Breaking News } Flash Flood Watch for Johnston county.

Dear Mr. Dad: I'm concerned about my mom. She's in her mid 60s and her hearing has been getting worse and worse. She doesn't participate in family discussions as much as she used to and she isn't nearly as engaged with my children. I've suggested getting hearing aids but she refuses to - she says they'll make her look old. Is there anything we can do?

Q: My husband's ex is always around and it drives me crazy. We still hang around the group of friends they had and she's there at every get together. The only ones she's not at are the ones we have at our house and there have been times when my new friends ask why she is not there! They have no kids together, so why does she have to be part of our lives?

Some local vet practices have started to focus on at-home hospice care and at-home euthanasia services for pets.

Parent to Parent:  Sure, it’s fun to boast when your little one knows all his letters and can count to 30 before hitting kindergarten. But look beyond academics. Early learners also need to work on several social and emotional skills to make it through school – and life. Preschoolers need to use playing and pretending to gain confidence, develop friendships, show empathy and take baby steps toward resolving conflicts without adults acting as referees.

CHICAGO - When it comes to advocating for her 8-year-old son's serious illness, Gelse Tkalec is on a much lonelier path than those strewn with pink ribbons and yellow bracelets.

This is a confusing time for parents who are chauffeurs to not only their children but also their children's friends. Children are passing along all kinds of legal information to one another about booster seats.

MEN IN BLACK 3

Tell Me About It:  Dear Carolyn: Ever since my husband left me five years ago, it seems I attract women friends in the process of divorce who want me to give them emotional support.

Your spouse wants to break up every fight between your kids. You want them to work out their differences. Who's right?

There's a chance, a pretty good one, that we'll never decide what makes a good mom.

I've been trying to work up some sympathy for these women who keep coming forward complaining that life is hard because they're too beautiful. I felt a tear welling about an hour ago, but it was just allergies.

Q: My husband was killed nearly a year ago, and my 11-year-old son is still having a difficult time with it. Before the accident, he was always cheerful and social and hardly ever complained. That still describes him, most of the time, but every now and again he slips into moods where he is just the opposite. These episodes occur once every couple of weeks and last for a couple of days, on average. I took him to see a therapist a while back, but I saw no change after three months of weekly sessions, so I took him out. When these moods happen, we talk about how special his dad was and how much he misses him, but I don't think I'm making any headway. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Doctors, state regulators, nonprofits are out to protect seniors from overprescribing of antipsychotic drugs.

Parenting:  How they raise their kids is a touchy subject for lots of parents. When I was growing up, it was said that one should not engage in discussions of religion or politics. These days, engaging in conversation concerning how someone raises their children is just as likely to end the relationship as a discussion of their religious or political beliefs.

Family Picks:  The Conservator’s Center in Caswell County houses nearly 100 exotic animals that have nowhere else to live.

Rusty Wallace didn't know what to expect before the results of voting for the NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 were announced Wednesday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Rachael Mahoney is in the midst of a decade of loss. In the last few years, her father and her sister, her only sibling, died. Her marriage ended in divorce. And now her elderly mother's health is failing.

Want to join the hot new meet-up group?

What should Jimmy do?