As shows such as MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” showcase the growing trend of over-the-top and extravagant parties for children and teens, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember the days of simple gatherings where Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Musical Chairs were considered prime entertainment. Kids and parents…
The options for drinks seem to be at an all time high with energy and sport drinks, new flavored sodas, tropical fruit juices, fancy vitamin water, and even water with protein appealing to all ages. Sodas and sport drinks, however, can have as much as 13 teaspoons of added sugar….
April marks Alcohol Awareness Month. It’s a great opportunity to discuss the topic of alcohol abuse and its consequences with your children. Unfortunately, a child’s first exposure to alcohol – and alcohol abuse – can be at home. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to lead by example. In other…
Sometimes it seems that babies cry for absolutely no reason. You’ve fed, burped, changed and clothed the baby properly. You’ve ruled out illness. And if you have to play that Barney song one more time to get the baby to calm down, then you’re the one who’ll be crying. What…
Kids don’t come with an instruction manual, and there’s no such thing as a perfect parent. You can read as many books as possible, talk to all the moms on the playground and pay for weekly therapy sessions, and you still might feel like you don’t know what you are…
You’ve been feeling it again lately; that tug at your heart when you hold your friend’s baby or walk down the infant clothing aisle at the department store. The desire for another baby is in the air, but is it the right time to turn that longing into a reality?…
We’re hitting the high season for colds and flu this year, and if your family hasn’t already been vaccinated, then it’s probably not too late. Influenza usually peaks in January or later, so if your child has had a flu shot in the past, then another one is definitely in…
Words can open up a world of knowledge and adventure for your children, and reading to them is so important in their development. Here are 5 ways to make reading to your child a habit. Read your child’s favorite book over and over… and over… (you know the drill). Choose…
It seems like a no-brainer: If you need to take your child to the emergency room, then they’ll be fully prepared to treat him. However, in most hospitals throughout the nation, the ER either doesn’t have the right equipment to use on children or the right staff to treat them…
Can playing music to your baby or young child make her smarter? That was the claim of the much-hyped “Mozart Effect” several years ago, but the truth isn’t exactly black and white. Certainly, music is a great complement for stimulating babies’ brains and teaching toddlers vocabulary, but the jury’s out…