I have to repeat this exactly 42 times, and I have to be religious about it. There’s no good way to get ants out of a stack of boxed hand-me-down infant clothes except to unfold; shake loose the ants; fold; stack; repeat. They are my daughter’s clothes. They were never worn, and they are being returned to her aunt and to her two cousins from whom they were borrowed. I am angry at the ants....
Getting enough sleep is important for everybody. Young children are no exception, as experts recommend that kids between the ages of six and 12 sleep from nine to 12 hours each night. “Because the adolescent brain is still under rapid development, sustained sleep deficits may lead to permanent impairment to the brain and to the cognitive functions,” Ze Wang, professor of diagnostic radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and lead author of the paper, tells Fatherly....
Kids Were Attached At The Hip Daycare in 12,000 BCE was called strapping ‘em on your back (or chest) and going about your day. The benefits of that practice meant more than just not worrying about getting your kid into the right preschool; some psychologists believe all that carrying and cuddling set prehistoric kids up to be more empathetic and emotionally intelligent later in life. It’s the same theory behind the skin-to-skin contact your doctor insisted you get with your newborn, because it’s crucial for still-developing infant brains....
Even families that are healthy will face pregnancy challenges in the face of COVID-19. It may be more difficult to see a doctor for prenatal check-ups, and delivery rooms may limit the number of visitors allowed. Some women are switching to home births to limit their risk of infection from hospitals, but changing your birth plan can come with a host of other risks. Here’s what you need to know for all stages of pregnancy during the pandemic....
“I don’t love you anymore.” In an instant, those words changed my life forever. A million thoughts raced through my mind: “What?!” “What about the kids?!” “Can we make it work?!” “I’ll do whatever it takes!” It was Christmas Eve, and we were having a conversation ⏤ okay, a disagreement ⏤ about whether we should move. My wife (now ex-wife) was just finishing her first year in real estate, and we were struggling financially....
What Does Everyone Want Out of the Deal? Before your teenager starts looking for jobs, it helps to have a family discussion about what everyone’s priorities are. “The experience of getting work is, first of all, an opportunity for a 16-year-old to take ownership,” explains learning specialist Dr. Rebecca Mannis. “Next, they consider, ‘How am I going to do this so that I get what I want out of it?’” If finances are of primary concern, a different set of options may be on the table compared to a teenager whose primary goal is to make themselves more marketable for a specific college or career....
Eat Bananas Bananas are full of electrolytes like potassium that stabilize vital signs like blood pressure, and carbs that provide energy. In a study at the Human Performance Lab at Appalachian State University, researchers found that eating a banana before biking 75km was equivalent to drinking a carbohydrate-loaded sports drink in terms of the energy boost it provided (but minus the added sugar that can make you crash and burn....
According to nurse practitioner Maile Moore from Boston Children’s Hospital Sleep Center, getting a child to sleep in is an attainable goal. Parents just need the right expectations, schedule, and expert tricks. Why Toddlers Get Up Early in the Morning Kids and sleep are hugely complicated bedfellows (pun intended). After all, it’s hard enough to get a kid to sleep in the first place. That said, the issues that surround early rises are diverse and can even be linked to your child’s unique biological heritage....
“From an emotional standpoint, there are two primary tasks that adolescents are trying to achieve: emotional separation from their parents, and developing their own identity,”says Dr. Dana Dorfman, a therapist to families and teens for 30 years. “Because of the gender similarity, girls identify with their mothers for the most part. So, oftentimes, the intensity with which they try to extricate themselves is directed towards their mother more specifically.” So what can dad do to help the conflict?...
My 8-year-old son is asking me why do we have to go to school and score good marks? What would be a good answer? My daughter asked me the same question last year for the first time. She was 7 years old and I didn’t have a handy, disarming answer to give her. So we sat down together and had a nice chat. The first thing I asked her was to describe a usual day in school as well as the things she likes and dislikes....
“If you have anxieties and worries, this isn’t bad. This is an excellent way to help your child,” says psychologist Dr. Reid Wilson, co-author of Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children. Wilson says that parents should share with kids how they’ve had fearful experiences in the past, and how they still become afraid when approaching certain activities. It can, he suggests, help kids understand that their fears are normal — and can be overcome....
But the senses do more than just help a human navigate through their world. They also teach them about it. And right now, for your kid, that’s pretty dang crucial. Touchy Touchy Learning how to be a human is a messy affair. That’s because your kid is basically a scientist without a rigorous lab-cleanliness protocol. And their lab is basically anywhere they are. So, while destroying the dining room with a plate of spaghetti may seem like your kid’s attempt to give you an aneurysm, there’s much more to the mess....
RELATED: 8 Apps To Organize The Most Important Data on Your Phone: Family Photos Ferrante has the enormous task of not only making sure the country’s most famous museum’s people, events, places, and research is preserved, and but also formatting and tagging media that our forefathers didn’t have the wherewithal to bring to Ye Olde Kinkos. Because, if his methods are entrusted with photos like this, they’ll probably work for last summer’s trip to the beach....
You know what else lacks entertainment value? Your bored-ass face while you’re hanging out with your baby waiting for them to learn to talk. Why don’t you do yourself both a favor and start making things interesting? It’s not like your kid can do it, they’ve only been on the planet a single month. You? You’ve been here at least a bazillion months. It’s time to use that experience for play....
Own Up to It To rebuild trust in your marriage, you have to accept responsibility, apologize, and own it. And, never, ever try to justify it or offer any kind of explanation or excuses. “Although all choices are made in the context of what is happening for you, that won’t help you when you’re asking for forgiveness,” says Anna Osborn, a California-based licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in couples, relationships, and love....
“If a company is going to go to the trouble of making something that’s counterfeit, they likely aren’t going to be complying with mandatory safety standards for toys,” says Joan Lawrence, the Toy Association’s senior vice president of standards and regulatory affairs. It’s time to wise up. Nearly a fifth of the 1000 parents in the survey said their child has already received a counterfeit or knockoff toy purchased online, and an overwhelming 83 percent of parents suspect gifts given by grandparents and other older gift-givers are not from verified and trustworthy sellers....
“The first day that an infant will be away from a parent is usually a foreseeable event,” explains Dr. Jack Maypole, associate professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, and member of the Goddard School’s Educational Advisory Board. That means parents have time to prepare. The first day of baby daycare shouldn’t be the first day mom and dad leave the baby with someone else. Leaving the baby with a sitter for an hour or two to run errands does more than give a parent the chance to interact with other grown-ups....
RELATED: How To Promote Gross & Fine Motor Skills In Your Infant So while up to now you’ve been playing Tarantino for Baby and Human Mobile, it’s time to change the activities to support this new range of development. Of course, being the amazing dad you are (totally not pandering), you’re not going to do something like play patty-cake or read Harry The Dirty Dog for the gazillionth time. No, you’re going to be entertaining while doing some insane skill building....
Recognizing an Introverted Child Dr. Jennifer Weber Recognizing Shyness in Kids How to Help Introverted Children Manage Social Settings
Fortunately, thanks to the power of technology, you don’t have to. So here’s how — and when — you can watch the landing of the Perseverance rover. Here’s How to Watch the ‘Perserverance’ Landing The event will be available to watch on NASA’s official YouTube page (videos linked here in the article), public TV channel, website, app, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, and even their LinkedIn. There will also be a Spanish stream available....
