We are seven months into the pandemic and caregivers continue to be impacted by the increasing challenges of juggling work and family commitments. Recent labor statistics show that nearly 80% of the 1.1 million workers who dropped out of the workforce in September were women, and that number may continue to grow. A new study by Fidelity Investments finds that nearly 4-in-10 working women (39%) are actively considering leaving the workforce or reducing their hours due to increased remote schooling and caregiving responsibilities.
“As more women and caregivers nationwide find themselves contemplating stepping away from their career or reducing hours at work, Fidelity is here to support them,” said Kathleen Murphy, president of personal investing at Fidelity Investments. “From providing financial planning support in the workplace, to working with women one-on-one to evaluate options to keep savings goals on track, to helping Fidelity’s own associates navigate these work and family challenges, we’re here to help.”
The study also found an increase in financial engagement among women since the onset of the pandemic. While women were already building good planning and savings habits, many have amped up those efforts in the last six months.
Fidelity is collaborating with thousands of companies across the country to roll out Women Talk Money, a new program to help more women get financially engaged and connect with the guidance they need to address these pressing work and life decisions.
Photo courtesy of Fidelity Investments
“Women and caregivers are being challenged like never before and are looking to become more informed and better prepared as they make financial choices for today and the future,” said Lorna Kapusta, head of women investors at Fidelity. “Women Talk Money delves into why women need to think differently about financial planning, how life choices may affect the growth of savings and future financial security, and how to create a financial road map to help reach individual goals and accommodate expected and unexpected detours along the way.”
The program’s flagship six-part video series provides an overview of the key factors that affect women differently and can have a significant impact on their financial futures. Each 10-minute segment is reinforced with a ‘What You Need to Know’ Resource Guide with key takeaways and actionable next steps to apply to personal planning.
Check-in: How is homeschool going? If you’re struggling to juggle everyone’s Zoom calls or just miss the everyday structure of school, a learning pod could be just what you and your family need to get some normalcy (not to mention your sanity) back.
Wondering how to put together a pod? We found a local company that does the work for you! Read on to learn more about what makes Scout next level and how they can help create a custom learning pod that will make this school year the best yet!
Learn more about Scout and book a free consultation with one of their pod coordinators today!
The Remote Learning Help You Need
Scout helps families navigate a remote or hybrid school year by making it easy to create a local learning pod. Schools (and parents!) are not necessarily equipped to offer a quality remote learning experience. A learning pod facilitator supports students, making sure they attend their online classes and grasp class material so they can dominate classwork, homework and beyond!
Who can benefit from a learning pod? Any school-aged kid! Remote schooling is even more difficult for elementary and middle school students, who are in the most critical years of their education. A learning pod can offer the opportunity to get ahead academically and help kids develop socially during this crucial period.
With the NYC Department of Education giving families one opportunity to decide on in-person or virtual learning for the year, now is the perfect time to look into learning pods! Scout is even offering families their first week in a learning pod free if they sign up before the decision window for in-person or virtual learning closes on November 15th.
Bring on the Dream Team
Scout provides the structure for learning pods to thrive by matching families with their network of high-achieving learning facilitators. Their learning facilitators are comprised of recent alumni of top universities like Columbia and Princeton along with veteran educators. They have been vetted, interviewed and trained to support students through their remote schooling. You can create your own group for your pod or Scout can help you create a pod by putting you in touch with families that have similar learning goals.
Together with families, facilitators cultivate a safe environment where kids can learn, socialize with their peers and give parents peace of mind (and a much-needed break) during the workday. Once your family is matched with a pod facilitator, you can rely on them to keep your child on track with their studies while also helping them grow socio-emotionally. Some learning facilitators even offer extracurricular activities!
Affordable + Flexible = YES
Families are matched according to their specific needs, which means more flexible and competitive pricing—as low as $12 an hour per family! Scout also offers flexible payment options.
Not only is Scout more affordable than many alternatives, it’s also flexible to fit your family’s schedule. Choose to meet daily or three times per week, either throughout the full school day or after school only. Another benefit we love is the ability to host your pod wherever your group feels best; whether it’s at home, outdoors, or a commercial space.
Learn more about Scout and book a free consultation with one of their pod coordinators today!
How are you celebrating Halloween this year? Thanks to Reese’s it’s all treats and no tricks. The Reese’s brand is bringing peanut butter cups to fans with the Reese’s Trick-or-Treat Door, a hands-free way to get treats this season. Scroll down to get the scoop and watch a video of the robotic door in action!
Rain or shine, protective masks or monster masks, the Reese’s Trick-or-Treat Door provides a robotic, social-distancing option that brings Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups right to your doorstep this Halloween. Your only job? Say “trick or treat” after the Trick-or-Treat Door arrives at your doorstep and enjoy your Reese’s treats!
“This Halloween is unlike any other, so we’ve upped the ante on creativity as a result,” said Allen Dark, Reese’s senior brand manager. “A robotic Reese’s dispensing door is just what the world needs right now!”
In fact, 63% of adults believe that people will find creative, fun and safe ways to celebrate the Halloween season.
This one-of-a-kind robotic door is designed to traverse through neighborhoods via remote control and bring candy to your doorstep. You’ll know it’s coming before it even arrives thanks to the smoke, lights and epic Halloween soundtrack that comes along with it. What can we say? We like to make an entrance.
When it rolls up to your door, simply say “trick or treat” and the Reese’s Trick-or-Treat Door dispenses king size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Here’s how the one-and-only Reese’s Trick-or-Treat Door works:
Three motors power the door, directed by a remote control from up to 5,000 feet away – no humans nearby required!
The 9′ door features a built-in Bluetooth-enabled speaker that activates once “trick or treat” is said.
A king size Reese’s candy bar will appear through the mail slot from a retractable shelf.
Want the Reese’s Trick-or-Treat Door to come to your town? Go to @Reeses on Instagram and tell us where, using #ReesesDoor.
Something clicked for my struggling writer this week, and now all she wants to do is make books.
“All I want to do is write,” my 6-year-old sighed as she Velcroed her sneakers this morning. “I wish I could staple one more book. I really wish I could get started on the next one.”
“Well, hurry up and get ready for school so you can,” I said, amazed that I could suddenly use writing time as a motivator on a busy school morning.
You see, up until a few days ago I had a reluctant writer on my hands. She loved to draw and would happily flaunt her knowledge of basic sight words, but when it came time to sit down and sound out words to spell them phonetically, she would freeze. During remote learning last spring, half an hour of me painfully pulling three sentences out of her and onto the page would leave us both grumpy and drained. And when she did have a story idea, she would forget it half-way through writing down the sentence—probably because the act of building the words took so long.
But something happened in the last few days that boosted her confidence and set her on the road to authorship. Maybe it was a new strategy her teachers taught this week. Maybe it was a summer of reading Dog Man that’s now flowing onto the page. Maybe it’s the rhythm of the hybrid learning model we’re in with time to write both in school and at home. Maybe it was wanting to be like her big sister who just taught her to draw a unicorn with speech bubbles. Maybe it’s that fresh pack of colorful markers and a stapler that finally works.
For whatever reason, the literacy stars are momentarily aligned, and we are rolling with it.
Most days I wake up to find my four kids already stuck to their screens playing some computer game or watching cartoons. (Yes, I admit this whole COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning situation has totally relaxed screen time norms around our household.) Yet that was not the case today.
I walked into the living room to find my 8-year-old daughter making a picture book series on the coffee table, complete with a spotlight color for each volume. Because she is an avid writer, this part didn’t floor me, but it did make me smile. It was a nice break from waking up to Peppa Pig or Roblox marathons.
Next, I glanced over to the windowsill and noticed my preschooler gathering a stack of computer paper and attempting to fold it in half.
“I’m making a sticker book,” she proudly announced. “It doesn’t have any words, though.”
“That’s ok,” I said. “You could use stickers to tell a story.”
“I do have ABC stickers!” she realized with glee, running off to continue her project in her “workshop.”
Finally, I peeked around the corner into the kids’ room to see if my 6-year-old had also caught the writing bug. Sure enough, there she was coloring and writing down letters with gusto.
“I’m almost done with my book. But don’t look!” she insisted, covering up the surprise ending with her hands.
“I won’t peek,” I promised as I took her temperature—part of our NYC school’s daily health screening for in-person days. “I love that you’re making your own book. What inspired you?”
“‘Cause Bethany.” Of course. She wants to be like her big sister. “I want to be a good writer, so I’m writing lots of books.”
Chalk it up to sibling competition or just having a positive role model around, I love seeing the trickle-down effect of good habits. Now when my oldest daughter hunkers down to doodle and write, my first grader follows suit with her own creative spelling and sketches, and even my preschooler can’t resist the pull into writing mode—folding paper, placing stickers and forming letters.
They even watch each other cope with mistakes, such as turning a misspelling into part of the drawing, taping on extra paper, or strategically placing a sticker. And the best part of all: celebrating the finished product by sharing stories.
Ready for school a few minutes early, we all gathered around my 6-year-old’s writing table to read her story. We ooo’d and ahhh’d over the whimsical drawings and did our best to decipher her words. We gave advice on how to place speech bubbles from top to bottom and left to right and laughed together at the funny ending.
“I wonder what new writing ideas you’ll think of at school today?” I asked my daughter as I dropped her off with the first graders.
“Maybe I could write about my books!” she exclaimed, jumping onto her spot in line.
Kristin Van de Water is a former journalist and teacher who relies on humor, faith, and her mom crew to get her through the day. Raising four kids in a two-bedroom NYC apartment, Kristin is always on the lookout for life hacks to save time, space, money, and her sanity.
For the last 25 years, TIME for Kids has been a go-to source for millions of elementary students in classrooms. When the pandemic hit and schools were forced to close, the school-based publication became available at home for the first time. Today, they launched a new premium digital subscription designed to keep kids learning, help them understand the news and connect them to the world from home.
“The mission of TIME for Kids is to create a safe and engaging experience for kids to explore the world on their own,” said TIME for Kids editor in chief Andrea Delbanco. “With the continued uncertainty around kids going back to school amid the coronavirus pandemic, TIME for Kids has built its first-ever home product to be flexible for the needs of all families and to provide a fun resource and tool they can turn to help support remote learning.”
The TIME for Kids subscription designed for home use includes digital access to new editions of TIME for Kids each week, as well as access to every issue of TIME for Kids that has been previously published in 2020. Every week, subscribers will also receive a special TIME for Kids newsletter to serve as a supplemental guide for the content in each new issue, with helpful curriculum, conversation guides, resources, and engaging activities to make the most out of every issue of TIME for Kids at home. Subscriptions are available beginning at $19.99 per year through an introductory offer.
This new TIME for Kids subscription is the latest offering from TIME for Kids that aims to help families, kids and teachers navigate the ongoing uncertainty around kids going back to school amid the coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, TIME for Kids unveiled a new subscription, designed specifically for teachers, that connects the print and digital TIME for Kids experiences and enables flexibility between the in-classroom and remote learning experience for students. In March, when schools initially closed due to coronavirus, TIME for Kids was made available digitally, for free, and in multiple languages including Spanish and Chinese, for the first time with the launch of the TIME for Kids digital library, which has been accessed by over 350,000 people in all 50 states across the U.S. and more than 140 countries around the world.
Amazon Prime Day has come and gone and this year, the two day event was the biggest ever for small and medium businesses who sell through Amazon with over $3.5 billion in sales. So what did people buy on Amazon Prime Day this year?
Prime Members saved more than $1.4 million and earned tens of millions of credits through promotions while shopping this year. Here are the top sellers.
Echo Dot
The Amazon Echo Dot was the number one purchased product globally this year. All in all, customers millions of Alexa-enabled devices, and more Fire TVs than last year's Prime Day.
Fire TV Stick 4K
Prime Members love streaming and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K with remote control was one of the top sellers globally this year. The $50 purchase also comes with a remote.
iRobot Roomba Vacuum
iRobot Roomba Vacuums were one of millions of smart home devices purchased on Prime Day. Not only did this little sucker take home the prize for top seller in the U.S., but globally, too.
MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener
Prime members proved they want their deliveries safe and sound in the garage, and that's why the MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener was a best seller again this year. Link to your key app and control where, when and who opens your garage door––no matter your location.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
LifeStraw is a personal water filtration system that is ideal for hiking, camping, backpacking or doing anything where freshwater isn't always available. Shoppers stocked up on this environment-friendly gadget that also gives the gift of clean water for a year for a child in need for every purchase.
LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper Helmet
The force is not strong with this one! The LEGO Star Wars Storm Trooper Helmet building kit was a super popular buy this year, coming in as a top seller globally.
With remote and hybrid learning becoming the norm many kids are missing the excitement of in-person field trips. Kansas City-based Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) decided to create a cure for the “Zoom fatigue” facing countless kids and teachers. Hundreds of students across the country have been treated to surprise virtual field trips when local dairy farmers interrupted their classes with very special guests – their cows!
Family farmers who supply milk to local DFA dairy brands, such as Kemps, and their cows have been welcomed with cheers from the students as each farmer taught how the milk makes it from their farms onto families’ tables.
“It was priceless to see the kid’s reactions as they noticed a not-so-familiar face during our classroom Meet,” said Tricia Casey, a science teacher at Bryn Mawr Elementary School in downtown Minneapolis.
Unbeknownst to Casey’s kindergarten and first-grade students, local dairy farmer Charles Krause and his cow popped into the virtual classroom. “They went from bouncing around with excitement to hyper-engaged as they peppered Mr. Krause with questions,” Casey added.
“Milk from my farm travels less than 50 miles to the Kemps processing plant in Minneapolis,” said Krause. “Dairy milk was a farm-to-table food long before farm-to-table was trendy, and it’s fun to show kids exactly where their next glass comes from.”
Krause, along with family farmers across the Midwest, taught students a little cow biology, discussed the nutritional benefits of simple, wholesome milk and gave students an overview of a cow’s typical day on the farm. Students also learned the steps involved in getting milk ready for drinking, and how it’s transported from the farm to local stores.
“As kids continue to adjust to new ways of learning, we wanted to provide local students with a fun, educational experience that they wouldn’t get in a regular classroom,” said Rachel Kyllo, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Innovation, DFA Dairy Brands. “Making the ‘farm-to-table’ concept relevant for younger generations through the dairy milk they know and love helps spread awareness of the sustainability and local benefits associated with knowing who produces your food.”
On average, milk travels just 315 miles from the farm to a local store. It goes through strict controls to ensure its quality, purity and great taste. Dairy farmers and companies are often local small-business owners, parents, school supporters, and active members of community organizations.
Our series, Family Tales, is an honest peek into the daily lives of families across the country who are on this crazy ride we call parenthood! From divulging childcare costs to breaking down family finances to managing a virtual school year with multiple kids, we tap into the Red Tricycle army of parents to find out how they’re making it work. This series is a judgment-free zone.
Interested in telling your story? Start by filling out our questionnaire here. All stories are anonymous.
The Stark Reality Behind Hybrid Learning in New York City
Name and occupation: Mimi O’Connor, NYC Editor, Red Tricycle
Spouse occupation: Television producer
City: Brooklyn, NY
Grade my kid is in: Third Grade
School set-up in 2020: My daughter attends an NYC public school in Brooklyn. NYC is the only major public school system to attempt a (daunting) mix of in-person and remote (i.e. virtual) learning, dubbed “hybrid.”
When I think about the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year in New York City, a few adages come to mind. For example, “If you don’t like the weather [insert location], wait five minutes,” or “If you want to make god laugh, just tell him your plans.” Also, “OMG WTF I’m losing my mind.” Not only is the situation challenging, the challenging situation keeps changing—the start date, the revised start date, what remote learning looks like., etc.
I believe our school and teachers are doing the best they can and there are other forces at work, but it’s also impossible to plan and the chaos has taken its toll on parents throughout NYC.
Right now, our school week has been a melange of remote-school with some synchronous learning, in-person school and a trial day of a learning pod we’ve been hoping to get together. (It’s been slow-going due to struggles in finding a teacher, navigating differences in priorities and budgets, but we’re making progress.)
Mimi O’Connor
Giving Hybrid a Whirl
Our experience with remote learning in the spring moved us solidly into the option with some in-person teaching, as we found ourselves in an unsustainable place of managing/coaxing/yelling at our daughter about assignments and too much Minecraft—the last of which she’d never even played pre-pandemic. It sucked.
More to the point, our daughter is very social and clearly thrives on/needs the in-person feedback from teachers and fellow students alike. I’ve heard remote learning actually suited some children better, but that’s not our kid.
Are we worried about any of us getting sick? Sure, a bit. But we’re trying to be careful, have faith in our school and at this point are willing to take a calculated risk for the “normal” school experience our daughter has so desperately missed since March.
What Does Hybrid Mean, Exactly?
Better than me trying to to explain how often our daughter goes to in-person school, here’s the school’s “co-hort” schedule for October. (The long answer: on a three week-schedule, she attends every Thursday; on Week One she also attends Tuesday, on Week Two she also attends Monday. So yes, Week Three, she’s in person one day a week.)
Note: To try to set up any kind of learning pod, the kids had to be in the same co-hort, so they would be doing in-person or virtual learning on the same days. (One of our members had to request a switch, and the school was very responsive in making the switch.)
Mimi O’Connor
Waking Up and Getting Up Are Not the Same Thing In Our House
There’s a difference between waking up, and getting up, in our house. While I am often the last one to be conscious (7:30, 7:45 a.m?), my husband and daughter are usually awake before me. It’s not unusual for me to find her in her fancy new tent that she bought with Amazon gift cards watching something on her iPad, or for my husband to ease himself into the day perusing the headlines in bed.
I head down to make coffee—we have a quasi-commercial-grade “velocity brew” Bunn machine that we can prep the night before and makes a pot in about three minutes—and start rattling the cages to get her moving.
Whether I get dressed or not depends on if I’m taking her to school. Typically, I don’t shower, either because I’m sucked into my computer/work or because I have the idea that I’m going to work out later and will sweat so what’s the point. (Sometimes, it does happen, thanks to this slim little treadmill I love.)
Mimi O’Connor
And Now for Something Completely Different: “Real” School
The exciting days we walk to school, line up six-ish feet apart, our daughter gets her temperature checked and in she goes. There are eight kids in her in-person class. As it stands, she’ll go about five days a month, but not only is it good for her mental health, she gets a ton of attention from her two teachers when she is there. (We figure it’s like private school on steroids.)
I picked her up on the first day of in-person school, and while it was a little weird—the kids lined up six feet apart in the school yard—it was also triumphant. When asked how her first day was, my daughter said, “Interesting…” which quickly turned to “AMAZING!!!”
In recent days, our longtime babysitter picks her up and they head to the park, a hotbed of activity for the elementary set and beyond. (We so, so, appreciate this time now—outdoor, free play, with friends—and try to soak up as much as we can while the weather still allows.)
Mimi O’Connor
Remote & Close at Hand
On remote days, our daughter is set up in her room with a desk we had to convince her needed to be cleared off so that she had space to do her work. (It was piled high with graphic novels and the many doo-dads that a third grader accumulates.)
Her remote school day is a mix of “synchronous instruction” (live lessons from her teachers with classmates), followed by offline times for working on assignments connected to those lessons. There is also a morning meeting and closing meeting, and the hours mirror an in-person school day.
She has an Echo Dot in her bedroom—an impulse bargain buy of my husband’s on Prime day I think. We use it to schedule alarms for her different “synchronous learning” sessions throughout the day with teachers and her class, and she uses it to listen to music (the same five pop songs).
Whether she’s remote or in-person, my husband and I share a small office during the day, with one or the other dipping out to other rooms for Zoom meetings and conference calls as needed. We tag team on making lunch, depending on who is busy at that time.
Our daughter’s room is next door to the office, so we’re in tune with what she’s doing (or not doing). She also pops out to ask for help, guidance on how to spell a word, report on what she just finished, etc. (She also comes in demanding food, messing with us and generally distracting us. I can’t blame her, but it makes us considerably less productive and more frazzled than when she’s not here.)
Sometimes we prompt her to put in a little more effort—say, write more than one, phoned-in sentence for an answer, and generally this does not go well. (See: the importance of a teacher that’s not us, and her peers.)
Julie Chervinsky
Building a Pod: Not So Easy—or Cheap!
Which leads us to the pod. Parents around the country have been abuzz about pandemic learning pods, and those in New York City are no different. We’d established a very informal pandemic “bubble” by early-summer, doing some careful, masked, outdoor play dates with a couple of families so that the kids, who were clearly suffering, would not go insane.
The idea of returning to remote learning and experiencing a do-over of the spring was not an option, even if virtual learning would be more robust in the fall. Our small bubble pow-wowed about putting together a remote-day “pod”, brainstorming activities and possible outside solutions. Our goal is to have some kind on in-person support for the kids on remote days, helping them with both their class assignments, and, when possible, providing additional enrichment/mental stimulation.
We soon learned that prices ranged from costing a fortune ($10,000 per kid), to costing a smaller fortune ($35/hour/kid), to affordable for some, with a person who probably wasn’t up to providing the academic support we hoped for. (It seems like certified teachers were snapped up by the “pod-organizing services”, which charge a significant markup for their match-making.) Of course, we’re all well aware that having any additional funds to support kids’ learning in this time is a luxury. It does not feel great, but we’re doing it.
We didn’t need a lifer Golden Apple-award winner, and I searched for a plucky grad student by calling programs in the city, reaching out to alumni groups on LinkedIn and in forums on Facebook, but to no avail.
Finally, as it often happens in New York, “my husband’s cousin’s tutor” was highly recommended. (But for real that is how we found her.) She had someone who worked for her who seemed good, and we set up a trial at one of the pod members’ house, crossing our fingers and praying it could work.
We dropped her off at 10:30 a.m. and picked her up at 2 p.m., finding a scene of studious third graders working on a writing exercise in their notebooks. This was followed up by a math and engineering lesson from a recent college grad/older sibling. By all accounts, it was a much-needed success. Of course, we are still ironing out all the details, but hope to start soon. (AKA, ASAP!)
iStock
Dinner, or, My Secret Shame
I think my husband and I are pretty OK parents in many respects. We try to expose our kid to lots of people and experiences, develop her emotional intelligence and independence and let her be who she is (not who we “want” her to be) among other things.
But, guilty confession, we don’t eat dinner together as a family. Occasionally, we have something called “family dinner”, where we do prepare a meal, or order in and eat together “like a normal family,” but generally, my daughter eats her dinner in the early evening, and yes, sometimes, often, she does it watching TV. We’ll often watch together, and bond, chatting about whatever show we pick. I find reality shows like Project Runway are an excellent way to point out and discuss the very best and worst aspects of human behavior, failure and success, focus and determination, etc.
My husband and I eat much later, after our daughter’s evening routine of teeth, pajamas, and reading (we read to her, a ritual left over from when we started the Harry Potter series a while back, and now it’s a nice way to end the day. We’re currently on book one of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Recommend!)
We finally sit down for dinner and a stolen hour of escapism in front of the TV around 10 p.m. Perhaps even more scandalous, we don’t even eat the same thing—I eat a lot of salmon, flounder and DIY Mexican; he does mostly salads, grilled chicken and chili. Occasionally, we order in sushi if we’re feeling fancy. One of us often falls asleep on the couch before our show is done. We ooze into the bedroom, hit the hay and start again in the morning.
Mimi O’Connor
Post script: As I was finishing this, on a day before my daughter was to return to in-person learning, our school—located near an area with an uptick in Covid infections—closed for two weeks. This of course, changes the landscape again.
When I told her the news she was devastated. It was heart-breaking. A school parent hastily-organized a press conference for the next day, and I dragged my daughter along, encouraging her to do something with her anger rather than “eat a spoonful of frosting because she was depressed.” (No lie: that’s what said.)
To say my daughter enjoys being the center of attention is a bit of an understatement. She stepped up to the mics and talked about how much she loved in-person learning, and the precautions the school is taking, and yeah, we’re very proud. (She is a bit more concerned with how many people saw her on TV and the “likes” she may have garnered on a councilman’s Twitter feed, but I’m hoping my praise for speaking her mind and taking action registers in the headiness of her new found “fame.”
This fall our schedules are ever-changing and the “morning craze” is real whether your kids are in school full-time, hybrid or remote. Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats knows how embarrassing a growling stomach from missing breakfast can be. Inspired by real families’ stories, Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats’ Morning Craze game serves up helpings of hilarity, perfect for adults and kids alike
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats’ Morning Craze is the first board game designed with cereal-lovers in mind. Your beloved whole wheat cereal can help you avoid those awkward mishaps that occur if you miss breakfast, like snacking on your grocery order while you are standing in the check-out lane.
Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley — comedians, best friends, mothers and creators of the #IMOMSOHARD community — know firsthand how accidentally skipping the first meal of the day brings on “The Growl.” True to their brand, they aren’t afraid to laugh about it.
“Parenting has been turned on its head in 2020, and with most family activities being relegated to our homes, the ‘morning craze’ is more real than ever,” Hensley said. “We’re Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats superfans and Morning Craze gives us much-needed comic relief.”
Smedley agreed. “We need laughs with our kids and love to get them around the table. Whether it’s at breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, snacktime, dinner or over a take-no-prisoners game round — we’re here for more crazy fun,” she said.
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats wants to give families a chance to bring more than just breakfast to the kitchen table. Starting today, fans can enter for a chance to win their own Morning Craze board game and a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats. Simply visit kfr.com/MorningCraze and submit a growl story of your own and you could win the only game (and cereal) that helps the whole family silence “The Growl.”
In Morning Craze, you’ll face “The Growl” together and travel around the game board to brave the silly consequences of missing your morning bowl of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, while gathering pieces of cereal as you go. Beware: If “The Growl” gets you, like when you score the game winning goal in the other team’s net, you’ll be forced to face the fallout. The player who ends up with the most Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats pieces silences “The Growl” and wins.
“Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats solves your breakfast dilemma and keeps ‘The Growl’ at bay,” said Daya Pillai, brand manager for Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats. “Morning Craze embraces the humor of jam-packed morning schedules and allows families to poke fun at their own growl stories.”
Join the conversation on social using #FrostedMiniWheats and #MorningCraze, and hear more from #IMOMSOHARD on Facebook and Instagram. For more information, follow @FrostedMiniWheats on Facebook and Instagram and visit FrostedMiniWheats.com.
Social media is overflowing with first day of school photos of our children sitting at their Instagram-worthy desks ready to learn from home. We’re all smiling for the camera, but behind the scenes the reality might be a wee bit rockier. We’re entering a school year full of uncertainty, but there’s one thing I know for sure: Transitioning to remote work is no joke.
At my job, I’ve been working remotely and managing fully-remote teams for four years. As a mom, I’m now also managing two boys who are tackling school work full time from home. Unlike in the spring when this remote learning experience was just getting started, teacher expectations are higher this fall. My children are expected to join Zoom calls for 4-5 hours each day and fully participate with cameras on.
What I’ve observed with my children and their friends is they are struggling with the transition to remote work in ways that mirror what I’ve seen in employees when they start a remote job for the first time. Adult or child, going remote is a huge transition that requires some trial and error to find what works best for you. Here are some common issues I’ve seen during the transition to remote work and how I’ve coached my employees through these rough patches. The same advice can help our kids with their own transition.
1. Lack of Focus: When you’re working from home it’s so easy to get distracted. Your dog looks like he needs a cuddle, there’s a message alert on your phone, and your neighbors are cutting their lawn. It’s hard to stay focused when there’s so much going on around you.
I’m a huge fan of old-fashioned to-do lists to help stay on track. Your child can keep a notebook or planner by their computer and before they start their day, encourage them to take a few minutes to list out what they want to accomplish that day. It could be just showing up on time to all their classes, completing homework assignments or volunteering to speak in classes.
For my own to-do list, I like to list things in order of importance so that when I start to drift away, I can use my list to center myself and remind myself of what I most want to accomplish. And don’t forget to cross things off your list as you go along. The very act of crossing something off your to-do list gives your brain a positive jolt that can help energize you for the next task.
There’s also a more high-tech solution to building focus that I recommend: noise-canceling headphones. These days it’s not unusual for four members of my family to be on Zoom calls simultaneously. Talk about a distraction! My noise-canceling headphones are my favorite pandemic purchase. They help me tune out most of the distractions when I need to concentrate.
2. Missing Social Interactions: Whether you’re transitioning from an office or a classroom, moving to full-time remote means missing out on in-person social interactions. I’ve seen this drawback of remote work be the hardest part of the shift for more social people. For others, it’s not a big deal at all. There’s no substitute for those spontaneous conversations that happen in the lunchroom or hallway, but there are some things you can do to make sure your children are still socializing and creating bonds if they’re missing them.
As an overtaxed parent, you may not like this advice, but you probably need to schedule time for your kids to chat. At my current job, we schedule virtual “coffee talks.” These informal get-togethers give us a chance to catch up and chat about anything and everything.
For kids, you can schedule calls with remote tools like Zoom or FaceTime so they can meet up with a few of their friends during their lunch break. While they eat, they can still have those relaxed conversations they’d have in the cafeteria or recess. Yes, it’s more screen time, but talking socially can be a real pick-me-up to help you power through the rest of your day.
3. Zoom Fatigue is Real: Simply put, staring at a screen all day really wipes you out mentally.
It’s important to take advantage of the breaks you get. I recommend that my employees don’t spend the five minutes between Zoom calls surfing the web or checking their emails. It’s important to get up out of your seat and move. Walking around is great, but don’t stop there. Throw in a few jumping jacks, air squats, or push-ups to shake off the mental fatigue.
Here’s the Thing: At work, I’ve seen some people transition to remote work almost seamlessly. They’re focused, productive, and happy working remotely. Others struggle and ultimately give up on it. Our kids are the same. Some will thrive and others will struggle. There’s no magic solution that will work for all children. This transition to remote learning requires patience, creative thinking, and kindness. Through trial and error, hopefully, your children will find their own version of remote work that works for them.
