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Facts About Breastfeeding

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New mothers need to decide if they want to breastfeed their baby or to give their baby formula. Each individual mom will make that chose based on their circumstances and their personal preferences. The World Health Organization (WHO) has some informative facts about breastfeeding. The WHO points out that breastfeeding for the first six months is crucial. They recommend that mothers initiate breastfeeding with one hour after birth. According to the WHO, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. They also recommend that breastfeeding should continue for up … Continue reading →

Everything Parents Need to Know About Fidgets

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There’s a new fad that is taking over classrooms of all age groups. Students are playing with toys called “fidgets” while they are in class. Parents need to know that there is a constructive purpose for using a fidget – at least, for some students. Fidgets are all the rage now, but the concept isn’t new. The fidgets that are popular right now are small toys that spin. CNN described them this way: A fidget spinner is considered to be a type of fidget toy; a low profile, handheld device that people can, well, fidget with without making a big … Continue reading →

Teen Birth Rate Hits All Time Low

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A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the number of babies being born to mothers who are teenagers is at an all time low. It has been consistently dropping for the past two decades. More research is needed to conclusively determine what caused the decrease. According to the CDC study, from 2006 to 2014, the birth rate for teens aged 15-19 years declined 41% overall. The greatest decline was for Hispanic teens (51%), followed by non-Hispanic blacks (44%), and non-Hispanic whites (35%). The birth rate ratio also declined for black teens compared with … Continue reading →

Coca-Cola Offers Paid Leave for All Parents

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The United States is one of only two countries in the world that does not guarantee paid maternity leave. Fortunately, some companies are stepping in and providing what the federal government has not. Coca-Cola will offer paid leave for all parents. The United States does not provide paid family leave to its workers. There is a U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that applies to employers with 50 or more employees. FMLA offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period to care for a newborn, adopted or foster child. Coca-Cola’s paid leave policy will take … Continue reading →

Remembrance Photography Helps Parents of Stillborns

Photos save precious memories. This is why parents take a lot of baby photos (and continue to take more as the child grows). Sadly, parents whose babies will never leave the hospital don’t usually have the opportunity to take a photo of a baby who passed away shortly after birth. There is an organization of volunteer photographers that will help families of stillborns by taking some photos of their baby. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep provides the gift of remembrance photography for parents suffering the loss of a baby. The photographers involved with this organization are there to … Continue reading →

Parents Might Underestimate Their Child’s Obesity

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Your child isn’t obese, right? It’s just “baby weight” that will go away on its own. He’s big for his age, just like his dad was. She has inherited the big bones that run in the family. But, your child certainly couldn’t be obese. Are you sure? A study shows that parents can underestimate their child’s obesity. A study was published in the British Journal of General Practice in April of 2015. It was called “Child obesity cut-offs as derived from parental perceptions: cross-sectional questionnaire”. The purpose was to compare parental perception of their child’s weight with objectively derived assessment … Continue reading →

Technology is a Poor Substitute for Social Interaction

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Are your kids addicted to the internet? How much time do your kids spend looking at a screen instead of interacting with family? Parents might want to consider taking steps to limit the amount of “screen time” that their kids are getting. The New York Times has an article by Jane Brody in which she discusses the negative affects that countless hours of playing video games can have on children. It’s not just teenagers, either. Younger kids can also behave as if they are addicted to “the internet”. How does this happen? There is a Kaiser Family Foundation study that … Continue reading →

Ways to Practice Gender Neutral Parenting

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Many of us grew up with the idea that certain toys and activities were only for one gender of child. There were toys for girls, and toys for boys, and our parents may have steered us towards one or the other. Today, things are very different. Now is a good time to practice gender neutral parenting. When I was a little kid, I was taught that girls were supposed to play with dolls and enjoy kitchen sets and playing dress up. The boys in my kindergarten were taught that boys were supposed to play with trucks and blocks. Today, things … Continue reading →

Some Parents are Following their Teens to College

Students who graduate from high school are eligible to continue their education by going to college. These students are eighteen years of age (or older) and are adults. For whatever reason, there are now some parents who choose to follow their son or daughter to college. We have all heard of the phrase “helicopter parenting”. While some will argue that this parenting style provides certain benefits, many others continue to view it as less than ideal. A helicopter parent is one that swoops in and solves his or her child’s problems for them. That’s a great thing to do if … Continue reading →

Gen X Parents Raising Connected Children

The world has changed, in so many ways, between when you were a child and today. Parents who are part of Generation X are the first to raise children (and teens) in a world where the internet is so prevalent. Times have changed, in so many ways! The Washington Post has an article titled “Parenting as a Gen Xer: We’re the first generation of parents in the age of iEverything”. It was written by Allison Slater Tate and posted on September 19, 2014. In it, she comments on the difficulties faced by parent who can’t understand why their kids won’t … Continue reading →