The Parenting Journal

No single hour count fits every weed killer: the label sets the wait. See what EPA and the AAP say to check before kids play on a treated lawn.

Seal entry points first, place traps and bait stations out of reach, lock storage, and know the Poison Help line, with EPA, AAP and CPSC guidance.

What to check on a public changing table: the strap, the guardrail, the weight limit question and hand hygiene, and when your own pad makes sense.

The CDC says no repellent before 2 months. Here is what the CDC, AAP and EPA say about DEET, picaridin, applying it and storing it.

Keep plants out of reach, check every stand, and lock up plant food and sprays: a layered plan for baby proofing houseplants.

What the CDC and AAP say to do when your baby rolls or wriggles at the changing station: a hand on baby, set-up first, and the safety belt as one layer.

What IRS Publication 502 and your plan’s rules say about FSA and HSA money for baby gates and other baby-proofing items, and what to ask before you buy.

Floor first, one hand on your baby, supplies ready: how to handle night-time and away-from-the-nursery diaper changes, and where beds and couches fit.

Prevention first, then baits placed out of a crawler’s reach, spray cautions and locked storage, from EPA, the AAP and Poison Control.