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When Beth Laitkep was fighting for her life in the hospital, she found unwavering support from her best friend, Stephanie Culley as she became a critical part of not only her friend's battle with breast cancer but also in the lives of Beth's six children.
Getting information about the school day from a child who's attention is most likely focused on a snack, a little homework and, if the gods and their parents are kind, an hour or so of Mario Maker, often feels like an exercise in futility and espionage.
One particularly strange feature of middle-class family life is the way we train our children to sleep. “Go to your room,” we tell even very young children, “and stay there all night.” We have invented elaborate techniques to support this supposedly essential aspect of child development, implementing them at great emotional cost to all parties involved. For the parents: agonizing decisions about when and whether to comfort a crying child, bleary-eyed squabbles about which parent takes a turn in the middle of the night.
For a decade and a half, the big chocolate makers have promised to end child labor in their industry—and have spent tens of millions of dollars in the effort. But as of the latest estimate, 2.1 million West African children still do the dangerous and physically taxing work of harvesting cocoa. What will it take to fix the problem?
Good work-life balance - what does it really look like?
Its contours are vague, definitions different.
"What constitutes a healthy work-life balance will vary substantially between individuals and families. Some people may be able to tolerate more demanding working conditions than others," says Dr Jonathan Ramsay, a lecturer at the Human Resource Management Programme at SIM University.
He offers a working definition.
"For most parents with office jobs - especially those with young children - a work-life balance would involve being able to spend the majority of their evenings and weekends with their children," he says.
A few weeks ago, my 5-year-old stubbed his toe for the billionth time, then began to cry inconsolably. While he bawled for a full half-hour—not exaggerating—I alternated between reassuring him, second-guessing whether I was over-reassuring him, and wondering whether he actually broke his toe.
The widening education gap between the rich and the poor is not news to those who work in education, many of whom have been struggling to close the gap beginning the day poor children enter kindergarten or preschool. But one unlikely soldier has joined the fight: a pediatric surgeon who wants to get started way before kindergarten. She wants to start closing the gap the day babies are born.
We decided to create our own DIY Treasure Chest for Toddlers using a baby wipes container and baby food lids to kick off our first activity. And I just happened to have some gold spray paint leftover from our Solomon’s Temple blocks to make our makeshift “treasure chest” and gold coins a little more authentic-looking.
Despite parents’ best intentions, many are raising today’s children to be selfish. That was one of the revelations of a recent Harvard study that found a discrepancy between what parents ranked as their top priorities when it came to instilling values into their children and what children said their folks had actually taught them..
Raising a strong-willed child can be a challenge when he or she is young. They might seem overly difficult, stubborn and opinionated. But strong-willed children are also spirited, fun and courageous. They simply want to learn things for themselves instead of accepting what others tell them. They may have a habit of testing boundaries and limits, but it’s because they are strong, passionate and they live life to the fullest. So how can a parent raise a strong-willed child without discouraging the child’s high energy, persistence and spunk? Here are ten tips for parenting a strong-willed, free-spirited child:
How do I get my 2 year old to stop screaming when he does not get what he wants?
A few days ago, my husband and I were stocking up on summer shoes. In an attempt to foster independence in our toddler, we let him pick out his new sneakers. He went straight for the red-and-blue-Spider-Man pair, a curious choice given the fact that (a) my son has never seen a Spider Man movie or cartoon and (b) doesn’t know how to tie shoelaces.
Toddlers are true innovators who think outside the box, and they work quickly. By that, I mean, you can’t leave them alone for a second or they will bathe themselves in Vaseline or eat food from the dog’s bowl. Once, when I was trying to write an email, my toddler found a pair of scissors and decided to give herself bangs. The problem was that the bangs were on the side of her head and not the front, which was not a great look for her.
Find out why apologizing for your mistakes makes you a more effective parent
Have wonderful fun with these frozen dinosaur eggs for sensory play and scientific discovery! So easy to make and play with as part of imaginative, small world play scene and great for dinosaur loving kids.
A new study has shown first-born children are smarter than their siblings. It is thought to come from having to teach their younger brothers and sisters...
If your child doesn’t follow your instructions the first time you speak, examine the way you’re giving directions. These are the common mistakes can decrease the chances that your child will listen.
With software becoming the language of our world, the demand for coding courses for kids are rising.
Kids attempt to explain the secrets of life -- and it's hilarious!
Theresa Kachindamoto, the senior chief in the Dedza District of Central Malawi, wields power over close to 900,000 people… and she’s not afraid to use her authority to help the women and girls in her district. In the past three years, she has annulled more than 850 child marriages, sent hundreds of young women back to school to continue their education, and made strides to abolish cleansing rituals that require girls as young as seven to go to sexual initiation camps...
With these honey bee coloring pages, you can color your own wonderful honey-producing pollinator! I created these two coloring pages from a bee drawing that I colored live for you to enjoy. Coloring can be a very relaxing activity for not just children, but adults as well; it’s a great way to wind down at the end of the day, especially with some nice music turned on.
You're a working mom. That very likely means you've left the house nearly every day feeling guilty about your decision to be a working mom. "Am I selfish for abandoning my child?" "Is it cruel to put my baby in day care every day of the week?" "Are all the stay-at-home moms right?" But in honor of Working Parents Day tomorrow, stop the second-guessing and pat yourself on the back for making a decision that you very likely already know is best for your family.
A Hemet family is trying to raise money to replace their car — the only way to get their grandma to the hospital for much-needed cancer treatments
No cleanup needed!
In 1971, professor Julian Stanley founded the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) program. SMPY is “the longest-running current longitudinal survey of intellectually talented children,” Nature reports. For the last 45 years it’s tracked the accomplishments of over 5,000 gifted children – and they’ve shaped our world.
Since I aim to do most of the housework while he is in school, it is little surprise he does not see much of the work involved in running a household.
When we decided to do without live-in help four years ago after our maid left, the plan was for the kids to be more independent.
After all, getting kids involved in daily chores during school break leads to fulfilling time for all.
Kids put together the strangest outfits. You’d think this is because kids can’t be bothered with style (so many more important things to do!), but that’s not the case. Kids care very much about what they wear.
Parenting has changed a lot since we were kids. For instance, parents and teachers are now very careful about meting out punishment and criticizing children. On the other hand, there appears to be a shift towards fostering the child’s independence and self-esteem. Moreover, the traditional family model has changed – from a stay-at-home mom (and dad as breadwinner) to dual-income families; in some countries, even single-parent or same-sex parents’ families are acceptable. Technology has also changed the activities that a child engages in, as well as familial interactions.
We see "kid friendly" on a snack food and we think it hits all the nutritional sweet spots: not too much sugar or trans fats or garbage-y preservatives. Alas, we cannot believe everything we read. Although God knows, we keep trying!
Hacks – they are a truly beautiful thing. They are those small tweaks that can make your life a whole lot easier. They are those things you see on Pinterest that make you say – “Why didn’t I ever think of that?”
Kids have fragile brains. If 10 year-old Jimmy bashes his head against concrete, he’ll suffer greater injury than his 35 year-old dad would under the same conditions.
Most of us instinctively know that much. What we often ignore, though, is the fact that kids brains are not only physically more fragile but mentally as well. Psychologists liken a child’s brain to soft, impressionable play-doh. Harsh words that Jimmy’s dad could shrug off might stay with his son for years.
1. Get the timing right: Make your tot’s appointment for a time when they’re alert and rested.
2. Parent by example: Mums and dads have the greatest influence on their tyke’s dental health. Your child will pick up on your anxiety, so focus on staying cool, calm, collected and confident.
3. No surprises: Bambinos handle dental procedures best when their parents know what to expect and have prepared them for the experience.
4. Look on the bright side: Answer your tot’s questions in a positive way. For example, use words like ‘healthy’ instead of ‘hurt’ and definitely steer clear of scary dental anecdotes!
5. Come prepared: Take along some questions about your child’s oral health.
6. Over to them! When the big day arrives, give your mini-mite some control over their dental visit, such as choosing their own ‘tooth doctor outfit’. Then it’s time to climb into the exciting dentist’s chair and let the check-up begin!
If you think your toddler is too young to understand what you’re saying, think again. Find out what he actually picks up from your words and actions.
Munas Van Boonstra runs four businesses simultaneously, while gracefully juggling life as a single mother to two adorable children. Her businesses include an events planning company, Nasty Inc; an events furniture & props rental company, Event Rental Malaysia; Gingerbread Haus, a line of children’s clothing she’s started with her kids, and her latest venture being Supermumpreneur, a women & mum’s university where she teaches women how to do it all and entrepreneurship.
I see it all too often: Mom or Dad bring in their toddler for their first visit to the dentist, and I have to break the news to them that their toddler has several cavities.
Just because baby teeth fall out doesn’t mean cavities are okay for the baby teeth. Cavities in baby teeth can absolutely affect the adult teeth, as well as the size of the oral cavity later on in development.
Real voices, real lanterns, and they are just mesmerising.
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.
We all know that children are naturally inquisitive. We also know their inquiry sometimes manifests itself in annoying ways or at inopportune times, “Are we there yet?” or “Is that lady having a baby?” being among the most common examples.
Our culture inundates us with examples of parents losing their cool with inquiring youngsters, from Al Bundy to Homer Simpson. In malls and grocery stores across the country, mothers and fathers are telling their little ones to stop asking, be quiet, or shut up.
From Jan 1 to May 21 there have been a total of 50 reported measles cases, about three times more than the 17 cases in 2015 during the same period, MOH says.
Every kid deserves to know the fun that comes with going down a slide, and a team in Israel is trying to make that possible.
A study from University College London found that people who perceived their parents as less psychologically controlling and more caring as they were growing up were likely to be happier and more satisfied as adults.
It's so simple, but a lot of people have no idea it's even a thing.
Baby names take on new meaning when you know the story behind them.
To celebrate his new hearing aids, one toddler busted out some cute moves.
We all know how difficult it is to be consistent with parenting. The area of discipline is even fraught with a lot of hand-wringing, usually out of guilt on our part. We've lost count at how often we've given the kids a pass from an infraction that would have meant automatic suspension of iPad privileges if it happened on a day when we're not distracted (read: bone tired).
Diversity is the fundamental presumption that allows us to become who we want to be in this world.
For our children who deserve to live in a world where they can safely live a life as who they are, teaching them about diversity could be a good start.
Those itchy, red eyes may be a common childhood ailment.
These are so lusciously creamy, sinfully rich-tasting – the kind of thing you put in your mouth and kind of can’t believe what’s happening. Vegan, almost raw, and full of whole food ingredients, they are also downright filling!
5-Ingredient Vegan Magical Fudgesicles
Makes 4 cups / 1 Liter / 10 fudgesicles
Ingredients:
1) ½ cup / 75g unroasted, unsalted cashews
2) 1 14-oz can / 400ml full-fat coconut milk
3) 1 large, ripe avocado
4) 1 cup / 250g pitted, packed soft dates
5) ½ cup / 55g raw cacao powder (cocoa powder will also work)
Optional add-ins:
1) a few pinches sea salt
2) vanilla (seeds from 1 pod, powder, or extract)
3) a few drops of food-grade essential oils (peppermint, orange, almond etc.)
4) finely diced fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango etc.)
5) a pinch of cayenne pepper
6) espresso powder
7) finely chopped toasted nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios etc.)
Optional toppings:
1) melted raw chocolate (recipe here) or melted dark chocolate
2) cacao nibs
3) finely chopped toasted nuts (cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios etc.)
4) dried fruit (I used raspberry on the ones pictured)
5) citrus zest (lemon, orange, lime)
Directions:
1. Place cashews in lightly salted water and let soak for 4-8 hours (overnight is fine).
2. Drain the cashews and rinse well. Add to a blender (a high-speed blender is highly recommended) with the remaining ingredients (and any flavourings, if using) and blend on high until as smooth as possible. Add water only if necessary – you want to mixture to remain quite thick.
3. Spoon mixture in popsicle molds. Firmly knock the molds on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Insert a popsicle stick into each mold and place in the freezer until set – at least 6 hours. To remove popsicles, run the mold under hot water until you can easily pull a fudgesicle out.
4. If you want to decorate your fudgesicles, dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate and sprinkle with desired toppings. Eat immediately, or place back in the freezer to set until ready to enjoy.