Kid Shopping

Should Kids Read the Book Before Seeing the Movie?

From The Hunger Games to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a number of movies today are based on popular books.


From The Hunger Games to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a number of movies today are based on popular books. Some moms say there are good reasons to read the book first, while others prefer their child just see the movie. To help you decide whether your teens should only be allowed in the theater after they finish the book, here are four questions to consider.

parenting

How to Treat Different Diaper Rashes

Who knew the term "diaper rash" could mean so many different things?

Who knew the term "diaper rash" could mean so many different things? All rashes do have one thing in common: they make your baby miserable, and understandably so! Here's a look at the most common diaper rashes and the best ways to treat them, as shared by Circle of Moms members.

Keep reading.

parenting

Pediatricians Rank Best Children's Hospitals

None of us want our children to get sick, but it's good to know where to find the best care for them, just in case they do.

None of us want our children to get sick, but it's good to know where to find the best care for them, just in case they do.

U.S. News recently released its annual report of the best children's hospitals, and as the Huffington Post reports, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia garnered the No. 1 spot.

For the survey, U.S. News asked 1,500 doctors where they would send the sickest children for treatment. Eighty-seven hospitals were honored in the report, and 10 pediatric specialists, in everything from cancer to urology, were ranked.

Find out how your local hospital ranks at the Huffington Post.

Source: Shutterstock
parenting

Bullied Teen Jumps in Front of Moving Train

Nothing is a more urgent reminder of the dangers of teasing in the age of social media than the story of a kid who takes her own life.

Nothing is a more urgent reminder of the dangers of teasing in the age of social media than the story of a kid who takes her own life. Earlier this week, a 15-year-old New York teen named Felicia Garcia committed suicide by leaping in front of a moving train. The Staten Island freshman made her tragic jump while her classmates watched, allegedly because she "dwelled on rumors" from bullies, The Huffington Post reports.

Friends said they never suspected she would take her own life as they waited for the train after school, but Garcia's Twitter account revealed otherwise. Shortly before her suicide, she wrote on Twitter: "I can't, I'm done, I give up."

Kid Shopping

Sienna's Whimsical, Sweet, Pink and Gold Nursery

If you're a fan of Green Wedding Shoes, you're already familiar with founder Jen Campbell's refined aesthetic and style.

If you're a fan of Green Wedding Shoes, you're already familiar with founder Jen Campbell's refined aesthetic and style. While the blog's focus is beautiful weddings, you needn't be a bride to appreciate the design inspiration that GWS offers.

When Jen welcomed her daughter, Sienna, this February, she incorporated a baby series into her site's coverage, including, of course, a truly special nursery. The new mama worked with Serena & Lily and The Land of Nod (two of our faves!) to create a "pretty and girly (but not over the top girly) modern nursery with a touch of whimsy." We think she nailed it! Click through to see the highlights of Sienna's very sweet space.

Kid Shopping

Paperless Post's New Baby Collection Is Over-the-Top Adorable

We've been fans of Paperless Post's design-friendly digital greetings since the site's launch a few years back, and its offerings just keep getting better and better.

We've been fans of Paperless Post's design-friendly digital greetings since the site's launch a few years back, and its offerings just keep getting better and better. The team has recently partnered with the likes of Jonathan Adler, Petit Bateau, and Kate Spade New York for what's surely the chic-est collection of baby stationery on the web.

Consider yourself more of a traditional type? Many of the designs are also now available to have printed on card stock and sent via good old-fashioned snail mail. Check out 10 of our absolute favorite Paperless Post birth announcements, and get a taste for just how sweet the new collaborations are!

Kid Shopping

Ready or Not, Here I Come! 15 Adorable Outfits For Baby's Homecoming

When it's time for your new addition to make his or her "real world" debut, what you choose to dress them in can be a big decision — especially when snap-happy dads and grandparents are going to be there to capture every moment on camera.

When it's time for your new addition to make his or her "real world" debut, what you choose to dress them in can be a big decision — especially when snap-happy dads and grandparents are going to be there to capture every moment on camera.

Eighty-one percent of PopSugar MOMS readers say that they bought a special ensemble for their newborn to wear on this momentous day, and if you're planning on following suit, we recommend an outfit that's soft, cozy, and easy to get on and off. Converter gowns and kimono styles are especially desirable, as are pieces that don't go over the new baby's head. Check out our 15 favorite finds, and tell us, what did (or will) you bring home baby in?

Swimming

What Does Drowning Look Like? Not What You Think

Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter!

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 drowning. I took my eyes away for seconds to check on my 4-year-old swimmer. "Great job!" I shouted out, so proud that he had reached the other side of the pool without any help. He was coming along quite well as a swimmer! I wasn't surprised; we've practically lived at the pool since he was 2 years old! Related: If hospitals don't teach new moms how to breastfeed, who will? I turned my head back to my 3-year-old whose quiet desperation was begging for me to grab him. He was bobbing for a breath. His hands weren't splashing. Without a word, his wide panicked eyes were imploring mommy to HELP! Seconds ago, he was playing on the steps. Seconds ago, while my head was turned, he had decided to swim to mommy. Seconds ago, I didn't realize I may only have seconds left. I pulled him up and rushed him to the side of the pool. He gasped and coughed. I had been right there with him the whole time, but with one moment it could've been bad. So bad. It all could've happened so fast. We were lucky. This week, the BabyCenter community has been abuzz with an article about what to look for in drowning—the first paragraph alone should shock anyone into reading and memorizing the whole article to learn more about what to look for when it comes to drowning. None of this is new though, BabyCenter blogger Kristina Sauerwein wrote about her experience a couple of years ago in the post "In a blink, my son began to drown." "Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect," writes Mario Vittone, author of "Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning." Drowning is quick and silent. Have you ever had a close call while swimming with your kids?

More great reads from BabyCenter:
Unhelpful parenting tips from Game of Thrones
10 tips for going green in your laundry
B Kids launches line of wooden toys
6 questions that will free you from clutter

Tweens

Mom Uses Target Ad to Nab Sexual Predator

"Caroline," a mom from St. Petersburg, FL, wasn't keen on her 11-year-old getting on Facebook, so she was furious when she discovered her daughter corresponding with a 23-year-old man through the social network.

"Caroline," a mom from St. Petersburg, FL, wasn't keen on her 11-year-old getting on Facebook, so she was furious when she discovered her daughter corresponding with a 23-year-old man through the social network. She wrote back to the older "friend" as though she were her daughter, and when his requests became explicit, she used her wits — and a Target mailer — to put him behind bars.

Watch the USA Today video below to find out how her one-woman sting operation got this predator off the streets.

Source: USA Today
family life

Is It Selfish to Want Just One Child?

When you hear that a family has an only child, what comes to mind — about both the child and the parents?

When you hear that a family has an only child, what comes to mind — about both the child and the parents? While common stereotypes may lead us to think of only children as being lonely or selfish and of their parents as being consumed with status over family, Lauren Sandler, the author of One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child and the Joy of Being One, begs to differ. In her recent op-ed for The New York Times, Sadler — who is an only child herself and mother to one — argues the case that not only are only children just as likely to thrive as those with siblings, but also, their parents are likely to be happier and more relaxed.

The differences between only children and those raised with siblings tend to be positive ones. Ms. Falbo and Ms. Polit [researchers at the University of Texas] examined hundreds of studies in the 1980s and found that only children had demonstrably higher intelligence and achievement; only children have also been found to have more self-esteem. These findings, which have been confirmed repeatedly in recent years, hold true regardless of whether parents of only children stayed together and regardless of economic class.

With current statistics showing that one in five American families now have just one child, the topic is particularly relevant. "Call me selfish but, as the mother of one child, I enjoy more time, energy, and resources than I would if I had more children. And it is hard to imagine that this isn't better for my family as well as for me," Sadler wrote. What do you think? Is having an only child selfish on the part of the parents? Are only children at any sort of disadvantage compared to their peers with siblings?