Should you put your spouse before your kids?

TOP OF MIND

How do you say, "goo goo ga ga" in spanish?
36-year-old mother Gabrielle Gambrell and her husband spend over $2,000 a month on a private tutor for their 3-year-old son and 16-month-old daughter.

Gabrielle, who works as a public relations professor at NYU, realizes it's a lot of money to spend, but she and her husband treat it as an investment.

"Education is very important to me. I absolutely desire for my children to excel academically — especially at their young ages," she told The New York Post.

But what are her kids learning for $2,000 a month? A lot.

The important bits
During three weekly 45-minute sessions, a private tutor guides Gabrielle's kids through lessons that focus on learning Spanish, identifying colors, shapes, animals and much more.

And all those lessons are paying off. Gabrielle says her son has started preschool and he's able to answer his teacher's questions in both English and Spanish. And if you're worried she's pushing her son too hard, she claims that he loves learning and "literally does" a happy dance when it's time to attend a tutoring session.

Gabrielle isn't alone either. Apparently, the toddler tutoring business is booming. Beck Goodman, a Teach for America alumna, started offering private tutoring lessons for toddlers in Manhattan, and she was so in-demand that she was able to turn it into an actual business. She now has three full-time employees and accepts kids as young as 2 for weekly sessions ranging from $100 to $700.

But what do the experts say about this? Well, they're all for it... as long as parents are doing it for the right reasons:

What's it all mean?
Well, one thing it means is there's a 3-year-old in New York who knows more Spanish than the person writing this.

But more importantly, it means it's never too early to start teaching your kids. But of course, not everyone can afford to spend $2,000 a month on private lessons. Some people need that $2,000 for, you know, groceries and shelter.

The good news is that you don't need a high-priced tutor to make sure your toddler isn't falling behind. We live on the internet! There are free resources available everywhere you look, including on YouTube. One of our favorites is "Jady A." who has a number of great videos on her channel. You can start here.

Also, it's important to remember that every kid learns their own way, and every kid has their own unique strengths. It's important to focus on them (and please don't forget the importance of emotional intelligence).

DID YOU HEAR

What's the deal with "toxic mother-in-law math"?
You don't need a private tutor to understand this equation! There's a new "math" trend going viral on TikTok, and it's all about toxic mother-in-laws. Janelle Riddell started the controversial trend last month by sharing a video in which she explains some basic MIL math.

"Toxic mother-in-law math is having four, five grandchildren, deciding one of them is your favorite and making sure everybody knows loud and clear." 👀

Want more equations? Click here and get all that rage out before you're sitting across the table from your MIL at Thanksgiving in three short weeks.

The No. 1 thing parents are forgetting to teach their children
Okay, so your kid knows three languages, can do their own laundry, and cleans their room without you having to threaten their existence... but are they happy? This expert believes parents are no longer teaching their kids how to enjoy life.

Nike's latest shoe might help your baby walk
Have you heard of the Nike Swoosh 1? It's the first Nike Kids shoe to receive the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance. The shoe was designed to help kids who are learning to walk for the first time.

The one-of-kind shoes are currently priced at $62.

Should you put your partner before your kid?
Your immediate response to that question is likely an empathetic, "No!" but at least one relationship expert believes the key to a healthy marriage is making sure you prioritize each other before your children.

See if you can be convinced by clicking here.

You look great today! 
Struggling with giving compliments? We understand. It can feel awkward, and you never know how the other person will take it. Thankfully, there's a guide on how to give out compliments like a pro.

Motherly instincts
You MUST watch this mother save her baby seconds before a vicious storm shatters the nursery window.

A DOSE OF GOOD

JUST FOR YOU

Bites: Ok, so it’s been a week since the Halloween haul 🍫 🍬🍭came home. Maybe the candy is gone, maybe it’s in hiding, or maybe the Switch Witch made an appearance after all. But if you happen to find yourself with more than you’d like to have hanging around we’d like to introduce these 42 creative ideas for how to turn that ordinary candy into a dessert worthy of your next holiday table.

Betterments: We don't mean to spark a bout of panic, but 2024 is less than two months away! If one of your goals is to be more organized in the new year, then you might be interested to learn what makes a great planner -- the answer is more complicated than you might think. Additionally, here are 11 tips to help you become a more organized parent, but we must warn you the first one involves waking up before everyone else... 🤦

Hacks: No category has more hacks than beauty, and for good reason. We all want to look and feel our best, but sometimes you can harm your skin by doing too much. The best "hack" of all is knowing which hacks to avoid, and thankfully, some beauty experts have created a list for us. Among the beauty hacks to avoid? At-home microneedling, slugging, deep skin peels, and so much more.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

This week, loyal reader Miranda W. explains how Halloween may have numbed her daughter's sweet tooth!

We're gonna need an update on this in a month. 😉

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 if restaurants should be allowed to charge an extra fee for rowdy kids, 55% of you said "Absolutely not!" and nearly 20% said, "Only if we're allowed to discount our bill based on the quality of the food."

RECALLS

Tyson Foods Dinosaur-Shaped Nuggets.

The United States Department of Agriculture just announced a massive recall of Tyson Foods' 29-ounce plastic bag packages containing frozen dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets after discovering some nuggets were contaminated with metal pieces. At least one minor injury has already been reported.

The batch impacted by this recall has a best by date of September 4, 2024. They were sent out to multiple states, including California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.

If you have the dino-shaped nuggets in your freezer, the USDA says you should throw them out or return them to the place you bought them. Tyson adds you can simply cut the bar code from the packaging, throw out the product, and then contact them for a full refund.

You can read the full recall and contact the company here.