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April 29, 2025

April 29, 2025

While you were finding last year’s sunscreen, teens made location-sharing cool, airlines proved chocolate > complaints, and Oreos dropped their most chaotic flavor yet. 🍪

In today’s Birdie: taco night upgrades, travel hacks that actually work, and the real talk on teens + tech. Plus, clutter cures, $3 beauty steals, and why your plants deserve a raise. 🌿

Let’s jump in — you’ve got places to be.👇

THIS MONTH

May 5: Cinco de Mayo — Upgrade taco night with these Chipotle Chile Lime Chicken Quesadillas that'll make your family beg for seconds.

May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week — Turn the tables and give teachers the same heartfelt cards your kids made for you.

May 11: Mother's Day — Find your new favorite mom-truth in these 97 hilarious quotes.

May 26: Memorial Day — Three-day weekend alert! Time to dust off the grill and officially declare summer open.

PARENTING

Teen tech talk.

Knowing your teen's whereabouts doesn't require detective work anymore — they're probably already sharing their location with friends. With up to 94% of people using this feature, it's become the new normal.

THE REAL REASONS TEENS SHARE:

For the safety squad: Teens track each other at concerts, sporting events, and when someone's running late. It's their digital buddy system.
For the social butterfly: Seeing friends nearby means spontaneous hangouts without twenty "where are you?" texts.

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW: Location sharing has some genuine benefits — like helping teens find lost phones and coordinate meetups — but comes with social landmines, too.

BEYOND CONVENIENCE: Location apps can create major FOMO when teens see friends gathered somewhere without them. Plus, oversharing location data raises legitimate privacy concerns.

CONVERSATION STARTERS: Instead of panicking, ask your teen who they share with and why. Help them establish boundaries around who gets their whereabouts and for how long.

PRO TIP: Suggest using apps with timer features rather than 24/7 tracking. This builds healthy digital boundaries while still allowing practical uses.

REMEMBER: Location sharing isn't inherently problematic — it's how teens take care of each other in their digital world. The key is helping them share wisely rather than banning it entirely.

TRAVEL

Smooth skies ahead.

Counting down to summer vacation? Whether you're planning the ultimate family adventure or sneaking away for some well-deserved me-time, these golden rules will help your travels go smoothly.

THE VIP TREATMENT HACK:

The chocolate trick: Want to be treated like a rockstar on your flight? Hand the flight crew a small bag of chocolates (skip anything with nuts). When your kids deliver these sweet surprises, watch how quickly they get invited to meet the pilots!
The kindness currency: Being genuinely nice costs nothing but pays massive dividends. Flight attendants notice and remember the passengers who treat them with respect.

PLANNING PERFECTION:

Arrive a day early for important events (cruises, weddings) to avoid stress and last-minute panic
Set price alerts for dream destinations using tools like Hopper or Google Flights
Check your passport's expiration date (needs 6+ months validity beyond your return date)

SMART PACKING: Keep medications, documents, and valuables in your carry-on. That designer swimsuit can be replaced, but your prescription meds cannot.

TECH PREP: Download all travel apps and save important phone numbers before departure. Having hotel contacts, airline numbers, and translation apps ready saves precious vacation time.

PRO TIP: Never take a "no" from someone who isn't empowered to give you a "yes." Politely ask to speak with a supervisor who has more flexibility to solve your problem.

REMEMBER: The Real ID deadline is May 7, 2025. After that, you'll need it even for domestic flights!

👉 What's your best travel hack? Hit reply and share your tip for traveling with kids. We'll feature the best suggestions in our next issue!

Around the Web

🧸 This expert says your kids only need THIS many toys — and your cluttered playroom will thank you!

🗣️ These 120 teen conversation starters actually get them talking (eye rolls not included).

🥨 Oreo's chocolate-covered pretzel flavor will make you question everything you know about cookies.

💅 The press-on nails so good everyone will think you splurged at the salon.

🤕 Women get twice as many headaches as men — and science finally explains why it's not "just stress."

🌿 These 6 plants clean your air while you sleep — making them the hardest working roommates you'll ever have.

Your Instagram feed is probably bubbling over with cans of "healthy" soda promising gut health miracles. Prebiotic sodas — the latest wellness rebrand of our favorite sugary vice — claim to deliver digestive benefits while satisfying your carbonation cravings. But at $3+ per can, are these fizzy gut-boosters actually worth it, or just expensive placebo bubbles? Experts weigh in.

SNIPPETS

These college majors earn graduates a staggering $32,000 more annually than high school diplomas — while most parents still wonder if the tuition investment is actually worth it.

Amazon just announced its biggest beauty sale starting April 28 with deals from $3 — while most shoppers are still recovering from their spring splurges.

Netflix finally introduced a "dialogue-only" caption option for its 40% of subtitle-using viewers — while most streaming platforms still haven't figured out we're all secretly reading while watching.