90% Of Parents Are Too Stressed To Sleep

TOP OF MIND

There's a caregiving crisis
Care.com released a fairly shocking study this past week, revealing 90% of parents are losing sleep due to the stress of caring for their children. 80% admitted to regularly crying, 75% said they feel a sense of dread, and most concerning, nearly 30% have considered suicide or self-harm.

They polled 3,000 U.S. parents to complete their annual Cost of Care report.

What's causing all this stress? Let's look at the details.

The important bits
According to the report, there are three key causes: financial trouble, lack of support in caregiving, and not having any personal time.

He's not wrong. Right now, the average parent spends 40% of their household income  on caregiving, with 22% of that going to child care.

This means parents are having to dip into their savings, take on multiple jobs or even go into debt just to keep the household afloat.

What's it all mean?
We need help. Thankfully, the internet is full of resources. For example, Care.com has put together a nifty toolkit to help stressed out parents. Here are some additional tips for first-time parents.

DID YOU HEAR

🤳🏽 These are my kids: Like & Subscribe
The first "influencer camp" for children took place in Austin this past year. Parents pay around $250 for their kid to have two days of influencer training. They teach kids to film, edit, review toys, livestream, and even how to partner with brands. They cited Ryan's World as a huge success, noting how he became a millionaire by the age of nine. By the way, a study from last year found that more kids want to be vloggers than become astronauts.

🥦 The healthiest way to eat vegetables?
The way that actually makes you and your kids want to eat them! Dietitian Carlene Thomas says people always ask her about the healthiest way to prepare vegetables, but she says the answer is a little complicated. The simplest version of her answer? The best vegetables are the ones you actually want to eat, no matter how you prepare them. But if you really want to dig deeper into raw vs cooked, she has all the information here.

🤤 Hunger during pregnancy can be a major issue
New research, which looked at more than 19,300 pregnant Kaiser Permanente Northern California members, found that those who went hungry or worried about getting food while pregnant were at higher risk of serious complications. The good news? There's an easy fix for this, and it revolves around food assistance programs.

🧸 The best tech for your kids
The Verge surveyed the parents on their staff to determine the most helpful gadgets for your little ones. Our favorites on the list? This $30 Yogasleep Hushh Sound Machine. It's small, portable, and doesn't require any subscription to use. This $139 GB Pockit Air All-Terrain Stroller is one of our favorites, mostly because it's super compact and is airplane hand luggage-compliant. And finally, this $28 Fisher-Price Penguin because it's cute as heck.

🐭 Scientists create a mouse with two fathers
What does this mean for humans?

DOSE OF GOOD

BITES WITH KIYAH

I get questions like this, sent in from a reader, all the time: "Help! My toddler won't eat anything I make. He’s become an absolute terror at meal time. And I don't want to cave, but it feels like my only option. What can I do?"

Behavior like this elevates the tension for everyone at the dinner table. And while it is so tempting to give in to demands, that is a short term fix that ultimately leads to a longer term problem. 

But there are some things that you can do to de-escalate emotionally charged situations like this while still supporting the development of long-long healthy habits for your kids.

Chief among them: remember what is your job vs. your child's when it comes to mealtime. It is your job to decide what food is available and when it is served. It is your child's job to decide what  - and how much - they want to eat from what’s available. The more consistent you are with this practice, the more it will help in the long run.

Check out the full list of tips here.

HERE’S A QUESTION

Last week, we asked if you thought kids should be allowed to use ChatGPT to help with their schoolwork, and the result was mixed. Around 55% said they weren't a fan, while 40% said it could be helpful, but mainly for researching and assisting.

RECALLS

Broccoli from Walmart
Broccoli sold at Walmart in 20 states is currently part of a recall due to potential health risks, and the FDA labeled this a Class I recall − the highest recall risk level issued by the agency, as it can potentially lead to death. The broccoli in question comes from 12-ounce bags of washed and ready to eat Marketside Broccoli Florets from Braga Fresh. Learn more here.

Also, Gerber Teething Sticks after customers complained of potential choking hazards.