Why People Make New Year’s Resolutions

The custom of making a New Year’s resolution goes back farther than you might think! According to History.com, the ancient Babylonians are said to be the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year, which, for them, began in mid-March when the crops were planted. There was a 12-day festival known as Akitu, when the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects … Continue reading

Ancestry Provides Free Resources to Educators

Ancestry, a leading genealogy company, is providing free resources to educators and parents. The purpose of providing these tools is to make this school year a little easier. For the first time, Ancestry will provide K-12 teachers across the US a free 6-month World Explorer subscription to access billions of historical records, providing support in lesson development and project creation for the school year ahead. The subscription includes: Unlimited access to most records on Ancestry, including more than 3 billion international birth, marriage, death, census, military, church and other records Access to all public family trees on Ancestry Access to … Continue reading

Facts About Breastfeeding

New mothers need to decide if they want to breastfeed their baby or to give their baby formula. Each individual mom will make that chose based on their circumstances and their personal preferences. The World Health Organization (WHO) has some informative facts about breastfeeding. The WHO points out that breastfeeding for the first six months is crucial. They recommend that mothers initiate breastfeeding with one hour after birth. According to the WHO, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. They also recommend that breastfeeding should continue for up … Continue reading

What is “Lazy Parenting” ?

There are a variety of parenting styles to choose from. Most people pick the one that their own parents used, or they select a style that they feel best fits their family. “Lazy parenting” is an option. It may sounds neglectful – or even dangerous – if you are unfamiliar with how it works. Oddly enough, so called “Lazy Parenting” may actually be more intensive, and difficult, than other parenting styles. No one wants to be called “lazy”. The word has a very negative connotation! One might assume that “lazy parenting” is a style selected by slacker parents who don’t … 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

TIME’s List of 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017

TIME creates an annual list of the 30 most influential teens. When the TIME staff puts the list together, they consider accolades across numerous fields, global impact through social media, and overall ability to drive news. Here is a quick look at just a few of the teenagers who TIME considers to be among the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017. Rayouf Alhumedhi is sixteen-years-old. She is from Saudi Arabia, is muslim, and wears a headscarf. When she searched for a headscarf emoji, she couldn’t find one. Rayouf started a campaign for the headscarf emoji, and appealed to both Apple … Continue reading

Get Ready for the New School Year

The new school year might begin for your kids in August or early September. You probably are aware of the need for new school supplies, school appropriate clothing, and an established bedtime. Many parents forget about the less obvious things that come with a brand new school year. Here are a few to be aware of so you will be ready when they appear. Strong Emotions In general, children tend to experience a lot of strong emotions at the start of a brand new school year. While some kids will be excited to start school again, many will express frustration … Continue reading

Summer Reading Programs for Kids

It has been said that kids can “lose” some of what they learned during the school year if they don’t practice those skills while on summer vacation. Summer reading programs can inspire kids to read books during the months when school is out. Your child could benefit from participating in a Summer reading program. Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program This Summer reading program began in May and will end on September 5, 2017. Children need to fill out a Summer Reading Journal (which can be printed from the Barnes & Noble website in English or in Spanish). Kids must … Continue reading

Things to Know About the New School Lunch Rules

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

FDA Warns of Dangers of Codeine and Tramadol for Children

The Food and Drug Administration has posted a safety announcement that warns parents of the dangers of giving children codeine pain and cough medicines and tramadol pain medicines. This warning includes a recommendation that women who are breastfeeding not use codeine or tramadol. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued this safety warning in April of 2017. It is an update to two previous safety warnings. One was an evaluation of potential risks of codeine cough and cold medicines in children that was issued in 2015. Another was an evaluation of the risk of using tramadol in children aged 17 … Continue reading