Blog Posts by Parents.com

Nothing says Happy Father's Day like a homemade gift from the heart! Help your child surprise Dad with one of these super special crafts this year.

By Taryn Mohrman

Clay Catchall
Decorate Dad's dresser with a clay dish that doubles as a catchall for his coins.

What you'll need: White air-dry clay, wax paper, small rolling pin, water, cooking oil, non-washable ink pad, rubber letter stamps or chipboard letters, cotton swab

Make it: Knead a piece of clay for a few seconds, then flatten it on wax paper and roll it out so it's ⅛" to ¼" thick. To smooth the surface of the clay, wipe a little water on top and let it sit for about ten minutes. Use your finger to apply a thin film of cooking oil to the surface that you're going to stamp. Ink your stamp and press it into the wet clay. Use a cotton swab to clean up any undesired impressions or excess oil. Mold the edges up to create a bowl or dish and let it dry for two to three days on wax paper.

Garden Markers
Kids can make garden steaks

It's the kind of news that seriously ticks you off when you have a child with special needs, but it's the kind of news that should perturb anyone with a heart.

By Ellen Seidman

By March 15, hotels and city recreation centers with public pools and spas were supposed to install or order permanent lifts, or get pool ramps, to make them accessible to kids and adults with special needs; the lifts allow them to transfer from wheelchairs into the water. This accessibility is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The deadline got extended by two months as the hotel industry and Congressional reps resisted. And now, hotels and places with public pools have until January 31, 2013 to comply.

This means we're headed into one more summer that countless kids and adults around the country won't be able to use their local pools. One more summer when parents will struggle to carry their child with disabilities into the pool because there is no other way, or give up and not go

My two youngest boys (4 and 6) play baseball in a local league. We have played in other leagues and I also grew up at the ball fields. So I have been astonished to see parents drinking alcohol at my son's practices. When I consulted other family and friends, this seems to be more acceptable than not. The league rules state no alcohol, but it is happening in the fields and at the concession stands. Am I being ridiculous for showing concern?

Dr. Harley Rotbart: Alcohol has no place at Little League -- whether on the bleachers, at the concession stands, or in the parking lot. In addition to setting a bad example for kids, parents who drink are more likely to be inappropriate with their actions and words, and they can display poor sportsmanship. Speak to the league officials and insist on sign placements that clearly state zero tolerance for alcoholic beverages. If the league officials do not comply with your requests, report them to the parent organization (Little League; Pony League;

Sometimes it seems that the only way to get kids to listen is to shout. Learn to take it down a few decibels -- and enjoy better behavior in the process.

By Corinne Garcia

My boys, who are 3 and 5, always seem to want the things that they know they can't have: cookies for breakfast, a movie at bedtime, flip-flops on a snowy day. When they get the inevitable "no" for an answer it often sends them into a tailspin -- whining, writhing on the floor, and kicking the air. Nothing gets to me more than these spontaneous freak-outs. Don't they understand that if they stay up late watching Shrek they'll be cranky the next day? Before I know it, I'm yelling again.

How do things go from movie request to scream-fest in seconds? The kids hit one of my triggers, and like many parents, I react by shouting. (If you've never screamed at your children, know that statistically you're one of the few. According to a study in The Journal of Marriage and Family, 89 percent of parents report doing it.)

You may be secretly sad after finding out your baby's sex. But the feeling is more common than you might think.

By Danielle Braff

Around your 20-week appointment, people keep asking: "Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?" You tell them that you simply want a healthy baby, even though you're secretly wishing for a particular sex. When the ultrasound tech reveals the results you pretend to be thrilled, even though you're heartbroken. It's a feeling that Katherine Asbery, author of Altered Dreams: Living With Gender Disappointment, knows well. She had hoped that her second-born child would be a girl but instead she had another boy. Before she got pregnant for the third and final time, she tried tactics that she found on the Internet to help her conceive a girl. She ate yogurt to try to change her pH balance, and she made her husband take hot baths to alter his sperm. When she discovered that she'd be birthing another boy, she "cried and cried and cried," she says. "Then I felt guilty."

After reading the latest findings on sudden cardiac death, we asked our advisor Darshak Sanghavi, M.D., chief of the division of pediatric cardiology and associate professor of pediatrics at University of Massachusetts Medical School, to put this frightening problem into perspective and help parents understand the prevention steps they can take. Here's what he had to say:

By Darshak Sanghavi, M.D.

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics pointed out that several thousand young people die each year of unexplained sudden cardiac death. These cases are deeply tragic, and though rare, the sudden loss of a previously healthy child often leads to a great deal of concern among all parents.

It turns out that children's heart problems are very different than those in adults. Typically, adult problems result from long-standing damage to arteries, buildup of cholesterol, and other long-term problems that can lead to sudden blockages. Doctors refer to these as "myocardial

Yes, you can eat out with your child. This advice will help you handle whatever drama she dishes out.

By Brett Hill

Recently, my extended family shared a meal at a boisterous Italian restaurant. Before our appetizers had arrived, my then 18-month-old nephew had spilled soda, played 12 games of "guess which hand the sugar packet's in," gone on a walking tour of the dining room, dropped two forks, and tried to take off his shirt while in his high chair. As we were leaving, I overheard a couple remark, "He's adorable, but I'm glad we're past that stage." As anyone with a 1- or 2-year-old knows, taking a toddler to a restaurant is no day at the beach (which, by the way, is no day at the beach either). It requires patience, planning, and a glass of pinot noir.

When you take a toddler out to eat, you're including a guest who finds it difficult to sit still, is prone to tantrums, and probably has a limited interest in new cuisine, says Parents advisor Jenn Berman, Psy.D., author of

Forget hospital food and roommates. When celebrities give birth, their 5-star accommodations include spa-style pampering, 24-hour concierge service, and more.

By Hannah Werthan

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center: A Natural Oasis
VIP delivery suites are designed to look like the outdoors. Medical supplies are stored away in wood-paneled cabinets and lighting drops down from the ceiling. A special menu caters to moms with dietary restrictions, and food is delivered by a tuxedo-wearing "food ambassador." Rooms come with a flat-screen TV, XM satellite radio, a private bathroom, a refrigerator, and a warming bed for baby.

Rose Medical Center in Denver: High-Tech Delivery
Physicians who attend this hospital are able to monitor patients' labor progress from their smart phones, even if they're away from the hospital. Birthing rooms have private bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, birth balls, rocking chairs, squat bars, and flat-screen TVs. After giving birth, VIPs can enter one of Rose's six luxury