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It's time to act: 6 things you can do right now to help families separated at the border.

What's been happening at the border is an affront to human decency.

By now, we are presumably aware of the new 2018 policy at the U.S.-Mexico border that has children being taken from their parents arms and held in separate facilities — a practice that a UCLA psychology professor has likened to torture, that the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics has called "government-sanctioned child abuse," and that the U.N. high commissioner on human rights has called " unconscionable."

In just six weeks, nearly 2,000 children have been separated from their parents, with no guarantee they will see them again.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

There are lots of myths and misunderstandings floating around about the policy and its implementation. So you might want to read this, this, this, and this to get the facts straight. Then get ready to act.

It's easy to feel helpless and hopeless — but don't. Here's a list of real things you can do today.

Awareness is important. Action is vital. Here's what you can do:

1. Pressure President Donald Trump to put an end to this policy.

Trump appears to be using children as hostages to get his immigration agenda passed through Congress. But Trump has the power to end this policy all by himself now. He apparently has an executive action in the works to end the policy, so pressure appears to be working. Keep it up. Call the White House. Bombard Trump on Twitter, his chosen way to communicate with the American people. Let the administration know that this policy crosses a red line.

2. Call your senator and ask them to support the Keep Families Together Act.

If Trump doesn't put an end to the policy himself, Congress will have to act. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) has introduced a bill that would bar border agents from separating children under 18 from their parents unless a court or welfare official determines it is in the child's best interests to do so or if there is a strong likelihood that the child is being trafficked or doesn't actually belong with the adult they are traveling with.

3. Participate in a #FamiliesBelongTogether march on June 30.

Or organize one in your area if there isn't one already in the works. A large anchor rally will be held in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., with other rallies and marches taking place across the country. Go to Moveon.org to find a rally near you.

4. Donate to legal aid organizations that specialize in immigration at the border.

The most immediate need for these families is legal representation and advocacy. Here's a list of nonprofits that are on the ground at the border providing legal aid to help get children reunited with their parents.

  • ASAP: Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project connects families seeking asylum to community support and emergency legal aid.
  • The Florence Project for immigrant and refugee rights provides free legal and social services to detained immigrants in Arizona and ensures that people facing removal have access to counsel, understand their rights under the law, and are treated fairly and humanely.
  • KIND: Kids in Need of Defense ensures that no child appears in immigration court alone without high-quality representation.
  • Tahirih Justice Center provides a broad range of direct legal services, policy advocacy, and training and education to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing violence.

(Also, if you need a little inspiration that hope for humanity is still alive, this Facebook fundraiser for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services in Texas, has already raised more than $10.5 million — in just four days — making it the most successful Facebook campaign to date.)

5. Support the ACLU.

The American Civil Liberties Union is an organization that works consistently to support human rights to all people in our country, to not only assist when injustices occur but to try to prevent rights from being infringed in the first place.

6. Keep speaking out and sharing reliable journalism about this story.

This atrocity, which should transcend partisan politics, is being turned into a war fueled by highly biased media outlets. Misinformation is part of what got us here, so utilize tools like MediaBiasFactCheck.com to determine the reliability of where you get your information. Share the facts, bust the myths, and keep putting the truth out there for these families.

This is our country. We should not accept cruelty to children being done in our name.

And we don't have to. Now is the time to act to end this shameful and inhuman practice.

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34 broken bones, a mural, and Buddy the Elf—what these three things have in common

"I never thought I’d run again. But against the odds, here I am."

34 broken bones, a mural, and Buddy the Elf—what these three things have in common
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The Bank of America Chicago Marathon took place on Sunday, October 12th. Every runner who took on the enormous feat of 26.2 miles is truly an inspiration. We’re proud to share three outstanding stories about the power of community, giving back and crossing the finish line. Not only did they run an outstanding distance, but they each also gave back by fundraising for an organization that changes lives for the better.

Running a marathon is so much more than race day. It’s sticking to a schedule, getting enough rest, learning how to fuel your body for long distances, and—perhaps the most challenging of all—building mental resilience.


Meet Leanne: Running after 34 Bone Fractures

Leanne was only 12 years old when during her middle school cross country practice, she fractured her right tibia, the shin bone in her leg. This wasn’t Leanne’s first time breaking a bone—it was actually her 34th fracture. After many years of being overlooked as "clumsy," Leanne felt immense relief and recognition when a doctor diagnosed her with brittle bone disease, an incredibly rare condition.

Lurie Children’s provided a care plan for Leanne to build strength and start running again. And as of October 12th, Leanne ran her second Bank of America Chicago Marathon. She said in an interview, “I never thought I’d run again. But against the odds, here I am, training for my second Bank of America Chicago Marathon... all because of Lurie Children’s.”

Leanne’s impressive journey is a testament to the incredible research of Lurie Children’s, where she gives back by volunteering at the hospital and running on its behalf. Talk about being a true inspiration.


Meet Everett: Running to Inspire Through Art

Everett is an artist who creates beautiful murals around the city of Chicago. He uses his art as a tool for storytelling for community and connection.

In addition to being an artist, Everett is a runner. He ran the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on behalf of Peace Runners 773, a non-profit organization that strengthens the community of Chicago. In this video, we follow Everett on a run to visit some of his favorite murals. The run ends at Garfield Park, where Everett just finished a mural that he dedicated to the organization—symbolizing growth, strength and togetherness. Everett didn’t stop there.

While building his strength as a runner, Everett is strengthening his city of Chicago. Through his running and artwork, Everett has brought more awareness and resources to his community.

Meet Joseph: Running on Behalf of Special Olympics


Joseph ran the Chicago Marathon on behalf of Special Olympics, dedicating each mile to one of 26 friends with a developmental disability. The last 1.2 miles were extra special. It was for one of his closest friends, Matt.

In this video, Joseph runs to Matt’s house. For every mile of this training run, he tells us a heartwarming anecdote about Matt. They met at camp and soon, Matt will be a groomsman in Joseph’s wedding. The duo even sends a Christmas card every year—most notably dressing up as Buddy the Elf and sharing a bowl of spaghetti with maple syrup (spoiler: it doesn’t taste good).

As Joseph runs, he says, “Before we get to Matt, a quick note about why I’m running on behalf of Special Olympics. Matt and I love sports. And so do many of my other friends. Donations help provide year-round sports training and competition for more than 20,000 people with intellectual disabilities across Illinois.”

Joseph is the perfect example of inspiration. Not only did he run an entire marathon, but he also found inspiration in his friends who love sports as much as he does.


Leanne, Everett and Joseph are three incredible people who have shown how much strength and perseverance it takes to run a marathon. Each runner is both empowering themselves and their community. Their dedication to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon shows that the people of Chicago have a passion for the city, their neighbors and their personal achievements.

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Gen Xers share 17 nostalgic dishes they ate growing up—and still make for dinner

From sloppy joes to pizza bread, these dishes still slap.

gen x, generation x, gen x meal, gen x food, gen x family meals
Image via Reddit

A family enjoys dinner during the 1970s.

Generation X (those born between 1965-1980) grew up eating classic Americana meals. During the 1970s, comfort meals like tuna casserole and salmon roquettes were popular meals.

Gen X also grew up eating some pretty unhinged (but all the more yummy) sandwiches. These meals are steeped in childhood nostalgia.

And to this day, Gen Xers are still fond of their favorite dishes they grew up eating. Together, they discussed on Reddit their most-loved home-cooked dishes that they still whip up, starting with sloppy joes.

Here are 17 iconic Gen X comfort meals to keep in mind the next time you make dinner:


@genx_shawn

🤤😂 Top 10 Things ONLY GenX Knows the Taste Of... #genx #over50club #genxtiktok #over40 #genxcrew #generationx #genxers #genxtok #over40club #over50

"Breakfast. We will have a 'breakfast for dinner' at least a couple times a month. Yum!" - fadeanddecayed, KddKc

"Pizza bread! My mom would cut Italian bread into pieces, put butter and garlic salt on them, then pour some spaghetti sauce on them, cover with mozzarella cheese, and broil for like ten or fifteen minutes. Super easy and quick to make and so tasty. I'm sure my mom loved that I was so into something that took roughly zero effort for her to make." - hornybutired

"Grilled cheese and soup." - reincarnateme

"Meat loaf. I use 2 pounds ground beef, replace bread crumbs with minute rice, add 1 pkg beef soup flavoring, chop an entire onion for it, and mix BBQ sauce into mixture. Oh, important: do not overmix! Place all ingredients into bowl, then mix quickly 10 or 12 swirls of a large spoon. Grease loaf pan, carefully place mixture in, pat down & bake about an hour. (Extra info: for even better flavor, mix the night before, pat into loaf pan, cover with plastic, put into fridge overnight. Remove from fridge about an hour before baking. BE SURE TO REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP! [Esp. If in Pyrex glass loaf pan])" - jehardt, AbbyM1968

"White guy tacos." - najing_ftw

"Skillet dinner. Kielbasa, bell pepper, onion, spuds in a cast iron pan. One dish. Easy peasy." - UnimportantOutcome67

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Chicken pot pie or chicken ala king." - sattersnaps

"Fried catfish, greens, and red beans and rice." - User Unknown

"Shepherds pie, technically cottage pie if it’s ground beef. Homemade enchiladas, usually made as a layered casserole instead because I don’t have time to roll them. Pork chops with mashed potatoes and veggies." - XerTrekker

"Fried rice with chicken or pork leftovers." - AlternativeResort181

"Hot hamburgers: hamburger patty open face on Texas toast thickness bread, cover with fries then cover that with brown gravy. Wife's variation is hamburger patty over rice with brown gravy." - EnricoMatassaEsq

@past_archives

American Gen X Foods That Kids Today Can’t Understand#nostalgia #childhoodmemories #backtochildhood #90s #2000s #usa #80s #90skids #80schildhood #capcutforus #capcut #capcutpioneer #America

"Stuffed peppers. I make it much more easily by cooking it all in one large frying pan 'deconstructed'. Sauté onions garlic and ground beef, add cut up peppers, tomatoes or tomato sauce, sometimes a little spinach, then add separately cooked rice, salt and pepper and serve. It comes together pretty quickly and tastes just as good as stuffing and baking peppers in the oven." - Affectionate-Map2583

"Macaroni and cheese with cut up hot dogs. Seriously, that’s what I ate tonight." - Dazzling-Walrus9673

"Homemade Stroganoff casserole. Ridiculously easy to make. Ingredients:

1.25-1.5 lbs. Ground Beef
1 each of large white onion, green pepper, and red pepper
1 can mushroom pieces, drained and rinsed
12 oz. Bag of wide egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz. Sour cream
Worcestershire Sauce
Louisiana Hot Sauce
White or Black Pepper
Panko bread crumbs

To Make: Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Worcestershire, hot sauce, garlic powder, and pepper are all to taste, depending on how much flavor and punch you want it to have. Cook noodles per instructions. Drain. Peel and slice onion (not diced), core and cut peppers into strips Brown meat, onions and peppers along with liberal amount of Worcestershire; garlic, pepper, and hot sauce. Add mushrooms. Cook until meat is fully brown, onions are translucent and peppers are tender. Drain. Combine drained meat, etc. with whole can of soup, half of the sour cream. Gradually add noodles into the mix. Add sour cream as needed to maintain consistency. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, and pepper to taste. Dump into large, deep Corning dish or whatever. Cover too with bread crumbs. Cover and bake for forty minutes." - CynfullyDelicious

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Costco shoppers bond over the different ways they reuse those glass Tiramisu cups

“This is so hyper-specific, I love it.”

costco, costco tiramisu, costco tiramisu cups, tiramisu, reusable cups, sustainability
Costco.com, Reddit

There's something so satisfying about a proper sized cup.

Here's a story all about a gift that keeps on giving.

When TikToker @anh.isoff posted about Costco’s beloved pre-packed tiramisu, she wasn’t raving about the flavor. She was talking about the cups. Specifically, how the cups found new life long after the delicious dessert inside was consumed.

In a video that has now racked up more than 3.4 million views, she showed how her family kept the small glass containers the dessert came in, and repurposed them as elegant glassware.

“POV: Your family bought tiramisu from Costco but didn’t know it also came with cups, so now y’all use it for drinks,” her video's caption read.

@anh.isoff tiramisu is debatedly the best dessert #tiramisu #rareaesthetic #shopping #family #costco ♬ Gorof (Elixir) (feat. Sahra Dawo) - Dur Dur Band

This clearly struck a very relatable chord. In the comments, thousands of people chimed in to say they too had a secret stash of Costco tiramisu glasses hiding in their kitchen cabinets.

“I found my people,” one person wrote, sharing a photo of their collection.

costco, costco tiramisu, costco tiramisu cups, tiramisu, reusable cups, sustainability Glasses.@anh.isof/TikTok

Another added, “Oh my GOD I forgot how these spawned in the cabinet.”

And the uses go beyond makeshift drinking cups, apparently. Pretty soon the comments began rolling in from other Costco shoppers who found creative uses for their tiramisu cups:

  • “I use them to make tiny desserts.”
  • “They’re perfect espresso cups.”
  • “Painted mine and made makeup brush holders.”
  • “I use them for ice cream, it’s the perfect serving for it”

costco, costco tiramisu, costco tiramisu cups, tiramisu, reusable cups, sustainability Screenshot.@anh.isof/TikTok

And on the subreddit r/Costco, there were even more inventive uses:

  • "I just use them for storing things I cut up while cooking like chopped chives, cucumber etc."
  • "Shot/cocktail glasses."
  • "Mine are tealight candle holders on all my windowsills."
  • "My kid has a collection of them in his bedroom. Apparently they're Goldfish cracker serving sized.
  • "I reuse them as dipping cups. Ketchup/mayonnaise for fries, barbecue sauce/honey for chicken nuggets, soy sauce for shrimp tempura!"
  • "My friend laser engraved these cups for his wedding. they were part of the gift packs."

costco, costco tiramisu, costco tiramisu cups, tiramisu, reusable cups, sustainability Screenshot.@anh.isof/TikTok

This delightful Internet moment somehow turned a seemingly ordinary tiramisu cup into a bona fide symbol of thrift and human ingenuity all rolled into one. And it served as a bittersweet reminder of how foreign it can feel to purchase something, even a plain dessert cup you buy from a grocery store, that’s actually built to last.

Much to the crowd’s chagrin, many viewers noted a sad revelation: Costco no longer sells their legendary tiramisu in glass.

Several commenters shared their heartbreak.

“Bruh, my parents bought a second pack and noticed they changed the cups to plastic, and the design was different :/ they’re not as nice,” lamented one person.

“I miss those Costco tiramisu cups so bad,” said another.

costco, costco tiramisu, costco tiramisu cups, tiramisu, reusable cups, sustainability Screenshot.@anh.isof/TikTok

It’s funny how something as simple as packaging (or the loss thereof) can create such a collective sigh. Maybe it’s because the glass cups felt special…a small touch of care that elevated a store-bought dessert into something worth keeping.

Still, it was fun for folks to find community in something so utterly niche.

“This is so hyper specific I love it,” one person wrote.

Stories like this remind us that reusability is more than just practical. It’s creative and joyful. In a world overflowing with single-use everything, it’s heartening to see people celebrate the beauty of giving an object a second life.

And maybe, just maybe, this is a sign that Costco (and every other grocery giant) should consider bringing back reusable glass packaging. Of course, there are plenty of logistical reasons why that might be tricky. But it’s hard not to imagine how much better it would feel, both for the planet and for customers, if more products were made to last instead of toss.

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Couple retires to live on cruise ships because it's roughly half the cost of a nursing home

"We just walked away from everything."

cruise ships, cruise living, vacation, lifestyle, alternative living, alternative lifestyles, aging, seniors
via Alonso Reyes/Unsplash

A couple lives permanently on cruise ships instead of paying for assisted living.

It comes as no surprise to many of us, but cost of living in the United States has gone up so by leaps and bounds in recent years. So much so that living on a cruise ship has become a reasonable idea for some retirees. When Nancy and Robert Houchens of Charlottesville, Virginia, retired, they decided to sell almost everything they had and live out their golden years hopping from cruise ship to cruise ship.

"We had a 3,000-square-foot home full of furniture...and everything we own now would fit in the back of a pickup truck," Robert told USA Today.

“We sold all of our estates except for a little condominium we have in Florida, so when we get too old to cruise, we have somewhere to live,” Nancy added. “And we did keep two vehicles, and what we kept is in half of (Robert's mother's storage unit), which is, I don't know, 10x10 or something. We just walked away from everything.”

Life on a cruise ship is stress-free for the couple because their needs are taken care of on the ship. "It's been great. I don't cook. I don't clean," Nancy told the Miami Herald.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The couple has found that living on a cruise ship isn’t as expensive as some may assume. Even though inflation has driven up the cost of travel in the U.S., it hasn’t significantly impacted the cruise industry.

“It's much cheaper than a nursing home or assisted living. It was just a good fit for us. It's a good fit for a lot of people,” Robert told the Miami Herald.

The cost of a nursing home for one person usually runs anywhere from $8-10,000 per month, for reference.

The couple plans their trips differently than someone who is going on vacation. “We look for the best deal, not the destination,” Nancy told Cruise Passenger.

The couple initially planned to spend $4,000 a month living on the ships. “Our original budget was $4,000 a month. This included gratuities. Of course, things are more expensive now, so that budget has had to increase a little. Depending on where we go, we may or may not need the internet,” she told Cruise Passenger.

cruise ships, cruise living, vacation, lifestyle, alternative living, alternative lifestyles, aging, seniors Literally sailing off into the sunset. Giphy

“Our phone plan covers most everywhere for 25 cents a minute to call with free internet and texting,” Nancy continued. “We have an annual travel insurance plan, and one of our credit cards also has travel insurance.”

The roughly $4,000 the couple spends a month includes food, and they don’t have to bother paying for a car. They also try to book their cruises consecutively so they don’t waste money paying for expensive hotels when transferring between cruise lines.

Not a bad deal.

Last July, the Houchens celebrated their 1,000th day sailing with Carnival Cruise Line since the 1980s, and they look forward to countless more days at sea with each other and the new friends they’ve made on their never-ending cruise. And today, they're still going strong.

They're not alone in loving their new lifestyle. CBS News reports in 2025 that "cruise retirements" are more popular than ever.

@lovepeacecruise

Nancy and Robert Houchens of Charlottesville, Virginia - Couple retires to live on cruise ships because it's 'cheaper than a nursing home' #livingonacruiseship #retirement #carnival #carnivalcruise #funship #carnivalship #carnivalshiptok #cruiseship #cruise #cruiser #cruiselife #vacation #travel #cruisevacation #cruisetravel #cruisetok #cruisetiktok #cruiseaddict

“We cruise Carnival because of the people,” Richard told Travel Pulse. “It isn’t the destinations for us anymore, it’s the journey—and the biggest part of the journey is the people.”

This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

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'Mystery quilt' photo has people in stitches trying  to figure out what it really is

"Parrot? Pencil? Pineapple? Pig? Why go so obscure?"

​pottery barn, quilt, pagoda, pinafore, mystery
Photo Credit: Always1kMilesAway/Reddit, Used with permission

A patch on a child's blanket has the Internet perplexed.

One day, a person went to a thrift store and bought a child's quilt. The tag read "Pottery Barn Kids" with the date listed as May 2008. This particular quilt has patches with different letters of the alphabet. Each letter corresponds to the artwork of something that begins with that letter. For example, L is represented by a lollipop. K, a kite, and so on.

But something was baffling when they got to "P." Its corresponding shape is that of what can only be described as a strange snowman with a pouch and odd lettering. But THAT doesn't start with a "P."

quilt, pottery barn, thrift store, alphabet, reddit A child's quilt becomes a mystery online.Photo Credit: Always1kMilesAway, Reddit, Used with permission

After years, the OP finally took to Reddit this week with a picture of the mysterious "P" patch. In the subreddit r/whatisit, they ask, "Child alphabet blanket for 'P.' We can't figure this one out." They add, "It's been years and our best guess is pot-belly stove."

As with most things, Reddit was on the case immediately. In fact, in less than a day, there were well over 5,000 comments, chock full of amateur (and perhaps some professional) sleuths. After all, sometimes it takes a village to solve a children's quilt mystery, and today might be that day.

The first of thousands of commenters are agitated that they'd make any of the pictures hard to read in the first place. "I get wanting to increase a child’s vocabulary, but what is with these obscure objects for alphabet pictures? Parrot? Pencil? Pineapple? Pig? Why go so obscure?"

This leads to a lengthy discussion of why X stood for a "horse" in a kindergarten class someone once saw. "Their classroom had one of those alphabet posters above the whiteboard, and under the letter X was a picture of a horse. It took me a few days of trying to wrap my brain around what the hell it could have been until I got frustrated enough to finally just ask the teacher. She just nonchalantly responded, 'Oh, that’s Xanthus,' with no further explanation." (Later, when they read Homer's Iliad, they had an aha moment and were grateful for the lesson.)

But back to that "P." One Redditor suggests it's a pattern of a pinafore, which is a fit-and-flare shaped apron tied over a dress. But the OP responds, "If it wasn't for the top triangle, I would say so, but apron was one of our guesses."

Another skilled investigator points out that what is believed to be original artwork had been shared on the thread, noting confidently, "It's a pagoda." The OP gently pushes back, "I saw that, but would argue it was a pagoda before they changed it."

alphabet patter, art, drawings, children, quilt, mystert An art piece demonstrating letters of the alphabet. Photo Credit: Jennifer Orkin Lewis, Reddit

The plot thickens! Wondering what they meant by "changed it," I reached out to the OP to clarify and ask if they wanted to add additional thoughts. They (adorably) merely asked, "What's your opinion on it? Pagoda or Pinafore?" Their laser focus on the art puzzle was reminiscent of FBI-level detectives after the Kennedy assassination.

The OP writes to me, "There's just too many non-essential changes from the original pagoda (why move the door?) Most of the other items are kept the same, and there are plenty of other examples with hard corners and different patches abutting each other."

Another commenter chimes in, "I thought 'Pampers' at first, but that doesn't really fit. I agree with 'pinafore.'"

Now legal gets involved. "AI prompt was probably: 'Create patch designs based on this but tweak them slightly so it's not copyright infringement.'"

And this person feels extremely sure: "Doubters, look at the cartoon pagoda and then look at the quilt again. They only had enough room for two roofs, but they definitely have the curved roof thing happening." Someone else adds a photo of a pagoda as represented on a take-out box.

pagoda, reddit, mystery, quilt, art A pagoda represented on a take-out box.Photo Credit: Reddit, Always1kMilesAway

Though a few have other ideas, it seems to come down between the pagoda and the pinafore. The OP humorously notes this in their edits:

"Edit: Personally, I think the abstraction of this to pagoda is a bit much considering the other patches, and I've never seen an apron/pinafore with a cloth piece that covers the face.

Final Edit: Someone below mentioned that the top flap would tuck into one's clothes and that their grandma had one. Thus, I think 'pinafore' is the answer; 'solved' went to the first person to suggest it.

Final-Final Edit: Buried in a comment chain was an alternative picture where it clearly was a pagoda. It seems that Pottery Barn bought this from an artist and then changed it for some reason to this, and subsequently a penguin. I think the change here makes it a pinafore, but the original art was of a pagoda.

Final-Final-Final Edit: It's a Pinna-goda. Are we all equally unhappy now?"

Perhaps we'll never truly know the intention behind the stitching. But it was a lot of fun trying to figure it out.

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Heartbroken dad shares why he didn't tell his autistic daughter it was her 10th birthday

"We’re pretending like it’s just another day…and it’s killing us.”

neurodivergent kids, neurodivergent parenting, birthdays, autistic kid
@kylephilippi/TikTok

“Today’s her birthday, and we’re pretending like it’s just another day."

Parents know the ups and downs all too well: Kid’s birthdays are both lovely moments of celebration, and potential sources of stress for any parent, for various reasons. For dad Kyle Philippi (whom we’ve previously covered for dressing up as Jafar to cure his friend of an irrational phobia), his daughter’s 10th birthday was particularly full of anguish—since he didn’t tell her it actually was her birthday.

In a video posted to his TikTok that amassed close to 3 million views, the concerned dad shared his unique plight that brought him to this unusual decision: his daughter’s birthday falls on Jan 2, over winter break, meaning most kids wouldn’t be able to attend her birthday party. Two years prior, the Philippi found this out the hard way, when they tried to throw a party on the day, and no one showed.

“She was devastated,” Philippi let out through a sigh.

@kylephilippi

We’re about 60/40 on whether this was a good idea… #birthday #parenting #parentingtips #autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance #auditoryprocessingdisorder #surprisebirthday #birthdayparty

Then last year, they tried a different approach. Instead of a big social gathering on Jan 2, they had a more intimate environment of just the family and one close friend, followed by a proper party once winter break was finished. At this point Philippi explained that his daughter is on the spectrum and had auditory processing disorder—so even though she had fun at both events, she still couldn’t understand why her friend couldn’t show up on her actual birthday, and was still disappointed. That’s never what any parent wants for their kid.

To make matters more sensitive, Philippi shared that his daughter was beginning to not be invited to other classmates' parties, and suspected that part of why she yearns to have a party with all her friends there was because “she knows she’s not getting to go to everyone else’s birthday.”

Hence why Philippi and his wife decided to try something new by simply not acknowledging the birthday until they can do a party with his daughter’s school friends. Understandably, though the choice was made with the best of intentions, when Jan 2 came, there were tons of conflicting feelings.

neurodivergent kids, neurodivergent parenting, birthdays, autistic kid assets.rebelmouse.io


“I don’t know if we made the right decision. But here we are,” Philippi shared. “Today’s her birthday, and we’re pretending like it’s just another day…and it’s killing us.”

Down in the comments people—especially those with special needs kids, or were autistics themselves—were quick to reassure Philippi that he made a tough, but right call.

“As an autistic person who struggles with birthdays, you’re doing the right thing. it’s a little unconventional, but so are kids like us!! keep it up,” one person wrote.

Another added, “these ‘decisions’ are so hard but you are doing great by taking it all into consideration and trying to do what will help her feel great on her birthday.”

It seems the real thing worth noting here is that Philippi and his wife are trying to make their kid’s birthday the best it can be for her, and that’s truly admirable. Odds are nearly every parent can relate to this on some level. And for parents with neurodivergent kiddos, that can often mean navigating uncharted territory. Maybe they’ll try a different approach next year. Maybe not. What matters is they’re trying.

And from the looks of it, the actual birthday wasn’t a total wash. In a follow up video, we see that Philippi’s daughter got her favorite chicken wings for dinner, and got to plan her Raggedy Ann themed birthday party.

@kylephilippi

Replying to @mamamcsorley1 She ate her favorite meal today and we continued to plan out her ultimate birthday party in 9 days 🙂 #birthday #parenting #parentingtips #autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance #auditoryprocessingdisorder #surprisebirthday #birthdayparty


Naturally, Philippi would go as Raggedy Andy, per his daughter's request, but plans didn't quite work out. His wife's Raggedy Ann costume arrived on time, but his Andy costume didn't. The party was held at an indoor activity center, and while Philippi's wife went full Raggedy Ann, Philippi made the most of the day in a whole different way.

@kylephilippi

I hope you’re happy… #defyinggravity #wicked #wickedmovie

No parent knows with certainty that the choices they make are right or wrong. But with parents who try this hard to find joy and create happy memories, their daughter is in good hands, no matter when or how her birthday is celebrated.

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

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