Selma Blair just rocked her first appearance since her MS diagnosis with a cape and cane.
When Selma Blair first announced her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in October 2018, she said she wanted to bring hope to others who have the disease. On Oscar Sunday, Blair did just that when the actress walked the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscar party looking like a total goddess. Blair, clad in a stunning…
When Selma Blair first announced her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in October 2018, she said she wanted to bring hope to others who have the disease.
On Oscar Sunday, Blair did just that when the actress walked the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscar party looking like a total goddess.
Blair, clad in a stunning gown accessorized with a cape and a cane, got emotional at the significance of the moment. “It took so much to be here,” said Blair, who was greeted by a round of applause. Blair then posed for photos, proving you can still ooze glamor from your pores even after a MS diagnosis.
Blair posted an emotional post on Instagram celebrating the evening and thanking her manager for his support. “There are moments that define us. This is one of those indelibly watermarked in my heart,” wrote Blair.
“So this was a streak of light. To say I am here. I am still in an exacerbation so there was some nervousness. I don’t do anything the way I was once able. I will though. I can regain much.”
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Blair’s look that night is destined to become iconic. The actress completely rocked her custom-made cane. “This is love,” Blair wrote on Instagram alongside an image of her cane. “How did I get so lucky? I wanted a special cane for #vanityfair dinner. So… @lyon_hearted went out and found patent leather and @bic_owen and he stitched it on. Hours of love put in. And then #tombachick made it especially magical. I burst into tears. These gifts to get me through. #subtle #chic #love. I can’t thank these three enough. There are angels.”
Blair’s look was a hit, serving as inspiration to others. She was also lauded for drawing attention to MS, which more than 400,000 Americans live with.
Selma Blair rocking the red carpet with her cane to help with her MS symptoms is a level of bad ass we should all be. pic.twitter.com/UDO0vEnyFv— mayuvv (@Mayyuvv) February 26, 2019
Selma Blair fucking owned it last night. So grateful she used a cane and helped highlight invisible illnesses pic.twitter.com/4rl2sZReOx— Katie Bates, Phyrexian Relations and Marketing (@BeauteCoulisses) February 25, 2019
You're beautiful inside and out! (I have a neuro-immune disorder similar to MS and it was inspiring to see you out there looking fabulous, with your cane, having your tears wiped away by your support people)?— Donia ??? ♿ (@DoniaLilly) February 25, 2019
I have MS too (just found out in October) and seeing you shine tonight brought me some much-needed encouragement. Thank you for your bravery and continuing to live your dreams! ???— Allyson Bright (@ShineBrightDTS) February 25, 2019
Blair has been open about her challenges following her MS diagnosis. “Going out, being sociable holds a heavy price,” Blair wrote in an Instagram post following her diagnosis.
“My brain is on fire. I am freezing. We feel alone with it even though the loving support has been a godsend and appreciated.”
Kudos to Blair for being honest about her experiences while totally killing it in the elegance department!
An Operation Smile volunteer reverses an oxygen mask so a child with a cleft condition can blow a bubble for the first time in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Operation Smile Photos)
For thousands of children born with cleft conditions, Operation Smile provides simple, playful tools—like bubbles—to strengthen the skills they need to speak and thrive.
While a bottle of bubbles might seem out of place in a hospital setting, you might be surprised to learn that, for thousands of children around the world born with cleft lip and palate, they can be a helpful tool in comprehensive cleft care. Lilia, who was born with cleft lip and palate in 2020, is one of the many patients who received this care.
As a toddler, Lilia underwent two surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate with Operation Smile’s surgical program in Puebla, Mexico. Because of Operation Smile’s comprehensive care, it wasn’t long before her personality transformed: Lilia went from a quiet and withdrawn toddler to an exuberant, curious explorer, babbling, expressing herself with a variety of sounds, and engaging with others like any child her age.
Lilia is now a healthy five-year-old, with the same cheerful attitude and boundless energy. Her progress is the result of care at every level, from surgery to speech therapy to ongoing support at home—but it’s also evidence that small, sustained interventions throughout it all can make a meaningful difference.
Lilia at age 1, before surgery, and at age 5, 4 years post-surgery
Cleft Conditions: A Global Problem
Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more than 500,000 patients worldwide with the help of generous volunteers and donors. Cleft conditions are congenital conditions, meaning they are present at birth. With cleft lip and palate, the lip or the roof of the mouth do not form fully during fetal development. Cleft conditions put children at risk for malnutrition and poor weight gain, since their facial structure can make feeding challenging. But cleft conditions can have an enormous social impact as well: Common difficulties with speech can leave kids socially isolated and unable to meet the same developmental milestones as their peers.
Surgery is a vital step in treating cleft conditions, but it’s also just one part of a much larger solution. Organizations like Operation Smile emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, long-term care to patients across many years. This approach, which includes oral care, speech therapy, nutritional support, and psychosocial care, not only aids in physical recovery from surgery but also helps children develop the skills and confidence to eat easily, speak clearly, and engage in everyday life. This ensures that each patient receives the full range of support they need to thrive.
Marie, 11 months, with her mother at Operation Smile Madagascar before her cleft surgery (Operation Smile Photos)
A Playful (and Powerful) Solution
Throughout a patient’s care, simple tools like bubbles can play a meaningful role from start to finish.
Immediately before surgery, children are often in a new and unfamiliar environment far from home, some of them experiencing a hospital setting for the first time. When care providers or loved ones blow bubbles, it’s a simple yet effective technique: Not only are the children soothed and distracted, the bubbles also help create a sense of joy and playfulness that eases their anxiety.
Milagros Rojas, a volunteer speech therapist in Peru, using bubbles in a screening with a patient. (Operation Smile Photos)
In speech therapy, bubbles can take on an even more important role. Blowing bubbles requires controlled airflow, as well as the ability to form a rounded “O” shape with the lips, which are skills that children with cleft conditions may struggle to develop. Practicing these skills with bubbles allows children to gently strengthen their facial muscles, improve breath control, and support the motor skills needed for speech development. Beyond that, blowing bubbles can help kids connect with their parents or providers in a way that’s playful, comforting, and accessible even for very young patients.
Finally, bubbles often follow patients with cleft conditions home in the “smile bags” that each patient receives when the surgical procedure is finished. Smile bags, which help continue speech therapy outside of the hospital setting, can contain language enrichment booklets, a mirror, oxygen tubing, and bubbles. While regular practice with motor skills can help with physical recovery, small acts of play help as well, giving kids space to simply enjoy themselves and join in on what peers are able to do.
Bubbles at Home and Beyond
Today, because of Operation Smile’s dedication to comprehensive cleft care, Lilia is now able to make friends and speak clearly, all things that could have been difficult or impossible before. Instead of a childhood defined by limitation, Lilia—and others around the world—can look forward to a childhood filled with joy, learning, discovery, friends, and new possibilities.
CTA: Lilia’s life was changed for the better with the care she received through Operation Smile. Find out how you can make an impact in other children’s lives by visiting operationsmile.org today.
A woman who uses the Instagram handle Hope with Holly often makes videos in which she imparts wisdom from her own experiences. She’s candid in her discussions about feminism, marriage, divorce, finding courage, and much more. So when her daughter turned 19, it seemed like the perfect time to share 19 pieces of advice for a better life.
In a Reel dedicated to her daughter, she lays it all out with precision and love. Casually putting her hair in a ponytail while slicing a watermelon—and later placing strawberries on a white-frosted birthday cake—she looks straight into the camera and declares, “This is what all women should know by the time they turn 19.”
You are not here to be chosen. You are here to choose. “And if you build your life around being picked, then you will tolerate things that you should walk away from.”
Your ability to earn money will determine your freedom. “Love matters. But money determines if you can leave if it turns unhealthy.”
Attraction is not a sign of safety. “Your nervous system can be drawn to chaos. It’s not a sign of safety. Know the difference.”
A man’s potential is irrelevant. His patterns are everything. “Only patterns matter. Patterns are who he is.”
Chemistry can lie. Character doesn’t. “Butterflies are often anxiety. And peace often feels like boredom. But it’s what lasts.”
If he can’t regulate his emotions, he will regulate them through you. “That means control, blame, withdrawal, anger, or defensiveness. Don’t let that happen.”
You cannot love someone into being healthy. “Love does not fix trauma. Only therapy, accountability, and effort do.”
Marriage will not fix a relationship. “It will amplify whatever’s there, whether it’s good or bad.”
Children will expose a relationship, not save it. “They do not bring you closer. They just expose what’s already broken…or strong.”
Your standards will cost you relationships—and that’s the point.
Loneliness is not an emergency. “Rushing to fill it is how you end up in the wrong life.”
A man who wants you will pursue you with clarity. “If you feel confused about him, that’s your answer. Walk away.”
Sex is not a currency for love. “Instead, it’s the byproduct of a healthy relationship—and an emotionally safe relationship.”
Your body will change. Your value does not. “Anyone who ties your worth to your youth is not a safe person.”
Pay attention to how he handles the word “no.” “That will tell you everything you need to know about him.”
You teach people how to treat you by what you tolerate. “Boundaries are not words. They’re decisions. Enforce them.”
Healing is your responsibility. “What happened to you was not your fault. But what you allow to continue is your responsibility.”
Build a life that you do not need to escape from. “Then choose a partner who enhances it.”
You are allowed to want more. “More respect. More peace. Settling is not maturity. It’s just fear dressed up as acceptance.”
She adds, “Now I don’t need you to be perfect, girl. But I do need you to be powerful enough to walk away from anything that’s not perfect for you. Happy birthday, honey!”
The comment section is filled with support, especially from people who say they wish they’d learned these lessons earlier.
“I can only imagine how different my life would have looked had I heard this narrative by 19. Learning all this by 39. Better late than never. Thanks, mama.”
Some are also highly focused on her decorating and baking skills: “Now let me watch this again but this time without getting highly distracted by all the layers of that awesome fruit tower.”
And one 19-year-old was especially grateful, writing, “I turned 19 two months ago, seeing every woman wishing they heard these when they were younger, I would like thank you so much that you reached me in the right time 🙂 Happy birthday to your daughter and wishing your family the best 💛”
Picky eaters are a huge challenge for many parents, even though it’s considered a normal developmental stage. Harvard Health Publishing writes that young children being picky about food is one way they learn to assert their independence, for example.
Even though it’s extremely common and normal, experts also recommend that parents start early to break picky eating habits; once those habits get locked into place, they’re even tougher to break. Which is just one more thing for overloaded parents to worry about when planning meals is already difficult enough.
One well-qualified mom demonstrates her thoughtful technique for getting picky eaters to “eat anything”
Fitness coach Mel Avan, who has taught university-level health, wellness, and nutrition courses, has developed a method. It involves a lot of trial and error while raising a picky eater of her very own.
In a video posted to YouTube, she not only explains the technique, but also demonstrates it in real time as she attempts to feed her skeptical son a noodle.
It starts with creating a little scarcity. She’s not overly animated about it, but she subtly creates the mystique that the pasta is something of a treat. “Come try this,” she says. “You can only have one piece.”
Then, she stays completely neutral. She doesn’t hype up how good it is or rave about how healthy it might be. Her son says it looks like a noodle. She agrees stoically. “It is a noodle.”
Then she, in her words, shuts up. “I let him lead the interaction. I ask questions, but I don’t share my opinion or give praise.” Not even to applaud him for being willing to try it.
Finally, she waits. Sure enough, a few minutes later, her son announces he’s hungry and that he “wants the pasta.”
Mission accomplished.
She elaborates in the caption that the entire thing hinges on decreasing pressure. A small portion lowers pressure. A neutral tone lowers pressure. A slow pace lowers pressure. And allowing the child to come to you when they want more makes it their idea to eat the food, rather than a way of appeasing you. Again, pressure.
Mom gets challenged to repeat the demonstration under more difficult circumstances
While the video went viral to the tune of more than a million views, and many viewers loved the technique on display, not everyone was satisfied.
This being the Internet, it was only a matter of time before Avan got called out and challenged: A noodle? Really? Try a piece of broccoli or some spinach.
She accepted the challenge and, in a follow-up video on Instagram, introduced a few new techniques for more challenging foods that still fit within her core philosophy.
First, she introduces an element of choice. “Do you want me to serve your vegetables, or do you want to do it with the tongs?”
Next, and once again, tiny portions. A heaping pile of something they’re skeptical about eating only makes the task more overwhelming.
Then there’s one of her more unique tactics: serving food family-style. In this case, she made her son a plate with a small amount of veggies, but also offered the entire tray at the table, where he could easily grab more with a “fun utensil.” It’s a way of giving him control.
And finally, finding even more opportunities for autonomy and control. Since picky eating is often about independence, she lets her son control things that aren’t as important, like where the ketchup goes on his plate.
Mom, and experts, weigh in on “Eat what I made or don’t eat”
In another follow-up video, Avan responds to comments suggesting that she was doing too much coddling and manipulating. Instead, some old-school parents favor the “Either you eat what I made, or you don’t eat” approach.
Avan says that, in her personal experience, this approach backfired spectacularly. When kids don’t eat, not only is it unsafe and unhealthy, but you’ll also run into a host of behavior problems as they get crankier.
At least one study has found that putting pressure on children to eat, or to eat more, can actually have the opposite effect: “Children consumed significantly more food when they were not pressured to eat and they made overwhelmingly fewer negative comments.”
The old-school parents of yesteryear got a lot more right than we’re often willing to give them credit for. However, our understanding of child psychology has grown by leaps and bounds, and clinically validated research can teach us a lot about how to handle challenges like picky eating. Lowering pressure instead of increasing it, and remaining neutral rather than excited or angry, is far more effective.
But in the end, picky eating is normal for young kids, and as long as you make a solid effort, most eventually grow out of the phase.
As a parent, it’s not always easy to know how to help your kids learn from life experiences. Some lessons they learn naturally and others they learn through parental guidance, but discerning which is which and how those things overlap can be challenging.
One such example comes from a dad named Robert. Back in 2022, he was teaching his then-5-year-old daughter Aubrin to skateboard and set up a mini half pipe for her to learn on. In a video on Instagram, Robert shared an exchange he had with Aubrin after she crashed hard on the ramp during a lesson.
It’s a sweet video that doubles as a masterclass in effective parenting. Robert communicates with a perfect blend of empathy, encouragement, and empowerment, which gives his daughter exactly what she needs to tackle her fears and persevere in what she wants to do.
Even his initial question after she fell, “Did it scare you or did it hurt you?” is helpful for making her more aware of what she’s actually feeling as well as knowing how best to help her.
Seeing this gentle parenting scenario play out is just so heartwarming. (And if Aubrin’s voice sounds familiar, you may have seen the viral “stuck-asaurus” video in which she offered delightfully colorful commentary while snowboarding in a dinosaur suit.)
Here is what was going through his mind
Robert explained his thinking behind the way he responded to Aubrin’s fall:
“Trying something new can be scary but re-trying something after slamming can be terrifying.
I had to re-gain her trust and she needed to re-establish her confidence after this slam and it was a tough but beautiful rollercoaster experience.
This is one of the biggest psychological battles we face as humans, because once that negative experience has made its home in our brain it’s very hard to get it out.
I know from intense personal experience that a bad fall can have long lasting [psychological] effects and truly believe, that when possible, it’s best to get back up and try it again with the goal being to end the session with a positive experience; to not have that negative memory ruminating in your head until the next time you return to try.
I’ve been asked a lot ‘How do you know what to say in these moments?’ and the truth is I absolutely don’t know what to say.
Seeing her slam sucks the air out of my lungs and my heart drops but I just try to stay calm and redirect with some questions or comments while surveying the situation. A parent’s emotions (depending on how you instinctively react) will oftentimes influence the child’s emotional response and it’s my goal to remove my influence and allow her to just be, to feel, to hurt at her pace and it allows me to get a better reading of how she’s truly feeling in these pivotal moments.
Ultimately I just respond from the heart. If you calmly lead with empathy and support without applying pressure you’ll do just fine.”
Beautiful insight and advice. Unfortunately, many parents are raising kids while working through wounds from their own childhoods, and when you’re battling parental instincts that aren’t particularly healthy or helpful, having it all laid out like this is really valuable.
The comments showed just how much this resonated
Commenters on Instagram and Reddit have expressed how much they appreciate seeing supportive parenting in action.
“I actually got emotional watching this…” wrote one person. “I am learning so much from your posts!!! As someone whose parents led from a place of fear a lot of the time, this is showing me so much possibility of what the opposite can look like. Thank you for being so open, we are all made the better from it.”
Parents often set the tone for how kids react. Photo credit: Canva
“I wish I had a dad like you growing up. She’s so lucky,” wrote another.
“Made me smile and also as a grown ass man, gave me watery eyes – as someone that never had this kind of treatment growing up and kind of needed it – this is the kind of dad I will be if I ever meet someone and have kids,” shared another.
Whether we were raised by gentle, supportive parents or the opposite, we can all recognize effective parenting when we see it. Thank you, Robert, for sharing such a stellar example we can all watch and learn from.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of @granolabarpan/Instagram (with permission) – Stay-at-home mom Catrina shares shock at learning what the 'heavy' setting on her washer means.
One stay-at-home mom shared her funny and relatable washing machine mistake. Catrina (@granolabarpan) got the shock of a lifetime when she realized that she had been using the “heavy” setting on her washer wrong for years.
“POV: today years old when it clicks why my blankets are sopping wet!!! I thought HEAVY meant heavy items being washed,” she wrote in the video’s overlay.
“Heavy on my machine means heavily soiled,” she went on to add in the comments. “I thought it meant the stuff I was putting in the machine was heavy in weight/pounds.”
Some moms are also realizing this for the first time. “Ok.. so I am 66 years old learning this???!! I always thought that heavy meant weight also ,” one person commented. Another person wrote, “Well I was today years old when I learned what heavy meant too… “
Others expressed confusion with so many settings, and reminiscing on simpler times. “Wait a minute. . I think I need to for once go and read the manual because I have been wondering about all of the options,” another user wrote. And another chimed in, “I want my old $250 3 options hot/warm/cold on/off washer back. It didn’t die it rusted out but took 25yrs to do it. I had 5 kids, plus my ex in-laws living with me.”
“Knowing these settings helps avoid common laundry mistakes, such as using the heavy cycle for heavy fabric weight instead of heavy soil, which can lead to ineffective cleaning or damage over time,” Vanessa Ruiz, a professional organizer at Sparkly Maid San Antonio, tells Upworthy.
Ruiz explains that this is your typical setting for day-to-day loads such as t-shirts, jeans, sheets, and underwear.
“These laundry loads are typically washed in warm water and the setting is rinsed with medium spin speeds through agitation in order to properly clean moderately soiled garments,” she says. “This cycle is safe enough to wash a variety of different fabric content with a somewhat dirty load.”
2. Delicate/Gentle Cycle
Ruiz notes that the delicate cycle is created specifically for delicate fabrics—lingerie, silk, lace, or embellished clothing—that may become damaged in a normal or regular wash.
“This cycle will use moderate spin speeds through gentle agitation to thoroughly dry clean and not damage clothes too easily,” says Ruiz. “This is the preferred cycle when laundry items that require extra care or are labeled ‘delicate’ or ‘hand wash’ need to be washed.”
3. Heavy Duty Cycle
The heavy duty cycle is specifically for heavily soiled items like work clothes, kitchen towels, and bedding.
“This setting uses higher water temperatures, longer wash times, and powerful agitation to remove stubborn dirt and grime. It’s perfect for those tough laundry jobs, but not recommended for delicate fabrics,” explains Ruiz.
4. Bulky/Bedding Cycle
This cycle is often confused with “heavy.”
“This cycle accommodates larger, heavier items that absorb a lot of water, such as comforters, pillows, and sleeping bags,” says Ruiz. “It uses more water, medium spin speeds, and longer wash times to thoroughly clean bulky items without causing damage or imbalance.”
5. Quick Wash
In a rush? This is the perfect setting to use.
“It is an accelerated wash cycle designed for small loads of lightly soiled clothes, usually lasting 15 to 40 minutes,” says Ruiz. “It’s great for when you need clean clothes fast and can save energy compared to longer cycles.”
Mystery solved
So the next time your blankets come out of the wash sopping wet, or your delicates come out looking worse for wear, you’ll know exactly where things went wrong. A little knowledge about what each cycle actually does can save you time, energy, and a lot of unnecessary re-washing. And honestly, if you’ve been doing it wrong for years? You’re in very good company.
This article originally appeared one year ago. It has been updated.
Photo credit: officialstephwise/YouTube – A mom and therapist has a unique hack for bringing back the low-key childhood experience of the ’90s for her kids.
We live in an age of unlimited choice, thanks to modern technology. At any given time, most of us have access to the entirety of recorded music, thousands of on-demand movies, and even more individual episodes of our favorite shows.
This amount of choice is enough to make a person’s brain combust, especially when that person is a child.
Therapist says “parenting was easier in the 90s” and has a clever idea to fix it
Stephanie Wise, a licensed couples therapist and coach, recently took to social media to share one of her most effective and unique parenting hacks.
“Parenting was easier in the 90s (and no one wants to admit why),” the YouTube video headline reads.
She goes on to explain her favorite hack: “Bring back ’90s tech.”
“One of the hardest parts of parenting is that everything is available all the time. Every show, every song, every snack, every answer, every distraction. And then we wonder why our kids struggle when the answer is No,” she said.
Setting up an old tube TV in the living room with only basic channels sounds great, but it isn’t super feasible in the modern world. So what Wise does in her household is create a “TV schedule” in which “certain shows only play on certain days,” she said.
An example schedule she drew up on a whiteboard shows that Sunday is for Bluey, Wednesday is for Spidey and His Amazing Friends, and Thursday is for Puffin Rock. Other days include a few options—such as The Joy of Painting or Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, old-school choices—or may call for a movie, where the kids can pick from a limited supply of physical VHS tapes.
Choices are either extremely limited or nonexistent most days, and it makes her life much simpler.
“There are almost no natural limits anymore, so parents have to become the limit,” Wise said. “All day long. And it’s so exhausting.”
This is just one small way she gives everyone a well-deserved mental break.
Well over a million people watched Wise’s video across YouTube and other social media platforms, with commenters weighing in on how the advice resonated with them.
“The other thing you’re doing is bringing back that feeling of specialness we had when we couldn’t have everything on demand. That’s priceless,” one person wrote.
“This is so brilliant. You’re also giving your kids the ability to wait, to be bored, to adapt. Those are invaluable in this instant gratification age,” another wrote.
The kids are more relaxed with fewer choices and have a new “bad guy” to blame
Wise says that her TV schedule doesn’t just make her own life easier—it eliminates the daily battles: Can I watch this? How about this? No, I don’t like this. Change it to something else.
If the kids aren’t happy with what’s on TV, Mom is no longer the bad guy—the schedule is.
She also turns any frustration into a teachable moment: “I know, babe, waiting is so hard. I wish it was Spidey day, too.”
Not only are kids more than capable of surviving such a cruel exercise in deprivation, it’s actually good for them. Wise says she uses a similar technique in the car, listening only to the radio (no Spotify), and jokes that sometimes the kids have to deal with “a song they hate and have to survive for three minutes…That’s frustration tolerance, baby.”
What is frustration tolerance? It shouldn’t come as a huge shock that it’s not great for kids (or anyone) to get exactly what they want all the time. “I try to give her opportunities to learn to cope with frustration, boredom, or disappointment,” Wise said. “I don’t want her to feel overwhelmed or controlled by her emotions, so that’s important to me.”
Researchers agree with Wise that frustration management is a crucial skill for kids to learn before becoming adults.
Her method also reduces decision fatigue for all parties involved.
Decision fatigue, especially in an era of unlimited access, can be absolutely exhausting. Research even shows that people who have to make too many decisions day in and day out can simply give up and suffer from a severe lack of willpower.
Wise tells Upworthy that she and her husband aim to keep things as simple as possible for themselves when it comes to dinner menus and weekend plans, but it’s even more important for the kids. This is where she breaks from some of the more traditional parenting advice:
“For kids, we keep it simple. I don’t do choices on things like which cup or plate or spoon. I don’t do choices for clothes. For some kids that might be helpful—let them make ‘unimportant’ choices so they don’t fight the important things—but for my daughter, I found it stressed her out and resulted in way more tantrums.”
Wise admits, though, that what works for her and her family may not be right for everyone.
Wise is part of a growing movement that aims to bring back the lower-stimulation childhood many Millennials and Gen Xers grew up with. Research suggests that the media kids watch can be especially impactful, and slower-paced cartoons like Franklin or Arthur may help children with emotional regulation.
The data coming to light on modern kids’ television, screen time, and social media is alarming, but opting out completely feels difficult. Wise’s method struck a chord with other parents because it’s a simple tweak that can make a huge difference.
Ralph Waldo Emerson contributed endless wisdom through his essays and poetry during his lifetime. He lived from 1803 to 1882.
The New England author is still revered today for his insights on humanity—so much so that he continues to influence pop culture. The video game Mortal Kombat 3 re-popularized a famous Emerson quote: “There is no knowledge that is not power.”
Emerson was also the father of four children, and his 19th-century parenting advice is still relevant today.
Emerson’s kids
Emerson’s first marriage was to a woman named Ellen Louisa Tucker in September 1829. She suffered from tuberculosis and, unfortunately, died less than two years later in February 1831. Devastated by her death, Emerson wrote this short poem in 1833:
“The days pass over me And I am still the same The Aroma of my life is gone Like the flower with which it came.“
He married for a second time in September 1835 to Lidian (Lydia) Jackson. The couple went on to have four children: Waldo, born in 1836; Ellen, born in 1839; Edith, born in 1841; and Edward Waldo, born in 1844.
Emerson was a devoted father. His son, Edward Waldo, wrote of his father: “He had a love and tenderness for very small children, and his skill in taking and handling a baby was in remarkable contrast to his awkwardness with animals and tools.”
He also had a close relationship with his second child, Ellen Tucker Emerson. She was equally devoted to her father and never married. Instead, she served as his secretary and editor, as well as his housekeeper and caregiver.
Emerson’s parenting advice
In a letter to Ellen dated 1854, Emerson shared fatherly wisdom that encouraged her to move on from mistakes and live confidently. It’s advice that parents today may still find applicable when trying to instill confidence in their children.
“Finish every day and be done with it. For manners and for wise living it is a vice to remember. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. To-morrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely, and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day for all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the rotten yesterdays.”
Emerson acknowledges that his daughter will make mistakes, but encourages her not to dwell on them for too long. Each day is a “new day,” and she can move forward with confidence without needing to be perfect.
Tips on raising confident kids
Parents can help their kids process mistakes and move forward without relying on the pressures of achievement and perfectionism. The American Psychological Association (APA) explains that this sense of being valued and supported is called “mattering.”
Mattering is defined as “the feeling of being valued to loved ones and communities, regardless of external evaluations of ‘success’.”
To strengthen a sense of mattering, the APA recommends that parents try the following:
Spend engaged time with kids
The goal is to send kids the message that their worth is based on who they are, not what they do. Flett recommends that parents put away their phones and laptops during interactions to encourage better engagement and listening, helping kids feel heard and understood.
Normalize setbacks
This can be done by explaining to kids that mistakes are part of being human and that your love for them is not contingent on never making them.
“As soon as you make those things contingent on achievement, which is very easy to do in this culture, then kids start to learn very quickly that they’re only really worth something when they’ve done well, and they are a failure if they haven’t,” Thomas Curran, PhD, a social psychologist at the London School of Economics and author of The Perfection Trap, explained to the APA. “That creates a dependency on other people’s approval, which is a very quick way to perfectionism.”
Serve others
According to the APA, volunteering has been studied as a helpful way to build resilience and self-esteem while reducing the pressures of achievement. By focusing on the well-being of others, kids can also develop a stronger sense of usefulness and purpose.
“I would recommend to any parent who’s concerned about a child becoming a workaholic perfectionist who’s only focused on achievement [to] try to model going out there and being prosocial and finding some causes,” Flett said.
Sure, it’s lovely to see pristine, perfectly curated homes that look like they belong in Architectural Digest. A little inspo never hurt anyone. But as we all know, the spotless life is simply not an achievable reality, especially for those with busy lives and limited budgets (read: most of us).
But you know what? Maybe even the messy homes deserve some love. The ones with constant junk piles, unfinished projects, dirty dishes, and misplaced toys. The homes that will never grace the cover of a magazine but still do a wonderful job of containing all the moments life has to offer—the big, small, extraordinary, mundane, and everywhere in between. ‘Cause at the end of the day, isn’t that a home’s true purpose anyway?
Lets normalize “average” because there is nothing wrong with it. Everywhere you look on social media you see big gorgeous houses in perfect condition and its hard not to compare yours to them. But its not the norm and half the time its staged. Our house is lived in, and its filled with love and tons of memories and at the end of the day thats all that matters.
Stephanie Murphy, a mom and TikTok creator, seems to think so. Murphy took viewers on an “average house tour,” and it was the exact opposite of aspirational. Highlighted in Murphy’s tour are the pantry door that’s remained unpainted for three years, blinds held together with binder clips, air conditioners held in place by duct tape, a full dish rack tray that’s “a permanent fixture” on their countertops, and not one but two junk drawers (honestly, that’s a little low by my count). You’ll also notice a fridge that is covered in her kid’s artwork and school pictures. Not in any cohesive way, but merely thrown on randomly, as nature intended.
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Murphy and her husband have two separate blankets on their bed because neither of them like to share. A genius idea, and just another example of how we really, really don’t need to continue with marital sleeping norms that don’t actually feel comfortable.
Her reason for sharing it is everything
As for why Murphy decided to showcase her “average, middle-class house,” it’s all in the caption of her video: “Let’s normalize ‘average’ because there is nothing wrong with it. Everywhere you look on social media, you see big gorgeous houses in perfect condition and it’s hard not to compare yours to them. But it’s not the norm and half the time it’s staged. Our house is lived in, and it’s filled with love and tons of memories and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.”
She further explained her reasoning to Good Morning America. “I feel like social media is full of one perfectly curated video after another, and there is just so much pressure from social media to be perfect in all aspects — to have perfect skin, perfect makeup, perfect outfit, perfect house. And the reality is no one’s perfect,” Murphy said.
“Honestly, I feel like there’s a very good chance that all those videos that we see were staged and they probably like, moved a pile of toys behind the camera to film and then moved it back when they were done. But that’s the part that people on social media just aren’t sharing. They don’t show you the behind-the-scenes and that is what I was looking to change,” she continued.
Judging from the comments sections of this viral post, it seems like other people are ready for more average content.
“This is awesome! I’m constantly feeling inadequate when people have a perfect house that looks like nobody lives there!” one person wrote. “I feel seen,” added another.
Hear, hear. No need to feel inadequate about having a home that’s lived in. Imperfection has its own kind of beauty.
This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.
As they do every year around Mother’s Day, the Social Security Administration released its list of the top 1,000 most popular baby names. The SSA is uniquely positioned to track the rise and fall of baby names because it collects information on every baby born in the United States.
The 2025 list found no major changes among the top 10 names for girls and boys. Olivia and Liam again held the number one spots in the rankings, as they have for the past seven years. The biggest changes were among girls’ names, where Charlotte rose to second place, ending Emma’s six-year run in the spot. Ava dropped out of the top 10 and was replaced by Eliana.
When it comes to the names rising fastest in popularity, there were some decidedly unconventional choices rocketing up the charts. There also appears to be a clear trend toward names with a strong “K” sound.
Kasai made the greatest leap among boys’ names, moving up 1,108 spots on the list to land at 639. Kasai means “fire” in both Japanese and Swahili. Although the name is a fast mover in the boys’ category, it has also been used as a girls’ name. It’s believed that the name is rising in popularity due to actress Skai Jackson naming her baby Kasai and the popularity of entrepreneur and rapper Kasai Guthrie.
Klarity’s origins are a bit more obvious: it’s “Clarity” with a twist, spelled with a K instead of a C. “A rediscovered virtue name with a modern makeover, Klarity has the zippy sounds of Felicity along with the familiar feel of Kate, Katie, Kitty, and Klara,” Nameberry writes.
Akari is another name with Japanese origins, meaning “star” or, depending on how it’s written, “moon,” “bright,” “light,” or “red jewel.” It’s a rapidly rising boys’ name, but it’s also used for girls.
Rynlee is a modern construction that follows the current trend of using popular names, such as Ryan, and adding a -lee or -leigh suffix. Alternative spellings include Rynleigh and Rinlee.
Another unique name is Jasai. It’s a modern take on the traditional name “Jason” and may have ancient Hindi or Sanskrit origins, meaning “victory” or “achievement.” On the girls’ side, Ailanny appears to be a recent creation centered on the opening sound “Ai,” which is often associated with love and affection.
