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Tag: Parenting

  • 22 Things Your Child Should Do in Spartanburg Before They Grow Up

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    Childhood goes by quickly, and there’s no better way to make the most of it than by checking off a Spartanburg bucket list! As moms, we know how fast time flies—from holding your baby in your arms to watching them head off to third grade. Make these years memorable by enjoying some fun, unique experiences together. We’ve put together a bucket list of things your kids must do in Spartanburg before they grow up.

    TCMU in Spartanburg, South Carolina

    Must do list for kids in Spartanburg

    Feed the Ducks at Milliken

    Milliken Corporation Headquarters is located in Spartanburg just off Pine Street and Interstate 585. It is a large and beautiful campus, often confused as a park, as it features more than 500 different trees and shrubs, 15 decorative fountains, and six ponds. The Milliken Arboretum is a nationally recognized greenspace on 600 acres at the Roger Milliken Center and is now one of the largest corporate arboretums in the Southeast. The campus is open to the public, and Spartanburg families have been making memories at these duck ponds and picnic spots for generations.

    Note: Some healthy foods to feed ducks include corn, peas, oats, or birdseed.

    Get his/her own Library Card

    Our Spartanburg County Library system is awesome. Every child should be a card carrying member and have the responsibility of checking out and enjoying his or her own library selections. There are also interesting activities and programs offered at each location for kids and families. Having a library card and participating in library activities should be enjoyed by each Spartanburg child.

    Spartanburg, SC library

    Eat at Wades and the Beacon

    No doubt, we could (and may) make a list of 30 places in Spartanburg you should eat, but there are a few restaurants so iconic, that they should make every list about Spartanburg. When I asked my family what should be included on this list, they all either said the Beacon or Wades!

    Explore Downtown Spartanburg

    Downtown Spartanburg is becoming quite the place to be! There are new restaurants, shops, and activities opening all the time. You can find something new to do, eat, or buy almost any day of the week, any time of the year. An afternoon or even a whole day can be spent exploring the
    downtown area of Spartanburg.

    downtown Spartanburg

    Skate at Roebuck Skating Center

    Kids have been celebrating birthday parties and Friday nights at Roebuck Skating Center since 1978. The local hangout has recently updated their entire facility and the venue now includes a 3 story, 2500 square foot indoor playground. Take the family, lace up your old school skates and show the kids how it’s done.

    Visit HubCity Railway Museum

    Railroad transit shaped the history of Spartanburg and the HubCity Railway Museum is the place to go to learn all about the history of trains in our city, as well as Spartanburg history in general.

    Hub City Railroad Museum Spartanburg, SC

    Go to Summer Camp

    There are a ton of summer camps in our area depending on your child’s interests. Summer camps are a great way to make lifelong friends and develop personal knowledge and skills. Summer Camps are also a great way to experience all Spartanburg has to offer families!

    Tour Local Colleges

    Spark kids’ interest in higher education by visiting one of the many colleges in our area. Your family can tour the campuses and attend collegiate sporting events at a variety of beautiful upstate schools. Wofford College, Converse College, University of SC Upstate, Spartanburg Methodist College and Spartanburg Community College are all within Spartanburg County, or you could travel a little further and visit many others like Clemson, Furman, or Bob Jones.

    Visit Hatcher Gardens

    This public botanical garden and woodland preserve is a gem right in the heart of Spartanburg. Its a beautiful escape any time of the year, but Hatcher Gardens in the spring is really something every kid should experience. This 10-acre garden, primarily planted by volunteers, offers a woodland setting with trees, shrubs, flora, waterfalls, creeks ponds, and both paved and natural paths. The garden is open during daylight hours and is free to the public.

    View of Hatcher Garden

    Attend a Show at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

    Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium has been and institution in Spartanburg since 1951. It has a seating capacity of 3244 and one of the largest stages in the southeast. Here, Spartanburg hosts Broadway shows, comedy acts, celebrity speakers, sporting events, a variety of musical entertainment, family shows and trade shows. Over the years the auditorium has hosted top name acts including Taylor Swift, Harry Connick Jr., Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney, President George Bush and President George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Carol Burnett, Tom Brokaw, Broadway shows of all kinds, and family shows such as Sesame Street Live, Barney Live, Magic of David Copperfield, Peppa Pig and the circus. As a bonus, its right across the street from Krispy Kreme, so you can walk there for a treat after the show.

    Visit the BMW Zentrum Museum

    There’s no denying that the BMW plant is a huge part of Spartanburg’s identity. It is the only BMW manufacturing plant in the US and there is also a very interesting BMW museum here too. You’ve probably passed this cool building facing Interstate 85 at the edge of BMWs campus. The Zentrum is a state of the art facility, with free admission, where you can learn history, see the cars, and even grab a bite in the cafe. Learn as a family, how BMW plays a huge part in our economic culture.

    Explore our State

    The glory of our state is not contained to Spartanburg and the beauty of it is you can get to any part of our great state in a few hours. Spartanburg kids should explore as much of South Carolina as possible while growing up, from the coast, to the mountains, farmlands to the cities. There’s a little of everything here. Spartanburg kids are blessed to grow up in such an awesome city and state.

    south carolina mountains in the fall

    Step back in Time at Walnut Grove Plantation

    Charles & Mary Moore settled in what is now the Roebuck area in 1767. The home is now part of the Spartanburg Historical Association and open to the public. Spend a day touring the house, outlying buildings, property’s cemetery, and nature trail, to see how some of the first residents of our area lived.

    Explore Other Cultures

    The Spartanburg International Festival began in 1985 and has grown into one of our most anticipated annual events. Its usually held in October and celebrates the many diverse cultures of our residents and businesses. It’s a full day of music, art, dance, food and international fun! Your family will enjoy celebrating Spartanburg’s rich international culture.

    Enjoy Spartanburg Parks

    We are fortunate in Spartanburg to have a thriving Parks and Recreation Department. Spartanburg kiddos should visit as many of these parks as possible. The Spartanburg Parks website gives you a list of all our parks, by location and amenity.

    spartanburg playground

    Star Gaze in the Country

    There are numerous places in Spartanburg where you can get away from the city lights and urban development so you can really see the stars. Pick a comfortable, clear night, and find a remote corner of Spartanburg where you can look up and experience stargazing in the country.

    Enjoy Strawberry Hill USA

    The Shed at Strawberry Hill USA is a simple, historic peach shed built in 1955 and used as a peach packing shed through 1989. The original packing shed was transformed into a premier roadside market by 1990 and as of 2017, Strawberry Hill U.S.A. is the largest strawberry farm in SC with 115 acres. Peaches are still the primary crop with close to 1,000 acres in production but you will also find summer squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, runner beans, and pumpkins grown and sold at Strawberry Hill.

    You will get a taste of farm life as you see the tractors pull around the shed with a load of fresh peaches or strawberries fresh from the field. You can also visit the adjacent family restaurant and ice cream parlor. Be sure to check The Shed’s hours before you go – their hours are seasonal…but the cafe and ice cream parlor are open year round!

    Shop at the Farmers Market

    Hub City Farmers’ Market will start in April. The primary market, the Saturday Market, offers a variety of produce, meats, eggs, plants, artisan crafts, and prepared foods. It is a great place for families to shop, and a runs from 8 am-noon, April – December.

    Hub City Farmer's Market in Spartanburg, SC

    Splash at Shipwreck Cove

    Shipwreck Cove Water Park, in Duncan, SC, is technically part of Spartanburg Park and Recreation but deserves it own spot on the list as Spartanburg’s only water park. This family-friendly water park offers fun for all ages and is open from Memorial Day until Labor Day each year. There is a larger pool for older kids with rustic pirate play ship and multi-directional water cannons, two large flume slides on it’s main pool, a kiddie lagoon with misting water features, a lazy river around skull island with inflatable tubes, and certified lifeguards on duty at all times.

    There is also a snack bar and a playground area of the neighboring Stone Ledge Park.

    Celebrate a Dickens Christmas

    A Dickens of a Christmas has become a community tradition that festively celebrates the start of the Christmas season. The “Charles Dickens” period event offers a Christmas Market, carolers dressed in Victorian costume, horse-drawn carriage rides, live Christmas music, living window displays, ice skating on Morgan Square, and of course the official lighting of the Denny’s Christmas tree. Your family should experience Spartanburg’s signature yuletide celebration.

    Letters to Santa box Spartanburg SC

    Volunteer at the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen

    The Spartanburg Soup Kitchen has been serving meals to the hungry in our area for more than 35 years. Located in downtown Spartanburg, they are open at lunchtime 365 days a year; and serve between 350 and 500 guests per day. The Spartanburg Soup Kitchen relies solely on the donation of time, money, and goods from individuals, groups, small businesses, and corporations.

    Volunteer opportunities are available daily, between 9:30 am and 1:30 pm. Help is needed with food preparation, organization and unloading of donations, assembling children’s take-home bags, dishwashing, food line serving, and after-lunch clean up. To volunteer, contact Director, Lou Sartor at 864-585-0022 or visit their website.

    Visit Chapman Cultural Center

    Chapman Cultural Center is the hub for the arts in Hub City. Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg Regional History Museum, Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg Gallery, Student Galleries, John F. Green Spartanburg Science Center, The Spartanburg Little Theater, Spartanburg Youth Theater, Spartanburg Philharmonic, and Ballet Spartanburg are all located and/or perform here. The Chapman Cultural Center should be a place every Spartanburg child visits, and often.

    What’s on your child’s must do list before they grow up?

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  • Laugh the Pain Away with these Relatable Parenting Memes

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    Luka

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  • Toddler finds chalk paint, hysterics at what happens to family cat

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    After getting into a chalk paint roller, a toddler decided to paint the entire house blue, including their ginger cat—and pictures of the accident have left internet users in stitches. 

    The viral images shared on Reddit in November, under the username u/Jozee_hog, show the unimpressed ginger cat sitting near his food bowl, with his face and front paws entirely painted blue, looking more like an Avatar than a housecat. 

    “EMERGENCY PLEASE HELP,” the poster wrote in the post, concerned about any possible effects of the chalk paint on the feline. 

    “I don’t where else I can post this if you do please let me know. This morning before I woke up my toddler got into chalk paint and got it all over my walls carpets and floors and CAT it’s all been cleaned except my cat I’ve tried dry brushing, a bath, and damp brushing but he still looks like this.  

    “I don’t know what else I can try ChatGPT is suggesting coconut or olive oil as a last resort does anyone have any suggestions before I try this?” 

    When a user on JustAnswer veterinary platform asked a similar situation with their cat, Dr. Bruce, a veterinarian with over 15 years of experience, explained that this scenario is unlikely to pose any danger.  

    In his answer, he explained that the amount of chalk on the cat’s fur should not be problematic if they groom it off, although it could lead to complications such as gastrointestinal upset or diarrhea if the kitty were to consume a significant amount of the actual chalk pastel.  

    In this case, he suggested bathing the kitty to remove as much as possible, and keeping an eye out for vomiting, as it could suggest an upset stomach.  

    “If she has a more sensitive stomach, this might occur, and your vet can provide medication to help settle it. I wouldn’t be too concerned if it happens,” he said. 

    The post quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 40,000 upvotes and 1,400 comments on the platform. 

    One user, Western-Telephone-94, commented: “All I can think is how sweet and tolerant this cat is that your toddler was able to do this!” 

    Due-Investment764 said: “I can’t help here but I’m so sorry I’ve never laughed so hard because what an orange cat thing to do.” 

    Pylo84 added: “I really hope the cat is fine but my god this is funny and it’s such an orange cat issue to have. Seems the toddler and cat are well matched!” 

    Newsweek reached out to u/Jozee_hog for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.     

    Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup. 

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  • Americans Won’t Ban Kids from Social Media. What Can We Do Instead?

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    What seems most likely: the law will not be rigidly enforced, as teen-agers and social-media companies figure out ways to circumvent the ban, but the social norm established by the law and its robust popularity among politicians and voters will lead to a significant downturn in social-media use by minors nonetheless. Not every fourteen-year-old is going to draw a moustache on their photograph or get a fake I.D.—and the law should be easier to enforce among younger kids, which may mean that in five or so years it will be rare to find a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old in Australia who has ever posted anything on social media.

    This seems like a pretty good result—if you believe, as I do, that social media is obviously bad for children and adults alike. But it returns us to the question I posed at the start of this column, which has a particular relevance for Americans, who live in a country founded on the principle of free speech. The civil-libertarian argument against laws like the one that Australia has passed will probably win out in this country, if only because it happens to be aligned, in this case, with powerful domestic tech companies. That argument is simple, but bears repeating: we shouldn’t place arbitrary age limits on who gets to express themselves in the digital town square, and we shouldn’t require everyone who wants to express their opinions online to submit to an I.D. check. As a journalist, I’m also aware that, for many people, social media is a source of news. It may be a toxic and wildly imperfect alternative to legacy media, but I don’t think we should use government force to effectively reroute children to more traditional sources of information.

    In my column on this subject two years ago, I compared the attempt to restrict social-media use to adults to earlier efforts to do something similar with tobacco. The remarkably successful fight against youth smoking did rely, in part, on a shift in social norms; it also depended on a variety of legal restrictions, and heavy taxation—and I did not, at the time, see what equivalent measures might be taken with social media. Ultimately, I thought it might just come down to parents holding the line.

    I’m less pessimistic now. One of the recurring themes I discuss on “Time to Say Goodbye,” the podcast I host with the Atlantic’s Tyler Austin Harper, is what a good life looks like today. When politicians, especially liberal ones, discuss the society that they want to help bring into reality, what are the shared values that they imagine will hold people together? I’m not talking about kitchen-table issues, as important as they are, or even about tolerance and equality. What I have in mind is a vision of how Americans should live on a daily basis in a time when technology runs our lives. The Times columnist Ezra Klein addressed this recently in a piece about the “politics of attention” and the question of “human flourishing.” He concluded, “I don’t believe it will be possible for society to remain neutral on what it means to live our digital lives well.”

    I ultimately agree with Klein that we will not be neutral forever, even if our courts make an Australia-like ban nearly impossible. But I have come to believe that, in the not too distant future, the concerns of crusty civil libertarians such as myself will be pushed aside, and a new set of social norms will emerge, especially in the middle and upper classes. The signs of this quiet revolution waged on behalf of internet-addicted children are already all around us. School districts around the country are banning phones from the classroom. “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt, which directly informed the new law in Australia, has been on the Times best-seller list for eighty-five weeks, and has inspired little acts of tech rebellion by parents around the country.

    The nascent anti-smartphones movement in America is decidedly nonpartisan, for the most part, and this contributes to its potential and also to the vagueness of its outlines. It also has taken place almost entirely at the local and state level. More than thirty states in the country now have some form of cellphone ban in their schools, which should be applauded. I believe that teen-agers should have the right to post their opinions on social media, but I don’t think they need to do that in the middle of geometry class. If this means that First Amendment rights are further restricted in schools, that may be a compromise that free-speech absolutists have to accept.

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  • How to talk to your kids about AI chatbots and their safety

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    Editor’s Note: This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (or 800-273-8255) to connect with a trained counselor.

    Artificial intelligence loomed large in 2025. As AI chatbots grew in popularity, news reports documented some parents’ worst nightmares: children dead by suicide following secret conversations with AI chatbots.

    It’s hard for parents to track rapidly evolving technology.

    Last school year, 86% of students reported using artificial intelligence for school or personal use, according to a Center for Democracy & Technology report. A 2025 survey found that 52% of teens said they used AI companions — AI chatbots designed to act as digital friends or characters —  a few times a month or more. 

    How can parents navigate the ever-changing AI chatbot landscape? Research on its effects on kids is in early stages. 

    PolitiFact consulted six experts on adolescent psychiatry and psychology for parental advice. Here are their tips.  

    Want to know if and how your kids use AI chatbots? Ask.

    Parents should think of AI tools in the same vein as smartphones, tablets and the internet. Some use is okay, but users need boundaries, said Şerife Tekin, a philosophy and bioethics professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

    The best way to know if your child is using AI chatbots “is simply to ask, directly and without judgment,” said Akanksha Dadlani, a Stanford University child and adolescent psychiatry fellow.

    Parents should be clear about their safety concerns. If they expect to periodically monitor their children’s activities as a condition of access to the technology, they should be up-front about that.

    When families talk regularly and parents ask kids about their AI use, it’s “easier to catch problems early and keep AI use contained,” said Grace Berman, a New York City psychotherapist. But perhaps the most important tool is open conversation.

    Make curiosity, not judgment, the focal point of the conversation.

    Being inquisitive rather than confrontational can help children feel safer sharing their experiences.  

    “Ask how they are using it, what they like about it, what it helps with, and what feels uncomfortable or confusing,” Dadlani said. “Keep the tone non-judgmental and grounded in safety.” 

    Listen with genuine interest in what they have to say. 

    Ask your child what they believe their preferred AI chatbot knows about them. Ask if a chatbot has ever told them something false or made them feel uncomfortable.  

    English teacher Casey Cuny, center, helps a student input a prompt into ChatGPT on a Chromebook during class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., Aug. 27, 2025. (AP)

    Parents can also ask their children to help them understand the technology, letting them guide the conversation, psychologist Don Grant told the Monitor on Psychology, the American Psychological Association’s official magazine.

    “One key message to convey: Feeling understood by a system doesn’t mean it understands you,” Tekin said. “Children are capable of grasping this distinction when it’s explained respectfully.”

    Parents might bring up concerns about AI chatbots’ privacy and confidentiality or the fact that an AI chatbot’s main goal is to affirm them and keep them using the bot. Emphasize that AI is a tool, not a relationship.

    “Explain that chatbots are prediction machines, not real friends or therapists, and they sometimes get things dangerously wrong,” Berman said. “Frame this as a team effort, something you want your child to be able to make healthy and informed decisions about.” 

    Use the technology’s safety settings, but remember they’re imperfect. 

    Parents can restrict children to using technology in their home’s common areas. Apps and parental controls are also available to help parents limit and monitor their children’s AI chatbot use. 

    Berman encourages parents to use apps and parental controls such as Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link to monitor technology use, app downloads and search terms. 

    Parents should use screen and app-specific time limits, automatic lock times, content filters and, when available, teen accounts, Dadlani said. 

    “Monitoring tools can also be appropriate,” Dadlani said.

    With Bark Phones or the Bark or Aura apps, parents can set restrictions for certain apps or websites and monitor and limit online activities. 

    Parents can adjust AI chatbot settings or instruct children to avoid certain bots altogether.

    In some of the AI chatbot cases that resulted in lawsuits, the users were interacting with chatbot versions that had the ability to remember past conversations. Tekin said parents should disable that “memory,” personalization or long-term conversation storage.

    “Avoid platforms that explicitly market themselves as companions or therapists,” she said.

    Bruce Perry, 17, shows his ChatGPT history at a coffee shop in Russellville, Ark., July 15, 2025. (AP)

    Some chatbots have or are creating parental controls, but that approach is also imperfect.

    “Even the ones that do will only provide parental controls if the parent is logged in, the child is logged in, and the accounts have been connected,” said Mitch Prinstein, the American Psychological Association’s chief of psychology. 

    These measures don’t guarantee that kids will use chatbots safely, Berman said. 

    “There is much we don’t yet know about how interacting with chatbots impacts the developing brain — say, on the development of social and romantic relationships — so there is no recommended safe amount of use for children,” Berman said.

    Does that mean it’s best to impose an outright ban? Probably not. 

    Parents can try, but it’s unlikely that parents will succeed in entirely preventing kids — especially older children and teens — from using AI chatbots. And trying might backfire.

    “AI is increasingly embedded in schoolwork, search engines, and everyday tools,” Dadlani said. “Rather than attempting total prevention, parents should focus on supervision, transparency and boundaries.”

    Students gather in a common area as they head to classes in Oregon, May 4, 2017. (AP)

    Model the behavior you want kids to emulate.

    Restrictions aren’t the only way to influence your kids’ interactions with AI chatbots. 

    “Model healthy AI use yourself,” Dadlani said. “Children notice how adults use technology, not just the rules they set.”

    Prinstein said parents should also model their attitudes toward AI by openly discussing AI with kids in critical and thoughtful ways. 

    “Engage in harm reduction conversations,” Berman said. That might look like asking your child questions such as, “How could you tell if you were using AI too much? How can we work together as a team to help you use this responsibly?”

    From there, you can collaboratively set expectations for AI use with your kids. 

    “Work together to co-create a plan on when and how the family will use AI companions and when to turn to real people for help and guidance,” Aguiar said. “Put that plan in writing and do weekly check-ins.”

    If you have concerns specific to your child’s use, don’t be afraid to ask your child to tell you what the chatbot is saying or ask to see the messages. 

    Parents should emphasize they won’t be upset or angry about what they find, Prinstein said. It might be useful to remind your child that you’re coming from a place of concern by saying something like, chatbots are “known to make things up or to misunderstand things, and I just want to help you to get the right information,” he said. 

    Replacing in-person relationships with AI interactions is cause for concern.

    Parents should look for signs that an AI chatbot is affecting a child’s mood or behavior.

    Some red flags that a child is engaged in unhealthy or excessive AI chatbot use: 

    • Withdrawal from social relationships and increased social isolation. 

    • Increased secrecy or time alone with devices.

    • Emotional distress when access to AI is limited.

    • Disinterest in activities your child used to enjoy.

    • Sudden changes in grades.

    • Increased irritability or aggression.

    • Changes in eating or sleeping habits.

    • Treating a chatbot like a therapist or best friend. 

    Parents shouldn’t necessarily assume all irritability or privacy-seeking behavior is a sign of AI chatbot overuse. Sometimes, that’s part of being a teenager. 

    But parents should be on the lookout for patterns that seem in sync with kids’ chatbot engagement, Prinstein said.

    “The concern is not curiosity or experimentation,” Dadlani said. “The concern is the replacement of human connection and skill-building.” 

    Take note if the child is routinely relying on chatbots — particularly choosing bots’ advice over human feedback — while withdrawing from peers, family and outside activities. 

    “That is when I would consider tightening technical limits and, importantly, involving a mental health professional,” Berman said. 

    Parents are used to worrying about who their kids spend time with and whether their friends might encourage them to make bad decisions, Prinstein said. Parents need to remember that many kids are hanging out with a new, powerful “friend” these days. 

    “It’s a friend that they can talk to 24/7 and that seems to be omniscient,” he said. “That friend is the chatbot.” 

    PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird and Staff Writer Loreben Tuquero contributed to this report.

    RELATED: Adam Raine called ChatGPT his ‘only friend.’ Now his family blames the technology for his death

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  • Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes Make Rare Outing With Blended Family

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    Newly engaged couple Amy Robach and T.J Holmes made a rare appearance with their blended family at Jingle Ball 2025.

    The former GMA anchors turned podcast hosts attended the iHeartRadio concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, December 12, alongside their daughters. In a group photo taken at the event, Holmes, 48, posed next to his youngest child, Sabine, 12, while Robach, 52, stood beside her daughters Ava, 22, and Annalise, 19.

    Holmes wore a brown velvet jacket over an all-black ensemble for the occasion, while Robach rocked a chocolate brown lingerie-style dress. Her hair was pulled back and she wore dangling earrings, as well as her massive engagement ring from Holmes. (The pair announced their engagement in October after three years of dating.)

    Sabine looked lovely in a red mini dress, which she paired with ankle boots and black tights. Ava wore a black dress and coordinating boots with tights while Annalise chose a plunging maroon polka dot frock. She also wore black boots and tights.

    Robach shares Ava and Annalise with her first husband, Tim McIntosh, whom she was married to from 1996 to 2008. She was married to Melrose Place alum Andrew Shue from 2010 to 2022, until reports of infidelity arose in light of her romance with Holmes.

    Shue, 58, is now dating Marilee Fiebig, Holmes’ ex-wife whom he split with following the cheating scandal. Holmes shares Sabine with Fiebig, 48, as well as daughter Brianna and son Jaiden with his first wife, Amy Ferson.

    “I’m saying this genuinely — my girls have now gone off — but to have Sabine around is joy,” Robach shared on her and Holmes’ podcast in September. “I absolutely, totally appreciate and actually really look forward to and love having that childlike, that sweetness around. It’s awesome.”

    Although Robach said she can no longer have children after battling breast cancer in 2013, she does have the “natural desire” to have children with Holmes, who agreed.

    “It’s not even a matter of watching you and your girls, you watching me with mine,” he said. “It’s just really a matter of when you are with [someone], you can’t help but want to create your own unit. And yes, those units sometimes come from other pieces and places coming together, but you can have them.”


    T. J. Holmes and Amy Robach attend iHeartRadio z100’s Jingle Ball 2025.     Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

    Holmes shared that they have discussed adding to their brood, admitting, “We have talked more lately about the idea of even adopting a child, and usually it’s me bringing it up.”

    He added, “I need to write-in to my own damn column to get some advice about what to do when the person you’re with — who is maybe at an advanced baby-making age — laughs every time you bring up the possibility of kids.”

    Since their romantic relationship was exposed in November 2022, former ABC coworkers Holmes and Robach have continued to stand by each other. Though they were ousted from the network in January 2023 amid the controversy, Holmes and Robach now cohost the “Amy and T.J.” podcast, which launched in 2023.

    Amy Robach and TJ Holmes Romance Has Been Most Difficult on Their Kids


    Related: Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ Romance Has Been ‘Most Difficult’ on Their Kids

    Taylor Hill/FilmMagic Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are putting in the work to develop “evolving” bonds with each other’s kids in the aftermath of their respective divorces. During the Thursday, December 21, episode of their “Amy and T.J.” podcast, Robach, 50, and Holmes, 46, recalled the initial adjustment period after news broke that they were […]

    During the premiere episode, Robach and Holmes denied they had an affair. They were both reportedly separated from their respective spouses, Shue and Fiebig, when they started seeing each other. They didn’t, however, inform ABC — or their families — that they were dating at the time.

    “Maybe we screwed up, but in the immediate crisis of it all, and I have it in my phone — still saved as a draft from November 30th, the day this happened — our draft[ed] statements that have never been released,” Holmes said, continuing, “You made a statement about where you were in your marriage. I made a statement about my divorce proceedings, and those statements were never released.”

    Robach noted that she “also felt awful” that her family found out about their relationship online.

    “We thought we were protecting our children and our families, and we thought we had time,” she said. “And we thought we had a right to privacy. And maybe that was foolish and silly.”

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  • Girl, 9, becomes different person overnight, then comes rare diagnosis

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    Lacy was an outgoing, fun nine-year-old. Then, one night, everything changed. She became a shell of herself.

    Her mother, Crystal, 30, from Illinois, told Newsweek she can only describe last year as “hell.” Doctors said her first-born had anxiety and depression — but Crystal’s instincts told her something else was happening.

    Recently, Crystal shared a TikTok video on (@crysrenae) showing Lacy on her ninth birthday, sitting in front of a watermelon wedge with candles, her face blank beside her excited younger brother. The clip then cuts to this year: The same girl grinning from ear to ear in front of cake. The transformation has struck a chord online, drawing almost 40 million views.

    Crystal says the change came after Lacy received the right diagnosis and treatment. Now, she’s using her platform to raise awareness about pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, or PANS — a condition in which children develop sudden obsessive-compulsive symptoms or restrictive eating, alongside an abrupt and dramatic behavioral decline. The syndrome is often linked to infections, though a clear trigger isn’t always identified.

    The PANDAS Physicians Network (PPN) explains a related condition, PANDAS — pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections — is considered a subtype of PANS. It follows the same sudden-onset pattern but is specifically tied to a recent strep infection and can include tics and neurological changes.

    What Are the Symptoms?

    Children with PANS or PANDAS don’t just develop OCD-like behaviors or eating restriction overnight. They also experience a rapid onset of at least two other serious symptoms.

    These can include:

    • Severe anxiety
    • Mood swings or depression
    • Irritability or aggression
    • Regression in behavior
    • Sudden academic decline
    • Motor or sensory abnormalities
    • Physical issues such as sleep disruption

    Lacy suffered with all of the above; her mom told Newsweek that she was suddenly full of “rage.”

    What May Cause It?

    The PPN states researchers with believe simultaneous exposure to multiple infections can essentially “misfire” the immune system. In some cases, that may mean the body’s normal safeguards fail, allowing immune cells to attack healthy tissue. In others, the immune system may become overactivated and mistakenly target neuronal cells. Genetics may also play a role, with some children more predisposed to these abnormal immune responses than others.

    How Lacy “Changed Overnight”

    Crystal said the earliest signs appeared after Lacy developed food poisoning. She became intensely fearful of vomiting and started showing separation anxiety. She also stopped enjoying toys and TV shows.

    “She was checked out,” Crystal told Newsweek. “Little did we know that was the beginning of PANS.”

    Then, in July, her symptoms escalated dramatically.

    “She had a mental break and almost had an episode of psychosis,” her mother recalled. “One night, she became out of touch with reality and started banging on my door in the middle of the night, saying she needed to go to the hospital.

    “She didn’t know why, but she knew something was happening.

    “After that, she had many fear episodes, it was insane. She became a fear-ridden kid.”

    Lacy was seen by multiple doctors and repeatedly diagnosed with anxiety and depression. But Crystal says the behavior looked like something deeper — and far more frightening.

    “It seems horrible to say, but she almost seemed possessed, like something came over her body.

    “She was trying to run away. She felt trapped and was in utter terror.”

    Lacy began expressing suicidal thoughts, she destroyed her bedroom multiple times and smashed a window. By August, she was begging to be admitted to a psychiatric ward.

    “Everything happened so fast, she started to try and hurt herself and us,” Crystal said.

    “Anxiety wasn’t even the right word; she was scared of herself and so were her siblings.”

    Crystal said psychiatrists struggled to explain what was happening. Feeling out of options, the family started researching on their own — and came across PANS.

    “I was trying to figure out what happened, because I didn’t know who this child was,” she said.

    The Search for Help

    Crystal took Lacy out of the psychiatric ward in September, and her family drove to Indiana to see a PANS specialist.

    “I didn’t know it was a controversial diagnosis or that it would be an issue to get the diagnosis,” Crystal said.

    “It was the hardest thing I have ever dealt with, and I think I have post-traumatic stress disorder from it.”

    She stressed there were no major life events that could explain the shift and that Lacy’s grandmother moved in to help manage the chaos at home.

    “There were times when I thought she was going to kill one of us — not necessarily meaning to — but I thought my parents were going to have a heart attack from stress,” Crystal said.

    Lacy’s symptoms were often quieter in the morning, then worsened at night. She refused to sleep. The family cycled through care options, many of which were not covered by insurance.

    “A lot of insurance companies do not cover it, so we had to pay out of pocket,” Crystal said.

    “If it wasn’t for my parents, we wouldn’t have been able to fund it.”

    She estimates her parents spent more than $10,000 on testing and medication. Bloodwork screened for infections and abnormal antibodies.

    A Turning Point

    “From what I understand, her immune system attacked her brain, causing inflammation — autoimmune encephalitis — and she didn’t have control of her brain,” Crystal said.

    The family tried multiple antibiotics before one began to help. In December 2024, doctors recommended adding a very low-dose antipsychotic alongside antibiotics.

    “We were against it but we were so desperate,” she said.

    “It was a turning point.”

    On Christmas Day last year, Crystal said she saw her daughter return.

    “It was a miracle — she was happy, smiling, and living life again,” she said.

    Since then, Lacy has continued improving. She’s had setbacks, but her mother says she is largely back to herself. She also receives IVIG infusions, a treatment aimed at regulating immune function and preventing relapse.

    “Today, she is living life again — doing extracurricular activities and hanging out with her friends,” Crystal said.

    “I didn’t think this would be possible one year ago.”

    “She wasn’t eating then, and now she almost doesn’t have anxiety anymore.”

    “We are all doing much better as well.”

    “You Aren’t Alone”

    Crystal says she’s sharing Lacy’s story for the families who are still in the spiral she remembers all too clearly.

    “I want people to know they aren’t alone,” she said.

    “I was looking for anything I could find, desperate to find other parents going through it.”

    “I felt like I was living a life that nobody knew about.”

    “I felt alone and desperate to find other parents.”

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  • Botulism outbreak sickens more than 50 babies and expands to all ByHeart products

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    Federal health officials on Wednesday expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to recalled ByHeart baby formula to include all illnesses reported since the company began production in March 2022.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said investigators “cannot rule out the possibility that contamination might have affected all ByHeart formula products” ever made.

    The outbreak now includes at least 51 infants in 19 states. The new case definition includes “any infant with botulism who was exposed to ByHeart formula at any time since the product’s release,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent illness was reported on Dec. 1.

    No deaths have been reported in the outbreak, which was announced Nov. 8.

    Previously, health officials had said the outbreak included 39 suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism reported in 18 states since August. That’s when officials at California’s Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program reported a rise in treatment of infants who had consumed ByHeart formula. Another 12 cases were identified with the expanded definition, including two that occurred in the original timeline and 10 that occurred from December 2023 through July 2025.

    ByHeart, a New York-based manufacturer of organic infant formula founded in 2016, recalled all its products sold in the U.S. on Nov. 11. The company, which accounts for about 1% of the U.S. infant formula market, had been selling about 200,000 cans of the product each month.

    News that ByHeart products could have been contaminated for years was distressing to Andi Galindo, whose 5-week-old daughter, Rowan, was hospitalized in December 2023 with infant botulism after drinking the formula. Galindo, 36, of Redondo Beach, California, said she insisted on using ByHeart formula to supplement a low supply of breast milk because it was recommended by a lactation consultant as “very natural, very gentle, very good for the babies.”

    “That’s a hard one,” Galindo said. “If there is proof that there were issues with their manufacturing and their plant all the way back from the beginning, that is a problem and they really need to be held accountable.”

    Amy Mazziotti, 43, of Burbank, California, said her then-5-month-old son, Hank, fell ill and was treated for botulism in March, weeks after he began drinking ByHeart. Being included in the investigation of the outbreak “feels like a win for all of us,” she said Wednesday.

    “I’ve known in my gut from the beginning that ByHeart was the reason Hank got sick, and to see that these cases are now part of the investigation brings me to tears — a mix of relief, gratitude and hope that the truth is finally being recognized,” she said.

    In a statement late Wednesday, ByHeart officials said the company is cooperating with federal officials “to understand the full scope of related cases.”

    “The new cases reported by CDC and FDA will help inform ByHeart’s investigation as we continue to seek the root cause of the contamination,” the statement said.

    Lab tests detected contamination

    The FDA sent inspectors last month to ByHeart plants in Allerton, Iowa, and Portland, Oregon, where the formula is produced and packaged. The agency has released no results from those inspections.

    The company previously reported that tests by an independent laboratory showed that 36 samples from three different lots contained the type of bacteria that can cause infant botulism.

    “We cannot rule out the risk that all ByHeart formula across all product lots may have been contaminated,” the company wrote on its website last month.

    Those results and discussions with the FDA led CDC officials to expand the outbreak, according to Dr. Jennifer Cope, a CDC scientist leading the investigation.

    “It looks like the contamination appeared to persist across all production runs, different lots, different raw material lots,” Cope said. “They couldn’t isolate it to specific lots from a certain time period.”

    Inspection documents showed that ByHeart had a history of problems with contamination.

    In 2022, the year ByHeart started making formula, the company recalled five batches of infant formula after a sample at a packaging plant tested positive for a different germ, cronobacter sakazakii. In 2023, the FDA sent a warning letter to the company detailing “areas that still require corrective actions.”

    A ByHeart plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, was shut down in 2023 just before FDA inspectors found problems with mold, water leaks and insects, documents show.

    Infant botulism is rare

    Infant botulism is a rare disease that affects fewer than 200 babies in the U.S. each year. It’s caused when infants ingest botulism bacteria that produce spores that germinate in the intestines, creating a toxin that affects the nervous system. Babies are vulnerable until about age 1 because their gut microbiomes are not mature enough to fight the toxin.

    Baby formula has previously been linked to sporadic cases of illness, but no known outbreaks of infant botulism tied to powdered formula have previously been confirmed, according to research studies.

    Symptoms can take up to 30 days to develop and can include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, drooping eyelids and a flat facial expression. Babies may feel “floppy” and can have problems swallowing or breathing.

    The sole treatment for infant botulism is known as BabyBIG, an IV medication made from the pooled blood plasma of adults immunized against botulism. California’s infant botulism program developed the product and is the sole source worldwide.

    The antibodies provided by BabyBIG are likely most effective for about a month, although they may continue circulating in the child’s system for several months, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, an expert in pediatric infectious disease at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.

    “The risk to the infant is ongoing and the family should not be using this formula after it was recalled,” Nachman said in an email.

    Families of several babies treated for botulism after drinking ByHeart formula have sued the company. Lawsuits filed in federal courts allege that the formula they fed their children was defective and ByHeart was negligent in selling it. They seek financial payment for medical bills, emotional distress and other harm.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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    Jonel Aleccia | The Associated Press

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  • How to clean baby bottles the right way: a complete guide for every parent – Growing Family

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    Collaborative post

    Cleaning baby bottles can be more complex than it originally seems, especially when you have to do it several times a day. With numerous feeding sessions and regular washing, it’s easy to get confused about which bottles are clean, which ones need sterilisation, and what tools can help. 

    However, with the right practices and a few basic steps, it’s possible to stay on top of bottle hygiene and keep equipment safe for your baby. In this article we’ll explore how to clean baby bottles correctly, the importance of proper cleaning, and when to replace them.

    a person cleaning baby bottles

    Why proper bottle cleaning matters

    The immune system of a baby has not fully developed, and this makes them susceptible to germs. The residue of the breast milk or the milk formula in a bottle can provide the perfect environment for bacteria and mould to thrive. That’s why thorough cleaning isn’t only a routine, but also a necessity.

    • Prevention of disease: Correct cleaning and sanitation can create a major reduction in the chances of common childhood diseases such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and fungal infections, all of which can easily be spread in feeding equipment.
    • Avoidance of biofilm buildup: Over time, bacteria may create a protective layer referred to as biofilm within a plastic component or a small crevice. This film can’t be washed easily; breaking down and scrubbing are required to remove it.
    • Keeping bottles clean: Regular bottle cleaning, particularly of the nipples and valves, can increase the life of your feeding aids.

        What you need to clean baby bottles 

        It’s a good idea to keep a separate set of cleaning supplies for baby feeding equipment. Doing so will help you avoid accidentally transferring food contaminants from other items in the kitchen to your baby’s bottles and accessories.

        The following are all useful tools for cleaning baby bottles:

        • Bottle brush: This is a long-handled brush with strong bristles that access the bottom and sides of the bottle. Some brushes also have a special sponge tip or a flexible head.
        • Nipple brush: A smaller, more pointed brush is required for washing the small holes and small base of the bottle’s nipple.
        • Wash bowl: It’s not advisable to wash baby bottles in the kitchen sink, as your sink could contain invisible bacteria from raw food or other cooking procedures. Instead, use a separate wash bowl for baby items.
        • Drying rack: A special drying rack that will enable bottles and nipples to dry fully and fast is also handy.
        • Tongs: If you sterilise your bottles by boiling or in the microwave, you’ll need tongs to handle hot components.  

                Modern appliances can transform the process for parents who want the ultimate convenience and hygiene, especially when handling large volumes of pump parts as well as bottles. By looking into automated tools such as the Momcozy feeding bottle washing machine, you can cut down on time spent on manual cleaning and maintain a high quality cleaning process.

                baby bottle cleaning materialsbaby bottle cleaning materials

                How to clean baby bottles step by step

                Use this four-step procedure every time your baby has consumed a bottle in order to clean all surfaces before the sterilising stage.

                1. Rinse immediately: Once your baby has finished feeding, rinse the bottle, nipple, and any other accessories with warm water. This will prevent the drying and sticking of milk.
                2. Disassemble every part: Remove every part of the feeding bottle, such as the nipple, cap, venting system, and the ring. 
                3. Wash thoroughly: Wash each part of the feeding bottle using a gentle soap and warm water. use a bottle brush and nipple brush for a thorough clean.
                4. Rinse with hot water: Rinse all the parts under running hot water until all the soap is gone.    

                Tips to keep baby bottles cleaner for longer    

                These tips will not just help you reduce germs, but can also increase the lifespan of a baby bottle.

                • Clean immediately: Once you’re done using a bottle, clean it immediately. Don’t let the milk residue dry inside the bottle. 
                • Use separate bottles for water: If you use baby bottles for water, keep these bottles for water only. Doing this limits cross-contamination from milk bottles.
                • Check vents: Check narrow anti-colic vents or valves frequently, as milk can accidentally stagnate in these areas.
                • Storage: When you’ve finished washing the bottles make sure you store them in a clean container with a cover. Don’t reassemble them when wet because this can seal in moisture and encourage mould growth.
                baby bottles drying rackbaby bottles drying rack

                When to replace baby bottles

                Despite the best cleaning methods, baby bottles and nipples will wear out in time due to heat and frequent scrubbing.

                Replace nipples every three to four months, or sooner if there are any signs of wear, such as:

                • The silicone or latex is torn or cracked
                • The hole in the nipple has become too big for your baby.
                • The material looks white or smoky.

                Replace bottles every six months, or when you notice any of the following:

                • The plastic is either scratched, hazy, or cracked (scratches allow places where the bacteria can grow)
                • The bottles have an unpleasant odour or are discoloured, even after being washed.

                Glass bottles are more durable and don’t degrade in the same way as plastic bottles. However, they should be replaced as soon as you see any chip, crack, or structural weakness.

                Knowing how to clean your baby’s bottles correctly makes feeding safer and easier. With the help of correct washing, sterilisation, and good storage, you can ensure your baby’s feeding equipment stays safe and lasts for longer.

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    Catherine

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  • Asking Eric: Messy housemate gives host silent treatment

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    Dear Eric: I allowed the daughter of a cousin, with whom I am not close, to move in with me while she finishes college. When she moved in last January it was supposed to be for a semester, but this is the longest semester I have ever seen.

    We had an incident where she left gobs of hair all over my bathroom, which I had to clean up. I told her via text I didn’t like it.

    She walked around my house for weeks so angry with me, and when I said something to her as she was leaving the house, she slammed the door in my face.

    There were other incidents. When she moved in, she had at least nine big boxes in my living room. I have been asking for around seven months for her to move them, and she won’t.

    So, we had a big blow-up because of that and now she is walking around sullen. She said she has to keep her peace; she won’t speak. She won’t do her chores anymore, either.

    I want her to leave. She’s just plain rude. Am I wrong?

    — Bad Housemate

    Dear Housemate: It seems like she’s fallen into the pattern of being the sullen teenager, making you the nagging parent. But you’re not her parent and, if she’s finishing college, she’s probably not a teenager either. She’s a guest in your home and she needs to treat the home and you with respect. If she won’t contribute to the order of the home and won’t communicate with you, then it’s not working, and you should tell her that. She doesn’t get a free pass.

    If you want to give her another chance before asking her to leave, then it’s time to have a “state of the arrangement” conversation where you lay out what your expectations are and ask her if she can accept those. Also state that there are consequences to the agreement not being honored, namely that this wouldn’t be a place where she was able to stay any longer. Lastly, get a timeline. How long is this degree going to take? How many credits does she have left?

    From your letter, however, it sounds like you’re fed up and that’s fine. We’re coming up on the end of another semester. This may be the right time for her to find another option. Because your cousin made the arrangement, you might also loop her in so she’s not blindsided and so she can help her daughter to take responsibility.

    Dear Eric: I recently spent the night with an old friend. We had a 50-year anniversary visit. We are thrilled to be reunited. My friend went out of her way to make me welcome and comfortable in her home overnight. That included washing the bed linens having used fabric softener and/or dryer sheets. The bed was overwhelmingly perfumed by these products to the extent that I was coughing and effectively lost a night‘s sleep.

    The opportunity exists to spend more time in the future in her home, however, I cannot sleep in her guest room with those chemicals in play. How do you suggest I approach this one?

    — No Aromas, Please

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    R. Eric Thomas

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

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    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.

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    Simon Hill

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  • Influencer Doubles Down on ‘Wicked 2’ Walkout Over Love Scene

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    A social-media influencer is doubling down on her decision to pull her kids out of a Wicked: For Good screening. 

    Sara Burnett took to her Instagram Stories on Monday, November 24, sharing Us Weekly’s previous story about why she walked out of the Wicked sequel. She said “we will never always make the right choices but when in a situation where you can make a choice to stand for your beliefs.. do it.”

    The day prior, Burnett posted her negative review of the film via Instagram, writing, “Now hear me out — we LOVE theatre & musicals. We love appreciating the talents and God given gifts that people have. Seeing the acting, the arts and all the creativity. But gosh, I am not sitting in a movie that is casting legit spells over me and my family and allowing my children (5yr old included) to watch scenes where men are sexually taking off women’s clothing and music that is talking about them laying in bed together.”

    In a video accompanying the rant, Burnett, a self-described “virtual hope spreader” and “anchor in Christ,” sits in a car sipping a Stanley cup. 


    Related: A Review of All the Songs on the ‘Wicked: For Good‘ Soundtrack

    After almost exactly a year, Wicked: For Good has finally hit theaters, and Us is celebrating with a deep dive of its soundtrack! Containing a total of 11 songs with a run time of 44 minutes, Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack includes two brand-new tracks written by the musical’s original composer, Stephen Schwartz. As […]

    In her caption, she recalled “feeling that the spells cast in this movie weren’t just some made up words.. they had purpose in them! The Bible tells us to stay far away from that and my children even looked at me with big eyes and felt uncomfortable in certain parts of the movie. The mom gut knew it was time to walk out.”

    Wicked: For Good, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has a PG (parental guidance) rating from the Motion Picture Association for “action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material.”

    The movie opened on Friday, November 21, and dominated the weekend box office, collecting $150 million at the domestic box office and $226 million worldwide. According to The Ankler, a newsletter covering the entertainment industry, the sequel’s opening-night audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore rating. A 61-percent majority of moviegoers were between the ages of 18 and 34, and 70 percent were female — further evidence that blockbusters targeting women perform exceptionally well in theaters. 

    Burnett objected to a sexy sequence featuring a shirtless Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba (Erivo), mostly clad in a chunky gray cardigan sweater. The lovestruck duo croon “As Long As You’re Mine” inside Elphaba’s hideaway. 

    Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey in Wicked


    Related: Does Fiyero End Up With Glinda or Elphaba in ‘Wicked: For Good‘?

    Wicked: For Good brings the movie musical’s final chapter to the big screen, but who does Fiyero ride off into the sunset with: Glinda or Elphaba? Warning: Spoilers below for Wicked: For Good.  Wicked part 1, which hit theaters in 2024, introduced a love triangle (of sorts) after Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) showed up at […]

    While Burnett’s post drew support from like-minded followers, others were grateful that they brought their children to watch director Jon M. Chu‘s much-anticipated follow-up to Wicked: Part 1.

    “So happy I took my kids to see it! They’re too little to read into any of it and they see all that stuff as icky anyways,” one follower wrote. “My kids will grow up not hiding and having life normalized. So happy for them.”

    Another reminded Burnett: “You had every opportunity to do your research on whether the content aligned with your values before allowing your kids to even see part 1. Ridiculous.”

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    Erin Carlson

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  • Family sing “Happy Birthday” to late son, what toddler says breaks hearts

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    A toddler from Mississippi has broken hearts across the internet for what he said during what would have been his brother’s third birthday. 

    In a clip on TikTok (@presleykloac), parents Presley and Wes Kloac sing “Happy Birthday” with their 4-year-old son, James Barrett “Bear,” in honor of their youngest, Bowen Rhodes—“Bo”—who passed away shortly after birth. 

    After they finish singing, Wes tells Bear to make a wish. “I wished that Bo would be down here forever,” Bear said.

    Presley, 28, told Newsweek that it was a moment mixed with joy, sadness and grief. “We are so happy that Bear knows and loves and remembers his little brother…but it also causes great grief and sadness knowing that we aren’t able to bring him back,” she said. “There is such great sadness in seeing your child hurt and experiencing pain and knowing that there is nothing that you are able to do to fix it for them or make it better.” 

    Bowen was diagnosed in utero with bladder outlet obstruction—a rare, often fatal condition that blocks urination and leads to severe, irreversible organ damage.  

    Presley remembers her 20-week anatomy scan—a day that should have been filled with happiness and excitement for the parents—when the mood shifted.  

    “‘He looks like he needs to use the bathroom!’ our ultrasound tech said, giggling in a joking way but instantly, everything changed,” Presley said.  

    After another doctor confirmed Bo’s diagnosis, Presley and Wes were on their way to specialists in Jackson, four hours away from their home city in Saltillo. 

    Eventually, after six months of weekly “viability” checks for their baby’s heartbeat, the parents had to prepare for the possibility of losing him at any moment. 

    “Each visit we went in, I would hold my breath as he stuck the machine to my stomach, anticipating the worst news any parent could possibly get, wondering each time, would this be the day they tell me that my baby is gone?” Presley said.  

    But Bowen held on. Presley said she felt him move while teaching, tiny rolls and kicks that became bittersweet reminders of milestones she knew she’d never witness.  

    Against all odds, he made it to delivery day. And then he stunned doctors a second time—surviving not minutes, but two full hours in his parents’ arms.  

    “We told him that it was OK to let go and that we didn’t want him to be in pain or suffering,” Presley said. “We wanted him to know that we would miss him each and every day of our lives, but that we would be OK until we saw him again in heaven.” 

    The fact that Bowen lived is what makes the Kloac family’s yearly ritual so special. Presley explained that singing “Happy Birthday” isn’t about marking his death, but acknowledging his birth.  

    Navigating grief has required the kind of teamwork that ebbs and flows with each parent’s strength. Some seasons, Presley said, Wes carries more of the emotional load; in others, she steps in when he can’t.  

    “We have had to take turns carrying the weight and being a pillar of strength for each other,” Presley said. “But always both being there for our oldest and staying strong as a united front for him.” 

    Presley’s clip has gone viral on TikTok, amassing 2.7 million views. Users in the comments were heartbroken by little Bear’s wish.

    “This brought tears to my eyes. Thinking of y’all today,” one user wrote, while another said, “The look between mom and dad. So much love, so much sorrow in a simple glance.”

    Many others shared photos of loved ones who said were with Bowen in heaven too.

    Now on what would have been Bowen’s third birthday, Presley said their grief is softer around the edges but never gone. She still catches herself looking at her nieces—born just after Bowen—and thinking, he should be toddling around like them.  

    “We also think of Bowen a lot when on vacations or family events or holidays,” Presley added. “How technically we are a family of four, when only three of us are here and in pictures.” 

    Yet there is comfort for the Kloacs: in faith community, and the hope that their story might help other parents navigating the unthinkable.  

    “We take comfort in knowing that our sweet baby boy is…no longer suffering,” Presley said. “We also take comfort in knowing that he was met by our friends and families that have passed and that they are with him as well.  

    “My family and I also hope to continue to be an inspiration to other families who have experienced something similar and be able to support them through their trials, knowing we have been there.” 

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  • Heartwarming moment deaf toddler surprises mom with sign language

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    The adorable moment a deaf toddler did American Sign Language (ASL) in front of his mom has melted hearts online.

    Mom of four Elle Miller, 26, captured a precious video of the moment her son, Timmy, surprised her by doing an ASL sign. The 13-month-old learned his first sign on November 5 when he produced the movement for “yay,” and now he has added another word to his repertoire.

    On November 17, Timmy amazed his family when he signed “all done” after finishing his food. Miller, of North Alabama, told Newsweek that she felt “extremely emotional” and couldn’t hold back the tears at his latest accomplishment.

    “Since he didn’t start showing any interest in signing until this month, I was beginning to worry that he may have some learning delays, but then he surprised us all,” Miller said. “Timmy has learned two signs so far. The kids have learned a good handful, and my husband and I have definitely learned a lot.”

    Miller shared the heartwarming video on TikTok (@millerfamilyx6) showing Timmy’s second ASL sign, and the clip went viral with over 140,000 views and 8,900 likes at the time of writing.

    It was suspected that Timmy was deaf at birth, but he wasn’t officially declared so until he was 2 months old. The family started learning sign language as soon as Timmy was born, and while it has been an adjustment, Miller is so grateful for how far they’ve come.

    “The beginning was definitely hard,” Miller said. “My husband and I both had never met anybody that was deaf or ever been involved in the deaf community, so we felt lost. It has now turned into such a beautiful and amazing journey.

    “Timmy is literally the happiest child you can meet. He never really cried as an infant and is always smiling. He is so curious about the world and lights up every room.”

    There is still the potential for Timmy to hear one day with the use of a bone anchored hearing aid. Miller tells Newsweek that the couple have been trying to get a BAHA fitted since Timmy was born, and they are hoping he can finally have one within the next six months.

    The online reaction to the video of Timmy’s second sign is beyond anything Miller anticipated. She has been blown away by all the support so far, and loves documenting the everyday experiences as a parent of a deaf child.

    “I didn’t know that there were so many people who didn’t know babies could learn how to sign. Everybody has been so sweet and amazing to Timmy and our family,” Miller said.

    In the days since the video went viral, internet users have taken to the comments to praise the precious moment.

    One comment on the post reads: “omg [oh my God] he’s so adorable.”

    Another TikTok user wrote: “This is as much as a victory for you as it is for him, congrats mom and dad.”

    A third person replied: “This made me cry tears of joy genuinely, this is so sweet and beautiful. I can’t wait to see more.”

    Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site. 

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  • Asking Eric: Neighbor’s vacant home threatens property

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    Dear Eric: The home next door is vacant. I think it is a rental property. There is a huge tree in the front yard that is coming over my property. A tree from this property fell on my house a few years ago. This caused my homeowner’s insurance to be canceled because it was considered to be an act of nature.

    I need to see if this can be avoided because the tree is old and the dead branches are falling on my car. Do you have any idea what can be done?

    — Neighbor Dilemma

    Dear Neighbor: Start by collecting information. Your local tax assessor’s office will have a record of who owns the property and what their address is, if the house is not their primary residence. Be sure that if you search online, you’re on the state or local government’s site. There are many data-harvesting sites that will try to charge you for this free information. Don’t click on the first link you find in a search; scroll until you find a city, county or state site.

    With this information, you can reach out to the owner directly, or you can reach out to the housing authority. Many housing authorities have task forces specifically charged with monitoring code violations. Even if yours doesn’t, a phone call to the housing authority will alert you to other options that might be available to you.

    Dear Eric: I just can’t come to grips with the new style phone etiquette where you send a direct question or comment to someone (texts mainly, or emails, messenger, etc.) and it seems now optional to answer or respond, or at best get a “liked…” or a smiley face wearing sunglasses in reply.

    My communications are important, take thoughtful effort to compose and like in the old days, you’re supposed to call the person back. I’m not talking about silly status posts on Instagram; this is two-way conversation and so many people interpret a texting response as optional!

    Is it just me or is this an epidemic that is killing courtesy and good manners in modern society? What should I do, fire my friends and family? It’s tempting.

    — Text Back

    Dear Text Back: Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to label it an epidemic. But it’s true that texting etiquette — and texting practices in general — can lead to miscommunication and frustration. Because it’s relatively new, at least in comparison to the telephone or, say, writing letters, we’re still iterating on it as a culture.

    All that to say, don’t fire your friends and family. If you want a text back about sometime specific, include that request in the text. Or consider having a broader conversation with friends and family about how you’d like to communicate. It’s good to ask for what we want. They may not always be willing or able to comply, but they won’t know this is something you’d like unless you tell them.

    And, when all else fails, just don’t text. If you have something to say, you can initiate the phone call, thereby sidestepping any emojis.

    Dear Eric: I read with interest the letter from the woman who had rooms in her house painted in colors other than what she’d specified (“Painted Over”). She wondered where the fault lied.

    How about this: I placed a cookie order with a new local bakery. My husband picked up the order. Well, the order was botched – not even close to the cookie flavor I’d ordered. When I notified the baker, he apologized, saying that my email address was similar to that of someone else who had also placed an order. He offered to do the correct order for me for a “discounted” price. Huh?

    Why should I be made to pay again for an error that was not my fault? Needless to say, I have not done business with this bakery since.

    What are your thoughts on this? I did not agree to this resolution. Instead of paying again, I just kept and used the incorrect order, despite my disappointment. Some customer service!

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    R. Eric Thomas

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

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    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.

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    Adrienne So

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  • How AI is making IVF more predictable

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    In-vitro fertilization (IVF) can take a serious toll on families, not only emotionally but financially, especially when every cycle comes with new bills and no clear sense of what the full journey might cost. Gaia Family aims to change that by removing the guesswork around pricing with a blend of tech and AI-driven forecasting. 

    Instead of worrying about unpredictable costs, couples pay a fixed upfront price or monthly installments that cover their planned IVF treatment, medications, embryo transfers and built-in protections if cycles or transfers aren’t successful. It gives families a clearer path forward and support that lasts through the entire process.

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    ROBOTS POWER BREAKTHROUGH IN PREGNANCY RESEARCH, BOOSTING IVF SUCCESS RATES

    Artificial intelligence is giving hopeful parents more clarity about their chances over multiple IVF cycles, helping them plan their journey with clearer expectations instead of guesswork. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    How Gaia Family was born

    Gaia Family was founded by Nader AlSalim, a former Goldman Sachs executive who knew the IVF struggle firsthand. After spending over $50,000 across five IVF rounds in multiple countries, he and his wife finally had a son. The experience left him frustrated by how little clarity the system offered and how emotionally draining the process could be.

    He saw that most fertility systems were built around procedures, not people. His goal with Gaia Family was to build something different, a program that uses data to empower families instead of leaving them to navigate uncertainty and mounting debt. That personal experience became the foundation of Gaia Family’s mission to bring agency, transparency and compassion to fertility care.

    TRUMP ROLLS OUT PLAN TO SLASH IVF COSTS FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES THROUGH NEW PHARMA PARTNERSHIP

    Baby onesies around a pregnancy test

    Gaia Family gives families one fixed IVF price with built-in protection and full support every step of the way. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    How Gaia Family’s plan works

    • Choose your clinic: Gaia partners with more than 100 fertility clinics across the U.S.
    • Get your personalized quote: Your doctor designs your treatment plan, and Gaia uses it to calculate your fixed cost upfront.
    • Start with confidence: Pay monthly or upfront, then begin treatment knowing all your major expenses are covered.

    If a cycle doesn’t result in viable embryos, Gaia’s built-in protection covers another attempt, helping families try again without financial shock. Once you have viable embryos, your Gaia Plan allows you unlimited frozen embryo transfers (usually $5,000 each) at no extra cost until you have a baby. And, if none of those transfers result in a live birth, then Gaia will give you money toward another cycle. Plus, you have the option of including all of your PGT-A testing and your medication for a fixed cost, so you have even more protection throughout your journey. AlSalim, tells CyberGuy the company’s mission goes beyond technology.

    “At Gaia Family, we’re using AI not to replace the human element of fertility care, but to bring more confidence to it,” AlSalim said. “Fertility treatment can feel like a game of chance — our technology helps turn it into a guided, informed journey. By analyzing millions of data points, we can forecast the most effective and affordable pathway for each individual, so patients can make decisions grounded in data rather than uncertainty. Ultimately, it’s about giving hopeful parents more agency, transparency and peace of mind in one of the most emotional experiences of their lives.”

    SKIN DNA BREAKTHROUGH COULD LET 60-YEAR-OLD WOMEN HAVE GENETICALLY RELATED KIDS

    A mother holding a baby

    For many couples, this combination of data and compassion is transforming uncertainty into confidence and renewed hope. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Why Gaia Family’s model matters

    IVF in the United States can cost as much as $30,000 per cycle, and most couples need several tries. Each failed attempt adds more bills and stress. Gaia Family’s fixed-cost model gives families financial predictability while keeping them emotionally supported. It also encourages clinics to focus on outcomes rather than repeated treatments.

    This approach is transforming how people view fertility care. Instead of relying on luck, families can benefit from AI insights to make better decisions. While it may not lower the medical costs yet, it changes how couples experience one of life’s most emotional challenges, turning fear into informed planning and despair into hope. Gaia removes the spiraling costs, making couples’ outcomes so much more cost-efficient.

    What this means for you

    If you are thinking about IVF or egg freezing, Gaia Family’s model could make your path more manageable. It provides upfront transparency about costs, protection against financial loss and a data-driven forecast of success. It helps you make decisions based on evidence rather than guesswork.

    Still, while AI can analyze data patterns, it cannot alter biology. Factors like age, health and genetics continue to shape outcomes. Even so, Gaia Family’s system gives couples a sense of control that traditional fertility care rarely provides by serving everyone, with no eligibility criteria in terms of age or health factors. Knowing that your finances are protected can ease stress and allow you to focus on what matters most: building your family. 

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Gaia Family is blending AI and empathy to rewrite how fertility care works. It replaces uncertainty with insight and transforms risk into reassurance. For many, it’s not just about technology, it’s about restoring hope and fairness to one of life’s most personal journeys.

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    Would you trust artificial intelligence to guide your path to becoming a parent? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. 

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Kate Gosselin budgets Christmas for 8 kids ‘to the penny’ after losing reality TV fortune

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    Kate Gosselin is breaking down how she budgets for Christmas as a single mom to eight kids, a system she developed after what she described as a “sickening” financial collapse.

    The former “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star, 50, took to TikTok this week to share the detailed — and highly calculated — system she follows each holiday season, especially in what she calls “good” and “not-so-good” financial years.

    Each November, Kate said she asks her kids for detailed gift lists so she can “take advantage of the holiday sales.”

    KATE GOSSELIN WORKS GRUELING 12-HOUR NURSING SHIFTS AFTER REALITY TV FORTUNE DISAPPEARS 

    Kate Gosselin explained how she handles Christmas shopping for her children. (Noel Vasquez/Getty Images)

    Kate shares twins Madelyn and Cara, 25, and sextuplets Aaden, Leah, Alexis, Joel, Collin and Hannah, 21, with her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin.

    Although she’s estranged from Collin and Hannah, Kate didn’t say whether they are included in her holiday budget.

    Once the lists come in — complete with “a link, size, color and price” — she adds everything into one large note on her phone before the real number-crunching begins.

    She starts with the first list, sets a target budget and tries to match that amount for each of her other children.

    But Kate admitted things don’t always go according to plan.

    Whenever one child’s list exceeds the limit — a scenario she joked happens “often” with her daughter Leah — she raises the budget for everyone else to match it.

    She said her goal is fairness, down to the last cent.

    KATE GOSSELIN SLAMS RUMORS SHE STOLE HER CHILDREN’S COLLEGE FUNDS

    She’s kept that promise with a decorated box of cash for each child, a holiday tradition inspired by her own mother, Kate told her followers. 

    4 of Kate Gosselin's sextuplets

    Kate explained that her holiday gift planning method ensures that each of her eight children get equal treatment down to the penny. (Instagram: Kate Gosselin; Getty Images)

    “I know that might sound silly, but, to me, fair is really important,” she said.

    Some of her children ask for less, which means Kate will cash out more for them.

    “Some will get $150 in their box if they don’t ask for much,” she explained. “It tends to work out really well, and the kids are really happy.”

    But not every child ends up with the same box. 

    Kate Gosselin in a long-sleeve red shirt while at the "Extra" studios in Time Square in November 2016.

    Kate said that she wraps every single gift to make Christmas morning last longer. (D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra)

    “Sometimes not everybody gets a square box,” she admitted. “That means I finished your list completely and unavoidably went over a dollar or two, though that usually doesn’t happen.”

    She also buys one larger shared gift for all the siblings.

    As her children have gotten older — and their tastes more expensive, she pointed out — she admitted Christmas morning now feels too short.

    To stretch out the excitement, she wraps everything, even skincare and toiletries in their stockings, just to “slow them down.”

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    Kate Gosselin in a black dress with a choppy short haircut smiles next to Jon Gosselin in a tan blazer and dark sweater

    Jon and Kate Gosselin share eight children. They divorced in 2009. (Amy Sussman/WireImage for Discovery Communications)

    After years of rebuilding her life following reality TV fame, Kate made it clear that, no matter her financial situation, she’s determined to make Christmas work for all eight children — fairly, precisely and down “to the penny.”

    Her latest comments come after she’s spoken about working grueling 12-hour nursing shifts following the collapse of her reality TV fortune.

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    The pediatric nurse previously said on TikTok that legal costs and providing for eight children consumed her income from the hit reality show.

    While many praised her work ethic in the comments, one follower asked what happened to all the money she earned from the show.

    Kate Gosselin poses with her twins and sextuplets

    After “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” Kate starred in the spin-off “Kate Plus 8,” which chronicled her life as a single mother. (Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content)

    “Honestly? Providing for 8 kids, college funds which I am proud to say covered all of their college and more and LAWYERS. Sickening but I was drug into court constantly and that costs A TON,” she said in her response. “Sad bc my kids could have a lot more saved and I could have a retirement saved if it weren’t for lawyers. It’s okay. I’m helping other families and I feel needed and I enjoy helping!”

    The former reality star first gained national attention on the hit TLC show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” which chronicled how she and Jon managed their eight children.

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    The series aired from 2007 to 2009 before the couple’s divorce brought it to an end. 

    She later starred in the spin-off “Kate Plus 8,” which chronicled her life as a single mother.

    Stephanie Giang-Paunon is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.giang@fox.com and on Twitter: @SGiangPaunon.

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  • Families of Two Babies Sickened by Infantile Botulism Sue ByHeart Over Recalled Formula

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    Stephen and Yurany Dexter, of Flagstaff, Arizona, said their 4-month-old daughter, Rose, had to be flown by air ambulance to a children’s hospital two hours from home and treated for several weeks this summer.

    Michael and Hanna Everett, of Richmond, Kentucky, said their daughter, Piper, also 4 months, was rushed to a hospital Nov. 8 with worsening symptoms of the rare and potentially deadly disease.

    The lawsuits, filed in federal courts in two states, allege that the ByHeart formula the babies consumed was defective and that the company was negligent in selling it. They seek financial payment for medical bills, emotional distress and other harm.

    Both families said they bought the organic formula to provide what they viewed as a natural, healthier alternative to traditional baby formulas, and that they were shocked and angered by the suffering their children endured.

    “I wouldn’t guess that a product designed for a helpless, developing human in the United States could cause something this severe,” said Stephen Dexter, 44.

    “She’s so little and you’re just helplessly watching this,” said Hanna Everett, 28. “It was awful.”

    Rose Dexter and Piper Everett are among at least 15 infants in a dozen states who have been sickened in the outbreak that began in August, according to federal and state health officials. No deaths have been reported.

    Both received the sole treatment available for botulism in children less than a year old: an IV medication called BabyBIG, made from the blood plasma of people immunized against the neurotoxins that cause the illness.

    Investigations into more potential botulism cases are pending after ByHeart, the New York-based formula manufacturer, recalled all of its formula nationwide on Tuesday. At least 84 U.S. babies have been treated for infantile botulism since August, including those in the outbreak, California officials said.

    The company sells about 200,000 cans of formula per month. It can take up to 30 days for signs of infantile botulism infection to appear, medical experts said.

    California officials confirmed that a sample from an open can of ByHeart formula fed to an infant who fell ill contained the type of bacteria that can lead to illness.

    The lawsuits filed Wednesday could be the first of many legal actions against ByHeart, said Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer who represents Dexter.

    “This company potentially faces an existential crisis,” he said.

    ByHeart officials didn’t respond to questions about the new lawsuits but said they would “address any legal claims in due course.”

    “We remain focused on ensuring that families using ByHeart products are aware of the recall and have factual information about steps they should take,” the company said in a statement.


    Parents fretted as babies grew sicker

    In Rose Dexter’s case, she received ByHeart formula within days of her birth in July after breast milk was insufficient, her father said. Stephen Dexter said he went to Whole Foods to find a “natural option.”

    “I’m a little concerned with things that are in food that may cause problems,” he said. “We do our best to buy something that says it’s organic.”

    But Rose, who was healthy at birth, didn’t thrive on the formula. She had trouble feeding and was fussy and fretful as she got sicker. On Aug. 31, when she was 8 weeks old, her parents couldn’t wake her.

    Rose was flown by air ambulance to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she stayed for nearly two weeks.

    Hanna Everett said she used ByHeart to supplement breastfeeding starting when Piper was 6 weeks old.

    “It’s supposed to be similar to breast milk,” she said.

    Last weekend, Piper started showing signs of illness. Everett said she became more worried when a friend told her ByHeart had recalled two lots of its Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. When a family member checked the empty cans, they matched the recalled lots.

    “I was like, ’Oh my god, we need to go to the ER,” Everett recalled.

    At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Piper’s condition worsened rapidly. Her pupils stopped dilating correctly and she lost her gag reflex. Her head and arms became limp and floppy.

    Doctors immediately ordered doses of the BabyBIG medication, which had to be shipped from California, Everett said. In the meantime, Piper had to have a feeding tube and IV lines inserted.

    In both cases, the babies improved after receiving treatment. Rose went home in September and she no longer requires a feeding tube. Piper went home this week.

    They appear to be doing well on different formulas, the families said.

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • George Clooney admits he and Amal will ‘never get it right’ as he shares parenting struggle

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    George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, both have demanding jobs, but their number one priority is their eight-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella. George recently revealed that he and his human rights lawyer wife have worked out a system to make sure at least one of them is always home with their kids. “You try to pace it so that I’m doing it and then she’s home and then she goes and I’m home,” he told E! News at the Los Angeles premiere of his movie Jay Kelly on Tuesday. “We try to mix it up a little bit.” 

    However, despite wanting to put their family first while juggling their busy careers, George admitted that they don’t always strike the perfect balance. “You’re never gonna get it all right – no one does,” he continued, “but you gotta go to work too, so you do the best you can.” George and Amal have made several changes to their lifestyles after they welcomed their twins, a little under three years after tying the knot in 2014, and now raise them away from the spotlight on a farm in France. 

    The couple were active when it came to philanthropy and humanitarian work during the early days of their relationship, and they continue to do so over a decade into their marriage, although a key part of it had to change once they became parents.

    “You can’t just go swinging as you used to,” George, 64, told People at the premiere of Jay Kelly at AFI Fest last month. “Amal and I both had to change our goals on where we would go. I used to enjoy going to places that were dangerous. I liked going into the Nuba Mountains and Darfur and Abyei, and there [were] war zones.”

    Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Inside George and Amal Clooney’s love story

    © WireImage
    George admitted he and Amal will never ‘get it all right’ as parents

    He continued: “And I found it exhilarating. And Amal was in a bunker in Beirut for two years doing the court cases. And we had to make decisions not to do that once we had kids. You had to change sort of what the rules were.” The Oscar-winning actor did get the opportunity to gush over why he still feels so “lucky” at this stage of his life.

    George Clooney and Amal Clooney (with her honey-toned locked and fuchsia dress) at the Venice International Film Festival © WireImage
    George and Amal will try and make sure one of them is always home with their kids

    “I’m 64, so you look back at everything, because the looking forward is harder,” the Syriana star shared. “But I’m in a pretty comfortable place in life. I like what I do for a living, I have great friends, I spend time with people that I love, and I’ve been able and lucky enough late in life to be able to spend time with my family.”

    The couple at the Tony Awards in June© FilmMagic
    George and Amal primarily live in France

    George and Amal, 47, have balanced their time with their kids in Italy and New York City as well, but primarily live off the grid on a farm in France, not only to give them a better chance at having a life less tainted by the big city stresses, but also due to paparazzi and child image rights laws in France, with rules against taking pictures of children being much stricter.

    George Clooney and Amal Clooney stand together in front of plants and tree backdrop while attending film premiere© WireImage
    George and Amal have never publicly shared photos of their twins

    “We do the best we can to minimize any impact on our children,” Amal told Glamour magazine in July. “We don’t put our children out there, we’ve never put their photo out there or anything like that.”

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    Jenni McKnight

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