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29 awesome frogs celebrating Leap Day.

No one loves Leap Day more than frogs. This is just a fact*.

* That I made up.

Yes, frogs. Those throaty little professional long jumpers who, as 1980s arcade culture taught us, are always trying to cross major highways to their infinite peril.

Leap Day is a day added to the calendar every four years; it's necessary because the Earth actually does a full rotation around the sun every 365.24 days and doesn't seem to care about the nice round 365 number we've come up with. Every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar to catch up. Otherwise we'd actually get ahead of ourselves — there would be snowstorms in June and droughts in November, and New Year's Eve celebrations would be even more disorienting and morally ambiguous than they are now.

In fact, without leap days, right now we would be in the middle of July 2017, by one calculation anyway.

A lot has happened for frogs since the last leap day four years ago.

In the past couple of years alone, six new frog species have been discovered, and conservation efforts have stepped up to save the banana frog in Ethiopia.

Those efforts are just the beginning, and no matter what, the biggest threat to the health of frog species is human activity.

To celebrate Leap Day, here are 29 frogs who just can't stop jumping for joy:

(Oh, and don't worry, we're obviously going to start with the awesome poisonous ones).

1. Golden frog can out-jump and out-poison you!

Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.

This frog, the most venomous species in the world, was photographed at the laboratory in the zoo of Cali, Colombia. The Zoo of Cali has the largest amphibian collection in the country and studies them for conservation efforts.

2. This strawberry poison-dart frog is also brilliantly toxic.

Photo by Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.

As with most frogs this colorful, the skin of the Strawberry poison dart frog is highly toxic. They live in rainforest habitats and sometimes in banana groves.

3. This cocoi frog could totally ruin your day (but doesn't want to).

Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.

Also known as the harlequin poison frog, this dangerous little guy is native to Columbia and lives on the rainforest floor. Its bright colors and patterns indicate its ability to totally ruin your day if you pick it up.

4. Check out this Lehmann's poison frog.

Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images

Another frog of the "seriously, don't mess with me, dude" variety, Lehmann's poison frog is native to Columbia and is, unfortunately, critically endangered due to habitat loss.

5. This red oophaga sylvatica is tiny but mighty.

Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.

Sometimes known as "diabilito," meaning "little devil," this species of poison frog is also threatened by habitat loss and deforestation.

6. Here's a black-legged dart frog.

Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images.

This species is native to the rainforest and enjoys warm, moist conditions. It also listed as a threatened species, again, due to loss of habitat.

7. These piggybacking frogs in Estonia know to bring company along for long trips.

Photo by Raigo Pajula/AFP/Getty Images.

In 2012, volunteers decided to play real life Frogger and carried over 19,000 frogs across highways in Estonia. Without human intervention, it's estimated that nearly all of the frogs attempting the migratory journey would get run over.

8. Check out this sand frog leaping across the desert.

Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images.

Native to Africa, this particular desert-dwelling sand frog was photographed in the Xiangshawan Desert in China.

9. Recognize this green tree frog?

Photo by Stefan Sauer/AFP/Getty Images.

One of the most common frogs, the green tree frog can actually be found in many American backyards.

10. This Chinese flying frog is a big Leap Day fan.

Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images.

The Chinese flying frog lives in natural lowland forests, and is thankfully not endangered. However, it is cool and blue.

11. This monkey frog though? Not so much.

Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.

The grumpy guy is native to South America and is a nocturnal tree climber. He's not a huge fan of Leap Day, though. He thinks it's a fake holiday made up by the greeting card companies.

12. This waxy tree frog is pretty cool.

Photo by Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images.

Native to Central and South America, the waxy tree frog lives mostly in trees and vegetation near water sources.

13. Look how tiny this poison dart frog is!

Photo by Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images.

Despite his size, this frog is actually a really big deal. He was the first to be born at The London Aquarium after a successful breeding program for conservation.

14. Here's a gliding tree frog.

Photo by Carlos Julio Martinez/AFP/Getty Images.

Found primarily in Costa Rica, male gliding tree frogs can grow up to 56 millimeters from vent to snout — or, to put it colloquially, ass to nose.

15. OK, wait ... here's that tiny poison dart frog again.

Photo by Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images.

This time he's sitting on a five pence piece! Look how tiny he is!!! So tiny!!! So deadly!!!

16. Did you know there's even a frog jumping competition in Slovenia?

Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images

It's called Frognight, and it's absolutely the biggest and most famous event in the small town of Lokve.

17. These bullfrogs live together on a farm in Singapore.

Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images.

The Jurong Frog Farm started in 1981 and is Singapore's only frog farm. If you're ever in Singapore, you can take a tour of the place.

18. This little baby frog is catching a ride.

Photo by Sena Vidanagama/AFP/Getty Images.

This pair was photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 1999, scientists found Sri Lanka to be the #1 nation for frog diversity. It's home to over 200 species of frogs. Unfortunately, several species have died out since then due to a shrinking habitat.

19. This bull frog is accounted for.

Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images.

The zookeeper holding up this frog was participating in London Zoo's annual stocktake. Which is an exhaustive and complete headcount of every animal at the zoo.

20. The London Zoo also has a weigh in. A spoon weigh in.

Photo by Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images.

Animals like this mossy frog in a weighing spoon have to be weighed to record the animal's vital statistics. It's all part of the effort to make sure animals at the zoo are well cared for.

21. This tree frog lives in Maryland.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

Maryland is actually home to dozens of species of frogs and toads. Though as far as scientists know, they don't ride tandem bicycles together Despite what a certain children's book series would lead you to believe.

22. Oh yikes, the Prince Charles stream tree frog is kinda creepy.

Photo by Arthur Edwards, WPA Pool/Getty Images.

It was actually only discovered in 2008 and is still very endangered. Conservation efforts are ongoing to help protect the species. It's also really unsettling looking. Is that just me? It looks like it's going to leap out of the picture. *shudder*

23. This frog was just saved from poachers.

Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.

Although frogs legs are a delicacy in India, the government clamped down on the hunting of frogs in 1985 amid concerns over their falling numbers.

24. Here are some Moor frogs.

Photo by Sebastian Willnow/AFP/Getty Images.

Get it? Moor frogs? These frogs are excellent swimmers and mostly live in water. If found on land, they'll bury themselves quickly in soil or sand.

25. Aww, look, here are a few more colorful poison dart frogs.

Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images.

These colorful characters were on display as part of "Frogs: A Chorus of Colors " at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The museum has one of the largest frog collections in the world.

26. Check out this White tree frog.

Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images.

The white tree frog is unique. It's rather large, ranging in length from 3 to 4.5 inches, and females are usually bigger than males. They can be found in northern Australia and New Zealand, but this one was photographed in Scotland.

27. The coolest little poisonous frog.

Photo by Fredy Amariles/AFP/Getty Images.

As cool as his patterns are, he's also highly poisonous. Also, the species is in danger due to their popularity as pets as well as the disappearance of their habitat.

28. This frog hangin' at a wildlife refuge in San Jose.

Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a wildlife refuge in Costa Rica, is also a popular tourist destination. It also has an aviary that acts as a refuge for wild birds that have been illegally hunted.

29. And, finally, that monkey frog who has still not warmed up to Leap Day. He'll get there eventually.

Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images.

I mean, really. He's just super not into it. If you ask him, he'd say the world is better off letting the calendar just fly off the handle. Who needs all that organization and consistency? Just eat some flies and relax.

In short, Leap Day is necessary and frogs are awesome.

They're colorful, adorable, sometimes extremely badass and dangerous, and there are over 4,700 species of them.

Unfortunately, if deforestation continues, a lot of frogs could lose their habitats. Many species have already died out, and roughly 1,900 species are in a threatened state.

However you celebrate Leap Day, I encourage you to take a moment to think about the world's best leapers. They could really use your help.

Land O'Lakes

Land O'Lakes® products are made from milk sourced directly from member-owned farms, including butters, cheeses, spreads and other dairy staples loved by consumers for cooking, baking and snacking

Community

Land O’Lakes and Clove are filling the nation’s food banks with much-needed butter and shoes

Land O’Lakes and Clove are teaming up to bring comfort to communities in need.

True

Food banks are a community staple for millions of Americans. Not only do they provide nutritional assistance to low-income families, they’re also often one of the few places where people can get non-food essentials like diapers, toiletries, paper towels, clothing and more. For the 44 million people in the United States facing food insecurity, pantries can literally be a lifeline.

But that lifeline is at risk. Food pantries rely on donations, both from individuals and government programs, to stay stocked. Rising poverty levels and budget cuts mean that food pantries sometimes can’t meet the demands of their communities—and as a result, families go without.

No person should struggle for basic needs—which is why Land O’Lakes is teaming up with Clove in the name of comfort ahead of the 2025 holiday season.

Comfort, meet comfort.

A partnership between a farmer-owned cooperative and a modern footwear brand might seem like an unusual pairing. But the reality is that both organizations provide things that are enjoyable and much needed for American families.

You might be surprised to learn, for example, that dairy is one of the most requested but least-donated items at food banks around the nation. From a nutritional lens, dairy is a source of high-quality protein that provides 3 of 4 nutrients—calcium, potassium and vitamin D—that low-income households are at risk of missing from their diets.

But on a larger scale, dairy provides comfort. Items like butter, milk and cream are in high demand, particularly around the end of the year since so many families use these items for baking holiday treats. And while shoes can be stylish gifts, they’re also a basic necessity for hardworking frontline workers who provide care for others and spend hours on their feet. In fact, 96 million people in the U.S. spend their work shift standing.

"We are so excited to collaborate with Clove Shoes and take a moment to celebrate the color of the moment, but also our everyday favorite, butter yellow," said Heather Anfang, president of Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods. "As a company who shares our values of community, hard work and comfort, we are thrilled for the launch of their shoe but also for our shared donation to those in need in an important area for our two brands in Philadelphia."

Meaningful giving when people need it most

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Land O'Lakes (@landolakesktchn)

Together, the organizations have donated dozens of sneakers and more than 3,750 pounds of butter to Philabundance, one of the largest food banks in Philadelphia and part of Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks, pantries, and meal programs. As they team up to donate needed supplies, they’re also helping families feel nourished—inside and out—ahead of the cold winter months.

"As a Philadelphia-based brand, we’re proud to give back to the community we call home—nourishing our city and supporting those who care every day," shares Jordyn Amoroso, Co-founder and CBO. Clove has also gifted 88 shoes to the students enrolled at Philabundance Community Kitchen: a free, life-changing workforce development program run by Philabundance.

At a time when so many are stretched thin and families are moving into the holiday season facing food insecurity, collaborations like these can provide an unexpected value—a chance to revitalize local communities, to nourish families, and show how comfort can take many different forms.

Learn more about this unexpected partnership here.

Public Health

How often should you shower? Doctors weigh in and rock some people's worlds.

Once a day is not ideal.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

Doctors say a lot of us are showering more than we need to.

A few times in recent years, celebrities and social media influencers alike have made waves by sharing that they don't make their kids bathe every day. For some parents, that was totally par for the course, but for others, letting a child go more than a day without bathing was seen as a travesty.

Doctors have made it clear that kids don't need to bathe daily, with some going so far as to recommend against it when they are young to protect kids' delicate skin. But what about grownups? Most of us don't take baths regularly as adults, but what's the ideal frequency for showering?

According to a YouGov poll of over 5,700 Americans, just over half of respondents said they shower daily and 11% said they shower twice or more per day. That means two out of three of us are showering at least once a day.

woman, showering, shower, daily shower, bathe A woman in a shower cap.Canva Photos

But according to doctors and dermatologists, that's probably overkill for most people. Unless you're doing heavy labor, exercising vigorously, working outdoors or around toxins or otherwise getting excessively dirty or sweaty, a few showers per week is enough for healthy hygiene.

In fact, Robert H. Shmerling, MD of Harvard Health says too frequent showering could actually have some negative effects on your health.

"Normal, healthy skin maintains a layer of oil and a balance of 'good' bacteria and other microorganisms," Dr. Shmerling writes. "Washing and scrubbing removes these, especially if the water is hot." He shares that removing that protective layer can make our skin dry, irritated or itchy, which can lead to damage that allows allergens and bacteria to cross the skin barrier. Additionally, our immune systems require exposure to microorganisms, dirt, and other environmental stimuli in order to create "immune memory," and if we wash them away too frequently, we might be inhibiting the effectiveness of our immune system.

dirt, immune system, environment, kids, baths, dirt don't hurt A healthy coat of dirt.Giphy

Dermatologists who spoke to Vogue had similar advice about shower frequency. Board-certified dermatologist Deanne Robinson, MD, FAAD told the magazine that you can skip showering for the day if you haven't engaged in rigorous activity. Mamina Turegano, a triple board-certified dermatologist, internist and dermatopathologist. agreed. "I think that showering three to four times a week is plenty for most people,” she said.

Of course, everyone is different and what is good for one person's skin isn't good for another's. Showering frequency and health also depend on what kinds of products you're using, what temperature of water you're using, and how long your shower is. There's a big difference between a quick pits-and-privates rinse-off and a long, hot everything shower.

While scorching yourself and steaming up the bathroom may feel luxurious and relaxing, especially if you've got sore muscles, dermatologists say it's not good for your skin. Hot showers are especially problematic for people with skin issues like eczema.

"Any skin condition characterized by a defective skin barrier can be worsened by a hot shower," board-certified New York City dermatologist Shari Marchbein told Allure. "[It] strips the skin of sebum, the healthy fats and oils necessary for skin health, and dehydrates the skin."

shower, shower temperature, hot shower, lukewarm shower, showering Maybe cool it on the hot showers. Canva Photos.

In fact most dermatologists recommend keeping showers lukewarm. That sounds like torture, frankly, but who's going to argue with the experts?

A lot of people, actually. Modern humans are pretty particular about our shower preferences, and judging from the comments on cleanliness discussions, some folks are dead set on the idea that a daily shower is simply not negotiable. Even with the experts weighing in with their knowledge and science, a lot of people will continue to do what they do, advice be damned.

But at least the folks who've been judged harshly by the daily shower police have some official backup. As long as you're showering every couple of days, you're golden. As it turns out, there really is such a thing as being too clean.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

showering

Internet

Woman publicly implored NPR to sell her crop top designs. They agreed the idea was genius.

"On behalf of all the millennial girlies and their dads who used to listen to Car Talk together in the garage…”

Courtesy of Maggie Enterrios (@littlepatterns/Instagram)

Maggie Enterrios wants to help save public radio after funding cuts.

"Are you an NPR Girlie?" Maggie Enterrios was once asked by someone she'd just met, which she found to be a hilarious non-sequitur. "I've never been one to describe myself as the internet "girlie" type," she tells Upworthy. "But I had to admit, that, yes, of all the Girlies I could be, NPR Girlie definitely fit the bill."

For over five decades, National Public Radio has been a staple source of news and entertainment for millions of Americans. Those who were raised on it have fond memories of specific shows—the delight of Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me, the Car Talk brothers' masterful way of making auto mechanics interesting, and the soothing voices of countless hosts who inspired their parody on Saturday Night Live.

NPR has always relied on the generosity of donors for funding, but it has also received funding from the federal government. With funding cuts to public broadcasting, the network has had to make major financial changes, threatening the survival of small stations around the country that were already struggling to make ends meet.

Enterrios is on an over-the-top mission to save public radio through the most unlikely means: crop tops. The designer has been sharing videos on her @littlepatterns Instagram account advocating for NPR to sell merch that includes adorable crop tops and other fun attire that's grabbed people's attention—and the attention of the NPR Shop.

See on Instagram

Enterrios implored NPR’s shop "on behalf of all the millennial girlies and their dads who used to listen to Car Talk together in the garage” to start selling her cute branded crop Ts and sweatshirts, baseball caps, tote bags, and more bearing words like “National Public Radio,” and “In my free press era." She gave some specific love to well-known personalities people often hear on their local NPR stations, such as Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal, legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep, and more.

Enterrios tells Upworthy the idea started as a joke with a Threads post in which she wrote, "I am once again begging @npr to let me design a merch line for millennial girlies. Cancel the pledge drives: we're selling crop tops now." But then she realized it was actually a great idea.

"Right after I pressed 'post,' I thought this may actually be worth taking seriously," she says. "I'm a full-time independent illustrator, with a background in marketing. I truly believe that the best art is made by superfans. If not me, then who?"

Her video went viral as fans of NPR delighted in Enterrios' merch ideas, as well as her tongue-in-cheek threats to NPR if they didn’t respond to her requests. Funnily enough, the NPR shop did respond in just three days.

See on Instagram

"I made a slightly sarcastic threat that if NPR didn't reach out to me in one week to produce the designs, I'd [take the idea] to PBS," says Enterrios. "Luckily, it only took three days. NPR's team spotted the post and reached out. As fate would have it, they were actually in the middle of launching new products in their store. The timing couldn't have been more perfect."

They’ve since been working together to get the first merch items up on the NPR shop. As of now, there is a crop top with a long-form script lettering of "National Public Radio", a crewneck sweatshirt that says "Active Listener," and a design that says "In my free press era." Enterrios is hoping to be able to expand the range of merch, and getting more hosts and programs on board to support the push.

"For me, this project was about raising awareness for the loss of public media funding in a lighthearted, accessible way," Enterrios tells Upworthy. "I wanted to speak to people who, like me, might have grown up on public radio and could appreciate the humorous but earnest intent behind the idea. I wanted to give fans a way to support NPR at a moment when it's most under threat."

See on Instagram

Fellow NPR fans totally feel Enterrios' passion for wanting to help a beloved network that has provided comfort and joy throughout their lives.

"Some of my best childhood memories are of waking up on Saturday mornings to the smell of pancakes and the sound of Car Talk and Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! " says Enterrios. "As an adult, I'm a daily listener, so this whole experience feels like a full-circle moment. Posting a joke on a whim has turned into something I am so deeply proud of, and excited to see out in the world. And I love that it’s helping keep public media strong in such an important moment."

Check out the NPR Shop here.

From Your Site Articles

joy

Science

The longest — and probably largest — proof of our current climate catastrophe ever caught on camera.

It was the largest such event ever filmed.

Exposure Labs

All GIFs and images via Exposure Labs.

Photographer James Balog and his crew were hanging out near a glacier when their camera captured something extraordinary. They were in Greenland, gathering footage from the time-lapse they'd positioned all around the Arctic Circle for the last several years.

They were also there to shoot scenes for a documentary. And while they were hoping to capture some cool moments on camera, no one expected a huge chunk of a glacier to snap clean off and slide into the ocean right in front of their eyes.

A glacier falls into the sea.

assets.rebelmouse.io

ocean swells, sea level, erosion, going green

Massive swells created by large chunks of glacier falling away.

assets.rebelmouse.io

It was the largest such event ever filmed.

For nearly an hour and 15 minutes, Balog and his crew stood by and watched as a piece of ice the size of lower Manhattan — but with ice-equivalent buildings that were two to three times taller than that — simply melted away.

geological catastrophe, earth, glacier melt

A representation demonstrating the massive size of ice that broke off into the sea.

assets.rebelmouse.io

As far as anyone knows, this was an unprecedented geological catastrophe and they caught the entire thing on tape. It won't be the last time something like this happens either.

But once upon a time, Balog was openly skeptical about that "global warming" thing.

Balog had a reputation since the early 1980s as a conservationist and environmental photographer. And for nearly 20 years, he'd scoffed at the climate change heralds shouting, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

"I didn't think that humans were capable of changing the basic physics and chemistry of this entire, huge planet. It didn't seem probable, it didn't seem possible," he explained in the 2012 documentary film "Chasing Ice."

There was too much margin of error in the computer simulations, too many other pressing problems to address about our beautiful planet. As far as he was concerned, these melodramatic doomsayers were distracting from the real issues.

That was then.

The glacier ice continues to erode away.

assets.rebelmouse.io

In fact, it wasn't until 2005 that Balog became a believer.

He was sent on a photo expedition of the Arctic by National Geographic, and that first northern trip was more than enough to see the damage for himself.

"It was about actual tangible physical evidence that was preserved in the ice cores of Greenland and Antarctica," he said in a 2012 interview with ThinkProgress. "That was really the smoking gun showing how far outside normal, natural variation the world has become. And that's when I started to really get the message that this was something consequential and serious and needed to be dealt with."

Some of that evidence may have been the fact that more Arctic landmass has melted away in the last 20 years than the previous 10,000 years.

Watch the video of the event of the glacier calving below:

This article originally appeared 10 years ago.

From Your Site Articles

Visit Sweden

Wellness

Feeling burnt out? Doctors are prescribing trips to Sweden

Get ready for the best "sick days" you'll ever have.

Visit Sweden

True

It’s no secret that modern life is stressful. Burnout is an epidemic. The World Health Organization boldly stated its dedicated efforts to help people improve their health and well-being through nature.

And thanks to a new initiative, Sweden is stepping up to offer a new holistic remedy: a physician-prescribed visit to Sweden, aka “The Swedish Prescription”.

“We have made great strides in making nature/social/culture prescription a more integral part of public health in the United States– but there is still so much more to be done,” said Dr. Stacy Stryer, Associate Medical Director for Park RxAmerica.“I welcome Sweden’s initiative and hope it will help break down institutional and organizational barriers, ultimately benefiting all patients.”

Patients can escape to Sweden’s pristine environment for true respite. Backed by scientific data and research from Yvonne Forsell, Senior Professor at Karolinska Institutet, healthcare professionals can prescribe Sweden as a destination where patients engage in non-medical treatments and outdoor activities to ease their ailments and offer a fresh reset.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Restore body and mind with the Swedish ritual of alternating ice baths and saunas. Swim, hike or forage through silent forests, lakes, parks and nature reserves – or simply sit in the stillness. Witness the Northern Lights dancing across winter skies, or soak up the calm of the summer midnight sun. In Stockholm, Europe’s clean-air capital, take a deep breath and feel the difference.

Or skip the great outdoors and spend time embracing Sweden’s unique cultural practices. “Our cozy fika tradition [Sweden’s daily pause for coffee and conversation], our “lagom”-balanced lifestyle [the idea of “not too much, not too little”] and our easily accessible nature are a soothing balm for body and mind,” says Susanne Andersson, CEO at Visit Sweden.

Sit back in front of a masterpiece in one of Sweden’s many art museums, or head out to a live music event after browsing concert options on Swedish-founded Spotify. You might catch chart-topping hits from producer Max Martin or discover the country’s thriving metal scene. Call it an early – or late – night, and enjoy restorative sleep in Sweden’s cool night air.

Sweden is the therapeutic destination your health has been craving. Learn more about “The Swedish Prescription” and its benefits for your mental and physical health here.

Parenting

Mom's attempt to plan a Disney trip explains why it's harder to parent now than in the 90s

The amount of planning involved is absolutely mind-boggling.

via Canva/Photos and Tuxyso/Wikimedia Commons

Disney trips have a lot of parents frustrated, and it shows why parents are so burnt out.

We might be prone to overdoing it on the nostalgia sometimes, but it's often for good reason. "The good old days" may be a tired cliche, but that doesn't mean the phrase doesn't hold a kernel of truth. Some things really used to be better. Different isn't always just different, and it's definitely not always better. Sometimes different is objectively worse!

Take a "simple" theme park vacation with your family and kids, for example. In the 1990s, you could go to Disneyland or The Magic Kingdom relatively on a whim, show up at the park, wait in line to get a ticket, grab a map, walk in, and have a good time. However, these days, things are a lot more complicated. In 2025, the price of the park changes with demand, and you have to make reservations for the day you hope to visit. Want to eat dinner at a sit-down restaurant? Better reserve your table a few days (or even weeks) ahead of time. Want to get on the newest ride? Better hop in the virtual queue when the park opens at 9 am, and that's assuming you remembered to book and pay for enough Lightning Lane passes.

disney, disney world, disneyland, theme park, family vacation, parenting, parents, moms, dads, working parents, millennial parents This image strikes fear into the hearts of many parents. Photo by Kitera Dent on Unsplash

Further, the entire time you’re at the park, you’re staring at your phone, following instructions on where to go based on the app. And there aren’t any days when the park isn’t crowded—it’s always crowded. It’s a wonder people have any fun at the park when things are so complicated and expensive. Planning the trip is a months-long equivalent of a part-time job for many parents, and being in the parks is a grueling rat-race. Fun, yes, but absolutely exhausting!

Why is it so hard to be a parent in 2025?

Sarah Biggers-Stewart, founder of CLOVE + HALLOW, a clean cosmetics line, believes the stress of going to Disney mirrors what everything is like for parents in 2025. “The hardest thing about parenting in 2025 is that the parenting part isn't really that hard. It's everything else,” she said in a post with over 70,000 views. “The amount of participation and engagement expected of parents in literally everything related to raising kids is insane.”

Warning: Strong language.

@thebiggersthebetter
Like the parenting is ofc hard but it’s literally everything else that sucks 😂 #parenthood #momlife #raisinglittles #realtalk #girltalk #motherhood #disneyworld #parentlife

“And nothing perfectly illustrates this better than this Disney trip we're going on next week and the multi-month booking process I've had to go through in order to make sure that we can have a normal Disney trip. Sixty days ago, I had to pre-book at six am, restaurants, activities,” she continued.

Indeed, many Disney experiences open for booking at odd hours long before the actual dates of your trip, like first thing in the morning or even at midnight months beforehand. If it seems crazy to you that you'd have to wake up in the middle of the night to book a meeting with your kid's favorite cartoon princess or risk disappointing them when all the spots are booked up, you're not the only one.

Biggers-Stewart adds that it makes her mad because "it doesn't have to be this way.”

Why are children's sports so intense these days?

Biggers-Stewart says the same thing is happening in children’s sports. “We're treating these seven-year-olds like they're all gonna go pro. They can't even go with their families for a week vacation during the summer break because if they miss a week, they're like shunned and benched,” she told her 602,000 followers. "The seven-year-olds are talking about their protein intake, and the parents are being lectured by the coaches about their protein intake. These kids are seven.”

disney, disney world, disneyland, theme park, family vacation, parenting, parents, moms, dads, working parents, millennial parents Youth sports are supposed to be fun, but they've gotten way too intense. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

And it goes beyond sports! Want to take your kids to a free storytime at the library? Better hope you remembered to reserve a spot three months ago. And speaking of which, better remember to block your work calendar for the parties your child's daycare throws every week in the middle of the day, which parents are "strongly encouraged" to attend. If your kids are old enough to walk and bike around themselves, well, you'd better be sure you accompany them every step of the way or you might get arrested — seriously.

Many moms in the comments could totally relate to Biggers-Stewart’s frustration.

"The 1st time we did Disney, I did nothing, and it was a nightmare. The 2nd time, I had spreadsheets & binder & it was F-ing magical for my family and satisfied me like I had planned a corporate summit," Booishlady wrote. "I was SWEATING BULLETS trying to get my kid into various summer camps the moment registration opened in JANUARY. And you're right, even basic activities have to be planned and purchased way in advance."

Anastasia agreed, writing "Having to meticulously plan summer camps in January or else there’s no childcare options available."

Another user wrote, "I saw something that said working moms now spend more time with their kids than SAHMs in the 70s." Unbelievably, this is true, despite the nearly impossible math.

"We decided early on that we weren’t going to overbook our kids with a bunch of extracurriculars. We prioritize family time, which is great, and yet I still feel so much external pressure to do more," Katie wrote.

disney, disney world, disneyland, theme park, family vacation, parenting, parents, moms, dads, working parents, millennial parents There's a reason all parents feel like this in 2025. Giphy

At the conclusion of her video, Biggers-Stewart boiled the problem down to what parenting is like in 2025: Intense. “Everything is the most intense version that requires the most effort and participation,” she said. “That is why parents in 2025 are burnt the f**k out.”

This article originally appeared in March. It has been updated.

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