You're busy: There's a deadline looming at work, the kids need carting to and from school, activities, and more — plus you have to tackle that bottomless pile of laundry before getting dinner on the table, hopefully by 6 p.m. Stressed out doesn't begin to describe how many women feel most of the week. Although exercise can help us feel better — the chemicals produced in the brain, called neurotransmitters, are stimulated during exercise and these neurotransmitters improve our moods, emotions and reduce stress — fitting in a trip to the gym often seems like more trouble than it's worth. Yoga, however, provides all of the stress-busting benefits of a run on the treadmill (and then some) without the hassle of hitting the gym or needing extra equipment at home. All you need is comfortable clothing, bare feet and a yoga mat (or cushioned surface that won't slip), and you're set to go. Yoga's breathing and stretching exercises work to quiet both the...

What can you do if your child is waking during the night from a bad dream and refuses to go back to sleep? What if your child refuses to go to sleep at bedtime due to a several nights in a row of bad dreams? What if your child has been waking inconsolable at night, but you aren't sure if he or she is waking due to a nightmare or a night terror? Nightmares All children have nightmares at some point, and as long as children are dreaming regularly, they will most likely also have nightmares consistently. Even infants dream, and according to one landmark study, newborns dream more than any other...

Very often, parents come to me with questions about infant sleep and sleep development, and much of what they've heard is opinion, rumor or myth. There are many sleep books available to parents that are opinion-based, but a serious lack of evidence-based sleep books. Misconceptions about infant sleep development are common, because the field of infant sleep research is limited — most research is focused on one area: behavioral change. The lack of valid information available can be very confusing for parents who want to make an educated choice about how best to help their babies (and themselves...

We care for our children physically, mentally, emotionally, financially and spiritually. Let's face it: Being a mother is a lot of work. And as we work, we also yearn. We long to create a sparkling gem of a relationship with our children that we both will treasure throughout the years. Yet we must always keep in mind that, as stated in "The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran, our children are not our children. It is our role to launch them into life, to help them feel strong and positive about themselves, to help them become themselves — but we do not own them, and they do not owe us...

Summer is here! While airborne viruses that cause the flu and common colds tend to take a backseat during warm-weather months, foodborne outbreaks and enteroviruses become much more common. Moisture and hot temperatures contribute to the increased growth of foodborne bacteria. Enteroviruses, which can play a role in the development of aseptic meningitis and summertime colds, are readily spread by hands — and with daycare, plenty of time on the playground and play dates galore, parents still should take precautions to keep kids healthy. Ants aren't the only picnic intruders Going on a...