Test Your Parenting IQ!

You’ve sailed through colic, diaper rash, teething and on to separation anxiety, runny noses and homework frustrations. Think you’ve become an expert in the parenting department? Well, the truth is, when it comes to caring for kids, there’s always something new to learn.

Try your hand at this parenting quiz we’ve put together. The answers may surprise you!

The Questions

1. Your child has skinned his knee. You’ve gently cleaned the wound and applied a Band-Aid®. Should you remove the Band-Aid when he goes to bed so that the injury can get some air and heal faster? Answer

2. A letter comes home from camp or school announcing several cases of head lice. Soon afterward, you receive a call from the nurse telling you that nits have been discovered on your child’s head. Do you need to thoroughly vacuum the house and launder all of her clothing and bedding? Answer

3. You discover your child reading on the floor away from a direct source of light, or find him looking at a book under the covers with a flashlight after “lights-out.” Should you warn him about the dangers this poses to his eyesight? Answer

4. Your family is heading out to the beach, and you grab the sunscreen. How much should you slather on your child? Answer

5. To keep your young child quiet and happy on car trips, you plan to bring along a few snacks. Which would be a better choice for her? A cracker or a caramel? Answer

6. You take your 3-year-old child swimming for some father-son time. He’s timid, putting just his toe in the water. You want to show him that it’s safe, so you toss him, against his will, into the water. Is this a good idea? Answer

The Answers

1. No. Wounds don’t heal more quickly if exposed to fresh air at night, so leave that band-aid on. Studies show that a covered wound heals more quickly and is less likely to scar. This is because bandages hold in moisture and prevent formation of scabs, which actually put a barrier between healthy cells and the damaged cells that need repair, delaying healing.