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Raising awesome kids takes help. NPR has science and experts to get you through the toughest parenting moments. Updated every time we have Life Kit episodes on parenting.
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Life Kit: Parenting

Today's parents are more involved in their children's lives — and more stressed out — than they were two decades ago, according to an advisory from the 2024 U.S. Surgeon General. So how can they catch a break? Life Kit reporter Andee Tagle explains why parental burnout is a public health crisis and offers realistic ways to ease the pressure.

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How to combat parental burnout

There are a lot of benefits to raising a child speaking two or more languages: a better understanding of their culture and their relatives, cognitive benefits and expanded job opportunities. But raising a kid is hard enough in one language. How can a parent be expected to do it in two or more? Reporter Julia Furlan explains that raising a kid in a multilingual household isn't a burden — it's a gift.

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How to raise kids in a multilingual home

It can be tough to navigate adult friendships when kids come into the picture. Parents assume their child-free buds don't want to hang out with them, and vice versa. To overcome this divide, reporter Emily Siner speaks with three experts about what makes friendships work across parenting stages. So whether you have kids, want kids, have friends with kids, or know anyone who could have kids someday, we've got you covered.

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How to maintain your friendships after kids

Magical thinking is part of childhood, and when it comes to characters like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, parents often play along with elaborate charades. But what should grown-ups do when kids start aging out of the magic and asking tough questions?

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Is It OK To Lie About Santa And The Tooth Fairy?

Even babies notice differences like skin color, eye shape and hair texture. Here's how to handle conversations about race, racism, diversity and inclusion, even with very young children. 

A few things to remember: 
- Don't shush or shut them down if they mention race.
- Don't wait for kids to bring it up. 
- Be proactive: Help them build a positive awareness of diversity.
- When a child experiences prejudice, grown-ups need to both address the feelings and fight the prejudices.
- You don't have to avoid topics like slavery or the Holocaust. Instead, give the facts and focus on resistance and allies.

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Talking Race With Young Children

Whether it's a goldfish or Grandma, every child will experience a death at some point — and their parents will likely struggle to explain it. 

Here's what to remember:
- Be honest and concrete. The cat wasn't put to sleep, and Grandma didn't go on a long journey.
- Don't overwhelm kids with too much information. They need time to process.
- Make sure kids know they're still surrounded by people who will love and support them.
- Don't be afraid to show emotion.
- When it comes to deathbed visits or funerals, tell kids what they might see and give them a choice.
- Keep the hope alive!

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Death: Talking With Kids About The End

Whether it's mini-makeup kits, gross-smelling slime or semi-automatic foam-dart guns, every parent or caregiver has fielded requests for toys that they're just not that into. We talk about princesses and superheroes and their influence on kids with Rosemarie Truglio of Sesame Workshop and Lisa Dinella, a gender studies professor at Monmouth University. 

Here's what to remember: 
- Banning toys outright can be counterproductive. 
- Pay more attention to how kids play than what they're playing with. 
- Fight sexism in the playroom by broadening toy selections. 
- Talk directly to your kids about your values.
- Join in your child's play to help expand the possibilities. 
- Grossed out? Use toilet toys as a chance to teach science — and manners.

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The Problem With Toy Guns And Princesses

Even the most amicable split is world-changing for young children. Here are a few key tips for grown-ups trying to help their kids navigate this big transition. 
- Give children as much heads-up as you can — as soon as you've made a definite decision to split up.
- It's a grown-up problem. Don't share details that will confuse your child or hurt your partner.
- Don't fear the big feelings or the "pajama truth-bomb." 
- It's good for kids to talk about a separation — even when it may be painful for adults to hear.
- Make sure your kids know that not everything will change. 
- Keep routines, and toys, consistent, even if they're traveling from one home to another. 
- Look back together on the good memories.

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'What If We Lived In Two Houses?' Talking Kids Through Divorce

Whether a school shooting or a deadly tornado, scary events in the news can leave parents struggling to know when — and how — they should talk with their kids about it. Rosemarie Truglio of Sesame Workshop and Tara Conley, a media studies professor at Montclair State University, give us tips. 

- Limit their exposure to breaking news.
- For the really big stories, pick a quiet moment and start the conversation by asking what kids have heard and how they're feeling.
- Give facts and context: Let kids know that most scary news events are rare. Show them where it is happening on a map. 
- When they ask why something happened, avoid labels like "bad guys." 
- Encourage kids to process the story through play, art, even video.
- Take positive action together.

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When The News Is Scary, What To Say To Kids

Most kids value success and achievement more than caring for others, according to Harvard's Making Caring Common project. Who is to blame? We are. We talk to experts for ideas on how to do better, and why.

Here's what to remember:
- Children are born to be kind — but also unkind. 
- Kindness requires courage.To build kindness, practice mindfulness.
- Teach real apologies, and frame forgiveness as a gift you give yourself.
- Practice gratitude to "raise the capital" of everyday kindness.
- Kindness is a habit; rituals, chores and service can all help.

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Kindness Can Be Taught. Here's How

Some parents think the best way to manage a child's screen time is to set hard limits. But those rules are particularly difficult to keep during a pandemic, when screens are a lifeline for all of us. So what should the rules be? Sonia Livingstone and Alicia Blum-Ross, coauthors of Parenting For A Digital Future, explain why being too strict about screen time might not be the best strategy for your kids — or the whole family.

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How To Work With — Not Against — Screen Time

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