Jul 25, 2026 · 3 min listen · Last updated July 25, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. It's Chloe, July 25th. Ten stories — evidence-led, no fluff, small inputs compound. Let's get into it. First, from Milky Time. On Maternity Dressing.. Pregnancy gave me a sudden and previously unknown sense of liberation and confidence in my body that dramatically changed how I approached dressing.
Listen · storyflo · parenting
Daily Parenting Brief · July 25th
0:00-3:12
Pick your daily storyteller
Subscribe to match with Theo, Jessica, Chloe, Mason, Brock — your voice, every brief.
Audio pre-rendered by Storyflo · cached + delivered from the edge
On Maternity Dressing.
Pregnancy gave me a sudden and previously unknown sense of liberation and confidence in my body that dramatically changed how I approached dressing. It annihilated long-held boundaries and broke nearly every one of my “rules” about what I should and shouldn’t wear. I have always dressed to obscure my midsection and upper arms, if I can help it. I have always hated the way that I look in any kind of jersey knit or bias cut.
Beatrice Alexander, a Jewish dollmaker from New York City, created the iconic Madame Alexander dolls in the early 20th century. Born to Austrian immigrants, Alexander grew up observing dolls and was the first to make a licensed character doll, a Scarlett O'Hara doll tied to the "Gone With the Wind" film. She received numerous honors for her creations and was a generous philanthropist.
Theo Coster, a Dutch Jewish Holocaust survivor, and his wife Ora created the popular board game Guess Who? along with other notable inventions like the "Pop It" stress relief toy and the games Zingo and Quips. Their children continue to run the business today.
David Rosen, an American Jew, co-founded Sega, one of the world's most famous video game companies, in Japan in the 1960s. Rosen's expertise in coin-operated games helped Sega transition to video games in the 1980s, with hits like Sonic the Hedgehog and the Sega Genesis.
Joshua Lionel Cowen, a Jewish immigrant from Germany, founded the Lionel model railroad company in the late 1800s. Cowen's passion for model trains led to high-quality models, and his collaboration with Walt Disney produced a bestselling Mickey and Minnie wind-up handcar in the 1930s.
The Hassenfeld brothers, Jewish immigrants from Poland, founded Hasbro in the early 20th century. They created popular toys like Lincoln Logs, GI Joe, Play-Doh, and Nerf guns, while also helping Jewish refugees after the Holocaust.
Adolph (Eddy) Goldfarb, a Chicago-born Jewish inventor, created over 800 toys in his lifetime, including KerPlunk, Yakity-Yak Talking Teeth, and the Penguin Slide and Shark Attack games.
Why Is Gaga Everywhere and Where Did It Come From?
Gaga, a fast-paced dodgeball-like sport, has made its way into mainstream American culture. It originated in Jewish summer camps in the US and Israel, but its exact birthplace is unclear. One theory suggests it was created by John Crosley at his Northeast US camp in the late 1960s, while another claims it was invented by Steve Steinberg at a Baltimore JCC camp in 1975. Both stories involve the game being played on rainy days to keep campers active. Gaga has since spread globally, appearing in schools, day camps, and even pop culture, with its accessibility and safety making it a popular choice. The game's name, "gaga," is believed to mean "hit hit" or "touch touch" in Hebrew, but its creator remains a mystery.
I'm loving this article from Lizzie, who's reflecting on the importance of letting her kids be themselves, rather than trying to fit in. She's been observing her kids navigate challenges and make independent choices, and it's made her realize that things like confidence, self-trust, and speaking up are more valuable than academic achievements or social status.
Lizzie admits that it's hard to resist the temptation to make her kids conform to societal expectations, but she's choosing to prioritize their individuality. She knows it's not always easy, especially on tough days, but she believes it's worth it for her kids to grow up feeling comfortable in their own skin.
The article also touches on some practical ideas for encouraging creativity and play in kids, including using block play, loose materials, and art supplies to inspire imagination and independence. Lizzie shares some of her favorite products and tips for setting up play spaces that foster creativity and exploration.
One of the things that resonated with me is Lizzie's emphasis on the importance of being present and letting kids figure things out for themselves. It's easy to get caught up in trying to control the outcome or make things easier, but Lizzie's experience suggests that giving kids the space to make their own choices and learn from their mistakes is ultimately more valuable.
Overall, this article is a refreshing reminder of the importance of letting kids be themselves and embracing their individuality. It's a message that's easy to get behind, and I think it's something that many parents can relate to.
When sibling fighting crosses the line into sibling abuse, it's not about being a bad parent or having a "bad kid." It's about a harmful dynamic that requires adult intervention. This pattern often emerges from a combination of factors, including the child's individual vulnerabilities and the environment surrounding the behavior.
One common factor is the coercive cycle, where one person uses increasingly intense behavior to get what they want, and the other person eventually gives in. This can happen between parents and children or between siblings, and once established, it tends to repeat unless adults deliberately interrupt it.
Another factor is the child's lack of skills to manage intense internal states, such as frustration, jealousy, or sensory overload. This can lead to impulsive behavior, especially in children with impulsivity, developmental differences, trauma histories, or difficulty regulating emotions.
Power imbalances can also contribute to sibling abuse, where one child has more control or influence over the other due to age, size, verbal ability, social confidence, or parental favoritism.
Rigid family roles can also play a role, where children are assigned specific roles and expectations, such as being the "difficult one" or the "easy one." This can obscure what's actually happening and make it harder to address the behavior.
Stress in the family system can also lower everyone's capacity to manage conflicts and lead to sibling aggression. This can be due to various factors, such as a new baby, divorce, grief, or financial pressure.
Lastly, children may repeat what they've learned from observing and participating in conflict, such as using yelling, threatening, or physical force to get what they want. This is based on social-learning theory, which suggests that children learn by observing and imitating the behavior of others.
Understanding these factors is crucial to addressing sibling abuse and teaching children alternative ways to manage conflicts and regulate their emotions.