There’s a surprise inside! DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse is a new preschool series from celebrated creators and executive producers Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey. Follow Gabby as she unboxes a surprise before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside her dollhouse.
Gabby’s Dollhouse emphasizes a growth mindset, inspiring kids to turn their missteps and mistakes into something creative and beautiful. True to Gabby’s signature phrase “we failed fantastically,” every episode encourages flexible thinking and imaginative problem-solving through resilience and resourcefulness. Through DIY crafting projects, baking recipes and brain games, every room of Gabby’s Dollhouse is filled with exciting activities and magical adventures to keep kids engaged and entertained.
Join the adventure when Gabby’s Dollhouse premieres on Netflix Jan. 5
Almost universally, parents experience the ritual of teaching children to say the “magic words”: please and thank you. Many children get the idea that there is only one magic word: “please-and-thank-you.” It’s considered a triumph when children begin to use the words spontaneously.
However, the practice of calling them “magic words” seems to convey to children that if they use them, their wish will be granted. They will receive the candy, the toy, the outing, whatever is the object of their desire. This may be because the desired object is something a parent already intends to give the child. In essence, this is a bribe intended to get the child to say “please-and-thank-you.”
When the magic words don’t work—when the child is asking for something the parent is unable or unwilling to give—little Evan or Marguerite is disappointed, even upset to the point of melt-down. It’s a sad lesson in life that there really are no magic words that result in wish-fulfillment.
Instead of bribing kids into saying please and thank you, I recommend using another old standby of child-raising: The notion that children imitate adults.
But how often do children really see please and thank you, and that other essential phrase “you’re welcome,” used in the home or by parents? Manners can become a little lax when you see someone every day.
How difficult is it to say, quite naturally, “Please pass the salt” or “Please help me put away these groceries” or “Please keep the noise down. I’m going to have a nap”? And then thank the other adult when she or he complies. How often do we say, “You’re welcome” when you give someone something they have requested? And how often do we say “please” and “thank you” sarcastically, as if they shouldn’t have to be said at all?
While family life gives plenty of opportunities for demonstrating the proper way to use the magic words, so too do interactions in the outside world. How many of us remember to say “thank you” to the server who brings our food? How many forget the “please” in the simple sentence, “Please bring me a glass of water”? When thanked by a person you’ve helped in some way, do you answer, “You’re welcome” or at least “No problem,” the modern-day equivalent?
Personally, I think that the most important time to use the words, “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome” is within the family. They are words of acknowledgment, appreciation, and goodwill that surely our family members deserve. If it feels weird to say these words to your partner, ask yourself why. Do you feel that less politeness is due to family members than to a stranger? I think they deserve more.
Of course, in daily interactions, it’s easy to forget saying please and thank you to someone you know so well. Their compliance is assumed, so much so that the sentence, “No, I can’t help you with the groceries” is shocking.
But that’s another thing that children need to learn—that sometimes their requests, even prefaced with the magic words, will receive a negative response. Then they have a chance to learn the words “I’m sorry,” as in “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were on the phone” or “I’m sorry. I can’t help right now, but give me ten minutes and I will.”
My point is that please-and-thank-you aren’t magic words at all, that you’re welcome and I’m sorry should go along with them, and that using them as everyday words within your household is the best way to teach them.
After all, don’t we also say, “Children learn what they live”?
Hi! I'm a freelance writer and editor who writes about education, books, cats and other pets, bipolar disorder, and anything else that interests me. I live in Ohio with my husband and a varying number of cats.
Among the other secret hidden joys of parenting like explosive poops and… well, pretty much all the poops, no one warned me of the advice hurricane coming inbound as soon as my egg has been fertilized. No joke, in the few months between announcing my pregnancy and the baby’s arrival, I heard alllllll the cliché advice, phrases, and jokes a thousand times over.
I imagine it’s the same feeling someone has towards a joke about their name (“Oh man, haven’t heard THAT ONE before Jim!”), or the marriage advice you started hearing when you got engaged (“Wait, so just to be clear, should I go to bed angry or NOT go to bed angry?”) And trust me, it doesn’t end with the pregnancy because, at every stage of development or ailment of the day for your little bug, there is a lady at the grocery store coaching you on what to do.
Over the years, I got pretty tired of smiling politely and nodding while grinding your teeth down to a powder, so I began to amass a list of fun conversation killer responses—which means you don’t have to listen to another second of that unsolicited advice.
And to be fair, yes, sometimes the advice that you get is actually just small talk because that person actually doesn’t care about your baby (spoiler alert: no one really does, not really, but that’s another post). With that said, these phrases are a nice way to put both of you out of your misery so you could just get back to gossiping about a mutual acquaintance instead, guilt-free.
Respond: “Oh, is that what you did with your kids?”
This is especially effective for your coworker Stacy who you know doesn’t have kids but has the expertise and confidence of an incompetent regional manager. The conversation might then play out like this:
Stacy: “Oh no, I don’t have kids remember!” You: “Oh that’s right…”
Don’t let the silent moment scare you, just let that last bit trail off. The beauty of this is, Stacy likely won’t get the joke even after all of this, but your coworker who happened to be getting coffee at the same time will be trying super hard not to start laughing, at which point you can catch her glance and talk about Stacy over lunch later. It’s a phrase that keeps on giving.
Respond: “That’s so interesting, I JUST read a study that found the exact opposite! I guess we just gonna see what sticks, huh?”
Confidence is key with this one, and just say it as matter-of-factly as you can, no judgment on the statistic or best practice or whatever that the other person cited. The thing is, most likely there has been a study done, and even if there hasn’t been they’re not gonna know, they’re just filling the moment with jibberish anyway. This is especially nice for the aunties at a family gathering because you don’t want to be mean to them, they’re just being nice and mean well, but you also want them to know there is more than one right way to do things. No matter what they believe.
Respond: “Do you think so? Only if they could talk!”
I want you to do me a favor and start a note on your phone where you tally the number of times someone tells you they think your baby is cold. It’s of course pretty rampant in the winter, but I kid you not someone asked me if I thought the baby was cold in July when he was red and sweaty because he wasn’t wearing socks (which he pulled off, mind you, because surprise, he was hot). These statements are especially annoying since they’re usually a pretty captain obvious kind of observation. So hold yourself back from screaming “Wow do you really think that I, the parent, the only person besides my partner in this whole entire world who actually cares about my child, haven’t thought of that? Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention!” and just ham it up. But don’t worry, I see you, and I thought the same thing too. It’ll be our secret.
This phrase especially comes in handy if you’re holding the baby because you can use the baby as a prop and ask her the question as a show to lighten the mood. If you’re lucky she’ll do something funny like foam at the mouth or something which gets the people going every time, and the conversation has been diverted.
Respond: “You know, we’re just lucky to have him here and healthy so we really can’t ask for or have thought about anything more than that.”
This usually shuts them up pretty quick too because like, it’s true, and what is anyone supposed to say to that without being a royal jerk. This response is effective for all the seemingly innocent but pretty judgmental generalizations and assumptions people make about things like gender preference or timing of arrival, or just to get you out of discussing topics you just don’t want to like names you may have picked out or whether you’ll breastfeed. Some people don’t mind sharing these details and that’s totally okay too, but having a way to get you out of things you don’t feel comfortable talking about is a fantastic tool to have in your belt.
Practice these in your most innocent delivery, and enjoy the silence that ensues.
Lisa Aihara is a writer and artist based in Los Angeles. When she's not busy keeping her toddler alive, she's growing another human and has no time for any BS. For an honest, practical take on motherhood, relationships, and just life's struggles through comics and stories, follow her on Instagram and her Blog.
Like many of you, we’ve been shocked, appalled, saddened, and angered by all that has happened over the last week. And as parents, we’ve struggled to explain to our children why African-Americans are treated unfairly because of the way they look. But struggling doesn’t mean we’re not talking about it. On the contrary, to quote Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
When we started Xyza: News for Kids nearly four years ago, we knew that there would be both good and bad news days. While we can’t control what happens—news is news, after all—we can, hopefully, shape the future. Our mission has always been to share stories based on facts and to empower young readers to have open and honest conversations. That’s why we’re talking about tough topics such as racism, social injustice, and police brutality, and sharing the stories of what happened to Ahmaud Arbery, Christian Cooper, and George Floyd with our young readers this week.
Families have contacted us asking for resources and other ways to help explain what’s happening to their young children. We’ve compiled a few resources below, but by no means is this a complete list. We hope this helps.
What does the phrase “Black Lives Matter” mean to you?
How do you think racism affects people in everyday lives?
Our readers are the reason why we exist. That’s why it’s important for us to hear their thoughts and perspectives. We want to hear our young readers’ thoughts on what’s happening in the country right now. Share their thoughts on the above questions by emailing editor@xyzanews.com. We will compile all responses and share them with our larger Xyza community.
Racism, Black Lives Matter, Protests
This week, our trivia will be focused on what’s happening in the United States right now. The hope is that our trivia will help support some of the discussions that are happening in schools and at home. Check out today’s question.
We're two perfectly imperfect moms who have five very different kids between the two of us. We believe that topics in news are a fantastic way to spark conversations in families. That's why we started the Dinner Table Conversation series here at Xyza: News for Kids. Won't you join us in the conversation?
Any of you moms able to relate to feeling alone, confused, overwhelmed, desperate—like, at the same time? How about afraid, depressed tense, trapped and angry—about one situation?
These emotions are only a few of the feely things we tend to hide beneath our mask of contentment. These are also just a few of the things we should start getting real honest about it in our real life as a real mom. Eventually, all the fake it ’til we make it holding us together is going to unravel anyway.
So, for the love of all things mushy, mixed up, maddening, magical, melodramatic and magnificent, just when will we feel safe being honest about how we’re feeling as a mom? Why do we pretend to be all variations of “fine” when we are fully aware that vanilla does not accurately depict our frame of mind?
Regardless of why we pretend, the important thing is what we choose to do about it. I believe the best gift we can give ourselves and others is to be authentic about all the feels swirling inside us. Choosing to be vulnerable creates a wellspring of healing salve for everyone—which goes a forever way since we tend to carry the weight of ten worlds on our shoulders.
So how do we do the I’m gonna tell it like it is thing? Where do we get the courage and resolve to wear our diary on our sleeve?
First, we need to call our own bluff and consider the lunacy of our pretending. The mom dictionary says this about the phrase “I’m fine”: liar liar, yoga pants on fire. We should also call our counterpart moms bluff because they are often fibbing right along with us.
Next, we should consider the lyrics in a popular song by a musical legend. You may not have considered Prince to be a pillar of wisdom for mothers and our mushy insides, but I think he’s genius. Consider his words in Let’s Go Crazy (no irony in this song title either):
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”
(cue deep organ sounds)
Emphasis on we are gathered—emphasis on WE specifically.
Laser focus on we, as in not me or I.
As in together we get through this thing called life. As in together is how we get through motherhood.
The Creator kinda sorta had this communal vibe in mind from the beginning. And as mamas, we need other moms in the village to help us village. We cannot do this mothering gig solo, at least not very well.
The thing is, there’s no magic in the masquerading for us or for the person asking the question, especially if she is another mom. If we use smoke and mirrors, she’ll likely stuff her true feelings back down to match our perceived confidence and joy.
Let’s get real for ourselves and for each other. The next time someone asks us how we’re feeling, let’s tell the truth. We shouldn’t be surprised when the person asking says, “Me too.” It is from this shared and sacred space we can strengthen one another and heal.
When you have two babies in tow, you turn heads. Why not make a fashion statement, since everyone is looking anyway. These onesies bring twice the fun to your everyday outings and smiles to the faces of family, friends and passersby. They also make great baby shower gifts!
Your twins go together like one of their future favorite lunches, peanut butter and jelly. These supercute onesies are made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and hand-printed in Florida. The bodysuits come in sizes ranging from 0-3 months to 18-24 months and also comes in a t-shirt pair, sizes 2T-4T.
Keeping calm as a twin mom? Probably not always. That's why this duo of one-pieces is so great. Sometimes you can keep calm, other times, you're bound to be freaking out.
Available at justmultiples.com, $28.95/set.
Squad Goals
When you want the world to know you are #winning with double blessings, these outfits will get the message across. Squad goals? More like #momgoals.
Available at Etsy shop AdsAndMarnieCo on etsy.com, $28.50/set.
They Go Way Back
Sure, they may be roommates now, but they once shared an even smaller space. This funny onesie comes in a few different colors.
Available at Etsy shop CookieCutterGifts on etsy.com, $24/set.
Cheers!
Bosom buddies or bottle besties, this shirt celebrates the tandem feeding schedule that will punctuate your days for at least the next 12 months.
Available at Etsy shop AlpineTees on etsy.com, $27.91/set.
Party On
Babies can bring the noise, and with twins, you'll know what it's like to rock and roll all night for the first several months.
This computer-inspired joke about identical twins might go over some grandmas' heads, but it's sure to get a laugh out of more tech-savvy folks.
Available at amazon.com, $24.99/set.
Plot Twist
Your babies flipped the script! Finding out you're having twins can be the best kind of baby surprise. These clever onesies also come as t-shirts.
Available at Etsy shop Golden Cherries on etsy.com, $27.40/set.
Mirror Image
For identical twins, these onesies point out that when you grow up with a mirror image, you never need a camera phone. Or a selfie stick.
Available at Etsy shop mkclassyprints on etsy.com, $32/set.
Which Came First?
Someone has to be born first, and who ever got the lucky position of Baby A will probably hold that over Baby B’s head for a lifetime. But, hey, there are advantages to being younger, even if only by a few minutes.
Every twin mom has heard the phrase "double trouble" at some point. Take the words right out of their mouth with these tiny t-shirts that nod to the most over-used catchphrase in the twin world.
Available at Etsy shop Emasbabystore on etsy.com, $20.70/set.
The Deal of a Lifetime
You and your partner signed up for a baby. Bonus: You got two! Celebrate with these fun BOGO onesies.
Available at Indesigntshirts.com, $24.95/set.
Whodunit?
A must-have for boy & girl twins, since it won’t be long before your sweet little cherubs’ favorite scapegoat is their birthday buddy.
The super bowl halftime performance last week caused a lot of noise on social media! One phrase that I noticed being thrown around was “family-friendly” and it got me thinking, what does this even mean? Is it based on values, or morals, or some sort of social indoctrination? Isn’t it subjective, considering every family is different?
Let’s take a step back. If your kids were watching at halftime, you were exercising your right as a parent to let them watch it. If the resulting outcome was disapproval or disgust, does the fault lie with you as the parent or the network? Perhaps the NFL or the artists themselves? Who ultimately has control of the content that goes from the TV directly into your child’s impressionable brain?
My vote: the parents.
Don’t get me wrong, figuring out which content is appropriate for kids (no matter what your version of appropriate is) can be dizzying. The TV and Movie Parental guidelines rating system is fairly helpful, but not always accurate, so parents still have to be aware of what their children are watching all the time.
I’ve watched some PG-13 movies that are benign because the adult humor goes well over my kid’s heads, yet some PG content has caused nightmares in our house (I’m looking at you, Coraline). Unfortunately, this rating system does not apply to news or sports programming, including the super bowl and its halftime performance.
For the record, my kids did not watch it, not because I didn’t allow it, but because they were busy doing other things. When the Seahawks don’t make the cut, my kids lose interest. However, If they had watched, I would have been ok with it and would have addressed questions, if any, as they came up. It was perfectly “family-friendly” for this family.
If for some reason it had been objectionable to one of my kids, it would have been MY responsibility for allowing them to watch. It isn’t up to JLo and Shakira to set a good example for my family. That’s our job as parents.
You might say, “But, I didn’t know it would be that risque!” Ok, fine, but again, isn’t this part of informed parenting? Maybe next time, before letting your kids watch, you could give the performers a google? The content should have been no surprise (the performances and outfits were on par for both artists), and you would have been fully prepared to skip it or hit the off button on your tv. Family-friendly in YOUR home is up to you to decide, not the network, not the producers, not the performers.
Let’s step back even further. If your kids were watching football in the first place, and you were offended by the halftime performance, how do you justify watching the cheerleaders who are scantily clad during each and every game? Before JLo and Shakira took the stage, your kids had already taken in a whole lotta skin, gyrating, and jumping up and down via the sidelines.
How about the commercials for Viagara and violent R rated movies? I know that when my 7-year-old watches football with his dad, I am on guard to turn certain commercials off or ask him to look away. I’ve watched enough football games to KNOW there is content that scares him sometimes! They are not family-friendly in my opinion, but we do our best with the content to make it appropriate for his eyes. Again, it isn’t up to the advertisers to parent my kid. What they watch is ultimately up to us as parents.
If the halftime performance wasn’t your cup of tea, that’s cool! I liked it and found it super entertaining, but I respect and understand the viewpoint of those who thought it was too risque for their taste. We all have our own level of comfort. But ultimately, if your children watched and now you’re offended because it wasn’t “family-friendly,” then it’s a good time to remind yourself who is in charge of your family, and the content they watch. You hold the remote.
Emily is the author of Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond The Filtered Life.
As a Certified Professional Recovery Coach, recovery advocate, educator, and speaker, she is passionate about connecting women with resources for healing. Emily lives in Seattle with her husband and their five children.
Being bullied can hurt. You feel miserable and lonely, and you don’t want to go to school. Whether the bully is a boy or a girl, and the behavior is verbal or physical, it is always wrong.
My Story
I have been bullied many times, mostly because I am smaller than most of my classmates.
One time a girl in my class kept teasing me that I was small, and when I responded with a simple phrase, “have a nice day,” she walked away without responding. The next day, she tried to tease me again and called me “shrimp.” I used the same statement again, and this time, when she stormed off, she never bothered me again.
Another time at school, a girl started pushing me in line and called me “so small like a baby.” I simply responded by saying, “pick on someone your own size!” That’s when she started to pull my hair. “Knock it off,” I angrily said, and she left me alone after that.
A boy in my class kept comparing me to his little brother, telling me that he’s probably much taller, even though he’s a few years younger. I realized that he was trying to make me feel bad about my height. I actually agreed with him and said he may be right, but “it doesn’t matter anyway, because people come in all shapes, sizes, and colors… and that is what makes us beautiful.” He was speechless as he stared at me, and then walked away. The teachers nearby smiled, as they overheard my response and seemed proud.
Why Bully?
Usually, bullies bother other kids for a bunch of reasons that usually don’t have anything to do with the person they’re bothering!
• What if the bully is experiencing a frustrating or upsetting family issue?
• What if the bully is so insecure on the inside that bothering someone else allows him/her to feel better?
• What if the bully is actually being bullied by an older sibling or someone else at school, and is acting out to feel more in control?
Regardless of the reason behind the bully’s behaviour, it’s never o.k., and sometimes, it’s hard to know what to do.
Tips to Stop the Bully
“Have a nice day!” After saying this phrase, simply walk away from that dark cloud. If a bully realizes that the effort won’t receive the reaction that he/she is looking for, it will likely fizzle out.
Either way, tell your teacher immediately. Bullies need to learn that it’s not funny or acceptable to pick on others in any way.
Be honest! Responding with truth is another great way to stop a taunting bully.
Always alert your parents about the issue at school. Mom and dad were once kids too, and they may have some great ideas for responding to the bully or helping you resolve your problem.
If you and your parent are not satisfied, and the bully is determined to make you miserable, that’s when a meeting with the principal or headmaster needs to happen.
Don’t be scared to escalate your reaction with these steps. You deserve respect because each one of us is important and beautiful. Also, please make sure to help out another person who may be bullied and not know what to do. Sometimes we just need a helping hand or friend to lift us up when we’re feeling down.
Ruthi Davis is a the Founder of Ruth Davis Consulting LLC with over two decades of success in advertising/marketing, media/publicity, business development, client relations, and organizational optimization for a variety of clients. Ruthi is a proud mom and influencer in the parenting and family market as founder of the Superfly Supermom brand.
We had a miscarriage in February 2019 around 10/11 weeks. It was surprising and devastating, to be honest. I know that the statistics are 1:4 women suffer this loss, but I never thought that I would be in the group of “ones.”
Now here I am 28 weeks pregnant with our second baby boy, due February 8, 2020. The irony of the timing is not lost on me.
I know that a lot of women call their baby after a loss, a “rainbow baby.” Many companies have even sold rainbow baby-themed products. However, the phrase just doesn’t resonate with me, though. I get it, it’s a rainbow after a storm. It’s life after a death. That’s a great outlook! That’s just not my outlook.
I want to celebrate this baby because of his own unique life, not put the memory of a loss attached to him. All babies are miracles. Not just ones that come after a loss. Everything about this pregnancy and baby is special because HE is special. Not because of his pregnancy or birth order. I never want him to grow up thinking that his life isn’t just as wanted and prayed for as our other kids.
My husband and I will never forget the baby that we lost, but I feel like that is our grief to carry, not one to put on our kids who don’t know anything about it. In a way, I feel like that’s forcing negative emotions on them that can’t be processed because they weren’t a part of the situation. I won’t hide our story from our kids, but I also will not call any of my kids our rainbow baby. They are all our miracle babies!
Ariel is a stay at home mom to a very curious two year old with another baby on the way! Some of her favorite things (besides her husband and son) are lemon water, exploring Louisville, and writing about real life! Connect with Ariel on Instagram: @intentionallyariel
You already know Jodie Sweetin for bringing the laughs on Fuller House and its predecessor Full House, but now the mom of two is bringing a hilarious brand of comedy to motherhood with a brand new podcast about parenting.
Sweetin is partnering with her best friend Celia Bear, a therapist and also a mom of two, to talk about all things parenthood from the sweetest highs, to the lowest mom fails. The podcast, Never Though I’d Say This, aims to bring comfort to listeners who might feel lonely as they struggle with the challenges of motherhood.
“In this digital age, where looking ‘perfect’ now seems to be an art form, we hope that by using our own personal experiences, embarrassing parent fails and close friendship, we can take the perfect out of parenting!” Sweetin and Behar told PEOPLE.
As the title suggests, each episode will focus around the theme of a phrase that they never thought they’d imagine themselves uttering prior to becoming moms, like “Get your mouth off the toilet!” The show will also feature recurring segments like “Craptastic Parenting Moments of the Week” and “Fail Mail,” which invites listeners to send in their own hilarious stories.
You can start listening Jul. 10 when the podcast launches.
