Entertainment
10 Surprising Parenting Tips
Whenever I meet a fellow mom, I feel like I’ve struck gold, since I know that during 20 minutes of chatting, they’ll probably end up dropping a legit helpful parenting hack. On that note, I asked a few parents their tried-and-true tips, and here’s what they said…
Something I’ve learned myself:
1. Always keep small trash bags on hand — in your car, in the stroller, in your bag. Diaper blow-outs happen when you least expect it, and having a having a bag to throw it in when there are no trash cans available lowers stress levels by 1000%.
From Angela:
2. When our children are within earshot, my husband and I will let them overhear us talking about them in a good way. I’ll call out something like ‘Did you notice how Alo tried hard to put on his shoes this morning?’ or ‘Did you notice that Talula created an art piece today?’ Kids love hearing you brag about them!
From Miranda:
3. Bibliotherapy is great for young children, of course — like prepping a preschooler for moving houses with picture books — but there are wonderful chapter books out there, too. If your nine-year-old is struggling with a dyslexia diagnosis (Fish In a Tree), or your 10-year-old has a chronic illness (Not Quite a Ghost), or your 12-year-old is grieving a family member (Show Me A Sign), books can open up conversations about hard things and help your kid feel less alone.
4. My partner and I say ‘thank you’ to each other for making dinner, and now our children do, too. It goes a long way towards making me feel warm and fuzzy, and also helps them to understand the care and labor that goes into putting food on the table every night.
From Destini:
5. As parents, we try to stay calm, but you don’t need to be perfectly regulated when parenting. Narrating your emotions out loud — like saying, ‘I’m feeling frustrated, so I’m taking a deep breath before I speak’ — helps your child learn what to do with big feelings. Kids can see how regulation works in real life and realize that emotions aren’t scary or something to suppress; they’re just signals to slow down and make a choice.
From Mo:
6. Give your child a responsibility that helps the whole family. If they’re older, that could be running to the corner store to get a pint of ice cream for dessert. For younger ones, that could be watering the garden. Every time I do this with my kids, they crush it and remind me how capable they are. It’s also important for kids to feel like they’re contributing to the success of the whole family.
7. If you have a larger family, keep things as simple as possible. Our four kids have assigned seats at the table so there’s no squabbling over who sits where, and the tooth fairy leaves $1 for every tooth (even though she really wanted to add sparkles and a note!).
From Laurel:
8. My kids (four and six) and I discovered the Magic Woods podcast last year, and it’s beautiful, funny and weird. There are a zillion episodes, all with the same characters, telling one super long story. The creator’s voice is soothing, and he does different voices for all the animals.
From Youngna:
9. I recently took my nine-year-old to a store to find an outfit for a recital. Between hand-me-downs and COVID, she’d never been clothes shopping in person, so trying on clothes in a dressing room felt thrilling. It reminded me that everything can be novel to a kid; it doesn’t have to be some big adventure.
From Ruth:
10. When I feel like I’ve been spending an eternity with my kid and I’m counting the minutes until her nap time so I can go do the laundry/finish the email/go pee, I physically get down to her level and watch her. I look at her eyelashes as she’s searching for a banana car on the page of a book. I watch her mouth make funny shapes as she figures out how to get a sticker off a table. I see her toes curl and uncurl as she reaches for something. Or I’ll realize how much her nose looks just like mine. Being in those moments helps me remember that — sure, there’s a lot to do, and this is just another day out of thousands — but seeing my kid engaging with the world (and me!) in all these little ways is a pretty incredible thing.
Thank you so much, parents. What would you add?
P.S. More surprising parenting tips and trying out slow parenting.
(Top photo by Diane Durongpisitkul/Stocksy. Bottom photo by Jannelle Sanchez.)
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
Mashable Top Stories
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
