Learning to swim can be a very scary experience for kids. They’re being asked to quite literally dive into the unknown, after all. And the pool is not without its inherent dangers, so it’s perfectly understandable that the fear can be overwhelming. Luckily, the “mermaid mantra” can help. Tyler Reed, the owner of Triton Aquatic Training in Tampa, Florida, recently went viral after teaching the mermaid mantra to a toddler student who was clearly having a hard time. It goes like this: “I’m big. I’m brave. I’m beautiful.” Reed encourages the little girl to repeat the mantra, and through sobs, we hear the most adorable little voice in the whole world utter, “I’m beeg. I’m bave. I’m boobooball.” Seriously, that boobooball is pure utter sweetness.Watch: @tritonaquatictraining Yes… swim lessons can sometimes be scary but when we say our motivational mermaid mantras out loud, we can do anything! ?‍♀️? #M#Motivation #m#mobileswimlessonss#swimlessonsp#privateswimlessonss#swiminstructors#southtampat#tampaswimlessonstampasmallbusiness #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #survivalswimlessons #survivalswim #fyp #cuteaf #childpsychology #parenting #childeducation #children ♬ original sound - Triton Aquatic Training Reed’s video quickly went viral online, with folks quick to commend the little one on her bravery."It's so scary as a little person to learn these kinds of things but I'm sure she's doing great," one person wrote. Others were instantly emotional. "I'm boobooful is literally where I lost it. Someone get me the tissue," wrote another.Clearly Reed’s approach works, because in a subsequent video he and the same student are back in the water, with her swimming and loving every minute of it. Now she recites the mermaid mantra as a song of victory! Boobooball is still just as cute though. @tritonaquatictraining MERMAID UPDATE! Look at this big girl swimming and loving it after just a few weeks! Crazy to think that just a few weeks ago we were in tears and scared! But we kept practicing our motivational mermaid mantra of “I’m Big, I’m Brave, I’m Beautiful!” and look how far we’ve come! I am one proud swim instructor! Thank you all so much for the love & support! ??‍♀️??‍♂️ #swimlessons #privateswimlessons #learntoswim #swimminglessons #survivalswim #survivalswimlessons #childcare #childpsychology #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #cutevideo #proudteacher #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #foryoupage #fypシ #viral #trending #fypシ゚viral #fypage ♬ original sound - Triton Aquatic Training For Reed, the mantra is about instilling power and autonomy back into his students. "I think a lot of people look at 2-year-olds and babies as children that are incapable of being able to swim or save themselves and I'm trying to kind of erase that psyche from them, that they can they really can do this,” he told Good Morning America. Not teaching kids to trust themselves, he added, leads to an over-reliance on swim floaties, which develop a “false sense of their ability to swim.” That’s why he believes engaging in swim lessons at an early age is so important.This kind of wisdom is pretty universal when it comes to raising confident kids. Teaching young ones how to empower themselves through a variety of situations, rather than constantly trying to shield them from discomfort, develops a skill that can last a lifetime. But this can still be done in a loving, gentle way, as Reed so beautifully demonstrated. Sometimes it's simply allowing kids to experiment and make mistakes. Other times, it might be affirmations that connect kids to their inner sea creatures.Reed said it best: “When we say our motivational mermaid mantras out loud, we can do anything!”This article originally appeared on 6.12.23

Some lucky cats really do hit the jackpot when it comes to their entertainment. Pampered feline and social media star Jasper the Cat was given his own custom aquarium, giving him a 360-degree underwater view of the colorful fish as they swim by. If that’s not prime “cat TV” programming, I don’t know what is.According to Daily Mail, Jasper’s owner Melissa Krieger was inspired after her fish supplier was cleaning the tank. Hoping to make a “mini SeaWorld” for her beloved Siamese, Krieger spent a whopping $2,500 to fashion a 125-gallon tank with see-through cube shaped indentation at the bottom.As any cat parent would agree, the money was well worth it."It's great to see him so happy because you've got to stimulate their brains. It's definitely been worth the money," Krieger told Daily Mail. She added, ”You spend that much on a TV and this is like a TV for cats. As soon as we feed the fish, he comes running. He's living the dream.” @jasperthecatfish ♬ Hello, Goodbye - The Beatles Revival Band There’s no shortage of visual delights for Jasper. The 4 ft x 2.5 ft saltwater tank is home to several tropical fish, including the parrotfish. See on Instagram …which looks exactly like you expect them to. @jasperthecatfish Eyes of the World#cats #catsoftiktok #fishtank #gratefuldead #funny #eyesoftheworld #catmom #aqauarium #jasper ♬ Eyes Of The World (Live at Lockn' Festival, Arrington, VA, 8/26/2018) - Dead & Company None of these fish seem to really mind Jasper getting up close and personal. @jasperthecatfish Willow wants a turn…#catsoftiktok #fishtank #jasper #funny ♬ Cute - Tik Tok The only downside apparently is having to share his next-level aquarium with his sister Willow. Ah, the common sibling conundrum. @jasperthecatfish #jasperthecatfish #catdaddy#cats #catsoftiktok #fishtank #catmom #cutecat #jasper #catlover #catlovers #catlove ♬ WOW - Zara Larsson Even cat guru and feline behavior expert Jackson Galaxy was impressed, and reposted Jasper’s video. Galaxy is a well-loved top tier resource for kitty supplements, toys and activity ideas. For dog people, imagine if your pup made it into one of Cesar Millan’s Instagram stories. That’s some pet publicity right there. As Galaxy will tell you, environmental enrichment is key for a cat’s happiness. Part of that enrichment is visual stimulation. A major, yet often overlooked, aspect of the hunting process is stalking prey. All cats have this instinct, and not having an outlet can lead to major (not to mention messy) behavioral problems, like furniture scratching and not using the litter box. Pretty soon, the viral video had others asking, “where can I purchase this tank?” Aquatics and Exotics, the company that made the innovative aquarium, might have an influx of custom orders on their hands.As the mother of two cats myself, I can’t help but look for corners in my tiny Los Angeles apartment that might be prime fish tank real estate.Luckily, you don’t need to have a state-of-the-art aquarium to keep your cat stimulated. Experts recommend using something as simple as a bird feeder or window perch. There are even YouTube videos with hours upon hours of curated cat content. Still, seeing the amount of effort that Jasper’s family put in for the sake of his enjoyment is certainly inspiring. Our pets provide us so much heartwarming bliss, simply by existing most of the time. Finding ways to pay back that kind of unconditional love is a gift unto itself. This article originally appeared on 2.9.22

It's a ReMIND Flashback Interview where Dave Coulier keeps us laughing talking about his teen crush, his first concert (and he got kicked out!), his infamous high school photo and more.