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As children get a little older, however, they’re ready for a more sophisticated approach — and to gain more financial literacy in the process. Even if there’s room in their piggy to squeeze a few more bills, relying on cash is not a very modern way to pay for chores or an allowance. It also doesn’t teach them valuable lessons about modern money management. And besides, they may yearn for an easy way to make purchases on their own – something that gets a lot easier with a piece of plastic in their pocket....

And while building fanciful structures in the sand is both a rite of passage for kids, and a way for parents to bond with them, it’s also developmentally beneficial. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and child development expert Sarah Taylor Vanover, sand play promotes hands-on learning and sensory exploration. Plus, moving sand around teaches children about the concepts of volume and weight, because sand shifts and sand is heavy....

According to Dr. Winter, people who sleep poorly (which is a large portion of us) tend to focus on the bedroom’s light and noise levels while ignoring the simplest fix ⏤ ensuring the temperature is ideal for snoozing. And while there’s no perfect temp for everybody, experts agree that somewhere between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for sleeping. It just takes some experimenting to discover what works best for you....

Why is it important for parents to be thoughtful about the toys they buy their kids? The first way that children learn is through their hands and through manipulating objects. That’s why the first play sets that most kids get are building blocks. Educators and parents have understood from the end of the 18th century through today that there are a number of cognitive connections that can be made through manipulating blocks....

“Think about simple board games to use new thinking skills and emerging self-control as they wait for a turn and cope with losing, puppets to tell stories with, interlocking plastic blocks to create structures, a child-sized chalkboard for writing and drawing, or a bicycle or other wheeled toys so they can move their strong, growing bodies,” says Rebecca Parlakian, the senior director of programs at Zero to Three. “And pretend play props are always a great idea, as they let kids make up and act out stories....

Paperclip The Jojo Yes, The Jojo by Paperclip is a great looking bag on its own. But it’s one of our favorite bags because of the integrated changing table, which extends like a moving truck’s ramp, is the smartest on this list. Removable and machine-washable, while attached, it provides a clean, soft surface that also has wing-like vertical buttresses that create a changing pad that pops up anywhere — and prevents your child from inadvertently rolling off....

The film was produced as a part of Disney and Pixar’s push through their SPARKSHORTS program to produce and distribute indie short films. That’s where Kitbull came from, as well. But the film is different in that it takes on a perspective that no other Disney or Pixar film has before: that of a girl who has autism, and who is non-verbal. The film explores the main character, Renee’s inner world as she’s paired to canoe with Marcus, a teenager who is basically the opposite of her and is extremely chatty and talkative....

Toys like planes help with visual tracking, which is “the ability to follow a person or object with our eyes as it moves across our visual field,” says Rebecca Parlakian, an expert in infant-toddler special education and the senior director of programs at the child development organization Zero to Three. Plus, they help with fine motor skills, otherwise known as the ability to “use the muscles in our hands and fingers to perform a task....

“Most parents are going to be able to see the utility in that type of medical kit. It relieves anxiety in kids about going to the doctor,” says Dr. Tomomi Hayashi, a pediatrician at Silicon Valley Pediatricians. “They help kids learn about how procedures are done before they are done.” A kid’s doctor kit is what’s called a real-world toy, which mimics what kids see adults around them using and helps them make sense of those grown-up activities....

Struggling with money in your 20s is par for the course. Making a few bone-headed decisions in your 30s? It’s a learning experience. But falling behind at your age, though not uncommon, should be a wake-up call. The older we get, the less time we have to make up for past mistakes. It’s like sailing in the wrong direction; if you don’t right the vessel sooner or later, you’re not going to find yourself a long way from your port of call....

While you can’t know what’s coming down the road, you can know what other couples faced and how they managed to get through with their relationship intact. That’s why we asked a dozen men about the biggest test their marriage ever faced. They spoke of dangerous habits, prideful moments, parenting-style clashes, unfortunate accidents, and infidelity. Each situation had the potential to turn out much worse. But through a combination of introspection, hard work, empathy, and even outside help, they worked with their partners to discover the love and hope that still existed, nurtured it, and rebuilt their relationships stronger than ever....

According to a recent study from Stanford University, it would seem that when it comes to child development research racial bias is wide-spread. And until the research becomes more diverse, non-white parents carry the unfair burden of reading developmental research with a massive caveat: Based on the racial makeup of the study participants (and researchers), the findings may not be valid for their specific family in their specific community....

The five-minute trailer featured familiar staples of the franchise—Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy—before revealing the new additions of Woody and Buzz. The inclusion of Toy Story marks the first and only time a Pixar property has been in a Kingdom Hearts game, despite the series having been around since the PlayStation 2 era. The trailer establishes that the toys have been invaded by the Heartless — the “bad guys,” as Donald refers to them — who have come into their world....

Longtime gaming followers understand the significance of Atari: While not the first, it was the first large company to establish the video game console market, which brought the arcade into family rooms and basements across the U.S. and around the world. Games like Pong, Centipede, and Pitfall!, which the company debuted, have since ascended to pop-culture shorthand. While the company ultimately succumbed to the shifting winds of corporate mergers and acquisitions, it remains a cult favorite among many, including Lego model designer Chris McVeigh....

title: “The Lego Hogwarts Express 8 Magical Features For Fans” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Kelly Grullon”

Reading the latest news, I understand the urge to call the centers concentration camps — it’s an analogy that seems to track with the horror many of us feel. But what’s happening to the asylum-seeking children in these detention camps is not the work of villainous Nazi’s hell-bent on the extermination of another race. If it were, it would make some kind of twisted, horrendous logic. Instead, the suffering of immigrant children at the southern border is being perpetrated by American men and women — our neighbors, our countrymen — who are “doing their job” and “doing the best they can....

The Couple: Carol (40) and Geoff (41) Years Married: 4 yearsYears Together: 5 yearsKids: 2, one 2.5-year-old, one 4-month-oldJobs: Relationship coach and entrepreneur (her), lawyer (him)Location: Toronto You have a two-and-a-half year old and a four month old. How has your sex life changed over the past few years? Carol: I think we were totally naive when it came to how our sex life might change after having kids. I am a dating and relationships expert — so I knew it would be challenging, but not this challenging....

In the same way, you ditch the windbreakers and trench coats in favor of heavier coats and parkas, your skin requires an extra layer of protection to face the harsh winter weather. Here’s how to build it — and keep your skin healthy all season long. Tip 1: Load Up On Moisturizer Why: According to dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Dendy Engelman, our skin may produce less oil meant to protect the skin barrier....

Good news! You can take that DIY backyard fire pit you were never actually going to build off your to-do list and just buy a Solo Stove. The Solo Stove Bonfire series takes the brand’s years of experience perfecting portable camping stoves and applies it to a larger format, (much less) portable set of fire pits. Available in three sizes weighing in from 15-45 pounds, ultralight these are not, and if you want to take them camping, to the beach, or to a friend’s place, which you should, you’ll most likely be driving them there....

The Specdrum in and of itself looks pretty unremarkable. It’s a minimalist-white, soft-silicone ring with a squarish housing that hides a sensor behind a small plastic window. In fact, unboxing the Specdrum, it’s hard to imagine such a small, light piece of technology would be capable of anything particularly mind-blowing. But that’s very much on brand for Sphero, famous for their super-simple, programmable plastic ball — one of the most engaging coding toys for kids....