Parenting

Emma Carlson Berne With Young Family 2.JPG

'You're doing such a good job': A stranger tells a mom just what she needs to hear

5:00am November 18, 2024

Emma Carlson Berne was at a restaurant, feeling overwhelmed with her three young children. Then a stranger came over with words she's never forgotten: "What a beautiful family."

This boss vowed to help his workers with child care. It hasn't been easy

5:00am September 04, 2024

by Andrea Hsu

Child care continues to vex working parents. In Wisconsin, the CEO of the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry has been trying — and struggling — to make a difference.

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At a one-day workshop run by the Care School for Men in Bogotá, Colombia, male medical students at Sanitas University learn how to cradle a baby. This class of participants consists of medical students, but the usual enrollees are dads of all types.

Wanna be a good dad? A 'School for Men' teaches diapering, ponytail making

10:41am June 16, 2024

by Ben de la Cruz

An innovative program in Colombia gives men a chance to master the skills needed to be a hands-on dad — and become closer to their kids along the way.

Health & Safety

Hey, guys, wanna know how to diaper a baby or make a ponytail? Try the School for Men

1:40pm February 23, 2024

An innovative program in Colombia gives men a chance to master the skills needed to be a hands-on dad — and become closer to their kids along the way.

This image from video shows Ruby Franke during a hearing on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in St. George, Utah. Franke, a Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called "8 Passengers," pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children.

National

Ruby Franke, the YouTube mom who gave parenting advice, pleads guilty to child abuse

4:51pm December 18, 2023

by The Associated Press

The "8 Passengers" mother pleaded guilty to four felony counts for abusing and starving two of her children in a deal with prosecutors. She faces sentences of one to 15 years in prison for each count.

A child from the Mbendjele people, a hunter-gatherer community that lives in the northern rainforests of the Republic of Congo. A new study found that children in this society have on average 8 caregivers in addition to the mother to provide hands-on attention.

Health & Safety

Bringing up a baby can be a tough and lonely job. Here's a solution: alloparents

10:27am December 01, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

"Allo" is Greek for "other." Alloparents are helpful relatives and neighbors. In a study from Congo, babies had 8 alloparents on average. Perhaps the self-reliant nuclear family is a societal misstep.

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Almost half of all babies born in the U.S. in 2019 were born to unmarried mothers, a dramatic increase since 1960, when only 5% of births were to unmarried mothers.

Why children of married parents do better, but America is moving the other way

9:54am October 22, 2023

by Pallavi Gogoi

Almost half of all babies born in the U.S. are born to unmarried mothers. That's not good for children, says progressive economist Melissa Kearney in her new book, The Two-Parent Privilege.

Are smartphones safe for tweens? Parents should be aware of the risks, a screen consultant advises.

Health & Safety

So your tween wants a smartphone? Read this first

7:02pm July 12, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

When's the right time to start your child with a phone? Is 12 too young? Here's what a professional screen time consultant tells parents about the risks kids face online.

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Dopamine is part of an ancient neural pathway that ensures human survival. It is also part of the reason it is so hard to stop playing a video game or pass up a cupcake.

Health & Safety

'Anti-dopamine parenting' can curb a kid's craving for screens or sweets

8:11am June 12, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Dopamine is a part of our brain's survival mechanism. It is also part of why sugary foods and social media hook kids. The latest neuroscience can help parents help their kids manage behavior.

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From left: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty ImagesAowen Cao/NPRYasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty ImagesMatthew Stockman/Getty Images

Health & Safety

Tots on errands, phone mystery, stinky sweat benefits: Our top non-virus global posts

5:00am December 14, 2022

by Laurel Dalrymple

Can a 4-year-old go out alone? Why did a payphone in China keep ringing? Does stinky sweat have an upside? These are some of our non-pandemic global stories that drew the most readers in 2022.