For at least eight decades, the interactions and quarrels between parents and teens have not changed much. The same four squabbles have endured over time: messy bedrooms, curfews, clothing style and leisure time.

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC
PG

GOOD DOG!

Let's start with the good news: Your daughter's engaged, and the diamond ring looks splendid. The wedding date's set, and the word is out to family and friends to prepare for a party. Ah, love is in the air.

It's a huge accomplishment to get in one Broadway show. Modesto native Joseph Medeiros Jr. has been in three and he's only 24 years old.

Beth Anne Cuda wasn't sure if she should be proud or worried that her 13-year-old daughter, Kacey, was phoning and texting her classmates to set up appointments to work on their group homework project.

It's Saturday night at the indoor athletic complex, where the games teenagers play have taken on new meaning for many financially stretched families.

It feels good to the touch and smells even better. It can transform into whatever you can imagine. What began as a wallpaper cleaner in 1956 is now known as one of the most popular toys in history: Play-Doh.

CORALINE (PG)

What would you get if you crossed a submarine with a jeep?

Police in southwest Florida arrested a man they say let his 8-year-old son drive a van.

You might feel a little lost if you've bought a discount pass sold by Philadelphia's primary mass transit agency -- it features a picture of New York City.

WASHINGTON -- Two hundred years after the birth of Abraham Lincoln, we still seek him in words and in action, in lessons from his life, in reminders of his legend -- and in pilgrimages to the temple built in his honor.

Home alone is a great title for a movie, but the concept can be a challenge when you're home alone on a Saturday night. Due to fatigue and illness, my 13-year-old son and I were housebound during a recent weekend. But we created a frugal movie night with several stay-at-home options. Here's a rundown:

OK, so the damage has been done to your college fund. Now what? Tough times are certainly good times to review strategies for your beaten-down 529 account, the Coverdell education savings account or the stock portfolio that a year ago appeared to have more than enough money to cover four years at State U. That's sound advice if junior is still in diapers -- it's critical if the tuition checks are just over the horizon.