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This is a story about a sock. It was an ordinary white toddler sock that lay abandoned right in the middle of an otherwise cleared-off set of stairs. I happened to see this sock in the middle of the stairs the morning before I was leaving for a few days. Being a mom, I went to pick it up.
Raise your hand if you end up doing the majority of your kid’s language arts homework? Or is it just me who spent an entire weekend making a booklet on penguins and writing an essay on Mandela? It isn’t so much that I want to control everything, but I have a fear that if my son hasn’t properly researched a speech or presentation he has to make, he’ll get up in front of his class and make a huge fool of himself. My husband frequently reminds me, “It isn’t your homework, it’s his.” He refuses to get involved, but I just can’t help myself.....
You may find yourself yelling at your toddler, especially when it seems effective in getting your child not to do something? You think it is harmless since yelling is not spanking and no physical harm is done to the child?
"We have to admit, this isn't just for the kids," says their website. "What a refreshing opportunity it is to be offered a glimpse into someone else's head — especially the fantastically bizarre, unobstructed thoughts of a child. It’s an amazing opportunity."
What if he is gay? Will he need to be afraid every time he goes out with friends? What if he is targeted for being part Jewish? What if someone chooses to hate him for his profession, his looks, his interests, or his lifestyle?
If sleep is scary for your child, chances are your family isn’t feeling very well rested. Nightmares and night terrors are fairly common in early childhood. While many people will use the terms interchangeably, nightmares and night terrors are, in fact, very different events.
Looking for kite making instructions? This tutorial is easy enough for kids, but fun enough for adults too! Let’s go and make some paper kites, shall we?
Many parents can relate to tears and hurt feelings during childhood but for those with a sensitive child, they are likely presented with these strong feelings much more often. Parents of sensitive children observe their little ones worrying more deeply about what others around them think and being more emotionally reactive. However, these kiddos also tend to make amazing friends because they are so intuitive and are able to easily empathize with others.
Send the children to their rooms. Have a flashlight nearby. And lean in close. This is a scary story. It’s about a monster. Once upon a time my husband had to work 28 days of nights...
Tips for Parent-Educators: These are the top things I wish someone had said to me as I offered my first born to his first school.
1. Be a parent, first and foremost. That's what your kid needs most from you.
2. Proactively build a relationship with your child's teacher at the beginning of the year. Don't wait until there's a problem to sit down with them.
3. If a teacher doesn't ask about your child's strengths and interests, share those.
4. Also share anything you think the teacher should know about your kid that would help them be effective, such as that your kid is an introvert and won't often participate in whole-class discussions. (Again, hopefully they ask this question, but if not, share it.)
5. If your child complains about being bored, class being too hard, not being treated well by peers or adults, listen to your child. Don't hope it'll get better. Go to school and talk to people. Observe classes.
6. Don't be afraid of talking to the principal. Don't be afraid of making requests. You can do this kindly and thoughtfully, but your job, again, is to advocate for your kid.
The hormone imbalance that underlies polycystic ovary syndrome often makes women miserable. Here are PCOS symptoms to know.
Dear father who won’t pay child support, I just want to know one thing. Do you know what you’re doing?
“Oh my god!” the mother squealed. “Baby, are you OK? Did that hurt? What hurts, baby? What hurts?” The little girl commenced sobbing as what I deemed a nice save turned into a tragedy warranting a call to 911.
I was on the phone with my friend Elizabeth when I heard her 9-month old daughter Poppy screeching in the background.
“Ooooh!” I winced. “Is Poppy okay?”
“She’s not crying. She’s laughing!” Elizabeth explained. “Greg’s playing Tickle Monster with her.”
When our kids get fussy with food, our go-to is a PB & J. And if desperate times call for desperate measures, maybe we’ll cut them into star shapes to spare us all the headache of a mealtime tantrum. But one mom who is putting our sandies to shame is Laleh Mohmedi.
"See babies as people in their own right, naturally deserving of our respect. See babies not as helpless beings but as active, phenomenal learners with an innate urge to explore their world and the people in it, from birth. When we see babies in this way, our practice will naturally change for the better." - Lisa Sunbury Gerber
Does your child suck her thumb or bite her nails? A long-term study suggests these “bad” habits might actually have a plus side: lasting protection from common allergies. Researchers followed a group of more than 1,000 children in New Zealand from birth through age 32. They asked the parents to report their children’s thumb-sucking and nail-biting habits at ages 5, 7, 9 and 11. Then they tested the children for allergic reactions using a skin-prick test at age 13, and again in adulthood at age 32.
Pull-up diapers can help with potty training and nighttime training, but knowing when to start and stop using them is key.
Here are some common literacy practices in US schools (and everywhere) that research suggests are NOT OPTIMAL use of instructional time:
As a former after-school teacher, I’ve spent three years working with kids in a more relaxed environment than the classroom. And, in those hours with kids as their less-guarded selves, I’ve seen the bullying, teasing, whispers and shoves that scarcely get reported home to parents.
They're naturally independent.
The New York Times journalist Nick Bilton once asked the late Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, the following question during an interview: ‘It seems that your kids are crazy about the iPad, right?’ He got the following, unexpected answer: ‘They don’t use them. We limit the amount of time they are allowed to use iPads at home.’ There’s certainly something to think about here...
A mom's letter to the doctor who suggested her abortion of her daughter upon the diagnosis of Down Syndrome reveals a truth we all should ponder about. The letter reads:
Children get cuts, scrapes and bruises. Curious and brave, kids are constantly playing and exploring. It’s part of growing up. But playtime that seems harmless can turn into something much more serious within seconds.
Using laser pointers to play pretend rocket ships or make the family pet run back and forth looks like fun. But an eight-year-old boy’s experience with laser pointers is proof of the serious damage they can cause. Johnny Marshall was at his sister’s school fair when he saw a laser pen at one of the vendor booths. After some begging and pleading, his parents gave in and bought him the toy. Johnny was playing with his new toy at home when he shone it into his eyes out of curiosity — something that many children might do. Within a quarter of a second, he was left with a thermal burn and permanent damage to his retina.
We asked parents working in the CBD and came up with 8 easy tips for all our working mums and dads!
Obviously, many people don't know two amazing facts about him. First, Matthew is aware that his appearance is different and accepts the way he is. He is extremely happy and energetic. Second, with a love of football, he has ambition to play for Real Madrid or Manchester United, but he is yet struggling to decide which team to approach!
Cori Salchert calls the home she shares with her husband, Mark, a “house of hope.” A former perinatal bereavement nurse with eight biological children, Salchert began adopting what she calls “hospice babies” —babies with life-limiting or terminal diagnoses — in 2012.
Why make your own baby food when there are so many good commercial brands available? Homemade baby food produces less waste (by the time a baby is 12 months old, he’s emptied 600 jars of baby food on average), costs less, contains no chemicals or additives and is fresher. Besides, it’s simple! Here’s how to make your own baby food purees, plus some easy recipe ideas to get your started.
Are you ready to be committed for 5 minutes for this divine happiness?
No cleanup needed!
Father and daughter relationships are some of the sweetest, and what better way for dad to bond with his little girl than to master the art of doing her hair.
I have a secret. It is something I don’t really talk about, especially to other parents. If the topic ever comes up, I try my best to find ways to spin the situation to avoid judgmental glares. I downplay it and laugh it off. My secret: I still co-sleep with my 5-year-old daughter.
Mosquitoes. They’re an incredibly rude bunch. They don’t even offer to take you to dinner before biting, draining your blood and exposing you to all sorts of nasty diseases. Speaking of blood, did you know that mosquitoes actually have a preferred type?
“Children feel under pressure to have this perfect life that it looks like everyone else is having according to Instagram and that’s really hard to deal with”
I am a Boy Mom.
I remember thinking during the gender ultrasound of my second baby that it was certainly a girl (after all, I always dreamed of having one of both genders), and then the technician said, “It’s a boy!”.
Strangely enough, my first thought was “I get to be the Mom of 2 BOYS!!” I was so excited. I love my oldest son, and was so excited to have another boy to love.
As much as I love little boys, there are some things that are unique to raising them.
Yes, there is penis talk, fart jokes, and dirt but there’s so much more about boys that every expecting Boy Mom needs to know.
Those itchy, red eyes may be a common childhood ailment.
Karen Katz, award-winning author and illustrator of children's books including the bestselling Where Is Baby's Belly Button?, answers your concerns about reading to babies and toddlers.
In honor of Father’s Day, Huffington Post asked the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers for photos that capture the important emotional and physical support dads-to-be provide their partners, as well as the utter magic of fathers meeting their babies for the first time. Here are 35 of them, with captions from the photographers.
I cherish the notes I receive from my children—whether they are scribbled with a Sharpie on a yellow sticky note or written in perfect penmanship on lined paper. But the Mother’s Day poem I received from my 9-year-old daughter was especially meaningful. In fact, the first line of the poem caused my breath to catch as warm tears slid down my face.
Being a mother in Singapore isn't easy, so it's no wonder that recent surveys have revealed how woefully unprepared Singaporean mothers are for retirement. A 2015 survey showed that 75 per cent of the mothers surveyed had not even thought about retirement, let alone started planning for it.
We all know that besides looking after you, stealing the last bar of chocolate from the fridge and sending you jokes only they find funny, it’s a dad’s main purpose in life to relentlessly mock the hell out of you.
Suggested apps that are both engaging and educational
There is a common belief that Asians are naturally gifted at maths.
Asian countries like Singapore and Japan lead the ranks in first and second position on maths performance in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tables – an international survey that ranks education systems worldwide – while Australia sits around 12th.
Here are eight vital life skills that children aren’t taught in school:
1. Independence: Teaching children, a little at a time, to be independent, can show them that they can make decisions on their own. Letting them make their own mistakes can teach them valuable lessons they’ll carry with them.
2. Compassion: Compassion is needed to work well with others, to care for other people and to find happiness through making other people happy.
3. Individuality: They need to be taught that we come in all sizes, shapes and colors, and it is perfectly OK to be unique.
4. Welcoming Change: Teaching children that change isn’t something to be afraid of – just something to prepare for – can help them in so many aspects throughout their life.
5. Happiness: Many parents coddle their children in an attempt to keep them happy and safe, but it can make children rely on their parents for their happiness. Teaching a child from an early age that they can be happy on their own, by things like playing, reading and imagining, is a valuable life lesson.
6. Finding Passion: Many people struggle with finding their passion. Helping a child find what he or she is passionate about by allowing them to try a bunch of different things can help them find a source of lifelong internal happiness and motivation. Encourage the adventure, but let children decide on their own, where they find passion.
7. Asking questions: Teaching children that asking questions is a good thing, can encourage their curiosity and help them continue to seek knowledge in different aspects of life.
8. Solving problems: Constantly solving a child’s problems for them won’t help them as they grow. They need to know that they can solve problems on their own. New skills, a new environment, a new job – they’re all just problems to be solved. Modeling problem solving and allowing children to come up with their solution ideas can help them develop confidence and let them know that whatever comes their way, they are capable of handling it.
Mommies, how about sharing some of your attention to daddies for the Father's Day? This article shows a compact list of what daddies would want according to their types.
I see you looking my way – when I hold my 7 year old, my 5 year old, my 3 year old in my arms. I want to tell you something: my 9 year old doesn’t fit there anymore… and that is why I still carry my kids.
Approximately at the age of two, children learn bowel control first before bladder control or the reverse way. The child’s bowel or bladder control is mostly done in the morning than in the evening. Experts suggested that potty training should only be initiated when your child is already showing certain signs of readiness which is visible in the ages of two to three years old. There are signs when they already exhibiting attitudes of controlling their bowel or bladder.