The cinnamon challenge was sparked by the emergence of YouTube videos showing people swallowing large quantities of the common kitchen spice without water. Upon finishing the challenge, contenders are often immediately hit with a severe coughing fit and sometimes vomiting. But these are just side effects of the challenge’s more serious consequences, which can include lung collapse, pneumonia, and pulmonary edema (the abnormal build-up of fluid in the lungs).
"But why can’t Santa bring me an iPad?"
Researchers assigned 4 year olds to watch Spongebob or the slower-paced educational cartoon Caillou for nine minutes, or to draw freely with markers. Immediately after, the kids took mental function tests to see how well they solved problems, followed rules, and remembered what they were told, for example. SpongeBob viewers performed significantly worse than their peers, according to findings published today in Pediatrics. Only 15 percent passed the problem-solving task, for example, compared with 35 percent of Caillou viewers and 70 percent of those who spent time drawing. Fast-paced shows revolving around unrealistic events are likely detrimental because they overstimulate the brain, making it harder to maintain focus, plan, organize, and control inappropriate behaviors, the researchers speculate.
“Our findings suggest that parents should not be overly concerned that late-talking at age 2 years will result in enduring language and psychological difficulties for the child. There is good evidence that most late-talking children will catch up to the language skills of other children,” said Whitehouse. “The best thing that parents can do is provide a rich language-learning environment for their children,” he added. “This means getting down on the floor and playing with their child, talking with them, reading to them, interacting with them at their level.”
“When confronted by one or more job demands, a flexible schedule provides working moms with alternatives for meeting those demands while caring for their newborns. When working moms are better able to control their work environment and adapt, work-related stress is less likely to become a family issue,” study author Dawn S. Carlson, a professor of management at Baylor University, said in a university news release.
"After interviewing families who have managed to cohabitate and remain on speaking terms, I found that a few common themes emerge. First, the details of the arrangement are discussed in advance as well as on an ongoing basis, and any problems are addressed immediately. Second, the 20-somethings help their parents out, too, financially and otherwise. And third, the adult children usually have an exit strategy in mind."
When children between the ages of 4 and 8 were placed on a diet containing no processed foods for five weeks, ADHD symptoms diminished in 78 percent of them. And, when suspected trouble foods were reintroduced into the diet, two-thirds of the children experienced a relapse in symptoms.
1. A 529 college savings account: According to a recent survey by TD Ameritrade, 57 percent of adults have never heard of a 529 plan, even though financial advisors agree that it’s the smartest way to save for college tuition. The accounts, which are sponsored by states, allow parents to invest after-tax money that then grows tax-free and remains tax-free if you use it to pay for tuition.
1. Budget for any support you plan to provide. LeFavor knew he and his wife wanted to pay for their sons’ college educations, so they planned for that expense in advance. “It was already built into the budget. I had thought about it from the time I got married, and before we had kids. We put aside money for later,” he says.
According to Mandell’s review of decades of research, children who have to ask their parents for money each time they need it, whether it’s for clothes or lunch, tend to fare better with money later in life. Perhaps because they are forced to think about what money is being used for, he says. “The kids who have to ask for the money have higher financial literacy than those who get allowances,” says Mandell.
"Closely spaced pregnancies may raise the risk of autism, suggests new research published in Pediatrics. Babies born within a year of a sibling were three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than those born after three years or more; children born less than two years after an older sibling had nearly twice the risk."
— Health Buzz: Autism Risk Increases With Close Pregnancies, Study Suggests
"When I ask children about their favorite family memories, a lot of them will talk about a ritual. They’re islands of stability in the torrential currents of our culture."
"Compared to kids who live in detached homes, apartment-dwelling children have 45 percent more cotinine, a marker of tobacco exposure, in their blood, according to a study published in the January issue of Pediatrics. Although this study didn’t look at whether the health of the children was compromised, previous studies have shown physiologic changes, including cognitive disruption, with increased levels of cotinine, even at the lowest levels of exposure, said study author Dr. Karen Wilson."
"Confront excuses. Don’t allow them to tell you they were ‘just joking.’ Set clear and consistent limits. Let your child know what is socially acceptable behavior. Don’t let your child blame the victim or rationalize the attacks."
