Sound Off

Disciplining our children is a tough thing. From time outs and talking-tos to the silent treatment or even spanking, it can be hard to find the balance between teaching right from wrong and affecting your child too deeply. So how do you cope? Many of you spoke out last week against the effectiveness of time-outs, offering other alternatives to discipline. But what works for one family and child may not work for another.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how you discipline your children.

Celebrity pregnancy announcements can be touch and go. Some stars, like Céline Dion, revealed their pregnancies early on, while stars like Colin Farrell — whose girlfriend is reportedly pregnant — have chosen to stay quiet and let the baby bump do the talking. Obviously there’s a happy medium, too, as many stars reveal their pregnancies around the half-way point — as soon as those bumps start to show!

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us: When did you reveal your pregnancy?

Once you welcome your little ones into the world, life totally changes. Free time becomes non-existent, and me time even more rare. So how did you cope?

Celebrity moms like Marcia Cross and Heidi Klum have come under the microscope lately for employing multiple nannies, but we know nannies are a great solution for many parents who need them — and can afford them. Same goes for babysitters, and even family and family friends. As a new parent, sometimes you want to take all the help you can get!

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us if you had help after giving birth.

Names pretty much last forever, so when you choose a moniker for your child, you have to make sure it’s one that’s going to be just right. You don’t want schoolyard teasing, do want it to mesh well with your last name, and most importantly, want it to fit your child’s personality — even if you’ve just met! So how did you pick your baby names? We know some of you love classic, while others prefer a little more modern; some have chosen names inspired by the famous, while some have had to name two (or more!) kids at once.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how you chose your baby names.

It’s summer, the temperatures are rising, and all your small children want to do is splash around in the sprinkler, backyard pool or anywhere else they can cool off. Of course at home you probably let them wear whatever is comfortable — diapers, T-shirts or nothing at all — but in public, when is it appropriate to cover up?

Brooke Burke and daughter Heaven Rain, 2 ½, drew some heavy criticism when Brooke shared a picture of a topless Rain earlier this summer. And the Today show recently addressed the issue, asking when kids are too old to appear in public sans clothes.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how old is too old for young children to go naked.

As women, most of us generally spend a few extra minutes in front of the closet every morning deciding what to wear. But when it comes to dressing while pregnant, you’re not just dressing yourself, but somewhat, dressing for two — you and your bump! So are you more conscious of what you wear when you’re pregnant than what you wear when you are not?

Recently, Nicole Richie got some praise — and some criticism — when she bared her big bump on the beach in a bikini. Even moms-to-be like Ellen Pompeo and Angelina Jolie get extra attention when they dress during pregnancy — but are their outfits that much different than what they’d wear on a normal day pre- or post-baby?

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us if you’re more conscious of your clothes during pregnancy!

Though we cherish every moment with our children, there are certain times that feel more “special” than all the rest. Bath time, story time, feedings, naps — each moment holds a significant meaning for a parent. So what’s your favorite?

Campbell Brown recently shared that her favorite moment with son Asher Liam, 3 months, is 4:15 a.m. (!!) when the two get 20 minutes of alone time together. “That is my most precious twenty minutes, because it’s just our moment together,” she explains.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us what your favorite moment is with your child!

Kids love being active. From soccer practice and arts and crafts class to ballet and piano lessons, there are a myriad of activities for children of all ages to try out. Some follow a more serious path, sticking with their favorite activities through high school, college and sometimes, beyond. But some realize early on they don’t love what they’re doing, and may ask to quit.

In yesterday’s Around the Web, we asked that when it comes to extracurricular activities, when is it OK to quit? On one hand, you don’t want your child to learn that giving up early is allowed, but at the same time, you’d never want to force him or her into something he or she won’t like. It’s a mutual decision, but one that takes some thought.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how you choose the most suitable activities for your child!

Parenting is a lot of work. From the day your first child is born — and even before — you’re taking in advice from others, preparing yourself and your home for parenthood and hoping that you’ll know what to do once your little one arrives. But how do you prepare?

Liev Schreiber recently said parenting “came naturally” to him, and while many would agree, others would probably say the advice of their parents, books and Web sites helped immensely, too.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how you prepared for parenthood.

Sibling rivalry is something every multi-child household has to face. With one child ruling the roost and then all of a sudden having to deal with a second (and third, and fourth…), things can sometimes get a little tense. But often, the situation can be funny, too!

Jack Black recently opened up about the reaction his son Samuel Jason, 3, initially had to little brother Thomas David, 13 months: wanting to get away, but ultimately realizing they could be playmates. Liev Schreiber said sons Alexander ‘Sasha’ Pete, 23 months, and Samuel Kai, 6 months, also got off to a rough start, but are warming up to each other, too.

With second babies on the way for Tom Brady and Matthew McConaughey, we wonder how their oldest children will react to their little siblings, as well.

So here’s your chance to Sound Off! Tell us how your first child reacted to his or her younger siblings.