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baby safetynature learningoutdoorparenting tipstoddler
Small spotted wild kitten hiding in suburban backyard bushes

Found A Baby Bobcat In Your Yard? Read This First

My husband came through the back door holding a dirty garden towel. He looked weirdly proud of himself. Inside the towel was a hissing, spotted furball about the size of a baked potato. He told me he saved a stray...

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animal learningnature learningparenting humoursafety tipstoddler
Toddler pointing at a small green reptile hiding in the tall summer grass.

Why We Said No To Pet Turtles (And What To Teach Kids Instead)

We were at the Canton First Monday Trade Days, sweating through our shirts in the brutal Texas heat, when my oldest, Jackson, locked eyes with a plastic tub the size of a cereal bowl. Inside it was a tiny green...

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early developmentnature learningoutdoorparenting humoursafesafe sleep
A confused toddler pointing at a baby skunk under a wooden backyard deck

That Time My Toddler Tried To Pet A Baby Skunk In The Backyard

I was wearing my husband's college sweatpants with the mysterious bleach stain on the knee, holding my third cup of reheated dark roast, just staring blankly at the azalea bushes when Leo screamed, "MOMMY, SPICY KITTEN!" I froze. It was...

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Jess standing in a Texas driveway holding a cardboard box and a toddler

That Time A Baby Possum Taught Me Everything About Infant Sleep

I was standing in my gravel driveway at two in the afternoon, sweat pooling in the small of my back, holding a literal shoebox containing a shivering, bald little creature while my oldest toddler screamed so loud the neighbors probably...

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animal learningautumnhealthnature learningsafety tipstoddler
Toddler reading a book about mice in a safe indoor playroom

What to Do When Your Toddler Finds a Wild Baby Mouse in the Yard

My Tuesday morning began with a half-dead rodent. I was standing in our Chicago backyard, clutching a lukewarm coffee, while my two-year-old proudly held out her hands to show me her new treasure. Our family cat was sitting a few...

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baby safetynature learningoutdoorparenting humoursummer baby
A tiny baby hummingbird resting safely on a green leaf outdoors

Dear Jess: What I Wish I Knew Before the Baby Hummingbird Incident

Dear Jess of last May, put down the plastic eye dropper and step away from the kitchen counter before you inadvertently commit a federal wildlife crime. Right now, the baby is strapped to your sweaty chest in the carrier, the...

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