Q: My ex and I divorced a year ago and share custody of our 7-year-old daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom and spend a lot of time with her. When she goes to her father's it's so difficult for both of us that I start telling her and how lonely I will be and that I'll miss her days before she is scheduled to go in the hopes it will help her feel secure about the back and forth. But as time goes on she actually appears more reluctant to go to her father's. When I have mentioned this to her father he tells me she's just fine at his house and actually asks me not to call! He has got to be lying! I'm so worried. What do I do?

The husband and I have been invited to be mentors for newly engaged couples. This would involve getting together with couples and talking about marriage and communication. We think it would be a fine thing to do because we find that talking about marriage is always so much easier than actually doing marriage.

Carl Weisman is not a psychologist, family therapist - or any of the other "ists" who work with the marriage-challenged.

Your family is not named Lohan or Spelling, and your feuds aren't plastered across People or Us magazines.

I just found a page torn from a notebook on the kitchen counter, where my 11-year-old daughter, Curly Girl left it.

Kids rule! More resorts and destinations are going out of their way to offer children and their parents adventures and unforgettable experiences. Here's a sampling:

A nationwide effort by health experts and major telecom carriers leads to some unexpected and free help for expectant mothers and families with weekly tips to support healthy pregnancies and babies via text messaging. It's called text4baby, and it's now available at no charge to expectant mothers across the country, whether you're a cell phone customer of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or other company.

When we were kids, my dad used to take us sledding while my mom stayed home and made hot cocoa (now that I am a mom, my bet is she was probably watching TV or taking a bath). Nevertheless, we were gone, and it was special Daddy bonding time. Something we did with only our dad. And we loved every minute of it. But it was frigid, and we got cold, our clothes wet and our faces chapped.

The plaintive call came from the bathroom.

Q: My 4-year-old is just plain messy. I expect her to help out around the house, and she does, but she rarely finishes a chore. If I ask her to pick up a room, for example, she will leave things on the floor. Having to constantly bring her back to the scenes of her crimes and finish her chores is driving me crazy. What can I do to get her to be more attentive and conscientious?

Children:  Q. My 4-year-old is messy, rarely finishing a chore. If I ask her to pick up a room, she leaves things on the floor. Having to constantly bring her back to the scenes of her crimes and finish her chores is driving me crazy.

Parent to parent:  Whether you're the parent or the teacher, here are tips to make the most of upcoming school conferences in the early years.

A federal judge who rejected the government's first bid to settle civil charges against Bank of America Corp. showed little enthusiasm Monday for a new proposed settlement.

Couture diaper bags? Celebrities are regularly photographed toting designer diaper bags that cost thousands. It's tempting for new parents to invest in an expensive and stylish diaper bag, especially since it will be used almost daily. But before buying into the trend, new parents need to remember the actual purpose of a diaper bag.

MODESTO, Calif. - Marissa McLeod possessed what psychiatrists call "the perfect outer shell."

We heart Valentine's Day, a holiday dedicated to love - and candy. Here are some quick, inexpensive gifts to make with the kids this weekend in anticipation of class parties and visits to Grandma.

The rising trend of expectant mothers being involved in every aspect of planning their births has had an unintended consequence - a rise in pre-term deliveries.