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Throughout his long career, Adam Sandler has worked with some of the greats. Chris Farley, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Chris Rock, Steve Buscemi, Maya Rudolph, to name just a few of the iconic stars he’s acted with over the years. But there’s still one celebrity who makes him pretty “jumpy” and, honestly, we’d all probably faint if we got to meet her, too. That’d be Taylor Swift and the reason behind his nervous jitters has to do with his two daughters.
During Monday’s episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Sandler and Conan O’Brien talked about actors, comedians, or musicians that they’re in “complete awe of” and the Uncut Gems star revealed that celebrity, for him, is Taylor Swift.
“[It’s] because of what she means to my kids,” Sandler told O’Brien, referring to his daughters, 17-year-old Sadie and 15-year-old Sunny, whom he shares with his wife of 20 years, Jackie.
“I get a little f*cking jumpy just cause I don’t wanna blow it for my kids,” Sandler went on to explain. “So I’m a little like, ‘Taylor Taylor,’ like, I talk a little too loud or something. I don’t act as cool as I can.”
O’Brien agreed that Swift is indeed on “this whole other level” of celebrity
“People talk about The Beatles of it all and her. I mean, man, so many smash hits,” Sandler said. “There’s not a word my kids don’t know. I know them, too! But they know them inside and out. It’s just, remember The Beatles … every song on the record, you knew, that’s Taylor Swift, too. There’s not a song you skip. You go, ‘Oh, that one’s pretty damn cool.’”
Beyond worrying about potentially embarrassing himself in front of Swift, this isn’t the first time Sandler has talked about being fully in the teenage years of parenthood. During an interview with Jennifer Hudson on her talk show last year, Sandler opened up about how his daughters aren’t as chatty with him as they used to be, especially when he’s driving them around in his van. “They don’t talk to me as much,” he explained to Hudson. “They go way in the back, by the way. They don’t even go in the row behind me. Like two rows back, I can hardly see them in the rearview mirror.”
Sandler still manages to get some quality time with his daughters. Both Sunny and Sadie have had roles in their dad’s movies like Murder Mystery, Sandy Wexler, Jack & Jill, both Grown Ups movies, and Blended. More recently, they starred in Netflix’s You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and voiced characters in Leo. Now only if he can get Taylor Swift cast in his next movie...
French lawmakers made global history when they voted to make abortion a constitutional right. While abortion has been legal in the European country since 1974, the right to the procedure is on track to be added to the country’s constitution, making France the first country in the world to do so.
France’s Senate overwhelmingly voted in a favor — 267 to 50 — of a bill proposed earlier this year by the National Assembly, a lower court, to enshrine the right to abortion care. French President Emmanuel Macron said he fully supports this constitutional update and will meet with parliament in Congress on Monday for a final vote. PBS News Hour reports that this session is “largely a formality” as the major political parties in France support the right to abortion.
“I am committed to making women’s freedom to have an abortion irreversible by enshrining it in the Constitution,” Macron wrote in a statement following the vote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “After the National Assembly, the Senate is taking a decisive step which I welcome.”
When the French government initially introduced this bill, local news outlet France 24 reports that lawmakers said it was a “necessary” measure after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, reversing the landmark ruling that protected the right to have an abortion in the U.S. for nearly 50 years and leaving the decision up to each individual state.
“Unfortunately, this event is not isolated: in many countries, even in Europe, there are currents of opinion that seek to hinder at any cost the freedom of women to terminate their pregnancy if they wish,” the French legislation says in its introduction, per PBS News Hour.
Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion access has been severely restricted in a majority of states. As of January 2024, 14 states have completely banned abortion in nearly all situations. More still have created practical and legal barriers that have impeded access to facilities or the time necessary to obtain an abortion. Some states, however, are making moves like lawmakers have done in France. In Maryland, for example, Americans will vote to add abortion to the state’s constitution.
Growing up, I considered myself a big board game fan. I loved Candyland and Clue and Scrabble — I thought I was a real game fanatic. Then I met my husband. While I don’t love that basically all our basement storage space is devoted to his hundreds of games, I do appreciate the many family games he has introduced to our foursome. And whether your partner is a gamer or not, having a collection of the best family games you’ve probably never heard of is pretty great. I mean, there are only so many rounds of Candyland you can play with your kids before you’re ready to move on.
I’ve ordered the family games on this list from youngest players to oldest, but the fun of most of these games is that they’re fun for everyone involved. (My husband and I have definitely played some of these sans kids.) Whether your little one has a short attention span for tabletop games or you do, I’ve also made sure that none of these games take longer than an hour and most take somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes.
There will always be a place for the classics on your table, but next family game night, why not pick up one of these instead?
Oh no! All the feelings have disappeared in the Slumberkins Feelings Forest! Players take on the roles of Bigfoot, Unicorn, Yak, and Fox to gather the feelings and bring them to the Feelings Tree in the heart of the woods. This cooperative game helps little ones identify and talk about their feelings through affirmations, questions, and calming movements and stretches. It’s a great way to introduce social-emotional intelligence building and the basics of playing a board game to your family’s youngest players.
In this cute racing game, children roll six dice with different colored dots on them. These colors correlate to the various spaces on a track. Move as far along the track as you can by creating a sequence of connected colors.If you cannot use certain colors, your turn is over. The first player to the finish line wins. This game is fantastic because it encourages kids to learn how to strategize and think ahead.
I know that you’re thinking. “I thought you said you were going to give us a list of games we probably hadn’t heard of! Everyone knows Monopoly. It’s the most classic board game there is.”
Friends, there is a reason I’ve listed this game. Come closer... Monopoly sucks.
I said what I said. It’s an exercise in masochism: way-too-long and boring. Everyone thinks they love Monopoly until they’re an hour in and there’s no end in sight. Besides, I challenge any of you to tell me the last time you played a game of Monopoly where everyone stuck it out through the whole game. But most importantly for our purposes, it’s definitely not a game for little kids.
That’s why I love Monopoly Jr. The game play is basically the same, except the game ends when the first person loses all their money, which is basically when you want to end the game in regular Monopoly anyway. The person with the most money at the end wins. This is a great board game for families to “train” for more elaborate or longer games in time.
In this game, you and your fellow players are super heroes who must scale skyscrapers (which you’ll build with a series of cards). The higher the build, the wobblier and more precarious the game play. Hanging spider monkeys on the floors will make balancing more difficult. Oh, and remember: only one hero per floor. If you wind up in the same space you’ll have to roll to see who can stay. The game is over when the card skyscrapers tumble... and they will.
Oh no! Mrs. Plumpert’s pot pie has gone missing from her windowsill. Which one of the foxes took it this time? Move around the board to gather clues and scan the clues with the special evidence scanner to rule out suspects. But you have to be quick: the guilty fox is heading for the exit. Will you be able to figure out whodunnit, or will you be outfoxed?
This is another game that’s not really esoteric, but I’m including it because people sleep on this one and they shouldn’t. Move the gemstones through a series of crannies and try to collect the most in your home-board area. Once all gems are on either end of the board, whoever has the most wins. This centuries old game is easy to learn, but to really master it takes forethought and strategy.
This domino-like game is frustratingly straight-forward: place tiles, each worth a point, by creating runs of either color or shape. Once tiles are placed, other players can build off of what you’ve established. If you can get a row of all six (color or shape), baby that’s a Qwirkle, worth double points! Once all tiles are drawn, players have one more turn around the table. The player with the most points wins.
This raucous party game is an absolute must for parties — the more players the better. Each player is dealt a hand of cards with a series of instructions on them — High Five, “Fish Bump,” Switch It Up, and “Happy Salmon”. But here’s the problem: in order to perform the action, you need a partner to join you. To do this, you call out your action and wait for someone to join you in it. If no one can, put that card on the bottom of your deck and move on to the next.
“But wait,” you ask, “doesn’t that mean everyone is shouting all at once? Doesn’t that get chaotic?”
Exploding Kittens is a cheeky card game with hilarious art and a simple mission: draw cards and avoid the ones with exploding kittens on them. As more and more cards are drawn from the pile, this gets tougher and tougher. (Though don’t worry, everyone starts with at least one defuse card, which allows you to put the incendiary feline back in the deck.) Use the special abilities on the other cards to avoid the exploding kittens as best you can. The last unexploded player wins.
Age: 8 + (In my experience you can play this with a supervised 5-year-old.)
Do you remember playing Manhunt as a kid (aka Hide and Seek at night)? Shadows in the Forest brings that fun to a tabletop, with an extra dash of whimsy for fun. In this game, which is played in the dark by the light of the included lamp, there is one explorer (the seeker) trying to prove the existence of “shadowings” (the hiders), little creatures that live in the forest. The seeker’s goal is to find all the shadowings. The shadowings goal is to gather together in one spot without being found.
This one is a favorite in my house. The camaraderie that develops between players playing as shadowings trying to avoid detection together is what board games are all about.
This game couldn’t be simpler, or more chaotically fun. The goal is extremely straightforward — be the first person to write the numbers 1 to 100 on your sheet of paper — but doing it is anything but. You see, everyone has a piece of paper, but there’s only one pencil.
As if that weren’t challenging enough, the player to your left is rolling a die with lots of distracting instructions, including making lots of noise with high fives and fist-bumps, banging the table, and even switching papers (so one minute you’re writing 47 on one paper only to have that replaced with another that’s up to 13). When they roll the die and it lands on the pencil image, they scream “Gimme that!” and start working on their own sheet. The die is passed and the process starts over again. Whoever gets to 100 first is declared “Spud King” and gets a sticker.
This is a winner with big groups, and I can personally say that folks in my family from 6 to 86 have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Age: 8+ (In my experience you can play with a 6-year-old.)
In this game, you and up to four other players are a party of adventurers. Each player chooses a specific character, who comes with a corresponding deck of cards and abilities. Your mission: defeat “the boss” cards, which get increasingly more challenging as you move along. You do this by matching your cards to the ones shown by each enemy. This is a perfect family game because it’s collaborative: you win or lose as a team. It’s fast-paced and super fun and the cards are all highly amusing.
I highly suggest downloading the free app when you play this game. You don’t need it — an ordinary timer will work just fine — but the various voice actors that count you down (from a dramatic narrator to a spiteful sassypants) and the sweeping music add a certain je ne sais quoi to gameplay.
Have you ever noticed that constellations don’t really look like the thing they’re meant to portray. Like “How on earth (no pun intended) does that look like a dragon to you?” This game celebrates that fact. Part Pictionary, part stargazing, players are given pictures to draw on the dry-erase starscape, but there’s a catch. You have to draw the image by connecting stars via straight lines. Earn extra points if it fits within the included “telescope.” The player with the most points wins!
Who ate the cake? Who knocked over the houseplant? Who pooped on the carpet? Use a series of clues to deduce which pup is guilty in Dog Crimes. With 40 challenges, which increase in difficulty, you can play this game over and over again.
We love this game in my house (along with its sister game, Cat Crimes) for so many reasons. For starters, you can play alone or as a family. We’ve seen our kids improve their deductive reasoning skills while having a great time. And? The little pup characters are super cute.
In this cooperative board game, you and your fellow players have to defeat the monsters who are trying to destroy the castle. Play the right cards to fight back, but be wary: more monsters are popping up all the time. If you can defeat the monsters with at least one tower of the castle still standing, you win!
Aedan wasn’t the only one to think so; a bunch of TikTokers agreed with her comparison. “I have had the Franklin theme song in my head all week because of it,” one commented. Another said, “I LOOOOVED Franklin growing up!! it took me til now to realize this!!!!!” One more wrote, “I had to check that song out and my babies thought I was watching Franklin on my phone lol.”
The animated Canadian children’s show ran from 1997 to 2004 on Nick Jr., for the those of us in the U.S., and the beginning of Franklin’s theme song does indeed have a similar top-tapping, plucky banjo tune. If you need a little reminder, music enthusiast Jarred Jermaine posted a helpful splice on TikTok.
For her part, Queen Bey, who will release the rest of her country album Renaissance Act II on March 29, has not addressed the Franklin comparisons. But what we really want to know now is if Rumi and Sir are as obsessed as we were with Franklin the turtle, his bestie Bear, and the rest of his woodland creature friends. You never know, Franklin is one of those classic, gentle TV shows kids still watch today.
The massive summer blockbuster Barbie has been nominated for eight awards. Sure, the director and co-writer of the movie Greta Gerwig was not nominated, nor was Margot Robbie, the literal actor who played Barbie. But the music from Barbie certainly cleaned up, and this will come as no surprise to parents who have been listening to Ryan Gosling sing “I’m Just Ken” on repeat for the past several months. It’s almost like kids were the judges behind the Oscar nominations or something.
Mark Ronson’s “I’m Just Ken” was nominated alongside Billie Eillish’s “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, both of which have become big hits on their own. Especially with kids. Even Gosling’s two daughters, 9-year-old Esmerelda and 7-year-old Amada, who he shares with Eva Mendes, are apparently big fans of the song. Gosling admitted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that “I’m Just Ken” is still “stuck in my head, my kids still sing it,” even though they haven’t seen the movie yet because. “I don’t know if you should watch your father as Ken. I don’t know what age is a good age to see your father do that,” he joked. “It gets pretty crazy.”
Now it sounds like Gosling may perform “I’m Just Ken” live at the Oscars on March 10, according to Variety.
Until then, editors at Romper have certainly been listening to “I’m Just Ken” on repeat at their kids’ request, with one mom noting that her sons made her play it three times before leaving for school in the morning. Everyone needs a pump up song, after all. And “I’m Just Ken” appears to be hitting the sweet spot for a lot of kids out there.
Gosling, who was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor in his role as Ken, has seemed pretty surprised by the strong reaction to “I’m Just Ken.” Especially when it took home the Critics Choice Award for Best Original Song. He looked confused and shocked, it was a very Ken reaction for him to have.
Realistically, though, the song has become so well known that kids everywhere are singing it, so it makes sense that it would be nominated for some big awards. Just ask every parent who knows the song by heart at this point.
Beyond the catchy tune of “I’m Just Ken,” it’s possible kids are connecting with the message. That it’s okay to “just” be exactly who you are. Even if you are just Ken.
Every holiday in your baby’s first year is cause for celebration, even the minor ones. It’s so much fun to pick out a St. Patrick’s Day outfit for your baby and snap festive photos. While March 17 isn’t a major gift-giving holiday like Christmas or a big milestone like a first birthday, your baby’s first St. Patrick’s Day is still totally worth celebrating with a fun Instagram post.
Dress your baby up in head-to-toe green, let them grab a fistful of shamrocks, nibble on some Lucky Charms, and take some adorable pics of your little leprechaun to post with one of these Instagram captions for baby’s first St. Patrick’s Day.
Cute Instagram Captions For Baby’s First St. Patrick’s Day
Cutest clover in the patch.
Irish kisses and shamrock wishes.
Little lad’s first St. Patty’s Day!
Look who we found at the end of the rainbow.
Our little pot of gold.
Sham-rocking this little one to sleep.
She may be wearing green, but I’m gonna pinch those cheeks.
Any excuse for a festive look, I say.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to our own little four-leaf clover.
She’s not ready for corned beef and cabbage yet, but she’s still a happy little lass.
Baby’s first pint of Guinness will have to wait.
Like a leprechaun, this one’s pretty hard to catch.
Instagram Captions For Baby’s First St. Patrick’s Day About Luck
Lucky, blessed, and all the rest.
Here’s my lucky charm!
Just our luck! We get to celebrate Baby’s 1st St. Patrick’s Day today!
May not have found the pot of gold, but boy are we still lucky.
Our good luck charm.
Who needs luck? We have this little charm.
Not lucky, just blessed
She may not be a leprechaun, but I still feel pretty lucky to have her.
I feel lucky every day, not just St. Paddy’s Day.
— JIM/a.collectionRF/amana images/Getty Images
Funny Instagram Captions From Baby’s Perspective
Irish you a happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I’m feeling a little green today.
Kiss me, I’m Irish!
I pinch back.
The leprechaun made me do it.
The Paddy don’t start ’til I walk (crawl) in.
Who’s ready to sham-rock?
They’re always after me lucky charms.
Just a wee bit Irish.
It’s easy being green today.
A wee bit o’ trouble.
Irish you a happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Ginger hair, don’t care.
Pinch me if you dare.
My mom made me wear green.
I promise I’m not a leprechaun.
My mom says I’m quite charming.
My dad said something about a pint of Guinness?
Forget the gold, I’m what’s at the end of the rainbow.
No matter which Instagram caption you use for baby’s St. Patrick’s Day, you’re sure to feel the like the luckiest parent in all the Emerald Isle.
Once your baby starts getting a little more physically animated, you might notice them moving their arms around a lot, and honestly, sometimes they go full-on with what looks like the Chicken Dance. But why do babies flap their arms? Between all the info out there about stimming and just general baby development, it’s easy to wondere if all of your baby’s arm flapping is because they’re just excited, or because something else is going on.
Babies flapping their arms is really just them expressing themselves.
As they develop, babies discover new ways to communicate with their caregivers and express emotions besides just crying. Arm-flapping is one of those new ways. “We generally see babies ‘flapping’ when they are excited and happy,” Lilie L. Bonzani, OTR/L, pediatric occupational therapist, and Mary Hart Macleod, OTR/L, occupational therapist, tell Romper in an email. This movement, which they describe as a baby “rotating their wrists and sometimes their ankles,” actually “elicits a pleasurable sensation in their joints and muscles.” Essentially, they say, arm-flapping is “a physical expression of emotion.”
Is a baby flapping their arms a sign of stimming?
Of course, every baby develops on their own timeline, but generally speaking, this behavior is most common in “babies who are not yet walking, crawling or using their hands as purposefully to clap and bang toys,” explain Bonzani and Macleod. And if it wasn’t a common thing, there might be some concern over stimming, but arm flapping really is a sign of healthy development.
In fact, your baby’s arm flapping may be a signal that they need more to do with their hands or are beginning to become more intentional with their hand movements. This is a behavior you should definitely encourage, and Bonzani and Macleod recommend parents “give baby plenty of activities to do with their hands.” Some ideas they share include “food play, water play, banging toys together, finger songs and clapping hands.”
If you're worried about your child's arm-flapping for some reason, it's always a good idea to talk to the pediatrician for reassurance or to come up with a plan of action. However, it's a very normal behavior, and Bonzani and Macleod note, “Parents should be concerned with this only if it is significant enough to interfere with play and other developmental skills.” Otherwise, it's just evidence that you have one very happy and expressive baby.
There’s nothing more anxiety-inducing for a parent than having your new baby in pain and not knowing what to do about it. If your little one is dealing with gas pains, acid reflux, constipation, or diarrhea, you just want to help them get relief — which can send you down the rabbit hole of researching new bottles and nipples, and even alternate formulas. For parents struggling to find the right formula for their babies, it’s a really stressful time, but it’s going to be OK. There’s a plan for this.
Sometimes a baby’s upset stomach is caused by them gulping down formula too quickly, or having to suck too hard to eat and taking in some air with their meal. It could also be that the formula is too watery. Just be sure that these common issues aren’t the real culprit behind your little one’s tummy troubles before you start switching formulas.
“Make sure that you are mixing the formula properly based on the manufacturer's directions. Because sometimes if we are using too much formula, it can cause constipation for the baby because we don't have the correct amount of formula-to-water ratio in there,” says Katherine Shary, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
She also recommends:
Double checking that the formula has not expired.
Practice paced bottle feeding, where you position the bottle an angle so the formula flows into baby’s mouth more slowly, in an attempt to keep them from sucking down air as they eat.
Holding your baby upright while they eat instead of laying them down or cradling them.
Burping your baby throughout feeding them, not just at the end.
Experimenting with a slower or faster flow nipple that is appropriate for your baby’s age.
— SanyaSM/E+/Getty Images
You should definitely reach out to your child’s doctor right away about switching formulas if they’re experiencing projectile vomiting after eating, diarrhea, rashes, or if you notice blood or mucus in their stool, Shary says. If your little one is still uncomfortable after trying these tips, it could very well be that their tummy isn’t a fan of their formula. Here’s how to go about finding the right one.
Start by talking to your pediatrician.
When you walk down the formula aisle, you’ll see multiple brands and types of formula that all say they’re best for babies who spit up often or struggle with gas pains, but they all differ slightly from each other. Your pediatrician will be familiar with the specific protein compositions of different formulas and how most babies tend to react to them.
“It’s not going to be the same for your baby as it is for the neighbor’s baby or your pediatrician’s baby. So helping target what could be the trigger I think is really important. And these labels are not easy to read either,” says Dr. Liz May, M.D., FAAP, pediatrician at Texas Children’s.
You should tell your doctor about your baby’s GI symptoms, and everything you’d tried at home to help remedy them. Together, you can pick a new formula to try, and they may even be able to send you home with some samples.
It’s so tempting, but when trying new formulas, don’t switch to another too soon.
Once you and your pediatrician pick a new formula to try, don’t consider it a failure until a little time has passed (which is really, really hard when you’re desperate to help your baby get relief). It takes three to five days of giving your baby a new formula before you start to see a difference in their tummy troubles.
“If it’s been seven to 14 days with the formula change and you’re not seeing a difference, that’s reason to go back to the drawing board with your pediatrician,” says May.
“If we were on a formula for two days, we think it doesn’t work, we switch to another one, then another one. That in itself can be causing discomfort for the baby if we are trialing too many formulas at one time,” Shary says. “We should be on a formula and give it time for about a week, unless we are having those concerning GI issues that I mentioned. For example, if your baby is having bloody stools, they need to go to the doctor immediately.”
Give these comfort measures a whirl.
If you’re testing a new formula but your baby is still dealing with gas pains while you wait, Shary suggests trying these exercises with them:
Bicycle legs, where you alternate bringing each of their legs up to their belly and back out
Pelvic figure-8s, where you move your baby’s hips in a figure-8 motion while they’re lying flat on their back
“All of those moves help the intestinal tract move things through. So if there is gas trapped in there, it can help expel some of that gas and discomfort that baby might be feeling,” she says. “Trying to do those things first can help a parent not have to add in or buy a whole bunch of other infant things that are out there on the market.”
You can try over-the-counter remedies.
There are so many rules about giving babies medication, and new parents may not realize there are actually options for gassy little ones at the pharmacy. There are OTC gas remedies for infants, usually in the form of simethicone drops. In studies, it hasn’t been shown to be terribly effective, but it’s also not harmful, May says. So, it may be worth a try. “I do have parents that have felt it has been very helpful. There are parents that said they tried it and didn't see a difference. Simethicone is a medicine so it's pretty tightly regulated by the FDA,” she says.
On the other hand, gripe water and other herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA for quality. “I do caution parents if [gripe water] is something you're wanting to try, it's not regulated by the FDA. That being said, the bigger brands tend to have their own quality measures that they perform. It has not been shown to be dangerous if a parent wants to try it. In studies, it has been shown just to be kind of neutral. But anecdotally I have had parents that have felt it has been helpful with their infant’s symptoms,” says May.
You should let your child’s doctor know before trying these OTC options, Shary says, just to be safe.
Ask for help and accept it when it’s offered.
While you’re in the thick of finding the right formula, and working through that three-to-five-day waiting period that can feel like an eternity, lean on your support system.
“Historically, there’s something called alloparenting where each infant was actually raised by six to seven adults because it really takes that many, right? It’s a lot of feeding, a lot of diaper changing, a lot of supervision. We have single-family homes now most of the time and we’re doing it all on very little sleep and dealing with things like feeding issues. If a baby is really uncomfortable, it can make for really long days and it can be really, really tough to watch your baby be uncomfortable. Rely on those people who are helping you,” says May.
What to do if you’re switching formulas because of a shortage
In May 2022, there was a nationwide formula shortage that left many parents scrambling to find food for their infants. It hit parents of babies on specialty formulas hardest. While most formulas are much easier to come by now, when a specialty brand is recalled (which recently occurred with hypoallergenic formula Nutramigen at the end of 2023), it can be incredibly stressful.
If you’re considering switching formulas because you can’t find your usual brand, call your child’s pediatrician first. They may have samples in their office, or be able to help you find a safe substitute for now. You can also try calling the manufacturer of the formula directly to request some, or if you use food assistance programs, contact their offices, too, Shary says.
What you should not do is water down your baby’s usual formula, use toddler formula in its place, or try homemade formula recipes, Shary says.
New babies are still developing and adjusting to the world, Shary points out. Their bodies are brand new at digesting formula (or breast milk), and it can take a while for their tummies to work out the kinks. “Just take it one day at a time,” she says. So, you and your baby may have to stick it out for just a little bit longer, but you’ll find the right formula soon (and the right mix of tricks to keep them comfortable along the way).
Love Is Blind fans were pretty annoyed by Johnny being so stuck on the idea of Amy taking control pills when so many other options are available, though he did acknowledge that “it’s not just the girl’s job” when it comes to contraception. “I don’t want it to seem like I’m saying, ‘Do this,’ or that this is the only way to do things because it’s not,” he told Amy when she suggested he could also get a vasectomy.
Fans were also confused why the couple never seemed to discuss condoms as an option.
Now, Amy has shed a little more light on the matter, explaining to Entertainment Weekly that she “just didn’t feel comfortable” starting birth control. “Fully support it for any woman who decides to do it, I feel like women should be empowered to do what they feel like is best for them,” she said. “But in that moment I just felt like I didn’t want to do that. So we explored other options.”
“We definitely had conversations about a little bit of everything,” she added, “and I feel like condoms are a sense of birth control in that sense.”
In a different interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johnny said that they did discuss condoms, but those conversations got cut from episodes. “It definitely was [discussed],” Johnny told the outlet. “We wanted to explore essentially every avenue we can go down. Condoms [were] definitely part of the conversation. That’s a big one. I really think that it was taken out of context a little bit, because ultimately, the whole reason why we started talking about this in the first place was because I didn’t want to have kids right away. I wanted to really spend a lot of time getting to know Amy first and building that relationship before we started talking about bringing kids into the mix, because I didn’t want it to feel rushed or we weren’t there as a couple yet.”
Amy told Entertainment Weekly that it was a “surprise” to see the viral reaction to their conversations. “I didn’t expect it to be as big of a deal,” she said. “Obviously it is a huge deal, especially if you’re considering to marry somebody. But he hadn’t been with somebody in the past that wasn’t on birth control, so I feel like for him it was more of a shock, which was more of a shock for me as well because I feel like I know so many women that are not on birth control. It was just definitely very different based on both of our experiences.”
Whew! Hopefully fans will get to see how these conversations continued when the next batch of Love Is Blind episodes premiere on March 28 on Netflix.
If it feels like you can never truly reach the bottom of your family’s laundry hamper, despite the washing machine constantly running and maybe even just keeping those clean clothes in a pile, you’re not alone. Constance Wu is also living in a constant state of wash, dry, fold, repeat.
In a recent post on her Instagram Story, the Fresh Off The Boat actress shared a rare look at her life as a mom of two and revealed what she did not expect would consume so much of her time. “One thing I did not anticipate about having two kids is the amount of laundry and the time it takes!” Wu wrote, per People. “The finding, washing, sorting, folding, putting away....it just...never ends lol.”
The Crazy Rich Asians star quietly welcomed her first child, a daughter, with her partner, musician and lead vocalist for Man Man Ryan Kattner, in 2020. Wu revealed that the couple welcomed their second child, a baby boy, during an appearance on Danielle Robay’s PrettySmart podcast in July 2023. “Breaking news. Nobody knew I had a son,” she announced, but did not share when he was born.
Wu shared another rare update about motherhood while appearing on LIVE with Kelly and Mark in October 2023, describing what it was “like to go from one to two” as “exponential.” Exponential love and, as we now know, exponential laundry. “It is like going from one to 20, I feel like,” she added.
Wu, who has not shared the names of her children, also told hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that her children are “very sweet with each other.” The 41-year-old Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile star described her daughter as “very naturally nurturing” and said that she was “really excited to be a big sister.” Her daughter has been so eager to help with her little baby brother, she’s even helped with transporting him, to the surprise of her parents.
“One time we weren’t paying attention and she picked him up and she carried him to the kitchen when he was, I think, like a week old,” Wu shared on the talk show. “We had him in one of those little lounger things and she was actually able to pick him up ... but she didn’t drop him, so hey! All’s well that ends well.”
— Lisa Lake/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Kylie Kelce is asking folks to send over some “luck” now that she and husband Jason have a speedy 1-year-old on their hands now. Their youngest daughter Bennett, aka “Bennie,” celebrated her first birthday on Feb. 23 and the mom of three shared an adorable photo of their little girl on Instagram. And while she might’ve expected fellow parents to empathize with them having a speed racer ripping through the house, everyone can only think on thing. Bennie is quite literally her dad’s twin.
“Bennie turned 1 on Friday. 🥹💕She is a content, curious, climber that is now getting involved in everything her older sisters are doing,” Kylie captioned the sweet photo of her daughter wearing a red hoodie and sitting on a leather chair with the cutest smirk on her face. “Wish us luck… she’s getting faster everyday.”
While lots of comments wished Bennie a happy birthday, most could not get over just how much she looks like her dad, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, who also shares daughters Wyatt and Elliotte with Kylie.
“Kylieeee, did your genes even try?!!ðŸ˜ðŸ˜‚,” one follower joked.
“She looks like Jason and Travis ran at each other full speed then out came Bennie,” another said.
One more declared, “She stole her dad’s whole face!”
“Kylie, the only way to distinguish this Angel from Jason is the beard,” yet another commented.
And based on this baby photo of Jason with his younger brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, these comments are spot-on. Those Kelce genes are strong.
The Kelce daughters certainly have their dad wrapped around their fingers. In May 2023, the NFL pro admitted to People that he can’t help but spoil them. “Before I had children, I told myself if I ever have a daughter, I;m just going to treat them exactly the same as a son. I don’t think that you should treat kids necessarily different,” he told the magazine. “And then when I had a daughter, I was like, ‘I’m not going to spoil her, I’m going to raise her tough. She’s going to be hard.’ And the moment she came out, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not going to work.’”
They’ll be spoiled, sure, but judging by Bennie’s smirk in that photo, those Kelce girls will also be tough.
Teen Mom OG’s Kailyn Lowry has her hands full. This is not a cliche or an off-handed assumption about her — she is a mom of seven children, including newborn twins who recently spent time in the NICU. She often talks about the “chaos” of her life, and how she handles it all. And in a recent Instagram Q&A with her fans, Lowry answered the question that has apparently been on a lot of people’s minds. Does she have a nanny?
Lowry and boyfriend Elijah Scott recently welcomed twins, daughter Valley and son Verse, just 14 months after welcoming baby boy Rio together. The twins also join 14-year-old brother Isaac, who Lowry shares with ex-boyfriend Jo Rivera, 10-year-old Lincoln, who she shares with ex Javi Marroquin, and finally 6-year-old Lux and 3-year-old Creed, both of whom she shares with ex Chris Lopez.
The mom of seven recently took to Instagram to share whether or not she has a full-time nanny to help with her kids, and she responded, “what is full-time? 7 days or live [in], no? I have 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the babies Monday-Fri.”
When asked how she manages her busy life, Lowry explained that it’s a simple matter of “divide and conquer” in her household, “depending on the day.”
Since welcoming her twins earlier this year, Lowry admitted that she did not, herself, have an overnight doula to help. But she finds herself regretting that decision at this point. “I didn’t. But if you are having twins and can afford it, get one. I wish I had gotten one.”
Lowry went on to upload a video on her Instagram Story explaining what her family’s day to day life looks like. “Monday through Friday I have someone that comes to the house for the babies [during the day] and then depending on what we have going on after school, Elijah and I just divide and conquer,” Lowry explained. “So today we have haircuts and basketball so I will stay home with the 5 kids and he will take the 2 kids to basketball and haircuts.”
Last month, Lowry shared a TikTok video further sharing what it looks like to be a mom of seven. “Of course I’m expected to be in five places at once” she noted in the video, adding “of course I have five car seats in my trunk.”
Another thing she has going for her? A sense of humor.
When Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham hit the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards, she was carrying the requisite high-fashion clutch purse like so many other celebrities. Unlike pretty much any other celebrity, however, Waddingham’s purse was fully made out of cardboard. And made by hand by her very own daughter.
Waddingham arrived at the SAG Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday wearing a gorgeous off-the-shoulder deep red gown with a thigh split, it was all very retro and glamorous. But the cherry on the top of the entire outfit was the cardboard clutch her 9-year-old daughter made for her, especially in Waddingham’s opinion.
“My daughter wanted to contribute, so she’s made me a bag,” the proud mom said on Netflix’s red carpet preshow of her 9-year-old daughter’s unique and beautiful creation. She even went on to show off the craftsmanship, in particular the fact that her daughter had written “epic” on the bag.
While the Emmy award-winning actress admitted that she loved the glamour of awards season, she said one thing topped all of it, “This is all great but this [being is a mom] is the most important.”
— Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images
Waddingham’s 9-year-old daughter Kitty, who she co-parents with ex-partner Gianluca Cugnetto, has long been a driving force in her mother’s work life. Kitty used to go to work with her mom when she was a baby, and indeed Waddingham was especially excited to take on her iconic role as AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton because it was only 30 minutes away from her home. Making it easier to spend as much time as possible with her daughter.
“I had a two-hour chemistry read with Jason [Sudeikis],” she told People in 2023, “and I asked, 'Where are you shooting?' He said 'Richmond.' I said 'Virginia?' And he went, 'Richmond in England.' In that moment, I just thought, 'please bring me this role.’”
More recently, Waddingham took on the role of Mother Witch in Hocus Pocus 2 in 2022 for her daughter. When considering the cameo, where Waddingham’s character inspires the young Sanderson Sisters to become witches themselves, the proud mom explained in an interview with The Zoe Report, “I did it for my daughter, who is obsessed with the original.”
Kitty might be obsessed with Hocus Pocus, but we’re obsessed with her purse designs. And so is her mom.
International fans of Bluey are used to waiting months for content that premieres in Australia to reach us, but we’re in for a treat in 2024, and not just because we’re still rewatching the 10 new episodes that dropped on Disney+ on January 12. Last year, Ludo, the studio that makes the show, announced a special 28-minute Bluey episode, “The Sign,” will premiere globally next year on Disney+ and ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The super-sized runtime is equal to about four standard Bluey episodes. And now we have a release date: The Sign will premiere on April 14, a week after another newly announced new episode “Ghostbasket,” which premieres on April 7. Wackadoo!
“There’ll be lots of laughs, exciting guest voices, and definitely a few tears,” Ludo, the studio that makes the show, said in a statement. “We’re so incredibly proud of the awesome team behind the series and we can’t wait for Australia and the world to watch this very special Bluey episode with their family and friends."
Of course, we’re immediately thinking “Oh god, if the studio is warning us we’re going to cry during a Bluey episode, which we already do most of the time anyway, this is going to be a humdinger of an emotional rollercoaster....”
“This extended episode allows room to explore the world, characters, and breadth of Bluey even further,” Henrietta Hurford-Jones, commissioner and executive producer of Bluey for BBC Studios Kids & Family, added. “Existing fans will love it and it will be a great introduction to this incredible show for new audiences.”
Right now, we don’t know much about the episode. A teaser trailer, which doesn’t really give a sense of plot, mostly contains scenes from prior episodes... except for this one, where Bluey appears sad. Why?! At this point, it’s impossible to know for sure...
Another released image from the episode also teases at what’s to come, and it gives us (maybe) some clues...
Bluey and her mum Chilli appear to be having a heart to heart at a rest station, which plays well with the other moment we see in which Bluey looks to be in need of comforting. Both the rest station and the city skyline in the fairly distant background indicated that the Heelers are traveling in this episode. The little feet visible in the stall appear to belong to Bluey’s paternal cousin, Socks, so it looks like this might be an all family trip. Then, of course, there’s the butterfly on the drinking fountain.
Can we talk about the butterfly on the drinking fountain? I’m dying to talk to you about the butterfly on the drinking fountain. Because this is a) not the first appearance of this butterfly and b) a butterfly series creator Joe Brumm has discussed before. The butterfly (or at least one that looks exactly like it) showed up in “Slide,” a Season 3 episode that has not yet aired in the states. Brumm discussed the little guy, an Australian native called the Ulysses butterfly, in the Behind Bluey podcast.
Butterflies can symbolize a lot, including the soul and the life cycle. So will this very special episode be able birth and/or a death? We know from a discussion between Fido and Bandit in the episode “Perfect,” which was not so subtly about getting neutered (though Disney changed it for American audiences), that Chilli “wanting to keep her options open” about having more kids. It’s also been a while since Uncle Rad and Frisky got together. Maybe they’re going to start a family? But then again, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Bandit’s dad, the mysterious Grandpa Bob. Might we finally find out what’s been going on with him? After all, we were warned there would be tears.
Needless to say, we’re pretty excited to see what’s in store.
— David Becker/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Neil Patrick Harris has had a good run of being cool to his kids. They’ve been game to be the stars of his social media feed, featured constantly on his Instagram page and, of course, take part in epic family Halloween costume photo shoots year after year. But that was before. Before the How I Met Your Mother actor decided to join TikTok or “the TikTak,” as he called it. He went a shade too far for his kids, who did not think it was all that legen.... wait for it... dary.
Harris introduced himself to TikTok with a video featuring his 13-year-old twins Gideon and Harper, who he shares with husband David Burtka. “Okay, are you guys excited?” he asked the irritated-looking teens. “Ugh, what are you doing now?” Gideon asked his dad, while daughter Harper simply said, “No.”
Harris, undeterred, went on to tell them, “I’m joining the TikTak!” Truly, he probably doesn’t know this because he’s new to being a teen parent but he’s skating a thin line with this behavior. It doesn’t get better. “TikTok!” he corrected while Gideon went back to his phone. “I’m going to have so many followers! I’m going to ramp up my riz!” This was too far for Gideon, who told his dad, “Never, ever say that again.”
Refusing to be deterred by the most chilling of all humans, a disdainful teen, Harris went on to refer to himself as a “snack,” at which point both children screamed, before adding that it was going to be “legen... wait for it,” perhaps in an effort to remind them that he is actually a famous actor with an iconic tagline and everything. They didn’t let him finish. “Yeah, dary, we know,” Gideon said as they walked away and Harris tried pulling off a TikTok dance.
Harris’ kids might not have been impressed, but his new TikTok followers were. “Do they even realise their Dad is NEIL PATRICK HARRIS,” wrote one, while another added. “My favorite is when celebrities, no matter how legendary, are still just dad to their kids.”
It’s perfectly possible that Harris thought his kids might react more positively since he and husband Burtka were just insisting last October that Gideon and Harper still like hanging out with their parents. “We keep being told that at a certain point, they’re going to hate us,” Harris joked to Entertainment Tonight. “That hasn't happened yet. So you know, so far, so good!”
That was then, this is now. And it looks like Neil Patrick Harris managed to kickstart his kids’ teen angst years by joining TikTok.
‘Tis the season for one-pot meals, slow cooker recipes, and deciding whether you want to eat dinner at 4:30 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. That’s right, it’s time for all the spring sports to start again, and those weekly practice nights are about to get wild. Whether you have one kid in sports or several doesn’t matter — it all feels kind of chaotic. Even if the only practice night you have is one hour of t-ball. There’s just something about those weeknight practices that throws everyone off, so having a line-up of easy practice night dinners is a must to come out on the other side.
We’re entering our third soccer season in my own family, and I’ve finally learned that it’s just best if we all eat when we get home. But that means I love a slow cooker meal or a one-pot dish that I can prep a bit beforehand so when we walk in the door and kick off cleats and run showers at 7:30 p.m., I can go ahead and start plating up meals. This list of easy practice night dinners has lots of protein-heavy, veggie-loaded dishes so your kids are nice and full (but not too full) before practice, as well as a bunch of recipes you can throw in the slow cooker in the morning and eat when you all get back home. No matter how your family’s dinner schedule works out, there’s a recipe on this list to try to hopefully make those sports nights a bit easier. (Another hack? Just go ahead and throw those clothes straight in the wash when you get home.)
5-Ingredient Tomato Soup
— Pinch of Yum
This 5-ingredient tomato soup from Pinch of Yum is so ridiculously easy — it’s the perfect practice night dinner. Whip it up with some grilled cheese sandwiches on the side and you’ve got a great, filling dinner for before or after practice.
Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
— Gimme Some Oven
If you want a dish that’s easy to customize and get on the table, it’s this roasted veggie enchilada recipe from Gimme Some Oven. You can change up the veggies inside, customize with different cheeses and sauces, and you can either prep it all and throw it in the oven right after practice, or serve earlier in the day. It’s light enough that anybody who has a couple of enchiladas can still run suicide drills at practice in an hour.
Slow Cooker Creamy Garlic Chicken & Veg
— Damn Delicious
A slow cooker is forever your friend, but especially on busy nights. This slow cooker creamy garlic chicken and veggies recipe from Damn Delicious makes an incredibly scrumptious dinner with hardly any work from you, and you can customize it with your family’s favorite vegetables.
Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
— A Spicy Perspective
I love an easy chicken breast recipe and this one is so good. From A Spicy Perspective, this recipe for cheesy, spinach-stuffed chicken is perfect for a weeknight dinner that fills everyone up, but is still super easy. Serve your favorite veggies, potatoes, or macaroni and cheese on the side. This would be great chopped up on a salad or with some pasta, too.
Sausage, Black Beans, & Rice Skillet
— Averie Cooks
Isn’t a skillet meal just the absolute best? Try this on your next practice night: Mexican sausage, black beans, and rice skillet from A Spicy Perspective. You can have this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes, and it’s packed full of protein and all the good things for a not-too-heavy practice night dinner.
Easy Taco Casserole
— The Comfort of Cooking
Don’t sleep on casseroles, y’all. This super easy taco casserole from The Comfort of Cooking is unreal, and you can prep it in advance for an even quicker weeknight dinner. It’s easy to customize, and it’s nice and hearty, but not so much that your kiddo won’t be ready to handle whatever comes at practice.
Tuna Melt
— FoodieCrush
One thing I’ve changed about my own dinner mindset is reminding myself that food is food. And sandwiches for dinner? Those totally count. This recipe for tuna melts is a great one to add into your weekly rotation, and you can pair them with fresh fruit, veggies, or even a bag of chips for a quick, easy practice night dinner.
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken & Broccoli
— Half-Baked Harvest
If your family loves a little kick, throw together this crockpot buffalo chicken and broccoli. Throw some rice on the side for a full, balanced meal that just took you dumping some ingredients into your slow cooker and letting it go.
One-Pot Teriyaki Chicken & Rice
— Budget Bytes
A good one-pot recipe is a must on busy sports nights, and this one-pot teriyaki chicken and rice is an especially great one. Loaded up with veggies and protein and just enough sauce, this will keep your kiddos full and energized for a big night of drills and scrimmages. It’s also a super easy, fast dinner to make if you’d rather everyone eat when you get home.
BBQ Chicken Nachos
— A Classic Twist
Sheet pan nachos are the perfect practice night dinner. They’re easy to grab, easy to eat, and majorly filling all while being a crowd pleaser for the whole family. This recipe makes BBQ chicken nachos, and you can easily customize your toppings or even through some tortillas out for wraps instead of nachos.
Slow Cooker Pizza Soup
— Baked by Rachel
Carbs and protein are always a great choice before doing some kind of intense activity, and this slow cooker pizza soup from Baked by Rachel has plenty of both. It’s packed with flavor, too, but feels lighter than serving up pizza on a practice night. You can totally customize this with your family’s favorite toppings, too.
Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
— Jessica in the Kitchen
Want something loaded up with nutrients and a comfort food? This recipe for cauliflower mac and cheese from Jessica in the Kitchen might be the perfect choice. It’s nice and thick and super cheesy, but with cauliflower florets instead of noodles, it’s a lighter choice for practice night whether your kids eat before or after.
Chinese Scrambled Eggs & Tomatoes
— Two Red Bowls
This recipe for Chinese scrambled eggs and tomatoes from Two Red Bowls is the ultimate comfort food that’s still loaded with all the good things you want your kid to eat before they jump into practice. It’s a classic dish for many Chinese families, and is super easy to whip up for a nice, protein-dense dish.
Whether your family likes to eat before or after practice, there’s an easy dish on this list for those busy sports nights.
