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Single mom teaches 13-year-old son how to date with monthly "practice dates" on a $50 budget

"The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future."

Melissaannmariee/YouTube

Melissa Ann Marie and her 13-year-old son go on "practice dates" each month.

Let's be honest: dating is not easy at any age. For most pre-teens and teens, though, this tender age marks the start of romantic ventures. One mom is making sure her son has a few dating lessons under his belt before going on a real one.

TikToker Melissa Ann Marie (@melissaannmarie), a single mom in California, shared how she is preparing her 13-year-old son to date and be a stand-up partner in the future. She has started a tradition of going on a "practice date" with him once a month, where he does all the planning with a $50 budget (an allowance given to him by her).

"Come with me on a date with my boy 🥹 I heard about this idea from another teen/pre-teen boy mama and we've done this a handful of times now. We always have the best time with it!" she captioned the video.

@melissaannmariee

Come with me on a date with my boy 🥹 I heard about this idea from another teen/pre-teen boy mama and weve done this a handful of times now. We always have the best time with it! Basically you give them an allowance ($50) and they take you out on a date. The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future so they aren’t completely lost when the time comes. So you help them along the way with how to plan and execute a date and you teach them basic etiquette and manners. And while you are teaching them, you get quality time with them which is the best part. What did he learn today?! -to open the doors for his date -not to walk ahead of his date -pay attention to their preferences with things (places they would want to go too) -pull their chair at a dinner table -learned how to give a waiter a non-verbal cue & signal for the check -learned how to make a reservation online -learned how to pay for everything all on his own - to get creative and thoughtful with a date & not a lot of money to spend 👏🏼 He planned a really sweet one this time and I really i enjoyed teaching him these things along the way and getting some one on one time together. I can’t wait to do this again and see what he comes up with. Trying to teach my boy all of these things so he can be the best partner for someone someday 🤍 #boymom #boymomlife #parentsofteens #motherhood #sandiego #fyp #parentingtips #gentleman

In the video, she took viewers on her date with him. He planned a morning date to a cat cafe. The two spent time playing with the cats and sipping on yummy coffee drinks before heading to a coastal walking trail to take in some scenic ocean views. They also stopped for tacos (which set them slightly over the $50 budget), but she notes she had him practice paying with her credit card.

"The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future so they aren’t completely lost when the time comes," she wrote in the caption. "So you help them along the way with how to plan and execute a date and you teach them basic etiquette and manners."

She added that the best part about investing time in teaching him to date is the quality time they spend together.

@melissaannmariee

GRWM for a date with my boy 🥹 I heard about this idea from another teen/pre-teen boy mama and weve done this a handful of times now. We always have the best time with it! Basically you give them an allowance ($50) and they take you out on a date. The idea is you are prepping them for how to take a girl out on a date in the future so they aren’t completely lost when the time comes. So you help them along the way with how to plan and execute a date and you teach them basic etiquette and manners. And while you are teaching them, you get quality time with them which is the best part. What did he learn last night?! -to open the doors for me -not to walk ahead of your date -pay attention to their preferences with things (ex. ask where they want to sit in the movies— not just where YOU want) -pulled my chair for me -learned to give a waiter a non-verbal cue & signal for the check -learned how to pay for everything all on his own - to get creative and thoughtful with not a lot to spend 👏🏼 He planned a really fun one and i enjoyed teaching him these things and getting some one on one time together. I can’t wait to do this again! Trying to teach my boy all of these things so he can be the best partner for someone someday 🤍 #boymom #boymomlife #parentsofteens #motherhood #sandiego #fyp #parentingtips #gentleman

While dating culture may be different today, Melissa Ann Marie notes that she is instilling traditional values when it comes to teaching her son to date. "Trying to teach my boy all of these things so he can be the best partner for someone someday 🤍. What did he learn today?!" she shared, before offering a bullet list of lessons. These included:

  • To open the doors for his date
  • Not to walk ahead of his date
  • To pay attention to their preferences with things (places they would want to go, too)
  • Pull their chair at a dinner table-learned how to give a waiter a non-verbal cue & signal for the check
  • Learned how to make a reservation online
  • Learned how to pay for everything all on his own
  • To get creative and thoughtful with a date & not a lot of money to spend 👏🏼
@melissaannmariee

breaking cycles I never signed up for 💔 #singlemom #soloparent #momandson #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged

Her followers are loving her example of how to teach her son about dating.

"I did Mom/son dates. My son is 23 now and his fiancé says he’s the sweetest guy she’s ever met," one wrote, and Melissa Ann Marie replied, "YES MAMA 👏🏼 we are raising men who will be husbands one day!"

Another added, "You’re going to be such an amazing mother in law, setting him up for success like that! 👏," and she responded, "Yes!! That’s the goal! 🥺"

And another touched viewer wrote, "This is SUCH a good and thoughtful idea. It warms my heart knowing there are parents out there that are doing everything they can to raise gentleman ❤️."

When you picture a ballerina, you may not picture someone who looks like Lizzy Howell. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Howell is busting stereotypes and challenging people's ideas of what a dancer should look like just by being herself and doing her thing in her own body. The now-19-year-old from Delaware has been dancing since she was five and has performed in venues around the world, including Eurovision 2019. She has won scholarships and trains up to four hours a day to perfect her skills in various styles of dance.

Jordan Matter Photography shared a documentary video about Howell on Facebook—part of his "Unstoppable" series—that has inspired thousands. In it, we get to see Howell's impressive moves and clear love of the art form. Howell shares parts of her life story, including the loss of her mother in a car accident when she was little and how she was raised by a supportive aunt who helped her pursue her dance ambitions. She also explained how she's had to deal with hate comments and bullying from people who judge her based on her appearance.

"I don't think it's right for people to judge off of one thing," Howell says in the video. And she's right—her size is just one thing.


Howell shares that she's been bullied in dance since she was six, and how it still happens when she goes to dance conventions. She sees people staring at her and whispering about her, but she says the successes she's had in dance and reassurances from other people keep her going.

"Most dancers are skinny, and I'm not," Howell says. "I think a lot of people can relate to me in that sort of way. They see me as an inspiration because I've been told I've been told to quit dance multiple times and I haven't."

"Dance is what I love and it's everything to me," she says. "So I think that just keeps me going."

Howell also has a message for people who might be tempted to say unkind things: "Whatever you say on social media is going to be seen by somebody and it could hurt their feelings. You know, you can't just say something that you think is funny but it might affect somebody else's feelings. I'm a very sensitive person, so I take everything to heart. There's a bunch of people that are like me that take it the same way."

Howell says dance is like therapy for her, which makes it all the worse for people to use her body size as a dancer as an excuse to be jerks. It might be surprising to see someone with Howell's body type doing the kind of dance she does, but anyone who comments negatively on a person's body—especially a young person has worked hard to train their body to create art—is a first-rate a-hole.

A few years have passed since Howell was interviewed for the "Unstoppable" video, and she's still showing that she truly is unstoppable. She now has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and regularly posts videos of her dancing in the studio.

Thank you for showing us what bucking the status quo looks like, Lizzy. Keep being bold, dancing beautifully, and showing the haters you won't let them stop you.


It's just 25 seconds long, and no one says a word in it. But the trailer for "In a Heartbeat" has the internet talking.

Even the two creators behind the project can't believe the response.

Beth David and Esteban Bravo, students at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, were "floored" when their Kickstarter page for the short film reached its initial fundraising goal a mere three hours after launching.


The film — the duo's senior thesis project — looks downright adorable, sure. But it's the subject matter that really makes the short stand out among the rest.

Watch the trailer for "In a Heartbeat" (article continues below):

"In a Heartbeat" is about a middle-school boy who "runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams."

It's a story that most audiences have not had a chance to see before.

“Being gay is a subject that hasn't been widely explored in computer animation," Bravo explained in a video promoting the film, noting that rates of bullying for LGBTQ teens are much higher than their straight and cisgender (non-transgender) peers.  

The film is a heartstring-tugging reminder that those kids — and LGBTQ adults — deserve their stories be told on-screen, too.

“We want to put out a message of love and self acceptance to all the kids and young people who struggle to identify as LGBT+, just like [the main character] Sherwin does,” David said.

David and Bravo have had fun promoting the film using parodies of iconic movie posters, like "The Fault in Our Stars."

Image courtesy of "In a Heartbeat."

And 2005's "Brokeback Mountain."

Image courtesy of "In a Heartbeat."

But the film's rapidly growing online fandom is even cooler, reflecting audiences' hunger for a delightful, important queer love story like this one.

The hashtag #InAHeartbeat has been filled with creative works from devoted fans on Tumblr and Instagram. And they definitely give you a sense of just how important this film is shaping up to be for many young people.

"I'm genuinely happy to see LGBT representation, especially when it's shown at a young age, with something that's as sweet and simple as a crush," one fan wrote on Instagram.

 
 
 

 #inaheartbeat #heart #love #art #myart #fanart #scketch #scketchbook #cute

 

A post shared by Maria Isupova (@maridiamsy) on

"Okay if you don't know what in a heartbeat is don't talk to me," joked another.

Some fans are even pulling out the all-caps to express their excitement.

"We're very touched by the response we've gotten so far and we're happy to know that our project has already had a positive impact on so many people," the creators say of the overwhelming fandom.  

"It proves to us that there is a need and a want for media that addresses LGBT+ themes in a positive and lighthearted way," they note, "and gives us hope that films like this could be more widely accepted and produced in the future!"

To learn more about the short film, visit its Kickstarter page.

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After getting sick, this 15-year-old missed her favorite band — until they surprised her.

After playing an amphitheater the night before, the rock band stopped to visit a fan.

On Thursday night, rock band Florence and the Machine played to a packed crowd at the Austin360 Amphitheater in Austin, Texas.

As usual, lead singer Florence Welch wowed the audience with her theatrics and powerful voice.

But something was missing.


Photo by Mauricio Santana/Getty Images.

A 15-year-old girl at nearby Hospice Austin's Christopher House was confined to her bed and unable to attend the concert.

She and her best friend had long planned to attend that night's Florence and the Machine concert. Unfortunately, she landed in hospice and was too weak to make it.

She was crushed, but good news was right around the corner.

The day after the band's Austin concert, Welch and guitarist Rob Ackroyd decided to make that 15-year-old's dream come true — with a private concert.

It's not every day you go from performing in front of thousands of people to joining just a roomful of people in song and celebration — but that's exactly what Welch and Ackroyd did. At the hospice, the two played through songs such as "Shake It Out" and "Dog Days Are Over," with Welch holding the patient's hand and focusing her energy.

Even watching the video takes you into this sort of otherworldly, joyous experience.

Photo via Hospice Austin's Christopher House/YouTube.

There were smiles, there were tears, and above all, there was love filling that room.

Welch was even pretty impressed with the harmonies being sung by some of the visitors.

GIFs via Hospice Austin's Christopher House.

And of course, there was clapping.

In a Facebook post, Hospice Austin nurse Lev Baesh remarked on the experience of being in that room.

"I spend half of my days exhausted after working the other half as a hospice nurse. Today, I dragged myself back to the hospice house after three 12+ hour shifts to witness a gift."

And what a wonderful gift it was.

It was a reminder that no matter how dark the world seems at times, there are moments of great beauty and love sprinkled throughout. When times get tough, remember those moments because they give great hope.

You can watch Florence Welch and her new friends sing "Shake It Out" in the video below.