Kissing is a form of affection, and many children kiss others because they want to show their love. Children enjoy being kissed because it means that someone cares about them.

Around the age of 11 or 12, your loving, carefree child may become a stranger, but the changes you see in mood and behavior are likely normal and indicate your child is the adolescent stage of development.

A broken family -- a family in which the parents are separated or divorced -- is disruptive to your child's life no matter how carefully you protect him. Over time, your little one will come to accept his new "normal,"

Sexual promiscuity among teenage girls can have many adverse consequences, including risks to their physical and emotional health, and unwanted pregnancies. Approximately 400,000 teenage girls gave birth during 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some days, it seems the only thing teenagers love more than their cell phones is staying in bed. But are they a "lazy, unaware and apathetic" Generation Z, as The Huffington Post put it in 2013? If it's tough getting your teen to take an interest in schoolwork, community life or the chores, take heart.

It's a wonderful moment when your baby first reaches for you. Not only is it an obvious sign that she's physically capable of doing it, it also means she's come to recognize you as a person she needs and trusts. Reaching out for you is usually a sign she's ready to be picked up and cuddled.

It's often difficult for novice parents to accurately judge whether their newborn baby's behavior falls within the range of normal. Even perfectly normal newborn movements, sounds and behavior can seem odd to nervous first-time mothers and fathers.

The bad boy persona is one that teen girls -- and women -- are presented with on TV, in movies and in books, according to Boston-based psychiatrist Susan Carey. These bad boys often are dangerous and inappropriate, but they turn out to be sweet guys by the end.

Approximately one million teenage girls give birth in the United States each year, according to KidsHealth.org. In addition to the physical risks and financial difficulties, teenage moms experience significant social changes as well.

A baby is considered premature if he's born earlier than the 37th week of pregnancy. A preemie should be introduced to solid foods around four to six months after his expected due date -- rather than his actual date of birth, notes FamilyDoctor.org.

As girls progress into adolescence, they may seem to change, almost overnight, from innocent children who dress like what they are -- young girls. They begin choosing revealing and provocative clothing. They start to communicate almost constantly with boys in their classes.

Today’s families are busier than ever. In many families, both parents work outside of the home while trying to maintain some semblance of organization inside the home.