Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

For parents, there’s nothing more important than the baby’s safety. It’s the same priority for all the best brands that manufacture baby products. Here’s a list of all the best <keyword id="3626092" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="baby-carriers">baby carriers</keyword> that will ensure the safety of your little one. <bulletContentEmbed name="B01N7O5ZAH" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01N7O5ZAH_head"><div type="image" title="Top Pick" msid="81781308" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01N1YBAYS</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01N7O5ZAH_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01N7O5ZAH_7115355100750779"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">LuvLap Elegant Baby Carrier with 4 carry positions, for 6 to 24 months baby, Max weight Up to 15 Kgs (Navy blue)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">You can carry your baby in four positions in this baby carrier, namely baby facing out, facing the parent, piggyback, and horizontal feeding position. The waist belt, side buckle, shoulder straps and chest support strap can be adjusted to your convenience, and there’s a front pocket for you to keep essentials. Also, there’s a removable back support hard board and cushioned leg support for the baby’s extreme relaxation.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01N7O5ZAH_4246964222191182"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Wide, cushioned arm hole and leg opening for the baby’s comfortable movement.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B079WY4W7Z" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B079WY4W7Z_head"><div type="image" title="Editor’s Pick" msid="78534661" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B079WY4W7Z</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B079WY4W7Z_body"><bulletContentRow name="B079WY4W7Z_1476733586784823"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Trumom – Baby Carrier</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Trumom baby carrier is ergonomically designed, so that your baby is well-supported, and your hands are free to carry out other tasks. The padded shoulder straps are very comfortable and will not make your shoulders sore. The seat and padded head support, respectively, allow the baby’s hips and head to be supported correctly. Finally, the cross-belt at the back divides the baby’s weight equally on your shoulders and back.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B079WY4W7Z_4565190730890284"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Can be carried in the front and back, and has enough pockets to keep feeding bottles, diapers and napkins.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07ZVCYYKQ" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07ZVCYYKQ_head"><div type="image" title="Popular Pick" msid="81781335" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B082T6CK5M</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07ZVCYYKQ_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07ZVCYYKQ_0159236965021769"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">INFANTSO 4-in-1 Adjustable Hip SEAT Baby Carrier Soft &amp; Comfortable with Safety Belt, Multi-Utility Pockets and Wide Cushioned Straps (Wine Red)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This carrier is highly rated by many customers, and for all the right reasons. The quality of the fabric is excellent; breathable, soft and allows air ventilation. The design is ergonomically superior, giving the right amount of support to the baby’s head, neck, spine and hips, as well as to the parent’s back and shoulders. It can support 15kgs weight, so you can use it without worry till the child is 2 years old.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07ZVCYYKQ_2726982738527411"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">With adjustable straps and good quality cushioning, this product is a smart solution to carry your baby around.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B083JC999J" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B083JC999J_head"> <div type="image" title="Must Have" msid="78534694" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B083JC999J</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B083JC999J_body"><bulletContentRow name="B083JC999J_8560941817333791"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">R for Rabbit – Baby Carrier</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Available in five colours, this chic baby carrier will make you look like a cool, stylish parent. Adhering to all the European standards for baby care products, R for Rabbit is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to your baby’s safety. It is strong enough to carry your child till he/she is 2 years old. The wide hip strap allows you to not have any lower back strains making it a good choice for parent and child.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B083JC999J_3287475894511002"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Seat allows baby to sit in a natural position, detachable hood to protect the baby from sun or wind, and the baby can be carried in multiple positions.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07WZK3Z5D" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07WZK3Z5D_head"><div type="image" title="Also Consider" msid="81781374" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B08PBCK1YM</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07WZK3Z5D_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07WZK3Z5D_7220439425119061"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Chinmay Kids 3 in 1 Baby Carrier Cum Kangaroo Bag Shoulder Belt Sling Backpack Baby Holding Strap Adjustable Carry Bag Baby Carrier Cum Kangaroo Bag (Navy Blue)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Chinmay Kids baby carrier is affordable and hugely popular among parents. Available in a number of colours, it is simple and does the trick. The material used is of the best quality, and the fabric is very plush. At the same time, all the straps and buckles are very strong. Also, there is a removable hard board to support the baby’s head, and a pocket to keep any baby essentials.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07WZK3Z5D_4712222240326015"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Padded straps with mesh lining for ventilation, adjustable straps, and trendy look.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Best baby carriers for kids in India

Take your little ones on outings in a carry cot without discomfort. <keyword id="12092996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carry-cots" source="Orion">Carry cots</keyword> make it convenient to carry babies without disturbing their sleep. Apart from carrying, they can be converted into a feeding chair, rocking chair and car seat mode to perform different activities. While purchasing a carry cot for your baby, there are various features like weight, material, safety belts and size to be kept in mind. To help you choose the best baby carry cot, here are some of the options available on Amazon. <bulletContentEmbed name="B01M7PRL59" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01M7PRL59_head"><div type="image" title="4-in-1 Functionality" msid="86197354" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01M7PRL59</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01M7PRL59_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01M7PRL59_4592993411376909"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">LuvLap 4-in-1 Baby Car Seat Cum Baby Carry Cot</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Certified as per European safety standards, this carry cot from LuvLap assures you to keep your baby safe with its five-point safety harness system. To ensure comfort and support, it comes with an adjustable cushioned seat and height-adjustable headrest. With its 4-in-1 functionality, it can be used as a carry cot, car seat, rocker and feeding chair. Also, it comes with a removable and washable seat cover.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01M7PRL59_9402265095728934"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Its cushioned seat ensures comfort and support for the baby.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07B7LNBXT" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07B7LNBXT_head"><div type="image" title="Adjustable Handle" msid="86197376" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07B7LNBXT</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07B7LNBXT_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07B7LNBXT_5074718638394070"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">R for Rabbit 4-in-1 Picaboo Baby Carry Cot</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Keep your baby safe in this carry cot from the R for Rabbit store. To make the baby comfortable, it is made from soft and breathable fabric. Its lightweight design makes it easy to carry without the baby being disturbed. It comes with a three-point safety harness and padded side wings. With its adjustable handle position, the cot can be used as a carry cot, rocker, feeding chair and car seat. Also, it is said to have a washable cover.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07B7LNBXT_9348000344889581"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Its adjustable handle makes it easy to carry without any discomfort.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B082B6ZC15" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B082B6ZC15_head"><div type="image" title="Ergonomically Designed" msid="86197402" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B082B6ZC15</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B082B6ZC15_body"><bulletContentRow name="B082B6ZC15_6058164874501482"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Ehomekart 7-in-1 Carry Cot Cum Bouncer</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This ergonomically designed carry cot from Ehomekart provides comfort and support to the baby. To keep the baby protected from dust, insects and mosquitoes, it comes with a mosquito net. With its 7-in-1 functionality, you can use the cot as a feeding chair, carry cot, baby chair, bathtub, rocker, bouncer and baby swing. To ensure comfortable carrying a feeding bottle while travelling, it features a feeding bottle holder.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B082B6ZC15_5120937469425494"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It keeps the baby protected from the mosquito net.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B077XWNVLP" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B077XWNVLP_head"><div type="image" title="Detachable Canopy" msid="86197438" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B077XWNVLP</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B077XWNVLP_body"><bulletContentRow name="B077XWNVLP_2374124543142639"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Trumom Infant Baby Car Seat, Carry Cot and Rocker</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Carry your baby in style and safety with this carry cot from Trumom. With four-point handle adjustment, the cot can be used as a rocker, feeding chair, car seat and carry cot. To ensure the baby remains safe and protected, it features a 5-point safety harness system and padded side swings. With the detachable canopy, you can use the cot at night as well with its portable sleeping space.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B077XWNVLP_6451519687024975"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">To keep the baby safe and comfortable, this cot features padded side swings.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B084Z1LBYX" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B084Z1LBYX_head"><div type="image" title="Double Cushioned" msid="86197470" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B084Z1LBYX</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B084Z1LBYX_body"><bulletContentRow name="B084Z1LBYX_4621826485734766"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Tender Care 5-in-1 Baby Cozy Carry Cot Cum Rocker</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This carry cot from Tender Care ensures to provide 5-in-1 functionality. To maintain hygiene and comfort, the cot features a double cushioned washable seat cover. With the sturdy and easy to grip handle, it should become convenient to carry. The large canopy keeps the baby protected from the sunlight. Also, to carry the essentials conveniently it offers a special storage option.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B084Z1LBYX_0084912348848290"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The double cushioned material helps to provide comfort to the baby.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B01NBN5JIJ" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01NBN5JIJ_head"><div type="image" title="Detachable Cover" msid="86197341" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01NBN5JIJ</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01NBN5JIJ_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01NBN5JIJ_2608893296475395"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Mee Mee 5-in-1 Baby Cozy Carry Cot Cum Rocker</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Carry your baby in this 5-in-1 carry cot from Mee Mee. It ensures support and comfort for the baby with the quilted soft seat. While travelling or staying at home, this cot makes it convenient to carry the baby. To keep the baby safe, it features a Y-shaped belt. With the detachable cover, you can easily wash it. From the baby cot you can convert it into a carrier, rocker, feeding seat, chair and recliner.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01NBN5JIJ_4341901310106593"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">To keep the baby safe and hold it firmly, it features a Y-shaped belt.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Best carry cots for babies in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>When flying with a cat, it's important to get your cat comfortable with a carrier before the flight.</li><li>You should also pack a harness, training pads, a water dish, and cat food.</li><li>You can try natural calming aids like pheromones or prescription sedatives for the flight. </li></ul>Flying with your cat can seem intimidating - it's hard to predict exactly how your cat will react to the airport and <keyword id="6356222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="plane">plane</keyword> ride.But preparing beforehand by testing out calming supplements and getting your cat comfortable with a carrier can help ease the process. Here are several methods you can use to get your cat ready to fly and make the experience as smooth as possible.<h2>1. Get your cat comfortable with a cat carrier</h2>Your cat will need to spend the entire flight inside a carrier, so it's important to train your cat to feel comfortable with it. <h2>Types of plane-safe cat carriers</h2>There are two main types of carriers you can bring on a plane:<ul><li>Soft carriers are made from flexible materials and often have mesh sides for ventilation. You can transport soft carriers with a shoulder strap or get a rolling carrier that you can pull like a suitcase.</li><li>Hard carriers are made from more sturdy plastic. Most hard carriers can be taken apart so that the top and sides can be lifted off of the bottom piece.</li></ul>Here's how to get your cat used to a carrier:<ol><li>If you're using a hard carrier, you can leave just the bottom part in one of your cat's favorite spots in the home, such as a sunny corner, says<a href="https://www.vet.upenn.edu/people/faculty-clinician-search/CARLOSIRACUSA"> Carlo Siracusa, DVM</a>, a professor of animal behavior and welfare at the University of Pennsylvania.</li><li>When your cat has become comfortable sitting in the bottom of the carrier, you can put the top on and encourage your cat to spend time in it using treats. "Progressively increase the time that the cat spends in the assembled carrier, starting from just a few seconds," Siracusa says.</li><li> "After the carrier has been out long enough to not seem threatening, start moving in favorite bedding, toys, treats, maybe some catnip," says A<a href="https://wsvma.org/relief-vets/">manda McNabb, DVM</a>, a veterinarian in private practice in Washington state </li><li>The final step is to practice carrying your cat around the house in the carrier and eventually use it for short car rides.</li></ol>If you're using a soft carrier, you can follow the same steps, but you won't be able to detach the bottom part.If you don't properly acclimate your cat, they may panic in the airport or on the flight. This can be traumatizing for the cat and stressful for you and the people around you.Siracusa recommends giving your cat at least three to four weeks to get used to the carrier. "We always suggest going slow, since if you try to go too fast, it can backfire," says<a href="https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/melissa-bain" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Melissa Bain</a>, DVM, a professor of clinical animal behavior at UC Davis.<h2>2. Pack everything your cat needs</h2>Being prepared also means gathering all the things your cat may need for the flight. Some of the<a href="https://www.summerstreetcatclinic.com/tips-for-traveling-with-your-cat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> most important items</a> you should bring in your carry-on include:<ul><li>A harness and leash to help restrain your cat while you<a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/travel-safely-your-pet-car-airplane-ship-or-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> pass through security</a> - the carrier may need to go through an Xx-ray, so you will need to carry your cat.</li><li>Training pads to soak up urine if your cat has an accident during the flight.</li><li>A dish and water.</li><li>Extra food in case your flight gets delayed.</li><li>Baby wipes, gloves, and Ziploc bags to help with any cleanups.</li><li>For longer flights, a small, disposable litter box.</li><li>Any medical records and your cat's microchip numbers. Airlines may ask for this information and it may be useful in case of emergency.</li></ul><h2>3. Don't give your cat any food the morning of a flight</h2>Eating before a flight can increase your cat's motion sickness, causing nausea or vomiting. That's why, for most <keyword id="6365706" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="cats">cats</keyword>, you should avoid feeding them <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/travel-safely-your-pet-car-airplane-ship-or-train" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four to six hours</a> before the flight.You can still give your cat small amounts of water before the flight and while you're on the plane.Your cat shouldn't have any issues from skipping a meal - in fact, he may not even want to eat if he's feeling stressed. "Healthy adult cats can be safely fasted for a few hours before and for the duration of the flight," McNabb says. Cats can go about <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-cats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 to 10 hours</a> before feeling hungry.Young kittens may not be able to fast, however. "Kittens less than 6 months should have food at their normal times," McNabb says.If you have an adult cat with any serious <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> conditions, you should also talk with your veterinarian to find out how long your cat can go without food, Bain advises.<h2>4. Try natural calming solutions</h2>Some natural products may help with your cat's anxiety, Siracusa says. These include:<ul><li>Pheromones: Chemicals that animals emit to send emotional signals to each other. One pheromone product,<a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/medication-to-reduce-the-stress-of-veterinary-visits-for-cats"> Feliway</a>, mimics a pheromone cats give off to mark an area as safe. Spraying this in your cat's carrier can offer comfort to a frightened cat.</li><li>Herbal medicines: Though there are no formal studies yet, many cat owners have had success giving their cats certain flower essences or dried herbs. One product called Rescue Remedy combines five different flower essences and<a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/medication-to-reduce-the-stress-of-veterinary-visits-for-cats"> experts say</a> that it should be safe for your cat.</li></ul>You can also ask your vet about other natural products that may help him stay calm on the flight.<h2>Is CBD safe for cats?</h2>CBD has been shown to be safe for dogs, but it<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/10/832"> may not work the same way</a> for cats."There is no evidence that CBD products have a tranquilizing effect on cats, in particular during flights. I would not recommend them for this specific use," says Siracusa.When trying any new product, follow the manufacturer's dosing instructions carefully, McNabb says. It's also best to try out products a few days before your trip to check for any side effects. "It is also extremely important to use a product specifically labeled for cats, as cats in general do not metabolize things the way dogs or people do," McNabb says.<h2>5. Travel with a sedative</h2>The majority of cats will not need to take sedatives for a plane flight, Siracusa says."Even those cats that do not like to travel by car, do well during flights as there are not the same vibrations associated with car traveling," says Siracusa. Cats tend to be more nervous, however, when the aircraft is on the ground during takeoff and landing, as these transitions have more changes in pressure and vibrations.Even if you plan to use natural calming remedies, Bain suggests that you should talk with your veterinarian to create a backup plan in case your cat does need sedatives."If they are seriously anxious, then they may benefit from as-needed medication that only the veterinarian can prescribe," Siracusa says. Common sedatives include drugs like<a href="https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/sedation-of-cats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Gabapentin and Trazodone</a>, which can make your cat less aggressive, less stressed, and more compliant. Most sedatives will last between 4 and 6 hours, and ideally, you should medicate your cat about two hours before flying, Siracusa says. Just as with natural supplements, you should have some trial runs to see how your cat is affected before actually traveling. "Individual cats react differently to different dosages and medications. The more you know about your cat's needs, the better the flight will be for you both," McNabb says.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Bringing your cat on a flight can be challenging, but there are many steps you can take to ease the process.Getting your cat used to a carrier, bringing extra supplies, and using natural or prescription remedies can all help to keep you and your cat calmer during a plane ride.If you aren't sure what methods to try, talk to your veterinarian to figure out what will work best for your cat.<a data-type="602ebb6c09e96f5e6b27ddf5">6 surprising benefits of dog muzzles and which type to pick for your pooch</a><a data-type="602ec98486b379597a728d29">5 ways to stop your dog from eating garbage on walks</a><a data-type="602eb4279614fd4a42188ae8">How to tell if your dog has worms and the most effective way to treat it</a><a data-type="60428a4f9dad230178589f55">4 methods to keep your cat from scratching your furniture</a>

5 best tips to keep your cat calm during a flight, according to veterinarians

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Last week, CNN anchor <keyword id="243634" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anderson-Cooper">Anderson Cooper</keyword> announced the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper.</li><li>In an emotional segment, Cooper told his audience that he named his son after his father, Wyatt Emory Cooper — and that he was "grateful" for everyone involved in his son's birth, especially the surrogate who carried and delivered Wyatt. </li><li>The announcement was mostly met with love and well-wishes from fans, but author Joyce Carol Oates posted a tweet criticizing the coverage of Wyatt 's birth, writing that the surrogate had been excluded from the story. </li><li>Oates immediately received backlash on Twitter, with commenters calling her post "a terrible take" and "unnecessary."</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>On Thursday, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced some special <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> of his own: Days earlier, he welcomed a son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, via a surrogate. In the emotional segment, Cooper revealed that he'd named his son after his father — and he hoped that he would be "as good a dad." The broadcast journalist added that his son is "sweet and soft and healthy."Cooper suggested that the moment was particularly moving because he once thought that parenthood was out of reach."As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child," he said. "I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth." Cooper went on the thank the "remarkable" surrogate who, he said, "carried Wyatt, watched over him, lovingly, tenderly, and gave birth to him." He added that <keyword id="6375354" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="surrogacy">surrogacy</keyword> was "an extraordinary blessing" and he was thankful for the support of his surrogate her family throughout the process. <h2>The announcement was largely met with love and support from emotional fans, but Cooper did receive some criticism — notably one critical <a href="https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates/status/1256602380524716034">tweet</a> from author Joyce Carol Oates, who wrote that the coverage focused "so exclusively on Anderson Cooper" that the surrogate was erased from the experience. </h2>After congratulating the Anderon Cooper 360° anchor, Oates went on to say, "you'd think that somehow dear Anderson was both father &amp; mother. (how strange for the mother who'd been pregnant for 9 months, delivered a baby, presented Anderson w/ the baby &amp; is now -- gone)."The post received immediate backlash from followers.One commenter <a href="https://twitter.com/Andifo/status/1256603105224990720">pointed out</a> that Cooper had, in fact, included a "lovely" tribute during the initial announcement. Another <a href="https://twitter.com/cloudscribbl/status/1256611977113341953">called</a> Oates' post "virulent and unnecessary."Journalist and Twitter personality Yashar Ali called the author's criticisms "a terrible take.""If you took a second to watch the video you're quote tweeting, you'd hear Anderson say all of this wonderful stuff about his surrogate and her family," he wrote. "But that's besides the point, a relationship with a surrogate is very private."Oates has found herself at the center of Twitter controversies before; she's been accused of <a href="https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates/status/353206181549969408">Islamophobia</a>, <a href="https://www.flavorwire.com/402786/did-joyce-carol-oates-mean-to-blame-islam-for-rape-in-egypt">discounting</a> men who are victims of sexual assault, and making <a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/02/11/joyce_carol_oates_compares_giraffe_killing_to_nazi_slaughter/">bizarre comparisons</a> between animal euthanasia and Naziism. Oates even spoke about her Twitter presence – and thoughts on the app's shortcomings — in a 2014 interview with <a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/02/20/joyce_carol_oates_on_twitter_i_don%25E2%2580%2599t_really_say_anything_that_i_don%25E2%2580%2599t_mean/">Salon</a>. "I don't consider that I really said anything that I don't feel, and I think that sometimes the crowd is not necessarily correct," she told the outlet. "The sort of lynch mob mentality among some people on Twitter and they rush after somebody — they rush in this direction; they rush over here; they're kind of rushing around the landscape of the news — and this goes on a lot on Twitter."<h2>Twitter debates aside, surrogacy proves to be a complicated issue to navigate the United States.</h2>As Insider previously <a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-cooper-said-never-thought-would-be-dad-2020-5">reported</a>, there are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/parenting/pregnancy/surrogacy-laws-new-york.html">no federal laws regarding surrogacy</a>, so laws vary from state to state. Currently, 47 US states permit <keyword id="9165713" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gestational-surrogacy">gestational surrogacy</keyword>, the term referring to circumstance when a child isn't biologically related to the person who gives birth (known as the gestation carrier).Parents pursuing surrogacy are faced with a complex process — from finding surrogate attorneys to surrogate brokers — and many seek out additional resources to assist with communication throughout the process. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-west-surrogate-therapist-birth-chicago-pregnancy-2020-2">reported</a>, recommends the use of independent mental <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> counselors in parent-surrogate relationships.The ACOG's list of recommendations for families considering gestational surrogacy <a href="https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Ethics/Family-Building-Through-Gestational-Surrogacy?IsMobileSet=false">outlines the benefits that mental health counseling can provide for both prospective parents and surrogates. </a>"Mental health counselors can assist the intended parent(s) in anticipating issues surrounding disclosure of the pregnancy and the child's genetic lineage," the ACOG reports. "For gestational carriers, mental health counselors can assist in anticipating issues surrounding questions and concerns from family and community as well as potential attachment issues for the gestational carrier during pregnancy and after delivery."Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-cooper-picked-baby-name-tribute-to-his-parents-2020-5">Anderson Cooper picked a name for his baby that's a special tribute to his late parents</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-cooper-said-never-thought-would-be-dad-2020-5">Anderson Cooper opened up about having a baby: 'As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-west-surrogate-therapist-birth-chicago-pregnancy-2020-2">Kim Kardashian says she used a 'surrogate therapist' before her daughter Chicago's birth. Here's what that could mean and why it's a common practice</a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/joyce-carol-oates-gets-backlash-for-anderson-cooper-surrogacy-tweet-2020-5">Insider</a>

Writer Joyce Carol Oates is facing backlash after accusing Anderson Cooper of erasing the surrogate from his son's birth announcement

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Last week, CNN anchor <keyword id="243634" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anderson-Cooper">Anderson Cooper</keyword> announced the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper.</li><li>In an emotional segment, Cooper told his audience that he named his son after his father, Wyatt Emory Cooper — and that he was "grateful" for everyone involved in his son's birth, especially the surrogate who carried and delivered Wyatt. </li><li>The announcement was mostly met with love and well-wishes from fans, but author <keyword id="216672" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joyce-Carol-Oates">Joyce Carol Oates</keyword> posted a tweet criticizing the coverage of Wyatt 's birth, writing that the surrogate had been excluded from the story. </li><li>Oates immediately received backlash on <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> and told Insider, "I was just somewhat curious about the surrogate mother."</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>On Thursday, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced some special news of his own: Days earlier, he welcomed a son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, via a surrogate. In the emotional segment, Cooper revealed that he'd named his son after his father — and he hoped that he would be "as good a dad." The broadcast journalist added that his son is "sweet and soft and healthy."Cooper suggested that the moment was particularly moving because he once thought that parenthood was out of reach."As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child," he said. "I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth." Cooper went on the thank the "remarkable" surrogate who, he said, "carried Wyatt, watched over him, lovingly, tenderly, and gave birth to him." He added that <keyword id="6375354" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="surrogacy">surrogacy</keyword> was "an extraordinary blessing" and he was thankful for the support of his surrogate her family throughout the process. <h2>The announcement was largely met with love and support from emotional fans, but Cooper did receive some criticism — notably one critical <a href="https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates/status/1256602380524716034">tweet</a> from author Joyce Carol Oates, who wrote that the coverage focused "so exclusively on Anderson Cooper" that the surrogate was erased from the experience. </h2>After congratulating the Anderon Cooper 360° anchor, Oates went on to say, "you'd think that somehow dear Anderson was both father &amp; mother. (how strange for the mother who'd been pregnant for 9 months, delivered a baby, presented Anderson w/ the baby &amp; is now -- gone)."The post received immediate backlash from followers.One commenter <a href="https://twitter.com/Andifo/status/1256603105224990720">pointed out</a> that Cooper had, in fact, included a "lovely" tribute during the initial announcement. Another <a href="https://twitter.com/cloudscribbl/status/1256611977113341953">called</a> Oates' post "virulent and unnecessary."Journalist and Twitter personality Yashar Ali called the author's criticisms "a terrible take.""If you took a second to watch the video you're quote tweeting, you'd hear Anderson say all of this wonderful stuff about his surrogate and her family," he wrote. "But that's besides the point, a relationship with a surrogate is very private."Oates seemed to clarify her position by retweeting several comments from followers, including ones criticizing her take, and one which quoted Cooper's comments about the surrogate. "I know Anderson personally, though not well, through my friendship with Gloria Vanderbilt," Oates told Insider. "I was just somewhat curious about the surrogate mother."Oates has found herself at the center of Twitter controversies before; she's been accused of <a href="https://twitter.com/JoyceCarolOates/status/353206181549969408">Islamophobia</a>, <a href="https://www.flavorwire.com/402786/did-joyce-carol-oates-mean-to-blame-islam-for-rape-in-egypt">discounting</a> men who are victims of sexual assault, and making <a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/02/11/joyce_carol_oates_compares_giraffe_killing_to_nazi_slaughter/">bizarre comparisons</a> between animal euthanasia and Naziism. Oates even spoke about her Twitter presence – and thoughts on the app's shortcomings — in a 2014 interview with <a href="https://www.salon.com/2014/02/20/joyce_carol_oates_on_twitter_i_don%25E2%2580%2599t_really_say_anything_that_i_don%25E2%2580%2599t_mean/">Salon</a>. "I don't consider that I really said anything that I don't feel, and I think that sometimes the crowd is not necessarily correct," she told the outlet. "The sort of lynch mob mentality among some people on Twitter and they rush after somebody — they rush in this direction; they rush over here; they're kind of rushing around the landscape of the news — and this goes on a lot on Twitter."<h2>Twitter debates aside, surrogacy proves to be a complicated issue to navigate the United States.</h2>As Insider previously <a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-cooper-said-never-thought-would-be-dad-2020-5">reported</a>, there are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/parenting/pregnancy/surrogacy-laws-new-york.html">no federal laws regarding surrogacy</a>, so laws vary from state to state. Currently, 47 US states permit <keyword id="9165713" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gestational-surrogacy">gestational surrogacy</keyword>, the term referring to circumstance when a child isn't biologically related to the person who gives birth (known as the gestation carrier).Parents pursuing surrogacy are faced with a complex process — from finding surrogate attorneys to surrogate brokers — and many seek out additional resources to assist with communication throughout the process. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-west-surrogate-therapist-birth-chicago-pregnancy-2020-2">reported</a>, recommends the use of independent mental <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> counselors in parent-surrogate relationships.The ACOG's list of recommendations for families considering gestational surrogacy <a href="https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Ethics/Family-Building-Through-Gestational-Surrogacy?IsMobileSet=false">outlines the benefits that mental health counseling can provide for both prospective parents and surrogates. </a>"Mental health counselors can assist the intended parent(s) in anticipating issues surrounding disclosure of the pregnancy and the child's genetic lineage," the ACOG reports. "For gestational carriers, mental health counselors can assist in anticipating issues surrounding questions and concerns from family and community as well as potential attachment issues for the gestational carrier during pregnancy and after delivery."Update: this piece has been updated to include a comment from Joyce Carol Oates. Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-cooper-picked-baby-name-tribute-to-his-parents-2020-5">Anderson Cooper picked a name for his baby that's a special tribute to his late parents</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/anderson-cooper-said-never-thought-would-be-dad-2020-5">Anderson Cooper opened up about having a baby: 'As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/kim-kardashian-west-surrogate-therapist-birth-chicago-pregnancy-2020-2">Kim Kardashian says she used a 'surrogate therapist' before her daughter Chicago's birth. Here's what that could mean and why it's a common practice</a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/joyce-carol-oates-facing-twitter-backlash-for-surrogacy-comments-2020-5">Insider</a>

One of the efficient ways of channelling a kid’s energy is by letting them cycle around. For kids up to the age of 5, vigorous cycling isn’t recommended but a good, padded cycle with all the safety and fun features is likely to attract a lot of attention. Over a while, kids tend to enjoy cycling as a hobby and incorporate it as an activity in their daily lives, which is beneficial for their physical and mental well-being. From the right height of the seat to the strong supporting wheels, from entertaining sound buttons to bright and colourful lights, these are a few features each parent looks for while purchasing cycles for their kids. Here’s a list of some of the popular options in cycles for kids of up to 6 years of age. <bulletContentEmbed name="B072ZTG87W" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B072ZTG87W_head"> <div type="image" title="Must Have" msid="79186693" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B072ZTG87W</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B072ZTG87W_body"><bulletContentRow name="B072ZTG87W_9553076020637947"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Toy House Three Wheeled Lil Skate Scooter for Preschool Kids' (Red)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Toy house skate scooter lets your child tag along without jeopardising his or her safety. Outfitted with a welded steel frame and a three-wheel design, the scooter makes riding fun for kids of age 3 and up. The scooter also includes a wide, slip-resistant deck that's extremely stable, as is the extra-wide rear wheelbase. Other features include a T-bar, a low profile for easy scooting, and large smooth-rolling wheels.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B072ZTG87W_5232693203709146"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Welded steel frame construction, low deck for easy scooting, large wheels for smoother ride.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B074RGPBTG" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B074RGPBTG_head"> <div type="image" title="Popular Choice" msid="78928553" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B074RGPBTG</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B074RGPBTG_body"><bulletContentRow name="B074RGPBTG_9851970674840082"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Archana Stylish Kids Tricycle , tricycles , Kids Cycle , Ride on for boy and Girl for 2 to 5 Years with Under seat Storage Space, Lights and Music. (Red)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This is an exciting pick for any child of up to 6 years of age as the cycle has LED lights and music buttons to keep the kids interested for longer durations. Wide and rugged tread wheels provide balance and keep the child while paddling. The curvy and spacious seat of this cycle has ample storage that allows your little one to stuff their favourite toys along while riding. This fun cartoonish plastic-body cycle is also available in two other colours.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B074RGPBTG_0110142502637228"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Stylish Tricycle with a Sporty Look</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07FXJN2WT" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07FXJN2WT_head"> <div type="image" title="Unique Pick" msid="77967082" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07FXJN2WT</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07FXJN2WT_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07FXJN2WT_9383102803654756"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Baybee Mario Sportz Trikes Baby/Kids Cycle | Tricycle with Canopy and Parental Adjust Push Handle - Smart Plug &amp; Play with Rubber Wheels Baby Tricycle for Kids/Baby for 1.5 to 5 Years (Red)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">This cycle is equipped with a parental control system to keep the child comfortable and safe at all times. It has a detachable cover, a rotating seat with a harness, soft seat headrest, safety locks on the wheels, footrest, and there’s storage space as well in case the cycle is used as a stroller. Featuring a cute bell, this is sure to be loved by your little one.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07FXJN2WT_9981033888293815"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">180-Degree Rotator to Turn Cycle into a Stroller</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07XVQF46Z" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07XVQF46Z_head"><div type="image" title="Also Consider" msid="79015146" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07XVQF46Z</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07XVQF46Z_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07XVQF46Z_0071495310945230"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">JoyRide Three Wheel Kick Scooter for Boys and Girls with Adjustable Height,Storage Basket , Foot Break (3 Years-8 Years)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Your little one will be delighted to get his or her own ride. This attractive three wheeler with easy grip handles is ideal for beginners as it is sturdy. It comes with a storage basket and Lights. The scooter's handle can be adjusted to 3 levels. It helps to enhance flexibility and improves balance ability. It is designed with a skid-resistant foot plate for safe footing. Designed to be lightweight and compact for ease of handling, kids would surely love it.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07XVQF46Z_4081572885987301"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Eye catching design with florescent colours.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B01ENDIIQ2" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01ENDIIQ2_head"> <div type="image" title="Editor&amp;#39;s Choice" msid="78928689" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01ENDIIQ2</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01ENDIIQ2_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01ENDIIQ2_8465311378356815"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Hero Peppy 16T Junior Bike</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Hero Peppy 16T is a sporty bicycle for junior boys.It features a 10.2'' steel frame and is ideal for cyclist with height between 2 Feet 10 inches to 3 Feet 8 inches. This cool bicycle comes fully loaded with Mudguard, Carrier, Stand, Rear Reflectors, Chain Cover, Trainer Wheels and is ideal for regular use.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01ENDIIQ2_0750027950580028"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Pink &amp; black in colour</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B01H2YGMZ8" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01H2YGMZ8_head"> <div type="image" title="Value for Money" msid="77967066" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01H2YGMZ8</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01H2YGMZ8_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01H2YGMZ8_7042060875884860"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Baybee Duster 4 in 1 Convertible Baby Tricycle Kid's Trike Ride on with Parental Adjust Push Handle Children Tricycle with Canopy Bicycle Children Tricycle Suitable for Boys &amp; Girls (White)</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Certified by the European standards and made with alloy steel material, this beautiful cycle ensures that your child is safe while riding it. Easy 5-minute assembly is all that is required to put this strong cycle together, which comes with a detachable canopy to keep the child safe under the sun. Chrome finishing wheels of the cycle are great for indoor purposes too. The handlebar comes in 3 distinct adjustable heights, which can be easily fixed by the parents as per the comfort of the child.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01H2YGMZ8_1168998980691815"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Sturdy Tricycle with a Detachable Canopy</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Best cycles for kids in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">coronavirus</a> that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 800 people and infected more than 37,000.</li><li>A group of researchers believes the virus may have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-genome-close-to-sars-originated-in-bats-2020-2">passed from bats to humans</a> through <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-pangolins-intermediary-host-2020-2">an intermediary animal, the pangolin</a>.</li><li>Pangolins look like scaly anteaters. They're often considered the world's most trafficked mammal.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>As a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">deadly coronavirus spreads across China</a> and ripples through other parts of the world, scientists are trying to pinpoint how humans first got exposed.So far, they know that the virus is zoonotic, meaning it jumps from animals to people. And genetic research has all but confirmed that it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-genome-close-to-sars-originated-in-bats-2020-2">originated in bats</a>. But scientists believe that another animal likely served as the intermediary between bats and humans.That animal could be the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-a-pangolin">pangolin</a>, a scaly, nocturnal mammal with a tongue longer than its body.A group of researchers from South China Agricultural University found that samples from coronavirus patients were 99% identical to <a href="https://scau.edu.cn/2020/0207/c1300a219015/page.htm">samples of the virus taken from wild pangolins</a>, according to China's official Xinhua news agency. Their research hasn't been published or confirmed by other experts, but scientists say the results make sense, given what we know about the animals.<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/06/pangolins-poached-for-scales-used-in-chinese-medicine/">Pangolins are often poached for their keratin scales</a>, which used as ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. Their meat is also considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam.If bats drop feces or saliva onto food that's consumed by a pangolin, the animal can become a carrier of the coronavirus. Humans can then be exposed by consuming pangolins before the virus is transmitted from person to person.<h2>What we know about pangolins so far</h2>Despite their forced interactions with humans, pangolins are mostly solitary in the wild. With the exception of one species, the long-tailed African pangolin, the animals spend most of the day sleeping in hollow trees or underground holes. At night, they hunt for insects such as ants and termites with their long, sticky tongues, which can stretch up to 16 inches.Pangolins don't have any teeth, but they rely on other features like their sharp claws to dig through insect mounds or strip away the bark from trees. They also have powerful tails that can support them when hanging upside-down from branches.Pangolins meet up once per year to mate, but babies are abandoned by their mothers after about two years. As the animals get older, their soft, white scales begin to harden and grow darker. Scientists believe pangolins are the only scaled mammal.When a predator approaches, the animals can curl themselves into a ball and tuck their faces underneath their tail to protect themselves. But those defense mechanisms are no match against poachers.<h2>Pangolins are illegally traded for their meat and scales</h2>Though a pangolin <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/surprises-from-placental-mammal-phylogeny-1-pangolins-are-close-kin-of-carnivorans/">resembles an anteater or armadillo</a> on the outside, it's actually more closely related to an order of mammals called "carnivorans," which include the bobcat and the civet. <a href="https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en/">Civets were responsible</a> for passing SARS from bats to people in 2002.Both civets and pangolins are sold in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-chinese-wet-market-photos-2020-1">Chinese wet markets,</a> which put people in close contact with live and dead animals. It's not clear, though, whether pangolins were sold at the seafood market in Wuhan, China, where the new coronavirus likely originated.Multiple investigations have revealed, however, that <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3030162/illegal-trade-pangolin-thrives-despite-2017">pangolins are still traded illegally</a>, despite the practice being banned by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species in 2016. In fact, they're often considered the world's most trafficked mammal - around <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45784627">100,000 of them are plucked from the wild</a> each year.The China Biodiversity and Green Development Foundation, a Beijing-based non-profit, found that more than <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3030162/illegal-trade-pangolin-thrives-despite-2017">200 pharmaceutical companies still use pangolin products</a> for around 60 commercially-produced medicines.All eight pangolin species are now threatened with extinction, and at least three species - including the Chinese pangolin - are listed as critically endangered by the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/search">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a>.As a result, pangolin scales tend to <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3030162/illegal-trade-pangolin-thrives-despite-2017">fetch a high price</a>: around $2,200 per pound in the US. But the animals still aren't widely recognized among the general population."That's one of the problems with species like pangolins," Annette Olsson, a technical adviser for Conservation International, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/science/a-struggle-to-save-the-scaly-pangolin.html">told the New York Times</a> in 2016. "It's not huge and not very charismatic. It's small and weird and just disappearing."If pangolins do turn out to be the intermediary-species for the new coronavirus, that could make it tough to determine how the animals passed the virus to humans."If the illegal animal trade was at the root of this outbreak, it is going to be really difficult to trace, and I suspect most of the evidence is gone already - destroyed or spread out across the black market," Benjamin Neuman, a virologist at Texas A&amp;M University, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-came-from-bats-or-possibly-pangolins-amid-acceleration-of-new-zoonotic-infections/2020/02/07/11eb7f3a-4379-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html">told the Washington Post</a>. "People aren't going to want to talk, because of the consequences."

Everything we know about the pangolin - the scaly mammal that may have spread the coronavirus to humans

<a href="https://amzn.to/2INdGfn" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Melissa and Doug Facebook</div></div></div></a><ul class="summary-list"><li>A high-quality toy will keep youngsters engaged for hours on end in screen-free imaginative play, doesn't require additional purchases, and will stand up to abuse.</li><li>I like the toys offered by <a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa &amp; Doug</a> because they are made of high-quality materials, provide my 5-year-old with plenty of fodder to let his imagination run free, and keep him away from screens.</li><li>Though the company's toys tend to be slightly pricier than other brands, they are built to last and are backed by a "100% Happiness Guarantee."</li></ul>When talking with other parents of preschoolers, toys and screen time are always popular topics. How do we help our kids resist the allure of YouTube and other streaming media? This is where the brand Melissa &amp; Doug comes up.<a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa &amp; Doug</a> got its start when the husband-and-wife team of Melissa and Doug Bernstein started making fun, educational toys in Doug's parents' garage in 1988. Today, the Connecticut-based company has about 1,000 employees worldwide and offers a broad range of plush toys, arts and crafts, wooden puzzles, and other educational toys. The company's stated mission is "to ignite imagination and wonder so children discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose."There are several reasons parents are talking about <a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa &amp; Doug</a>. The company offers a "100% Happiness Guarantee," which it highlights on every page of its website. It states: "We design every toy to the highest quality standards, and to nurture minds and hearts. If your child is not inspired, give us a call and we'll make it right."The company is also committed to tech-free free play with campaigns like #TakeBackChildhood. Through its products, <a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa &amp; Doug</a> regularly champions play that reveals passions, promotes problem solving and creativity, develops resilience and grit, builds social skills, and sharpens cognitive skills.<h2>What products does Melissa &amp; Doug offer?</h2>There are a number of ways to shop for Melissa &amp; Doug products. You can look at products available for specific ages. They have categories ranging from <a href="https://amzn.to/2FAo7Rp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">birth</a> to <a href="https://amzn.to/2XaheRJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8+ years old</a>. You can also explore its offerings based on categories, such as <a href="https://amzn.to/2XCVCg8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outdoor play</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2RE3g4D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">puzzles</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2XcIUW3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">games</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2NhgUfz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">learning and education</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more</a>.The company sells more than 5,000 different toys so we won't cover them all here, but here are some of its most popular items:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2XGXEMB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suspend Family Gam</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2XGXEMB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">e</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2XGXEMB" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> ($14.42)</a>:Designed for ages 8 and up, this is a fun balancing game that nurtures hand-eye coordination, interpersonal skills, and cognitive skills. 1 to 4 players take turns balancing the odd-shaped game rods on the base.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2FGcVTr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wooden Building Blocks Set</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2FGcVTr" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> ($16.99)</a>: For kids ages 3 to 8 years old, this is your classic building blocks set. The set comes with 100 durable pieces in nine different shapes and four colors.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2RzDuyu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Slice-and-Bake Wooden Cookie Play Food Set ($16.99)</a>: The Cookie Play Set is ideal for little bakers between the ages of 3 and 5. It comes with 12 pretend cookies, 12 toppings, a baking sheet, a spatula, a knife, and an oven mitt.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2RBdO4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pull-Back Vehicles ($21.24)</a>: This one is for the babies and early toddlers. The set includes four vehicles that you can zoom around the house simply by pulling back and letting go. The police car, fire truck, family car, and school bus are made of soft materials so you don't have to worry about injuries or damage.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2IR4uXv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On the Go Water Wow! Fairy Tale ($4.99)</a>: For kids 3 to 6 years old, this activity pad uses an easy-to-hold water pen to reveal fairy-tale-themed images.</li></ul>To see all that Melissa &amp; Doug has to offer, <a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit the company's store on Amazon</a>.<h2>My son had a blast with the Animal Care Center</h2>Melissa &amp; Doug sent my 5-year-old, Bucky, and me its <a href="https://amzn.to/2INdGfn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal Care Veterinarian &amp; Groomer Wooden Activity Center</a> (currently on sale for $169.99 on Amazon) along with four play sets. The Animal Care Center is one of its higher-end pretend play toys. At 35.5-inches high by 26.5-inches wide by 33.5-inches long, it has become a focal point in Bucky's play area. Below, I will go into our firsthand experiences with the role-play center.<h2>Set-up process</h2>Assembling the <a href="https://amzn.to/2INdGfn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal Care Center</a> took a long time; there's no getting around that. There are so many parts and pieces and 30 pages of instructions. That said, the two-hour building process was easy, and the instructions were simple to follow. I just turned on some tunes and went to work.The hardest part of the set-up process was keeping Bucky from playing with the <a href="https://amzn.to/2INdGfn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal Care Center</a> while I was putting it together. I'd recommend assembling it after the kids go to bed with a beer in hand. Be careful, though. I accidentally put the sign on top backward so that the grooming center sign faces the veterinary area and vice versa. So, on second thought, lay off the beer. Fortunately, Bucky didn't seem to mind my screw up.<h2>What makes the toy stand out</h2>The long set-up was well worth it.My wife and I got a kick out of watching Bucky engage with his imagination as he groomed and performed health care to his stuffed animals. It was incredibly cute and heartwarming. Since I didn't finish assembly until around bedtime, we had to tear him away from the care center to put him to bed. When we woke up the next morning, Bucky was already back at it taking care of his imaginary pets.After Bucky played with the <a href="https://amzn.to/2INdGfn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Care Center</a> for a few days, his interest naturally started to wane. This is when we introduced the other play sets. Below are a few details about each set:<ul><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2YgyeSH" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Examine &amp; Treat Pet Vet</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2YgyeSH" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Play Set ($25.43)</a>: Of the animal play sets Melissa &amp; Doug offers, the Examine &amp; Treat is the most popular. The 24-piece set comes with a tote bag, pretend vet medical equipment, and a plush cat and dog. Bucky was fascinated by the recovery cone, and it gave us an opportunity to teach him why dogs needed them.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2X7uSFf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Feeding &amp; Grooming Pet Care Play</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2X7uSFf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Set ($23.15)</a>: This set also has 24 pieces, such as grooming supplies, pretend treats and food, food bowls, and another plush cat and dog.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2Ry8yyo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tote &amp; Tour</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2Ry8yyo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pet Travel Play Set ($17.27)</a>: The Tote &amp; Tour set has 15 pieces, including a collapsible food and water dish, a leash, a harness, a collar, and name tags for the plush dog and cat included. But, Bucky's favorite part was the soft pet carrier. He liked to put as many stuffies as possible into it to bring with him in the car.</li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/2XGmpsg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wash &amp; Trim Dog Groome</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2XGmpsg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">r Play Set ($28.59)</a>: This set has 20 pieces of pet styling and bathing essentials. This is the only set that only comes with one plush animal, a dog. When you install batteries (not included) into the play blow dryer, it actually blows a little bit. Bucky had fun with that.</li></ul>The sets appear to have given Bucky an increased interest in our real cats. Rather than terrorizing and chasing them, he's now much sweeter to the cats. Apparently, he's shifted from seeing them as his playthings to nurturing them.My son isn't alone in his enjoyment of these sets. The Animal Care Center and its associated play sets are among the first toys kids go to when they come over. It's pretty common to find one of Bucky's friends walking around the house with one of the plush cats or dogs in some state of veterinary or grooming treatment.<h2>Cons to consider</h2>You really need to have some of the play sets or at the very least a large assortment of stuffed animals to get the most out of the Animal Care Center. I wish it came with some of the pieces you find in the sets, such as the veterinary and grooming equipment.In the four sets, there's a total of 83 different pieces. Though there's plenty of room to store everything in the Animal Care Center, we do end up with toys all over the place. Fortunately, we are used to Legos, and these toys don't compare to having bricks all over the floor just waiting to destroy the bottom of your feet.<h2>The bottom line</h2>Overall, I strongly recommend giving Melissa &amp; Doug toys a try. The company has a broad enough array of products so there's sure to be a toy that engages a little one in your life and keeps them from the mind-numbing screens. And, if your child doesn't like the toy you get, you can take advantage of the 100% happiness guarantee.Though Bucky takes after me and prefers kitchen play sets, he still had a great time with the Animal Care Center. From my experiences, kids between the ages of 3 and 6 gravitate toward it. I just recommend picking up at least one of the veterinarian or groomer sets to go with it.If the Animal Care Center doesn't seem appropriate for your child or it's just out of your price range, I strongly recommend browsing the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/2596407011?_encoding=UTF8&amp;field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Melissa%20%26%20Doug&amp;ref_=bl_dp_s_web_2596407011">Melissa &amp; Doug store on Amazon</a> for gift ideas. I'm certain you'll find something that appeals to the youngster in your life.Pros: 100% Happiness Guarantee, durable construction from quality materials, imaginative play without the use of screensCons: Expensive<h3><a href="https://amzn.to/2INdGfn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buy the Melissa &amp; Doug Animal Care Veterinarian &amp; Groomer Wooden Activity Center on Amazon for $169.99 (originally $199.99)</a></h3><h3><a href="https://amzn.to/2LoDcJB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shop other Melissa &amp; Doug toys and play sets on Amazon</a></h3><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

 My 5-year-old and I played with Melissa & Doug toys and discovered the hype surrounding the company is well earned 

<ul><li style="list-style-type: none;"> </li></ul><ul class="summary-list"><li>As the pandemic has ravaged the globe, <keyword id="6355784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="death">death</keyword>, typically a taboo topic of conversation in America, has become inescapable.</li><li>Death was long seen as a major part of cultural life, but with the advent of modern medicine, "we've kind of lost our familiarity with death," says Anita Hannig, an associate anthropology professor at Brandeis University.</li><li>In recent years, there have been movements dedicated to removing some of the stigma around death, and the pandemic may speed up this shift.</li><li>Practitioners of death cafés, living funerals, and advance care planning say they have seen an uptick in interest.</li><li> As cases continue to rise yet again, the pandemic may force a change in our relationship with death.</li></ul>On a recent Sunday evening, I logged onto Zoom to imagine my own death. "To die takes great courage, even to fake-die," said Columbus, Ohio-based death doula Donna Baker. Along with three other people, I was attending a virtual living funeral ceremony — a guided meditation that asks participants to visualize their own deaths. We stared back at her from our respective couches, desks, and bedroom floors, our "memorials" of photos and mementos beside us. My last-minute collection included only a family photo and an aggressively floral-scented candle.Hosted by <a href="https://steadywaveseol.com/">Steady Waves End of Life Services</a>, the ceremony was one of hundreds of events in the slate of the <a href="https://letsreimagine.org/">Reimagine </a>festival, a two-month virtual celebration of "embracing life, facing death, and loving fully in the face of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>." <h2>As the pandemic has ravaged the globe, death, typically a taboo topic of conversation in America, has become inescapable</h2>The failure of government, both state and federal, to adequately respond to the virus has pushed the specter of death to the forefront, especially for Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, who have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/05/us/coronavirus-latinos-african-americans-cdc-data.html">disproportionately impacted</a> by <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/52.6/covid-19-impacts-every-corner-of-the-navajo-nation">it</a>. The national death toll has topped more than 130,000, and the end — a whisper of which emerged as cities like New York and Seattle fought back the tide of rising cases — seems impossibly distant as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-reports-new-coronavirus-cases-setting-new-record-2020-6">case</a> numbers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/states-reopened-without-meeting-safety-criteria-coronavirus-case-surge-2020-6">surge</a> once again. Over the past few months, the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> has <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/4/7/21202788/funerals-during-coronavirus-burials-mourning">changed the way we mourn,</a> restricting attendees at funerals or pushing them to Zoom. Simultaneously, it's sparking conversations about death among the living. Death cafés, discussion groups that explore mortality, have seen <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/13/death-cafes-see-surge-of-interest-in-online-events">increased interest</a> since the start of the pandemic; advance care planning has too, as the severity of the virus forces people to consider what would happen if they were so sick they couldn't communicate their wishes for treatment.<div type="image" title="zoom funeral" height="3840" width="5120" msid="76986752" hostid="261"></div>"In the death community, we've been having this weird thing happen where all of a sudden our services and topics of conversation have become extremely relevant to people," Emily Cross, a death doula — a <a href="https://www.insider.com/death-doula-helps-the-dying-and-grieving-during-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-5">nonmedical caregiver</a> for the dying and their families — who founded Steady Waves in 2017, told Insider. "We're trying to subtly say 'Hey, we're here and we've been talking about this stuff for a long time and we can help you.'" Over the course of our 90-minute living funeral, we stared at the photos of ourselves as we imagined our faces vanishing from the earth forever. We wrote our last wishes and final goodbyes to loved ones, and read them aloud to each other. Two of us cried. Then, Baker guided us through a meditation, in which we were asked to imagine the gradual shutdown of our bodies. Brian Eno played softly in the background. Afterwards, I felt quieted, my mind calmer and body more relaxed than when I'd started, though I was disappointed by my extremely trite "final words," which included a reminder to my still-living loved ones to "celebrate life." Yet the prospect of my own death still felt difficult to grasp.<h2>For the majority of American history, death was an inextricable part of cultural life</h2>"We've kind of lost our familiarity with death," Anita Hannig, an associate anthropology professor at Brandeis University who studies death and dying, told Insider. Death has come <a href="https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/how-do-medicalization-and-rescue-fantasy-prevent-healthy-dying/2018-08">under the purview of medicine</a>, viewed as a medical emergency that "we can maybe save somebody from," instead of a natural part of the human experience, she added.According to Hannig, up until the 20th century, it was common for families to take an active role in preparing bodies for burial. In Victorian-era homes, the living room doubled as a funeral parlor. The Civil War popularized embalming so that soldiers' bodies could be shipped home for burials, beginning the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-lincolns-embrace-embalming-birthed-american-funeral-industry-180967038/">professionalization of the death industry.</a> Throughout the late 20th century, the number of Americans dying in hospitals swelled, particularly with the development of critical care technology in the '60s, '70s and '80s. By the 1970s, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/health/death-hospitals-home.html">two-thirds of Americans </a>were dying in hospitals.But this trend is reversing. Last year, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine found that more <a href="https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/more-dying-at-home-than-hospital.html">Americans are dying at home</a> than in hospitals for the first time in half a century, fueled by wider availability of hospice care, and a growing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/nyregion/the-positive-death-movement-comes-to-life.html">"death positive"</a> cultural movement, which hopes to remove some of the stigma around death.<div type="image" title="covid funeral" height="3306" width="4408" msid="76986758" hostid="261"></div><h2>Practitioners of death cafés and living funerals have seen an uptick in demand</h2>Hannig wonders if the horrors of COVID-19 could help expedite this cultural shift. "I think a lot of people are realizing they don't have the tools to really engage in a healthy way with death because it has been so pushed to the outskirts of our collective consciousness," she said. "It's almost as if the pandemic is pushing our nose into the fact of our mortality."Emily Cross, the death doula, began hosting living funeral ceremonies in 2018, after seeing a documentary about the practice in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-livingfunerals/dying-for-a-better-life-south-koreans-fake-their-funerals-for-life-lessons-idUSKBN1XG038?il=0">South Korea</a>, where it's an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-mock-funerals-2015-12">increasingly popular way to help people appreciate their lives</a> in a country with one of the highest suicide rates in the world. In Japan in the 1990s, celebrities helped promote the practice known as <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203095423/chapters/10.4324/9780203095423-16">siesenzo</a>, or "funeral while alive," by televising their own ceremonies. Cross's living funerals focus on "an appreciation of life, starting a new chapter and letting the old self die," and use a shroud to cover participants, instead of asking them to get into a coffin. Before the pandemic, she offered private and group living funeral ceremonies at rented yoga studios in Austin, Texas, and has trained 30 practitioners who host ceremonies all over the world. Cross moved the living funeral ceremonies online in April, coordinating with a small group of her practitioners to host a larger audience. "The barriers to entry are fewer, because people can stay in their own space, and have control over their own environment," she said. Daniel Bergfalk, a 36-year-old Minnesota mail carrier, recently attended his first living funeral session with Cross via Zoom. For Bergfalk, the pandemic provided a kind of "catalyst" to finally participate in the ceremony. "When the pandemic started, I started thinking about life insurance, and dying, in just a very matter-of-fact way," he said. "But I think the biggest catalyst was probably that they made it virtual." The experience, he said, has helped him "throw myself into things I enjoy." Brooklyn's famed <a href="https://www.green-wood.com/">Green-Wood Cemetery</a>, the final resting place of celebrities like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Leonard Bernstein, has seen increased attendance since moving its monthly Death Cafés online, said Harry Weil, the cemetery's director of programs and special events. Instead of breaking into small groups for free flowing conversations about death in the cemetery's gothic chapel, the 20-60 participants now move into Zoom breakout rooms. The pandemic, says Weil, has given these conversations "a little more direction."<div type="image" title="green-wood cemetery" height="3895" width="5194" msid="76986762" hostid="261"></div> "Especially because you're in a room with strangers, that's the only thing that's connecting us right now," he said. "We have social media, and email, and the news, but there aren't many outlets for productive conversations about COVID, where people feel comfortable sharing their stress and anxiety. Death Cafés provide, I think, an outlet for those deeper conversations." The <a href="https://deathcafe.com/">Death Café</a> movement began in the U.K. in 2011, when Londoner Jon Underwood first gathered a group for a casual discussion about mortality over tea and cake. It's since spread to 72 countries. According to Megan Mooney, who runs the organization's social media and a meetup in St. Joseph, Missouri, the pandemic has allowed hosts to facilitate more cafés, thanks to the flexibility of the internet. "I do think the demand has gone up," she told Insider. "I had a lot of people reaching out to me, especially in the beginning, wanting to know how they could host a café to help their community." Citing the work of <a href="http://ernestbecker.org/about-becker/theories/">Ernest Becker</a>, a cultural anthropologist and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Denial of Death," Mooney attributes some of the coronavirus's more benign societal impacts to anxiety about death. "People are going out to grab toilet paper because they're afraid they're going to die — it's about control, because they're afraid of death," she said. <h2>Interest in advance care planning is also being influenced by COVID-19</h2>Lantern, a digital start-up that offers free end-of-life wishes questionnaires and checklists of steps to take after the death of a loved one, saw 61% growth from mid-March to mid-April, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/online-funeral-businesses-take-off-amid-coronavirus-11588966480">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported. Garrick Colwell, a co-founder of <a href="https://kitchentableconversations.org/">Kitchen Table Conversations</a>, an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit that offers advance care planning and grief education workshops sponsored by AARP, said he's responding to the current demand for information with <a href="https://letsreimagine.org/organizations/kitchen-table-conversations">free weekly workshops</a> focused on COVID-19. "When you're intubated, of course, you can't speak for yourself. So it's at the forefront of everyone's attention that, 'I need to make sure that my wishes are clearly defined and understood. Because I might not be able to speak for myself.'" Anita Hannig is careful to point out the pre-existing momentum of the <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90337388/i-refuse-to-have-a-terrible-death-the-rise-of-the-death-wellness-movement">death literacy and wellness movement</a> spearheaded by figures like <a href="http://caitlindoughty.com/">Caitlin Doughty,</a> whose popular "Ask a Mortician" web series has been running since 2011, and organizations like Death Over Dinner, a nonprofit that organizes meals to help participants discuss their own mortality, spurring more than 200,000 dinners over the last seven years."I really, really think we're on the cusp of a shifting societal awareness," she said. "And I think the two generations spearheading this are Baby Boomers, who want more options for themselves, and Millennials," with their tendency to question and disrupt entrenched systems.<h2>Months into the pandemic with cases on the rise, this will likely be our reality for some time — and with it, a slew of changes </h2>As the COVID-19 pandemic in the US has forced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-covid19-could-change-american-life-as-we-know-it-2020-3">a reckoning </a>with nearly every aspect of American society, from how we work and socialize to how we spend money and receive healthcare, it may well force a change in our relationship with death. Several months into this new reality, "I do think more people are thinking about advance directives now and the reality of their own mortality," Hannig wrote in a follow-up email. While the pandemic's social distancing requirements have radically altered the way people mourn, this moment has also pushed people to grapple with death in ways they might never have otherwise. For my part, the living funeral didn't feel morbid, or dramatic. The ceremony offered a quiet space to reflect on my life, and be moved by others'. Perhaps death could once again be accepted as an inevitable part of life, that, like birth, is socially acceptable to openly discuss and plan for. While the pandemic still rages across the country, we don't have much of a choice. As Death Café's Mooney put it: "Daily life is now filled with some form of loss."Lauren Vespoli is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who focuses on culture and history. You can find her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/L_Vespoli">here</a>.Read more: <a href="https://www.insider.com/zoom-funerals-are-a-new-reality-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-5">Zoom funerals are a new reality in quarantine. This is what they're like.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-americans-disproportionately-hospitalized-with-coronavirus-2020-4">An alarmingly disproportionate number of black Americans are dying from the coronavirus, more and more research shows</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-covid19-could-change-american-life-as-we-know-it-2020-3">10 ways the coronavirus pandemic could change American life as we know it</a>

The coronavirus is forcing Americans to reckon with death like never before

Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesDonald Trump.Alex Conant took a long pause to consider the question.Which seemingly unthinkable shift undertaken in recent days by President Donald Trump stood out to him as the most surprising?"There's been so many," Conant, communications director for Sen. Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, told Business Insider.After some thought, he settled on Trump's change in posture toward Russia."He was very consistent on the campaign trail about wanting to have a good relationship with Vladimir Putin. He knew that bombing Assad was going to hurt that relationship, and yet he went ahead with it," Conant said of Trump's decision to launch Tomahawk missiles at Syrian government targets last week."What seemed like a big priority for him on the campaign trail became less of a priority once he was in office," he added.That statement could be made about a laundry list of issues on which Trump has altered his stance - many of which just within the past 10 days. The shifts have come at a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-china-currency-export-import-campaign-promises-2017-4" target="_blank">dizzying pace</a>.Trump bombed an airfield in Syria as retribution for a brutal chemical weapons attack launched by Assad on Syrian civilians, a split from his promises to only go after ISIS. As a result, as Conant said, Trump angered Putin, who has tied himself closely to the Assad regime.Also in the last week, Trump made a hard turn on China, saying the country was not manipulating its currency less than two weeks after calling them the "world champions" of the practice. A hallmark of his campaign, Trump had promised to label China a currency manipulator on the first day of his presidency, but a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping helped to change his mind, as Trump saw an option to negotiate with the Chinese leader over North Korea.NATO, the transatlantic alliance that Trump famously said was "obsolete" was suddenly "no longer obsolete" on Wednesday, after a meeting with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The US Export-Import Bank, which Trump railed against in the campaign as "unnecessary," became "a very good thing." And Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, whom he criticized in the campaign, was now, in Trump's opinion, doing a good job.Thomson ReutersGary Cohn.The moves have coincided with a shakeout in the power structure at the White House. Elevated is the centrist, Wall Street wing, headed by National Economic Council Chair Gary Cohn, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter who recently took on a White House job as an assistant to her father. Losing out in this battle have been conservative nationalists, such as chief strategist Steve Bannon.As Mike Allen wrote in Axios, Wednesday was the day "Operation Normal achieved supremacy," and Thursday marked "a new phase of Trump's presidency." Advisers like Cohn and <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/donald-trump-steven-schwarzman-ceo-white-house-advisers-237168" target="_blank">even informal ones like Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman</a> have the president's ear, while Bannon's standing has fallen so far that one source close to the strategist likened him to a terminally ill family member in hospice care, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-bannons-struggle-from-shadow-president-to-trumps-marked-man/2017/04/12/1f5aabc0-1f99-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html?utm_term=.6813ef8b5985">according to The Washington Post.</a>The change in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-approval-rating-gallup-2017-3" target="_blank">approach led Trump to a modest bump in the polls</a>, moving from a dreadful 35% approval rating in late March to 41% on Wednesday in <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/201617/gallup-daily-trump-job-approval.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup's daily presidential tracking poll</a>."It's maybe taken three months but he realizes the gravity of what it actually means to be leader of the free world," Reed Galen, deputy campaign manager for Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 reelection bid, told Business Insider.Galen, now the owner of Jedburgh's, a political consultancy firm, said Trump may also be realizing that "managing a $14 trillion economy and however many people work for the federal government is not like running the family construction business.""It's a totally different animal," he continued. "The United States is not an 8 million person banana republic. It's 320 million people and the leader of the world, the liberal order of the world, and a lot of those things just don't fit with Steve Bannon's burn-it-to-the-ground kind of thing."Thomson ReutersTrump.Conant said the changes are not necessarily the result of the fallout of palace intrigue, but rather of a man who had no governing experience prior to last November's election now dealing with information to which he may have never thought he'd have the keys."So with new information, it's obviously changed the way he thinks about some issues," said Conant, who added he was "a big fan" of how Trump has handled foreign policy in the past week.He compared the shift to one made by President George W. Bush after taking office."Don't forget, when Bush ran for president in 2000, he said that he didn't think the US should be the world's policemen and that we shouldn't be involved in nation building," he said. "Obviously, once he was in office, events led him to change his mind. I think we're seeing a similar phenomenon." Trump has received praise from a wide array of sources for some of these moves. There was a sense of bipartisan approval of his strike in Syria, and Republican senators such as Lindsey Graham and Ben Sasse - two of his chief critics within the party - praised him for his flips on the Export-Import Bank and NATO.The moves even led Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez to issue a statement countering the notion that Trump was "re-inventing" himself to be "less extreme," a signal that any Democratic support for Trump will be hard-pressed over at least the next 18 months."Donald Trump's latest 'pivot' is another farce designed by Trump to divert your attention," Perez said. "This time, he's distracting from his reckless and extreme agenda that has hurt, not helped, countless hardworking Americans. The only plays Trump can execute are lies and fearmongering - look no further than the nationwide deportation force Trump has charged forth to create. Trump is as likely to moderate as my Buffalo Bills are to win the Super Bowl next season. It ain't happening."And during Thursday's press briefing, White House press secretary Sean Spicer left the room after being peppered with questions about whether Trump's decisions related to NATO and Chinese currency manipulation were signs that his agenda was being tossed out the door."I think that's a very, very complex issue and I think the president - I'm going to leave it to the president to specifically answer that," Spicer, the top spokesman for the president, said when pressed specifically on currency manipulation.REUTERS/Carlos BarriaTrump and Xi Jinping.Trump seemed to take note of the chatter, tweeting Wednesday evening: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-bannons-struggle-from-shadow-president-to-trumps-marked-man/2017/04/12/1f5aabc0-1f99-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html?utm_term=.6813ef8b5985"></a>"One by one we are keeping our promises - on the border, on energy, on jobs, on regulations. Big changes are happening!"<a href="http://on.msnbc.com/2pbQUEZ" target="_blank">Speaking to MSNBC Thursday</a>, Trump confidant and ex-political adviser Roger Stone said he wasn't "seeing the flip flops" when asked by host Chuck Todd. But if Trump decided to send boots on the ground into Syria, Stone said "that would be a violation of Trumpism."Trumpism's most ardent followers were already dismayed by the move to bomb Syria in the first place, and Thursday brought news that the US had dropped the "mother of all bombs" on Afghanistan and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-04-13/trump-said-no-to-troops-in-syria-his-aides-aren-t-so-sure" target="_blank">is considering sending ground troops into Syria</a>.Conservative author and firebrand Ann Coulter seemed to speak for many of Trump's non-interventionist fans over the past week, <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnCoulter/status/850223849576611840" target="_blank">tweeting</a>, "Media THRILLED that Trump is destroying his presidency," after he ordered the missile strikes in Syria. She <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnCoulter/status/850224384056872961" target="_blank">added</a>: "Meddling in the Middle East has destroyed every president who's ever tried it.""I expected to spend this part of the Trump presidency tweeting that it's legal to deport anchor babies not arguing agst another Mid East war," <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnCoulter/status/850121961510285312" target="_blank">Coulter wrote</a>. The author <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnCoulter/status/850446113962246144" target="_blank">expressed disappointment </a>with a number of Trump's nominations tied to foreign policy, the infiltration of Goldman Sachs executives in his administration, and a failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.As Galen said, the massive swings in his outlook are the product of being the "business guy" president who is not necessarily ideological but looking "for the best deal." It's also a result of his not having "a lot of firm positions on anything." There was also a misguided idea, he said, that Trump could enter Washington, DC, and "change it all.""The inertia of the federal system and the US government and the country as a whole is a very powerful force," Galen said. "And to suddenly think you're going to go one day and, 'I'm going to change it all!' Like, you can do that on the margins probably, but it's like turning an aircraft carrier. You can't turn an aircraft carrier like you turn a PT boat." The most surprising shift, for Galen, is what he perceived as an overall transition from being "America First" on national security to what he described as a "soft neocon" stance."Where he's at as opposed to where he was nine days ago with full-throated 'America First' stuff - that's a pretty shocking transition," he said. "We're not talking degrees of difference. We're talking a full 180 degrees to a much more 'soft neocon' perspective on the world from where he was. I say 'soft neocon' because I don't think he's going to do nation building or anything like that. At least not yet."Still, the administration is missing a strategic vision for where Trump wants the country to go, Galen said."'Make America Great Again' is not a strategic plan, it is a slogan on a red hat," he said. "Firing 59 missiles into Syria or dropping the 'MOAB' on Afghanistan is not a national security doctrine, those are tactical responses to something that happened. That's not a strategy."AP Photo/Pablo Martinez MonsivaisTrump.Friday marked the 85th day of the Trump presidency - which feels as if it's been going on for three months or three years, depending on whom you ask.The swings in positions signal that Trump may end up moving to the center before his first year is even half over. But as anyone who watched the nearly two-year-long campaign, the tumultuous transition period, or any of those first 85 days in office will attest to, it's too soon to make any such judgments."I think it's far too soon to tell," Conant said. "We're not even at the 100-day marker yet. I think he has shown that he will not sit idly by and let foreign events happen around him without any sort of response. I think that is an important lesson in the early days of his presidency, which could end up defining it depending on how the world responds."For Galen, the biggest lesson is simple: "Every day is going to be different.""One day he could believe this and the next day he could believe that and what does it all boil down to? That instability is still the order of the day," he said. "You just don't know what you're going to get from one day to the next." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-sean-spicer-falsely-claim-hitler-chemical-weapons-gas-attack-syria-russia-2017-4">Spicer struggles to clarify remarks after falsely claiming that Hitler didn't use chemical weapons</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

You Searched For "soft baby carriers" and got 10 results

Best baby carriers for kids in India

BI India Bureau

Best carry cots for babies in India

Shradha Aneja

5 best tips to keep your cat calm during a flight, according to veterinarians

Madeline Kennedy,Sorin McKnig…

Writer Joyce Carol Oates is facing backlash after accusing Anderson Cooper of erasing the surrogate from his son's birth announcement

Margot Harris

Writer Joyce Carol Oates is facing backlash after accusing Anderson Cooper of erasing the surrogate from his son's birth announcement

Margot Harris

Best cycles for kids in India

BI India Bureau

Everything we know about the pangolin - the scaly mammal that may have spread the coronavirus to humans

Aria Bendix,Aria Bendix

My 5-year-old and I played with Melissa & Doug toys and discovered the hype surrounding the company is well earned

James Brains

The coronavirus is forcing Americans to reckon with death like never before

Lauren Vespoli

'A new phase': Trump shifts on core issues at a dizzying pace at a critical moment in his presidency

Allan Smith

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides