we have to talk about
The latest in parenting news, tips, and trends:
How it's harder for Black and brown parents to find online resources to help identify eczema on their babies. One company is trying to raise awareness for Eczema Awareness Month.
What parents of kids with ADHD say they wish they’d known sooner. Advice on medication, guilt, and not-so-obvious signs included.
Ways you can take control of your kid's images online — even if you don’t post them. Facial recognition technology can be used for good, too.
How puberty is starting earlier than in previous generations, and why parents should treat kids by how old they are, not how old they look.
Why some pregnant women have to drive up to 100 miles to deliver their babies in a state that already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. What’s going on, Alabama?
ask an expert
Last week, we asked you to vote on a question to answer. The winner was:
What is the best type of account to save for my kid’s education?
FEATURED EXPERT:
“When it comes to securing a bright financial future for your child’s education, I recommend going with a 529 account."
“A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings account designed specifically for educational expenses. Individuals put money into a 529 plan, the money grows tax-free, and the funds are [most often] eventually withdrawn for qualified educational expenses. The contribution limits are also high: currently you can deposit up to $17,000 a year (or if you're married and file taxes jointly, up to $34,000) per recipient.
“But what if your kids don’t go to college [or a similar costly education program]? If that happens, you have the option to name a different beneficiary. Changing the beneficiary of a 529 account to another family member doesn’t incur any income tax implications. [Plus], thanks to new provisions in SECURE Act 2.0, if you don’t use every penny in the 529 for education, you can direct up to $35,000 of those unused funds toward your child’s retirement starting in 2024.
“Keep in mind that there’s no such thing as starting too early to prepare for your child’s education costs. Once your newborn obtains a Social Security number, you can open this account. This early start allows you to leverage time in the market and benefit from compounded interest.”
self-help
Maintaining Friendships in Parenthood Is Hard — Here’s How to Do It
Being in survival mode with a newborn can make it difficult to prioritize showering, let alone friendships. But those relationships provide an outlet from your everyday grind and can improve your quality of life, says Erica James-Strayhorn, a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Some ways you can help maintain those bonds:
Be honest: Acknowledge your new stage of life and communicate what you want from your friends. Try saying, “I know I’ve been off the radar or down in the trenches of parenthood, and I still really appreciate and value our relationship. I’d love to spend more time with you. What can that look like?” suggests James-Strayhorn.
Plan ahead: Your hangouts won’t be as spontaneous as they were before. Put some intention into organizing a meetup so you can figure out childcare well in advance.
Consider the activity: Do you want to bring your kid along or is it adults only? Communicate that with your friends, and plan accordingly.
Be open to making new friends: These could be people with similar family dynamics as you or someone in a similar life stage. Maybe you meet a new friend who has kids around the same age as yours or your kids go to the same daycare. Use those opportunities to create new friendships as you try to maintain your old ones, says James-Strayhorn.
Show self-compassion: Sometimes relationship dynamics change after children, but it doesn't mean that you're a bad friend or that you did anything wrong, says James-Strayhorn.
research says
Some Toddlers With Autism Could Outgrow Diagnosis
A new study found some kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers no longer met the diagnostic criteria for the condition by age 6. About 1 in 36 US children have been diagnosed with some form of autism.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital evaluated 213 toddlers between the ages of 1 to 3, then again at ages 5 to 7 after the kids received some form of intervention (such as applied behavioral analysis, speech-language therapy, or toddler playgroup). They found that by around age 6, about 37% of the kids no longer met the diagnostic criteria for autism.
Specifically, girls and kids with higher adaptive functioning (essential everyday abilities including communication, self-care, and reasoning) were more likely to outgrow their diagnosis. The authors say more research is needed and stress the importance of monitoring kids with autism over time and using individualized treatments that evolve with them.
relatable
“My toddler looked sad, so I started dancing in front of her to try [to] cheer her up. She looked at me and shook her head. That’s a no.”
—Kevin the Dad on X. Tough crowd.
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Quick, trustworthy, and relatable parenting info — for parents, by parents. We tap experts to break down difficult parenting dilemmas, recommend products that work, and clue you in on big trends. Raising small humans can be hard. We make it a little easier.