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People are sharing the parenting trends that absolutely ‘need to end now’

Here are 21 of the best responses.

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via Pexels

Not all trends in parenting are a good thing.

It’s tough to quantify whether today’s parents are stricter or more permissive than previous generations, but the overall sentiment seems to be that parents are more lenient than they were a few decades back.

A 2015 poll by YouGov found that younger Americans are more likely than their elders to have been raised by “not very strict” or “not at all strict” parents. Thirty-nine percent of under-30s say that their parents weren't very strict or not strict at all, compared to only 15% of over-65s.

Nicola Kraus, author of The Nanny Diaries, believes that it’s a natural outgrowth of the fact that we know a lot more about children than we did in the past.

“We are deeply aware that our children are cognizant, conscious humans in a way previous generations weren't aware. Children were treated like pets or, worse, release valves for their parents' stresses and fears, then expected to magically transform into healthy, functional adults,” she writes.

But this change in parenting has encouraged other trends that many think are creating a greater number of entitled young adults who can’t fend for themselves. These days we have helicopter parents, bulldozer parents, and dependent parents whose overinvolvement in their children’s lives renders them incapable of becoming fully integrated adults.

Reddit user u/qquackie asked the online forum,"What parenting 'trend' do you strongly disagree with?" and got an overwhelming number of responses from people who think that today's parents are raising entitled children. Many of the responders think that parents are being too sensitive with their children and they don’t provide firm boundaries. They also think it’s a big problem for kids to think they’re the center of the universe.

Here are 21 of the most popular responses to the parenting question.

1. Pretending that not parenting is parenting

"I won't tell my child to stop kicking your leg repeatedly because i don't want to crush his spirit!' — StoicDonkey

2. ​Denying your kid any negative experiences or emotions

"They are a normal part of being a person, teach them to handle negative emotions now before you send them out into a world they are not prepared to handle." — IAmRules

3. Fake “gentle parenting”

"You hear and see so many parents letting their children do whatever they want, no matter how destructive, rude or hurtful their behaviours are. Parents find themselves beholden to the whims of their childrens’ emotions in the name of gentle parenting, instead of true gentle parenting where (so I hear) boundaries are set alongside validating emotions." — candianuk

4. Not setting clear boundaries

"You are the adult, not the kid. Children benefit sooo much more from clear rules and consequences." — NorthWeight3580

5. The “bulldozer” parent

"The parent who removes all obstacles/challenges from a child’s life so they don’t learn about perseverance, problem solving, failure (sometimes you can try hard and still not get the reward) and learning from mistakes - unless the goal is to develop a highly anxious person - then, being a bulldozer parent is great." — spinefexmouse

6. Stage-mom syndrome

"Abusing the talents of your child just to boost your self image in society." — sweettooth_92

7. Nonstop supervision

"Hovering over them at every turn. Whatever happened to tossing them in a play area in another room and letting them create, explore, and get the occasional bumps?" — ansibley

8. Not believing the teacher

"'My kid never lies to me.' Seriously. Parents absolutely should be their kid’s biggest supporter. But support sometimes means holding the kid responsible when they don’t do the right thing." — jdith123

9. "No talking back!"

"If this also counts... Parents who punish their kids for speaking up or otherwise explaining something, saying that they're 'talking back.' I honestly don't get why most parents refuse to admit they're not always right sometimes. Besides, what if their kid one day comes up to them and says another adult is touching them inappropriately?" — EntryRepresentative5

10. Helicopter parenting

"Kids need freedom to explore the world, get dirty, engage in free play. I am not advocating putting the child outside on a Saturday morning and telling them to come home when the street lights come on, but an age acceptable level of freedom." — Cat_Astrophe_X

11. Pushing them too hard

"Pushing them too hard in sports, academics, etc. Like pushing til they need therapy or get injured, no free time, no downtime. FFS, they only get to be young & without excessive responsibilities once." — Oh-Oh-Ophelia

12. Tablets in public

"Loud cartoons and games on tablets in public places." — StarrCreationsLLC

13. Potty training too late

"Oh man, I’m a nanny and work in daycare. I can talk so much about this. One is late potty training. Waiting to potty train a child is more and more common. Which I generally agree with. Wait until they’re 2.5-3 and knock it out. Some take longer, some are probably ready earlier. Better than rushing it and causing issues. What this has turned into. Not potty training. I nanny a 4 year old that is still in pull ups. She is more than capable of using the potty. Our 4 year old classroom just installed a diaper genie because so many 4 year olds are starting preschool in diapers. My best friend who is a Kindergarten teacher had 2 kids start kindergarten in diapers. Luckily they’re potty trained now." — cleaning-meaning

14. Kids on social media

"Creating social media channels for your children where they proceed to upload videos and photos of their kids. Perfect place for pedophiles." — AJSK18

15. Too much structure

​"I guess the overall trend of prioritizing academics/extracurriculars and college admissions over everything else. Give your kids some chores and let them hang out with their friends outside of structured sports and musical activities!" — hausfrau224

16. Tablet addiction

"Constantly giving your kid(s) a tablet or cellphone to keep them busy because you can't be bothered to actually be a parent or pay attention to them." — ZRuneDemonX

17. Letting the kid make all the choices

"I believe kids should have reasonable choices, like what their snack is and the character that's on their bedspread, but you can't let your 3 year old decide when you're allowed to leave your house. The world doesn't work that way." — cihojuda

18. Silence

"Saying 'what goes on in this house, stays in this house.' I know hundreds of victims of abuse, go through years of pain because of this phrase." — Dixie_Maclant

19. Birthdays

"The social media trend that keeps upping the expectations for birthday parties and any celebration connected to a kid. When I was a kid, birthdays consisted of a handmade invitation made by me, a cake from the grocery store, food that my Mom cooked and then inviting some friends and family over for games. Today's expectation is that every monthversary and half-birthday consist of a huge arch of balloons that will end up in the trash, a customized three-tier fondant cake, gift wrapping that color-coordinates with the themed party favors and of course, a very intentional outfit for the numerous photo ops that will take up most of the day. Anything for the 'gram, right? Don't even get me started on gender reveal announcements." — littlebunsenburner

20. Parent, not friend

"Trying to be your kid's 'friend,' not a parent. A parent is there to provide guidance and responsible behavior to model. Yes, sometimes making their actions have consequences and setting boundaries can be difficult and they'll not be too happy with you. That's part of the job. Ultimately I think that will result in a healthier relationship than being the "cool" permissive parent. I've seen results of that style of (not) parenting with very sad outcomes." — DataPlenty

21. You're not special

"Perpetuating the myth that one's children are somehow special. With about 97% certainty, they are not. Teaching them that they are just sets them up for crushing disappointment down the road. It's far better to raise kids to believe they are ordinary people with a few gifts, but also some flaws and weaknesses." — AssistantToTheSensei


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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5 ways people are going "all in" this week

From the silly to the sentimental, here are five ways people on the internet have been giving it their all.

5 ways people are going "all in" this week
5 ways people are going "all in" this week
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Going “all in” is its own kind of magic. Whether it’s a wildly energetic karaoke performance, a full-blown birthday bash for an elderly Chihuahua, or an over-the-top homecoming proposal (more on that in a moment), there’s something undeniably joyful about witnessing pure, unfiltered enthusiasm. Seeing that kind of passion and creativity, you can’t help but smile.

To celebrate that all-or-nothing spirit, we’ve rounded up some of the internet’s finest examples (at least for this week) of people fully committing to the bit. Prepare to be impressed, amazed, and maybe even a little inspired to go “all in” yourself.

1. This high school biology project

@jimcheo jordin sparks said it best #funny #funnyvideos ♬ No Air (feat. Chris Brown) - Jordin Sparks

Oh, to be in high school again. The days where you could be as silly as you wanted and still somehow get an A (for effort). This student-made video—a project for biology class, explaining the respiratory system—is the perfect example of a high school assignment, as well as a great example of someone truly going “all in.” Does this explain the respiratory system? Kind of! But is it full of creativity, passion, and genuine hilarity? Absolutely. The dedication it took to make this video alone—and the enthusiasm of the kids that made it—certainly deserves an A.

2. The Grandma Stand

One thing that’s great to go “all in” on is spreading cheer and joy—and that’s what our friends are doing this week with The Grandma Stand.

The premise is simple: You’ve got a grandma at a booth who gets people talking about the good stuff in their lives. Today’s question? What’s one small thing that brings you joy? The answers are sweet and thoughtful, and the result is a whole lot of goodwill (and hugs!) between total strangers. That’s always lovely to see.

Another thing we like to go “all in” on? Saving money. And right now our friends at All In are giving us a fantastic deal on some seriously tasty snacks. To get a free (!!!) box of their organic snack bars, sign up with your phone number on Aisle, grab two boxes of All In bars at Sprouts, snap a pic of your receipt, and text it through Aisle. They’ll Venmo or PayPal you back for the cost of one box, and then all you have left to do is enjoy your new favorite treat. Easy peasy.

3. This extremely specific HOCO proposal 

@dawson002256 best hoco proposal ever #fyp #hoco #viral #proposal ♬ original sound - .

Speaking of high school: Gone are the days where you can simply walk up to someone in the hallway and ask them to be your date to homecoming or prom. Kids these days are starting their own tradition—elaborate staged “proposals” in order to officially pop the question: Will you go to the dance with me?

Homecoming proposals are a perfect example of going “all in,” just by themselves—but this particular one is truly special. The creator shares that she loves sharks and is afraid of butterflies, so for a truly unique and heartfelt “proposal,” her potential date actually dresses up like a shark and stages a massive fight with his friends—all dressed in butterfly costumes—on her front lawn. The commitment, the creativity—it’s all here, on full display. (And she said yes, by the way!)

4. The Anthropologie rock prank 

@phoebeadams112

His full on crash out at the end HAHA

♬ original sound - Phoebe Adams

The internet has been obsessed with this viral prank, and it’s not hard to see why: Not only is it hilarious, the women who are doing the pranking are truly committing to the bit.

The prank started with one content creator, Phoebe Adams, who posted a TikTok of her unboxing a package in front of her boyfriend, Dan. Adams, bursting with excitement, pries open the box to reveal…a rock. But this isn’t any ordinary rock, she explains, gushing over how “perfect” it is. This particular rock is one-of-a-kind, from the bougie retail chain Anthropologie—and it only cost $150. It was on sale!

Dan, rightfully, is horrified and confused. But Adams keeps on torturing him: “This isn’t a regular rock! It’s a one-of-a-kind rock they found on the ground.” (“That’s where rocks COME FROM!” --Dan)

The best part is that this prank quickly went viral, and other creators are following in Adams’ footsteps. Husbands and dads everywhere are confused. It's mayhem. And probably the funniest thing that's happened on the internet this year.

(Even Anthropologie (the brand) has gotten in on the fun. That’s true commitment.)

5. The most elaborate (and fun) wedding entrance we've ever seen 

@benaholtzman Nothing says ‘forever’ like forcing your friends to learn the dance from Miss Congeniality 💍✨ #oneinamillion #weddingtok #weddingentrance #misscongeniality ♬ original sound - Ben Holtzman

We’ve all seen the movie Miss Congeniality, right? For those of you who weren’t teenage girls growing up in the early aughts, allow us to break it down: Sandra Bullock plays Grace Hart, a frazzled special agent working for the FBI. After an extensive makeover (because every movie from the late nineties and early aughts loved a good makeover montage), Gracie enters the Miss America Pageant undercover as Gracie Lou Freebush to prevent an act of terrorism that’s been threatened to go down during the competition. Long story short, it’s a feel-good classic with some of the most memorable movie lines in cinema. (“What is your idea of a perfect date?” “I’d have to say April 25th, because it’s not too hot, not too cold—all you need is a light jacket!”)

In the movie, the contestants all enter the stage to introduce themselves to the audience in a choreographed number to the song “One in a Million”—and so that’s exactly what these two grooms (presumably huge fans of the movie) have done for their wedding entrance. The choreographed sequence involves the grooms and their wedding party (and maybe even some of the guests), and they all truly give an unforgettable performance. Whether you’re a fan of this movie or you’ve never seen it, this wedding entrance really is one in a million.

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Man visits his empty home and discovers squatters, so he moves in with them

Talk about toxic roomies.

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A couple moves boxes into their new home

Picture it: you buy a new home knowing it's a bit of a fixer upper, but it's yours. You're expecting to move in slowly while you work on the house, but when you make your way to your new-to-you home, someone is already living there. Or maybe you're selling a home that's been sitting vacant and when the realtor gets there to show the property, someone has moved in. What do you do?

The logical answer would be to call the police because, clearly, there are intruders in your home who have made it their own. You have all the paperwork showing you own the property so it should be a no brainer. Wrong.

Marco Velazquez had this very situation happen when trying to sell a vacant home that he owns. When he reached out to the local authorities, he was informed that the people who moved into his home unlawfully cannot be forced out.

Under the current law in Illinois where the incident took place, squatters have rights and the police cannot forcibly remove squatters from the home. It's unclear if the squatters were scammed or if they were aware the property was not legally theirs as they presented police officers with mortgage paperwork, but the mortgage company listed did not exist.

squatters, squatters' rights, homeowner rights, Marco Velazquez, property dispute, Illinois law, moving in with squatters, viral story, real estate nightmare, eviction Row of boarded-up homesCanva

No matter how the couple came about living in the home, it wasn't legally theirs. There needed to be a resolution, but they weren't interested in leaving. That's when the homeowner decided to come up with something a little out of the box: Velazquez decided if the people in his home couldn't be removed, they'd be getting a new roommate–him.

"I said I'm not moving out and I said at one point they gotta leave, they gotta get tired of us being in the property. I called a couple of friends to stay overnight and I knew they were not gonna like that," Velazquez says to ABC 7 Chicago.

The homeowner moved in with his wife and several friends, bringing air mattresses and blankets determined to tire out the squatters. However, it quickly became apparent that the illegal tenants were not planning to move out. In actuality, the morning after Velazquez moved in, the squatters demanded he pay them $8,000 for them to move out. While the stunt of moving in with squatters was a Hail Mary, Velazquez knew that the arrangement wasn't safe and heard stories of squatters staying for months.

squatters, squatters' rights, homeowner rights, Marco Velazquez, property dispute, Illinois law, moving in with squatters, viral story, real estate nightmare, eviction A man walks down a alleyCanva

Instead of continuing to wait out the squatters, the man started negotiations with the couple to get them out of his house so it could be sold. He paid the couple $4,300 to leave his home. Shortly after the pair moved out, he learned that the woman had previously been arrested after squatting in someone else's home. Velazquez is hoping that he can also bring charges against the woman and her male partner for squatting in his home.

"We didn't want to give them money but we heard really bad stories about squatters taking over properties six, eight, ten months, even a year," Velazquez says. "I heard stories before about squatters. I never thought it was going to happen to me."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

This article originally appeared earlier this year. It has been updated.

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Woman who saw the 'fake news' era coming secretly recorded everything she could for 30 years

It took four shipping containers to transport Marion Stokes' tapes to be digitally archived.

Photo credit: Canva/Marion Stokes via Wikimedia

Woman secretly recorded everything for 30 years, predicting rise of 'fake news.'

Fake news is something that is said so often that it seems to have taken on an alternate meaning. If someone dislikes something, they often claim it's fake news. If a news station reports something that contradicts a deeply held belief, a person may dismiss it as fake news. However, in reality, fake news is propaganda that aims to persuade viewers to believe something that contradicts factual information that can be proven.

Marion Stokes, concerned about the possibility of people attempting to deny factual national or global events, decided she'd be the keeper of the truth. The determined woman began recording news broadcasts on her VCR in 1979 as a means to preserve the truth, showcasing how the story evolved over time with different news outlets and varying viewpoints.

Marion Stokes; secret recordings; VHS; VCR tapes; recording news; fake news Retro vibes: setting up for a classic VHS movie night!Photo credit: Canva

Stokes's recordings didn't stop when one news broadcast was over. The frequent Philadelphia Current Affairs guest would record the news 24 hours a day, every day of the week, in an effort to capture the 24-hour news cycle. Yes, even when she was asleep, the news was being recorded. In a 2023 interview with the BBC, her son, Michael Metelits, explains her reasoning and how she did it.

"There were probably between five to six, sometimes up to eight, video cassette recorders in different rooms. And she or her assistant would scurry between the rooms, changing the video cassettes. They would be set to different channels, each one would have a pile of video cassettes next to it," he tells the outlet. "She really felt that preserving the 24-hour news cycle would...if people had access to that information, would enable people to make better decisions about politics and understand how news media worked a bit better, by seeing how the story changed over time, by providing access to sometimes alternative perspectives, but sometimes a range of perspectives."

Metelits further explains that he could see the value of people being able to witness how a story evolved, but that his mother possessed a compulsion that couldn't be denied. Stokes recorded news broadcasts from 1979 until her death in 2012, accumulating a collection of over 70,000 videotapes that contained entire news broadcasts. It required multiple shipping containers to house the tapes and send them to the Internet Archive, where they were digitized and uploaded for public access.

She didn't just collect video recordings of news broadcasts; she also had a newspaper collection from multiple newspaper subscriptions, hundreds of magazines, and multiple Macintosh computers. In fact, her interest in Macintosh computers led to her in-laws becoming very wealthy after Stokes encouraged them to invest in the company in its early years. Whether intentionally or due to her supposed undiagnosed hoarding condition, Stokes was an archivist determined to document things that might otherwise become lost. Thanks to her decades of unpaid work, people have access to broadcasts that may have otherwise been lost to time.

A documentary was released in 2019 about Stokes, who was also a producer of public access television. The film Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival before being theatrically released and subsequently released on streaming services, where it is still available to watch.

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These 4 words can keep a conversation flowing forever no matter how bad you are at small talk

There's literally no way to screw this up.

Credit: Canva

A couple talking over coffee.

Many people find making small talk to be an excruciating experience. They think it’s boring to talk with a stranger about the weather, sports, or weekend plans. They may also feel like they don’t have anything to contribute to the conversation, or they don’t understand the point of having one in the first place.

However, those who excel at making small talk have a tremendous advantage in their professional and romantic relationships, as well as forming new friendships. Most importantly, small talk is a window to transition into medium talk or, eventually, deep, meaningful conversations. The problem is that many people get stuck in small talk, and things stall before progressing to something beneficial.

conversation, friends, small talk, chatting Two women chatting in front of a fire. Credit: Atlantic Ambience/Pexels

How to get better at small talk

The great thing is that, like anything, making small talk is a skill that we can all improve by learning some simple conversation techniques. One technique that is great for keeping a conversation going, like hitting a ball back and forth past a net in tennis, is a simple statement:

"It reminds me of…”

A Redditor recently shared some great examples of how the phrase can be used to turn a mundane topic, such as the weather, into something much more fun:

Them: "It's been really rainy, huh?"

You:

Option 1 (Personal Story): "Yeah, it reminds me of a time I went on a run in the rain and nearly got hit by a car."

Option 2 (Music / Pop Culture): "It reminds me of every Adele song. When I'm driving, I feel like I'm in a music video."

Option 3 (Family): "It reminds me of my dad, he used to love playing with us in the rain as kids."

Option 4 (Thing you watched / World News): "It reminds me of this documentary I saw where they're trying to make it rain in the Sahara Desert.”

Option 5 (Place you lived): “It reminds me of when I lived in Australia, it barely ever rained there. I actually love this weather.”


- YouTube www.youtube.com

You see in this example that using “It reminds me of…” opened up the conversation to five potential new and more exciting topics. The “You” in the story could have responded with, “Yeah, it sure is rainy,” and the conversation would have ended right there. But instead, branching off the topic of rain into something a bit deeper took the conversation to the next level. You get extra points if you can take the “reminds me of” into a topic that you assume the other person will be interested in.

What’s a polite way to change the topic in a conversation?

Using “this reminds me of…” is also a polite way to move the topics in another direction, especially when it's a topic that you don’t want to discuss or one that makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. Or, if it’s a situation where the other person is monologuing on one topic for a very long time, this makes it easy to transition away from their diatribe.

conversation, small talk, chatting, cafe Two guys chat at a cafe. Credit: Helena Lopes/Pexels

Ultimately, the phrase is an excellent way for you to save the person you’re talking to from being stuck in the small talk rut as well. It shows you understand that when someone brings up the weather, they are merely getting things started with something both of you have in common. They probably don’t want to talk about the weather for 30 minutes, unless they are a meteorologist. “It reminds me of…” is an invitation to go a bit deeper and shows the other person that you’d like to learn more about them.

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


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First grade teacher's fierce 'private parts' song is shifting the way we talk about abuse

"They need to know the value in their 'no.'"

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Kids should feel empowered to set body boundaries.

First grade teacher, Gelda Waterboer, went viral across the world in August of 2025 for passionately singing a song to her students at a school in Namibia. This wasn't just any song, though. It was a cautionary tale about understanding body autonomy and reporting abuse. She sang this with her whole heart—and quite possibly, the most moving aspect of it was that the kids knew every word. There was nothing unclear about the message.

The lyrics of the song, set to a familiar nursery-rhyme melody, were simple: "These are my private parts, private parts, private parts, these are my private parts, no one should touch them." As she sings, she vaguely illustrates the areas that are considered "private." She continues, "And if you touch my private parts, private parts, private parts, if you touch my private parts, I will tell my mother. I will tell my father. I will tell my teacher."

The clip, which has now received over 16 million likes on TikTok alone, has been described as brave and essential, albeit for some, it's a bit divisive. Many in the comments mention what they describe as "aggression," so Waterboer took to TikTok to address it.

As you hear the sound of kids playing in the background, Waterboer points out how many views (and counting) the clip has. "This makes me (to) realize, that there is a great need of awareness that needs to be spread when it comes to the safety of the kids. I wish I had a teacher like me growing up."

Referring to the comment section, "Some of the comments are really funny. But some are like 'the teacher is taking this personal. The teacher is so aggressive. I'm so scared.'" She adds, "I wish I had a teacher who would firmly tell me that it is okay to say no to people you also trust. That you have the right over your body. I take this personally because I wish I knew that growing up. And if you are someone that grew up in a safe environment, if you are someone that is privileged enough not to undergo certain things these kids are going through, you would sit there and say that she's so aggressive."

"Guys, I'm telling you some matters need to be addressed with seriousness. They need to know the value in their 'no.'"

She also notes how taboo the topic has traditionally been, which might halt children from speaking up and may be the root cause of some of the negative comments. "As Africans, we take such topics as taboo...For me, as long as I'm a teacher, I have vowed that I will be the teacher that I never had growing up...I will make sure that I'm that teacher that I needed when I was growing up. I will be that teacher that will provide protection for these kids. I will be that teacher that will make sure that they will come to their highest potential of their self. So excuse me, if I was so 'aggressive.' Because yes, it's personal for me. It's very personal."

Joe Vercellino, voted Detroit's Teacher of the Year in 2021, shared his thoughts on the video with Upworthy, heaping praise on Waterboer. "In a world where parents are wondering what their kids are being taught in school about their own body, you should be grateful to have this in the playlist."

Vercellino tours schools, visiting nearly half a million students a year, with his group The Lion Heart Experience. They provide much-need positive programming to students, also sharing catchy songs about self-worth with lyrics like, "I have worth, I have value, I have a beautiful future."

The Lion Heart Experience shares their song about self-worth. www.youtube.com, The Lion Heart Experience

With regard to the people who find it offensive, he says, "It almost throws you off-guard at first, you are almost hit with a wave of offense then you realize, this is exactly what I want my kid to know and believe."

Ciara Bogdanovic, LMFT, also spoke with Upworthy, adding how valuable these kinds of difficult conversations with children are. "Talking about this is not a one and done conversation. It’s an ongoing teaching of helping children say no, assert their own boundaries, and to learn that they have agency over their bodies."

It's a vulnerable topic for sure, but one that must be continued for the safety of kids. Oprah Winfrey has been extremely open on the subject, sharing her own experience with childhood molestation to caution children and their parents on how insidiously common it is. Just a few years ago, she re-broached the topic on her Apple+ TV series, The Me You Can't See, which was co-produced by Prince Harry. After sharing her story of being sexually assaulted by a cousin starting at age nine, she told Harry, "I had no idea what sex was, I had no idea where babies came from, I didn’t even know what was happening to me, and I kept that secret."

Oprah Winfrey shares vulnerable thoughts about trauma on The Today Show www.youtube.com, The Today Show

But it was a teacher who intervened and saved her from the situation. "It’s the reason why for so many years I wanted to be a teacher, to be able to give to other kids what my teachers had given to me.”

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Woman shares 'weird' things her family did growing up. Now everyone wants her parents.

As one commenter wrote, "I thought parents never knew what they were doing but yours DID."

Courtesy of @michel.c.janse/TikTok

Michel Janse had some intentional, fun-loving parents.

There are lots of ways to be a good parent and lots of ways to be a crappy parent, and once you become a parent, you realize that the difference between the two isn't always clear. You might think you're doing something great for your kids, only to have it backfire and realize it was a mistake. Or you might think you're really screwing up the whole thing, but eventually see that you've given your kids exactly what they needed.

Once in a while, though, you see a parenting example that makes you go, "Whoa, now that's how it's done." That's exactly what people are saying about Michel Janse's video, which describes the "weird" things her family did while she was growing up (which she realized halfway through were probably just stellar parenting hacks).

@michel.c.janse

weird things (maybe?) my family did growing up. But now I’m realizing most of these were just parenting hacks

"We had even and odd days for healthy and unhealthy breakfasts," Janse shares. "What does that mean? It means we would get cereal on like the first, third, fifth, seventh, and we'd have to have like eggs and fruit on the second, fourth, sixth…it was my mom's way of being like, 'These are the rules, you can't have sugary cereal every day. You have to have protein today, sorry."

Janse says her parents bought poker chips that they used for screen time currency. Each poker chip represented 10 minutes of screen time (which included computer time or TV time during her childhood), and they received three chips a day. If they wanted to watch a 2-hour movie, they'd have to save their chips up for four days.

chips, parenting hacks, parenting, screen time, gif, clever Card Game Poker GIF Giphy

"We got $12 a week allowance if we did above and beyond chores," she said. "We had mandatory chores, but then there was like weed the whole garden, clean the baseboards, and whatever if we wanted to get our $12." Then they were given three piggy banks, one for giving/generosity, one for savings, and one for play. "As a kid, we got it into our mind that 50% of this we get now, and 40% goes into savings and 10% goes into generosity, whether that's tithing or whatever."

She explained how her parents "gamified" dinner by creating teams (usually her and her mom versus her sister and her dad) and competing to see who could out-theme the other. They would plan out the meal, including going to the store to get the necessary ingredients, and they'd decorate the table according to the theme they had come up with. "It was SO fun," Janse said.

Then she shared how she and her sister had to "recycle" all of their Ziploc bags, bringing them home from their school lunches, washing them out, and reusing them. She said she was embarrassed rinsing out her baggy at school, but now she sees her family as "sustainable kings and queens."

family, parenting, kids, playing games, card games Family playing cardsPhoto credit: Canva

From switching off who got to sit in the front seat by using odd and even days to bringing cards everywhere they go so they can break out a game of Spades at any time, Janse's parents seemed to have a knack for making parenting both fun and effective, which is really the ultimate goal, isn't it?

People in the comments were impressed, especially those who may not have had the most wholesome or healthy upbringing:

"'Weird things that my family does' and it’s the best parenting I’ve ever heard."

"I love whatever is wrong with your parents 😂"

"Ah, so you were RAISED raised."

"Please don’t delete this until i have kids."

"Sorry, but your parents are brilliant. They created healthy boundaries and responsibility."

"Some of y'all fr don't got trauma? I didn't even know that was an option."

"Get your mom a mic and put her on camera, NEOW!"

"I thought parents never knew what they were doing but yours DID."

"This is a very balanced and healthy way to raise kids. Taught y'all responsibility, health competition, financial literacy, empathy, creativity, sustainability, sharing, hard work and reward. They did a great job."

So many people said they were taking notes and asking for more, so Janse did a series of follow-up videos with more memories of how her parents parented and answered people's questions:


@michel.c.janse

Replying to @Caisee here’s some fun cute things they did that shaped me 🥹🥰

It truly is wonderful to see so many practical examples of stellar parenting and how those choices still impact someone as an adult. You can watch more of Janse's follow-up videos about her parents' intentional approach to parenting on her TikTok channel.


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