The Parenting Journal

Every summer, I watch parents at the neighborhood park do the same thing: they settle onto a bench, pull out their phones, and assume the equipment is safe because it’s there. It isn’t always. For toddlers specifically, the gap between...

Every parent who has watched a toddler scale the back of the couch knows the feeling: pride and terror arriving at exactly the same moment. Climbing is hardwired into this age group. It builds strength, spatial reasoning, and confidence. But...

Most parents reach for a playpen out of necessity. You need two free hands. You need two free hands. The baby needs to be safe. The playpen solves that equation. But somewhere between "occasional safe zone" and "all-day solution," something...

Every summer, a brightly colored inflatable pool appears in backyards across the country, and with it comes a risk that most parents underestimate. These aren’t deep pools. They aren’t complicated. They look like toys. But drowning is the leading cause...