Chinese officials defended their decision to pass off the voice of a 7-year-old songbird as that of another girl at the Olympic opening ceremony, calling it a simple casting choice. What do you think?

This week’s question: Help! I’m not sure our family budget can survive the back-to-school spending frenzy. How do you pinch pennies on back-to-school items? Where do you draw the line when it comes to keeping up with clothing fashions?

This week’s question: Help! If my 6-year-old overhears Mommy and Daddy discussing an ill relative, she wants to know if the person will die. If a radio DJ mentions the latest scandal involving out-of-control stars, she wants to know what they’re doing wrong. My instinct is to change the channel, end the conversation, talk about the weather. What is appropriate to talk about with a child? How do you explain grown-up issues to a little kid?

This week’s question: Help! I’m not sure our family budget can survive the back-to-school spending frenzy. How do you pinch pennies on back-to-school items? Where do you draw the line when it comes to keeping up with clothing fashions?

The parents’ bottom line on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: If your kids are old enough to have seen the other movies or earlier “Clone Wars” TV series, they can handle it.

Since its launch on Mother’s Day 2006, BabyFirstTV has found its way to 30 countries, making the network available to some 80 million homes. A DVD line of the programming is coming to stores. Still, the general idea of parking babies in car seats on the floor in front of a television troubles childhood-development professionals. What do you think?

You may really like bologna sandwiches. Perhaps you are fond of grilled cheese. It’s entirely possible that you dig BLTs. But seriously, do any of them hold a candle to peanut butter and jelly?

Take trail mix to a new level with fresh fruit and cheese. Nutritious, flavorful and filling, this mixture is easy to pack for school lunch in a reusable plastic container. Combine grapes with any hard cheese, nut or seed you prefer. It also makes a great after-school snack (or even try it for breakfast).

It’s almost time for the annual Jubilee: Festival of Heritage. This year the festival celebrates 30 years and is expanding to a larger venue, the Mann-Simons Cottage, 1403 Richland St.

Check out the lineup for Village Square Theatre’s “Broadway In Your Own Backyard” season.

We were doing our back-to-school shopping for tennis shoes when I spotted a store clerk leaning against a rack. “Excuse me. Could you help us?” I asked. “With what?” OK, wasn’t expecting that. But he was fairly young and it probably wasn’t his dream job to sell kids’ shoes to middle-aged women. I toyed briefly with just saying, “Some Gouda, isn’t this a cheese store?” but that seemed as rude as his response and someone needed to be the grownup here.

My 15-year-old wants to take a part-time job at a local fast food place. Although I think it would be a great growth opportunity, I’m also worried that his grades will suffer with college just around the corner.

Brace yourselves, moms and dads. If you have kids in elementary school, the deluge of fall-leaf collages and tissue-paper wreaths is about to hit. It’s an onslaught that has buried many a refrigerator, not to mention dining room tables, kitchen counters and whole family rooms. Here are the best ideas we found to help you get a handle on that artful clutter.

We know, we know, you don’t want to hear it’s almost back-to-school time. So put that out of your mind, and celebrate the last days of summer vacation with these water-soaked ways to cool down in your own back yard.