Practical

There is an old custom that, after a baby girl is born, the parents host a kiddush reception when people bestow blessings on the child.

I am sometimes that hurt, frustrated, angry child. And so are you.

Most of us would love to keep up our facade that we have everything together. But my experience is that no honest person does.

If parent and child did not bond at birth or infancy, can that still occur at any point in the relationship?

After all the hard work of labor and recovery, having a brit only eight days later can be overwhelming.

It was 4 in the morning, and the whole house was quiet and asleep. I sat alone on a couch in the living room, silently sobbing with a frantic baby in my arms. A few weeks into motherhood found me exhausted, bewildered and unable to breastfeed.

Hadn’t she also used Shira’s help in taking care of him? Hadn’t she been relieved when they were “playing together,” leaving her off the hook for a while?

Siblings. How do we understand the intense rivalry intertwined with unwavering loyalty

These 7 Jewish parenting principles can help you go from bearish to bullish on your best long-term investment.

Ready or not, as Mom, I had to address the tragedy.

What can your newborn do, and what can’t he? What’s normal, and what’s not? What should I expect of this baby’s abilities?

The tone of our voice carries strong messages. Children hear the nuances of our voice, and their emotions are affected by them.

The personal well-being of a single child is far more important than the lesson plan for the entire class.

To an outsider, another person’s success often looks easy, as if it were the mere luck of the draw. But a closer look reveals a clear goal, together with tremendous amounts of faith, strength, courage and hard work—a life of complicated decisions that result in an abundance of blessings

“Aha,” I said. “They, too, have it. A Vitamin N deficiency. They don’t get enough of the ‘N’ word.” She sighed and smiled wearily. “Yes, that’s it.”

As educators and parents, there’s a great deal we can do to help kids develop their natural sense of awe.

Some days, I feel like I am nursing her all the time, and doubt and fear creep into the back of my mind

Smiling and loving are related; they are both activities of harmony and unity. Both bring people together, melting away differences and conflict.

My 11-year-old son is absolutely fascinated by fire. So fascinated that he grabs every opportunity to strike a match.

Parents are often so intent on teaching that they overlook a critical aspect of education: the teaching strategy.

Was I really doing something wrong by wanting a few potato chips?

Did I not get it right? Didn’t I listen well? Didn’t I positivize him properly?

Not only are we able to better take care of our family’s nutritional needs when we prepare family meals, it enables us to make time for the things that really matter.

Although parents may feel awkward about insisting that their child thank them, they need to remember that this thanking is not for their own sake, but for the child’s sake.

Our sages tell us that we should aim to avoid extremes in our personal expression and experiences of emotions. But when it comes to anger, we are admonished to remove it entirely.

Dealing with Yael’s dislike of fruit, I found myself motivated to research finicky eaters and develop an effective method for exposing her to new foods.

I didn’t want to force the kids to eat healthy foods, but I didn’t want to just let them have free rein over the refrigerator, either. How could I find the healthy balance between being too strict and too indulgent?

Children have a natural way of growing that is right for them. The fact that your child is short and stocky or tall and slender is determined mostly by genetics, not your wishes.

One day my friend took her baby to the pediatrician, and was informed that her baby’s weight was spiking off her percentile curve.

We know it all: G‑d has a plan. It’s all for the good. Think positively. And we so badly want to say all these things to our loved ones when they are having a hard time. But sharing these pearls of spiritual wisdom at the wrong time can have very bad results.

Kids get upset a lot. Adults do too. In fact, miserable feelings are a gift from G‑d, a signal that something is wrong and needs to be fixed.

Many of the actions we take to educate our youngsters have little or no positive impact.

Your doorbell rings. You open it to find a large man wearing a police officer’s uniform standing on your doorstep.

"What's your secret? How do you teach your kids to be considerate?"

In order to connect, in order to give, in order to attach, you have to be connected to the ground. If a woman doesn’t get any sleep, if she has no physical or emotional strength, if she doesn’t eat properly, then she can’t be a source of blessing.

Giving birth with confidence demands that you commit to labor with the understanding and acceptance that it is not easy – otherwise they would have called it something else

Your childbirth experience fills your consciousness. Your body is recovering physically, your hormones are flying and: there's a baby, who needs and deserves your best...

The one consistent thing that every doula brings to a birth is a willingness to offer the birthing mother whatever support she needs to help her get through this powerful experience with confidence, strength, dignity and love.

The months of pregnancy are a very precious and delicate time. As your doctor has surely informed you, the attitude, behavior and nutritional choices of the mother during this time have a profound impact on the health and future development of the fetus.

Barring any specific medical conditions, some good planning and some practical coping techniques will allow most women in a low-risk pregnancy to manage a twenty-five hour fast without any complications to the pregnancy or risk to their babies...

Many women are depressed after childbirth; at least 80% suffer in some way! However, there are differences in how individual women respond. This article describes the range of depressive symptoms a woman might feel after childbirth...

There is no hierarchy when it comes to birth. All women are equal in labor – rich or poor, famous or common place, fat or thin. All laboring women go through the journey of birthing their babies.

Conceiving a child is like conceiving an idea. A new idea is very exciting, but until it has been brought into the concrete world and actualized, it is too early to celebrate...

Of course, none of this is for you—it’s all for the unborn. So there's no self-indulgence going on. Just good pre-parenting. Right?

The important factors to consider and the important questions to ask when making the first major decision during your pregnancy: where you will give birth?

Once you have made the major decision of choosing your birth place, it is time to start assembling that birth team. Here are the salient concerns and questions you should be asking

The term “morning sickness,” which is often applied to describe the nausea in pregnancy, is a misnomer. Nausea in pregnancy can occur at any hour of the day or night. Yet there are steps a woman can take to help avoid or alleviate nausea in pregnancy.

While not all loss can be medically explained, quite often, with the proper medical treatment and diagnosis, many pregnancy losses can be prevented...

PPD would never happen to me. I was too "happy"! I was always the type of person that people viewed as so capable, energetic, and positive. But I suddenly realized that PPD could happen to anyone, even me...

Nothing compares to the beauty and joy of giving birth to a healthy, beautiful baby. But knowing what to do with this new little thing can be quite overwhelming! Here are some great tips and advice for adjusting to life with your newborn...

An understanding as to how your baby is growing and changing as the weeks pass, as well as pictures of your little one from within the womb.

I am pregnant and curious about the gender of the fetus. Is it okay for me to ask the doctor to do a sonogram to find out?

I have been told it is generally not the done thing for pregnant women to go to a cemetery. On the other hand, I do want to be there to honor my friend's memory. What do you think?

Our eight-year-old son gets invited to birthday parties where non-kosher food is served. What’s the best way to handle this situation?

This is something that parents have struggled with for thousands of years, so don’t feel it’s something unique to you or your children.

It's a situation as sticky as a freshly roasted marshmallow. Your child, who's been looking forward to attending overnight camp since you signed her up this fall, suddenly develops a case of cold feet...

"We once lived here!" my three-year- old exclaimed as we were parking our car in front of our home. We had just returned from a three-week vacation in the Quebec Laurentians...

A bunch of helpful tips to keep the toy collection under control...

How to clean up after a messy toddler-style meal.

I have always had great admiration for those creative people who can take a difficult or complicated task and make it easier. And when it comes to parenting, who is not looking for a few shortcuts?

A beatiful collection of helpful thoughts for the difficult and joyous moments of parenting.

After three girls, I still have presents I received for our oldest daughter that were so beautiful, yet so impractical, they never made it out of the closet!

I worry that so many books featuring seriously messed-up families or parents abandoning their children can give kids a skewed vision of life...

Here is a top-10 pre-summer checklist to help families get ready for vacationing...

As cute as your kids may seem to you, I have discovered that no one else thinks your kids are so adorable when they are trapped with them on an airplane...

Young children have difficulty discerning danger, so it is wholly the adult's responsibility to protect and establish preventative measures to assure their safety...

These frightening statistics become a wake-up call to the mom's and dad's driving with kids on a regular basis. Being aware of proper car seat rules is a critical key to keeping your family safe...

Family meetings can provide an ideal occasion to share new information, problem solve together, and work on more positive and rewarding relationships...

The other day someone asked what my plans are for Purim. I think, like every other parent of food-allergic children, my heart skipped a beat and sunk to my feet . . .

A mother may have a hard time accepting that her daughter, the girl who once didn't know how to make toast, is now a chef at a four-star restaurant...

I have already noticed advertisements for anti-boredom seminars designed to pump parents full of ideas to keep their kids busy during the summer. Now, one thing I know about my parents is that they would have considered the whole idea ludicrous...

The following list of high-interest, low-maintenance, affordable outdoor activities (some of which families can do together and others of which kids can conquer on their own) promise to help keep your crew off the couch - and out the door - all summer long...

Your baby is getting older and yet you are still not able to sleep through the night! Here are some great tips to help you and baby catch more zzzs...

Here are some great tips and advice for when your infant starts becoming a baby!

Here is some great advice for your beautiful darling who just won't go to sleep (or let you sleep for that matter!)

Q: Why are my 4 month old baby's naps so short?

Here are some more in-depth answers and advice regarding how to get your little one to sleep at night!

Nothing compares to the beauty and joy of giving birth to a healthy, beautiful baby. But knowing what to do with this new little thing can be quite overwhelming! Here are some great tips and advice for adjusting to life with your newborn...

Without electronic stimulation or distraction. Face to face. Games and other fun activities can help us to relate to one another in fun, new ways. Here is a list of some entertaining Shabbat activities to get you started...

Positive constructs are more effective than negative ones, especially when talking to kids.

Here are some precautions to take to protect your child from becoming a victim, a bystander, or even the instigator of cyberbullying.

Please remember how difficult it is to change. Help me work on one thing at a time. I can’t change all my faults at once.

Even if your children have never suffered before, motion sickness can strike at any time, so you should make sure you are well prepared.

It might be awkward and not my style right now to say it, but I do love you . . .

This is the only childhood my child will ever have . . .