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Introduction to Adventures in Parenting

Parenting

Have you heard the latest advice about parenting?

Of course you have. From experts to other parents, people are always ready to give you parenting advice. Parenting tips, parents’ survival guides, dos, don’ts, shoulds, and shouldn’ts—new ones come out every day.

But with so much information available, how can anyone figure out what really works? How do you know whose advice to follow? Isn’t parenting just common sense anyway? How can the experts know what it’s like to be a parent in a real house?

What’s a parent to do?

Try RPM3—a no-frills approach to parenting from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

For over 30 years, the NICHD has conducted and supported research in parenting and child development. We’ve talked to experts, parents, and children. We’ve collected statistics, identified myths, a...More

Fast Facts: Learn! Fast!

What is the RPM3 approach to parenting?

  • The first thing you need to know is that there are no perfect parents.
  • Parenting isn't all-or-nothing.
  • Successes and mistakes are part of being a parent.
  • Start to think about the type of parent you want to be.
  • RPM3 stands for:
    • Responding to your child in an appropriate manner.
    • Preventing risky behavior or problems before they arise.
    • Monitoring your child's contact with his or her surrounding world.
    • Mentoring your child to support and encourage desired behaviors.
    • Modeling your own behavior to provide a consistent, positive example for your child.
  • By including responding, preventing, monitoring, mentoring, and modeling in your day-to-day parenting activities, you can become a more effective, consistent, active, and attentive parent.
  • Learn how to apply the RPM3 approach if your child is:

For more information


News Articles

  • How Your Kid's Education Could Make You Healthier

    If you're a parent, here's another reason to encourage your kids to get a good education: Children's educational successes or failures can impact their parent's physical and mental health, new research suggests. More...

  • Drowning Deaths for U.S. Kids Have Fallen 38% Since 1999

    Newly released numbers for 1999 through 2019 show steady progress in reducing the number of young lives lost to drowning. More...

  • Parent's Words Key to Young Kids' Fears Around Vaccination

    What's the best way to help your young child handle the stress of getting shots? New research claims that perfectly timed encouragement makes all the difference with vaccinations. More...

  • Summer Drowning Deaths Can Happen Quickly: Know the Facts

    The best way to prevent drowning in children and teens is to guard against the danger on multiple fronts, a leading pediatricians' group says. More...

  • Why Handwriting Still Beats Typing, Videos at Helping Folks Learn

    New research suggests that despite the ease of using a computer for typing notes or watching videos, people learn certain skills significantly better and faster when writing them by hand. More...

    • 45 More

    • Sharing Bed With Baby: Dangerous, and It Won't Boost 'Attachment,' Study Shows

      Whether to share your bed with your infant at night has been the subject of heated debate: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against it, recommending room-sharing but not bed-sharing, while others promote the practice as part of an idea called attachment parenting. More...

    • Child Drownings in U.S. Pools, Spas Are on the Rise

      Pool and spa drowning deaths among U.S. children are spiking upwards, and restrictions related to the COVID pandemic may also mean that fewer kids are getting the swimming lessons that might keep them safe, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns. More...

    • AHA News: As the Pandemic Wanes, Get Kids on the Road to Good Health This Summer

      Nice weather and a receding pandemic should make for a joyous, memorable summer, especially after a year of lockdowns, frustration and discouraging news. For kids, and their parents, it's also a chance to get back on the road to normal after a long COVID-19 detour. More...

    • 'Boomerang Kids': When an Adult Child Moves Back Home

      It's a scenario fraught with potential conflict: Moving back home as an adult can be tough -- on both the grown children and their parents. More...

    • Strike Out Kids' Overuse Injuries This Baseball Season

      Young baseball players are at risk for overuse injuries, but there are ways to play it safe and prevent such problems, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says. More...

    • Most Parents OK About School Rules for Kids' Return to Sports: Poll

      In the survey, about three-quarters of parents said their child's teams mostly did the right thing while resuming sports during COVID. Thirteen percent said officials were too strict, and 14% said they were too lenient. More...

    • What Will Summer Camp Look Like This Year?

      It's nearly time for summer camp, and the experience is expected to be especially important for America's children because of the pandemic. More...

    • 1 in 4 Parents Won't Vaccinate Their Kids Against COVID-19: Poll

      More than one-quarter of U.S. parents don't plan to vaccinate their kids for COVID-19, and roughly as many oppose school-required coronavirus shots, a new study finds. More...

    • Boys Who Spend Lots of Time Online More Likely to Cyberbully

      Here's yet another reason to keep your teenager from spending countless hours online and on popular social media: New research suggests it increases cyberbullying, particularly among teen boys. More...

    • Why Are Half of U.S. Kids With Mental Health Issues Not Getting Treatment?

      Lack of treatment for kids who struggle with depression, anxiety and/or several adverse childhood experiences is more severe among children of parents with only high school-level educations and children of color, with Black kids found to be the least likely to have access to behavioral health services. More...

    • Nearly Half of U.S. Schools Now Offer In-Person Learning

      Nearly half of the public schools in America are now holding in-person classes, with white children far more likely to be in those classrooms than Black, Hispanic or Asian students, the first federal data on the state of education during the pandemic shows. More...

    • Pandemic Has Many Kids Struggling With Weight Issues

      Lost routines, economic insecurity and grief are making things more challenging for children who struggle with their weight, whether it's with obesity or anorexia, according to doctors at Stanford Children's Health in California. More...

    • Virtual Learning Has Taken a Toll on Kids' & Parents' Mental Health

      A new government report confirms what many moms and dads already know: Parents and kids are struggling mightily to cope with the stresses of distance learning. More...

    • CDC Says 3 Feet of Social Distancing Now OK in Most Classrooms

      In a move that should make reopening schools an easier task, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday lowered its social distancing recommendation for most classrooms to 3 feet. More...

    • Is Your Teen Unmotivated at School? That Might Change

      If your teen seems disinterested in school, new research suggests there's a good chance that things will get better over time. More...

    • Social Media, Binge Eating Often Go Together for Kids

      "Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food advertisements on television," said study author Dr. Jason Nagata. More...

    • Stressed and Distracted, Kids and Their Teachers Say Virtual Learning Isn't Working

      Meltdowns are familiar to any parent of young children, but when they occur during a school day -- with other young siblings trying to learn through a screen and two parents working remotely -- chaos ensues. More...

    • When Kids Misbehave, 'Verbal Reasoning' Can Sometimes Backfire

      Most parents know that child behavior experts recommend against spanking, but new research suggests that so-called "positive" discipline methods don't always work either. More...

    • Anchor It! Toppling TVs, Furniture Can Injure and Kill Kids

      Experts are warning that unsecured televisions, bedroom dressers and other heavy furniture can crush, maim and even kill curious children, and the issue may only worsen during stay-at-home lockdowns. More...

    • There’s ‘A Path Forward’ to Reopening Schools, CDC Officials Say

      New studies suggest a return to in-person classes could be warranted, according to officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More...

    • Tips for Parents of Kids With Diabetes

      Kids with diabetes can lead full, fun lives, but they have special needs. Here's what parents should know. More...

    • Toddler Tantrums? Pediatricians Offer Tips to Curb Bad Behavior

      Toddler behavior won't always be good. Outbursts are normal. Yet, you can also use those aggravating moments to help shape your little one's behavior, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). More...

    • Many Parents Support 'Teens Helping Teens' Mental Health Programs at Schools: Poll

      It may take a village to support teens' mental health, whether it's during the pandemic or later. One option is having school-based mental health programs that offer peer support leaders. More...

    • How Divorce Harms Kids, and How to Lessen That Harm

      Kids who see their parents bicker during a separation or divorce are more likely to develop a fear of abandonment, new research warns. More...

    • New Year, New Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe and Healthy

      A new year can be a fresh start for you and your kids -- and perhaps no year has needed a fresh start more than this one. So, a leading doctors' group is offering parents tips for a healthy "reset" in 2021. More...

    • Parents Feel the Strain as Pandemic Adds New Role: Teacher

      Many parents were forced to become "proxy educators" for their children without adequate training as schools transitioned to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More...

    • Involved Dads Make a Difference for Disadvantaged Teens

      Dads matter: New research shows how attentive, involved fathers can really boost the mental well-being and behavior of teens from low-income families. More...

    • Poll Charts U.S. Parents' Biggest Worries During Pandemic

      A new national poll found that parents' top concerns for their children include overuse of social media and screen time, internet safety, depression, suicide, unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity. Overall, they ranked COVID-19 as number 10 on their list of worries. More...

    • Parents, Don't Worry if Baby's Sleep Is Erratic

      New parents can relax: Research suggests it's normal for infants' sleep patterns to vary widely. More...

    • How to Keep Kids Resilient in a Strange Holiday Season

      A hospital survey found that two-thirds of parents worry that the effects on their children's mental health will be more challenging the longer the COVID-19 pandemic goes on. More...

    • AHA News: The Heart Health Risks of Being a Single Parent

      "This is a group of people who are kind of carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, right?" said Dr. Natalie Stokes, a cardiology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "You're taking care of kids. You're trying to provide for your family." More...

    • Poll: 1 in 3 Parents Pick Holiday Gathering Over COVID Safety

      In a new nationwide poll of 1,443 parents, about one in three said the benefits of gathering with families for the holidays outweighed the risk of spreading the virus. More...

    • Does Parents' Nagging Kids About Screen Time Even Matter?

      Parents' constant refrain, telling their teens to turn off the TV, stop playing video games or put down the cellphone, may not be necessary. More...

    • Too Many Kids Still Get Antipsychotics They Don't Need

      Doctors are continuing to prescribe the drugs "off-label" for kids with conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression and conduct disorders, the research found. More...

    • Is the Pandemic Harming Kids' Mental Health?

      The findings suggest the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on children because of disruptions to their everyday life, anxiety about illness and social isolation. More...

    • Kids With Food Allergies Can Become Targets for Bullies

      As if having food allergies isn't hard enough on a child, new research shows that almost 1 in 5 of these kids are bullied. More...

    • Almost 1 in 5 Parents Are 'Vaccine Hesitant,' Study Finds

      Nearly one in five American parents described themselves as "hesitant about childhood shots" in 2019, a new U.S. government study finds. More...

    • Are Healthy Kids Getting Too Many Heart Tests?

      The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is advising parents and pediatricians to avoid unnecessary tests, and has released a list of common medical practices and therapies that may not be needed for young patients. More...

    • Lockdowns Can Widen Kids' Waistlines – Here's How to Curb That

      Stuck at home, bored. Fiddling with their phone or playing video games. Munching on snack foods to while away the time. More...

    • Social Media 'Kid Influencers' Are Promoting Junk Foods

      In a new study, researchers viewed the top 50 kid influencer videos on YouTube and found that 9 out of 10 featured unhealthy foods. Nearly 1 in 3 promoted a fast-food chain. More...

    • It's Tough to Change the Minds of 'Vaccine-Hesitant' Parents, Study Finds

      When parents have concerns about the safety of childhood vaccinations, it can be tough to change their minds, as a new study shows. More...

    • Your Guide to a Safe and Happy Halloween

      The truly scary thing about Halloween this year is that it's occurring during a pandemic, but there are safe ways to celebrate, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says. More...

    • Plan Ahead to Keep Halloween Safe for Kids With Asthma, Allergies

      his Halloween may be especially challenging for parents of children with asthma and allergies, as they also have to guard against COVID-19. More...

    • Parents Often in the Dark When Kids Take Up Vaping

      Parents are often clueless when their kids start smoking e-cigarettes, a new study finds. More...

    • FDA Warns of Danger From 'Benadryl Challenge,' Asks TikTok to Remove Videos

      Parents and other caregivers need to be more aware of the potentially lethal "Benadryl Challenge" circulating on social media, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday. More...

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