Parenting in public

Plus: The secret to retiring with $800,000

View this email online Today’s newsletter is brought to you by digital editor Malaka Gharib Nicolás Ortega for NPR A few weeks ago, my 18-month-old son was at a kid's party. And he did something I was not prepared for: He grabbed another child's shirt, then stole a dump truck toy from his hand!  As a first-time mom, I did not know what to do in that moment. The other child started crying and his mom came to comfort him. My son looked on, confused, but didn't give the dump truck back.  I knew this was common behavior in toddlers. Maybe my kid just wanted to play with the other kid and didn't know how to connect. So I didn't want to discourage that. But I did want to say something -- to my child, the other child and his mother -- to address the incident.  Celina Benavides, a developmental psychologist, has some good ideas of what to do in this situation. She talked to journalist Emily Siner for Life Kit about how to parent in public (including how to deal with meltdowns -- and prevent them in the future!).  Tips on how to parent in public Benavides says as long as no one is in physical danger, my role is to help my kid figure out how to name and resolve the dilemma.  I might say: "I see that we only have this one toy and both of you want that. What can we do?" Then I should ask questions and wait for the kids to come up with a solution. "What if we try taking turns? What would that look like?" At first, I thought this approach felt a bit too advanced for my toddler. How would he possibly understand that concept? But when I mulled it over, I thought it was a good mindset to carry with me as he gets older. I'm essentially giving him the tools to solve interpersonal problems for himself.  I did end up telling my kid to give the dump truck back. And I apologized to the mom and the other kid on my child's behalf. She wasn't bothered. In fact, she said her kid does that too. And in a matter of minutes, both kids had moved on to another toy. Typical toddlers!    How to prevent your kid from having a meltdown in public Newsletter continues after sponsor message We asked, you answered: Your bathing habits Malaka Gharib/NPR Yesterday, we asked NPR's Instagram audience to tell us about their bathing habits in a 24-hour poll. Here's what you had to say:  ⏲️ How long is your typical shower?  Less than five minutes: 11%  Less than ten minutes: 46%  Less than 20 minutes: 34%  Over 20 minutes: 9% What do you use to wash your body?  🧽 Loofah: 29% ◻️ Washcloth: 25% 🖐 Neither: 46% Is it better to use bar soap or liquid?  🧼 Bar soap: 46% 🧴 Liquid soap: 54% Listen Sponsor-Free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening AND that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with making a difference. You can also check out loads of other NPR+ podcasts with benefits at plus.npr.org. Checklist: Are you ready to vote? Vidhya Nagarajan for NPR Are you ready to vote? See how many boxes you can tick with our checklist. Then take a screenshot of this resource and share with others on social media. Read our full guide for more details on how to vote in 2024. This week on Life Kit Cha Pornea for NPR Gen Z, here's the secret to retiring with $800,000. If you're just starting out in your career, it's not too early to start saving funds in a retirement account. But you might have questions: How much should you stash away? How often? Read the story here. How to prepare for a hurricane. An intensifying Helene approaches Florida as southeastern states brace for impact. Here are 5 tips and strategies to help you weather the storm. Read the story here. Dear Life Kit: My wife wants to use the last of our savings for a fourth round of IVF. An NPR listener says they are ready to adopt a child and move on from in vitro fertilization. But their wife is focused on having a baby. Read the story here. Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy