Part sweet and part savory, this stir-fry dish is a cinch to make and will please any kid’s picky palate

Inspired by her husband’s love of chicken wings, Kari of GI 365 created this Honey Garlic Chicken stir-fry recipe that features the same sweet and savory flavors of her hubby’s favorite dish. Your kids will love the flavor combination, and you’ll love that making this healthy meal only takes 30 minutes. It’s a win-win.

Serves 4

Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken:

Sauce:
⅓ cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1 Tablespoon organic cornstarch
⅓ cup honey

Stir-Fry:
1 medium onion, diced ½”
1½ pounds broccoli, stems peeled
1 pound chicken thighs, cut into 1″ cubes
2 Tablespoons avocado oil, (or olive oil)
¼ cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced

Method:
1. Start by mixing the soy sauce and cornstarch together until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the honey to the soy sauce mixture, but you don’t need to combine them (this happens in the pan).

2. Thinly slice the peeled broccoli stems, cut the florets into 1″ pieces, and set the broccoli aside with the onion.

3. Preheat a large skillet over high heat.

4. When the pan is almost smoking, add 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil and the chicken cubes. Sauté for about 2 minutes to brown before turning the chicken cubes, and cooking until golden brown and done in the center. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan. Add the onion and broccoli, and cook stirring every 30 seconds for 3-5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften and the broccoli turns bright green but is still crisp.

6. Add the ¼ cup of water to the pan, cover with a lid, and simmer for 3 minutes until the water has mostly evaporated and the broccoli is just tender.

7. Add the sautéed chicken, minced garlic, and the sauce into the skillet.

8. Stir to incorporate the honey, and simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve immediately.

For more fantastic recipes, visit GI 365 by clicking here. 

I’m going on the record saying that “Instagram for Kids” might be the worst idea I’ve ever heard, and here’s why: a platform like that will have consequences. Facebook, as a company, makes very intentional decisions—and all the negative impacts from this decision are fairly easy to anticipate. I’ve even listed them out below. And, as surely as Instagram for Kids is a bad idea, Facebook will spin its inevitable issues as “unintended consequences.” Because I’m a parent and the founder of a tech company dedicated to improving technology for our children, the consequences feel obvious, not “unintended.”

A Platform Built on Comparison & Competition
Instagram is the poster child of striving for perfection. I’ve written before that social validation is the number one thing I worry about as a parent, especially in the context of rising depression and anxiety rates among youth. Unlike many, I don’t solely place the blame on smartphones or social media, and in general, I’m pretty pro-technology. We could argue correlation vs causation all day, but I’ve seen enough anecdotal evidence to change the way I view technology and how I parent. The fact is that likes and followers matter to kids, and many measure their self-worth this way. We’ve seen social validation mechanisms like this show up in apps for kids like PopJam, but Instagram takes that to a whole new level.

An Easy Target for Online Predators
This feels like stating the obvious, but a platform where children post pictures of themselves, their friends and their lives is ripe for online predation, and cases of children being groomed and abused via adult social media platforms are already well documented. A particularly disturbing documentary from Bark Technologies demonstrated how quickly it can happen. Their team collaborated with law enforcement to create fictional profiles of teens and tweens to see how quickly predators would reach out, and within one hour of posting a profile for a fake 15-year-old girl on Instagram, seven adult men attempted to contact her. After nine days, 92 potential predators had made contact. The team then launched an 11-year-old persona, and within minutes, multiple would-be abusers reached out. The dangers are real.

Usually, platforms designed for kids need to verify that an adult is an adult, but “Instagram for Kids” may pose the opposite. It could be difficult to prevent predators from posing as children to gain access and follow young users. The last thing I want to do is instill panic in parents, but the stats are grim: from January to September 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 30,236 reports of possible online enticement. And those are just the ones that were reported. I can’t help but feel that “Instagram for Kids” would be enticing to predators—and while that clearly isn’t Facebook’s intention, it’s certainly easy to predict.

The Trouble with Locking It down
Kids want to feel empowered. If Facebook severely limits what kids can do on “Instagram for Kids,” they’ll hate it. Just look at the example of YouTube. It’s the number one most-loved brand among kids—blowing YouTube Kids out of the water. Any parent will confirm that kids do NOT want to feel like babies. Adult platforms simply do not retrofit easily to serve kids. They’re built with specific goals and it’s very difficult to secure them in a way that’s appropriate for children. YouTube Kids had videos with sexual content and suicide instructions. Facebook Messenger Kids had a design flaw that allowed kids to connect with strangers. Retrofitting just doesn’t work.

Kidfluencers Version 2.0
Unless Instagram for Kids is a closed platform, I think we’ll see a rise of kidfluencers. Perhaps the most notable example of this phenomenon is Ryan Kaji, the kid behind the highest-earning YouTube channel in 2018 and 2019. As a platform for youth under 13, “Instagram for Kids” might restrict ads—but how will they manage influencing? These contracts are made outside of the platform, offering individuals compensation for featuring or mentioning certain products or services in videos, photos or comments. Even some adults can’t always tell when they are being sold to, and I suspect it will be all the more difficult for children. And there’s precedent for this kind of thing: Walmart, Staples and Mattel have bankrolled endorsement deals for kids and tweens in the past. While kids who star in television and movies are protected by legislation requiring that their earnings be placed in a trust, there is nothing to protect income generated by kidfluencers—leaving kids potentially exposed to exploitation.

Should We Create Kids Cigarettes While We’re at It?
For all the reasons listed above, “Instagram for Kids” is a “hard no” for me. But you often hear people argue that kids are using the platform anyhow, so why not create a separate platform with a few more parental controls? To me, this argument is fundamentally flawed. After all, kids are often attracted to things that aren’t safe or healthy for them. Many are intrigued by smoking, drinking and drugs, but there’s a reason we don’t just lower the drinking and smoking age. As a society, we’ve agreed that some things are best left until kids grow up a bit—and I think Instagram is one of them.

The answer to children using Instagram isn’t to put up a few guardrails. It doesn’t address the root problem at all. The effects of these platforms on youth are still largely unknown, but the anecdotal evidence points to the fact that they probably do more harm than good. Using our kids as guinea pigs in a real-life experiment isn’t the answer. Kids are the fastest-growing group of internet users and have unique needs that have to be protected—not exploited by Big Tech.

Sean Herman is the founder and CEO of Kinzoo, an exciting new company that helps parents turn screen time into family time. His first book, "Screen Captured," debuted at number one in Amazon's parenting category, and his writing separates technology fact from fiction for his fellow parents.

Teen activists may hold an answer to school shootings.

I say “may” and “an answer” because each shooting is different. There’s no one reason for them.

There is a common denominator. It’s not a mental illness, or divorce, or bullying, or the Internet, or video games, or no prayer in schools or toxic masculinity—though each of those may be a contributing factor in some school shootings.

The common denominator is that school shootings are, well, shootings. Before we address the contributing factors, we must address that.

To do that, we must talk. Negotiate. Problem-solve. Not rant, spout slogans or pass around memes. Not blame mythical “crisis actors.” None of that will help. Let’s discuss what proposed solutions are feasible, practical, and actually helpful.

This time the kids are taking the lead and speaking up. Mandatory suspension means their walkouts may fail, at least if they walkout until Congress does something, as was suggested.

But other students are speaking out in other ways–talking to the media, visiting elected officials and attending sessions of legislative bodies. Encouraging voter registration among their peers.

And you know, these efforts may fail as well. It’s difficult to get your message across when you’re trying to get the attention of people who live and die by ballots, not bullets.

Here’s the thing, though. With the Parkland school shooting, we may have reached a “tipping point” in our society. Even if legislation doesn’t work, as so many say it won’t, there is a force that can catch the nation’s attention: grassroots activism.

I won’t praise the efforts of the 1960s when under-30s protested and helped stop a war, though I surely could. What I want to talk about is an attitudinal change. Societal change. It can happen and it has happened.

Think about the things that used to be commonplace and succumbed to pressure from groups and individuals.

Smoking is a prime example. Despite push-back from tobacco lobbies and cigarette manufacturers, smoking has tapered off in public and in private. Restaurants started with smoke-free seating areas and now in some states are completely smoke-free. Public buildings and many private ones are too. Smoking around young children is particularly looked down on.

Why? People spoke up, including teens (see truth.org). And society reacted. Look at old movies and how many characters in them smoked. Then look at modern movies and notice how few do. It’s almost like someone realized that these characters are representations of our changing society and perhaps role models for kids, even if only subliminally.

And look at drunk driving. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) changed society’s view of drunk drivers and prompted legislative change; for example, getting states to lower the limits for what is considered “impaired,” holding drinking establishments responsible for taking the keys from patrons too wasted to drive, and requiring harsher punishments for repeat offenders.

Non-legislative solutions are having an effect as well–the “Designated Driver” idea and PSAs that say “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.” There are smaller, local efforts too, such as providing free cabs on the holidays associated with over-indulgence.

What happened in both examples was that society reached a tipping point. After so many deaths and so much ill health, individuals and groups decided that the prevailing practice had to change. And change it did.

There are reasons to believe that the Parkland shootings may be that tipping point for change. For the idea that school shootings are not just an everyday reality–or shouldn’t be.

Businesses are cutting ties with the NRA, for one. These are protests that will get attention because they are backed up by dollars.

Sure, many teens (and adults and businesses and lawmakers) will ignore the issue. Even teens succumb to the “it can’t happen here” mentality. But others are saying that it can and does happen anywhere. In elementary schools, where the students are too young to mount effective protests. In colleges, where students should.

And in the surrounding society, people are saying, “Enough already with the thoughts and prayers.” Even sincere ones have changed nothing, and insincere ones substitute for actual change.

Likely the change that is coming will be incremental and slow. And after the tipping point is reached and the mass of everyday Americans demand real answers to school shootings, maybe we can turn to the related factors like acceptance of bullying and the broken mental health care system. Grassroots efforts and public education are key.

But first, let’s listen to the kids. They have the most to lose.

Hi! I'm a freelance writer and editor who writes about education, books, cats and other pets, bipolar disorder, and anything else that interests me. I live in Ohio with my husband and a varying number of cats.

Dear Diary (early September edition),

It is approximately day 184 of quarantine. I think we are holding it together. In fact, I was so full of thinking I “had it all together” that I completed two Zoom calls and recorded a birthday message for a good friend’s upcoming birthday last week. As I tucked my kids into bed, I gave myself a pat on the back, and I thought to myself, “look at you…. you have it all together.” I worked my day job, exercised, made three square meals a day for my family of four, scheduled my daughter’s math tutor, and facilitated “virtual learning” for my two school-aged kids.

Then I got ready for bed. I realized that, during my two Zoom calls and recorded birthday message, my shirt was on backward. Great! After deciding I should stick to my normal uniform of yoga pants or pajamas, I drifted off to sleep. We woke up two hours later to smelling smoke in our house, but we couldn’t determine where it was coming from. The fire department came and apparently our beloved, often ignored, turtle’s water filter was overheating and smoking. Even Donatello (ie beloved turtle) is looking for a way out of this house! Don’t worry, the turtle will end up in our will because he will live forever (footnote: we assume the turtle is a he. This has not been confirmed). Luckily, we caught the problem before it became an issue… kids didn’t even wake up with all the chaos. And turns out, I went to high school with one of the firefighters, who I haven’t seen in 20 plus years.

So, that was Wednesday. Highlights from Thursday include talking to a reality TV show producer and patiently waiting on hold for almost two hours with our refrigerator manufacturer. It’s been 6 weeks, and apparently, they are really pleased with my patience, and they will get back to me as soon as they can. Don’t hold your breath. It’s a breezy 114 here, so any chance we had to keep food cold was averted because said refrigerator isn’t working.

In the meantime, we got a new fridge because we couldn’t handle or afford to constantly eat out. Still waiting to see if the other fridge will get fixed (they tried five times) or finally just give us a refund. Also, we found out that August was the hottest month ever recorded in Phoenix, and the second hottest month ever recorded was July.  My kids will be online learning for the foreseeable future, and we are adding to my list of things I am unqualified for:

  • #1 not a 6th-grade teacher
  • #2 not a third-grade teacher

We are grateful for our health and safety, and I hope when I look back at this post a year from now, I can laugh as hard as my neighbor did when I told her this story.

Allyson is a mom of two and has more than a decade of experience working in both television news and public relations. From national television shows to top newspapers, Allyson has worked around the world including a travel magazine in London, England, Phoenix TV and local hospital and healthcare association.

Airbnb and Eva Longoria are inviting guests to a month-long (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) fiesta to showcase Latinx communities and to recognize and celebrate the positive impact they have made in our society. The celebration will feature more than 25 culturally rich Online Experiences from across the United States and Latin America that honor Latinx and Hispanic traditions and will culminate with a one-time online cooking class hosted by Longoria. Additionally, Airbnb is unveiling a curated list of stunning Homes from all over the country that keep the Latinx culture alive. 

Eva Longoria

“There’s no better time to come together and celebrate the vibrant traditions, diversity, and richness of our heritage,” said Longoria. “There’s a deep-rooted connection between our culture and food, and I’m delighted to invite you into my kitchen and share some of my most cherished memories as we cook one of my favorite TexMex dishes that remind me of home.”

  • Airbnb Online Experiences will feature Longoria hosting a live streamed TexMex cooking class, and a variety of culturally rich Hispanic Online Experiences available to book in English and Spanish from across the United States and Latin America.
  • 100% of proceeds from bookings for Longoria’s Social Impact Experience will benefit the Eva Longoria Foundation which helps Latinas build better futures for themselves and their families through education and entrepreneurship.
  • A curated list of stunning local Homes from all over the country that keep the Latinx culture alive.

From salsa dancing and cigar tasting, to learning about Día de los Muertos, these Airbnb Online Experiences will open up your world to the diverse traditions of Latin America and help reconnect with your roots or discover new passions: 

  • Join Eva Longoria in the kitchen to cook up a TexMex feast featuring her most cherished recipes and bring to life one of her favorite dishes
  • Led by a tourist guide passionate about pre-Hispanic cultures, explore the Traditions of Mexico’s Day of the Dead, and learn how to make the famous Mexican “papel picado” and colorful sugar skulls
  • Unfold the mysteries and etiquette of cigar smoking, rum and coffee pairings with a
  • Cigar Tasting from Miami’s Little Havana
  • Become your own barista! Led by a Mexican National Coffee Judge, and boasting more than 1,000 five-star reviews, the World’s Top Coffee Masterclass will teach you what it takes to make a great cup of coffee
  • Transport yourself to the Caribbean with a Puerto Rican Salsa Dance Party. Learn how to dance to the rhythms of Salsa de Calle or street salsa from local experts
  • Get the full experience that Mezcal offers and learn all About Mezcal with a Oaxaca Sommelier
  • Learn techniques and secrets about the most emblematic and delicious Peruvian dish and cook the Best Ceviche with Chef Melissa
  • Engage in conversation about Gin & Gender. Learn about the background of the drink, the seeming relationships between gender and alcohol, and how we can start changing stereotypes 
  • Guided by an expert with 30 years experience, blend dance, music and martial arts through Conditioning with Capoeira

Hispanic Heritage Month Experiences will range from $6 to $100 per person. See the entire collection starting today.

Eva Longoria’s one-time TexMex Cooking Online Experience will be open for booking on Tues., Sept. 22 at 9am PT, and the Online Experience will take place on Tues., Sept. 29 1 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. Mexico City Time.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Eva Longoria

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Remember the days when your biggest worry was teaching your toddler to walk or to potty train? Those were the days! Nobody prepares parents for how to teach teenagers critical life lessons and emotional intelligence. Yet these are some of the most important skills they need to learn. We’ve talked to experts positive parenting solutions and rounded up 10 things your teen needs you to teach them.

Shawnee D via Unsplash

1. How to budget and manage money. Living within your means and managing money is a tough task for adults. The best thing you can do for your teens is to teach them these skills while they're young so they can carry the lessons into adulthood. Teach your teenager how to make a budget, how to save money, how to write a check and how to use credit cards without going into debt.

2. How to do laundry. Eventually, your teen will move out or go to college, and you won't be doing her laundry anymore. Teach them responsibility and how to clean their clothes. If you want to start simple, Amy Carney, author of Parent on Purpose: A Courageous Approach to Raising Children in a Complicated World, suggests starting with doing their wash, but having the teen be responsible for folding and putting away the clothes.

3. Write a thank-you note. In today's world of text messages and Snaps, it's rare for teens to send a hand-written thank you note for a gift received. But just because we're in the digital age doesn't mean etiquette is a lost cause. Instill in your teen the importance of writing a short thank-you note when he receives money, a gift or thoughtful gesture. Suggest a few appropriate sentences and how to properly address an envelope. You may also need to show them where the return address and stamp goes.

Jason Briscoe via Unsplash

4. How to cook a basic meal and boil water. Cooking is a life lesson that teenagers should at least have a basic understanding of. Teach your kiddo how to boil water, how to use a knife, how to saute, etc. Learning these basics will enable your teen to make a simple meal: pasta, scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, tacos and more.

5. Teach the basics of human anatomy, puberty and sexual maturity. Don't assume your teenagers know the basics of their human anatomy or know how to protect themselves sexually. Many parents don't think their teen needs to know about reproduction topics if they're not dating or having sex. Dr. Shelley Metten, a retired professor of anatomy and author of the Anatomy for Kids book series, encourages parents to have those conversations with their kids when they're teens, so they're prepared for the changes happening in their body.

6. How to listen without judgment. Teaching your teen how to listen to friends and adults without judgment starts with you modeling the behavior at home. Instead of panicking or jumping to a conclusion the next time your teenager says something you don't agree with, ask them questions about his statement. Don't argue or discourage an opinion. Instead, listen and be respectful. That behavior will help them do the same as teenagers and into adulthood.

7. Basic manners and decorum. Michelle Bowyer, MSW, and Sagari Gongala, BSc believe that teaching your teen life lessons that revolve around manners and the proper ways to interact with others in social settings will set them up for a smooth social life as they grow. For example, make sure your teen knows the basics like "please," "thank you" and "you're welcome." Also, make sure to teach them how to behave at parties. Does your teen know how to be a polite guest and host? Do your teens know not to start eating before everyone at the table is served? These little life lessons may be ones that are engrained in us as adults, but it was up to someone to teach us those rules as teens.

Nastya Yepp via Pixabay

8. Independence and how to set boundaries. When the Center for Parent & Teen Communication asked teenagers what they wanted from their parents, many responded with guidance on setting boundaries with the independence to do so. Teens admit that the unknown is scary but they don't want to be controlled. Parents should teach teens how to set boundaries and assert independence by guiding them in the right direction, but not leading them down their path.

9. How to contribute to the household. By the time your kids are teenagers, they should be able to make positive contributions to the home. These can include feeding the family pet, walking the dog, putting away the dishes, or sweeping the floors or cleaning the kitchen table after mealtime.

10. What consent means, and how to say "no." One of the most important lessons you can teach your teenager is about consent, and that they have control over their body and can say "no" to unwanted touches or advances. This is critical for both boys and girls to learn as they grow into adulthood. Teens need to know what consent means and exactly what to say to stand up for themselves. This is critical concerning sexual maturity, alcohol, drugs, smoking or bullying. Consent is a critical skill to learn early and often.

— Leah R. Singer

 

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In the United States, children as young as second graders have joined a rapidly growing body of youth who vape. Intervention by parents, caregivers and community leaders is necessary to protect kids of all ages who have developed this unhealthy habit.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared that vaping is an epidemic. Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb has expressed that the vaping problem caught the agency off-guard. According to Gottlieb, vape manufacturer Juul is the prime catalyst of the crisis.

In an interview, Gottlieb recalled delaying a process that would have placed vape products under increased FDA scrutiny. Now, however, Gottlieb believes he may have made a mistake.

Today, parents and caregivers must protect children from a range of potential dangers. Vaping is the latest addition to this unfortunate list. You can learn how to protect children from the latest addition to one of the many things that threaten their welfare by understanding a few facts about the product.

In 2015, Juul quickly captured 40% of the vape market. Unfortunately, a large segment of its consumers encompasses teens. Approximately 3 million high school students used a vape product in 2018, according to government research.

According to Stanford scientist Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, her research shows that Juul products contain an astronomical level of nicotine. Most vape products contain nicotine levels that vary between 1% to nearly 2.5 %. Juul vape products, however, contain a nicotine level of 5%. Since the study, the company has introduced vape products with 3% nicotine.

In a CNBC documentary, Juul CEO Kevin Burns has apologized for his role in contributing to the vaping epidemic. During an interview for the documentary, Burns empathized as a fellow parent.

He expressed that his company has responded to the problem by ceasing all social media promotions and recalling fruity vape products that appeal to teens. Nevertheless, criticism of Juul continues, and in the company’s San Francisco base of operations, government officials have banned vape products entirely.

How Big Is the Problem?

Statistically, if someone doesn’t start smoking by the age of 26, they never will. Every day in the United States, over 3,000 teens smoke their first cigarette, and over 2,000 of them decide to start smoking daily.

As a parent, guardian or even a community leader, there are ways that you can help to prevent vaping among youth.

Youth are at risk due to a range of products, including vapes, cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco. Many tobacco products are now flavored and marketed in the same fashion as candy – making them appealing to youth.

In 2018, one study showed that 30% to nearly 40% of high school children used vape products, and a 2017 study showed that more than 30% of youth who used vape products started smoking cigarettes, compared to a little over 8% of those who didn’t vape.

Contrary to manufacturers’ claims, a Yale study shows that vaping does not help people quit smoking. Instead, vaping increases the risk of smoking, and consumers face the same health risks when they vape as they do when they smoke cigarettes – if not more.

Case in point, a Children’s Hospital study has revealed that vape products contain chemicals that pose a greater risk of causing cancer than cigarettes. The same study also found that teens often use vape products to hide the smell of marijuana.

Vape manufacturers countered the commercially adverse effects of the studies by launching products in a range of enticing flavors. Resultantly, 43% of high school and middle school students have tried the product. Due to this outcome, the Surgeon General declared vaping an epidemic in December of 2018.

Juul’s marketing practices have specifically targeted the youth population. In September 2018, the US government seized thousands of the company’s documents detailing its marketing and advertising practices.

On November 2018, Juul responded by announcing through its social media channels that it will discontinue any social media engagement with the public. This announcement was an abrupt about-face from 2015 when Juul launched a $1 million scholarship contest awarding those who wrote the best essays about the benefits of vaping.

How Can I Make a Difference?

American Heart Association (AHA) spokespersons express that public health campaigns reinforced by parental guidance have proven effective at stymieing teen vaping. AHA representatives recommend that parents start talking to children about the harmful effects of nicotine products as early as kindergarten.

However, they warn parents not to pressure children into accepting their point of view. Instead, suggests representatives, parents should maintain an ongoing two-way dialogue about the topic.

Also, parents should prepare their children to deal with peer pressure. Role-playing may help in this regard.

Furthermore, suggest AHA spokespersons, parents should refrain from punishing teens who vape. Instead, guardians should express that they understand the lure of the product and how it causes addiction. Empathy, as it turns out, may prove more productive instead of punishing teen smokers.

More importantly, parents should show rather than tell, when it comes to teaching their kids that smoking is a bad idea. Parents who don’t want their kids to smoke should lead by example and not smoke themselves. AHA officials also suggest that parents maintain a smoke-free home and prohibit smoking in their house and vehicle.

You can find out more about teen smoking cessation by visiting the American Heart Association website.

Sarah Daren has been a consultant for startups in industries including health and wellness, wearable technology, and education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life, including her position as a yoga instructor and raising her children. Sarah enjoys watching baseball and reading on the beach. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced a recall for nearly 90,000 heyday three-foot lightning USB charging cables sold at Target stores nationwide between June 2018 and January 2019. Representatives from Target did not immediately respond to Red Tricycle’s request for comment.

If you think you may have this charging cable, read on for more information on the recall.

Recalled Product Description: heyday USB Charging Cable

The current recall includes heyday brand USB lightning charging cables. The three-foot cables come in three color choices—purple, green and blue iridescent. Each cable has the brand’s name “heyday” printed on the connector.

The cables were sold at Target stores and at target.com for $15.

Why the Cable Was Recalled

The charging cables pose a shock and fire hazard. As of now Target has received 14 reports of sparking, igniting or smoking cables. Along with sparking and smoking, two consumer reports include injuries.

How to Tell If Your Cable Was Recalled

Along with looking for the word “heyday” on the cable’s connector, check the model number printed on the product’s packaging. The recalled product model number is 080 08 8261.

What Consumers Can Do

If you have the affected product stop using the product immediately. Return the cable to Target for a refund. Consumers with questions can contact Target 800-440-0680 between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT daily or visit Target.com and click on the “product recalls” tab.

—Erica Loop

All photos: Courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission

 

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LAYING THE SCENE….

When I was young I had a small security blanket which had soft, white satin sewn around the edges which was absolute heaven for me to stroke when I was upset  or when I was settling into sleep. I can’t remember the exact age I was when my mom thought it was time for me to “retire” my blanket. What I do remember was that I was staying at my friend’s house for a sleepover and when I came home, my blanket was gone.

From that point on, I started twirling my hair.  I now know it was done in an effort to recreate the soft white satin feel I had grown to need/crave as a child to help me self-soothe when I was upset or out of sorts.  Not the worst bad habit to have, but not necessarily the best one either. Nevertheless, this habit began to really bother me when I saw both my children start twirling their hair (monkey see = monkey do).

Similarly, when my children were just learning how to speak in complete sentences (around 2 and 3 years old), I began hearing them say the word “um” quite often.  It mainly happened when they were stalling for time or merely wanted to hold my attention for longer. Regardless, it didn’t take me long to find this new behavior quite annoying.  So I said to them:

“Listen guys. I don’t like you saying the word “um.” Slow down. Stop and think about what you want to say and then say it.” They both quickly replied “BUT YOU SAY IT TOO!”…and they were correct in their assessment.

TALKING ABOUT BAD HABITS WITH YOUR KIDS

Habits are hard to break and they can be good or bad.  Leading by example is one of the best ways to teach children.  I always find it hard when I hear parents say things like “Do as I say not as I do.”  Comments like that are counterintuitive to children.

At the end of the day it was time for me to seriously consider breaking a couple of bad habits WITH the help of my children.  So I sat them both down (in a moment when both were mentally able to take in the info) and said:

“Everyone has habits good and bad. I would like for you to stop saying the word “um” and I need to stop as well. So how about we kindly remind each other when we hear someone say “um.”  Also, I’ve noticed you both have started to twirl your hair. That is my bad habit not yours. I would like you to remind me when I twirl my hair so that I can try to stop.”

That was it.  My children became amazingly good at listening for the word “um” and reminded me all the time…like ALL the time;  they even interrupted me mid-sentence when I was speaking to someone.

RESULTS

Current Behavior:  If I had to guess how many times I say the word “um” within the course of a week I would say maybe 1.5 times. (Prior behavior: “um” was uttered at least 20 Xs a day)

Children’s Current Behavior:  The children stopped saying “um” within the first week.  Granted they were only around 2 ½ and 3 ½ so they hadn’t had that long to form the bad habit in the first place. ;)

Current Behavior: If I had to guess how many times the children remind me to stop twirling my hair a week I would say 5 times. (Prior behavior: I twirled my hair almost incessantly when I wasn’t using my hands for other things).

Children’s Current Behavior: The children never really developed the habit of twirling their hair they had just begun to mimic mine…so once I stopped, their habits quickly stopped as well.

HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN YOUR HOME

You and your child each identify a bad habit you would like to break (start small like stopping yourself from saying the word “like” instead of quitting smoking cold turkey).  Maybe it’s the same bad habit, who knows?

Come up with the terms, i.e. How will you remind each other/monitor the behavior?  Mine just reminded me/shouted with excitement that they “caught me” me whenever I said it.  We did learn about and practice “tone and volume” during this exercise as well.

How will you know you’ve achieved said goal?  Must the habit be completely broken or significantly decreased? (i.e. Me twirling my hair.  It’s now a private/conscious twirl instead of a “dreamy head in the clouds constantly twirling/stress releasing” twirl.)

What type of support would you like from each other?  Verbal- such as saying “Well done, you can do it,” or a more tangible item like a new toy or book?

Now go do it.  If you are struggling with it, share that with your child.  They need to know, to learn that it’s OK to find life difficult at times.  Change is hard even if it is for the better, so lead by example.

This activity is good for everyone in the family.  Along with watching someone struggle to change a behavior you get to teach your child how they too can stop a bad habit.  Don’t go this path alone. Make the pain worth the gain.

THE WRAP UP

My hair twirling habit has a very strong neurologic link to an old blanket that gave me my much needed feeling of security and comfort as a child, and I doubt I will ever completely break this habit.  Well, let me rephrase that…I have drastically reduced the amount of hair twirling I do IN FRONT of the children. However, when they are fast asleep in bed I twirl the hell outta my hair. ;)

Let your children help you become a better person.  Parents are people too, ya know…we make mistakes and we aren’t perfect.  Owning that part of yourself isn’t easy, I know.

It should be noted that doing this with your children won’t make you appear “weak.”  My children didn’t see me as being vulnerable/weak when I asked them to help me become a better person.  My children saw their parent making a conscious effort to improve themself.

I put a lot of focus and effort into stopping myself from saying the word “um.”  I ain’t gonna lie…I also got tired of the awful screeching sound my little 2 year-old made when she shouted “YOU CAN’T SAY UM!!!”.  My ears are still ringing….and I can proudly say I’ve stopped saying um….um….about 99% of the time.  My hair twirling is also significantly decreased.

It’s never easy changing oneself. I’ve found through, that it’s the only way to become the person I want to be, so I march on.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

— Leo Tolstoy

 

I am a 42-year-old biological mother of two young children in a same-sex relationship, a clinical psychologist with a specialty in neuropsychological assessment, a music therapist, a trainer of therapy dogs and ex-communicated Mormon from Indiana with a wicked sense of humor. 

As the Happiest Place On Earth prepares for the opening Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, there are some pretty big changes happening in the park to make room for the large crowds that are expected, including Disneyland’s new stroller policy.

Disney Parks has just announced that it will begin restricting the size of strollers that are allowed in the theme park. Starting May 1, strollers entering the park will not allowed to be more than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long. The park currently allows strollers as wide as 36 inches. Essentially, the size requirements are most likely to affect double strollers allowed in the park.

photo: Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

In addition to the stroller size cap, the park will also ban stroller wagons that have become a popular way to cart kids and belongings around the park. Strollers will be measured outside of the security lines to ensure that they meet the new standard. If they’re too big, they won’t be allowed in, but guests can rent size-compliant strollers from the park for $15 a day.

Get ready to breathe easy with another major change, as announced by Disney Parks: Disneyland will officially become smoke-free as the park will remove all designated smoking areas that it currently has in four locations across the resort, including California Adventure and Downtown Disney.

Disney Park also announced that the parking expansion that will increase the capacity by 50 percent, adding 6,500 spaces in a new structure is set to be completed between June and July.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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