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Even if you can’t find time to have dinner together every night, schedule family meals whenever you can, as much as you can. If your weeknights are packed with late hours at the office or extracurricular activities, you can still find solutions, such as having breakfast or snacks together. The key is to make family meals fun, talk about the day, and stay connected with your kids. Then be sure to talk about your day, and share details like what you were most proud of achieving that day or what problem you may have and how you plan to solve it....

These cute craft ideas—from dreidel garlands to paper menorahs, and even a wall hanging for presents—will surely get your kids excited about the festival of lights. You pick eight activities to celebrate each of Hanukkah’s eight nights or spend an evening crafting your favorite. Either way, your family will love getting their creativity on and making wonderful memories together. We’ve rounded up some fun and festive crafts the whole family can create to help get everyone in the holiday spirit!...

Many pregnant people find hospital-based childbirth classes a convenient option to prepare for the birth of their baby. However, it’s important to know the limitations of many childbirth classes that are held in hospitals and alternative programs you may find more helpful. Drawbacks of Hospital Childbirth Classes A hospital-based childbirth class might be the first class you learn about, since doctors will often provide patients information about one during the prenatal period....

You may have also heard that lip ties can affect the spacing of your child’s teeth, and may even affect their speech. Or, you may have heard that lip ties have little impact on breastfeeding, and the whole thing is overblown. What Is a Lip Tie? We are all born with little pieces of skin in our mouths called frenula, thin membranes located under the tongue and under the upper lip....

The study follows up on previous research that implemented a garden, nutrition, and cooking program in an after-school care setting. In the after-school care study, children were provided intensive lessons over a 12-week period, which resulted in healthier body weight, BMI, and waist circumference and increased vegetable intake for participants. Researchers sought to find out if they would receive similar results if the program was implemented into the school curriculum and taught during class time across a full school year, thus targeting a larger number of children....

Tips to Help Kids Avoid Middle School Drama Teaching her how to avoid or minimize school drama will help your child not only in middle school but in high school, college, and beyond. Choose Friends Carefully It’s hard to tell a child who just wants to be accepted by her peers to choose her friends carefully, but it is important to point out what makes a great friend. Encourage your child to develop friendships with people who have similar interests and who refrain from gossip and drama....

The representation of nonbinary parents in media is far and few between. There are some examples: children’s book “My Maddy” by Gayle E. Pitman, “The Natural Mother of the Child” by Krys Malcolm Belc, or “Like a Boy But Not a Boy” by Andrea Bennett show what it’s like to navigate parenthood as a nonbinary or gender-nonconforming parent. But on the whole, nonbinary parents have to sift through many resources that are filled with gendered language as we try to figure out our place within that....

But, what catches most new moms by complete and utter surprise is the intense—and sometimes dark—pit of loneliness they feel, even though they have a newborn by their side all day, every day. And, this loneliness affects far more moms than you might expect. According to a joint survey conducted by Mom Central Consulting and Gather Moms, 60% of mothers with children under five years old experience loneliness. What’s more, a whopping 68% of new moms feel cut off from family and friends, according to a British research study conducted by Action for Children....

If your children are convinced that once the lights go out, there’s a hairy monster who is going to crawl out from under the bed and “get them,” you’re not alone. But, it can be tough to know how to calm kids’ anxieties, convincing them that they can sleep in their bed alone without being attacked by a monster that lives under the bed. The Fear of Monsters The fear of darkness, especially of being left alone in the dark, is one of the biggest fears kids experience....

Parents and providers should discuss and agree on the planned potty training process. A consistent approach and common encouragement techniques can minimize confusion of a child during this time, and help to set the environment for a successful transition to becoming a big kid! Be as Consistent as Possible Consistency is important when potty training so find out what potty your daycare uses. Is it a seat that attaches to an adult toilet or is a small separate potty?...

Many of the turning techniques can be started around week 30, or even sooner. Others are done closer to labor. Frozen Peas Before you start laughing and wondering how frozen peas can help turn a baby, it’s simple—it’s cold. Babies, like the rest of us, prefer comfort. So using frozen peas placed at the top of your belly near the fundus can encourage your baby to turn away from the cold....

It’s clear, however, that many parents are overindulging in screen time. A 2016 survey by Common Sense media shows the average parent of tweens and teens spends more than nine hours per day behind a screen. While you might be thinking that’s because adults have to be on a computer for their jobs, the survey found very little screen time was work-related. Despite the number of hours parents spend on their digital devices, 78 percent of them believe they are good technology role models for their children....

All of the healthy behaviors that you would do during a normal pregnancy still ring true in a multiple gestation. That said, in addition to normal pregnancy changes in lifestyle, there are a few other things that you can do to stay happy and healthy during your pregnancy. Ramp Up the Weight Gain You’ve probably heard the expression eating for two. In a singleton pregnancy, you really only need about an extra 300 calories a day to grow a healthy baby....

Occasionally, there are scenarios when the parent who initially requested it later wishes to stop receiving child support payments. Before we look at how to stop child support altogether, let’s explore some of the circumstances in which a parent may want to stop receiving or even completely refuse incoming child support payments. Why Stop Child Support Payments? There are several reasons why parents would change their minds about child support payments....

One method is the use of breastfeeding herbs in conjunction with increased nursing and/or pumping. An herb that some people have success with is alfalfa. However, it’s important to consider safety and efficacy before taking it. Here’s what you need to know about alfalfa and breastfeeding. What Is Alfalfa? Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a common plant from the pea family, and it’s one of the oldest and most cultivated crops in history....

But don’t reach for a tube of regular Orajel to soothe the gum pain just yet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against the use of Orajel in children under 2 years of age. That said, Baby Orajel is safe because it is free of benzocaine and belladonna. But, if all you have in your medicine cabinet is regular Orajel, it’s important to understand why it is not a good choice for your teething baby....

Seeing those hCG numbers rise can be comforting, but what if your level isn’t doubling? Many pregnant people worry that this is a sign of an impending miscarriage. However, your hCG numbers do not tell the whole story. Instead of hCG levels, an ultrasound is a more accurate indicator of a healthy pregnancy once you reach the 5- to 6-week mark. Here is what you need to know about your hCG levels....