This week's question for parents in Ladue, Frontenac, Clayton and Richmond Heights involves regulating extra-curricular activities for children. Suppose your teenage daughter arrives home from middle school and announces that on sign-up day, she registered to become a cheerleader and to participate in five other activities. You're impressed by her enthusiasm but nervous about what it might mean for her studies—and your time together as a family. So onto this week's question: How will you moderate these activities so asnot to take her away from the books too much? Will you put a limit on the …

This week, we're asking St. Louis parents to weigh in on the subject of excessive soda-drinking. Suppose you've got two young children, ages 6 and 9. They just love sugary beverages and have gotten into the habit of drinking five or more cans per day. So onto this week's question: What strategies would you suggest for breaking the habit? Interested in joining the discussion by being part of our Moms Council? Email editor Jim Baer at james.baer@patch.com for details.

Patch is seeking moms who live or work in Ladue, Frontenac, Clayton and Richmond Heights to join its online Moms Council.As a member of the Moms Council, you'll join us each Wednesday to weigh in with your thoughts about important parenting issues such as bullying, healthy eating and more. Want to join? Post a comment to this article or email Ladue-Frontenac Patch editor Jim Baer at james.baer@pach.com.We look forward to hearing from you!

This week's question focuses on two issues: getting into the summer spirit and obeying the law.Suppose the kids want to set off fireworks in the backyard of your St. Louis County home. You know that's dangerous, but more than that, you know it's illegal. Your spouse supports the kids. So onto this week's question: What do you do? Do you try to find middle ground by leaving the county for an area where fireworks are acceptable? Do you tell them fireworks are out of the question? Or are there other good (and legal) alternatives?

This week's Moms Talk Q&A question deals with child safety and discipline. Suppose you take your children shopping at the mall. Your 5-year-old thinks it's cute to play hide and seek, so he disappears into racks of clothing in the dressing room behind the sales counter. So onto this week's question: How do you get through to your child this is not a good game to play while you are shopping? How can you teach him about the possible risks of leaving your line of sight?

School will be out soon, and your out-of-town friends have invited you to bring the kids for a visit. The only problem? Your friends have cats, and your children are extremely allergic. So onto this week's question: Do you get your dander up? Just decline? Or try to strike a compromise?

Your son is quite the athlete. He's picked out a half-dozen sports camps he wants to attend this summer throughout the St. Louis area.Here's the catch: Combined, they are going to represent a large expense.So onto this week's question: How do you respond? Will your child get to attend all of these camps, or will you be selective? And will you ask your son to pay for part of these expenses?

Suppose your St. Louis first-grader is about to finish the school year. He struggles with reading, and learning doesn't come easily.He is one of the younger children in the class. His teacher suggests that he be held back a year. So onto this week's question: What will you do about this?

As the end of the school year approaches, Patch wants to hear your ideas about appropriate gifts for those dedicated St. Louis teachers who have worked with your children for the last year.So onto this week's question: Is it appropriate to buy a gift these days, especially for elementary school teachers? If so, what might make a nice gift? If not, why not?

We suspect many parents in Ladue, Frontenac, Clayton and Richmond Heights will encourage their children to stay mentally fit this summer through reading.So onto this week's question: How will you develop your children's summer reading list once they are out of school? Will you pick the books yourself, use the list provided to you by their teachers or take another approach? What books are must-haves for those lists?

This is tornado season, so this week Patch wants to know how you have planned to assure the safety of your children.Whether you're loaded up with fresh batteries and water or ready to implement your run-for-cover plan, we want to hear from you.So onto this week's question: Have you talked as a family about what you would do in the event of a tornado? Have you practiced that plan? What do you do if your family were separated during a major storm?

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, so we're asking St. Louisans this week to tell us about their summer plans. Whether you intend to staycation in the suburbs or travel overseas, we want to hear from you.So onto this week's question: Where are some places you'd like to take your family this year for a summer vacation? Why? What is the best summer month for traveling?

On Tuesday, residents of Clayton, Richmond Heights, Ladue and Frontenac had the opportunity to vote on issues of importance at the city and county level. But election season is far from over. The airwaves are full of TV and radio commercials with politicians bashing each other 24/7. So onto this week's question: How do explain all this fighting to your school-age children? What values do you want your children to have when it comes to politics and voting?

Suppose for just a moment that the nice weather we've been having gives way to chilly temperatures.It's 40 degrees outside, and your preteen children insist on wearing shorts and T-shirts. So onto this week's question: Is this worth a battle? Or should you just let them wear what they choose?

Your 16-year-old comes home and proudly announces she is leaving suburban St. Louis for beautiful Padre Island during spring break, along with four other friends. They are driving, and there will be no chaperones along. She won't tell you who else is going on the trip.So onto this week's question: How do you respond? Will this trip proceed as planned, or does someone need to put on the brakes?

Sunny skies and warm temperatures have arrived in St. Louis, which makes it tempting to spend more time at play and less at work. So suppose your child comes to you and says he doesn't want to go to school today. You detect no fever. You know he's not sick. Instead, he just doesn't want to go.So onto this week's question: What do you do?

Suppose you as a St. Louis parent would like to get involved in your school's upcoming tax levy vote. You would like to volunteer for committees and go door-to-door to help with the campaign.You know that's going to take up a lot of weekend and after-school time. And you have children in elementary and middle schools. So onto this week's question: Can you afford to be away from your kids to support this campaign? If so, how will you manage your time?

This week, our question for St. Louis parents focuses on discussing honesty and integrity with children.Suppose you take your 12-year-old to the five-and-dime store. You walk out and he's got a handful of bubble gum. You ask him where he got it, knowing he doesn't have any money, and he responds that he just helped himself. So onto this week's question: Do you go back, explain the situation to the manager and require your child to apologize? Pay for it? Ignore it because it's small change?

This week, we're exploring how St. Louis parents can use current events to discuss difficult subjects with their children. Last week, singer Whitney Houston was found dead at age 48. While she had struggled with addiction to drugs, her cause of death was unknown as of Monday. So onto this week's question: Should parents use instances such as this one to discuss the effects of drug use with their children? Or are these conversations better reserved for other situations?

This week, we'll explore a parenting issue that involves new beginnings and trust. Suppose you are new to St. Louis. The necessary paperwork has been filled out, so the kids are ready for school and activities. But with Valentine's Day approaching, you and your spouse would like to find someone to watch them for a night. So onto this week's question: What resources would you use to find a reliable baby-sitter? How old does a qualified sitter need to be?