Welcome to our weekly Best of Parenting roundup!  This week we share 100 Text and IM shortcuts to help you find out what your kids are really saying, the best kid-friendly lunches, and a couple of exciting and simple volcano experiments for families to do together! 

100 Text and IM Shortcuts so You Can Communicate With Your Kids – CTO B4 you lose the chance to learn from your kids’ POV.  (A must read for any parent who needs the dirt on text lingo, fast!)  Shortcut Sleuth 

Stay-At-Home Moms: Build an Online Business – It’s possible to grow a thriving money-making venture with a baby on your lap.  Use these clever tips to do it professionally, and enjoy the perks of having your kids by your side as you succeed!  Life Scoop 

Holiday Buying: More Pressure Today Than 40 Years Ago?  In this lengthy but worthwhile read, several bloggers comment on how materialism in kids has changed over the years (and sometimes, not in the positive way.)  How do you weigh in on the issue?  Fake Plastic Fish 

Pipe Down Those Pipes – In follow-up to the popular discussion “Is Yelling the New Spanking?”, Aviva offers some worthy alternatives to shouting and screaming.  Will they work for you?  Parentopia 

Best of iVillage: Kid-Friendly Lunches – If the PB&J and Macaroni have you wishing for some more refined flavors, check out this list of yummy, parent-approved, and kid-appealing dishes.  Let’s lunch!  iVillage 

Volcanoes! Science Experiments – This thoughtful post features two fun (and easy) experiments to get your kids ready for all things volcano.  (Looks like fun for Mom and Dad, too!) The Tie That Binds Us 

Internet Addiction: When You’ve Really Got It, You’ll Know – This is a relief for those of use who joke about our PC’s being the equivalent to crack.  Before you worry that your Facebooking has turned dangerously addictive, check out this checklist for knowing if you have legitimate problem.  BlogHer 

When Working Works Against You in Custody Court – Working Moms are now being punished in the court systems when child custody is concerned.  What’s behind this trend?  Can we do anything about it?  Mommy Tracked 

Handicrafts for Boys – This list of traditional crafts for the young lad offers things you would expect (whittling, for example) along with a few that you wouldn’t (duct tape is cool!)  Is there one your little guy would like? Little Homeschool on the Prairie