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If you're feeling anxious about your diaper-changing skills, don't worry: You'll get plenty of practice. The average child goes through about 7,000 diapers before becoming toilet trained. After a couple of years, you'll be a diaper virtuoso. For now, though, you need to learn the basics. With a few precautions, both you and your baby can breeze through those changes without much fuss or discomfor...

It's not easy being a toddler. One moment your child feels as if he's king of the world; the next he's crying in rage and hurling a toy across the room. Like many parents, you may find it hard to cope with your toddler's outbursts of anger and frustration. But these times actually provide the best opportunities to teach a young child how to manage strong feelings and calm himself down. By helpin...

What is emotional IQ? Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own feelings. Along with it comes the capacity to empathize, meaning to be aware and respectful of the feelings of people around you. If your child has a high emotional IQ, she'll be better able to cope with her feelings, calm herself down, and understand and relate well to other people, according to psyc...

How do I choose a babysitter? Start with someone old enough to do the job. According to the American Red Cross, parents should not choose someone younger than 11. The authors of What to Expect the First Year are more cautious, suggesting a child isn't ready for babysitting until age 14. Ultimately, you're the best judge of someone's capabilities and maturity. Talk to the sitter, watch him or her...

When you have to select a nanny, you may long to see Mary Poppins sailing her umbrella onto the front lawn, ready to offer her crackerjack services. But when you snap out of the daydream, how do you evaluate the competence and kindness of that shy 22-year-old who actually shows up in response to your ad? Trust your guts, and use these questions as a guide. Be sure to read them over before the fi...

Have you ever heard your dad talk about the day you were born? He may be able to describe the weather or the big story on the television news. Chances are, though, he can't talk about your actual birth. Back then, fathers were often barred from the delivery room. While your mother was pushing, your dad was probably in another room, worrying and looking at his watch. When you talk to your kids, the...

Josh Kraft and his wife originally planned to have their first baby in a hospital. But as the months went by, the idea seemed less and less appealing. "My wife wanted to control things," Kraft says. "She didn't want a doctor saying, 'Well, it's 5:30 on a Friday, let's move this thing along.'" Eventually, they decided to have the baby at home, where they could be in charge -- at least until the bab...

If you find that you're not immediately overwhelmed with love with your newborn, don't worry. Like any other emotional relationship, developing a connection with your child can take time. Similarly, as with any other relationship, this one will have its own unique rhythms and pace of development. The timing will depend upon you and your baby; your experience of childbirth and your life circumstanc...

Long before you take your new baby home, you need to think about a crucial issue: Who will take care of her at times when parents are otherwise occupied? Whether you're staying at home or quickly going back to work, you can make sure your baby spends all day, every day, in a safe, nurturing environment. Many factors will influence your choice, including cost, convenience, and, most of all, your ba...

Over the course of 11 years and two sons, I've stood by my wife for about 20 hours of labor. As it turns out, that's enough time to do and say some truly stupid things. During my first stint in the labor room, I developed an obsessive interest in the monitor that measured the strength of every contraction. It was easier to look at the numbers than my wife's anguished face. Even worse, I started ...

There's no way to truly understand labor until you've been through it. No matter how much you've read or how many people you've talked to, you'll be shocked by the intensity of your feelings, both physical and emotional. But that doesn't mean you want to go blindly into the birthing room. You can take some of the shock and uncertainty out of childbirth by learning about the basic process of labor....

Choosing a baby doctor is something that many parents don't think much about. They spend hours picking out a crib and push a dozen different strollers before settling on one, but they barely consider the person who will be a vital part of their child's development. But nothing could be more important. The doctor who gives your baby her first set of immunizations could very well be the same docto...

You can't take it with you. We've all heard the expression, we all know it, but few of us want to think about it. But consider what can happen if you die without leaving a will. Without a legal will in place, there's no guarantee that what you own will go to the people you want, or that your children will be cared for by someone you know and trust. If you and your spouse have children under 18 a...

A report from the government has made it official: Babies are expensive. According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the 1990s and updated to today's dollars using the Consumer Price Index, the typical middle-income couple will spend at least $883 a month on their baby for the first 24 months -- and the costs only climb after that. Consider that in metropolitan area...

In the eyes of a 2-year-old, a new baby in the house can look like the worst type of party crasher -- the kind who demands everyone's attention while hogging all the goodies. Why would mom and dad ever invite such a person? And when will they tell her to leave? A few kids are eager to become brothers and sisters, but many go into the role kicking and screaming -- literally. Newly minted siblings ...

In an earnest, but possibly misguided attempt to enable men and teens to see what it feels like to be pregnant, somebody decided to invent something called "The Empathy Belly." Men strap on this prosthetic torso -- complete with a bulging tummy and swollen breasts -- so they can "experience" pregnancy. At roughly 30 pounds, the $800+ belly can also simulate a baby's kicking, restrict breathing, a...

New parents are easy to spot: The bloodshot eyes and dazed expressions are an instant tip-off. Although the birth of a child is a joyous event, many parents are taken aback by how exhausted they feel during those first weeks and months. Newborns usually require constant attention -- they need to eat every hour or two and have their diapers changed just about as often. As a new parent, you may fee...

Can children get type 2 diabetes? Type 2 diabetes used to be practically unheard of in people under 30. That explains the other common name for the disease: adult-onset diabetes. Not long ago, almost all children with diabetes suffered from the type 1 form of the disease, which means their bodies couldn't produce enough insulin. And type 2 diabetes, in which the pancreas may produce normal insulin...

Children with diabetes usually have what is called type 1 diabetes, one form of the disease known as diabetes mellitus. It's an autoimmune disease, which means the body's own immune system, designed to attack infectious agents invading from outside, instead attacks cells that perform a healthy, normal body function. In type 1 diabetes, essential cells of the pancreas are destroyed. Normally, these...

What is bulimia nervosa? Although this eating disorder is less well-known than anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa is actually more common among American teenage and young women -- and just as serious. Bulimia nervosa, or simply "bulimia," is often referred to as "bingeing and purging." In other words, people with this eating disorder go on wild eating binges, consuming between 1,000 and 20,000 cal...

Choking is a serious threat to people of all ages. Whenever something gets stuck in the throat -- a piece of food, a child's toy, or blood from an injury -- it can block a person's air supply. After four to six minutes without air, the brain begins to die. If someone is choking, quick action can save a life. How can you tell if someone is choking? A choking victim will often put both hands on his...

Children and teens in America are three times more likely to be overweight than they were 30 years ago. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about one out of four U.S. children is now overweight or obese. While there are a few mysteries and unanswered questions behind this epidemic, some of the causes are painfully clear. Young people in the country may be the least active gener...

If you've ever thought about adopting a child, you've probably already asked yourself some very important questions: Are you ready to devote your life to another person? What kind of parent will you be? Once you decide to make the commitment, many more questions are bound to follow. The process for adopting infants in America can be bewildering (you can expect the paperwork to weigh more than th...

Some dads do a great job from day one. They're loving, supportive, and attentive. They change a diaper in seconds flat, bank it into the pail from 20 feet, and kiss the baby who made the assist. More likely, though, new dads are scared. They're afraid they'll do everything wrong. They'll pale at changing her diapers, they'll mess up her feeding, and they'll fumble when they hold her. But good pa...

Alexandra Kennedy always knew the day would come when her son, Taylor, would leave for college and an independent life. She was sure she would be prepared. After all, as a marriage and family therapist in Santa Cruz, California, Kennedy specializes in grief counseling. Having counseled countless other parents through this passage, she expected her training would shield her from many of the conflic...

My child hits, kicks, and bites other kids. Should I be concerned? Not necessarily. Aggressive behavior is a normal part of emotional and behavioral development, and almost every child hits, kicks, and yells when he's overwhelmed by strong emotions. However, if your child is frequently aggressive or is prone to shows of extreme temper, don't dismiss it as "Kids will be kids." He should be beginni...

My toddler kicks, bites, and hits playmates. Should I be concerned? Not necessarily. Aggressive behavior is a normal part of emotional and behavioral development, especially among toddlers. Almost every child hits, kicks, and yells; toddlers and even preschoolers often bite when they're overwhelmed by strong emotions. Generally, you can expect your child's aggressive behavior to taper off by age ...

As many parents who have adopted overseas know, sometimes your heart's desire turns up in a place you never expected. Amy Davis* of the California Bay Area said she never expected to adopt from Guatemala. But her adoption agency encouraged her to look into international adoption, and once she made her choice, she never looked back. "I fell madly in love," she said of the baby girl to whom she was...

Parenthood is the hardest job you'll ever have, and like any new job, it takes practice to get good at it. In the old days, we had our parents and aunts and uncles nearby to help us learn (and to help take care of the kids). Now we're apt to live thousands of miles from our first families, and often we're trying to be the "village raising a child" all by ourselves. Of course, your kids take priori...

Vacation is the time to chuck the alarm clock and strike out for unfamiliar territory. But your daily grind is your child's security. He thrives on predictability, on knowing what's next. Take away his routine and he's liable to start whining, crying, and clinging. When traveling with a young child, you're better off adjusting your expectations to fit your child's limitations and personality. Here...

How can I tell if my child has a stuttering problem? Everybody has trouble speaking from time to time. We've all filled sentences with "um" or "uh" or stumbled through a nerve-wracking speech. But when a child has a stuttering problem, words can be a daily struggle. Stuttering usually starts between the ages of 2 and 5, but it can arise anytime before the teenage years. Watch for these signs: ...

Shortly after meeting their new baby, many parents will take a quick look for birthmarks. They may find a mole, a red splotch, or a patch of skin that's a different color from the rest of the body. Birthmarks come in several different varieties, most of them harmless and easy to ignore. Some marks fade away over the years, and others, if desired, can often be removed or concealed. There are two...

Taking the spills out of sledding would be like taking away the snow. Little kids may be perfectly happy to glide down a gentle slope and ease to a stop at the bottom -- but such a run may seem tame to those with a few winters under their belts. Many older kids love the feeling of flying down a hill with no guarantee of a clean landing. Left to their own devices, they might straddle a piece of car...

How can I make sure my child's toys are safe? The toys that we treasure in childhood, we remember all our lives. This is one reason to choose your child's toys with care; the other is safety. Consider these guidelines when choosing toys, and share them with anyone who may be buying gifts for your child:

They poke, they complain, they have a strange need to use the restroom every 20 minutes, and they have almost no sense of time and distance -- in short, young kids are not always ideal companions on a long car trip. Then again, what fun is a family vacation if you don't take the family? In minivans and station wagons across the country, parents doing what they can to keep everyone safe and sane on...

Most birthmarks are harmless and easy to ignore. But if your baby is born with a port wine stain, you may want to take quick action. Port wine stains are red or purple patches that usually show up on the face, neck, arms, or legs. (The red mark on Mikhail Gorbachevs forehead is the most famous example.) Caused by dilated capillaries near the skins surface, they can vary greatly in size. Some st...

Whether it's a backyard oasis or the gem of the community park, a swimming pool is a great place for summer fun. But it's important to remember that swimming pools can be dangerous, especially for children. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, children ages 1 to 4 are more likely than any other age group to die from accidental drowning. Most of these drownings occur in residential pools, often in ...

If you have toddlers or small children, you may have already poison-proofed your house. If not, the sooner you get started, the better. Children between the ages of 1 and 6 years old are at the highest risk for poisoning because they are mobile, curious, and likely to put almost anything into their mouths. After the introduction of child-safety caps in the 1970s, the number of children's deaths by...

Mongolian spots -- more properly called slate grey nevi -- are very common birthmarks. They are flat and bluish-gray, almost bruise-like. You might be concerned if such a mark show up on your baby, but there's really no reason to worry. Mongolian spots don't hurt, and they won't get any worse as a child gets older. In fact, they often fade over time. By the time your child is in grade school, ther...

Spend an hour at a playground, and there's a good chance that you'll see a child in tears. As long as kids climb, play tag, and reenact superhero battles, a few bruises and scrapes will be part of the scene. But not all mishaps on the swings, slides, and monkey bars can be fixed with a Band-Aid. According to the National Safety Council, playground injuries send more than 200,000 American children ...

How do I know if my child has a weight problem? There's no simple answer, since children grow in spurts. Boys especially tend to put on weight and look plump for a period and then suddenly shoot upward and slim down. If you're worried, talk to your child's doctor, who can measure your child's weight and height to determine if he falls within the range that's considered normal. Your pediatrician c...

The key to preparing nutritious family dinners in a limited amount of time is planning ahead. "When 4 o'clock in the afternoon rolls around, most people have no idea what they'll have for dinner," says physician and professional chef John LaPuma, who co-founded ChefMD, a health and media company dedicated to helping people choose and cook healthful meals. "Unfortunately, most of us tend to grab th...

How do I stop a nosebleed? First, have your child sit or stand up to reduce the blood pressure in the veins of the nose so that bleeding slows. Have him lean forward and spit out any blood. For a young child, gently pinch the nose shut near the tip with a tissue or clean washcloth, using your thumb and index finger to hold it closed. (Older children can do this themselves.) Remind your child to b...

CPR -- cardiopulmonary resuscitation -- is a potentially life-saving procedure that can restart a person's heartbeat and breathing. CPR is often used to revive victims of electric shock, near-drowning, and heart attack. According to the National Institutes of Health, quick CPR can triple a victim's chances for survival. The best way to learn the technique is to take a certified training class. (Se...

The biggest shortfall in most Americans' diets isn't vitamins or minerals. It's fiber. Experts say adult women should get 25 grams a day while men should get 38 grams. Yet we average a paltry 15 grams. Our kids aren't doing any better. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that children ages 1 to 3 get at least 19 grams of fiber a day, and children ages 4 to 8 get 25 grams. The AHA say...

In the first month of life, your baby's social life revolves around you. She's already familiar with your voice, which she could hear from inside the womb. One of her first images is likely to be your face as she is brought to the breast (or bottle). At her age, all she needs for optimum emotional and social development is an attentive parent, lots of touch, and love. Your baby may spend so much...

Until now, your baby has lived by the adage "out of sight, out of mind." If he couldn't see something, it didn't exist. As far as he was concerned, you disappeared every time you walked out of the room. And if a ball happened to roll under the couch, it might as well have slipped into another dimension. Now that he's in his seventh month, he's ready to make a mental leap. He's slowly coming to t...

This is the month for motion. Sitters become scooters, and scooters become crawlers. A baby who used to be glued to floor can suddenly go just about anywhere she wants, if she has the time and determination. She might even be able to pull herself up on a coffee table or couch, opening all sorts of new possibilities for exploration and mischief. You can encourage her new skills by giving her plen...

Not long ago, your baby was far too bewildered to have much of a social life. It's hard to connect with people when you have no idea who they are. Now she's really starting to notice people, and she likes what she sees. She's crying less and smiling more, especially when you come into view. She might even let out a full-bellied laugh when you play with her. She's becoming more active, more engagin...

Your baby used to live in his own little world, but he's quickly turning into a social butterfly. He's starting to join in conversations, and he uses sounds and gestures to encourage you to pick him up and play with him. (If he doesn't seek attention in these ways, be sure to tell his doctor or nurse practitioner.) He's just beginning to realize that people will respond to his actions. And the res...

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