Stacker-Parenting & Family

Americans love to show off their creativity when it comes to giving their children names. Rather than relying on certain classics they may love the sound of, trends show new parents are opting instead to provide their own unique spellings. Nontraditionally spelled names can give a child a special feeling of uniqueness while having a

  The baby is fed, the sun is going down, and instead of feeling relieved that the day is winding down, you feel a knot forming in your stomach. Another night is coming. How many times will the baby wake up? Will they settle after feeding? Will you be able to fall back asleep? What

  “Mom lets me use my phone at night. Why can’t I here?” If you’re co-parenting, you’ve likely heard some version of this, and it rarely leads to a simple answer. One household allows late-night scrolling. The other says phones get turned off at nine. One parent says yes to social media. The other isn’t

  Every fall brings the same rhythm: new backpacks, first-day-of-school photos, and a fresh round of expenses that seem to grow a little more each year. Whether it’s packing lunches for a kindergartner, writing tuition checks for a college freshman, or somewhere in between, the cost of raising a child in the U.S. has reached

  Although a baby’s “graduation” from the NICU is an exciting milestone, transitioning from a highly controlled newborn intensive care environment, including monitoring and 24/7 nursing care, to a home routine can feel stressful. You may be excited to finally have your baby home while also wondering how you’ll manage without the NICU team right

  A playground is more than just a place where kids come to play. It’s where they build confidence, exercise their imagination, and make friends. Playgrounds are also where communities gather and families create memories that last a lifetime. These and many more reasons establish them as a worthy addition to a community, school, or

  Back-to-school shopping often starts with a familiar list: notebooks, backpacks, clothing and shoes. But for parents, the expenses do not necessarily stop once the first bell rings. Sports, clubs, field trips and other extracurricular activities can add costs throughout the school year. If you’re a parent, those expenses need to fit alongside your regular

  Welcoming a child into the world is a joyous occasion, filled with excitement and a packed to-do list. In between the diaper changes, feedings and trying to get a few precious hours of shut-eye, don’t forget one important task: considering life insurance. Why do new parents need life insurance? As a new parent, you’re

  Family researchers have spent decades taking a look at how far parents end up living from their adult children, yet very little research focuses on the relationship between siblings. Even though they are the ones typically splitting holiday hosting, dividing up a parent’s care as they age, and making calls when things go wrong,

  Common expenses tied to raising a child — including child care, food, medical care, housing and other necessities — can total tens of thousands of dollars annually. While costs are high across major metro areas, the burden varies sharply by location, with families in some places facing annual expenses more than twice as high

  As the summer season comes to a close, families with school-aged children start to think about upcoming back-to-school expenses: laptops, notebooks, clothing and shoes, water bottles, backpacks, and all of the other classics. While most families consider initial purchases, many fail to include the various other costs that usually begin a few months into

  It can be stressful when kids flat-out refuse to go to school. Your child might be complaining about stomachaches every day, begging to stay home. Or they may become increasingly emotional as the school day approaches. You may find yourself wondering: Why is this happening? What if they’re never willing to go back to

  Every May, the Social Security Administration drops one of the most entertaining website updates of all: the names that gained the most in popularity out of over 1,000 common names. The 2025 top baby names, unveiled in May 2026, were full of surprises. A name meaning “fire” jumped more than 1,100 spots, another received

  Prioritizing play offers a variety of benefits for children, from helping them grow their vocabulary to managing their big feelings with fewer behavioral problems. Play also benefits children’s cognitive and social and emotional development. But play isn’t always a focus in classrooms, even when it comes to very young children. Kelley Mayer White, professor

  If the Sunday scaries were a month, it would have to be August: the start of back-to-school season. Saying goodbye to summer in preparation for a new school year can trigger a flood of difficult emotions, whether that’s anxiety, sadness, excitement, or even fear. You might feel a sense of dread about adjusting to

  It’s almost time for parents to send their kids off to college, and this transition can bring with it a blend of excitement and concern. It’s an important time where financial lessons can have a long-lasting impact on children’s lives today and beyond their degrees. Warren Buffett once said, “The more you learn, the

  Because breastfeeding offers well-established health benefits for both babies and moms, organizations including the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods for two years or more. Moms are hearing these recommendations, alongside a common message that breastfeeding

  Parents spend years styling their children, picking out just the right outfits for special occasions, choosing a haircut that suits their sweet little faces, and doing their best to keep up with how quickly they outgrow their shoes. Just as parents begin to master all the moving parts, a new variable gets thrown into

  Your child often comes home from school and bursts into tears. Or starts yelling and slamming doors for no reason. As far as you know, nothing bad is happening at school. So where is this explosion of emotion coming from? It could be after-school restraint collapse. Andrea Loewen Nair, a counselor and parenting educator,