Our children have gotten used to a world with constant communication, access to social media and packed schedules, but sometimes they need a chance to power down and just be kids. Places like Camp Matataponi in Maine help kids to get a much needed break from electronics, collecting phones from campers upon arrival to allow for some much-needed space and time to make new friends and memories. Michael Thompson, the author of “Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow,” explains, “Camp lets kids develop on their own and gives parents a fresh perspective. It’s a breather for everybody.”

CNN, 6/3/13

Summer vacation has arrived and many parents are trying to fill their kid’s schedule to prevent summer boredom. When kids say “I’m bored,” they aren’t necessarily being lazy; they may just be struggling to engage and focus. “One thing you don’t want to do is mask the state of boredom with excessive stimulation,” Dr. John Eastwood cautions parents. Parents can use kids’ boredom as an opportunity to teach them to be self-starters or to learn to play independently. There are some particularly creative strategies to keep kids active and engaged when school’s not in session, such as a “Boredom Buster Jar” filled with activity ideas.

The Wall Street Journal, 6/11/13

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic and other institutions are finding that exposure therapy (which slowly exposes patients to the things they are anxious about) can be highly effective in helping children overcome anxiety. Teenager Georgiann Steely overcame her anxiety this way by taking part in a Mayo Clinic exposure therapy program where her parents acted as coaches.

The Wall Street Journal, 5/28/2013

Dr. Andrew Adesman, who co-authored a study for the CDC on teens texting while driving, explains, "Texting while driving is becoming a sort of epidemic, and it's a higher cause of deaths than even drinking while driving. The impairment that comes with texting is worse than drinking while driving."

CBS News, 5/13/2013

Now that new concerns have emerged regarding the safety of swaddling, U.S. maternity wards are starting to use sleeping sacks (wearable blankets) instead of swaddling blankets as part of a campaign to promote safer sleep for babies.

The Wall Street Journal, 5/14/2013

When researchers from the University of Michigan surveyed over 600 parents, 90 percent of those surveyed admitted they fiddle with their phones, food, CDs or navigation systems while driving with their children. The distracted drivers were more likely to have been in accidents.

NY Daily News, 5/9/2013

Talking to kids (without including scary details) and teaching them how to stay safe from abductors should be top priority- it is important to put a safety plan in place and discuss locations where your child can go if he or she gets lost. Tell your child it's ok to be rude if a stranger approaches.

New York Daily News, 5/7/2013

Now that two California caregivers have been arraigned on neglect and child abuse charges for swaddling babies so tightly that the babies had trouble breathing, parents all around the country are worried about the risks of swaddling. The truth is, swaddling can be beneficial- as long as it's done correctly and safely.

Yahoo! Shine, 4/29/2013

When it comes to fathers widowed by cancer, Dr. Donald Lee Rosenstein and Dr. Justin Michael Yopp say, “There is a pressing need to understand the experiences of these widowed fathers and to develop supportive interventions for them and their children." Dr. Rosenstein and Dr. Yopp formed a support group through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for fathers widowed by cancer who had children at home. The results were phenomenal, with all the members of the group benefiting from the guidance, support, and friendships they forged.

The New York Times, 4/23/2013

Parents and children today have extremely busy lives. Setting aside time to eat dinner together as a family, without distractions, does not always happen. But it's certainly worth doing. Recent research finds that children who have family meals are more likely to have healthy eating habits, better relationships with their parents, and perform better academically.

NY Daily News, 4/2/2013

According to a study conducted by Utah State University and the University of Missouri, couples who do housework together are more likely to have a good relationship, while those who split chores or who don't divide them equally will find marriage harder to cope with. And it's not just about sharing chores: making time together to read with your kids is just as important. Fathers who have a good relationship with their children tend to have happier marriages.

Daily Mail, 3/22/2013