Overview There are two situations in which a woman wouldn’t be aware of her pregnancy. Both suggest that there are significant psychological issues at work. Hidden pregnancies are those that are intentionally hidden: The mom knows she’s pregnant but doesn’t admit it. Denied, or negated, pregnancies occur when the mother does not notice the symptoms of pregnancy. Hidden Pregnancy Signs Signs of a hidden pregnancy are the same as regular pregnancy signs, though they may sometimes be less pronounced....

If you often find yourself feeling drained by your child’s high energy, it could be that you have a little extrovert on your hands. This means that, for them, they are re-energized by social interaction. This can be challenging for anyone to keep up with, but perhaps for none more so than an introverted parent, who can become easily depleted by too much external stimulation. At times it might feel like you have to sacrifice your own needs for your child’s sake....

More: How Pets Can Impact Kids’ Mental Health 1. Improve Reading Fluency Reading to a dog may improve reading abilities, specifically reading fluency (the ability to read accurately and smoothly and quickly comprehend the content). One study found that it was particularly effective among home-schooled students, so – given the number of students who are suddenly experiencing a version of homeschooling – this may be a timely addition to reading lessons!...

The law, formally known as Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8), is one of the most prohibitive abortion laws in the country. Although many states have tried to enact similar “heartbeat” laws, Texas is the first state to have one officially go into effect. As soon as the law was enacted, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case that would have blocked it, which means that the law is currently binding....

More: 25 of The Best Elf On the Shelf Ideas for Christmas 2019 Don’t have time to read now? Pin it for later: Target 2-Day Delivery Grocery Delivery Grocery delivery is life changing. It’s just so darn convenient. With grocery delivery, you can sit down, make a meal plan, and then search the store’s site for exactly what you need. There’s no more remembering which aisle the ketchup is in....

Types of Consequences Appropriate consequences teach children that they’re in control of their own behavior—even when we’re not there to nag them. They’re also tailored to match each child’s developmental stage, so we’re never expecting more than kids are capable of. These kinds of effective consequences can be divided into two categories: natural and logical consequences. Natural consequences are things that happen on their own as a result of the child’s behavior....

Ahead, we’ll explore some common fears that many pregnant people have about labor and childbirth—and some information about coping that might be helpful to know, if these are your fears, too. Fear of Pain Childbirth is painful. There’s just no getting around it. “Really nothing is going to take the pain away except an epidural, and that’s just honesty,” says Dallas Reed, MD, an OB/GYN and chief of genetics at Tufts Medical Center in Boston....

Since hiding in the bathroom from your child for more than five minutes is not an option, you might be wondering how you can teach your child to manage their emotions, while also helping them feel calm and secure. Kids’ sense of control comes from relying on structure and routine, and when those things are gone, it’s a lot harder for them to cope. With that in mind, here are some specific behaviors (by age group) to be aware of and the best ways to help them manage their emotions and feel better....

As the parent or caregiver, the key is that you approach the situation with understanding, honesty, and compassion. While you don’t want to go into any gory details, it’s important to answer your child’s questions and acknowledge that everyone dies at some point. Most of the time, kids will eventually stop thinking and worrying about death. In the meantime, there are some practical things you can do to help them cope with and overcome their fear....

In some ways, despite your child’s improving vocabulary and language skills, language actually becomes more difficult at three. For one thing, your child now knows that there’s a right word for everything, and he wants to use the right word all the time. For another, he can now talk about things that he’s not observing directly; about ideas. This move toward greater and greater abstraction is also a challenge. You can help your stammering child by listening carefully and patiently and trying your best to understand what he is trying to say....

More: 8 Reasons Why I Plan to Homeschool Even After the Pandemic As schools around the country have shuttered and now make plans for how the next school year will look, it’s not unreasonable to think that e-learning will be a large part of our future. As with any challenge, though, there are ways to take advantage of the opportunities presented. Our kids are no strangers to the computer. Unlike previous generations, they likely know how to use devices better than the grown-ups....

“For the first year of life and beyond, children spend just as much or more time sleeping than they do awake,” says Rachel Mitchell, CEO of My Sweet Sleeper, a maternity and sleep consulting company. “Ensuring their sleep environment is sleep-promoting is key, and this starts with a safe and comfortable mattress.” Here, learn why comfortable, restful sleep is so critical, plus the characteristics to consider when choosing a mattress for your child at different steps in their development....

Some babies seem to sleep like angels from the beginning and others, not so much. If you are one of the unlucky ones, know that you are not alone. Yes, it’s normal to be as ridiculously tired as you feel. Yes, it will pass. And yes, you will get through it. If you’re looking for ways to survive sleep deprivation—and maybe even find some ways to catch some extra shut-eye—we’ve got you covered....

How Grandma’s Rule of Discipline Works Grandma’s rule of discipline involves framing things as an incentive rather than pointing out the negative consequence. Instead of saying, “You can’t have dessert unless you eat everything on your plate,” Grandma’s rule says, “When you finish your dinner, you can have dessert.” It sounds nicer, gives kids extra motivation and reduces arguing. Instead of using a formal reward system, Grandma’s rule can be a spontaneous reminder of how privileges are linked to behavior....

Identical twins do not have identical fingerprints, even though their identical genes give them very similar patterns. The fetus begins developing fingerprint patterns in the early weeks of pregnancy. Small differences in the womb environment conspire to give each twin different, but similar, fingerprints. In fact, each finger has a slightly different pattern, even for your own fingers. Why Twin Fingerprints Aren’t Identical Identical, or monozygotic, twins form when a single fertilized egg splits in two after conception....

Friendships It can be difficult for introverts to make new friends because getting to know someone takes so much energy. However, introverts don’t need a wide circle of friends. They prefer one or two close friends, even though they may know many people and have many acquaintances. Despite this preference, introverts are often criticized for not attempting to make more friends, and are often viewed as lacking social skills. Social Preferences Introverts need a lot of personal space....

However, many parents wonder if drinking carbonated beverages is recommended for kids. Some people worry that carbonation may not be good for their kids’ teeth, digestion, or nutrition. Other parents gravitate to these drinks to give their children an option for a refreshing, bubbly beverage without the sugar, caffeine, or chemicals common in soda. Carbonated water can be part of a healthy diet for children—particularly when compared to drinking sugary soda—but less is definitely more, says Amy Reed, MS, RD, CSP, LD, a pediatric dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)....

More: Is Personality Genetic? I have studied both genetics and the cognitive sciences extensively, and I’m here to share a little with you about whether cognition comes from genetic influence or other factors like socioeconomic status and how these factors work together as determinants of general cognitive ability. What is Intelligence? An exact definition of intelligence is difficult to pin down, but generally, cognitive ability refers to the ability to learn from experiences and adapt to changing environments....