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Meal prepping isn't as hard as you think. Take a lesson from this star chef.

Meal prepping isn't as hard as you think. Take a lesson from this star chef.
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You've probably seen people posting perfectly portioned meals for the week on Instagram and gone, "who the heck has time to do that?"

I don't even have kids yet, but the idea of taking precious hours on a Sunday to shop for food, cook AND portion out the week's meals had always seemed daunting to me. I thought that I'd get bored eating the same basic ingredients every day and/or not have the drive to get creative and switch things up mid-week, or worse, that I’d waste the food I’d spent all that time prepping.

However, that was before I spoke with Joel Gamoran — Sur La Table's national chef and spokesperson, and the host of a show called "Scraps" that teaches chefs at home how to make delicious meals from their food scraps. Fun fact: The Save The Food campaign actually teamed up with Joel for the second season of “Scraps” on FYI and A+E networks to help drive home the message that saving food isn't just good for your wallet — it's good for the planet, too.  

[rebelmouse-image 19346175 dam="1" original_size="700x467" caption="Joel Gamoran and co-host. Photo courtesy of "Scraps."" expand=1]Joel Gamoran and co-host. Photo courtesy of "Scraps."

According to Joel and Save The Food, Americans throw a lot of food away that’s perfectly usable — in fact each person discards over 20 pounds of food per month. So their goal is to help the average person fight that habit by meal planning and repurposing what was once considered scraps. And that starts with making the whole concept of meal planning less daunting while also proving to families and individuals alike that proper meal prepping can help them save time and money.

Think you're ready to get on the meal planning/food saving train? There's no time like the new year to make a healthy and eco-friendly change!

First things first, let's do away with any misconceptions you might have about what it takes to make meal planning work.

Here are 11 myths about meal planning versus the realities.

1. Meal prepping takes a lot of time.

Photo by Raquel Martínez/Unsplash.

This is often people's knee jerk reaction to the idea of meal planning, but in fact, the opposite is true. If you make all your meal portions for the week at once, you're actually saving time in the long run.

Also, don't let the grocery store intimidate you. When you’re making your list, think about building blocks. All you need to grab is a starch base that's easy to make such as rice, couscous or quinoa, some veggies that look good to you, and a protein (vegetarian or meat) that you can either cook ahead of time or freeze and unthaw to cook the day before you're ready to eat it.

2. Regular meal planning gets expensive.

Actually, meal planning will help you stay on a budget more than falling back on ordering out will. Plus you don't have to spend a lot on ingredients, especially if you shop smart with meal prep in mind. If you stick to more basic vegetables and starches as your base, you can even splurge on the protein you include and still stay frugal.

What's more, you probably already have a lot of staples in your pantry or freezer that you’ve purchased previously that are just waiting to be utilized.

3. Cooking a lot of food all at once is a chore.

You can make cooking these meals as involved or uninvolved as you want, but for those who just want to get in and get out of the kitchen, it's all about boiling and roasting.

Start by cooking your starch in a pot on the stove, and at the same time, chop your veggies (or get them pre-chopped), toss them in some olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast them up in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Done.

4. Portioning out meals is complicated.

[rebelmouse-image 19346177 dam="1" original_size="700x700" caption="Photo by Katie Smith/Unsplash." expand=1]Photo by Katie Smith/Unsplash.

If you're like me, when you hear words like "portion" you probably think it involves math, and get nervous. But never fear! According to Joel, you never have to touch a measuring cup when meal planning. Believe it or not, you can actually portion out each meal of the day by handful — two handfuls of your starch base, one for your veggies, and your protein can be about the size of a deck of cards. Sounds pretty simple, right?

Of course you can play around with the amounts depending on what you like/how much you can eat, but this basic measuring technique is a good starting point. Portioning will also help you make sure that you don’t waste food — which is better for your wallet and the environment. And, if you're looking to get back on the healthy eating track after the holidays, portioning is very much your friend for that, too!

5. You end up eating the same thing every day.

Just because the base is the same doesn't mean that the meals themselves have to be. If you’re getting tired of your meals by mid-week, don't just toss or skip them! It’s easy to change up your meal into something brand new just by adding a sauce or some seasonings.

For example, you can also sauté the veggies in sesame oil, add some leftover wontons, and poof, you've got Chinese stir fry. Or you can add a chicken or vegetable stock and make a hearty stew.  

"As long as you have that base, you can transform it into so many different things," says Joel.

All it takes is a little ingenuity, and you've got a great dish on your hands.

6. Frozen protein isn't as good as fresh.

[rebelmouse-image 19346178 dam="1" original_size="700x890" caption="Photo by rawpixel/Unsplash." expand=1]Photo by rawpixel/Unsplash.

You will have to freeze some of your later-in-the-week protein portions if they're not vegetarian, but it's a common misconception that doing so will make them taste any less delicious. In fact, according to Joel, frozen fish is actually better than fresh, because that's how it's initially preserved by fisherman when it's caught. So the longer it stays frozen, the fresher it is.

And for any food scraps that you don’t end up using throughout the week (like broccoli stalks, brussels sprouts ends and potato skins), putting them in the freezer is a great way to press pause and preserve food until you’re ready to eat it. Vegetables can last 8 to 10 months in the freezer, so if you're doing some holiday cooking this winter, consider saving those veggie scraps for meal prepping in the new year.

7. Ugly food isn't tasty food.

Delicious food doesn't always win beauty contests. In fact, some of the tastiest dishes may not look that attractive at first glance. Like anything else, beauty comes from within, and if what's within is super tasty, then you've got nothing to worry about.

So even though your prepared meals might not scream Instagram-worthy, know that doesn't mean they won't taste awesome.

8. You have to meal plan for the whole week.

Good news — you never have to do something you don't want to do! Just make enough over the weekend to last you for the number of days you want ready-to-go meals, and feel free to celebrate Friday with takeout.

Save The Food's Meal Prep Mate can also help you prep three, four or five meals for breakfast, lunch or dinner, so if you want to plan the whole week out, you can do it easily.

And don't fret if you do end up making too much. You can always freeze the meal for later, or give it to a roommate or friend who may love a home-cooked dinner or lunch.

9. It's hard to be creative when you're so busy.

[rebelmouse-image 19346179 dam="1" original_size="700x467" caption="Photo courtesy of "Scraps."" expand=1]Photo courtesy of "Scraps."

There's no need to stress about making your meals fun and unique — it's as simple as adding sauces and toppings. You know how when you get a salad at a salad bar and the last accents make all the difference? It's the same principle here.

“It’s all about the condiments and textures that are kind of like add-ons on the top," explains Joel. And the more you play around, the more delicious combinations you'll discover.

10. This is much harder to make work if you're vegetarian.

[rebelmouse-image 19346180 dam="1" original_size="700x394" caption="Photo by Natalia Y/Unsplash." expand=1]Photo by Natalia Y/Unsplash.

It doesn't need to be. There are so many meat-free proteins that can go beautifully with your vegetables and grains. For example, tofu, beans and eggs are some of the most transformative proteins out there.

Seitan can also turn plain old rice and veggies into a delightful Asian dish with very little seasoning and effort.

11. You can't help wasting food when meal prepping.

While you’ll inadvertently be cutting off stems and peeling outer layers of vegetables while prepping, but you don't have to just toss them all in the trash. There's so many ways you can turn your food scraps into delicious meals.

"Each scrap is like its own little puzzle," says Joel.

For example, you can take your leftover potato peels, toss them in salt and pepper, sriracha and olive oil, roast them in the oven for 15 minutes and bam, you've got some tasty potato chips. Or you can take empty shrimp tails and boil them in some water with a cheese cloth full of herbs, and you've got a delicious shrimp stock to dress up your pasta dishes. And here are some more "scrappy" recipes you can try.

With just a little creative thinking, you can make easy, delicious food, save money, and help stop food waste all at the same time.

[rebelmouse-image 19346181 dam="1" original_size="1200x624" caption="Photo courtesy of "Scraps."" expand=1]Photo courtesy of "Scraps."

It's amazing to think that by doing so little, you can achieve so much for yourself and the planet. And it gets even better if you follow Joel's advice on utilizing food scraps.

“You’ll be so surprised when you cook scrappy how much food you actually have.”

So what are you waiting for?

You can learn more about cooking scrappy and making meal prep work for you by trying the Meal Prep Mate and watching "Scraps" on FYI and A+E.

From Your Site Articles
Education

One teacher's simple, disgusting experiment drives home the importance of hand washing

"Hand sanitizer is not an alternative to washing hands!"

Facebook/Jaralee Metcalf

Simple. Disgusting. Informative.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in preventing the spread of illnesses and infections in hospitals was embarrassingly simple: hand washing. In 1846, Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that hand washing played a vital role in the spread of germs, and the practice soon became mandatory in hospitals. The simple act of scrubbing hands with soap and water literally saved lives.

Getting a kid to wash their hands, however, can be an uphill battle. While it's a common thing kids (don't) do, global perspective on the importance and effectiveness of hand washing has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 2023, before the emergence of COVID-19, a survey found that only about 36% of people always washed their hands with soap, 48% sometimes used soap, and an unsettling 16% of respondents said they wash without soap. After COVID-19 emerged, however, more than 72% of respondents reported using soap every time they washed their hands. There's nothing like a pandemic (and perhaps the reality of FAFO) to strike fear into the hearts of those chronic under washers, but in 2019, one teacher did a simple experiment to show her students just how important hand washing is.

"We did a science project in class this last month as flu season was starting," teacher Dayna Robertson and classroom behavioral specialist Jaralee Metcalf wrote on Facebook. "We took fresh bread and touched it. We did one slice untouched. One with unwashed hands. One with hand sanitizer. One with washed hands with warm water and soap. Then we decided to rub a piece on all our classroom Chromebooks." Robertson later noted that they normally do make a point to sanitize the classroom Chromebooks, but didn't that day in the name of science.

science, experiment, dexter's lab, cartoon, kids, hygiene Dexters Laboratory What A Fine Day For Science GIFGiphy

The bread was put into plastic bags and the germs were left to fester. The bread that had been touched by unwashed hands and the bread that had touched the Chromebook had the most mold. The bread that had been touched by hands washed with soap and water remained (relatively) good enough to eat.

This experiment has been done before, but Robertson expanded on it by testing the effectiveness of hand sanitizer. The bread that had been touched by hands cleaned with sanitizer also had a fair amount of mold on it, although not as much as the bread touched by unwashed hands.

bread, mold, experiment, education, hand washing, cleanlinessThe bread doesn't lie. Facebook/Jaralee Metcalf

"As somebody who is sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired," Robertson wrote, "wash your hands! Remind your kids to wash their hands! And hand sanitizer is not an alternative to washing hands!! At all!" It's kind of making us retroactively gag over seeing port-a-potties with hand sanitizer set up in lieu of sinks.

The experiment was prompted by a different science lesson. "We had just finished a science lesson on how leaves break down during winter. The kids were kind of grossed out by the mold, so we decided to run our own version using germs and mold from our own environment," Robertson told Scary Mommy.

Weirdly, the classroom experiment received some criticism. "Lots of people actually DEFENDED not washing their hands!" Robertson told Scary Mommy. "That was shocking! It really was just a simple classroom experiment to teach about mold but we have all learned more about how easily we can spread the germs we can't see."

In the 2019 lens, this lesson being about mold seems simple enough. All of us here in 2025, though, blessed (or cursed) with the experience of the pandemic, know that washing your hands really is as life-saving as Semmelweis proved nearly two centuries ago. Research done in 2020 and published in PubMed showed that individuals who washed their hands consistently were more likely to have lower rates of COVID-19 infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2024, hand washing also reduces respiratory illness like colds and flu in the general population by 16-21%, and reduces the number of people with diarrheal illnesses by 23-40%.

And to be sure, how we wash our hands is incredibly important. A quick rinse without scrubbing won't do the trick. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the proper technique for handwashing is to wet your hands, apply soap, and then run your soapy hands under the stream while rotating, rubbing, and scrubbing every inch of your hands for at least 20 seconds. Usually you can hit that mark by singing "Happy Birthday" twice. Then, rinse. When you're done, dry your hands with a clean towel. Check out this demonstration from the CDC:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

The moral of the story is, please, please remember to always wash your hands. It really makes a difference.

This article originally appeared six years ago. It has been updated.

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hand washing experiment
Modern Families

Man hilariously calls out why the trend of giving babies 'old people names' has got to go

“Ma’am. George is a mechanic in his 60s and he can’t work on your car this week because his sugars is running high.”

@mannybuckley/TikTok, Photo credit: Canva

Someone finally said what we're all thinking.

Listen, baby name trends come and go. What was once a hip and cool name will eventually be seen as passé (this coming from someone with a name that is now obsolete, apparently) and names once thought of as old-fashioned will absolutely become cool again. It’s part of the circle of life, like the tides, the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun…accept it.

In fact, this comeback is already happening. According to the Social Security Administration, vintage names like Theodore, Henry, Willam, Charlotte, Evelyn, and Emma are among the top ten most popular baby names of the moment. Jimmy Fallon’s daughters are named Winnie and Frances, for crying out loud.

However, just because there’s been an uptick in names that harken you back to a time when “good show, old sport” was a common phrase, not everyone is on board. Recently, content creator Manny Buckley hilariously put into words what many of us think of these WWII era names.

In a clip posted to his TikTok, Buckley first savagely said, “Y’all went from naming all y’all’s kids Jayden, Cayden, and Aiden, Madison, Addison, and Addylyn to giving them all old people names.” He then recounted being on a train and hearing another call after her toddler, whose name was George.

“Ma’am. George is a mechanic in his 60s and he can’t work on your car this week because his sugars is running high.” Where’s the lie?

@mannybuckley What is this cycle of naming kids!? #names #naming #name ♬ original sound - 𝕄𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝔹𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕖𝕪

He didn’t stop there, going on a lighthearted rant about the types of images certain now-popular names actually evoke, like Agnes (a “Florida retiree in her 70s who cannot leave the retirement home”), Ira (an “80 year old Jewish man”), Belinda (a “registered nurse who has been working in the field for 50 years”), and Clifford (a 85-year-old navy vet who needs “all y'all to be quiet”). Nary a kid sounding name in sight, if you ask him.

Though the video was clearly just a lighthearted jab, a few adults came into the comments to defend the use of vintage names.

“We aren’t naming babies. We’re naming people,” one top comment wrote, while another seconded, “Exactly! Some people don’t realize this. They are kids for a very short period of time, then they are adults.”

Still, another quipped, “yeah, but they aren’t senior citizens forever either!” Another wrote “I’m Martha…I’ve been 80 since the first grade.”

A few others, particularly teachers, chimed in with their own equally funny experience of kids having old fashioned names.

I am a kindergarten teacher. I have Marjorie and Brenda. It’s like a 1950’s secretarial pool.

I have kindergarteners named Edyth, Arthur, and Iris. They’re going to form a knitting club at recess.”

“My nephew is Charles lmao and he may only be 2.5, but he is the school maintenance and everyone call uncle.”

“We have Matilda and Cordelia, 4 and 2, shelling beans on the porch. Their nicknames are just as old, Tilly and Della. I love them though.”

And there you have it, folks. We have indeed come full circle. But is it any weirder than the thought of someone calling their Grandma Brittany? I think not.

This article originally appeared in February

From Your Site Articles
humor
Internet

A nail salon made an ad so funny that people are taking road trips just for a manicure

Nailed it.

Representative photos by Wonderlane|Flickr and Aris Leoven|Canva

This Canadian nail salon has people packing their bags for a manicure

There are a lot of nail salons out there and, without word of mouth recommendations from people you trust, it can be impossible to know which salon to visit. Thanks to social media, though, many businesses have pages where they can advertise their services without having to spend a lot of money on traditional marketing practices like television, billboards, and radio. Doing their marketing using pictures and videos of their amazing work can help keep a steady flow of customers coming—but one Canadian nail salon is going with a slightly different approach.

Henry Pro Nails in Toronto, Canada is leaving the Internet in stitches after creating a viral ad for his nail salon. The video takes the beginnings of several viral video clips but instead of the expected ending, Henry pops in completing the viral moment in hilarious different ways.

It opens with a familiar viral video of a man on a stretcher being pulled by EMS when the stretcher overturns, flopping the man onto the ground. But instead of it ending with the injured man on the ground, Henry seamlessly appears laid out on the floor of his salon and delivers his first line, "Come to my nail salon. Your nails will look beautiful."

nails, nail salon, manicure, henry's pro nails, adsRihanna Nails GIFGiphy

In another clip, a man holds his leg straight up and somehow flips himself into a split. When the camera cuts back to Henry, he's in the splits on the floor of his nail salon promoting loyalty discounts. The ad is insanely creative and people in the comments can't get enough. Some are even planning a trip to Toronto just to get their nails done by the now Internet famous top nail artist in Canada. This isn't Henry's first rodeo making creative ads, but this is one is without a doubt his most popular—and effective.

"I will fly to Canada to get my nails done here just because of this hilarious video. You win this trend for sure," one woman says.

"Get yourself a passport and make a road trip! My bf and I are legit getting ours and its only a 4 hr drive from where we are in Pennsylvania. Their prices are a lot better than other places I've been too," another person says while convincing a fellow American citizen to make the trip.

"Omg, where are you located? I would fly to get my nails done by you," one person writes.

"The pedicure I had at Henry’s was the best I have ever had. Unfortunately made all other places disappointing and I don’t live close enough for Henry’s to be my regular spot," someone else shares.

To keep up with demand, in late October 2024 Henry's announced another location was coming soon in Vaughan, Ontario. Though there's no word on when the new "more spacious and professional facility" is opening just yet, customers can keep an eye out for Henry's next ad on social media.

It just goes to show that creative advertising can get people to go just about anywhere, but great service is what gets them to come back. If you're ever in Toronto (or Vaughan!) and find yourself needing an emergency manicure, Henry's Pro Nails is apparently the place to be.

This article originally appeared last year.

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nail salon
Joy

Adorable Golden Retriever absolutely loses it when he runs into his vet at a bar

No one has ever been this excited to see their doctor.

@cosmo_andtheoddparents/TikTok

He wuvs his vet.

Not every dog might jump with joy after seeing their vet out in public. But for Cosmo the Golden Retriever, it was practically Christmas all over again when he spotted his own vet, Dr. Jones, at a brewery.

In an adorable clip posted to TikTok, we see Cosmo in pure, unadulterated bliss as he snuggles with an equally happy Dr. Jones, who, considering he’s still in his scrubs, might have just gotten out of work to grab a quick pint.

Watch:

@cosmo_andtheoddparents When you run into your vet in public #goldenretrieversoftiktok #vetlife #animallovers #petparents #goldenretriever #goldenretrievers #doglife #dogmom #dailyfluff #charlestondogs #doglover #charlestondog #brewerydog ♬ original sound - Cosmo

Ugh, the cuteness is too much to handle! People in the comments could barely contain their secondhand joy.

“He looked over like, “Mom, do you see who this is?” one person wrote, while another said, “What in the Hallmark movie? Adorable!!”

One person even joked, “Did we all check the vet’s hand for a wedding ring? (Said as a married woman. Looking out for you all, or something.)”

According to Hannah Dweikat, Cosmo’s owner, the two actually share quite a history. She tells Upworthy that when Cosmo was but a wee pup, he “gave a scare” after eating a Sago Palm seed, which are highly toxic to dogs, from a plant in their backyard, which of course resulted in him being rushed to the animal hospital and staying there over the weekend.

While that’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare, and certainly a scary situation for the poor fur baby, Dweikat says that “the calm and patient demeanor” of Dr. Jones and his staff put Cosmo at ease. And because of this, “Cosmo has always loved going to see his friends—especially because they give him lots of treats and snuggles.”

Cosmo and Dr. Jones’ buddyship has also blossomed thanks to proximity, as Dweikat only lives down the street from the clinic. “Which means we get to see Dr. Jones and his staff out in public at times and Cosmo takes every chance he can get to say hi,” she explains. This time, however, she was able to capture it all on video. Yay for us!

What makes a good vet?

While not every vet, however gifted, will be able to elicit this type of reaction from their patients, having a calming presence like Dr. Jones is certainly a good sign for pet owners to be on the lookout for when shopping around for their own vet. But that’s not the only quality a good vet needs. According to Saint Matthews University, a vet also needs to have high stamina (both physically and mentally), as well as an ability to tolerate unpleasant situations (you can’t faint at the sight of blood or vomit), a high level of emotional intelligence (maybe all doctors should possess this skill, but especially those who work with animals), adaptability, a sense of enthusiasm, and finally, excellent communication skills.

Dr. Jones seems to have these attributes in spades, and his patients clearly love him for it. None so much as Cosmo, obviously.

By the way, if you’re in need of even more content featuring this precious pup, you can follow Cosmo on both TikTok and Instagram.

This article originally appeared in February

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dogs
Pop Culture

My Gen Z kids see periods in my texts as 'aggressive.' No. They're not. Full stop. The end.

This is one Gen X hill I am willing to die on.

Photo credit: Canva

If you want to freak out a Gen Zer, put a period at the end of a text message.

As a Gen X mom of three Gen Z kids in their teens and 20s, there's a lot that I'm willing to concede and even celebrate when it comes to the gap in our generations. I love Gen Z's global consciousness, their openness about mental health, their focus on inclusivity, and their insistence on wearing comfortable shoes with formal wear. But there's one Gen Z feature that I simply cannot abide, and that is the weaponization of basic punctuation.

"It freaks me out when you say 'yes period' in a text," my high schooler told me one day. "It feels so aggressive, like I feel like I'm in trouble or something." I stared at him incredulously as my 20-year-old laughed but then agreed with him. "It does! The period makes it feel like you're mad," she said.

Ah yes, the period, the punctuation mark famous for its aggressive connotation. Far from being a mere generational quirk, this misinterpreting of benign text messages as aggressive or angry could result in serious communication breakdowns. Talking by text is already hard enough, and now we're adding a layer of meaning that older folks don't have a clue about?

text screenshotA Gen X text convo with Gen ZPhoto credit: Annie Reneau

The kids are serious about this, though. According to Gen Zers, pretty much any time someone puts a period at the end of a text, it means they're mad or irritated. At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, I'd like to point out that reading into periods in texts like this is just silly. It's silly when the young folks do it with each other, but it's extra silly when they do it with adults who didn't grow up with texting and have ingrained grammatical habits that aren't easy to shake. (And frankly, some of us don't want to shake—I'm a former English teacher, for crying out loud.)

In no reasonable world can "Yes." be automatically viewed as aggressive. It's just not. Neither is "Time to get off the computer." Neither is "Got it." Or "OK." or "Sure." I understand that texting conventions have evolved such that end punctuation isn't necessary, but when did we start assigning negative intentions to very basic punctuation? I mean, if I wanted to be aggressive, I'd text, "HEY—time to GET OFF the COMPUTER!" A period should not be read as anything more than a matter-of-fact, neutral-toned statement. We have other tools for conveying tone in writing—capital letters, italics, bold, exclamation points, and now a whole slew of emojis. A period is and has always been neutral. That's literally the entire point of a period.

I'm even willing to give Gen Z an inch on the thumbs-up emoji—they think that's aggressive, too—only because emojis are new and their meanings are up for interpretation. But a period? Not budging. That little dot has been signaling the end of people's thoughts for centuries. Periods can and do sometimes affect tone in subtle ways—"No, I didn't," hits slightly differently than "No. I didn't."—but their basic inclusion at the end of a thought in no way signals aggression or anger, by text or otherwise. Not on Gen X's watch, at least. This is one generational hill I am willing to die on.

Oh Yeah Mic Drop GIF by Taylor BisciottiGiphy

These unwritten rules of texting seem to have been concocted by Gen Z, but when? And how? Who decides these things? Is there a group of super powerful and influential young adults who put out a bat signal at some point saying that periods are symbols of aggression? If the young folks want to play the reading-into-basic-punctuation game amongst themselves, making communication much more complicated for themselves, have at it. But please don't ascribe intent to us old fogies who've had "declarative statements end in periods" ingrained in us since elementary school.

Texting wasn't always like this. When texting first became a thing, using periods in them was pretty normal. As more and more people started dropping them (and capitalization—another deep English teacher wound), I held firm to their usage, mostly out of habit and feeling like my texts were incomplete without them. As my kids got old enough to text and informed me that periods are viewed by their age group as aggressive, I reconsidered. Should I stop using them, giving in to the tyranny of Gen Z's overthinking? Should I keep using them, embracing the fact that I'm old and set in my ways?

Ultimately, I landed on sometimes using periods in texts and sometimes not—a compromise between my own rigid grammar rules and Gen Z's seemingly senseless texting rules. Except only using them sometimes just confuses my kids even more, which is hilarious. Is Mom mad? Is she not? My daughter said she just has to remind herself who is texting, knowing that I—and most of my generation—simply don't use periods aggressively.

Nope. Not happening. Not ever. Period.

This article originally appeared in February.

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