#parenting

#parenting

Look, we lie to kids all the time when we don't think they're emotionally ready to handle certain parts of life, like the permanence of death, or how Santa Claus can leave presents at houses that don't have a chimney. Sometimes, telling them the truth is cruel and heartless. (When my 5-year-old asked those questions, I said to him that most people live on this planet for 1,000 years before they go to cloud city in heaven to live forever, and that Santa and his

The original poster (OP) wrote in the Mommit Reddit page, "My kids have 2 birthday parties to attend coming up, and I am low on funds until I get paid in 2 weeks, but I don't want my kids to miss out for their friend's birthday parties. The friends are turning 6 years old. Any ideas on budget friendly gifts/ideas?"

Everyone talks about "teaching moments" these days, those reframes of a shared experience that retroactively rescue what would otherwise have been a feel-bad moment or awkward encounter and turn it into something positive, and for which you're almost grateful. Still, most teaching moments are fraught with the best of intentions but the lousiest of outcomes-lessons in how to lecture, bore, and patronize your child at the same time.

Every single day-weekend, weekday, rain or shine-whichever robot vacuum I'm currently testing starts running at 9 am. It's always a good sign. I heave a sigh of relief and continue with whatever else I was doing, content that at least that f*cking chore in my house is getting done.

Many of us idealize a day in which no one needs to "come out," when wherever someone falls on the gender or sexuality spectrum is accepted and embraced. Sadly, today is not that day - the world can be cruel (and often is) to anyone who doesn't fit into the heteronormative bubble. But if you're here, it probably means the last thing you want to do is contribute to the mental and emotional toll put on LGBTQ young people.

Kicking off by explaining to listeners that her family "has had to make so many adjustments" to their daily life for the show, Danielle shared: "I used to regularly pick both of [my kids] up from school, take them to karate, take them to baseball. On the weekends, I was always at their baseball games, and we could have playdates, and we would do movie nights, and now... I just haven't really been able to be as present."

"The first child is the one who makes you want 10 more children. But the second child makes you feel like you have 10 children. And boy, they weren't kidding. Everyone has heard tales of the terror that is the second child. I heard them more than once during my second pregnancy, but I'll be honest, I didn't pay it much attention. I thought surely this one will be just like the last.

Childhood anxiety has been on the rise. Our instinct as parents is often to get more involved. But what if that's part of the problem? The statistics are grim. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), among U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 surveyed between 2021 and 2023, 20% reported symptoms of anxiety in the past two weeks, and 18% reported symptoms of depression. In 2023, almost 40% of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness

Man, I wish my mother would say this to/do this for me. She's always on her phone with me and will cut me off mid-sentence in order to read me her texts if they happen to come in while I'm talking. It's annoying and demoralizing. I'm glad he's realizing it early on.

Confidence is one of the most precious gifts a parent can bestow upon their child. It empowers them to embrace life's challenges, fosters resilience in the face of setbacks, and cultivates a strong sense of self-worth. Yet, many well-meaning parents inadvertently sabotage this vital aspect of their child's development through their words, actions, or even silence. If you've noticed your child becoming shy, overly dependent, or withdrawn, it might be time to reassess your parenting approach.

Forcing children to accept unwanted affection can send a harmful message, according to Karen Days, the former president of the Center for Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Days explained that this kind of forced affection can teach children the wrong lesson: that people they know are always allowed to touch them. She pointed out that while parents often emphasize "stranger danger," they don't always stress that familiar adults must also respect personal boundaries.

I've surfaced from sleep in many weird, not-wonderful ways: waking up in my student accommodation in Maynooth to find I was not only in my boots, but sharing a single bed with two other fully grown people springs to mind.

In the old days, whispered mom confessions included things like telling the person at your work potluck that you actually bought the macaroni and cheese from the grocery store or telling a fellow mom at a playdate that you haven't showered in two days. Now, the confessions from moms just like you are a little... deeper. Whether it's life dealing us some tougher hands than it used to or simply having the guts to get a little more vulnerable than before,

We're both huge readers, with a house full of books, and we plan to read to our baby from birth, so naturally many of our friends and family members are giving us picture books. The problem is that most of these people are very progressive, like us, but lack experience with young kids. The books they choose tend to be focused on social messaging and education, and are largely boring, preachy, and (in my opinion) badly illustrated; they tend toward the garish and oversimplified, while I strongly prefer more intricate, fantastic, and old-fashioned art.

In her viral TikTok video, the 22-year-old from Central Texas revealed that she and her husband, Clayton, had chosen Lukacey Lynn for their unborn daughter, who will join big brother Kayson, 4, in December. The name Lukacey nods to many parts of Zak's life, most visibly the trademark Lucchese cowboy boots, which make a pink cameo in the clip. Despite different spellings, the name and the boot brand are pronounced the same.

As children grow, most parents take the necessary step of childproofing their homes by adding baby-proof locks to cabinets, covering power outlets, and securing doors. But there's one area they may overlook: the family car. It might seem unnecessary at first. After all, kids are strapped into their car seats; how much trouble could they really get into? But as the parent of a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, I can assure you - it's a healthy amount.

My wife "Misty" and I have a 12-year-old son, "Zachary," and a 6-year-old daughter, "Aria." Recently we were visiting my brother and his family when my teenage nephew caught Zachary trying to sneak a wine cooler from the fridge. He had just opened it when my nephew walked into the kitchen. My nephew took it away from my son and brought him back to the backyard patio where the rest of us were and made him fess up to what he did.

When encouraging children to become excited about learning, it is very important to help them develop a positive academic self-concept. A person's academic self-concept is the way they identify with what type of student they are. It is how you would describe yourself as a student. A person has many different aspects to their overall self-concept and likely identifies with each aspect differently. For example, every person will identify with their athletic, artistic, musical, social, emotional, or academic self-concept in different ways.

First of all, I'm so sorry that your family and daughter went through something so deeply traumatizing. The thing about experiences that emotionally damage an entire group of people at once is that everyone has to deal with it differently. I understand how reminders of this horrific day cause you tremendous pain. And I see how, for that reason, you'd be squarely against having someone you love tattoo such a reminder on their body where you can never not see it.

The US rapper has been advocating for formula feeding - and six years after having my baby, I don't feel an ounce of guilt about my own decision to reach for the bottle

When my oldest daughter turned 9, her pediatrician said she could get her period within the year. I was blindsided: When I was growing up, girls expected to get their periods around the age of 13. I rushed out to buy a pack of menstrual pads to keep in her backpack, in case she gets her first period in school, and ordered The Care and Keeping of You, the iconic puberty book series that has sold 8 million copies since it debuted in 1998.

In my previous post, I explained why your Halloween candy rules keep backfiring. Control-based approaches create sneaking, obsession, and battles that leave nobody's needs met. Kids want autonomy and inclusion while parents want competence and ease - and traditional rules don't address either set of needs. So what works instead? A collaborative approach where you and your child create agreements together. This isn't about being permissive or letting kids eat unlimited candy. It's about involving them in finding solutions that work for your whole family.

While most 70-year-olds are slowing down to enjoy a quieter life, Kelsey Grammer just signed up for years of diaper duty. The award-winning "Cheers" and "Frasier" star just welcomed his 8th child, his fourth baby with wife Kayte Walsh. While chatting with Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle - "Boy Meets World" stars now co-hosting the " Pod Meets World" podcast - he casually mentioned that he had recently met the newest edition to his family.

"First of all, I just want to say, I just had a baby and I have a lot of brain fog," she said. "So, I haven't slept in seven months, so if I repeat myself, I'm sorry. Like, interrupt me and tell me I'm off track."

The amount of often conflicting advice for parents and caregivers available on social media can feel overwhelming. How does one even begin to sort through this overabundance of advice, much less figure out what is best practice for building healthy relationships? The Spirited Child Approach has been developed over decades of working with families of spirited children who are typical and yet more intense, persistent, perceptive, sensitive, and energetic. It interweaves findings from the fields of temperament, secure attachment, sleep, development, resiliency, neurobiology, and self-regulation.

I remember as a kid I was obsessed with Halloween candy. It was the one day of the year where I could get as much candy, eat as much candy as I could. I had a one-track mind. I didn't find joy with Halloween because of the costumes or hanging out with friends. I'd just get a pillowcase and fill it up with as much candy as I wanted.

An analysis of numerous studies shows that grade-centric approaches are not always beneficial for young people's mental health and do not yield the expected benefits. Understanding, encouragement, and support, rather than asserting too much pressure, become the cornerstone of healthy youth development. A child with their parents' support is more likely to grow into a resilient, confident, motivated, and secure adult. On the contrary, emotionally unsupported children are likely to remain mentally fragile and underachieving.

She froze on the edge of yelling, then stopped herself. If it had been one of her child's friends, she realized, she wouldn't have been angry at all. "So instead of overreacting, I just said, 'It's OK. Let's clean it up together,' Canineu tells TODAY.com. 'That moment honestly changed everything for me and for her.' But, Canineu, adds, she still sets limits when it matters, enforcing chores, rules and respect.