Happy Friday,

Learn how to fuel your child's athletic ambitions without breaking the bank, and delve into the potential of AI as a tool to enhance their education. Join the Jonas Brothers as they juggle hit songs and diaper changes, and reflect on the enriching role grandparents play in a child's life. We'll also examine a bold initiative in Florida to support LGBTQ+ students and parents amidst challenging new legislation, share strategies for calming your toddler's in-flight frustrations, and ponder the influence of climate concerns on family planning decisions. And for a thought-provoking twist, we highlight one man’s unique legal battle with his own parents.

Let’s get into it!

Parenting Pulse: Trending Stories & Insights

• How to keep costs down while still supporting your child’s sporting dreams

• AI could help to transform education (and parenting)

• The Jonas Brothers talk about juggling a career and fatherhood

• The importance of being a grandparent

• Equality Florida launched a program to help support LGBTQ+ students and parents across the state following new laws many consider hostile

• Ways that managers can help parents transition back into the workplace

Tip of the Day

• 6 ways to handle your child's midair meltdown

Read of the Day

• 53% of parents say climate change affects their decision to have more kids

• This man is trying to sue his parents for giving birth to him

❝

Sometimes I'm getting ready to go on stage and I think about that math and fourth-grade math is different than it used to be. So I'm a little more nervous this year about my ability to help.

-Kevin Jonas

Parenting Perspectives: Your Stories Shared

As a new dad, I always looked forward to each of my daughter Lily's milestones. Crawling was the next big step, and I was determined to be there for it. Every day after work, I would spread out Lily's favorite quilt on the living room floor and get down on all fours beside her.

Lily was a curious baby and loved the new perspective this activity offered her. She would watch me intently as I demonstrated a crawl, then would try to imitate me, though her version was more of an adorable belly scoot.

One day, after weeks of these practice sessions, I saw Lily lift her body up on her hands and knees for the first time. Instead of scooting, she rocked back and forth a little, building momentum. I held my breath. Then, to my delight, Lily moved one knee forward, then the next, and she was crawling!

I was thrilled, but Lily seemed to be on a mission. She crawled past her toys and went straight for the family dog, who she'd been fascinated with for months. I had a deep belly laugh as Lily reached her furry sibling, who responded with a gentle lick on her face.

In that moment, I realized that these small steps for Lily were massive leaps in her world, and felt so grateful to be part of this incredible journey with her. From then on, I started viewing our daily routines not just as practices for Lily, but as cherished moments we were sharing as father and daughter.

Question of the Day

Today, we’re changing it up and bringing you some of our reader’s responses to yesterday’s question!

• “When traveling with our kids, we swear by the power of preparation. We pack a ‘travel adventure kit’ for each child, containing coloring books, small puzzles, favorite snacks, and a couple of new, inexpensive toys that they’ve never seen before. This way, the novelty keeps them engaged for a significant part of the journey. We also make a point of explaining the flight process to them, from boarding to landing, which seems to comfort them; they love looking out the window during takeoff and landing, anticipating the steps we’ve outlined. Timing the flight close to their nap time, if possible, has also been a lifesaver – they are more likely to sleep through a large portion of the flight, making the travel smoother for everyone involved.”

• “I swear by overnight flights! We dress our kids in pajamas, and it usually syncs with their sleep schedule, making the whole experience smoother for everyone involved.”

• “I've started packing a small bag of my kids’ favorite toys and snacks. It's a lifesaver for keeping my toddler occupied and calm during flights.”

Time(out) for Memes

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