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“Pretend play certainly offers cognitive benefits, particularly increased language, as children speak as their role and interact with others during play. We also see children using the concept of theory of mind as they play pretend. Theory of mind is the understanding that one’s own thoughts and feelings may be different from another person’s, which children practice by taking on pretend roles and using their imaginations. Theory of mind is integral to social-emotional qualities and skills like empathy, the ability to predict others’ behavior, and making friends,” says child development expert Rebecca Parlakian, of Zero to Three....

Spoon Sex Here, you’ll assume the cuddling classic: “the spoon.” Except, you know, you’ll also be naked, and erect, and some sex will be taking place. With this one, you and your partner will be both laying on your side, facing the same direction. Snuggle up behind her, almost as if to form a human chair for her press into. “It’s basically doggy, but without the bending and straining of your back – or hers,” says Mackenzie Riel, advice columnist and sex educator for the adult online retailer, TooTimid....

Regal Games 100 Piece Jumbo Sidewalk Chalk Set If your kids like to chalk some walk, then you need a large quantity of chalk. This massive tub of 100 huge coloring sticks has you covered. It includes 100 options (10 chalks in 10 bold colors) all packaged in corrugated cushions that prevent them from snapping. Even better: the sticks’ conical shapes keep them from rolling away down sewer grates where dancing clowns may be lurking....

It hardly makes sense, then, to exclude the garage when making a dumb home a smart home. Just as the backyard can be home to some surprisingly useful wifi-connected devices, any garage, no matter what it’s used for, can be improved with the right devices. Here are some of our favorites. Every product on Fatherly is independently selected by our editors, writers, and experts. If you click a link on our site and buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission....

Rugged leather, waxed canvas, technical fabrics, and synthetic weaves all pop up in the modern space, right along side the classic and traditionalist sleek leather wallet. There are some new tech innovations, too, such as radio frequency identification (RFID)-blocking wallet to help prevent credit card and identity theft. These are good to know about but, really, they’re extras. What you want is form and function. Whether you like to project fatherly sophistication or keep it light, whether you’re going for luxury or minimalist bifold, there’s a wallet here for you....

Lie #1: Punishment Prevents Spoiled Kids It’s natural to think kids are spoiled because they have parents who give them whatever they want. But it’s a mistake to equate discipline with punishment, says parenting specialist Bonnie Harris, author of When Your Kids Push Your Buttons. You don’t need to send a misbehaving child to her room in order to reinforce house rules. “Discipline comes from the word for teaching,” says Harris....

Diegten, Switzerland, a village of 1,500 people, is currently swirled in chaos and scandal after an 8-year-old boy tried to buy food at a local supermarket and attempted to pay with fake money. The money, for the record, wasn’t counterfeit or laundered — it was toy money that had large Chinese lettering on it (according to the New York Times, referred to as Chinese joss paper or “spirit money”) that had been passed around the village earlier that year....

The Squirt is a tiny spoon affixed to a big, hollow, squeezable handle. If we’re being honest, it’s vaguely slug-like (one big fan even said it reminded him of the brain bug from Starship Troopers). Nevertheless, it’s a big help. Its handle can fit three ounces of pureed baby food. The front of the spoon can be unscrewed to reveal a wide mouth that you can easily fill with liquified baby carrots and other such pureed foods....

The good news for parents is that psychologists, specifically psychologists who work on childhood trauma, are more or less unanimous on one specific point: Children are incredibly resilient. Most can recover even from profound traumas, including like what is being visited on children in the areas most affected by COVID-19. They can grow to live psychologically healthy lives according to Dr. Zachary Adams, Psychologist & Assistant Professor in the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry....

The corporate welfare state is not new, but the coronavirus stimulus package is particularly galling because of its co-authors’ intentions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell initially floated a plan that would allow Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, to disburse loans to big businesses without telling the public who was bailed out for six months — after the November election. Trump has signaled his comfort with some deaths in exchange for economic stabilization or growth....

Now, to be clear, Moore was always fun, a solid Bond, and he was THE double-0 for a generation of fans. Jaws, and the actor who played him, Richard Kiel, were awesome. The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker both had their moments, and upon its release, Moonraker raked in more money worldwide than any other franchise installment. However, they weren’t particularly good films and they both strayed way too far from the established Bond formula....

This colorful vessel combines a “smart” water bottle and a Tamagochi-style virtual pet (that fortunately never gets thirsty). The Gululu works by calculating how much aqua your kid needs based on their age, weight, and location (people apparently get more parched in Arizona than Minnesota). Motion, level, and inclinometer sensors then measure the amount they’re knocking back during the course of the day, as well as whether they’re actually drinking it or just watering the lawn....

This is why, in 2018, mustaches are largely considered to be creepy. The pedophile and pornstar jokes emerge from a place of discomfort with overt celebrations of manhood. That might sound odd in an era of proliferating beards, but there’s plenty of historical precedents. Although testosterone levels do not directly dictate facial hair, there’s evidence that people still believe that men with it are manlier than their clean-shaven counterparts. Scientists suspect that the goal in growing them is not to attract mates — studies seem to indicate female ambivalence — but to compete with other men for dominance....

defensive“It’s solid wisdom that helps couples be less accusatory and explain your point of view with confidence and perspective,” says Dr. Sarah Rattray, leading Couples Psychologist, and founder and CEO of the Couples Communication Institute, “It also helps you make an action oriented request.” The practice of using “I” statements helps prevent conversations from boiling over into full-on arguments. “A safe, calm discussion of different points of view can draw two people closer together, rather than pushing them farther apart,”she says....

My daughter was probably about eight years old. She was trying to play basketball on the court. She had typically had a lot of problems getting the ball in the basket. Her upper body strength may not have been what it needed to be. She was too short, really, and she couldn’t get that ball up there. Either she couldn’t go high enough or it went wide. I’m certified in the Feldenkrais method of exercise therapy and it’s given me a lot of insight in how to redirect people’s learning processes....

“Each state has laws regarding whether it is legal to record someone without their consent,” explains Thomas Simeone, an attorney and an adjunct law professor in Washington, D.C. “Anyone installing a nanny cam should definitely determine the law of the state in which they live before doing so. Violating the statute can open a parent up to severe penalties.” How to Legally Use a Nanny Cam Know the Law – What can be recorded and where is different in each state, so parents who want to install a nanny cam should consider consulting a lawyer....

Following the disastrous handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the federal government invested $14.5 billion to improve protection from flooding in New Orleans, along with the surrounding suburbs. And in the case of Hurricane Ida, that the work paid off, as the levees held up against the flooding and there were no breaches or overtopping of levees for the system in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes. “We don’t believe there is a single levee anywhere now that actually breached or failed....

The doors open and a crowd of human bipeds, hitherto stamping their feet in the cold on W. 49th Street, stream in. Parents in puffer coats, already slightly dazed by the maximalist displays of toys, stop in front of these familiar creatures. Some, perhaps, remember the teddy bears of their youth. For it is true that the stuffies of our childhood remain with us, in spiritual if not physical form, until our dotage....

Watching the Olympics with your kids is also just a good time. It’s great memory making, too. Did you see that perfect gymnastics routine? Holy crap, did that powerlifter just put up that much weight? Did that sprinter just break a record? It’s exciting and fun and there’s a glut of games to watch. In case you’re curious or just looking for some more sports to watch, we spoke to a dozen dads across the globe about the sport they’re most excited to watch with their children....

Encourage Them To Get Physical Your kids don’t have to be star athletes, but physical activity can increase their ability to learn. One study found that running increased students’ abilities to learn new vocabulary words by 20 percent, and a review of more than 100 studies found that physical activity and academic achievement are positively correlated. So there’s no need to choose between jock and nerd—studies suggest they go hand in hand....