Hilarious Halloween parenting memes and all that candy are only two things we love about October
Your kids have chosen their Halloween costumes (and then changed their minds 1,000 times), the candy has been bought and then restocked and then restocked again, and you’ve lined up all the best Halloween movies on Netflix. Now that you’re ready for the big night, it’s time to grab a mini-Snickers, relax, and laugh at these hilarious Halloween memes about parenting we’re sure you can relate to.
Acts of kindness can be small gestures or big efforts, and they’re all important
Kids are naturally compassionate, so why not take a few minutes today (and every day) to foster that inherent kindness? From simple gestures like giving up your seat on the bus to giving your kids’ teacher a “just because” gift, we’ve found over 75 simple acts of kindness that’ll allow you and the kids to pay it forward.
1. Offer to pick up groceries for an at-risk or elderly neighbor.
2. Compliment a stranger.
3. Collect your child’s old books that they no longer read and donate them to a children’s center, shelter, or local library.
4. Pay the bridge toll of the person behind you.
5. Bring flowers to a coworker or friend.
6. Carry someone’s groceries to their car for them.
7. Send a friend a positive text.
8. Ask a stranger how they are feeling today, and actually listen to the answer.
9. Bake cookies and deliver them to the local fire or police station.
10. Leave a big tip for a server or delivery person.
11. Make sandwiches and distribute them to the homeless in your neighborhood.
12. Help a senior cross the street.
13. Give up your seat on the bus.
14. Deliver a meal or a potted plant to a random neighbor.
16. Donate dog or cat food to the local animal shelter (call to ask them what brands they need). Many shelters want and need old blankets and towels as well.
17. Send a postcard to someone you love, even if they live nearby (or in the same house!).
18. Make a donation of a birthday box to a local food shelter: include items like cake mixes, frosting, candles, balloons, and party hats.
19. If it’s a hot day, hand out cold bottles of water.
20. If it’s raining, share your umbrella for a few blocks.
21. Make kindness cards from drawings and paintings of kids’ art. Drop a few by the nearest senior center and ask if they can use them for anyone who needs a bit of cheer.
29. Give thanks for everyday things, not just big acts or gifts. “Thank you for making me laugh today,” or “Thank you for helping me figure out that math problem,” or even simply, “Thank you for loving me.”
64. Add extra time to your meter for the next person.
65. Gather up gently used clothing and donate via ThredUp using their Donation Clean Out Kit.
66. Starting today, thank someone once a week for a year. You can send a thank-you via mail, email, text, phone, or in person. Make a little list of thank-yous and revisit them in 52 weeks.
67. Sit with someone new at lunch.
68. Ask a kid you don’t usually play with to play with you at recess.
69. Find a story or post you like, and let the writer know it meant something to you.
70. Be patient while waiting in line.
71. Leave a glowing review for a business or employee who helped you or your kids.
72. Give someone the benefit of the doubt.
73. Be a courteous and kind driver.
74. Be kind to urban animals and wildlife: do not chase pigeons or throw coins in a fountain where fish live.
75. Leave a note of kindness in the pocket of a coat in a clothing store, like “You look great in this!” or “You are more important than you could ever know.”
76. Order a new book from our list of diverse books for kids, and have it sent to a friend.
77. Send a friend or relative a sweet surprise from Sugarwish.
78. Wave hi to someone you don’t know!
79. Ask a friend if they need any help: could you walk their dog or drop off a book to read?
Santa’s number can be hard to find. Lucky for you, we’ve got the scoop
You’ve snapped your photos and written your letters to Santa, and probably already hung your stockings with care. Well, here’s one more way to get in touch with Ol’ St. Nick: Santa’s Hotline. It couldn’t get easier: all you need is a phone to dial up a free, international number that connects kids directly to a voicemail box, where they can leave messages at the North Pole. Available throughout the United States as well as 13 countries including France, Sweden, and Australia, it’s a simple concept that will add that little extra pinch of magic dust to your holiday. If your kids can’t get enough, here are six other ways to get in touch with Santa Claus during the holiday season.
Dial up +1-605-313-4000 in English
or +1-605-313-4001 in Spanish
(There’s a list of international numbers on the site as well).
Your kiddos will hear the following message:
“Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! This is Santa Claus and you have reached my personal hotline. We have been very busy making all of those toys to deliver on Christmas morning, and I want you to know that your family loves you very much and so do I. So, be good and don’t forget to always listen to your parents. When you hear the tone please leave me your Christmas gift wishes and holiday cheer. And, remember kids, I know who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. Merry Christmas and I’ll see you soon.”
Then at the beep, your little elflings can leave their own message to Santa. (Be sure and listen in so you can take notes!)
When you use your mobile phone, Santa will send a text so you can listen or share your child’s message with the whole family!
Tip: keep the number handy in your contacts under Santa and surprise your sweeties, perfect for long lines or after-school doldrums. “Siri, call Santa” is sure to elicit a raised eyebrow and giant grin.
The hotline was created by David Erickson, CEO of FreeConferenceCall.com and father of three. He thought of the idea when his daughter was little, and he hopes it brings a little more fun to the season. Last year, 9 million kids called in.
Visit the website to learn more and find downloadable flyers you can share with your teacher, family, and friends.
“Anybody have a really good babysitter you can recommend? Available at the last minute?” This group text popped up on a Friday afternoon and was quickly drowned in a sea of “nopes!” and “good lucks!” and teary emojis from unrecognized numbers. No one lets go of that number lightly. None of these people, other than the sender, were in my contacts. None of these people, including the sender, will get a response from me.
I could say it’s because this person wasn’t a close friend or that I didn’t have the time while hauling my kids around in the sub-freezing darkness that January evening. But the truth is, I just cannot give it up. Because I only have one number.
Other than family, I have one number, one person, I can call to babysit my children. I’m not being picky; I am being deadly serious. I have a five-year-old with cerebral palsy whose 40 pounds might as well be 100 when you’re carrying him up the stairs or lifting him out of the van and into his wheelchair or changing a diaper on the floor. He also has limited speech, so you must be part psychic, part lip reader, to intuit his needs. His babysitter is an employee at his preschool and has known him since he was two. I can’t afford to give away the one person I trust.
I know it’s tough to find someone older than 14 and responsible and available and consistent and friendly and cheap-ish to watch your kids. But for us, it is so much more than that. It takes a background in working with children with disabilities, a secret handshake, a personality test, and some serious magic for me to feel comfortable leaving my children in the hands of someone I’m unrelated to.
That number on my phone with “babysitter” in parentheses is sacrosanct. The days of protecting it began in infancy. When we first brought our son home from the hospital, he came with a tracheotomy, suction machine, oxygen monitor, and g-tube. I barely left the room, much less the house. Date nights were not a priority.
And just before I went back to work, we said goodbye to the daycare we had lined up a year in advance. How could we ask them to hook him up to a feeding pump or suction out the snotty gunk from his trach hole? Not to mention pitting him against the invariable sicknesses that pass from kid to kid. A registered nurse or my mother watched him instead.
Thankfully, the trach and the g-tube and all the most precarious of his medical issues faded away with age. We no longer need a nurse. But we do need someone physically strong enough and trained enough to meet his needs.
And did I mention I also have twins? They are insane, in all the natural ways threenagers are, and require just as much eyes-on time—if not so much hands-on time—as their older brother. They will empty the entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet and lock themselves in the bathroom in under 30 seconds. Date nights are happening again, but they are still rare enough to make me feel giddy just backing out of the driveway.
This is why I let the text go unanswered. This is why I let someone else fill in that blank. Our family situation calls for a very particular set of skills. We need the Navy SEALs version of babysitters. And I don’t know another mother with a child with special needs who doesn’t feel the same. We already get less free time, much less time away without worry over our children’s safety. We can’t afford to hand out freebies.
It’s nothing personal. It’s business, the business of running our family. We need the people we trust. And so we keep them close.
This post was originally published in January 2018.
Jamie Sumner is the author of the book, Unbound: Finding Freedom from Unrealistic Expectations of Motherhood. She is a writer for The Washington Post, Parenting Special Needs Magazine and Scary Mommy, and an editor for Literary Mama. She is mother to twins and a son with cerebral palsy.
Make homework fun by changing the way you look at it
Your kids just spent all day at school. And now you’re asking them to do what? Homework? Hey, that’s kind of like having school at home. After an entire day of paper, pencils, and books, your child may resist (and that’s putting it politely) getting down to business during the after-school hours. Don’t stress out. Whether your child has to study a vocab list, do a few zillion math equations, or finish a few extra assignments, we’re sharing seven tips that can magically transform homework from a super-struggle to some serious fun!
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1. Work Together
Why not be hands-off when it comes to your kid’s homework, while still working beside one another? Return emails, answer your co-worker’s texts or work on the PTA fundraiser, modeling focused work to your child as the two of you spend QT together. If you think this seems like you’re not paying attention to your child or you’re slacking when it comes to parenting—you aren’t. Instead, you’re creating a shared workspace where the two of you can get business done together.
2. Get Creative
Sitting like a statue and calculating problem after problem on a math worksheet isn’t exciting, so consider turning a study session into an all-out artsy adventure! As your kid reads a chapter from the assigned text, use the opportunity as a chance to put on a play. If not acting, paint out math problems, sculpt letters or turn American history into a song.
Other ideas (perfect for older kiddos) include more sophisticated setups like creating a series of paintings explaining a text the child is trying to interpret or interpreting a poem using their musical notes. Kindergarten-aged kids set can get back to basics and finger paint letters, make clay characters from a story or bang on pots and pans to learn about patterns or counting.
4. Take It Outside
If there’s an outdoor space where they can spread out and study in your home, encourage it. A study showed that workers saw a 45% increase in productivity after being outside for about 30 minutes. Plus, offering up 10-minute breaks in the sun is a huge perk.
4. Make It a Group Effort
Start a study group. Have your kiddo invite classmates to read, write and do math equations together. If your student is old enough to handle organizing and delegating, take a step back and let your kid take on a leadership role. Younger kids may need more help—think of this as a mini-educational play date for them.
Danny Piassick via Ellen Grasso & Sons, LLC
5. Design an Awesome Workspace
Take a page from some of the coolest places on Earth to work. Google, Apple and other tech giants all have fab workspaces for their employees. Why? To increase productivity. Create a communal workstation that all your kids (or all your family) can share instead of sending your little learners off to their room alone. Mix it up with a tall desk (by using a shelf), so your child can stand and work, or swap out desk chairs for a yoga ball or a twisty stool.
6. Engage the Senses
There is a reason those darned pop-its were suddenly in every kid’s hands. While engaging their sense of touch, smell or sight might seem like a distraction, it helps them focus. Try doing a sensory activity like making your playdough. You can also engage other senses: Stash a stress ball in the homework area to engage the sense of touch or play white noise to break the quiet distracting to your child.
7. Hold Office Hours
Your child needs some homework help. Instead of hovering (no helicopters here) or taking over and writing your very own book report, set up office hours—just like your college professors did. Make the living room couch or the dining room table into your “office.” The kids can schedule a time to ask questions or can come to your “open hours.” This lets you help your child without actually doing the work yourself
From Wonder Woman to Spider-Man, comic books are having a serious moment. If you’ve got a budding comic lover in your family, now they can make comics of their own right on their phone or tablet. We found 10 apps that are easy to use, interactive and perfect for personalizing your family photos or giving school projects a fun twist. Keep reading to get the scoop on the best comic book apps for kids.
Turn your family photos into a fun comic strip with this easy-to-use app. There are filters to give your photos that classic comic book look, and you can add text bubbles and stickers to your creation. With a 4.5 rating on the App Store and over 1,500 reviews, this app is a winner.
Comic Life 3 allows you to create a full comic using its full-page templates and panel layouts. This powerful app works especially well on an iPad with a large screen; it allows you to edit all sorts of small details and add special effects. You can use photos from your library or access web photos via its Flickr integration.
Available for iPhone and iPad via App Store, $4.99
This comic book app is a little more simple, but still just as fun (and easy!) to use. The user interface takes you through each step to make professional-style comics in minutes. The fonts and word balloons were carefully chosen to look like real comic books, and there are over 1,000 decorative stickers to choose from.
This app has all the bells and whistles when it comes to creating your own personalized comic. Choose your panel layout, use your own photos, and add as many captions and dialogue stickers as your story needs. When you're through, there's an option to share via social media too.
Both kids and adults will get a kick out of this comic book app. It's simple enough that you'll get the gist in minutes and in addition to using photos, the kids can use their own drawings, too.
We love the special interactive perks of this comic book app from Duck Duck Moose. Once kids choose the scenes and characters they want, they can record their story, moving the characters as they talk. The app records the movement and kid voiceover so you not only get a personalized comic book—it's read by the author, too!
For the kid who just can't get enough of telling stories, this app has extra customizable speech balloons—and for the parent who's got Android devices, it's just right for your gear. There are all kinds of special effects, filters and panel choices too.
Formerly available as a separate app, now you can access this comic creation program right from your web browser on your phone, tablet or computer. For all those multilingual kiddos out there, we like that this website supports the creation of comics in 13 different languages. It's also free, and simple enough for even younger users. Just pick the number of frames you want to use, choose characters and add text into speech bubbles.
This app is particularly great if your family pet is just begging to be put in a comic. In a nutshell, it lets you upload photos or drawings and then add captions, sound effects, speech bubbles and other artistic effects. It's an easy way to give your family photos a digital storytelling twist.
With many schools going back to virtual learning this month (BIG SIGH), it’s a good time to have a check-in about the do’s and don’ts of “Zoom etiquette.” Make sure your student’s workspace is ready with this TikTok-famous Bluetooth keyboard, a fun desk organizer and all the glitter pens that are forbidden at traditional school. Grab some blue light-blocking glasses and print out this handy list that will make them the teacher’s favorite in no time.
1. Be prepared. Just like any class at school, it's important to have all of your materials ready to go. For virtual school, that means you'll need to know the link, what time you need to be there and what books or printouts you'll need. Get your pencils sharpened in advance so you can be totally prepared to listen when the teacher comes on.
2. Be on time. Let's not waste the teacher's time. Be on time for your class meetings (or even a few minutes early). It's a good idea to test out the class link in advance of your call time, so you know that it works and your system is up and running. Print out your class schedules and post them on your wall as a reminder. Set an alarm (or ask a parent to do that) if you have a hard time remembering when to log on.
Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels
3. Learn how to use the virtual classroom program. Whether you are using Zoom, Google Classroom, WebEx or another program, it's important to know how it works. Learn how to enter the virtual classroom, mute and unmute yourself, turn off your camera and shut down the program. Is there a chat that you need to use? A way to indicate you are raising your hand? Find this out before the class starts.
4. Use headphones with a mic. It's easier for the class to hear from you when you need to talk if you are wearing headphones with an external microphone. Also, headphones will help you block out the distractions around you.
5. Stay in one spot during your call. Resist the urge to head to the kitchen for a snack or take your class meeting outside. It's distracting to your classmates to see you moving around during the class. Find a quiet spot where you will be comfortable for the whole class and make it your classroom spot. Remember, you are in class so lounging on your bed is not a good option. Sit at a desk or your kitchen table so you can have more focus.
6. Dress the part. While school uniforms aren't required for virtual schooling, you do want to make sure you look presentable for class. Change out of your pajamas (unless it is official pajama day), brush your hair and teeth and look presentable. Make sure any shirt you are wearing doesn't have any offensive graphics or text on it. Think about what you'd wear to school and dress accordingly.
Gladskikh Tatiana
7. Eliminate distractions. Keep in mind that class time is class time even when you are at home. Don't snack or chew gum during class. Turn off the music or the TV in the background. If you need to use the restroom, try to do that before class starts. Don't text or play on your cell phone during the class meeting.
8. Skip the virtual backgrounds. While some programs have fun options to add a virtual background, that can be super distracting to the other students. Unless your teacher has requested it, skip it. Also, it's good to clean up your room or sit in front of a blank wall to keep the mess to a minimum.
9. Wait for your turn. It's tough enough for teachers to manage a class when you are there in the same room. Virtual classes add a whole other challenge. Follow the teacher's instructions for volunteering and don't blurt out an answer unless you are called on. It can be a good idea to raise your hand instead of interrupting so that the teacher can finish the instructions before you jump in.
10. Remember, this is school. While it might be exciting to see your friends (finally!), this is not the time or place to chat about Minecraft or what you had for breakfast. If your virtual classroom has a chat feature, stay out of it unless the teacher requests students use it. Chat is public to everyone in the class (including the teacher), and it can be distracting.
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11. Respect your teachers! This is the most important rule of all! Respect your teachers and all the work they have done to teach you in the virtual classroom. This might be a challenge for them too; we are all learning together. Make sure they know how much you appreciate them. The best way to do this is with good behavior in the virtual classroom (and gift cards don't hurt either!).
Want to send a quick hello to the big man himself? Now you can send text messages to Santa and get an answer direct from the North Pole!
To start texting with Santa all you have to do is complete your contact information on the online form here, including the names of your kids. After you submit the form, you’ll receive an initial text confirming that you want to receive texts from Santa. Reply “yes” to the text and you’re ready to correspond with the jolly old elf.
You can then expect to receive your first text from Santa on Dec. 1, with texts arriving approximately every five days throughout the month of December. Santa will send a variety of messages like jokes, holiday recipes, facts and little reminders to keep the season merry. All of the messages are completely kid-appropriate, free and of course, direct from Santa himself.
“I wanted to take people inside my process this year, show them how I prepare for my biggest night and spread Christmas cheer,” Santa said in a statement. “Mrs. Claus and I have been getting better and better at texting. The elves have been teaching us. We can even send emojis and GIFs now!”
No matter how many parenting books or advice columns you read, it can be challenging to navigate emotions and stages and to know what is “normal” for our kids. That’s where this first-of-its-kind service, Little Otter, comes in! Little Otter is a virtual healthcare platform dedicated to kids and their family’s mental health and wellness. Developed by Dr. Helen Egger, previously Head of Child Psychiatry at NYU Langone and Duke University, and the top minds in early childhood mental health, their programs empower families to get back to what matters the most as soon as possible.
From anxiety to tantrums and everything in-between, Little Otter’s world-renowned clinicians are equipped to give you expert care right when you need it, from the convenience of your location—live, customized care, with the help of technology! Children’s mental health care is reimagined and easier than ever before to access with Little Otter, from the quality of care to accommodating the urgency and importance of early detection and counseling.
As parents, we know it truly does take a village. When you join the Little Otter family, their care team will assess the mental health of your kids and your family, develop an integrated care plan and track how you and your kids are doing throughout care. No appointments to travel to—their app makes it easy to connect with the right, qualified providers from your phone, anywhere. You also get access to a library of online content with advice and guidance developed by Dr. Helen Egger and all of their child mental health experts.
Getting started is super easy, even for busy parents. They’ve put together a 30-minute Family Mental Health and Wellness assessment for you based on their expertise so that they can get every detail—no worry is too big or small. Once you sign up, you'll get personalized reports and resources before your first appointment. From there you’ll be matched to a Care Lead and schedule your first appointment.
Explore
In addition to one-on-one appointments with their team of mental health professionals, you get access to Little Otter’s online resource library and “when to worry” guides. You'll receive personalized resources based on your Wellness Report to explore, as well as their whole wealth of knowledge on all things mental health for kids and families. You can even invite family members to be a part of the plan!
No need to book out time to schlep your family to an office—you'll connect with your Little Otter Care Lead in a video appointment to chat through your family's needs and your Wellness Report. During your meeting with your Care Lead, you'll get your suggested next steps and invite the right providers into your Care Team. Everything is done online and through video chat so it's incredibly convenient to stay on track with your family's mental health, stress-free.
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Track your progress through their app and get 24/7 text communication with your Care Team. Whenever you need help or have a question, Little Otter Health has your back! You'll also get quarterly family wellness check-ups to make sure you're on the right track.
Their combination of expert clinicians and user-friendly digital platform are built to support your kids’ emotional and behavioral well-being (and yours!). Your first Little Otter appointment is $90, which includes: same-day appointment, daily text access, custom reports with measurable insights into your family's mental health, in-app assessments, digital resources created by experts, and three-month access to resources at Little Otter. Additional sessions with world-renowned clinicians are available as needed for an incremental charge.
If you, your child, or someone you know is in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or reach out to the following national resources. You’re never alone.
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center.
Target Deal Days are almost here! In addition to an extra day of sale extravaganza, the bullseye retailer is getting shoppers excited with an extra special deal that starts TODAY.
From Wed. Jun. 16 through Sat. Jun. 19 you can save 5% off Target digital gift cards! The offer is valid for a one-time only purchase, up to $500.
To access the deal, head to Target.com and save the offer to your account. You can use the code to get multiple gift cards, but just make sure they are all in one transaction!
Choose from delivery via email, text or mail and remember that the deal is only good on Target gift cards. Dining, entertainment and credit card based gift cards are not included. Shop on!
