Blog Posts by Parents.com

By Richard Rende

I just read a terrific series at Time.com about kids and DNA. One of the more intriguing questions posed was: Should you get your child's genome sequenced?

The idea might not seem far-fetched. We hear more and more about how genes predict whether or not we will get a disease. So why not have your child's genome screened for disease genes?

Well, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind (without even thinking about cost or ethics):

Your child's DNA was probably already screened for major disease genes (really big ones that have severe effects on development) when they were born.

RELATED: How Genetics Influence Your Baby's Looks and Personality

Outside of those genes (there's probably less than 100 of them), most genetic markers are really not that informative. They give you some sense of increased risk for a disease - but a whole host of environmental factors undoubtedly contribute as well. This is especially true for "common" diseases -- like most of the

Our gift to you this holiday season is a stress-free shopping guide for the hottest playthings of the year. They topped our kid testers' wish lists!

By Kourtney Eidam with Sarah Rammos and Brooke Bunce

1. Having a Ball Roll and Pop Fire Truck

Encourage your child to crawl with this BrightStarts vehicle that shoots out balls for him to chase. Put it in Park so he can push the buttons and work on his ABCs. 3 months+, $20; toysrus.com

Buy the toy here! >>

RELATED: Age-by-Age Guide to Toys

2. Treetop Friends Musical Crib Mobile

Owls, apples, woodland charm-this mobile pretty much covers the biggest nursery-décor themes of the moment. It also lulls your kid to sleep with music. 0 to 5 months, $45; skiphop.com

Buy the toy here! >>

3. Pour & Float Froggy

Kids will hop at the chance to take a bath with this floating fountain that squirts water from its mouth. It also teaches numbers through songs and counting activities. 9 months+, $18; vtechkids.com

Buy the toy here! >>

4. Koala Ring

By Debbie Koenig

I'm inviting the Switch Witch over for Halloween this year, but she won't arrive until after my 6-year-old has gone to bed. Are you familiar with the dear old hag? Like Santa or the Tooth Fairy, the Switch Witch visits children while they sleep and leaves a prize. But in this case the prize makes parents happy too, because she swaps it for that overflowing sack of Halloween candy.

We first tried this ingenious ploy last year, when we realized that a triple dose of trick-or-treating at school, at our neighborhood's Witches' Walk parade, and from going door to door-meant that Harry was likely to haul his weight in bite-size sweets. The prospect terrified me, both for him (his teeth!) and for me (how would I resist the siren song of mini-Twix?). So during the week leading up to the holiday, my husband and I clued Harry in to the Witch's existence and asked him what toy he might like to trade for his leftover candy. He'd still be able to eat some, of course, especially

By Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN

If your family eats peanuts, peanut butter, or other peanut products, you're most likely concerned by the recent slew of recalls of some of these foods because of possible salmonella contamination. Thus far, an estimated 240 peanut products have been recalled, including popular brands such as Trader Joe's and Hines Nut Company.

Last month, Trader Joe's recalled its Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter and eight other products. Sunland, Inc. followed suit and announced a voluntary limited recall of almond butter, peanut butter (including the one made at Trader Joe's) and cashew butters, tahini, and their roasted blanched products. Most recently, Hines Nut Company, Inc. voluntarily recalled its salted jumbo Virginia in-shell peanuts, distributed under Hines or Dollar General Clover Valley labels. The Hines products are sold at Wal-Mart and Dollar General.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 35 people from 19 states have reportedly been

By Liesl Den

This past summer we chose not to participate in our library's reading program. At one point, we were chatting with a librarian and she asked if the kids were doing the library's summer reading program. She was shocked when I told her we weren't participating this year. "May I ask why?" she wanted to know. I had a hard time articulating why exactly I didn't want to have the kids join, but it was clear from her demeanor that she thought I was doing the kids a disservice. I replied that my kids love reading and I didn't want them to equate reading with getting prizes.

RELATED: Teaching Your Child How to Read

Besides, my son would only read one or two huge, thick books this summer and would feel frustrated not to have read the huge numbers that the girls would be reading. Nor did I want him selecting easy books just so he could fill up a prize sheet. The librarian actually said to me, "well, this is a competitive world and your son should just get used to it." I smiled

By Nicole Dorsey

One of the first things you realize when you start filling out domestic adoption paperwork via foster care and the county - in our case Los Angeles County - you realize how many brothers and sisters must be separated during the domestic adoption process because it's nearly impossible to take in two, three or even four siblings.

RELATED: How to Raise an Adopted Child

How can one adoptive family go through the foster-to-adopt plan with more than one child? If you've read this blog before, you know that I chicken out pretty quickly. When all you think your little family can handle is one foster toddler, but there's the chance you'd get a child faster if you agree to foster her siblings, too.

This happens all the time. If me and my family (with husband and bio son Sam) agree to foster siblings we'd have a foster delivery far quicker than usual. I heard from reader Shell, who said she had to look deep inside her heart and soul before she began the adoption process for

Alysia's son Howie going through the Squeeze Machine.

By Lisa Quinones-Fontanez

One of things I admire most about autism parents is their willingness to give back. If you've never met an autism parent before, one thing you need to know about them is: when they see a need, they work to fill the void. Often, it is the parents of children with autism that open specialized schools, programs and play groups.

Alysia Butler and Tina Perriello are two autism moms who are working desperately to fill a void in Hopedale, Massachusetts.

Back in February, Alysia and Tina had the opportunity to attend a sponsored sensory gym with their kids. The moms saw how happy it made their children. They watched as their children made friends who were just like them. And they had the chance to connect with other families like theirs. There was no judgement, no stares, no fear - it was a safe place for everyone. And while the moms felt incredibly lucky that their local Autism Alliance provided this much needed sensory gym during the winter

By Martin T. Stein, M.D.

Children love to draw, and their work is a reflection of their inner world. Most kids don't think about or censor their artwork. For the past 40 years, I've used children's drawings as an important part of my pediatric practice. At each well-child visit beginning at 4 or 5 years old, our nurse asks the child to "draw a picture of your family doing something." To simplify the process, each exam room is equipped with blank white paper on a clipboard with a black felt pen.

The family drawing helps me survey development at a given moment in time, and it may tip me off to potential problems. A single drawing is a snapshot of a child's point of view -- of her role in the family, her relationship to other family members, and her self-esteem. It also may show strengths in the child and the family that are important to recognize and validate. It can indicate cultural patterns that give me a better understanding of some behaviors or beliefs. I always ask the parents