The World Health Organization recommends that when using headphones, kids listen to SpongeBob at a volume no greater than 85 decibels, for no more than 60 minutes at a time. For that reason, select a model with a built-in limit that fits these constraints. Ambient noise reduction is another solid feature if your kids will be using these in loud places, like a living room with a TV on in the background....

I went to college for eight years, and I took many hikes — shame, guilt, and disgust. It was always my bad, and I’m responsible for my saunters into self-destructive emotional landmines. Sadly, I’m also to blame for my son’s first walk of shame after I bought him his first cell phone. I thought owning a phone was a privilege. A perk that a child got because an employed parent used part of their paycheck to buy a thoughtful gift for their offspring....

The carnivore diet was born of the controversial (read: overly simplistic and evolutionarily preposterous) idea that humans evolved to eat meat so that’s what we should be eating now. Anecdotal reports say the diet reverses stubborn diseases and conditions that no treatment has. The two biggest benefits proponents claim are to autoimmune disorder management and weight loss. The evidence of these claims is thin as paper. To date, no scientific research has analyzed the health effects of the carnivore diet, and the person who is arguably most famous for promoting it doesn’t bear the credentials to buck the lack of research....

The Wet Bathroom Floor Incident “I got into a big fight with my wife once because I drip too much on the bathroom floor and she was uncharacteristically annoyed about it because she walked in as I was drying off and expressed her annoyance with it. I always wipe the floor down but that morning she came in before I could wipe it up. She suggested I need to wait extra time in the tub or use the swimmer wipe down before exiting the shower....

“We set ourselves up to want things that are just not possible to accomplish,” says Beckman, The Price Family Chair in Social Innovation and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. She and Mazmanian highlighted three core myths — the perfect parent, perfect worker, the ideal body — that are unable to be met on their own let alone as triad, but which pervade American society nonetheless....

“Bulky, heavy, hard to clean,” says Gay, a father of three from Dallas who admits his frustration had been brewing for years. “The anger mounted as I disassembled the seat because it became evident that it wasn’t even well designed from a safety perspective.” Later that week, shrugging off his wife’s skeptical eye rolls, he sketched out designs for a better seat. Four years later, his sleek reimagined take, the Kioma, is finally ready to hit the market....

The concept is straightforward: blue bricks for the ocean, green for land, tan for arid places like the Sahara Desert, and white for the poles. The vintage-style stand is elegantly lettered and cradles the globe at the traditional 23° tilt, which mirrors the angle our planet spins on its axis relative to the sun. It even spins on its axis, so you can play the “where will we go next” game with your kids....

Okay, so even if there’s no way in hell you’re giving up your smartphone anytime soon (“Seriously, how would I post pictures of my kid to Facebook?”), the beauty of the new Nokia 3310 is that it would actually make a great starter phone for your suddenly hip 5th-grader. It’s sleeker and more round than the original (but equally as tough), has a 2.4-inch color display, and comes in 4 colors ⏤ 2 glossy (red and yellow) and 2 matte (dark blue and gray)....

It’s not just Dustin. All of these mischievous preteens are masters of cursing, throwing out “shit”, “son of a bitch”, or even “nasty-ass rash” in a way that feels authentic. Some might find the cursing needlessly crass, but the reality is this is how junior highers talk to one other when their parents or teachers aren’t around. And to be honest, it’s pretty funny to hear kids say a bunch of ultimately harmless words that they aren’t supposed to say....

Unfortunately, Waldman goes on to discuss her sex life with her husband, fellow writer Michael Chabon, in painfully baroque detail (“During the course of these meandering and exhilarating conversations, we touch each other, we start to make love, we stop”). But forgiving that distasteful smugness, Waldman’s point holds true: Romantic love and maternal love need not jeopardize one another. The same should hold true for fathers. Naturally, I love my son madly and deeply, but the human soul is not a finite container....

“You seem nicer if you play dumb, and you seem smarter if you act colder.” Individuals tend to use warmth and competence as dimensions to gauge the intentions of others, research shows. People often get stereotyped as either warm and incompetent or competent and cold, as a result. There’s some evidence that, over time, a certain language can develop around the power dynamics these stereotypes create, and people in high-status might try to seem less competent than they are in instances where they want to be more approachable, just a people of lower status might come of colder as a way to seem more competent....

What Is Emotional Invalidation? Emotional invalidation occurs when you discount someone’s feelings, implying that, for them to be saying or doing something, they must be either crazy or stupid, or some combination of the two. This can happen in a quick, almost casual manner (“That’s ridiculous”), or it can even be done passive-aggressively, telling a partner how they should react before you even speak (“Don’t freak out, but I have to tell you something…”)....

There is a diverse set of autism symptoms, and some are extremely subtle. For instance, a child simply might not be developing “joint attention” skills, like pointing at objects for a parent to see. At 12 months of age, they may lack a reciprocal social smile (that is, returning a parent’s smile) which is cause for concern. And where neurotypical kids might constantly bring objects to parents, a child on the spectrum might not....

READ MORE: The Fatherly Guide to Parental and Paternity Leave It could boost her ability to breast feed. Studies show that having a partner at home has been shown to boost a new mother’s prolactin and oxytocin levels, hormones that aid in the production of milk. “Adequate milk production can be a source of stress for new mothers — so if a father’s presence can aid in this, moms will benefit greatly,” says Lauren Wallenstein, a California-based parental leave consultant at milkyourbenefits....

What Is Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku)? Forest bathing is essentially a mindful walk in a natural setting. In practice, it means leaving devices behind (or turned off), and letting your senses tune back into the natural world. “Forest bathing came out of Japan in the early 80s as an intentional time in nature using all of our senses,” says Erica Timko Olson, PhD, a professor in the Adult and Gerontological Health Cooperative at University of Minnesota School of Nursing who studies nature-based therapies and wellness....

My wife and I actually met in a YMCA back in 1988, in our hometown, in Wisconsin. Fitness has been a foundation of our relationship — we even got certified as personal trainers at one point. They say, sometimes, that opposites attract — which can be true — but I would add that you have to share some interests. We do. We’re very serious about working out. I think that shows....

Statistics show that since the 1980s, twin birth rates have increased worldwide by more than 30%. Back then, twin births were happening 9 times per 1000 deliveries, a rate that held steady until 1985. Between 2010-2015, the rate jumped to 12 twin births per 1000 deliveries. That one-third raise may not seem like a lot looking at those numbers, but the reality is, at an aggregate rate, twins are coming into this world a lot....

We’re talking quality construction and design, a great fit and soft, versatile fabric – you know, the kind of T-shirt a grown-up might wear. The options abound in plenty of styles for these more casual times, so let’s take a deep dive into your drawer of tees and help you come up with a pick or two – or three, or four – that actually passes muster. Here are the best tees for grown-ups....

“There’s some concern — and potential risk — if you go to a place where there’s not a clean needle,” says coauthor of the study Dr. Cora Breuner, chair of the AAP Committee on Adolescence, citing risks of HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C. Breuner adds that prominent tattoos could also get in the way of future job prospects. “The placement of tattoos is a huge, controversial issue because many people want other people to see their tattoos, but sometimes it gets in the way of employment....

Banzai Bump n’ Bounce Body Bumpers Fans of alteration and saving money will enjoy this option from Banzai, the same company that makes some of our favorite inflatable water toys. This two-pack (one red, one blue) comes at a very low price in part because a pump is not included. If you’re not sure you kids want bumper balls, this item is an inexpensive way to gauge their interest. Buy Now $15...