Having one of those days? Whether it's because of work, home, or everything going wrong at once, we all have rough days sometimes that leave us feeling ragged. To help, we've rounded up 12 realistic ways to lift your spirits when you're feeling down — all recommended by real moms who understand the juggle.
Has your infant's scalp developed dry flakes or crusty yellowish scales? It's likely cradle cap. Known as seborrheic dermatitis when it appears elsewhere on the body, cradle cap is a noncontagious skin condition that commonly affects infants in the first few weeks and months of life.
Although the exact cause of cradle cap isn't known, some doctors believe one factor is a mother's hormonal changes during pregnancy, which stimulate the baby's oil glands. Unlike other common infant rashes such as eczema and diaper rash, cradle cap isn't itchy or uncomfortable for a baby. While cradle cap usually resolves itself within a few weeks or months, many parents prefer to try the following cradle cap treatments to hasten the healing process.
Sloane Stephens, 20, has been playing tennis for the better part of her young life and is currently ranked number 16 in the world by the Women's Tennis Association. We were lucky enough to catch up with the emerging star yesterday as she took a rare moment away from the court to discuss a topic near to her heart: preventing children's sports injuries.
In honor of National Youth Sports Safety Month, Sloane has teamed up with Johnson & Johnson to promote their new Donate a Photo app, which raises funds for Safe Kids Worldwide, an organization dedicated to the prevention of children's athletic injuries. To put it to use, you just download the app, "donate" a photo, and Johnson & Johnson will give $1 to Safe Kids (or another non-profit organization of your choosing). The app allows you to donate a photo a day, and you can share your actions with Facebook friends and Twitter followers to encourage others to participate as well.
Read on to learn more about why safe sportsmanship is so important to Stephens, what you can do to prevent your own kids from getting hurt, and how to raise awareness on a larger scale.
POPSUGAR: When did you first become aware of the seriousness of children's sports injuries?
Sloane Stephens: My brother had broken both of his arms playing sports before the age of 10. It's all about awareness. Kids need to warm up before they begin practicing or playing a sport, stretch properly, and listen to their bodies. If something is bothering them or doesn't feel right, they need to know that it's OK to tell a parent or PE teacher.
PS: How did you get started playing tennis?
SS: I grew up right across from a country club and went to lots of Summer camps. I started playing when I was 9 years old. It was really a steady growth — I was never rushed or forced.
PS: What's your advice for parents who think that their child might have a real talent?
SS: Let your kids be kids. Don't force it. If you push it too much, your kids will respond by doing crazy things. They'll always find their way — just encourage them.
Click here to continue reading about Sloane's rise to success and how to prevent sports injuries.
With warmer Spring weather bringing plants and flowers back to life, you may find your child's allergies waking up too. So, what can you do to alleviate runny noses, itchy eyes, and other cold-like symptoms caused by pollen, grass, and weeds? Here, Circle of Moms members share their tried-and true remedies for Spring allergies.
Splish splash, your tot's done with taking a bath! There's no set age when kids move out of the bath and into the shower, but most parents agree that there comes a time when they're ready to take over the cleansing process. Before handing the reins over, get your shower ready for your child. From kid-size shower heads and soap dispensers to hooded towels for bigger tykes, here's everything you need to get your child showering on his own!
Good new for pregnant moms! If you're experiencing bad morning sickness, a new form of relief will soon be available in the US.
As the Huffington Post reports, the FDA has recently approved the drug Diclegis, which contains vitamin B6 and the over-the-counter antihistamine doxylamine.
Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post about letting kids play outside.
Last week, the parents of a six-year old girl learned that Child Protective Services might take their little girl from them. Their crime? They allowed her to walk a couple of blocks to the post office alone.
She doesn’t live in a busy city. She had to cross one road, a “T” intersection with a stop sign and traffic light. It was a very common walk for her, but her parents rehearsed her doing it independently as well. She had a cell phone on her just in case. And now, she might be removed completely from her family.
Related: Does My Body Measure Up to Other Moms'?
I feel terribly sad when I hear these stories. For one, I’ve been interrogated by CPS after a doctor irresposibly jumped to conclusions because my daughter is brain damaged. But, I also feel for the members of the public. As in the case of this six-year old girl, the ones who felt they had no choice but to involve the police, rather than believe the parents. It must feel awful when you can not remove yourself from suspicions, even after a reasonable explanation is given.
I’m geniunely unnerved by this state of fearfulness. Fear of your child being snatched from your peaceful suburban town. Fear of CPS knocking down your door if you allow them to explore safely. Fear of your child being kidnapped from your locked car when you run inside to grab your forgotten purse off the counter.
The statistics about child abduction may surprise you. Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says, “More missing children come home today than at any time in our nation’s history. And the total number of missing children has been on the decline over the past 10 years.”
Gone are the days when McDonald's and Burger King were the only fast-food options for families looking for lunch on the run. Whether you're on a road trip or shuttling between pickups and drop-offs, sometimes the drive-through window is simply the only reasonable option for a busy family. Luckily, parents now have plenty of choices when striving to feed kids quickly, without sacrificing quality and nutrition in the process.
But beware of hidden pitfalls, like seemingly healthy meals that are actually loaded with fat and calories or lacking in any nutritional value. We've scouted out the best meals to buy and those to skip when the goal is to keep little ones' engines fueled.
Children are magnets for colds and viruses. But the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that over-the-counter cough and cold medications not be given to kids younger than 2, and studies have shown that cold and cough products don't work in kids younger than 6. So what's a desperate parent to do?
We've rounded up seven cold- and cough-fighting strategies to speed your child’s recovery — without the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines.
Ear infections are one of the most common ailments that affect young children. As WebMD shares, recent research suggests over 60 percent of young children's colds result in an ear infection. And since babies can't tell us what's wrong, ear infections are particularly worrisome when you're the parent of an infant. To help you spot an ear infection in your little one, we looked to both experienced moms and medical experts for this roundup of seven key signs of ear infections in babies.
