Americans collectively gasp reading that swaddling is frowned upon in Sweden. In the United States one of the first things the hospital does after a baby is born is to swaddle the newborn nice and snug in a receiving blanket‚ completing the look with a tiny hat. New moms practice swaddling on unsuspecting cats or teddy bears in preparation for the baby's arrival.Imagine the surprise of an American mom that gave birth in Sweden being told to never swaddle her baby again. Surely the midwife must've been mistaken‚ assuming something else was going on. Miranda Hudgens recently posted a reenactment of her experience giving birth at a Swedish hospital to social media where it went viral.In the video‚ Hudgens is holding her swaddled baby when the midwife comes in and asks what she's doing‚ while looking disgusted. The mom explains she's swaddling the baby. Shortly after the midwife leaves‚ Hudgens' husband tells her that the midwife said "not to do that to the baby anymore."When the new mom inquires why she isn't allowed to swaddle the baby‚ her husband responds‚ "she said it could kill the baby. Yeah‚ she said we don't do that to babies in this country."This is the complete opposite of what Americans are taught. Swaddling is seen as a means to help the baby feel secure and calm but in Sweden it's viewed as a dangerous practice. In the comments one mom gave insight into the reason swaddling is discouraged in the nordic country."I was reprimanded for it here in Sweden. She said that swaddling = too deep sleep = increased risk for SIDS‚" the commenter reveals.Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is an area that is continually being researched and while there are factors that increase the chances of SIDS‚ there is currently no definitive cause. When it comes to swaddling‚ the increase of SIDS and suffocation increase if the swaddled baby is placed on its stomach to sleep according to Children's Hospital Los Angeles|The Saban Research Institute. In another study published by the National Library of Medicine‚ points out that the previous study that stated swaddling increases the risk of SIDS was not peer reviewed and did not provide information on if the swaddled babies were placed on their stomachs or backs for sleep. @mirandapandz And this is how I found out the Swaddling is super frowned up in Sweden #swedenvsusa #americanlivinginsweden #newmom #deliveryroomstories #swaddlingbaby #swaddling #firsttimemom In the end Hudgens decided not to swaddle‚ "for those wondering I decided not to swaddle after leaving the hospital and doing more research. The midwife could of been nicer though."Every parent has to do what they think is best with the information they have. Child birthing and child rearing practices can vary widely from country to country. While in Sweden they frown upon swaddling‚ co-sleeping with babies until they're school age is commonly practiced. But in America co-sleeping is strongly discouraged while swaddling is commonly practiced. It's also normal for people in Scandinavian countries to leave their babies outside in freezing temperatures‚ whereas in America that would be considered neglect. So while it can be shocking to find out what people do in other countries and cultures‚ it's important to remember not to compare. Everybody's just doing the best that they can with children that are all going to grow into toddlers that eat lint covered snacks they found under the couch. This article originally appeared on 12.12.23

People are seriously considering switching careers after finding out how much can be made as a UPS delivery driver. Back in October‚ Skyler Stutzman‚ an Oregon-based UPS delivery driver went viral after sharing his weekly pay stub on TikTok.In the clip‚ Stutzman showed that for 42 hours of work‚ and at a pay rate of $44.26 per hour‚ he earned $2‚004 before taxes‚ and ultimately took home $1‚300 after deductions. This both shocked the nearly 12 million viewers who saw the video…not to mention it stirred their jealousy a bit. Several couldn’t help but compare Stutzman’s salary to their own—especially those in professions requiring degrees and certifications. “Not me realizing that a UPS driver makes more than I do. 20 years in my field with a degree!” one person lamented. Another added‚ “$44? I’m a dang nurse only making $32 🤦♀️” @skylerleestutzman UPS Driver Paystub Breakdown… #upspay #upswages #teamsters #ups ♬ original sound - Skyler Stutzman Many even joked (or perhaps half-joked) about applying to become drivers themselves. But as Stutzman pointed out in multiple follow-up videos‚ earning his rate takes patience.According to one of those clips‚ it took almost six years before he was offered a full time position‚ followed by a four year progression of wage increases until he started earning what he earns today. That’s around a decade‚ which one person pointed out was around the same time it takes to become a doctor.Stutzman added that‚ depending on the location‚ you would be required to work in a UPS warehouse before working as a driver. So while his paycheck might have you considering taking on the job yourself‚ just know that it’s not exactly taking the easy route. And we haven’t even touched on the amount of manual labor that goes into the job…rain or shine. Stutzman also said that he shared his current paycheck in the spirit of transparency‚ which is a value that the teamsters upheld as they fought for increased wages and better working conditions earlier this year. @skylerleestutzman Here are my THEORETICAL thoughts… “Why would you show your paystub like that?” #upsdriver #ups #upswages #teamster #upspay ♬ original sound - Skyler Stutzman After months of tense negotiations‚ as well as a threat to enact what would have been the largest single employer strike in U.S. history‚ disrupting deliveries across the country‚ the postal workers union reached an agreement with UPS.The deal included air conditioning and ventilation improvements to delivery vehicles as well as full-time UPS drivers earning an average of $170‚000 in annual pay‚ plus benefits. By the end of the contract‚ part-time union drivers would also make at least $25.75 per hour while receiving full health care and pension benefits‚” according to UPS CEO Carol Tomé.From Stutzman’s perspective‚ his earnings shouldn’t cause envy among those in other industries‚ but reflect a shared need for increased wages across the board to keep up with inflation. Big takeaways here: earning good money doesn’t always require a degree‚ unions are powerful‚ don’t underestimate the value of skilled labor…and UPS drivers deserve respect.This article originally appeared on 12.12.23

All people have a need to communicate‚ but the way we do that varies greatly from place to place. Every culture has its own communication peculiarities that make our human family delightfully diverse. Not only do humans speak thousands of languages around the world‚ but we also engage in culturally specific speaking styles‚ speech patterns and body language‚ some of which are immediately identifiable. Case in point: the Italian "finger purse."Italian people are known for using their hands a lot when speaking. Italian hand gestures can vary a bit between northern and southern Italy‚ but one of the most universally recognizable is the pinched fingers or "finger purse." That's the gesture in which the tips of the fingers and the thumb are pressed together (forming a purse shape) and pointed upward‚ often in a repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion‚ sometimes with one hand and sometimes with both. Along with the rhythm of punctuated emphasis on certain words‚ especially when speaking passionately‚ the finger purse is often used to convey a question with a sense of annoyance‚ exasperation or confusion.It's a gesticulation most of us associate with a classic Italian grandma or grandpa‚ but when you see it coming from a tiny little Italian person‚ it's utterly hilarious. A viral video‚ originally shared by @guiseppe_matilde on TikTok‚ shows a preschooler engaging in a passionate rant that is unmistakably Italian‚ both in the actual language she's speaking and in her hand gestures. \u201ci absolutely need to have an italian baby who gesticulates with the passion of a 64 year old sicilian man\u201d — levy (@levy) 1667749365 According to Italian speakers in the comments‚ the little girl is conveying a story about how someone commented negatively about her wearing a miniskirt. u/shykawaii_shark on Reddit shared:"Rough translation for English speakers. Not a literal translation‚ I made it easier to comprehendMother: What kind of sense does that make!Daughter: They told me 'What sense does going out with a miniskirt make?' Like‚ think for yourself! I can wear my miniskirt‚ and you mind your own business!Mother: Exactly!Daughter: Think about your own miniskirt‚ not mine!"Got a feisty little feminist here.The full video on TikTok is even better (but it doesn't have the Italian subtitles): @giuseppe_matilde Secondo voi ha ragione matilde ? #foryoupage @Giò Canaletti seguitela tutti su istragram matilde_vaccar As adorable as this video is‚ it's also an example of how culture gets passed on from generation to generation. An Australian study found that young humans across different cultures imitate adults in ways that animals don't. Animals will imitate adult behavior to the extent that it's efficient and necessary to perform a task‚ whereas humans will mimic even silly or frivolous behaviors that have no purpose whatsoever. “Animals focus on getting the job done‚” Mark Nielsen‚ a psychologist at the University of Queensland in Brisbane‚ Australia‚ told Science. “Humans seem to almost forget about the outcome and copy everything we see.”That mimicry of unnecessary actions may contribute to the complexity of human cultures. After all‚ it's not really necessary to do the finger purse to make a point‚ but Italians do it anyway. Little Italians pick it up from adult Italians‚ and so the classic Italian communication style is passed on. And thank goodness it is‚ because babies gesturing in Italian is absolutely adorable. This article originally appeared on 11.09.22

Australia is sending a strong message to domestic abusers worldwide: You're not welcome here. Australia has recently broadened a migration law to bar any person who has been convicted of domestic violence anywhere in the world from getting a visa to enter the country. American R&;B singer Chris Brown and boxing star Floyd Mayweather had been banned from the country in the past‚ following their domestic violence convictions. Now the ban applies to all foreign visitors or residents who have been found guilty of violence against women or children.Even convicted domestic abusers who already have visas and are living in Australia can be kicked out under the new rule. The government is using the rule‚ which took effect on February 28‚ 2019 to send a message to domestic violence perpetrators. “Australia has no tolerance for perpetrators of violence against women and children‚" Federal Minister for Immigration‚ Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman said in a public statement. “The message is clear: if you've been convicted of a violent crime against women or children‚ you are not welcome in this country‚ wherever the offence occurred‚ whatever the sentence."The ban is supposed to make Australia safer‚ but not everyone is happy about it.“By cancelling the visas of criminals we have made Australia a safer place‚" Coleman said. “These crimes inflict long lasting trauma on the victims and their friends and family‚ and foreign criminals who commit them are not welcome in our country."However‚ Australia's neighboring country of New Zealand has long taken issue with Australia's policy of exporting convicts‚ and this new policy highlights why. Under the new rule‚ New Zealanders who have already served their sentences for domestic violence and lived in Australia most of their lives could be kicked out and sent to live in New Zealand. Such circumstances raise questions about when justice has been served and the role of rehabilitation in domestic violence convictions.Australia‚ like many other countries‚ is trying to come to terms with its domestic violence problem.Barring domestic violence perpetrators from other countries sends a strong message‚ but it's only meaningful if the country also tackles the problem among its own citizens. According to a Personal Safety Study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics‚ about 17% of Australian women and 6% of Australian men have experienced partner violence since the age of 15. And the numbers have remained relatively stable since 2005.That may seem to indicate that little progress has been made; however‚ as Australian law professor Heather Douglass points out‚ the numbers only tell part of the story. Since most people in abusive relationships don't report the abuse until after they've left‚ it could simply be that more are leaving‚ which is a good thing. There has also been a marked increase in people seeking domestic violence services in some areas‚ which‚ again‚ is a good thing. For far too long‚ domestic violence was swept under the rug while victims were often too afraid or embarrassed to seek help. More calls for help could mean that the stigma associated with domestic violence is starting to fade.This story originally appeared on 04.01.19

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