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Learning

Expert Tips for Helping Kids Cope With Nightmares

While we can't prevent nightmares from occurring altogether, we can take steps to help our kids through them.

Parenthood woman with a child in bed

These 5 Words Help Me Be a Better Parent

This is a submission in our monthly contest. November’s theme is Gratitude. For years now I've been asking my eight-year-old daughter, Lexi, the same question before we say goodnight: What are you ...

Learning baking cookies

Baking My Way Into My Son's World

This is how I sneak into his world – a world of limited language and foods which has been a slow experiment in itself.

Inspiration girl at kitchen table drinking tea

Generations of Tea Remembrances

As I watch my daughter drink tea with her daughter, I’m grateful that this tea ritual I learned from my mother is passed on to my daughter to make her own.

What is the Bechdel Test and How Many of Your Kids' Favorite Movies Pass it?

Whether you're raising daughters or sons, you should know what the Bechdel Test is and how it applies to your life and your children's lives.

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Boys Perform Better in Schools That Have More Girls

When it comes to school performance boys do better when there are more girls around, according to a new study.

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These 5 Words Can Help You Take Control of Technology Before it Controls You

We are raising our kids in the next industrial revolution where smart technology will change how they live their lives. These 5 words can help you steer.

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The Other Side of Being "Gifted"

For most of us, the word “gifted” conjures images of privilege and automatic success. But that's not the whole picture.

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What a NICU Moms' Support Group Taught Me About Fearlessness

I was about to cavalierly flaunt her health and my good fortune in their faces. The New Moms’ Support Group was soon to find out I was a fear-fraud.

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What to Say When Everything Is Not Going to Be Okay

Am I doing my kids a disservice by always promising that everything will be okay, when very likely it sometimes won't be?

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Christmas Traditions From Around the World That Could Create a New Family Tradition

If you are looking for new activities to celebrate the holiday season, consider these fun and unique ideas from countries around the globe.

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The Longview Lesson Kids Can Learn From Being Bullied

The first time I heard, “Hey, Buzzard!” I was 12. As I watched my own kids grow up, having been Buzzard for a few summers did me some favors.

Learning one fish two fish game

Educational and Fun Etsy Gifts for the Young Reader in Your Life

Etsy sellers also seem to notice this lack of educational toys and have created their own options perfect for the young readers in your life.

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Yes, Your 5-Year-Old Understands Charity, Believe it or Not

At what age do children begin to understand and act on the concept of charity? A recent study tackled just this question.

Pregnancy woman in a hospital bed

Study Claims Epidurals Don’t Slow Labor

A recent study by Obstetrics and Genecology debunks the idea that an epidural prolongs labor.

Parenthood mom holding baby

Why Lullabies Work, According to the Experts

As much as I’d like to think I have magical singing abilities, I know that there’s much more to the science of lullabies.

Learning old picture of two boys looking at each other one pointing

Moral Dilemmas in a Post "Leave It to Beaver" World

If this situation took place on a modern TV show, I wonder what would have transpired?

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Parenting Teenagers: The Wall and the Mason

The "Be a Wall" movement stems from the fact that being a teenaged girl sucks almost as much as trying to figure out how to raise one.

Parenthood finger point at a girl who is not happy

5 Things You Need to Know Before You Can Change Your Kid's Behavior

Before we can hope to change our kid’s behavior, we need to be aware of five things that explain why children act the way they do.

Pregnancy woman holding you child

On Becoming a Mother

Before I had my first baby, I thought I knew myself reasonably well: my faults, failures, and where I excelled.

Parenthood wood being shaved in class

How to Help Your Kids Find Their Place in the World

It’s not enough to pick a college major simply because that was your best subject in high school.

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New Research on Screen Time Explains Why It Sabotages Children’s Sleep

Even just leaving a phone or computer on in the bedroom can hinder good sleep for kids and teens, and yet so many do it.

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5 Stories to Spark Discussions With Kids About the Spirit of Giving

How can parents talk to their kids about generosity? These five stories are prime teaching tools.

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Until Gwen

The office bathroom stall was dark, but not so dark that I couldn’t see the contrast of red on white.