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Parenting

Parents reveal 8 genius hacks for introducing toddlers to newborns without jealousy

Lucie Fink, shared her family's tips for introducing toddlers to their newborn baby siblings without sparking jealousy.

Adult woman cradling baby, sullen toddler
Photo credit: Canva

A little effort can go a long way.

Welcoming a newborn into the family is usually a magical occasion. There are pictures to be taken; first moments that must be documented. But for a child, this can be an unsettling experience. One day, it’s just them and their two doting parents. Then, out of nowhere, a tiny baby appears and starts hogging all the attention? How unfair.

Fortunately, there are several strategies parents can use when introducing a toddler to a newborn to minimize feelings of jealousy. In a viral TikTok video, Lucie Fink—a mom of two and host of The Real Stuff podcast—shared how she and her husband successfully introduced their baby girl to Milo, their toddler son, while keeping any potential jealousy at bay. Since it was posted in early February 2025, the video has been met with overwhelming positivity online, garnering 1.6 million likes and over 11 million views.


Child on floor cryingUpsetting, to say the least. Photo credit: Canva


“As a child development major… YES.”

The video begins with Lucie, still in her hospital gown, welcoming her husband and son into the postpartum unit. “I got a balloon for you!” exclaims her toddler. Using strategically placed overlaid text, she details the 8 techniques she and her husband used while introducing their toddler to his newborn baby sister, including adding photos of him to the baby’s bassinet (to make him feel special and included) and transferring the baby to Milo’s arms calmly and intentionally when he was ready and asked to hold her.


Screenshot, woman in hospital bed with child and adult man in roomThe first step toward a lifelong friendship.TikTok, Credit: @luciebfink


Sibling rivalry isn’t inevitable

While sibling rivalry is normal (according to child specialist Alexander K.D. Leung, it “occurs between most, if not all, siblings to varying degrees” and “is as old as mankind”), unmanaged competitive feelings in childhood can lead to psychological problems later in life. “A child who feels threatened of losing parental affection and love may react with rejection or hate towards a new sibling who is often perceived as an ‘intruder,’” Leung notes in his 1991 research article. “This is more common if the child feels insecure as a result of overprotective, excessive domination, parental impatience, or excessive discipline.”

Sibling rivalry begins here, at the onset. Even parents who handled their first child easily may be surprised by the new, constantly shifting dynamics a second baby can bring. Although you can prepare a child for months, even years, to become an older sibling, until they experience it, they won’t actually know what it feels like. Suddenly, it seems like their emotional and physical needs are in direct competition with the baby’s: Who gets their parents’ attention? Who deserves to be fawned over? These changes are real—and scary!—for a child and can cause them to act out or revert to previously outgrown baby behavior, according to the Association of Child Psychotherapists. They write: “It must be remembered that it is the parents who choose to have another baby, not the older sister or brother. They have no say in the matter, and what is, to you, largely a source of happiness may be nothing of the sort to your child.”


baby swathed in pink blanket "It is the parents who choose to have another baby, not the older sister or brother."Photo credit: Canva


8 ways to reduce jealousy, according to Lucie Fink

When the child first enters the room, don’t mention the baby. Instead, focus on them. In the video, we see Lucie greet her son Milo solo, with the baby nearby but out of sight. Although he’s excited to meet her, Lucie stays focused on her son, making direct eye contact and creating a special one-on-one moment just for them.

Place the baby off to the side in a bassinet, so your arms are free to cuddle the other child. At first, Milo is focused solely on the baby, but with his mom’s loving invitation, he jumps into the hospital bed next to her. “Get cozy!” she insists, and the two burrow beneath the plush blanket together.

children, parenting hacks, ice cream, jealousy, parenting advice, parenting tipsTwo children watch another child eating ice creamImage via Cana

Arrange photos of the older child in the baby's bassinet to remind them that they're special and included. "Look, she was looking at pictures of you all day," Lucie says warmly, picking up a photo from the bassinet to show Milo. Several large photos of him are prominently displayed around the baby—a simple yet powerful symbol of their new beginning as siblings.

Transfer the baby calmly and intentionally, waiting for the older child to be ready and to specifically ask to hold them. Don’t rush or force the process. “The preparation of existing children for a new sibling helps to reduce sibling rivalry,” reminds child specialist Alexander K.D. Leung. “Patience, love, understanding, common sense, and humor are important parental skills necessary to minimize sibling rivalry.” Once settled and secure next to his mom, Milo puts out his arms excitedly and asks: “Can I hold?” As his father lowers the baby into his arms, Lucie chimes in with assurance, “Oh, you got her.” Soon, the two are bonding for the first time, and Milo holds his baby sister close.


parenting advice, parenting hacks, parenting, family, modern families, babies, toddlers, affectiontwo children hugImage via Cana

Family hugs signify that you’re a unit. Before long, the dad exclaims, “Family hug!” and the four embrace. Instead of Milo feeling like an outsider, the tender moment reflects a carefully arranged message: “We’re all excited to welcome the fourth member of our family.”

Let the older child hold the newborn at home, but only when they want to. “We try not to pressure him or continually ask if he wants to,” writes Lucie. Finding the perfect balance is key: while it’s important to involve your toddler in baby-related tasks, don’t demand too much of them.


parenting, parenting advice, parenting hacks, children, babies, family A parent waves their finger at a babyImage via Canva

Don’t blame the baby for not being able to attend to their needs. According to BetterHelp, “When a child feels like they must compete for their parent’s love and attention, this feeling might lead to animosity, which can increase over time.” Especially during this transition time, elder children must be reminded that they’re also a priority. Instead of saying, “I need to take care of the baby” or “The baby needs this right now,” Lucie recommends switching up the responsibility. Try: “Daddy’s just finishing up!” or “Mommy will be right there.

Include them in the caretaking process. Lucie writes that with her son, they tell him that it’s “the whole family’s job to work together to care for our weakest member.” Not only will your toddler love having something to do, but simple tasks—asking them to pass you a bottle during feeding time or to please entertain their younger sibling in the backseat when they're fussy—will give the older child a sense of purpose and help them feel more involved.


woman holding newborn babySibling rivalry can't be avoided, but it can be minimized. Photo credit: Canva


Why it’s important to put your toddler first sometimes

While a new baby demands constant attention—and sometimes, your sleep-deprived brain goes on auto-pilot—taking time to acknowledge your toddler’s big feelings is crucial. Even the smallest gesture, like asking for help instead of demanding it, can help build the foundation for a long-lasting, harmonious relationship between siblings. However, if left unaddressed, sibling rivalry can manifest as verbal or physical attacks, persistent demands for attention, or as regressive phenomena” in children. As adults, that behavior can morph into open aggression, cruel manipulation, or avoiding each other altogether.

A study about family dynamics conducted at Cornell University found that after multiple interviews with mothers and their adult children, only 15% of children felt their parents treated them equally compared to their siblings. The research also showed that siblings develop stronger bonds when parents consistently work to treat them fairly and give equal attention to each child.

While parenting often feels unpredictable, Lucie Fink and her husband (along with Milo and the new baby!) demonstrate that small, thoughtful efforts toward your firstborn can make an enormous difference. Watch her entire parenting video below.


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Sustainability

A guy planted two potatoes in an Amazon shipping box to prove a point. Mission accomplished.

You should see how many potatoes he got out of this experiment.

The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni/YouTube

Can you grow vegetables in a cardboard box?

In the era of supermarkets and wholesale clubs, growing your own food isn't a necessity for most Americans. But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea to try.

A household garden can be a great way to reduce your grocery bill and increase your intake of nutrient-dense foods. It can also be a good source of exercise and a hobby that gets you outside in the sunshine and fresh air more often. However, not everyone has a yard where they can grow a garden or much outdoor space at all where they live. You can plant things in containers, but that requires some upfront investment in planters.

container garden, growing plants in containers, growing vegetables, homegrown, producePotted plants and herbs can thrive in a container garden.Photo credit: Canva

Or does it? Gardener James Prigioni set out to see if an Amazon shipping box would hold up as a planter for potatoes. He took a basic single-walled Amazon box, lined it with dried leaves to help with moisture retention, added four to five inches of soil (his own homegrown soil he makes), added three dark red seed potatoes, covered them with more soil, added a fertilizer, then watered them.

He also planted a second, smaller Amazon box with two white seed potatoes, following the same steps.

Two weeks later, he had potato plants growing out of the soil. Ten days after that, the boxes were filled with lush plants.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Prigioni explained how to "hill" potato plants when they grow tall enough, which helps encourage more tuber growth and protect the growing potatoes from sunlight. Hilling also helps support the plants as they grow taller so they don't flop over. He also added some mulch to help keep the plants cooler as the summer grew hotter.

After hilling, Prigioni only needed to keep up with watering. Both varieties of potatoes flowered, which let him know the tubers were forming. The red potato leaves developed some pest issues, but not bad enough to need intervention, while the white potato plants were unaffected. "It goes to show how variety selection can make a big difference in the garden," he explained.

The visible plants have to start dying before you harvest potatoes, and Prigioni checked in with the boxes themselves when they got to that point.

vegetable garden, growing potatoes, grow potatoes in a cardboard box, Amazon box, farmingFreshly harvested potatoes are so satisfying.Photo credit: Canva

"I am pleasantly surprised with how well the boxes held up," he said, especially for being single-walled boxes. The smaller box was completely intact, while the larger box had begun to split in one corner but not enough to affect the plants' growth. "This thing was completely free to grow in, so you can't beat that," he pointed out.

Prigioni predicted that the red potatoes grown in the larger box would be more productive. As he cut open the box and pulled potatoes from the larger box, they just kept coming, ultimately yielding several dozen potatoes of various sizes. The smaller box did have a smaller yield, but still impressive just from two potatoes planted in an Amazon box.

People often think they don't have room to grow their own food, which is why Prigioni put these potato boxes on his patio. "A lot of people have an area like this," he said.

"I will never look at cardboard boxes the same," Prigioni added. "There are so many uses for them in the garden and it's just a great free resource we have around, especially if you're ordering stuff from Amazon all the time."

cardboard box, container garden, amazon box, growing vegetables, gardeningDo you see a box or do you see a planter?Photo credit: Canva

People loved watching Prigioni's experiment and shared their own joy—and success—in growing potatoes in a similar fashion:

"I have been growing potatoes in every box I can find for several years now. I have had excellent success. I honestly think potatoes prefer cardboard. And yes, most of my boxes were from Amazon."

"I live in an upstairs apartment with a little deck and I have a container garden with containers on every single stair leading to the deck. I grow potatoes in a laundry basket. It's amazing how much food I can get from this type of garden!! Grateful."

"I literally got up and grabbed the empty boxes by our front door, the potatoes that have started to sprout, and soil i had inside and started my planting at 1am. Lol. I will take them outside today and finish. Thank you James!"

"I grew potatoes and tomatoes on my tiny balcony in Germany (in buckets and cardboard boxes). Now I have a big garden here in America. I so love to grow my own food."

"I grew sweet potatoes in cardboard boxes. It’s so much fun."

Next time you're stuck with an Amazon box that you don't have a use for, consider whether you could use it as a planter for potatoes or some other edible harvest. Gardening doesn't have to be fancy to be effective.

You can find more of gardening experiments on The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni.

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Science

What will Earth look like if all its land ice melts? These maps show the clear answer.

Climate change isn't pretty.

via Business Insider Science/YouTube.

A map of the United States post land-ice melt.

Land ice: We got a lot of it. Considering the two largest ice sheets on earth — the one on Antarctica and the one on Greenland — extend more than 6 million square miles combined ... yeah, we're talkin' a lot of ice. But what if it was all just ... gone? Not like gone gone, but melted?

If all of earth's land ice melted, it would be nothing short of disastrous. And that's putting it lightly. This video by Business Insider Science (seen below) depicts exactly what our coastlines would look like if all the land ice melted. And spoiler alert: It isn't great. Lots of European cities like, Brussels and Venice, would be basically underwater.

I bring up the topic not just for funsies, of course, but because the maps are real possibilities.

How? Climate change.

As we continue to burn fossil fuels for energy and emit carbon into our atmosphere, the planet gets warmer and warmer. And that, ladies and gentlemen, means melted ice.

A study published this past September by researchers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany found that if we don't change our ways, there's definitely enough fossil fuel resources available for us to completely melt the Antarctic ice sheet.

Basically, the self-inflicted disaster you see above is certainly within the realm of possibility.


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In Africa and the Middle East? Dakar, Accra, Jeddah — gone.



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Millions of people in Asia, in cities like Mumbai, Beijing, and Tokyo, would be uprooted and have to move inland.



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South America would say goodbye to cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.


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And in the U.S., we'd watch places like Houston, San Francisco, and New York City — not to mention the entire state of Florida — slowly disappear into the sea.


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All GIFs via Business Insider Science/YouTube.

Business Insider based these visuals off National Geographic's estimation that sea levels will rise 216 feet (!) if all of earth's land ice melted into our oceans.

There's even a tool where you can take a detailed look at how your community could be affected by rising seas, for better or worse.

Although ... looking at these maps, it's hard to imagine "for better" is a likely outcome for many of us.

Much of America's most populated regions would be severely affected by rising sea levels, as you'll notice exploring the map, created by Alex Tingle using data provided by NASA.

Take, for instance, the West Coast. (Goodbye, San Fran!)



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Or the East Coast. (See ya, Philly!)


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And the Gulf Coast. (RIP, Bourbon Street!)

"This would not happen overnight, but the mind-boggling point is that our actions today are changing the face of planet Earth as we know it and will continue to do so for tens of thousands of years to come," said lead author of the study Ricarda Winkelmann, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

If we want to stop this from happening," she says, "we need to keep coal, gas, and oil in the ground."

The good news? Most of our coastlines are still intact! And they can stay that way, too — if we act now.

World leaders are finallystarting to treat climate change like the global crisis that it is — and you can help get the point across to them, too.

Check out Business Insider's video below:


- YouTubewww.youtube.com


This article originally appeared eleven years ago.

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Animals & Wildlife

6th grader's science experiment answers, 'Do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on?'

A question no one knew they needed answered.

Photo courtesy of Kerry Hyde

Do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on? Science answers.

Cat owners sometimes have unique questions that even Google doesn't always have the answer to. This is probably the sole reason cat forums exist, but one kid who needed a 6th grade science project decided to skip the cat forums for answers and instead use the scientific method. Kaeden Henry, a sixth grader living in Florida, bravely pondered a question few (if any one) has been brave enough to ask: do cat buttholes touch every surface they sit on?

Since cats do whatever the heck they want, training them not to jump on kitchen counters is a feat even Hercules struggles to complete. These fierce felines don't care if you're cooking dinner or trying to get comfy in bed. If they want to sit somewhere, they're going to do it. The thought of cat butts on that expensive Serta pillow designed to feel like you're sleeping on a cloud can gross people out, but thanks to Kaeden, you no longer have to wonder if the butthole itself is also making contact.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

The curious sixth grader is homeschooled and well-versed in the scientific method thanks to her mother's PhD in animal behavior with a concentration in feline behavior. And, since they own cats, the science experiment was pretty straightforward (and directly impactful).

To complete the experiment, Henry and his mom, Kerry Hyde, bought non-toxic lipstick and applied it to each of their cat's anuses. Then, the cats were given commands.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

"Non-toxic lipstick was applied to their bum-bums, they were then given a series of commands (sit, wait, lie down, and jump up. Side note: Both cats have been trained since kittenhood with a variety of commands, they also know how to high-five, spin around, and speak.), they were compensated with lots of praise, pets, and their favorite treats, and the lipstick was removed with a baby wipe once we collected our data in just under 10 minutes," Hyde wrote in a Facebook post.

The results? Turns out that, no, cat buttholes do not touch every surface cats sit on. Now, let's all take a collective sigh of relief while we go over the details. Kaeden's experiment covered long-haired, short-haired, and medium-haired cats (if your cat is hairless, you better stock up on Clorox wipes just in case).

"His results and general findings: Long and medium haired cat’s buttholes made NO contact with soft or hard surfaces at all. Short haired cats made NO contact on hard surfaces. But we did see evidence of a slight smear on the soft bedding surface. Conclusion, if you have a short haired cat and they may be lying on a pile of laundry, an unmade bed, or other soft uneven surface, then their butthole MAY touch those surfaces!" Hyde shares.

Now every curious cat owner can rest easy knowing that as long as their cat has hair, their bare bottom balloon knot is not touching the majority of surfaces in their home.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

The amusing experiment caught the Internet's attention. People laughed and commented, with one person writing, "This is probably the most useful information I’ve learned from a science fair project."

"Good to know!...I can now eat my sandwich left on the counter with confidence!" another writes.

Courtesy of Kerry Hyde

"A+++!!! Whew!! I am very grateful for your sciencing on this subject. My fears from walking in on my cat sitting on my laptop keyboard and subsequently being grossed out and cleaning furiously in a hyper-ocd manner have been somewhat allayed and now maybe I won’t have to use QUIIITE so many wipes." someone chimes in.

"Finally.. Someone answers the important questions!!"

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Love Stories

A husband documented his wife's battle with cancer capturing love and loss beautifully

"These photographs do not define us, but they are us."

Angelo Merendino

Angelo Merendino with his late wife Jennifer

When I saw these incredible photos Angelo Merendino took of his wife, Jennifer, as she battled breast cancer, I felt that I shouldn't be seeing this snapshot of their intimate, private lives. The photos humanize the face of cancer and capture the difficulty, fear, and pain that they experienced during the difficult time.

But as Angelo commented: "These photographs do not define us, but they are us."

In his photo exhibition, Angelo wrote:

"Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer five months after our wedding. She passed less than four years later. During our journey we realized that many people are unaware of the reality of day to day life with cancer. After Jen’s cancer metastasized we decided to share our life through photographs."

All images by Angelo Merendino, published here with permission.


cancer, cancer treatment, marriage, love, love storiesAngelo and Jennifer drink beersassets.rebelmouse.io

On his website, Angelo writes:

"With each challenge we grew closer. Words became less important. One night Jen had just been admitted to the hospital, her pain was out of control. She grabbed my arm, her eyes watering, 'You have to look in my eyes, that’s the only way I can handle this pain.' We loved each other with every bit of our souls. Jen taught me to love, to listen, to give and to believe in others and myself. I’ve never been as happy as I was during this time."

cancer, cancer treatment, marriage, love, love storiesJennifer holds Angeloassets.rebelmouse.io



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"People assume that treatment makes you better, that things become OK, that life goes back to 'normal,' Angelo wrote. "There is no normal in cancer-land. Cancer survivors have to define a new sense of normal, often daily. And how can others understand what we had to live with everyday?"

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This article originally appeared thirteen years ago.

love stories
Health

Why 'boomer panic' is a real thing, not just generational bashing

There's a heartbreaking reason behind the problem.

via Canva/Photos

What is "boomer panic"?

In a video posted in September 2023, TikToker @myexistentialdread used the phrase “boomer panic” to explain how baby boomers (1946 to 1964) can quickly become unhinged when faced with the most minor problems. It all started when she visited a Lowe’s hardware store and encountered a boomer-aged woman working at the check-out stand.

“I had a dowel that didn’t have a price tag on it, whatever, so I ran back and took a photo of the price tag. And as I was walking back towards her, I was holding up my phone… because I had multiple dowels and that was the one that didn’t have the price tag on it,” she said in the video. “And she looks at me and she goes, ‘I don’t know which one that is,’ and she starts like, panicking.” The TikToker said that the woman was “screechy, panicking for no reason.”

Many people raised by boomers understood what she meant by "boomer panic." "Boomer panic is such a good phrase for this! Minor inconvenience straight to panic," the most popular commenter wrote. And while there was some boomer-bashing in the comments, some younger people tried to explain why the older folks have such a hard time regulating their emotions: “From conversations with my mother, they weren’t allowed to make mistakes and were harshly punished if they did.” The TikToker responded, “A lot of people mentioned this, and it breaks my heart. I think you’re right,” Myexistentialdread responded.

A follow-up video by YourTango Editor Brian Sundholm tried to explain boomer panic in an empathetic way.

“Well, it's likely that there actually was a reason the woman started panicking about a seemingly meaningless problem,” Sundholm said. “Most of us nowadays know the importance of recognizing and feeling our emotions.” Sundholm then quoted therapist Mitzi Bachman, who says that when people bottle up their emotions and refuse to express them, it can result in an "unhinged" reaction.

TikToker Gabi Day shared a similar phenomenon she noticed with her boomer mom; she called the behavior “anxiety-at-you.”

Day’s boomer mother was “reactive,” “nervous,” and “anxious” throughout her childhood. Now, she is still on edge with Day’s children. “She's immediately like gasping and just really like exaggerated physical reactions, and then, of course, that kind of startles my kid,” Day said. “Again, I know that this comes from a place of care. It's just a lot,” she continued.

@itsgabiday

It comes from a place of love but it is exhausting 🫠😬 #millennialmomsoftiktok #boomergrandma #reparenting #gentleparenting

There is a significant difference in emotional intelligence and regulation between how boomers were raised and how younger generations, such as Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, were brought up. Boomers grew up when they had to bottle up their feelings to show their resilience. This can lead to growing anger, frustration with situations and people, chronic stress, and anxiety—all conditions that can lead to panicky, unhinged behavior.

Ultimately, Sundholm says that we should sympathize with boomers who have difficulty regulating their emotions and see it as an example of the great strides subsequent generations have made in managing their mental health. “It may seem a little harsh to call something "boomer panic," but in the context of how many of them were raised, it makes a lot of sense,” Sundholm says. “It also underlines the importance of emotional regulation skills and teaching them to future generations. And maybe most important, having compassion for those who never had a chance to learn them.”

This article originally appeared in March

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