Aug 3, 2026 · 3 min listen · Last updated August 3, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Chloe here. August 3rd. Health and longevity in ten — let's begin with what changed my mind this week. Let's get into it. First, from Nameberry of the Day. Pipsa.
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Daily Parenting Brief · August 3rd
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Pipsa
Pippa meets Tessa in this sweet and energetic Finnish name, typically used as diminutive of Piritta – sometimes via its other short forms, Pirkko, Priita, and Pirjo. Light and bubbly as is it, however, it is a name with plenty of history behind it!
As a diminutive of Piritta, Pipsa is a variant of Birgitta, the patron saint of Europe. Meaning “exalted one”, it was borne by the 14th-century mystic and princess, Birgitta of Sweden, known for both her perpetual happiness and founding of the Bridgettine religious order.
I’m heading back to San Francisco after the Chicago summit, and the whole thing felt both hopeful and heartbreaking. The conference, organized by Nancy Kerry, gathered parents dealing with estrangement, and the raw emotions—men crying, families sharing grief—showed how many are silently suffering.
What struck me most was the reminder that the pain isn’t just about missed milestones; it’s the everyday moments—birthday cake, a child’s laugh, a simple hug—that we lose when a relationship breaks. Those small, daily connections often feel more permanent than the big events.
After the summit I spent an evening with close friends and their little daughter, watching her wonder and hearing her mutterings. It underscored how much parents sacrifice when they’re cut off from their kids and grandchildren, and how those tiny joys become priceless memories.
If you want to keep the conversation going, there’s a Tuesday webinar series for subscribers—$7 a month, cancel anytime. You can submit questions by 4 PM PT tomorrow, and the next session will dive deeper into coping and possible paths toward reconciliation.
Trust Me, Here Are 10 Things To Do To Get Ready To Become An Empty Nester
I like to swim. I like to go to the movies alone on a Sunday afternoon. I like hosting an outdoor karaoke night for the neighbors every year. I hate being late. I hate cleaning my house, but I love to go to bed with a clean kitchen.
I did not know any of this about myself when my kids were growing up. I learned it all in the Big After, when they left for college. Actually, no. I really started to meet myself before they left. In the years and then months and then days when they were looking over my shoulder at their own future.
Do Dogs Need A Back-To-School Routine, Too? A Vet Behaviorist Explains
With Fourth of July in the rearview mirror, we have officially made the shift from mid-summer into late-summer, which means that it’s almost time to get back into a routine. Sad as it may seem, it’s time to start thinking less about long pool days and what book to read, and more about preparing backpacks, lunchboxes, and… the family dog.
Wait a second, what?
While getting your kids in the groove of earlier mornings might be top of mind for back-to-school, Dr.
Back-To-School Prep Is The Invisible Load Super Bowl For Moms
With a month until most schools ring that first bell of the school year, moms everywhere have officially entered their back-to-school era. It’s not as much fun as it used to be, and not just because the Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers, Barbie pencil cases, and sparkly new lunch boxes are no longer for us. These days, back-to-school prep feels more like our Super Bowl.
Not in the “Woohoo! Super Bowl!” way football fans prep for it, though.
My Kid Is Starting Middle School & I Have Feelings
When I was pregnant with my second child, some girlfriends got together to throw me a sprinkle. It was gloriously low key, but much to my delight, retained the one hallmark of traditional baby showers that doesn’t make me sweat from inconvenient places: the questionnaire.
After a round of mocktails, we got to work. I made my way down the sheet, positing my best guess on the essential matters of this baby’s gender, length, weight, and time of birth.
These Are The Kindergarten Readiness Skills Teachers Actually Want
One of the most emotional transitions for any parent is when their little one finally ages up into kindergarten. It's their very first year of school. It's the first time your baby is expected to survive without you for an entire day. It's the first time he or she is expected to rely on themselves and their teachers without being able to reach out to you for help.
As parents, we often worry if we have done enough to prepare our baby for such a big change.
Is Anyone Else Dreading Back-To-School Season Because Your Child Is Misunderstood There?
Now that we’re sliding into back-to-school season, take note: Not every mom is excited to ship their kids off to school each day, and I think we should normalize that.
Not every mom will be excited for any number of legitimate reasons. But, as someone who is, herself, an autistic speech-language pathologist, I can identify one glaringly obvious one: For kids with invisible disabilities and sensory differences, school can be brutal.
How Co-Parents Can Prepare For A Successful School Year
For many, the most chaotic time of the year isn't the holidays, it's back-to-school season. By the time camp ends and the first school bell rings, parents are hanging on by a thread. You might still be in it: that in-between period – when summer’s nearly over but school hasn’t started yet – where kids have declared themselves bored over a dozen times before noon, the constant complaining that the pantry is empty despite yesterday's grocery run, and you (aka, mom) have watched enough TikToks to know you're not crazy and alone in the madness.
It was Friday night of the first week of school, and I was throwing a back-to-school party. Using all my Pinterest Mom Energy, I'd invited over my kids' friends, cooked a new recipe (with vegetables no one asked for), and had the bubble machine going. Everyone was overstimulated and underslept, and within thirty minutes three kids were crying, two were screaming, and I was hiding in the bathroom.