He said food banks were meeting parents who were worried about putting food on the table this Christmas, and who could not afford any presents for their children.

BBC: Food bank charity: Christmas 'bleak on breadline'

The question put to those at the town meeting was: Do most parents know about the activities of their children?

CNN: Town meeting looks at lessons from Littleton

Ari Brown, a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, says that three or four years ago she would spend much of the time when meeting with new parents assuaging their concerns about vaccines.

WSJ: Where Could The Next Outbreak Of Measles Be?

About 14 years ago, when I was a parent of young children, as preparation for a talk at a doctors' meeting about vaccines, I surveyed (rather informally) parents - mostly mothers of course - waiting in the playground of our local primary school.

BBC: 'The natural benefits of vaccines'

At their first meeting, Abe yelled and cursed and banged his head about so violently his parents had to bring him in tied to a chair to stop him injuring himself.

ECONOMIST: Donald Cohen

The admissions office uses Microsoft's Net Meeting to conduct online chat sessions that let prospective students and their parents ask college administrators questions about admissions, financial aid and housing.

CNN: Florida law school uses wireless technology