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 daughter reading

How to Identify Your Child's Strengths & Weaknesses

Albert Einstein said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." This observation is never truer than when raising children. Each child has a different set of strengths and weaknesses.

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A girl playing outside

How to Slow Down a Hyper 2-Year-Old

Toddlers are naturally curious and energetic, often much to their parent's chagrin. Your 2-year-old's whirlwind personality means you're constantly on the go and chasing after your tiny ball of energy. Still, it's likely your pediatrician won't be alarmed. Hyperactivity disorders aren't typically diagnosed until age 4.

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How to Jog While Pregnant

If you're a runner, pregnancy doesn't have to stop you from enjoying your favorite form of exercise. In fact, the American Pregnancy Association says women who jog during pregnancy may gain less weight and have shorter labors than nonrunners. Still, you need to take certain precautions to jog safely while pregnant.

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Happy boy standing in a cot

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Gas Pains in Infants

While gas bubbles in your stomach are nothing more than an annoyance, gas bubbles in your infant's stomach can be painful and upsetting to her. When your baby is fussy after a feeding, gas bubbles due to swallowed air could be the culprit.

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My Baby Is Sitting Low in My Belly

Whether it's your first pregnancy or a repeat, you may find that you carry your baby low in your belly. Unlike the perky and round bellies that seem to burst forward on other women, carrying low means you have a more oblong-shaped belly that puts pressure on your lower back and pelvis.

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How to Elevate a Crib for a Baby With Reflux

When your baby suffers from acid reflux, you know that bedtime can often be the worst time of day for symptoms; as your baby lies flat on his mattress, acid can be more easily splashed up into the esophagus, causing your little one pain.

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African girl in hospital bed with mother talking to doctor

Sudden Nosebleeds in Children

When your child experiences a nosebleed, actually seeing the blood can often be more traumatizing than the bleeding itself. Since nose bleeds, medically known as epistaxis, are typically mild and not painful, quickly going to work to stop the nosebleed so your child can return to normal activities is best.

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Young mother with her daughter

Breastfeeding & Nipple Stimulation

While breast milk is best for your baby's nutrition and development, the nipple stimulation that naturally occurs when breastfeeding can have effects on your own body. Your nipples are covered in nerves that respond to the natural and gentle touch of your baby.

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Baby boy in his child safety car seat

The Safety of Baby Bunting Bags

It's tempting to add a baby bunting bag to your baby's stroller or car seat, especially during the colder winter months. Since baby bunting bags are sold at major retailers, they're mainstream and often thought of as safe for your baby.

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Female Runner finishing a run

Exercise-Induced Coughing Spasms

Heavy coughing during or after exercise is a sign of exercise-induced asthma, a condition that plagues the sufferer with asthma symptoms during exercise. If you have exercise-induced asthma, you experience bronchoconstriction when you work out.

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When Is It OK to Do Situps After a C-Section?

A cesarean section is a fairly common procedure in the United States. Over 30 percent of births are cesarean deliveries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recovery period for a C-section will be more complicated than the recovery from a vaginal birth.

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boy licking a popsicle

How to Heal Toddler Tongue Blisters

If you notice blisters in your child's mouth, you may become alarmed. Unfortunately, a blistered tongue and mouth is a common representation of hand, foot and mouth disease, sometimes called Coxsackie virus.

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Teaching outdoors

Goals for Early Childhood Education

If you're the parent of a young child, you might be thinking of enrolling him in a daycare, preschool or pre-kindergarten program to prepare him for elementary school. These programs are typically run by those with early childhood education certification and often offer more than just playtime.

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How to Plan an Infant Funeral

Planning a funeral for an infant is a task that no parent wants to undertake. Unfortunately because of stillbirth, early infant demise, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or any number of other reasons, you may find yourself doing just that.

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baby eats buckwheat groats

Finger Foods for 11-Month-Old Babies

Your 11-month-old is becoming more of an individual every day, from the toys she prefers to the snacks she loves. And while you may have introduced solid foods around the 6 month mark, you'll find that your little one might be interested in trying something more than Cheerios and mini goldfish crackers.

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How to Use the Avent Manual Breast Pump

The Avent Manual Brest Pump is an ideal way to relieve pressure through engorgement and to pump and store small amounts of milk for your baby to take via bottle when you aren't able to breastfeed. Manual pumps are best for infrequent pumping, as they take longer than electric pumps to strip the milk from the breast.

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Family talking together

How to Make My Child Stop Spitting

A child often spits to illicit a reaction from adults or to show contempt for something when verbal explanation isn't possible. Spitting is a habit that can follow your child throughout life and cause problems, so it's important to do what you can to make your child stop spitting as soon as you notice a problem.

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portrait of a daughter riding piggyback on her mother

How to Teach Morals to Children

Teaching your children moral values is the process by which you help them develop their moral compasses. The morals your children learn as kids will affect how they see the world and behave as adults.

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Closeup of a young father carrying his baby and holding a pacifi

How to Keep Your Baby From Spitting Out a Pacifier

A pacifier can be an important part of a new parent's arsenal. It helps soothe your baby, and a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics and published in a 2005 issue of "Pediatrics" found that pacifiers may significantly reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in infants.

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