“The first step is to take some deep breaths and make sure that you have what you need emotionally,” says Zoe Gross, director of advocacy for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). “It’s very difficult for many parents when they’re getting an autism diagnosis,” Gross says. Stigma and fear are strong forces that influence how our culture views and talks about autism. But educating yourself about autism can help you understand your child better, combat stigma, and “learn the reality of this disability,” which, for autistic people, “is just the way we live our lives,” Gross says....

Invented by a husband-and-wife team with four kids who, like everybody else, hate cleaning the john, SpinX is as much a robot as it is a self-cleaning toilet seat. It fits on any standard bowl and features a rotating brush that drops out of a hidden compartment when activated. It then uses a smart sensor to scan the toilet’s shape before injecting the soap and getting after the scrubbing. From there, tiny soap/water jets spray down the seat and compressed air blowers dry it off....

The research team, based out of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain, analyzed data compiled for the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey. The data consisted of questionnaires completed by the parents of children from age 4 to 14 regarding emotional and social characteristics and questions about breakfast habits. In the study, the researchers found that kids who ate a nutritious breakfast had fewer psychosocial concerns than kids who did not....

The researchers followed a cohort of 317 transgender youth who all socially transitioned — such as by adopting new pronouns, names, clothing, and haircuts but not taking any medical transition steps — between the ages of 3 and 12. The average age of the group when starting to transition was 6.5 years, according to the study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics and used data collected from Princeton University’s Trans Youth Project....

In a video posted to Instagram on February 20, Tia captured her sister’s reaction to the beverage. “Soooo, my sister is desperate for some healing. She’s sicky poo and I sent her an article on how breast milk has healing properties and was okay with drinking my #breastmilk,” the former Sister, Sister star wrote in the caption. “P.S., she’s had some before and I mean, she’s my twin. Here’s what she had to say....

The CTC was passed as part of the 2021 coronavirus relief bill, giving parents access to the expanded, now fully refundable tax credit in advance. Parents got half their tax return in cash payments from the federal government if they opted in and will get the second half when they file their taxes. If you’re confused about how to get the second half of the CTC, here’s what you need to know to get your full tax credit....

“Current guidelines from the Texas Education Agency are inadequate to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff. The mandate of in-person school five days a week will make it impossible to implement many of the TEA’s recommendations including social distancing on buses and in classrooms.” He goes on to state that many teachers in Texas have underlying health conditions — and while parents can choose to keep their children at home if they or their kids have health issues, teachers are still required to be at work, putting themselves at risk, regardless of if children are in school....

“I couldn’t imagine running a company any other way,” Bolt founder and CEO Ryan Breslow explained. Back in September, Bolt announced its participation in the three-month trial, and now, the results seem to speak for themselves. According to a survey of 550 full-time employees, 94 percent of workers and 91 percent of managers said they hoped Bolt would implement the program permanently, with 84 percent reporting a greater work-life balance as a result of the shorter workweek....

Sesame Street When Sesame Street premiered in 1969, using cute characters and catchy songs was already a tried and true method of holding kids’ attention. But creators Joan Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett wanted to harness that attention-grabbing power and use it to do good. The result was Sesame Street, the iconic television show and titan of children’s programming. For 49 years, live cast members alongside famous Henson muppets like Big Bird, Elmo, and Oscar the Grouch made themselves at home in television sets everywhere....

The ten guidelines in question are highly clinical and woefully unsexy. When you consider guideline one for instance — “Psychologists strive to recognize that masculinities are constructed based on social, cultural, and contextual norms.” — it makes sense that it took the APA a full 15-years to hammer them out. But distilled in the guidelines is 40-years of psychological research into masculinity. And much of that research points to grim consequences for boys and men socialized in traditional masculine norms of strength, stoicism, and self-reliance....

What is Peppa Pig About? Peppa Pig is a four-year-old anthropomorphic female pig who loves to spend time with her family and friends. Each episode of her show lasts about five minutes and features a very loose, low-stakes plot that typically revolves around Peppa doing an activity that she enjoys, such as hiking, gardening, swimming, going to the park, with those family and/or friends that she loves so much. That’s about it....

The name of game here is ease of use. You want a car seat that easily attaches to the stroller, without requiring any acrobatics or pricey tools. And of course, you need a car seat that’s on the list of those approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which all of these are. Another thing to keep in mind is the weight limit of the stroller, which usually hovers at around 50 pounds....

RELATED: 10 Great First Movies for Your Kids Sure, parents might be able to shrug off Indiana Jones splattering Nazis, but for kids, it’s a bit much. The films below have their fair share of thrills (parents, as always, should approach with caution), but stand the test of time as big-budget spectacles parents can feel good about watching with kids. Star Wars (1977) Bad news: The kid-friendliest movie of the Star Wars series is the one with the pod races and Jar Jar....

To get the most out of baby puzzles, parents should be as hands-off as possible and let children, be it, babies, toddlers, and older kids, work them out on their own, taking whichever approach suits them and making the problem-solving process as open-ended as possible. Babies love putting things in and taking them out, so we chose puzzles that let them do just that, while also allowing them to practice their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination....

Whether you’re auditing a readymade bug-out bag or building your own from scratch — and we’ve included guidelines for both, below — it’s never been easier to be well prepared for the unexpected. A well-provisioned pack includes everything you and your loved ones need to make it through 72 hours, including first aid supplies, water, basic survival equipment like flashlights, shelf-stable snacks, and tools to construct a basic shelter. But even pre-assembled go-bags should be viewed as a starting point — you’ll want to customize all go-bags to fit your family’s needs....

To help you out, we’ve rounded up our all-time favorite family calendar apps. Some of the calendars here have beloved fan bases. Other options, while lesser known, offer a near-equal product with either a better price point or a killer add-on feature (grocery list integration; one-time event sharing to non-family members). Finally, there’s a third category, the calendars that, while not explicitly designated for parents, can still be a great tool for people trying to manage their family schedules....

Our advice: Get something that’s durable, first and foremost. Next, select one that’s aesthetically pleasing, since it’ll be a prominent piece in your yard, deck, or porch. Wood-powered fire pits are more traditional but require a constant source of wood, which can be challenging in the city. Gas-powered fire pits turn on instantly, providing immediate gratification, and will burn for far longer, but they’re often pricier. Regardless of the type that best fits your needs, these are the best ones out there, at all price points....

But first, you’ll want to take your child to get an eye exam with an optometrist or ophthalmologist to determine if your kid is nearsighted or farsighted, or needs some other correction. And make sure to get your child’s PD (pupillary distance), the distance between the centers of the pupils, which is best measured in person to get it right. The wrong PD can cause eye strain, and you’ll need the PD to order glasses online....

When scooter-shopping, look for one that can grow with your child, that’s solidly-built, that has a stable ride, and is easy to set up and operate. Having one that folds up is a bonus. And don’t neglect the noggin. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, helmets are the best way to prevent serious head injuries when riding scooters, so be sure your kid wears one. And if you get an electric scooter, per the AAP, only kids older than 16 should ride one....

the 4 Great Pairs of Men’s Hybrid Shorts How Should Shorts Fit? There are a lot of opinions here. If you want to show off some thigh, we’re not going to stop you. You do you. But in general, here are our thoughts. For guys of average to slightly-above-average height, it’s all about inseam length. Everybody’s preference is different, but shorts with an inseam length from 7 inches (a bit above the kneecap) to 9 inches (essentially at the kneecap) work quite well....