Parenting & Child Development: From Infancy to Adolescence

Parenting success relies on understanding developmental benchmarks, managing maternal health during and after pregnancy, and implementing effective behavioral strategies for toddlers and teenagers.

Mother And Teenage Son Arguing On Sofa

Disadvantages of Teen Curfews

Although adolescents need limits and guidelines to keep them in check during the teen years, some rules push the process over the top. As you contemplate your teenager’s curfew, learn the negative aspects of this teen rule to educate yourself thoroughly.

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Boy with hands on head

Drastic Changes in a Toddler's Behavior

A sudden change in a toddler's behavior is a cause for concern. Drastic personality changes or inexplicable new reactions to normal events that used to be no problem could be an indication of serious problems, including abuse, bullying, depression and behavioral issues.

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Young girl with headset doing homework on floor

Washington State Law on Leaving Kids Home Alone

It's a crazy, busy world. Mom works, Dad works and the kids have after-school obligations. With everything you have to do, it isn't always convenient -- or even affordable -- to schedule someone to look after the children.

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Three girls (6-8 years) sitting on rear seat of car during road trip

Rules in Ohio on Kids Riding in the Front Seat

Like many states, Ohio has strict regulations on restraining children in cars. The law includes stipulations for when children can ride in the front seat of the car, although there are exceptions to the rule.

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Singing girl in the orange cap

Ideas for Songs for Pre-Teens to Perform in a Talent Show

Many preteens are preoccupied with their social alliances and desire to make a good impression on their peers during social events such as talent shows. Fast, uptempo songs are more likely to get audiences out of their seats, while ballads give performers an opportunity to showcase their vocal skills.

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Young girl (8-10) with dog on bed, smiling

North Carolina's State Laws Regarding Kids Staying Home Alone

Parents in North Carolina face this quandary as their children grow older -- how old can their children be before being allowed to be at home alone? It isn’t only single parents trying to figure this out; two-parent families with both parents working outside the home struggle with this issue, too.

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Parents lecturing sulking preteen girl

Alternative Disciplinary Schools for Troubled Kids in Pennsylvania

According to the Pennsylvania Code, children between the ages of 8 and 17, who haven't graduated high school, must receive state-approved schooling in a public, private or home-school program. While public schools are a traditional route for many families, sometimes a child must attend an alternative program.

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Camp counselor with boys

Summer Camps for Kids With Behavior Problems in Florida

Parents who have children with behavioral problems often will turn to summer camp programs that cater to their children's needs. Florida is home to several of these programs, and many use the natural resources that the area has to offer as a springboard to effective treatment.

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Crawling baby

Do Late-term Babies Hit Milestones Faster?

Although individual children grow at different rates, full-term babies delivered after 37 weeks have had more time to develop before birth. As a result, they’re more likely to hit their developmental milestones on time, whereas infants born prematurely may lag behind. Noted pediatrician Dr.

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Drooling baby

Excessive Salivation in Kids

Children generally gain full control over salivation by age 4. In some cases, excess salivation isn't anything to worry about, but it sometimes accompanies health conditions. When your child's body produces too much saliva, it often causes drooling, which can be embarrassing for parents and children.

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Mother sitting with son (9-11) on decking

What Are the Essential Characteristics of a Good Parent?

Being a successful parent helps develop qualities in children such as honesty, empathy, self-control, self-reliance, cooperation, cheerfulness and kindness, and instills in them the motivation to achieve, according to author and Temple University psychology professor Laurence Steinberg.

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Three Female Students Sat on a Row of Lockers, with Three Male Students Looking On

The Adolescent Stage of Human Development

Around the age of 11 or 12, your loving, carefree child may become a stranger, but the changes you see in mood and behavior are likely normal and indicate your child is the adolescent stage of development.

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Parents fighting

Broken Families & Child Behavior

A broken family -- a family in which the parents are separated or divorced -- is disruptive to your child's life no matter how carefully you protect him. Over time, your little one will come to accept his new "normal,"

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couple kissing

How to Help Promiscuous Teen Girls

Sexual promiscuity among teenage girls can have many adverse consequences, including risks to their physical and emotional health, and unwanted pregnancies. Approximately 400,000 teenage girls gave birth during 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Sleeping teen

Why Are Teenagers Lazy?

Some days, it seems the only thing teenagers love more than their cell phones is staying in bed. But are they a "lazy, unaware and apathetic" Generation Z, as The Huffington Post put it in 2013? If it's tough getting your teen to take an interest in schoolwork, community life or the chores, take heart.

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