Parenting

Hollywood: Enough With the Father-Son Dramas, Already!

Matthew Barnett: Granite City Dad Accused of Breaking Six-Month-Old Son's Legs

Today in terrible parenting news, we bring you the case of Matthew Barnett, a 24-year-old Granite City father who, police say, badly injured his six-month-old child. On Friday at around 1:40 a.m, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services alerted the Madison County Sheriff's Office to ... More >>

Child Endangerment Charges: Denise Cooke Leaves Nine-Year-Old at Hotel to Get Drinks

On Sunday night, Denise Cooke, 29, decided to get a few drinks. Only problem was she had her nine-year-old son with her. But Cooke allegedly went out anyway, leaving him alone at the Stratford Inn in Fenton. And authorities may not have discovered him at all, if it weren't for the woman's clothes a ... More >>

Banning Gang Colors is a Post-Hoc Solution. East Boogie Should Ban Single-Parent Homes

There's a war going on in East. St. Louis right now.  The forces of law and order are struggling to contain the forces of drugs, crime, poverty and desperation. The most recent solution conjured up by Mayor Alvin Parks and the cops: Ban gang colors, then lock up kids spotted on the streets duri ... More >>

"Hot Cheetos & Takis": The Kids-Rapping-About-Snacks Video You Must Watch Now

Move over, "Mercy": There's a new hip-hop earworm in town, and it's about Hot Cheetos and Takis and the wonderfulness of snack food in general and, oh yeah, it's by a group of outrageously talented pre-teens from the Twin Cities called Y.N.RichKids.

An unconventional parenting setup in a highly standard rom-com, Friends With Kids

Gabrielle Hamilton: The Badass Behind Blood, Bones & Butter

What makes Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Bones & Butter stand out so supremely from the pack of shoulda-coulda-wanna been-there-done-that food memoirs? The simple answer is that she's a badass. And a really good writer. Hamilton is the chef/owner of Prune, an intimately idiosyncratic restaurant in Ne ... More >>

The Inverted Forest -- New Novel by St. Louis Author John Dalton -- Hits Stores Today

St. Louis author John Dalton's second novel comes out today to advance praise from critics.​Somewhere in the next room, John Dalton's two daughters are watching Curious George cartoons as he explains his next project, a book that he frequently refers to as "strange and dark." It took the St. L ... More >>

Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown

3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11. World Shooting & Recreational Complex, One Main Event Lane, Suite 510, Sparta, Illinois.

BBB Warns Parents About New York Studio/ "The"

Is your kid the next Miley Cyrus? Maybe so -- but The ain't gonna make it happen, the BBB says.​ If you dream of your child becoming the next Miley Cyrus, there's more than one reason to beware: That radio ad you just heard might cost you $1,000. On at least three separate occasions, The (pr ... More >>

Daily Beast: Our Moms Are Happier Than Yours

USA Today​According to the oh-so-scientific pollsters of the Daily Beast, St. Louisans, among other things, have nicotine addictions and a lack of book-smarts. So it's nice to know that the latest ranking chart of the pop-political website, released this week for Mother's Day, suggests that ou ... More >>

Susie "Sexpert" Bright on Being a Mom, Having Sex -- and Being a Mom Who Has Sex

​Susie Bright is a writer, sex educator, editor, feminist and all-around rabble-rouser. And she's coming to St. Louis! You can check her out at a signing for her latest work, the autobiographical "Big Sex Little Death" at Left Bank Books' Central West End location on Sunday April 17 at 4 p.m., or ... More >>

10 Reasons Your Mall Santa Hates You

With Christmas fast approaching, we recently contacted several mall Santas to ask them what we can do to make their holiday more enjoyable. Here are some of the things we heard back from a few not-so-jolly St. Nicks:​1. Screaming Toddlers: We know you've waited in a long line for the privilege of ... More >>

Diarrhea Splatters Across St. Louis

Stock up now and avoid pools and daycares.​St. Louis County health officials have recorded 56 cases of the violent diarrhea disorder cryptosporidiosis, compared to just 10 cases by this same time last year. Also known as "crypto", the illness is caused by a parasitic bug that leads to acute, short ... More >>

Scream the Prayer Tour III

2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 18. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Vans Warped Tour

7 p.m. Monday, July 5. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights.

It's All Downhill from Here

Can Facebook Save Missouri's Parents as Teachers?

​The news keeps getting worse for Missouri's Parents as Teachers, the model early education concept founded here in 1984 and now duplicated in 3,000 programs across the nation and in eight other countries. Last year, state legislators cut $3.4 million in funding for Parents as Teachers for this fi ... More >>

Radioactive Waste: Some readers think Larry Burgan's lawsuit is frivolous

"Very Conservative" Lad Forming Newer, Younger TEA Party

anytimecostumes.comTaxed enough already, kid? ​You know how it is each April. You'd think your kids would be happy. Summer is just around the corner. Little League season is starting up. In short, there's a lot to look forward to. But no. All your kids can think of is the @$%&in' government. ' ... More >>

Will Leitch Needs Your Help!

Will Leitch, a man of dignity and class. ​Will Leitch, superhero of pithy internet writers everywhere and close, personal friend of yours truly, needs your help. And if you don't help him, I will come to your house and I will cut you, so help me god. 

Lee Enterprises to Post-Dispatch Employees: We Need A Big Pay Cut

Lee Enterprises, parent of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the St. Louis Newspaper Guild, which represents many of the local daily's employees, including most of the newsroom, have still not worked out a new contract. The current contract expires this coming weekend.Updates on the Guild website sho ... More >>

Write Makes Right

Pennywise

7 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Pop's, 1403 Mississippi Avenue, Sauget, Illinois.

A Cursive Memory

6 p.m. Wednesday, February 4. Fubar, 3108 Locust Street.

When Roses Aren't Enough To Say "I Want to Hump You"

You probably don't want to give this gift to that special someone after your first date. But then again, who knows? Nothing breaks that pre-coitus awkwardness better than a properly timed box of condoms. This Valentine's Day Planned Parenthood of St. Louis is encouraging lovers to eschew the traditi ... More >>

Go Ahead, Make Her Day: Angelina Jolie takes on a serial killer and the system in Clint Eastwood's latest

Baby Brains: Wash. U. is at the forefront of new research to find the cause of autism

Alien 2007: The Fatherhood

Schmaltzy Martian Child attacks John Cusack, all dads.

Dan in Reel Life

Cobbled together from better movies, Steve Carell’s latest is strike two.

Vans Warped Tour

12 p.m. Tuesday, August 14. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 14141 Riverport Drive

Pause with Claus

Ryan Cabrera

8 p.m. Monday, July 3. Mississippi Nights (914 North First Street)

Joanna Connor

Sunday, April 23, at 9 p.m. BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups (700 South Broadway)

Chris Brown

Saturday, December 24; The Arena (formerly the Limelight), 9973 Lewis and Clark Boulevard, North St. Louis County

Steel Train

Thursday, November 17; Creepy Crawl (412 North Tucker Boulevard)

Capsule Reviews

Dennis Brown and Deanna Jent suss out local theater

Umphrey's McGee

Friday, September 30; the Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard)

Leche Good Times Roll

The Shake Stuff Up Tour will have everyone asking, "Got Milk?"

Scream for Me, Asia!

Fontbonne's "New Asian Horror" series will make you want to sleep with the lights on

Best All-Ages Venue

The Pageant

Place to take the kids

Chuck E. Cheese

French Cuisine

Café De France

Best Place for a Kid's Birthday Party

Magic House

Kittie with Poison the Well, Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and Hotwire

Tuesday, July 9; Pop's

Best Trend In Local Band Merchandise

Baby T's

The Hard Knock That Won't Stop

Determined to make a better life for themselves and their children, students at the Fathers' Support Center make a go of parenthood in the 'hood

Teenage Wasteland

They have run away from home or been kicked out, and there are about 5,500 of them in the St. Louis area. They're homeless teens -- too old for foster care, too young to live on their own.

SHORTCHANGED

For years now, the Human Development Corp. has taken in millions of tax dollars to provide Head Start services for 2,500 of the city's low-income children. It has never come close. And the problems just begin there.

LIP SERVICE

The Planned Parenthood-sponsored Third Lip Cabaret returns to Cicero's