Secrets in relationships are common. But a body of research suggests they can negatively affect mental and even physical health. Secrets become a problem because our minds tend to wander toward the secrets we’re keeping, which can lead to a reduced sense of well-being, concluded Columbia Business School professor Michael Slepian, Ph.D., lead author of the above-mentioned study. Slepian’s study is just the most recent to look at the effects of secrets....

“The number one thing is that people want to be understood and they want to feel like their emotions are being valued,” Jonathan Robinson, a couple’s therapist and author of the book More Love, Less Conflict: A Communication Playbook for Couples told us. “And when that doesn’t happen, marriages start to have problems. I never have couples come into my office saying, ‘We really understand each other, that’s why we want a divorce....

“What happened?” My wife asked, concerned. She knew what early morning phone calls meant. We have a big family and she’d fielded a few herself. “My father died,” I told her. “What do you want to do?” She asked. “We have people coming today for the birthday,” I said. “I gotta set up the bounce house, and I have to go BJs for the BBQ stuff. We can’t cancel her party....

“Plants represent an underexploited solution to enhance indoor air quality,” coauthor on the study Federico Brilli, an ecophysiologist at National Research Council of Italy’s Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, told Fatherly. Brilli noted that, while houseplants cannot fully replace modernized heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, they represent a key way to save in the long run. “If integrated with smart sensors networks and other air cleaning computerized technologies, plants can save energy by enhancing air quality in a cost-effective and sustainable way....

READ MORE: The Fatherly Guide to Sleep If you’re waiting until the four- to six-month period, Dr. Natalie Barnett, pediatric sleep expert at Nanit, and founder of Seven Oaks Sleep Science, thinks you might have missed the boat. For the first couple of months, baby’s nervous system is not developed enough for baby to self-soothe, so parents can do all the rocking and cuddling and singing they please before putting baby down....

This story was submitted by a Fatherly reader. Opinions expressed in the story do not reflect the opinions of Fatherly as a publication. The fact that we’re printing the story does, however, reflect a belief that it is an interesting and worthwhile read. Yes, strong female characters take center stage in shows made for girls: Doc McStuffins, Dora the Explorer, etc.). That these shows exist at all is progress; the shows our parents watched as kids rarely put a spotlight on girls or minority characters....

Smell is a rogue sense. Sound, sight, taste, and touch filter through the thalamus, a region of the brain believed to function like a relay station, routing sensations to other sections. Olfactory receptors, however, bypass that and link directly to the limbic system, a brain structure associated with memory and emotion. It’s why a certain type of perfume makes someone think of their high school love, or why that stale Miller Lite is reminiscent of senior year....

Studying why social isolation happens, and how to prevent, is a public health priority. Studies suggest that patients who report being socially isolated are at increased risk of dying and suffering from heart disease, and that those who live in regions known for high levels of social trust tend to report being physically healthier than others. Here is a map of social interactions, by state. Utah reported the fewest social interactions per 1,000 citizens....

Arnett explained that his two boys, Able and Archie, are in the habit of refusing sleep. Frustrated, he came up with a lullaby to encourage them to take bedtime more seriously: “It’s time for bed for my sweet boys. Put away their things and all their toys because the TERROR OF NIGHT IS UPON US!” Arnett sang, putting his trademark gravely vocals to great use. And while Arnett says the song definitely spooked his sons, it also helped them go to bed....

The end result was a standout moment (blink and you miss it, so please don’t blink) in the Saturday Night Live short Stuck in the House, about the joys of COVID-19 quarantine and the stir-craziness that leads Sandler to wear his underwear on his head. Schneider gleefully delivers his signature line from The Waterboy: “You can do it!” The schtick was equal parts ridiculous and weirdly heartfelt, which basically describes most of Schneider’s on-screen work....

There’s a good amount of scientific evidence that plucking is a bad idea. The Mayo Clinic warns that using tweezers to remove a bee sting runs the risk of squeezing more venom into the wound, increasing pain, swelling, and the odds of your kid not wanting to go back to the park for a while. But simply scraping away the stinger with the end of a credit card, on the other hand, can remove it safely, the U....

The cartoons of the ’90s were strange, but few were as purposely bizarre as Animaniacs. And none were as smart or outright hilarious. A modern send-up of the golden age of animation that also managed to educate kids and lampoon pop culture all while effortlessly blending impossibly clever jokes with good old lowbrow humor. Animaniacs ran from 1993-1998, airing 99 episodes along with a straight-to-video movie. The show was a hit with critics, winning back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program in 1996-97....

To be clear. I said important. Not best. Saying Iron Man 2 is the greatest superhero movie of all time, or somehow pretending like aspects of it aren’t deeply offensive or outright silly, would be beyond dishonest. On most fans’ lists, Iron Man 2 would probably end up in the bottom five Marvel movies, somewhere around Thor: The Dark World or hey, remember when The Incredible Hulk was played by Edward Norton?...

Briana Middleton will co-star as Tilly, Louie’s stepsister. A rising star, Middleton’s credits include several short films and the upcoming George Clooney-directed feature, The Tender Bar. We also like the creative team behind Beauty and the Beast, with Gad and the Once Upon a Time tandem of Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz developing, executive producing, co-writing, and serving as showrunners, and Evans also on board as a producer. Cameras will roll in the spring of 2022....

So, is this new cable series worth it? Here’s what parents should know about Esme and Roy. Who Is the Show For? Like Sesame Street itself, Esme and Roy is very clearly for children aged 4-5, meaning they’re either just about done with preschool or 100 percent in kindergarten. Put this show in the same age-bracket as a Paw Patrol, though, ahem, in a slightly more refined category. 6-year-olds might still be in this show, particularly if they’re girls since the titular Esme is a great, strong, fun, and kind role model for young women....

While plenty of other onscreen killers rack up high body counts, nobody does it with the frightening intensity of Michael Myers. He doesn’t crack jokes. He isn’t teaching some grand life lesson. And he doesn’t have some tragic backstory that explains why he is the way that he is. He was born pure evil and finds pleasure only in the destruction of others, ideally in a way that is equally terrifying and savage....

“That’s what Lin gave a room full of Black and brown people — I had the evidence that if, given the resources, the role, the time to prepare that, yes, I could quite possibly do something special, something that would make me proud,” Odom tells Fatherly. Now, he’s up for a Golden Globe for playing another legend, musician Sam Cooke in Regina King’s One Night in Miami. In the midst of a flurry of press, Odom — holed up in his garage — talks to Fatherly about the real meaning of success and how he’s teaching his daughter Lucille, almost 4, with wife Nicolette Kloe Robinson, to appreciate good music....

Here’s why that post-credits scene was amazing, why it will probably make some hardcore Marvel fans angry, and why it’s the perfect ending for Hawkeye. Mild spoilers for the Hawkeye Season finale. Unlike Loki‘s cliffhanger or WandaVision’s suggestion that Scarlet Witch will continue to toss some spells around in future films, the ending of Hawkeye actually ended. Sure, we know Maya’s (Alaqua Cox) story will continue in an upcoming show called Echo, and Kingpin is certainly back in the MCU fold, which could climate in a full-on renaissance of Daredevil and the rest of the Defenders....

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Super Colossal T-Rex Let’s start with a guaranteed crowd pleaser — the Mattel Super Colossal T-Rex. Based on the iconic beast from the JW series, this toy is a whopping three feet tall, featuring authentic detail, movie-inspired markings, and articulated arms and legs for realistic action. The SC T-Rex also has extra-wide jaws that, when opened, can swallow mini dino action figures without even a burp. Want them back?...