Tag Archives: parenting

Daylight Savings Time: How to Beat the Sunday Scaries

The clocks are set to spring forward at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10, and parents everywhere have a sense of impending doom, as that single hour of missed sleep wreaks havoc on kids, creating significant bedtime battles both in the morning and at night. Sleep Health Educator & Certified Sleep Coach Soda Kuczkowski says the sudden need to fall asleep …

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Summer Love: How to Handle your Kid’s First Crush

If your kids are going to camp this summer, there’s a good chance they’ll experience their first crush. What should you say and do if that happens? How should you handle this new and unfamiliar situation? Here’s what the experts suggest: Take their feelings seriously The first and most basic thing to do is take your kids’ feelings seriously and …

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Parent You Should Know: Zorina Thomas

By Heather M. Ross The bond between a mother and her son is one of the strongest there is, but this Frederick mother is closer to her son than most—they’re sharing one set of kidneys. When Zorina Thomas’ son, Lavon, was 11-months-old, she donated her kidney to him. Lavon was born with Prune Belly Syndrome, which meant that his kidneys …

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Talking to Kids About Disabilities

By Sarah Lyons “Why do you talk like that?” I heard the question come from behind me as I helped another child in the Sunday school class. “It’s just the way I am,” I heard my sister-in-law wisely answer the curious boy. My sister-in-law, Kara, was born with cerebral palsy. She was helping me in the classroom that day when …

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Is Your Child Being Bullied — Or Bullying Another Child? Here’s What To Do.

For many students, bullying is an unfortunate reality of their school experience. Children can be cruel no matter how old they are, though a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Injury Center states that bullying is most commonly reported in middle school. Common anti-bullying sentiment, such as “be an upstander, not a bystander,” an adage that many …

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Parenting Your Child Through the Arts: What To Do and What Not to Do

The performing and visual arts present unique opportunities and challenges, posing both an important step in developing children’s creativity and a way for parents to accidentally fall into toxic “stage parent” tendencies. What does navigating this look like? We tapped David Katzner, president and general partner at the National Parenting Center, for advice. The Basic Steps “During the elementary school …

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Reconnecting with Your LGBTQ+ Child: A Q&A with Advocate Kollyn Conrad

Kollyn Conrad grew up in Maryville, a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. When Conrad came out as gay, he says his mother was confused and afraid—afraid of what that would mean for him in this country, Conrad says. At 18, Conrad moved across the country to L.A., and eventually launched his nonprofit, Publicly Private, in June of 2021. Publicly Private’s mission …

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Planning a Playdate with a Neurodivergent Child

Playdates are an important part of childhood. They offer time for kids to interact socially without the structure of school or extracurricular activities. They also help kids learn to share, socialize and play freely while still having support from their parents as needed. Children who are neurodivergent, or who have developmental disabilities, are no exception. They benefit from playdates as …

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Behavior Analyst: The Importance of Siblings on the Autism Journey

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect social communication and behaviors. ASD is considered a “spectrum” disorder because it can involve a range of symptoms that can vary in severity, presentation and impact on one’s daily life. When a child is diagnosed with ASD, it is the beginning of a journey that can affect the entire …

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Editor’s Picks: Virtual reality, bedtime stories and more for learning and play

By Elena Epstein, director of the National Parenting Product Awards. NAPPA Awards has been celebrating the best in family products for 32 years. For more product reviews and gift ideas, visit nappaawards.com  More Than Affirmations: Inspiring Affirmation Cards, Reflection Prompts and Activities for Kids Features 30 positive affirmation cards for kids with different and unique reflection prompts, and mindful activities …

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