The Hug Report: Co-Parenting Apps and Relationships with Food
Hey parents, caregivers, teachers, and anyone else who has found their way onto our second edition of The Hug Report. Welcome back! Ready to get your weekly dose of caregiving content? We know you don't have time to read it all throughout the week, so let's take you through the highlights:
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Co-parenting apps are now a thing. Research shows they work better than sticky notes and frantic texting. Check out the most popular ones:
Cozi - a free app that's great with scheduling because it color-codes each family member
FamCal - a family calendar app...if you couldn't tell from the name
Talking Parents - a true co-parenting tool for caregivers that operate out of separate households
If you need help keeping track of everything going on, these apps do offer some useful features. Of course, once the kids get their hands on the phone it might lead to moments like this.
Our Weekly Mantra
"I enjoy the present moment. No matter what."
TRENDING ACTIVITIES:
If you're looking for things to do this week, here's what everyone else seems to be up to:
Try this lemony science experiment
Add to your outdoor play area
Give paper towel art a go
Whip up some pasta salad...seriously
BECAUSE SUMMER IS COMING UP...
we know thoughts of vacation are starting to take over. But it's important to also realize as the weather gets warmer, body positivity issues can become more prominent for both kids and adults. This week, this article from the New York Post goes over phrases that might give kids an unhealthy relationship with food, even when the best intentions are behind them.
Let's break it down:
The NY Post talked to dietician Jennifer Anderson, who warned against the following phrases:
1. "You can have dessert after you eat your broccoli."
2. "If you're quiet, I'll give you a cookie."
3. "You have to take one more bite before you can say 'no'."
4. "It would make me happy if you took three more bites."
Essentially, look how each phrase shapes a kid's relationship with food.
#1 and #2 put dessert on a pedestal instead of putting all foods on an even playing field.
#3 negatively impacts a child's relationship with being able to say the word "no."
And #4 puts another person's happiness over the actual importance of the food, which minimizes the point of why we want them to eat three more bites in the first place.
So, that's the news on food.
So, that's it for this week's Hug Report. Join us next week to stay up-to-date on the latest parenting news and trends!
