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Age group: 30-40 months Duration of activity: 15 minutes Enhance your child’s listening skills and auditory discrimination with this silly activity.

The sensation of ovulation is often described as a dull or sharp abdominal pain that can last just a few minutes or a few days. Light bleeding may also occur. Generally, ovulation happens about two weeks from the start of your last period. The process is painless for most people, but others will experience what’s known as “mittelschmerz”—a German term meaning “middle pain.” Mittelschmerz can cause discomfort in the lower abdomen but is rarely cause for concern....

More: 6 Ways to Get Your Child Involved in the Voting Process Election Day is about educating yourself. The kids and I started talking about candidate options and ballot questions months ago. They came with me to local meetings where candidates spoke and information was shared. We talked about important issues in the news in a manner where I could frame them in child-friendly ways. They began to understand that good voting decisions are informed decisions....

For the first time in four years, I was able to travel home for, both, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, we did not participate in Black Friday shopping (other than casual online sales, read: standing in line for hours in hope to be one of the first four people into the store also after that same item… yeah, we didn’t do that this year and it was glorious). Instead, after our Thanksgiving meal, we napped and then went to the movies....

The Role of a SAHM SAHMs often play many diverse roles, meaning there’s not a single task that defines them. Typically, they handle many different jobs to keep the children engaged, fed, clean, active, and hitting developmental milestones, while also acting as the family’s housekeeper, organizer, social planner, treasurer, personal shopper, and chauffeur, among myriad other roles. While they’re vital to their family, some may not understand or value this role and may debate a SAHM’s contributions to society as a whole....

Carrier screening allows people to assess some of the potential health challenges their future baby may face. Your OB/GYN and/or genetic counselor can help you determine which genetic conditions to screen for and will assist you in interpreting your results. “Carrier screening is a genetic test that can be done through blood work or a saliva sample to help identify individuals who may have a higher chance of having a child with certain genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, or spinal muscular atrophy,” says Trisha Shires, a certified genetic counselor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology in the center for Advanced Maternal and Fetal Care and High-Risk Pregnancy at the University of Kansas Health System....

What’s different is how much medication is used to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs. While typical IVF aims to produce several eggs for retrieval, mini-IVF uses weaker medications or lower doses of medications to produce only a few eggs. It may also be done without any ovarian stimulating drugs. Because lower amounts of fertility drugs are used, the cost per cycle is lower, and the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is reduced....

In construction, scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and provide access to the materials necessary for building, maintenance, and repair. The philosophy is similar in educational scaffolding and works almost the same way. The difference is that the goal is to build independence in children. The idea is that children can more readily understand new lessons and concepts if they have support as they’re learning....

Consequently, identifying the differences between a close-knit group of friends and a clique is essential. Here is what you need to know about cliques including the risks and consequences as well as how to prevent them in your child’s life and cope with them should your child get involved in one. What Is a Clique? Friendships naturally form around things that people have in common. As a result, it is just as natural for football players to hang out together as it is for the mathletes....

While some people, like my sister, enjoy academics enough to pursue a Ph.D., I’ve met many others, like my old boss and various other friends, who decided college wasn’t for them and have no regrets. Today, society as a whole is a lot more accepting of different career paths and there is less pressure and discrimination against those that choose not to pursue a college degree. And there are so many other choices to consider, as we will cover below....

But what happens if your child breaks a bone, gets stung by a bee, or is having an asthma attack? Is it still safe to seek emergency medical care for non-COVID-19 issues? The key is knowing what level of care your child needs—whether it’s from the emergency room, urgent care, or a call to the pediatrician—and then responding appropriately. Here are some general guidelines. Minor Medical Issues For the most part, it’s probably best to avoid urgent care and doctor’s offices if you can....

While you might worry that you’re doing something wrong, know that there are several reasons that babies react this way. Here’s a brief overview of why your grandchild might not take to you right away, and a few things that you can do. Developmental Basis A grandchild’s negative reaction to a grandparent sometimes has developmental causes. By about six months old, many babies begin to react badly to strangers. If you are unable to see a grandchild often, you’re more likely to be perceived as a stranger....

IVF Pregnancy Test When can you take a pregnancy test during an IVF treatment cycle? Your doctor will likely schedule a blood test 10 to 14 days after the egg retrieval. The blood test will detect and measure the hormone hCG, the “pregnancy hormone.” You should not take an early at-home pregnancy test during IVF treatment. Taking multiple early pregnancy tests is a bad habit many fertility-challenged women struggle with, and it’s one you should try your best to resist if you’re getting fertility treatments....

The idea that a woman could give birth without medication and only with her partner by her side to support her during labor was radical and revolutionary in 1947, when Dr. Robert Bradley invented the method. At this time, men were not invited to the birthing room at all. They stayed in the waiting room and only entered after the delivery was complete. The Bradley Method is sometimes also referred to as husband-coached natural childbirth, and the name of the business that trains and certifies Bradley Method instructors is the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth....

“Your toddler produces growth hormones [while] sleeping. If they don’t get adequate sleep, they may have growth problems, including stunted or slow growth,” says Rebecca Michi, a pediatric sleep consultant in Seattle, Wash. While a few weeks of interrupted sleep during an illness or fearful phase may be no big deal, chronic sleep deprivation can not only affect growth but is also linked to concentration issues and health problems like diabetes....

Maybe it means she’s going to make an immediate request for support on your behalf and start demanding financial documents, with the goal of having your case ready for trial within six months. Maybe your lawyer can’t say when things will happen because too much depends on what the other side wants; still, she should have a general idea of how the case will proceed from your side given any number of scenarios....

5 to 10 minutes Materials None Directions You can help your baby gain upper body strength by gently lifting the legs while she is in the tummy position, encouraging her to move forward with the hands, if interested. This should feel good and be quite enjoyable if the baby is physically ready and if you are careful not to overdo. Extensions Do this activity while moving toward a mirror that can be seen at that level....

We are going to talk about different types of adoption, what they mean not only for the adoptive family but the birth family as well, and some steps you can take to receive support if the birth parents suddenly become part of the picture again. Types of Adoption There are 4 main types of adoption each with its own rules and regulations. The type will depend on what is agreed upon by the adoptive and birth families and is usually handled by an adoption attorney....

Exactly when babies can hold their head up varies between children, but it generally happens around 4 months of age. At birth, a baby’s head will flop backward if unsupported. Over the next several months, though, their muscles will develop and they will stretch and strengthen their necks until they can finally hold their heads up independently, sphinx-style, around 4 months old. “Infants at this age have the upper body strength to hold their head and neck up at a 45-degree angle,” explains Pierrette Mimi Poinsett, MD, a pediatrician and health advocate consultant for Mom Loves Best....

Car Seat and Booster Seat Safety The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines when it comes to rear-facing seats. It is recommended that your child be at least 2 years of age before switching to forward-facing seats. Of course, this means they will still be safest in that same car seat because they are still too small for a shoulder belt or lap belt. However, they also say to hold off until your child meets the height and weight limit as well....