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• Some kids can wow us with their abilities, from being precocious philosophers to musical prodigies. Whether a child’s extraordinary talents are due to “nature” or “nurture” is always a big question mark, but there’s no question that some kids stand out among their peers for the things they can do.

Sometimes they even stand out from grownups. Take young Aldie, for example, whose ability to articulate his feelings exceeds many adults. When you find out he’s barely 4 years old, hearing him calmly talk about his emotions and good choices is all the more remarkable.

Aldie’s mom, Jonisa Padernos, tells Upworthy that she’s felt he was “really special” since he started talking in full sentences at 20 months. “Believe it or not, he had no major tantrums in his toddler years because he was always able to express [himself] with his words,” she says.

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Padernos started young, asking Aldie questions and giving him time to answer without interrupting. “I’d always ask his opinion or feelings towards something and I don’t rush him to answer,” she says. “I give him time and just listen. I make sure I also tell him how I feel and explain to him because I think kids copy us, and if we do that, they would think that it’s normal to feel all those emotions as long as you can express it with words and [are] able to process it.”

Check out the conversation between Aldie and Padernos at bedtime as he goes through a recap of his emotions that day, which has racked up more than 17 million views on TikTok.

@mom_aldie

Bedtime conversation. The last part made me ❤️🥹 #fyp #momlife

The way Aldie shared what he was feeling about his mom not letting him go outside, how he helped his papa make a better choice with his emotions, and how he described the different emotions he feels is more than most adults can muster when they’ve had “a hard time doing emotions” during the day. And the way Padernos listens and reflects and reassures him is so, so beautiful.

People in the comments agreed.

“Emotionally intelligent, articulate and able to string super sophisticated sentences together,” wrote one commenter on Instagram. “I taught 7-year-olds that weren’t this advanced – heck, most adults aren’t this emotionally intelligent. I have confidence in his future and the consequences are working beautifully Mama. We have to raise kids other people will like too. 😍👏”

“Wowwwww….. I’m so amazed by this baby’s EVERYTHING … the emotional intelligence, the vocabulary, empathy, the processing skills…all of it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️” wrote another.

“The most mature conversation I’ve heard about emotions – tbh I don’t think I’ve ever been as honest about my feelings as this little one was 🙌🏽 feeling so inspired by both of them. ♥️🫶🏽✨” shared another.

There’s a lot that parents can do to help their children develop this kind of emotional intelligence, and this interaction between Aldie and his mom is a prime example.

“My advice is just be present, encourage kids to tell you how their day was or anything, listen and give them time to express without rushing,” says Padernos. “Be patient, consistent and honest when communicating with them. Always remember that kids mirror us and so we have to show and express our emotions so they will be encouraged to also express their feelings to us. And when we get mad or frustrated, also let them know and explain why and apologize if you feel that you’ve let your emotions get in the way.”

While not every child will be able to understand and articulate as clearly as Aldie did at such a young age, most kids are far more capable of understanding and processing emotion than we give them credit for. Proactively teaching them how to communicate what they’re feeling and explaining how emotions work can go a long way toward helping them develop the self-regulation tools they’ll use throughout their life.

This article originally appeared on 4.4.23

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a cat? To watch the world from less than a foot off the ground, seeing and hearing things humans completely miss, staring out the window for hours while contemplating one of your nine lives?

Well, thanks to one person, we need wonder no more—at least about what-they’re-seeing part.

The TikTok channel Mr. Kitters the Cat (@mr.kitters.the.cat) gives us a cat’s-eye view of the world with a camera attached to Mr. Kitters’ collar. And the result is an utterly delightful POV experience that takes us through the daily adventuring of the frisky feline as he wanders the yard.

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In a video titled “Spicy cats,” which has more than 74 million views on TikTok, we begin with the cutest cat sneeze ever. Then we hear Mr. Kitters’ meow as we walk with him through the grass before the scene switches to a thrilling, yowling cat chase he witnesses across the yard (while tucking himself even more securely under the bush he’s in).

The best is seeing his kitty paws as he walks and then digs in the mulch. And there’s apparently something very exciting that needs to be pounced on right along a chain link fence.

Watch and enjoy:

@mr.kitters.the.cat

Spicy cats 🌶️ #fyp #cat #meow

The commenters made their delight known.

“I love how he saw the cat fight and was like that’s not my business today,” wrote one person.

“WHEN HE DIGS WITH HIS LIL PAWS,” declared another.

“People: Cats only meow at humans.” Mr Kitters -Meows at everything-” wrote another.

And of course, countless people responded simply to the sneeze with “Bless you.”

Mr. Kitters has other POV videos as well. This one demonstrates how chatty he is and shows his black cat buddy as well.

@mr.kitters.the.cat

“What do you want?” “Nothing!” #fyp #cat #meow

It really sounds like he says, “Let me in,” doesn’t it?

And this “extreme sports” video is riveting.

@mr.kitters.the.cat

Extreme sports 💀 #fyp

It’s funny how something as simple as putting a camera around the neck of a cat can draw in tens of millions of people. We’re all so curious about the lives of the creatures we see every day, and the adorable quirkiness of cat behavior is a big part of why we keep them as companions in the first place. Seeing the world through their point of view is just one more way we can enjoy and learn about our pet friends.

This article originally appeared on 6.15.23

The 2024 Grammys are the talk of the music world right now, but it’s a fleeting moment that will be old news soon. Another recent happening that’ll have more staying power, though, is Drake and J. Cole’s It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?, which just launched a few days ago. If you’re a Cole stan wondering when he takes the stage, or you’re just a tour trivia buff, here’s what to know.

What Time Does J. Cole Go On Stage For The It’s All A Blur Tour — Big As The What?

The tour is pretty fresh, with only two shows down so far. It does appear a trend is starting to form, though. Both concerts have started with Drake going through a 30-ish-song solo set (more on Drake’s own starting time here) before Cole comes out for ten tracks of his own. Then the two come together to close things out with a joint performance.

Per setlist.fm data, at the February 2 concert at Tampa, Florida’s Amalie Arena, Cole took the stage for his solo set at 10:50 p.m. The next show, at the same venue on February 4, Cole popped up at 10:45. So, it looks like that’s about the time they’re shooting to have Cole on stage, at around 10:45 or 10:50.

If you ever find yourself lamenting how long it takes to make yourself look presentable these days, be glad you weren’t alive in 1857. A woman who goes by @sewn.by.ellen describes herself on Instagram as a “fashion historian and historian costumer” recently posted a video captioned “Getting dressed in 1857,” and suffice it to say, the process was much lengthier and more complicated than whatever you have going on these days.

The Swedish content Swedish content creator begins the video wearing “chemise and drawers,” which she describes as the layers that would be closest to her body and washed most frequently.

Next is the corset, which @sewn.by.ellen says “creates the correct shape for the time and also supports the bust and makes my posture so much better.”

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If you’re already feeling sweaty, hang in there, we’re just getting started!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @sewn.by.ellen

​Next comes the “steel crinoline” which is perhaps the most unusual-looking piece of this outfit, given that it looks like a cage more than a garment.

But evidently, the steel crinoline was an improvement for ladies of the day who were used to creating the exaggerated shape afforded by the crinoline with a multitude of petticoats.

“The skirts in the 1850s were large and supported by several petticoats, sometimes up to 7 at once, so when the cage crinoline was introduced in 1856, it was a big relief for women. It’s made out of a connecting series of steel hoops and as you can see, it’s very light and foldable,” she explains.

Then she puts on a petticoat, just one, which fits over the cage crinoline, and then sleeves (the sleeves of the dress are their own separate garments because why not) and then the skirt of the dress and then the bodice followed by a bonnet.

By the end, there is very little flesh showing—pretty much just her face—and she cuts a gigantic, one assumes very fashionable for the time, figure.

The video went viral, having been viewed 5.3 million times. Commenters had a lot of questions, many of them having to do with how to handle the call of nature. “How in the world did they go to the bathroom?” asked suematkins2

“All I can think is by the time I got that all in [sic], I’d need to pee and I feel that would be quite a challenge, but it’s a beautiful outfit. I love the old fashion style!” said shannon_mcbroom.

Other commenters couldn’t help but wonder about how hot the getup might be.

“I’m grateful to live in more casual times. It looks kind of hot and restricting,” wrote cynthiaparbury. “I can’t wrap my head about [sic] women in that day having hot flashes w/ all those layers!” said duggbar

“What about the summer – so many layers of clothes” wrote danielline.philipine.

And then there were those who commented on how long the whole getting dressed process must have taken. “I would be late for work every day,” theghostofmisswillmott said. (Some commenters replied that women likely weren’t heading off to work in these days.)

“Makes you appreciate how easy we have it today in terms of easy-to-wear clothes. I don’t like taking longer than two minutes to get dressed,” said myladyscribbler.

“By the time she finishes she has to put on her nightgown,” said shivashab. “I am from 1850, and I am still getting dressed for work,” quipped sinneahartmusic.

The historically accurate dress was made by hand by the creator who has degrees in fashion studies and museum studies and who says she sews both as a hobby and for work. The video and its popularity serve as a fascinating reminder that having to pull it together to look presentable for your Zoom call when all you want to do is sit around in your pajamas, you know, hypothetically, is really not all that bad.

When people think of golden retrievers they generally visualize a very happy, friendly dog. Most golden retrievers you encounter are just excited to be around people but apparently, they can get upset when you try to take away their Hot Cheetos. At least that’s what one owner discovered when her dog got ahold of a snack sized bag of the spicy snack.

Josie who runs the TikTok account josie_kamdan uploaded a video of her dog Ben holding a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos that he’s refusing to give up. The woman is shocked by the dog’s mean mug and growl, but Ben is serious about eating the rest of his snack that he stole fair and square.

“Give me them, give me your Hot Cheetos. You cannot eat them. You cannot eat them,” she repeats before laughing and deciding it’s best to let him keep them.

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People in the comments were also shocked to see a golden retriever show any emotion besides happy.

“This is making me realize I’ve never seen a golden retriever mad,” someone writes.

“I’ve never seen a golden retriever growl,” another says.

Other people had ideas on why the pooch may have been acting out of sorts–red dye. The super sneaky behavior modifier that can cause a happy-go-lucky golden retriever to turn into the devil. At least that’s what some are saying, while others had a much more practical answer.

“Red dye does it again,” a commenter laughs.

“That red 40 got him tweaking,” someone jokes.

“Resource guarding. My Aussie did that with my frappuccino,” someone writes as others back up her statement.

@josie_kamdan

he will not surrender the hot cheetos #dogsoftiktok #dogtok #goldenretriever #hotcheetos

The behavior of resource guarding has different causes but one of the typical reasons a dog resource guards is due to anxiety according to the Humane Society. In a follow up video she addressed the comments about resource guarding and explained that he’s never behaved like that before which caused her nervous laughter. No worries, she was able to get the Cheetos away from him with distraction and he spent zero days in doggy jail.

Fans are used to seeing Jason Momoa play a rugged tough guy, or go on a naked bike ride, or be a fish, but we never really get that fun musical side of the 6′ 4″ Hawaiian native. It seems like he’s been sick of just being known as a jacked-up actor and has decided to try a new gig: singing in commercials.

“People are just seeing a different side of me,” Momoa recently told Variety. In order to show off a different side, Momoa joined the Kings Of Musical Comedy Commercials, Zach Braff and Donald Faison in a new ad for T-Mobile. As it turns out, Momoas is the right amount of silly-goofy for it to work.

The commercial shows the three actors dancing to Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling” while changing the lyrics to be Super Bowl-related (it’s the greatest time of year for commercials). There’s wings! A little dance breakdown! Jokes! It’s everything you’ve ever wanted from a T-Mobile commercial, especially if you even use T-Mobile.

“He was so fun, so high energy, in such a silly mood like we always are. I think it really shows,” Faison told Variety. “It’s kind of like a rock musical in a lot of ways when he jumps on board.”

This is just the latest musical commercial from T-Mobile, who brought John Travolta back last year for a mini Grease callback with Braff and Faison. Verizon better step up its game and get the cast of Community to sing a song with The Rock if they have any shot of topping this one.

(Via Variety)

The NBA world will descend on Indianapolis, Indiana in two weeks for All-Star Weekend, where the NBA’s best will get to showcase their talents across the three days of events.

The festivities will be split between the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Rising Stars Challenge and All-Star Game itself will be played, and Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Celebrity Game and All-Star Saturday Night competitions will be held. The court for the actual game competitions at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be your typical courts, but the Celeb Game and Saturday Night festivities will be played on an LED court that the NBA unveiled on Monday afternoon.

Given that each competition on Saturday Night has different branding elements, the Celeb Game features a 4-point shot line, and the Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu three-point shootout will include the WNBA three-point line, it makes sense that the league would look to an alternative to putting a ton of different lines of paint on a court. The LED court will allow them to change the look of the court between competitions — along with some animations when things happen — without needing to build a new court between Friday and Saturday or bring out as much physical branding between competitions.

The hope is this makes for a bit smoother Saturday night of competitions, as the setup will just be the various elements of each competition, and we’ll just have to see if the visual elements of the LED court translate to TV in the way the league hopes. That, along with player feedback on the feel of the court, may very well determine if the league explores expanding the use of this type of court to actual gameplay, but for now it will just be for the Celeb Game and Saturday Night competitions.

When we see someone dealing with the loss of a loved one or some other major life crisis, it’s instinctual for many of us to ask how we can help. Often, the conversation looks something like this:

Us: I am SO sorry you’re going through this. What can I do to help?

Person in crisis: I honestly don’t know right now.

Us: Okay…well…you let me know if you need anything—anything at all.

Person in crisis: Okay, thank you.

Us: I mean it. Don’t hesitate to ask. I’m happy to help with whatever you need.

And then…crickets. The person never reaches out to take you up on the offer.

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Was it that they didn’t really need any help, this person going through a major life crisis? Unlikely. As sincere as our offer may have been, the problem may be that we didn’t really offer them what they actually needed.

One of those needs is to not have to make decisions. Another is to not have to directly ask for help.

When a person is in a state of crisis, they can feel like they’re drowning. They might be disoriented and fatigued, and doing anything other than keeping their head above water long enough to breathe can feel like too much.

If someone is drowning, you don’t ask them what you can do to help or wait for them to ask. You just take action.

Here are some specific ways you can take action to help someone who you know needs help but isn’t able or willing to ask for it:

1. Make them food

It may be tempting to ask if you can make them a meal and wait for them to say yes or no, but don’t. Simply ask if they or anyone in their household has any dietary restrictions, and then start shopping and cooking.

Meals that can be popped in the refrigerator or freezer and then directly into the oven or microwave are going to be your best bets. Include cooking or reheating instructions if it’s not obvious. Disposable aluminum trays are great for homemade freezer-to-oven meals and can be found at just about any grocery store. Casseroles. Stir fried rices. Soups. Comfort foods.

If you don’t cook, you can buy them gift cards to local restaurants that deliver, or give them a DoorDash or UberEats gift certificate (large enough to cover the delivery, service fees and tip as well, which combined can be as much as a meal sometimes).

2. Organize a meal train

If you want to make it a community-wide effort and no one else has done so yet, set up a “meal train,” where different people sign up for different days to bring meals to spread out the food help over time. There are several free websites you can use for this purpose, including Give In Kind, Meal Train, and Take Them a Meal. These sites make it super easy for anyone with the personalized link to sign up for a meal.

2. Clean their kitchen and/or bathrooms

Kitchens are always in use, and keeping up with dishes, especially in a house full of people, is a challenge even under normal circumstances. Same with keeping the refrigerator cleaned out. Same with cleaning the bathroom.

Rather than asking if they want it done, as many people won’t want to say yes even if they would appreciate the help, try saying something like, “I want to come and make sure your kitchen is ready for you to make food whenever you want to and that your bathroom is a clean space for you to escape to whenever you feel like it. Is Tuesday or Wednesday at 1:00 better for you?”

The fewer complex decisions a person in crisis has to make the better, so saying, “Is this or that better?” rather than offering open-ended possibilities can be helpful.

3. Do laundry

Offer to sit and chat with them, let them vent if they need to…and fold their laundry while you’re at it.

Are they the kind of people who might be embarrassed by you seeing or handling their underclothes? Fine. Wash, dry and fold towels or bedsheets instead. Just keep the laundry moving for them.

And if it doesn’t feel appropriate or desirable for you to do their laundry at their house, you can offer a pick-up laundry service, either yourself or an actual hired service. Tell the person to put bags or bins of laundry at the door and you (or the service) will come pick it up and bring it back clean and folded the next day. That’s a great way to be of service without feeling like you’re intruding.

4. Run errands for them

“Hey, I’m heading out to the store, what can I grab you while I’m there?” is always a welcome phone call or text. Let them know when you’re going to be running your own errands and see if there’s anything they need dropped at the post office, picked up from the pharmacy, or anything else.

You can also offer to run errands with them. “Hey, I’ve got some errands to run. Do you want to join me?” They may have no desire to leave the house, or they may desperately want to leave the house, so be prepared for either answer, but the offer is solid. Even just not having to drive might be a relief if they have things they need to pick up or drop off places.

5. Provide childcare

If the person is a parent, taking their kid(s) out for a chunk of the day can be a big help. Caring for yourself is hard when you’re going through a difficult time, and the energy a person might use to actually do that often gets usurped by caring for others. Obviously, parents can’t just neglect their children, so anything you can do to relieve them of that responsibility for a while is gold.

Offering to take the kids to do something fun—a day at the park, ice skating, etc. is even better. A parent knowing their kid is safe, occupied and happy is its own form of relief.

6. Ask what they’re struggling with and focus your help there

While all of these practical household things are helpful, there might be some people who find comfort or solace in doing those things themselves. If that’s the case, talk with them about what their immediate needs are and what they’re having a hard time dealing with. Then focus your energies there. “What can I do to help?” may not be as effective a question as “What are you having a hard time doing right now?” They may not know what kind of help they need, but they probably know how they’re struggling.

One person might be lonely and just want some company. Another person might need a creative outlet or a mindless distraction or something physical like going for a walk or a hike. Someone else might have pets they need help caring for, a garden that need tending or the oil changed in their car. Someone might even need a person to serve as a shield or buffer between them and all the people coming to offer their condolences.

Note that many of these things are basic life maintenance stuff—those are often the things that get hard for people when they’re dealing with the emotional and logistical stuff surrounding whatever they’re going through, and they’re often the easiest things other people can do for them. A time of crisis is not a normal time, so normal etiquette, such as asking if you can or should do something rather than just letting them know you’re going to do it, doesn’t always apply.

If there’s a specific thing with specific tasks, such as planning a funeral, that might be a good opportunity to ask how you can help. But people deep in the throes of grief or struggle often need someone to the reins on basic things without being asked to. Again, there’s a good chance they feel like they’re drowning, so don’t wait for an invitation. Just grab the life preserver, put it around them and do whatever needs to be done to get them to shore.

During the 2024 Grammys on Sunday, Taylor Swift announced that she has a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, coming out this spring. The cover of the album, her 11th, shows the “Is It Over Now?” singer lying down on a bed while wearing high-waisted briefs and a tank. Everything that Swift wears instantly sells out, so Swifties were curious where they could buy this outfit. Swift’s stylist, Joseph Cassell, provided the answer on social media.

Billboard noted that Cassell tagged two fashion brands: Saint Laurent and The Row, which was founded by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. That would be the same Mary-Kate and Ashley who starred on Full House, went to grandmothers’ house, and learned how the west was… fun?!?

Swift isn’t the only singer whose been spotted wearing the designer brand, either. Her bestie Selena Gomez has also previously been seen wearing a wool coat from The Row, and Beyoncé was spotted at one point wearing a midi leather skirt from the brand’s 2019 collection.

The $420 (!) tank top is sold out on The Row’s website, but it’s still available for the low, low price of $290 at SSense. As for the briefs, those will set you back another $220 at Saks Fifth Avenue, although small and medium sizes are already gone. Mary-Kate and Ashley should say thanks to Taylor for the business by covering one of her songs — and she can perform one of theirs in return. The Eras Tour crowd would lose their minds for “I Am the Cute One.”

(Via Billboard)

It’s Super Bowl week, and today, Beyond The Game is back to get you ready for Sunday’s big game. The eyes of the sports world are on Las Vegas ahead of the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, with the defending champs looking to stave off a challenge by a team that has come close in recent years while struggling to get over the hump.

Behind The Game will get you ready for the game with some of the stats that surround the biggest day on the sports calendar. But here’s the thing: The Super Bowl is more than just a game, it’s a cross-cultural event that touches on a little bit of everything. From interesting facts about food (hint: Americans REALLY love eating wings on Super Bowl Sunday) to information about the halftime show, we take a look at the numbers that contextualize just how big of a deal the game is.

After that, we go to the world of Major League Baseball and highlight the most unique broadcasts in the sport. The New York Mets have a secret weapon for their games on SNY that make them look more like cinematic masterpieces than a sporting event, and we spoke to the self-proclaimed “film geek” responsible.