While they vary by state, car seat laws have changed a lot over the last couple of decades. Instead of having kids graduate out of car seats at a specific age, the regulations and guidelines are now based on height and weight. So most kids won’t ride in a car without at least a booster seat until they’re between 5 and 12 years old. This means you have to either invest in a car seat that “grows with your child” or get one for every stage....

We’re going to take a look at when it’s safe to exercise after giving birth and what exercises are good for new moms as they start their postpartum fitness journey. When is it Safe to Exercise After Giving Birth? There is no one answer to this question. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, if you had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery, you should be able to start exercising soon after giving birth....

Skiing or Snowboarding Photo source: Flickr Hitting the slopes with your kids gets them outdoors and active. Kids love gliding down the smooth hills and breezing through the cold winter air. While skiing and snowboard have a steep learning curve, kids feel a huge sense of accomplishment when they master the technique. Even kids as young as two years old can learn how to ski or snowboard. If your kid seems interested, take them to a ski mountain and sign them up for a one-time lesson....

Right from the beginning it is clear to researchers that fathers (even when taking the primary responsibility for their children) do not mother, any more than mothers can ever father. Regular dads can comfort, feed, bathe, and nuture competently, given sufficient practice – just as competently as mothers – and the babies love it and thrive. The things that make fathering different from mothering have important and positive effects on kids over the course of their lives....

Effort: Quick and easy – no sewing required Materials: Santa hat Red sweatshirt (one that’s a bit too long for your child) Green turtleneck Green sweatpants or tights Faux white fur (about 2 1/2" wide, and long enough to go around the bottom, wrists, and neck of the sweatshirt) Green gloves Green face paint Black eyeliner Hot glue gun Instructions: With the hot glue gun, attach the faux fur around the bottom, wrists, and neck hole of the sweatshirt....

What Self-Discipline Means Just because a child is well-behaved, it doesn’t necessarily mean he has self-discipline. Self-disciplined kids can choose to forgo immediate gratification. They can make good choices regardless of how they feel. Kids who have self-discipline can cope with uncomfortable emotions in a healthy way. They’ve learned anger management skills and are able to control impulsive behavior. They can respond respectfully when adults correct them and they can take responsibility for their behavior....

The Proteins Found in Breast Milk The protein in your breast milk is important for your baby’s growth and development, but it also helps to protect your baby from illness. In the first few days after your baby is born, your child will get colostrum. There may only be a tiny amount of this first breast milk, but it’s packed with nutrition including easy to digest protein. As your breast milk comes in and the colostrum changes over to transitional milk and eventually mature milk, the amount of protein goes down....

When waking around dawn feels like a win, it might be time to take action. Establishing regular sleeping and waking routines is not only crucial for your own energy levels (and sanity) but your child’s health and development, too. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that kids who are regularly sleep-deprived often become irritable, have difficulty concentrating, and are at greater risk of depression, hypertension, obesity, and headaches. So what can you do to get your kids to stay in bed even when they rise early and are raring to go?...

With over twenty years of experience as a teacher and a school administrator, Dr. Kyle Pruett knows a thing or two about parent-teacher conflicts. Here are some ideas for parents to help them avoid the pitfalls. Expect that your child’s teacher knows what he or she is doing and that your child faces something worth anticipating. Odds are he or she does and this will help your child be open to a good connection....

When Your Kids Hate Your Partner Your child’s dislike for your partner can manifest itself in a variety of ways. It might involve acting passive aggressive or ignoring your partner, or it might entail open anger and hostility. Kids might act cold, yell, not listen, or even refuse to spend time around your partner. Depending on how your partner responds, this conflict might create a roadblock in your relationship. It also can make your home life more difficult if your child is acting out or refusing to speak to you or your partner....

Anyone who has ever sat over a small white disk filled with their urine, praying for a certain result will tell you, emotions play a big part in pregnancy testing. Here are some tips to help you deal with reading the test, regardless of your emotions. Use First-Morning Urine First-morning urine actually has more of the hormone (hCG) that the test is looking for. This makes it more likely to get an accurate test reading....

But having your home be your office can cause problems—particularly if your toddler is home with you during work hours. In fact, attempting to be available to work when your toddler is around might be more difficult than any other stage—your little one needs near constant attention, but unlike an infant, your toddler is mobile. But it can be done: Here are seven tips for working from home with toddlers....

New research from October 2021 conducted at Vanderbilt University attempted to determine if toddlers actually learn anything from screens. Researchers examined whether toddlers’ frequent exposure to taking family “selfie” photos on their parents’ smartphones meant they understood how a photograph can represent reality. They compared their research to kids in the 1990s, who didn’t understand that a printed photo could depict a real situation, and found that modern-day kids were no different....

The potty seat is: less intimidating in size and easier for your child to use than the toilet; less frightening because it doesn’t flush away the waste (some kids fear they’ll be the next to go); and much more portable around the house than the toilet ring, which must of course stay on the toilet. The toilet ring, however, is: much easier for you to clean up, because your child’s waste is already in the toilet, where you can easily flush it away; often much more portable on the road than a potty seat, because many models fold into quarters and can thus fit in a large purse or diaper bag; and an immediate transition to the toilet, which your child will eventually need to use anyway....

These tips can help your family get to know a new city – or even explore the hidden treasures in your own hometown: Take a city bus/trolley tour. Get settled in your hotel, grab a quick bite, and then buy tickets for a city tour. Within an hour you’ll get a “feel” for the layout of the cityand an idea of the places you may want to visit. Explore one museum in depth....

Is My Baby Too Warm or Too Cold? Your home should be a comfortable low to mid-70 degrees Fahrenheit, keeping in mind the season and how your baby is dressed. The best way to tell if your baby is warm enough is to look at and touch your baby’s skin. If your baby’s skin looks blotchy and cool or if your baby’s hands and feet feel cold, you may want to add additional clothing such as socks or a hat....