Can you guess where the happiest kids in the world live?

And who makes the best boxed mac & cheese?

Author

The Weekly Parent
October 10, 2023

TOP OF MIND

Cleaning toilets > packing lunch
Juicy Juice may sound like an up-and-coming rapper, but in reality, it's a popular juice box company, and they recently conducted a survey of 1,000 parents.

The survey revealed that 1 in 3 parents would rather clean the bathroom than pack their kids' lunch for school. 1 in 5 would rather get a cavity filled and nearly half would rather fold the laundry.

The important bits
First-time parents are often warned about the sleepless nights, the dirty diapers, and the grocery store tantrums, but no one ever talks about the trials and tribulations of packing your kids' school lunchbox.

The seemingly mundane task can be a nightmare for a myriad of reasons. It's just one more thing you have to do, right? And you're often doing it when you're exhausted just before bed, or when you're trying to keep your head on straight during a busy morning. Some days you just want to hand your kid a bow and arrow and say, "Good luck!"

Adding to the misery is the fact that most of the time, your kids don't even eat the food you pack! 72% of the parents who participated in the survey claim their child's lunch often comes back from school untouched. And 57% report that their kids often complain about what's inside.

We should note that the survey was only focused on US-based parents who have child(ren), aged 4-8. And it was a somewhat small sample size, but we have a sneaking suspicion that the results would be similar no matter how many parents were surveyed.

What's it all mean?
Packing lunch can be a thankless job, but there are ways to make it easier! Lots of ways, in fact!

You can make a meal plan for the week, utilize leftovers, set up a little self-serve lunch station in the morning so your kids can pack their own lunch, use frozen fruit to double as an ice pack, and the list goes on and on.

Want more tips? Here are 21 from Buzzfeed and 20 more from The Healthy Family Project.

DID YOU HEAR

Who makes the best boxed mac & cheese?
We all know the best mac & cheese is homemade (see recipes in our "bites" section below) but who makes the best boxed cheesy noodles? Well, the fine folks at Bon Appétit did a blind taste test, and the results might surprise you.

In last place? Velveeta. In first place? Annie's. Somewhere in the middle? Kraft. Check out the full list here.

The happiest kids in the world live in the Netherlands
Dutch kids are routinely ranked as the happiest in the world, but why is that? Well, according to a Dutch child psychologist, it comes down to six things.

Cycling to school, balancing your work/life schedule, eating together as a family, and acceptance are among them. Read more on the Dutch way of life here.

I see dead people
Thanks to advancements in the sophisticated world of baby monitors, we're getting a 4K look at how strange our kids truly are. Chances are, you've watched your little one carry on a 15-minute conversation with an imaginary stranger.

Sometimes you might even wonder, "Are they actually seeing someone?" Well, according to Dr. Kim Peirano, kids are more susceptible to ghost sightings because they have a much greater sense of awareness than adults. This results in them picking up on energies and events that go unnoticed by most.

And lots of parents back this up with some truly spooky tales.

Thin Mintflation
In January, Girl Scout Cookie season will begin, but if you want to stuff your freezer full of Thin Mints, you're gonna have to pay a premium.

CNN says boxes of Girl Scout Cookies will jump from $5 to $6 this upcoming season.

Pfft. Like that'll stop us. Come January, we're all gonna be on the Santa Diet. You won't lose weight, but you will be jolly.

Is taking care of a pet more stressful than taking care of a kid?
These delusional pet parents seem to think so.

A DOSE OF GOOD

JUST FOR YOU

Bites: Save the box stuff for when you’re in a hurry and elevate your mac & cheese 🧀 game with these simple stovetop recipes. This 3-Ingredient-Stovetop Mac & Cheese is a must for those seeking flavor perfection, while the Food Lab’s Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac & Cheese takes gooey goodness to the next level. And don’t miss out on Bon Appétit’s twist with their Stovetop Mac & Cheese Recipe because why settle for ordinary when extraordinary is just a few ingredients away?

For those who (wrongly 😉) think that mac & cheese must go in the oven, this classic recipe will likely do the trick (but be warned: it does require more work than the stovetop version!)

Deals: Amazon Prime Day... again? You got it! Just three months ago we all were blessed with two days of extreme savings on Amazon, and now it's happening all over again. Starting today (Oct. 10) Amazon Prime members can save big on a number of items. If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the choices, The Strategist breaks down the 53 best deals including this super cool Bentgo Lunchbox, which is currently 35% off!

Pods: Looking for something new to listen to? We've been loving the Raising Good Humans podcast hosted by good human and developmental psychologist Dr. Aliza Pressman. We've also been enjoying Dinner SOS, which is a podcast from Bon Appétit answering cries for help from home cooks. You're guaranteed to learn something.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

We've had a few parenting wins, but what about a fail? Well, subscriber Robbie M. was nice enough to share one of his recent parenting blunders...

The wifey went out of town and I had to balance working overtime while trying to shuttle the kids to and from their after school activities. I crushed it for the first two days and completely failed on the third day.

Picked them up from school, dropped one kid off at soccer practice and the other off for a swimming lesson. Was 30 minutes late to pick them both up, then came home and forgot I didn't feed them dinner. It wasn't until they came in my office at nearly 8 pm, and said, "Are we gonna eat?" that it clicked.

Got them McDonald's and ice cream because I felt so guilty.

Don't feel bad, Robbie! We're sure McDonald's and ice cream for dinner was considered a "win" for them!

If you have a parenting win/fail you'd like to share, email us at [email protected] and your story might be featured in a future edition!

HERE’S A QUESTION

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Last week, we asked you if you held a secret stash of your kid's Halloween candy, and 33% of you said "No way! It's all gone by November 2nd!"

RECALLS

Millions of "rolling ball" candies.

Candy Dynamics Inc. just recalled 70 million of their popular Slime Licker Sour Rolling Liquid Candy after receiving multiple reports of the rolling applicator ball detaching from the container, creating a dangerous choking hazard. If you're not familiar with the candy, it comes in a plastic tube containing liquid candy within a rolling ball.

Made in Spain and Colombia, the two-ounce and three-ounce candy was sold in blue, red, green and pink packaging with "toxic waste" and "mega toxic waste" clearly printed on the label.

Consumers can contact the company for a full refund.

And if you're wondering why they moved so quickly on this, well, it's probably because a separate candy company who makes a very similar product just issued a recall of over 145,000 units after a fatal choking incident.

Cocco Candy and KGR Distribution recalled their Cocco Rolling Candy in April 2023 after a 7-year-old girl "choked and died after the candy’s rolling ball dislodged and became trapped in her throat."

Parents are urged to take away these candies from their kids and contact KGR for a full refund.