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Millennial mom installs a home phone to teach her kids conversational skills, and it works

Other parents are totally on board with this idea, and not just for nostalgic reasons.

In a world where most families are making their homes more automated with high tech devices, one mom has decided to go the opposite route—all in the name of teaching her kids how to actually connect with other humans.

Oregon based mom of two Brittney Mast and her husband had noticed that her kids were so used to using FaceTime, that they didn’t actually know how to hold a conversation on the phone, which made both parents feel like smartphones should probably wait until they were older.

And yet, they still wanted the kiddos to be able to contact their grandparents. Plus, having no phone for when they were at the house alone didn’t seem like a good idea. Not to mention this didn’t really address the “being able to hold a conversation” issue.

phones, kids and smartphone, kid phone addictions, kids and screens, limiting screen time, old school phone@momsoforegon/Instagram,

That’s when they had the idea to install a home phone. You know, the landlines from yesteryear. Well almost like the ones from yesteryear. Mast told Today that she did opt for an internet-enabled phone, since installing an actual landline is “annoying nowadays.”

So far, the experience with “old” technology has been a success. Rather than seeing it as a chore, Mast told Today that they saw it as a “toy,’ and thoroughly enjoyed learning the ins and outs of phone etiquette.

“They love calling Grammy all on their own 🥰” Mast wrote in an Instagram post.

phones, kids and smartphone, kid phone addictions, kids and screens, limiting screen time, old school phone@momsoforegon/Instagram,

This is an interesting sentiment. We hear so many lamentations about kids today being “addicted” to technology and abysmally uninterested in social connections, but, as with most things, infusing a bit of novelty can get kids interested in a nanosecond.

And apparently, Mast isn’t the only one to try—and find success with—incorpating "ancient technology" back into the home.

“Yes! We got one when our kids could stay home alone. My girls are 14 and still don’t have cell phones. We will get them flip phones next year when they start high school. 👏👏👏👏” one fellow parent wrote.

Another shared, “Yes!!!! We did this. I hope this becomes a trend over the next few years. Force these kids to have to have actual conversations! 3 ways calling, no texts.😂”

And the folks who haven’t tried it…well, they’re sold on the idea, for sure.

“We will be doing this too! Can not wait!!!!”

“I love this! Can’t wait till we’re in this phase.”

It’s great to have devices like Google home and Alexa, but we all seem to be feeling the toll of a completely streamlined lifestyle. At this point, devices that force us to slow down are a major luxury. And that especially goes for kids, whose developing brains truly cannot handle such constant stimulation. As we strive for a more balanced relationship with technology as a society, we can probably expect a resurgence of a few more retro items.

phones, kids and smartphone, kid phone addictions, kids and screens, limiting screen time, old school phonemedia.giphy.com

In fact, Mast apparently has introduced a few more throwbacks, like CD players for her kids' bedroom.They also might be getting some secondhand Gameboys. Takes you back, doesn't it?

You can find out even more about Mast’s home phone experiment on her Substack here.

Canva Photos

Melissa Beeler's mother-in-law was absolutely fried after watching the kids for a week.

Parents need a break. They need a little quiet, a little adult time, a little respite where tiny hands aren't grabbing at them and demanding snacks. They need time for romance and connection with their partner. It's all extremely necessary for them to come back with a full cup and actually be a good parent to their kids. Family vacations don't count, as they're hardly relaxing for parents. It's just the usual rigors of parenting in an exotic location! Sometimes, all parents just need to get away by themselves, even for just a short date night.

Grandparents, to the rescue! Well, sometimes, anyway. There's been a lot of debate in the news lately about why grandparents are spending less time wit the grandkids (is it called babysitting?) than ever. Part of it is that more and more older adults of grandparenting age are still working and don't have the free time to provide childcare. Those that are willing and able to help out are absolute superheroes. But even heroes have their limits.

Melissa Beeler recently shared footage on TikTok that all parents can relate to. As she and her husband pull up after returning from vacation, grandma (who has been watching the kids for a week) has the most hilarious reaction.


grandparents, parents, parenting, kids, babysitting, family, love, grandma, grandpaGrandma Mimi needed a drink after the week she had.Giphy

Simply put, grandma (or Mimi, as they call her) was ready to hightail it out of there the second mom and dad got home. And no one can blame her.

Melissa and her husband Ryan had left Mimi in charge of not only three kids, but two puppies, while they went on a weeklong cruise. That's right, one whole week.

Understandably, Mimi is shown quite literally booking it to her car. Her bags were ready to go. She had one foot out the door. And once Melissa and her husband were within sight, she was gone. The speed at which she made her escape would have made Usain Bolt proud.

"Where are you going, Mimi?" Beeler calls out. "Mimi's ready to go," she mumbles to her husband, then adding, "Thank you!"

All parents will recognize Mimi's exhausted, frantic escape walk shown in the video:


@melissabeeler2

Her bags were packed & she was ready to go. ✌️ #couples #parents #husbandwife #funny #relatable

The video went viral on TikTok where viewers just couldn't get enough of their new hero, Mimi. Commenters had plenty of jokes about Mimi's mental state after a week of taking care of 5 unruly creatures:

"Grandma is going straight to the bar"

"Mimi will probably be right back over there tomorrow, but today she's done."

"She doesn’t care how your vacation was she doesn’t want to hear about it."

"She said don’t call me I will call you"

"Mimi needs a whole pitcher margarita"

Some people had similar stories of their own:

grandparents, parents, parenting, kids, babysitting, family, love, grandma, grandpaThree kids is a lot for any grandma to handleGiphy

"My aunt watched my 4yo while I went to a wedding over the weekend. I came back and she said 'I love her to death but she and I need time apart for a looong while after this'"

"My Mom watched my three for 3 hours while I went to a funeral, they were 2, 1, 1. She had her jacket and purse on when I walked in the door, the literally pushed past me in the doorway saying, 'It’s too much, LOUISE, too much.' I didn’t hear from her for just over a month"

"Haha! This is what my mom does too! She’s enjoyed her time but now it’s time to go"

You love to see the dedication. As many commenters pointed out, grandparents like Mimi love to be involved, help out, and spend time with the grandkids, but when they're done, they're done. That doesn't mean they won't come right back to spoil them some more when they've regained their energy.

The reaction also illuminates how parents feel pretty much all the time and why the Surgeon General put out an advisory about the mental health of America's moms and dads. If Mimi was wrecked after a week, imagine how mom and dad feel!

Obviously, running after little kids is a lot more taxing when you're in your 60s or 70s. And yes, yes, of course, if you choose to have kids, you know what you're signing up for. But that doesn't make it easy. No siree.

The Beelers know exactly how lucky they are to have such a wonderful grandma who's just a phone call away, though they might need to give Mimi a much deserved break before their next weeklong vacation.

May we all have a better half like this.

Supporting a partner with anxiety involves understanding, validation, encouragement, and sometimes…building them their own special timeout spot where they can actually relax.

That was certainly the case for one man who wanted to help his fiancée feel a bit better while dealing with the final week of wedding planning. (Let’s be honest, weddings are stressful for just about any bride, but for those of us with anxiety, it can be a mental health nightmare.)

In a TikTok that's since reached almost 1 million views, we see Ryan Erkins give said bride, Debra Reisinger, the rundown on her gift—an "anxiety chair” inspired by Inside Out 2.

anxiety, anxiety tips, anxiety chair, husbands, green flags, red flags, marriage, partner with anxiety, support someone with anxietymedia4.giphy.com

As any Disneyphile would know, this Pixar sequel featured Anxiety as a new character, and at one pivotal part of the movie, the other emotions have to calm her panic attack by sitting her down in a chair with a cup of soothing tea.

Using an Inside Out poster as a reference, Erkins tells Reisinger, “Whenever you start to feel here, it's becoming too much.”

“I need you to come sit in here, light the candle with a drink, it’s your favorite color rose, and just relax for like 10 minutes…You aren’t allowed to leave until the timer’s up,” he continues, using the right amount of bossiness that’s honestly so needed during a time of chaos. Even when Reisinger asks, “Can I have my phone?” Erkins firmly says, “Nope, cause all you’re gonna do on your phone is look at stuff. You can turn the TV on.”

@debrareisinger He reminds me often why he’s my better half. Entering our final week of wedding planning, he pulls this out. ❤️🥲 @Coach Ryan Erkins #anxiety #insideout #fiance #weddingplanning #ringcamera #cincinnati #bestpartnerever ♬ original sound - Debra Leann


Seriously, the Disneyness, the wholehearted support, the sass—what’s not to love about this?

Down in the comments, people agreed this "polite timeout” was peak "green flag behaviour," especially by those who also deal with anxiety.

“To be loved, is to been seen.”

“As a woman with panic attack, this is the SWEETEST gesture 🥺.”

“Respectfully, also in love with your husband now.”

"Caring and a lil bossy ⭐⭐⭐⭐"

“Set a timer for 8 minutes. He said imma regular you if you can’t do it yourself love this!!!"

Many also noted the similarities of this approach to gentle parenting, which still provides firm boundaries while ultimately prioritizing compassion. Basically, it works for adults too.

“I’m all for gentle marriage," one viewer quipped.

Of course, everyone is ultimately responsible for their own emotional regulation, but having a partner, a friend, or a family member to help us through the more challenging times can really make all the difference. Sounds like Erkins easily understands this concept.

By the way, it looks like all that wedding stress didn’t mar the big day:

Here’s to a life full of love, laughter, and timeouts in the anxiety chair for these two.

Family

Pregnant woman asked ChatGPT about a strange symptom. It saves her and her baby's lives.

Doctors said if she had gone to sleep that night, she "wouldn't have woke up."

natallia.tarrien/Instagram

“I still get chills thinking about it."

Listen, whatever your (warranted) misgivings about AI are—whether it be the ethical or environmental implications, or the potential threat to human jobs, what it says about us as a society overall, are all of the above—it’s hard not to hear this story and be a least a smidge grateful that this type of technology exists.

When Natallia Tarrien, a mom in her third trimester, felt an odd tightness in her jaw one night, she did what apparently 1 in 5 American adults do—she consulted ChatGPT.

As Tarrien shared on Instagram, she asked “Why does my jaw feel tight?” for fun, more than anything else. But when ChatGPT responded “Check your blood pressure,” things started to feel a tad more serious.

Then, when she realized her blood pressure was, in fact, really high (and climbing), the chatbot instructed her to “Call an ambulance. Now.” By the time she got to the hospital, the expecting mother’s blood pressure was 200/146. According to an interview with Newsweek, Tarrien diagnosed with preeclampsia—a dangerous pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure—and the hospital staff told her they needed to deliver the baby immediately.

Thankfully, both the baby and mama ended up completely safe. However, doctors told Tarrien that if she had gone to sleep that night, she may not have woken up.

“I still get chills thinking about it. All of this started from one small symptom — and one random question. Thank you, ChatGPT. You saved two lives,” Tarrien wrote in her post’s caption.

Down in the comments, people shared similar experiences.

One person wrote, “Chat GPT told me the same thing. I had appendicitis and surgery the following morning….”

“Chatgpt told me the meds my doc insisting on gave me parkinsonism and the practice was unethical.. it was right,” another echoed.

Others noted how refreshing it was to see Chat GPT used this way, and argued that this should be the standard.

“Ok, I know many people are against the use of AI, but THIS is an example of how it could be beneficial for us. Sometimes, we can't get medical care immediately either because of time or money, this solves it. Also, there are many cases where doctors misdiagnose patients because many (not all) don't care or just want to take more money out of their patients. AI? It gives you an objective diagnosis. Accurately,” one person wrote.

Granted, and even Tarrien added this disclaimer, ChatGPT and all other forms of AI are also wildly inaccurate on a lot of things, and a lot of the time, and shouldn’t replace the medical advice of actual, human doctors. But more than anything, what this story does highlight is how easy it can be to dismiss a seemingly minute symptom, and completely miss the life threatening warning it’s giving off. This can be especially true for pregnant folks, because, let’s be honest, you’re dealing with a lot of weird symptoms during those nine months, and beyond.

pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms, preeclampsia, preeclampsia symptoms, chatgpt, chatgpt medical advice, how to use chatgptAnd image of someone using ChatGPTPhoto credit: Canva

If artificial intelligence can be a tool (key word there) to help us not second guess ourselves in that department and at least follow-up on questionable bodily things, then great.