Friendships help kids develop emotionally and morally and boost social skills. Not only do kids learn how to communicate with others, but healthy friendships can be instrumental in helping them learn to control their emotions and express their feelings constructively. However, some children struggle socially and have trouble making and keeping friends. If your child doesn’t appear to have friends or is rarely (or never) invited to play with other children, this can be distressing for both of you....

Before you can answer that question, it’s important to know what you might expect to pay to raise each child. And then, you might find some ways to cut your expenditures so you don’t have to worry too much about money. Average Cost of Raising a Child Since 1960, the USDA has been tracking the cost of raising a child. They analyze the average expenses by age and provide a comprehensive report that shows how much parents are paying on average to raise kids in different regions of the country....

A recent survey by Parents Together found that only 58% of parents will probably or definitely have their child vaccinated against COVID-19 if they haven’t already done so. That leaves 42% of parents either undecided or opting not to vaccinate their child at this time. These figures suggest that the chance of parental disagreement is high. Separated parents, in particular, may find making joint decisions about their child’s vaccination challenging....

No One Wins There are a few problems with power struggles. One problem is that the more you argue or try to force the child to do something, often the more tempers flare. When you and your child are both frustrated and angry, you aren’t likely to be able to accomplish anything. When kids can engage you in a power struggle, it often delays their task. For example, if you tell your child to clean his room and they argue with you, the longer they argue, the more time they are wasting not cleaning their room....

The feed-to-sleep association may work well for many families. While others may choose to implement a few changes to optimize their sleep schedules and teach their baby to self soothe. If you’re interested in breaking the feed-to-sleep cycle, we’ve outlined a guide below. Feeding a Newborn to Sleep For newborns, falling asleep either during or after being fed is a natural response to a full tummy of warm milk. Studies even show that breastmilk expressed during the evening contains higher levels of naturally occurring sleep-inducing chemicals than in the day....

The job of cervical mucus is twofold. Most of the time, it prevents things, such as dirt, germs, or sperm, from entering the uterus through the cervix. However, around the time when ovulation occurs, it also aids in reproduction. CM nourishes and helps transport sperm through the cervix into the uterus to facilitate the potential fertilization of an egg. You can predict this by checking and tracking cervical mucus changes....

Buying a bassinet will help you keep a close eye on your baby, and allow you to have your baby sleeping in your room without having to make space for a full-size crib. If you’re shopping for a bassinet, these tips can help you find a safe one for your baby. Bassinet Safety Standards Be sure your bassinet meets current safety standards. Older bassinets were only subject to voluntary safety standards....

As your baby gets a little older, you might be wondering whether it’s okay to start feeding them a little less overnight, and how to go about paring down those feedings. Here, experts share insights about how to decrease nighttime feeding, whether you are breastfeeding, pumping, or formula feeding. When to Start Weaning Nighttime Feeds and Pumping Sessions First, it’s important to note that every baby is different, and there isn’t one magic day when your baby suddenly becomes able to sleep for a longer period of time without feeding....

It’s important to have testing done by someone who understands and has experience working with gifted children. How do you find such a person? Four basic ways are listed here — in order of ease and reliability. The first method is the easiest and most likely to get you a reliable tester. The last one requires more effort and more care. Find the Right Person A tester who understands and has worked with gifted children before is more likely to get the most accurate results from the testing....

More: 4 Must-Have Items to Baby Proof Your Home This Holiday Season There is a lot to keep in mind when traveling with little ones. Parents hope for peaceful car rides when they travel, but that involves having all you need to ensure your little one is either busy or resting comfortably. Also, families don’t want to impose when they visit loved ones, and parents tend to feel pressure to avoid having baby items taking over someone else’s home....

Playing with friends at a playdate isn’t just about having fun — although that certainly is important. Your preschooler’s first friendships and play dates will teach social skills — how to share, taking turns, and even some conflict resolution. To get the most out of your preschooler’s play dates, here are some guidelines: Listen Carefully When your child comes home from school or daycare, does he mention the same name over and over again?...

The approval of these vaccines is a huge step forward in the fight against COVID-19 because the more people who are immunized, the better protected we all are against future outbreaks. As of June 15, 2022, 10.1 million kids—and counting—have received their first dose, while 8.3 million children are fully vaccinated. Starting the Conversation “If your child is old enough to get the vaccine…it’s a good time to talk about why the COVID-19 vaccine is important, how it works, and why they might experience side effects if they get it,” says Jessica Madden, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and neonatologist and medical director of Aeroflow Breastpumps....

A 2010 study published in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that kids who lack problem-solving skills may be at a higher risk of depression and suicidality. Additionally, the researchers found that teaching a child problem-solving skills can improve mental health. You can begin teaching basic problem-solving skills during preschool and help your child sharpen their skills into high school and beyond. Why Problem-Solving Skills Matter Kids face a variety of problems every day, ranging from academic difficulties to problems on the sports field....

1. Make Time Management Fun Grown-ups tend to associate time management with carpools, bedtimes, endless appointments and PTA meetings. The stress can make you want to throw the clock out the window. Learning time management should be fun for kids, though. Use crayons to color your own calendars. Add stickers to mark special days. Make it a game to see who can complete simple tasks around the house that usually take up a lot of time, such as brushing their teeth, putting on their shoes or getting their backpacks ready for school tomorrow....

When your baby doesn’t like the taste of a particular food, or when he has lost interest in eating from a spoon, he will send a clear signal. He might do one or more following: Turn his head away Close his mouth Spit the food out Push the food back out with his tongue Get cranky Don’t give up too soon. Keep in mind that a lot of food will come back out or get pushed out during the first months of feeding....

Some body parts are more susceptible to frostbite than others. As you might guess, the extremities are most at risk because they are more exposed to extreme weather conditions. By extremities, we mean the nose, ears, fingers, toes, and chin. You don’t wear that ski mask, thick heavy socks, and insulated mittens for nothing! You’ll know you are suffering from frostbite when the affected body part starts to tingle or ache slightly, and eventually becomes numb....

At first, you may panic—most parents do at the sight of a rash on their little ones. But then a quick call to your doctor clears things up and puts you at ease. Heat rash is a common childhood rash that usually clears up on its own in a few days with simple at-home measures, and rarely requires medical intervention. Still, if you are not sure if what you are dealing with is heat rash or something else, a check-in with your pediatrician is always advised....

While helpful tools, ovulation calculators are not 100% accurate; other methods of ovulation detection, such as ovulation test kits, are more precise. But an ovulation calculator like the one below can help put you in the fertility ballpark. Overview The terms ovulation calculator, chart, and calendar are pretty much interchangeable. They all use the same basic information to predict when you are most likely to ovulate based on past cycles, giving you a projected fertile window to increase your chances of conceiving....

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was overjoyed. Then, a scary thought hit me – I had just had a few (err – more than a few) drinks the weekend before. This can be a terrifying moment for a first-time mom. A few doctors claim that a glass of wine here and there won’t hurt, but the general rule is clear: no drinking alcohol when you are pregnant....

Ask your child to collect a few of her favorite toys. Set them down with you and your child and talk about what would happen if each toy could move and dance. How would they dance? Let your child show you how each of her toys might move. Alternatively, ask your child, “If you were that toy, what kind of dance would you do?”