Long Island Kids

The sun is strong, and it's a beautiful August day. A perfect day for a 12-year-old to be outside playing.

Starting to try having children? Or trying to conceive but running into problems?

My daughter is turning 1 in a few weeks. She's been solely on breast milk and solid food. I know that doctors advise whole milk when babies turn 1. How do I transition her? Go cold turkey? Do you give it to them cold, or should it be warmed? Is it true that some babies have allergies to whole milk, or is that just another rumor to scare first-time mothers?

Elizabeth Cioffi-Petrakis' 87-year-old grandmother is still a single mom.

If your child battles weight issues, perhaps Healthier Tomorrows can help.

I read your Parental Guidance column headlined "Toddler shuttles between parents" (Jan. 7). The therapists interviewed said it's OK for a preschool child of divorced parents who live several states apart to alternate spending one month with each. My question is this: How do the parents work out any equitable arrangement once the child is in school? It is not like one parent has been the primary caregiver and the other one is a part-time parent. It seems to me that the child would be greatly harmed as he or she wouldn't see the other parent for most of the school year. I would appreciate any advice as my granddaughter is in the same situation and is already 3.

Relationship experts and single parents offer the following advice:

Joanna DiGiovanna of Smithtown has four daughters, all huge Jonas Brothers fans. When one daughter heard on television that the Woodbury-based Breakfast Breaks cereal packs people were sponsoring a contest in conjunction with Mrs. Jonas to give away four tickets to the Jonas Brothers concert at Jones Beach, she urged her Mom to enter.

My daughter is 11 years old, and some of her friends have started to be allowed to go to the mall together without parental supervision. Am I old-fashioned to think 11 is too young for girls to be dropped off at a mall for hours?

The Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless is collecting new school supplies to fill 1,000 donated backpacks to be given to Long Island children in need, says Greta Guarton, interim director of the agency.

Are there any parenting classes for young parents in Nassau or Suffolk County? I'd prefer the Farmingdale or Massapequa area.

My 2-year-old receives hand-me-down shoes from my friends' children. With the rising costs of daily living, shoes can be a big expense. Is it all right to have my toddler use other children's shoes? If I run the sneakers through the wash, is that enough to kill germs? What about sandals and dress shoes - how can I sanitize those?

Four-year-old Andrew Margaritis, dressed in a white martial arts uniform snugly cinched with a green belt, gleefully flipped his mother onto her back at Orly's Treehouse in Westbury one recent Thursday morning.

My 2-year-old wakes up at 2a.m. daily screaming, "Mommy, I want to come down!" This has been going on for more than a month. We've tried several times letting her cry it out for up to an hour, but that hasn't worked. Out of pure exhaustion, we've resorted to bringing her into our bed. How do we get her to sleep in her crib all night?

When Judy Ackerman sent her 10-year-old daughter off for a trial weekend at a sleep-away camp this past winter, she had a hard time letting go of the suitcase.

We live in a Cape Cod home, and the upstairs gets hotter than 80 degrees. Is it all right to install a room air conditioner in my child's room? She is 2, still in a crib. Also, I am wondering at what temperature it should be set.

Just as you taught your child ways to comfort herself when she is homesick, you need to use the same skills when you miss her. Camp directors and veteran parents whose children go to sleep-away camp offer these tips:

School's out. No more worries about letting your children stay up late on a school night. No fears the kids won't get their homework finished if you fill up their days and nights with too much fun.

My 2-year-old daughter keeps drinking out of our dog's water bowl. Can she get sick from this? I am looking for ways to discourage this, but she seems to keep doing it. Now that the hot weather is here, I really don't want to remove the bowl when we are at home. Any suggestions?

"Gwanga, gwanga, galoolie, kariba, kariba, kariv."

Can you still swivel your hips like a 10-year-old? The Hula Hoop turns 50 this year, so give the colorful plastic ring a nostalgic try and see. After all, it's conceivable you still have a Hula Hoop in the garage, as the toy remains a childhood toy staple.

I am at my wit's end with my 8-year-old, who just finished third grade. My son has always been overbearing and immature with other kids. He wants to make friends desperately but lacks the skills. He acts silly, exaggerates stories and sometimes says things that put down other children to make himself look better, which I perceive as a self-confidence issue. He seems to have no friends. Today I asked him what he did at recess, and he said the kids wouldn't let him play basketball so he sat on the side and drew pictures by himself. This breaks my heart. I have spoken to his teacher, principal and school social worker. I've made an appointment with an outside psychologist. What else can I do?

Orly's Treehouse

Trying to keep the intimacy going while dealing with the demands of young children? Read about some of your contemporaries who are striving for the same.

My fifth-grade daughter used to be best friends with a girl in her class. Recently, she made a new friend who says she doesn't like the other girl. So my daughter has essentially dumped her old friend. I feel awful for the girl and for her mom. On top of that, my daughter then sent an insulting text-message to the jilted girl's cell phone. The other mom called me and asked me to talk to my daughter about it. I am stunned by my daughter's "mean girls" attitude; she's never behaved this way before. What can I do?

Oh, great. Another thing for parents to worry about.

With gas prices so high, who wants to drive to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey? Instead, take the kids to Adventureland, "Long Island's Amusement Park since 1962."

My fourth-grade son doesn't want to go to school. Every morning, he says he doesn't feel well. We've taken him to the doctor and given him a complete physical, even blood tests and X-rays. Nothing is medically wrong. I've talked to his teacher, who says he has friends and is doing well academically. I've explained to him that school is his job, and he has to go. But the morning comes, and it's like a broken record. What can I do to break this pattern?

Raymond Rose took off a week in late May and flew to Puerto Rico to help Sen. Hillary Clinton with her quest to win the Democratic primary there.