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Show your kiddos extra affection by playing cupid this Valentine’s Day. Fill your loved ones? hearts with a love for reading by surprising them with one of these adorable Valentine’s Day books. More: How to Use Valentine?s Day to Teach Kids About Love A book is always a wonderful choice for a Valentine’s Day gift, and it’s a lovely tradition to start early. From your baby’s very first valentine-themed board book to self-love inspiration for teens, it’s the perfect gift to give year after year....

Place empty bowls at the opposite end of the play area. Split family members into two teams and have them carry the corn from one bowl to the other using measuring cups. First to empty their bowl wins! The object of the game is to poke the end of the stick through the hoop, using only one hand. To make the game a little easier for younger kids, wrap the loop with masking tape so it’s not as floppy....

Your Baby’s Development at 17 Weeks At 17 weeks, baby measures just over 5 1/4 inches (13.5 centimeters) when measured from the top of their head to the bottom of their buttocks (crown-rump length). Which Trimester? Second trimester How Many Weeks to Go? 23 weeks The average height for a baby at 17 weeks from the top of their head to their heels (known as crown-heel length) is just under 7 3/4 inches (19....

Ultrasounds performed for non-medical reasons, however, are typically not recommended. Health experts generally advise against “keepsake” three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) ultrasounds, which produce still and moving images of your baby in the uterus, because there is no medical benefit and the long-term effects of these lengthy ultrasound exposure are unknown. 2D Ultrasound All ultrasounds use sound waves to create a picture. The traditional ultrasound used in pregnancy creates a 2D image of a developing fetus....

Diastasis recti happens when the two muscle bellies of the rectus abdominis separate. The separation between the right and left sides of this muscle can happen during pregnancy when the linea alba, or the tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles, stretches to allow the body room for your baby. Your OB/GYN or physical therapist can determine if the separation you have is considered wide enough to be diastasis recti. In general, separation of more than two centimeters at one or more points of the linea alba meets the criteria for diastasis recti....

More: 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for the Whole Family Buying presents for every single person in the family can be extremely costly. It can also produce excessive waste and make it difficult for families who are traveling to transport large numbers of presents. A focus on having a big gift for every single family member can also take up time and take away opportunities for fun and social interaction on Christmas day....

Confetti Launchers Photo Credit: Piikea Street Materials: Toilet paper tube Glue stick Tissue paper, red, white, and blue 12-inch balloons Scissors Tape Construction paper, red, white, and blue Instructions: 4th of July Windsock Photo Credit: I Can Teach My Child Materials: Blue construction paper White tempera paint Paper plate Apple core Crepe paper streamers, red and white Glue stick Single hole punch Chenille stick Instructions: Patriotic Suncatcher Stars Photo Credit: Mom Inspired Life Materials:...

More: Raising Resilient Children Through Good-Enough Parenting What makes the USWNT the ultimate role models? 1. They are unapologetically themselves We don’t want our young girls growing up within the trappings of being ladylike, as many of us did. We want our girls to be exactly who they are. Today, our girls can be fierce and/or loud and/or passionate and/or outspoken. The USWNT are a group of individuals who are loud and proud of exactly who they are....

Instead, the influence is more subtle—it’s a matter of your teen seeing what other friends are doing and deciding to follow suit because they want to fit in. The idea that “everybody is doing it” can make teens make choices you wish they wouldn’t. This is especially true when teens think the “cool kids” are doing something. Teens may make incorrect assumptions about cliques, but teens who believe the popular kids drink, smoke, or skip class, may think those behaviors will make them seem cool....

And then a new little human arrived on the scene and your confidence took a nosedive. Becoming a parent is enough to make anyone feel less than self-assured. From navigating breastfeeding to handling a new (and ever-changing) sleep schedule, there are so many unknowns that come along with a tiny little person. And unless you took intensive pre-baby parenting classes or had nine younger siblings, there’s a lot no one really prepares you for....

More: This Is How One Parent Raises Their Gender-Neutral Child Nonbinary people may also choose to identify as genderfluid, agender, genderqueer, or enby. They may feel as if they are a mix of genders, or that they do not conform to any gender at all. A person’s sex is determined at birth by their biological body parts, but their gender is a social construct that can be chosen and reflect what a person knows they are....

As someone who has an undergraduate degree in theater and has spent a lot of time on and off stage with plays, I love the idea of Shakespearean baby names. Both my children have names or middle names from theater or literature. And while we ultimately went with Samuel Beckett and James Joyce’s Finnegan as inspiration, a Shakespeare name or two was on the shortlist both times. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays....

“When working with families I like to remind them that nutrition habits and food relationships are made over time,” says Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition. “Continue to offer nutritious options through the holiday season.” Feller encourages parents to keep nutrition top of mind when deciding what to bake for the holidays and get the whole family involved. “Kids can and should be invited into the kitchen to engage in age-appropriate cooking activities,” she adds....

Most kids who experience divorce are resilient and do not exhibit psychological problems. Still, children of divorced parents are at higher risk for certain things, such as academic difficulties, disruptive behaviors, and depression. They are also more at risk for experiencing poverty, engaging in risky behaviors, and encountering their own family instability as they grow older. Many children exhibit behavioral changes in the first year following a divorce. Most resolve within several years....

Although this may sound obsessive, there is a hidden purpose behind the mad wedding planning: It helps keep mom’s emotions in tow. However, before promising your daughter the moon, get a game plan: Do not jump the gun. Do not promise your daughter anything until you check out the price (if you are footing the bill). Do establish a budget if you are footing the bill. Do determine from the get-go which decisions each of you has a right to make....

When researchers surveyed 1,000 women ages 18 to 40 about basic female reproduction, more than half the respondents were confused or missing essential information on getting pregnant and female fertility. So if you’re unclear on ovulation and conception, you are not alone. Here is what you need to know about ovulation to help you make informed decisions on starting your family. You Need to Have Sex Before Ovulation If you’re trying to get pregnant, you need to time sex for before you ovulate—and not after....

Age group: 18-40 months Duration of activity: 20 minutes Materials: Index cards Magazine pictures of characters and animals that are easy to mime White craft glue A hat or other container Kitchen timer This simplified version of charades is a great activity for the whole family. title: “Act It Out” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-10” author: “Daniel Moody” For most children, drama begins informally at a very young age. Playing with dolls is drama; playing store or hospital is drama; and playing cops and robbers is drama....

What to Look For In the days ahead, monitor your baby’s stool. Blood that appears in baby poop can have several causes, some of which aren’t alarming and some that may require medical attention. Before you assume that what you saw was blood, think about what foods your baby recently ate. Because their digestive systems are immature, the food babies eat may not change very much before it’s eliminated. That’s why their stools can take on every shade of the rainbow, including red if food like beets and tomatoes were eaten....