The role of "supportive spouse" is one many claim. Fewer stand out as shining examples. Doug Emhoff, husband of US Vice President Kamala Harris, appears to be a stand out. 

One stand-out trait we often see in supportive spouses is self-confidence. And Mr. Emoff appears to possess it in spades. 

The Second Gentleman is not the first Vice President's spouse to be an attorney. That was Marilyn Quayle. He's not the first Vice President's spouse to pursue his career, albeit a scaled back one, while his spouse holds office; others have already paved that path. But he is the first man in the United States to be married to the Vice President.

Emhoff recently said, "I understand I am the first gentleman to hold this role, and I certainly do not want to be the last. So I do want to set an example for those in the future who can look back at the way I've approached it, and hopefully that will help them as well." In terms of providing new and unique role models for our children, and ourselves, the Harris-Emhoff team has delivered. 

Regardless of your political opinons, feelings and dealings, many are likely to agree that the first Second Gentleman is likely to set a valuable example that others will consider in the future.

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Submitted by Lacie Martin

Working parents who want to earn money on the side may want to consider these five ways to make bank.

1. Sell Old Clothes
   One of the easiest ways to earn extra money is to clean out your closets. Later you can expand your activities to include others' old clothes you find in thrift stores and garage and tag sales. There are a variety of websites designed specifically for men and women looking to ditch their gently used threads for some cold, hard cash.
   Three of the most popular are:
   -- Poshmark
   -- ThredUp
   -- eBay
   
   Don’t forget about your kids’ used clothes, too, unless you’re planning to hand down your little one’s gear to siblings, cousins or friends, Zeroish recommends selling those garments online, too. Just be careful not to start buying as you sell; those tiny T-shirts are adorable and addictive.
   
   
2. Sell Old Tech Products
   If you have outdated tech products that are gathering dust or piling up in a drawer, Reader’s Digest points out there are a variety of ways to unload it and make a profit.
   
   “Old tech” doesn’t just mean a bulky Blackberry, either. Sites such as the following may be interested in everything from your old iPad to that PlayStation 2 you thought you’d fire up once in a while but haven’t touched since 2006:
   -- Amazon
   -- Swappa
   -- Gazelle
   -- eBay
   
   
3. Find Freelance Work
   If you think writers are the only crowd who can score freelance gigs, think again. The web is filled with freelance marketplaces such as Fiverr and FlexJobs that are designed to link talented individuals with freelance jobs in an assortment of fields:
   -- Programming
   -- Graphic design
   -- Editing and proofreading
   -- Data entry
   -- Translation
   -- Marketing
   
   Before you accept a gig, do your research and make sure that the compensation is fair and in keeping with the national average. The “free” in freelancer should refer to your ability to choose projects, not your rate. Your time is valuable, and keeping your priorities in check as both a parent and person with his or her own needs is important.
   
   
4. Start an Online Store
   Can you draw or paint? Are you a whiz in the woodshop or the queen of cross-stitch? Consider starting an e-commerce store to sell your creations. For those new to this type of entrepreneurship, Etsy is the most common jumping-off point for making sales and growing a customer base.
   
   
5. Become a Tutor
   ​If you’re fluent in a foreign language or have a college degree that’s been gathering cobwebs, you can parlay those skills into tutoring opportunities. There are a variety of websites such as Tutor.com and Wyzant that connect students of all education levels and needs with qualified tutors.

 
Establish a Firm Foundation
Whatever direction you choose, starting out properly ensures you don’t get into any trouble with your new venture, and prepares you for future growth. Begin by verifying that your location and vocation don’t require any special permits. Some areas limit where businesses can be established, and some industries require certifications.
 
Along those same lines, you should also consider forming a limited liability company for your business. In addition to protecting your personal income from your store’s income and liability, starting an LLC can also result in tax advantages and less paperwork. The rules and regulations covering LLCs vary from state to state, although this part is simplified by partnering with a formation service.
 
And while it might feel like something only a bigger company would require, take the time to draw up a business plan. It’ll help you frame your goals with logical steps, and if you need any seed money, it’ll help to impress lenders.
 
Working and parenting is a challenge and a little extra cash sometimes enables you to purchase a little peace of mind. Why not look to the Internet for a bank account boost?

Submitted by Amanda Henderson with Safe Children

If your children constantly beg for cookies or sugary fruit juices, it can be hard to figure out how to get them on a path to a healthier lifestyle. It all begins with you. The example you set about nutrition and exercise can help them grow into healthy adults, and the great news is that keeping your kids healthy doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are three ways that you can help your kids make healthy choices while sticking to a budget.

1. Be a Role Model
   As a parent, you lead by example, especially when it comes to a healthy diet. Whether your kids admit it or not, they're watching you. While your children are growing up, it’s very important for them to consume healthy foods that have the nutrients they need to develop properly. So, make sure you are eating healthy foods as well. Instead of cutting out certain foods, try to focus on an overall healthy diet. Limit processed foods like packaged crackers and chips, as well as sugary drinks like soda. Try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets by adding pineapple chunks and strawberries to their school lunches or mashed-up carrots to sweet potato.
   
   It’s also important to be a role model for everyday healthy habits that range from washing your hands to brushing your teeth. Most parents know that regular hand washing helps prevent the spread of illness, but did you know that your oral health can affect everything from your heart health to your mental well-being? Help children connect healthy-eating habits to these two routine tasks so they stick with them. For example, tell them how much more they’ll savor every bite of their carrot sticks if they’re eating them with clean hands and that brushing their pearlies twice a day ensures there are no old, yucky food bits standing in the way of every delicious bite!
   
   
2. Help Them Develop an Exercise Routine
   Sometimes it can be hard to get your child outside for exercise. Sometimes it seems like video games and computers have taken the place of playgrounds and other outdoor activities. Try to make exercise fun for the entire family. If you’re on a tight budget, you can go to a local park and throw a Frisbee around with your children or take the bikes out of the garage and go for a ride. If you don’t have time for these kinds of activities yourself, and you're able to set some money aside, sign them up for an after-school sport or another physical activity. Whether they’re interested in soccer, baseball, tennis, flag football, or gymnastics, an after-school sport will help them get the regular exercise they need to lead a healthy life. It will also help them make new friends and get them used to regularly working out, which is a great habit to learn early on.
   
   
3. Learn How to Shop on a Budget
   When it comes to shopping on a family budget, it can become challenging to stick to healthy habits. It might be tempting to simply grab a frozen dinner, but there are some better ways to eat budget-friendly healthy meals. Many food bloggers have done the hard work to find ways to do this, so leverage the healthy and inexpensive recipes they post online. There are even ways to exercise in the latest workout attire, by taking advantage of online savings opportunities when you shop (like using Adidas promo codes).

 
It doesn’t take a lot of work to establish healthy habits, and practice always helps them stick. By being a role model for your children and keeping communication open about everything from how much something costs to why it’s good for you, you can lay the foundation for establishing healthy habits that last a lifetime. 

Many parents are expressing concern about their kids' educations during the pandemic. They fear their kids are falling behind and not learning as much as they need to. They fear they'll never "catch up". Is this fear reasonable? Or is Is it possible that the pandemic is providing unique opportunities for kids to learn lessons that are more important than those they learn in the classroom?

On a recent episode of the 1A radio show, "The Pandemic is the Worst. What Can We Do to Keep Coping?", Shankar Vedantam, commented (at 25:45 min), "Many parents and many educators make the mistake of assuming that education is mostly about what you learn in school ... There has been a lot of research that shows that ... softer skills are in many ways a better predictor of how people will do over the long term than their cognitive learning, than the stuff that they actually learn in classrooms." Shankar goes on to explain how the pandemic is providing great opportunities for parents to help their kids develop some very valuable soft skills.

Rather than worrying about what our kids aren't learning right now, maybe we should focus on the unique educational opportunities that are all around us. Thanks to Shankar Vedantam for reminding us that the learning never ends when we recognize the lessons. He also provides examples of some of the unique lessons that exist because of the pandemic.