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Greg Sullivan
February 06, 2026
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"Predictability makes kids happy."
When it comes to parenting, sometimes the simplest reframing of how you discipline can make all the difference. In a YouTube video, pediatric occupational therapist Emma Hubbard shares a tip she describes as the "Japanese rule that changes everything."
It's a method called "Shitsuke," which she explains literally translates to "discipline." She claims it's the "one simple rule that Japanese parents follow that helps create calm, respectful, and obedient children."
Hubbard makes it clear from the jump that although the word translates to "discipline," it doesn't carry the same meaning it does in Western culture. Instead, it's about getting ahead of behavioral issues rather than responding to them.
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Where is Brian? Brian is in the kitchen.
By Heather Wake
If you find yourself in France and the name Brian pops up, there’s a good chance it’ll be met with the question, “Where is Brian?” There is only one correct answer to this question: “Brian is in the kitchen.”
But…why is this the correct answer? And how is this a joke? To get to the bottom of this quandary, you’ll have to go back in time to the 1970s, or to a video posted on Instagram by travel content creator Roya Fox.
As Fox explains in the clip, “Where is Brian?” is one of France’s most famous jokes, which references a widely popular vintage English-speaking textbook for 6th graders, titled méthode Speak English Classe de 6e.
The last one got me. 😭
She calls it a "birthday tradition that will change your teenager's life."
By Heather Wake
Turning sixteen is considered a milestone. It symbolizes the beginning of the transition from childhood to young adulthood, and the start of new privileges, responsibilities, and identities.
Many families celebrate this new chapter with some kind of “Sweet 16” ritual. Depending on one’s culture, it might go by a different name, such as a bar/bat mitzvah (when a boy/girl turns 13 in Jewish culture) or a quinceañera,, (when a girl turns 15 in Latin American culture). Each celebration involves slightly different traditions, but generally have the same intention of commemorating a child’s newfound maturity.
A mom who posts parenting tips under the handle of @simplyonpurpose recently shared her unique take on a “Sweet 16,” which she hails as “a birthday tradition that will change your teenager’s life.”
She calls it the “Coming of Age Brunch.”
"That service was PACKED."
When Alisha Michele picked up her phone to record her 5-year-old daughter Azariah singing at a Barbie's funeral in 2021, she couldn't have imagined the places their family would go. Sure, she knew the whole family (herself and her two kids) were ultra talented, musically, but that doesn't always translate to fandom.
Just recently, Alisha (@Alishahasfavor) was digging through old videos and posted a "Barbie funeral" online, garnering millions of likes and tens of thousands of comments on an Instagram Reel. The chyron reads, "One of my daughter's dolls passed and she had to sing at the funeral." Realizing that obviously her kids are talented, Michele also noted the humor of it all. "I'm so glad she's done playing with dolls because somebody was killing them off. Just laugh with me."