Researchers at the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences had over 500 families with elementary-age children respond to questions about food security. They also were asked about meal planning and preparation. The results of the study showed that food insecurity often coincided with other risk patterns like meal planning capabilities or a family’s overall organization, and requires a multi-dimensional solution. Food Insecurity and Organization After receiving responses from study participants, researchers derived three subgroups from the data....

According to researchers in Canada, only 36% of pregnant women received the flu shot over four flu seasons in Nova Scotia. Of those who don’t get the vaccination, safety concerns are a major factor. But the Canadian study, published in JAMA, found that moms who got the vaccine during pregnancy didn’t adversely affect their children. Pregnant women aren’t more likely to get infected with flu, but they are at a higher risk for serious illness and complications if they get flu during pregnancy....

One reason is vaccine hesitancy, which is often rooted in misconceptions about the importance or safety of this immunization for children. Another is that most kids don’t like to get a flu shot—or any shot, which can make for an unpleasant doctor visit. Of course, the health of your child is worth them enduring a flu shot. However, a shot is not the only way to get vaccinated against the flu....

For preschoolers, start with a basic game that helps him learn farm animals, numbers, colors (create a hue scavenger hunt!), and shapes. Adapt the game for school-age children to cover anatomy, world government, foreign language, and history. What you choose to teach with this game is only limited by your imagination. You don’t have to sit still in a chair endlessly repeating letter sounds. Try activities that make learning phonics an adventure instead of a tedious lesson....

Is My Child Eligible for Gym Daycare? Find out whether there is an age minimum (or maximum). Some gym childcare rooms require kids to be toilet-trained before they can be dropped off. If you plan to run or walk near the gym (but not inside it), find out if leaving the facility while your child is in care is allowed. Often, it isn’t, so you’ll need to be prepared to stick with the equipment and group fitness classes inside the gym....

Unfortunately, many New Year’s resolutions are abandoned before the month of January is over. That’s usually because the initial groundwork of establishing support and accountability hasn’t been put in place. Here’s how you can set age-appropriate resolutions as a family for a healthier and happier year ahead. Resolution Ideas for Preschoolers Kids from the ages of 3 to 5 might have trouble sticking to long-term goals. However, thinking about a few small goals to work on each day is a good strategy for this age group....

Helicopter parents tend to pay extremely close attention to their kids’ activities and schoolwork in an effort to not only protect them from pain and disappointment but also to help them succeed. Helicopter parents are known to micromanage their children and become extremely entwined in every aspect of their lives. “These parents tend to be overprotective and worry excessively about their children,” says Michelle M. Reynolds, PhD, a clinical psychologist and founder of LifeCatalyst: Therapy and Coaching....

Average Daycare Costs Daycare costs will vary greatly based on where you live. Factors such as the cost of living in your area and whether or not you live in an urban or rural area make a difference. The age of the child and your schedule needs also play a role in the total cost of daycare Childcare for babies and toddlers is more expensive than childcare for older kids because younger kids need more hands-on care, and there must be more childcare providers in each room....

In 2019, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at data from the National Immunization Survey-Child relating to mothers who gave birth in 2015, and found that. overall, 83% of U.S. mothers breastfed their babies at birth. But when the researchers broke the numbers down by race, they found that 85% of white mothers said they breastfed, while only 69% of Black mothers did. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, published in The Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, identifies the best strategies and practices to improve breastfeeding in the Black community....

Set Clear Goals It’s important to have a clear picture in your mind of what you want for yourself and your kids. This is where the conviction, determination, and commitment you need to be a strong single parent come from. So, what are these goals you should be setting for yourself and your family? Depending on where you’re at right now, they run the gamut from simple goals like creating a morning routine to make getting out the door on time easier to creating long-term goals—like going back to school, relocating to be near family, managing your money more effectively, or improving your co-parenting relationship with your ex....

Insomnia comes in a few different forms. You can have trouble falling asleep when you try to go to bed or wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep. Between the various physical discomforts of pregnancy and the worries of bringing a child into the world, there may be plenty to keep you up at night. Taking medication to help you sleep during pregnancy can be risky, especially in the first trimester....

For some, the discovery that their little one isn’t the sex that they had predicted or hoped for—what’s commonly referred to as gender disappointment—sends them into a tailspin of negative emotions. While it can feel like a taboo topic, it is important to recognize that your feelings are valid. If you or someone close to you is experiencing gender disappointment, there are steps you can take to address and process your emotions so that you can welcome your baby with the happiness and excitement that you both deserve....

But not all families are stable, healthy, and happy all the time. The stresses of modern life, the need for better ​work-life balance, a family crisis of one kind or another or mental health challenges for one or more family members can bring a family to its knees at any time. ​ Overview Children with disabilities, financial stresses, behavioral challenges, and just the ages and stages of different children can create challenges that may require some help to resolve....

If you are like most parents, you immediately feel terror as you imagine the one hundred and one bad things that could be happening to your child. It is important to remain calm though, as what you do first might mean the difference between whether or not you have a happy ending. In addition to calling for help, the first thing to do is to check the places in and around your home that pose the greatest hazard to your child....

Once again, they must grapple with social distancing questions, mask requirements, and the developmental need for kids to socialize. All of this can feel particularly disorienting for parents, especially because the pandemic seemed to be winding down here in the United States. Add to that the confusion over what precautions vaccinated kids and parents need to take, and it is no wonder parents in the U.S. are scratching their heads about how to go about life in the midst of another upswing in COVID-19 cases....

Sadly neglected for a long time, avocados have become much more popular as more and more adults are eating them for their countless nutritional benefits. Avocado as a first food for baby is a nutritious and developmentally appropriate food for babies beginning solids. And actually, avocado would make wonderful first food for a baby if your little one has not started solids at all yet. No more need for that boring rice cereal when there are avocados around....

In fact, according to research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, an unexpectedly large number of girls and tweens report feeling ill-prepared for menstruation and changes occurring in their bodies as well as reproductive health. While many girls reported gaining puberty and menstruation information from one source such as their mother, sister or a teacher, they still felt the information was incomplete, inaccurate and provided too late. What’s more, some girls report feeling scared, traumatized and embarrassed by the arrival of their first period....

You might feel reluctant to attend gatherings, not wanting to face pregnant relatives or friends with new babies. In addition, you might feel like everywhere you look, you see another reminder that there should be another pregnant belly, face in the family photo, and/or stocking on the fireplace. To make Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, or other holiday celebrations easier while you are grieving, try the following tips to help you cope....

While a parental instinct may be to guard kids from those painful moments, keeping the truth about death from your child may not best for them either. “Children need to learn that grief and sadness is okay and normal, and that there are ways to cope,” explains Rene Guilbeau, Director of Child Life and Creative Therapies at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Death is a sensitive topic and it’s very important to consider your child’s maturity level when delving into it with them....

We’re here to help. We reached out to mental health professionals who offered advice about how to approach these conversations with family in an affirming, empowering way, as well as how to deal with any potential challenges that might arise. How to Approach the Conversation People who are childfree by choice usually have spent some time making peace with their reality. Studies have found that many childfree adults knew in their hearts that they didn’t want kids as early as their teen years....