It’s been a while since you were in kindergarten, so you may need to adjust your expectations. Before your child’s first day, understand these truths about today’s kindy classroom. Kindergarten Is Not What It Used to Be Many parents remember kindergarten as a time of finger-painting, playing with blocks, and eating graham crackers. While these activities still have a place in the kindergarten classroom, a lot has changed over the years....

More: 5 Positive Phrases To Say To Your Anxious Child About School Here are 12 things teachers want you to know about that first week of school. 1. It’s going to be hard to say good-bye to your child on the first day of school. Even if you’ve been looking forward to sending your children back to school all summer long, you will probably feel a little bit of sadness as you drop them off or put them on the bus that first day....

Even with vaccinations, students are still experiencing breakthrough cases of the virus, so you need to be prepared. Do you bring your student home? Do you encourage them to isolate at school? How do you track their symptoms? “If your child tests positive for COVID-19, the first thing I would do is take a big deep breath,” says Joseph Gastaldo, MD, an infectious disease specialist and the system medical director of infectious diseases for OhioHealth....

Although doctors make every effort to discharge preemies when they are healthy and fully stable, illness can occur once a baby is at home. While you may tell yourself that “all babies get sick” and that there is nothing to worry about, the fact your baby was born premature can’t help but cause distress. What do you do? Recognizing the General Signs of Illness The signs of illness in babies are often the same no matter what type of illness your baby has....

First Steps To register your child for kindergarten, call your local school district or private school to find out the process. You will likely need to provide documentation to prove your child’s age, such as a birth certificate or passport, and residency, typically your driver’s license and a utility bill in the parent’s name. Most schools also require vaccination and immunization records, along with a physical prior to starting school. The school should provide forms for your pediatrician to fill out when you register or when you bring your child to the kindergarten screening....

Benefits of Sex During Pregnancy Unless your doctor advises otherwise, there is no reason to change your sexual behavior during pregnancy. For the majority of people, sex (including masturbation) during pregnancy is not only safe but also beneficial. Sex can offer an emotional and physical boost to your relationship, confidence, mood, and physical well-being. Emotional Benefits Sex and intimacy during pregnancy can strengthen the bonds of your relationship and provide reassurance to both partners during this pivotal time of change....

Learn more about how long after sex it takes to get pregnant, how to maximize your chance of conceiving, and when you can expect pregnancy symptoms to begin. Timing of Conception Once couples start trying to have a baby, many expect that they will be pregnant right away. The reality is that it can take as long as a year or more for couples under the age of 35 to conceive....

Unfortunately, not every family is in such an ideal situation. Instead of getting helpful advice, you and your partner might be criticized for the way that you are doing things. Or you may get advice that goes against the way that you have chosen to raise your children, leading to hard feelings when you decide not to follow it. Understanding why this happens and trying to avoid miscommunications can help to support a healthy relationship between your own family and all of the grandparents....

Whether or not your child has a fever, if they are very irritable (unusually fussy and can’t be consoled), confused, lethargic (doesn’t easily wake up), have difficulty breathing, or have a rapid or weak pulse, it’s time to call the doctor. Other reasons to call your child’s pediatrician: They are refusing to eat or drink; they are limping or refusing to use one of their arms or legs; they have a fever with no other symptoms (such as a cough, runny nose, or sore throat) for more than one or two days, or they have specific complaints like a severe headache, ear pain, burning with urination, etc....

Here’s where a baby registry can come in handy for all concerned: Just like registering for a wedding, registering for baby gifts involves picking out the things you really want and need and putting them on a list at a store that people can access. As each gift in your registry is purchased, it will be labeled as such. This way, you won’t wind up with three strollers or more onesies than a single baby could wear in a year....

We know that exercising during pregnancy offers you the same benefits as exercising at any time, including… Improved muscle strength. Improved blood circulation. Reduced fatigue, more energy. Improved mood and emotional well-being. Less weight gain. When you exercise during pregnancy, you get even more, including… Increased muscle strength and tone to help you carry the extra weight of your baby. Less swelling of legs, feet, hands, face. Relief from constipation....

There is a possibility that these delays are temporary. If your child seems to hear, understand, and follow instructions despite not speaking much, and there are no other signs of delayed development, they may just be on their own timeline. In fact, one out of five children learns to talk and use a larger range of words later than other children their age. Typical Language Development A child’s ability to communicate typically grows tremendously between ages 1 and 2 years....

It’s no secret watching your body change during pregnancy and postpartum isn’t easy. In my third trimester, with both pregnancies, I wouldn’t let anyone take my picture because I felt heavy, huge and—I confess—ugly. I’ve always struggled with body issues and pregnancy didn’t help. Recently, I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my “birthday suit” and stared: from the front view, side view and back view. Under my breath I muttered, “Ugh, this gross belly pooch is never going away....

School districts in the United States allow students to be exempted from physical education for a variety of reasons, according to the School Health Policies and Practices Study (or SHPPS), which is conducted periodically by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess school health policies. The problem with these exemptions is that they can diminish the importance of and participation in physical education and physical activity in general....

Before You Begin Before diving into a long and drawn-out child custody battle, ask yourself if it can be avoided. Parents interested in obtaining sole or “full” custody often end up in court, engaged in a difficult battle because neither party is willing to compromise to reach an agreement. In such cases, the court ultimately determines who will prevail, and the outcomes can be surprising—in part because there’s a higher burden of proof for the parent seeking sole custody....