The Parenting Journal

Renting an apartment or living in a leased home doesn’t mean you get to skip babyproofing. It means you have to be smarter about it.For a lot of parents, the fear of losing a security deposit is real enough that...

Renting with a baby is a specific kind of stress. You’re trying to keep a small person safe while also protecting a security deposit that represents, in some cases, two months of rent. The good news: you don’t have to...

Summer arrives fast. One week you’re watching your toddler chase dandelions in the backyard, and the next you’re managing a full outdoor obstacle course of pool water, bug spray, sunscreen, and a grill that’s somehow always within reach of small...

The house that worked perfectly for one child rarely works for two. When my older daughter was a toddler, I had a system. Gates up, locks on, outlet covers in, done. Then her sister arrived, and I discovered something nobody...

Most toddlers test limits. A child with ADHD, or with the impulsivity patterns that often precede a formal diagnosis, tests them faster, harder, and with less hesitation than you’re prepared for.I learned this the hard way with my older daughter....

Camping with a baby sounds idyllic until you’re watching your eight-month-old reach for a glowing ember at 7 p.m. while you’re still trying to figure out where you left the diaper bag. The outdoors is wonderful for babies. Fresh air,...

The checklist never ends. You seal one cabinet and notice the gap under the bathroom door. You anchor the dresser and start wondering about the bookcase. You buy corner guards and then spend twenty minutes reading about whether the adhesive...

Every living room looks different. But the hazards inside them are remarkably consistent, and the window of time you have before a crawling baby becomes a cruising toddler becomes a full-sprint preschooler is shorter than it feels.I’ve been through this...

Most couples don’t fight about baby proofing. One partner just quietly stops bringing it up.If you’re the one who researched outlet covers at midnight while your partner shrugged and said "we’ll get to it," this is for you. Getting on...