Somebody let down 3-year-old Samantha Jo. This week she found herself locked inside a dark classroom at 5:15 p.m. -- all alone. What on earth happened?

According to Samantha Jo's dad, Keith Paquette, this is what time he showed up to pick up his daughter from preschool. But the school was closed, all the doors locked, no sign of Samantha Jo anywhere. Scary!

Eventually a teacher came back to help search for the girl and Keith ended up breaking a window to a classroom to get in. He says Samantha Jo had an accident in the bathroom and hid. The school overlooked her when they closed for the day. But the school has another story.

There's a lot of talk right now about the Mommy Wars...but most of us know we have plenty in common with the "other" kind of moms whether they go to an office or stay home (or work from an office at home). One thing we've all got wayyyy too much of?

Mom guilt.

Piles of it, no matter whether we work or stay home. 

As this behind-the-scenes look at the lives of "Mamma Mia" Broadway stars shows (video below), they're more like "regular" parents than you'd think. Broadway actors start at about $1,600 a week. And while that sounds like a TON to most of us, when you figure in sky-high NYC rents, cab fare, and all the associated expenses of being a performer, that doesn't go too far.

Take Jennifer, the actress who plays Rosie in the show. She had a costume fitting across Manhattan, so she took her 3-year-old son along with her to save the $30 or $40 she'd have to pay for a sitter.

Gardening 101If your child is in pre-school, right about now you're freaking out about what you're going to do when summer comes and you still have to work, without child care. But let's take it up a notch, shall we?

Sure you can find the local YMCA, or convince your Montessori to have summer options. Or, you can search out an innovative summer program for your tot that will give him a skill at an impressively early age. Why not let your toddler learn how to cook, do magic, or play the Japanese drum this summer? Why not, indeed?

Here are some of the most interesting summer camps around the U.S. where your little one is guaranteed to learn something funky.

There's no end to the competition of parenthood. The way some people treat parenting, it's an extreme cage match. Not me, though. Through parenting special needs kids to birthing a child with a nearly-always-fatal birth defect, I've learned that parenting, like anything else, should be a live and let live.

I stopped judging people for sport eight -- or so -- years ago. It just seems so pointless to spend my precious time thinking about other people and how much better I am than they are. I'd rather sit around watching dancing cat videos than get all "Parenting: U R Doing It Wrong."

So I've let myself go -- and now I am one of those "bad parents." Here are some of the things I do:

Fellow parents, it's just so hard sometimes, isn't it? You're rushing out the door for the day and you have a million things to remember -- not just for you, but for your kids, too! Does everyone have their lunches, their favorite blanky, shoes on feet, pacifier? Check, check, check. Mom and dad's crack cocaine? Check. WAIT.

Yes, someone did that. When Kara Branche and Antoine Chisholm dropped off their kids at daycare, they accidentally left behind a small bag of crack cocaine as well. Oops. And they got caught when they returned to look for it -- which is what you should always do when you accidentally drop crack at a daycare center, obs. Talk about a delivery gone wrong.

Last week, I spent 10 minutes looking for the phone while actually on the phone. Sadly, this type of thing is far from unique. I swear, I had a brain ... once. Now? I have Mommy Brain. Here are some symptoms my friends suffer, as well. Sound familiar?

1 Down, 4 to GoAhh, pre-school. That wonderful time in your toddler's life when he leaves the nest, and gives you a break. What's not to like about socializing the little ones while allowing you to work or nap? Your kiddo will be bringing home the most adorable "art" projects, and if you're at an especially fancy pre-school -- a yearbook to remember his time at this perfect, innocent age.

But that's not the only thing these little germ catchers bring home. Unfortunately, you're also going to be in for a lot more of the disgusting once little Johnny goes head-to-head with Timmy. And it will not be nearly as cute as the end-of-year talent show they put on for mom and dad.

Here's what your toddler is likely to catch when she steps into her pre-school: