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Weighted blankets come in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes. These features are great to consider because it allows you to customize the blanket to your child’s preferences. Another important feature to look for is the ease of cleaning and drying. Some can be machine washed and dried, but others may need to be hand-washed and/or line-dried. We researched popular options with these features in mind. Here are the best weighted blankets for kids on the market today....

What Is the Bank Street Method? The Bank Street method employs a child-centered education program focusing on the diversity of curriculum. Students are offered active educational opportunities in areas that develop cognitive, emotional, physical, and social growth. Learning often includes more than one subject and in groups, allowing that children learn at various levels and using different methods. Play is often used as an educational jumping off point, and teachers take advantage of teachable moments wherever possible....

Ideas for Your Next Girls’ Night In Here are 10 fun ideas to help you plan your next at-home night with your best girlfriends. Spa Night If the bags under your eyes serve as a cruel reminder of how little time you have to indulge in yourself, consider a spa night with the girls. Have the ladies come to your house for some much-needed mom pampering. Dress in pajamas or bathrobes and give each other facials, manicures, and pedicures....

The right pair of maternity pajamas for you will depend on your lifestyle, budget, and climate, not to mention whether you sleep hot or cold while pregnant. Above all, you should choose something that will keep you comfortable. And, according to Jennifer Lombardi, birth and postpartum doula, if it’s cute and makes you feel good, that’s even better. We spoke with doulas about how to find a well-fitting and comfy set of maternity pajamas and evaluated sets from top brands for sizing, materials, comfort, nursing-friendly design, and price....

However, experts have warned that too much caffeine could be having a detrimental effect on teenagers’ health. Anxiety disrupted sleep, caffeine withdrawal and even overdose are all associated with caffeine consumption in teenagers. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine intake for children and young adults, while other recommendations cap a teenager’s daily caffeine consumption at under 100 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to one very small cup of coffee or two small cans of soda....

But while many parents swear by Dr. Ferber’s book and the Ferber Method, it is sometimes misunderstood by others who think it simply advocates that parents leave their kids to cry alone all night. Below we help you sort through the Ferber Method to determine if it is the right sleeping training method for you and your baby. The Ferber Method The Ferber Method is not simply a “cry it out” approach to getting your baby to sleep....

Overscheduled Kids Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. But with all of the structured activities and the strictly scheduled lives kids often live these days, some are left without any real time to just play. Even when given time to play, they may be too tired after participating in organized activities to take advantage of the opportunity....

The number of visible bumps on the areola is different for each woman. Each areola can have anywhere from 0 to approximately 40 tubercles, with an average of about 10 to 15 on each side. There are more in the upper, outer part of the areola, and the size of the areola doesn’t affect the number of glands there are. What Montgomery Glands Do The Montgomery glands are a combination of milk glands and sebaceous glands....

The stress and uncertainty of a worldwide pandemic stopped many would-be parents from expanding their families. Financial instability, physical isolation, and fear for the health of their baby saw families make a conscious choice to delay pregnancy. Other families had no choice. In the midst of fertility assistance, services closed and treatments were suspended. Lack of information initially left many health professionals and their patients equally uncertain about the safety of pregnancy mid-pandemic....

“We spent time focusing on listening to sounds around us that we never pay attention to," she says. “We worked on [awknowledging] our thoughts and our emotions, and noticed when our minds are wandering so that we can bring them back to focus again. We also worked on gratitude, generosity, and sending kindness into the world.” At the height of the pandemic, her students were doing a longer mindfulness lesson once every two weeks, and periodically taking a minute to pause, breathe, close their eyes, and notice their breath....

Treatment for chronic hypertension during pregnancy depends on whether your high blood pressure is mild or severe, according to ACOG. Blood pressure typically goes down in the first half of pregnancy, and if hypertension is mild, it may stay at that level, or return to normal. In this case, your OB/GYN may decrease your blood pressure medication, or advise you to stop taking it altogether for the remainder of your pregnancy....

When children turn 10, peers and appearance become increasingly important while authority might be something they start to question in their quest for independence. This can be challenging for parents to navigate. “This is a time of immense psychological and physiological change and as such, we see evidence of emerging maturity mixed with flashes of temper that seem younger,” says Joanna Fortune, MICP, MIFPP, CTTS, a UK-based clinical psychotherapist and attachment specialist with expertise in child and adolescent psychotherapy....

In fact, depending on your age and how long you’ve been trying, the odds of conceiving on your own may be higher than it is for most infertility diagnoses. A 2012 study of just over 1,300 women with infertility, ages 28 to 36, found that 43% of those who never received fertility treatment eventually conceived and gave birth. Here’s what your unexplained infertility diagnosis means, what it doesn’t, and possible explanations for the unexplained....

All children are unique in their own ways, and one of our top jobs as parents is to nurture those qualities in our children that make them who they are. It’s not as easy as it sounds, especially because life is full of challenges. Yet in so many ways, it’s simpler than we think—and the rewards are infinite. How Kids’ Personalities Are Formed Experts agree that a child’s personality doesn’t fully form until they are in elementary school....

Here is a list of the most common factors that influence bullying. Familiarizing yourself with these factors will not only help you identify why bullying is occurring, but also help you improve your school’s climate and prevent bullying when addressed. Family Risk Factors Sometimes a person’s family will influence their bullying behavior. Here are a few family issues that contribute to bullying. Witnessing or Experiencing Abuse Children from abusive homes are more likely to bully than other children because aggression, violence and manipulation are modeled for them....

What Is Crown-Rump Length? CRL may be useful in calculating gestational age. With this gestational age, doctors can estimate your potential due date. The earlier the first ultrasound is performed, the more accurate the baby’s gestational age will be. Once the fetus has developed past 14 weeks, head circumference, biparietal diameter, and femur length measurements are used to determine how the baby is progressing. The length of the umbilical cord is typically the same as the CRL throughout pregnancy....

Some parents have said they were told that playing with your penis is a possible early sign of autism. Be assured that it is not listed as such by experts. Any single behavior taken alone when your child is otherwise developing normally should not be mistaken for autism. Self Discovery and Genital Touching Touching, scratching, or tugging in the genital area is just a normal activity for boys, especially between ages 2 and 6....

The sensation of ovulation is often described as a dull or sharp abdominal pain that can last just a few minutes or a few days. Light bleeding may also occur. Generally, ovulation happens about two weeks from the start of your last period. The process is painless for most people, but others will experience what’s known as “mittelschmerz”—a German term meaning “middle pain.” Mittelschmerz can cause discomfort in the lower abdomen but is rarely cause for concern....

One of the most widely known parenting styles is authoritarian parenting. An authoritarian parent might be described as strict and inflexible—an “it’s my way or the highway” type of parent. While there is merit in adding rules and structure into your parenting style, authoritarian parenting is often criticized because it’s not based on a warm, mutually understanding relationship. For this reason, most psychologists do not recommend an authoritarian parenting style....

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against using over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under 4 years old due to the risk of dangerous side effects. Thankfully, there are still things you can do to make your baby feel better. Here’s everything you need to know about baby coughs—from why they happen to how you can help. Why Your Baby Might Be Coughing When something irritates our lungs or throat, we cough in response....