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…
Quick food is a big part of modern life these days, making it terribly laborious to show a child how he or she ought to eat healthy. The most cost effective and best foods are those that are normally the least healthy. If you offer your kid the choice between…
Young, wild, and free … isn’t that what it’s supposed to feel like to be a teenager? While it’s normal for teens to push and discover their limits, it’s also dangerous. Due in large part to the fact that parenting decisions are only as sound as the information on which…
Pop Pop. Mom Mom. Papa. Nana. Grandpa. Grandma. They go by many different names, but their role is always the same – to spoil their grandchildren with hugs, kisses and everything in between. Every year, Grandparents Day falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day. When Marian McQuade founded National…
When it comes to cooking, there’s nothing quite like getting your kids in on the act, especially if they’re finicky eaters. Your child will have even more incentive to polish off his meal when he’s the one to prepare it. In addition to getting a helping hand in the kitchen,…
As a new parent, the thought of your young child being exposed to germs can be downright frightening. While there are no guarantees that your little one won’t get sick, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk. It’s all about investing in the right protection. For example,…
Bad behavior is often an effective way to attract attention of parents. The conflicting time will probably start at the stage during her third year: tears and tantrums often go hand in hand with being two years old. Phrasing limits in a positive way focuses on what to do, rather…
This is the time of year when many children enroll in school or leave the home for college. And with those enrollments come vaccinations, in many cases. The next few months will see doctors’ offices stocking up on flu shots in anticipation for the winter season. The National Institutes of…
When your teenager starts to get out of hand you have to ask yourself some hard questions. The first step is to honestly evaluate how you think you’re doing when communicating with your teen. Do you feel you are sharing valuable information and time? Or do you feel there is…
Are you a single mom and ready to mingle? The thought of the bar scene could be intimidating, and the pickings at the PTA meeting are slim. Dipping a toe in the dating pool could be a little easier if you start online. Online dating has exploded in popularity in…