Blog Posts by Parenting.com

Circumcision

New policy says circumcision should be covered by insurance. Plus, read our complete guide to circumcision

Revising its policy on circumcision for the first time in 13 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now says that the preventative health benefits of infant circumcision clearly outweigh the risks. The AAP is also emphasizing that the procedure should be covered by third party payers, including Medicaid, so more families have access to it. However, the organization stopped short of recommending circumcision routinely for all infant boys, saying it's still up to parents to weigh the health, cultural, and religious implications to make the best decision for their child.

Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin, a small flap of skin that covers the tip of the penis, generally performed in the days after birth. Many Jews and Muslims circumcise their sons because of their religious beliefs. Other parents choose to snip for hygiene reasons,

Vaccinesby Leilah at Parenting.com

Getting vaccines can be stressful for kids -- and their parents. But with a new needle-free patch, getting your kid his shots may soon be easy and painless. Researchers at universities, government labs, and drug companies are all working to make needle-free vaccines in the form of a patch, NBC News reports.

Needle-free vaccines have been used before, like nasal sprays and oral, but patches are a new frontier. Today's technology makes creating needle-free vaccines easier than ever, and the Food and Drug Administration has permitted some researchers to begin testing their vaccines on people, NBC New reports.

Plus: A Parent's Guide to Vaccines

Infectious Disease Research Institute President Dr. Steven Reed says that the patch device, which is covered with miniature blades that scratch and pierce the first layer of skin, "is incredibly small. You can't even see it. You just feel a little pressure - nothing else." The vaccine is delivered to

Lost Kidzby Jeana Lee Tahnk

As a parent, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of losing your child. The sheer panic that consumes you is suffocating and is one that can stay with you for years, even after you've long been reunited with your child.

Now, thanks to an app called Lost Kidz, parents will be able to rely on the community of kind people around them to help locate a child, should they ever find themselves in that kind of situation.

Launched today, Lost Kidz is an emergency mobile alert system that lets users immediately notify other app users in the area that their child has gone missing. Parents fill in the details of their child after the app has been downloaded to have information available immediately in the event of emergency situations. The minute a child is lost, an alert can be sent out with additional details on what the child was wearing and where he/she was last seen. The app persists with its

© Marilyn Acosta/Flickr

By Brian Braiker
The debate has been distilled, conveniently, into a simple binary question: should kids be allowed into bars with their parents or not?

It's a hot-button issue that gets fresh ink in New York, it seems, at least once a year. In 2008 Brooklyn's Union Hall kicked up a stir for banning strollers all together. In 2010 another Brooklyn bar, the Double Windsor, declared that no one under the age of 21 would be allowed on its premises after 5 pm.

PLUS: Mom Gives Toddler Beer as "Reverse Psychology"

Now the fight has moved to a new beer garden - also in breeding-ground Brooklyn - called Greenwood Park, which has instituted a curfew. Kids are allowed on its expansive 1,300 square-foot grounds, but only until 8 pm.

Every year the debate flares up in predictable patterns: the childless are irate about having to share their elbow room with kids; parents feel entitled to an occasional beer with peers before bed time. Both sides have their valid talking points.

By Brian BraikerJohnson and Johnson
Johnson & Johnson has announced that it will remove potentially dangerous chemicals - including some that may cause cancer - from nearly all of its toiletries and cosmetic products worldwide, the Associated Press is reporting.

The health and cosmetics giant announced that it remains on track to have baby products, including its Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo, reformulated with safer ingredients by the end of 2013. Adult products will be reformulated within 3 1/2 years.

Plus: 3 Tips for Safe Bath Time

"We want people to have complete peace of mind when they use our products," Susan Nettesheim, vice president of product stewardship and toxicology for J&J's consumer health brands, told the AP.

Some of the products in question include: baby lotion and bath products, Desitin for diaper rash, and adult skin care brands such as Aveeno, Neutrogena, RoC, Clean & Clear and Lubriderm

The key chemicals of concern are 1,4 dioxane and the preservative

By Brian Braiker
Snack, snack, snack. CRUNCH.

We have a late entry for the jam of the summer. A group of Minneapolis kids who take part of a local after-school program in Minneapolis have posted what is rapidly becoming the jam of the summer. One by one, the massive crew Y.N.RichKids take turns on "Hot Cheetos & Takis" extolling the virtues of their snacks of choice.

The kids wrote the song themselves - the lyrics are as joyful as they are witty - as part of an after-school program called Beats And Rhymes at the North Community YMCA and the Nellie Stone Johnson Community School. With a professional assist on the beats and the video, the finished product is polished and rivals anything on the charts right now. These kids have swagger and flow to burn.

And while we'll be the first to admit we're not sure what Takis are, we're suddenly craving a big ol' bag of Hot Cheetos.

For more viral videos--Click over to Parenting.com.

Studentby Ana at Parenting

The U.S. Secretary of Education shares his back-to-school success secrets for your family.

For him, it's personal. As the parent of a first-grader and a third-grader, both of whom attend public school in Arlington, VA, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (above) has a really big stake in this country's school system. He's got some serious priorities in Washington, but he's also set some goals for parents like you. Follow his five suggestions and watch your child's future soar:

1. Friend your child's teacher Have an ongoing conversation; don't chat just once or twice a year. If the only time you show up is on report-card day, something is wrong. "I am in awe of what teachers get done every single day," Duncan notes. "I would not underestimate the power of parents and students going to the teacher and saying 'Thank you.' They did not go into teaching to make a million dollars-they did it for that personal human connection."

Plus: How to End Homework Hassles

2.

By Brian Braiker
When sleeping in till 7:08 is great, cutting grapes to avoid choking is "gangsta," and you can change a diaper with two wipes, you've got 'Daddy Skills.' In a video posted last week, California dad Sam Dorman (aka Sam Deezy) spits a few endearing, if corny, rhymes about a day in his life as a proud father.

Dorman teams up with David Wittman, the LA composer behind this year's viral satire rap It's Gettin' Real In The Whole Foods Parking Lot, to describe his daily adventures in daddyhood, from mastering playground small-talk to breakfast negotiations that can sometimes resemble "a dope deal."

Dorman's daughter is the highlight of the clip, though, adding a crucial spark of cuteness - not to mention critical proof that Dorman does indeed walk the walk. So if you take care to attire your daughter so nobody asks if Daddy dressed her, if you've got a tricked out MacLaren and six copies of Goodnight Moon, then clearly you've got Daddy Skills.

And if you