Most parents do their best to raise their kids with the love and support they need. Of course, no one is perfect, and parents are quite literally learning on the job. Some signs indicate that they did a great job raising you, though, including one phrase a parenting expert recently shared.
The expert said that your parents did a phenomenal job raising you if they used this one phrase.
Kirk Martin Kirk is the host of the Calm Parenting Podcast. In a recent TikTok, he shared a special phrase that can help build your kids up in a unique way. It’s fairly simple, but really profound: “I believe you’re capable.”
Inside Creative House | Shutterstock
Kirk offered some examples of how this phrase could be used to encourage children. “I believe you’re capable of using your imagination to solve your own boredom,” he said. “I believe you’re capable of handling that frustration. Look, I know that essay is hard, but I believe you’re capable of using your creativity to come up with a really cool story.”
This phrase really is ingenious. It lets kids know that you believe in them and their abilities — that you think they are enough and can take care of what they need to on their own.
“When we say that, what we’re communicating is, ‘Hey, you can handle this,” Kirk affirmed. “See, I want kids facing adversity so they learn how to handle it, and so they know [they] can handle tough things in life.”
Coming from a parent, this phrase provides children with a major self-esteem boost.
Parents need to show that they believe in their children. This is how they build their confidence and self-esteem. According to Nemours Kids Health, building a kid’s self-esteem ensures that they feel good about themselves, which is something any good parent wants.
“Kids who feel good about themselves have the confidence to try their best at new things,” they said. “They feel proud of what they can do. Self-esteem also helps kids cope with mistakes. They feel encouraged to try again, even if they fail at first.”
Conversely, when parents don’t show kids this kind of reassurance, it can have the exact opposite effect. Nemours Kids Health continued, “Kids with low self-esteem feel unsure of themselves. If they think others won’t accept them, they may not join in. They may let others treat them poorly and have a hard time standing up for themselves. They may give up easily or not try at all. Kids with low self-esteem find it hard to cope when they make a mistake, lose, or fail.”
Hryshchyshen Serhii | Shutterstock
Kids who are not adequately supported by their parents will not have the level of self-esteem that is necessary to be successful and feel like they are, in fact, capable. Being verbally reminded of this can make a huge difference.
Other TikTokers shared examples of how this and similar sentiments affected their lives as kids.
“My dad talked to me like this!” one person commented. “It should also be balanced out with support and recognition that sometimes things are too hard because now I’m hyper-independent and burnt out.”
Another added, “My dad talked to me like this, definitely without knowing, but he uses that phrase even now and I’m 30!”
When you’re a young kid, you’ll believe whatever your parents tell you. Hopefully, your parents took advantage of this by building your confidence and letting you know that you truly are capable.
Mariposa International, formerly The Mariposa Trust, started these ‘Saying Goodbye’ services in Exeter Cathedral in 2012.
Since then, more than 240 services have been held across the world, providing solace to tens of thousands of individuals.
Zoe Clark-Coates, the charity’s co-founder and CEO, said: “Our services provide a beautiful opportunity for mothers, fathers, siblings and extended family to say goodbye to their babies and show they are truly loved.
“Our job at the Mariposa Trust is to ensure every child is recognised, however fleeting their existence.”
The charity’s initiative comes as baby loss continues to be a stark reality for many, affecting one in four pregnancies annually in the UK.
The charity also provides support to more than 50,000 people globally each week through its six divisions.
One parent who attended a previous service said: “The Saying Goodbye service gave me the time and space to formally recognise all of my babies and the experience of being with people who just knew how it felt was a real strength.
“As I stood with other parents and proudly rang the bell for my 14 babies, I felt unbearable sadness but also a great privilege to be able to properly celebrate their existence.”
In addition to their services, Mariposa International is also campaigning for change, with Ms Clark-Coates chairing the government’s Pregnancy Loss Review.
The review, accepted in 2023, made 73 recommendations to improve care and support across the NHS and beyond, including the introduction of ‘Certificates of Loss’.
Andy Clark-Coates, the charity’s co-founder and CEO, said: “We invite anyone who has gone through or been affected by baby loss, whether recently or decades ago, to join us for this special event.”
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (KNOP) – New details have been revealed regarding the fiery death of a Scottsbluff man last week after his son was accused of lighting him on fire.
Elijah Cervantes, 44, was charged with second degree murder and first degree arson for the death of his father, Anthony Cervantes, last Friday night.
Elijah Cervantes arrested following deadly fire that killed his father.(Scotts Bluff Detention Center)
According to court documents, Elijah’s mother, Margaret, told Scottsbluff police she was on the phone with Anthony when the incident occurred.
Anthony told Margaret that Elijah threw gasoline on him and heard when Elijah told Anthony that he was going to, “light him up like methamphetamine,” before a scuffle between the two began.
Margaret told police she lost communication with Anthony shortly after and called 911.
Elijah was pulled over by officers after leading them in a small pursuit and told police he had burned his dad. He was arrested and booked in the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center.
He is being held on a 10% of $2 million bond. He’s also charged with flight to avoid arrest and willful reckless driving.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 4 at 2 p.m.
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Dunya Media Group expresses condolence over the demise
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LAHORE (Dunya News) – The mother of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir has passed away, Dunya News has reported.
Dunya Media Group has expressed condolence over the demise of mother of Army Chief Gen Asim Munir and prayed that may Allah Almighty rest her soul in eternal peace and grant courage and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
With the news circulating on media, condolences started pouring in on the sad demise of the mother of Gen Asim Munir.
People shared condolence messages and commented that Ramazan is a month of blessing and may Allah Almighty shower limitless blessing on the departed soul.
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It feels like everyone is talking about the television series Adolescence, and for good reason, according to Australian parenting experts.
The gripping Netflix crime drama about a teenage boy accused of murdering a female classmate has been described as “a portrait of modern boyhood in profound crisis”.
While the series takes toxic masculinity, loneliness and the gender divide to its extreme, psychologists and parenting experts say it has sparked “a valuable conversation” for Australian households and schools.
So, what can parents do to address some of these big themes in their own homes?
How to talk to your teenager about the show?
While Adolescence isn’t based on a true story, its creators attribute the themes in the show to news stories about young boys being involved in knife crimes in the United Kingdom.
Queensland psychologist Dr Rachael Sharman says if you’re a parent or caregiver who’s watched it, you may want to better understand your teen’s views around topics such as masculinity, social media, bullying or pornography.
“What you need to tap into first is, what is their point of view? What are they hearing? What sort of idea or opinion have they formed at this point?”
“Teenagers are naturally very inquisitive, and they’re often quite interested in looking at all sorts of things from different perspectives.
“So actually helping teenagers consider things from a different point of view is a really helpful thing that you can do.”
Netflix has given the show a TV-MA rating, which in Australia is equivalent to MA 15+ and not recommended for those under the age of 15.
Whether or not your teenager has watched the series, chances are they’ve had conversations with others who have, or they’ve read about it online.
Teen educator and author Rebecca Sparrow says if you choose to watch it with your teenager, “prepare to pause as you go to discuss what you’re seeing”.
“If your child is responsive, ask them questions like, ‘what did you notice in this episode?’ ‘Do you think that’s a realistic portrayal of a high school?”
“‘What are the unspoken rules at high school that adults are clueless about?’ ‘When have you seen boys at school talk about girls in a disrespectful way?”‘
Ms Sparrow says if they don’t have a response, “share your own thoughts on what you saw”.
How do you stay connected to your teen?
Dr Sharman says Adolescence also begs the question, are parents truly aware of what their children are doing online?
“Kids are living in a very different world, almost across two worlds; the real world and the online world,” Dr Sharman says.
“Letting that influence into the house, let alone the bedroom, where it’s being unsupervised and unmonitored, can … send off a range of knock-on effects that people didn’t fully appreciate.”
Rebecca Sparrow recommends keeping internet-enabled devices out of bedrooms, especially at night, and delaying social media access until they’re at least 16 years of age.
Psychologists say Adolescence poses the question of whether parents are fully aware of what their children are doing online. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)
The federal parliament has passed legislation to ban people under 16 from having an account with some social media platforms.
Ms Sparrow says of equal importance is to “model the behaviour” we want to see.
“Let them see dad showing tenderness toward mum, or grandad towards grandma,” she says.
“Let them see fights being resolved through communication rather than screaming or slamming doors.”
Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson says there are other practical things parents can do to ensure they’re staying connected with their teenager.
“Monitor your kids’ online activities, talk to them regularly and listen twice as much,” he says.
“Minimise screen time and foster face to face relationships, including spending more time together as a family.
“Know where your kids are and ensure they have access to great adults who care about them.”
Addressing the issues with boys and girls
Dr Coulson says the show had such a profound effect on him that he is rewriting the final chapter in his new book about raising boys.
“Our boys are being robbed of the opportunity to develop into men unburdened by these destructive conceptions of masculinity,” he says.
His review about the show on social media has also had an overwhelming response.
“This is one of the biggest posts that I’ve ever had in terms of not just the number of responses, but the quality of the responses.
“People are really thinking about it in deep and nuanced ways and it’s wonderful.”
And he is quick to point out that the topics raised in the show are not just a conversation for men and boys.
“I’m going to be having the same discussion, if I’m talking to a daughter or a son,” he says.
“How do we have respect? How do we have kindness?
“I think we can remove gender, it’s a human thing and we’re just not teaching that to our kids.”
The Victorian Women’s Trust, an independent gender equality agency, is hosting a free webinar for parents next month discussing the rise of sexism and misogyny in Australian schools.
Executive director Mary Crooks says the event will highlight the work of Monash University in understanding the “manosphere” and being able to counter the ‘”sinister influence” of toxic masculinity online.
“Our constituency are largely women around the country, they’re in their 30s, 40s, 50s, they will have kids themselves,” Ms Crooks says.
“It’s really to try and lift the lid off the kind of problems that are occurring and offering some kind of practical guidance for where people can go for advice and support,” she says.
Where can you go if your teen needs help?
In the last episode of the show, the boy’s parents grapple with questions about whether they overlooked signs of trouble, including their son’s ‘terrible temper’.
Dr Rachael Sharman says parents need to remind themselves that the storyline in the show is not common.
“There are certainly vulnerable points in [a child’s] development and vulnerable parts of the population that may be influenced in a way that can be quite surprising,” she says.
“What they’re trying to point out here is that there’s this new internet manosphere issue that is appealing to some teenagers.
“Then a very, very tiny number of teenagers will take that in a most dreadful direction.”
She says if you are concerned about your teenager’s behaviour or mental health, speak to your GP.
“That’s actually really important, because sometimes there can be biological or medical issues that manifest psychologically,” she says.
“What might be seem like tiredness or anger or emotionality is actually an underlying biological medical issue.
“And then once they’ve ruled that out, and they think, ‘maybe there is something psychological going on here’, they can help develop a mental health plan for you and get you referred to the appropriate psychologist.”
This article contains general information only. You should consider obtaining independent professional advice in relation to your particular circumstances.
Georgia Scholes is best recognised for her portrayal of Erin Fischer on ITV’s hit crime drama The Bay after joining the cast in season three. On Monday, the actress took to social media to reveal that she had given birth to her second baby after keeping her pregnancy under wraps.
Scholes shared heartwarming and intimate photos from the hospital, including one of her tenderly looking down at her newborn, seemingly moments after the delivery. She also posted a second snap of her partner cuddling the baby who lay on his chest in an adorable pink onesie, complete with a matching hat. On X, formerly known as Twitter, the 24-year-old revealed she’d given birth to a daughter and other details about the bundle of joy.
Scholes wrote: “Phoenix Ola Scholes-Karlinska. 23/03/2025. 8lb 11oz. 9:07pm. Surprise everyone.” Fans rushed to the comment section to share their shock and say congratulations. One wrote: “I had no idea you were expecting!! Nice surprise indeed huge congratulations welcome to the world baby Phoenix.”
Another said: “Oh my goodness what a lovely surprise, sending you all lots of love x” Her co-star Dan Ryan, who starred on The Bay as DI Tony Manning, was also among the fans and penned: “Amazing. Massive congrats to you xxxx.” (sic)
As another viewer added: “Congratulations! Couldn’t tell watching the bay last week! Beautiful photos.” The actress was also able to keep her first pregnancy a secret too – until she gave birth to her daughter and first child Thea.
In 2022, Scholes confirmed: “Thea Wioleta Scholes Karlinska. Our little secret, today our lives changed forever and we couldn’t love you anymore.” Her partner Bartek also shared his love for Thea and even had a tattoo of her name emblazoned on his neck before the birth.
Back in January, Lucas Dos Santos Amaral was pulled over by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Agents detained him even though he had no criminal record, only a civil offense for overstaying his visa and living in the country illegally. GBH’s Sarah Betancourt has been following
Dos Santos Amaral and his wife’s story
and joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to share her exclusive update on the family’s situation.
Arun Rath: It’s a remarkable story. Just to remind our audience — Dos Santos Amaral was on his way to a painting job one morning and was pulled over by ICE in January. They had been looking for someone else, but they detained him after finding he had an expired visa and was undocumented. Tell us what happened after that.
Sarah Betancourt: So, Dos Santos Amaral, a Brazilian immigrant, dealt with three weeks of detention at Plymouth’s ICE detention center in Massachusetts and then had a transfer to Texas, where he was bounced to two infamous detention centers.
In a very rare move, an immigration judge allowed Lucas to be
released on bond
from Texas a couple of weeks ago.
Then, Dos Santos Amaral sat down with me on Wednesday with his wife, Suyanne, and 3-year-old daughter at
a State House immigrant event
. It’s really rare to hear from someone who’s been detained and released from ICE, so this was his reaction to being released.
Lucas Dos Santos Amaral, pre-recorded: It was a terrible 27 days. So now, I’m happy. I’m very happy with my girls, with God. I’m a little scared still, still scared — I never went to the jail [before this incident], so it’s new for me. All this.
Betancourt: Dos Santos Amaral had never been incarcerated in his life. He was very emotional throughout the interview. At one point, he called it a “nightmare situation.” One particular moment that stuck out to him was the day he was transferred to Texas without knowing what was going on, shackled and put on a flight for eight hours. We talked about what was going through his head.
Dos Santos Amaral, pre-recorded: I was praying. I was praying a lot. I was speaking to God to not let me go to Brazil because I cannot … I can’t imagine life without my daughter.
Lucas Dos Santos Amaral, daughter Aila, and wife Suyanne Boechat during the holiday season.
Photo courtesy of family
Rath: Praying like that, it sounds like faith plays a big role in his life.
Betancourt: It is. He and Suyanne are actually church performers around Massachusetts when he’s not working at the paint business. They talked a lot about their faith when discussing Dos Santos Amaral’s transfer from Karnes Detention Center to Pearsall, a packed detention center closer to the border. There, Lucas experienced difficulties.
Dos Santos Amaral, pre-recorded: Pearsall was hell. Horrible. They tried to kill you — kill you, like psychologically. Yeah. I was destroyed psychologically. There was a hundred men inside of the cell, in the room.
Rath: Wow. But it was there, though, where Lucas eventually found out he would be freed, right?
Betancourt: Well, he went to a bond hearing, which was postponed many, many times, which caused him a lot of anxiety. That day, he was so anxious that he didn’t understand the moment when his attorney, Eloa Celedon, was able to convince the judge that he wasn’t a flight risk. He has a wife, a business, a U.S. citizen daughter and a child on the way. So, Celedon had to call him later to let him know he’d been released on $8,000 bail. He was released a few days later — but with just a piece of paper. He was actually never given back his identification, so then his wife had to step in.
Suyanne Boechat Amaral, pre-recorded: He stayed the whole day at the airport because I had to have a friend go get him — bring his license, his ID to him. So we paid two tickets: his ticket and my friend’s ticket.
Betancourt: And then, they made it back the next day.
Rath: So, Sarah, he’s home now — Lucas — but the case isn’t over. He has an immigration court date, I’m assuming, in Texas. How is he adjusting? How is he living with that hanging over him?
Betancourt: He’s adjusting, but he described feeling a lot of trauma. He told me that driving by the same light every morning where he was stopped by ICE makes him really anxious, and he does worry about being detained again.
Dos Santos Amaral, pre-recorded: They can do anything, any time. What happened to me, I think, was to open the door for more cases … like me. I think God is working for something bigger.
Rath: Sarah, we know that there are a lot of other cases we’ve heard about like Amaral — people who’ve been detained whose only crime, or only infraction, was staying over their visa. Do we have any sense of how many people have gone through something like this, given how many have not been released, like Amaral was?
Betancourt: It’s very unclear. ICE doesn’t actually release numbers that note that someone is undocumented and has no criminal record. We have heard of several people in the communities around Boston — Chelsea, in particular — that have been allegedly undocumented and detained by ICE. But it’s something that really, probably, won’t even be clear for years to come.
Sponsored feature for The Grand by Stand Up For Southport
People are invited to treat your Mum in style on Mother’s Day with two amazing offerings on Sunday 30th March 2025
Champagne Afternoon Tea
Indulge in delectable delights of sandwiches, delicious sweet treats and bubbles to celebrate.
Enjoy a glass of fizz on arrival and with your Afternoon Tea.
Your afternoon tea will be served alongside the enchanting melodies of a fabulous harpist.
2.30pm Sitting time only.
Discover a delicious menu with everything hand-crafted by Head Chef Callum King and his team with a choice of Earl Grey infused fruit and plain scones with Hawkshead strawberry preserve and Cornish clotted cream; a selection of five sandwiches; and six tantalising sweets including Belgian chocolate and raspberry delice, pistachio macaron and lemon meringue tart.
Limited availability with £45pp. As everything is freshly made and baked, reservations must be made 24 hours in advance.
Champagne Afternoon Tea will be served on the ground floor in Chloe’s Piano Bar.
Mikhail Hotel & Leisure Group Chairman Andrew Mikhail said:
“The Grand is the place to be in Southport for Mother’s Day.
“Callum King and his team have been working hard over these past few weeks to perfect this year’s Champagne Afternoon Tea and Three Course Mother’s Day Set Menu.
“Everything is all hand-made by a talented brigade of chefs using the very freshest seasonal ingredients, also using modern cooking techniques and some fun, innovative and creative ideas.
“We were so busy at The Grand last year so early booking is advised.
“After you have enjoyed your Mother’s Day meal or afternoon tea, you are welcome to stay and enjoy the atmosphere with drinks in Chloe’s Piano Bar.”
2025 has been a year of exciting new additions at The Grand.
They include the unveiling of an innovative new Brunch and Breakfast Menu for the first time.
At the top of the building, the new Harry’s Bar – which opened its doors last year – is offering some unmissable new events and experiences including Sax & Sharers, Sunset Sessions and Free Flow Fridays.
In the Princess Grace Suite, look out for an impressive line -up of events for people of all ages including The Grand Race Night (4th April), Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (20th April), Back To School Disco (26th April), Pop Star Princess and Friends (26th May), Psychic Night with Grant Harris (28th May) and George McCrae (29th June).
Andrew Mikhail said:
“We are working tirelessly to bring people some fun and creative new experiences which have that real ‘wow’ factor that will make memorable moments for everyone. There are going to be lots of real talking points.
“The Grand is such an exceptional building, and we want to really elevate the levels of service, food and events to match.”
For more details about what’s on at The Grand Southport and Harry’s Bar please visit: www.thegrand.co.uk
The Sweetshop imagines Trevor Clarence a bit like a wig; he’s a little bit silly but somehow pulls your whole outfit (or idea) together.
The Sydney-based director has been described as having the wit of Cristiano Ronaldo and the body of Will Ferrell. He loves making ads. People tend to love making ads with him. He has a past as a successful stand-up comedian, feature filmmaker, actor, musician, and yoga teacher (not so successful, but he has some certificates).
Many years ago, when I was just a child selling treats to other children, I was directing a Nutella commercial in Poland. It involved a seven-year-old boy and a dog. The dog was amazing; we flew her in from Amsterdam and got everything in one take.
The kid, not so much.
Because of my lack of Polish at the time (it’s now even worse), I couldn’t really chat with him during casting, so I just went off what I could see on the day.
What I didn’t know, because I never really got to meet him properly, was that besides being unable to repeat his performance, the child was also a complete asshole. And his guardian (father) had absolutely zero control over him — or apparent relationship with him, which is the leading cause of asshole children.
So after day one of struggling to get a performance and trying to refocus the commercial on this incredible dog, we arrived on set for day two. There, I was told, “The boy doesn’t want to come out of his trailer”. I remember thinking, “Trailer? Why don’t I have a trailer?”
Apparently, he was bored of acting now and didn’t “feel like it”. I pleaded with his father, asking him to please find some way to help us finish our jobs, but he just shrugged. After two hours of an incredible crew sitting around tweaking lights, the AD came out with the boy’s list of demands:
“He wants a remote control speedboat and a girl from his school to come to set.”
I began to throw my hands up in the air incredulously, but the AD interrupted my appropriate gesture to inform me that they had agreed to the demands.
“Jeez,” I said. “Oh well. I guess at least we can shoot now.”
“No,” the AD explained. “He won’t come to set until he sees them.”
So we go back to fiddling with lights while a runner is sent to whatever Poland’s version of Toys-R-Us is, and a producer somehow manages to get A GIRL OUT OF SCHOOL to come visit the set to see this young superstar somehow fail at the simple task of smiling at a dog; all while his father shrugged.
My producer was even kind enough to offer the boy a big jar of Nutella to take home after the shoot, to which the boy apparently replied, “Maybe if you fill it with money”.
So now, whenever the kids are too young or too Polish to get to know in the casting, I always make sure I meet the parents.
A grieving mother has been left reeling after baby brand Happiest Baby allegedly insisted she return a gifted item she never got to use—just weeks after the heartbreaking loss of her child.
Brooklyn Larsen, a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, had received a £1,315 ($1,700) SNOO bassinet from the parenting brand in exchange for social media content. But when her son Rocky was tragically stillborn in November, her world turned upside down—and the brand’s request only added salt to the wound.
Larsen, along with her husband and eldest child, was navigating the aftermath of an unthinkable tragedy when she was reportedly met with multiple messages requesting the return of the unused bassinet—something her supporters have branded heartless and cruel.
‘Super disappointed in a certain brand during this unimaginable time for my sister, namely @happiest_baby – who sent my sister a baby bassinet after my sister said she would tag them in content with her newborn baby,’ she wrote in an Instagram Story.
‘After sending an email regarding the content she wasn’t able to send because her baby passed away, they manded she send the bassinet back. The empty baby bassinet still sitting next to her bed. Because she didn’t “deliver the content”.’
‘I’m absolutely disgusted by a BABY brand who promotes support for mom & babies – that doesn’t even have the decency to give her the space to grieve the bassinet she never got to fill,’ she added. Her words sparked widespread fury online, with many accusing Happiest Baby of prioritising profit over compassion.
Company Responds Amid Mounting Backlash
Happiest Baby released a statement claiming they never intended to pressure Larsen over promotional obligations. They explained that once they learned of Rocky’s death, they sent flowers and condolences via Larsen’s manager and did not follow up with content-related requests.
The company claims they suggested retrieving the bassinet only to remove a potential emotional trigger. ‘In our experience, some grieving families prefer to have certain items removed from their homes,’ their statement read.
However, the brand later admitted their handling of the matter was inappropriate and said they had apologised to Larsen directly for causing additional distress.
Bangerter wasn’t buying it. She accused the brand of pestering her sister, writing on TikTok: ‘SIX e-mails demanding the bassinet back isn’t an offer.’
Internet Users Accuse Brand of Cold-hearted Behaviour
Social media users quickly rallied behind Larsen, calling the brand’s conduct tone-deaf and disgraceful. Many felt the company was more concerned with reclaiming the expensive product than providing meaningful support.
‘Telling her management “Hey, we will take it back if having it there is too much on her” is different than demanding it back 6 times lmao they messed up and now they’re doing damage control,’ one Instagram user wrote.
Another commented: ‘They should have let her decide if she wanted it gone. Not demanded it back like it was just a transaction.’
Calls for a boycott of the company quickly gained traction.
Matters worsened when Happiest Baby published a post in support of Pregnancy After Loss Month. Users flooded the comments, calling the move hypocritical in light of the allegations.
One person wrote: ‘In honour of pregnancy? After you required a mom who lost her baby to return products because she didn’t “deliver content”… when her baby passed away.’
Another added: ‘You force them to return products gifted to them because they “couldn’t deliver content” after her sweet boy didn’t make it. She deserved better. DO BETTER.’
Not the First Time a Parenting Brand Is Under Fire
In December 2023, baby brand Kyte Baby came under fire when it turned down a worker’s request to work from home to take care of her ill infant. Issues arose when Marissa Hughes, a worker at Kyte Baby, and her partner adopted a baby with ‘various health conditions.’ When the baby was admitted to the NICU, Hughes requested to work from home. Instead of showing her compassion, the family-oriented company fired her.
Hughes’ sister made a TikTok video sharing the saddening situation. This, in addition to Hughes having to create a GoFundMe campaign to cover NICU costs and adoption fees, led Kyte Baby to be dogged for its heartless behaviour.
In response to the backlash, Kyte Baby CEO Ying Liu took responsibility for the incident.
‘I was the one who made that decision to veto her request to go remote,” she said in a TikTok video. ‘This was a terrible decision. I was insensitive and selfish […] I cannot image the stress that she had to go through, not having the option to go back to work and having to deal with a newborn in the NICU. Thinking back, it was a terrible mistake.’
Such stories underline the urgent need for compassion in corporate dealings—especially for brands that claim to champion parents and families. As the situation continues to unfold, it sends a strong message to companies that their conduct in the face of tragedy matters just as much—if not more—than their marketing slogans.
Hryshchyshen Serhii | Shutterstock
