Parenting success relies on understanding developmental benchmarks, managing maternal health during and after pregnancy, and implementing effective behavioral strategies for toddlers and teenagers.
It's a wonderful moment when your baby first reaches for you. Not only is it an obvious sign that she's physically capable of doing it, it also means she's come to recognize you as a person she needs and trusts. Reaching out for you is usually a sign she's ready to be picked up and cuddled.
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It's often difficult for novice parents to accurately judge whether their newborn baby's behavior falls within the range of normal. Even perfectly normal newborn movements, sounds and behavior can seem odd to nervous first-time mothers and fathers.
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The bad boy persona is one that teen girls -- and women -- are presented with on TV, in movies and in books, according to Boston-based psychiatrist Susan Carey. These bad boys often are dangerous and inappropriate, but they turn out to be sweet guys by the end.
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Approximately one million teenage girls give birth in the United States each year, according to KidsHealth.org. In addition to the physical risks and financial difficulties, teenage moms experience significant social changes as well.
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A baby is considered premature if he's born earlier than the 37th week of pregnancy. A preemie should be introduced to solid foods around four to six months after his expected due date -- rather than his actual date of birth, notes FamilyDoctor.org.
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As girls progress into adolescence, they may seem to change, almost overnight, from innocent children who dress like what they are -- young girls. They begin choosing revealing and provocative clothing. They start to communicate almost constantly with boys in their classes.
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Today’s families are busier than ever. In many families, both parents work outside of the home while trying to maintain some semblance of organization inside the home.
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If you are a parent, chances are you fall into one of four parenting categories: permissive, uninvolved, authoritative and authoritarian. The permissive parent, the least demanding of the group, tends to be highly responsive to his child's emotional needs.
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When you discover your son wearing female clothing, including skirts, tights, heels and even panties, it can be a shocking experience. You worry that if your son is a cross-dresser, he has a mental problem or sexual perversion.
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According to McKenzie Pediatrics, in Springfield, Oregon, toilet training can be defined as delayed if your child is more than 3 years of age and is not toilet trained after three or more months of training despite being otherwise healthy.
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Conformity describes shaping actions and beliefs to align with the opinions and behaviors of others. Tweens, typically students in middle school, feel pressure to conform during the middle-adolescent years.
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Doctors perform C-sections, also known as Cesarean sections, when women cannot safely give birth vaginally. Doctors make a surgical incision in the abdomen and deliver the baby through the uterine and abdominal walls. According to Kids Health, approximately 30 percent of all babies born in the U.S.
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Pickling vegetables at home was a very common activity with past generations. Pickling preserves food, which was especially important prior to refrigeration. The most commonly pickled vegetable is the cucumber, although other vegetables are also pickled.
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Feeding your baby solid foods can be a daunting task as he experiences new tastes and learns what he likes. Allergic reactions to foods are also an important concern for parents. Food allergens can cause potentially dangerous reactions.
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Laboratories perform tests on blood samples and measure the results against accepted ranges. Results are used to diagnose illness, measure medication levels, help employers make hiring decisions and indicate the presence of drugs and alcohol for legal purposes.
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Vomiting due to a virus -- also known as gastroenteritis -- can be a common yet upsetting condition in children. When your child experiences a vomiting episode, your chief priority is to keep him hydrated while the virus runs its course.
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A school of thought holds that letting your baby "cry it out" teaches him to fall asleep without comfort. Some sleep and parenting experts swear by the value of letting your baby soothe himself, while others believe you should swoop in to provide comfort at the first tear.
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Juice fasting is a short-term detoxification strategy that involves consuming only fresh fruit and/or vegetable juices. Solid foods, especially those derived from animals and grains, are avoided while juice fasting.
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Child assessments evaluate development and progress by gathering objective information. Checklists provide a tool for recording a child's behavior to assess potential problems or to develop a behavior management plan.
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Many parents don't have room for both a dresser and a changing table in their baby's nursery. A changing table is a convenient way to change diapers and the top of a dresser converted for this purpose allows you to have storage and a clean surface combined in one piece of furniture.
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