There are many times that I am grateful that my son is required to wear a uniform to school. They can wear jeans but there are specific shirts that they must wear, in specific colors. This seems to avoid any problems with dress code rules such as the one that is happening in Pennsylvania.

A 14-year-old boy from Lancaster, Pennsylvania has been given detention for wearing a t-shirt to school with an image of a military firearm. The front pocket of the shirt says "Volunteer Homeland Security with "Special Issue Resident Lifetime License" on the back of the shirt.

He was told to turn the shirt inside out the rest of the day and refused because he claimed the shirt was worn to honor his uncle, who was fighting in Iraq. After refusing to turn the shirt inside out, he received two days of detention.

His family is now filing a freedom of speech lawsuit against the school district, claiming it also stifles patriotism. The lawyer for the school said the image on the shirt violates the school district's policy.

A judge will hear the case on March 31. Does this family really have a freedom of speech case? Should the boy have just turned the shirt inside out and obeyed the rules?

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Today is International Women's Day, a day to recognize women's achievements around the world, to look back on past struggles and look ahead to new areas of achievement for women. I don't think a lot about women's issues as a parent, because I'm raising a son. However, I do make sure to teach Kyle respect for women, equality and cross my fingers that he treats the females in his life fairly and kindly.

Sometimes I am glad I have a son instead of a daughter, because as much as we have progressed, we still have a long way to go. The media continues to portray women in negative ways, and eating disorders among young girls continues to be a serious problem.

I was really happy to see the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty begin and continue, complete with videos that address these issues. Their goal is to reinforce the belief that women should be appreciated just as they are, even by stating, "Every girl deserves to feel beautiful just the way she is."

"Advertisers in general bear a large part of the responsibility for the deep feelings of inadequacy that drive women to psychiatrists, pills, or the bottle. " ~Marya Mannes, But Will It Sell?, 1964

I remember peer pressure growing up because I was taller than the boys until I reached the 7th or 8th grade. I was also kind of a nerd and more interested in academics and reading than cheerleading and parties. I am happy to see girls being encouraged to do so much more than when I was growing up and an emphasis being placed on appreciating everyone's diversity, rather than making girls feel out of place for being "different."

As parents of young girls, how do you reinforce their self-esteem and confidence to help them overcome some of the biases that still exist for women? Do you feel like things have progressed since you've grown up?

When I was a teenager, I remember going to the mall and looking around Spencer's Gifts at all the crazy and wild items in there. Several things were embarrassing and I was unsure what they were. I haven't given it much thought since my teen years, but apparently the items being sold by Spencer's has gotten worse.

A group of parents in Durham, North Carolina set up an undercover operation in which they filmed minors going into the store attempting to buy sexually explicit items. A group of teenagers were able to buy sex toys and when asked if there was an age limit in the store, the clerk responded that the only thing they could not sell to children was lighter fluid.

Several parents then took a video camera into the stores to document the items sold by the store. In fact, when they attempted to post their video on YouTube to warn other parents, the video was found to be too graphic and flagged as inappropriate. The parents questioned why the items can be displayed openly in the stores to minors but is considered inappropriate for anyone under 18 on the internet.

An ABC News affiliate in their city conducted an investigation to see what teens could access inside the store and sent three 13- and 14-year-old girls into the store with a hidden camera, where they were not questioned while they viewed sexually based cards and toys.

When questioned about their policies, Spencer's said, "Spencer's understands our obligation to maintain an environment of trust appropriate for the guests who patronize our stores. In every location, we inform our guests, before entering, that a small portion of adult-themed merchandise is on display in the rear of the store. It is also our policy to discourage the sale of items with an adult theme to guests under the age of majority. Spencer's has a 60-year tradition as the authentic destination for fun, humor and unique merchandise targeted to our core 18- to 24-year-old guests, but we also respect the choices of all individuals who visit our stores."

I was unaware that Spencer's sold sex toys but I am aware of some of their items that might be inappropriate for minors. While parents of younger children can avoid these displays or the store completely, what about teenagers who either hang out at the mall with friends without parental supervision? Should these types of mall stores be more aware of minors in the store and separate their display cases to prevent younger children from viewing these items?

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Today is a big day in Texas, and while part of me is excited to see what happens with today's primaries, part of me will be relieved to get a break from all of the campaign commercials. As I mentioned recently, my son has taken a big interest in the presidential campaign this year.

Texas has a two-part primary, which is nicknamed the "Texas Two Step." Part 1 involves voting in the primary election, and Part 2 is a caucus where you bring your stamped voter card back at 7 p.m. and you can participate in the caucus. However, this process only applies to the Democrats. (I guess I just told you which party I'll be voting in today.)

I will be taking Kyle with me to vote and participate in the caucus and for him to experience the voting process. In fact, several people from the Houston area will be updating their twitter stream with results from their area caucuses (cauci?).

I saw several stories on the news of children participating in mock primaries at school to help them understand the political process. I remember voting in elementary school during the presidential elections but I cannot remember who won. I think the news coverage this year has been extensive; therefore, it's probably impossible for children to not be aware of campaign issues. Good Morning America had a great segment this morning featuring 7- and 8-year-olds discussing the election and I was blown away by how informed these kids are.

What about you? Do you take your children to the polls with you? If you live in Texas, are you going to take them with you to the caucus? Will you be taking them with you to vote in November?

When my son was younger, he would have friends over or play with kids in the neighborhood and I would give them all snacks, drinks, and let them come in and out of the house while they played, never reprimanding any of them. Oh the times, they are a changin'.

My son rides bikes with a few kids a few streets over and there is one boy who comes over here under the disguise of asking Kyle to go bike riding, and within 15 minutes, is encouraging Kyle to come back inside and play video games. I tolerated it for awhile, until the boy started dictating to me what snacks to buy for his next visit.

"I don't really like Rice Krispie treats, can you buy some Ding Dongs?" He asked me.

In the past, I would have probably been nice and picked up some Ding Dongs the next time I bought snacks, no big deal, right? Well, when he was giving me his shopping list, a thought occurred to me. This kid was never invited over in the first place. So, I sent them outside and told him, "If you don't like Rice Krispie treats, maybe you can run home and get a snack and come back later?"

I also keep water bottles in the refrigerator and buy those individual packs of lemonade (which are awesome and so easy). I was informed that I should be buying a different kind and a different flavor, because he doesn't like lemonade and he sometimes gets thirsty when he comes over.

I laughed at that one. This boy stays home alone quite often and he is literally starving when he comes over here to play with Kyle. I have fed him many times because he will sometimes knock on the door, claiming to want to ride bikes when he is really only wanting something to eat. I thought that would make him gracious and thankful, but the last time I grilled hamburgers, he told me he didn't like the buns with sesame seeds and to please buy him some seedless buns.

My refusal to cater to his needs has not prevented him from stopping by. I do feel sorry for him, because he has no structure at home, no supervision, and even left for several hours without anything to eat. These things really should not excuse rude behavior, though, and I'm hoping my son might be a positive influence for him. We'll see.

Is it really necessary to cater to the neighborhood or just feed them what's available and send them outside? I think I fall somewhere in the middle of this issue. I keep snacks around or usually have cookies or something baked but I don't take orders and run a restaurant for the neighborhood.

I have spent many hours at the school, in the principal's office or in parent-teacher conferences. Having a child with ADHD means that I might not always agree with the school or I have to be a little more assertive in dealing with some teachers to make sure my son's needs are met. However, it has never gotten so bad that I have been banned from the school.

A mother in Katy, Texas, has behaved so badly that she was told never to return to her daughter's elementary school. When she came onto the school property with her daughter, the police arrested her.

Lisa Babin was sent a letter by Katy ISD which warned her not to return to campus and if she ever needed to go on campus, to request permission. The letter stated, "Due to recent disruptions that your presence, demeanor and actions have caused at Schmalz Elementary, it has become necessary to restrict your access to facilities and staff."

Babin denies the charges, claiming the principal just doesn't like her because she asks too many questions. However, a quote from the school principal, Karen Ladner, states that Babin had been threatening school officials for years. Ladner even claims to have a recorded conversation of Babin which says, "You know, God help (Principal) Mrs. Ladner -- if I walked up to her lying on the ground, knowing CPR, I could just take my long black heel and jab it deep into her chest."

Babin denies the charges, but I'm not sure how she can do so when the conversation is recorded. Babin also claims that the principal just doesn't like her. I have had many disagreements with school officials over the years, because I have always been against medicating my son. However, no one ever banned me from the school and threatened to arrest me if I returned. The real victim here is Babin's daughter, who still goes to school there and has to be torn between what she's hearing from her mother while still attending the school.

Is there really anything that would convince you that Babin should be allowed on school property and might be a scapegoat of the school principal?

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In my regular visits to the family law courtrooms of southeast Texas, I stopped in recently to watch the divorce hearings in one of the local courts. Several cases were very short and sweet, but one case took up the majority of the morning. A couple was not only fighting for custody of their children, but they were also trying to decide who would get their dogs.

The husband had agreed that the children would continue living with their mother, with him having liberal visitation. However, a problem arose with the children's pets. The mother had never wanted the children to have pets and refused to let the children keep the dogs at her house. The children's father had bought both children a dog for a Christmas present against his wife's wishes. The children had their pets for two years and now with their parents divorcing, they wanted their pets to live with them. The children's mother insisted that the pets should live with her soon to be ex-husband, and the children could see their pets when they went to visit their father on weekends.

Their mother's refusal to let their pets stay with them had upset the children so much that the father was considering asking for custody of the children. He was trying to get the children's mother to reconsider her decision and she was refusing. The judge stated he could not force the mother to keep the dogs against her will and told the father if he wanted to ask for custody, it would be considered, but not based on his wife's refusal to keep the dogs.

The case was not settled and had to be set for trial. The parents will now fight a bitter battle for custody of the children because of the children's desire to live with their pets full-time.

What do you think? Should a parent be flexible when a child is already attached to a pet or is it acceptable for these children to only see their pets on the weekends with their father?

Is sending a deadbeat dad or mom to jail for not paying their child support the best solution? Most states take drastic measures to collect child support from parents who are avoiding paying their child support by suspending their driver's license, garnishing their wages, or even putting them in jail. Putting someone in jail never made sense to me, because how can someone make money to pay their child support from jail?

A program has been started in Iowa that offers help to parents who are not paying their child support by job training or substance abuse rehabilitation. Parents who are delinquent on their child support can avoid jail time by participating in this program.

A program coordinator helps identify the reasons why the parents are unable to pay their child support and attempts to find community resources to help them, such as transportation, employment or substance abuse. They will also be required to attend a parenting class.

Barbara Lacina, a regional director for the state's Child Support Recovery Unit, says that Polk County has already been able to collect over $316,000 in past-due child support from parents involved in this program. The program has also helped these parents avoid over 8,000 days of potential jail time.

Lacina stated that she has also seen an improvement in parental relationships in some of these cases, including one father who was able to regain custody of his children from foster care after completing a substance abuse program.

A lot of parents might not be the stereotypical "deadbeat parent," where they just choose not to pay their child support. Do you think this program would be helpful in other states? Isn't rehabilitation and assistance a much better solution than putting the parents in jail?

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Social media sites get a lot of negative attention with regard to children. We regularly hear stories in the news about a predator on Myspace or a young girl who runs away with someone she met on Facebook. I admit to my own internet addiction and try to monitor my son's usage, and luckily, he is not interested in the social media as much as video games. And lucky for me, he's not as addicted to Twitter as I am.

Therefore, I was pleased to run across this article in which various people have volunteered to be mentors for kids who have various problems and want to talk to someone. Of course, my antennae go up immediately and wonder how they can prevent kids from being taken advantage of by someone who volunteers and might not have positive motives.

M.T. Rainey launched the site Horsesmouth, where kids can write to someone and discuss their problems and be put in touch with someone who can give them advice.

I used to do volunteer work for Crisis Intervention of Houston, and I know firsthand that sometimes people just need someone to listen or just to be able to vent for a little while. Occasionally, it helps someone realize that their problems might not be so catastrophic once they discuss them with someone else. It's very easy to blog things out of proportion in your head when you have no one there to listen to you. These days, a lot of us are cut off from the outside world by technology. It also might make it easier for some kids to be more open, knowing they are not sitting across from an adult or fear the risk of getting into trouble.

Maybe more sites like this one will help kids feel like they might not be so cut off from asking for help or discussing their problems.

As I mentioned earlier this week, my son and I attended the Obama Rally in Houston on Tuesday, and last night we attended the debate in Austin. My son wrote about the debate from his perspective and I thought I would share some of what he wrote with you.

I attended the debate tonight. I wasn't sure if I would understand what all they said because sometimes they use a lot of big words I don't understand. My mom wants me to pay attention this year because she calls this election historical. She told me that I should remember this year when I'm older.

A reporter from a TV station in Austin saw me with my mom in the press room and asked me why I was there. I told her that I was helping my mom and also writing for my school newspaper. She asked me what I thought of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I told her I liked both of them but that I cannot vote this year. She asked me who I would vote for if I could vote and I told her probably Barack Obama. I don't really know who would make the best president. I like Barack Obama because he is biracial like me. I sometimes feel like I don't fit in and people ask me my race. I tell them that I am mixed and they don't know what that means. My dad was black and my mom is white. I think Barack Obama is like me because I can relate to my mom, who is white, and also to my dad, who was black. My mom told me that makes me fit into both races but I sometimes feel like it means I can't fit in anywhere. Barack Obama makes me feel like I can fit in and maybe one day be president, too.

I have ADHD and sometimes people think I'm not smart or that I need extra help doing things. My mom told me that it means my mind just works a little different from everyone else and I have to make sure I pay attention when I want to daydream. People say that Barack Obama is different and can't be president because he's not like everyone else. I think that maybe he just thinks differently from everyone else and his mind works like mine. That doesn't mean he's not smart and can't do a good job if he's elected president.