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1. Anti-Trump Candidate Wins Election in Mexico

Andres Manuel López Obrador, a left-wing candidate, who, like Trump, is known for his impulsive personality, won the Mexican Presidential election this weekend. He took 53 percent of the vote. Obrador, says he will crack down on corruption and violence and vows to defend Mexicans from Trump - meaning pushing back about the border wall and the recent tariffs.

He told rallyers Mexico "will never be the piñata of any foreign government."

Something to chew the next time you're daughter doesn't want to share hitting the piñata with anyone else...

Let's negotiate. Obrador is a nationalist, but said he intends to work closely with the U.S. on some of these issues. Politics is about negotiating, but the same practices hold true for teaching your children healthy negotiating skills. Scott Brown, the founding member of the Harvard Negotiation Project (and a dad of four), recommends these principles for negotiating with your child:

1. Control your emotions first: When your anger is getting the best of you, take a few minutes to calm down, consider your daughter's perspective and gain control.
2. Help her deal with her emotions: Not reacting coldly or disapprovingly to her emotions will create a safe environment for negotiation.
3. Listen intently: Stop multitasking and actively listen. This means listening to learn what's on her mind and how she is feeling. Don't just in with solutions.

Read all of Brown's negotiation guidelines in his book, "How to Negotiate with Kids... Even When You Think You Shouldn't."*

2. LeBron James Joining L.A. Lakers

In case you haven't heard the buzz, LeBron James - The King himself - is leaving Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers. The basketball star signed a $154 million contract for four years. And since he already owns two houses in the L.A. area (a $21 million and a $23 million home), all he's got to do is #MakeTheLakersGreatAgain.

Something to chew when trying to have an intelligent conversation with your basketball obsessed kid...

Sports is like a foreign language if you don't follow it. Here's some helpful guides to get you through a basketball convo:

• Don't understand what all this trading is about? Learn the basics of NBA trades here.
• Want to understand why LeBron James is King James? Read his life timeline here.
• Need the history of why the Lakers were once great and their hopes for the future? That's here.

3. Daily Data

4. What's trending

Word of the Day

A noun used in place of the word, "money." Often used to describe someone's wealth.

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1. Justice Kennedy Announces Retirement; Trump to Appoint Replacement

Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced he will retire at the end of July, giving President Trump the opportunity to appoint a new justice and impact the American legal system for generations. For the past 30 years, Justice Kennedy has been the swing vote in a polarized court, supporting conservative views on voting rights and gun control and supporting liberal views on gay rights and abortion. But Trump has promised supporters his appointee will be a conservative justice, shifting the outcomes of decisions far into the future.

Something to chew on when your kid asks why those people are wearing robes...

Since Supreme Court decisions have the power to impact daily life, it's worthwhile for your kids to have an understanding of it. Watch this video explanation with your kids:

2. Kid's Hilariously Harsh Answer on His Homework Question Goes viral

When Laura, a mom from Cheshire, UK, tweeted her son's answer on a homework assignment, it quickly went viral. The question: "Would you recommend this book to a friend and why?"
Laura's son who was six at the time answered, "No, it is my favourite and I don't want anyone else to have it."

People were impressed at Laura for raising someone who is a lifelong reader. And in case you were wondering what book he couldn't stand to share, it's "There's a Dragon at My School."*

Something to chew when your first grader refuses to read, "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish..."

Want your child to love reading like this little guy? Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Ed,D., a professor emerita at Lesley University, said parents shouldn't stress too much about obsessing about the fundamentals of reading: "They should simply be reading with their kids-that's it."

Other ideas on how to get your little one to love reading:
Have them read on a topic they love
Let them see you reading
* Make library visits an adventure (because libraries are seriously underrated)

3. Daily Data

4. What's trending

Word of the Day

An abbreviation of "very." For example, "Your shoes are V cute Becky!"

The post Friday, June 29, 2018 / No One Else Can Have It appeared first on FamilyToday.

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1. Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Female Drivers

As the clock struck midnight on Saturday, Saudi Arabian women turned on their cars' engines to legally drive for the first time. Saudi Arabia is the last country to still ban women from driving, but that ban was lifted on Sunday, allowing women to drive to work and run errands without a male chauffeur.

This is just one of the dramatic changes Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman plans to make to transform Saudi Arabia, and some experts say allowing women greater equality will be essential to the country's future economy.

Something to chew on when your daughter is begging for the car keys...

Three cheers for women's rights! But we have a long way to go when it comes to gender equality. Jamie Keeney breaks down how to help your kids develop an understanding of gender equality:

Age 0-3: Model gender equality in your home. You can even narrate your behavior i.e. "Mom cooked dinner, so dad is going to clean up because we share chores."

Age 4-5: Actively correct gender biases. This means when your son says, "Pink is for girls" you remind him that anyone can like any color regardless of gender.

Age 6-7: Confront gender representations. In other words, when watching a cartoon where a girl doesn't speak, say, "I wish she spoke. What do you think she's thinking?"

Age 8-13: Talk about current events and historic injustices. These don't have to be long or profound conversations. But when something comes up (aka when women in Saudi Arabia are given the right to vote...), ask, "What do you think?"

Age 14 up: Dig in. Give your kids opportunities to develop their understanding of gender issues. Discuss books and movies with them. Ask their political opinions. Share your experiences.

2. Children's Exposure to Addictive Drugs on the Rise

From 2007 to 2016, more than 11,200 children were reportedly poisoned by buprenorphine, an opioid drug used to treat opioid use disorder. The majority of those instances (89%) were accidental. For children under the age of 6, this drug can be lethal.

Buprenorphine is closely controlled, usually only available through therapy programs. Perhaps because its purpose is to help those working through a narcotic addiction, adults don't consider it as dangerous for a child to be exposed to. However, although it doesn't affect an adult's respiratory system, it can stop the breathing of a child.

Something to chew when taking your daily medication...

Are you storing your medicine correctly? Experts recommend these storing habits:

• Always keep the medicines in their original child-proof bottles
• Keep any medications in a locking cabinet
• Discard any unused or old medications by either giving them to your pharmacist, or mixing them with something that ruins them such as kitty litter or coffee grounds.

5. Daily Data

6. What's trending

World's Ugliest Dog 2018

Zsa Zsa, an English bulldog was named the Ugliest Dog of 2018. He has a certain something though, don't you think?

The post June 26, 2018 / Zsa Zsa Zing appeared first on FamilyToday.

The post Episode 17: Diplomacy appeared first on FamilyToday.

1. New Life Crunch: Diplomacy

2. Increasing Number of Americans Claim "No Religion"

More and more Americans are distancing themselves from organized religion says a recent study. Fifteen years ago, 12 percent of Americans identified themselves as having no religion; Today, that number has nearly doubled to 21 percent.

But this doesn't mean Americans are losing their faith. Political scientist and one of the study's authors, Jacob Neiheisel, said, "Sometimes you hear that people are leaving religion, we think they must be completely non-religious. These are still by-and-large still religious people. They just can't stand the organization anymore."

Something to chew on when your son asks if you believe in God...

Research shows that kids with strong spirituality have higher grades, optimism and persistence. In fact, teenagers who say they are spiritually strong are 40 percent less likely to use drugs and 80 percent less likely to have unprotected or dangerous sex. So, even if you aren't practicing a religion, helping your youngins develop their own sense of spirituality can really make a difference.

Ask your kids:

• What do you believe?
• Why do you believe that?
• What difference do your beliefs make in your life?

3. 20% of Influencer's Followers are Fake

Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies (think Dove and Hellman's mayonnaise) is trying to crack down on a new discovery: 20 percent of social media influencers followers are fake.

This matters to brands because they pay billions of dollars for influencers to promote their products - celebrities can make more than $550k per post-, but it turns out many influencers are buying some of their followers.

Something to chew when your daughter's scrolling through Insta...

Do you know who your children follow on social media? Marketers know that 85 percent of Generation Z (kids born from 1996-2010) use social media to learn about new products, and that mainly works by using influencers. In fact, 40 percent of teen YouTube subscribers say their favorite YouTuber understands them better than their real-life friends. That's a lot of influence.

Consider asking your kid these questions:

• Who are your favorite people to follow on Instagram?
• What do you like about them?
• Have you ever bought something they promoted?

4. Daily Data

6. What's trending

Musical.ly

Musical.ly isn't new. Tweens have obsessed with it for a few years now, but it's still relatively unused by adults. Wanna know what it's all about? Watch Baby Ariel - listed by Time as one of the most influential people on the Internet - explain how to make a musical.ly video. It's the platform where she got her start.

The post Monday, June 25, 2018 / Fake It Till You Make It appeared first on FamilyToday.

1. Trump Reverses Family Separation Rule

After a large outcry from both allies and foes, Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that will stop the administration's policy of separating detained children from parents who are illegally crossing the border. (Learn more about that here.) Trump now says the order will not stop the "zero tolerance" policy, but families will be detained together.

Some, however, are concerned this will not be enough since families legally cannot be detained for more than 20 days. TBD what will happen at the end of those 20 days.

Something to chew when your son sees disturbing pictures of children in cages...

If your child has seen some of the disturbing images of the detained children, there is no need to lie about them, but Kathy Wu, an assistant professor of psychology at Delaware Valley University said it's helpful bring these conversations back to peace.

"This is a time you can really reinforce what are their [your children's] values and what are your values as a parent and focus more on that, not the negative," Wu said.

You can do this by deciding what you can do as a family to help whether that's donating to a cause like Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services or calling your representative.

2. Hanger is Real

A recent study revealed our bodies and emotions are more connected than previously thought. You know that irrationally irritable feeling you get when you haven't eaten in awhile? Well, researchers at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill set out to understand that feeling and their study revealed two things:

1. Hunger alone doesn't cause negative emotion, but a negative stimuli does cause a hungry person to feel hangry.
2. When people are aware of their emotions, they're less likely to become hangry.

Psychologist Elizabeth Davis said this discovery is important because it shows physiology and emotion may be more closely tied than scientists believed.

Something to chew on when your littles are acting hangry...

If the usual snacks aren't staving of your hanger like they used to, try these on for size:

• Frozen Yogurt Covered Blueberries
• Homemade Sweet Potato Chips
• Mini Pepper Pizzas
• Apple Almond Butter Stacks
• Two-ingredient Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream

3. Daily Data

6. What's trending

Word of the Day

A word used to refer to someone who is very attractive, a perfect ten.

The post Friday, June 22, 2018 / Hanger is Real appeared first on FamilyToday.