A group of kids gets together to play a game of tag and nobody wants to be “it.” The children don’t suddenly slip into chaos trying to decide who “it” is going to be—they possess a rhythmic selection procedure, parts of which have probably been around in some form for centuries. It goes something like this: Eenie, meenie, miney, moe, Catch a tiger by the …
The language of parenting is constantly evolving, and these changes often occur in tandem with new parenting movements and styles. The early 20th-century authoritarian style of parenting gave way to a more permissive parent in the ’60s and ’70s. The ’80s and ’90s parent became more intricately involved and focused on building their children’s self-esteem. Trophies for everyone! Now, in the early 21st century, the …
“Baby needa burpie?! Yeees?? [burp] Oh! WHOOOZa good baby? YOU are! Yeeesssssyouare!” Whether you find this adorable or aggravating, gaggles of parents around the world speak to their infants in singsong “goos” and “gahs.” The style has diverse names, from baby talk and motherese (but what about Dad?) to the neutral and more official-sounding child- or infant- directed speech. Whatever you choose to call it, …
These days, giving birth to twins is increasingly common. As many as 5 out of every 1,000 babies born shared a womb with their sibling. While cute and adorable are some starter words to use when welcoming new babies, here’s a look at the lexicon to haul out when welcoming multiples! Fraternal twins vs. identical twins Fraternal twins are twins who derive from separately fertilized …