North Carolina children, teens and young adults head into school classrooms in August and it’s a new schedule for everyone. While the starting and ending time might remain the same, all the other details about your child’s day are different - commuting patterns and traffic flow, teachers and classrooms, lunch schedule, and after-school activities. Additionally, with new subject matter, expectations on assignments, projects and tests are unknown. Here are a few ways to support your child in this new year’s transition back into school ..read more

As the summer heat rises, so are grocery prices. It’s more important now than ever to save what money you can on whatever you reasonably can in order to make ends meet. For many families, the grocery bill is often one of the highest costs of living, right after mortgage or rent payments, daycare or tuition payments, and car payments. Things have been getting more and more expensive over the past few years, but fortunately cutting costs on your grocery bill can be a feasible way to cut down on costs as needed while also ensuring your family gets high-quality and nutritious meals and snacks. He ..read more

As the temps rise throughout the Southeast, more and more people are drawn to bodies of water to help them cool off. Whether you have a favorite public pool, local river or lake, or even a pool in your own backyard, water safety this time of year is paramount, especially if you have young children. Summer is also a time of travel and vacation, so be prepared with some of our tips ..read more

Good communication is vital to maintaining healthy relationships and boundaries well into adulthood, and it starts at home, modeled by a child’s parents. As a parent, you want the best for your child and you want them to grow and succeed in life, and teaching them healthy communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal are key to a secure attachment style and encourages high self-confidence and resilience. When there’s a breakdown in communication, it can be incredibly difficult for everyone in your family, or even in other parts of your life ..read more

Did you know that May 1-7 is Children’s Mental Health Week, and the month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month? Mental health is just as crucial as physical health, not only for adults but for children as well. Mental health has been receiving a lot more attention lately than in previous years, with the pandemic exacerbating mental health concerns and illnesses for many people. There’s been a lot of talk about ending the stigma around mental health and creating safe places for people, including children to talk about it and get their concerns addressed. Talking to your child’s doctor about ..read more

Andrew Mundhenk Special to the Times-News Published 9:50 am ET April 10, 2023 | Updated 2:49 pm ET April 10, 2023   Pediatrician Dr. Anne Smith knows firsthand the impact diseases have on young lives that could have been prevented through routine vaccination ..read more

The benefits of playing with and connecting with your child through play cannot be overstated. As children learn how to interact with and thrive in their environment, playing is an important way that exercises children mentally, emotionally, and physically. Children who have parents and caregivers that play with them and connect with them through play are often happier, more confident, and more resilient in times of hardship. You don’t have to be a super parent to play with your child or come up with complicated lesson plans, or a constant stream of things for them to do to qualify as play. In ..read more

Many people have positive experiences surrounding summer camp and all the fun that comes with it, but it can be a stressful time for kids who have never attended summer camp or first-time parents who haven’t signed their children up for camp yet. Summer camp is often a wonderful experience for those who go to one, but it’s not without its challenges. Below are some tips for choosing a summer camp for your kids and some tips to help them prepare for a fun time at camp ..read more

Even with a literal Ph.D., sometimes I still royally mess up at parenting. This is a story about parenting mistakes and what we can learn from them. Keep reading below to learn how a standard dentist appointment went wrong with my 9-year-old.  ..read more

Parenting has always been a challenging task, but with the rise of technology in recent years, it has become even more challenging. We live in an age where children are growing up surrounded by screens and digital devices, and as parents, it is our responsibility to ensure their safety and security online. In this article, we will discuss some tips on how to keep your kids safe in the digital age ..read more