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Brilliant new night club caters to Gen X and Millennial 'women with stuff to do'

No need to wake up exhausted, this club closes at a reasonable hour.

Night club for Gen X and Millennial women that closes at 10 PM

There is likely no group of people that had a handle on club culture like young Gen Xers and Millennials. The early 200s produced some of the most recognizable bangers, often with instructions for us to get low, which is probably why we all have bad knees. There's only so many times somebody can drop it like it's hot before your knees sound like someone poured milk over a bowl of Rice Krispies. Nevertheless, a time was had on those dance floors, tables and bar tops.

For Gen Xer and Millennial women the party doesn't have to stop just because your kid has soccer practice in the morning thanks to Earlybirds Club. It's a club exclusively for women of a certain age that can no longer dance the night away until 2 AM without double fisting espresso beans.

dance club; night club; millennials; gen x; trans friendly; nonbinary friendly; motherhood; earlybird clubWomen dancing in night clubPhoto credit: Canva

The club is tapping into a whole demographic of people who lived to party from Thirsty Thursday to Smirnoff Specials Sunday. They left the club but the club didn't leave them. Just ask their embarrassed children hiding in the next aisle while their mom tries to resist the urge to back that thang up because Target decided 2000s house music is great to shop to. But it would seem those who miss shaking their tail feather in a location more appropriate than a retail store can look for this club created with them in mind.

Earlybirds Club isn't necessarily stationary. The club holds events in different cities where you purchase entry in advance with their focus being on creating a safe space for all women, including trans and nonbinary people. Some of the events are themed like a "90s prom" and "2000s party" which start at 6 PM and end promptly at 10 PM for people who like to party but like their sleep.

The Earlybird Club was founded by Laura Baginski and Susie Lee, two women who have been best friends since high school. The pair was looking to recreate their early years of clubbing and female friendships without the exhausted, hungover experience the next day. As their slogan "a dance party for ladies who have sh*t to do in the morning" suggests, the co-founders have things to do. Waiting until clubs get going at midnight isn't something that's realistic for a lot of parents out there so this is the perfect solution.

"There isn't a lot out there that you can do kind of like a night life thing that doesn't start at 11 or 12. Those days are gone for me. Like, way gone," Baginski tells CBS News Mornings before expounding. "Dinner is kinda like, okay you had dinner and you're done but like couldn't it...wouldn't it be great if we could go out dancing and just be silly again like we were in our 20s?"

dance club; night club; millennials; gen x; trans friendly; nonbinary friendly; motherhood; earlybird clubDJ playing music and women dancingPhoto credit: Canva

Fans of the club love that it's targeted towards women still in the thick of parenthood who feel too old to party with 20-somethings and too young to be content staying home every Saturday night. One woman even suggested a child care solution that makes a lot of sense, "And next door should be a day care staffed by a bunch of college girls who work from 6pm-10pm, then can take their daycare cash from earlybirds and have their own fun starting at 11pm when we're getting to bed."

"Absolutely brilliant! We still need that hit of fun but be able to handle our business," another says.

"I'll still need an afternoon nap before I go out at 6 by 11pm I'll be applying Ben gay on my knees! Love it!" someone else jokes.

Since the club is nomadic, if you're interested in attending you'll have to keep a watch on their events or sign up for their newsletter by becoming a "very important bird" to get the deets on when they'll be in a city near you.

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SEIU

"I know that a lot of the children, they’re starving by the time they get to my home in the morning. And a lot of times, you can just see it. They’re weak. And you can look at the parents and you can see that they’re weak. I sacrifice my groceries, I sacrifice water, sometimes I have clothing from other children ... sometimes I’ll sneak them into the bag. There have been times when I've gone to the Salvation Army if I had extra money and I know that there was a child in need."

Nicole Small, a child care worker in Detroit shared the above story. This is her reality. And she's not alone.

You see, there are people who love their jobs. I mean really love their jobs.


Their work makes them feel fulfilled. It makes them feel purposeful. They're giving back to their community. They're helping people who actually cannot help themselves. They're shaping the minds of young children whose parents are struggling to put food on the table. They are their client's backbone. They hold them up and keep them strong as life throws challenges their way. They're proud of what they do.

But they go home after spending eight or more hours at work and often can't afford to put food on their own tables.

Nicole Small, a child care worker in Detroit. All photos via SEIU, used with permission.

Many times, they have no savings, no chance for retirement. Often they can't afford to own a car, and if it's a necessity they can't get away from, they can't afford gas. Still, they refuse to feel hopeless.

This is a reality for so many child care and home care workers in this country.

They work hard every day, doing jobs that are absolutely necessary — in many cases saving lives. But they can't support themselves. They make such a low wage that basics like socks need to be budgeted for. They're on public assistance and are barely scraping by. And many of us don't know about it. But as leaders in the Fight for 15 movement, they're making their voices heard and sharing their stories.

Home care and child care  workers at a Fight for $15 rally.

Many care workers struggle every day to make ends meet:

Nicole (child care)

"To be honest with you, it’s hard not to [survive]. When you’re looking at those children, it’s hard not to. I don’t know, you just kick into survival mode ... it’s just a part of your everyday life. Does it get exhausting? Are you tired? Absolutely. But what are you going to do when you have children here and you know that they need you."

Melissa Benjamin (home care)

"As a woman and working in home care, I have found myself completely dependent on my husband for everything. Even gas to get to my job. Because my job doesn’t pay a wage where I can support that. And so it creates this co-dependency on other people ... and there’s not a lot of dignity in that."

Melissa Benjamin, a home care worker in Colorado.

And as they fight for fair wages and a voice on the job, they’re worried that people don’t understand their struggle.

Denise Major (home care)

"You’re going to do work above and beyond the call of duty anyways simply because that’s someone that you love and you care about. ... It’s like you’re working but you’re still in poverty. And you’re working long hours and you’re working alone."

Denise Major, a home care worker in Pennsylvania.

Patricia Walker (home care)

"Everybody can’t do it. ... It takes a special person to go into somebody’s home and take care of them and give them that love and attention."

Sepia Coleman (home care)

"We are invisible. We’re not appreciated. We’re totally disrespected. And we have more financial struggles than time allows. We are literally the lowest paid people in our field, with the population of people that we work with."

Pavonne Scott (child care)

"We work so hard, tirelessly with the children, and then we can’t come home and pay our own bills. You’re giving so much and every day that you give goes straight to the bills. And that has been the biggest challenge."

Home care and child care  workers at a Fight for $15 rally.

Melissa (home care)

"I wish people knew that it requires skill. A lot of people will say, 'Well, it’s just home care; you’re just like a babysitter. Why would you need a fair wage for that? All you’re doing is cooking and cleaning.' But no, there’s more that goes into it than that. There’s a lot more that goes into it."

Still, they show up for work every day, in spite of the challenges, because they love their jobs and know how vital they are.

Patricia (home care)

"I love what I do. I love my people. I don’t call them clients anymore because I’ve been with them for a minute. So they’re like my family. ... I want to be involved with them and I just love what I do. That’s the only way I can say it. I love what I do."

Pavonne (child care)

"The children need teaching. The children are our future ... it’s a heavy responsibility."

Pavonne Scott, a child care worker in Florida.

Melissa (home care)

"I’m a caregiver. I know people need care, and it’s what I do. And also, I like home care because I find that people are happier in their homes. When they’re in their homes, they feel secure and valued and comfortable. Knowing that there’s a need for that has kept me in it."

Nicole (child care)

"If you really care about the children, the quality of their education and the quality of their life, that’s what you do. You just jump in, and you help out in any area that you can."

Sepia (home care)

"I know that I am doing a good service to someone who is in need of care. And I know that one day, it could be me ... that’s what keeps me motivated and keeps me going."

Sepia Coleman, a home care worker in Tennessee.

And they’re fighting for $15 and a union because it gives them hope that better days are around the corner.

Denise (home care)

"I know I have a voice now. I know I no longer have to suffer in silence, and I can help other home care workers to kind of help them help themselves. ... We have a unique situation because we all work in separate places, so we rarely ever congregate unless it’s a rally or something like that. ... So I just want to let other home care workers know that we’re not alone. ... We have a voice and we can call each other. And we can kind of feel like we’re not on an island by ourselves and feeling stuck and helpless."

Sepia (home care)

"Everybody that has a job should have dignity and respect ... every job is not for everybody. But if the job is done in the best of performing, please show that person that you appreciate them. Don’t have a person working for your company eight or nine, 10 years, and they have to come and beg you for the compensation of a raise. It’s not fair to them. We’re not slaves, we’re people."

Patricia (home care)

"I ride the bus to my clients every day. I can’t afford a car. It’s very important to me that no one that’s coming up after me has to go through what I’m going through. Or what I’ve been through."

Patricia Walker, a home care worker in Florida.

Nicole (child care)

"It means that our children will be able to be more competitive when they go to a standard school like kindergarten or middle school ... they’ll have a better education and they’ll have a better quality of life. That’s what it means to me for the children. And what it means to me for myself? It means that I can give them more."

Melissa (home care)

"That’s what this movement is about. It’s about dignity. Giving dignity to the home care workers and the client."

The end of a school semester is like one big juggling act.

Between studying, final exams, and facing those research papers you've been putting off for a month, it can feel daunting to get through it all. And that doesn't even include what's happening in life outside the classroom.

Like ... finishing school and parenting at the same time!


When Monica Willard, an ROTC student and single mother of two, found out her kids' babysitter had to cancel right before she was supposed to take her final military history exam, she thought for sure she was dropping the ball on both her academics and her parenting.

Just trying to keep it all together. GIF via Channel Frederator.

After all, it's hard enough to get kids to be quiet at home, let alone when you're trying to focus on your academics in a public setting. But Willard knew she had no other choice. She took her 4- and 5-year-olds to school with her and hoped for the best.

Willard's professor, Dr. Daniel Krebs, was not only understanding of her situation, he offered to babysit her kids while she took her test.

By the end of the final exam, her kids were having a blast, as evidenced by this photo captured by a fellow classmate.

Krebs' nice gesture could have just saved Willard's focus – and her semester. But he doesn't want to take credit.

“A person like Monica, she’s a non-commissioned officer going to school, she’s a Mom of two kids. I mean that’s the kind of thing that’s really impressive,” Krebs told ABC News. “Me handling her kids for 40, 45 minutes, that’s not impressive.”

Regardless, it's an act of kindness that goes a long way, and it uncovers a bigger problem that many students face: the accessibility of child care in the United States.

Child care center costs are at an all-time high, ranging from around $3,500 to up to $19,000 a year, according to the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. In Indiana, a single parent with two kids pays 73% of their income to child care centers. That's not sustainable — that's ridiculous.

There are some colleges that are beginning to recognize the problem and offer on-campus child care solutions, though. Organizations like the American Association of University Women are pushing for more to follow suit.

Women, men, and families shouldn't have to choose between accessing child care and getting an education. While there's a lot of work to be done on that front, it's heartwarming to see heroes like Dr. Krebs demonstrate that the support of teachers extends far beyond the classroom.

We've all have had a compassionate teacher like Dr. Krebs. Let's celebrate them!