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Tag: kids

  • Mom says JetBlue tried making her 1-year-old sit alone. Is she valid?: ‘Should be illegal’

    Flying is enough of a nightmare as it is these days without adding impossible logistics into the mix. And what’s a challenging (if beloved) logistic at the best of times?

    Kiddos, of course!

    Flying with kids has never been easy. Though certain parents do seem to insist on making it more of a headache for everyone involved. However, this challenge is definitely not helped by chaos that results in flights, plans, and even seats being shuffled around.

    One mother has gone viral on TikTok after allegedly dealing with such chaos. Her kid wasn’t even 2 years old yet.

    What happened on this JetBlue flight?

    In a TikTok posted in Dec. 2025, which has since gotten over 200,000 views, mother Britney Maz (@britneymaz) shared a harrowing tale. She says she was allegedly almost separated from her son on a JetBlue flight. She recounts the story via captions on a video of her son peacefully playing in his seat on the plane.

    “JetBlue tried to separate me and my 22 month old son today,” Maz writes to start off the video. “Has this happened to anyone else?”

    Maz shares that the flight started like any other, and that things seemed normal when she’d initially booked tickets for herself and her son.

    “For context – when I booked we had seats together,” Maz writes. “They changed the plane and there were only middle seats available when I was notified (we were initially row 32, this plane only had 27 rows).”

    While this seemed stressful, Maz says she was promised it wouldn’t be an issue. They told her that she’d still be able to sit next to her son.

    “I called JetBlue (twice) and they assured me (twice) we would be re-assigned seats together,” she writes.

    Unfortunately, it turned out that was apparently not the case

    “We were assigned 18b and 19b and at the gate counter I was told we wouldn’t be able to sit together,” Maz writes. “They wound up putting us together but now before tears were shed and I was humiliated at the counter.”

    All in all, a deeply stressful lead-up to flying, which many parents already dread. Maz finishes her video by prompting other parents to chime in, as she “would love to know if [they’ve] had a similar experience.”

    @britneymaz I’m relieved the situation was resolved, but the whole experience was very stressful. I’m hesitant to book @JetBlue again after this trip. We used to love them and we fly a lot (my son has been on 14 flights and he’s not even 2). We have bought him a seat on every flight. As a parent traveling solo, I’m nervous this will happen again. Thoughts? *Note – the crew on this flight were incredible. So helpful and kind.* #traveltiktok #flyingwithkids #traveltips #airlinetiktok ♬ a dream is a wish your heart makes – christina perri

    Parents feel for Maz’s predicament

    Parents were quick to convey their sympathy to Maz. Some expressed a need to see tighter airline regulations that protect parents and children.

    “This should be illegal,” one viewer commented. “Like you asked me my kids age when I booked the seats: they should automatically be blocked from doing this to anyone 12 and under.”

    “You should not be allowed to book tickets without seat assignments when traveling with a minor,” another wrote.

    Some commenters were even cracking up. They imagined what would have happened if JetBlue ultimately hadn’t let Maz and her son sit together. They noted that hardly would have been an ideal flying experience for any of the passengers at all.

    “Bahahahah,” one commenter laughed. “Good luck to the seat mates.”

    “Can you imagine a 2yr old being sat next you that’s not yours?!” echoed another.

    In a reply to one commenter, Maz revealed she had actually initially “paid $500 per ticket and selected [both her and her son’s] seats when [she] booked.

    “I didn’t pay extra to be in the front of the plane because I know flight attendants will try to move kids having a meltdown to the back of the plane,” Maz wrote. “I booked at the back intentionally just in case that happened. JetBlue’s own policy is families will be sat together even in Blue Basic. I guess I had to pay even more to ensure me and my ‘infant in a seat’ stay together but that doesn’t seem right. That seems like a bait and switch, no?”

    What is the policy at JetBlue when it comes to seating?

    Under the ‘Family Seating’ section of JetBlue’s Customer Service Plan webpage, the airline says it guarantees “seating children under 13 with a parent or accompanying adult at no additional cost, even on Blue Basic fares” if the right conditions are met. These conditions include all passengers being “on the same reservation” and passengers making “no changes to seat assignments after they have been assigned.”

    However, these conditions do stipulate that Family Seating is only guaranteed if “there is no change from the originally planned aircraft to an aircraft with a different seat configuration.” In that event, the JetBlue guidelines say that “JetBlue will make every effort to seat children next to an accompanying adult.” However, if that’s still not possible, passengers still have several options to explore as part of the guarantee. This includes being rebooked at no additional cost to a new flight with adjacent seats.

    The Mary Sue has reached out to Maz via TikTok comment and JetBlue via email to request additional comment.

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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    Sophia Paslidis

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  • Who Are Matt Lauer’s Kids? Meet Sons Jack and Thijs and Daughter Romy

    It’s been eight years since Matt Lauer was forced out of the spotlight following allegations of sexual misconduct. During that time, his three children have managed to mostly stay out of the limelight.

    Lauer married Dutch model Annette Roque in 1998. The couple went on to welcome sons Jack and Thijs and daughter Romy.

    Once Lauer’s alleged misconduct made headlines in 2017, he was fired from NBC after being a host on the network for more than two decades. (Lauer was accused by a female colleague of inappropriate behavior during NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, three years prior.)

    Lauer said in a statement at the time that he was “truly sorry” for the “pain I have caused others by my words and actions,” but the fallout from the scandal poisoned his career and affected his romantic relationship.


    Related: Is Matt Lauer Still Married? His and Annette Roque’s Relationship Timeline

    Matt Lauer and his second wife, Annette Roque, were months away from celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary when the TV host was hit by scandal. In November 2017, Lauer’s contract as cohost of NBC’s Today was terminated when he was accused of sexual misconduct. Lauer allegedly harassed a female staffer when they covered the Winter […]

    Roque filed for divorce in July 2019 and Lauer since has worked hard to rebuild his connection with his kids. “He is on good terms with his kids, which was the most important thing for him,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2024. “This was not always the case post-divorce but now he’s good with the kids.”

    Scroll down for everything we know about Lauer’s children:

    Jack Lauer

    What to Know About Matt Lauers 3 Kids With Ex-Wife Annette Roque Meet Jack Romy and Thijs Eldest Son

    Jack Lauer.     Matt Agudo/INSTAR Images

    Lauer and Roque welcomed their first child, son Jack, in June 2001. “Becoming a dad gave me perspective; it brought balance to my life,” Lauer told Good Housekeeping in 2007.

    The following year, Lauer told his Today cohosts that his eldest son was a “sports fanatic,” with whom he frequently attended games with in New York City. The pair was spotted at the New York Knicks games and New York Rangers games over the years.

    “All he cares about is sports. Baseball in the summer, basketball in the winter, football in the fall. He loves it,” Lauer said of Jack in 2008.

    As an adult, Jack has managed to stay out of the public eye. He doesn’t have a public social media account and hasn’t popped up on sister Romy’s profile in recent years.

    Matt Lauer Reunites With Today Hosts at Former Producers Wedding 6 Years After Scandal


    Related: Matt Lauer Reunites With ‘Today’ Hosts 6 Years After Scandal, Firing

    Six years after Matt Lauer was fired from Today following his misconduct scandal, he reunited with several of his former coworkers. Lauer, 65, was spotted at the wedding of former show producer Jennifer Long in New York City on Saturday, December 9. Lauer wore a black suit, matching girlfriend Shamin Abas’ dark gown. They held […]

    Romy Lauer

    What to Know About Matt Lauers 3 Kids With Ex-Wife Annette Roque Meet Jack Romy and Thijs Daughter

    Romy Lauer.     Courtesy of Romy Lauer/Instagram

    Romy is the only daughter of Lauer and ex-wife Roque. She was born in October 2003. Romy made her TV debut at 3 years old when her father read her a story on a special episode of Sesame Street.

    Over the years, Romy has focused on horseback riding, having competed in jumping and other events since she was young. Romy has continued to compete at a high level since going off to University of Miami for college in 2022.

    Romy has been dating University of Miami tennis player Antonio Prat since April 2023, according to her Instagram. “Happy to live by your side. 730 days. Love you ❤️,” Prat wrote via Instagram in April 2025, celebrating the couple’s second anniversary.

    Romy made headlines in September 2024 when news broke that she crashed a car into a fence in the Hamptons in July of that year. Romy was given a traffic ticket for leaving the scene, according to People. She never went to trial for the incident.

    Thijs Lauer

    What to Know About Matt Lauers 3 Kids With Ex-Wife Annette Roque Meet Jack Romy and Thijs Son

    Thijs Lauer.     Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Studios

    Lauer and Roque’s youngest child, son Thijs, was born in November 2006. Thijs is pronounced “Tice,” and is a common Dutch name short for Matthijs (a.k.a. the Dutch equivalent of Matthew.) Roque is from the Netherlands and Lauer’s full name is Matthew, so Thijs is a nod to both parents.

    Thijs was born two months after Roque filed for divorce from Lauer in September 2006, citing “cruel and inhumane” behavior. She withdrew her petition three weeks later, but the pair split for good in 2019.

    Thijs has remained out of the spotlight during his teenage years and into young adulthood. He has a social media account, but it is private. Thijs, however, was spotted in a photo from a trip to Mongolia in 2023, which his sister, Romy, posted on her Instagram.

    According to his Instagram bio, Thijs is a student at Boston College. Thijs was highlighted in June 2025 via Boston College 2030’s social media page, where he shared he was living in Switzerland at boarding school for three years before returning to the U.S. for college. “I’m a Swiss ski instructor (love to ski) and like [to] go to the gym,” the profile read.

    Johnni Macke

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  • 2026 prediction: AI may unleash the most entrepreneurial generation we’ve ever seen

    Editor’s note: This piece originally ran on the Clayton Christensen Institute’s blog and is republished here with permission.

    Picture someone sitting at a kitchen table after the kids are finally in bed, laptop open, half-drunk mug of herbal tea nearby. For years, she has had a vague idea for a business–custom curriculum design for small learning pods, for example, or a micro-studio creating bespoke art for local nonprofits. She never moved on it. Too many barriers: no time to figure out incorporation, no budget for a web developer, no clue how to do marketing or bookkeeping, no appetite for the legal and tax homework.

    But now she types a prompt into an AI assistant.

    Within an evening, she has a draft business plan, a shortlist of ideas for company names with available domains, a first version of a logo, a one-page website, basic contract language, a starter bookkeeping system, filled-out forms and instructions for registering her business, and a rough sense of how many clients she’d need to cover her bills. None of it is perfect. But it’s enough to move from daydream to first customer.

    That’s the quiet revolution we’re underestimating.

    Most of the public conversation about AI and the labor market is fixated on one (very real) side of the story: which jobs disappear, which tasks get automated, which industries will “lose” the most positions. 

    That conversation isn’t wrong. But it’s incomplete. The same technology that allows big companies to run with far fewer people also lowers the barriers to entry for people who want to create value on their own.

    AI is about to pull the labor market in two directions at once: inward, as firms need fewer employees; and outward, as more individuals gain the tools to act like firms.

    The coming wave of layoffs

    Inside large organizations, the logic is brutally simple. If a machine can do part of a task, fewer humans can do the same job. If a machine can coordinate multiple tasks, fewer humans are needed to manage them. AI turns out to be remarkably good at exactly the kind of work that employed millions of people: following procedures, coordinating handoffs between departments, and navigating bureaucratic complexity.

    Some companies will use AI to squeeze costs out of business-as-usual: automating reporting, drafting, customer support, basic analysis, etc. Others will be challenged by newcomers who never built the bulky structures at all. A firm launched in 2026 might not need a marketing department; it has an AI system that writes, tests, and schedules campaigns. It might not need layers of middle management; coordination and monitoring can be handled by software.

    Clayton Christensen wrote about “efficiency innovations“–efforts to improve profitability by letting a company do the same work with fewer resources. AI might be the ultimate efficiency innovation. Whether it’s deployed by incumbents to trim fat or by startups that never had the fat to begin with, the destination is similar: less demand for traditional employment inside firms.

    We will still have multinational corporations worth billions of dollars. But they will be increasingly lean on staff compared with their 20th-century predecessors: more revenue per employee, more output per headcount, and fewer career ladders.

    The personal back office

    At the same time, something more hopeful is happening at the edges of the economy.

    For most of history, the jump from “I have an idea” to “I have a business” required access to expertise. Lawyers to set up entities and contracts. Accountants to manage books and taxes. Designers and engineers to build products, websites, and marketing. Consultants or mentors to help you avoid rookie mistakes. You either had those skills yourself, had friends who did, or had enough capital to hire them. Many people simply didn’t.

    AI breaks that bottleneck. It turns fragments of expertise into something you can “rent by the prompt.”

    You still need judgment. You still need creativity. You still need taste, grit, and some tolerance for risk. But you no longer need a small army. The solo founder at the kitchen table has, for the first time in history, a kind of general-purpose back office: a system that can draft, design, summarize, translate, troubleshoot, and simulate at a level that used to require multiple professionals.

    Entrepreneurship won’t suddenly become easy. Most new ventures will still fail. Markets will still be unforgiving. Competition may become even more fierce as barriers to entry fall. But the option to try becomes widely available in a way it simply wasn’t before. The barrier shifts from “I can’t even begin” to “Is the potential upside on this idea worth the risk,” which is a very different kind of problem.

    The paradox young people will inherit

    Put these forces together, and the picture that emerges is neither techno-utopian nor apocalyptic.

    Inside firms, AI will quietly erode demand for routine cognitive work. Meanwhile, outside firms, AI will expand the frontier of what individuals can plausibly do on their own or in small teams. That’s the real tension: fewer stable slots in the big machines; more tools to build something of your own.

    Whether this becomes a story of flourishing or precarity depends on lots of things–tax policy, social safety nets, and the speed of change. But one piece of the puzzle is squarely in the domain I work in: how we educate young people for the world they’re walking into.

    The school of compliance in an entrepreneurial age

    For more than a century, mass schooling has been the farm system for large organizations. It has been remarkably good at what it was implicitly designed to do: teach people to be reliable cogs in bureaucratic machines.

    The official curriculum covers math, reading, science, history, etc. The unofficial curriculum teaches something else: how to succeed in a rule-bound institution.

    You learn that:

    • There is always someone above you who sets the assignment.
    • The path to success is deciphering what that person wants.
    • The safest strategy is to follow instructions faithfully.
    • Tasks come with rubrics that specify the criteria for a good performance.
    • Your job is to hit those criteria as cleanly as possible.

    Do that over thirteen years, and those who get good at winning in the game of school also get very good at reading institutions. They sense where the boundaries are, who has authority, and which boxes need to be checked. They become, in a word, employable–especially in environments where advancement comes from mastering the existing playbook rather than writing a new one.

    There is nothing inherently wrong with those skills. For much of the 20th century, this was a rational preparation for a world in which the dominant path to a middle-class life ran through large, hierarchical employers.

    But it’s almost the opposite of what today’s entrepreneurship requires.

    Innovative entrepreneurship is what happens when there’s no rubric, when no one has written the assignment. When the problem itself is fuzzy, you have to decide which part of it is worth solving. It rewards people who notice friction or unmet needs, test rough solutions, and iterate under uncertainty. It punishes those who are good at execution but expect someone else to tell them what to execute. It favors those who are comfortable with ambiguity and relish innovation. It hobbles those who see their purpose as delivering reliability and efficiency on well-worn rails.

    The risk we face is that we will send a generation of students into an AI-transformed economy superbly trained in the old game, just as the old game is shrinking. We’ve taught them to follow procedures, coordinate handoffs, and navigate bureaucracy–precisely the skills AI systems excel at. We’ve led them to expect that career success comes from mastering the rungs on tried-and-true institutionalized career pathways. Meanwhile, the jobs along those conventional pathways are dwindling.

    A different kind of preparation

    If AI really does reduce the number of people big firms need, while making it dramatically easier for individuals to create value directly, then schools have a choice.

    They can double down on being pipelines into a narrowing corporate world–ever more focused on test scores, credentials, and compliance with external standards. Or they can take seriously the task of preparing young people to navigate a world in which many of the best opportunities will be ones they help invent.

    That doesn’t mean abandoning core knowledge and skills. Young people will still need to know how to read and communicate with each other and with AI. They’ll still need math and science to conceptually understand how the world works. They’ll still need literature and history to engage with the narratives from the past that define the present. But it also means they’ll need repeated, meaningful practice in:

    • Identifying problems that no adult has pre-packaged.
    • Spotting unmet Jobs to Be Done where people are cobbling together workarounds.
    • Finding their comparative advantages rather than competing on narrow measures.
    • Designing and testing solutions that might fail.
    • Dealing with ambiguous feedback.
    • And exercising agency rather than just obedience.
    • Learning how to wrestle with problems that are complex, not just complicated.

    Traditional schooling trains students to compete for scarce slots–top class rankings, starting positions on teams, and admission to selective colleges–on standardized dimensions where everyone is measured the same way. That made sense when the goal was landing one of a limited number of corporate jobs. But entrepreneurship works differently. It rewards people who identify niches that are valuable but unattractive to large companies, and who figure out where they can meaningfully differentiate rather than trying to be marginally better than everyone else at the same thing.

    My prediction, then, is this:

    In the coming years, AI will allow companies to do more with fewer employees. At the same time, it will quietly lower the barriers to entrepreneurship and creative self-employment in ways we are only beginning to see. 

    The question for education is whether we will keep treating students primarily as future employees of large systems or help them become future innovators in a landscape where powerful new tools of creation are sitting right in front of them.

    For more on what the future looks like for today’s students, visit eSN’s Digital Learning hub.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

    Thomas Arnett, Clayton Christensen Institute

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  • 17 fun and eventful ways to make this Valentine’s Day extra special for your kids

    As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below*

    Valentine’s Day is a great chance to make special memories with your kids. Try fun activities, thoughtful gestures, and moments that show them how much you care. Shop our list of top picks to help make the day unforgettable.

    JIALE Valentines Gingham Tablecloth

    JIALE Valentines Gingham Tablecloth

    Create a festive mood by setting the table with this classic pink tablecloth for your Valentine’s Day breakfast. Add some matching decorations to make it pop.

    Rose Gold Love Heart Table Confetti

    Rose Gold Love Heart Table Confetti

    Sprinkle this gold heart confetti on your table for some extra sparkle. Your kids will appreciate the special touch. Sometimes, the small details matter most.

    Hanging Hearts Garland

    Hang this red-and-pink heart garland near the breakfast table or along their bedroom door frames as the perfect backdrop. This set includes 8 preassembled garland strands.

    FreshCut Crafts 240 Pieces Heart Paper Cutouts

    FreshCut Crafts 240 Pieces Heart Paper Cutouts

    Every year, I use these hearts to leave loving messages on my daughter’s bedroom door. Beginning February 1, she wakes up each day to find a new heart with a new message until February 14th. You can join in the tradition by leaving heart messages for your child.

    Pink Heart Stationery

    Place note cards on their pillow at night or on the breakfast table in the morning. Let them know you care. Even a simple ‘I love you’ or ‘You’re the best’ can brighten your child’s day.

    JOYIN Valentine’s Day Mochi Squishy Toys

    JOYIN Valentine’s Day Mochi Squishy Toys

    Give your child a small trinket and a note they can keep in their pocket all day. These squishy toys are adorable and sure to make them smile.

    Love You Bear

    This cute bear makes a great gift. Place it at the foot of the bed so your child wakes up to a special surprise. There are several styles and colors to choose from.

    LEGO Roses

    Surprise them with these Lego roses for Valentine’s Day. Build them together to make the day extra special. The set includes two red roses with adjustable stems.

    Pastabilities Fun Shaped Pasta

    Pastabilities Fun Shaped Pasta

    Kids love pasta, and this one is shaped like hearts. It’s a fun choice for Valentine’s Day dinner. The flavor is called ‘Eat Your Heart Out.’ Serve it on your decorated table to make the meal even more special.

    Heart Cookie Cutter Set

    Have fun with this heart-shaped cookie cutter set. Use it for pancakes, sandwiches, and homemade cookies. Your kids will get a kick out of your full-on hearts theme.

    Heart Shaped Martini Cocktail Glasses

    Heart Shaped Martini Cocktail Glasses

    Add these acrylic heart-shaped glasses to your table setting. Imagine the giggles when your children are sipping apple cider or eating ice cream from these Valentine’s Day cups.

    Decorative Faux Book Stack Block

    Decorative Faux Book Stack Block

    Place this playful centerpiece on your breakfast or dinner table. The faux book stack says, “Be My Valentine.” It will add just the right touch of flair to your setting.

    COCHIE Metal Happy Valentine’s Day Sign

    Decorate your home with this ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ sign to help everyone enjoy the holiday spirit. Set it on a counter or table to get your family in the mood to celebrate.

    Red Heart, Box of Chocolates

    Red Heart, Box of Chocolates

    Wear this fun costume when you walk your kids to the bus stop. It will be a memory they won’t forget. The costume has wide elastic bands on each side for a comfortable fit.

    Valentine’s Day Journal

    Start this journal by writing about one of your favorite Valentine’s Day memories. Then give it to your child so they can add their own memories.

    Fujifilm Instax Mini SE Instant Camera

    Fujifilm Instax Mini SE Instant Camera

    Go for a family walk after school and look for heart-shaped objects. Your kids can use this cool pink camera to take photos of their finds and print them. The camera comes with a 10-pack of film.

    Fujifilm Instax Mini SE Instant Camera

    shupai Valentines Scavenger Hunt Clues

    Set up a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt at home with this clue kit. It includes 12 clue cards and 2 blank ones for your own ideas. Hide gifts or surprises with each clue or at the end.

    Brach’s Tiny Conversation Hearts

    Brach’s Tiny Conversation Hearts

    Pick up these candy hearts and play a relay game. Each player gets a spoonful of hearts and races to fill a bucket across the room.

    CandWuom Pipe Cleaners Flower Kit

    CandWuom Pipe Cleaners Flower Kit

    Make a colorful bouquet together using pipe cleaners. The kit has everything you need. Crafting tulips and garlands is a fun way for your family to spend time together.

    MorisMos Giant 4ft Teddy Bear

    MorisMos Giant 4ft Teddy Bear

    Top off a great day with a big finish. Give them the surprise gift of this giant 4ft teddy bear. The bear is available in nearly a dozen color options.

    * By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, distributing, or making any representations about their safety or caliber. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.

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  • How to turn your child’s first phone into a money lesson – MoneySense

    Still, many parents can only hold off for so long on giving their child their first smartphone. And when you do, experts say the onus is on parents to set up the right guardrails on the device, especially as most phones are designed to make spending easier, and sometimes, invisible.

    Turn a first cellphone into a money lesson

    “Giving your child their first cellphone can be a really great teachable moment—an opportunity to build a money lesson naturally into your day-to-day lives,” said Robin Taub, author of the book The Wisest Investment: Teaching Your Kids to be Responsible, Independent and Money-Smart for Life.

    The first step, she said, is to sit them down and go over various costs associated with phone ownership, and lay out who’s responsible for them. There are some obvious costs—the phone itself, a phone plan, a case, and sometimes a phone protection plan.

    Taub said if a child is on the younger side—around 13 or 14 years old—you can start by teaching them about data overages, connecting to wireless networks, and turning off data roaming when travelling to avoid a hefty bill. With older teenagers, she said parents can gradually shift the responsibility of paying the phone bill onto them.

    How to pay for school and have a life—a guide for students and parents

    When phone costs go beyond the bill

    But there are many more less visible costs, such as in-app purchases or sign-ups for trials that can sneakily be added to a credit card.

    Rebecca Snow recalled her kids playing a popular online world-building game, Roblox, which often requires in-app purchases for new avatars or outfits for the characters. “They used to ask me, ‘Can we get Robux?’” said Snow, co-founder of the Toronto chapter of Unplugged Canada, a group that advocates for smartphone-free childhoods. “They didn’t realize that that’s me actually spending money on Robux, buying these little digital tokens to get little outfits for their avatars.” 

    Certified financial planner Kalee Boisvert is also familiar with requests for game token purchases. When Boisvert’s 11-year-old daughter—who has a smartphone without a cellphone plan—asks for in-app purchases, it starts up a conversation. “It’s just that priorities conversation and reviewing with them what matters,” she said. For example, Boisvert reminded her daughter of an upcoming trip to Disneyland and how it could be better to save for something she may want to buy there.

    Build financial literacy before digital independence

    Snow said there’s a strong need for financial literacy before kids get their first smartphones. She said her 12-year-old son, who doesn’t yet have a smartphone, uses a pocket money app called Mydoh on the computer or Snow’s phone to understand the concept of savings and earnings through chores around the house. 

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    “I can say, ‘Okay, if you take your lunch box out of your bag every day, click this button on Mydoh and you’ll get $2 a week for doing that,’” Snow said. She said these healthy online financial habits will come in handy when he eventually gets his first smartphone. 

    Margot Denomme likens giving smartphones to tweens and teens to driving. “It’s like our kids taking the car out right after they get their driver’s licence,” said Denomme, founder of an advocacy group Raising Awareness About Digital Dangers. “We don’t just give them the keys and not ask where they’re going.”

    Before handing over their phone, Denomme said parents should disable in-app purchases and turn on parental approval for every purchase. Even after setting up their phones for use, she suggested checking in with kids weekly, or even daily at first and asking about what kinds of activities they’re engaging in online.

    “I encourage parents to get involved with their children online so they’re understanding and they’re helping them point out red flags,” she said. Denomme said parents often take their kids’ privacy too seriously. “No—it’s your phone. You’ve purchased the phone and it’s OK to put these provisions in place,” she said.

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  • Nicole Richie Hints 18-Year-Old Daughter May Go by Different Name

    Nicole Richie seemingly dropped a major clue about her and husband Joel Madden’s daughter, hinting she no longer goes by Harlow.

    “18 years of you ♥️🎂 @katemaddennn,” Richie, 44, wrote via Instagram on Monday, January 12, in a joint post with Madden, 46.

    The upload, which featured memories with their eldest child, was in honor of her milestone birthday.

    “That’s my girl ❤️✨,” Madden wrote in the comments section. He also reshared the series of photos via his Instagram Stories, tagging @katemaddenn as well.


    Related: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden’s Family Album With Kids Harlow and Sparrow

    The family life! Nicole Richie and her husband, Joel Madden, began dating in 2006 — and became first-time parents two years later. “When I first would see [Nicole] around, we were friends. But I don’t think I’m the obvious choice,” the Good Charlotte musician told Australia’s 60 Minutes in April 2013 of the early days […]

    Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that the couple tagged “Kate Madden” and not Harlow, their daughter’s birth name.

    “Happy Birthday!? Did she change her name?,” one user asked in the comments section.

    Other fans, however, pointed out that the teenager’s full name is Harlow Winter Kate Richie Madden, so it appears she is going by one of her middle names — at least on social media.

    Nicole Richie Says 18 Year Old Daughter May Be Going by a Different Name in Birthday Post

    Nicole Richie and daughter.     Courtesy of Nicole Richie/Instagram

    Richie and Joel welcomed their daughter in January 2008. They welcomed their second child, son Sparrow (full name Sparrow James Midnight Madden), the following year in September 2009.

    The couple tied the knot in December 2010 after four years of dating. Both Richie and Joel have since kept their family life out of the public eye as much as possible.

    “One of the biggest differences in the way I’m raising my kids versus the way I was raised is that I was on tour a lot. I don’t really do that with my kids,” Richie explained to DuJour Magazine in September 2012 of her approach to parenting. “It’s important to me that they have stability. I like them to be home. … I was taken out of school and had tutors. By the time my father [Lionel Richie] went onstage, I was asleep.”

    Nicole, meanwhile, has shared throwback photos and given fans glimpses at their home life via Instagram on special occasions, including her daughter’s 13th birthday in January 2021.

    “Here you are at three months old. Today you are 13,” the Simple Life alum captioned a birthday tribute at the time. “You light up my life with your presence and have no problem lighting up my bedroom with your bright phone screen. Nothing is better than watching you become the young woman you are. I am so lucky I get to be your mom. Happy Birthday to my favorite girl in the world.”

    Later that year, Nicole revealed whether she’d be happy to see her kids become reality stars like she was a teenager.

    Promo Nicole Richie Gushes Over Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden Baby Son Cardinal


    Related: Nicole Richie Gushes Over Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden’s Newborn Son

    Nicole Richie is one proud aunt to Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden’s children, including newborn son Cardinal. “[He’s] the cutest! The absolute cutest,” Richie, 42, gushed to E! News on Tuesday, April 2, at the premiere of her new movie, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. Diaz, 51, and Madden, 45, share daughter Raddix, 4, […]

    “I think it would be a different thing going into it now,” the House of Harlow creator told Entertainment Tonight in August 2021. “It just depends on what it is. But if my kids said to me, ‘I want to try this new thing that hasn’t been done before.’ Well, obviously now they’re preteens, so I’m going to say no. But yeah, if they’re 18 and they want to go do whatever it is, as long as it feels good and authentic to them, I’m fine with it.”

    As Nicole continued to shelter her and Joel’s kids from the limelight, the family did make a rare red carpet appearance in April 2024.

    Nicole and Joel’s son and daughter posed alongside the pair at the Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead premiere in Los Angeles, which Lionel, 76, and his girlfriend, Lisa Parigi, also attended.

    The red carpet crew was rounded out by Nicole’s mom and Lionel’s ex-wife Brenda Harvey-Richie. (The exes adopted Nicole when she was 9 years old.)

    Johnni Macke

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  • Kelly Clarkson Shares an Update on Her Kids After Ex-Husband’s Death

    Kelly Clarkson has shared an update on how her children are coping five months after her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock died at age 48 from cancer.

    The Voice coach, 43, briefly addressed the way she is supporting her and Blackstock’s daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9, during a backstage Q&A video for The Kelly Clarkson Show, which was published on Saturday, January 10. Clarkson explained that her favorite activity to do each day is to “snuggle” with her children.

    “My kids, they’re 9 and 11. Kind of that special little fun stage where they can wipe their own behinds, but they’re still small enough to, like, love cuddling and love snuggles,” she explained. “There’s been a lot for our family recently, and so I have allowed my kids to sleep with me quite a bit.”

    Clarkson continued, “It’s my two dogs, my two kids and me. It’s a lot. It’s been really special, though, because… the conversations you have during that time are pretty cute. So that’s probably my favorite time of day.”


    Related: How Kelly Clarkson Protected Ex Brandon Blackstock Despite Messy Divorce

    Kelly Clarkson kept her children front of mind while navigating her late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock‘s secret cancer battle, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Even though they went through an acrimonious divorce, Kelly made a conscious decision to protect Brandon’s privacy until the very end for the sake of their family,” the source explains. “He’d […]

    Blackstock died in August 2025 following a three-year cancer battle. The first sign that Blackstock was ill came that same month when Clarkson postponed her “Studio Session” concerts at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

    “Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” she said in a statement at the time. “While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.”

    The American Idol alum concluded, “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”

    One day later, Blackstock’s family released a statement confirming that he’d died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

    “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family,” a family spokesperson told Us Weekly. “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”

    GettyImages-1199106200 Kelly Clarkson Shares an Update on Her Kids 5 Months After Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstocks Death

    Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson in January 2020.     Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

    Clarkson stepped away from her daytime talk show and filming on The Voice to support her children, though she eventually got back to work in September 2025.

    Meanwhile, Us reported in August 2025 about the way Blackstock’s illness led him to build bridges with Clarkson after their contentious 2022 divorce. A source told Us that Blackstock’s cancer diagnosis “changed [his and Clarkson’s] perspectives” even if it didn’t necessarily bring them “closer together.”

    “Co-parenting was not easy for Kelly because she was the one who had to transport the kids, so it was really her life that was always turned upside down,” the insider added. “She is their [children’s] primary parent. But this was catastrophic for them, so immediately Kelly went into mom mode and focused on the kids and how they were coping.”

    While Clarkson has mostly shied away from addressing Blackstock’s death in public, her former mother-in-law, Reba McEntire, told Entertainment Tonight at the 2025 Emmy Awards red carpet that their whole family “miss [Blackstock] every minute.” (McEntire was married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015. Brandon and his siblings Chassidy and Shawna were from Narvel’s first marriage to Elisa Gayle Ritter, whom he was with from 1973 to 1988.)

    “The kids are doing well, they’re all bonding together and hanging out with each other, and taking it one day at a time,” McEntire, 70, said in September 2025. “We know God’s got this.”

    How Reba McEntire Is Coping After Former Stepson Brandon Blackstocks Death


    Related: How Reba McEntire Supported Stepson Brandon Blackstock Before His Death

    Reba McEntire and Brandon Blackstock’s dad, Narvel Blackstock, split a decade ago, but the country superstar was still there for the family in the months leading up to Brandon’s death. “Reba has spent more time with the Blackstock crew in the past year than in years prior,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly, adding that […]

    Aside from his two children with Clarkson, Blackstock shared daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth, 18, with his ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.

    In December 2025, McEntire paid tribute to her late stepson on what would have been his 49th birthday.

    “Happy birthday Brandon! We love and miss you a bunch,” the “Fancy” singer wrote via Instagram, alongside a throwback photo of the pair.

    Justin Harp

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  • Laugh the Pain Away with these Relatable Parenting Memes

    Luka

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  • Alberta Child and Family Benefit payment dates in 2026 – MoneySense

    The ACFB was introduced in July 2020, consolidating the Alberta Child Benefit and the Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit into a single program. The ACFB aims to improve the quality of life for children and support their well-being. (See similar programs in other provinces and territories.)

    The ACFB is indexed to inflation, so the amounts increase every year. The ACFB benefit period runs from July of one year to June of the following year.

    What are the Alberta child benefit payment dates for 2026?

    The CRA issues ACFB payments quarterly, by direct deposit or cheque. The payment dates this year are: 

    • February 27, 2026
    • May 27, 2026
    • August 27, 2026
    • November 27, 2026

    You can also check CRA’s My Account for personalized benefit payment dates.

    Who is eligible to receive the ACFB?

    To qualify for the ACFB, you must meet all of the following criteria: 

    • Be a parent of one or more children under 18
    • Be a resident of Alberta
    • File a tax return
    • Meet the income criteria

    The best credit cards for families

    Do I have to apply for the ACFB?

    No, you do not need to apply for the ACFB. According to the Alberta government, “You are automatically considered for the ACFB when you file your annual tax return and qualify for the federal government’s Canada Child Benefit.” (Learn more about the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), including eligibility requirements and payment dates.)

    The CRA will regularly reassess your family’s eligibility for the ACFB (for example, if you have another child, your benefit amount could increase). If you and your family have just moved to Alberta, you’ll be eligible for the ACFB the month after you become a resident.

    How much is the Alberta child benefit?

    Your adjusted family net income (from your previous year’s tax return) and the number of kids in your family determine your total benefit amount per year. The ACFB includes a base component and a working component.

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    Base component of the ACFB

    The ACFB’s base component is available to lower-income families with children. You do not have to earn any income to receive the base component. Depending on the number of children in your family, you may be entitled to the following amounts as your base component for the period from July 2025 to June 2026:

    • $1,499 for the first child
    • $749 for the second child
    • $749 for the third child
    • $749 for the fourth child (and each additional

    If your adjusted family net income exceeded $27,565 in 2025, this base component is reduced. 

    Working component of the ACFB

    In addition to the base component, families with adjusted net income exceeding $2,760 are eligible for the working component. The benefit amount for the working component increases by 15% for every additional dollar of income (up to the maximum benefit), encouraging families to join or stay in the workforce. You may be entitled to these amounts for the period from July 2025 to June 2026: 

    • $767 ($63.91 per month) for the first child
    • $698 ($58.16 per month) for the second child
    • $418 ($34.83 per month) for the third child
    • $138 ($11.50 per month) for the fourth child

    Once the adjusted family net income exceeds $46,191, the working component of the benefit is also reduced. 

    You can also use the Government of Canada’s child and family benefits calculator to get an estimate of the annual federal and provincial or territorial benefits you might be entitled to. 

    What counts as adjusted family net income?

    Adjusted family net income is the amount the CRA uses to calculate your ACFB entitlement and determine when benefits begin to phase out. It’s based on line 23600 (net income) of your tax return.

    If you have a spouse or common-law partner, the CRA adds both partners’ net incomes together to determine your family’s adjusted net income. This combined amount is then used to calculate your ACFB payment amount and assess whether reductions apply.

    Adjusted family net income is reassessed every year after you file your tax return.

    Thomas Kent

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  • Paris Hilton on Cruel 2000s Media, Bond with Britney Spears & Possible Baby #3 (Exclusive)

    Getty Images

    Paris Hilton is dishing on her documentary film “Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir,” which shares a name with her 2024 album.

    “Extra’s” Terri Seymour spoke with Paris, who opened up about how music saved her. 

    Paris commented, “Music has always brought me so much happiness and joy and just, like, an escape from having to think about trauma or you know difficult things I went through in my life.”

    While she was a “free spirit” and “confident,” Paris admitted that she struggled with the media was in the 2000s.

    She explained, “Just so cruel and just the way myself and other young women were treated was just extremely painful and traumatic and it was almost like that type of abuse was entertainment for people back then and the things that they would say to us and the way we were treated would not be accepted today.”

    Hilton felt “publicly humiliated” all the time, sharing that it helps to have a friend in Britney Spears to relate to and talk about it with. 

    She shared, “I was just with Britney like two days ago in Mexico for her birthday and we were talking about it, just what we survived in that way because it was just they were brutal, like every day, just constantly being followed and stalked and just having people invent stories… Everybody was so unkind and it was really hard to go through.”

    Paris and Britney find it “healing” to talk about it since “this is not something that many people have been through.”

    Turning to her present, Paris gushed over her happy family life with husband Carter, son Phoenix and daughter, London, who just turned 2. 

    With a big smile on her face, Hilton said, “I’m just so in love with them. Like every day, they just light up my world and they are my entire world.”

    Does Paris want to have a third baby? 

    While she “sometimes” thinks about it, Hilton noted, “I love that I have a boy and a girl, so I don’t know. But you never say never. We’ll see what happens because I love babies so much and they’re growing up so fast.”

    “Infinite Icon” is in theaters January 30.

    extratv.com

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  • Being a principal just got harder–and here’s why

    eSchool News is counting down the 10 most-read stories of 2025. Story #3 focuses on challenges in school leadership.

    This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

    There is a squeaky old merry-go-round in my neighborhood that my own children play on from time to time. Years of kids riding on it have loosened its joints so it spins more freely and quickly. The last time they played on the merry-go-round, my children learned the important lesson that the closer to the center they sit the more stable and in control they feel.

    While being a school leader has always felt like being on a spinning piece of playground equipment, leading since the inauguration of President Donald Trump has made me feel as if I moved from the center to the edges in this merry-go-round metaphor. Immigration raids and attacks on civil liberties have made the work feel blindingly fast.

    The school I serve has a large population of immigrant students. Teens who just weeks ago felt like our school was a safe and secure place now carry a new level of concern into our classrooms and hallways. My school has seen a significant drop in attendance since January with parents and guardians citing the desire to keep their children home instead of sending them to school and putting them in harm’s way as ICE raids happen across the city.

    Our staff feels the impact of the rhetoric and policy shifts out of Washington as well. They fear for the physical and emotional safety of our students when they leave the school.

    For my part, I wonder if my decisions that prioritize equity and inclusion will make me the target of criticism–or worse, an investigation. This year, we have had ongoing professional development opportunities to teach staff how they can better support our queer students and employees. Each time we engage in these discussions, I find myself worrying about the repercussions.

    But I am determined that the programs and people in place to support and protect our most vulnerable students will not go away. Rather, they will be reinforced. My role as a school leader is to create an environment so safe and accepting that students and staff never feel like they must look over their shoulder while they are at school. We want them to breathe easily knowing that, at least during the school day, they can be seen, safe, and successful.

    To be sure, this job has always been a juggle, which includes instructional leadership, behavioral support, budgeting, staffing, and–in my case–fighting the stigma of historically being identified as a low-performing school by the Colorado Department of Education. But the changes out of Washington have taken things to the next level. As I navigate it all, I do my best to be energetic, optimistic, and reliable. Each day is an exercise in finding joy in my interactions with students and staff.

    I find joy in seeing students cheer on their peers at basketball games. I find joy in watching a teacher sit with a student until they grasp a challenging concept. I find joy when I see staff members step in to teach a class for a colleague who is sick or just needs a break. I find joy and hope in my daily interactions with students and staff; they are the core of my work and are the bravest people I have worked with in my career.

    When I push my children on the merry-go-round, I tell them to get to the center because the spinning seems to slow down and the noise decreases. This is the same advice I would give to school leaders right now. Get right to the center of your work by being with students and staff as much as possible. Even at the center, the spinning does not stop. The raids, political attacks, and fear tactics do not decrease, but the challenge of facing them becomes a little more manageable. While every force out there may be pushing leaders away from the center of their work, prioritizing that values-based work reminds us exactly why we do what we do.

    Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

    For more news on school leadership, visit eSN’s Educational Leadership hub.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

    Chris DeRemer, Chalkbeat

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  • Support a good cause with t-shirts designed by SoCal artists

    ABC7 will donate its proceeds from sales at our online apparel shop to support local charities and non-profit organizations in our viewing area.

    You can help send SoCal kids some holiday joy! ABC7 has partnered with local muralists to design t-shirts to support support our Spark of Love toy drive, collecting toys and sports gear for children and teens in need later this year.

    Click here to check out great Spark of Love-inspired designs by Terrick Gutierrez, Mister Toledo, GoopMassta, Liseth Amaya, hero, Ernest Doty, Jason Ostro, AngelOnce, Su.plex, Vasco Del Rey, Jules Muck, Moncho 1929, Phobik and Septerhed.

    ABC7LA Spark of Love-Inspired Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirts

    Muralist WRDSMTH donates his time and talent to support this year’s Puppy Palooza pet adoption event.

    Shelter pets need our support. ABC7 has partnered with local muralists to design t-shirts supporting our bi-annual Puppy Palooza dog adoption event, supporting spcaLA.

    Click here to check out our exclusive Puppy Palooza-inspired designs by WRDSMTH and Teachr.

    ABC7LA Puppy Palooza T-shirt designed by WRDSMTH

    ABC7 has partnered with local muralist Phobik to pay tribute to the firefighters who risk their lives to protect ours.

    ABC7 partnered with local muralist Phobik to pay tribute to the firefighters who risk their lives to protect ours. ABC7’s proceeds from sales of the shirt go to the LAFD Foundation.

    ABC7LA SoCal Strong T-Shirt designed by Phobik

    Los Angeles-based muralist Coco Nella partnered up with ABC7 to design this year’s LA Pride shirt as a social responsibility to give back to the LGBTQ community.

    Celebrate Pride Month all year long with our ABC7 Pride t-shirts, tank top and fanny pack! Sales of the ABC7 Pride Collection will help raise funds for AIDS Walk Los Angeles and APLA Health.

    Click here to check out exclusive Pride-inspired designs by Coco Nella, Mike Habs, Ricky Sencion and Marisabel Bazan.

    The Burbank street artist hopes to help those in need.

    Millions depend on local food banks, especially right now. ABC7 has partnered with local muralists to design t-shirts supporting our annual Feed SoCal food drive, raising much needed funds for regional food banks.

    Click here to check out exclusive Feed SoCal-inspired designs by Sef, Cloe Hakakian, Eric Michael, Davia King, EZRA L.A., ZLA, Dezmundo, Menace Two & Resa Piece, Corie Mattie, Jeremy Novy, kar_part and Ruben Rojas.

    ABC7LA Feed SoCal-Inspired Adult Short Sleeve T-Shirts

    KABC

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  • How much are Canadian families (really) spending on extracurricular activities—and can they afford it? – MoneySense

    “Unfortunately, they ended up liking it,” Christine jokes. As her daughters got older, they signed up for additional dance classes. Fees increased over time and two years ago, her oldest daughter joined the studio’s competitive team. Christine now pays $731 per month for various classes plus several thousand dollars in competition fees, costume fees, and travel expenses throughout the year—not to mention the cost of swimming lessons and other activities. 

    While Christine and her husband have the means to cover these expenses, she knows that many others aren’t in the same position. “And when your kids are enjoying it, you don’t want to take it away.”

    Current data is lacking, but a 2001 report from the Government of Canada indicated that 86% of Canadian children between the ages of 6 and 17 had participated in one or more extracurricular activities. A 2017 Ipsos report shared that 71% of Canadian parents felt that it was important to keep their kids busy with organized activities, and data from the same year suggested that parents pay an average of $1,160 per year on extracurriculars. 

    Perhaps most importantly, the same report found that 55% of Canadians felt financial strain due to their children’s extracurricular fees, and 32% of families were going into debt to fund these activities.

    To learn more about how much families are paying and how they can make extracurriculars fit into their budget (or not), we spoke to Lianne Hannaway, a CPA and wealth coach in Toronto.

    A look at the numbers

    The cost of extracurricular activities for children varies wildly by type, location, and organization, and can also take many different forms: six weeks of art lessons, a summer baseball league, 10 months of dance classes per year or year-round swim lessons, for example. Some activities require payment in full at registration and others come with a monthly bill. Many competitive sports teams have registration fees on top of monthly costs, and parents are almost always responsible for purchasing equipment—not to mention add-ons like spiritwear, plenty of concession stand coffees, and the occasional pound of wings after a game.

    Best savings accounts in Canada

    Find the best and most up-to-date savings rates in Canada using our comparison tool

    While the average family in Canada pays $1,160 a year for after-school activities, the cost can be substantially higher for those in high-cost athletics, activities with a travel component, or specialty programs—even more so if you have multiple children enrolled. Here are some current examples from Canadian parents:

    • “I pay around $5,500 a year for my 14-year-old daughter’s competitive volleyball team and $6000 a year for her competitive dance.” —Elizabeth in Hamilton, Ontario
    • “$1,375 per year for each of my two kids’ theatre lessons. And then we pay to see them perform!” —Sophie in London, Ontario
    • “$489 per month for competitive dance plus around $2,500 in added costs during competition season.” —Carrie in Burlington, Ontario
    • “$150 per month for cello lessons plus $500 a year to rent the instrument.” —Emily in Toronto, Ontario
    • “$243 per month for vocal lessons, $1,413 per year for student theatre, $840 in annual fees for jazz orchestra, and $2,800 for a summer music academy in Cuba.” —Maureen in Burlington, Ontario
    • “With three kids in competitive cheer, baseball, and hockey, I pay more for their activities than I do for my mortgage when factoring in travel, hotels, for tournaments, etc. We paid for 40 hotel nights in 4 different provinces in 2025 alone.” —Amanda in Ottawa, Ontario
    • “$10,000 a year for competitive dance including lessons, competitions, costumes and other fees.” —Caitlin in Toronto, Ontario
    • “Our son made a rep hockey team and we ended up saying no because the registration fee alone was $3,000. He’s seven!” —Annie in Burlington, Ontario

    Dealing with pressure—and sticking to what you can afford

    Putting your kids in extracurricular programs isn’t just about keeping them busy after school or nurturing their talents. For many parents, there’s an underlying pressure to provide exposure to a diverse array of experiences, giving your children valuable enrichment experiences and/or helping them keep up with their peers. That pressure can lead to excessive spending—especially if your kids fall in love with a high-cost activity.

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    Whether your child is into music, dance, sports, or art classes, Hannaway notes that these activities have to fit into your family’s budget. “Saying ‘yes’ to an activity that will create financial stress is not a gift to your children,” she emphasizes. This doesn’t necessarily mean saying no to extracurricular programs; more so, Hannaway suggests being choosy about what form the activity takes.

    “When your kids are young—under 12—keep it local and exploratory,” Hannaway suggests, noting that as your kids get older and hone in on their passions, you may want to invest more in a specific activity. But there’s no need to join an expensive sports team with a travel component when your child would also enjoy playing for a local team with significantly lower costs. Unless they’re the next Sidney Crosby, Hannaway says, house league will let them enjoy the same sport at a more affordable price point. “The idea isn’t excellence; it’s exposure. And the cost has to be in line with your financial reality.”

    Affordable options and savings tips

    Once you know how much rep hockey or competitive dance costs, it can be hard to believe that affordable extracurricular programs exist—but fortunately, they do. 

    If you’d like to enroll your kids in programs that don’t break the bank, start by exploring what’s offered through your local library and/or community centre. There may be weekly or drop-in programs including dance, gymnastics, art, coding, and more. City-run swimming lessons are far more affordable than lessons at private pools, and your community may have youth clubs that are free or involve minimal fees to join. Another low-fee option is joining the Beaver Scouts or Girl Guides of Canada, which typically costs less than $300 for the entire year. Older kids can also join school-based sport or dance programs for an enriching, team-building athletic experience that doesn’t come with a big monthly bill.

    If your child is registered in more expensive activity options, there are several ways to lower your costs, Hannaway says. Keeping activities local will always cost less. Buying secondhand equipment is a major cost-saver, and equipment swaps are an excellent opportunity to size up without paying much (or anything). Many youth teams and clubs hold fundraisers to lower costs for families, and some will lower your fees if you volunteer within the organization.

    If your kid is dedicated to an activity that’s slightly out of your budget, there are ways to get creative. “You can redirect gift giving from grandparents,” Hannaway suggests. “It’s a real game-changer if instead of buying toys, the grandparents give a hockey stick, for example.” She adds that when this happens, it often encourages grandparents to attend games because they’ve invested in the activity. This adds to your child’s support network in more ways than one.

    A great childhood doesn’t require a huge price tag

    As parents, we all want the best for our kids—but that doesn’t mean putting yourself into debt to avoid disappointment or keep up with the Joneses. Simply put, if an activity is not within your means, it’s not the right call for your family. Instead, do the best you can do within your budget, and remember that unstructured play and downtime are beneficial for kids, too. 

    “Guilt is the #1 enemy of good financial decisions,” Hannaway asserts, encouraging parents to create financial boundaries and stick with them. “When an expense doesn’t fit into your family’s financial reality, it’s a great opportunity to teach kids that financial decisions involve trade-offs. Kids can handle the truth. Share your financial wisdom with them. It’s not deprivation—it’s a life lesson.”

    Erin Pepler

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  • Keep Your Kids Entertained With These Adorable Screen-Free Speakers

    With a lovely mix of music, stories, and sounds, all available in eight languages, this speaker successfully combines fun and education. It is durable, has its own handle, and is simple enough for toddlers to operate. Timio is for kids aged two years and up. There’s no need for a screen, app, or internet connection, as your child can play content by selecting one of the plastic discs and slotting it on top. You get five discs in the box covering classical music, farm animals, vehicles, lullabies, and bedtime stories. Each disc looks like a clock face with pictures at each hour, and kids simply press the one they want. Additional sets of discs are $22 and cover all sorts of topics, from dinosaurs to learning colors.

    The speaker sounds surprisingly good, and there’s a 3.5-mm audio port for kids’ headphones. Timio is a great way to introduce your kids to other languages or for multilingual households (you can press and hold the language button to switch between English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese). There’s also a quiz mode, with prompts like find the police car, identify numbers, or select a specific shape. Timio does require three AA batteries, and when you screw open the back panel, you will also find the SD card that holds the content. We recommend rechargeable batteries, as you will change them often if Timio proves popular with your kids. Although they are large and you get a bag to keep them in, there is a risk that discs will go missing.

    For kids aged 2+ years.

    Simon Hill

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  • Portland Firefighters Collect Coats For Kids – KXL

    Courtesy Portland Fire Fighters Association.

    PORTLAND, OR – On Tuesday, November 18, the Portland Fire Fighters’ Association, IAFF Local 43, will hand out new warm winter coats to kids enrolled in Portland Public Schools Early Learning Centers. This year a record number of new coats will be given to children between the ages of  2 to 13 years old.

    The ‘Local 43 Coats for Kids’ program began 12 years ago after members could see the need in the community.

    “We want the children to see that we care, we want them to be warm as they walk to school or play outside,” said President of Portland Fire Fighters’ Association Isaac McLennan.

    This years the coats were distributed at Clarendon Regional Early Learning Academy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School in Portland.

    Paul Davis Restoration and others made it possible for local school age children to receive new winter coats.

    “It is rewarding to hand a new coat to a child who gives you a big hug and a smile in return,” said Justin Graham with Paul Davis Restoration. “Knowing we are making a difference in a child’s life with a simple donation, it’s an easy way for our employees and company to give back.”

    Organizers said each coat costs about $55, but having a new coat helps each child stay warm and healthy during the winter months.

    The program accepts all donations throughout the in order to continue this fall tradition.  You learn more at http://iaff43.org

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    Tim Lantz

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  • I Made My Kids Build Robots and Read Books to Test the Best Subscription Boxes for Kids

    My kids’ appetite for stickers is endless. I find them constantly, on the mirrors in our house, on their school planners and water bottles, and occasionally stuck to the back of my chair or in the car. Stickers are also an accessible way of supporting independent artists. Maybe you can’t buy a painting or a T-shirt, but a sticker only costs a few dollars and you can display it everywhere.

    For $12 a month, Stickii Club offers three different sticker styles—Cute, Vintage, or Pop—along with a storage sleeve and three stationery items, like a notepad, card, or stamp. The club works with independent artists and illustrators (no AI-generated art yet) to produce sheets of original designs. We tried the Pop subscription. These stickers are marvelous. There’s a huge variety in the sheets sent. Some are vinyl, some are transparent, but all are high quality and intricately detailed. The artist is also noted on each corner so we can look them up ourselves. My kids were delighted and traded them with each other like currency. I am now investing in Stickii folios (from $18) in the hopes that I can keep these just a little bit more organized (and sticking a few on my laptop while I’m at it).

    ★ Alternative: You can’t pick the style of box with a Pipsticks Kids Club sticker pack ($20), but with such a big selection, there are bound to be stickers that your child or children will love. It includes 15 sheets of Pipstickers, collectible stickers, a postcard, an activity book, and more. I have two kids who love stickers, and even we found the classic pack to be a bit much; Pipsticks also has a petite pack option for $14.

    Adrienne So

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  • Great adventure items from biking gear to Pickleball kits up to 75% off with ABC Secret Savings

    As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below*

    This week, we’ve got everything you need to make the most of the great outdoors. Shop these great deals while supplies last.

    CLIP: E-Bike Conversion Kit

    • $419.30

    • + Free Shipping!

    • $599

    Turn almost any regular bike into an e-bike in seconds with CLIP. No tools and no complicated setup are needed. The lightweight, super sleek device clips right onto your bike (commuter, road, hybrid, even shared bikes) – with a quick push of the handlebar remote, you get a smooth boost from the 450-watt motor. There are two battery options, depending on how far you want to ride. Free shipping!

    Alpcour: Reclining Stadium Seats

    Upgrade to the best seats at the game! If you’re spending weekends at soccer games, football fields, or cheer competitions, these portable stadium seats will upgrade your whole experience. These bikes are thoughtfully designed with a reclining back, anti-slip base, bleacher hooks, plus built-in storage for snacks, water bottles, or your phone. Also available are models with heated and massage features, too. Free shipping!

    Shorties Golf: Golf Clubs for Kids

    Shorties Golf: Golf Clubs for Kids

    Ditch the plastic play sets and get your kid the real thing. Shorties Golf makes real, high-performance metal golf clubs designed specifically for kids as young as two years old. They come in four sizes to fit little golfers up to 51 inches tall, and you can choose from four fun colors, plus lefty or righty options. These clubs aren’t just adorable; they actually fit better, so kids learn to swing properly. Free shipping!

    VYBZ: True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds with Charging Case

    True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds with Charging Case

    Give the gift of crystal clear sound. Engineered with the latest technology and designed for ultimate convenience, VYBZ earbuds redefine what it means to enjoy music, make calls, or interact with your smart assistant. LED intelligent power display keeps you in the loop with real-time battery level indicators. With just the push of a button, you can easily connect the earbuds to your device and activate the power display. Ultra-low latency and smooth binaural synchronization deliver an audio experience that’s in perfect harmony with your activities, with no lag.

    Limitless: TotalBoost Mini Pro II

    TotalBoost Mini Pro II Power Bank

    Stay powered up on any adventure. TotalBoost Mini Pro II is a power-packed, yet small and portable charger compatible with the latest and most popular mobile devices. It’s ideal for slipping into your purse or pocket when leaving the house. The TotalBoost Mini Pro II offers endless compatibility with virtually any electronic device -no cords needed. It even has a mini flashlight!

    CORE Pickleball: Pickleball Kits

    CORE Pickleball: Pickleball Kits

    For the pickleball lovers on your list, CORE Pickleball kits help you play anytime, anywhere in seconds. Serve up instant fun with an effortless setup, featuring everything you need: two paddles, three balls, and a net for the ultimate game play, anytime, anywhere. This kit is perfectly suited for beginners and pros alike, young and old. Free shipping!

    * By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.

    Copyright © 2025 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

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  • Countdown to the holidays with our guide to the best Advent calendars of 2025

    As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below*

    Advent calendars have grown up! Now, you can find a unique countdown experience for every member of the family, including your pet. Shop our list of top picks and make this holiday season memorable for all.

    Best Advent Calendars for Kids

    Barbie Fab Advent Calendar

    Barbie Fab Advent Calendar

    Help Barbie get ready for the holidays! This Advent calendar includes Barbie plus 23 stylish surprises so that kids can play dress-up with their doll and create lots of different looks! The fun starts with the unboxing experience and continues with each glamorous fashion.

    Disney Once Upon a Story Advent Calendar

    Disney Once Upon a Story 24-Day Countdown Calendar

    The Disney Once Upon a Story collection celebrates the power of imagination and storytelling with beloved fairytale friends. Hours of magical adventures await with the stories your child creates! A wonderful world of Disney fairytale favorites is presented as 24 miniature figures in this castle-shaped Christmas countdown calendar set. Open a compartment in the surprise package every day from December 1-24 to reveal a play figure or prop that can be added to your collection.

    Lego City Advent Calendar

    Lego City Advent Calendar

    The LEGO City Advent Calendar is bursting with festive fun! It includes characters dressed as polar bears, reindeer, and holiday trees, plus accessories and toy mini builds. Fold out the playmat to reveal a Christmas party scene, the perfect backdrop for seasonal stories and imaginative adventures. Every mini surprise comes with simple, easy-to-follow building instructions printed on the inside of each calendar window, making it ideal for new builders and little LEGO fans.

    Military Army Man Advent Calendar

    Military Army Man Advent Calendar

    Be all you can be with the Military Army Men Advent Calendar. This set includes 12 army men, 1 dog, 3 vehicles, weapons, and assorted gear. Little soldiers will love assembling their troops as they count down to Christmas.

    Play-Doh Advent Calendar

    This calendar has tear-off playmats with snowman and gingerbread scenes. Use the surprises from days 1-12 to complete the snowman scene, and 13-24 to complete the gingerbread scene. Some of the surprises include creation cards that offer kids creative ideas for using their Christmas countdown calendar for fun arts-and-crafts activities. By the time every door has been opened, kids will have a fun collection of festive Play-Doh tools and colors to keep playing and creating all season long.

    Mattel Jurassic World Rebirth Advent Calendar

    Mattel Jurassic World Rebirth Advent Calendar

    Celebrate Jurassic World Rebirth! Bring home the adventure and thrills of the movie with this Advent calendar. It features 24 day-by-day dinosaur-related surprises. Will it be a mini dinosaur or a fence piece? Find 24 pieces in total, including 18 mini dinosaurs from Jurassic World Rebirth. The largest dinosaur comes in 3 pieces that snap together. Collect all the pieces to put together a mini enclosure playset or display.

    Best Advent Calendars for Teens

    K-Pop Demon Hunters Advent Calendar

    K-Pop Demon Hunters Advent Calendar

    Your teen will love this 24-day countdown to Christmas. The calendar features collectible keychain toys inspired by the Netflix animated movie. Behind each door, anime fans will find a surprise figure from the K-pop demon-hunting world, including characters like Rumi, Zoey, and the Saja Boys villains.

    Stranger Things Advent Calendar

    Stranger Things Advent Calendar

    This countdown calendar is ideal for Stranger Things fans. The calendar features themed stationery and collectibles, a must-have for teens who enjoy unique Christmas decorations and gifts. Each surprise combines creativity and function, from slap bracelets to sticky notes.

    National Geographic Gemstone Advent Calendar

    NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Gemstone Advent Calendar

    Each day of December, as Christmas approaches, kids can open a gorgeous new gemstone to add to their collection! The set includes a collector’s pouch to keep all of the gems safe. The beautiful, polished gemstones include agate, green aventurine, hematite, sodalite, turquoise, tiger’s eye, blue calcite, and more!
    The final piece in this collection is a stunning rose quartz that kids unearth from a mini dig brick, just like a real geologist!

    Harry Potter Advent Calendar

    Harry Potter Advent Calendar

    The Harry Potter-themed calendar is ideal for girls, preteens, and teens who love magic and surprises. Each day reveals a new item, from cute charms to practical accessories. The set has 27 unique themed surprises, including wands, bookmarks, socks, keychains, stationery, jewelry, festive clips, and more.

    Spa Christmas Advent Calendar

    Spa Christmas Advent Calendar

    Nourish your mind, body, and soul with a gift each day from this calendar set with everything from scented candles to shower gels, hand lotion, and more. Each Lovery item is made with clean ingredients, such as Vitamin E and Shea Butter, with no parabens or harsh chemicals. Every girl and boy will love this decorated Advent calendar filled with luxury body care.

    12-Pc. Kiss The Season Mini Lip Care Advent Calendar Set

    NCLA Beauty Kiss The Season Mini Lip Care Advent Calendar Set

    Get ready to pout, gloss and sleigh with this Kiss The Season Mini Lip Care Advent Calendar. The set is packed with 12 mini surprises (6 lip balms and 6 lip scrubs) for 12 days of festive flavors, hydration and glossy perfection to keep your lips mistletoe ready.

    Try Not to Laugh Advent Calendar

    Try Not to Laugh Advent Calendar

    Beyond just an Advent Calendar, this calendar is a full-fledged Game! Each day, your family will unlock a new, themed joke battle with topics designed to delight everyone. But that’s not all. This is a real competition, packed with interactive elements to get everyone playing together, including: The Ultimate Showdown where kids and adults go head-to-head to see who can keep a straight face; Creative Challenges where you’ll choose official team names like “The Giggling Goblins vs. the Poker-Faced Parents”; and an Official Challenger’s Oath that everyone must recite to kick off the games with maximum silliness.

    Best Advent Calendars for Adults

    Holiday Wooden Village LED Advent Calendar

    Holiday Wooden Village LED Advent Calendar

    Count down the days with this charming wooden Advent calendar. Perfect for the mantel, shelf, or windowsill, this decorative village features beautifully lit windows, doorways, and countdown numbers. A festive wreath glides along a metal track, counting down the number of days until Christmas.

    Walkers Shortbread Advent Calendar

    Spread joy and cheer by treating family and loved ones to daily delights in a stunningly designed Christmas cookie box. This calendar makes a wonderful gift or is perfect for counting down with your own family. The holiday cookies combine the best of traditional Scotland with a delightful assortment of 6 cookie varieties, from iconic shortbread fingers to rounds, stars, hearts, chocolate chip, and salted caramel squares.

    Bonne Maman Limited Run Edition Advent Calendar

    Bonne Maman 2025 Limited Run Edition Advent Calendar

    Beautifully illustrated and made to spread joy, the Bonne Maman Advent Calendar is a meaningful gift for loved ones, food lovers, or simply as a special treat for yourself. Each day reveals a charming mini jar nestled in its own beautifully designed box. Both the boxes and jars can be reused for small keepsakes, holiday place settings, or other creative moments that extend the magic beyond December.

    Pukka Advent Calendar Organic Tea Sampler

    Pukka Advent Calendar Organic Tea Sampler

    Give your family or friends a delicious daily surprise this holiday season with the herbal Pukka Tea Gift Calendar, and unlock the magical secrets of herbal goodness in every sip. Featuring 24 tea sachets, each thoughtfully crafted blend is designed to holistically nourish your body and mind. Indulge in a fusion of mouth-watering flavours, including the festive essence of cinnamon, the zesty notes of orange, and the delightful sweetness of elderberry in our unique blends.

    Best of Harry & David Advent Calendar

    Best of Harry & David Advent Calendar

    Counting down the days ’til Christmas is already fun. Having special treats like holiday Moose Munch Premium Popcorn, Scharffen Berger chocolate squares, blackberry galettes, peppermint bark, and other sweets to share and snack on makes it even more exciting. Surprises await behind every door. The red Advent calendar box is decorated in wonderful Christmas imagery and is a fabulous gift for families and relatives.

    Technic Man’Stuff Advent Toiletry Calendar

    Technic Man’Stuff Advent Toiletry Calendar

    The Technic Man’Stuff Advent Calendar is beautifully packaged. The calendar is filled with 24 days of men’s grooming products and accessories, such as various washes, lotions and shaving items, along with grooming tools such as nail clippers, tweezers, and a comb for the ultimate festive countdown. Specific contents may vary.

    Prestige 31-Piece Advent Calendar

    Prestige 31-Piece Advent Calendar

    Immerse yourself in this delicious, limited-edition advent calendar featuring 31 assorted chocolates, including Chocoviar Stracciatella and Cremino Extra Dark, concealed in elegant drawers. This advent calendar is designed to reuse year after year with your own custom Venchi mix.

    Best Advent Calendars for Pets

    Bully Sticks Advent Calendar for Dogs

    Bully Sticks Treat Advent Calendar for Dogs

    Better than a gift basket, this calendar for dogs brings a healthy, daily delight your furry friend will adore. It’s 24 days of tail-wagging excitement as the healthy dog treats get tastier and tastier. Unwrap a daily surprise with an assortment of beef, gullet, and chicken treats and chews.

    12 Days of Woofmas Advent Calendar

    12 Days of Woofmas Advent Calendar

    Get your pup in the howl-iday spirit with the Milk-Bone countdown calendar with treats for dogs. Open each date to find a special dog treat and celebrate the 12 Days of Woofmas with your furry friend. This countdown calendar features crunchy holiday biscuits that come in festive shapes and colors. It also contains Marosnacks, dog treats made with real bone marrow.

    Disney Table Scraps Advent Calendar

    Disney Table Scraps Advent Calendar

    Soft, jerky-style treats will get your pup pumped for the holiday season. The high-quality treats have no wheat, corn, soy, artificial flavors, or colors. The calendar features 4 holiday-themed recipes and includes beloved Disney dogs for a touch of magic.

    Cat Toy Advent Calendar

    Let your cat go wild for the Larchio pet advent calendar filled with different cat toys during the holiday season. The toys will lead to hours of interactive play to engage their senses and enhance their natural instincts. The 24 Day Cat Advent Calendar for your kitten will include a bell feather wand, a jingle bell ball, a colorful mouse, a crinkle ball, a feather wand, a plush fish, and cat bowties.

    Trader Joe’s Advent Calendar for Dogs

    Trader Joe’s Advent Calendar for Dogs

    You’ll be barking up the right tree with this Advent calendar. Your dog will enjoy 24 days of single-ingredient, freeze-dried chicken breast treats. The treats are made from 100% chicken breast and are packaged in a festive box with 24 numbered doors. Give your dog the treat behind the door for a daily surprise

    * By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.

    Copyright © 2025 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

    KGO

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  • Orlando police discuss how to stay safe this Halloween

    Orlando police discuss how to stay safe this Halloween

    The Orlando Police Department will hosts its annual trunk-or-treat event on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 4-7 p.m.

    AGENCIES ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA ARE GOING INTO OVERDRIVE TO HELP KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND MAKE THE MOST OF HALLOWEEN. YOU SEE OUR COUNTDOWN TO DAYS 14 HOURS, 17 MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS. BUT WHO’S GETTING SPECIFIC? CORPORAL MICHELLE ROGERS AND SERGEANT RODNEY VANCE FROM THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE JOINING ME THIS MORNING. THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING IN, GUYS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE’RE HAPPY TO BE HERE. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT PARENTS GUARDIANS NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT. WE IT’S A VERY EXCITING TIME OF YEAR. BUT ALSO WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS MAYBE WE SHOULD BE HAVING WITH OUR KIDS AHEAD OF FRIDAY. IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ALWAYS ABOUT SAFETY, AND SAFETY IS ALWAYS PARAMOUNT WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING FUN, AND SOMETIMES WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT, SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE REMINDING YOURSELF ABOUT THINGS OF SAFETY, LIKE WEARING REFLECTIVE CLOTHING, STAYING WELL LIT, THINGS THAT GLOW, MAKING SURE THAT PARENTS ARE CHECKING CANDY IF THINGS ARE UNWRAPPED, MAKE SURE YOU JUST TOSS IT. DON’T EVEN BOTHER FOLLOWING TRAFFIC RULES. THINGS OF THAT NATURE. LET’S TALK SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR YOUNGER KIDS, WHEN THEY GO OUT TRICK OR TREATING, MINE ARE SEVEN AND NINE AND THEY ASK, MOM, CAN WE GO OUT BY OURSELVES? I SAID, NO, SORRY, I’M GOING TO BE GOING WITH YOU. WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATION SHOULD WE BE HAVING WITH THAT AGE? SO WITH THAT AGE AND I HAVE LITTLE ONES TOO, SO I CAN RELATE. I USUALLY SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND TALK ABOUT A PLAN. INVOLVE THEM IN YOUR PLAN. PLAN YOUR ROUTE. ALSO TALK ABOUT WE’RE ONLY GOING TO VISIT HOMES THAT ARE WELL LIT, THAT HAVE DECORATIONS OF HALLOWEEN, AND THEY’RE PARTICIPATING IN THE FESTIVITIES. ANOTHER THING TO REMIND OUR LITTLE ONES TOO, IS THAT USE THE SIDEWALK. THEY KNOW. LOOK TO THE LEFT. LOOK TO THE RIGHT. BEFORE CROSSING. USE MOMMY’S HAND. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT THAT THEY ALREADY KNOW. BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE, SOMETIMES THEY GET EXCITED AND CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT MOMENT. SO STRENGTH IN NUMBERS RELY ON YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR FRIENDS, MORE EYES. TRICK OR TREAT. AS A GROUP. IT’S A GREAT THING AND A GREAT TOOL TO HAVE AS YOUR FRIENDS. MINE IS A WEREWOLF AND EVEN HIS MASK. I WAS LIKE, I MIGHT HAVE TO CUT THE HOLES AROUND THE EYES A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE I FELT LIKE HE COULDN’T EVEN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE HE WAS WALKING. SO HAVING TO BE CAREFUL. THAT’S A GREAT IDEA ABOUT OUR TEENS. I KNOW OUR TEENS PROBABLY WANT TO GO OUT AND BE BY THEMSELVES. SO WHAT SHOULD WE TELL OUR KIDS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OLDER, A LITTLE BIT OF THE SAME TIPS THAT GO ALONG WITH THE YOUNG ONES. MAKE SURE THEY STAY IN GROUPS. MAKE SURE THEIR COSTUMES THAT IF THEY’RE CARRYING ANYTHING THAT MAY LOOK LIKE A WEAPON, THAT THE WEAPONS CLEARLY LOOK LIKE THEY’RE FAKE. SO PEOPLE DON’T CONFUSE THEM WITH BEING REAL. MAKE SURE THAT THEY ALL HAVE PHONES THESE DAYS. SO MAKE SURE IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE WITH THEM THAT THEY HAVE THEIR LOCATION SERVICES ON THEIR PHONE ON. SO IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE, AS A PARENT, HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF WHO THEY’RE GOING OUT WITH. DON’T JUST LET THEM GO ON OUT WITH PEOPLE WHO YOU MAY NOT KNOW. THAT WAY, IF YOU CAN’T GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM, THERE’S SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE GROUP THAT YOU CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH. I WAS RAISED BY MILITARY FOLK. THEY SAID, FILE THE FLIGHT PLAN AND STICK TO IT. THAT’S RIGHT. MISCONCEPTIONS, THINGS THAT WE DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW, THINGS THAT WE DON’T THINK ABOUT SOMETIMES IS JUST TRICK OR TREATING AS A GROUP. SOMETIMES WE JUST GET SO CAUGHT UP IN THE RUSHING OF GETTING THE COSTUMES ON AND RUSHING AND TRYING TO GO BEFORE IT GETS DARK OUT. BUT ONE THING THAT YOU CAN REMEMBER IS BRING A FLASHLIGHT. A FLASHLIGHT CAN ALSO LIGHT YOUR PATH ONCE THE STREETLIGHTS COME ON, IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT’S TIME TO STOP HAVING FUN. IT JUST MEANS THAT WE’RE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SAFETY. AND IF WE WORK TOGETHER, IT’S GOING TO BE AWESOME AND YOU GUYS CAN HAVE A SAFE HALLOWEEN. SPEAKING OF SAFE, YOU GUYS HAVE AN EVENT. WHAT ARE THE DETAILS FOR THAT? YES. SO ON THURSDAY AT OUR HEADQUARTERS BUILDING ON SOUTH STREET, WE’LL BE HAVING A TRUNK OR TREAT EVENT FROM 4 TO 7 P.M. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE OFFICERS FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE GOING TO BE SETTING UP THEIR CARS. WE’LL HAVE PLENTY OF CANDY AND EVENTS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES TO COME OUT AND ENJOY IN THE SAFETY OF THE POLICE STATION. YOU KNOW IT’S SAFE AND YOU GET TO MEET SOME OF YOUR LOCAL HEROES, TOO. THAT IS A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT. WE DID HAVE THE INFORMATION UP ON THE SCREEN. WE’LL ALSO POST A LINK TO THIS ON OUR WEBSITE WESH.COM. SERGEANT VANCE

    Orlando police discuss how to stay safe this Halloween

    The Orlando Police Department will hosts its annual trunk-or-treat event on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 4-7 p.m.

    Updated: 9:24 PM EDT Oct 28, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Sergeant Rodney Vance and Corporal Michelle Rogers of the Orlando Police Department join WESH 2 to discuss how kids, teens and families can stay safe this Halloween.OPD will hosts its annual trunk-or-treat event on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 4-7 p.m. The free community event will be held at the department’s headquarters on West South Street.Click here to learn more.

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    Sergeant Rodney Vance and Corporal Michelle Rogers of the Orlando Police Department join WESH 2 to discuss how kids, teens and families can stay safe this Halloween.

    OPD will hosts its annual trunk-or-treat event on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 4-7 p.m.

    The free community event will be held at the department’s headquarters on West South Street.

    Click here to learn more.

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  • Netflix launches redesigned profiles for kids | TechCrunch

    Netflix has rolled out a new TV experience for kids’ profiles on its service globally, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday. The update, which aims to simplify the design and navigation, is the company’s latest attempt to connect users to content they’ll like more quickly.

    In May, Netflix introduced a similar redesign of its TV homepage for standard profiles, which added an AI-powered search tool, better recommendations, and more visible shortcuts, among other changes.

    Now, the company says that the same update has arrived on kids’ profiles, along with other tweaks aimed specifically at Netflix’s youngest users.

    The new design simplified the look and feel of the homepage. It also offers a new navigation bar at the top that links to “My Netflix,” a section that brings together everything kids have watched, saved, and loved in a single place. This makes it easier for users to revisit favorite content — something that younger users often do by rewatching their top movies and episodes.

    In addition, Netflix says kids’ recommendations will refresh in real-time, as they do on standard profiles. The company hopes this will decrease the time kids spend searching for something to watch.

    Some things on the Kids profile won’t change, however: the Character Themed Rows, Mystery Box suggestions, and parental controls are still available.

    Netflix also announced other updates for Netflix today, including features like real-time voting, live party games, podcasts, and more. Next year, for instance, Netflix will launch real-time voting on its upcoming new show “Star Search,” after earlier tests with “Dinner Time Live with David Chang.”

    The company says the new user interface is tied to these changes, as it offers a more flexible canvas for different types of creative content, including interactive content.

    Sarah Perez

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