Online safety for kids looks brighter today
The conversation around kids and online safety is shifting in a big way.

Just last week, juries in New Mexico and California held major tech platforms accountable for harming young users, including a $375 million ruling against Meta tied to the platform hiding threats of child exploitation and mental health impacts. They also were ordered to pay $6 million in a separate case tied to app addiction.

Read more about the details of the case here.

Some experts believe now that these companies are actually being held accountable, real change might happen in regards to safety measures they put in place to protect those most vulnerable.

In the meantime, it's up to us to protect our children from the dangers of social media. The most important things you can do, according to the experts? Delay social media use for as long as possible, remove devices from bedrooms, and utilize the built-in parental controls. More on those.

👶 Goo goo gah gah... and they all lived happily ever after!
Turns out, your baby is already “telling stories” with you, long before they can talk. New research found that everyday interactions between babies and parents follow a simple pattern, like a mini story with a beginning, build-up, and ending. As babies grow, these exchanges become more frequent, more coordinated, and more joyful.

🧳 Who packs for your family's trips?
Let's be real here... packing duty usually falls on mom's shoulders. Sure, dad might physically put the 100lb suitcases in the back of the car, but that's the easy part! Mental load expert Paige Connell points out that even when parents split handling the physical packing, there is still often one left doing the invisible work like planning outfits, anticipating needs, and managing emotions. That behind-the-scenes effort is what creates stress and, often, resentment. Here's how to avoid falling into that pattern.

🥚 Does your kid need to get their cholesterol checked?
Experts now recommend first checking cholesterol at around age 10, especially if there’s a family history of heart disease. The goal is simple: catch risks early and keep cholesterol levels low to prevent problems decades down the road. There’s also a new risk calculator, called PREVENT, which looks beyond the next 10 years and estimates heart attack and stroke risk over 30 years. Find out if your family is at risk here (but it requires free sign-up to read).

👚 Children's clothing may have high levels of lead
Fast fashion may save money, but new research suggests it could come with hidden risks. In a small study, researchers found that several brightly colored children’s clothing items exceeded federal limits for lead. That’s concerning because young kids often chew on fabric, which could increase exposure to this toxic metal. Experts say even briefly chewing on the material would exceed the FDA’s daily lead intake limit for kids.

The good news? Amazon is currently having their biggest savings event in months.

The bad news? It ends tonight! Here are some of the most popular deals currently on the site.

This Olanly Chenille Bath Rug is under $10, thanks to being nearly 40% off. It’s super absorbent, quick-drying, and features a non-slip backing, so it’s as practical as it is plush under your feet.

Want to keep better track of chores around the house? This Digital Calendar Chore Chart helps manage schedules, assign chores, and keep everyone on track with an easy-to-use touchscreen. Buy it before midnight and you can save nearly $100.

After tracking your chores, maybe you want to track your steps? The Fitbit Inspire 3 tracks steps, sleep, stress, and heart rate. Best of all, it's much cheaper than a lot of the other wearables currently on the market. Get it now for 30% off. 

And finally, we don't know about you, but we always need more batteries. This 48-pack of Energizer AA and AAA batteries is nearly half off!

Breakfast for dinner
Every once in a while, I find myself circling back to something we did growing up: breakfast for dinner. My dad’s specialty was shaped pancakes. Sometimes he made crowns or little versions of us … which we always loved. Most of the time, his shapes were baseballs, basketballs, and tennis balls.

As a kid, I loved pancakes. As an adult, I need a little more protein. So when I turn to this dinner plan I usually make breakfast tacos.

Build your base:

From there, build it out with your favorite toppings (and what's in the house):

Instructions:

Warm everything up, pile it into a tortilla, and you’re done! If you really want to get fancy, fill the tortilla, enclosing both ends, and use a sandwich press to crisp up the outside of the wrap.

Not to start any trouble, but when it comes to family logistics (packing, planning, schedules)…

Last week, we asked if you preview videos before letting your child watch them, and around 43% of you said, "Sometimes" while "Always" and "Rarely" came in tied for second place.