That’s one shocking discovery. Something most people probably don’t do enough of is clean their reusable water bottles. While scrubbing them with hot water and soap is beneficial, there could still be sneaky mold hiding in places the naked eye wouldn’t catch. Although some water bottles aren’t designed to be taken apart to clean, one … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I am a teacher. I love my job, and I love my students. However, as I near the end of my 26th year of teaching, there’s something I need to get off my chest. At the end of every school year, many parents ask me to write a personal note to their student … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I’m a man in my 70s. My girlfriend is eight years younger. We were first introduced 42 years ago by relatives who believed we would be a good match. I was an only child; she was from a broken home. We dated and liked each other, but there were communication problems. I was … Read more
This modern-day Scrooge is bah hum-bugging his neighbors. Phones at the Brantford Police station in Ontario, Canada, were recently ringing like sleigh bells thanks to a local grump who plastered “Santa is FAKE,” “Your Family Buys Your Presents” signs on the windows of their residence, which is along the route of the community’s annual Santa Claus … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Our adult daughter has children we adore. She asked if we could help out by watching them for a few hours occasionally, and we jumped at that. We had done this regularly before the delivery of the newest addition (three months ago), and the kids would occasionally spend the night. With the new … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Our 20-year-old son works full time and lives with us. He doesn’t do any household chores or pay us anything, not even his car insurance (which he agreed to pay). He then moved his girlfriend in, and after that a dog, without permission. He has anxiety and depression issues, which he thinks he’s … Read more
They’re tough words about gentle parenting. One mother who says she accidentally raised “anxious, entitled, people-pleasing kids” is publicly dragging her own “gentle parenting” — and fellow parents are wincing in recognition. Jaclyn Williams went viral after posting an Instagram video this month walking through her house with a mug in hand and several dogs … Read more
It’s an embarrassment of riches. Sure, money talks. But it doesn’t always say the right thing — especially when speaking through the oft-tone deaf, not-so down-to-earth mouths of millionaire and billionaire influencers. Becca Bloom, the moneyed monarch of “RichTok” thanks to her $500,000 designer shopping sprees and lavish trappings, was nearly dethroned by irate internet critics. Virtual … Read more
For some families, the joy of a new baby comes with unexpected challenges: About 3% of US newborns — roughly 1 in 33 — have a birth defect each year. While it might seem scary, the good news is that nearly all fetal abnormalities can be detected on prenatal ultrasounds. Identifying issues early allows parents … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I had a child with “Richard,” whom I met 10 years ago. I was married at the time but had been separated from my husband, “Eddy,” for nine months. Richard and I hit it off well; I was very attracted to him. Five months after we met, I accidentally became pregnant. When Richard … Read more
Parents fight with their kids more about driving than dating, and they’re paying over $6,000 a year for it, on average, according to a recent survey. The survey of 2,000 American parents with a teen driver found that parents disagree more with their teens about driving (51%) than about their screen time (48%), grades (39%), … Read more
He’s spreading Christmas jeer. Penniless parents who can’t afford holiday toys for their tots deserve a fate worse than Santa’s “naughty” list, says an unsympathetic critic, who’s virally bashing folks for being broke. “If you can’t afford to buy your kids Christmas presents, then you don’t deserve kids,” Sam, a dad and dog lover, from … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My 19-year-old niece didn’t finish high school and has been in and out of rehab for years. She’s about to leave a residential program and is looking for a place to live. Her parents have implemented “house rules” she doesn’t like, notably staying drug-free and away from her boyfriend. I have three kids … Read more
AI is the new Grinch that’s stealing Christmas. Nervous laughter was Kelly Bowron’s visceral, hysterical response to her son learning the truth about Santa Claus Tuesday — courtesy of a Google search. Her Leo, 11 — whose belief in the jolly fat man had remained firmly intact from childhood to preadolescence until this week — … Read more
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year… unless you have somebody in your life who calls you “mom.” Even more so if you hear that word 50 thousand times by 10 am. In the wise words of the Grinch: “This whole Christmas season is stupid, stupid, stupid.” “Ain’t doing that extra stuff” If mothers had a … Read more
Toy bots are talking dirty to tots. As the season of gift-giving draws nigh, experts are warning parents against buying their children presents powered by AI — claiming certain robo-charged trinkets are having “sexually explicit” discussions with kids under age 12. “Some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, act dismayed when … Read more
One in six parents of kids who play sports believe they’re raising the next pro athlete, according to new research. A survey of 4,150 respondents, split between athletes, parents, and coaches of youth athletes, looked at sentiments around what sports look like right now. Seventy-two percent think that youth sports today feel more professional than … Read more
It’s a move that might stink to some parents, but there’s a new-age way to change a newborn’s undies. Drenched diapers are no longer messes that need to be ripped off a baby’s bottom posthaste, according to new advice by early childhood development researchers. Instead, the experts encourage moms and dads to request an infant’s consent — … Read more
Shannon Buck was starting to feel hopeless. For four years, she’d been trying to have a baby with husband Ryan — but natural conception, which seemed to come so easily to everyone around them, and sometimes even accidentally, just wasn’t happening for the would-be parents. Shannon and Ryan Buck spent several years trying to get pregnant … Read more
We’re in the thick of the last Mercury retrograde of 2025. Our planet of the mind and mouth, communication and commerce began its retrograde journey on November 9. Mercury will station direct on November 29 but will not clear its post-retrograde shadow until December 16. When Mercury goes retrograde (i.e, when the planet appears to … Read more