Category: News

Authorities have updated the list of emoji’s they believe parents should be aware of in order to better protect their children.

Technology has continued to advance over the past few decades, so more and more people are using computers and smart phones to communicate.

Children using these pieces of technology is more prevalent than ever and might use words or even make up words that baffle adults, but authorities in Australia have also warned that as well as new words and terms, parents need to be aware of the use of emojis.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has recently updated its official lists of emoji’s that parents should be aware of.

The overall idea is that by understanding how their child may be communicating, parents will know how to act to protect them if they become concerned.

Parents have been told to stay informed about how emojis may be used by teenagers and children

AFP Commander of Human Exploitation, Helen Schneider said: “Some have double meanings that may seem trivial yet can be quite alarming.”

She added that the devil emoji might be interpreted as calling someone evil, however, according to Schneider, ‘The devil face could be a sign your child is engaging in sexual activity online’.

She also said: “It is very important parents and carers are aware of what kind of emojis and acronyms their children are using when speaking to people online – and what they might mean.”

Authorities have cautioned parents to also look out for double meanings when their child uses emojis(Australian Federal Police)

The emojis that can take on a second meaning includes bowl with a spoon meaning send nudes, a Taco meaning a vagina as well as the sweat emoji meaning orgasm.

As well as this, the AFP has also updated the list of most alarming codes and their translations.

• Code 9 or CD9: Parents are around
• DM;HS: Doesn’t matter; had sex.
• GNOC: Get naked on camera
• NP4NP: Naked pic for naked pic
• Rule 34: Any topic can be made into pornographic content
• 1174: Nude club
• LMIRL: Let’s meet in real life.

They also warned that sexual offenders may be aware of these codes and use it to communicate with children or with one another.

Schneider added: “The phrase ‘catching a case’ is being used by offenders to show their willingness to be arrested and charged for their abhorrent interactions against someone who is often underage or in a position of vulnerability.”

Despite the updates, the authorities also wanted to assure parents that there is no need to panic but instead good to be prepared and well informed.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image

Topics: News, Parenting, Technology, Phones, Australia

“Open up your hips and squat like a baby,” says Igor, a mobility coach whose goal is to help you move pain free. If your yogi squat could use some work, give this short hip mobility routine a try.

Squat mobility — a key factor in finding enough depth to live life below parallel — doesn’t just mean improving your hip mobility with stretches and movement, but dialing into your joint health, too.

Slate Plus members get more Care and Feeding every week. Have a question about kids, parenting, or family life? Submit it here!

Dear Care and Feeding,

My mother-in-law has always been jealous of the fact that we live closer to my parents (30 minutes versus three hours away), especially since our daughter was born. But, cumulatively, we actually spend more time with my in-laws because we split holidays and visit with our families roughly the same number of times every year. (This data could be considered to reflect—and critique—the effort my parents put in to seeing us, but I digress.)

Furthermore, we either host my in-laws for a whole day, host my mother-in-law alone for a whole weekend, or stay at my in-laws’ house for several days (versus an afternoon outing or dinner with my family). And there’s an unspoken rule that we can’t include my family during my in-laws’ visits. (For example, one time we went with my wife’s parents to a farm near my parents’ house, but we didn’t stop by or invite them because it would have upset my mother-in-law.)

The impetus for this letter was my wife agreeing to have her mother come see us, having forgotten that we had made tentative plans with my parents and my sister’s family, who live about 1.5 hours away, for that same weekend. We haven’t seen my sister, her husband, and the kids since Christmas due to multiple toddler illnesses. I’m disappointed we won’t even be able to stop by my parents’ place to see them because my mother-in-law will be with us. Is this a problem worth addressing, or should I let it go?

—Trying to Find A Balance

Dear Balance,

There are a few problems to address, for sure, starting with the “unspoken” rule about your not being allowed to include your family in anything at which your in-laws are present. Just how unspoken is it?

Your letter leaves me with many questions. I wonder how, for example, that trip to the farm near your parents’ place went down exactly. Did you say, “Hey, we’re going to be in my parents’ neck of the woods, so I’m going to call them and ask them to meet us there, OK?” And were you met with death stares from both your wife and mother-in-law? Or perhaps you didn’t even bring it up because you know you’re forbidden to make such a suggestion. Who forbade you? (Your wife? With … you know, spoken words? Or is this an “understanding” between you and your wife? If so, how did that come to be?) Does everyone tiptoe around your mother-in-law, or is it just you who’s expected to? And what happens if she gets “upset”?

I can well imagine that this isn’t something you feel you can address directly with your mother-in-law. But why aren’t you and your spouse talking about it? You should be able to tell your wife and co-parent, “I want to see my brother and his family, and I want our child to see her cousins. If your parents are going to be here that weekend, I hope they’ll come too, but if they don’t want to for any reason, I’ll just head over there with Sally for a few hours.” Are you afraid your wife’s response would be, “Don’t be silly. You know that’s not going to work,” and that would lead to an argument? Just how conflict-avoidant are you? (Perhaps you could work backward and address this last question first.) Do you by any chance suspect that your wife didn’t forget about the tentative plans with your family but simply doesn’t consider such plans all that important? Or perhaps “tentative” means “probably not” where your family is concerned, which irritates and/or saddens you, thus complicating this already complicated dynamic.

In other words, it’s hard for me to know what’s going on here behind or beyond the surface competition between the two sets of your child’s grandparents (or the competition on one side, anyway, while the other side is clueless or less invested). All I know is that you’ve been sitting on this, not speaking up, not trying to find a way to make things better, for some time. And while this latest offense may have been the impetus for your letter, it’s not the thing that needs to be addressed: The whole arrangement needs to be reconsidered. Don’t let it go. Take the bull—all the bulls—by the horns.

—Michelle

More Advice From Slate

I am a single mom to an infant, and it’s important to me that we FaceTime my parents (her grandparents) every day when possible. They live a thousand miles away, but the catch is that my unstable and verbally abusive sister lives with them. I have tried to set firm boundaries, but she has crossed them repeatedly…

• As people age, they may find themselves less engaged in their finances, or struggle with their taxes.
• It can be hard to have a conversation about taking over your parent’s finances, but it’s often necessary.
• Start the conversation early, and remember that your parent deserves autonomy while avoiding risk.

When my sister and I moved our parents from the apartment they’d lived in for 40 years into senior living, we discovered that my mom’s memory was going. She had been in charge of their finances, and my father didn’t have a clue how to do it, so we stepped in to make sure their bills were paid and their accounts were in order.

The moment when parents or older family members can no longer manage their finances isn’t always so clear-cut. I spoke with Cheri Stein, a partner and senior trust officer at Plante Moran. Stein is a CPA, CFP, and CIMA — certified investment management analyst. In her work with older clients, she’s learned the signs that someone might be losing their grip on their finances and ways that family can help.

1. Detachment from financial habits

“One of the things I often notice as people are aging is they just become less engaged in their former financial habits,” Stein said. When someone who used to ask lots of questions about their investment accounts no longer seems interested, or they have stacks of unopened statements, it might be time to intervene.

If the older person works regularly with a financial advisor, you could also ask the advisor if they have noticed changes that are cause for concern. Don’t be afraid to ask your parents directly questions about money. Your assistance could be the thing that saves their retirement savings from fraud or reckless spending.

2. Struggling to get tax information together

Stein flagged taxes as a potential problem area. One of the first signs a friend with early-onset dementia was having cognitive difficulties was when she couldn’t figure out how to fill out her tax return.

If your parent can’t pull together the information they need for their tax return, ask if they’d like a hand getting their documents together. If they’re willing to let you help, it could give you a window into how well they’re managing their financial life.

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3. Falling prey to scams

“The other big thing that’s very common these days is financial fraud,” Stein said. Her father had to take away her mother’s credit card because she kept falling for schemes on Facebook.

While anyone can fall prey to a phishing scam, repeatedly compromising accounts and not using good judgment online are signs that a senior may need greater safeguards against identity theft. Stein suggests offering training to vulnerable seniors. “Information about cybersecurity is going to go a long way,” she said.

In some cases, like Stein’s mom, it may be necessary to restrict the person’s access to their accounts to keep online fraudsters from taking advantage of them.

Tips for helping older family members with finances

Taking on the management of a parent’s finances isn’t an easy decision. All family members must trust the person with access to the accounts — assistance must not become an avenue for fraud. And the senior needs to be willing to accept the help.

“There’s a lot of dignity in being able to take care of things for yourself as opposed to giving up control,” Stein said. She tries to give clients a way to feel in control while protecting them from mistakes. Here are some tips to ease the transition.

• Start early. “Anything that you can change or establish early on is less of a transition,” Stein said. Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Be alert to signs that your parents might be struggling and start a conversation protecting their finances.
• Find the balance between risk and autonomy. “There’s a lot of dignity in being able to take care of things for yourself as opposed to giving up control,” Stein said. Find ways to give your parents a role while creating boundaries around spending. For example, one of Stein’s clients struggled to track the cumulative effect of his charitable donations. She helped him set up an annual plan for charitable giving that allowed him to be generous without endangering his financial security.
• Don’t shy away from difficult conversations. Stein noted that the hard conversations may help the most in the long run. You might make your parents mad, but saving them from financial ruin is worth it. “The worst-case scenario,” Stein said, “is the parent runs out of money and can’t care for themselves.” No one wants that to happen.

As many Baby Boomers approach retirement, they also face rising living costs, housing prices, and health care, which is encouraging many to delay retirement or reenter the workforce.

Roughly 60% of Baby Boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1964, will be able to receive their full retirement age (FRA) Social Security benefits by the end of the year. Yet, only 10% of this generation are fully retired, according to a recent survey by Indeed Flex, an online job portal for temporary work.

In addition, almost half of Baby Boomers said they plan to keep working in 2025, and 35% were unsure if they will retire this year due to the high cost of living.

Consumer prices continue to rise for all Americans, but especially those nearing retirement age. In January 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for those aged 62 years and older increased by 3.1% compared to a year prior and was 9.3% higher than the CPI for all Americans.

Some advocates have criticized Social Security’s annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for not keeping up with the inflation, and experts have said the lag has reduced retirees’ buying power. Additionally, Social Security is running out of money and may eventually be unable to provide retirees with full benefits.

“As the aging population heads into retirement age, many do not have enough money saved to live financially secure,” said Novo Constare, CEO and co-founder of Indeed Flex, in a press release. “Previous generations could rely on pensions and affordable living; today’s boomers are navigating a financial landscape where Social Security alone isn’t enough to meet their current needs.”

To bridge the gap between their retirement income and high costs of living, almost one in four retirees consider unretiring and working a temporary job for extra money, vacations, gifts, or socialization, Indeed Flex found.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the Instagram post of Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, after the star batter’s exclusion from Pakistan’s T20I squad.

Latif’s comments came in response to Siddique’s recent Instagram post, where he defended his son following his exclusion from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series.

In his post, Siddique not only backed his son but also issued a strong warning to former cricketers, urging them to choose their words carefully when criticizing.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“To the great former cricketers, I humbly request you to be mindful of your words. If someone chooses to respond, you might not be able to handle it. You are part of the past, and there is no way back for you,” Siddique wrote.

Addressing those who claim that Babar Azam’s father speaks too much, Siddique didn’t hold back. “For those who say that ‘his father talks too much,’ let me make it clear—I was his first and only coach, spokesperson, mentor, and above all, his father,” he added.

He further advised cricket fans to check the playing records of Babar’s critics before taking their words seriously, urging them to visit the PCB website to analyze their performances.

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However, Rashid Latif was not pleased with Siddique’s post and offered his advice to Babar, suggesting that he should consider legal action if he felt wronged by comments made about him.

Referring to his own experiences, Latif shared that he had taken legal steps in the past but called Babar’s father’s social media outburst “inappropriate.”

“If Babar Azam feels someone has made wrong remarks about him, he should send a legal notice. I have done that myself, but the reaction of his father on social media was inappropriate,” said Latif.

READ: Virat Kohli eyes major milestones in Champions Trophy final against New Zealand

A mother who appealed to the makers of Peppa Pig to name Mummy Pig’s new baby after her son who died from cancer said she was ‘over the moon’ to learn that Hasbro is aware of her campaign

Colleen McNally said she is just amazed at the reaction and support she is getting from people after asking the show to name the new character Daragh after her son, who was the show’s biggest fan before he sadly died of cancer at the age of 11.

Daragh McNally had very little conversational speech due to his autism diagnosis but could repeat every line of every episode of the popular children’s cartoon series, which he watched daily on repeat.

He adored Peppa Pig so much, he had every toy and memorabilia which are now stored in the attic.

Unfortunately, Colleen McNally from Dundalk, Co Louth, was forced to say goodbye to her son Daragh when he contracted an aggressive form of lymphoma and died on November 24th, 2019.

Now the mam of four is delighted after her appeal has apparently reached show maker Hasbro.

“Daragh just watched Peppa on repeat every single day. Even though he had very little conversational speech, he could say every line from Peppa Pig,” she said.

“Every Christmas he would get the Smyths catalogue and go to the Peppa Pig pages.

“He would get his finger and point to every Peppa toy that he hadn’t got and say ‘I want that one, that one, that one.

“Even on our trip to London last year, we walked into Hamleys and there were Peppa Pig books in front of us.

“It was like a sign that Daragh was with us.

“George Pig was his favourite. All his toys are in the attic apart from one on his resting place and his favourite George which is on myself and Paul’s bed.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to reach Hasbro but I got a call from BBC Ulster to say they had been in contact with Hasbro who were aware of the appeal and were considering it.

“My appeal has been shared so many times that my phone and social media has been hopping. People are just so touched by it and would also love to see it happen.

“It may never become a reality but at least Hasbro know about Daragh’s love for Peppa Pig and it has given joy to so many other parents out there.”

In her social media appeal, Colleen said: “Daragh was so special and Peppa Pig’s biggest fan.

“We are eternally heartbroken. We own every Peppa Pig book and even to this day, we buy Daragh a Peppa Pig toy or annual or book on his birthday and anniversaries.

“Before Daragh got sick, we were planning to go to Paulton Park because all he wanted to do was the balloon ride.

“At Daragh’s resting place, we got a Peppa balloon on his headstone and a peppa blanket on his resting bed and even the number plates on the car that drove him there were Peppa plates.

“I hear Mummy Pig is having a new little baby in the summer. Wouldn’t it be amazing if it was called Daragh or Dara.

“This would be such an honour and would mean so much to us, a heartbroken family. “

In a statement, Hasbro said: “We have seen this (thread) and it warms the brand to know that the announcement of a new member of the Peppa Pig family brings happiness to so many fans. We look forward to introducing the world to the newest member of the Peppa Pig family in June of this year.”