'HEART EYES'

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language and some sexual content.

What it’s about: A rom-com slasher about a killer targeting happy couples on Valentine's Day.

The kid attractor factor: Teens will be drawn to the horror genre and gore.

Good lessons/bad lessons: There's no denying chemistry.

Violence: Extreme bloody ...Read more

The scope of the Los Angeles fires is so vast that they have touched many lives that are far, far from California.

I live in Lanesboro, Minnesota, but my grandson’s wife, Holly Horazdovsky, taught in a school in the Palisades that burned to the ground. She is now teaching in a new space. Their school was evacuated, and many children lost ...Read more

You may have heard that there’s a generation of older adults in grief because their kids decided against having children of their own. More Americans are opting out of a traditional family path, and in doing so, crushing their parents' desperate wishes for grandchildren.

This topic became a front-page article in the New York Times a few ...Read more

'DOG MAN'

Rated PG for some action and rude humor.

What it’s about: A half-man/half-dog cop patrols Ohkay City, fighting evil supervillains

The kid attractor factor: The silly humor and animation, plus familiarity with the book series.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Seeing the good in others might be able to help you see the good in yourself. ...Read more

TikTok went dark in the United States for a little while, but is now back online here thanks to a stay of execution from President Donald Trump. The newly inaugurated president seems to be working toward some sort of a deal to help TikTok comply with federal rules prohibiting foreign agents from owning and controlling social media platforms in ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Watching the big game at the bar? Run out of booze for your barbecue?

You might be tempted to pop into the nearest pub or liquor store with your kids in tow.

Is that actually legal in California?

“Are kids allowed in bars, or is it only in those that serve food?” one Reddit user asked Sacramento residents in 2023.

...Read more

'BRAVE THE DARK'

Rated PG-13 for domestic violence/bloody images, suicide, some strong language, teen drinking, drug material and smoking.

What it’s about: Based on the true story of a troubled teen and the drama teacher who took him in.

The kid attractor factor: While it may have some appeal for teens, this is more of a dark adult drama.

...Read more

Often called the “winter blues,” the period in January after all the holiday festivities are over is hard for a lot of people to get through. For young children, the added confusion of the sharp change in their emotions make for an especially fraught season.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Jody Baumstein, a Strong4Life licensed ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- One morning last May, 16-year-old Abdul Anderson stood slouched against a wall at Cove Secure, a juvenile institution on the grounds of central Pennsylvania’s Torrance State Hospital. He was scheduled to be in class, but was stuck in a dayroom in a state of profound boredom.

The next moment, his head smashed into the wall ...Read more

'ONE OF THEM DAYS'

Rated R for language throughout, sexual material and brief drug use.

What it’s about: Two best friends living in L.A. have a crazy day trying to secure their rent payment.

The kid attractor factor: The comedy will be a draw to teens

Good lessons/bad lessons: Never let your boyfriend pay your rent, have each other's backs...Read more

It was date night for me and my husband, the first since our daughter was born. When we returned to my mom’s house for the baby — hurriedly, being first-time parents — I heard a strange but familiar voice.

It was that of Raffi Cavoukian, known simply as “Raffi,” who rose to fame in the 1970s with such folksy, reassuring numbers as “...Read more

CHICAGO -- South Loop’s FAME Center started in 2018 in what founder Sheila Fortson called “a broom closet” with just a few students and a piano. The nonprofit is now looking to become a major music and arts education landmark in Chicago with the purchase of a 56,000-square-foot historic building.

Matthew Thomas, 14, remembers that when he...Read more

'DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA'

Rated R for pervasive language, some violence, drug use and sexual references.

What it’s about: A sequel to the 2018 heist movie that takes the action to Europe and the world of diamond thieves.

The kid attractor factor: Not much, this is an adult crime thriller.

Good lessons/bad lessons: As always, in crime, ...Read more

CHICAGO -- As a mom of three girls, Khallilah Watkins isn’t new to the process and preparation it takes to breastfeed a baby outside of the house.

One time with her second daughter, she had to hunker down in a restaurant bathroom for a few minutes to pump.

“That was my first experience pumping in a restaurant and inside of a smelly public ...Read more

BALTIMORE -- Laura Hutton has taken in everyone from a baby born weighing a pound and a half to a pregnant teenager, children whose needs ranged from feeding tubes to mental health therapy.

With a background as a special education teacher, Hutton, 55, has become something of a go-to foster parent for children whose medical, emotional or ...Read more

The nine-year-old boys wearing matching knapsacks walk down the street in the morning light, but they are not going to school. In their hands are loaded guns, and the boys know how to use them. One aims his pistol at the Haitian police officers engaging them in a firefight a few hundred yards away. The children are members of one of the gangs ...Read more

'NOSFERATU'

Rated R for bloody violent content, graphic nudity and some sexual content.

What it’s about: This remake of the iconic 1922 vampire film sees a newlywed marriage torn apart by the obsessions of the vampire Count Orlok.

The kid attractor factor: Not much — this is a spooky, moody atmospheric horror film.

Good lessons/bad ...Read more

What is U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson waiting for? Months ago, the Louisiana Republican was handed broadly popular legislation to protect children from the harms of social media. But he vowed this week not to allow a vote in his chamber until Donald Trump is sworn in as president and a new Congress convenes. Stalling the protections is wrong ...Read more

'KRAVEN THE HUNTER'

Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language.

What it’s about: This Spider-Man antihero gets his own stand-alone movie and origin story in this comic book adaptation.

The kid attractor factor: Kids may be drawn to the superhero genre.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Walk your own path but be aware of your motivations.

...Read more