One thing I’d like to bring back in our own family is the celebration of the many other days that were once associated with Christmas and are now rarely even mentioned. I’d like to add Advent (Dec. 1), St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6), St. Lucia’s Day (Dec. 13), Twelfth Night (January 6), and Candlemas (February 2). This seems so much better to me than trying to cram all of Christmas into one or two days....

Effort: Advanced — sewing definitely required Materials: Thick white poster board Fabric that is light, gauzy, and “cloud-like” Pencil and scissors Needle and thread White shoes Blue or white hair spray Makeup (white or blue lipstick, eye shadow, and glitter) White gloves White sweater/sweatshirt or sweatsuit Halo (optional) Instructions: Wrap the cloud material around your child’s waist to make a skirt. Cut it to an appropriate length, sew it up the side, and hem it....

From a fluffy bean bag chair to a cushy chill pad, this convertible seat is a unique twist on typical bean bag chairs out there. Unlike the formless chairs from my childhood, the CordaRoy Chenille Bean Bag Chair is a cozy, foam-filled seat that is designed to convert into a flat mattress-like pad. Outfitted in a microfiber, machine-washable cover, the chair is easy enough to transform that even my little testers can do it....

Directions Glue corks together to make familiar or imaginary shapes. Wait until glue dries. If your child wants to play with the sculptures in the bathtub, there is no need to paint them. Otherwise, apply colorful paints and wait until completely dry before using them.

What Did the Study Find? The study, conducted by Deborah Karasek, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist at the University of California San Francisco, found a significant connection between COVID-19 and preterm birth risk. The researchers classified preterm birth into two categories: very preterm birth (less than 32 weeks) and preterm birth (less than 37 weeks). They concluded that pregnant COVID-19 patients had a 60% increased risk of very preterm birth and a 40% higher risk of preterm birth....

Why people would consider this a helpful option is unclear, given that the drug costs only $10 to $100 per cycle. But it is clearly a practice that some people not only embrace, but also encourage. And that’s a problem. Sure, you may be lucky and score the real drug, but how do you know for sure? With a drug like Clomid, which is meant to promote ovulation, not getting pregnant may be related to any number of factors....

Dealing with school refusal relies on understanding what’s behind it and working with a team of professionals to help your child through this tough time. Why Is Your Child Refusing to Go to School? Before coming up with a definitive plan for dealing with your child’s school refusal, it’s important to get a sense of why your child is refusing to go to school. The National Social Anxiety Center identifies four main reasons children refuse to go to school....

You are going to see a lot of exciting developments in the next year. Your child will be very curious about the world around them—and ask a ton of questions! Their reading and math skills will become more developed, and they’ll be able to write more legibly, tie their shoes on their own, and ride a two wheel bike. Read on for what to expect when it comes to 7-year-old development, and what some signs are that your child may be experiencing a developmental delay or other issue that could warrant a call to their pediatrician....

Effort: Easy – no sewing required Materials: Large cardboard box, such as a TV box (big enough to cover your child’s torso) White spray paint Black paint and paintbrush Black leotard (long-sleeves suggested) Black tights Black shoes (or ballet slippers) Black swim cap Scissors or X-Acto® knife Instructions: Cut all the flaps off the bottom for the legs. On the top, cut a hole large enough for your child’s head....

When it comes to the amount of supplementation you need, follow your doctor’s orders. More is not always better. An excess of certain nutrients can be harmful to your developing baby. Don’t get caught up in the belief that if some is good, more must be better. Take only what your doctor prescribes. Also be cautious about any herbal supplements or over-the-counter pills you might be taking. And talk to your doctor about any supplements you might be taking....

String or tape Paper plates Directions

While this concern has been circulating for a number of years, concrete research is hard to come by, mainly because extensive cell phone use is a fairly new trend. The National Research Center for Women and Families points out that most cancers take 10-20 years to develop, so it may be years before research can definitively conclude whether certain tumors are the result of excessive cell phone use. However, one encouraging fact provided by the American Cancer Society (ACS) is that cell phones should not be expected to cause cancer because they don’t emit ionizing radiation....

If you don’t want to get pregnant, you will need to choose a method of contraception, such as going on birth control. Infertility is not birth control. This can be a surprising and frustrating realization for couples that have spent months and years trying to get pregnant. Do you really need contraception after a diagnosis of infertility? For what reason might a fertility-challenged couple decide or need to use birth control?...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes 15 e-cigarette products on the market are being promoted to kids, and they recently sent warning letters to the companies that produce them. Federal law prohibits these companies from marketing e-cigarettes in such a way. On top of that, you have to be 21 years old to buy them, so targeting kids is simply illegal, not to mention unethical. “It is highly doubtful that these products are being marketed to adults,” says Pierrette Mimi Poinsett, MD, a pediatrician and medical consultant at Mom Loves Best....

You can start your hunt by having several parents load up a dozen plastic eggs with small goodies (candy, tiny toys, pennies, etc.), and then hide them all around the best backyard in the neighborhood. (For the purposes of an egg hunt, the best backyard is a messy backyard – one with lots of nooks and crannies, a shed, a barn, a play structure, bushes, trees, tall grass, etc.) Don’t forget the rules....