Disney's "Hannah Montana" star, Miley Cyrus, is everywhere. She's on TV and in magazines, and her image is on billboards, T-shirts and even backpacks and pencils. And soon, she's going to be in the June issue of Vanity Fair. Shot by the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, the 15 year old posed coyly holding a silk sheet against her chest so that she appears nude. Although Cyrus claims that she was wearing a tank top beneath the sheet, parents across America aren't happy.

To make matters worse, the Vanity Fair controversy is not the first time sexy images of Cyrus have surfaced. Last week, snapshots of the star flashing her underwear and sitting provocatively on her then-boyfriend's lap hit the internet. Over 3 million girls mostly between the ages of 6 and 14 routinely tune in to watch Cyrus on "Hannah Montana," and many parents have come to see the star as the last female role model who their daughters can look up to. Now, however, they fear she's going the way of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan before her.

What do you think? Do the recent pictures of Miley Cyrus make you question her respectability? How do you feel about your daughter idolizing the teen star? Are you planning on discussing the photos with your daughter? Share your thoughts.

--Victoria Loustalot, Real-Time Associate Producer  

Finally, a bit of good news for American parents and their children! A new study being released today reports that the well-being of American children increased by almost 10 percent between 1994 and 2006. The study credits improved government programs as well as better parenting for the encouraging statistics. Mortality rates for children between the ages of one and four are down by a third, and homicide rates are down even more—they've decreased by 50 percent. Fewer mothers are smoking during their pregnancies and the number of sixth graders who fear being attacked or harmed at school has declined 36 percent. In addition, the report found that more parents are limiting the amount of television their children watch and are also reading to their kids more frequently. Even lead poisoning is on the decline; the number of children who tested positive for elevated levels of lead is down 84 percent.

Although the researchers behind the report acknowledge that some trends remain alarming, such as the increase in childhood obesity and low-birth-weight babies, they also agree that the new findings give families much to celebrate.

What do you think? Do you agree that the overall quality of life for children in this country has improved? Are you glad you're raising your kids now rather than 14 years ago? Share your thoughts!

--Victoria Loustalot, Real-Time Associate Producer 

If you were going to have plastic surgery, how would you talk to your kids about it?

According to Newsweek, Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Bal Harbour, Fla, suggests that you use his picture book, "My Beautiful Mommy", out this Mother's Day.

The book, aimed at kids ages four to seven, features a perky, Barbie-like mother who explains to her child that she's getting a nose job and tummy tuck to make herself feel better and to fit back into her clothing post-pregnancy. (Apparently, the illustrations also show Mommy’s breasts getting noticeably larger, but no one talks about that.) In the end, her daughter believes that her mommy looks "even more" beautiful than before.

I agree that parents should talk to their kids if they undergo surgery. Salzhauer points out that it can be scary for a child to see a parent come home in bandages and often times, surgery can put you out of parenting commission for a few days. However, the book could also perpetuate body image issues -- kids will think their own body parts must need "fixing" too.

What is your take on the issue? iVillage moms have been on the fence about mommy makeovers before—some are all for it, some are against it. What would you do and would you use this book to talk to your kids about it?

The classic baby book has a whole new look. According to an article on MSNBC yesterday, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" just released its largely rewritten, fourth edition, complete with an updated, chic woman on the cover. (See below for before and after pictures.)

However, the article questions whether the revamp is enough. Not only are there hundreds of other baby books, “but there's also the big wide Web world out there, and it's not just all those sites offering medical information. This is the age of the message board, where a woman who has a strange ache or pain at 3 a.m. can fire off a cyber-question: "Late-night cramps at 5 months pg, dh asleep, what do i do?" Answers come within moments.”

At iVillage, we have just that. You can track your pregnancy progress day by day with the Pregnancy Calendar, find a name for your baby-to-be with the Baby Name Finder, keep your style up to date with maternity style tips and talk to other women due the same month you are by joining an Expecting Club.

As a person who grew up using the internet as my main source of information, I can’t imagine looking anywhere else for pregnancy tools and information. But what is your preference? What did you use for your pregnancy—books or the Web?