Jarrod Partridge

Here is a finding that should make the nightly book at bedtime feel a little more worthwhile. A 2026 study published in the journal PLOS One found that just two weeks of daily bedtime reading measurably improved both empathy and creativity in young children. Even more surprising, it did not seem to matter whether parents […]

A large new study has reached a conclusion that reframes how scientists think about what shapes a child’s developing brain. After analyzing brain scans from nearly 12,000 children, researchers found that the single biggest environmental factor linked to brain structure and function was not a child’s IQ, parenting style, or health history. It was the

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no fruit juice at all before age 1, with one narrow exception sometimes used for constipation under a doctor’s guidance. After age 1, 100 percent fruit juice can fit into a balanced diet in small amounts: up to 4 ounces a day for ages 1 to 3, 4 to

Most children make their first letter-like marks between ages 3 and 4, write some recognizable letters around 4 to 5, and form simple words and short sentences by ages 5 to 6. Writing grows out of fine-motor and pre-writing skills, so scribbling, drawing, and copying shapes count as real progress, not just play. You can

Ask 5,472 American parents of young children what they actually want, and the answer that towers over everything else is not a parenting philosophy, a gadget, or a school. It is time. In the 2026 National Parent Survey, the largest nongovernmental survey ever conducted of US parents with children under six, 72 percent of parents

A heat wave does not just make swimming more appealing. It measurably raises the odds that a child drowns. That is the finding drawing fresh attention this month after at least 15 people, most of them children and teenagers, drowned in open water during a recent heat wave in the United Kingdom. Researchers studying nearly

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises moving a child out of the crib once they reach 35 inches tall or start climbing out, whichever comes first. For most kids that lands somewhere between 18 months and 3 years. If your child is safe and content in the crib, there is no rush. Sleep research consistently

Most American children start preschool at age 3 or 4, but readiness depends far more on development than on the calendar. There is no single right age. The signs that matter most: your child can separate from you without prolonged distress, follow simple directions, communicate basic needs, and handle short stretches of group activity. Starting

Eleven children have died in driveway and parking lot incidents in the United States in just 17 days, according to Kids and Car Safety, the national nonprofit that tracks deaths and injuries involving children and vehicles. The grim count comes as the first major heat wave of the season pushes temperatures into triple digits across

The days of handing your kid an iPhone and hoping for the best are about to get a serious upgrade. On June 8, Apple previewed a new suite of parental controls arriving this fall with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, and the headline feature is one many parents have been requesting for years:

True sharing is a late skill. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that children under 3 cannot yet grasp the concept, first real sharing usually appears around age 3.5 to 4, and kids do not fully understand it until about 7 or 8. Forcing a young child to hand over a toy teaches compliance, not

Hitting peaks between roughly 18 months and 3 years because toddlers feel enormous emotions long before they have the words to express them. Research suggests about 70 percent of toddlers go through an aggressive phase. The most effective response is calm and boring: block the hit, name the feeling, state the rule once (“I will

School let out a couple of weeks ago, and for millions of American families the real bill is just arriving. Two-thirds of parents say they struggle to afford summer childcare, and nearly as many report going into debt to cover it, according to a LendingTree survey. More than 60 percent of parents surveyed spent upwards

A baby bottle sold at Walmart for the past six months, a Target house brand baby wipe, a kitchen tower toddlers stand in to help cook, a kids bike helmet, and a pool drain cover have all been pulled from the market in a cluster of recalls announced in late May and early June. Each

The nation’s second-largest school district is about to tell its schools to put the tablets down. This month, Los Angeles Unified is due to present a detailed screen time policy to its school board, the final step in a resolution passed this spring that makes LAUSD the first major American school system to formally restrict

The screen time rule most American parents grew up enforcing is officially gone. The American Academy of Pediatrics has retired its long standing hour based screen limits in favor of a new framework built around what kids watch, how they watch it, and what the watching replaces. For families who have spent years counting minutes,

Spoiled behavior is learned, so it can be unlearned at any age, including the teen years. Say no with a short reason and hold it, and expect behavior to get louder before it fades. Build waiting, real chores, and gratitude into daily life, with every caregiver on the same page. If you have started to

Use a medicine syringe aimed at the cheek pouch with your child sitting upright, never a spoon. Mask the flavor with a teaspoon of something sweet, and be honest about what is in it. Offer small choices so your toddler feels in control, and call your pediatrician if doses still will not go down. If

Make the most of school meetings with the best questions to ask in a parent teacher conference — from academics to social development.