Dr. Jodi Stoner and Lori Weiner, authors of the new book, Good Manners are Contagious, are on a mission to change how kids interact with the rest of the world. Here, Stoner, a clinical psychologist, and Weiner, a highly successful career coach, offer tips on common scenarios to raise a well-rounded, well-grounded and well-mannered child.

There’s always a lot of talk about how girls grow up surrounded by the wrong messages and are made to aspire to impossible standards. I may joke about how black-and-white television can be when it comes to subverting its own message, but when I think about how it influenced my body image versus the kind of message my own mother sent me, I am grateful for all the trite lessons I got.

Japan's single-custody law (the country does not allow joint custody after parents divorce) is fraying family lines. One mother interviewed had not seen her daughter in five years. [MSNBC]

If you are anything like me, staying organized is a challenge. My intentions are good, but with three kids under the age of 6, I never quite seem to get it all together.  So when HybridMom asked readers a couple of weeks ago to share one organizational tip used in your daily life, there were so many creative comments I just had to compile and share!

Since the magazine I worked for in Manhattan folded last January, I’ve been cobbling gigs together, oftentimes working from home.

When I worked in the city, the snow didn’t affect me. Not the way it does when I’m working from my home, which is in a resort town by the bay on Long Island.

What makes a perfect parent? Is it laying down the law or accepting kids for who they are?
Is it setting high standards or providing unconditional support?
Do you expect your kids to adhere to the rules of the world? Or do you expect the world to adjust to the needs of your kid?

This is the first in a series of submission from The Momoir Project, all of which focus on finding the right number of children for each respective writer's family.

I have a favorite pair of sweatpants that I've owned since the Precambrian period. They're a tired shade of gray, with barely a suggestion of the navy lettering that once graced its cottony surface.

Like most, my children are captivated by Christmas lights. They marvel at dazzling colors and illuminated figures adorning our neighbors’ front yards. The holidays truly are for kids; only a child could look up at 10-foot Homer Simpson/Santa Claus balloon – bright enough to be visible from the moon – and smile. However, mine are only beginning to understand the meaning behind such sights.

When my husband and I were dating, people asked, “When are you getting married?” When we got married, they asked, “When are you having kids?” After our first child was born, they asked, “Do you want another?” And now that “another” is here, they want to know if we’re done or if we want more.