Let’s face it: Sometimes a big trip during the bustling holiday season just isn’t feasible with little ones. If a plane or car ride isn’t an option, technology is the next best thing. Set up a time to Skype or Facetime with your family and friends. My son is lucky to have two sets of living great-grandparents, and we always Facetime on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other major holidays. Plan ahead and set up a specific time to have a video call while your kids are opening their holiday gifts....

And your baby will give you plenty of that: Infants typically go through eight to 10 diapers a day, adding up to more than 3,500 diaper changes until they are toilet trained. Learn the most efficient way to get your baby from a dirty diaper into a clean one, as well as some pointers to make the process easier for both you and your little one. What You Need Before beginning, make sure everything you need is handy....

If you have not been asked yet, consider yourself lucky. Unfortunately, just about every couple going through infertility deals with touchy questions and comments. If you’re unsure whether you’re ready to have a baby or another baby, it’s an uncomfortable question. It’s even harder to respond when you’re trying to have children unsuccessfully, or if you are unable to have children due to an underlying medical condition. So how do you answer, or do you even have to answer?...

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome your stress and anxiety and still eject sperm for testing or treatment. Relaxation techniques, producing a sperm sample at home, using sex toys, using a semen collection condom, or having surgical sperm retrieval are among your options. Here is what you need to know about collecting a sperm sample for a semen analysis test. How Sperm Samples Are Collected Often the semen sample must be produced in the fertility clinic, in a room set aside for this purpose....

Check out our video on 9 simple ways to organize your kids’ playroom. Keep Ahead of the Clutter Photo credit: Bigstock For Mary Carlomagno of order, there are a couple of non-negotiable rules when it comes to staying ahead of the clutter in the playroom. “Keep in mind that distraction and sometimes, even madness, comes from too much visual distraction. I like to keep ’like’ items together and create a one or two color-schemed design in the playroom,” she explains....

An estimated one in three births are considered to be traumatic, and the lasting effects can be both physical and psychological. As well as causing physical injuries, birth trauma can cause postpartum anxiety, difficulty bonding with your baby, and even postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While navigating the postpartum period in the wake of a traumatic birth can be stressful and challenging, there are—thankfully—positive steps you can take to recover and thrive....

Instead of shying away from the topic, though, consider it an opportunity to set your child up for a solid educational foundation on their own anatomy, sex, and reproductive health. It is also an opportunity to create an open line of communication between parent and child and foster deeper trust. If you and your kids can talk about sex together, you can basically talk about anything. When to Discuss Birth Control with Your Kids When you start having conversations about birth control ultimately depends on your child....

In the wake of these events, individuals of all ages have been left with a growing sense of uneasiness. And while politics are often considered “adult matters,” the reality is that children often experience even more confusion and fear around what they don’t understand. While you cannot completely shield your kids from the ugliness of the world, you can help them to process these events and restore their confidence that they are safe....

The version of who wants to cut the cord in today’s births is who will help catch the baby. Catching babies has been part of home births for a very long time. It may be referred to as: The three-handed catchAssisting with the birthThe daddy catch What you call it doesn’t matter; it’s about the act of having someone help the baby being born. Benefits Many partners really enjoy this special opportunity to catch the infant....

The condition involves a build-up of bile acids in the bloodstream and skin which causes intense itching. It is thought to be caused by a combination of hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors, and usually, occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy. Prevalence The prevalence of ICP varies significantly from country to country. It is much more common among people of some ethnic backgrounds. In the Chilean population overall, the incidence is 16%....

For those wondering about kiddie leashes, we examine the benefits and risks of using this type of safety harness. Child Leashes: Are They Helpful or Harmful? There is a lot of debate surrounding the use of child leashes. Critics argue that implementing these harnesses equates to lazy parenting and that it is degrading to the child, comparing it to the tethering of an animal. They also note that there are better and safer products on the market....

“In some families, middle child syndrome is a real thing,” says Jane Hammerslough, LMFT, a marriage and family therapist practicing in New York, California, and Massachusetts and a clinical fellow with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. “Birth order does impact the way you move through the world.” So it’s natural to worry that your soon-to-be middle child may get the short end of the stick. However, says Hammerslough, being in the middle isn’t all bad....

1. NORAD The Official NORAD Santa Tracker is amazing because it uses an incredible tool to track the ultimate Christmas Eve journey. Every hour of every day of the year, NORAD tracks every single thing that flies in and out of the air space surrounding North America. On Christmas Eve, they expand their capabilities to track the most important flight of the night, Santa’s magical sleigh ride. 2. Google Santa Tracker Not only can you track Santa on Google’s Santa Tracker, you can also play games....

What Causes Constipation? Diets that are high in residue and low in fiber can play a role in the development of constipation in children. This might include eating a lot of residue foods (such as white flour and white rice), and not eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If your child is constipated, increase the amount of fiber and bran in your child’s diet by feeding them more high fiber foods....

After your teen passes the physical and becomes involved in school sports, you should check out the following safety tips: Be certain that the sports program is safe. At the beginning of the season, come a little early to pick up your teen and watch the practice, and listen to the kids when they talk about the team, the coach, and the sport. They’ll speak up when they—or their teammates—are being pushed too hard....

Homemade Guacamole Ingredients: 2-3 ripe avocados 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice Fresh cilantro, chopped 2-3 cherry tomatoes, chopped Start by dicing the tomatoes and avocados. Put them in a mixing bowl and add the liquid ingredients. Once you’ve prepped your ingredients, little hands can join in. This is a great activity because they can help you mash, pour and stir—the fun parts. My son likes to “test” the recipe by dipping corn chips to make sure it’s just right....

Still, while it seems easiest to throw your hands up in the air, the best thing to do is to learn as much as you can and arm yourself with knowledge. You may not be able to watch everything, but sometimes the key is just to show that you’re paying attention at all. The list of concerns for digital parenting is long, but here are some of the basics with information, tips, and resources for all of them....

Effort: Easy - no sewing required Materials: Black face paint Cat ears headband Black cloth for a tail Safety pin Instructions: Dress child in black. Draw whiskers on the face. Pin tail on rear end. Ta-da!!! You’re a kitten. Variation (for older kids): Black leotard Black fishnet tights Black cat ears A black tail Black eyeliner to draw whiskers and outline “cat eyes”

One of the symbols of Kwanzaa is zawadi, or gifts. A handmade gift like this necklace is the most treasured. Materials 1 cup flour Acrylic paints 1/2 cup salt Clear acrylic spray 1/4 cup water Fishing line, beading thread, 1 tablespoon oil or thin elastic cord Toothpick Directions

Further qualifications for types of learning difficulties and intellectual disabilities includes, “such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.” Such term does not include “a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disabilities, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.” Having a single term to describe this category of children with disabilities reduces some of the confusion, but there are many conflicting theories about what causes learning disabilities and how many there are....