Ways to Build Fine Motor Skills You can invest in toys that use fine motor skills while your child is playing. For example, lacing cards, Legos, pegboards, Magnetix, and erector sets all require good fine motor control. Here are some more fun activities to try at home to build up that motor control. Hide and Seek Hide small objects like coins or beads inside a lump of Silly Putty, modeling clay or homemade play clay....
One player or more, ages 3 and up One player, ages 7 and up One player, ages 7 and up One to six players, ages 5 and up One to four players, ages 7 and up One player and up, ages 6 and up. One player and more One to any number of players
Researchers looked at individuals born in Denmark between 1992 and 2007, encompassing about 800,000 people, and compared diagnoses of ADHD with residence locations. They calculated exposure to green space from birth to 5 years old. Even after adjusting for factors like parental socioeconomic status and urban living, researchers found that those children living in areas with the least amount of vegetation (like trees, parks, and yards), had an increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD from age 5 and up....
“Women are using it for health and wellness, menstrual cramps, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, and fibromyalgia,” says medical marijuana practitioner Lynn Parodneck, MD. “So, women are learning to work with the products, and with learning to work with them, they’re learning that it’s really helpful.” But for women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, the health benefits of marijuana use come with potential risk. And as more states opt to legalize cannabis and accessibility increases, these risks must be taken into consideration....
That’s not to say there isn’t a good reason for phasing bottles out in your child’s second year. Research shows that prolonged use of bottles can cause tooth decay. Using bottles may also lead toddlers to drink too much milk, which can lead to imbalanced nutrition as milk replaces other foods in your child’s diet. And if milk is replacing a variety of foods, your child isn’t getting exposure to the flavors and textures that can help expand their palate....
If you’re considering this option, you might also be wondering what preparations, resources, or strategies would be most helpful in addition to or instead of traditional homeschooling methods. With that in mind, here is some advice from experts on how to homeschool a child with dyslexia. Benefits of Homeschooling a Child With Dyslexia Homeschooling allows families to customize an educational experience and create a learning environment that works best for everyone involved....
Communication Boards and Disabled Children If your child has either an individualized education plan (IEP) or a 504 plan, the need for a communication board can be included in the list of tools that the student requires functioning effectively in the classroom. Your family may find that your child needs a communication board at home as well. At its simplest, a communication board can simply consist of a yes/no board or a pencil and piece of paper....
Why It’s Never Too Late for a Child to Start a New Sport If your child simply wants to try a new sport, or play it for fun, it’s never too late. After all, trying is how we figure out what we like. Helping your child find a physical activity that they enjoy is much more important for his lifelong health than getting them onto a high-level team or helping them earn a college scholarship....
Overview Premature babies are small at birth and might not tolerate milk feedings right away. Feeding premature babies isn’t always easy, but it is important for their development and growth. But good nutrition does more than just help preemies’ bodies grow. Milk feedings also help your baby’s brain grow. In fact, research has shown that premature babies who get better nutrition early in life have larger brains and fewer developmental delays as they get older....
Researchers know that developmental brain differences can exist in children depending on their parent’s socioeconomic status, but it was not known when these brain differences first occurred. New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has now shown that socioeconomic status is associated with differences in the development of the human brain as early as in the womb. It is important that all moms understand that although SES is shown to be associated with fetal brain development, there are more specific influences that pregnant people and their care providers can address to improve outcomes....
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) lists three primary reasons to induce labor: In addition to these recommendations, providers might suggest an induction if amniotic fluid levels are low, or if your water has broken without being followed by contractions within 24 hours. The ACOG also says that inductions without medical indication should not happen prior to 39 weeks gestation. There are simply too many risks to the baby prior to that timing....
Of all the things you plan for during your labor and birth experience, the room is probably way down on your list. I would argue that you should actually move it up on the list. The reason is that your physical environment can influence your state of mind and how well you can relax and yes, even enjoy the experience. Creating the Perfect Environment for Labor If you are anxious or nervous, it can be made worse by your environment....
In order to create the best experience for all students, a growing number of schools across the country are becoming more culturally affirming. Many are implementing “culturally responsive teaching,” which is defined as: “using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them.” It aims to ensure equality for every student by welcoming and emphasizing diversity in the classroom....
Likewise, your teen needs to realize that no matter how hard they try to be a good partner, they cannot make the abuse stop. But, they can take steps to keep themselves as safe as possible regardless of their partner’s words, actions, and choices. Often, the first step in accomplishing that task is thinking through how they can take back some control and stay safe and then putting those things into a safety plan....
Types of Transitions While the biggest transition occurs at age 22, your child will go through a number of transitions—even if they stay in the same school district throughout their growing up years. Transitions can be: From one grade classroom to anotherFrom one school to anotherFrom one program to anotherFrom school to postsecondary, college, vocational program, or another program Planning for Transitions It is important to communicate with your child’s teachers concerning upcoming transitions....
Luckily, adults can relate to these ups and downs. We’ve all been there and made it through one mood swing after another. Mood swings are a natural part of growing up and there are ways to help your teen work through them. Recognize What Is Happening Be careful not to jump too quickly into discipline mode. Your child is not just misbehaving or acting out; this is normal for teenagers....
Hormonal spikes may cause acne, as it is known, for example, that estrogen and progesterone increase during pregnancy. Atypical stressors at this time can also spur on a surge of the hormone cortisol, which has been known to cause an angry pimple or two, notes Elizabeth Hale, MD, board-certified dermatologist, and clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center. And consider this: Dietary changes might also be occurring at this time and contributing to the changes in complexion, Dr....
Secretory IgA in Breast Milk Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the main antibody found in breast milk, and it’s considered the most important one. Babies are born with low levels of IgA. As they grow, their immune system makes more IgA and their levels slowly rise. But when a baby breastfeeds, they get high levels of IgA from breast milk. Other Immunoglobulins Besides IgA, there are four other types of immunoglobulins in breast milk: IgE, IgG, IgM, and IgD....
