Day: October 3, 2025

It’s the fourth deadly strike in the Caribbean and the latest since revelations that President Donald Trump told lawmakers he was treating drug traffickers as unlawful combatants.

• My husband and I realized that it wasn’t just our kids who didn’t have certain life skills.
• They didn’t know how to change a tire or file for taxes, so we decided to show them how.
• We wanted to empower them instead of giving them a lecture.

When my husband and I realized our three young adult kids didn’t know how to do some of life’s most basic tasks, it gave us pause. They were intelligent, capable, and curious. But when it came to changing a tire, filing taxes, or even cooking something beyond boxed mac and cheese, there were glaring gaps.

At first, we treated these as one-off lessons. Tire pressure gauge flagging you? We walked them through the process of airing it up and checking the air pressure moving forward. Fast food uniform a bit smelly? We walked them through the process of washing the shirt to remove the grease. Weeds out of control in the flower bed? We taught them how to use a weed eater.

But soon we realized it wasn’t just our kids. Their friends — college students, part-time workers, even young adults already in the professional workforce — were just as unsure. Our house quietly became a hub for “life hacks.” One week, it was a conveyor belt of teaching the newly employed how to file taxes. Next, we tackled grilling burgers. The pattern was evident: young adults weren’t lazy or disinterested; they just hadn’t been shown.

Then again, I wasn’t either.

This isn’t a Gen Z problem

It’s easy to roll our eyes and mumble, “What do you expect from Gen Z?” But this knowledge gap isn’t new.

As a young bride, I spent an entire year “washing” clothes with Snuggle fabric softener, never realizing it wasn’t detergent. The first time someone explained the difference, I wanted to sink into the floor. But it wasn’t a lack of effort — it was simply a knowledge gap. I had parents who showed their love by doing things for me, which was fantastic — until I needed to do it myself.

Looking back on that shame made me realize how important it was for me to be the person I needed at that age — a mentor.

Our approach was empowerment, not lectures

When a problem arises, my husband and I resist the urge to swoop in and fix it. Instead, we break tasks into manageable steps and let people get their hands dirty.

A young man who was entering his senior year in college was at our house when I was showing my youngest how to file his taxes. He asked how important it was for a part-time worker to file taxes. I walked him through the “why” of taxes and the benefits he could be missing out on as a college kid. The next time I saw him, he had his W-2 and laptop ready to create his own TurboTax account. When he discovered how easy it was, his pride was evident.

Another young man had saved his money for a car, done all the research, and even scheduled a test drive appointment. He had the work done, but he didn’t want to miss anything when he was at the dealership, so he requested a second set of eyes.

Neither of them needed our help. They needed encouragement and someone to be available if they got overwhelmed.

Sometimes, we learn together

I don’t always know the answer. Tax rules fluctuate, oil changes vary by vehicle, and recipes fail. In those cases, I grab my laptop and say, “Let’s learn together.” YouTube has been our co-teacher more times than I can count.

Admitting I don’t know everything actually strengthens trust instead of undercutting my authority. It shows my kids — and their friends — that adults don’t have it all figured out either. The real skill isn’t being a know-it-all; it’s knowing how to find the information and apply it.

And it is a massive win for all of us when a skill that has already been taught to one person is needed by another. For example, a young man showed up with a nail in his tire, asking for help. Instead of us jumping in, I asked my son if he thought he could teach his friend how to fix the flat. It took nearly an hour, but by the end, one young man learned a new skill, and my son elevated his own confidence.

Becoming the mentor I needed

Looking back, I wish I’d felt like I had an approachable adult to turn to when I was 20 — someone who could’ve explained the difference between detergent and fabric softener without making me feel small. That gap motivates me to be that person now.

In the end, it’s not really about teaching someone how to cook an egg or apply for a job — it’s about building trust. If these young adults know they can come to us without fear of judgment on the small things, then maybe they’ll know they can come to us when life hands them the big stuff, too.

Prosecutors said the music mogul had speaking engagements booked in Miami next week.

• As a kid, my family took annual trips to Disney World in Florida.
• I recently took my own kids and was surprised by how some things have changed, especially the cost.
• My kids had a great time, and seeing them experience the magic of Disney made the trip worthwhile.

Some of my earliest and fondest memories are from my visits to Disney World.

When I was a child, my parents and I flew to central Florida annually for many years, often joining my grandparents and cousins at the campgrounds in my grandparents’ RV.

My husband, parents, and I took my 3- and 5-year-olds on their first trip to the Florida parks in May.

I have to admit, a lot of the new Disney practices and prices left me feeling somewhat disenchanted, but the nostalgia I felt mixed with the magic my kids experienced made the downsides to the trip worth it overall.

Costs have changed, and that changes everything

For my childhood visits, my parents purchased Annual Passports, which were available at the time. These passports allowed us multiple visits to the various parks while we were there for four or five days at a time.

Today, Disney offers a comparable annual Passholder option, but at $1,549 per person, it’s a much less feasible option for us.

Likewise, when I was little, my family frequently ate in the park and resort restaurants. I remember enjoying food at the Polynesian Village Resort and The Hollywood Brown Derby, which are still around today. I never remember high costs being an issue or topic of conversation among the adults.

Today, the prices for dining feel a little harder to swallow when compared to a regular dinner out.

We ate at a few sit-down restaurants, but only splurged on the ones that were at the top of our list. For example, we enjoyed dinner at Epcot’s San Angel Inn Restaurante, with entrees that range from $20 to $59 and kids’ meals that start at $12.25. It’s a a spot that I have many memories of eating at, especially since I love following up the meal with a ride on the adjacent Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros.

That ride, a favorite of mine, is a hidden gem. It mixes music and culture with Donald Duck and his pals. The atmosphere of the restaurant and attached ride continues to be magical, transporting my family to an evening under the stars in Mexico.

Character meals are pricey but worth it

We went to Chef Mickey’s for dinner, and it was an amazing experience for all of us. At $69 for an adult and $44 for children, it’s definitely more than we would spend on a typical meal, but the guaranteed chance to spend time with Disney’s iconic characters made it worth the splurge.

Buffets aren’t always pleasant experiences, but Chef Mickey’s offers a wide array of delicious food choices that everyone in our group enjoyed.

Many of the character meet-and-greets in the park had waits of 15 minutes or longer. This meal gave us the opportunity to meet a handful of characters without our kids getting antsy or bored in line.

While we were initially hesitant to book a character meal, wondering if the cost was worth the risk of having to deal with potential mealtime meltdown, I’d book another one in a heartbeat.

I loved experiencing Disney through the eyes of my kids

There were multiple rides, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, where both of my kids would ask if we were outside while gazing up at the stars on the ceiling. Disney does a great job of simulating entire worlds. I loved seeing them thrilled by my favorite rides, asking to go on them again and again.

The lines for many attractions were long, especially since we didn’t pay extra for the Lightning Lane passes. (Editor’s note: These passes fluctuate in price, but when three different dates were verified over the past four months, the cost of a Lighting Lane Multi Pass ranged from $17 to $32 per person at the Orlando parks.) Luckily, we were often able to stay entertained while we waited. A favorite was when we played with the interactive gem displays leading up to the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train ride.

Similarly, my grandpa used to play with my cousins and me in the jumping water fountains at Epcot. I was happy to see this feature still existed. My son had a blast trying to “catch” the water.

We ended with a bang

The Magic Kingdom fireworks have always been magical, and the show we attended did not disappoint.

Yes, we had to fight crazy crowds to get back to the bus way past bedtime, but hearing my daughter exclaim “It’s TinkerBell!” while the character flew through the air made it all worthwhile.

That’s how I felt about the trip overall as well. It was expensive, but getting to experience the joy of watching my children have a blast made it all worth it

Editor’s note: When reached for comment, a spokesperson from Disney shared that since 2019, the lowest-priced ticket at Disneyland has remained the same at $104, and the lowest-priced ticket at Walt Disney World has increased by 2.6%.

The spokesperson also said that guests can enjoy significant discounts when visiting during select times. Visitors are encouraged to check Walt Disney World Discounts and Disneyland Resort Discounts for the latest discounts and offers.