What is elephant parenting? And should you even be doing it?

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There are three great prizes up for grabs:
💰 Grand Prize: $100 Baby List Gift Card
💸 Second Prize: $75 Baby List Gift Card
💝 Third Prize: $50 Baby List Gift Card

To enter, share The Weekly Parent with your friends and family using the "Click to Share" button below or copy and paste the link. Every referral who signs up counts as an entry, and the entries are unlimited!

We'll announce the winners in next week's newsletter. Good luck!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel to reach out at [email protected].

TOP OF MIND

Four-day school week gaining momentum
Nearly 900 school districts in the United States have adopted the four-day school week, which may not sound like a lot, but the number has been increasing steadily every year. In 2020, the number was at just 650 school districts.

The move appears to be motivated by the desire to cut costs and fill teacher vacancies, but what about the children?

The important bits
Last week, we told you about the impending "childcare cliff" that promises to shut down child care facilities and raise the cost of childcare for parents across the country.

So the last thing you want to hear about is a potential extra childcare day to worry about, but unfortunately, that's the direction we're headed.

In recent years, a significant number of rural school districts switched to a four-day weekly academic schedule. Now, larger school districts are adopting the new routine in an effort to combat the national teacher shortage.

School districts that have made the switch have noticed a drastic rise in teacher applications. And while that's good news for teachers, it's potentially bad news for students and parents.

Experts warn the biggest downside to the new schedule is the longer school days, which threaten to challenge students' attention spans, especially younger students. In one 12-state study led by Oregon State University professor Paul Thompson, students in a four-day program had "reductions in both math and English/language arts achievement."

In another study from RAND (a non-partisan American nonprofit global policy think tank) students in four-day school week districts fell behind a little every year. They also didn't find that students were engaging in hobbies or extracurricular activities during their extra day off.

And then you have to think about the parents who can't afford to take off work to watch their children. They'll be hit the hardest. Some school districts have offered discounted childcare options, but not every family can afford that.

What's it all mean?
Well, it's too early to say. There are over 13,000 school districts in the U.S., which means just 6% of them have changed to a four-day school week. For right now, the problem remains somewhat isolated, but if the numbers continue to increase, school districts might start seeing major pushback from parents.

And while this four-day schedule has shown to improve teacher retention, all experts agree the best way to retain teachers is to simply pay them more. Shocking, huh?

DID YOU HEAR

Let's address the elephant in the room
You've probably heard of tiger parents, jellyfish parents, and helicopter parents, but what about elephant parents? The relatively new parenting style prioritizes the happiness and emotional security of the child by highlighting the importance of warmth, empathy, and encouragement. Experts believe it helps build confidence and strengthens the parent-child connection.

Here are 6 signs that you're already an elephant parent, and here are 4 mistakes to avoid while implementing the technique.

Dads, being a family man could improve your kids' education
If your kid is struggling in class, perhaps all they need is some quality dad time? A study led by the University of Leeds determined that children do better in school if their dads engage in activities with them like reading, drawing, singing and telling stories. What's interesting is that they seemed to find a distinction between the impact of mothers and fathers.

A dads involvement had an impact on educational attainment, while mothers had more impact on social and emotional behaviors.

Of course, whether your child has one mom and one dad, two moms, two dads, or one mom and a robot butler named Geoff, the key is to create space in your schedule for lots of quality time with your children.

4-question test to find out if you're overindulging your child
We've all been completely broken down by a kid tantrum before. Perhaps it happened on a torturous Sunday afternoon inside Costco after gently telling your 4-year-old, "No, you don't need a 5-gallon tub of M&Ms." It's easy to give in when even the person handing out vienna sausage samples is giving you a dirty look.

But it's important to not make "giving in" a habit, because that becomes overindulgent parenting, and that's bad news for your child. Take this 4-question test to make sure you're avoiding some fairly common (but impactful) mistakes.

Amoxicillin shortage
Remember the amoxicillin shortage last year? Well, it's happening all over again, and this time the shortage is directly impacting liquid amoxicillin, which means pediatric patients will suffer the most. Thankfully, there are alternatives to the drug, but they may come with more severe side effects.

This woman named her kid "Methamphetamine Rules"
Or meth for short.

A DOSE OF GOOD

JUST FOR YOU

Bites: Jump on the pumpkin spice bandwagon with these breakfast ideas! While you can never go wrong with a scone, muffins also make a great vehicle for pumpkin. This one is true to its promised pumpkin flavor, while this one is more like dessert (but we won't tell if you don't). Want a muffin but in bread form? Try this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. And for the adults in your life, we recommend this Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte or this Spiced Chai. You won't be sorry. 🎃

Betterments: The new self-care trend? Bed rotting. The term has gained popularity on TikTok, and it basically consists of "wasting away under your cozy comforter for a few hours and being intentionally unproductive." And while finding a few hours to yourself as a parent can be challenging, it's essential. In fact, a new study shows how taking "power naps" can actually make you a better parent. So rest your worried mind. You have our permission.

Gizmos: Have you seen these colorable pajamas? They are pretty dang adorable. Caden Lane just dropped the new collection, which features colorable pajamas, pillowcases and tote bags. And there are lots of patterns to choose from, including Christmas themed sets, mermaids, construction zones, dinosaur parks, and more! There's no sponsorship here. We just think they're super neat, and honestly, we want some for grown-ups as well! WE WANT TO COLOR PAJAMAS TOO!

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

Our latest parenting win comes from beloved subscriber Grammy Marie. She witnessed a lesson in kindness while dropping her grandson off at daycare and just had to share with us.

Aw. We love it. Thanks for sharing, Grammy Marie!

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

Last week we asked you your secret superpower as a parent. 40% of you said “The ability to find lost toys in the most unexpected places” with “The skill of translating toddler language into something coherent” being a very close second.

RECALLS

Kraft Singles American Cheese.

We figured at some point Kraft Singles would be recalled due to a mass gagging event, but we thought it would be because people finally discovered they weren't actually eating cheese.

Apparently, there's an even bigger problem going on. Kraft Heinz was forced to recall over 83,000 cases of individually wrapped Kraft Singles because at least six people reported gagging or choking on the plastic film that covers the cheese. The company claims there was a manufacturing problem that caused the plastic to stick to the cheese, creating a choking hazard.

Thankfully, no serious injuries have been reported and Kraft Heinz says the problem was isolated to just one of their wrapping machines. The problem has since been fixed.

If you have Kraft Singles in your fridge, make sure they're not part of the recall by locating the package code and "Best When Used By" dates on the packaging.

You're looking for a code of 0 2100061526 1 and best by dates between Jan. 10, 2024, and Jan. 27, 2024.

If you're one of the unlucky ones, Kraft instructs you to take the product back to the store for an exchange or refund. If you don't remember the store you bought it from, you can call Kraft Heinz at 1-800-280-8252 and they'll reimburse you.