Working Mother: Detox Your World

When we think air pollution, we think outdoors. But the chemicals in everything from beauty products to food to furniture mean the air inside can be worse than outside. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air quality—in our homes, cars, workplaces and schools—as among the nation’s top five environmental risks to public health. So how do we clean it up? We make healthier choices for our family and the planet.

In this article, we clear the air by cutting through marketing lingo to help you make confident choices when buying the essentials.

Out-of-the-Box Gift Ideas for Preschoolers

It doesn’t take much to get pre-schoolers jump-up-and-down excited. (Think about the thrill they get from telling that same “knock-knock” joke over and over again).

The trick is keeping them excited. If you want holiday hits that will hold their attention long after the out-of-the-box newness wears off, you’ve come to the right place. This article presents 12 of the most awesome, keep-them-giddy gifts you’ll find anywhere.

How to Buy Safe Toys

This holiday season, don't grant your kids' wishes for the newest, coolest toys until you know they're safe. With new product recalls almost daily, trouble with lead-tainted toys from China and studies showing that certain chemicals may be harmful to children, choosing safe and healthy toys can be a daunting task.

So we're here to help you stay vigilant about toy safety. Before you buy, double check that the toy you're considering meets these safe shopping guidelines.

Baby Development Myths Every Parent Should Know

Grandparents, friends, and society flood parents with well-meaning advice, but how can Mom and Dad be sure they are receiving accurate information? With help from Dr. Andrew Adesman and his book "Baby Facts", this article separates baby myths from reality.

Boys vs. Girls: Who's Harder to Raise

I often say that I spend more time and energy on my one boy than on my three girls. Other mothers of boys are quick to say the same. Not so fast, say moms of girls, who point out that they have to contend with fussier fashion sense, more prickly social navigations, and a far greater capacity to hold a grudge.

Stereotyping, or large kernels of truth? Read the full article.

Great Expectations

There's nothing quite like the emotional juxtaposition of pregnancy. On one hand, you’re thrilled, elated and impatient; on the other hand, you may feel anxious about a million unknowns. As you balance these competing emotions, we have one word for you: Relax. The most important thing to keep in mind is this: Most pregnancies turn out absolutely fine. Women’s bodies are designed to carry children safely and effectively. That doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing on this journey, but it does mean that the odds are greatly in your favor. If you can learn how to maximize your chances that nature will run the course it’s supposed to, then you increase those odds even more.

Of all the things we want you to learn, two of the most important involve things that you may have never spent much time thinking about: epigenetics and the placenta.

Read the full article.

Maternity Jeans

Now that your regular jeans no longer fit, you are ready to buy maternity jeans. Maternity jeans come in several different styles with varying waste types. You will want to try on several different styles to find the best fit for you.

Learn more!

Toys that Last

We always want the best for our babies, but these days—more than ever—the best needs to fit the budget. That’s where Working Mother comes in: We’ve scoured the 2009 holiday season toy market for playthings that will give you the most bang for your buck. Priced from $15, all of these toys—from stacking cups to a 3-in-1 wagon—will keep your little one learning and playing for years.

Read the full article.

Baby's First Thanksgiving Recipes

Make Baby's first Thanksgiving one his taste buds will never forget. This article puts a baby-friendly spin on eight traditional holiday foods, many of which are probably already on your grocery list. Pick a few of your favorites for the big day or make them all and freeze the extras for later. Even babies love Thanksgiving leftovers!

Read the full article.

Is It Autism? First Signs & Important Treatments

In the beginning, Lance seemed like a typical baby. He smiled, sat up, and walked. "He could say about five or six words, like 'mama' and 'dada,'" says his mother, Stacy Strombeck-Goodrich. "He hit all of his milestones right on time."

So the Gilbert, Arizona, mom was perplexed when at about 18 months, Lance, now 3 1/2, started sliding backward. "He got really quiet. Not just no words, but no babbling, no sounds at all." Other skills evaporated too. "He wasn't pointing or waving bye-bye anymore," she says. When Lance stopped responding to his name, his mom had his hearing checked. It was fine. Strombeck-Goodrich was stumped -- until she saw a TV report that made her wonder if Lance was autistic. A specialist soon confirmed Lance's diagnosis. "To hear somebody actually say 'autism' was shocking," Strombeck-Goodrich says.

Lance is among the 1 in 150 U.S. kids who will be diagnosed with autism by age 8. What does being autistic mean? Is there a cure? Here, answers to tough questions.

7 Exercises to Prepare Your Body For Pregnancy

Working out is one of the best things a woman can do for a healthy pregnancy—it not only benefits the baby, but it also gives you strong core muscles that help prevent back and hip pain.

Starting to exercise before you conceive is ideal, since you’ll be able to continue throughout pregnancy (with your doctor’s okay, of course). But if you don’t have a regular exercise routine in place before getting pregnant, then you shouldn’t jump into one during your first trimester. Most healthcare practitioners generally advise women not to start a new exercise regime within the first 12 weeks of getting pregnant.

Try these seven moves to help create a stable pelvis well before getting pregnant. And by starting now you won’t need to worry about losing a whole trimester of core and hip strengthening.

FitPregnancy: 2009 Flu Season Tips

Flu refers to illness caused by a number of different influenza viruses. The flu can cause a range of symptoms including high fevers, headaches, sore throats, muscle aches, dry cough, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Public health experts continue to warn that the 2009 H1N1 virus (aka swine flu) has the potential to cause widespread, serious illness—even death.

Pregnant women are more susceptible to serious compli¬cations from infection with all types of influenza viruses, including the 2009 H1N1.

Read this guide to getting through the Flu season.

Interrupting: 6 Ways to Get Your Child to Stop

Kids interrupt for many not so good reasons. A child may interrupt because he likes being the center of attention or because of bad manners or impulsiveness. Youngsters interrupt because they are wired to believe the world centers around them. However, by seven years old, it's reasonable to expect your child to find a polite way to ask for your attention.

Read this article to learn 6 ways to get your child to stop interrupting.

For the Working Parent: The Easiest Way to Do (Almost) Everything

Being a working parent means multitasking, squeezing every minute from a day, pleading with our bodies to fall asleep fast so we can wake up early and find that extra hour. But hold on there, warns Samantha Ettus, mom of two, author and TV correspondent. It isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter. The trick is to decrease time spent on what’s mandatory and increase time spent on what’s enjoyable.

The tricks and tips adapted from her latest book, The Experts’ Guide to Doing Things Faster, will help you glide through life’s to-do list, so you can get on with, well, life.

The Eco-Friendly Nursery

Decorating the nursery can be exciting, emotional, and… eco-friendly.

Keep in mind that as babies’ immune systems are developing in the early months of their life, they are more susceptible to their environment and could have a harder time handling toxins.

This is not just about living green – it’s about creating the safest, healthiest, most non-toxic environment possible for your children.

Read the full article!

What to Do When Baby Gets Sick: 7 Solutions

My son has always been a happy, easygoing kid. But at 4 months, Samuel was really cranky for a few days. I called the pediatrician's office, and the nurse said it sounded like teething. That, though, didn't seem right, so I asked to come in for a doctor's take. I felt awkward. After all, I'd been a mom for a fraction of this nurse's career. Who was I to second-guess someone with so much experience?

What I didn't consider was that I'd developed my own expertise on Samuel. I could differentiate his feed-me wails from his cuddle-me whimpers and his I'm-so-sleepy sobs. Turns out, he wasn't teething. He had an ear infection, one we were able to catch and treat early.

Indeed, parents can help docs diagnose properly. Follow this guide to common childhood illnesses, how to treat them, and when to see the doctor.

10 Things to Know About Potty Training

Oh, how time flies. Could your child be ready to potty train? This ten-step guide from Parents Magazine will get you started on the right track and help you and your little one find potty training success.

The first step? Wait until your child is ready. Read more about all of the steps.

Halloween Trick or Tears

As Halloween stretches its creepy claws toward us again this year, a terrifying array of sights and sounds is just waiting to scare the daylights out of your baby. Ghosts wail from drugstore aisles, goblins howl from front lawns, and strangers lurk about in spooky costumes. For some kids, the whole thing can be extremely distressing. What's a mom to do?

Read this article on how to soothe babies on the spookiest night of the year.

No texting at dinner! Parenting in the digital era

We all know teens love their gadgets — more for texting than talking. But the devices are posing some new challenges for parents. How can they teach their tech-savvy kids some electronic etiquette? So far, parents are learning on the fly, imposing new rules for their young offenders such as "no texting at dinner."

Read the full article.

5 Mood Boosters for New Parents

Having a baby changed your life. There is nothing quite as exhilarating. But learning how to take care of him, while coping with sleep deprivation and postpartum hormones, can lead some first-time parents to feel less than joyous.

If you're experiencing some post-baby blues, check out these five tips to help you get through the first few months of your baby's life, and your new life, a little more happily.

Baby Names That Drive You Crazy

It seems to get crazier each year, as parents strive to distinguish their baby by giving it a name that makes your head turn twice. In this article, they surveyed iVillage community members to share the wackiest baby names they've ever heard.

Here's a sampling – read on!

Half of babies born in rich world will live to 100

More than half of babies born in rich nations today will live to be 100 years old if current life expectancy trends continue, according to Danish researchers. Increasing numbers of very old people could pose major challenges for health and social systems, but the research showed that may be mitigated by people not only living longer, but also staying healthier in their latter years.

The study showed that by 2050, its population will be substantially older and smaller than now -- a situation it said was now typical of rich nations.

Read the full article.

How to have a green pregnancy

Going green for your baby -- even before birth -- is an easy way to make eco-friendly living a permanent part of your lifestyle, says Jennifer Taggart, who wrote "Smart Mama's Green Guide. " And it's well worth it. Soon after conception, toxic chemicals absorbed by the mother through breathing, eating or skin exposure can harm fetal development.

In this article, Taggart offers four tips to protect your child and the planet.

Disney FamilyFun's 18th Annual Toy of the Year Awards

In homes across the country, toothbrush robots vibrated, rockets shoe skyward, plush pets frolicked, and all manner of playthings were put through their paces. Disney's FamilyFun magazine testers assessed quality, value, and the fun factor of more than 375 toys to create a list of 30 kid-and-parent-approved winners.

View the top 10 winners!

Money-savers for the new arrival

The ultimate joy of a new baby can be tempered by worry in an economic climate like this one. In this article, Erica Sandberg, a personal finance expert and author of Expecting Money: The Essential Financial Plan for New and Growing Families, presents strategies to help working new moms survive and thrive.

Handmade Halloween Costumes

Halloween is quickly approaching! Don't get caught last minute without a costume. For some whose budgets are tight, consider getting crafty! Steal stuff from the garage, your kitchen, and the recycling bin to make the way-creative (and totally simple) costumes outlined in this article.

Kanye, Miley, Serena and More: Talking to Your Kids About Celebrity Faux Pas

Last week was fraught with celebrity screw ups. How do we, as parents, make sure our children don’t emulate the poor choices their role models might make? Better yet, can we turn a negative episode into a positive lesson?

Here are some recent celebrity faux pas and the teachable lesson that can be gleaned from them…from one mother to another.

Playing Favorites

We're all guilty of going through phases of favoring one child over another. But what are the lasting implications of our behavior? In this article, a mother of twins, for whom favoritism is a constant, nagging issue, shares her wisdom.

Coping with empty nest when the kids clear out

What can parents do when children leave the nest? The house is suddenly quiet, the vibrancy of children gone. The days seem empty without soccer games, school plays and bake sales. The job you've been doing every day for 18 years is over.

This article presents tips on how to cope when the kids clear out.

The (Swine) Flu Stops Here

Your child, husband or roommate is down with the flu, be it seasonal or swine. You’re okay… for now. But you know how quickly the flu virus can spread through your household, with new victims getting infected just by touching a contaminated object, like a door knob or telephone, and then touching their face. Can you care for the sick while keeping yourself and other family members safe from infection?

Yes, you can. This article presents how.