Public school is sooo 2019
Public school enrollment took a major hit during the pandemic, and it’s not bouncing back. In fact, it’s still falling. Fast.

Public school enrollment peaked in 2019 at 50.8 million students, but by 2031, nearly 4 million fewer students are expected to attend, a drop of almost 8 percent. The steepest enrollment losses are in elementary and middle grades.

Where are all the kids going?

The important bits
Home.

One great example of this comes from Massachusetts, where public enrollment is down 2 percent, while private school is up 14 percent and homeschooling has surged 45 percent.

These numbers are being seen across the country, with fewer kids entering the public school system. Additionally, falling birth rates are also contributing to the decline.

This is bad news for schools across the country because most funding is directly linked to enrollment, which unfortunately means more school closures will be coming in the years ahead. 

What's it all mean?
Some researchers say it’s not all doom and gloom. Fewer students can mean more money per kid and better teacher support. But for a system built to serve millions, it's going to take a lot of positive restructuring, and that's not something we're necessarily known for as a country.

🌲 A green space a day keeps the neurodevelopmental disorders away
Okay, so we might need to work on the slogan, but new research has shown exposure to green spaces during critical periods of early childhood development lowers the risk of developing neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD. The study looked at 1.8 million Medicaid mother–child pairs and found benefits were strongest for children in urban areas and among Black and Hispanic families. Read all about it here, and see which cities have the most parks here.

💄 Cosmetics could disrupt hormones in young children
An investigation by The Times found babies and toddlers are routinely exposed to adult cosmetics like fragranced sprays and nail polish. The risk being that infant skin is thinner and more absorbent than adult skin, making it vulnerable to irritation, allergies, and even hormone disruption. Back in 2019, a separate study voiced similar concerns, noting that every two hours, a child in the US is hospitalized due to accidental cosmetic exposure.

🧺 Laundry rules to live by
Still not sure if you're doing the whole laundry thing correctly? Well, the ✨professionals✨ joined together to give us 10 laundry rules you should never break. First rule? Always read the label before washing. Second rule? If it says "dry clean only" don't put it in the washing machine! Third rule? Not all garments should go in the dryer. Read all the tips and tricks here.

🫛 Parents are giving their kids frozen, unthawed veggies
Does your kid turn their nose up at anything green? Well, maybe it's less about the color of the food, and more about the texture. Several parents on TikTok have posted videos of their toddlers chowing down on frozen peas and carrots straight from the bag.

📚 Want your kid to read more?
Follow these 5 tips from the experts.

A quick search of our archives revealed that we have talked about parenting style  - everything from FAFO, Elephant, and Plastic Wrap! - a total of 7 times. But we haven't talked about how your parenting style may be influencing your kids' eating habits.

Until now!

If mealtimes feel like power struggles or emotional landmines, it might be time to look at how you’re feeding, not just what.

The first ‘Weekly Parent Podcast’ has arrived!

In this episode: Kiyah talks with Erin Walsh about parenting in the digital age and the science behind adolescent development. Together, they unpack how curiosity, empathy, and open communication can help parents navigate technology, co-parenting, and the evolving challenges of social media.

Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

According to the cleaning experts, there are six things you should be cleaning monthly that you're probably not. Those six things are: ceiling fan blades, cleaning tools (cloths, mops, sponges), washing machine parts, trash can lids, your phone and reusable grocery bags.

Last week, we asked you how you felt about gym bros buying breast milk and around 45% of you said, "🤢🤢🤢" while "to each their own" came in a close second.