Is your finger on the pulse of places in your home where germs love to lurk? You don’t have to be a complete neat freak in order to keep your family healthy — just be aware of where everyone puts their hands. A good rule of thumb when cleaning is…
Whether you have a child who’s entering a school environment for the first time or you have a seasoned preschooler or older child, the elementary school experience can be daunting for both child and parents. Here’s a grade-by-grade guide to what elementary school has in store for kids. Before school…
A cookout is a great way to get friends and family together for a delicious meal and lots of fun. But there are a few precautions to take when it comes to keeping kids safe around the grill and in the yard. Before you light the grill, be sure it’s…
Hanukkah is here, and that means sinking your teeth into those traditional Hanukkah foods. While favorites such as potato latkes, donuts, cheese blintzes and other foods fried in oil are delicious on the lips, they’re also heavy on the hips and the heart. So why not lighten up this Hanukkah?…
Can playing music to your baby or young child make her smarter? That was the claim of the much-hyped “Mozart Effect” several years ago, but the truth isn’t exactly black and white. Certainly, music is a great complement for stimulating babies’ brains and teaching toddlers vocabulary, but the jury’s out…
It may start with your 2-year-old clandestinely pinching his newborn sister…but sibling rivalry can last for years when it goes unchecked. When they’re small, squabbles about toys, personal space and competitions for affection seem to spark rivalry. When a toy dispute arises, resist the urge to intervene every time. Siblings…
If you’re a mom who dreads taking the kids when you run errands, then there are ways to keep them occupied and perhaps make those mundane trips learning experiences for them. For example, a grocery store excursion could become a way for them to learn about nutrition. Make comparisons among…
For a lot of babies, pacifiers can soothe and help fussy babies float off to dreamland, without the help of a sometimes-exhausted mom. But when kids start to depend on pacis — or binkies — to fall asleep or for comfort, often up to the age of 4, then it’s…
April marks Stress Awareness Month, and if any population is aware of their stress, then it’s moms! Moms are the do-it-all members of the family for the most part, and the ones who take on more than they ought to. For multitasking moms, who juggle kids, jobs, extracurricular activities, husbands…
From Facebook to MySpace, it seems the users are getting smaller and the problems are getting bigger. Although many social networking sites have a minimum age requirement of 13, children often disregard the age limitations altogether. Or they seek out sites that are geared more toward their demographics, but are…