Magazine

A textured natural rubber teething ring resting on a knitted baby blanket

Natural Rubber Teethers: The Mistakes I Made Early On

Three in the morning is a bad time to evaluate your parenting choices. The radiator in our Chicago apartment was hissing, my toddler was trying to gnaw his own fist off, and I was frantically digging through the freezer. I...

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A half-chewed natural rubber teething ring sitting on a burp cloth

Why Freezing Your Natural Rubber Teether Is a Terrible Idea

I was standing in my kitchen at 2:14 AM wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt and nursing pads, violently chipping ice off a rubber ring with a butter knife. My oldest son, Leo, was in the background doing that high-pitched,...

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A mother holding a safe one-piece silicone teether instead of a necklace

The ugly truth about silicone jewelry teething trends and safety

I was standing in the checkout line at the Target on Roosevelt Road with a lukewarm cold brew I was too exhausted to actually drink when the geometric mint-green necklace snapped. Maya had a death grip on the nylon string....

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Tired dad holding an 11 month old baby who is happily chewing on his necklace

Dear Past Marcus: You Will Wear Silicone Teething Jewelry

It’s 2:14 PM on a Tuesday, and you’re standing in the kitchen watching Maya try to tape her favorite delicate gold chain back together while our five-month-old daughter looks on with zero remorse. You’re currently thinking, Wow, babies have an...

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A tired mom holding a safe one-piece silicone panda teether in her kitchen.

A Letter to Myself About Those Aesthetic Silicone Teething Toys

Dear Sarah from exactly six months ago, You're currently sitting cross-legged on the gross, unfinished plywood floor of the attic. You're wearing that oversized grey college sweatshirt with the mysterious mustard stain on the left cuff, sweating profusely because it's...

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A baby chewing on a silicone panda teether while sitting on a playmat.

The Brutal Truth About Buying Safe Non Toxic Teethers Today

Your mother-in-law is convinced the baby's 102-degree fever and explosive blowout are just teething signs. I've seen a thousand of these exact cases roll through the pediatric triage desk, usually accompanied by a panicked parent holding a drool-soaked infant at...

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A baby chewing on a soft plant-based teething toy in a nursery

The truth about tree sap teethers and your baby's weird fevers

I was staring at a thermometer flashing 102.4 in red, convinced my daughter's bottom lateral incisor was trying to kill her. My mother-in-law had already called twice to tell me it was just teething and I should rub a little...

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Baby sitting in a car seat aggressively chewing on a silicone hand teether

The Brutal Truth About Why Your Baby Needs A Silicone Hand Teether

The absolute biggest lie older generations will tell you is that a baby chewing on their fists means they're starving. I remember sitting in the back of my Honda CRV in a Target parking lot when my son Leo was...

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A wooden and silicone bunny teether toy sitting on a coffee table next to a baby monitor.

Decoding the Bunny Teether: Why This Specific Shape Actually Works

"Put a wet washcloth in the freezer," my mother told me on a Tuesday. "Rub a tiny drop of whiskey on his gums," my uncle suggested on Wednesday. "You need a raw Baltic amber necklace to align his electromagnetic field,"...

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