Used Diapers Turned into New Ones Thanks to Super-Recycling Japanese Towns and New Innovation

Japanese diaper brands on a shelf – credit 維基小霸王- CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the 1990s, a pair of Japanese municipalities estimated that the landfill they shared was going to be full by 2004.

Unless they did something to start reducing the size of their waste streams, the towns would have to sacrifice more precious land, or truck their waste much farther afield to another site.

Their response was to ramp up recycling of the clearest categories such as glass, paper, and metals, before moving on to more complicated streams, particularly a very stinky one: dirty diapers.

“Ultimately, our top priority is to reduce our trash and extend the life of the landfill,” Kenichi Matsunaga, an environment official for the city of Shibushi, told the Japan Times.

Billions of diapers—used by the very youngest and the oldest in society, are discarded every year in Japan. Made of layered, super-absorbing fibers and other materials, they aren’t readily recyclable.

Located in Kagoshima Prefecture, a new recycling initiative for diapers separates and shreds this core material in a way that prepares it for reuse while saving millions of tons of landfill-bound waste.

Shibushi, and the nearby town of Osaki, recycle 80% of household waste—some four-times the national avergae. Here, the company Unicharm aimed to pioneer its diaper recycling method where locals are already used to sorting their trash.

Residents’ diapers are collected, but only if their names are written on the bags to ensure accountability. Then, they’re washed and shredded until their component elements of plastic, pulp, and super-absorbent polymer (SAP) are separated.

Previously, GNN has reported that the company has used this material to make toilet paper, but now have advanced their method and machinery enough to reuse the pulp in diaper manufacturing.

The recycled diaper toilet paper – credit: Osaki Municipal Government’s SDGs Promotion Council

The process uses ozone, a sterilizing gas, to clean and deodorize the pulp to the point that it passes sanitary requirements. The company is currently working on ways to prepare the SAP for reuse, and expects progress by 2028.

The country is probably the only one in the world where more diapers are produced for incontinent elders than for babies. Larger and more robust, they take up more space in landfills.Japan wants to aim for 100 cities and towns to be recycling diapers by 2030, “or at least to start talking about it” reports Japan Times. Used Diapers Turned into New Ones Thanks to Super-Recycling Japanese Towns and New Innovation

Read More........→April 05, 2026

Fun ways to make your grandparents feel special

New Delhi, (IANSlife) Grandparents hold a special place in our hearts as the guiding stars who illuminate our journey through life's highs and lows. Yet, in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we can unintentionally let precious moments with them slip away.

Spending quality bonding time with grandparents can create lasting memories and strengthen family connections. It is always helpful to be patient, mindful, and attentive when spending time with the grandparents, as it may take a little extra effort to accommodate their pace and preferences. The key is to create an atmosphere of love, respect, and connection during your time together. And what better way to celebrate this special day than by gathering together or spending a cozy day indoors? There's nothing quite like the joy of sharing stories and laughter over a game!

Storytelling and Reminiscing: Sit down with your grandparents and ask them to share stories from their past. This can be a great way to learn about their life experiences, family history, and the world from the lens of their youth. It will take you back in time and help you visualize a different world from the one you see today! Ask for their opinion about the changed world and listen to them share their perspectives and feelings. You can also share your own stories, fostering a sense of connection across generations.

Engage in creative activities: Cooking or baking can be a wonderful way to bond. Ask your grandparents to teach you a family recipe or share their culinary skills with you. Not only will you create delicious meals or treats, but you can also learn about the secret ingredients they use to make lip-smacking dishes. You will also have fun working together in the kitchen! Activities like painting, knitting, or crafting can also be picked up based on your and your grandparent's shared interests. Many grandparents have artistic talents that they would love to share, as nothing gives them the utmost joy than watching their own grandchildren inculcate their techniques and strokes. Above all, working on a project together can be both enjoyable and educational!Games and Puzzles: Playing board games, card games, or working on puzzles together is entertaining and mentally stimulating. You can choose games like Monopoly Super E-Banking, Monopoly Deal Card Game, and Wordle that cater to various skill levels and preferences, ensuring everyone can participate. Such games foster a sense of connection with one another and create trust. You experience the unrivaled satisfaction of engaging in laughter with your loved ones. It encourages familial ties and creates a safe space for emotional expression while playing alongside the elders of the family.Fun ways to make your grandparents feel special | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→March 13, 2026

Babies learn a lot in their first year. But their behaviour doesn’t always tell the full story

 RDNE Stock Project/Pexels Eylem Altuntas, Western Sydney University

Anyone who has spent time with a baby knows how unpredictable the first year can feel. One week a baby suddenly seems to “get” something new. The next week, that same response may disappear.

Parents often describe this as progress coming in bursts rather than in a straight line. These changes can be exciting to watch, but they can also raise questions. Did my baby forget? Did something go wrong?

Our new research, published in Language Learning and Development, suggests early language learning unfolds in much the same way. We found babies can pick up how speech sounds are made as early as four months old.

But this early ability does not simply grow stronger month by month. Instead, as babies move through the first year, the way they show what they know can change, even while learning continues quietly in the background.

Learning about speech

In earlier research, we showed babies as young as four months can learn patterns about how speech sounds are made.

After a short game involving two made-up “mini-languages”, four-month-olds could link what they had heard with what they later saw, even when the test was completely silent.

This told us babies were not just remembering individual sounds. They were picking up something more general about speech, such as whether sounds were made with the lips or with the tongue tip.

For many researchers, and for parents following this work, that raised a natural question: if babies can do this so early, what happens next?

Watching learning change over time

To find out, we followed the same babies over time and tested them again at seven and ten months. We also tested a separate group of ten-month-olds who had never seen the task before.

This allowed us to watch how learning changed within the same children, while also seeing how babies at the same age responded when everything was new.

The task itself was designed to be simple and engaging. Babies first learned links between made-up words and cartoon animals. For example, a word like “buviwa”, made using the lips, might always appear with a kangaroo, while a word like “dazolu”, made using the tongue tip, appeared with a kookaburra. Each “language” followed a clear pattern based on how its sounds were made.

Later, babies watched silent videos of a person speaking new words and then saw an animal image. Because the videos were silent, babies had to rely on what they had learned earlier, rather than matching sound and sight in the moment.

At four months, babies showed a clear response, paying closer attention when the talking face matched the animal they had learned. At seven months, this clear response was no longer there, which at first surprised us.

But at ten months, a different pattern emerged. Babies paid more attention when something did not match what they had learned. This response was especially clear in babies who were seeing the task for the first time, and became stronger when results from both ten-month-old groups were considered together.

Reorganising language systems

When we look at these findings together, the pattern starts to make sense.

Younger babies often prefer what feels familiar, while older babies tend to focus more on what is new or unexpected. Seven months appears to be a transitional period. Learning is still happening, but it is not expressed as a clear preference in either direction. Rather than signalling a loss of ability, the shift we see reflects a change in how babies respond as they mature.

This period of change fits with what is happening more broadly in babies’ lives. Between about seven and ten months, babies are becoming increasingly tuned to the sounds of the language they hear every day. They are also beginning to recognise common words and link sounds to meaning.

During this time, their language system is not just growing, it is reorganising. When that happens, learning can look uneven from the outside.

Many parents notice similar moments at home. A baby who once turned immediately toward a familiar voice may suddenly seem less responsive, only to show new signs of understanding weeks later.

These moments can be worrying, especially when progress is expected to be steady. Our findings suggest some of these changes may reflect learning in motion rather than learning lost.

Behaviour doesn’t always tell the full story

For parents, this work is a reminder that behaviour does not always tell the full story. If a baby doesn’t show a clear response at a particular age, it does not necessarily mean they have stopped learning or missed an important step.

For researchers and clinicians, the findings highlight the limits of relying on single tests at single ages. Early language learning is flexible and changing. To understand it properly, we need to look at how babies develop over time, not just how they perform at one moment.

Importantly, the results show babies don’t learn in a straight line, and quiet moments are not empty ones. Even when progress is hard to see, learning may still be unfolding, preparing the ground for what comes next.

Eylem Altuntas, Researcher, Speech & Language Development, The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→March 11, 2026

Two People from Minnesota Who Met in the Hospital After Waking up from Comas Are Getting Married

Zach Zarembinski and Isabelle Richards – credit, family photo

Everyone knows love works in mysterious ways; but rarely more mysterious than in the story of Zach and Isabelle.

Partners in life and partners in podcasting, it was 7 years ago that the two Minnesotans were partners of a distinctly less pleasant kind.

At 18, Zach Zarembinski was rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul in a coma after suffering a traumatic brain injury on the high school football field. At 16, Isabelle Richards arrived 9 days later in a coma after a car crash on her way to a grocery store job.

There they lay, shattered, unconscious, and together. Alongside them, their mothers feared the worst, having been told by the medical staff to prepare for the same. But they supported each other.

“I remember she was laying there. She had shards of glass still in her hair and she was unconscious,” Esther Wilzbacher, Richard’s mother, recalled.

“Isabel had to have her right skull piece removed. Zach had to have his left skull piece removed.”credit – family photo

Despite the doctor’s warnings, it wasn’t to be the end of Zach’s journey, and the footballer woke up. Days later when he was ready, he came downstairs for a hospital news conference which was broadcast in Richard’s room, where her father and aunt saw it and suggested they go down to speak with the teen.

Wilzbacher said that Zarembinski told her that her daughter would be fine, and sure enough, she was. After Richards woke up and recovered, the mothers organized a dinner together.

“Said a couple kind words to Isabelle and that was it for six years,” Zarembinski told Boyd Huppert at KARE 11 News’ “Land of 10,000 Stories.”

Zach and Isabelle after they’d both woken up – credit family photo

But 6 years later, the mothers organized a reunion of sorts.

A Facebook friend request, a first date, a year of dates, and then… another hospital news conference.

In Regions Hospital, at the same spot where Zarembinski gave a conference as a teen, the pair of TBI survivors recorded a special episode of their podcast Hope in Healing.

After reading out Joel 2:25 and John 10:10, Zarembinski asked Richards to marry her, and the hospital staff that had ensured they both survived erupted into applause as she said yes.Partners in comatose, partners podcasting, and now, partners for life. Mysterious ways. Two People from Minnesota Who Met in the Hospital After Waking up from Comas Are Getting Married

Read More........→December 05, 2025

Hope Is the Most Impactful Emotion in Determining Long-Term Economic, Social Outcomes

Photo by Carl Hunley Jr on Unsplash

Is hope just “a thing with feathers” as Dickenson wrote, or is it Aristotle’s “waking dream?”

Or instead. is it “a promise we live” rather than a “promise we give” as Amanda Gorman wrote in 2021.

According to new research examining the impact of hope as a positive emotion on long-term economic and social outcomes, it’s very much the Gorman definition.

That research presents evidence that not only is hope the least-studied dimension of positive emotional wellbeing, but that it’s also likely the most consequential in terms of long-term outcomes—beyond things like happiness or security.

Individuals in an Australian cohort of 25,000 randomly-sampled people that were more hopeful had on average improved wellbeing, education, economic, and employment outcomes measures years later, both better perceived health and objective measures of health, and were less likely to be lonely.

Hope in the researchers’ paper was also associated with higher resilience, the ability to adapt, and a robust internal locus of control. Hopeful individuals were also less likely to be influenced by negative life events and adapted more quickly and completely after these events.

Perhaps contrary to others’ definitions, the study authors defined hope as having a “strong grounding in individual agency.”

“Hope is not just a belief that things will get better (i.e., optimism), but the determination to make them better, which reflects agency and determination,” they wrote in their introduction. “The distinction between tragic optimists and hopeful pessimists is another way to think of this.”

Their data was pulled from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, which began collecting self-completed questionnaires in addition to face-to-face interviews with members of the Australian public over the age of 15 in 2001.

The data used in the study goes as far back as 2007, and includes the years 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. The measurements of hope were simply the reverse measurements for one of the survey questions on psychological distress which read, “In the past 4 weeks, how often have you felt hopeless?”

69% of respondents said “all of the time” over the last 4 weeks, and 18% said “most of the time.”

Not only did they enjoy more positive outcomes in health, education, and economic undertakings than those who were less hopeful on average, but that moving from less hopeful to more hopeful was correlated with improved attainment in these dimensions.

Moving from hopeless to hopeful correlated to better life outcomes credit – Mahdi Dastmard

Moving, for example, from totally hopeless to totally hopeful resulted in a 4% higher probability of achieving a bachelor’s degree in the next 2 years and a 2% lower probability of being unemployed in future years.

In the health realm, higher levels of hope were linked to a lower probability of being obese in the next 2 years, to reductions in smoking levels, and even to a lower likelihood of having a serious illness or injury. Hopeful people were more likely to have more friends, and less likely to be both lonely and being incarcerated in future years.

One caveat with the data follows the tendency typified by the famous “healthy user bias” in nutrition and fitness literature, where data can appear more impactful than it may actually be because of the way that people who are likely to make a choice regarding their health (for example, choosing to exercise thrice a week) are more likely to make further choices in regards to their health than those who avoid making any such choices.

Essentially, there was a 1.5% greater chance that previous survey respondents would undergo follow-up surveys if they were more hopeful, skewing the data slightly towards the hopeful over the hopeless.

The authors claim it’s the first large-scale analysis showing the links between hope and a range of long-term life outcomes.“We believe that better understanding the drivers of hope and its consequences can ultimately inform the ability of both individuals and of public policy to improve people’s lives,” the authors wrote in their conclusion. Hope Is the Most Impactful Emotion in Determining Long-Term Economic, Social Outcomes

Read More........→November 04, 2025

Parents Reveal the Pros (and Cons) of Having Adult Kids Still Living at Home

You may be surprised that fully 85% of parents whose kids previously moved out are delighted their birds have came back to the nest, according to a new poll.

A survey of 2,000 parents whose kids in their 20s live at home aimed to figure out what this experience of housing their 20-somethings has been like—and it uncovered some interesting trends.

42% had kids who initially moved out, while 58% said their chicks had never flown the coop.

For those who spread their wings and left their parent’s house, the top reasons included: to experience living on their own (41%), go to college (29%) or to live with a partner (26%).

Of these respondents, seven in ten said they recall the moment their child asked to move back in (69%). 42% agreed the reason for moving back was not begin able to afford living on their own, and 33% simply wanted to save money (perhaps for a down payment on their own mortgage).

Conducted by Talker Research for BOK Financial, the survey found that convenience also played a factor in why these adult kids returned home (32%).

Most interestingly, one-quarter of the homebound youth wanted to be closer to their family (25%)—and nearly half of parents (45%) said it actually improved their relationship when the child moved back.

A quarter of those surveyed admitted they weren’t financially prepared to have their child live with them later in life (27%), but just 19% said the situation had a negative impact on their own financial planning or retirement plans.

“If you have adult kids living at home—which isn’t uncommon nowadays!—it’s an opportunity to model good financial practices while encouraging them to save diligently,” said Leasa Melton, manager of product strategy for BOK Financial.

29% reported their child rarely (or never) contributes to the household financially, but Melton encourages patience.

“They’re often living at home to save up for their next step of independence and having them in your house gives you a chance to cheer them on in a safe environment.”

“Like everything else in parenting, it’s a balance between letting them learn and helping guide them.

On average, parents estimate that their kids will remain under their roof for another 16 months, while a third of respondents aren’t sure about their children’s tenure (32%). Indeed, 56% have doubts about their kids being financially prepared now to leave home at this time.

For their children to gain financial independence, 28% of parents wish there were more resources for financial education or planning. However, a whopping 90% agreed that it was important for them to teach their children financial lessons before they exit high school.

Teaching Good Financial Habits

Just 20% would grade their child’s understanding of financial matters with an A—although 27% gave the same grade to themselves.

There’s always time to learn, though. Parents have taught their children all sorts of lessons in adulthood, primarily finance-related (66%), domestic-related (59%) and lifestyle-related (52%).

A third of parents also recall being late bloomers, sharing that all of the financial advice they taught their child was learned in adulthood (32%).

While their adult children have been living with them, parents reported having emphasized lessons on how to save money (77%) and budget (71%), above all. Parents also stress the importance of paying down debt (53%) and investing (46%).“Children might not always pick up on financial lessons when they are young,” said Melton. “But as they gain independence, living at home provides another opportunity to help them establish good financial habits—a win for both parents and their adult children.” Parents Reveal the Pros (and Cons) of Having Adult Kids Still Living at Home

Read More........→October 31, 2025

Japanese Woman Offers to Hold New Mother’s Baby so Exhausted Travelers Can Finish Their Meal

credit – Maggie Boynton, retrieved from TikTok

The Japanese have an unjustly-bestowed-upon reputation for being cold and distant, and one new American mother who’s gone viral on TikTok discovered just how wrong that stereotype can be.

While out at a restaurant with her husband, Maggie Boynton was approached by a matronly Japanese waitress who offered to hold their fussy newborn daughter so that a couple could eat in peace.

“I was pretty shocked,” Boynton shared with People Magazine. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a stranger offer to hold my baby before. At first, I hesitated—like, should I let her? But she seemed so genuine and sweet. You just have that intuition when someone truly wants to help.”

While nothing in general was going wrong per se, Boynton, who shared the video of the waitress cradling their daughter on TikTok to the tune of 2 million views, said that flying across so many time zones is already quite the drain—as is looking after a newborn, and the two together had worn her out.

“Even just 10 minutes for us to enjoy our meal was all I needed,” to recover, she wrote in a caption on the TikTok video.

On a practical note, chopsticks are not ideal eating utensils if there’s an infant squirming around in your arms.

@maggieeboynton

Can’t explain how much this truly meant to me.♬ What Was I Made For? (Epilogue) [Instrumental Version] - Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt

“It’s crazy how much you take for granted—just being able to eat without worrying about spilling on your baby or juggling everything at once. That small gesture felt like such a weight off my shoulders,” Boynton felt.

Maggie Boynton and her husband with their daughter in front of Mount Fuji – credit Maggie Boynton, retrieved from TikTok

Japan in general was very baby-friendly, and from nursing areas in various public places to bassinets on board the flight, the whole trip was very accommodating to the couple and their little sprout.

Boynton suggests going to Japan at any possible opportunity, and said the fact that they were traveling with a newborn was no problem.“Keep calm and know that no one else is thinking about your baby being fussy as much as you are. Your baby feeds off your energy, so staying grounded can make such a difference,” she said. Japanese Woman Offers to Hold New Mother’s Baby so Exhausted Travelers Can Finish Their Meal – (WATCH)

Read More........→September 24, 2025

Watching Sports Boosts Well-being and Improves Your Health, According to ‘Ground-breaking’ Research

Roger Wilson Stadium Buffalo Bills game – by runneralan2004 (CC license)

Beyond simply providing entertainment and relaxation, watching sports fosters community and belonging, which benefits both individuals and their society.

Despite its recognized positive effects, limited evidence exists on the link between watching sports and well-being. To address this gap, the team of Japanese researchers used a multi-method approach and found that sports viewing activates brain reward circuits, leading to improved well-being.

This is especially true when watching popular sports like baseball or football, which can notably boost both physical and mental well-being.

Their research offers insights for public health policies and individual well-being enhancement.

Led by Associate Professor Shintaro Sato from the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University, the team found that watching sport—particularly in large crowds—goes “beyond entertainment” by fostering a sense of community and personal belonging.

“This sense of connection not only makes individuals feel good but also benefits society by improving health, enhancing productivity, and reducing crime,” said Professor Sato.

He explained that a significant challenge in well-being research is the subjective nature of measurement procedures, potentially leading to biased findings. These studies focused on both subjective and objective measures of well-being, combining secondary data analysis, self-reports, and neuro-imaging measures to understand the connection.

In the first study, the researchers analyzed large-scale publicly available data on the influence of watching sports on 20,000 Japanese residents. The results of this study confirmed the ongoing pattern of elevated reported well-being associated with regular sports viewing. However, this study was limited by its inability to provide deeper insight into the relationship between sports consumption and well-being.

The second study, an online survey involving 208 participants, aimed at investigating whether the connection between sports viewing and well-being varied depending on the type of sport observed.

The experiment exposed them to a range of sports videos, assessing their well-being both before and after viewing.

The findings underscored that widely embraced sports, such as football, exerted a “more significant” impact on enhancing well-being compared to less popular sports, such as golf.

However, the most ground-breaking aspect of the research emerged in the third study where the team employed neuro-imaging techniques to scrutinize alterations in the brain activity of 14 Japanese participants before and after watching sports clips.

The results showed that watching sports triggered activation in the brain’s reward circuits, indicative of feelings of happiness or pleasure.

Analysis also revealed that people who reported watching sports more frequently exhibited greater gray matter volume in regions associated with reward circuits, suggesting that regular sports viewing may gradually induce changes in brain structures.

“Both subjective and objective measures of well-being were found to be positively influenced by engaging in sports viewing,” said Prof. Sato.

“By inducing structural changes in the brain’s reward system over time, it fosters long-term benefits for individuals.”

“For those seeking to enhance their overall well-being, regularly watching sports, particularly popular ones such as baseball or soccer, can serve as an effective remedy.”Prof. Sato says the findings, published in the journal Sport Management Review, have “profound” implications for not only sports fans but in a larger general population irrespective of their relationship to sports consumption. Watching Sports Boosts Well-being and Improves Your Health, According to ‘Ground-breaking’ Research

Read More........→September 18, 2025

Being Social–Like Dining Out, Traveling, or Playing Bingo, May Delay Dementia by 5 Years

By Curated Lifestyle for Unsplash+

Visiting friends, going to parties, and attending church or community bingo games may help keep your brain healthy, according to research conducted at Rush University that shows frequent social activity may help prevent or delay dementia in old age.

“In this study, we show that the least socially active older adults developed dementia an average of five years before the most socially active,” said Bryan James, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine at Rush.

Social activity can strengthen neural circuits in the brain, making them more resistant to the buildup of pathology that occurs with age. Social behavior activates the same areas of the brain involved in thinking and memory.

The findings, published online in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, suggest that more frequent social activity points to a 38% reduction in dementia risk and a 21% reduction in mild cognitive impairment risk, compared to the least socially active.

In addition, a five-year delay in dementia onset has been estimated to yield an additional three years of life and an economic benefit of reducing dementia costs by 40% in the next 30 years, potentially $500,000 in lifetime health care savings for each person who would eventually develop dementia.

Authors note that the findings highlight the value of social activity as a possible community-level intervention for reducing dementia.

The study included 1,923 dementia-free older adults with a mean age of about 80 who are participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of common chronic conditions of aging.

A total of 545 participants developed dementia, and 695 developed mild cognitive impairment. They each underwent yearly evaluations that included a medical history and neuropsychological tests.

Social activity was measured based on a questionnaire that asked participants whether, and how often, in the previous year they had engaged in six common social activities that involve social interaction — for example, whether they went to restaurants or sporting events, played bingo, took day or overnight trips, did volunteer work or visited relatives or friends.

Cognitive function was assessed using 21 tests for various types of memory as well as perceptual speed and visuospatial ability.

Use it or lose it

At the start of the investigation, all participants were free of any signs of cognitive impairment. Over an average of five years, however, those who were more socially active showed reduced rates of dementia. Other variables that might have accounted for the increase in cognitive decline — such as age, physical exercise and health—were all adjusted for in the analysis.

Why social activity plays a role in the development of cognitive problems is not clear. One possibility is that “social activity challenges older adults to participate in complex interpersonal exchanges, which could promote or maintain efficient neural networks in a case of ‘use it or lose it,’” James said in Rush News.

The study is a follow up on previous papers from the Rush group showing that social activity is related to less cognitive decline—even mild cognitive impairment. Being Social–Like Dining Out, Traveling, or Playing Bingo, May Delay Dementia by 5 Years

Read More........→September 16, 2025

Fashion Student Makes ‘Memory Bears’ for Grieving Folks From the Clothing Of Their Deceased Loved Ones

Photo by Mary Macinnes

A crafty Scottish woman has come up with the sweetest way for people to keep meaningful mementos of their loved ones.

For the last six years, Mary Macinnes has been making people “Memory Bears” out of the favorite clothing of their deceased friends and family.

Macinnes, who studied fashion technology at Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, says that she made her first memory bear for a friend when she was just 16 years old. She quickly became flooded with people’s requests for their own Memory Bear, but she always turned them down because she wanted to focus on her studies.

Photo by Mary Macinnes

After her bears became more and more popular on social media, however, she eventually opted to start making the bears full-time.

Now 21 years old, Macinnes has made hundreds of Memory Bears, each of which costs £50 ($65) and requires 5 to 6 hours of planning and crafting.

Macinnes has crafted bears that include the ashes of the loved one, as well as jewelry. She even adds pockets to the backs of the stuffed animals so the recipients can stash special letters and mementos with their bear.

Photo by Mary Macinnes

The bears have become so popular, Macinnes says that she currently maintains a months-long waiting list.

Although working with such emotional materials may not always be the easiest line of work, Macinnes says that her job has also been infinitely rewarding.

“I really enjoy meeting my customers when they collect bears—80% burst into tears,” she told Metro. “I think that’s because garments arrive as sad reminders of the past then it’s almost as if new life is breathed into them. They become something that’s much more acceptable to cuddle and talk to, and the feedback is they definitely can help the grieving process.”

If you want to check out more of Macinnes’s Memory Bears, feel free to visit her Facebook page.

Fashion Student Makes ‘Memory Bears’ for Grieving Folks From the Clothing Of Their Deceased Loved Ones

Read More........→August 28, 2025

Parents Should Sing More to Their Babies For the Positive Impact on Infant’s Mood–And Their Own

Getty Images for Unsplash+

Many parents know that babies love to be sung to, but there’s been limited research into the longer-term effects of mothers and fathers singing to infants.

The new research shows that parents should sing to their babies more often because it really does have a positive impact on a child’s mood—and it also can benefit the health and well-being of moms and dads too.

Published in the journal Child Development, the study from an international team of scientists from New Zealand, Canada, the US and Netherlands, looked at the results of using a music enrichment intervention program that encouraged caregivers to sing more frequently to their babies.

The study was conducted with 110 parents and their babies, who averaged around four months old—with most of the caregivers participating from the US and New Zealand being white, educated, and above the poverty line. Study participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or a control group for the main portion of the study which lasted six weeks.

Parents in the intervention group completed a brief, smartphone-based music enrichment program designed to help them sing more often to their babies. They were given access to six instructional videos of simple songs presented in karaoke style, with lyrics synchronized to a bouncing ball and sourced from vintage songbooks, specially made for caregivers with limited music training.

Additionally, participants received a child-friendly songbook that featured infant-pressable buttons which activated song playback, accompanied by illustrations and lyrics for parents to sing along.

Weekly email newsletters also introduced ideas of how to incorporate singing into daily caregiving routines and presented research findings relevant to the benefits of musical parenting.

Throughout the study, the participants completed smartphone surveys up to three times daily, reporting on both baby and parent mood, stress, sleep quality, and music use.

The findings reveal positive causal effects from simple, low-cost interventions—such as increasing baby-directed singing. The interventions improved health outcomes for both babies and their parents during the four-week intervention.

“Our main finding was that the intervention successfully increased the frequency of infant-directed singing, especially in soothing contexts, and led to measurable improvements in infants’ general mood as reported by caregivers,” said Dr. Samuel Mehr, of Auckland University, New Zealand.

“One interesting finding was how intuitively caregivers incorporated singing into soothing routines for their infants, even though the intervention did not explicitly instruct them to use singing for this purpose.”

“Encouraging parents and caregivers to sing more frequently to their infants can have a positive, causal impact on infant mood. Because infant mood is closely linked to parenting stress, caregiver-infant bonding, and later social-emotional development, such a simple intervention could have meaningful downstream benefits.”

“For pediatricians and professionals working with families, recommending increased infant-directed singing is a practical, accessible strategy to support infant well-being. It’s easy to do, requires no special equipment or training, and is accessible to everyone.”

“Singing is a universal practice—parents from almost every culture and throughout history have intuitively used singing to soothe and connect with their infants.

Dr. Mehr says that, despite the intervention lasting only four weeks, the team observed “clear benefits” for infant mood.

“Such positive effects may be even more pronounced with longer-term, higher-intensity interventions—and may also extend to additional aspects of infant health beyond mood.”The research team is now working on longer follow-up studies comparing the effects of singing, listening to music, and reading on the mood of babies. Parents Should Sing More to Their Babies For the Positive Impact on Infant’s Mood–And Their Own

Read More........→June 04, 2025

Women Reunited With Sister After DNA Test and 57-year Search Ends the Mystery of a Forced Adoption

Sisters June (left), Trish (centre) and Geraldine – SWNS

Two women found their long-lost sister after a 57-year search thanks to DNA test results that sounded like an ‘April Fools prank’.

Now in their 60s, sisters Trish and June spent their lives searching for their oldest sibling, Geraldine, who is more than a decade older.

Geraldine was a four-year-old when her mother Mary Wills was forced to put her up for adoption by a religious order of Catholic nuns in the convent where the single mom and her daughter spent their early years.

Mary moved on and later met Peter Wills, with whom she had three children after marrying in 1956, settling in Somerset, England.

Despite always knowing they had an older sister, Trish and June weren’t able to find her before their mom died from liver cancer in 2011.

When Trish gave her daughter, Laura, 34, an Ancestry DNA test for Christmas in 2023 it didn’t turn up any matches—until last month.

Little did they know that their biological half-sister Geraldine would upload her details onto the same website database and Laura would be notified that Ancestry had uncovered a match “without a doubt”.

On April 1, Laura reached out to Geraldine through email and reassured her it wasn’t an “April Fool’s joke”.

Trish, a writer, from Somerset, England recalled: “I thought Laura was playing April Fool’s on me – turns out Geri thought the same thing too.”

The three sisters video called before meeting in person for the first time two weeks ago in Somerset, England, and felt “instant love” for their long-lost sibling.

“Meeting for the first time was emotional, and I felt an instant feeling of love for Geri,” Trish told SWNS news agency.

“Me, her, and June all have the same laugh—and I can’t believe how similar we all look.

“We feel like Mum is with us now and this is what she would’ve wanted.

“Having Geri in my life is something I’ve always wanted. June and I had always been told about Geraldine, but we hadn’t been able to track her down.”

Geraldine visiting Mary’s grave for first time – SWNS

“I couldn’t believe it when Laura said she’d found Geri. It’s just a shame we couldn’t do it when Mum was still alive.”

The sisters knew that their mum had moved from Ireland after giving up Geraldine at aged four and trained as a nurse in Bolton, near Manchester, but they had not been told the details of Geraldine’s adoption, or where she had relocated.

Geri learn more about her late mother—but the meeting also unveiled family secrets for Trish and June too.

They discovered their mum was a survivor of Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, in County Cork, Ireland, run by Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The home, which was subject to an investigation by the Irish Government in 2021, was found to have forced many adoptions and treated unmarried mothers—whom they deemed “sinful”—with severe cruelty.

Mary was a victim of the convent’s ill-treatment and their policies were the reason she was forced to give Geraldine up for adoption.

Speaking about the reunion, Trish said: “I never thought we’d find her, and I never thought we’d be like a Long Lost Family episode.

“We took her to mum’s grave, which was very emotional… and we’re planning to take a trip to Ireland to see where Mary had spent her earlier years.“But this is the start of making memories together now. Women Reunited With Sister After DNA Test and 57-year Search Ends the Mystery of a Forced Adoption

Read More........→May 16, 2025

6 Expert Parenting Tips for Getting Closer to Your Kids–Try Changing Up These Routines

Photo by Some Tale on Unsplash

A therapist has revealed six parenting tips for building a stronger connection with your child.

Melinda O’Neil, 37, an associate licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Pleasanton, California, has been a therapist for one year and child counselor for seven.

O’Neil—also the mom of a six-year-old son—focuses on connection, empathy, and personal growth as key components of effective parenting.

From fostering independence to encouraging emotional intelligence, here are her top tips for parenting.

Become a fan

It’s easy for parents to tune out when their child is talking about video games, dinosaurs, or the latest pop star, but O’Neil says engaging with their interests is crucial for bonding.

“[Renowned physician and educator] Maria Montessori always said, ‘Follow the child,’” O’Neil summarizes.

“That means embracing whatever they’re into—whether it’s excavators, the alphabet, animals, or trains.”

She acknowledges that parents may not always love their kids’ taste in music, but she encourages them to listen anyway.

“[L]istening with them means you know what they’re listening to. Plus, it’s a great way to bond. If they want to go to a concert, chaperone!”

“Even if you don’t love the artist, bring some earplugs—it’s about showing interest in their world.”

Rephrase your questions

Parents often ask, “How was school today?” only to be met with a one-word response. O’Neil suggests taking a more intentional approach to foster open communication.

“Ask specific questions about their day,” she said. “Instead of ‘How was school?’ try ‘Did you see your friend today?’ or ‘What was the funniest thing that happened?’ Make communication a two-way street.”

By engaging in detailed conversations, parents create an environment where children feel safe opening up.

“It’s not just about you talking at them or them talking at you—it’s about having real conversations where they feel heard.”

Own your own mistakes

Kids are always watching, and O’Neil says parents should be mindful of the behaviors they model.

“If you make a mistake, own it,” she explained. “Say, ‘I got really frustrated and shouldn’t have reacted that way. Next time, I’ll take a deep breath.’”

By doing this, parents show kids that mistakes are a normal part of life and that they can be handled with accountability and grace.

“It’s a lot of pressure because kids are always copying us,” she admitted. “But modeling healthy responses teaches them how to navigate emotions and interactions in a positive way.”

– credit: Quinn Dombrowski, CC 2.0. via Flickr.

Try new things

While it’s important to follow a child’s interests, O’Neil also stresses the value of trying new things.

“Structured activities beyond the park—like cooking classes, new hobbies, or different restaurants—help kids expand their world,” she explained.

“And if they’re hesitant? Encourage them anyway. Remind them, ‘You might like it!’”

She acknowledges that not every new experience will be a hit.

“If they try something and truly don’t like it, that’s okay,” she said. “Congratulate them for trying. But the key is to keep encouraging curiosity and new adventures.”

Let them be emotional

Emotions can be messy, but O’Neil says learning to sit with them is crucial for emotional intelligence.

“Feelings can make us uncomfortable, but if your child is experiencing one, let them,” she advised. “Be present. Sit with them in their sadness, frustration, or joy.”

She notes that emotions naturally cycle every seven minutes.

“Give them that space,” she said.

“If they’re crying, tell them, ‘It’s okay to cry.’ Even if it makes you uncomfortable, practice sitting with it instead of shutting it down.”

Getty Images / Unsplash+

Parent yourself

The best parenting starts with self-growth, O’Neil says.

“One thing I see every day is that many parents weren’t taught how to manage their own emotions,” she explained. “So as adults, we’re almost re-parenting ourselves.”

She stresses the importance of self-reflection.

“The best thing you can do for your child is to become a healthier version of yourself.

“Acknowledge your mistakes, work on your emotional responses, and show yourself the same compassion you’d show them.”

At the end of the day, O’Neil says parenting is about connection, empathy, and being willing to grow alongside your child.“Promote empathy and compassion,” she said. “And that includes being compassionate with yourself.” 6 Expert Parenting Tips for Getting Closer to Your Kids–Try Changing Up These Routines

Read More........→April 07, 2025

Your fuzzy flannel pyjamas could be incredibly flammable – here’s what to know

Rebecca Van Amber, RMIT University

Last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued at least nine recall notices on products that didn’t comply with the mandatory standard for nightwear for children. All of these items posed a fire hazard, but didn’t have the required labelling.

The latest of these recalls, a glow-in-the-dark jumper sold on the website Temu, caused severe burn injuries to an 8-year-old Queensland girl. The incident has exposed significant gaps in Australian product safety standards.

Brands will use warning labels to meet legal requirements (such as the mandatory standard mentioned above), but they continue producing and selling these dangerously flammable textiles. This shifts the responsibility to shoppers who purchase items with fire warning labels, but may not fully understand the implications of the warning.

Highly flammable fabrics are far more common than you might realise – and it’s not just synthetic ones that can easily catch flame.

What makes a fabric flammable?

Textiles are lightweight materials, often with a high surface area meaning they ignite and burn easily. The next time you light a candle, just look at the wick – it’s usually a cotton yarn.

The only naturally flame-resistant fibre is wool, along with all other animal protein fibres such as silk, alpaca, mohair, cashmere and others. These fibres are slow to ignite and form ash when burned.

Synthetic materials melt when burning. If they stick to the skin, they can cause severe injuries that are difficult to treat. Polyester made up over 57% of global fibre production in 2023.

Acrylic is the most flammable of all synthetics. Acrylic fibres are commonly used to make jumpers that look and feel like wool, but are much less expensive to produce. Without checking the label, shoppers can easily mistake acrylic sweaters for wool ones.

Not all synthetic fibres are equally flammable. Somewhat confusingly, there is a flame-resistant fibre called modacrylic. Modacrylic was developed to address the flammability problems with acrylic. Other flame-resistant human-made fibres are kevlar and glass.

However, there is more to fabric flammability than just the fibres alone. Textile fabrics are complex materials – a fabric’s flammability is affected by the fibres, yarns, structure (knit or weave), and any finishes used.

For example, smooth, tightly woven or knitted fabrics will be slower to burn than lightweight or fuzzy fabrics. Fabrics can also be treated with flame retardant finishes.

Fabrics with the highest fire risk are those with a pile or brushed surface (think cosy, fuzzy or furry fleeces, flannelettes and faux furs) and are composed of cotton, acrylic, polyester and other synthetic fibres. These soft and fuzzy (and highly flammable) textile products are everywhere, and often at affordable prices.

‘Not intended for children’s sleepwear’

Despite well-known fire risks of different materials, Australian rules for fibre content labelling lapsed in 2019. Now, products only legally need care instructions.

Most brands still list the fibre content (for example, “100% cotton”) to meet American and European requirements, but it’s no longer legally required here.

Current safety rules focus mainly on protecting children, particularly in sleepwear and some daily clothes. However, risk from flammable clothing extends beyond children. Women, older people and any person who tends to wear loose-fitting garments that can catch fire more easily are at risk.

Many costume pieces like capes, hoods, wings and tutus are also excluded from children’s product safety rules in Australia. The exclusion of these types of items from regulation is especially baffling, as they often pose a high flammability risk due to their combination of materials and loose-fitting designs.

All this means shoppers may not know the item they are purchasing is highly flammable.

Consider a shopper who encounters flannel fabrics printed with bunnies and dogs at a major Australian retailer. These fabrics come with mandatory warnings like “not intended for children’s sleepwear” or “fire warning: flannelette is a flammable material and care should be taken if using flannelette for children’s sleepwear and loose-fitting garments”.

What are these cutesy flannel fabrics to be used for, if not children’s products?

We need stronger consumer protection

While Australia has consumer protection laws, the ACCC has acknowledged there is no direct ban on selling unsafe products.

Without stronger legislation prohibiting the production and sale of highly flammable textiles, Australia risks becoming a market for hazardous clothing and textile products that don’t meet stricter international standards.

At the very minimum, Australia needs to reintroduce mandatory fibre content labelling for textiles and clothing products to be in line with US and EU requirements.

In the meantime, consumers need to take action in other ways. Take any product with a “fire warning” label seriously – don’t let children wear fuzzy, fleecy, furry or loose clothing items such as costumes around open flames or as sleepwear. Older adults can also be at risk. Wearing a favourite fuzzy bathrobe when cooking over open flames, such as a gas stove top, is extremely dangerous.

Better yet, don’t purchase any items with a “fire warning” label – brands will stop producing items that don’t sell.

Consumers are encouraged to report any products they suspect are unsafe to the ACCC.

Rebecca Van Amber, Senior Lecturer in Fashion & Textiles, RMIT University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→January 24, 2025

Planning kids? You should know the major parties’ parental leave policies before you vote

Anam Bilgrami, Macquarie University

Most new Australian mothers receive government paid parental leave to support health, encourage workforce participation and balance work and family life equally with their partners. Despite this, Australia still has one of the least generous parental leave schemes in the developed world.

Both major parties propose to improve the paid parental leave scheme this election.

If you plan on having children, it’s worthwhile understanding what each party promises. Their policies may impact your health, income and the opportunity to pursue your career differently.

What are the major parties promising?

The Australian government provides working parents with paid leave at the minimum wage for up to 18 weeks. This scheme was introduced by Labor in 2011 and represented a “giant leap” in social policy, but it came quite late by OECD standards.

It has since been adjusted to provide partners with two weeks of leave and increase leave-taking flexibility.

This election, the Coalition promises to “enhance” the scheme, although it will keep the total leave amount shared between parents unchanged at 20 weeks. It will also leave payments fixed at the minimum wage.

Instead, the Coalition will allow parents to completely share this leave flexibly between them as they choose, with no separate amounts earmarked for mothers or “dads and partners”.

The Coalition will fix a design flaw in the income test by connecting scheme eligibility to household income, rather than individual income. It will also increase the income threshold that cuts off access at $350,000, allowing 2,200 more families to access the scheme.

Labor has a more generous plan, although they have not set an implementation date and have walked back making their policy a campaign promise. Its eventual goal is to increase total leave from 20 to 26 weeks to be shared between parents. It also seeks to pay benefits at a person’s full salary.

Labor aims to fund their proposed scheme from employer and government contributions. But their plan is scant on details, including how much this policy would cost, what proportion would be funded by business and government, and whether each parent will have leave earmarked for them.

A group that would be better off under either plan is single parents. They would be able to access more leave than the current 18 weeks available to them (Labor’s plan increases leave and the Coalition’s collapses leave for partners into the total leave entitlement).

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Leave-taking, gender equality and scheme fairness

Take-up of the current scheme is low among Australian fathers. Some economists have criticised the Coalition’s proposal to remove leave earmarked for fathers and partners, saying it would discourage them from taking any leave at all.

The argument is that if households want to maximise their income, lower paid parents (on average, mothers) would be the ones taking the entire 20 weeks’ leave, since it will be paid at the minimum wage. This means the Coalition’s plan may work against “promoting equality between men and women” in work and family life, despite offering more flexibility.

Labor’s plan better promotes equal leave-taking, since it will pay either parent taking leave their full salary.

Parental leave schemes in other countries offering higher salary replacement are funded by a combination of government, employer and employee contributions.

The Australian scheme already works together with employer-paid leave as 60% of Australian employers also offer paid leave.

This arrangement creates differences in leave-taking between parents who can also use employer-paid leave and those without this privilege. This is inequitable and may translate to differences in mothers’ health outcomes.

Labor has not clarified the details of their proposed government/employer-funded approach. More details are needed on how their scheme would interact with existing employer-paid parental leave policies and whether it would help address existing inequities.

Effects on health

Labor’s plan better supports parent and child health (particularly for those without any employer-paid leave). Research has found six months’ leave after birth for mothers is optimal for their mental health, a minimum amount also suggested by the World Health Organisation for promoting breastfeeding and infant health.

Labor will get Australia’s scheme closer to this benchmark.

When fathers take leave, this is associated with better health outcomes for both mothers and fathers. It also supports children’s development.

The Coalition’s plan doesn’t increase leave from the currently low entitlement. It also only allows mothers to take more leave at the expense of fathers (and vice versa), which may compromise health.

Women’s workforce participation

Any changes to parental leave need to balance health promotion and gender equality with supporting women’s workforce participation.

Overly short leave increases the risk of women exiting the labour force, while overly long leave (more than one year) can result in women losing valuable skills and weaken workforce attachment. (Although neither party’s plan is anywhere near generous enough to create this issue).

The current scheme includes six weeks’ paid leave that can be used flexibly between parents any time over the first two years after birth, including while working part-time. This feature potentially supports skill retention and employment attachment, and is probably what the Coalition had in mind when proposing complete flexibility in leave-taking.

Future changes needed to support Australian women

Labor’s plan provides a health-promoting boost to leave, while the Coalition’s recognises the value of flexibility in supporting women’s work. Both plans are lacking in execution; Labor’s on details and the Coalition’s on policy design that promotes equality in leave-taking and caring.

Both parties should consider providing longer and equally split leave for each parent with an additional “flexible” component, or rewarding “bonus” leave to parents who share leave more equally.

Australia has one of the most highly educated and skilled working age female workforces in the OECD. Sadly, this still isn’t reflected in women’s workforce participation, with women more likely than men to work part-time, be under-represented in most industries and earn less.

Policy design matters, but broader changes are needed to draw on this “productivity gold”. This includes promoting high-quality flexible work and normalising fathers taking extended leave to care for children.

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Update: this piece was amended to update the fact on Thursday 12 May 2022, Labor Leader Anthony Albanese stated the Labor party is no longer taking its 26 week paid parental leave policy to the election (although it remains a stated “goal” within Labor’s national policy platform).

Anam Bilgrami, Research Fellow, Macquarie University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→January 01, 2025

We reviewed 100 studies about little kids and screens. Here are 4 ways to help your child use them well

Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, University of Wollongong and Dylan Cliff, University of Wollongong

Screen time is one of the top worries for Australian parents. In a national February 2021 poll by the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, parents rated it as the number-one health issue facing their children.

Our previous research also shows parents feel guilty about screens, even though they are all around us.

At the same time, guidance on what parents should be doing is confusing. According to the World Health Organization and the Australian government, young children’s screen time should be limited to no more than one hour per day for two- to five-year-olds, while children under two shouldn’t be exposed to screens at all.

But the UK Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said it is “impossible to give comprehensive national guidance or limits” because the effect of screens depends so much on context and the evidence is uncertain.

This made us wonder what else matters for children’s healthy development beyond “screen time”. So we gathered all available evidence on the context in which children use screens.

Our research

In our new research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, we reviewed 100 studies on the influence of screen use contexts on the cognitive (brain), social and emotional development in children from birth to five years. The screens included TV, computer games, smartphones and tablets.

These studies, published between 1978 and 2023, involved more than 176,000 children and their families from 30 countries. This included the United States, United Kingdom, China, Canada, Japan and Australia.

From this, we distilled four research-based ways parents can help their children use screens in healthy ways.

1. Make screen time together time

The studies we analysed show that if children and caregivers use screens together (also called co-viewing or co-use), it is beneficial for children’s thinking and reasoning skills. It is especially beneficial for their language development, including the number of words children know, their social communication skills, language understanding and processing.

When you watch together you can have conversations about what children are seeing or doing, help them understand the content (for example, “Why did Bluey hide that from Chilli?”) and draw connections to the real world (“How do you think Bingo is feeling right now?”). This can help their language development and learning.

2. Choose age-appropriate content that encourages play

Not all screen time is “bad” but we should consider the content and how it might influence a child’s development and behaviour.

Our research found a link between children watching age-inappropriate content and poor social skills and behaviour.

This highlights the importance of purposeful and high-quality screen experiences for children. Parents might ask themselves, what age or developmental stage is the content designed for and does it promote learning and development (for example, Sesame Street)?

Does it stimulate imaginative play and creativity in the real world (such as Playschool)? Does the content have positive social messages (Bluey)? Does it encourage movement like dancing to music (Ready, Steady, Wiggle)?

Avoiding violent content and content for mature audiences is key, and parents can use trustworthy guides like those from Common Sense Media if they have any doubts.

3. Don’t let screens get in the way of parent-child interactions

Mobile technologies mean children can use screens almost anywhere and anytime. The same is also true for parents.

Sometimes parents’ screens can interfere with conversations and connections between them and their child. In our study, children had better social skills, behaviour and ability to regulate their emotions when parents avoided screen use during interactions and routines like family meals.

When parents are distracted, it can affect the quality and quantity of interactions with their child.

4. Don’t have the TV on in the background

Children learn from their environments and background TV may divert a child’s attention from play and learning. Our research found children had better thinking, reasoning and language abilities when there was less background TV in the home.

This can also be because of less conversations between parents and children when there is a TV on in the background.

So, when the TV is not actively being watched, consider turning it off so children can play, listen and learn.

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Jade Burley co-led the research described in this article.

Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, University of Wollongong and Dylan Cliff, Associate Professor in Health and Physical Education, University of Wollongong

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→August 13, 2024