchen, I gave chase with a friendly cry of “I’m gonna get you.” Squealing in delight, she ran. But in her toddler clumsiness, she slid on the tile floor, skidding on her hands and knees head first into the wooden cupboard. Ouch! I actually heard the bone of her skull make contact with the wood with a pretty loud “crack!” sound. Then there was that pause before the cry that means she’s taking in enough oxygen to really let it out.

I scooped her up pretty fast, as you can imagine, picturing a huge gash on her forehead. Draped on my shoulder, I carried her over to my mom and asked her to assess the damage. But, thankfully, there was only a red bump. Fearful of a bruise, I decided to get the Boo Bunnie. Pumpkin didn’t much care for it, but with the distraction of her favorite Baby Einstein DVD and her Grandma’s lap, she tolerated it for moments at a time.

A day later, her forehead was perfectly smooth and clear.

The whole incident got me thinking about the origin of the word “boo boo,” which really is perfect. It has the repetition so beloved by little people. It’s an easy word for tiny lips to form. And, it’s just cute.

I found this page on Google Answers that traces several possible origins, but the mostly likely to me seems to be the one offered by About.com: the French “bo bo,” meaning small wound.

I have not yet used the phrase, “Kiss the boo boo and make it better,” but I’m sure I will…

When it comes to food, my boys are as different as night and day.

My 13-year-old will try just about anything. He likes sushi, curry goat, jerk chicken, most greens and just about any kind of fruit.

My 8-year-old sums up his palate this way: “I eat what I like, Mom.” He actually said this on Friday as he ate a Coney Island burger (burger with barbecue sauce and bacon – the bacon has to be on a separate plate) at Brooklyn’s Famous Subs and Pasta in White Plains. That’s about as far as his gastronomical repertoire expanded. Until Saturday, that is.

On a foray to Nyack, my husband and I decided that we were going to have a Saturday afternoon lunch that didn’t feature anything that came on a bun or cut into eighths. We ventured to the “Thai House”:http://www.thaihousenyack.com/, a delightfully cozy place that was obviously once a diner. There, my 13-year-old studied the menu, asking about Pad Thai, duck and other dishes. My 8-year-old seemed initially content with water.

Now don’t get me wrong: My younger son isn’t a complete food Neanderthal. He LOVES Chinese food. Well, he thinks he does. Basically, he eats fried chicken wings and fried rice. Just like they make in old Shanghai. Right.

We chose Thai, thinking that seeing some rice on the plate would encourage him to try some other foods. You’re now thinking, “Ha! Fat chance.” You’re wrong! He actually loved the sauteed jumbo shrimp, chicken, pork, snow peas and broccoli, cauliflower in garlic sauce, along with the Thai-style fried rice. And he gobbles up the wontons and spring rolls. He ate baby corn! And asked me to buy some for dinner this week!

So the introduction to something different went well, this time.

How do you introduce new foods to your kids?

Ok. So, here’s the situation: My girlfriend’s son does not sleep. He is nearly 3, and cries endlessly before bed. He screams for his mom if ignored, and demands whatever there is to demand. She is an awesome mom, and has done everything she can think of. She has nurtured him, indulged him, spoken sternly to him, set up a bedtime routine and stuck to it religiously. She has done the typically prescribed thing: Ignore him and let him go to sleep on his own – eventually. I guess that theory is he’ll eventually learn he has to do this. It has not worked despite repeated attempts. He is a happy kid when awake, and the most lovable child you’d ever want to be around. There’s just this sleep thing, and he has never been a good sleeper as it is.

So, what would you do? Suggestions? Similar experiences? Expert input? What’s up with the kid?

A lot of parents are feeling relieved today, a day after Consumer Reports retracted a report on infant car seats in its February issue that said most were unsafe. My colleague, Alison Bert, talked to parents shopping at The Westchester in White Plains today, and some had been thinking about throwing out their old seats and getting new ones because of the report.

If you haven’t heard the news, it appears that the original crash test was faulty. A test that was supposed to simulate a side-impact crash at 38 mph was conducted instead at around 70 mph. Two brands of seats, the Graco SnugRide with EPS and Baby Trend Flex-Loc, still performed well at even that speed. Consumer Reports, which is published by Yonkers-based Consumers Union, plans to review its tests and release new guidelines.

As a parent who was very concerned about the original news, I’m relieved to learn that babies aren’t in as much danger as the magazine reported.

Did any readers of this blog see the report? What were your thoughts, and how are you feeling now?

Last weekend, we had a birthday party for my son, who is now a (gasp!) teenager. My husband and I hosted took a group of his friends bowling.

It was different from the bowling parties that we’ve had in the past – this one took place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, making it an official NIGHTTIME party, which apparently makes a heap of difference when you’re turning 13.

So there we were, Britney Spears on the video screen, colored lights dancing around, soda flowing and kids laughing and bowling.

And then we saw them.

One girl (12) sitting on the lap of one boy (13). We, the chaperones (my husband, my girlfriend and I) all froze and stared. Their backs were to us, so they didn’t notice our faces of horror.

“What should we do? Tell them to get up?” I asked, not being well versed in this kind of behavior. Now of COURSE I did this kind of thing when I was a teenager (sorry, Dad), but I never did it in front of my friends’ parents! So the three of us hesitated, hemmed and hawed, until finally, my husband spoke.

“Break it up!”

The couple looked a little shocked, but the girl quickly hopped off the guy’s lap. “You may do that kind of thing with your parents, but it’s not happening on my watch,” my husband said. (I think I heard someone mutter, “Mr. Williams is mean” after that, but I can’t be positive…)

Anyway, that seemed to put a stop to it. For the evening at least. I’m not sure what happens when they’re at school or at other parties, but I do know that I’m simply not ready to deal with teenage hormones yet. I guess I’d better get ready for the ride.

Did we handle this correctly? What would you have done?

Interesting USA Today Snapshot segment in Friday’s edition. This is one of those info boxes that USA Today has on the front page with statistics or poll results. This one is on the importance of fatherhood:

91% of fathers polled agreed that there is a father absence crisis in the USA.

81% agreed that men perform better as fathers when they are married to the mothers of their children.

67% agreed that the government should do more to help and support fathers.

Thoughts, questions or commentary?

Good discussion today on our “Hall Monitor blog”:http://hallmonitor.lohudblogs.com about headlice. My colleague David Wilson wrote about this last month, when reports of a lice infestation at the Scarsdale Middle School surfaced. The district took steps then and brought in a company that deals with these things.

Well, we’ve gotten a call from a Scarsdale parent complaining about the whole thing and saying it persists. Let’s be honest, this is the kind of thing that freaks parents out. But how much responsibility do schools have, and how much do parents have?

Like I said, check out Hall Monitor and put your two cents in.

Has your toddler ever tossed a toy from his or her car seat only to cry to have it back? And what did you do when that happened? Stop the car to fetch the toy — or reach around while keeping one hand on the wheel? It’s a dilemma most parents of toddlers face at one time or another, but when it happened to Port Chester mom Patricia Friend Douglass, she invented a solution: A toy that buckles right into the car seat.

I talked to Patricia about her new company, Casey and His Friends, for a story in today’s Business section. She told me about the day her daughter, Parker, kept dropping her favorite blanket (which had a pony on it) — on purpose. After Patricia retrieved the blanket, she realized how dangerous it can be and how many moms and dads do it all the time. “You can’t tell me that you haven’t driven down the road and had one hand in the back seat of the car,” she said.

The Casey and His Friends car seat toys are stuffed animals in the shape of horses, a dog and a dragon — all were inspired by animals and people in Patricia’s life. Patricia spent a year developing the toys and getting them “tested for everything known to man,” as her manufacturer put it. Safety expert Stephanie Tombrello from SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. gives the toys a thumbs up because Patricia got them crash-tested at a university lab.

I haven’t tried one with Pumpkin because they only work with forward-facing car seats (and as I’ve mentioned in this blog, I’m keeping her rear-facing until she reaches 33 pounds), but they seem cute and fun.

What about you other moms and dads? What are your strategies for keeping the wee ones happy in the car?

Here’s a news flash: Swim diapers, those colorful pull-on pants designed for use in the pool or at the beach, are NOT a good temporary substitute for the real thing.

We found this out yesterday when we ran out of diapers and put Pumpkin in a swim diaper leftover from this summer. Before we could go to the store for more real Pampers, it was time for Pumpkin’s snack. While her dad was feeding her applesauce, she let go with a pee. When he picked her up from her high chair, her jeans were sopping wet, her legs were covered in urine and the high chair had a puddle. She might as well have been bare-bummed!

These diapers don’t work at all! So be warned: If you think swim diapers will prevent urine from getting in the pool, they most definitely will not. Maybe they help contain poop — I hope I never have to find out.