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Are You A Snowplow Parent?

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There are many different kinds of parenting styles to choose from. Some of them are very beneficial both to the children and the parents. Others are disadvantageous to not only the children, but also to their parents. Among the worst is the “snowplow parent”. Actual snow is not required for a parent to choose this parenting style. Emma Waverman, writing for Today’s Parent defined a snowplow parent as “a person who constantly forces obstacles out of their kids’ paths. They have their eye on the future success of their child, and anyone or anything that stands in their way has … Continue reading →

How to Raise a Confident Child

Does your child have difficulty making decisions on their own? Are they having problems with low self-esteem? These problems can signal that they lack confidence in their own opinions, abilities, and worth. Here are some things parents can do to raise a confident child. Don’t solve the problem for them. Take a minute to think about how you communicate with your child when they are trying to solve a problem or make a decision. Do you find yourself trying to talk them out of something (or into something)? You may feel that this is helpful, but it is actually preventing … Continue reading →

Scientists Say Glitter is Bad For the Environment

Glitter is popular with many people. You can find glitter on fancy holiday cards, in some cosmetics, and on your preschooler’s latest artwork. One annoying thing about glitter is that it has a tendency to spread. Environmental scientists are calling for a ban on glitter because it is an ecological hazard. Dr. Trisia Farrelly is an environmental scientist. She said all glitter should be banned because it is a microplastic. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that microplastics are the most prevalent type of marine debris found in our ocean and Great Lakes. Microplastics come from larger plastic … Continue reading →

AAP Recommends No Juice Before Age 1

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a recommendation about the amount of juice children should consume. In general, the recommendations might be less than what you are currently giving your child. An AAP policy statement issued in 2001 (and reaffirmed in 2006) recommended no juice for children younger than 6 months of age. The same statement recommended 4-6 ounces of juice daily for children ages 1-6, and 8-12 ounces for children 7 or older. Those recommendations have now been revised. Part of the reason for the change is due to considerable concern about increasing obesity rates and risks … Continue reading →

Things to Know About the New School Lunch Rules

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed the rules about the School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. This could affect your child, if he or she eats the breakfast or lunch that is served at their school. Here are some things to know about the new school lunch rules. The changes to the School Lunch Program, and the School Breakfast Program, were issued in a proclamation given by United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, on May 1, 2017. Parents need to know is that these changes will take effect in starting in the 2017-2018 school year. The proclamation … Continue reading →

Teach Your Kids How to Spot Fake News

Parents should give their children the tools they need to safely navigate their way through the plethora of information that can be found online. Teach them how to spot fake news. Fake news is an article, website, or social media post that was created with intentionally false information. It is usually designed to evoke a strong emotional response – which urges people to share the fake news on social media. Example: Someone made a Twitter account that used what looked a lot like the icon for the BBC. The fake account used a photo of the Queen of England and … Continue reading →

Tips for Coping with Politics on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be stressful all by itself. Things can get even worse when a presidential election happens a few weeks before Thanksgiving day. Some of your relatives might want to talk about politics. Here are some tips for coping with political discussions on Thanksgiving. Make a conscious effort not to talk about the election at Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t ask your relatives who they voted for. Stay away from topics that were especially controversial during the election. Thanksgiving dinner is not the time to wear a political t-shirt, button, or hat that came from the campaign of the candidate you voted … Continue reading →

How School Dress Codes Can Harm Your Daughter’s Education

Does the school your children attend have a dress code? Many of them do. Some schools opt for a specific, very limited, dress code. Others are a little less stringent. While a dress code might annoy your son, school dress codes can harm your daughter’s education. Here are some things for parents to watch out for. Ideally, a school dress code is designed to equalize students. Everyone has to wear the same type of uniform, with limited variations. (Typical variations include skirts for girls and pants for boys). Schools might choose to only allow clothing of specific colors. The goal … Continue reading →

Tommy Hilfiger Creates Adaptive Clothes for Kids with Disabilities

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Tommy Hilfiger makes clothing that is fashionable and still retains a classic look. It’s the clothing that the “cool kids” (or “cool adults”) wear. A new line of Tommy Hilfiger adaptive clothing means that kids who have disabilities can look just as cool as their classmates do. The Tommy Hilfiger blog has a brief explanation of why the company created an adaptive clothing line. “Because every kid deserves a great pair of jeans”, it says. The same blog post points out that there are 73 million children in the United States of America, and that one in twenty live with … Continue reading →

Sesame Street Launches Autism Initiative

Sesame Street, a show you loved when you were a kid, and one that your kids enjoy today, has launched a major autism initiative. The program is called “See Amazing in All Children”. It is designed to foster greater understanding about autism for all children and families. There is a stigma placed upon autism that need not be there. People who do not understand autism, or who do not have anyone in their lives that has it, may harbor many misconceptions about it. The goal of the Sesame Street autism initiative is to help de-stigmatize autism (which affects one in … Continue reading →