Sibling Rivalry: 7 Parenting Tips to Help Build Stronger Sibling Bonds

Pierre Van ZylLearn, parenting, Personal Growth + Development

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Nothing feels more crushing than seeing family fight… What’s worse is when parents see their own children at each other’s throats – and over what!? Whose turn it is to wash dishes, who got the bigger bowl of ice cream for dessert, how long the other person has been using the family iPad, how the…

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Breathtaking: Hundreds of Students Honor Teacher with Traditional Haka Dance

Pierre Van ZylLearn, News + Discoveries, parenting

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If you walked into an auditorium of teenage boys stomping, yelling and heavily breathing, you might be tempted to make a 180-degree turn and walk right back out. But not so fast… At Palmerston North Boys’ High School, what you would have witnessed is called “haka,â€� a traditional wary cry, war dance, or challenge performed…

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Kent Has Down Syndrome and This is His Reaction Meeting His Newborn Brother

Pierre Van ZylLearn, News + Discoveries, parenting

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Little to nothing can compare to a mother and father’s unconditional love for their child, but the unconditional love between Kent and his little brother Noah can definitely compete for top spot! When you see 4-year-old Kent’s sense of awe and joy upon seeing his newborn brother, you’ll see why. In March 2017, Kent in…

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15-Year Old’s Dad Perfectly Captures What It Means to Be a Special Needs Parent

Pierre Van Zylparenting

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Parenting a child with autism isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s frustrating. And sometimes, you just have to tell it like it is. My name is Frank. I have a 15-year-old son with “severeâ€� nonverbal autism and epilepsy, whom I affectionately refer to as “The King.â€� In 2011, I started a blog and Facebook…

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Using Essential Oils To Manage ADHD Symptoms and Improve Productivity

Pierre Van ZylHeal, Health Awareness, Learn, News + Discoveries, parenting

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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition characterized by hyperactivity, inability to maintain focus, and impulsive behavior. It usually starts in early childhood (8.4% prevalence among children), with a good chance of continuing into adulthood (2.5% prevalence among adults). Individual symptoms vary but the three generally accepted types are: Inattentive type Hyperactive/impulsive type Combined…

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Why You Should Think Twice Before Forcing Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

Pierre Van Zyleat, Learn, News + Discoveries, parenting

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When you were younger, can you remember how many battles were fought over a green thing on your dinner plate? Whether it was a tiny pea, a smelly brussels sprout or boiled broccoli, you would rather go to bed kicking and screaming without dessert than put those veggies in your mouth. Looking back, was it…

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4 Ways to Help Your Child Handle After-School Restraint Collapse

Pierre Van ZylLearn, parenting

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As parents and caregivers, it is extremely gratifying when your kid’s teacher tells you how much of stellar, loving, and cooperative student they are at school. So, why is that when it’s time for you to spend time with your kid… they go from supposed a…

Product Recall: 32 Children’s Medications With Microbial Contamination

Pierre Van ZylHealth Awareness, News + Discoveries, parenting

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Homeopathic pharmaceutical company, King Bio is implementing a voluntary product recall on 32 items manufactured between 08/01/2015 and 08/01/2018. These were distributed from August 2017 – July 2018. A small number have tested positive for microbial contamination. Bio King is registered with the FDA and no illnesses have been reported at this point.[1,2] According to…

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Gay Teacher Shuts Down Homophobic Mom Who Pulled Her Kids from His Class

Pierre Van ZylLearn, News + Discoveries, parenting

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There’s a viral story making its rounds about a gay teacher who fabulously shut down a homophobic mom who pulled her kids from his drama class – and his response is exactly what you would expect from a gay drama teacher. It all started when… A mother in Kidderminister, England decided against sending her kids…

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Staying at Home with Your Children is Harder Than Going to Work

Pierre Van Zylparenting

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There are many social stigmas attached to women (and men) who choose to leave the workforce to become “stay at home mums/dads” or “homemakers.” Most people view the ability to stay at home with growing children a luxury. But is …

Forty years and counting……

Pierre Van ZylAging, gratitude, parenting, TheUnluckyPath

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Random ponderings on turning forty……..There is genuine sadness and mourning when a favorite piece of makeup is discontinued…….it has taken me years to perfect the “easy, 5-minute, naked-faceâ€� look. Now I have to start that one piece over ag…

Why Did God Create Grandmas? Boy’s Answer Has Everyone Cracking Up

Pierre Van Zylparenting

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“Well, God made grandmothers to love and care about’cha that’s all I know…” This adorable little boy’s answer for Why Did God Create Grandmothers? is cracking everyone up. This literally might be the cutest 30-second video ever, and the internet seems to agree. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if this little guy sat down to…

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10-Year-Old Boy Looking To Get Out Of Foster Care Says He’ll “Do Anything” For His Dream Family

Pierre Van Zylparenting

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There are thousands of kids in foster care in the US, many of whom can only dream of what living in a stable family home would be like. One boy in particular is keen on fulfilling his dream of having a family and has put his hopes out into the universe. The Fun-Loving Boy Any…

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How One Mother’s Trip To A Rest Stop Nearly Became A Child Abduction Case

Pierre Van Zylparenting

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Children are an important part of our lives and they provide us with an insurmountable amount of laughter, joy, and love. The last thing anyone wants to think about is their child being abducted, but it’s a harsh reality that occurs frequently in the US. In 2016 alone, there were 179 AMBER Alerts issued involving…

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How A Lack of Pregnancy Signs Led To One Woman Giving Birth On The Toilet

Pierre Van ZylHeal, parenting, Women’s Health

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Pregnancy is an exciting time in a woman’s life that is characterized by a plethora of bodily changes. From a growing belly, to swollen ankles, to morning sickness – pretty much every inch of your body is affected by the life growing inside of you. But what if you don’t realize you’re pregnant until the…

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How One Boy’s Obituary Reframed His Childhood Cancer Story

Pierre Van ZylCancer, Heal, parenting

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There is nothing light-hearted about a loved one succumbing to cancer, and no family can prepare for the heartbreak that follows, especially when that person is their own child. But one 5-year-old boy’s creative obituary managed to help his parents cop…

10 Truths That Every “Mom of Boys Only” Needs to Know

Pierre Van ZylLearn, parenting

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When a psychotherapist, relationship expert, author, speaker and mother of three boys reveals deep truths about, well, being a mother of boys, you listen. If there is anyone who fits that bill, it’s Abby Rodman who has helped enlighten “mom of boys onl…

Why Parents Are No Longer Forcing Their Kids to Hug Anyone

Pierre Van ZylLearn, parenting

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As a child walking into a family function, did you have parents who would tell you to hug every relative in the room before being allowed to run off and play with the other kids your age? Did you ever make sure your kids hugged family members or friend…

Dad, Carlos Morales, Raises Quadruplets After Wife Dies During Childbirth

Pierre Van ZylLearn, News + Discoveries, parenting, Pregnancy

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Do you remember Carlos Morales, the father of quadruplets whose wife, Erica, died during childbirth? Well, he’s doing an amazing job as a dad! It’s not Father’s Day but let’s take a look at the incredible job he has done to raise four beautiful children over the years… In March 2015, Carlos was finally able…

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Dad Does Ballet With His Daughter After She Suffers Stage Fright

Pierre Van ZylLearn, News + Discoveries, parenting

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Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and apparently ballet teachers are no strangers to temper tantrums. This was made quite clear in a heart-warming video of a dancing daddy that was since gone viral! If there’s anything more charming than a two-year-old girl doing ballet, it’s her daddy copying the combination of pirouettes and plies. It all started…

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How to Calm a Crying Baby

Pierre Van Zylparenting

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While there’s undoubtedly so much joy that comes with having a newborn baby, it is not unusual for new moms and dads to feel overwhelmed with feelings of stress and frustration. These unpleasant feelings usually come as a result of the newborn crying all through the night, and sometimes frequently throughout the day. New parents…

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EWG’s 10 Worst Sunscreens of 2018

Pierre Van ZylCancer, Heal, Health Awareness, parenting

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The safety and effectiveness of sunscreens is a topic that has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. The EWG just released their 2018 sunscreen guide and it includes their list of the worst sunscreens you shouldn’t be applying on your kids (or yourself for that matter). Here’s everything you need to know about…

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10-Year-Old Boy Invents A Genius Device To Stop Children Dying In Hot Cars After His Neighbor’s Death

Pierre Van ZylNews + Discoveries, parenting

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The thought of a parent leaving (sometimes forgetting) their child alone in a car is unimaginable, but the reality is that this happens! On average, 40-50 kids die each year in the U.S from being left or forgotten in a vehicle. The cause of death? Heat. The temperature inside a car on a summer day,…

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Disney, food poisoning, and a podcast

Pierre Van Zylchildren, Mrs MD PhD, parenting

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My husband took our son for his first trip to Disney for his birthday. Alas, sans me, I was working. But this post is not about any mommy guilt for missing his epic birthday Disney trip. My ideal vacation consists of laying on a beach and gazing into t…

Who blinked first?

Pierre Van Zylmommy guilt, Mrs MD PhD, parenting

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It was a random Wednesday that I was off from work. I was thinking of the possibilities. Oh the possibilities! I could do my ever piling load of laundry. Replenish the empty fridge. Or forget all that, and keep my toddler child from daycare and spend t…

The Little Echo

Pierre Van Zylparenting, PracticeBalance

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Almost a year ago, I was worried about her lack of verbal expression. Now, she talks constantly. She knows so many words, it’s amazing. But I’m starting to realize that having a highly verbal child exposes your own verbal ticks.She adorably…