KIDS

by Erica Loop   Your time as a maternity-leave mom is ticking away. It’s time to go back to work and you’re uber-excited about getting to be a grown-up again. That said, the tears are already welling up when it comes to parting ways and you’re scrambling to build a realistic picture of work-life balance. The first day away is almost here and you’re worried that some serious separation anxiety is right around the corner — both hers and yours. Stop some of the “I’m going back to work and don’t know if I can be away from my little one without freaking out” stress with a few of these simple strategies. 1. Use technology. Your smartphone is already your BFF, so keep the tech-love going. Ask your daycare center’s staff, the nanny or whoever else is watching your child to help you out and send you a text, email or quick pic every so often. You’ll feel better about leaving your mini-me if you know what she’s doing during her day. But try to avoid the temptation of jumping onto a ...

As new parents, it often feels like we’re always living in the moment, whether we’re trying to figure out how to get through the long nights with a new baby, master the art of the swaddle to soothe a fussy baby or keep breastfeeding even while traveling. But that time goes by fast, and pretty soon your newborn will turn into a toddler (if you can believe it!). If you think that people in Denmark, consistently voted one of the happiest countries in the world, are onto something, take a closer look at how Danish parents raise their kids. Jessica Joelle Alexander, an American mom married to a Dane, and Iben Dissing Sandahl, a Danish psychotherapist, teamed up to help American families learn more from Danish parents in their book The Danish Way of Parenting. Scroll on for the seven Danish parenting tips they shared with us. Tips for Parenting in a Danish Style