The most family friendly cities in the U.S.

What is the "childcare cliff" and how will it impact you?

Author

The Weekly Parent
September 19, 2023

TOP OF MIND

(Don't) wake me up when September ends
Have you heard of the childcare cliff? If not, buckle up. At the end of September, childcare funding via the American Rescue Plan is set to end. This means there will be a $24 billion hole left in the federal funding for childcare, which could impact over 3 million children.

The important bits
Unless congress comes together before September 30th, $24 billion worth of pandemic relief funding for childcare will evaporate. Experts warn this could result in over 3 million children losing access to care, over 200,000 child care providers losing their jobs, and around 70,000 child care facilities permanently closing their doors.

And unsurprisingly, working-and-middle class families will be impacted the most, especially in the short term.

According to an October 2022 survey by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 43% of childcare centers and 37% of home-based providers will be forced to raise rates once the funding comes to an end.

This means childcare is going to get even more expensive, and that’s bad news for the average American family, which is already spending 27% of their household income on childcare. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "affordable" childcare should be less or equal to 7% of a family's income.

And even the families that can afford childcare are facing difficulties due to long waitlists and "childcare deserts" that have popped up across the country.

Oh, and did we mention that the average pay for a childcare provider is $14 an hour? Think about the last sleepover your kid hosted... would you accept $14 an hour to watch over those rugrats for eight hours a day?

What's it all mean?

Meh. 😒

But hey, we're all about promoting positivity! It is possible congress will step up and reach a deal before the September 30th deadline. You're encouraged to appeal to politicians. Let them know just how important these policies are to you and your family.

Additionally, there are ways you can lower your childcare costs, including nanny sharing, community programs, tax credits, and much more. Click here for an exhaustive list.

DID YOU HEAR

Hooked on phonics
Have you heard of the Reading Wars? Supporters of phonics, an educational method centered on the connections between sounds and letters, stand on one side, while on the opposite side are proponents of diverse approaches promoted by educators, highlighting word recognition and contextual clues.

And surprisingly, phonics might be winning. As millions of young Americans struggle to read, some school districts (including big districts like New York City) are switching back to a "hooked on phonics" approach.

Ever yelled at your kid? Don't panic... repair!
We've said it before, but let's say it again... THE PERFECT PARENT DOES NOT EXIST!!! We're sorry for yelling. We're sure that might have been a little scary. We've had a lot going on at work and we just didn't manage our feelings properly. We've talked about that, remember? Managing your feelings? We're still learning too. Those were our feelings. They came out in a yell. It's never your fault when we yell. We love you.

Sorry, don't mind us. We were just practicing clinical psychologist Dr. Becky's "repair attachment theory," which has been described as the single most important parenting strategy by many experts. You can read more about it here, or watch her informative TED talk here.

The most family-friendly cities of 2023
What makes a city family-friendly? Well, according to Opendoor, outdoor spaces and parks are two huge determining factors. And with that in mind, they created their second annual list of top family-friendly cities.

Top of the list? Somerville, MA, located less than five miles outside of Boston. Coming in second and third are Berkeley, CA and Cliffside Park, NJ.

See if your city made the cut here.

Can you pass the potatoes?
We've all heard experts talk about how important family dinners are. A 2022 study found that 91% of parents reported their families were less stressed when they ate meals together regularly.

But what on earth are you supposed to talk about? Here are 33 questions to get the party started.

Signs your tot is ready for kindergarten
Back-to-back potato references? Fry and stop us! Sorry. We'll stop. It's time for a fresh starch after all.

This truly insightful article from We Are Teachers gives you all the signs you need to look out for to determine if your little one is ready for kindergarten. Some skills to watch for are the abilities to retell a simple story, follow one-step directions and count to 10.

This mom has given birth to 9 boys
And she's not stopping until she gets a girl!

A DOSE OF GOOD

JUST FOR YOU

Bites: Let’s get green 🌱! There are a million health reasons to eat leafy greens but these recipes also give plenty of good taste reasons too 😋. This Thai coconut soup is great on its own or served over steamed rice, while this creamy spinach bake makes a great side for any main (with or without meat!). You could also consider adding greens to your next lasagna or a simple pasta with greens, olive oil and parmesan cheese. 💚

Reads: Ever think about how much time you spend staring at a screen? And then do you look at your kid and worry incessantly about their screen time? It can be an overwhelming subject to tackle, but thankfully there's a book (The Art of Screen Time) to calm your worried mind. Renowned author Anya Kamentz utilizes her own research along with insights from various highly qualified experts to delve into the reasons why digital media holds such appeal for children of all ages. It's a refreshing and balanced take on a subject that is far more nuanced than the headlines claim.

Hacks: In the colorful world of parenting, few challenges are as vexing as the LEGO explosion that can take over your home at any given moment. But fear not, for within these tiny bricks lie the secrets to organized chaos. Here are 38 LEGO storage hacks that will transform your LEGO-laden world from minefield to masterpiece.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

What's this? A new section? Yes! Every week, we'll feature a submission from you (the reader!) detailing a recent parenting win or fail you've had. You can send in your stories to [email protected].

This week, we have reader Todd L. sharing a tale of carbon monoxide monsters:

Trying to ensure I had all the securities in place to keep my family safe, I purchased and installed a carbon monoxide detector in the upstairs hallway, near the kids’ bedrooms (mine is the floor below). When my twins, aged 4, saw me putting it in, they had questions. Not wanting to spook them with tales of potentially “poisonous gas” or an extensive explanation of the detector function, and knowing that the odds of the detector ever going off were next to nothing, I told them …in a very serious tone of voice… that it detected monsters. The kids had been expressing a fear of monsters so I figured I’d just solved two problems at once. Parenting win.

Until later that night, after the kids had been in bed for quite a while, when the malfunction occurred. The detector blared, and after taking a second to process what was happening, I ran up the stairs to find the kids, wide-eyed and frozen in fear, waiting for the monsters to appear. #bestlaidplans

HERE’S A QUESTION

What’s your secret superpower as a parent?

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Last week, we asked you what your go-to rainy day activity was, and nearly half of you said "endless board games" with "family movie marathon" coming in a close second.

RECALLS

What happened:
These water bead activity kits come with a serious and alarming cautionary note. In the unfortunate event that a child swallows one of these beads, they have the ability to expand inside their tiny stomachs, posing a grave risk of choking, intestinal blockages, and, in tragic cases, even death.

The scale of this recall is staggering, as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in collaboration with Buffalo Games LLC, has issued a recall of a whopping 52,000 of these activity kits. The beads are known for expanding in size when they come in contact with water, which spells big trouble if ingested. There's already a heart-wrenching report of a 10-month-old in Wisconsin losing their life in July 2023 due to these beads. Another 9-month-old in Maine had a close call and needed surgery after swallowing the beads in November 2022.

What you should do:
If you believe you may have this product in your playroom, check for the Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit on a purple container label. Inside, you'd find both "jumbo" and "regular" water beads, along with some other accessories like toy fish, a scissor scoop, and more. They were sold in a distinct purple box with UPC Number 079346627035 on its back.

The activity kit was sold exclusively at Target stores (and online at Target.com) from March to November 2022.

For more info, get in touch with Buffalo Games toll-free at 800-
637-0732 or visit their recall section here.

But wait, aren't there a lot of toys with water beads?
Yes.

And according to this product liability lawyer, there shouldn’t be…