Ongoing aftershocks could be larger.

Promising results.

UTL COMMENT:- Why are the videos to these things always so blurry? Bogus or not? YOU decide....

In post-pandemic America, a majority of teachers believe that education is heading in the wrong direction. Among their greatest concerns are children's dependence on smartphones, a growing sense of entitlement among students and parents, low pay, and growing mental health behavioral problems among students.These problems have made many teachers consider new professions. A 2023 poll of 1,200 teachers found that 40% of public school teachers have either seriously considered leaving the profession or are planning to do so by the end of the year. Nearly all said they understand why other teachers have quit. A veteran teacher recently admitted she was ready to quit her job at a private high school. The problem is that the school has ceded power to its counselors, who have made their students’ feelings the top priority. This makes the classroom nearly impossible to manage. A stressed math teacher.via Canva/Photos“The counselors believe every student's feeling needs to be acknowledged,” the teacher wrote. “If a student is talking while the teacher is talking and a teacher tells them to stop they complain to their counselor that their teacher is picking on them. The counselor acknowledges their feelings as ‘real’ and repeatedly tells them their feelings are ok. That feelings are never wrong to have.”“These kids are high school age and are smart enough to weaponize this power. They've already made me cry once this year and I had another teacher come to my room crying,” the teacher continued. “I'm thinking about quitting either soon or in December. Is this a new trend in education? I know kids and parents have changed, but I've never worked at a school where the counselors make it so much worse.”“Maybe I'm getting too old for this modern bubble wrapping of kids emotions at the expense of others around them,” she concluded her post on Reddit’s Teacher’s forum.The school counselors appear to be pushing an idea recently popular in psychology circles: feelings should always be honored and never questioned. Michael Karson, Ph.D., refers to this as the "Tyranny of Emotion" in Psychology Today. "Privileging emotion is like privileging one’s own hunger or lust, an essentially narcissistic approach to gratification that leaves others at the mercy of one’s whims. Instead of demanding compliance with our feelings, we ought to be learning how to manage them," he writes. A super stressed teacher.via Canva/PhotosThe teacher’s story rallied a lot of support for her, with fellow educators chiming in to explain the phenomenon she’s experiencing and share examples of how they’re handling it.One of the teachers believes that the overwhelming focus on feelings will lead to real problems for students as they age."I really resent that teaching has been conflated with therapy. We are not trained to nurture the emotions of 30 children simultaneously, while also teaching them. I couldn't do it. I don't do it. … It sounds like instead of just 'acknowledging' feelings, there is some entitlement attached to having a feeling. That students and the councelling department have run with the idea that feelings are facts and need constant accommodation. It's not a helpful practice to amplify teenagers negative emotions and put them on a pedestal, to the point where they are aware of how to manipulate adults. Students need support... with professionals and family.The repercussions of this bubble zone will manifest in negative ways throughout adulthood. Students will become entitled, defensive, righteous, self-involved, disappointed when faced with challenges where their feelings aren't valued.Another teacher noted that the over-emphasis on feelings neglects other important parts of social-emotional learning (SEL). "Uh no. SEL has 5 core competencies. The first is self-awareness. Yes, the students should have feelings and feelings are important. The second competency is self-management. Now that we've identified this feeling, how can we self-regulate so we can still be productive in class? It seems your counseling department only got 20% of the training on SEL? Lol."Another commenter helped make sense of the situation by suggesting a practical way forward for the teacher.“I would ask and email your admin about it. Tell them your situation and how its affecting instruction. If they have your back, there you go. If they don't, I'd quit.”

In the timeless struggle between toddlers and naptime, sleep invariably emerges victorious. A viral TikTok video featuring young Stella encapsulates this universal truth, resonating with parents worldwide. In the clip, shared by Stella's mother, @lobeeston, she recounts how her daughter adamantly insisted she wasn't tired and refused to nap. However, when the family later called out, "Stella, where are you?" they discovered her fast asleep at the foot of the stairs, face down and utterly exhausted. This endearing scene has garnered over 3.9 million views and 700,000 likes, with countless parents sharing their own humorous nap-time battles in the comments. @lobeeston Took 30 minutes to wake her from this slumber hahah ♬ original sound - Lo Beeston Why do toddlers resist naps? Stella's sudden slumber is a familiar scenario for many parents. But what drives toddlers to resist napping? via GIPHY According to pediatric sleep consultant Camila Martelo, a Pediatric Sleep Consultant, it's a combination of developmental milestones and a desire for independence. "Toddlers are becoming increasingly aware of their surroundings and may fear missing out on exciting activities or time with family members." — Camila Martelo Additionally, as toddlers grow, their sleep patterns evolve. Many transition from two naps to one between 14 and 18 months, and some begin skipping naps altogether between 3 and 5 years old. ( The Baby Sleep Site) Expert tips for handling nap refusalvia GIPHY Navigating nap resistance can be challenging, but experts offer strategies to ease the process: Establish a consistent, calming pre-nap routine: A soothing and predictable routine helps signal to your toddler that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. (Huckleberry Care) Pay attention to timing: Ensure that naps are scheduled appropriately to prevent overtiredness, which can make it harder for toddlers to settle down. Create a calming nap environment: Minimize distractions and create a sleep-friendly environment to help your toddler relax. Offer choices and give them some control: Allowing your toddler to have a say in their nap routine can reduce resistance. Be consistent and patient: Maintaining a consistent approach and being patient can help your toddler adjust to nap times. While parenting through the toddler years can be exhausting, Stella's nap adventure serves as a humorous reminder to find joy in the chaos. Moments like these—when a defiant "I'm not tired!" ends in an impromptu snooze—become cherished memories.via GIPHY

Nothing ruins a moviegoing experience quite like crying, screaming, rambunctious (i.e. noisy) children. Between that and someone filming a key scene on their phone…it’s hard to tell which is a bigger buzzkill. We get it—kids will be kids. It’s not their fault they’re not exactly wired to sit still for 2+ hours. But too many times exhausted parents just sort of let their kids run amok, as though the theater is their own personal playground, which is…frustrating, to say the least. And even more baffling when it happens during a movie not even geared towards kids. Ratings are there for a reason, people!Of course, it can’t be easy for parents either. They want to offer their children the magic of seeing films on the big screen, and movie theaters fit the bill for reasonably priced family activities—a list that grows shorter and shorter all the time. So simply “waiting until they're old enough” doesn't feel like the perfect solution either. One movie theater chain, Cinépolis USA, seems to have a brilliant idea for keeping everyone happy, by making a theater just for kids. In a TikTok posted by art teacher and dad Austyn de Lugo Liston, we get a glimpse into Cinépolis’ "Junior Theaters," which is designed specifically for toddlers. Liston, who took his kids to see Moana 2, shared that this is the only theater we ever take our youngest two kids to because they're not really ready for the full movie theater experience where they sit and just watch for two hours.”After watching his video, it’s easy to see why his kids love it. It features a ton of play areas reminiscent of a McDonald's PlayPlace—tunnels, play pens, fun little orbs that the little can crawl into, you name it. Listen said families are able to get in half an hour early to allow kiddos get out some of that energy before settling in for the movie. @austynliston Cinépolis Junior Theater #cinepolis #toddler #parenting #losangeles #thingstodolosangeles #familyfriendly #juniortheater @Cinépolis USA ♬ original sound - Austyn de Lugo Liston Plus, each movie in the Junior Theater has a 15-minute intermission for a potty break, which is something I know a lot of adults would like in their own movie.All in all, Liston felt that “it's a great way to start easing kids into movie theater etiquette where you're not too scared that they're going to cry and ruin the experience for someone else because everyone in the theater is either a little kid or the parent of a little kid.”Still, others who saw the video had some reservations. Primarily, people were concerned that this just instilled bad moviegoing habits for later in life. “Isn’t this teaching the kids they can go crazy at the movies?” one person asked. Another remarked, “That’s definitely not easing them into any etiquette.”Still another wrote. “I feel like this just teaches them not to sit still during a movie. Cause once they hit the ‘right age’ they’re not going to be able to just sit through the movie.”A few still argued that the best method was to simply wait until they're old enough. As one person put it, “or...take your kids to the movies when they are old enough to sit still...for this just take them to a play place.”However, there were a few notable clapbacks to some of these criticisms. For one, someone said “with this logic the playgrounds at McDonalds teaches them not to sit still during a meal.” Which is a fair point. Sitting still, whether at dinner or a movie theater, is a skill that develops in kids over time. Working with where they are now isn’t going to change that. Another pointed out that play areas at movies isn’t an entirely new concept. Back in the days of drive-in theaters, many spots did in fact have playgrounds for families. Considering the alternative (families either missing out on bringing young kids to movies entirely or, more likely, bringing them to regular theaters and waiting for the inevitable cacophony to happen) this seems like a win-win for everyone. Now if only they made potluck style theater specifically made for people who don’t want to buy concessions. Ready to find a Junior Theater near you? Click here.

My friend's grandmother was in her 90s when she died, leaving behind a beautiful extended family, a lovely life legacy and boxes upon boxes of things nobody wanted or had any use for. Grams loved to travel and had souvenirs from various places. She kept decades of greeting cards and knicknacks she'd collected. As family members went through her belongings, they kept a few things here and there—a piece of jewelry, a recipe box, a silver serving spoon. Most of her furniture, clothing and other useful things were sold or given away, but most of her personal items—old albums, mementos, etc.—ended up being thrown away. It was a good lesson for all of us.The things we keep for "sentimental value" often have the least value to anyone else. No one, family or stranger alike, wants hundreds of photos of people they don't know and memories that aren't theirs. No one wants a keepsake figurine from a trip they didn't go on with a date that means nothing to them. The things that hold sentimental value for one person are meaningless to everyone else, and the more our lives become saturated with "stuff," the more we are in danger of holding onto too many things because of the memories or meaning we attach to them. We see it when we try to declutter our homes and have a hard time because of the "sentimental value" of certain things. Parents hesitate when it's time to purge the baby stuff, as all those adorable items remind us of when our kids were little. It happens when we hold onto the hat we bought at Disneyland even though we never ever wear it because it reminds us of our awesome family vacation. The china we inherited that we never eat off of, the plaque we got for outstanding achievement, the favorite book that's falling apart—all of that stuff we keep because "It's a memory!" accumulates. via GIPHYThe problem is that eventually other people have to deal with our stuff.If people want to collect mementos and keepsakes and hold onto everything anyone ever gives them, that's their right, of course. Some people are more sentimental and nostalgic than others and some people place more meaning on things than others. We can philosophize all day about whether and to what degree people should be detached from material things, but the reality is that every person has their own relationship to stuff that they have to navigate emotionally. What is universal, though, is that someone will have to deal with our stuff when we die, and the more stuff we have, the more work we end up placing on their shoulders. Going through someone's belongings takes time and prompts a million decisions, which quickly becomes overwhelming. It's even harder when a lot of those belongings clearly meant something to them but mean nothing to anyone else. via GIPHYIt didn't used to be like this, at least not to this level. Average people didn't used to have so many belongings they had to pay for spaces to store it all. We are inundated with stuff, and the more things we attach sentimental value to the more in danger we are of leaving way too much for our loved ones to sort through.Things aren't memories. They are only memory triggers. Our memories live in our minds, not in material things. All sentimental items do is trigger our memories, but we don't need physical items to keep our memories alive. So the question is, how do we keep the triggers without keeping all the things? Photos are some of the best memory triggers, and in the digital age, it's easier than ever to utilize them. If there is an item you're having a hard time parting with for sentimental reasons, take a photo of it and keep it in a "Mementos" folder. A photo of something isn't exactly the same as the real thing, but it can fulfill the same purpose. Sentimental value is all about memories, and seeing the thing in a photo will still trigger those.I'm not suggesting people never hold onto anything at all for sentimental reasons, but most things we keep as keepsakes don't really need to be kept. It's the memories we treasure, not the items that trigger the memories, so unless a thing has some actual tangible value or some sort of genuine sensory element that would be lost in a photo, take a snapshot and let go of the thing itself.The more we can disconnect our memories from our physical things—or at least find ways to document those sentimental value items that trigger memories instead of holding onto them—the less overwhelming our living spaces will be for us in the now and the less burden we'll leave for others in the future.

Oftentimes when people think of psychotic disorders like schizophrenia there's an level of fear that comes along with it. Media has conditioned people to be afraid of those with psychotic disorders. They're almost always portrayed as out of control, dangerous and physically dirty. Memorable encounters with psychotic people outside of television and movies usually involve seeing an unhoused person deep in conversation with something only they can see. These are not situations that make for positive frames of reference for psychosis or what a well managed psychotic disorder can look like. There's also an immense amount of stigma behind the word "psychotic." When people hear that word they automatically associate it with someone who is "crazy," not an actual mental health disorder that can be managed with medication. Elyn Saks is a law professor at University of Southern California and legal scholar has lived with schizophrenia for several decades, racking up hundreds of days in hospitals due to her psychosis, yet no one would be the wiser if they passed her at a grocery store. Saks doesn't fit the stereotype of the media portrayal of a psychotic person but she is in deed psychotic. woman lying on bed Photo by Yuris Alhumaydy on Unsplash "Psycho" or "psychotic" is referenced in songs, television shows and even titles of movies like "American Psycho," portraying it as people with extremely unpredictable, dangerous behaviors. The two words are typically used interchangeably though they're not actually the same thing. Pyscho is short for psychopathy, which is a characteristic of Antisocial Personality Disorder, while psychotic encompasses visual and auditory hallucinations along with paranoia and more. Saks is no stranger to they symptoms of psychosis, "when I'm psychotic I often have the delusion that I've killed hundreds of thousands of people with my thoughts. I sometimes have the idea that nuclear explosions are about to be set off in my brain. Occasionally I have hallucinations, like one time I turned around and saw a man with a raised knife. Imagine having a nightmare when you're awake."In her 2012 TedTalk, she explains that everyone's psychotic experiences are different before explaining some key characteristics. Due to the severity of her schizophrenia, Saks' mental health team did not think she would be a fully successful member of society. The team of doctors on one of her many psychiatric hospital stays explain that her condition has a poor prognosis."As a young woman I was in a psychiatric hospital on three different occasions for lengthy periods. My doctors diagnosed me with chronic schizophrenia and gave me a prognosis of "grave." That is at best I was expected to live in a board and care and work at menial jobs. Fortunately I did not actually enact that grave prognosis, instead I'm a chaired professor of law, psychology and psychiatry at the USC Gould Center of Law, I have many close friends, and I have a beloved husband Will," Saks shares. Saks describes her experiences in psychiatric hospitals in America that can only be summed up as traumatic. She shares the violence used against her when she was involuntarily committed saying, "once there, someone I'll just call the doctor, and his whole team of goons swooped down, lifted me high into the air and slammed me down on a metal bed with such force that I saw stars. Then they strapped my legs and arms to the metal bed with thick leather straps."The involuntary commitment that she experienced was not due to her being a danger to herself or others. She was simply speaking in gibberish, this was her third hospitalization but her first in the American healthcare system. The mistreatment, stripping of autonomy and use of medical restraints are not uncommon for people with psychotic disorders. But for those who have an extensive support system and a higher education like Saks, the outcomes of a serious mental health diagnosis can be vastly different.Reducing the stigma around psychotic disorders can also play a large role in more positive outcomes for people. Between brave people like Saks stepping up to tell their stories and organizations like Hearing Voices Network, an impact can be made towards further destigmatization. The Hearing Voices Network is an international nonprofit that not only trains people to facilitate groups for people living with psychosis but they also provide free resources and support for people that experience it. Being around psychotic people doesn't have to be scary. You're likely around them every day, in the office, at school or at your kid's soccer practice. You're just not aware because they don't look like the people we have been conditioned to fear. Medication and therapy can go a long way and Saks is proof of how successful those with severe mental illnesses.

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