StockPlanets/E+/Getty ImagesYou can’t do it all. And early on as a parent, I found that out by burning out completely while trying to be the perfect mother. One of the first things I abandoned to reestablish my sanity? Not trying to cook three from-scratch meals for my family every day while also trying to parent, work, and clean. Let’s face it: if you’re in the parenting business, you better have a few incredibly easy go-to meals up your sleeve and you better be able to produce them in minutes. Over on Reddit, one parent wanted to crowd source more easy meal ideas, and they were not playing. “Hit me with your single EASIEST healthy kid dinner!!! If a cutting board is involved it’s too hard. If you’re blending something it’s WAY too hard. If even a single pot or pan is involved, I’m still listening but I’m suspicious.” Love this. Love that no one is beating around the bush here. We don’t want a mess. We don’t want effort. We don’t want dishes. Just get the bellies full and let’s move on. The poster also gave an example of their favorite easy kid meal go-to: “Microwave a sweet potato. Scoop out the inside. Microwave some canned chili. Throw together. Meal!” Down in the comments, parents delivered. First off all, every listed “kid charcuterie,” although it goes by different names, like “snack dinner” and “muffin tin dinner.” You are familiar with this: a bunch of little snacks on a plate that barely require cutting or effort. Hell, I still eat this for more meals than I like to admit to. Here are some other brilliant kid dinner ideas from the crowd: “Costco rotisserie chicken, 90 second rice in a bag from Aldi, frozen veg in a bag. Serve all things directly from bags to plate.” “Quesadilla. Don’t even cut it.” “I put a fried egg, half an avocado and seasoned seaweed on top of rice with some soy sauce and sesame oil.” “Chicken nuggets in an air fryer. Slice up some peppers. Just do it in your hand, a cutting board isn’t necessary.” “frozen potstickers+broccoli+microwave frozen sticky rice” “Frozen meatballs and instant mashed potatoes. Toss some veggies on the side if you’re feeling ambitious.”“Naan, hummus, cut up cucumber.” “Canned tomato soup and toast with cheese.”“I get a rotisserie chicken from any local supermarket and throw some in a taco shell with guacamole and shredded cheese.”“Trader Joe’s orange chicken, bag of frozen broccoli in microwave, bag of rice in microwave.”“Pizza chicken. Breaded chicken patty. Bake for half time flip add pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese bake for second half. Serve with rice, pasta, Mac and cheese and frozen veggies.”“Oatmeal with peanut butter, maybe some chocolate or bananas on the side (just to chomp bites out of)”“Pigs in a blanket.”“We call it “mac and peas”. Box of Annie’s or Goodles, pour in some frozen peas.”Hope everyone found some good ideas in there — or at least that you now feel better about your parenting and meal plan. Here’s to another day of keeping our children alive.

Vera Livchak/Moment/Getty ImagesIt’s a common trope among the deadbeat dads of the world: Their ex-wife’s a bitch, she keeps their kids away from them, they never got a chance to be a dad, blah blah blah. The system isn’t perfect, and I’m sure there are some good dudes out there genuinely fighting to be in their kids’ lives — but fighting is the key word. In many cases, the deadbeats whining for sympathy are just trying to ease their own guilt, usually crying about it to a new woman they want to impress.It gets worse when those women start perpetuating the same bullsh*t.In a recent episode of a podcast available through her Patreon, former Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry claimed that her new boyfriend — who has an 8-year-old daughter whose life he is reportedly not involved in — was “robbed of fatherhood.” According to social media, though, he is not a dad in any meaningful sense beyond biology.“I do think there are periods where he could’ve done more,” Lowry says on the podcast, referencing her partner’s relationship with his daughter. “I’ve said that to him.” But then she continues: “He was robbed. I don’t care what she — what her camp — has to say. I know what I saw, I know what I read, I know what conversations I’ve listened to, and he was robbed. As a father.”Girl.Why are we going to bat for deadbeats?It has to be said that Lowry has been a public figure for a long time, and we’ve seen her try to push her children’s biological fathers out of their lives to make room for new partners. We’ve heard her villainize women who date her exes and play a role in her children’s lives. We’ve literally watched her move states away from her first child’s biological father, and then become upset when that dad moved to be closer and more involved with their son. Since the podcast episode aired, Lowry has followed up via Instagram story, saying she plans to apologize to the mother of her partner’s child because she needs to “stay in her lane.” But that attitude is painfully familiar. It’s common among deadbeat dads and the new women in their lives who rush to defend them. And hearing Lowry insist she knows what’s really going on between her partner and his ex — that she knows he’s being denied a chance at fatherhood — makes me viscerally angry. I’ve been the mother of a child with a deadbeat dad.I’ve listened to my ex, who never once asked to see his infant daughter after I left, suddenly demand visitation. He wanted me to pump for our exclusively breastfed baby so she could stay overnight with him... and his new girlfriend.He would be months behind on child support — child support I voluntarily reduced to a third of what our divorce orders required — while his girlfriend posted on Facebook about how I was a bad mom because my 2-year-old still used a sippy cup.There were months when my daughter screamed every time I tried to leave her with him. He’d ask me to come pick her up early, only to turn around weeks later and accuse me of stealing his time when she had strep and had to go to the doctor (for which he wanted “proof”). His girlfriend, meanwhile, would write online about what a “damn good dad” he was.Here’s the truth: We don’t know the full details of anyone else’s co-parenting relationship. But, truly, nobody goes harder for a deadbeat dad than his new girlfriend. Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it’s denial or guilt. It doesn’t matter because the result is always the same: rewriting reality to protect a grown man’s ego. Be a girl’s girl. If your new boyfriend has an 8-year-old daughter he’s reportedly never even met, please don’t assume it’s his ex who “robbed” him of fatherhood.If he wanted to be a dad, he’d be a dad.Later in the interview (during which Lowry’s new partner says next to nothing and looks like a little boy whose mom is explaining something to the principal), Lowry goes on to say she can’t understand the child’s mother’s position because there was no domestic abuse involved — implying there’s no reason he shouldn’t be included in raising her daughter.You know... maybe he could include himself? He could lawyer up and take his ex to court. He could take accountability for his mistakes and ask what it would take to earn the chance to be a father. But that would be too much work, wouldn’t it?My own situation turned out exactly how I always knew it would. My ex remained a disengaged, every-other-weekend dad. The only time he pushed for more was when his mother or his girlfriend got involved. When my daughter was 6, she refused to go to his house for the first time. And for the first time ever, he didn’t fight it. Later, she told me why. My ex’s girlfriend (now his wife) would argue with my 6-year-old over why she couldn’t call my husband, the man who actually raised her, “Daddy.” It then came out, in spurts, the emotional abuse: locking her alone in the house if she refused to eat green beans, or having her sleep on a stair landing because there weren’t enough bedrooms.This woman was the epitome of a deadbeat dad’s new girl. Trying her hardest — including texting me things like, “Are you planning on ever cutting her hair?” — to prove that I was the bad parent and that I never gave him a chance to be a good dad. Talking sh*t on me to my own daughter. Telling anyone who would listen that I was a bad mom.A year later, that same “damn good dad” willingly signed over his parental rights so that my daughter’s real father could legally adopt her.I’m sure, like Lowry, my ex-husband’s wife believes I’m to blame. That’s how these narratives survive. Mothers are cast as villains so that grown men don’t have to own up to their choices. It *can’t* be that the men these new girlfriends and wives love actually stepped out on their kids; it has to be that there was an evil witch involved the whole time.And you know what, for my child’s safety, I’m willing to be the evil witch in a deadbeat dad story.

Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment/Getty ImagesYou know how it starts — a few gray hairs on their muzzle and above their eyes, a little bit of difficulty getting up from lying down. As our beloved pets age and start to show it, of course we want to learn everything we can about caring for senior dogs and cats. Do they need the special food labeled for seniors? What about more frequent vet visits or special supplements? We asked veterinarians what we loving pet parents can do to make sure our fur babies are happy and healthy for as long as can be.There’s not an exact age when your beloved pet becomes a senior citizen, but there are some ranges to keep in mind, according to Dr. Molly Brinkmann, Veterinary Advisor at PetAg. Generally, cats are considered seniors around 10 years of age. For dogs, the answer varies by size:Small dogs: 8-10 yearsMedium dogs: 7-9 yearsLarge and giant breeds: As early as 6-7 years“This classification matters because once pets reach senior status, we shift to more proactive care, including exams every six months and routine lab work, since many age-related conditions develop gradually and are easier to manage when caught early,” says Dr. Kristi Crow, Veterinary Advisor at PetAg.The Most Common (& Overlooked) Health Issues In Aging PetsYour pet becoming a senior is not a health problem all on its own, but aging increases the risk for certain conditions, Brinkmann says. “Some of the most common issues we see in senior dogs and cats include osteoarthritis, dental disease, kidney disease, heart disease, endocrine disorders, and cognitive changes.”Osteoarthritis and dental disease are the two most common and under-recognized age-associated issues for cats and dogs alike, she adds. Two big issues I always highlight are osteoarthritis and dental disease, because they’re incredibly common and often under-recognized in both dogs and cats. Both conditions can significantly impact quality of life long before pet parents realize something is wrong.“Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that leads to inflammation, cartilage breakdown, and chronic pain. In dogs, this may look like stiffness, trouble getting up, slowing down on walks, or hesitation with stairs. In cats, it’s sneakier: jumping less, grooming changes, hiding more, or ‘just acting old,’” Brinkmann explains. “Periodontal disease causes pain, infection, and inflammation that doesn’t stay confined to the mouth — it can affect the heart, kidneys, and overall health. Bad breath, drooling, difficulty eating, or dropping food are all red flags.”The main thing pet owners should watch for is any change to their pet’s normal behavior. Are they suddenly dropping food when they eat? Having accidents in the house? Acting confused or nervous?“Eating, drinking, energy, mobility, behavior, bathroom habits — those are early warning systems. Pets are incredibly good at hiding illness, and by the time symptoms are obvious, disease is often advanced. That’s why senior exams and routine bloodwork matter so much; we catch things before they become emergencies. Aging doesn’t have to mean suffering. A lot of senior conditions are manageable when we catch them early,” says Crow.Why Vets Recommend Seeing Senior Pets Every 6 Months“Yes! Once pets reach that senior stage, my approach shifts from routine care to proactive monitoring and comfort-focused medicine. I recommend more frequent checkups, ideally every six months,” Crow says.Why six months? Animals age much faster than we do, so a lot can happen in that time. Biannual exams will help your vet catch red flags earlier, like changes in their weight, muscle loss, heart changes, pain, and behavioral differences. Your vet will probably also recommend routine lab work to monitor for kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, liver changes, and anemia — all conditions that are hard to detect any other way, but could seriously affect your pet’s quality of life.Do Senior Pets Need Special Food Or Supplements?Before you go changing their diet just because they hit a certain age, talk to your vet about your dog or cat’s overall body condition and health needs. Their nutritional needs are just as nuanced as ours.“For example, a pet with kidney disease may benefit from a prescription renal diet. A pet with joint concerns may benefit from higher omega-3s and controlled calories. A pet with diabetes needs a diet formulated for glucose regulation, regardless of age,” Crow says. “The best choice is guided by your pet’s individual health, energy level, body condition, and any medical issues, ideally in partnership with your veterinarian.”For supplements, Brinkmann most often recommends joint and omega-3 supplements to help reduce inflammation and support mobility and brain health. Lifestyle advice matters too: maintaining lean body weight, consistent low-impact exercise, good traction at home, and keeping routines predictable.The Biggest Mistake Pet Parents Make About AgingBoth vets said it’s common for pet owners to think that slowing down, sleeping more, and other changes are just part of their pets getting older. That doesn’t mean your vet can’t do something about it, though. If something changes with your pet, speak up. “Aging doesn’t mean decline has to be miserable. We have far more tools now for pain control, mobility support, nutrition, dental care, and chronic disease management than we did even a decade ago. The goal is not just a longer life, but a comfortable, engaged, good-quality life for as long as possible,” Crow says.

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"We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity regarding the recent comments made by Billie Eilish. As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land." The post Tongva Tribe Reminds Billie Eilish That Her Mansion Sits on Its Land first appeared on Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion.