parents

Jose Grajeda and daughter, Victoria. "If I wanted to go to sleep as a child, I would go cuddle with my mom and she would give me piojito," he says — Spanish for "little lice." The late Peruvian linguist Martha Hidlebrandt described piojito as "gently scratching the scalp of a child as if he were being relieved of the itching of imaginary lice" — hence the name.

Health & Safety

You don't need words to calm a grumpy kid. Parents around the world use a magic touch

7:26am November 12, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Modern parents are told to TALK with an agitated kid to improve their mood. But in many cultures, mom and dad opt for a soothing caress to induce tranquility. Neurologists explain why it works.

Many back-to-school shoppers are relying on sales to save money, especially as inflation continues to strain people's wallets.

Economy

It's back-to-school shopping time, and everyone wants a bargain

5:22am July 12, 2023

by Erin Kenney

Spending on back-to-school supplies is predicted to decline this year, for the first time since 2014. With inflation top of mind, parents and teachers are looking for ways to save money.

The author's daughter, Rosy, with two of the family chickens. Among Rosy's discoveries: "When the sun goes down, they all go up into the coop and go to bed. Nobody has to tell them it's bedtime."

Health & Safety

The wonder of chickens (and their egg song) made me a better person — and parent

3:50pm April 28, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Our correspondent bought some mail-order chicks. They grew into hens. They changed her life for the better. And then one day ... she heard this wondrous sound.

The case for revolutionizing child care in America

12:27pm May 17, 2022

by Greg Rosalsky

A new book argues that greater public support for parents is critical for the brain development of America's kids.

COMIC: Two psychologists tell how Ukrainian kids are reacting to war.

Health & Safety

COMIC: How children are coping in Ukraine — and how parents can help

5:32pm March 21, 2022

by Malaka Gharib

Two psychologists in Ukraine tell what they are hearing from traumatized children — and how to give support to these youngsters. Although in the chaos of war, that can be a daunting task.

A children's room in Beit Hanoun, the northern Gaza Strip, is damaged in a building destroyed by an airstrike prior to a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel.

World News

Parents In Gaza And Israel Are Doing Their Best To Shield Kids From The Trauma Of War

12:03pm May 25, 2021

by Ruth Sherlock

Parents on both sides had to find ways to protect their children. "Yes, the cease-fire has been enforced. But how are we going to deal with children traumatized by this?" asks a mother in Gaza.

Queue Listen Now

The author's daughter, Rosy, at age 2 as she does dishes — voluntarily. Getting her involved in chores did lead to the kitchen being flooded and dishes being broken. But she is still eager to help.

Health & Safety

Are We Raising Unhelpful, Bossy Kids? Here's The Fix

5:05pm March 05, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In some cultures kids roll their eyes when asked to do chores. In others, they'll pitch in without even being asked. Researchers have identified two key practices to raise helpful children.

The pandemic shuttered day-care centers, after-school programs and camps this year, creating problems for some parents who put aside wages, pre-tax, to pay for those expenses.

Economy

Use It Or Lose It: Parents Set Wages Aside For Child Care. Now It's At Risk

6:22pm November 19, 2020

by Andrea Hsu

For many families, 2020 ended up being a year with fewer child-care expenses. Now parents with unspent funds in their dependent-care flexible spending accounts are trying to figure out what to do.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Talking To Young People About Coronavirus

4:17pm March 12, 2020

by David Ford

Worry about the coronavirus is being felt by adults around the world, but what about young people?

We're tethered to our brothers and sisters as adults far longer than we are as children; our sibling relationships, in fact, are the longest-lasting family ties we have.

Health & Safety

Here's To Grown-Up Siblings And The Ties That Bind

5:00am November 28, 2019

by Robin Marantz Henig

Though she and her younger brother are very different, he's the one, in a way, she knows best. Sibling relationships, in fact, are the longest-lasting family ties we have, transcending time and loss.