'WICKED'

Rated PG for some scary action, thematic material and brief suggestive material.

What it’s about: The movie musical adaptation of the blockbuster stage production that imagines the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz."

The kid attractor factor: The fantastical magical setting, songs and stars.

Good ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- In March 1998, Ben Decter drove from Los Angeles to Tijuana to get medicine for his 17-month-old daughter, Addie. She had "catastrophic childhood epilepsy," the neurologist had told him, and a drug not yet available in the U.S. was their best bet to treat her nonstop seizures.

That terrifying moment is currently revisited five ...Read more

'RED ONE'

Rated PG-13 (for action, some violence, and language)

What it’s about: Santa Claus is kidnapped right before Christmas, so his head of security and a hacker go looking for him among mythical beasts and beings.

The kid attractor factor: This sort of has a kiddie appeal with the holiday cheer and monsters and creatures, but it also...Read more

'HERETIC'

Rated R for some bloody violence.

What it’s about: Two young Mormon women end up at the home of a man they believe they can convert, and find a trap waiting for them.

The kid attractor factor: None for this philosophical horror flick.

Good lessons/bad lessons: You can do everything right and a man still might be determined to ...Read more

'HERE'

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some suggestive material, brief strong language and smoking.

What it’s about: An innovative domestic drama looking at one house and one place from a single point of view over many hundreds of years.

The kid attractor factor: Not much — this is more of an adult drama.

Good lessons/bad lessons: ...Read more

'VENOM: THE LAST DANCE'

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images and strong language.

What it’s about: The third spin on the dance floor for Eddie Brock and his sassy symbiote sidekick sees them at Area 51 battling other aliens.

The kid attractor factor: It's a monster movie comic book character — some ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Every week, Caitlin Scuttio stops by Target and piles her cart with pureed food pouches for her 4-year-old and twin 18-month-olds sons.

In goes a 24-pack of unsweetened applesauce. Then a 24-pack of the fruit and veggie blend. And finally, the yogurt pouches for her oldest son's breakfast. "He'd eat six apple sauce pouches a day ...Read more

Although most research and attention focus on adults, children and adolescents suffer from chronic pain and mental health disorders in numbers as high as adults.

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics last month showed that a third of children younger than age 18 who have chronic pain also meet the criteria for anxiety disorder, while 1 in 8 ...Read more

'SMILE 2'

Rated R for strong bloody violent content, grisly images, language throughout and drug use.

What it’s about: The sequel to the surprise horror hit sees the smile demon infecting a mega-famous pop star.

The kid attractor factor: Teen audiences will be drawn to the horror flick, especially in spooky season, but no appeal for kids.

...Read more

Fourth-grader Naiya White knows what you think about her twice-daily beauty regimen and her Sephora shopping trips.

"I heard all you guys were freaking out about 10-year-olds using skin care," she says in a TikTok video posted last month, standing outside a Sephora store in Grand Junction, Colorado. "So let's go pick some out!"

Moments later, ...Read more

'PIECE BY PIECE'

Rated PG for language, some suggestive material and thematic elements.

What it’s about: A documentary about musician, producer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams' life, done entirely in Lego style.

The kid attractor factor: Kids will definitely be drawn to the Lego style and soundtrack of popular songs.

Good lessons/...Read more

BOISE, Idaho -- When Michelle Short, 52, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2019, her first thought was about how she’d maintain care for her son.

Then a single mother to a 12-year-old with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, Short made a decision she thought she’d never have to make: She put her son, Riley, in a group home...Read more

'WHITE BIRD'

PG-13 for some strong violence, thematic material and language.

What it’s about: An older woman recounts her childhood experience in the Holocaust to help her grandson learn a lesson about kindness.

The kid attractor factor: This young adult-aimed film has appeal for older kids and teens in its characters, story and lessons.

...Read more

On the first day of their honeymoon, they had planned to sleep in, relax, then explore their Sandals resort in Saint Lucia.

But when Nate Kuhlman, 23, awoke that sunny morning, he couldn’t wait to hit the waves. He convinced Mari, 22, to go water skiing.

With a driver and spotter on the boat, there was only room for one of them. Mari watched...Read more

'MEGALOPOLIS'

Rated R for sexual content, nudity, drug use, language and some violence.

What it’s about: A sprawling epic about a misunderstood genius who wants to build a futuristic utopian community.

The kid attractor factor: Not much attraction for kids here. This is for adults only.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Daring thinkers will always...Read more

California took a major step in its fight to protect children from the ills of social media with Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature on a bill to limit the ability of companies to provide "addictive feeds" to minors.

Newsom on Friday signed Senate Bill 976, named the Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act and introduced by state Sen. ...Read more

'NEVER LET GO'

Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images.

What it’s about: A troubled mother survives in the forest with her two young sons, tormented by terrifying visions of ghosts.

The kid attractor factor: This psychological horror thriller is for adults only, despite the two young stars.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Everything...Read more

Children get all kinds of books from their parents while growing up. But a book mine gave me when I was around 10 years old would have a significant impact on my life — even if I didn’t realize it at the time.

It was around 1980 when they gave me “Why Was I Adopted?” by Carole Livingston. The book is meant to help parents like mine ...Read more

This column is the latest in a series on parenting children in the final years of high school, "Emptying the Nest."

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After weeks of preparing myself for the emotions of "the last first day," the start of my youngest child's senior year was distinctly anticlimactic.

I did make her a hot breakfast, over which she received my bittersweet ...Read more