Expert: Penny Warner, child development expert and author of Parent's and Kid's Complete Guide to Summer Camp Fun: Everything You Need to Prepare for an Incredible Camp Adventure!

1. Overlooking Separation Anxiety

"We may underestimate, or we may not even express, our fears that our child will have some separation anxiety and homesickness. I don't want to think about my child being scared or unhappy, so I am going to focus on the good stuff, the fun. But, I think we just need to admit that there is this fear and deal with it ahead of time. You don't want to talk the child into it — you don't want to say 'you're probably going to be homesick.' You want to open up the opportunity to chat about it: 'you know I'll be gone for the day, you'll be having so much fun at the camp, but I'm going to come back and get you at 4:00 and then we'll go have pizza.' Minimize that fear that you're never coming back. You might send along something from home to make that connection to home. For example, a picture of the family that you can tuck into a pocket or you can put one of his smaller toys in a pocket so that 'whenever you think of mommy, just think about this little thing in your pocket.'"

2. Making Your Kid Stick It Out

"I think you need to know whether your child is ready for this. Even if you want to send your child to camp, he or she may not be emotionally ready or socially ready, so really try to evaluate that first. Has she spent the night away at a friend's house or Grandma's house? And how did that go? And then when it comes to that point where she comes home at the end of the camp day and is crying or she says 'I don't want to come back,'  chat about it first. Then, call the camp and find out if something went wrong or if there's a reason why — maybe she's just shy, hasn't met a friend yet, maybe she didn't do well at her swimming activity or whatever it might be — talk that up a little bit. Just make a promise to your child, 'Let's give it one more shot, and if you really don't like it, I'm not going to force you to go.' If your child is miserable, it is time to stop and try again next year. Your children will know that you respect them, because you're willing to listen to them and do understand them."

3. Treating Camp Counselors Like Teachers

"Recalibrate your expectations with the understanding that counselors are there to help your child have a fun and rewarding experience. Teachers have to get certain information across, but at camp, the children are there to be kids — to play pretty much all day. Camp counselors have more of a sense of humor, they're more kid-like, and I think that makes them more approachable for children. So the difference between camp counselors and preschool or elementary school teachers provides a benefit, but you do have to talk to the kids about that. At the same time, don't forget to help facilitate the experience by letting the counselors know if your child has any special needs, such as dealing with separation anxiety or occasional potty 'accidents.' Of course, if there's something serious the counselors need to know, such as a peanut butter allergy or other medical condition, be sure to share this information, as you would with anyone who will come in contact with your child."

As told to Emily Frost.

While the bedrooms of the neighbor's children just across the way are dark, save for a night light in the toddler's room, my three-year-old is wide awake. She isn't up past her bedtime. She doesn't have one.

She has those important rituals of bedtime, sure. She is bathed by me or my husband almost every night, her delicate skin covered first in lotion and then a set of fleecy pajamas. We'll generally settle in her bed to read stories, but sometimes in ours. She gets at least two books read every night — one per parent. On that, there is no negotiating.

What's fluid is the time.

Our daughter goes to bed when we do. And so in the hours after my husband comes home from the office and I finish up my work-at-home writing, we spend our time together. We eat dinner together — even if it's on the living room couch, with a dog staring hopefully at a butterfly-shaped plate set precariously on the edge of the coffee table.

That's why there's no bedtime in our household, why the seven o'clock hour does not turn our child into a screaming, writhing pumpkin who just wants another ten minutes to play with her toys or sit between Mommy and Daddy on the couch. We tried it a few times — the march upstairs to the bedroom, the tuck in, the request for water, the tuck in, the pleas to go potty again, the tuck in. Each night it would go on for an hour or two, her too keyed up for bed, us more exhausted by the minute.

Pretty quickly, we realized it wasn't just a rule we didn't like enforcing but one we saw no point in enforcing. If she was awake, why argue her into bed? Why spend our few hours together as a family every night manning our battle stations?

Commenting recently in the New York Times on the fact that President Barack and Michelle Obama enforce a strict eight p.m. bedtime for daughters Sasha and Malia, Dr. Judith Owens, who directs the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Children's Hospital, says parents unfortunately misjudge the appropriate bedtime because they think their kids need less sleep than they do. Owens says just 2.5 percent of the population needs significantly less sleep than average, but 95 percent of the population wrongly thinks it's in that 2.5 percent category.

But Dr. Perri Klass, who wrote the New York Times piece, points out that the sleep experts suggest "testing your routine by checking whether the child wakes spontaneously, alert and cheerful and ready for the day."

Mine does.

In fact, she still rises earlier in the morning than I do — because she generally still falls asleep before either her father or me, him because he stays up to check out the ESPN scores, me because after a bedtime story, I pick up the latest novel off of my bedside table and spend at least an hour decompressing with some escapist trash.

]]>Jeanne Sager http://www.babble.com/Dark-Days-My-husband-says-Im-not-depressed-just-lazy/I'm a mom to two very little kids (ages three and one), and I've been dragged through the mud by depression really hard. I'm losing my grip on sanity. My husband is not supportive of me getting counseling or taking medication. He believes that a lot of mental health problems would be solved through his spiritual beliefs. He says I'm not depressed, just lazy. It's really hard to cope with this. I don't know what to do. — At The End Of My Rope

Dear ATEOMR,

It sounds like you're stuck between a rock and a holier-than-thou place.

Our advice in this case is very straightforward. You need to get help. What you are experiencing is real and potentially dangerous -- to you and your children. Your husband's beliefs are real to him too, but it doesn't sound like you necessarily share them, and it definitely doesn't sound like they're giving you the help you need in this situation. Whether or not it's even possible for postpartum depression to be remedied by faith alone is questionable. But you don't have time for questioning.

You need help. Now.

Perhaps if your husband is averse to formal psychotherapy, you could pursue a postpartum support group or a general new mom's group and use that to segue into more personalized care if necessary. The group leader should be able to direct you to resources, or perhaps even help you work through some of your issues directly. It's not clear how connected you feel to the spiritual side or what the belief system in play is, but perhaps it could be helpful to discuss your concerns with a religious leader. You'll have to gauge whether you think this could be helpful or would simply reinforce your husband's position. The denial of mental illness (or its interpretation as a moral failing) by the clergy is pretty common and can be an impediment on the path to care.

You may have more luck going straight to your medical doctor, or even your child's pediatrician, to say you're worried about being depressed. Your children's welfare is at stake, and depression is well within the purview of the medical profession. Some doctors are much better talking about these matters than others, so you may need to push a bit if you're not getting a response -- or look elsewhere.

Your husband's attitude is almost definitely contributing to your depression. There's quite a bit of research suggesting that postpartum depression is exacerbated, if not caused, by a serious lack of support. It's one thing to feel overwhelmed, and another to feel that your concerns aren't being taken seriously. To be called lazy on top of it adds a layer of antagonism that makes us worry.

We rarely suggest that one partner operate behind the other's back. But if you have reason to believe that your husband will stand in the way of you pursuing help, we urge you to work around that, even if it means doing it without his knowledge. Are there other people in your community you can trust and lean on for emotional and logistical support during this time? Do you have friends who will care for your children while you seek counseling? Can you reach out online, or via a phone hotline? There are some great resources available to point you in the right direction for deeper support; we've listed some below. A phone call is a great place to start. There are many other wonderful mothers out there who have been through this before and can guide you to the kind of support you need.

Once you have reached a level of equilibrium for yourself, you can consider whether you want to go back to your husband and talk to him about his role in your emotional life. If he's not hearing this cry for help, he may need to work on his listening skills.

Here are some excellent resources:

Postpartum Progress is an amazing website that includes many links to other resources — groups, hotlines, books, etc — as well as a piece addressing religion and postpartum depression.

Christian PPD Support offers help to a specifically Christian community.

Have a question? Email parentaladvisory@babble.com. Questions submitted may be used for publication.

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Kermit the Frog was wise beyond his Muppet years when he said, "It's not easy being green." Not only is it tricky to figure out when it's important to choose organic, it's a challenge to scout out deals among all the green products vying for your attention. Whether you spend a little or a lot, the choices below will give your baby a healthy start while doing good for the earth. — Tracy Chait

1. Receiving Blanket

The Dream

Lola & James have made a vintage cashmere baby blanket, $298, from recycled cashmere (still as soft), eliminating much of a product's manufacturing waste. It's available in a "boy" and "girl" color palette. For a more straightforward receiving blanket, try Petunia Pickle Bottom's Organic Gift Set, three blankets for $79, available in two sets of graphic prints. And don't forget your organic blanket friend, $18, a security blanket topped with a sweet little rabbit, all in super soft organic cotton.

The Reality

Giggle offers a set of two organic blankets in its "Better Basics" series for $34. Choose either blue and ivory or pink and ivory. And Eden Home is offering 15% off its Organic Cotton Receiving Blanket by Under the Nile, featuring organic Egyptian cotton in two snappy prints. Now $27.20.

2. Non-toxic Crib

The Dream

The Oeuf Crib in Walnut, $920.

Hand crafted from solid birch, finished with nontoxic lacquer and featuring medium-density fiberboard made from recovered wood fibers, this is a good-looking place to sleep, inside and out.

The Reality

City Lights Commuter Crib by Sorelle, $406.

With this piece, you'll get modern design as well as the good-for-the-planet stamp. You won't find solid birch at this price point, but this crib is made from poplar, uses water-based paint and odorless glue and makes use of a reforestation program to gather materials. While perhaps less virtuous in a lineup of nontoxic cribs, IKEA's Leksvik Crib, $159, is made from solid, renewable wood sources (in this case, beech and spruce) and uses "less toxic" glues. In short, non-toxic = more money, less toxic = less money.

3. Organic Crib Mattress

The Dream

Natural Mat Mohair Crib Mattress, $625.

Weaved together from horsehair tail, organic coir and fleecy mohair, this mattress is a combo of the best available natural materials. No chemicals, synthetics or any ingredient that ends in -cide here. If you're worried about a potential mohair allergy, there's the oft-touted Naturepedic 2 in 1 Organic Cotton Ultra Crib Mattress, $399. This one's waterproof (sides too!) and features organic cotton that's unbleached, undyed, un-everything you worry about.

The Reality

Organic when it comes to mattresses doesn't come cheap. But remember that research has shown some connection between synthetic mattresses and toxins leaching into child's bodies, so if you're going to splurge, this could be the place to do it. Further down the rungs in the pediatrician-endorsed Naturepedic series is the No-Compromise Organic Cotton Classic 150 Crib Mattress, $259.99, which simply features fewer coils. Then there's the Sealy Naturalis Crib Mattress with Organic Cotton, $99.99, though it's unclear what else is in the mattress besides organic cotton. (That preposition "with" makes us skeptical.)

4. Organic Crib Bedding

The Dream

Q Collection Organic Crib Sets in Sky Celestial Parade, $395, and Roxy Celestial Parade, $395.

These are both made from 100% organic cotton printed all over with sophisticated little elephants (more Babar than Dumbo). Another great choice comes from Plover Organics, a company that insists on Fair Trade labor practices and sells its Plover Organic 4-Piece Crib Set for $335. You'll get 250-thread count organic cotton with hand-blocked prints done in low-impact dyes that are sweet but not cloying. Q Collection and Plover sets come with reusable drawstring bags to hold bedding sets. For neutral organic crib bedding with no elephants, leaves or little birds in sight, try Dwell's Organic Circles 4-Piece Crib Set, $450, in white Portuguese organic cotton.

The Reality

Baby Natura Classic 3-Piece Crib Set, $169.

The words organic cotton do not appear in the description of this set, but the company promises no off-gassing, harmful chemicals or toxins. You do the math. Or try Tadpoles Sage Organic Terry & Waffle 4-Piece Crib Set, $189.99. 100% organic and available in a chocolatey brown, sage green or pale pink. If you don't want an entire set, start with well-priced organic sheets like the ABC Organic Cotton Interlock Crib Sheet, $15.95, in natural. And try ABC's no-nonsense Organic Cotton Crib Bumper, $46.95.

5. Teethers

The Dream

The gold standard in this category is Sophie the Giraffe, $22.95, which is made from natural rubber and non-toxic food paint. It's BPA- and phthalates-free, and it's French. A French organic giraffe named Sophie. Worth every penny. The Natursutten teethers, in apple and fish shapes, $11.50 each, also receive rave reviews. A cloth option (organic cotton and lamb's wool) is the Teething Bonbon, $15, which you can dip in boiling water and then freeze for a soothing bite or two.

The Reality

Organic Veggies, $6 per, by Under the Nile, made from organic Egyptian cotton. Helps with teething and supposedly inspires good psychological associations with veggies. There's also the RazBerry silicone teething pacifier hybrid, $5.99, which can be frozen and is made from medical-grade, non-toxic silicone.

6. Organic Onesies

The Dream

7 Days of Bodysuits Gift Set from Kate Quinn Organics, $98.

A week's worth of organic short-sleeve onesies in terrific, saturated colors that don't scream baby blue or pastel pink. And while it's dreamy to receive all seven, the breakdown per bodysuit is a more reasonable $14, so it may be worth buying the bunch. Then there's the Fauna Long-Sleeve Onesie, $36, in organic cotton with hand-done screens of realistic-looking animals — giraffes, sea turtles, elephants, and a somewhat out-of-place Boston terrier.

The Reality

Organics by Tadpoles Set of 2 Long-Sleeve Creepers, $24.99.

Available in sage, pink or brown trim on white (the set is also available for the same price in a short-sleeve version). Under the Nile's On the Side Organic Snapsuit, $14, is a long sleeve bodysuit made from Egyptian organic cotton with foldover sleeves to prevent scratching. Order several of the uber-soft Organic Brannan Bear Bodysuit, $9.50, in natural from Baby Gap.

7. Green Baby Bath Products

The Dream

An all-natural line called vedaPURE is the brainchild of Harvard-educated pediatrician Natalie Geary, who believes in ayurvedic practices. The line was inspired by the 6,000-year-old Vedas (but did account for inflation). Her chic tubs of sweet-smelling stuff include vedaBaby Diaper Balm, $40, and Shampoo & Body Wash, $40. There's a vedaMAMA line for pregnant and post-pregnant ladies, too. Baby products from Erbaviva, from $10.99 to $25, get high marks for the high percentage of organic ingredients they use, and their diaper cream gets an A+ from Treehugger. They're made in California and even donate a portion of proceeds to the Worldwide Orphans Foundation.

The Reality

Babies don't need a lot of products at first, and in fact many can irritate their skin. Remember that part of being green is not buying new stuff. Try to scale back on the lotions and potions to save money and landfill space, as well as avoid a rash or two. You can buy California Baby's Calming Bodywash in bulk (meaning less packaging waste over time) for $17.99 for 17.5 ounces. And if you need diaper rash cream, Weleda makes a Calendula version for $8.

8. Organic Baby Food

The Dream

Purchase the Beaba Babycook, $149.95, and know exactly what your baby is getting to eat. Cookbooks like the Organic Baby and Toddler Cookbook, $15, Top 100 Baby Purees, $16, and Superfoods for Babies and Children, $24.95, will give you plenty of recipes to try. (And since you'll be saving the manufacturing, shipping and energy costs of buying jars of food at the store, this "dream" could actually be a nice long-term "reality.") If you prefer your baby food ? la carte, Tasty Baby uses 100% organic, gluten-free ingredients packaged in BPA-free recyclable containers printed in veggie ink. And its co-founder, Shannon Swanson, was trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Find their products at Amazon, $39.90 for six 10.5 oz. boxes, plus free shipping.

The Reality

The inconvenient truth is making your own baby food is still your best choice if you're trying to shrink that carbon footprint to baby-shoe size. Instead of the fancy Babycook, try either the Kidco Babysteps Electric Food Mill, $32.99, or their Food Mill with Carrying Case (hand-operated), $14.99. Then, if you haven't already, scout out your local Co-op or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) options for organic fruits and veggies to prepare. Or pick up some pre-made organic baby food at whole foods: Earth's Best (around $4-6 for a six-pack of jarred food; use this coupon for $1 off ten jars of baby food) and Plum Organics (boxes range from $3.49-3.99) are favorite brands.

9. Cloth Diapers

The Dream

BumGenius 3.0, $17.95 each, and FuzziBunz, $17.95 each, are the two most popular cloth diapers. Both feature what is essentially a cloth outer diaper with removable, washable inserts. They snap shut with the ease of a disposable, claim to reduce diaper rash and, in terms of self-righteousness potential, are the equivalent of pulling up alongside a Hummer in a Prius at a stoplight.

The Reality

At Diaper Swappers, you can find used cloth diapers (yes, they've been laundered) for a fraction of the price. You'll also be overwhelmed by the amount of parenting and diapering advice among all your new "friends" at this site. The Hybrid Reality: gDiapers, $26.99 for a starter kit including two diaper covers with liners and 10 flushable inserts, are a good compromise if you share a washing machine with an entire apartment building. The outer diaper — aka hiphop-sounding "little g pants" — is reusable and washable, but the insert is flushable, plastic-free and biodegradable.

10. BPA-Free Bottles

The Reality

Bisphenol-A, a potentially hazardous compound used in many plastics, may hinder your child's development. There are bills under review in Congress to ban the use of BPA plastics altogether. Even mass retailers like Walmart and Babies R' Us have refused to carry baby bottles containing the pesky stuff. You can easily find BPA-free products in your price range. Those receiving the biggest raves from parents include: Dr. Brown's (Newborn Gift Set, $17.99 for 5 bottles plus accessories), BornFree (Gift Set, $38.24 for 5 bottles plus accessories), Green to Grow (Welcome Home Set, $54.99 for 4 bottles plus nipples and blanket) and Thinkbaby ($15.99 for a TwinPack of 9 oz. Bottles).The best deals are from Playtex ($15.19 for 3-Pack Ventaire Crystal Clear Nurser, 9 oz.) and Evenflo (just $2.99 for a 3-Pack of 8 oz. Clear Bottles). You can also try glass bottles wrapped in protective silicone, like the Silicone Sleeve Glass Baby Bottle, 8oz., $12. And don't forget your Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup, $19.95, for a little further down the road.

The morning I woke up next to him, I still had my clothes on and my virtue intact. We lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, talking about this and that. For some reason, I jokingly asked how many children he had, not thinking there was any answer. He told me five hundred, which he then modified to three, and then told me their ages. Twenty-one. Eighteen. Two. I lay there shocked for a few seconds, but adjusted quickly and looked up at the ceiling some more. Then he mentioned Claudia and her age, again, and asked if this was scary for me. At that point he could have told me that he was married and it wouldn't have shocked me and so, when he told me he was still married, it was par for the course. Claudia was born after they'd separated. They didn't want to stay together, but they didn't want to leave her behind.

Tim and I have now been dating for a year. His divorce papers have finally been signed and Tim is ready to ease me into the role of Daddy's special friend. I've only seen Claudia twice, for a few moments in passing. Today is the third time. Our day started with her nap — her sleepy, soft self and blond braid, lying still on my bed where he'd arranged her on top of a towel over a sheet of plastic because she is learning to do without diapers. After the nap, and some playtime, we head out for a picnic at Gasworks Park, and watch the boats sliding back and forth on their tacks. The wind is warm, the sun carries the scent of blackberries. Claudia, after her short coloring session on the floor of my kitchen, is curious about everything, especially me.

We head over to the swings and the slides. I am surrounded by the normal, non-inquiring glances of children and parents. Here we are, just another family on the playground: Tim, a marked baby boomer dad with his silver and dark hair, taut legs in khaki shorts and no inhibitions, paired with me, a twenty-something version of Claudia. And Claudia, running free, easy, wild, and independent, rosy as an apricot, a gypsy child whose hair must be taken out of barrettes at her own insistence so that she can feel it in the wind. She knows the sensuality of this feeling at age three. I hold back, having never spent a full day with her, and I'm still sensitive of making my mark and upsetting the fragile ecosystem of it all. I like the two of them together, and I know that he should have this kind of carefree activity every day but doesn't. I watch how free he is with her and how every interaction is a subtle lesson. "How many geese are over there by the stone wall?" he asks her. "Count them for me!" And she does.

At the playground I see the happy babies and parents and I wonder why I'm so ill at ease. There are so many reasons that could answer it, but they aren't my reasons exactly, they are the reasons someone else would think of. I try them on for size. One is that I loved this when I was little and that my father was every bit as loving and attentive as Tim. Am I pining for my childhood? Next is the baby I haven't had. This man, my lover, would love my child just as much as he loves Claudia. This idea feels tempting but in a slightly queasy way. I'm not eager to give birth. Perhaps, I think, it is because I love to watch her love him, and depend upon him with perfect confidence. Maybe it is the fact that they're part of a family that's breaking up but because of this little girl will still be ironclad, even if they are divorcing. Claudia gives me little looks and questioning glances, shy smiles and bold grins. She's a tiny chameleon with flowing blond hair, wearing nothing but a shirt and panties.

Our next stop is Murphy's restaurant, where Claudia is in a touching mood. She is all over Tim. We eat French fries together and Tim and I drink beer. Across the table, they are in another world from me — sitting next to each other and loving each other. I listen to Tim say that she is his baby, that she is so pretty. He lets her put his glasses on him backwards and upside down. I see him run his finger in a straight line from the top of her forehead to the end of her nose. It is a familiar gesture, an absentminded caress that he performs on my face as well. I see the gestures, hear the cadences of his voice with her, the same ones he uses on me, and wonder if he treats everyone like a child or does he love me because I am childlike?

And we sit in Murphy's, a group of three that is broken up into two and one. I think that Tim really must be okay with everything ending if he's bringing the three of us to a public place, a bar where his friends go. Is this his first rebellious act of freedom after signing away his home to his ex-wife? I am thinking all sorts of things, and watching a boxing show on the twin TVs, when Tim prompts Claudia to come sit on my lap. This would have been nice if she'd thought of it herself, but I don't believe she did. Soft and warm, the baby is on my lap for a mere second or two before she reaches out for the man whose duty she has done. Not a good way to teach a child to be true to herself, even if he thought it would please me.

Tim called immediately after dropping me off at home. When I answered the phone, he said, "I worry about you when you're quiet." I told him I wished he hadn't prompted her to sit on me. He swore that she did it all on her own, and that she had total trust in me. I lay back on my couch. Was I ready to have a child in my life?

Ultimately, I made the leap. Falling in love with a man means embracing his world. My sense of unease disappeared. Claudia and I developed a mutual adoration for each other, and for the following two years Tim and I stayed together, she and I spent a great deal of time together on our own. The problem was that I eventually fell out of love with Tim. When I left him, he disallowed all contact between me and his daughter, which was his right, but truly painful. I heard from a mutual friend that finally, after a year, Claudia stopped asking for me, but I still think about her. Perhaps the root of the unease I sensed upon meeting her was that leaving Claudia would be a thousand times more painful than leaving Tim.

Tired of ho-hum beaches and less-than-thrilling children's museums? These family-friendly vacation spots are weird, wonderful and anything but ordinary. — Christina Couch

21. Foamhenge, Natural Bridge, Virginia

Our kids may not be able to comprehend the true weirdness of an exact replica of mysterious prehistoric stones made out of foam located in rural Virginia, but they're sure to have a blast at the site's annual medieval Enchantment Faire. Kicking off September 6th and 7th, this year's Enchantment Faire will feature costume fairies, a unicorn-themed ring toss, a sheep-throwing competition (thankfully without live animals) and peddlers hawking medieval wares. Get ready to geek out. Admission is $5.

20. A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, Salem, Oregon
World's largest Erector set: check. Dig for prehistoric mammoth bones: check, Step inside a giant animal cell: check. All in a day's work in A.C. Gilbert's stranger-than-strange backyard. Half children's museum, half playground, Discovery Village is home to the country's only child-sized grocery store, a room dedicated exclusively to bubble-making, and a room that lets kids freeze and manipulate their own shadows. Admission is $5.75.

19. Rockome Gardens, Arcola, Illinois

Why hit the beach this summer when you can play tic-tac-toe with a live chicken? Located approximately three hours south of Chicago in the heart of Amish country, this children's park and historical re-enactment town features Ben Franklin impersonators, WWII re-enactments (complete with tanks!) and a horse-powered saw mill children can ride. Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for kids under twelve.

18. Wizard Quest, Wisconsin Dells
Cynical parents who enter these doors may not be able to keep a straight face. Located in a 13,000-square-foot climbable labyrinth (known in the game as the "Quadrasphere"), Wizard Quest is essentially a 4-D computer game that presents children with questions and riddles (spoken from the lips of dragons of course), the correct answers of which release imprisoned wizards . . . naturally. Packed with secret passages, animatronic sorcerers and a mysterious "Gnome Depot" (no idea what happens there), Wizard Quest will be equally enjoyable for kids and snarky adults. Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for kids.

17. RoboWorld, Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Prepare your human offspring for the robot revolution by showing them the largest permanent robot-themed exhibit in the world. Led by Andy, a socially interactive "Robo-Thespian," RoboWorld features hockeybots, artificial intelligence bots, lunar rovers, computerized foosball tables, service bots and mechanical men that create art. Kids will have the chance to play b-ball against a robot. Parents will learn how close we are to a machine takeover. Tickets are $14.

16. City Museum, St. Louis

A fantasy come true for adventurous kids, a nightmare for overprotective parents, City Museum is half novelty museum (featuring oddities such as the world's oldest corn dog and the world's largest pair of underwear), half dream playground. With hands-on attractions including walls with secret passageways, an indoor skateless skate park where kids swing from ramp to ramp with overhead ropes, an outdoor playground comprised of mesh wire tubes suspended twenty-five feet in the air, and a bar for stressed-out parents, City Museum is both totally awesome and completely terrifying. On weekend nights after ten, City Museum shuts off the lights and hands out flashlights. Kids and adults can climb around suspended cave-like structures in the dark until 1 a.m. Admission is $12, $10 after 5 p.m. on weekends.

15. Insectropolis, Toms River, New Jersey

Many zoos and museums offer insect exhibits, but only one combines the beauty of bugs with the terror of prison. At Insectropolis' permanent Rock State Prison exhibit, children learn first-hand just how many bugs out there can kill them. Divided into categories like "Six-Armed Bandits" and "Mass Murderers," the exhibit presents kids with dossiers of villain bugs that are dangerous to humans. The upside to surviving Rock State Prison is that it makes Insectropolis' bug petting zoo (featuring Rosie the Touchable Tarantula) a little less scary. Tickets are $7.

14. Museum of Questionable Medical Devices, St. Paul, Minnesota

Located within the Science Museum of Minnesota, this collection pays homage to medical forms of fraud, quackery, deception and deceit. Featuring devices ranging from the Foot-Powered Breast Enlarger to the McGregor Rejuvenator, a contraption that used magnetism, UV and infrared rays to supposedly reverse the aging process, this hands-on collection allows kids to try on fake medical equipment and take pot shots at past generations. Tickets are $11 for adults, $8.50 for kids.

13. Metropolis, Illinois

Sure, there hasn't been a good Superman movie since the '80s, but that hasn't stopped the citizens of Metropolis — the only town in the world dedicated to the Man of Steel — from placing a fifteen-foot statue of the superhero in the middle of town, as well as a Super Museum. Metropolis' Superman Celebration 2009 (June 11th through 14th, 2009), the largest Superman-themed event in the country, will feature an array of comic book authors, celebrity guests, a Superman Fan baseball game (Metropolis Marvels vs. Smallville Meteors), video and musical tributes and not one, but several Superman-themed game shows.

12. Aircraft Boneyard, Tucson, Arizona

Located literally around the Pima Air and Space Museum on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the 309 Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group — better known as the Aircraft Bone Yard — features seventy-five acres of aircrafts and aerospace vehicles currently being reserviced, regenerated or stripped for parts by the U.S. Air Force. The three to four-hour "Boneyard Tour" takes families through 4,400 piloted machines from the Air Force, Navy-Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard and NASA. Tickets for the Pima Museum are $15 for adults, $9 for kids ages seven to twelve. Boneyard tour tickets are $7 per person.

11. International UFO Museum and Research Center,
Roswell, New Mexico
Dedicated to all things alien, this tiny museum explores what happened in the 1947 Roswell UFO incident, as well as the history of "human contact with aliens," including crop circles and testimony from UFO abductees. The on-site research library lets future alien hunters dig deeper into the paranormal. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for kids.

10. Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, Farmington Hills, Michigan

Admission is free, but bring some change. With 5,500 square-feet of coin-operated heaven, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum is the alpha and omega of arcades. Machines date back to the early 1900s. The highlight is a fifty-five-piece mechanical orchestra that still plays over 300 songs, but other winners are the old-timey gypsy fortune tellers and an electric chair supposedly from Sing-Sing prison.

9. International Spy Museum, Washington D.C.
The first and only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage, the International Spy Museum is paradise for James Bond wannabes. While the museum exhibits are undeniably cool — think everything from ninjas to Cold War-era satellites — the real highlight is the scavenger hunts, kid-friendly spy missions, speakers and workshops designed to give first-hand accounts of how it feels to live the spy life. Adult tickets are $18, kids are $15.

8. Dinosaur Ridge, Morrison, Colorado
If sifting soil in search of the decayed remains of dead creatures doesn't turn your stomach, have we got a spot for you. Home to some of the best-known dinos, including Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus, Dinosaur Ridge lets kids "examine Cretaceous crime scenes" in the on-site Dig Pit. Admission is free, tours are $3 per person.

7. Salem Witch Museum, Salem, Massachusetts

Even looking past all the torture and death, the Salem Witch Museum (located in a creepy, gothic castle-like structure) is still kind of scary. Children eager to learn about that time in history when our country burned women for no discernable reason will be delighted/terrified by the museum's theatrical presentations and their life-size mannequins. The current "Witches: Evolving Perceptions" exhibit focuses less on people-burning and more on modern-day witchcraft. Adult tickets are $8, children's are $5.50.

6. Trash-o-saurus, Stratford, Connecticut
Located in the Museum of Garbage (one of two museums in Connecticut dedicated to refuse), this one-ton, twenty-foot dinosaur is made of the same amount of garbage the average consumer creates each year. In addition to extinct creatures made from waste, the museum also offers hands-on exhibits and family workshops that promote green living. Admission is $2 per person, but possibly not for long. The museum is in danger of closing due to lack of funding.

5. Creation Museum, Petersburg, Kentucky

What's surprising about this Bible-centric museum/petting zoo is how many dinosaurs are roaming about. On top of permanent exhibits that focus on natural selection, the construction of Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden, the museum also hosts daily family-friendly presentations on topics like "Snakes Alive! (a look at reptiles from God's perspective)" and "Four Power Questions to Ask an Evolutionist." Whether you agree or not with the politics behind Creation Museum, it's still one of the only sites in the country that features a live zebra-donkey hybrid. Long live the zonkey. $22 for adults, $12 for kids.

4. Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California

All the charm of a Victorian mansion combined with all the whimsy of Pee Wee's Playhouse. According to legend (and the web site), the former owner of this 160-room mansion kept carpenters working round the clock for thirty-eight years in an effort to stave off evil spirits. Whether or not the plan worked, Winchester Mystery House is an architectural marvel packed with functionless features including windows buried in floorboards, stairs that lead nowhere and doors that open to blank walls. $26 for adults, $23 for children or $23 for a behind-the-scenes tour (hardhat required).

3. Craters of the Moon, Arco, Idaho

A national park roughly the size of Rhode Island, Craters of the Moon was a bed of molten lava just 2,000 years ago. Today the site, made predominantly of crusted lava, looks almost post-apocalpytic. It's peppered with underground caves (called lava tubes), and is a guaranteed geek freakout for young scientists. Admission is $8 per vehicle, $4 for those on bikes, motorcycles or on foot, free for ages 15 and under.

2. Santa Claus, Indiana
Christmas only comes once a year everywhere except for Santa Claus, Indiana. Home to the Santa Claus Museum, Santa's Lodge motel and Santa's Candy Castle — a sweets shop that not only sells confections, but also personalized phone calls from Santa year-round — Santa Claus also receives over half a million letters each year addressed to St. Nick himself. The biggest attraction in town is Holiday World and Splash Safari, a Christmas-Halloween-Thanksgiving-all-rolled-into-one themed amusement park that vastly overshadows Frosty's Fun Center, the Christmas-themed mini-golf course just a few minutes away.

1. Professor Cline's Dinosaur Kingdom, Natural Bridge, Virginia
What would have happened if Union troops had used dinosaurs as weapons of mass destruction against the South? It's a question historians have pondered for ages. Thankfully, one outdoor sculpture park in nowheresville, Virginia, is dedicated to solving the mystery. Featuring sculptures of life-sized dinos attacking old-timey soldiers (an excellent sepia-toned photo is available here), Professor Cline's Dinosaur Kingdom and adjacent Haunted Monster Museum (featuring "no scare" tours for kids) is well worth the $8 ticket ($5 for kids).

I first learned of this policy about a month before my due date, when my husband and I took a tour of the facility. The nurse showed us one of the post-delivery rooms, letting us marvel at just how un-hospital-like it seemed. And then, as we left the room, she gestured briskly at the hospital's nursery: "But you and your babies hopefully won't be seeing much of that. Our expectation is that babies will be sleeping beside their moms. The nursery is only used for babies experiencing medical complications."

At the time, this sounded great. After waiting nine-plus months to meet the baby of my dreams, why would I possibly want to ship him off to a sterile, fluorescent-lit nursery where I wouldn't be able to stare into his eyes or caress his little hands or cuddle him against my chest? Provided the guy was in good health, why would I not want him beside me every moment of those first few days? In other words, our hospital's rooming-in policy seemed like little more than common sense . . . until, that is, I gave birth.

I know that labor isn't easy for anyone, and having talked to plenty of other moms about their experiences, I feel pretty lucky — no serious complications, no c-section, no back-labor, no tearing or vacuum extractions or other horror scenarios. I went into labor a little after midnight and thirty-two hours later: presto.

As a result, most hospitals now offer parents the choice of having their baby room with them or go to the nursery. And such a choice makes sense; many of the moms I know spoke glowingly about their rooming-in experiences — especially moms who had relatively short labors or sleepy babies who gave them the chance to recover from the not insignificant strains of childbirth. But other women — women who had marathon labors like mine, or difficult labors, women who bore fussy or hungry or colicky babies and then attempted to care for them through the night — found the experience torturous, or in many cases, simply impossible, and were grateful to be able to send the baby to the nursery for a night or two before going home.

Often, I find myself recalling with bitter amusement the tour guide's explanation for our hospital's policy: "We believe that new mothers actually sleep better with their babies close by."

Yes, this must be why enemy interrogators frequently use tape recordings of screaming infants as a form of low-grade torture, because the sound is just so soporific.

]]>Kim Brooks http://www.babble.com/Grungy-Mummy-Why-must-new-moms-let-themselves-go/I am so sick of moms who seem to stop caring about how they look just because they have kids. Seriously, how hard is it to blow dry your hair and put a swipe of lipstick on before you leave the house? I had to spend extra time assuring my husband that I wouldn't let myself go when we had kids because he's seen it happen so many times. Wouldn't you agree that they are giving us moms who still have some self-respect a bad name? — Get Your Roots Done Already!

Dear Get Yours,

We must begin by disclosing that we are those moms you're complaining about. Maybe not as much as we used to be, but in those early days, we could quite often be seen leaving the house with Einstein hair, mis-buttoned shirts, and yoga pants worn so often they may as well have been surgically attached. Things are better now. But we still have great empathy for the new mother's grooming challenges. The way we see it is, in the early months (years?) of parenthood, all bets are off. After 75 days without REM sleep, we'd forgive a mom for walking around with no pants on, never mind lipstick. We do have a certain kind of awe for moms who manage to look flawless while caring for an infant . . . not unlike the feeling we have about people who break bizarre world records.

We weren't proud of our slovenly ways. It was just how things went down. By all means, if you've got the inclination and the motivation to keep up appearances in the midst of chaos (or if you've been lucky enough to be blessed with great genes and a baby who's not so chaotic), more power to you. But there are plenty of reasons why a mom may not be able or inclined to dab on the gloss for every soccer game.

Everyone's basic primping threshold is different. There are women who would never dream of leaving the house without using several hair appliances. There are others who might easily leave the house wearing two different shoes. And that's before having kids. Pile a newborn or a carpool and a job on top of that, and everyone tends to move down the ladder a few rungs. This may be a simple matter of priorities or it may be an actual political stance.

And speaking of priorities, when do you see these grungy moms? At daycare drop off? The park? It may be that they clean up nice when they see fit but have no interest in looking good for a bunch of toddlers in a sandbox or, for that matter, you. Life with kids is messy; they may just be dressing for the job. Some mothers actually do want to spend more time on their looks, but aren't able to. Lack of time, support and resources equals a compromised grooming system. Maybe they've rationalized looking like hell for the time being, or maybe they are as horrified by themselves as you are.

It's also possible that a mother who spends no time on her own appearance may actually be depressed. If this is the case, styling is the least of her problems. Have heart, and count your blessings.

When you're looking at other mothers, remember that they have different priorities and lives you may not fully understand. Partners, too, have different expectations. It is actually possible that these unkempt women are fine with how they look, and their partners are too. And if they're not, it's really not your concern. Sure, there is something to be said for just running that brush through your hair every morning, come hell or high water, colic or a sexless marriage. But somehow we're not worried that women aren't getting a strong enough message to "look good." There's a formidable MILF/yummy mummy culture out there doing a decent job of just that.

Our question to you is: why do you care so much?

Your husband was worried about your looks going south after you had kids. You've obviously proven him wrong. So why do you have to take down your schleppy sisters? What is it about their lack of primping that you find so threatening? Do you feel that their disheveled looks are a sign of their altruistic commitment to childcare over self-care? Does falling apart on the outside signal falling apart on the inside? Or alternately, does a controlled image mean that life is under control?

Think about what's behind the disgust, because it could well be a very legitimate fear; a loss of control, happiness or sense of self we all fear losing. Working out this anxiety can be a lot more productive than being critical of other women.

There's no reason to think the scruffy mom next to you in the sandbox is bringing you down. If anything, she's making you look better.

Have a question? Email parentaladvisory@babble.com. Questions submitted may be used for publication.

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"Nothing like that happened to me," she says, wrinkling her face. "I loved having babies."

But her June Cleaver facade can't fool me! Once again, I've been indulging in my newest guilty habit — reading parenting websites and "mom blogs" — despite being twenty-six years old, unmarried, and having no immediate plans for children. And now that I know the dark truths about pregnancy and parenthood, I've come to wonder if I might be better off raising guinea pigs than joining in this whole "cycle of life" thing.

Because I've got to say, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun.

A brief summary of what I've learned about procreation from reading magazines and websites:

First you get pregnant, after months or years of costly fertility treatments that involve needles the circumference of ballpoint pens but are necessary because you've dragged your (expensive, office-appropriate) heels past the peak fertility age of twenty-four. Once properly inseminated, you develop hyperemesis gravidarum and puke up every ounce of (caffeine-free) herbal tea you ingest until you need an IV, by which point you've lost your job and your will to live. And that's before the sudden appearance of stretch marks, which you affectionately call "tiger stripes" because it looks like an enormous cat tried to claw its way up your torso to reach that Dorito you're shoving in your mouth (Doritos, or grilled cheese sandwiches, or Chunky Monkey are the only food you can keep down; as a result you've gained eighty-nine pounds and kids on the street say, "Mommy, what is that thing?").

Then comes the birth. If it's in a hospital, it's overmedicalized and impersonal and you're pumped full of pitocin until the baby comes shooting out into the hand of a twenty-six-year-old resident who's using the other hand to text on his iPhone. If it's a homebirth, you discover while squatting in your birthing pool that contractions feel like being disemboweled with a hunting knife, but your Baba Yaga-like midwife won't let you go to the hospital for an epidural, because epidurals cause autism and malaria. In either scenario, labor lasts at least ninety-four hours.

Once the baby's here, you must spend between six months and eighteen years feeling like a terrible, horrible mother because you A) Can't/don't want to breastfeed (and formula is an UNNATURAL ARTIFICIAL CHEMICAL POISON!!!), B) Find changing diapers less fun than backpacking through Honduras and sleeping with Irish scuba instructors, or C) Occasionally consider popping your baby in the free alt-weekly box outside Whole Foods so you can get some sleep and so your baby will be raised by the next person who comes for a newspaper, who probably has organic carrots in her shopping bag and would be a much better mother than you.

To save what's left of your sanity, you write about your experiences on your new mommy blog. And oh, your blog commenters can sure relate! In fact, their stories are much worse than yours. They gained 237 pounds while pregnant and had to be taken to the birthing center on a flatbed truck. Their feet got so swollen they actually exploded, taking out the eye of their OB-GYN. They too planned a natural birth — ha! — but wound up screaming for not only an epidural but a dram of chloroform. Their baby once cried for seventy-seven hours straight, until their family was not only evicted but deported. Now they live in exile in France, where child-raising is much, much more evolved; every mother there is guaranteed by law a free nanny who'll makes boeuf bourguignon for your enfants while you get your government-sponsored pedicure.

So here are your choices: 1) Move to France, 2) Get your tubes tied, or 3) Prepare to spend the rest of your life wiping diarrhea off your forehead and listening to something called "The Wiggles" on infinite repeat . . .

You might ask why I, a childless twenty-something, need to read these mommy confessionals — what the blog Jezebel delicately terms "torn-vag tell-alls." Shouldn't I be reading Cosmopolitan and focusing on Skill #3 on the "57 Ways to Drive Him Wild" list?

Well, as someone who hopes to have kids within the next, oh, decade or so, I'm curious for the glance into my own potential future that magazines provide. And beyond that, I like the candor and biting wit of mommy lit, a kind of dark honesty about everyday life that's hard to find in mainstream non-motherhood-related publications. Even in this day and age, most women's magazines are still all about how to be, or at least appear, perfect: "11 Perfect Swimsuits to Minimize Your Trouble Spots," "701 Tips for the Perfect Summer Wedding," ad nauseum. Blechh!

I appreciate that the current tell-it-like-it-is movement is a reaction to the kind of repressive feminine ideals that have dogged women since long before magazines were even invented. Still, sometimes all this honesty freaks me out. Did I really need to know what an umbilical hernia looks like, or hear about how mastitis feels like your breast is being chewed by a vole? Frankly, the whole motherhood thing seemed a lot more appealing back when all I saw was the US Weekly version — you know, the one in which Angelina Jolie totes a cherub straight out of a Renaissance painting on her slender, Versace-clad hip before handing it off to an adoring Brad so she can jet to Cambodia to shoot Tomb Raider 17.

I could just stop reading this stuff and stick to US Weekly instead. But I won't. Yeah, it might scare me off having kids, at least for a few years. But when I do, I'll be confident that I've already heard the worst, that there will be no ugly surprises around the bend, that my experience can't possibly be as terrifying as hers, or hers, or hers. Right? Right?

Whenever I see the toys available to kids these days, I seethe with jealousy. Robotic unicorns that fly! Video games more realistic than life itself! Jet packs! Where was this stuff when we were kids? To be fair, we had some pretty decent toys during our childhood. That is, if said toys had ever actually done the things they were advertised to do. We are a generation of rubes. On Saturday mornings, advertisers showed us incredible playthings that could do stuff far beyond what technology was capable of achieving. But we bought it hook, line and sinker because . . . we were kids and we were dumb. Then we worked all summer just to earn money to buy that laser death ray which — guess what? — vaporized nothing. That was the moment we learned the world was just a tangle of lies. In memorium of our childhood innocence, here are the fifteen most egregious toy commercial claims. — Cole Gamble

Expert: Stacey Bradford, former editor at smartmoney.com and author of The Wall Street Journal Financial Guidebook for New Parents

1. Putting off writing a will

"Many parents think planning their will and estate is something they do in their sixties. It simply doesn't occur to them that they could pass away at such a young age. However, choosing a guardian for your child is the first thing new parents should do. Keep in mind: It doesn't count if you've mentioned to your sister that you'd like her to watch over your daughter should something happen to you or your spouse. Unless it's in writing, it won't hold up in court. In other words, if you don't have a will, the court decides who gets your child — and that may not be the person you had in mind. New parents should also stipulate where their money should go. Too often, parents assume that their savings would automatically go to their spouse if something happened, but that's not the case. Half the money would automatically be put into a trust for your child. In order to retrieve the money, you'd have to petition the court, which is a complicated process. But if you have a will, you'll easily avoid this mess. It's a financial must-do that holds up in any economy."

2. Carrying too much debt

"Too many young parents aren't budgeting properly. With the overwhelming extra expenses a new child brings, it's way too easy to pull out the credit card. New parents find it especially difficult to say no to purchases they see as benefiting their child, like swimming lessons or furniture for a new nursery. You must set a budget and actually live by it. And part of that budget should include actively paying off credit card debt and trying not to incur more. Pinching pennies is crucial in this recession; you may find yourself thrown into a financial situation you weren't planning (layoffs, fewer hours, not receiving bonuses you were expecting). New moms, especially, are finding the flexible hours they were once afforded are no longer an option. Should you approach one of these financial roadblocks, living within your means affords you some flexibility."

3. Forgetting to save for retirement

"So often young parents are so overwhelmed by their day-to-day expenses they forget to save for retirement. They're just trying to get through the next day, the next week, the next month. But it's super important to think long-term, especially when you have young children. These are your earning years! Once your kids are in high school, you'll be so focused on how to pay for college, it'll be difficult to stay financially disciplined. But now's a perfect time to save money. A general rule of thumb: 10 to 15 percent of your income should go into your 401K. And only after you've set aside that money should you even begin to save for college. If you're a stay-at-home mom, you can often qualify for a spousal IRA to save the money you'd be making if you were working."

As told to Andrea Zimmerman.

Dear Large,

Sounds like you have some nice options on either end, which is great news. It doesn't necessarily make your choice any easier, but at least it takes the pressure off. What you need to think about is what the next year of your life is going to look like, and how you'll be able to get what you need wherever you are. Of course, there's a lot you can't plan for in the unpredictable world of birth and new parenthood. But there are some things most parents would agree are incredibly helpful during this time: you need to feel cared for, plugged into resources, connected to the world, and minimally stressed by anything other than caring for the baby. Here's a closer look at these needs; ideally, you'll want:

— A Caregiver You Feel Good About. You are right that the Northwest tends to be on the more progressive side when it comes to birth. If that's what you're after, you'll probably find it. But it's not always easy to get your choice caregiver at the very end of pregnancy — this totally depends on the caregiver and local resources, but to be on the safe side: Research your West Coast care options now. Call midwives, doulas, birthing facilities or birth educators in the area and ask what your options would be. Also, are you happy with your New York City provider? It's not necessary to move west for progressive care; there are midwives and doulas in the city. They may not give you that all-encompassing NoCal vibe, but they could meet your needs.

— A Strong Support System. After the birth, it's important to have people around who can really help. A new mother is doing a ton of work and she needs to be mothered. Serious lack of support has been linked with postpartum depression. You may feel more secure and connected in New York where you have friends, colleagues and neighbors . . . or in California with your husband's family. How is your relationship with your in-laws? Getting support requires accepting it. And it can be hard to show real vulnerability with people you may otherwise be seeking to impress or keep at a polite distance. When you imagine your in-laws sweeping in with rotisserie chickens and swaddling blankets, do you feel comfortable? Ditto with the NYC posse. Will they take care of you, or will you be taking care not to offend them?

— A Reasonably Comfortable Physical Environment. Those sunny coastal walks you mentioned could do wonders for a cooped up new mom. Which may or may not compensate for returning home to a mountain of unpacked boxes, an unfurnished living space, or a place you moved into under time pressure but never really liked. Do you feel confident that you could find a new place you'll feel good about by birth time? How do you feel about the space you're in now? If it's cramped and you're already "out of here," you may feel frustrated or as if you're living in transit. New mothers tend to spend a lot of time on the couch feeding their babies. Think about what you'll be looking at. And whether you like that view.

— Connection. Moving to a new place often involves a period of isolation. Sometimes this is really welcomed: the feeling of being fresh and new and out there in a curious place is exciting. But sometimes it can be very lonely. New mothers can feel isolated even in a very familiar place. Isolation is also associated with depression no matter when in your life it happens. Being around other new mothers can be so important to help give you perspective, an outlet for ranting and raving, and a network for sharing advice on baby care. So think about where you have connections to other mothers and friends: this may be the west coast, this may be NYC.

— A Manageable Amount of Stress. You need to think about the reality of the actual move. At five and half months, you basically have three months to pack, move and settle. That's not a huge amount of time. If you have a house waiting for you, a make-it-happen husband and the resources to pay for movers who will all but pack and unfold your underwear, you'll be cruising. If you are planning a U-Haul, DIY move, you need to think seriously about the fact that you may need help tying your shoes by the time you get there. We've seen women move continents at seven months. But not everyone is up for Extreme Nesting. It may seem better to get the stress over with now. But if you find that you're desperate to get it done because you fear that once you have a baby you won't be able to move from one room to the other, let alone coast-to-coast, we want to reassure you. Newborns are quite portable, and often spend a lot of their time asleep. You won't be messing with a baby's schedule or attachment to a space; new babies are generally erratic and can hardly see past the tip of their parents' noses. So try to remain calm about that possibility.

We want to end on a positive note. Moving is challenging, so is becoming a parent. But both are pretty exciting, too. Like so many decisions to come, this one will be best made by sitting down and talking out the pros and cons with your partner. Look at what each scenario involves in a realistic way. Consult your gut. (Women in pregnancy can be very smart about what they need and when they need it.) Then make a decision together and move on.

Have a question? Email parentaladvisory@babble.com

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1. Play in the mud. Mud can be made anywhere — in the yard, in a small pool, or in a bucket on the porch. Just combine dirt and water, and most children will know what to do from there. For extra fun, add utensils, pans, bowls and buckets (thrift stores usually have super-cheap ones). If your child is hesitant, dig in yourself and show him that it can be fun to commune with mud. The point is to get dirty with reckless abandon. Another fun mud project:  Place your child's muddy handprints on construction paper to create a unique keepsake. Turn the handprints into inspirational "mud art" by writing this line from an e.e. cummings' poem at the top of the handprints: "The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."

2. Build a fairy house. Find an out-of-the-way place to build a fairy house, such as at the base of a tree, in a corner of the yard, or even in a planter. Then search for natural materials that can become tiny chairs, tables and beds for elusive "woodland fairies." Let your child's imagination run wild as she searches for sticks, pine cones, leaves, seed pods, acorns, shells and rocks that can be turned into a fairy's household items. When your child asks if fairies are real, just ask her what she thinks about it. For ideas and inspiration, read Tracy Kane's wonderful children's book Fairy Houses.

3. Grow a garden. Michelle Obama is growing a White House Kitchen Garden this summer with her daughters. Try this yourself at home, either in a small plot in the yard or in planters. You can grow plants from seed in the early spring or purchase plants in late spring. Tomatoes, lettuces, herbs and sunflowers are good plants to start. You'll learn in your first year and can expand upon your knowledge the next year. Keep a garden notebook to record your successes and challenges, as well as pictures of your farmers and crop.

4. Visit a nature center. A nature center is often a community's best-kept secret. These outdoor education centers typically offer helpful programs about local plants and animals, and nature center naturalists are great resources for information about interesting activities in your area. Look in the phone book or online for your closest nature center and plan to spend a morning or afternoon exploring what's there.

5. Make a tree your friend. Have your child pick a favorite tree in your yard or neighborhood to make his own. Put a ribbon around it or something simple that declares it "his" tree. Name the tree and watch how it changes throughout the year. Have your child draw and photograph the tree to create a special tree book. Find out what kind of tree it is, and watch throughout the year to see what animals live in it and what kind of seeds it produces. This is a simple way to develop a child's connection with nature.

6. Find a secret hideaway.  Help your child to find her own secret hideaway in the yard, woods or at a park — under a tree, behind or on top of a rock, or in a special nook at the park. This can be a hidden place for your child to read a book, play and imagine. This can even become a spiritual place of sorts, such as a prayer rock or quiet spot under a tree for quieting the mind.

7. Go berry picking. There is nothing like picking your own strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries on a warm, sunny day. Look for local farms with pick-your-own opportunities. Or look for wild areas with berries ripe for the picking — for free. Be sure all berry pickers are wearing hats and shoes (not flip-flops). If you have space in your yard — it doesn't take much — plant and grow your own berry bushes; it usually takes a couple years to establish bushes, but it is well worth the effort. Look online for the best-tasting crops so you aren't disappointed when your plants bear fruit.

8. Rock hop in a creek. Childhood isn't complete without a creek to hop around in once in a while. Creeks are great for wading, water fights, crawdad-hunting, rock-hopping and exploring. Find a favorite spot and allow your child time to play and explore. Be sure that any creeks children enter have acceptable water-quality ratings; check water quality through local municipalities and utilities.

9. Learn about songbirds. Place a bird feeder near a window or in the yard and watch who comes to visit. Purchase a bird guide, such as The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (a Peterson Field Guide), to help identify the birds at your feeder. If your family gets good at identifying birds, try participating in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Check online for local birdwatching groups; these groups often host educational outings that are interesting for children and adults.

10. Start a nature journal. Buy a blank notebook and some colored pencils and, voila, you have a nature notebook. Pack the journal in a backpack for walks, hikes and canoe trips, and encourage your child to draw what she sees: trees, leaves, birds, pine cones, rocks — even you. Be sure to set aside 15 to 30 minutes to sit, draw and talk with your child about what she is drawing. Don't critique drawings; simply let her draw and enjoy the experience.

11. Feed the squirrels. Gather acorns or other nuts in a basket and put them out for the squirrels. Watch to see if you have any takers. If you set up a squirrel feeder (dried corn-on-the-cob will work), create a fun maze for the squirrels using ropes, water guards or other deterrents — squirrels are smart and you'll enjoy watching them navigate the maze.

12. Play outside. American children spend an average of 30 minutes of unstructured time outdoors each week, according to recent studies. Give your child the gift of unstructured play time to discover, create and imagine while outside in nature.

13. Paint rocks.  This may seem simple, but rock painting is a great way to excite children about exploring outdoors. The most important part is the rock hunt, which can be done in the woods, the park or the backyard. Have your child search for "special" rocks. Then sit outside — armed with paintbrushes and non-toxic paints — to create rock art. Painted rocks are artful additions to potted plants, gardens and windowsills. If you live near or plan to visit the beach this summer, you can do this with shells too. The salt on the shells makes watercolors bright and beautiful, and it's a great way to escape the sun for a while.

14. Visit a state park. Look online for state parks in your area and plan a weekend getaway. Many state parks offer camping or cabin rentals, as well as outdoor fun, such as fishing, hiking, canoeing and swimming. To get the inside scoop on activities and events, call the park and speak to a ranger — most are happy to share their recommendations.

15. Enjoy a campfire. Campfires represent everything wonderful about being outside — camping, friends and family, hot dogs and s'mores. Check with your local fire department about campfire regulations. If you can have a safe campfire in your backyard, invite the neighbors over to enjoy it with you. If not, plan a weekend getaway at a park or campground that allows for campfires.

16. Build a fort. Forts, tree houses and playhouses can be rustic or extravagant. There are many books today that offer wonderful and practical ideas for creating childhood getaways. Or use your imagination — and your child's — to create your own.

17. Follow the phases of the moon. The moon affects nature and all living things, but it is so easy to overlook its changing beauty. Take a month to watch the moon phases. Each night at the same time, step outside and look up. Have your child draw each night's moon phase. Or just look and listen to night sounds. Find some moon-themed children's books at the library or bookstore that you can read together during your moon-study month. There are many websites that can provide additional age-appropriate information about the moon

18. Pack up some books and read outside. Find a special place outdoors to read — under a tree, in a hammock, on a porch or at the park. Pack your backpack with books and snacks and head out to read with your child. This takes away all the distractions of home, such as phones, all things electronic, and the constant need to clean. If you need some new books, look for nature themes at the library or bookstore. Learn more about the importance of reading aloud to your child, as well as age-appropriate books, at Read Aloud Magic.

19. Explore in a canoe. Canoeing is a fun way to explore local waterways, as well as to quietly observe the plants and animals that live around water. If you have never canoed and are starting from scratch, call a local nature center, aquarium or outdoor recreation retail store for information about canoe outfitters in your area. There are also canoe and kayak clubs in many areas that offer skill training and outings.

20. Take a hike. Hiking is great exercise and a fun way to spend family time. Look online or ask around for local trails. Fill a backpack with snacks and water, and you're off for an easy outdoor adventure.

21. Start a nature basket. Find an old basket, or something made of a natural material, that can be your family's nature basket — a place to keep anything beautiful that is found outdoors. This is a great place to keep rocks, sticks, shells, fossils, pine cones or anything else deemed beautiful by your family while exploring the outdoors. Be sure not to disturb anything growing or take anything that should remain outdoors (such as bird nests). Keep the nature basket in an accessible place for your child to empty and look through whenever he feels the urge. Find a special place in the woods or near water for returning items back to nature when you are through with them or when you need more space for new items in the basket.

22. Inspire the imagination. If you ever thought you had "discovered" something ancient in nature as a child, you probably still remember it to this day. Children come alive when they believe they have discovered something, whether it's a hidden treasure in the bottom of a creek or a flint rock that could have belonged to an American Indian. Help your child think like an archaeologist, anthropologist or historian by opening your mind to what you could be looking at in nature. Even the mere suggestion that a rock could be a dinosaur bone, that a crevice could be a footprint, or that a stone could be an ancient animal bone can stir a child's imagination and joy in exploration.

23. Host a water day.  Invite friends over for water fun in the yard or a park. A small pool isn't necessary, but if you have space, use it. Make bubble buckets with water and soap. Play with water balloons. Bring ice cubes outdoors to watch them melt. Put out a sprinkler. Water toys can include bottles, sponges, spoons, cups and pitchers. This is a great activity for hot days in July and August.

24. Play in the rain. Turn off the parent voice in your head that says "Get out of the rain!" and let your child stomp in puddles and get muddy and soaking wet. Rain boots and an umbrella are optional.

25. Take a family camp vacation. Put away the Mickey Mouse ears and take the whole family to camp for vacation this year. Many summer camps offer weekend or week-long sessions for families to enjoy all aspects of camp together — activities, meals, cabins, campfires and roughing it. Call the traditional summer camps in your area to see if they offer family camp sessions or look online for family camps around the country.

"I?m only giving him a taste," she explained, cheeks flushed. "I almost never give him sugar."

Across the table, the mom of the birthday boy was feeding him the slimmest sliver of carrot cake.

"It is his birthday," she apologized. "This is practically his first sugar. We haven?t even given him meat yet."

Standing in the kitchen doorway where I was letting Leo demolish an entire adult-sized piece of cake, I ? as per usual when then conversation turns to baby diets ? kept my mouth shut.

Because if I opened it, I?d have to admit that the first food Leo ever tasted was ice cream, straight from the plastic spoon at Molly Moon?s ice cream parlor after a trip to the zoo. Then I?d have to admit that on his first birthday he didn?t get some paper-thin slice but a full-sized piece of banana cake with plenty of frosting, and he downed every last crumb. That not only has he eaten meat of pretty much every persuasion, he?s also delved into pizza, fish sticks, and enough homemade cookies and cake to win me the June Cleaver award.

As someone who?s tired of getting the fish-eye from people who seem to think feeding your child a donut is the equivalent to feeding him crack. I?m just going to come clean and say it.

I got my first inkling this wasn?t going to work out when I took Leo to a party when he was about 3 months old.? I watched a father try to steer his two kids away from the chocolate chip cookies and towards a plate of shrimp. Could I pull a lie like that over on my son? That shrimp is a viable choice over a chocolate chip cookie? Surely my kid is going to be smarter than that.

Then there was the friend who told me she never fed her three kids sugar, but that she and her husband pulled the ice cream tub from the freezer every night the second they went to bed. And another friend whose mother raised them on applesauce-sweetened date bars and told them they were cookies. And the mom I met at the park who proudly informed me that she?d baked her daughter a tofu-carob birthday cake for her second birthday and swore up and down this was celebrating. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that building a junk food-free life for Leo would involve a lot of lying? ? and that?s one dynamic I don?t want unfolding between us.

I can?t say I get any support in the popular press with this one. Every time I turn around there?s another parenting magazine or newspaper headline warning me my child?s going to be an obese and angry underachiever if I offer him any snacks besides apple slices and baby carrots.

]]>Nan Mooney http://www.babble.com/My-Baby-the-Chubster-I-was-scolded-for-calling-my-infant-daughter-fat-Whats-the-big-deal/I was recently harshly reprimanded by a relative for calling my young toddler Chubby, Chubs McGinty and Chubby Chubs and, okay, once Greedy Guts (she eats all the time!). Apparently this relative was traumatized by being called fat names when she was younger. But my daughter doesn't even talk! And babies and toddlers are supposed to be fat! And eat all the time. It's cute! Am I wrong? — Mrs. McGinty

Dear Mrs. McGinty,

Sure, babies are "supposed to be" plump and squishy. In fact, many parents worry considerably if their baby isn't round with big cheeks and chubby little toes. We've all heard the expression "a big, healthy baby." Acknowledging the bigness and chubbiness of a baby could be seen as an affirmation of vitality. If you were in sub-Saharan Africa, you'd be accused of bragging.

But in our culture, we have complicated feelings about being "chubby." Especially when it comes to girls. You might say your relative has a chip on her shoulder, but it's a pretty common chip in a world where fat is a liability. We can imagine why a mother calling her daughter chubby might send a shiver. And if Chubby's loaded, Greedy Guts is downright hardcore. Now you're bringing in appetite as an undesirable trait. (Guts doesn't have particularly nice connotations, either.)

Many parents — even if they try their hardest not to — project a future appearance based on early impressions. People predict baldness, double chins, acne, ass shape, torso length, and upper body strength all from the shape of their squirmy, gummy infant. In this context, you can imagine how Chubby might be perceived as a projection of future fatness, rather than a term of baby endearment. Nicknames can also sometimes endure inadvertently, turning nasty later. The names behind your relative's aforementioned shoulder chip may have emerged from similarly benign beginnings.

You may really mean this all in playful adoration of your daughter's abundance. But it's worth taking this opportunity to think about whether there might be something else going on. Are you afraid she will be fat? Do you have anxiety about your own weight? Most women do. We live in a very thin-obsessed and incredibly unhealthy culture when it comes to body image. It's understandable that you'd want to protect your daughter from potential angst. Perhaps using those names somehow makes you feel like you're fighting back against all that pressure. If that's the case, we applaud your intention, but as she grows, you might consider something less easily misinterpreted. It's true that she's young now, but she's learning every day. Why not start early with more positive messages?

Have a question? Email parentaladvisory@babble.com

Click to buy Ceridwen and Rebecca's book!

1. Aquaphor Healing Ointment

Between cleaning bottles and washing up after diaper duty, a new parent's hands can start to feel reptilian. Slather this soothing ointment onto paws (it also does wonders for cracked heels) and they'll start to feel almost as smooth as your little one's tush. $35 for 28 ounces.

2. Belli Tinted Anti-Cloasma Facial Sunscreen SPF 25

If you only have time to put one thing on your face in the morning, reach for this multi-tasking tube. The tinted formula not only covers imperfections, it also protects skin from the sun and fights those dark splotches (aka chloasma) a lot of women get from pregnancy. $24 for 2 ounces.?

3. Spanx Power Panties

Want to get rid of lumps and bumps without spending a moment schvitzing at the gym? You're in good company — hot mamas Gwyneth Paltrow and Rebecca Romijn are both Spanx users. Spanx Power Panties are like underwear on steroids, leaving you looking svelte and sexy in all your pre-pregs clothing.? $25-$30 each.

4. Geox shoes

You may not be on a first name basis with Manolo and Jimmy at the moment, but that doesn't mean you have to relegate your footwear rotation to sneakers, flip-flops and Crocs. This pair of flats from Geox is chic enough to pass for Chanel with the extra benefit of their patented "breathable" technology (read: they're super-comfy). $91.

5. Pantene Pro-V 2-in-1 shampoo + conditioner

You're setting new records in the quickie shower department. Beat your latest time with Pantene's two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. $18 for 51 ounces.

6. Nars The Multiple in "Orgasm"

Fake a post-romp glow with this creamy stick of shimmery, peachy pink. Pop it in your diaper bag and dab onto eyes, cheeks and lips whenever you need a beauty pick-me-up. $35 a stick.

7. Rosebud Salve

This iconic tin holds the cure-all for dry, chapped lips and diaper rash. Toss it in your purse and take it everywhere! $5 a tin.

8. Blax hairbands

Your hair seems to be in a perma-ponytail these days. Whatever you do, do not reach for a scrunchie! That's like admitting defeat. Instead, tie your hair up with one of these discreet hair elastics. ?$3.50 a box.

9. Pssssst Instant Spray Shampoo

You haven't washed your hair since last Monday? Rather than putting a paper bag over your head, spray Pssssst, the original dry shampoo, onto your roots for instantly refreshed scalp and hair sans water. $6 for 4 ounces.

10.?Oscar Blandi Pronto Colore Root Touch-Up & Highlighting Pen

Dark roots only look good on Madonna. Touch yours up in between salon visits with this genius little hair coloring pen. It comes in five hair-matching shades and washes out the next time you shampoo. $23.

11.?Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream

No time to blow dry? Apply a dime-sized amount of this wonder cream to wet hair and let it air dry. The olive oil formula fights frizz and leaves behind a lovely shine. $20-$27.

12.?Instant Button for Jeans

Squeezing into your old jeans can take some time. Instead of shopping for new sizes, use this handy button to make your pairs tighter or looser. It fastens onto the waistband of your jeans, either to the right or left of the original button, and voila — a perfect fit! $15 each or $25 for two.

13.?MAC Quick Dry nail polish

A fresh mani and pedi can make you feel like a new woman. Use MAC's no-fail quick dry so you can get back to baby business ASAP. $11.

14.?Clinique Non-Streak Bronzer For Men ?

Dreaming about an island vacation? Fake that golden glow with Clinique's genius gel bronzer. It may be marketed for men, but its natural-looking tan crosses gender lines. $15.

15.?Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

There's something about curled eyelashes that immediately makes you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed — especially when you use makeup artist fave Shu Uemura. It takes only 20 seconds to curl both eyes; consider it time well spent! $19.

16.?Ray-Ban Original Aviator Sunglasses

These classically cool shades not only protect your eyes on stroller walks, but thanks to the nose guards, they don't slip while you're rooting through your diaper bag. $129.

17. ?Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm For Lips

Your sense of humor isn't the only thing that's dry these days. Dr. Lipp's medical grade lanolin does the trick for soothing cracked nipples and dry lips — it's a diaper bag essential! $14 for 10 ml.

18. Yummie Tummie T-shirt

The extra poundage around your center remains an unwelcome guest after pregnancy. Yummie Tummie tanks and tees chicly and discreetly camouflage unsightly lumps and bumps. $76.

19.?TheBalm TimeBalm Concealer

You haven't pulled this many all-nighters since college. Show your dark circles who's boss with this like-magic concealer. Blend the super-creamy formulation into the corners of your eyes and over the circles and watch them pull a disappearing act. $18 for .25 ounces.

20. Air Stockings

Thanks to increased blood circulation during pregnancy, spider veins have reared their ugly heads. Cover them with this silky spray-on body foundation. And don't worry if your application is less than perfect — unlike self-tanner, it washes off with soap and water. $25-$40.

21.?Bliss Triple Oxygen Eye mask

The Bliss Triple Oxygen Eye Mask de-puffs, soothes and oxygenates in as much time as it takes to feed your munchkin. $54 for 4.

22. Kimara Ahnert Mineral Core Lip Tint SPF 15

Lip color is the easiest way to up your MILF factor. This lipstick from makeup artist and mom Kimara Ahnert comes in four gorgeous shades, has a moisturizing center and sun protection. $28.

23.?Kiehls Essence Oil

Poopy diapers can really take a toll on the olfactory senses. Treat yours to something a bit more uplifting with one of Kiehls' portable roller ball fragrances. Choose from classic Kiehls scents like grapefruit, vanilla and cucumber. $25 for .23 ounces.

24. ?T3 Bespoke Labs Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Hair Dryer

T3's proprietary technology cuts drying time by 70% and leaves hair looking silky smooth. What else could you ask for in a blow-dryer? From $85.

25.?Nair Lasting Results 5 Day Hair Removal Gel Cream

Rushing through a shaving session will leave you with nicks and missed patches of hair. Swap your razor for Nair and you'll get smooth legs that stay hair-free for up to five days. $4 for 5.4 ounces.

There is perhaps no greater affront to the system than the loss of a good night's sleep in the hazing ritual that is Freshman Parenting.  It's not for nothing that sleep deprivation is recognized the world over as an "enhanced interrogation tactic" of the highest order. And why didn't anybody tell you that "sleeping like a baby" meant being rudely awakened every two hours?

From how to scare off monsters under the bed to getting your own monsters to stay in theirs, from feng-shui to Ferber, here are 50+ tools for helping little ones learn their ZZZs. — Allison Pennell

How to Handle Bedtime Escape Artists

A recent study in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology found that a free pass may be just the ticket to a sound sleep.  When kids strongly opposed to bedtime (you know the ones) were put to bed with the free pass, parents reported a substantial decline in flight risk and much less crying out. Follow-up studies after three months showed sustained gains.

Sleep: By the Numbers

Infants (3-11 months)
What They Need: 14-15 hours
What They're Getting: 12.7 hours

Toddlers (1-2 years)
What They Need:  12-14 hours
What They're Getting: 11.7 hours

Preschoolers (3-5 years)
What They Need: 11-13 hours
What They're Getting: 10.4 hours

School-Aged Kids (1-5th grades)
What They Need: 10-11 hours
What They're Getting: 9.5 hours

The Case for Early Bedtimes

We know, it's hard to stick to early bedtimes, but the consensus of current research shows that they're key to better sleep and happier kids.Research by the National Sleep Foundation found that 69% of today's kids aren't sleeping enough. Just an hour less sleep a night has been shown to put the ability to concentrate on par with children two grades younger. Beyond meltdowns, less sleep is linked to attention problems, dulled memory, hyperactivity, and obesity.

Arrange Your Kid's Bedroom for Maximum Relaxing

DO:

DON'T:

Keep the room dark for sleeping. The body makes melatonin at night in the dark. Light makes the body think it’s daytime.

Let a child sleep with the TV on or keep a nightlight on all night. Use one with a timer if a little bedtime light is necessary.

Use ambient sound or white noise machines if street or household noise is a problem.

Have aquariums or other moving water features in the bedroom. They might sound soothing, but they can make it hard to sleep.

Display happy family photos, accomplishments, and favorite picture’s at kids’ eye level.

Hang any negative images like sharks, tigers, monsters, war toys, evil rulers of the universe, etc.

Keep clutter to a minimum.

Let your kids have access to all their toys at once.

Source: Robyn Bentley, Feng Shui Diva.

How to Scare off Monsters

Armed with a flashlight and some magic monster repellant (eg.  a spray bottle filled with water you can use for a little bedtime exorcism), you'll have those monsters out from under the bed in no time.

How to End Musical Beds

When she gets out of bed, calmly, peacefully and lovingly put her back to bed. EVERY TIME. Kiss her, hug her, rub her back. Even sit or lie next to her until she falls back to sleep if necessary. Don't talk much, and don't turn on any lights. Do choose a key phrase to repeat to her a few times, such as, "It's night-night time now. Mommy loves you. Please stay in your bed and have sweet dreams."

Source: Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution

How to Help Him Fall Asleep (And Stay Asleep)

• Serve up a (mostly-banana) banana split for an early evening snack. The high content of potassium, magnesium and serotonin found in bananas promotes relaxation. Other good bedtime snacks: calming carbs. Try a bagel melt with cheese or some peanut butter and honey on toast.

• Teach the art of belly-breathing. At bedtime, have your kids lay down on their backs with eyes closed and tell them to take slow, deep breaths, with their belly pushing out on each intake. You can rub your hands together to heat them and place them on their bellies, a couple of inches above the belly button and then replace your hands with theirs. A couple of minutes should do the trick.

• Calgon, take my child away. A nightly bath helps set the mood.

• Try an eye pillow. It is a novelty for kids and it keeps their eyes closed long enough to fall asleep.

• Exchange back massages and head rubs. Just don’t fall asleep while getting yours.

How to Evict a Kid from the Family Bed

Pimp that room. A little redecorating will go a long way to transitioning a kid to his own room. Think: his own hand-picked cool new bed or bedding, a sign for the door, some new wall art, a special transitional object like a little silk blanket or stuffed animal.

Bedtime Rituals. Start with a week of jammies and books in his room, not yours, but let him keep sleeping with you. Next, have him set up a sleeping spot next to your bed week two (as opposed to in it).

Make your move. Set a date for the big move of one week later. Mark your calendar. Talk it up. And make sure that along with the heave-ho, you give him lots of kisses, lengthy cuddles at light's out and return as needed for reassurance. During this transition period, welcome your kid back into your bed if he comes calling in the middle of the night.

Source: Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night

5 Short Stress-Breaks for Sleep Deprived Parents.

Rub Down. For an endorphin shot, try these pressure points: Ears. Gently tugging and rubbing your ears will relax you and clear out your sinuses. Shoulders. Deep kneading with your fingertips releases tension from tissues and gets the oxygen flowing.

Mix It Up. Studies say a change of tunes can mean a change of moods. Type in an artist or song you like at Pandora.com and listen to a free custom playlist.

Treat Yourself. Re-charge with snacks high in stress-busting antioxidants like a handful of almonds or blueberries or that ideal chill-pill, vitamin C.

Stay hydrated. When your energy is dwindling, drink a glass of water or juice.

Power Nap. It only takes 20 minutes to do the trick. Human circadian rhythms make late afternoons a more likely time to fall into deep sleep, which will leave you groggy, so better to nap just after lunch or late in the morning. Set the alarm so you don't sleep too long.

Baby Sleep Solutions

From Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No Cry Sleep Solution.

When: Night is Day and Day is Night
Do This: To help reset her body clock, have your baby nap during the day in the main area of the house, with all the family noise and light that implies. At night, think dark and unexciting. White noise is good for newborns used to the hum of the womb, where it's even louder than a vacuum cleaner. 

When: Morning Reveille is Too Early
Do This: Black-out curtains and a white noise machine can help. If your baby is waking up still tired and cranky, treat a predawn wake-up as you would a middle of the night one and don't get up for the day until sunrise. If they're raring to go, sorry, but five may just be a respectable hour if you've been sleeping for ten hours already.

When: Baby's Making Weird Sounds
Do This: Expect lots of grunts, whimpers, outright cries that don't necessarily signal awakening. Wait a minute or two before you do anything. If you're worried, check with your doctor to make sure it's not sleep apnea.

When: Your Good Sleeper's Gone Bad
Do This: Blame growth spurts, teething, developmental milestones. Just continue with usual bedtime routine and keep overnight interactions short and sweet. Without picking the baby up, place a comforting hand on her chest for a few minutes and make gentle rocking motions and repeat "shhhh" close to her ear.

When: The Pacifier Keeps Getting Lost
Do This: Have several spares strewn around the crib.

When: The Kid Only Wants to Sleep in the Car Seat
Do this: Create a cozy nest with a crib divider. And swaddle; a tight swaddle often stops newborns from startling themselves awake. If it's motion he seeks, try a baby hammock, a rocking cradle, or vibrating crib accessories.

When: She'll Only Fall Asleep While Being Held
Do this: When your baby begins to fall asleep transfer her to her crib or cradle — but keep your hands on her, pat and rub her, and even keep your face near her making a "shhhhh" sound. Babies adjust to new sleep routines, but it does take more than a day or two for this to happen.

Beyond Good Night Moon

There's no more restful pre-bed ritual out there than storytime.  Here are favorite bedtime reads from Lisa Von Drasek, children's librarian at Bank Street College of Education. Her top ten:

1. Time For Bed, Mem Fox
2. The Sleepy Little Alphabet, Judy Sierra
3. Kiss Good Night, Amy Hest
4. Owl Babies, Martin Waddell
5. Llama Llama Red Pajama, Anna Dewdney
6. Bear Snores On, Karma Wilson
7. Once A Lullaby, B.P. Nichol
8. Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, Bob Shea
9. A Visitor for Bear, Bonny Becker
10. The Going to Bed Book, Sandra Boynton

Best Baby Sleep Aides

No, we don't mean Nyquil.  Our must-have list of sleep paraphernalia:

• Security Blanket (aka silkie, blanky, lovie)

• Black-out shades (for early reveille prevention)

• Lullabye CD

• White noise machine if there's household or street noise

• Swaddling blankets for newborns or sleep sacks for older babies

• A co-sleeper (easier to manage for feedings than a bassinet; lets babies learn to sleep in their own space)

And Finally, In Defense of Crying-It-Out

Dr. Judith Owens, pediatric sleep expert and Director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at  Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI, weighs in:
 
"No matter what anyone says, there's really no sleep training for getting babies and toddlers to fall asleep on their own that doesn't involve some crying. A certain amount is inevitable; it's the way non-verbal babies protest, and it's perfectly understandable that they will do so for a few days when the regime changes.

Think of it as short-term pain for long-term gain (like 99% of parenting).  Sleep deprived parents aren't at their best during the day. And keep in mind that your average two-year-old would probably also like to eat ice cream 24-7, but we as parents recognize that this is probably not a good idea, and can stand our ground on this one despite the protest.

There's no evidence that "ferberizing" (and Dick Ferber actually hates the term) will be psychologically damaging to anybody except perhaps parents, for whom the wailing will live on. And if you start by putting the baby to sleep "drowsy but awake" from four months on, you'll probably avoid having to do any formal sleep training at all.

Expert: Jennifer Andrew, Humane Educator at the Best Friends Society, mother of one, and proud pet-owner of a dog and a cat.

1. ?Getting a Puppy - Or a Little Dog

"I recommend getting an older dog who has been around people and has a good history with kids. If you adopt at a shelter, they'll know if a dog has already lived with kids. Puppies are great, if you have a lot of time to devote to training a dog. You have to be honest with yourself and ask, 'Am I really going to have the time to devote to training this dog?' If the answer is no, it may be better to get an older dog who is already trained and who loves kids. Also: some people will want a little dog, like a Jack Russell or a Dodson, because they have small kids. That worries me, because small dog breeds tend to be more nervous in general and will often be more unpredictable around toddlers and young children. Whereas, if you have a black lab and the child grabs at it, he won't be as frightened as a little tiny dog would be."

2. Letting Kids Be Grabby

"When you're teaching young children to interact with their pet, you have to be really consistent. Whenever the cat or dog is around, show your child the right way to pet the animal. We teach the pre-schoolers we work with to use two fingers to pet an animal. This lessens the chance of them grabbing the fur and pulling or irritating the animal. My daughter is eleven-and-a-half months now and she's learning to pet the kitty-cat, so we'll sit with the cat and take her hand and say, "Gentle." Occasionally she grabs the cat's fur and we say, "No, gentle," but we're right there the whole time. That's important too. When you're getting a child and a pet used to each other, you should be in the room with them. It's also important, especially when you have toddlers and they're moving all over, to have a place where your pets can go that the kids can't get to, because an animal can get stressed out and be more likely to react to the child negatively when it can't escape unwanted attention."

3. Skipping Vet Visits

"I also recommend that you make sure your pet has regular vet check-ups, even when there is no medical emergency or need for a shot. I say this because if a dog has an earache, for example, and a little kid grabs its ear, the dog could be nippy even if normally it wouldn't be. Get your pet checked regularly to make sure they don't have any injuries or infections that would cause the animal to act differently, and keep a close eye out for any signs of illness or any behavioral changes in your pet."

As told to Lindsay Armstrong.