Mother’s Day is upon us again. And for many‚ that means trying to pick the perfect gift that makes mom feel special. But what exactly is that gift&;#63; For many well-intentioned partners‚ the answer to this question feels elusive. However‚ according to mom Madison Barbosa‚ all moms only really want one thing. And it’s not something you’ll find in a gift guide. In a video posted to her TikTok‚ Barbosa jokingly points a figure at the camera while saying‚ Mother’s Day is coming. I’m looking at you. Yeah I’m looking at you…what are you gonna do for her&;#63; I’m gonna tell you what to do.” According to Barbosa‚ moms aren't looking for a break away from their family. What she wants is a day where she can “turn her brain off. Where she doesn't have to have the mental load for one day. Take off the mental load for one day.”What exactly does this look like&;#63; Barbosa breaks it down‚ step by step.“Here's what you're gonna do. She's gonna wake up. You're not gonna say‚ ‘What do you want to do today&;#63; We can do anything you want.’ Nope‚ nope‚ no. You're gonna plan something. Whether that's going to the zoo‚ going to the park‚ going for a walk‚ you're gonna plan something that she does not have to think twice about. Not gonna ask her what she wants to eat. You're gonna plan that shit too. Don't ask her any questions.”And in case there’s any confusion‚ packaging is most definitely part of this planning process. Including the diaper bag.“When she goes to pack up the diaper bag‚ she gets ready‚ she gets packed the diaper bag. It's already packed. Do you understand&;#63; It's already packed. Exactly as she would do it. Exactly. You better‚ you better pack that diaper bag the night before. You wake up an hour before her‚ and you pack that diaper bag. Make sure all the shit's in there. All you need to do is let her shut her brain off‚” she said.Lastly‚ Barbosa says that in addition to the glorious day of brainlessness‚ moms do enjoy physical gifts like flowers and thoughtful cards‚ contrast to what some might say. Just make sure the message on the cards is “thoughtful.” And‚ as one viewer pointed out‚ make sure the flowers are arranged in a vase. Again‚ mental load. Watch below. Warning: there are a few f-bombs thrown in for dramatic flair. @madison_barbosa yall need me to send this to your husbands&;#63; no joke ill do it 🤟🏻 #mothersday #relatablemomcontent #momhumor #momminmads #unfilteredmom ♬ original sound - Madison Barbosa Barbosa’s video‚ which quickly racked up over 115‚000 views‚ left many moms nodding in agreement. “I just want a cinnamon roll and not to be asked questions‚” one chimed. Another added‚ Sending this to my husband NOW&;#33;&;#33;&;#33; Bc this is EXACTLY what I want&;#33;”Still‚ there wasn’t unanimous agreement on the “being with family” portion of Barbosa’s suggestions. “Speak for yourself‚” one mom wrote. “I would love a day by myself.”This could have to do with what chapter of motherhood each woman is in. Upworthy previously learned that moms of younger children are the ones who typically want a solo day‚ while moms of adult children tend to crave the bonding time. And teen/tween moms just want to be appreciated.Honestly‚ now matter what stage these mothers are in‚ is any of that too much to ask&;#63; We think not.

One of the best parts of having kids is having a full-time‚ front row seat to the way they interpret and use language as they grow. There's the classic mispronunciations of &;quot;spaghetti‚&;quot; of course‚ but there are also one-of-a-kind terms they coin based on their limited vocabulary and the unique way they look at the world. Kids say the darnedest things‚ and as Dillon White shared on Instagram‚ one of those darned things could be a young child requesting &;quot;people chicken&;quot; for dinner. Not just requesting‚ but demanding: &;quot;I WANT PEOPLE CHICKEN&;#33;&;#33;&;quot;People chicken. There are only so many ways to interpret that‚ all of which could land you on the FBI's radar.Of course‚ it was a small child saying this‚ so there had to be an explanation. White explained that he and his wife tried everything to get their kiddo to clarify what he meant by &;quot;people chicken‚&;quot; including having him draw a picture of what he was wanting. Unfortunately‚ the stick figure person he drew did not help relieve any concerns that their child might be a cannibal. Finally‚ White's 7-year-old daughter came up with a solution that revealed what her younger brother wanted. It was not‚ in fact‚ chicken made out of people. Phew.Watch: See on Instagram It's true. Once you see Colonel Sanders' bow tie as a stick figure‚ you can't unsee it. Even KFC's official account responded to the video‚ writing‚ &;quot;You see it once‚ and you can't unsee it.&;quot; HA. White was not alone in his kid seeing the stick figure Col. Sanders. &;quot;The SAME thing (conversation) happened to us 22 years ago&;#33;&;#33; My toddler was practically throwing himself trying to make us understand that he wanted 'Old Man Chicken'&;#33;&;#33;&;#33;&;#33;&;#33;&;#33; And yup‚ it was KFC he was asking for. We have referred to it as ‘Old Man Chicken’ all these years now 😂&;#33;&;#33;&;quot; shared on commenter.&;quot;About halfway through we figured out what he was talking about but that’s only because my kids have been saying for years that the KFC man is a stick figure with a really big head. Tell Mason he’s not the only kid who thought that.Lol 😂😂😂&;quot; shared another.&;quot;I think I’ve been working with children too long because the instant you said people chicken my brain said 'that’s kfc‚' 😂 wrote another.Other people chimed in to share their kids' hilarious naming conventions for chicken places:&;quot;My son was in tears for 'Pinky Toe.' Turns out he thought the Chick-fil-A emblem was a foot 😂‚&;quot; wrote one parent.&;quot;Lol. My daughter refers to Chick-fil-A as 'foot' because their logo actually reserved a footprint. So interesting thinking of the different ways that children see things that we adults don't. It's amazing&;#33;&;quot; shared another. &;quot;My kids call Buffalo Wild Wings 'stinky skunks' because from a distance‚ the logo looks like a skunk to them. We went through a similar very confusing moment to figure that one out as you can imagine‚ 🤦♀️🤣&;quot; shared another.White is right. We should let kids name everything. They're so much better at it than adults are. You can follow Dillon White on Instagram here and TikTok here.This article originally appeared on 2.7.24

Basketball coaching legend John Wooden once famously said‚ &;quot;The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching‚&;quot; and he has a great point. It’s one thing to do what’s right when you are afraid you’ll be punished for doing the wrong thing by an authority figure. It’s another to do the right thing because your peers will applaud you.But the highest moral good is doing what’s right when no one is watching because that’s doing good for its own sake.A story out of Gothenburg‚ Sweden‚ shows that in that community‚ the patrons of its library know a little something about doing good just because it’s the right thing to do.On November 4‚ the Gothenburg City Library was closed for All Saints Day. The day is a holiday dedicated to remembering loved ones who passed by lighting a candle on their graves‚ or spending time with family and having a festive meal.The City Library was scheduled to be closed for the holiday‚ but one of the employees forgot to lock the building door. So‚ being that it was a Saturday‚ hundreds of people flocked to the library to check out books‚ read magazines‚ surf the internet‚ or play video games.Library employee Anna Carin Elf was in the neighborhood and was shocked to see people walking in and out of the library when it was supposed to be closed. Even though it wasn’t supposed to be open‚ the people in the library just went about their business as if it was a typical day.“They were surprised. They thought it was a bit empty‚” Elf said‚ according to ZME Science. “The people in the library behaved as usual. Many were sitting reading newspapers‚ some families were in the children’s section and others were searching for books on the computer.”Elf contacted her boss and another colleague and told everyone in the library that the building was closed. The patrons closed up their books and went home. But some left with books for some weekend reading.The librarians later did a tally and found that 446 people visited the library on All Saints Day and 246 books were borrowed. Surprisingly‚ all of the books were returned within 5 days. &;quot;Nothing was destroyed. It's amazing that Gothenburgers enter an empty library and treat it so lovingly‚&;quot; Elf told The Local. Such a heartwarming story \u2764\ufe0f\nThis Saturday‚ the city library in Gothenburg was closed. But someone forgot to lock the doors. \nNo worries&;#33; Hundreds of visitors just did what you do at the library: they borrowed books‚ read the papers‚ treated their beloved library with respect. — (@) Through that act‚ the people of Gothenburg showed us what community spirit is all about. Their collective honesty is a beautiful indicator of their love for their library‚ its resources and their fellow citizens. Because when you rob a library‚ you’re stealing from your community.The story is a powerful reminder to people all over the world of how we should view our public libraries. They aren’t just buildings but a crucial part of our community‚ a hub of learning and a symbol of our trust in each other.It also proves the old Iraqi proverb: “The reader does not steal‚ and the thief does not read.”This article originally appeared on 11.9.23

There are a few big reasons why 70% of divorces in the United States among heterosexual couples are filed by women. Women have more economic opportunities than in decades past and are better positioned to care for themselves and their children without a husband’s income.Another big reason is that even though the world has become much more egalitarian than in the past‚ women still bear the brunt of most of the emotional labor in the home. Gilza Fort-Martinez‚ a Florida‚ US-based licensed couples’ therapist‚ told the BBC that men are socialized to have lower emotional intelligence than women‚ leaving their wives to do most of the emotional labor.Secondly‚ studies show that women still do most of the domestic work in the home‚ so many are pulling double duty for their households.A TikTokker with two children (@thesoontobeexwife) shared why she decided to leave her husband of two decades and her story recounts a common theme: She did all the work and her husband did little but complain.The video‚ entitled “Why women leave‚” has received over 2 million views. @thesoontobeexwife Y’all I laughed when I realized he truly does treat me better now then when he was trying to be in a marriage with me. How is this better&;#63;&;#63; How did I ever think before was ok&;#63;&;#63; #toxicrelationship #divorce #mentalloadofmotherhood #divorcetok #divorceisanoption #chooseyou #mentalhealth #mentalload #fyp #mentalload #emotionallabor “So for the men out there who watch this‚ which frankly I kind of hope there aren’t any‚ you have an idea maybe what not to do‚” she starts the video. “Yesterday‚ I go to work all day‚ go pick up one kid from school‚ go grocery shopping‚ go pick up the other kid from school‚ come home. Kids need a snack–make the snack. Kids want to play outside – we play outside.”Her husband then comes home after attending a volunteer program‚ which she didn’t want him to join‚ and the self-centeredness begins. “So he gets home‚ he eats the entire carton of blueberries I just purchased for the children’s lunch and asks me what’s for dinner. I tell him I don’t know because the kids had a late snack and they’re not hungry yet‚” she says in the video.She then explains how the last time he cooked‚ which was a rare event‚ he nearly punched a hole in the wall because he forgot an ingredient. Their previous home had multiple holes in the walls. Dr. Gail Saltz‚ a psychiatrist and host of the Power of Different podcast‚ says that when punch walls it’s a sign that they haven’t “learned to deal with anger in a reasonable way.”“Anyway‚ finally one kid is hungry‚” the TikTokker continues. “So I offered to make pancakes because they’re quick and easy and it’s late. He sees the pancake batter and sees that there’s wheat flour in it and starts complaining. Says he won’t eat them. Now I am a grown adult making pancakes for my children who I am trying to feed nutritionally balanced meals. So yes‚ there’s wheat flour in the pancake mix.”Then her husband says he’s not doing the dishes because he didn’t eat any pancakes. “Friends‚ the only thing this man does around this house is dishes occasionally. If I cook‚ he usually does the dishes. I cook most nights. But here’s the thing. That’s all he does. I do everything else. Everything. Everything.”She then listed all of the household duties she handles.“I cook‚ I clean the bathrooms‚ I make the lunches‚ I make the breakfasts‚ I mow the lawn‚ I do kids’ bedtime. I literally do everything and he does dishes once a day‚ maybe‚” she says. @thesoontobeexwife I HAVE OFFICIALLY FILED FOR DIVORCE 🎉 #divorce #divorcetok #toxicrelationship #divorceisanoption #fyp #mentalhealth #chooseyou #iamenough #iwillnotbeafraid #mentalloadofmotherhood #emotionallabor The video received over 8700 comments and most of them were words of support for the TikTokker who would go on to file for divorce from her husband.&;quot;The amount of women I’ve heard say that their male partners are only teaching how to be completely independent of them‚ theirs going to be so many lonely men out there‚&;quot; Gwen wrote. &;quot;I was married to someone just like this for over 35 years. You will be so happy when you get away from him‚&;quot; BeckyButters wrote.&;quot;The way you will no longer be walking on eggshells in your own home is an amazing feeling. You got this&;#33;&;quot; Barf Simpson added.This article originally appeared on 5.21.23

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