Ryan KennedyIf you asked most parents what they would do to spend more time with their dying child, the answer would be a resounding "anything!" Mom Kimberly Morris-Karp, however, is putting aside that fierce desire to hang on to every second of her 9-year-old son's life so that he can better live the time he has left.

Ryan Kennedy was 4 when he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. According to a story in The Oakland Press, for the past five years, he's undergone countless treatments, seven surgeries, and fought the "fight" against cancer. Recently, however, when doctors said there was another surgery that could perhaps prolong his life for several more months, he said no, and he said it vehemently.

Stephanie Ann Broten and Darnell Alan LandrumI definitely fall more into the tough love camp than the one that coddles and panders to children's demands lest their precious feelings get hurt. Even the increasing number of cases in which parents publicly punish their children don't leave me as outraged as they do many. In my mind, it's much better that they feel the sting of a little humiliation than just letting them run wild with no discipline; let's face it, sometimes talking and reasoning only get you so far.

A couple in Minnesota, however, has taken public shaming as a means of discipline to a whole new level that looks a lot more like abuse than anything else. Mom Stephanie Brotena and her live-in boyfriend Darnell Landrum have been charged with malicious punishment after the cruel public regime they forced their 12-year-old daughter to endure for getting bad grades and not doing her homework.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently released a new public service announcement on the topic of bullying. In it, there are no flashy bells and whistles or clever gimmicks, rather she just delivers a simple and powerful message against bullying in a way few before have done so.

She talks about how important it is for a society to embrace all people. "Strong societies draw strength from the talents of women, people with disabilities, religious minorities, LGBT people and those of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds," she says. She talks about how everyone can contribute to building tolerance, and then -- just when you're starting to get a little bored with the same old message we've heard before -- she turns things up a notch and speaks directly  to the bullies.

If you have't heard, April 30 to May 6 is Screen-Free Week, which means that your kids are supposed to give up TV and entertainment computer time for 7 whole days. Instead, they're supposed to "unplug and play, read, daydream, create, explore, and spend time with family and friends."

What a bunch of baloney.

If you ask me, Screen-Free Week -- the brainchild of the Campaign for a Commerical-Free Childhood -- is everything that's wrong with our country today.

Every generation of parents has a buzzword -- or buzzphrase -- that haunts their every move. For us, it's childhood obesity. You've heard it; you know you have. But have you heard it so much, in such vague terms, that you have more or less brushed it off?

Prepare to be snapped back into caring again. Teach.com, a website run by the University of Southern California's teaching program, has put together an infographic that will scare the pants off of you. Putting solid numbers to the child obesity epidemic, it makes it pretty clear that this is not just some talking point for First Lady Michelle Obama or your local school nurse. It's a bona fide health problem in America, and your kids are at serious risk.

For all the salacious scandals and bad behavior we see celebrities play out in the headlines, there are some who use their fame and status do good. Kate Winslet is an incredible example of that. While the talented actress may be better known for Titanic or Mildred Pierce, behind the scenes she's a fierce advocate for people with autism -- especially those who are nonverbal.

In a recent interview with Ladies Home Journal she talked about how her work narrating the 2010 documentary A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism changed her view of the disorder, and how she wants to do what she can to help change the view for others as well. "To say I was moved sounds so very basic," she told the magazine. "I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was being asked, as an actress, to use my voice for children who have no voice."

But she didn't stop there.

It may be easy to blame artificially colored, additive-filled cupcakes, candies, and other brightly hued, sugary treats for the behavior of kids with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) -- who really wants their kids to eat a lot of that stuff anyway? But according to a new report published in the journal Pediatrics, in most cases, eliminating artificial food dyes and other additives from the diets of kids with ADHD probably won't rid them of symptoms. In fact, the "elimination" diets popular with parents of kids with ADHD might be more trouble than they're worth, researchers have concluded.

However, although elimination diets probably won't erase signs of ADHD, giving your kid a healthy diet isn't the worst idea -- and may even prove useful with other treatments, experts say.

There are so many wonderful things about this festive time of year. There are special foods, time with family, parties, and events galore. It's all fun and games ... until someone gets sick. And boy do kids get sick this time of year.

From sniffles and sneezes to the flu and other not-so-fun ailments, the season of sick is also upon us. Sometimes it feels like between now and spring, it's just one big long string of illness passed from one child to the next and back again ... and again.

But there are some things you can do to help break the sick cycle and actually keep your kids healthy. They're not foolproof, of course, but they certainly up your odds for a merrier and healthier season. Here are 10 tips to keep your kids healthy that you may not have considered: