As 21st-century humans in an increasingly advanced society, we’ve grown accustomed to not only picking and choosing exactly what we want but also being able to obtain it pretty much on demand. Thanks to technology, we have an amount of control over our everyday lives that we never used to have before. So, shouldn’t that control apply to having babies, too? For people used to making carefully curated choices about how to live their daily lives, it can feel downright frightening to turn all that control over to something as out of our hands as nature....

There is a possibility that these delays are temporary. If your child seems to hear, understand, and follow instructions despite not speaking much, and there are no other signs of delayed development, they may just be on their own timeline. In fact, one out of five children learns to talk and use a larger range of words later than other children their age. Typical Language Development A child’s ability to communicate typically grows tremendously between ages 1 and 2 years....

Comfort in labor comes in many forms, though most of the time we tend to think about physical comfort measures and pain-relieving medications. A very easy way for nearly anyone to help comfort a laboring woman is to talk to her. 10 Things to Say During Labor Kind words really help and work whether your loved one is having an unmedicated birth or a birth with an epidural. Words and how they are said can make a huge difference in how she remembers her experience of labor and birth....

Your body is simply not the same when you are carrying a developing child. Your internal organs shift and squeeze together to make room for your growing uterus. Additionally, the cocktail of hormones running through your blood may make your body feel and react much differently than you are used to, which can make yoga during pregnancy more challenging. However, a prenatal yoga practice can also be beneficial and relaxing....

There are many areas that may be checked during your physical exam, including: Blood pressure Blood work Breast exam Pap smear Pelvic exam Pregnancy test Ultrasound (if you’re having pain or bleeding or underwent fertility treatments) Urine screen for protein and sugar Weight You will probably be seen for your first appointment between 8 and 10 weeks gestation, though you may be seen earlier if you’re having problems or if it’s your doctor or midwife’s policy....

Types of Giftedness First, it’s important to understand that giftedness is not just a matter of academic achievement. A child (or adult) may be gifted in several different domains: AcademicArtisticCreativeIntellectualIntuitiveLeadership So, even if your child isn’t an academic whiz, they may be gifted in other areas. While schools are most likely to be interested in intellectual and academic giftedness, parents should be supportive of their child’s creative, artistic, or other gifts....

However, there are certain characteristics that might increase a child’s chances of getting bullied. It’s important to remember that these children shouldn’t try to change their characteristics to avoid bullying. Bullying is about the wrong choice the bully makes, not some perceived defect in the target. Types of Kids Who Might Get Bullied The responsibility for bullying always falls on the bully’s shoulders, not the victim’s. Nonetheless, there are a number of types of kids who are often the target of bullies....

If you do learn that your child is bullying others, try not to dwell in your surprise. Instead, move forward and take action. Remember, there are a variety of reasons why kids bully. Regardless of the reason behind your child’s actions, you have to discipline your child for their poor choices. After all, the bullying behaviors will not end unless your child takes responsibility for their actions, admits their mistakes, and learns how to change their behavior....

Summer Activities for Kids Check out this list of 100 things you and your kids can do to fight off summertime boredom. Don’t let your kids have all the fun—many of these activities are fun for the whole family to share. So join in! Whether you turn this list into your summer bucket list, or you just pick a few of your favorites, you will make some great memories. The key is to slow down and enjoy the summer months with your family....

Pre-Baby To-Do List One question you might be tired of being asked: Do you have a birth plan? It’s important to remember that there are so many different ways to give birth, and the question is not necessarily whether one is better than another, it’s whatever is best for you. Managing Expectations Of course, thinking about what the most comfortable set-up for you would look like during delivery is helpful. You might consider what type of interventions you do or do not want before, during, and after birth....

Healthy self-esteem also helps protect teens from bullying. Bullies are less likely to target kids that are confident in who they are. And, if they are targeted, their solid self-esteem will help them cope with bullying. Remember, people who bully others are looking for someone who will react to their hurtful words or actions. As a result, bullies target teens who are not confident or assertive. But if your teen shrugs off a bully’s verbal attack, make light of it or simply shows no emotional reaction, the bully will be less likely to try again....

Baby names that start with the letter “X” are largely unique and will certainly help your children stand out in a crowd. You can also use the letter method if you want all your children’s names to start with the same letter or you want their initials to spell something specific. This is especially a good theme idea if the whole family has the same initials! Find origins, meanings, and popularity for baby names that start with “X” and then explore more ways to decide how to come up with a name for your new addition....

For many parents, 3 months marks a time when things get a little easier. Some of the not-so-fun parts of caring for a newborn—like colic and constant feeding—have gotten better. Three-month-old sleep schedules have become a little more predictable, too. Still, there are some challenges that come with having a 3-month-old, and if you are still feeling tired and overwhelmed, that’s normal too. Let’s take a look at what to expect once your baby turns 3 months old, as well as some feeding, sleep, baby care, and health and safety tips....

Of course, becoming a stepfamily isn’t always easy. Bringing two families together under one roof can be quite challenging. Even for the most prepared, growing pains will likely occur when two families merge. Don’t expect your families to meld together overnight. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, it can take one to two years for blended families to adjust to the changes. But parents who are proactive in reducing and addressing potential problems can make the adjustment period smoother....

So while you don’t need to entertain your children all winter, it can be helpful to create a list of “fun things to do in winter.” Then, when your child complains of being bored or you catch them spending too much time on their electronics, recommend they pick something to do from their list. Doing some of these winter activities together might be fun for the whole family. And, you might find doing them together becomes an easy way to give your teen plenty of positive attention during the winter months....

In order to earn that trust, your fifth grader will have to step up and be able to accept responsibility for his mistakes, become a little more dependable and start understanding that that “fair” doesn’t always mean equal. There are a number of cognitive skills that will help your child stay in the game, including the ability to argue more logically and with more poise. This is a great skill for more expansive writing....

Having a slow or stalled labor can increase the likelihood of needing medical intervention, such as a cesarean (C-section). However, there are several methods you can try to help labor along in the first stage or speed up a labor that is not progressing. How to Have a Faster Labor and Delivery While every childbirth experience is unique and goes on its own timetable, there are things you can do that often will speed things along....

“The goal is to de-escalate the situation,” says Karen Gail Lewis, EdD, MFT, MSW, a marriage and family therapist in Washington, DC. There are many approaches kids can take to respond to bullying, but every intervention may not work in every situation. “Unfortunately, there are no easy answers for preventing or stopping bullying,” says Dr. Lewis. Kids need to know ahead of time what to do if confronted by a bully....

Is there a way to balance it all and still provide some structure? Sure; making room for the priorities just takes a little planning. Of course, when it comes to time management, flexibility is also important. There will be times when you need to make adjustments to meet your child’s needs. See how your child’s schedule compares to others when it comes to key daily activities. Attending Class It may seem like your children spend all of their time at school....