TIPS AND TRICKS

3 Simple Ways to Celebrate Her First Mother’s Day

1. Prioritize Her Sleep
Chances are she’d love to sleep in for another hour or three. So, prep a bottle and take the kid out for a walk so she can do so without interruption. Leave a thermos full of coffee on her nightstand. Maybe a nice plate of breakfast, too, with a handwritten card placed near it. Does she want to take a nap later instead of going out? Great. Make it happen. It’s her day.

2. Dress Up the Baby
Special occasions call for special attire. This means it’s time to dress the baby in his or her dandiest outfit as a surprise. Find a location and take pictures together. And when the time comes time to remove said nice clothes because they’re inevitably covered in food, poop, or both, you’re on duty.

3. Do Better Than Carnations
Carnations are the official flower of Mother's Day. Carnations are also boring. If you know her favorite flowers, just get those; if you don't, you can't really go wrong with orchids, lilies, or poppies.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Let’s Get Critical
It’s vital that children learn the skills to thoughtfully and critically evaluate whether something they read online is true. Because kids emulate their parents, Rebekah Diamond, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University, says dads and moms should be mirroring these behaviors and showing them how to ask questions. These questions can include:

- Who wrote what I’m reading?
- What is the intention behind the article? Are they trying to sell something to me or persuade me to do something?
- Is the story making a lot of assumptions? Is it trying to predict the future?
- What evidence is the author using to back up their claims?
- Is the article telling you to just trust them?