Enter this year's crop of toys-from the everyone-plays variety to the newest generation of board games-that are designed to bring families closer. When dad and former exec David Schoenberger wanted to re-connect with his kids, he invented a game entitled Family Matters ($24.99, for 2 to 6 players, ages 7 and up, familymattersgame.com). "Families work harder than ever before and enjoy less quality time together," Schoenberger says. "The familiarity past generations took for granted is now a distant dream with everyone so busy, distracted, and exhausted."

familymattersgame.com

Schoenberger's 45-minute game uses a set of 120 cards to explore real-life situation and so-called "fake family crises"-for instance, each player pretends to be another person in the family while discussing, say, how the family has changed since a sick grandparent moved in to live. Another aspect of the game involves a "weekend wish," in which players describe the activity they'd most like to do with the family. The included playbook allows parents to record their children's weekend wishes and later use the ideas as fodder for planning a real-life outing.

familymattersgame.com

This July, look out for a family-friendly update to the classic Lego collection: With the Builders of Tomorrow Set ($29.99, ages 4 and up, legoland.com), parents and kids receive a versatile collection of bricks-then, courtesy of a linked Website offering free step-by-step building instructions each month-they can continuously switch up their creations as a team. The site also features family stories, building challenges and contests, and a photo gallery for sharing creations.

legoland.com

If you want to shore up your children's critical reasoning skills (sneakily, by all means ...), pick up the visual perception game that has toy critics and schoolteachers buzzing: Set ($12, www.setgame.com). Using 81 cards, players race to find three cards (out of 12) that form a set, based on color, shape, and shading. Once family game night is over, tweens and teens can continue the fun: The techie version of Set ($29.95) is a travel-worthy handheld that contains four levels of difficulty on a full-color LCD display screen.

setgame.com

Feeling a tad over the hill with all this high-tech business? Get back to the basics with a few recently-updated USAopoly (usaopoloy.com) games that give a head nod to us old-school gamers. Check out Trivial Pursuit: The Beatles Collectors' Edition ($39.95, available August 2009); for the first time, Beatles aficionados can test their knowledge of the band with 2,500 questions on topic such as history, music, and travels. Seinfeld junkies can get a fix with Monopoly Seinfeld Collectors' Edition ($35.95, available in August 2009). The game features the characters of Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine, and the game board includes locations that the sitcom's fans will recognize: Jerry's Apartment, Monk's Restaurant, and the Soup Kitchen.

usaopoloy.com

Finally, there's my personal fave for LOL group fun: Telestrations, which does double duty as either a family or party game. Telestrations ($29.95, available in September 2009, usaopoly.com) keeps players guessing as they sketch a word they're given and pass it along. Expect spontaneous giggling as players do their best to guess at others' sketches. Look out, Pictionary: Telestrations has a real shot at becoming 2009's party pick. Brownie points for the game's creators: Since you can play as few or as many rounds of this game as you'd like, you can squeeze in a family laugh-fest in as little 15 minutes.

usaopoloy.com

Whining

TRY: "I can't understand you when you're talking in that whiny voice. Can you ask again in a different way?" (You have to say this at least 10,000 times before it works.) Hold firm with: "I'm sorry you're upset but the answer is still no."

Zela on SXC

Bad Kid-Habit: Screen-obsession

TRY: "Hey kids, new rule: You can only watch TV [say your rules here]." Follow by posting the new rules on the fridge, which will give you the opportunity tosimply point rather than repeat the rule 100x per day.

TIP: Refer to the Tips on the Bad Kid-Habit Whining slide to cope with what happens immediately after you say this and for the 7-10 days that follow.

Annalog85 on SXC

Bad Kid-Habit: Won't Eat Anything

TRY: "If you eat that broccoli, I will cry! I'll do it! No! Don't eat it!" Follow with hysterical pretend-crying. For some reason our children love to watch us sob over veggies.

TIP: You have to really pour on the drama for this to work.

justinhenry on Flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Won't Get Ready

TRY: We put a sticker chart by the door, and give stickers (princesses for our Little Princess, smiley faces for our Prince) every time they are ready at the door by 7:45.

TIP: Give a small prize when the chart has 25 stickers on it. Something small. Like stickers.

merfam on Flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Ignores your requests

TRY: Wait until your child needs something (hungry, thirsty, help with a project) then say, "Sure-could you please just put your clothes in the hamper first? Thanks!"

TIP: Don't repeat requests a million times, because that turns your voice into Background Noise.

Johan Larsson on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Won't Go to Bed

TRY: Routine, routine, routine. After reading 1,000 books about this, routine is the common advice-thread. Figure out the sequence of events that works best for
your family and do their bedtime routine the same way at the same time every night. (If you have a great routine that works, will you post it in the comments?)

TIP: If you can incorporate things you say or sing into the routine every night, that's even better (like singing the same songs in the same order). Remember Pavlov?

Robert Crum on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Sibling fighting

TRY: "Okay you two are not allowed to play with each other for the next 5 minutes. Please find separate things to do." (Follow up with suggestions so they don't just stare helplessly into the middle distance).

TIP: This tends to make siblings unite against you in their desperate desire to play together. Really make them wait it out.

hyperboreal on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Dawdling

TRY: When you need your kids to walk along say "Green Light!" and when you need them to stop say "Red Light!" Add in fun by saying "Purple Light!" and explaining what that means (skipping, hopping, or kids' favorite method of forward-motion: the Gallop).

TIP: This comes in super-handy when kids are about to run too far down the block and you shout RED LIGHT!

bjearwicke on SXC

Bad Kid-Habit: Hitting

TRY: When she gets that "I'm going to hit you" look, prevent her from hitting by saying "no hitting that hurts" and moving out of reach or holding her hands.

TIP: Preventing hitting takes more vigilance but if you can do it, it's easier to correct the behavior rather than reacting once you have been hit and part of you is in parenting mode while part of you is distracted by: "Ow, my eye!"

jmcknight on flickr

Bad Kid-Habit: Clinging

TRY: Cling back. This sounds crazy but worked for me-I tell my 4 year old "Oh my gosh, you are stuck to my butt! Please hang on! Don't fall off!" She laughs like crazy while I try to get dressed and put my makeup on with her hanging on. After a few minutes she's had enough and lets go.

TIP: Finish your coffee first.

Sarah Serendipity on flickr

These men share fame and fortune. But more importantly, they attribute their success to the positive influence of their mothers. Here, 15 leaders in medicine, film, politics, music, business and sports whose mother served as a role model, mentor and inspiration.

WireImage / Getty Images

Simon Cowell

It seems notoriously harsh American Idol judge Simon Cowell can't complain about his mother, Julie. He lunches with her twice a week while in London, and spent $500,000 on a surprise 80th birthday party for her in 2005. As for the gay question, that's thanks to mama,a former dancer. "It's probably my mother's influence." And no, he says he is not gay.

Vince Bucci, Getty Images

Johnny Depp

The actor may have made a mistake with his "Winona Forever" tattoo, but one he doesn't regret is "Betty Sue," his mother's name on his arm. Depp was "raised primarily by his mother after his parents divorced when he was 15," according to USA Today. Betty Sue Palmer, a single mom, worked as a waitress to support her children and bought "Capt. Jack Sparrow" his first guitar (he stills plays in a band). His was an unstable youth, but Depp remains "very close to his mother."

Koichi Kamoshida, Getty Images

Barack Obama

In "Dreams of My Father," President Obama describes his mother as the "one constant in life...I know that she was the kindest, most generous spirit I have ever known, and that what is best in me I owe to her." Although Ann Dunham passed away at 52 from ovarian cancer, those who were close to her "say they see her influence unmistakably in Obama," according to the New York Times.

Scott Olson, Getty Images

Ben Carson, MD

Dr. Carson, the world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon credits his can-do spirit directly to his mother. Although she was limited to a third-grade education and worked two or three jobs, she forced her sons to read and write reports on two library books a week. "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother," Dr. Carson wrote in his memoir "Gifted Hands." Cuba Gooding, Jr., stars as Dr. Carson in an upcoming TNT biopic based on the book.

Ron Edmonds, AP

Michael Phelps

Even Olympic swimming superstars deal with tough personal lives. Phelps grew up in a broken home, was bullied as a child and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 9. No matter! The Beijing superstar attributes his resilience, goal-setting and drive to his mother, Debbie. Just after winning his eighth medal, Phelps said, "There's so much emotions going through my head, so much excitement. I guess I just want to see my mom."

Adam Pretty, Getty Images

Tom Colicchio

The top judge on Bravo's "Top Chef" grew up chopping and stirring at the knees of his mother and grandmother. "Some of the dishes we ate for the holidays have evolved into the dishes I've put on my restaurants' menus," he told Epicurious.com. "And when I wanted to add a cannelloni dish to Gramercy [Tavern]'s menu, I called my mom." Colicchio secured his reputation at Gramercy in the 1990s.

Neilson Barnard, Getty Images

Kanye West

Before Donda West, an English professor, passed away from a heart attack following cosmetic surgery in 2007, she supported her son's rise to the very top of his profession. "My mom would be there; no matter what," West told the AP after her death. "And you know now when I'm on that stage and I look out and I say, 'What am I going to do with the rest of my life?'"

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

David Beckham

Soccer stud David Beckham may be famous for an Adonis-like physique and masculine moves on the field, he's anything but a tough guy on the inside. Becks blames it on his mum. "My dad's sort of a man's man, but I've got more of my mum's personality. She's a lot softer, a lot more affectionate. We both get really emotional."

Marty Melville, Getty Images

Bill Clinton

One lady former President Bill Clinton has always been faithful to is his mother, widowed before his birth. "She went back to nursing school so that she could earn an income to support me," he told ABC News. During his early years, Clinton lived with his grandparents while his mother attended school. "As we pulled away from the station, Mother knelt by the side of the railroad tracks and cried as she waved good-bye. I can see her there still," he wrote in "My Life."

Mark Wilson, Getty Images