Cheerleading is supposed to be a team sport. Most squads have anywhere from 10 to 20 cheerleaders and some have even more than that. But one squad in Nebraska had just four girls, and less than two weeks before the 2023 Nebraska State Cheer and Dance Championships, all but one cheerleader quit.Most kids would've followed suit so close to a big competition without their teammates, but Katrina Kohel, then a senior at Morrill High School, decided she was still going to compete—even if it meant she would have to do it alone. Talk about being brave in the face of disappointment. This girl decided she was going to cheer in the competition and she did, without much care for what others thought. The competition wasn't just the next town over. It was five hours away, so Kohel and her coach, April Ott, really had to mull it over before committing to making that drive, according to Business Insider. In the end, the teen decided that she didn't want to just sit in the crowd or stay home; she wanted to perform the routine she spent so much time learning. But the routine required the entire squad, so before they could make the trip, they had to figure out how to make it a one-person routine. "I've put a lot of time into cheer. It's just always been a part of who I am, so I didn't want to end on that note. I wanted to go out on a high one. For that to come true, I didn't want to end it just by going to watch state. I wanted to compete." Kohel said. So the lone cheerleader and her coach got to work redoing the routine so it made sense with just one person cheering.The pair told the Omaha World-Herald that they had to rework the whole performance in a week and a half. It was really a battle of sheer will since Kohel was determined to do her best on the mat without her team. Kohel admitted to the outlet that she was nervous, but no one would have known it. "She was completely confident the whole week that we practiced," Ott told Business Insider. "It was just 100% confidence, and she just owned it." This cheerleader was absolutely unstoppable and she had her family's full support. Even Ott's daughter, who was previously a cheerleader at the same high school, tagged along to cheer her on. Kohel's grandparents stood in for her parents because her brother had a state wrestling tournament and her parents are the coaches. But don't worry, they were able to see her cheer through Facebook Live. Support didn't only come from her family and coach, as other cheerleaders piled into her section and cheered for the brave solo cheerleader. Darin Boysen, executive director of the Nebraska Coaches Association, told the Omaha World-Herald that this was the first time a cheerleader competed alone.But she didn't just compete—she placed 8th out of 12 squads, which is the highest Morrill High School has placed in the last three years. "It's almost overwhelming, the amount of support I got from all of them," Kohel explained. "The whole arena was cheering me on. It wasn't just one little section—it was the whole arena."This article originally appeared last year.

It’s hard to say which is more entertaining—epic game show wins…or hilarious game show fails. Wheel of Fortune has provided us plenty of both over the years, and this time, it delivered a funny defeat that just so happened to be holiday themed. During the beloved game show’s Dec. 17 episode, a contestant named Phil McManus hailing from Palmer, Massachusetts, attempted to solve a puzzle in “Same Letter” category, with the board reading “Chocolate Chestnuts & Chi_ne_s.” Declining to buy an "I," McManus decided to go for gold and guessed “Chocolates, chestnuts and chickens.” And while I suppose you can enjoy chicken on Christmas, this was not the correct answer. Not to mention the “E” and “N” would have to be in a different spot. But hey, our eyes play tricks on us when under pressure!Chocolates, Chestnuts and…. ?#WheelOfFortune ? pic.twitter.com/1gVC8h952F— AC  (@ACinPhilly) December 18, 2024 This set up another contestant to name the correct answer (“Chocolates, chestnuts & chimneys”) and for Wheel of Fortune fans to have a field day. It ain't a proper Christmas without poultry!, one person joked. Another quipped., “That was my shopping list last weekend,” someone Still another person said.“When I think of chocolates and chestnuts, the next word I think of is chickens.” Meanwhile, someone on Instagram shared, “I laughed so loud that my deaf dog jumped out of her bed,”Someone else asked,“Love Wheel of Fortune but where do these contestants come from?” But again, we all make silly mistakes when we’re nervous. This moment actually harkens back to another puzzle solving mishap that happened only a month prior. Instead of guessing “Give yourself a round of applause,” the contestant, named Will, guessed, “Treat yourself a round of sausage.” In a postmortem interview, he shared, “I tell you, when the lights are on, and you know, the stars and Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White, I just went blank."Still, he was able to have a good laugh about it, and hopefully McManus was too. And of course, it’s not gonna keep us from screaming at the TV at home.

Dress codes at the gym can be a touchy subject. On the one hand, having some basic rules around appropriate dress in a public space like a commercial gym seems reasonable — not to mention, safe and hygienic. On the other, these policies almost always unfairly target women — men at the gym frequently get away with low-cut tank tops and "stringer" tanks that show their ribs, while women get singled out and embarrassed for any sign of cleavage or stomach.So when a 26-year-old influencer from New York recently made a video addressing why she only wears certain types of clothes to workout, I thought: Oh boy, here we go again.But as Caitlin began to explain her fitness club's rigid 'dress code', and the reasoning behind it, many of her viewers found themselves pretty surprised."You're only allowed to wear black activewear at my gym and let me explain why," she began, responding to a question someone asked regarding why she only ever seemed to wear one color of workout clothes."There's a few reasons they do this, the first reason is to avoid comparison," Caitlin said of her club, Greenwich Village Athletic.Some people might see someone wearing an outfit and feel bad that they don't have as fashionable clothes themselves, or maybe worry that they 'couldn't pull it off', Caitlin reasoned."You don't know what everyone's style is outside the gym. Everybody looks the same, you have basically a uniform and you can go to the gym and not feel like you have to worry about what you're wearing."The one exception? If it's your birthday you can wear a different color, so everyone remembers to give you a shoutout.Greenwich Village Athletic clarified in an email that the dress code is not enforced, it's more of a tradition that members choose to partake in. Technically, members are allowed to wear whatever's comfortable, but they're encouraged to adopt the uniform for all the benefits it provides. @caitlin.emiko Replying to @Nervous System Regulation ✨ @Elite Eleven my only motivation to go to the gym #activewear #size12fashion #size8fashion @The Athletic Clubs AD Lack of confidence is one of the biggest reasons more people don't exercise in public or go to the gym.Anxiety and "gymtimidation" affect men, too, but certainly has a bigger impact on women. One survey found that over 60% of women had avoided going to the gym out of fear of being judged by others.There are a lot of factors that contribute to that lack of confidence, like not feeling good about your body or not knowing how to use the machines or navigate the gym, but feeling pressure to look your best and put your most fashionable foot forward is definitely part of the problem — the same survey found that nearly half of people polled felt judged at the gym for their clothing choices.I'm a guy who goes to the gym regularly and I even catch myself worrying about this! I always find myself hesitating if my shirt and pants don't match, or my favorite gym clothes are dirty and I have to wear backups — which is absurd because I hardly ever speak to anyone at the gym, so why should I care if my outfit is going to impress a bunch of random people? Photo by Meghan Holmes on Unsplash There's a very fine line between wanting to look good for yourself and being worried about what other people will think. Exercising is hard enough without that negative self-talk creeping in. Being encouraged to wear all black, and only black, may not take all the guesswork out of choosing a workout outfit, but it certainly simplifies things. This is part of why Steve Jobs – and many other successful people — wear the same exact thing every day. Life is hard enough and filled an overwhelming number of decisions, trying to figure out what to wear so other people think you look good doesn't have to be one of them.The all-black 'dress code' at Greenwich Village Athletic isn't for everyone. Some people like to express themselves through what they wear, and feel stifled by a uniform-like requirement.One person had a, uh, colorful opinion to share under one of the gym's videos explaining the dress code: "*#*@ that I'm wearing something else." (Which, according to the official policy, is totally their right.)But others appreciated a policy that wasn't designed to police women's cleavage, but to make everyone feel comfortable and confident by removing comparison:"I just do this anyways helps me not think about what I have to wear as well and black is always flattering even if I don’t feel great still gets me in the gym!" a commenter wrote under Caitlin's video.

I took a long Amtrak train trip from Atlanta to Baltimore with my 9-year-old daughter this summer. As far as I could tell, there was no way to reserve specific seats in coach on our particular train ahead of time. But we arrived as early as we could and, to our delight, were treated to a near empty train. We sat together in a two-person row and had a really nice trip up to Baltimore.On the way back? We boarded at Union Station and the train, having arrived from New York, was already packed. The conductor told me he would try his best to seat us together but couldn't guarantee it. You should have seen the terror in my daughter's eyes. It would be a 14-hour overnight train ride. Sitting her next to some stranger that whole time? Absolutely not. No way.They eventually found us seats across an aisle from each other, which kind of worked, but wasn't ideal. Luckily, the guy I was supposed to sit next on the other side flew into a rage that he wouldn't have a row to himself and stormed off to sit elsewhere, freeing up the row for us.But for a few horrible minutes, I had become "that dad" desperately asking anyone in the area if they'd be willing to move so we could sit together. I had become the dreaded entitled parent from all the viral travel stories.Stories of "entitled parents" desperately trying to get other passengers to switch seats go viral all the time. But a recent thread on Reddit shows why we don't always get the full story. RedditUser u/takeme2themtns recently shared a nightmare travel story in the r/Delta subreddit:"In typical Delta fashion, they just switched up our seats and placed my toddler in a row away from us," they wrote. "Booked three seats ... in comfort plus months ago. Now, several hours before the flight we get notifications that our seats have changed. They put wife and me in exit row seats and the toddler in a window seat a row away."With no way to fix the seating snafu digitally, the OP would have to rely on the Gate Attendant or even Flight Attendant to make a last-minute change — which would force someone else on the plane to move."I’m confident the GA (gate attendant) will take care of it," they wrote, "but it’s still so frustrating that we have to worry about it. I know we see posts like this all the time, but that’s because it happens all the time to people. Delta needs to fix this trashy system."Another user in the comments wrote to share a similar story:"I had this happen to me. The check-in person said to talk to the gate.The gate said to talk to the flight attendant.The flight attendant told me to ask people to trade seats.I asked people. People said no. Other passengers started berating me for not planning ahead and saying my lack of planning isn’t their responsibility.I defended myself by saying I reserved seats months ago and Delta moved me at the last minute. Then passengers started yelling at each other about my situation.The FA had someone move and I got to sit with my daughter."The user noted that the situation was chaotic and traumatizing. These stories are far from rare. Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash I found another story just like this from a few months ago on the r/United subreddit. The user's family booked seats together only for the system to separate them right before the flight, leaving an 8-year-old to fly seated alone. The flight crew's only solution was to ask other passengers to switch, causing the OP's family to get lots of dirty looks for the duration of the flight.Having a young child or toddler seated away from you while traveling is just a complete No-Go, for many reasons. But as a dad, leaving a kid of nearly any age to sit alone — even if they're 8 or 10 or 14 — is not acceptable. It's not just about convenience, it's a huge safety issue. There are plenty of horrifying news stories that support why a parent would do absolutely anything to avoid it.When we hear these stories, they're almost always framed as the parents being unprepared, lazy, and entitled. But maybe we're missing the point. Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash A story from January of this year praises a passenger who refused to switch seats with an "entitled dad" as a "hero."People are fed up with parents asking them to switch out of airline or train seats that they paid good money for. And I don't blame them!But we need to stop beating each other up and start holding the airlines and other travel companies accountability for putting parents and non-parents into this mess in the first place.There needs to be a better system for families booking plane and train tickets. When you buy tickets, you have to enter in the ages of the children you're traveling with — so it stands to reason that these mix-ups flat out shouldn't happen!Families shouldn't have to panic at the gate or on board about this! Other paying passengers shouldn't have to give up their seats!The good news is that the Department of Transportation has recently gotten involved with a dashboard of which airlines guarantee family seating at no additional cost.The DOT is looking to even make it illegal to for airlines to charge parents and children fees to sit together. Parents and children under 13 would be required to be seated side by side or immediately adjacent, and if not, they'd get a full refund or free rebooking — it's known as the Families Fly Together Act.Traveling in 2024 is stressful enough, from seat changes to unruly passengers to high numbers of cancelled flights.Seating kids and parents together seems like one small problem we should be able to solve.This article originally appeared in September.

Judging by Gen Z’s Y2K-inspired fashion trends, you’d think the 2000s were nothing but people walking around the mall in pleated miniskirts and bucket hats. We can mostly chalk this up to the depiction of the era in movies like “Clueless” and “13 Going on 30.” Anyone born before the 90s can tell you that life was definitely not like that. But hey, sometimes fantasy is more fun.Same goes for other time periods as well. For those of us without a degree in history, much of how we picture other eras is influenced by pop culture. Like how we think of Victorian women being obsessed with waist cinching thanks to almost every Hollywood movie showing a woman getting bound by an excruciating tight corset. Yep, that was previously debunked.And sure, some movies and TV series, like “Mad Men” or “Schindler’s List,” make painstaking efforts to achieve historical accuracy. But often, they are works of fiction, and creative liberties are taken. And those liberties create the world for those who did not live in it. That can even be said of the 80s, rife with Cold War threats and colorful leggings. Or…was it? Recently, user Jerswar asked Reddit: "People who were adults in the 1980s: What does pop culture tend to leave out?" Here are the raddest, gnarliest, most tubular response people gave. 1."The insane amounts of smoking inside. Especially in restaurants.""When I worked in a restaurant, the smokers (backroom dishwashers/cooks) got more chances to sit around and take breaks to smoke. Then, when I got an office job, people had ashtrays at their desks. Often, the ashtrays were hand-made by a young relative in an elementary school class."2." Anything we wore that wasn't neon. Pop culture acts like the '80s were just a sea of nothing but neon for 10 years."via GIPHY“And as if every girl and woman was dressed up in tulle tutus with off-the-shoulder lace shirts and a giant bow tied atop our heads.Not all of us were lucky enough to have our parents buy us new outfits like that. My wardrobe was full of old hand-me-downs. No neon, lace or tulle in the bunch.""I graduated high school in 1984, and never dressed like Madonna or wore neon anything. We were poor, so it was crappy jeans that never got soft and T-shirts until I got a job. Even after that, I wore cords and overalls and sweaters from Chess King."3. "How much decor from the '70s and '60s were still in houses and offices throughout the decade.""This is something that I thought 'Stranger Things' REALLY got right. All the kids' houses look like they were built and decorated in the 1960s–'70s, which is how it really was. Nobody was living in fancy candy-colored Memphis-style apartments except California yuppies."4. "I was born in the early '80s. I've been totally blind since birth. In the '80s, accessibility was virtually non-existent.That new Nintendo that the kids had? Good luck. Scholastic Book Club? Not in braille or audio. Everything is in print. Nothing to see here for me or mine. Then computers finally got accessible and Windows came out and they had to start all over again. I wouldn't want to go back to the '80s. I now have my phone that I can use to access the world, read what is on my grocery labels, have pictures described to me, and basically know what's going on in the world. In the '80s, so much went by without any context, and that was in the formative years of my childhood."5. "Reading everything — literally everything — I could get my hands on. Cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines. Luckily, my library was a bike ride away but carrying those back on my bike was fun.""OMG, you are so right. That reminds me of things I hadn't thought about in ages.I used to feel so very bored that I'd read anything that had text on it, from cans of food to cereal boxes to whatever books (however insipid) I could lay my hands on. Even the obituary notices in the newspaper were worth a read. The internet really did away with the boredom, didn't it?!"Speaking of reading…6. "Trying to find something to read in the bathroom to pass the time. I remember shampoo bottles and the contents of my wallet were my go-to's when a magazine or book was unavailable." "Yes! Shampoo bottles for desperate moments of boredom."7. "Might be my own bias but being a kid in the '80s there was a lot of casual bullying and conformism. Not that bullying and conformism ever went away, but the '90s was more about counter-culture a bit."8. "I was a child in the '80s, but something that I don't think I've ever seen in modern pop culture retellings of '80s life, which I recall witnessing, is this: people think of the weird, wacky, fun colors and hair, etc., of the 1980s — like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Boy George styles. BUT for many people and mainstream communities, that was considered a 'weird' or 'rock and roll character' kind of presentation. People would often openly stare, laugh at, or disparage people who looked openly unique. It took a lot of courage to go out styled like that. It was acceptable to have a more 'subtle' take on the fun color trends."via GIPHY"I believe the best real-time representation/evidence of this is in Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time' music video, there’s a scene where she sits down in a diner with her boyfriend and his friends. She pulls off her cap to reveal her new hairstyle - half-shaved and dyed bright colors. Her boyfriend's friends start hysterically laughing, the boyfriend is quietly embarrassed, and she runs out of the diner in tears."9. "TV was just adult shows for most of the week, especially during summer break. Just soap operas and other boring things." "Staying home sick from school and all there was to watch were game shows and soap operas until the Gilligan's Island reruns came on."10. "The sheer sense of doom and pervasive low-key terror of nuclear war. The Soviets' nuclear arsenal pointing at us, and their nihilistic posturing in some ways remind me of the climate change dread we now have. Living with an existential threat is not something new." "This is so completely underestimated or misunderstood. All through high school, I was convinced that the world would just end one day, and I'd have to figure out how to survive in a post-apocalyptic world afterwards. Yeah, we thought that people would survive an all-out nuclear war."11. "The homophobia." "It was casual, rampant, and virtually unquestioned. If you were gay or lesbian, and not living in a major city like New York or San Francisco, you were probably in the closet, at least to everyone but some close friends and (maybe) family. If you were trans, forget about it. Enjoy your life of dysphoria and misery. You don't really see that depicted so much in pop culture now." "AIDS and '80s homophobia went hand in hand, and it's hard to overstate how much AIDS destroyed the gay community and how the dominant culture thought that was a good thing."12. "Being a latchkey kid it was no frequent communication with your parents. I can't tell you how many times I stayed out all night as an 18-year-old and no one but who I was with knew where I was or what I was doing. My parents didn't know what I was doing all day as a 12–17-year-old, either! You only called your parents at work only if it was an emergency." "Yes. It's almost like a 'parents didn't care' attitude that would be ascribed to that behavior now (but that wasn't right). Ma needed to work and that she didn't get home until 7 p.m. was just a reality. Oftentimes, she was gone when I got up and we had zero communication until she got home. I was just responsible for the whole shpiel of keeping myself alive."13.The obsession people/media had about the '50s and '60s.”via GIPHY“Part of it was stuff like 'Back to the Future,' '50s-themed diners and baseball jackets being popular, then there was the 20th anniversary of things, like various Beatles albums. I think the boomers at that point were in positions of influence and were looking back on their teens and twenties with rose-tinted glasses, so the rest of us had to suffer these cultural echoes from the generation before."14."Cruising. Before social media, we would drive up and down the street, see and be seen. Stop at different businesses, the cool kids hung out at the Walgreens parking lot, the jocks at the McDonald's. But it was a small town so we would stop at all of them during the evening. That was our social world along with keggers in the desert all through high school and for folks that stayed in town for years after high school."It was like a social network but with your car."And lastly…15. "What a mess it was to get cleaned up!”via GIPHY“That sparkle-blue eye shadow didn't come off easily and if it got in your eyes it was torture! That red lip gloss ran all over. And shampooing your hair three times to get out all the hairspray and the mousse. I loved the '80s and I had a marvelous time. But it was messy... but way worth it!"This article originally appeared in April.

There are kitten lovers…and then there are Ricky's grandparents. When Izzie Grass left her kitten, Ricky, with her parents for two weeks, she had no idea what was in store for her after she got him back. Not only had RIcky been well taken care of, but his adventures with his human grandparents were fully documented in a photobook created by Grass' mother, which she titled "Ricky Goes to Gramma's and Grampa's."The photo album that reads like a children's book first went viral when Grass shared it on TikTok in 2020. Now it has resurfaced again, and people are clamoring for more riveting Ricky content after reading about how the kitten "helped Gramma do the dishes" and how "Cousin Jasper and Charlie ate most of" the pancakes Gramma made for him.Check out how adorably extra Gramma is: @goldfishclub I’ll never run out of content. #Rickythesquittenkitten #cats #kitten #animals #pets #fyp #foryou #cute #happy #teachersoftiktok Has any kitten ever been more loved?"I would die for Ricky, Gramma, and Grampa," wrote one commenter. "This is GOLD. I want to see 'Ricky Learns to Drive.'" wrote another."My parents didn't even put this much effort into making scrapbooks for ME," shared another. Grass told Newsweek that her mom told her she made the book because "that's what she does," adding, "She is known for creating very sentimental gifts."Grass also shared that the book almost didn't get made because Ricky almost didn't make it as a kitten. He was brought to the veterinary clinic where Grass worked when he was 9 weeks old to be euthanized. "The individuals who dropped him off reported that they found a kitten with broken legs and that was throwing up everything they tried to feed him," she said. "I came back from my lunch early to care for this kitten and in the kennel was Ricky."As it turned out, Ricky had some birth defects and health problems that required specialized care, but he didn't need to be euthanized. Grass took him home but needed a little time to prepare to give him the care he needed. "My mom stepped up and offered to watch him for a couple weeks while I got a handle of my schedule," Grass told Newsweek. "It was during this time that she created the book."The fact that Ricky had specialized care needs at the time makes Gramma's photobook all the more endearing. Now Ricky is now 3 years old and is doing remarkably well considering his health challenges as a kitten. "He has made so much progress," Grass told Newsweek. "His esophagus works significantly better, he has learned how to walk, climb and run, and he continues to help me raise other foster kittens. Ricky is very loved and lives the life he deserved to have."With a mom and grandparents like he has, it's not a surprise. Find more videos of Ricky and the animals Grass fosters on her TikTok channel here. This article originally appeared last year.

If you Google "smartest dog breeds," most lists you'll find put border collies in the No. 1 spot, followed in some order by poodles, German shepherds and golden retrievers. But a 2023 study of canine cognition from the University of Helsinki puts a whole different breed at the top of the ladder—one that most of us have probably seen before but haven't heard the name of—the Belgian Malinois.Best known as a police or security dog, the Belgian Malinois is a shepherd breed that looks very similar to a German shepherd. Both breeds are of similar height and coloring, but the Malinois is lighter weight and its ears are more triangular-shaped, according to the American Kennel Club.So what is it that makes the Belgian Malinois more intelligent than other dog breeds?The study published in Scientific Reports analyzed 1,002 dogs from 13 different breeds using a battery of smartDOG cognition tests. These tests involve food reward tasks that determine a dog's capacity for memory, problem-solving, impulse control, reading human gestures, copying human behavior and logical reasoning. Despite a wide field of research on dogs, according to the study, only a handful of studies have examined cognition of specific breeds instead of breed groups. Additionally, not much empirical research has been done on nonsocial cognitive traits such as memory, inhibitory control, spatial problem-solving and logical reasoning—all of which were covered in this study.The researchers identified a few different tests as signifying high intelligence. For the most significant measure of intelligence, logical reasoning, the study revealed no significant difference between the dog breeds. So the three tests the authors singled out instead for measuring and comparing intelligence, according to The Telegraph, were:- A V-detour test, in which a dog had to detour around a transparent V-shaped fence to get to a food reward, showing some problem-solving ability.- A human gesture reading test, in which a dog's response to five gestures—constant pointing, brief pointing, pointing with the foot, pointing at something while facing another direction and following a human's gaze—was measured.- An unsolvable task test, in which a dog tries to access food in an unopenable box, measuring independence and how quickly a dog asked a human for help.The Belgian Malinois scored 35 out of a possible 39 points on these three tasks, making it the top scorer for high intelligence overall. Border collies came in second with 26 points and hovawarts came in third at 25 points.The study authors point out that there are strengths and weaknesses in most breeds. Some score very high on some tests and very low on others. Some breeds saw middle-of-the-road scores across most tests. According to IFLScience, one weakness the Malinois showed was in the cylinder test, in which a dog is taught to retrieve a piece of food from inside an opaque cylinder. The opaque cylinder then gets replaced with a transparent one to see if the dog will go around to the end of the cylinder to retrieve the treat, as it did with the opaque one, or try to go directly through the side of the cylinder to get to it. This test measures inhibition, and the Malinois scored among the lowest of all breeds on it. Every dog has its bright and dim spots, but it's clear why the Malinois is a dog of choice for security work. High intelligence, of course, but even being low on inhibition can be seen as a plus for a working dog that needs to be highly responsive and act quickly when needed. “The Belgian Shepherd Malinois stood out in many of the cognitive tasks, having very good results in a majority of the tests,” study author and owner and CEO of smartDOG Dr. Katriina Tiira told The Telegraph.“Border Collies also performed well in many of the tests," she added.This article originally appeared last year.

How do you explain motherhood in a nutshell? Thanks to Cait Oakley, who stopped a preying bald eagle from capturing her pet goose as she breastfed her daughter, we have it summed up in one gloriously hilarious TikTok. The now viral video shows the family’s pet goose, Frankie, frantically squawking as it gets dragged off the porch by a bald eagle—likely another mom taking care of her own kiddos.Wearing nothing but her husband’s boxers while holding on to her newborn, Willow, Oakley dashes out of the house and successfully comes to Frankie's rescue while yelling “hey, hey hey!” The video’s caption revealed that the Oakleys had already lost three chickens due to hungry birds of prey, so nothing was going to stop “Mama bear” from protecting “sweet Frankie.” Not even a breastfeeding session.Oakley told TODAY Parents, “It was just a split second reaction ...There was nowhere to put Willow down at that point.” Sometimes being a mom means feeding your child and saving your pet all at the same time. As for how she feels about running around topless in her underwear on camera, Oakley declared, “I could have been naked and I’m like, ‘whatever, I’m feeding my baby.’”Needless to say, people were impressed with Oakley’s fierce multitasking abilities. “Tell me you're a super mom without telling me you're a super mom,” wrote one person. Another added, “this was 100% the most badass, amazing, award deserving feat I have ever seen.”To no one’s surprise, moms were finding the situation ultra relatable. “I wish I could say I hadn’t run out mid breastfeed to save a chicken lol but that would be a lie,” one mom commented. “My husband sent [this] to me and said hey look it’s you,” wrote another.And perhaps the best comment of all:“Girl I thought that was a water gun. Read the caption and realized it was a baby.”Though she clearly wowed the internet, Oakley sees the entire fiasco as a mundane reality. "It feels like an accomplishment, I suppose,'' she told TODAY, “but for me this was a day in the life." Not every mom has to save a pet goose from an eagle attack and breastfeed at the same time, but most mothers can relate to the almost comical, certainly never-ending juggling act that is parenting. This article originally appeared two years ago.

When picturing a doctor’s office, you might imagine a less than warm atmosphere. Those oh-so-lovely fluorescent lights instantly come to my mind. Imagine if a doctor told you, “I want to design our visit in a way that makes you feel most comfortable.” Suddenly that annual check-up doesn’t sound so dreadful after all.Dr. Ryan Stewart, a urogynecologist at the Midwest Center for Pelvic Health, recently asked women to weigh in on the redesign of his office. Posting the question to Twitter, we wrote: “I have the opportunity to design my office from scratch. I’m asking women. How would you design/optimize a visit to the gynecologist’s office? No detail is too small.”His tweet ended with “If I’ve ever had a tweet worthy of virality, it’s this one.”And boy was he right. His tweet nearly instantly received thousands of replies. Turns out, there are a lot of ways to improve a visit to the gyno. Including: Empathy toward sexual traumaAcknowledgement that sexual trauma histories can make exams psychologically overwhelming for many. I’d feel safer if it wasn’t dismissed as “everyone needs these exams, it’s no big deal.” It is a big deal! Empathy would help in improving our sense of safety & reducing avoidance.— Kara K. (@karabear_1) December 5, 2021 This includes starting the exam off asking if a patient has any trauma, and not dismissing feelings of discomfort, according to commenters. Improved privacy No one should ever have to discuss any aspect of their care with anyone (I’m thinking nurse, receptionist) within earshot of other patients. Also, patients should not be able to listen to phone calls or dictation. You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve heard while sitting.— Dr. Erin MacLean MD OB/GYN (ret’d) (@macdoin) December 5, 2021 As part of improved privacy, many advocated to not be asked if an intern can observe while the intern is still in the room."It's hard to say no to them," one person wrote. Another added "I'm sitting on the table in the gown and [the gyno] brings in this young guy and says 'you don't mind him observing this do you?' I consented but have been pissed off ever since and never went back to her."One person mentioned that their current doctor recently swapped the thin, exposing paper gown for spa style robes, adding both privacy and a dash of luxury. Diverse postersI'm black and black is beautiful!Diversity in Medical IllustrationMore of this should be encouraged! Illustration by @ebereillustrate#pregnant #MedEd #scicomm #inclusion #AcademicTwitter #MedTwitter #illustration #MetaversePlease support this cause? https://t.co/Tye9WT1hud pic.twitter.com/YGrzINJfoe— Chidiebere Ibe (@ebereillustrate) November 24, 2021 This suggestion comes aptly timed, as the diagram (above) of a black fetus recently inspired a viral conversation. Many were noting that they had never seen one in medical imagery before. One person remarked, "I am 53 years old and have never seen myself represented in anything in a doctor's office, even pamphlets. Change that!"Mental health screeningsmake screening for depression, domestic abuse, human trafficking, anxiety and PPD a normal part of your exam practice. my normal doc screens at every physical for depression, its just normal. Check in on emotional effects of birth control— Anschteeviee (@iamoutofideas12) December 6, 2021 Waiting until the clothes are ON to disclose important infoDon’t discuss care or diagnoses when people are naked, I remember how much more respected and comfortable I felt when a new gynaecologist introduced himself to me while I was clothed, did the exam, then had me get dressed and meet him in his office to discuss care! Much better!— B Davie is officially boosted ??? (@davieledgerwood) December 5, 2021 Bottom line: It's already a vulnerable time. Let people have a moment to get comfortable. One person added "I have always had to specifically ask to be able to talk to my doctor clothed first. Even when I hadn't met that doctor yet. I feel like that should be default, not up to me to ask for. It's such a power imbalance already, don't add unnecessary vulnerability." Ditching the pink It's super trivial, but...Not every place that's intended for women to inhabit needs to be pink. There are other colors.— Girl Geek for Getting Shaq some Magenta FFS (@girlgeek_rva) December 5, 2021 To some, it's mildly annoying. To others, it's even triggering. One person tweeted, "I went through a breast cancer scare, & EVERY women's medical office I went to–pink EVERYWHERE. I was at a really terrified moment in my life, & pink, pink, pink. I 100% can't stand it anymore." Offering pain medsFrom my non-Twitter-using wife: offer painkillers. Don’t make people ask/have to know to ask. Anyone getting a cervical biopsy should be offered the same suite of painkillers and anxiety drugs I was for my vasectomy.— Hairy Seldon ??? (@eschatomaton) December 6, 2021 Potentially painful procedures like IUD insertions or cervical biopsies typically only offer medication upon request. This Twitter user suggested offering them, making it clear that the patient has the option. More accessibility in the exam and waiting roomsFind women who are wheelchair/cane/walker/prosthetic users, and ask them what they need most. Wider hallways, exam tables that actually DO lower, more than one bathroom that is fully handicap friendly BY HANDICAP USERS CHECKLIST- not some random contractor. Furniture where a 1— its still a Holly Jolly Pandemic, folks! (@HTTOrganizers) December 5, 2021 Tables that lower for those with mobility issues as well as higher waiting room chairs were among the most frequently suggested items. And lastly … a variety of speculum sizesA wide variety of speculum sizes, and introduction to the exam room including a play by play of how the visit will go. Most people never get this and the office staff never ask if it’s their first exam and most people wouldn’t disclose fear or stress if they have it.— Móniquita (@mvasquez_owner) December 5, 2021 The general Twitter consensus: and while you're at it, warm them up too. Dr. Stewart’s tweet did receive constructive criticism asking for more inclusionI would not just ask women. I'm not a woman and GYN care is essential to my health.Physical space is important, but invest in comprehensive training for your staff to ensure the safety of BIPOC, queer, disabled, and other marginalized patients. This is essential.— hannah starflower ♿️ (@HannahntheWolf) December 5, 2021 Dr. Stewart welcomed the insight, sending a follow-up tweet that read:“Folks have [correctly] pointed out that I [incorrectly] said “women” when what I should have said was “folks who may need gynecologic care.” I named the practice with this in mind @midwestpelvis, but I find that I still have a lot of internalized/implicit bias.”This viral thread might have started a trend. Soon after another medical practitioner tweeted:“Love urogynecologist Dr. Stewart asking for input on ideal office design and wanted to ask the oncology community something similar: given that no one wants to come to a cancer doctor…what makes the experience MOST comfortable?”Though Dr. Stewart describes his philosophy online as “I want you to leave every appointment feeling as though you’ve learned more about yourself,” it’s lovely to see that he is equally invested in learning about his patients as well. This article originally appeared three years ago.