In this expert’s opinion, leaving an inflated balloon in the yard is no different than keeping a loaded unlocked gun in the house. Totally irresponsible parenting! Dr. Michelle Golland: I remember the Heene family from “Wife Swap.” I admit, it is one of the trashy reality shows I TiVo and watch when I can’t sleep. And watching the Heene family’s story was one of the times that I became concerned about the children...

So are you negative like your father or mother (if they are), or does your skin crawl every time they interject a deflating comment about something you’re telling them? Researchers report that about half of human happiness is genetically determined. Also, around 10 percent of our happiness comes from life circumstances — for example, where you live. This explains why people who move to sunny southern California from upstate New York...

Novelty T-shirts send a damaging message to your kid. It’s been almost a year since Caylee Anthony’s body was found, and her mother Casey has been sitting in jail waiting for her first-degree murder trial to begin. Meanwhile, those who have been following the tragedy continue to speculate on how and why Caylee met her terrible fate, shoved into a plastic garbage bag and tossed into the woods. Now what the little girl was last...

I have been procrastinating writing this article all day! I of course did other things instead, like the dishes, organize my daughter’s Barbies, and surf the Internet. All things which are clearly less important than writing this piece on procrastination. Or are they? So here I finally begin: why do people procrastinate, and what can we do if it is a serious problem in our lives? According to Joseph R. Ferrari, Ph.D., and Timothy A....

Researchers in England have discovered that swearing helps us cope with stress and pain. Say what? Dr. Michelle Golland: So no wonder we moms are concerned about the amount of foul language we use in front of our children. Who is under more stress and yes, even in pain than a mom?! What group most needs to drop the F-bomb? When we drop a sippy cup right on our toe and scream f@!*ck (my favorite profanity), it actually triggers our natural...