Stacker-Parenting & Family

  Prioritizing play offers a variety of benefits for children, from helping them grow their vocabulary to managing their big feelings with fewer behavioral problems. Play also benefits children’s cognitive and social and emotional development. But play isn’t always a focus in classrooms, even when it comes to very young children. Kelley Mayer White, professor

  Divorce and family court filings do not spread evenly across the calendar. A University of Washington study that reviewed 14 years of filing data found that family-related court actions consistently peak twice a year, in March and in August, a pattern researchers linked to the end of major family holidays and summer vacations. The

  If the Sunday scaries were a month, it would have to be August: the start of back-to-school season. Saying goodbye to summer in preparation for a new school year can trigger a flood of difficult emotions, whether that’s anxiety, sadness, excitement, or even fear. You might feel a sense of dread about adjusting to

  It’s almost time for parents to send their kids off to college, and this transition can bring with it a blend of excitement and concern. It’s an important time where financial lessons can have a long-lasting impact on children’s lives today and beyond their degrees. Warren Buffett once said, “The more you learn, the

  Because breastfeeding offers well-established health benefits for both babies and moms, organizations including the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods for two years or more. Moms are hearing these recommendations, alongside a common message that breastfeeding

  Parents spend years styling their children, picking out just the right outfits for special occasions, choosing a haircut that suits their sweet little faces, and doing their best to keep up with how quickly they outgrow their shoes. Just as parents begin to master all the moving parts, a new variable gets thrown into

  Your child often comes home from school and bursts into tears. Or starts yelling and slamming doors for no reason. As far as you know, nothing bad is happening at school. So where is this explosion of emotion coming from? It could be after-school restraint collapse. Andrea Loewen Nair, a counselor and parenting educator,

  If you’re a parent of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you’ve probably thought a lot about how to help them navigate daily life. Medication may be one of the first things that comes to mind, but it’s not the only option experts recommend. Behavior therapy helps children build skills like attention

  As the school year begins, your family is likely getting supplies ready and adjusting to a new routine after summer break. Whether your child attends elementary, middle, or high school, it’s natural for them to feel both excited and nervous at the same time. And keeping them happy, healthy, and safe is likely your

  For many families, it starts with a familiar bargain, “Do this, and then you can have screen time.” Child development experts say that approach can work in the moment. But over time, using screens as a reward can change the role screens play in a child’s day. If screens become the payoff, then homework,

  Back-to-school shopping is about more than notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes and traditional school supplies. Sending your kids to school with personal care items can help make the transition easier, whether they are stocking a locker, packing a gym bag or moving into a dorm with a shared bathroom. Use this back-to-school checklist from Dove

  Alison Lee still remembers the conversation that helped her understand why young people turn to the safety of artificial intelligence for companionship and belonging. She was talking to a high school student and the girl told her, “Nobody dances at prom anymore.” A researcher at The Rithm Project, a nonprofit focused on human connection

  A new school year, for many families, means new expenses. Beyond school supplies, there are technology fees, lunches, club expenses, and the daily temptations of vending machines and in-app purchases for kids with access to mobile devices. Only 25% of U.S. parents who live with children say they talk with their kids about finances,

  Back-to-school season has always stretched family budgets, but this year, parents are starting from a deeper hole. Key takeaways: 57% of parents are entering back-to-school season with credit card debt, and nearly half (48%) have opened or plan to open a new credit card—or increase their credit limit—to help cover back-to-school expenses. 45% of

  Soon, college-bound students will be leaving home and living on their own for the first time. For many, this transition can reveal a gap in basic life skills knowledge, from laundry and cleaning to financial literacy and money management. To make this transition easier for kids, College Ave, a private student loan company, shares

  Parents are asking a different question than they did just a few years ago. Instead of wondering when a child is ready for a smartphone, many are seeking a way to introduce connected technology without immediately handing over a full smartphone with social media, unrestricted internet access and constant notifications. As Verizon explains below,

  As summer comes into full swing, some families are looking ahead to the next school year with questions about whether their child’s school environment is providing the support they need for success. Specifically for autistic students with more complex needs, changes in behavior, limited progress toward individualized goals, or increasing difficulty navigating the school

  During adolescence, your child might want to avoid “standing out,” but there’s no need for them to pretend they’re something they’re not. Use Dove’s action checklist to help your child resist peer pressure and enjoy being themselves. Peer pressure in adolescence Even as an adult, a situation where you don’t know anyone can be

  For generations, the customary practice in many families was to give their newly licensed teenager their own car, or at least the okay to borrow mom and dad’s ride. But in 2026, this is no longer a foregone conclusion. That’s because the costs associated with young driving are through the roof, and many households

  More American adults than ever have an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. A 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that, in 2023, roughly 15.5 million U.S. adults, about 6% of the adult population, had a current ADHD diagnosis, with about half diagnosed for the first time in adulthood. Many of those adults are