Red Cross Offers Tips for Preventing Flu in Kids

Hand washing is one of the ways to keep kids healthy.

[Editor's note: The following information is from the American Red Cross.] Health officials are reporting widespread influenza outbreaks in 47 of 50 states, up from just a week ago. One age group hit particularly hard is children, and the American Red Cross has some steps parents can teach their kids to help them avoid getting sick. Washing Hands Kids have a way of picking up colds and other illnesses. Parents should teach children proper hand washing techniques and how to correctly cover coughs or sneezes. Wash hands withsoap and warm water. When using soap and water: If using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer: Safety Steps The most important thing parents can do is get children six months of age or oldera flu vaccine as recommended by the …

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Edward Jones Helps Melrose Kids By Collecting Back-to-School Supplies

Through Aug. 27, the financial firm will be collecting school supplies at their 502 Main St. location.

For the third consecutive year, Edward Jones is collecting school supplies to give to Melrose students in need, according to a City press statement. "...Chris Cinella and the staff of Edward Jones Financial want to make sure that every Melrose child starts off with fresh supplies on the first day of school," the statement reads.  Through Aug. 27, Cinella and his staff will collect supplies before being distributed to the Melrose Emergency Fund, according to the statement. Edward Jones office is located at 502 Main St. Some of the supplies children will need to begin the school years include: "The first day of school is a fresh start for all students, filled with potential for the coming year," said Mayor Rob Dolan in the statement. "We …

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How Young are Melrosians?

Kids make or break a neighborhood, depending on who you ask. Here's a look at the number of Melrose households with school-aged children, compared to Greater Boston communities.

Almost everybody says they love children, but that tunes changes when topics like development and schools come into play. Almost every new development is scrutinized closely by cities and towns concerned about expanding their school populations and neighbors worried about noise. Below is a chart comparing the percentage of households with kids under 18 in communities in Boston and across the region. The statewide average is 28.3 percent, and Melrose comes in at just about that average—28.4 percent. That's almost identical to Wakefield, but higher than Saugus, Stoneham, Medford and Malden. Nearby towns with the highest percentage of households with kids under 18 include Lynnfield, Reading and Chelsea, all around 35 percent. The numbers were…

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Grab & Go Kids Planner

Grab and Go Kids Planner: Playtime at the Zoo

Take your kids to speak German, sing, and skate.

When/Where: Wednesday, January 11, 3:30 p.m./ 149 Pond St, Stoneham Why Go: Take your 5 to 7 year old to see how far the zoo's snow leopards can jump and learn more about this endangered species.  Admission: $8 Members/$10 Non-Members. For families with more than one child, additional participating 5-7 year olds are $4 each. When/Where: Wednesday, January 11, 10:15 a.m. / Melrose Public Library, 69 W Emerson St, Melrose Why Go: A Melrose mother who speaks German to her young children at home welcomes parents and children who know the language or want to learn it through songs and stories to attend this new group. Please note that the group will not meet on Jan 18.  FREE When/Where: Friday, January 13, 10:00 a.m. / Memorial Hall - Soldiers…

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Moms Talk Q&A

Tell Us: Curfews for Kids—Good or Bad?

For this week's Moms Talk, we want to hear from you, our Melrose Patchers—how do you handle curfews for kids? Should the city also impose a curfew?

Usually each Wednesday in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of Melrosians take your questions, give advice and share solutions. This week, we're trying something different—we want to hear from you! After all, Melrose Patch isn't a one-way broadcasting station. This is a community site and you're a big part of it, so we want to hear your thoughts. (Please remember if you're signing up for a Melrose Patch account that our Terms of Service do not allow aliases. Also, we suggest using your full name for your Melrose Patch account. You may also sign in using your Facebook account.) If you want to submit a question, or if you're interested in joining the Melrose Patch Moms Council—which means weighing in with your thoughts each week on the question of…

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Moms Talk Q&A

Tell Us: Kids and Chores—What Responsibilities and At What Ages?

For this week's Moms Talk, we want to hear from you, our Melrose Patchers—how do you handle kids doing chores? What responsibilities do you give them, and at what ages?

Usually each Wednesday in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of Melrosians take your questions, give advice and share solutions. This week, we're trying something different—we want to hear from you! After all, Melrose Patch isn't a one-way broadcasting station. This is a community site and you're a big part of it, so we want to hear your thoughts. (Please remember if you're signing up for a Melrose Patch account that our Terms of Service do not allow aliases. Also, we suggest using your full name for your Melrose Patch account. You may also sign in using your Facebook account.) If you want to submit a question, or if you're interested in joining the Melrose Patch Moms Council—which means weighing in with your thoughts each week on the question of…

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Celebrating Earth Day with your Kids

Earth Day is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids about respecting our planet.

The 70’s were known for many things: the Vietnam War, Watergate and disco, but it was also the birth of Earth day, on April 22 1970.  For me, Earth Day has always been a part of my life and now I would like to continue it with my children. A great way to start celebrating Earth Day is to understand its origins. I told my young children (ages 3 and 5) that a Senator from Wisconsin wanted to teach people about the effects our actions are having on the Earth. People from all across the United States came together to celebrate the Earth, teach people about how to keep the environment healthy and show our government how important this issue was to the people. The first Earth Day drew 20 million people! Simplistic, but they understood and became…

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Photos: A-Tisket, A-Tasket, Kids Build Their Easter Baskets.

Children and their Parents gathered at Mount Hood Gold Course on Wednesday to build and fill Easter Baskets of their very own.

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