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The <keyword id="11487336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="playmat">playmat</keyword> helps <keyword id="1862" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kids">kids</keyword> develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination while also giving them a safe playground. Playmats are soft making them safe for crawling, rolling or tumbling. Playmats are easy to carry and maintain. To help you buy the <keyword id="11487339" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="best-playmats-for-kids">best playmats for kids</keyword>, here are the best options available on <keyword id="18635" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>.<br /><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B093PZWN1C" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B093PZWN1C_head">    <div type="image" title="Double-Sided Mat" msid="83716098" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B093PZWN1C</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B093PZWN1C_body"><bulletContentRow name="B093PZWN1C_4257384077254081"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Pokari Double Sided Carpet</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Pokari playmat is made with a soft material that has anti-skid properties, keeping your little one safe from falling over. The material is soft on the skin, making it suitable for crawling. It is waterproof and can be used from both sides. It absorbs noise and impact if kids tumble over. It is a foldable mat making it convenient to carry anywhere.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B093PZWN1C_8872830046720532"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Pokari playmat is safe for kids to improve their tummy strength and develop motor skills.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B095YRK3FS" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B095YRK3FS_head">    <div type="image" title="Inflatable Mat" msid="83716120" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B095YRK3FS</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B095YRK3FS_body"><bulletContentRow name="B095YRK3FS_3667032403715099"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Figment Inflatable Playmat</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Figment Playmat is an inflatable bag that is made with premium quality food-grade PVC material making it safe for kids to play on. It is soft, comfortable and has an airbag like body. The mat can help your child develop their head, neck and shoulder muscles. The floating toys in the mat can help them develop motor skills.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B095YRK3FS_0859586375183700"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Figment Playmat is easy to set up and operate as you just have to fill the inner part with water and the outer ring with air.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B08LD6D9R9" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B08LD6D9R9_head">    <div type="image" title="Printed Letters" msid="83716176" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08LD6D9R9</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B08LD6D9R9_body"><bulletContentRow name="B08LD6D9R9_9072026307883182"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Rylan Double Sided Playmat</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Rylan playmat is soft and foldable, making it convenient for outdoor usage as well as indoor usage. It has a cushioned surface that protects your child when they fall or tumble over. It is easy to clean and maintain. The kids can crawl, roll and play with toys on this playmat.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B08LD6D9R9_0213817391014027"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Rylan playmat is printed with colourful pictures and letters that can help your child get basic education.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B08M6JW2YK" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B08M6JW2YK_head">    <div type="image" title="Lightweight" msid="83716203" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08M6JW2YK</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B08M6JW2YK_body"><bulletContentRow name="B08M6JW2YK_1925704310650429"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Zosoe Playmat</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Zosoe playmat has a soft surface where babies can play with their toys, roll or crawl. It has a cushioned surface that makes it safe for landing during falls. It is foldable and lightweight, making it highly portable. It comes with educational elements like letters and numbers printed.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B08M6JW2YK_9278176754929107"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Zosoe Playmat is a suitable option for a carpet for kids that can help them strengthen their muscles as well as learn motor skills.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="Ardith Playmat" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="Ardith Playmat_head"><div type="image" title="Easy to clean" msid="83716235" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08M9R9Z7N</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="Ardith Playmat_body"><bulletContentRow name="Ardith Playmat_8109378410124711"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Ardith Playmat</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Ardith playmat keeps your toddler warm by providing insulation. It helps your child develop tummy muscles by providing a soft and cushion surface for them to play on. It is a double-sided mat that can be interchanged to keep your baby engaged. It is made with water-resistant material, making it easy to maintain and clean.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="Ardith Playmat_1024141085734186"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Ardith Playmat is foldable and lightweight that makes it convenient to carry anywhere.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B08MKZ72NR" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B08MKZ72NR_head">    <div type="image" title="Thick Material" msid="83716341" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08MKZ72NR</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B08MKZ72NR_body"><bulletContentRow name="B08MKZ72NR_6823604612332158"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">KWT Double Sided Playmat</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The KWT playmat is made with thick non-toxic material that makes it a safe option for your child’s early development. Your baby can crawl, play or roll on the cushioned surface that can absorb any impact from falls. It is water-resistant and easy to clean. The double sides can be used as per your convenience.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B08MKZ72NR_2239573642142788"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The KWT playmat is a safe option for your child’s early growth and development that includes motor skills and strengthening tummy muscles.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br />

Playmat for Kids in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>My husband and I have made close friends with other parents of only children.</li><li>We've formed a sort of co-parenting relationship and help each other with carpooling and playdates.</li></ul><p><span>On an impromptu trip to the beach with my son, Finch, and another mother-and-son duo, I found myself sitting alone at the beach house's kitchen table. Liz Labby, the other mom, had taken our two 7-year-olds to the fishing supply store to acquire some crabbing gear, allowing me to </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-getaway-catch-up-on-work-near-home-2024-8"><span>work without being bothered</span></a><span>. This promise to occupy the kids for a couple of hours allowed me and Finch to join them at the beach.</span></p><p><span>And later, I'd make sure the kids didn't crack their skulls open on the jetty rocks while Liz figured out how to use the crabbing gear. I realized in the suddenly quiet moment that we had landed on a kind of </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-create-healthy-boundaries-for-coparenting-after-divorce-2023-9"><span>co-parenting rhythm</span></a><span> between our families and our two only children. This wasn't just on vacation. </span></p><p><span>We'd become each others' go-tos for informal and often last-minute childcare swapping. And it was beautiful. This kind of connection and community with another family is what I dreamt of when we decided to have an only child.</span></p><h2 id="b08f3893-24ab-424f-ae9d-fe17e4a82652"><span>There's a solidarity among parents of only children</span></h2><p><span>It took me a while to feel secure in our </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/love-having-an-only-child-benefits-2024-8"><span>decision to have one kid</span></a><span>. During my son's baby and toddler years, I still felt the social pressure of having one more child, even when the idea of starting all over with a brand-new baby gave me anxiety. I also worried that Finch would be lonely growing up without siblings. But times were changing, and I felt solace seeing many more only children than when I was growing up.</span></p><p><span>This rise in only-child families isn't just perception. Data from the </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2015/12/17/1-the-american-family-today/"><span>Pew Research Center</span></a><span> shows the percentage of mothers ending their childbearing years with one child increased from 11% in 1976 to 19% in 2015. Some people chose the only-child route, and many found themselves with one child after a long fertility journey that came with a lot of loss.</span></p><p><span>With the rise in only-child families, the </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/having-only-child-people-ask-questions-2024-2"><span>stereotype of only children</span></a><span> being "weird" or "selfish" has started to fade. And I started dreaming of forming a connected family unit with other only-child families — affectionately called "one and done" (or "OAD") families within online only-child communities.</span></p><div type="image" title="The author's child playing with another kid while on vacation." height="2268" width="3024" msid="112924471" hostid="261" sizebytes="368612"></div><h2 id="607a5ba5-7af7-4b40-aa60-e5da091f68aa"><span>I love the community we've formed</span></h2><p><span>Liz and her partner Joe both grew up as only children. "We decided that when we had an only child, we wanted to connect with other families who understand that kids need to grow up around kids, even when they don't have siblings," she said. </span></p><p><span>Our families have developed close friendships with </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/only-child-married-big-family-grateful-attention-2024-4"><span>families with multiple kids</span></a><span>. Still, there's a sense of solidarity between only-child families and knowing that we're supporting our kids' socialization by developing these kinds of close friendships with the entire family unit.</span></p><p><span>Like with anything when developing friendships, that solidarity can start off as practical — arranging playdates to make connections that soon turned into a way to relieve us from some of the pressure. Another parent in our only-child family network, Erin Ferro, articulated those practical benefits.</span></p><p><span>When her son Luca starts to drive her mad with the need for attention, she'll text us or some other families to send their kid over to help relieve the pressure. "Luca can play independently, but he's kind of less willing to do so when it's just us," Erin said. "When another kid is in the mix, it totally changes the dynamic for the better. Being parents of only children, we can lean on each other when your </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/backyard-hangout-spot-neighborhood-kids-simple-play-rules-2024-8"><span>kid just needs a playmate</span></a><span>."</span></p><p><span>And when the caregiver-to-child ratio is lower, it's easier to take on a semblance of co-parenting. Of course, I define co-parenting pretty loosely here. Co-parenting with a current or ex-partner suggests the need for equal levels of labor. I don't expect our friends to meet my kid's daily needs. But when you find yourself, say, on vacation with another family, there's an ease of kid management that resembles the shared caregiving involved in co-parenting.</span></p><p><span>This type of co-parenting manifests itself in coordinating around camps during the summer for carpooling ease and being aligned on things like </span><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broke-parenting-rules-allowed-unlimited-screen-time-2024-2"><span>screen time and video game rules</span></a><span> so we can implement them the same way between our homes. The fellowship I feel with other only-child parents has led to strong friendships that developed partly because it's a bit easier to coordinate when there are only two children involved, but also because we "get" each others' circumstances.</span></p><p><span>While Finch has a number of friends with either older or younger siblings, playdates with only children tend to be a bit more drama-free. After playdates with buds who have siblings, I often hear gripes about the sibling. Dealing with others' siblings is, for sure, an important skill. But when ease is what I'm looking for, I'll often seek out an only-child family. The frequency of interaction with these families has led to deep friendships between the adults and the kids.</span></p><p><span>With our kids being quite young still, I'm excited to see the evolution of this only-child community we're building. This is perhaps the chosen family I dreamt of all those days when I worried I was making a mistake by just having one kid.</span></p>

I co-parent my kid with other parents of only children. We give each other a break and have developed close friendships.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kristina and Galip Ozturk have had 21 biological children in 19 months using surrogates.</li><li>They join Kristina's 6-year-old and Galip's nine older children. Sixteen nannies help the family.</li></ul><p>Kristina and Galip Ozturk have a big family. In the past 19 months, the couple, who live in the country Georgia, have used surrogates to welcome 21 biological children into their family.</p><p>"I can tell you one thing - my days are never boring," Kristina <a href="https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/3922344/mum-21-babies-16-nannies-hectic-hands-on/">recently told The Sun</a>.</p><p>The Ozturks' youngest baby is 3 months, and their oldest is 19 months. In addition to the babies, the couple live with Kristina's 6-year-old from a previous relationship and one of Galip's nine older children.</p><p>Experts say that though the family's size is extremely unusual, it's not necessarily an unhealthy dynamic, especially if the Ozturks have the money and emotional resources to support their children.</p><p>"What is important is the environment: Is it safe, is it nurturing, are basic needs met, is there trust and communication?" <a href="https://crmcounseling.net/staff/kendall-phillips/">Kendall Phillips</a>, a licensed professional counselor, told Insider. "As long as those elements are in place and those who are in charge of the family are mentally and emotionally stable, then the size doesn't matter."</p><h2>Forming a secure attachment</h2><p>It's critical for child development that babies form a secure attachment with an adult; this helps them interact with the world with trust rather than distrust. And this can happen even in a family as big as the Ozturks', Phillips said.</p><p>"If infants, toddlers, and children are raised in a safe and trusting environment that is consistent and comfortable, there should not be problems with attachment," she said.</p><p>To provide that environment, the Ozturks rely on 16 live-in nannies and a variety of personal chefs, cleaners, and assistants, Kristina said on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/batumi_mama/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, adding that the nannies were not assigned specific children but rotated.</p><p><a href="https://amfmtreatment.com/staff/">Meghan Marcum</a>, a psychologist, said this setup could still lead to meaningful bonds.</p><p>"It is possible for a caregiver like a nanny to provide a secure attachment, and this is often the case when both parents are working full-time jobs," she said.</p><h2>The challenges of so many siblings</h2><p>The Ozturks' babies are extremely close in age:</p><ul><li>One 19-month-old: Mustafa</li><li>Three 18-month-olds: Mariam, Ayrin, and Alisa</li><li>Two 17-month-olds: Hasan and Judi</li><li>Three 16-month-olds: Harper, Teresa, and Huseyin</li><li>Two 15-month-olds: Anna and Isabella</li><li>Three 14-month-olds: Ismail, Mehmet, and Ahmet</li><li>Two 13-month-olds: Ali and Kristina</li><li>Two 12-month-olds: Sara and Lokman</li><li>One 11-month-old: Galip</li><li>One 9-month-old: Olivia</li><li>One 3-month-old: Judy</li></ul><p>Marcum said that typically the advantage of having siblings close in age is that they provide one another with playmates; on the other hand, being close in age can lead to sibling rivalry.</p><p>Phillips said there's no predicting how siblings will bond. She said she'd worked with twins who weren't close and with siblings with a large age gap who were.</p><p>"Relationships in general, even siblings, come down to personalities and the general makeup of the family and its dynamics," she said. "Age becomes less of a factor over time and life choices may become a factor over time."</p><h2>Giving grace</h2><p>People are fascinated by extremes, Marcum said, and the publicity around the Ozturk family is an example of that.</p><p>Many people were critical of the "Octomom," Natalie Suleman, who birthed octuplets in 2009, but that family <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/15/style/octomom-kids-2018.html">appears to be thriving</a>, Phillips said.</p><p>"It is not traditional to have many children," she said, "but if those who choose to do so can do it with love, comfort, care, safety, and trust, then I can't think of any drawbacks."</p>

A couple used surrogates to have 21 babies in less than 2 years. Experts say that having such a big family is unusual but could work.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The first 2020 presidential debate was a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biden-first-debate-biggest-moments-takeaways-highlights-video-2020-9">chaotic mess</a> filled with yelling, constant interruptions, and unintelligible cross-talk.</li><li>Melissa Petro, a New York-based freelance writer with two small children, says that next time around, we should give the job of moderator to a mother — "assuming there's one out there with some room on her plate."</li><li>Mothers know how to confront bullies, institute moral behavior in others, and lead by example, she writes.</li><li>We need a grown-up in the room — and studies show that women's participation in peace negotiations leads to more successful outcomes.</li></ul><p>Thirty minutes into the exchange between President Trump and Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, I fell asleep on the sofa, a pile of unfolded laundry at my feet. </p><p>As the mother of two children under three — our second born just weeks before our toddler's daycare was shuttered as New Yorkers were ordered to "shelter in place" — this is a typical scenario: It's hard to stay awake through a favorite TV program, let alone what is being described as "<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/cancel-debates/616544/">a shambolic shout fest, with scarcely a single morsel of substance to be found."</a> </p><p>From what I saw, this analysis sounds accurate: Instead of a constructive dialogue, two grown men — bidding for control of what was once a powerful nation — interrupted one another and volleyed personal attacks. </p><p>For his part, Biden tried to address the American people and present his plan to lead the nation out of an unprecedented public health crisis and the worst economic downturn since the Great depression, while Trump lobbed unfounded accusations and made-up statistics, displayed his racism, and stoked division between moderate Democrats and the Progressive Left. </p><h2>Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News lost control within minutes.</h2><p>After convivially welcoming all and explaining the rules, both candidates spoke for their allotted two minutes before the debate devolved into what Wallace called "open discussion." Wallace struggled to regain an appearance of authority, admonishing the president for speaking over Biden and disregarding the rules. The awkward exchange repeated throughout the night, Wallace rebuking the president, who'd respond with something along the lines of "nu uh, I did not!" and "he did it first!" </p><div type="image" title="Melissa Petro" height="822" width="1096" msid="78417657" hostid="261"></div><p>You know, the kind of retorts you'd expect from a badly behaved preschooler — not a 74-year-old man. And certainly not the president. </p><p>I imagine mothers across America, if not passed out from exhaustion, poised on the edge of their seat, all but jumping through their TV screen to intervene just as we would if we witnessed a squabble in a sandbox. It made me think: Next debate, we ought to hand the job of moderator over to a mother — assuming there's one out there with some room on her plate. </p><h2><strong>Moms know how to deal with bullies. </strong></h2><p>Temper tantrums. Not listening. Poor impulse control. President Trump is <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/trump-vigor/615973/">incoherent but speaks vigorously</a>, much like my toddler desperately negotiating one last story before bedtime or adamantly refusing to eat anything other than green Jell-O for lunch. </p><p>When he snatches a toy from his playmate's hands, then cries victim as his friend takes it back, or insists he didn't hit his sister when I literally just saw him do it, my son isn't being a manipulative little jerk; he's being a typical 3-year-old, still learning social conventions and moral behavior, and developmentally incapable of moral beliefs. </p><p>Children display these traits because their communication skills are limited, and they have immature egos. What's your excuse, Trump? </p><h2><strong>Moms know a lot about instituting moral behavior in others.</strong></h2><p>Had a mom been last night's moderator, instead of the night descending into madness, I imagine she'd have brought the discussion back to the issues at hand. </p><p>One pressing issue: <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/covid-19-and-gender-equality-countering-the-regressive-effects">In a consequential number of American homes</a>, it has become the mother's job — in addition to her paid work and other unpaid responsibilities — to keep our families safe during a global pandemic and somehow replicate what is being lost with the closure of schools, libraries and community centers. </p><p>I am one of four moms wrangling a pod of four toddlers plus the baby four days a week, tasked with a professional educator's job of socializing my neighbors' children along with my own. Moms like me across America are teaching the next generation the social conventions that President Trump seems to lack, along with everything else kids typically gain from in-person social encounters. </p><p>It's rewarding work, but it's also exhausting — and it is repugnant to think this hard work is necessary as a consequence of our president's incompetence.</p><h2><strong>Last night's debate failed to hold President Trump accountable.</strong></h2><p>While other nations heeded scientists' advice and took the COVID-19 pandemic seriously — shutting down nonessential businesses, and ordering citizens to shelter in place — <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-woodward-book-claims-downplayed-covid-19-threat/">Trump lied to Americans, and downplayed the threat</a>. </p><p>Leaders of other countries mandated masks, conducted mass testing and instituted contact tracing to contain the situation so that their schools could safely reopen in the fall. By contrast, our leader <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claims-lockdowns-do-not-prevent-infection-future-undermines-fauci-2020-8">repeatedly undermined experts</a>, said COVID-19 would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-claims-covid-19-could-disappear-2020-2">go away on its own</a>, and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-suggests-injection-disinfectant-beat-coronavirus-clean-lungs-n1191216">asked why we couldn't just inject ourselves with disinfectant</a>. It's a great question when asked by a 4-year old; it's terrifying coming from the Chief of State.</p><p>Comparing Trump to a toddler might be entertaining, if it weren't so consequential. Even less humorously than #toddlerinchief, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/msnbc-nicolle-wallace-trump-debate-assault">Trump's behavior has also been compared to that of an abuser</a>. </p><p>I vividly recall how, during the 2016 debate, he skulked behind then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, attacking her in ways that only a man can attack a woman, that smug sneer on his face. His demeanor is triggering, particular for women and others who've grown up in chaotic homes or experienced abuse. </p><p>After a long day with my kids, perhaps my disengaging last night was a much-needed if not inadvertent act of self care. Day after day, my toddler tests me, and I frequently lose my temper — and so I sympathize when Biden capitulates to Trump's taunts. </p><p>Last night, Biden called Trump a "clown," and said "you are the worst president in American history." When Biden said "Will you just shut up, man," I realize he was only being human. Still, as a mother, I cringed. So much for modeling kindness and respect.  </p><h2><strong>We need a moderator who will keep the focus — not get caught in the fray.</strong></h2><p>The risk in allowing the next debate to turn into mayhem is that it alienates both sides, and <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/09/22/what-democracy-looks/protecting-voting-rights-us-during-covid-19-pandemic">the pandemic is already expected to suppress voter turnout</a>. We can't let that happen — not when nothing short of our children's futures is at stake. </p><p>Black children and families are in particular peril. Last night Biden cited a horrific statistic to argue that President Trump has not been good for Black Americans: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans have died in the COVID-19 pandemic. We need a moderator who takes that seriously, as opposed to Wallace who said "I'm going to ask a question about race. If you wanna respond about something else, you can." A mother would say something more along the lines of, "Oh no, mister, you are going to answer that question" and then withhold dessert until they do.  </p><p>But seriously: Studies show that <a href="https://giwps.georgetown.edu/resource/women-leading-peace/">women's participation in peace negotiations leads to more successful outcomes</a>. That's what the next moderator here needs to do. To bring peace to our hurt nation, we need a grown up in the room. </p><p>Take it from the mother of a 3-year-old: If you fight with a toddler on his level, you won't win. And we can't afford to lose.</p>

We should hand the job of debate moderator over to a mother. Moms are used to dealing with tantrums and bullies.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Adrees Latif</span></p><p class="caption">A four-year-old boy weeps in the arms of a family member as he and others were apprehended by border patrol agents after illegally crossing into the US from Mexico near McAllen, Texas, May 2, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Under Attorney General Jeff Sessions' new "zero-tolerance" immigration policy, everyone who attempts to cross the border - even those seeking asylum - are being prosecuted.</strong></li><li><strong>Because of the way that policy is enforced, almost 2,000 children have been separated from their parents in six weeks.</strong></li><li><strong>Experts, mental health groups, and human rights organizations all say this could cause serious, lasting harm to children and their parents.</strong></li><li><strong>Here's how forced family separation affects people for the rest of their lives.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Babies ripped from parents' arms. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-administration-tent-cities-migrant-children-zero-tolerance-border-2018-6">Tent cities</a>. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-photo-shows-alleged-37-illegal-immigrants-at-mass-trial-2018-6">Mass trials</a>. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/migrant-father-suicide-family-separation-trump-zero-tolerance-border-policy-2018-6">Suicides</a>. Reports about what's happening to children and families who arrive at the US-Mexico border have shocked many, from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-huckabee-sanders-family-separation-border-zero-tolerance-trump-2018-6">White House reporters</a> to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/us/trump-immigration-religion.html">conservative religious leaders</a>.</p><p>A Honduran woman told attorneys that her <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/infant-took-while-migrant-mother-breastfeeding-zero-tolerance-policy-2018-6">daughter was pulled from her</a> as she was breastfeeding. After being <span>separated from his wife and 3-year-old son, a Honduran</span><span> man <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/migrant-father-suicide-family-separation-trump-zero-tolerance-border-policy-2018-6">took his own life in a Texas jail cell</a>.</span></p><p>Colleen Kraft, the president of the American Academy for Pediatrics, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-kraft-border-separation-suit-20180503-story.html">recently described</a> seeing a blotchy-faced toddler sobbing and pounding on a playmat, terrified because she'd been forcibly separated from her mother.</p><p>"We knew what was wrong, but we were powerless to help," Kraft wrote.</p><p>At issue in these accounts is a policy enacted by the US Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has described as "zero tolerance."</p><p>US authorities are now detaining and prosecuting anyone who attempts to cross the border illegally <span>- even those seeking asylum because they're fleeing violence, some of whom are being <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/at-the-us-border-asylum-seekers-fleeing-violence-are-told-to-come-back-later/2018/06/12/79a12718-6e4d-11e8-afd5-778aca903bbe_story.html?utm_term=.24a001c594d6">blocked from reaching official ports of entry</a>. Within families, the parents are charged with a crime but </span>children are not, which leads them to be separated. Almost <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-ap-exclusive-about-2k-minors-separated-from-families-2018-6">2,000 children were taken from their families</a> between <span>April 19 and May 31</span> as a result of the policy. In some cases, the kids are too young to speak.</p><p>Sessions <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/parents-separated-from-children-in-trump-zero-tolerance-immigration-policy-2018-5">described this policy as a deterrent</a>. "If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law," he said in a speech to law-enforcement officials in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border."</p><p>But this policy could cause irreversible harm and psychological damage for the rest of people's lives, according to experts. Some consequences could even be passed on to future generations.</p><p>Forced family separation has been condemned as harmful, inhumane, and counter to accepted human rights by many groups, including the <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/03/09/peds.2017-0483">American Academy of Pediatrics</a>, the <a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/apa-statement-opposing-separation-of-children-from-parents-at-the-border">American Psychiatric Association</a>, and the <a href="https://apnews.com/133271c91ef746bc83a43ba8e31aad1d">United Nations human rights office</a>.</p><p>"The administration's policy of separating children from their families as they attempt to cross into the United States without documentation is not only needless and cruel, it threatens the mental and physical health of both the children and their caregivers," the <a href="http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/05/separating-immigrant-families.aspx">American Psychological Association</a> said in a statement.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services</span></p><p class="caption">Supplies are stored at a Brownsville shelter where child migrants are kept.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>'A problem of the government's own making'</h2><p>There are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/children-in-custody-trump-administration-immigration-zero-tolerance-policy-2018-5">more than 10,000 unaccompanied children</a> in US facilities and detention centers right now; some have been separated from their parents, while others arrived at the border alone. But <span>Sessions' zero-tolerance approach means that for the first time, an official policy calls for the splitting of families. According Homeland Security numbers <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-ap-exclusive-about-2k-minors-separated-from-families-2018-6">obtained by The Associated Press</a></span>, officials had separated 1,995 children from 1,940 adults by the end of May.</p><p>By now, more than 2,000 kids - likely freshly traumatized  - have probably been added to the US' already overwhelmed system for dealing with young immigrants.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services</span></p><p class="caption">A mural depicting President Trump in the detention shelter in Brownsville, Texas</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Almost 1,500 boys between the ages of 10 and 17 have been crammed into one shelter inside a former Walmart in Brownsville, Texas. Jacob Soboroff, a <a href="https://twitter.com/jacobsoboroff/status/1007059954535198720">reporter who visited that facility, described</a> the boys as "incarcerated" because they were eating in shifts, had just 40 square feet of living space, and spent only two hours outside each day. <span>The Trump administration <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/migrant-children-tent-city-shelters-texas-site-zero-tolerance-family-separation-2018-6">is currently building</a> "tent cities" near the border to hold the many undocumented kids who arrive in the US.</span></p><p>"Before, their cases would have been dealt with as a family," Megan McKenna, senior director of communications at the nonprofit Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), told Business Insider. "It's a problem of the government's own making." </p><p>This isn't the first time families have been separated at the border. But now, doing so is the rule, not the exception. After families are separated, parents get dealt with by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as they are being charged with a crime. Since the children are not charged, their cases get managed by the <span>Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). In many </span>cases, families who get separated aren't given any information about where other family members are being held or how to contact each other.</p><p>"They just have no understanding of what's happening to them or when they're going to see their family again, and we can't tell them when they're going to see their parents again because we don't know either," said McKenna, whose organization tries to match children with attorneys. "It's extraordinarily damaging to the child."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/LM Otero, File</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>'Irreversible harm' </h2><p><span> <a href="https://www.uh.edu/socialwork/about/faculty-directory/j-berger-cardoso/">Jodi Berger Cardoso</a>, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Houston, researches the effects of trauma on immigrants and their children.</span></p><p><span>"What they are doing to these children and parents is inhumane," Cardoso told Business Insider. "If we just look at the research evidence, anyone can see that these tactics will have long-term consequences for children and families."</span></p><p><a href="https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/profile/lisa-fortuna/">Dr. Lisa Fortuna</a>, medical director for child and adolescent psychiatry at Boston Medical Center, told Business Insider that "in situations of stress, the only way that children can cope is if they have a caregiver with them that's taking care of them and that's there to protect them."</p><p>The removal of a caregiver can create acute distress that harms a child's ability to cope and self-soothe, which can lead to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In vulnerable developing brains, that can be especially harmful.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Edgard Garrido</span></p><p class="caption">A child traveling with a caravan of migrants from Central America sits at a camp near the San Ysidro checkpoint.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"What we find from a neurobiological sense is that the circuitry in the brain that is a fear response can be actually harmed," Fortuna said. In other words, the parts of the brain that manage fear responses - the amygdala and hippocampus -develop differently in traumatized children.</p><p>That can alter their emotional experiences for the rest of their lives, Fortuna explained, and put a child "at higher risk for ongoing anxiety, depression, PTSD as they get older." Those factors, in turn, hurt their future educational outcomes and sense of well-being, and can cause behavioral problems. For that reason, Fortuna <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4389587-Fortuna-Young-Center-Declaration.html">wrote in an amicus brief</a> for an ACLU case that family separation can cause "irreversible harm" for children.</p><p>Even when kids are separated from parents in a non-forceful way, <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2008.150474">research suggests</a> those children have a higher risk of anxiety and depression.</p><h2>Lessons from families of the past: multi-generational damage</h2><p>Previous times in history when families were separated have illustrated these long-lasting psychological consequences.</p><p>"Historically when things have happened like this - from the literature - when you have this accumulation of trauma and you break up families, you have a direct negative impact on the children, the caregivers, and potentially intergenerational bad effects," Fortuna said.</p><p>The US and Canada have a long history of separating Native Americans from their families. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3457652/">Researchers have linked the experience</a> of Native Americans who were pressured to relocate away from tribes and family groups in the 1950s to problems with substance abuse and depression. Depression and juvenile behavior issues even persisted through the next generation as well.</p><p>In Australia, as many as 100,000 children from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were removed from their families from the late 1800s through 1960s and placed with white families or in government institutions to assimilate them into majority culture. Data shows that <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/ss%282%29.pdf">people who were forcibly separated from their families as children</a> experienced significant, long-lasting negative impacts: they were almost twice as likely to be charged with a crime as adults, 60% more likely to have alcohol use disorders, and more than twice as likely to have gambling problems.</p><p><a href="https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/ss%282%29.pdf">Surveys</a> found that even the children of people who'd been separated from their parents in Australia had more than double the average risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Edgard Garrido</span></p><p class="caption">Members of a caravan of migrants from Central America enter the United States border and customs facility, where they are expected to apply for asylum.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Using children to control parents mirrors domestic abuse behavior</h2><p>Laurie Heffron, an assistant professor of social work at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, works with immigrants and women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence.</p><p>She said that using children to manipulate adults' decisions - as Sessions' policy is intended to do - "is an eerie mirroring" of a "textbook strategy of people who abuse their partners."</p><p>In domestic abuse situations, one partner often uses control of children as a way to "manipulate their partner, maintain control over their partner, or coerce their partner," Heffron said. "Except now it's children being manipulated and being used as pawns to control a whole community of people, a whole population of people who are trying to seek safety." </p><p>This is particularly troubling for Heffron, since a central motivation for many of the immigrant women she's worked with has been to find a safe place to raise their children, away from violence inside or outside their home. <span style="background-color: #ffff00;"></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press/Ross D. Franklin</span></p><p class="caption">Detainees sleep and watch television in a holding cell where hundreds of mostly Central American immigrant children are being processed and held at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Nogales Placement Center.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Compounded trauma</h2><p>In addition to the lasting negative impacts of family separation, immigrant families detained at the border face three other sources of trauma that can compound the psychological damage. </p><p>First, m<span>any of these families have already suffered hardship in their home countries, which is what caused them to leave. </span></p><p><span>"Children are being persecuted by gangs, either through forced recruitment, extortion, and or violence," Cardoso said. "Women have a high risk for interpersonal violence that includes physical and sexual violence."</span></p><p><span>Second, many immigrants encounter violence and trauma on the dangerous journey to the US.</span></p><p>"On top of whatever reason people have left their homeland... are migration-related experiences that may be oftentimes negative, which could include physical or sexual abuse or violence or exploitation or human trafficking," Heffron said.</p><p>Cardoso found in her research of one group of unaccompanied children (who hadn't been forcibly separated from parents) that those kids had experienced an average of eight traumatic life events - a clinical category that includes experiences like kidnapping, sexual assault, and witnessing violent crimes. About 60% of those kids met the criteria for PTSD and 30% for depressive disorder. The average age in that sample was 14.</p><p>And third, j<span>ail-like detention can trigger "self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, depression, traumatic stress, anxiety, et cetera," according to Heffron.</span></p><p><span>"What we know about folks who've experienced trauma is they need to feel safe," she said. "Currently we're doing the opposite of that. </span><span>Not only are people not feeling safe emotionally because they're separated from their families, they're oftentimes not feeling safe physically because of the conditions of detention. We also hear allegations and there are reports of physical maltreatment and sexual violence in immigrant detention centers."</span></p><h2>Are immigrants really being deterred?</h2><p><span>As <a href="https://supportkind.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Rolling-Back-Protections-for-Children_Timeline-final.pdf">KIND has documented</a>, the zero-tolerance policy is one of many aimed at making it harder for immigrant families to seek asylum in the US - and deter them from trying.</span></p><p>When White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was asked by NPR whether taking children from their parents to deter immigration was cruel, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/john-kelly-family-separation-policy-illegal-border-crossing-2018-5">he responded</a>: "I wouldn't put it quite that way … The children will be taken care of - put into foster care or whatever. But the big point is they elected to come illegally into the United States and this is a technique that no one hopes will be used extensively or for very long."</p><p>The research contradicts Kelly's claim that the children will be fine, and it's also unclear whether this policy works as a deterrent. So far, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-family-separation-zero-tolerance-border-arrest-totals-2018-6">reports from the border indicate</a> that it isn't deterring immigrants, since many experts say that people fleeing violence in their home countries are continuing to do so.</p><p>"We've heard from families that have said they would rather risk the plight of coming to the United States and possibly being detained than face sure harm or even death in their home countries," McKenna said. "It's a policy that's just not going to be effective because it's not addressing the core reasons of why these families and these children are coming to the United States. It's just this pervasive violence that's perpetrated by the gangs and narcotraffickers which control communities."</p><p>Family separation also violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx">specifically states</a> that "a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will."</p><p>"I think we should be a society that understands that we need to take care of children. If they come to our borders and they are families, we can't harm them," Fortuna said. "We have to deal with policy and immigration issues, I understand that, but it cannot be policy that harms people directly, intentionally."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pouring-guinness-all-wrong-glass-bubbles-2018-5">You've been pouring your Guinness all wrong</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

You Searched For "playmat for toddlers" and got 5 results

Playmat for Kids in India

Shadab Rabbani

I co-parent my kid with other parents of only children. We give each other a break and have developed close friendships.

Elizabeth Doerr

A couple used surrogates to have 21 babies in less than 2 years. Experts say that having such a big family is unusual but could work.

Kelly Burch

We should hand the job of debate moderator over to a mother. Moms are used to dealing with tantrums and bullies.

Melissa Petro

Separating kids from parents at the border mirrors a 'textbook strategy' of domestic abuse, experts say - and causes irreversible, lifelong damage

Kevin Loria

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