Want a little Einstein around the house? The role of genetics in intelligence—i.e., the extent to which our smarts are inherited—has long been an academic war zone. What can raise your child's chances? There's no single best recipe, but studies prove that keeping TV out of the nursery, shelling out for music lessons, breastfeeding, having a big library, and withholding cookies are just a few ways to boost your child's chances of success.
Can't get your kid to clean up their mess? You're not alone.
Before I had kids, I was so quick to judge. When I would see a child running around the front yard wearing nothing but a diaper in the middle of May, I would scowl. Toy guns were trashy and unacceptable and lawns were meant to be lush and pristine. I would never be the one with the dirty kids and cluttered house, I vowed. I'll be the classy one whose child is always properly clad, grass is well manicured, and house is neat and tidy.
Raising pets can pretty much determine you and your partner's unique parenting styles.
Before I begin, let me preface this piece by saying that I take dog parenting very seriously. I don't just wake up, take the dogs out, make sure they're fed, leave for 10 hours and come back to do it all over again. I actually "parent" my pooches. Parenting these two furballs has been wonderful practice. I believe that, through them, my husband and I have established our roles as a parenting duo.
