Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms takes your questions, gives advice and shares solutions. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with this question:How do you teach your children financial responsibility?Kim Koch: How do you teach your child to curb spending desires, cut their financial spending down to basic needs and save? They learn by example. If they see you making wiser choices, at some point it will resonate loudly to them.They hear words like recession and balanced budget in the news. They see their family spending …

Question: Until recently, rules and the consequences for breaking them have been pretty easy. I could just take away a favorite toy, gadget or something pretty simple. Now that he's maturing, I would like for discipline to be more thought provoking and helpful than just "punishment." Any ideas?  Jan: As a single parent, discipline has always been a complicated issue, being both the good and bad guy. Right when I think I have a good system in place, my son grows out of a certain stage and it’s not effective any more. I remember when he was a toddler and I tried the time-out method. He could …

Q. I read the Sexting, Cyber Bullies and Textual Harassment article on Tuesday's Northeast Cobb Patch. The article and video has good information, but it lacked practical advice on how to talk with my teen about these issues. I do believe monitoring teen phones is important. My daughter, 14, had a picture on her phone of a shirtless man. I discovered the picture when she gave me her phone to use while we were at Publix. I had left my phone at home. I asked her who the man was. She said a Facebook friend; he wanted to show off his new tattoo to everyone. When we got home I talked with her …

This week's edition of Moms Talk offers a social media question from Northeast Cobb resident Janet Smith:  At what age do you allow your children to have a Facebook or My Space page? Do you have your child's password or how to you monitor what is being said and shown on their Facebook or My Space? Have you "friended'' your child?  Please respond in the comment box below. Chances are lots of parents have wondered this same question.  Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms takes your questions, give advices and shares solutions.

A Northeast Cobb mom, who asked that we not print her name, doesn't know how best to handle her four-year-old's tantrums. Her house is divided on the issue. Her husband believes in spanking. She believes in time-out, but admits that time-out is not very effective. She is torn, and wonders how other mothers would handle the situation. How do you handle your child's tantrum? Spanking, or time-out? Which do you believe is most effective? Reply in the Comment Box below.

The College Board announced Cobb County School District is among just 388 public school systems in the nation to earn a place on the distinguished Advanced Placement (AP) Achievement List.  Cobb kids take AP calculus and AP physics; Kell High School's engineering club is headed to a robotics championship; there's a chamber orchestra; visual arts and, of course, the indefatigable sports teams. Jammed into those multi-colored, sticky-noted and highlighted calendars might just be community service, driver's ed, part-time work and, if they're really super lucky, a few left over hours in a week to…

Cellphones: part perfuctory, part neccessity in today's overly digital communication. But when you see a kindergartner dig past her crayons for the iPhone mom sent her off to school with, you've got to wonder, how young is too young for cellphones? Welcome to another installment of Moms Talk Q&A. So far, this column has addressed a number of potentially sticky parenting issues, and we've gotten some great feedback. You can follow Moms Talk on a weekly basis by clicking on the "Yes, Keep Me Posted" button below this article. And if you'd like to talk about joining our ever-expanding and always…

Q: My daughter Haley is in middle school. She's a pretty girl, and certainly not overweight. There is a group of girls who torment Haley, daily. They tease her about her weight, her hair, and her clothes. One girl in particular has been mean to Haley. Haley and I met with her and her mother in their home. The girl's mother was genuinely empathetic. The girl sat looking bored and annoyed. The talk lasted about an hour. I felt we had resolved the issue. I was wrong. The situation worsened. Haley cannot go into the bathroom without one of these girls following her inside, kicking the stall door …

Each week in Moms Talk a local parent asks a question, and other parents give advice and share solutions. Q: I discovered that my daughter, who attends Lassiter, has a tattoo around her ankle. She's 17. She and friends got tattoos from a man, a tattoo artist, who lives off Pat Mell Road in Marietta. This guy tattoos kids in his basement! He's cheap and accepts cash only. Try as I might, I could not get more information. I grounded my daughter, but she's not talking. None of the kids are talking. What I have learned is that kids from Lassiter, Kell, Sprayberry, and even the middle schools are …

Q: There are after-parties following prom. How do you talk to your teen about drinking alcohol, and the risks of alcohol (alcohol poisoning, pregnancy, drunk driving, etc.)? Do you trust your teen following the prom, or escort your teen to an after prom event, like an all night church event? A: It is best to talk with your teen before the prom about what is planned following the prom. Following prom, many teens search for a place to hang out. The place is usually someone's home, "parking" at a ballfield, or a group of teens pitch-in money to rent a hotel room. If your teen plans to venture …

Q: How old should a young woman be before she starts to wear makeup? My family is preparing for prom. My 15-year-old daughter wants to wear makeup at prom and start wearing it daily. Two of her girlfriends wear lip gloss and eyeshadow. My husband said that when she's 16 she can wear a little makeup. I don't see the harm in her wearing lip gloss and eye shadow daily. The issue has divided our house. I'd like to hear advice from other parents. Thanks, Patty K. A: My parents did not allow me to wear makeup until I was 16, but I did wear lip gloss in school before that. My friends would share …