A new study conducted at the University of Colorado and published in the Journal of Sleep Research has found that toddlers who miss daytime naps may be at risk for developing mood disorders later in life.  The study, which involved toddlers aged 30 to 36 months, found that missing even a single daily nap caused anxiety and reduced levels of happiness.  Toddlers who were deprived of their nap also showed less interest in their surroundings and a decrease in problem-solving abilities.

The study concluded that getting enough sleep is a basic need for toddlers, just like nutrition, and is critically important in helping young children get the most out of experiences that foster their development.  Read complete details about this study on the University of Colorado at Boulder website.

If you have trouble getting your toddler to nap, watch this YouTube video to get some valuable tips.

Parents of older children are often concerned about their child’s location.  The nu.m8+ watch from Lok8u looks like a simple child’s digital watch but is actually a GPS that tracks a child’s location.  Additional security is provided by an automatic email or phone alert that gets sent if the watch is removed from the child’s wrist or deactivated without the parent’s approval. 

Parents can also define a virtual “safe zone.”  If a child leaves the zone while wearing the watch, the parent is alerted. The nu.m8+ watch comes in pink, blue and black.  Unlike locator devices that attach to a child’s clothing or backpack, the nu.m8+ watch is fun and practical for the child.

Lok8u also makes locator watches for at-risk adults.  Find out more about Lok8u family of locator products on the official Lok8u website.

According to USA Today, 50% of expectant mothers look for ideas for baby names in celebrity news.  For example, the name Mason moved up to number 3 on the list for most popular names for boys after reality star Kourtney Kardashian gave that name to her baby.  Some mom’s are also looking to nature for inspiration, naming their baby Summer, River, Willow or Rain.

Most parents admit to feeling pressure when deciding on their child’s name, worrying that the wrong choice could embarrass their child or cause them to be made fun of.

These were the top names for girls in 2011:

These were the top names for boys in 2011:

Are you ready to throw away your old-school baby monitor?  WiFi Baby 3G is a state-of-the-art video baby monitor that leverages new technology that includes your WiFi network and smartphone.  With WiFi Baby 3G you can view password protected streaming video of your baby to your smartphone or PC while at home or on the go. 

The WiFi Baby 3G uses a Y Cam Knight camera that’s fitted with a ring of 30 infrared LEDs to provide nighttime visibility within a 50 ft range.   Unlike a webcam, WiFi Baby 3Gis a stand-along camera that connects wirelessly to the Internet.  You can view video from a browser or third party app like Baby Monitor HD.

Read a detailed review of WiFi Baby 3G on Engadget and visit the WiFi Baby website to learn more.

Author Richard Louv was one of the first authors to recognize and name a phenomenon of our modern age: nature-deficit disorder. In Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, Louv examines the disconnection between children and nature. For many children, nature is more of an abstraction than a reality. He also provides ideas on how to change the situation in your family, school and community.

Richard Louv is a journalist and the author of eight books about family and nature. Last Child in the Woods has been published in 15 countries and in 2008 Louv was awarded the Audubon Medal by the National Audubon Society. You can read more about Louv’s groundbreaking ideas on his official website and blog.

The Gyro Bowl is a new solution to the problem of young children and food spills. This unique bowl rotates 360 degrees, keeping food contained at any angle. It’s perfect for cereal and snacks — you can also use it for non-food items like paper clips. Both kids and adults will have a blast tossing this amazing bowl around.

The Gyro Bowl is BPA free, dishwasher safe and almost indestructible. See it in action in this YouTube video and then visit the official Gyro Bowl website for more information. Save money on shipping and handling and look for the Gyro Bowl at your local Target or Walmart.

A couple of new studies suggest that using positive parenting with toddlers pays off in the long run. In one study conducted at the University of Minnesota, kindergartners who were aggressive and defiant were found to have negative and tumultuous relationships with their mothers as infants. Researchers defined negative relationships as expressing negative emotions to the baby and handling it roughly. As these children become toddlers, a cyclical pattern is created, with negative emotions from the mother creating anger in the toddler which in turn creates hostility in the mother.

In another study, Dr. Elena Hoicka of the University of Stirling in the UK found that parents who joke and engage in pretend activities with their toddlers are giving them life skills that are important throughout childhood and beyond. Dr. Hoika’s study found that parents who joke and pretend use a variety of language styles and both verbal and non-verbal cues to help their children differentiate between real and make believe. The study also suggested that parents who are not natural jokesters can learn how to interact with their children in a more light-hearted fashion. Read more about this study on the Science Codex website.

Just like the slow food movement is a reaction to the fast food lifestyle, a new slow family movement is growing in reaction to the epidemic of over scheduling children’s time. The benefits of a slowed-down lifestyle can’t be argued with – experts say that families who spend more time together while their children are young will have a stronger family bond for decades. Yet many parents feel that provided as many structured enrichment activities as possible will give their children an advantage as adults.

Read more about the slow family movement in this USA Today article. You can also find out more about the movement on the Slow Family Living website.

This week a woman named Amber Mills completed the Chicago Marathon and felt contractions as she crossed the finish line.  She gave birth to a healthy baby girls a few hours later, having run 26.2 miles when she was 39 weeks pregnant.  Mill’s obstetrician had given her the OK to run a half marathon, but she felt good and finished the entire pregnant marathon in under 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Many experts say that if a woman is healthy and a runner before she gets pregnant, it’s safe to continue running during pregnancy.  However, pregnancy is not the time to begin an exercise or running program.  Experienced runners who continue to run during pregnancy should be closely monitored by their doctors.

Read more about the benefits and risks of exercise during pregnancy in this Washington Post article.

Parents who are plugged into their smartphones know how helpful apps can be.  Here are a few helpful apps for parents of babies.

Kid Care – This child health app was developed by St. Louis Children’s Hospital.  Type in your child’s symptoms for any minor illness or injury and receive information about what level of care is needed and how to provide symptom relief.

iRelax Melodies –  White noise ambiance inspired by the ocean, rain and other sounds of nature will soothe fussy babies and help them get to sleep.  Also may be used for exhausted parents!

Babyphone Deluxe – Turn any smartphone into a baby monitor.  This app will listen to the activity in a room and call a designated number when noise exceeds a specified level.

Read about more helpful parenting apps on the She Knows website.