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Parenting Advice

Have kids? Here's all our best advice about parenting, from babies to teens.
After 5 Kids, Here Are the Essentials I’m Still Using From My First (and Only) Baby RegistryLife
A decade later, here are the products from my first baby registry that have stood both the test of time and the more rigorous test of outlasting multiple children.
Shifrah Combiths
Jul 14, 2019
How to Be a Good Friend When Your Friend Has a BabyLife
Here are a few ways to bolster a friend as they're just beginning to navigate a whole new world—whether it's their first baby or their fifth.
Shifrah Combiths
Jun 26, 2019
44 of the Best Chores for Kids, by AgeCleaning
You're letting them know that you trust them, you're counting on them, and that they're an indispensable part of their family unit.
Shifrah Combiths
May 20, 2019
There's One Country Where It's Illegal to Name Your Child "IKEA"Life
But here are a few other IKEA-inspired baby names you could use instead (some assembly required).
Ashley Abramson
May 6, 2019
How To Baby Proof Your RentalDesign Ideas
Uh-oh. Has that baby of mine really worked out how to get in the refrigerator? Already? And the cabinets? Time to baby proof our rental. But how, when there is so little we can change? Here are a few of the challenges we renters face when baby-proofing, and the simple steps we can take to overcome them. If you can, start at the very beginning. When looking at a property, speak to the landlord about any safety concerns you have about the space.
Alison Gerber
May 5, 2019
Smart Sandboxing: 3 Simple Items To Make Sand Play a Little EasierLife
She was a tad late, but spring is finally in full swing down in Charleston, and we are taking advantage of every opportunity to enjoy it outdoors. The sandbox has become a favorite hangout for my daughter, and I’ve learned a few tricks to make our sandy experiences a bit more enjoyable. Keeping three simple items nearby is the key to smart sand play.The water hose is something we don’t often think of when playing in the sand.
Lauren Pavao
May 5, 2019
5 Strategies to Keep the House Clean (and Your Sanity Intact!) with Young KidsCleaning
I don’t know about you, but my kids are not the type to sit and play quietly on their own while I tidy up the house. My oldest daughter (soon to be four) is my constant shadow – if I’m not sitting on the floor playing princess or barn with her she likes to get involved in whatever it is that I am doing. Whether it’s cooking, putting the baby down for a nap, or cleaning – she’s there too.
Lauren Hufnagl
May 4, 2019
6 Dumb Household Rules You Hated Growing Up, but Now Totally UnderstandCleaning
When you’re young, it’s your job to not worry and to push limits. It’s all about you, you, you. It’s up to your parents to firmly establish boundaries and rules. And while you live under their roof, it’s either their way or the highway. Sound familiar? Here are six seemingly arbitrary household rules that drove you nuts at the time, but make so much more sense today. Then: Why bother? I’m just going to use it again tonight!
Dabney Frake
May 4, 2019
Noisy Kids? How To Keep The Peace With Your Next-Door NeighborsLife
No doubt about it: kids make noise. What happens when you have kids, noisy kids and your neighbor doesn’t? Apartment living can be tough, but it’s even tougher when a case of shared walls meets very different lifestyles. Here are a few guidelines for ensuring everyone gets along just fine. 1. Get to know each other. Invite your neighbors over for dinner. Nothing beats a shared meal for wearing down divisions and clearing up misunderstandings.
Alison Gerber
May 4, 2019
Surviving Life in a Walk-Up Apartment With KidsDesign Ideas
I know exactly how many stairs there are to our apartment. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve counted—through tantrums, while carrying strollers or sleds in the dead of winter. We’ve lived here four years now, they were babies, they were just-learning to walk, I even had one C-section. Friends who live large on the ground floor tell me they’d never go back. So…how do we do it? How do we make life work with kids in a walk up? 1.
Alison Gerber
May 4, 2019
How To Set Up a Treasure Hunt In Your HomeLife
Is there anything more fun than hunting through your house for hidden goodies, treasure map in hand? If you are 5 years old, the answer is probably no, there isn’t. Want to set up a treasure hunt in your house? Here’s how. What you need: Paper: printer, and at least one large sheet Printer + ink Pencil + eraser Sharpie Decorative craft items: aluminium foil, glue, cotton wool, faux fur, crayons, pencils, glitter – whatever you can dream up! TREASURE! Instructions: 1.
Alison Gerber
May 4, 2019
The Pros & Cons of Living Near FamilyLife
My day job is the only one I’ve ever had in which the employees never socialize outside of work— it’s also the only one I’ve ever had in which all of the employees’ families live locally. Coincidence? I can’t help but wonder: do all of the family recitals, parties, graduations, brunches, and favors take up so much time that there’s little-to-none left over for a non-family social life?
Tess Wilson
May 4, 2019
Is a Nursery Even Necessary?Life
New crib, new crib mattress, new rug, new curtains, new rocker, new wall art, new bookshelves, new dresser, new change mat—no doubt about it, the nursery business is big business. But do we really all need to buy into it? I mean, is it possible to just do no nursery? Would that be okay? How would that work? Well, ultimately, the answer to that question is going to be personal. And by personal, I mean it’s going to depend on you.
Alison Gerber
May 4, 2019
I Became A Mother In That ChairLife
Ashlee Gadd is the founder of Coffee + Crumbs and the author of “The Magic of Motherhood: The Good Stuff, the Hard Stuff, and Everything In Between.” We ordered bunk beds yesterday. It was an inevitable purchase, I suppose, after having two boys in two and a half years. When we found out our second baby was another boy, I remember thinking: Someday they’ll share a room, probably bunk beds.
Guest of Apartment Therapy
May 3, 2019
Kristen Bell Dishes Out Hilarious Parenting Advice In Her New Web Series ‘Momsplaining’Life
Whether you’ve got little ones at home or not, this new web series is bound to make you pee your pants. Momsplaining with Kristen Bell is a six episode digital series following the mom of two as she takes viewers on a wild ride through parenthood. “Look, my truth is I didn’t even know I wanted to have kids,” Bell told Ellen DeGeneres, who is helping to produce the series. “I don’t even like anybody else’s kids.
Tyra Wilkes
May 3, 2019
One Daily Staple You Need to Clean More Often Than You ThinkCleaning
Now that my oldest is in school, we have discovered the joys of packing her lunch. Beyond the list of banned foods we need to be careful about (last year it included peanut butter, strawberries, and shellfish—as if I would ever send her to school with shrimp cocktail!), there are her ever-evolving and contradictory preferences we had to remember and adjust to. But you know, you do it. Five days a week.
Ayn-Monique Klahre
May 3, 2019
The One Question I Ask Myself When Decluttering My Kids’ BooksOrganizing
A child’s relationship to books is one of the biggest predictors of their success down the road, and exposure to all types of print has a lot to do with early reading ability. So hang on to your well-worn “Calvin & Hobbes”treasuries, go ahead and subscribe to Highlights, and definitely send a book-loving message by keeping a fairly robust library, if that’s your thing.
Shifrah Combiths
May 3, 2019
Twitter Shared the Best Advice They’ve Ever Gotten From Their ParentsCleaning
As we all know by now—and boy, do we know it well: the world of Twitter is basically one big ball of unpredictable savagery. But amid that chaos, humorous and heartwarming threads appear, and that’s why we’re here today. One recent thread on Twitter started by Dan Diamond asked users, “What’s the best advice your parents ever gave you?” The responses make for a good read, some of which offer solid home-related tips, too.
Elizabeth Seward
May 3, 2019
This Spreadsheet Is the Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney VacationLife
Planning a family vacation to Disney is a bucket list item for many parents. But all the decisions, like choosing where to stay and knowing what to pack, can get incredibly overwhelming almost as quickly as you can say ‘Fast Pass.’ Thankfully, one enterprising Etsy entrepreneur has created the ultimate spreadsheet. For $18 you can get an instant download that includes an editable Excel planner and editable PDF planner.
Apr 30, 2019
Disney Is Banning Oversized Strollers on May 1Life
If you’ve ever been to Disney with little kids, you know that your stroller is home base. Not only does it serve as a respite from long walks, long lines, and as a cozy spot to snooze for your child, but it also holds all the stuff your family doesn’t want to carry. That’s why some parents are especially alarmed to know that starting May 1, oversized strollers as well as stroller wagons will be banned from Disney parks.
Apr 29, 2019
The 9 Things You Need to Budget for If You Have Kids in SchoolLife
It's the one type of expense that creeps up on me every single year.
Shifrah Combiths
Apr 28, 2019
These Are the Best Cities for Working MomsReal Estate
One day we’ll collectively evolve into a society that fully supports the struggles of juggling work and parenting. But until we can get everyone (employers, specifically) to get on board with stuff like paid family leave, here’s a list of cities that are the best—and not so great—for working moms. First, the not so good news—the list excludes an entire region of the country, which isn’t exactly promising for mothers in the Northeast.
Kenya Foy
Mar 29, 2019
New Holiday Traditions: Ideas for Donating as a FamilyOrganizing
‘Tis the season for coat collections, holiday gift drives, and charitable giving, and this year I’m trying to coordinate my own periodic decluttering with the efforts of local organizations. It’s nice to make space for the new, and nicer still to get kids involved in donations, identifying things they no longer use that other children can enjoy. My family is tackling some of our biggest accumulators and finding plenty of enthusiastic takers, eager to distribute our donations.
Roni Shapira Ben-Yoseph
Feb 24, 2019
The 3 Words that Keep Me Grounded When Life Gets Out of ControlLife
To put it euphemistically, my house is full of life. We have five children, ranging in age from 10 to 4 months. The only time we aren’t mired in chaos or teetering on the verge of it is for a couple hours after the brood is in bed—and that’s only when the 2-year-old isn’t escaping from his crib and joining us in the living room with a reckless cackle. As my pal (good old Shakespeare himself) says, here’s the rub: I’m a Highly Sensitive Person and an introvert.
Shifrah Combiths
Dec 24, 2018
One Rule that Gets Me and My 4 Kids Out the Door With Less StressLife
With everything that needs to be done at home and then the stuff that needs to be gathered for the day out, it’s a struggle to get out the door on time even if you only have yourself to take care of. With kids, the problem is drastically multiplied and getting out the door in the morning can quickly turn into a stomach-churning, bags-flying nightmare.
Shifrah Combiths
May 26, 2018
Kate Middleton Snaps the Cutest Pics for Princess Charlotte’s First Day of SchoolLife
Ah, first day of school pics. It’s both a childhood rite of passage, and a parental one. Today, Kate Middleton was a typical mom and snapped a few photos of her daughter, Princess Charlotte, before she headed off to nursery school for the first time. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share two photographs of Princess Charlotte at Kensington Palace this morning.
Tara Bellucci
Jan 8, 2018
Tried & Tested: How To Get Your Kid To Sleep in their Own BedLife
They’ve got a super cute room with a comfy bed. Why don’t they ever sleep in it? And when they do? Why is it never alone?! If it’s time to get your little one to sleep through the night in his or her own bed, here’s advice on how to do just that. First, let’s face facts: the issue of our kids sleeping in our beds is not totally about them. It’s also about us. We like it! We like snuggles! We like that they are little! And that’s okay.
Alison Gerber
Feb 10, 2016
How To Take Pictures of the Kids at the Pumpkin Patch Without Pulling Your Hair OutHome Projects
I don’t know when it became a thing. Did parents always take annual pictures of their children at the pumpkin patch or did the practice spread like wildfire since the advent of social media? Whatever the case, I’ve succumbed; I have to commemorate the October Pumpkin Patch Trip and I have since my oldest daughter was a baby. Which is to say that I’m very familiar with this fall torture ritual. Here’s how I’ve learned to survive.
Shifrah Combiths
Oct 9, 2014
7 Creative Ideas to Make an Outdoor Oasis for Kids this SummerPlants & Yard
With warm weather finally here, the wheels in my mind have been turning thinking of fun ways to get my little ones outdoors as much as possible. Of course there’s the park down the street, our little plastic play pool, and the tree my four-year-old loves to climb, but I’d love to come up with something fresh for a little added fun.
Lauren Hufnagl
Jun 3, 2014
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: One Year Sharing a Bedroom with a BabyDesign Ideas
Some parents share a room with their baby by choice (especially those who choose to co-sleep) and others by necessity if they live in a small home. Perhaps you have a long-term plan to move into a two-bedroom home, but are staying where you are for now. Or, like my family, you’re not quite ready to have your infant share a room with an older child.
Carrie McBride
Apr 29, 2014
Are Boy/Girl Shared Bedrooms a Problem?Design Ideas
We see plenty of shared bedrooms here on Apartment Therapy. The overwhelming majority are for siblings of the same sex, but especially when families live in small homes and apartments, it’s often the logical (or only) choice for a brother and sister to share a bedroom. Last week in “My Brother’s Bunkmate,” New York Times contributor Michael Tortorello wrote about some of the issues of brothers and sisters sharing a room.
Roni Shapira Ben-Yoseph
Feb 12, 2014
Making it Work: Working From Home With KidsLife
I love the way our world is changing. Gone are the days where you were either a work-outside-the-home mom or a stay-at-home mom, when rare was the woman who didn’t fit into one of those categories exclusively. With the integration of technology and innovation into our work and home lives, there are so many possible combinations of working environments for moms (and dads!).
Sarah Dobbins
Feb 19, 2013