My Son Is Going to Prom. Why Am I in Tears?

Ah, the wonderfulness that is prom season is upon us. This is the time of year that the malls are filled with teen girls preparing for their big day buying gowns and accessories and getting their hair curled and primped. 

Mothers like me are also bustling around to make sure that each and every detail is taken care of for this monumental night of teenage-hood. But this is also a time of year for sadness for some of us as we notice that our children are growing up and will soon be adults. What is supposed to be a glorious time can be a melancholy event for parents who recognize that their children will soon be out of the family nest.
 
A few weeks ago when my son announced he was going to prom, I was quite cool. I went to prom both my junior and senior year in high school and considered it a big deal. But as the event creeps closer, it has been a time of reflection for me. This little boy who used to poop in diapers and follow me around like my shadow is now 17 years old, attending prom, and will be graduating next year and going off to college. How can this be?
 

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Finding Solace in the Prom Scene

Pull out your iridescent taffeta and matching dyed pumps from Payless. Prom season is in full effect!

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7 Ways to Celebrate Children's Book Week in St. Louis

This week marks the beginning of our country’s longest-running literacy program, Children’s Book Week. It is an annual celebration with a simple and powerful message: Books change lives, so let’s share them with our kids. Started in 1919 by the librarian of the Boy Scouts, who sought to improve the standards of children’s books, Children's Book Week is now administered by Every Child a Reader.

Children’s books hold a particularly special place in our culture. In fact, I probably enjoy them more than most of the adult books I read. They are deceptively simple, and the memorable ones tickle our imagination. They are full of the play and discovery characteristic not just of being a child but, well, of being human. And the element of illustration adds a whole other dimension to storytelling.

Here are some activities you can do with your child to celebrate this week.

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Talking to Your Kids About Natural Disasters

All these tornadoes lately!  Not to mention floods, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns and blizzards (had to throw that in for my family up in North Dakota). The end-of-the-world folks have to be buzzing.

Usually I try to shield my kids from disaster stories. But on Friday our family happened to dine within sight of the TVs above a restaurant bar, and my 7-year-old spent the meal avidly reading news headlines about the horrible storms and tornadoes in the South. At that point the death toll was in the 200s; now it’s at 345.

He had a million and one questions. The trickiest for me to answer was why people didn’t go somewhere safe when they heard the sirens? 

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Money-Saving Tips for Expectant Moms

Babies are expensive! Nursery furniture, bedding, clothes, toys, bottles and formula, and diapers, diapers, and more diapers … sometimes newly pregnant moms are surprised by just how much money they’ll be spending on their little bundle of joy.

Savvy shoppers have always been able to save money, but thanks to the Internet and online rewards programs, it’s becoming easier for busy expectant moms to take advantage of special offers even before their baby is born.

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Suson Park Farm Friday
Friday, June 12, 2026
Friday, July 31, 2026

Suson Farm Fridays are the perfect way to experience all the fun at Suson Park! Farm Fridays include hayrides, fishing, farm games, candle making, barn tours, horse petting, Kona ice, balloon creations and more. 

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Food Truck Friday in Tower Grove Park
Friday, June 12, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026
Friday, August 7, 2026

It's the food truck event that started them all! Local food trucks gather for an evening of friends, fun, live music and plenty of great food at Sauce Food Truck Fridays. St. Louis' favorite mobile restaurants will be dishing out fresh fare and local brews in Tower Grove Park.

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Kids Unleash Their Creativity at Hands-On Summer Art Camps

Your creative child may have numerous opportunities throughout the school year to express themselves through art projects and other hands-on art experiences, but what about summer? When the classroom is closed, what do you do? Send your child to an artistically engaging summer camp, of course! 

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Dinoroarus Comes Roaring Back at the Saint Louis Zoo

The Dinoroarus exhibit will bring prehistoric fun back to the Saint Louis Zoo this summer with 20 lifelike dinosaur animatronics and sculptures on the Zoo's Historic Hill.

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Travel Back in Time Every Friday at the Missouri History Museum’s Free Summer Family Fun Series

There comes a point every summer when all that “free time” isn’t so fun anymore. Your kids are bouncing off the walls, it’s too hot to hit the playground, and every activity seems to come with a big price tag. That’s when the screens come out, and parents find themselves counting down the minutes to bedtime. Thankfully, when Friday rolls around each week, your family can experience a mini summer getaway through history – no travel required. 

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Summer STEM Camps Create Hands-On Fun + Immersive Learning for Kids & Teens

Want your child to learn about subjects in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and have fun doing it? Help them further understand the inner workings of what's all around them by enrolling them in a STEM-fueled summer camp. You may be surprised at the wide variety of highly-acclaimed summer camps in the St. Louis area that put new and exciting twists on STEM concepts, creating hands-on fun for kids with the benefit of introducing them to some of the latest technologies in AI, engineering, coding and more.

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Get Ready to Climb and Explore at These Free Big Truck Days

If your kids love to explore big trucks and vehicles, these upcoming Big Truck Days are a perfect weekend outing. They'll get to climb on and explore fire trucks, police vehicles, bulldozers, bucket trucks, ambulances and lots more.

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