Achieving goals can often be more difficult than people realize. We may have a burning desire to see changes in our lives—less stress, a healthier lifestyle, more money in the bank account—but actually implementing those changes involves much more than merely motivation (though that’s necessary as well)! If you already have the motivation, this information on achieving goals can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be....
Growing pains are pains in muscles or bones and they tend to occur when children experience rapid growth. Children who have growing pains typically have pain in their legs either late in the day or in the middle of the night. These pains can be particularly bad after a day of intense physical activity, but it isn’t always known what causes them. Symptoms Children who have growing pains usually do not have any other symptoms, such as weight loss, limping, fever, or joint swelling, and the pain shouldn’t limit his activity....
No matter what activity you plan on doing—whether it’s running, cycling, hiking, or working out in the gym—you need to stay hydrated. While traditional plastic water bottles can undoubtedly quench your thirst, nothing is more satisfying than a swig of cold water from a reusable insulated water bottle after breaking a sweat. Insulated water bottles keep your drinks colder (or hotter) for longer. “The most important aspect of a water bottle for me is if it keeps my water cold,” Gabby Drucker, NASM CPT, owner and founder of Drucker Fitness, says....
When solving a problem, choosing the right approach is often the key to arriving at the best solution. In psychology, one of these problem-solving approaches is known as an algorithm. While often thought of purely as a mathematical term, the same type of process can be followed in psychology to find the correct answer when solving a problem or making a decision. An algorithm is often expressed in the form of a graph, where a square represents each step....
If you’ve ever had trouble getting your teen up in the morning or you’ve seen teens fall asleep during the school day, you’re not alone. Many adolescents struggle to wake up early for school. It’s sparked a discussion about the pros and cons of starting school at a later time. While some people may think that teens are just lazy for not getting up early, doctors say that’s not actually the case....
One of the primary purposes of kindergarten is to prepare children to learn to read, write, and understand math concepts. We sometimes forget that kindergarten also prepares children to learn and apply scientific principles. Although science curriculum can vary by state—and even by school—many kindergartners will learn roughly the same science concepts. Knowing what to expect from kindergarten science curriculum can help you support your child’s learning at home or provide some guidance if you are considering homeschooling....
Braxton Hicks contractions are intermittent, usually painless contractions that may occur every 10 to 20 minutes beginning in the first trimester of pregnancy. These contractions are not usually felt by the mother until the second or third trimester. Braxton Hicks contractions are also sometimes called pre-labor, practice, or false labor contractions. Not everyone is aware of or experiences these contractions, which were first described in 1872 by British gynecologist John Braxton Hicks....
People who are cisgender identify with the gender traditionally associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. This term is one of many that describes gender identity and complements other terms that describe people’s personal experiences with gender. These terms include nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, transgender, and more. Someone could say, “I am a cisgender man, and my friend is a transgender woman,” but never “I am cisgendered” (which attempts to use the word as a verb) or “I am a cisgender” (which attempts to use the word as a noun....
A D&C, or dilation and curettage, is a surgical procedure that entails removing tissue from the inside of the uterus. This procedure is often done following a miscarriage. While you may have heard the term D&C before, it’s normal if you have questions about what it entails, and what to expect if you have to undergo one. During a typical D&C, a doctor will first dilate the cervix, which is the narrow, lower part of the uterus....
Anti-racism is a process of actively identifying and opposing racism. The goal of anti-racism is to challenge racism and actively change the policies, behaviors, and beliefs that perpetuate racist ideas and actions. Anti-racism is rooted in action. It is about taking steps to eliminate racism at the individual, institutional, and structural levels. It is not a new concept, but the Black Lives Matter movement has helped increase the focus on the importance of anti-racism....
College rejections are never happy affairs. It was bad enough when you endured it, but watching your child’s face crumple with sadness or anger as they open that dreaded envelope is heartbreaking. Fortunately, this too shall pass, and years from now the contents of that “We regret to inform you…” missive won’t matter anymore. In the meantime, there are tissues to dispense, realities to face, and some comfort to be had....
In many families, parents and kids exist in a battleground over devices, screen time, and access to digital media. Parents are in a tough spot because, on the one hand, they need to limit their child’s time using technology and exposure to mature content. On the other, they likely want to help their teen or tween learn to do this independently. There are key indicators that your child is ready to use their own cell phone, tablet, or another device with fewer (or no) parental controls or restrictions....
It has been widely documented that there are gender differences in depression prevalence, with women experiencing major depression more often than men. This risk exists independent of race or ethnicity. One large-scale 2017 study found that these gender differences emerge starting at age 12, with girls and women being twice as likely as men to experience depression. Several risk factors have been studied that might account for gender differences in rates of depression....
Picky eating can be a stressful food-related issue for caregivers to address. Fluctuations in a child’s appetite and preferences are normal (just like they are for adults). It’s important to strike a balance between encouraging children to listen to their own body cues and explore their preferences, and ensuring that they are being exposed to a variety of foods and set up to have a healthful relationship with food as they get older....
Our bodies are constantly processing the things we eat and drink while our minds work continuously to process thoughts and emotions. Over time, the byproducts of these processes can start to build. This can cause both to slow, becoming less effective than they once were. It’s similar to how the pipes in your kitchen or bathroom are initially crystal clean and totally free of any debris. After regular use, gunk can start to build up inside....
Summers in the 1980s—a carefree and often parental supervision-free time when kids ruled the world (or so they thought). A summer day in the ’80s began with Eggo waffles, a glass of freshly stirred chocolate milk, and a plan. The plan was simple and completely void of anything definitive. It was a wide-open sort of plan, the kind that created itself while you were living it. The plan was to play, all day, outside....
Children’s car seats can be installed with a seat belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system. LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Parents—especially when the car seat isn’t getting tight—often make the mistake of using both the lower anchors and the seat belt at the same time. However, unless your child’s car seat is one of the few that specifically states to use both seat belt and lower anchors at the same time, you’ll need to choose one or the other, not both....
If you are wondering if your baby has kneecaps, you are not alone. Lots of parents search the web for “do babies have kneecaps?” because they are just as perplexed as you are. The question makes sense when you think about it. Baby’s knees are very bendy and not nearly as firm as older children or adults’ kneecaps. This leaves many parents wondering what is going on with those sweet little knees....
Dr. William Sears is considered by some to be this parenting generation’s “Dr. Spock.” He is well-known for his suggested parenting methods which have grown into the attachment parenting movement. Part of Dr. Sears’ theories focuses on his beliefs regarding baby sleep, including co-sleeping. On the spectrum of infant sleep theories, Sears is pretty much opposite the ideas of Dr. Ferber’s “cry it out” methods. He advocates “gentle methods” of encouraging babies to sleep through the night, rather than methods that might increase a baby’s stress and anxiety level....
Extrapyramidal side effects are a group of symptoms that can occur in people taking antipsychotic medications. Symptoms of extrapyramidal effects include an inability to sit still, involuntary muscle contraction, tremors, stiff muscles, and involuntary facial movements. They are more commonly caused by typical antipsychotics, but can and do occur with any type of antipsychotic. Antidepressants and other medications can sometimes cause extrapyramidal side effects as well. This article discusses the symptoms and causes of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS)....
