Today's teens struggle with perfectionism and mood swings, and their parents struggle to have hard conversations with them, according to a recent survey. Teen psychologist Lisa Damour explains how parents can better support their kids as a new school year begins.

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With a baby on the way, you'll need to babyproof your home — and your relationship. In this episode, how to strengthen your connection with your partner and survive the newborn phase. Learn how to navigate fairness in domestic responsibilities, keep a cool head on little sleep, and your new roles.

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Chewing, choking hazards, high chairs – oh my! Starting solid foods with your little one can be as stressful as it is special. A pediatric dietitian and a pediatrician discuss menu choices, allergens, safety and schedules to help you and your little one succeed with solids.

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Looking to travel this spring with your little one? These tips and tricks can make the journey not just manageable, but enjoyable. Travel experts explain how to navigate packing, air travel and tourism with a kid under age 2.

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It's tricky to talk to younger kids about sex. This episode helps parents get past the confusion and embarrassment around sex education so they can raise healthy, responsible kids. This episode originally aired December 17, 2019.

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Becoming a mother is a complicated life transition. That postpartum feeling of being on an emotional rollercoaster, not recognizing your body in the mirror and thinking that you've lost yourself is all part of the process. This episode offers guidance for mothers on how to get their footing, manage expectations, get support and prioritize time for themselves. These insights are also great for people who are in their support network.

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Overdose deaths among teenagers have skyrocketed in the last few years due to opioids like fentanyl. Experts say drug education that focuses on harm reduction, an approach that focuses on safety rather than abstinence, could help save lives. Here's how to start the conversation with young people and how to respond in an emergency.

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Firearms are the number one cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. Parents can take life-saving precautions to protect children — whether or not you own a gun.

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Last weekend, militants from the terrorist group Hamas killed more than a thousand people, including children, in an attack on Israel while also taking hostages. Israel has ordered a full siege of Gaza, where nearly half of residents are under 18 years of age. The news is alarming for anyone — especially for children, who may be left grappling with questions about why other children are among those affected, and whether they are safe. In this episode of Life Kit, NPR's Becky Sullivan gives us advice on how to talk to children about the violence in Israel and Gaza.

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Overindulging kids when they're young can lead to negative effects in their adulthoods. But it's hard for parents to put their foot down when they want to avoid a conflict at all costs. Child psychologist Lauren Silvers has tips for families trying to curb overindulging a child.

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Children's health professionals widely recommend a strategy known as 'special time' to help reduce behavioral issues in young children. This episode explains how to do it and why this simple and free tool is so powerful.

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While there's endless advice for parents, there's little guidance on supporting kids for non-parents. Whether you're an aunt, uncle, godparent, or a family friend, here's how to have healthy, fulfilling relationships with kids that are not yours. We'll cover how to build those relationships, start routines, and create a safe space for the kids in your life.

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Psychologist Becky Kennedy, author of the book "Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be," urges parents to spend more time raising thoughtful humans instead of fixing their behavior. This episode originally published September 26, 2022.

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Video games get a bad reputation that's often unwarranted. But kids do need guidance in using them wisely. Here's how to help them, starting with spending some time with the games your kids can't put down.

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Pregnancy is hard work – for the body, mind and soul. There are seemingly endless resources for all the physical and logistical aspects of pregnancy but far fewer for renegotiating your sense of self in every part of your life. We'll discuss the effect of pregnancy on the brain, the importance of embracing negative feelings and strategies for maintaining changing relationships.

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It may sound counterintuitive, but if you want to take charge as a parent, stop trying to control your child, says psychologist and author Shefali Tsabary. Her new book, "The Parenting Map," lays out a step-by-step guide for creating conscious parent-child relationships.

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Being a teenager is hard. There are emotional highs and lows every day. Clinical psychologist Lisa Damour says instead of jumping into problem-solving mode, parents can learn to ride the wave of emotional management with their teens. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Damour about her book "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers."

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Veggies help kids grow and develop, but it can be hard to convince them to eat their broccoli. These research-backed tips can help you encourage your kids to eat more veggies — or at least try them.

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This is the story of one particularly devious octopus who lost a limb, was captured by humans — then managed to make an escape from its aquarium tank back into the ocean. This episode comes from our friends at 'Terrestrials,' a podcast presented by Radiolab for Kids.

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Called 'special time,' the strategy is widely recommended by children's health professionals to help reduce behavioral issues in young children. Here's a guide on how to do it with your kids at home.

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Psychologist Becky Kennedy, author of the new book "Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be," urges parents to spend more time raising thoughtful humans instead of fixing their behavior.

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Having a baby is one of the biggest - and most expensive - life changes a person can experience. Here's what you need to know about financially planning for a baby, according to Farnoosh Torabi, Editor at Large CNET Money. Find out if there is a magic number that tells you you're ready, what to think about ahead of time and learn what can probably wait.

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Talking about abortion can be complicated, even with adults. How do you talk about the medical procedure and the politics around it with kids? NPR's Ailsa Chang gets tips from Dr. Elise Berlan and parenting expert Reena Patel.

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It's hard to find time for anything with a newborn at home. And in the months after having a baby, intimacy with your partner may fall to the wayside. But sex and relationship experts say that maintaining your intimate relationship with your partner is a worthwhile challenge. In this episode we'll talk strategies for reconnecting with your partner, exploring your desires, and expanding your ideas of sex and intimacy.

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Talking to kids about civics is kind of like talking to kids about sex - avoiding the conversation can have some really negative consequences. Here's how to talk to kids about civic participation, from discussing our hard history to taking action. This episode originally aired in November 2022.

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The news can be devastating, and tragic events can be incomprehensible for adults — so how do we talk about them with kids? Child development experts offer advice on what parents, teachers and other caregivers can say to help kids process all the scary news out there.

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Raising kids is among the most essential work humans do, and yet it's rarely valued as labor. Angela Garbes, author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, guides us through a shift in mindset to help give mothering the value it deserves.

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Calling all working parents and caregivers! We see you, and we know you don't have much time. Career coach Daisy Dowling shares time management tips to help working parents find sanity and joy.

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Amid the omicron surge, there is understandable anxiety among parents, particularly those with kids under 5. In this episode, infectious disease doctor Ibukun Kalu answers listeners' questions on the latest COVID variant, daycare and travel for unvaccinated children.

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Most students who want to transfer colleges, don't. The process can be complicated and confusing and differ from state to state and institution to institution. Despite these hurdles, transferring is a common route to college. So how do you make the process go as smoothly as possible? Start early, stay organized, and find a good fit.

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Getting enough sleep helps you focus, retain information and helps to fortify your immune system. But when it comes to children, they aren't always thinking about these benefits. For parents and caretakers struggling to get their little ones to bed on time, here are tips on establishing healthy sleeping habits — that can benefit your entire family.

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For expectant parents, navigating pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum can raise a range of emotions. There are so many things to think about and prepare for, and knowing where to start can feel daunting. But a birth plan can help!

In this episode, Martina Abrahams Ilunga and Gabrielle Horton of NATAL, offer guidance on creating a birth plan that works for you, and makes it simple for your support system to pitch in.

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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens to potential college students to fill out on Oct. 1 for the 2022-2023 school year. Here's how to fill out the form to get money for college — and why you should apply now instead of waiting.

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Research shows that suicide is preventable. And while surveys have shown that Americans know this, they might not know how to help someone who may be at risk.

It's National Suicide Prevention Month, and we're looking at ways you can help if you know someone who is struggling.

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Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children ages 1-4 in the United States. To prevent drownings, make sure there's always a designated adult watching the water whenever kids are swimming. We'll cover other water safety tips to protect young swimmers safe this summer.

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Reading at school is one thing, but reading at home is important too. Though with busy schedules filled with after school activities, homework and lots of tech at kids' fingertips, it's not always easy to convince kids that reading isn't a chore.

In this episode, Diana Opong helps us discover that there is so much joy — and value — to be found in reading aloud as a family.

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Whether you know it or not, you know somebody who is autistic. So if you think autism doesn't affect you, you're wrong, says Eric Garcia.

In this episode, Garcia, author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation, talks about myths surrounding autism, how to talk about it and how to help your autistic loved one live their most fulfilling life.

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Returning to in-person schooling is both a relief — and a source of great anxiety — for a lot of parents this year. The pandemic is still happening. The Delta variant is surging. And millions of children are too young to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The news changes fast — updates on vaccine trials and breakthrough infections seem to roll in every day — but there's still a lot the whole family can do to stay as safe as possible.

In this episode NPR health reporter Pien Huang shares tips from public health experts — all parents themselves — for keeping kids safe at school.

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Becoming a parent is challenging and the same is true for those becoming stepparents. In this episode, we talk to experts — some of whom are stepparents themselves — about how you can navigate the process. They share their do's: let the biological parent deal with discipline — and their don'ts: don't say anything to the child that you wouldn't want them to repeat to the other parent.

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If you've noticed that your kid put on some weight during the pandemic and you're not sure what — if anything — to do about it, you're not alone.

Weight is an incredibly fraught topic — and an imperfect indicator of health. As parents, a kid's sudden weight gain can be hard to know how to tackle — the last thing we'd want is to do anything that might create poor body image for our children or set the stage for eating disorders.

We spoke to doctors and specialists who work with kids. In this episode, they share their tips for how to get kids back on track and support healthy habits.

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Having elementary-aged kids at home can mean a maze of tough decisions about how to run your family and what's right for your small children. Economist Emily Oster offers ways to streamline decision-making with strategies — and data — that work in the business world.

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Becoming a mother is a huge, complicated life transition that can rock every fiber of a person's being. The process even has its own name: matrescence.

That postpartum feeling of being on an emotional rollercoaster, not recognizing your body in the mirror, thinking that you've lost yourself — it's all part of the process. Yet, not a lot of people talk about it, leading many new moms to think that there's a problem with them if they feel anything but joy.

In this episode, host Grace Bastidas of Parents Latina offers guidance for mothers trying to make sense of this life stage. Here are five takeaways that can help moms-to-be (and moms already in the thick of it) get their footing, ​​including tips on how to manage expectations, get the support you need and prioritize time for yourself.

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Money can feel like a taboo topic in a lot of households, but talking about it regularly can take the awkwardness out of it.

Kids see and do everything that we do, and that's true when it comes to money, says financial expert Jen Hemphill.

In this episode, Hemphill shares her top tips for financial literacy for kids and families, including how to start those conversations and creating a healthy money mindset for everyone.

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Even the most amicable split is world-changing for young children. Here are a few key tips for grown-ups trying to help their kids navigate this big transition.

(This episode originally published April 26, 2019.)

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Picking a name for a baby can be overwhelming. With all the possibilities out in the world, it can be hard to even begin to choose. On this episode of Life Kit, host Diana Opong speaks with baby naming experts for a framework that can help.

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Many parents share photos and videos of their babies and children on social media. But there are potential dangers to constantly posting about your kid online, says Leah Plunkett, a faculty member of Harvard Law School who specializes in children, family law and technology. This episode, Plunkett explains what adults should consider about a kid's privacy and personal data before hitting the upload button.

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Despite how common pregnancy loss is, families often suffer in silence. In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, Life Kit teamed up with the hosts of the podcast docuseries NATAL to share stories from parents who have experienced loss, and expert advice about how to support loved ones through grief.

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Author Sonora Jha shares insights from her memoir, How To Raise A Feminist Son, which includes practical to-do lists about how to handle some of the hardest conversations with sons.

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Raising kids who pitch in around your home doesn't require bribes or a chore chart. Kids want to help – and parents can nurture that desire by including them in age-appropriate ways.

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Navigating conversations with kids around race and racism can be tricky. Here's what to think about while talking to kids about the rise in anti-Asian attacks and the shootings in Atlanta earlier this month.

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