Jennifer Heimlich

As unfun as it may be in the moment, telling a child "no" is a big part of teaching them how to navigate the world. But not all parents set those boundaries. A permissive parenting style will allow kids to get away with what they want, when they want. "We inherently know when a child has done something wrong or something that we need to stop or to guide," says parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of "Gentle Discipline." Yet permissive parents will let it happen, either because they're not sure what to do, too overwhelmed to deal, or afraid of causing a meltdown. It's not necessarily an active choice - and it's something that just about all of us do from time to time. "Realistically, every parent has moments when they are sometimes more permissive than not," says counselor Amy C. Bryant of Wild Child Counseling. But what exactly does permissive parenting look like in action, and how can it affect a child long-term? Here's what parenting experts have to say on the matter. What Is Permissive Parenting? Permissive parents set few demands on their children, and don't dole out consequences for misbehavior. "Permissive parenting is basically letting children get away with everything, not considering whether they're acting age appropriately or not," Ockwell-Smith says. Sometimes permissive parenting is described as its own defined parenting style, but Bryant sees it more as a survival strategy. "These parents might be trying to avoid repeating old-school fear-based methods like spanking and timeouts and things that we now know aren't ideal for kids," she says. While they may know what they don't want to do, they're unsure of what they should do instead, so they simply freeze up and look the other way. Or, parents might be trying to avoid tantrums. "I tend to find that the parents are very loving, very caring, but they are too afraid to discipline their children because they don't want to make them cry or upset them," Ockwell-Smith says. Then there are instances where permissive parenting can be a side effect of neglectful parenting, where the parents let their children do anything just because they can't be bothered to correct them, according to Ockwell-Smith. What Does Permissive Parenting Look Like? Often, permissive parents are exhausted, and indulging their child is just the path of least resistance. "It might be saying, 'No, you can't have that Rice Krispie Treat,' but their child hasn't eaten all day and they have a giant meltdown," Bryant says. "And so the parent goes, 'I need you to eat something. Here's your Rice Krispie Treat,' instead of demanding they eat a peanut butter sandwich or putting grapes in front of them alongside the Rice Krispie Treat." Instead of teaching their children right from wrong, permissive parents might make excuses for their behavior. "You go to a friend's house and your toddler is touching all of their expensive ornaments and you don't stop them," Ockwell-Smith says, as an example. "You just say, 'Oh, they're only little. They're just exploring.' They end up breaking something and a permissive parent would say, 'Oh, well, they didn't mean to do it.' Which is all true, but you need to have boundaries to keep people and things safe." The Difference Between Gentle and Permissive Parenting Ockwell-Smith guesses that at least a quarter to a third of people who think they're practicing gentle parenting are actually permissive. "I see a lot of videos on TikTok labeled as 'gentle parenting' that I think are permissive parenting," she says. "People get so focused on being respectful of their children and kind to them that they get a bit afraid to upset them." The difference between the two lies in setting limits. "Gentle parents will say 'stop.' We just won't spend ages afterwards chastising them," Ockwell-Smith explains. "Gentle parenting is very much focused on teaching, guiding and learning, but also having very age-appropriate expectations of what the child is capable of doing. You don't punish them for being a child." Permissive parents, on the other hand, simply won't tell the child to stop, no matter their age. The Benefits and Drawbacks of Permissive Parenting When parents are permissive, kids miss out on an opportunity to learn how to advocate for themselves and problem solve collaboratively, Bryant points out. When children always just get what they want without any pushback, they never get a chance to learn what compromise feels like. "If you are incredibly permissive, you're setting that child up for failure later in life when they go out into the world that has rules and boundaries and limits," Ockwell-Smith adds. "They're much more likely to struggle." That said, Bryants feels permissive parenting is still far less harmful than authoritarian parenting (not to be confused with the expert-approved authoritative parenting). Authoritarian parenting is marked by a high level of control and at times excessive punishment. "At least you're not hitting your child or over-controlling them or scaring them or coercing them with manipulation tactics," she says. "So they learn that their parent is not someone to be feared, but someone that they can trust to tend to their needs or at least try to." How To Curtail Permissive Parenting If you find you're being more permissive than you want to be, start by asking yourself why it happens. Maybe you're falling into this habit just to make it through the day, in which case Bryant suggests looking into ways you can get more support so you're not stretched so thin. Or, if you find it's a matter of not knowing what to do, seek out parenting resources to learn more, whether that's through books, free podcasts, or videos online. Also, take some time for self-reflection about your own childhood, Ockwell-Smith suggests. "A lot of the time it's about making peace with what we went through as children, and realizing that we're not our parents," she says. "We're not going to repeat the cycle." Related: Is Roughhousing With Kids as Beneficial as TikTok Claims? Jennifer Heimlich is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in fitness and wellness journalism. She previously worked as the senior fitness editor for Well+Good and the editor in chief of Dance Magazine. A UESCA-certified running coach, she's written about running and fitness for publications like Shape, GQ, Runner's World, and The Atlantic.

After a busy weekend, Kayla Dickhoff and her husband head back to work each Monday morning. But her six kids stay at home, relaxing and finishing up homework, with the older ones looking after the younger ones. "We use Monday as a catch-up and a refresh, like a breather day after a weekend," she says. They can do this because their district in Belgrade, MN, is on a four-day school week. Dickhoff loves it. "I hope we never, ever have to go back to five days," she says. Fortunately for her, it's unlikely they ever will. In recent years, more and more schools in the US have adopted the four-day school week, and, historically, few ever revert back. This school year, nearly 900 districts across the country (about seven percent) have opted for the shorter week, according to the Associated Press. That's up from a little more than 100 in 1999. "Every state west of the Mississippi now allows the four-day school week as an option," says Jon S. Turner, PhD, who has researched the effects of the four-day school week as an associate professor at Missouri State University. Unsurprisingly, most students love this setup. But what do parents have to say? The approval ratings in parent surveys show that far more agree with Dickhoff than you might expect. How the Four-Day School Week Became Popular Four-day school weeks began for practical reasons. Dr. Turner says districts that were early adopters of the practice transitioned to four days to save a little money - mainly because one less school day per week equates to 20 percent less diesel fuel used by the school buses. (The environmental benefits of that are just a bonus, but very much embraced in liberal counties.) The vast majority of these schools are in rural areas, where the bus ride can take two hours or more. Emily Morton, PhD, who's been studying four-day school weeks since 2017, says the average district saves about $50,000 per year this way - not exactly a windfall, but not nothing either. Soon, nearby school districts found they were losing teachers and staff members to four-day week schools, so they adopted the truncated schedule to stay competitive. Dr. Turner says that when Independence School District in suburban Kansas City changed to four days this year, it saw the number of teacher applications go up by four times, and for the first time in recent memory, there's no longer a bus driver shortage. "In this tightening job market, the four-day week is just very attractive," he says. Fewer days doesn't necessarily mean less school, though. The minimum instructional hours mandated varies by state, but most districts make up the lost time by lengthening the school day. Others add an extra week or so at the end of the year. What Parents Think of the Four-Day School Week One might assume families would resent a schedule that doesn't line up with the work week, or be wary that a lighter schedule might mean kids aren't learning enough. Yet Dr. Turner says his research team's surveys have found that 70 to 80 percent of parents overall actually like the four-day week. "Some of the benefits they talk about are increased family time. They think students are less stressed. They think their morale at the school is better," says Dr. Morton. "There's mixed hard evidence on that. But in analysis of discipline events we do see that bullying and fighting incidents decrease." Kathryn Mounce, in Lincoln, AR, says the extra day off helps her kids go back to school after the long weekend feeling more refreshed, making them more productive during the week. "A shorter school week helps alleviate stress and burnout," she says. Research conducted by the RAND Corporation in 2021 also shows a small tick up in school attendance rates at four-day schools, which could be due to the flexibility of having an extra day off. "I try to schedule as many appointments that my kids need as possible on Mondays when we have off," Dickhoff says. "That way, I don't have to pull them out of school." Not everyone loves the setup, however. Approval numbers for the four-day school week dip closer to 50 percent among parents of children with special needs and parents who only have younger kids - circumstances that make childcare trickier. "I hope we never, ever have to go back to five days." And one important area that concerns some parents and experts alike is student achievement. While Dr. Morton's research, published in the Oklahoma Education Journal, has found that rural districts see little to no effect of a short week on academic performance, there is a small negative effect in more populated areas. It's not entirely clear what causes this difference, she says, though there's speculation it could be tied to the amount of instructional time. The benefits of teacher retention and easier scheduling of school sports in rural areas may also balance out any adverse effects of having one less day in school. There are also those who worry about children who don't have a safe space at home or consistent access to food. While some schools do offer breakfast and lunch on the day off, it's up to the families to get the students there. So, What Do Families Do on Day Five? Despite the cost savings and better school-life balance, one day less of school can obviously leave parents in the lurch. Amanda Kay, who lives in Bethel Park, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh, says when she first heard talk of a four-day school week online, she couldn't imagine how working parents could pull it off. Her 10-year old goes to school five days a week, which she's very glad for. "I'd have to figure out something for her to do," Kay says. "I work from home, but she wouldn't really have anybody to be there and be engaged with her." Even though her daughter is old enough to look after herself, Kay says she wouldn't want to leave her to her own devices all day. Yet research shows that most kids with three-day weekends are not spending the extra day off playing video games and watching TV. Dr. Morton surveyed kids about how they spent their time, and says, "The category that students reported most of the time increasing on was actually chores." School itself also keeps many kids busy. Most districts use the day off for extracurricular activities like sports or theater practice, or targeted academic intervention for students falling behind. "On the fifth day, we may be having field trips where we're going to college visitations or visiting museums," Dr. Turner adds. Some schools give virtual assignments for students to complete from home. Those in more tourist-friendly areas often schedule Fridays off so that high schoolers can work in industries that get busier Fridays through Sundays. Dr. Morton says childcare is actually far less of an issue than most people would assume. "It's pretty amazing the lack of concern about childcare," she says. The vast majority of school districts on this schedule are still in rural areas, she explains, where people are typically less transient and parents are more likely to have extended family members who can pitch in living nearby. Parents may even work out of the house on a farm or ranch, so they get the kids involved (hence those chores). Even if they don't, Dickhoff says some parents in her community set up their work schedules so they are off on Mondays to stay home with their kids. Some districts do underwrite free or low-cost childcare for families that need it, but there's not always the demand you'd expect. "A few districts actually started childcare on Friday to support parents and closed it because they didn't have enough take up," Dr. Morton says. Four-Day School Weeks Have Staying Power With benefits for strapped schools and most parents in support, four-day school weeks are likely only going to grow more common, at least in rural areas. In Missouri, Dr. Turner says, more than a third of the school districts have taken up truncated weeks - and only two districts have ever reverted back to five days. "It's a game changer for my family," says Mounce. "As a parent, I firmly believe in the benefits." Related: How Much Does Daycare Cost in 2024? The Stats Are Sobering Jennifer Heimlich is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in fitness and wellness journalism. She previously worked as the senior fitness editor for Well+Good and the editor in chief of Dance Magazine. A UESCA-certified running coach, she's written about running and fitness for publications like Shape, GQ, Runner's World, and The Atlantic.

For Lauren Simmons, it was Christmas songs that triggered her climate anxiety as a parent this past winter. "Every time I heard 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas' or 'Winter Wonderland,' these songs that were so critical to my core childhood memories, I felt a deep sense of grief knowing that snow may or may not be a part of my children's future Christmases," she says. Though a climate and education advisor, Simmons at one point kept a filter on her news feed to avoid stories about climate change; they were too much for her to handle. Simmons is not alone: as floods and fires become more widespread, climate anxiety has become so pervasive that there's an entire industry of therapists dedicated to helping people deal with it. And as a parent, concerns for the future of our planet are amplified by how climate change could affect those you love most for decades after you're gone. Moms and dads are asking each other for coping strategies on Reddit. For some people, it makes them rethink having kids altogether. If you are a parent, learning how to grapple with climate change distress is not only essential for your own well-being, but for your children's, too. "It's harder to show up for your kid and put your best parenting self forward if you're thinking a lot about what their future might look like and worrying," says therapist Jennifer Silverstein, LCSW, who volunteers with Climate Psychology Alliance and consults on community resilience. Figuring out how to manage climate anxiety as a parent comes down to feeling less alone, and more in control. Find ways to be proactive. For many parents, productive coping centers around taking action. "Any time we feel anxiety, it often stems from feeling a lack of control," says Pamela Templer, PhD, professor and chair of the biology department at Boston University, where her lab focuses on the effects of environmental change. "And so if you feel like you're making a difference, it feels more constructive." In addition to teaching young people about climate change in her professional life, Dr. Templer says that small actions at home help her (and her family of four) feel like they're doing what they can to make a difference: walking rather than driving when possible, composting, eating less meat, not using heavy pesticides in the yard, letting the house get a little warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. "Any climate anxiety I have, I feel like as long as I put energy into doing something to fix it, then I feel better about it," Dr. Templer says. It can also help to get active in your community and beyond. Dr. Templer is part of a local tree-planting committee. Simmons suggests taking actions like advocating for a no-idle zone at your kids' school. You can go to town meetings to push for climate-friendly policies, or become part of a parent-led environmental organization like Moms Clean Air Force or Mothers Out Front. Silverstein recommends getting your kids involved in these activities, too, so you can experience it together. "You want to be able to model for your kids what collective action looks like," Simmons says. If nothing else, look up what other people are doing for the environment. "Even that might give them some alleviation of their anxiety to know that people are out there really working hard on this," Dr. Templer says. Simmons points to the idea of "constructive hope," or the belief that actions are being taken to avoid climate disaster - something that she relates to personally. "I see how bad it is. But at the same time, I see that there are very real ways in which people are trying to transform systems to address the underlying causes of climate change and environmental injustice," she says. Let go of the guilt of not being "perfect." Even if you're trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible in your life, there are times when we need to be flexible. "Doing what you need to do to keep your kid safe and functioning in this culture sometimes feels like a very different set of things than what you would do to make the world a better place for them," Silverstein says. "If I buy my kid a bicycle helmet, that's what I have to do to keep them safe when they're riding their bike. But the helmet's made of plastic and it was shipped here from China." Although certain compromises might feel like they go against your environmental values, Silverstein suggests recognizing that we're part of a bigger system - one that's difficult to escape. Feeling guilty about it will only cause additional distress. Teach your kids about climate change. As a parent, you have an opportunity to help shape the next generation, so take advantage: instead of avoiding the topic, help your children feel empowered. Talk about climate change with your kids and show them how to be environmental stewards, too. Silverstein says that you can support their connection to nature from infancy, taking them outdoors and having them feel the bark on trees, for instance. "We know that children who have formative connections with nature are more likely to have enduring pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors," Simmons says. By the time they're in preschool, start to talk about things like shutting off the lights because it's better for the planet. As they get older, find out what kind of curriculum the school teaches, and keep tabs on what they're hearing about climate change in the media so that you can talk to them first, or at least follow up with helpful conversations. If you're not sure how to bring up the topic in an age-appropriate way, look for TV shows and books about climate change, like "Octonauts Above and Beyond," that can help. "There's no shame in getting help from outside sources," Simmons says. Talk to other parents about your concerns. It can be helpful to remember you're not the only one feeling anxious about our environment. "Talking to other parents and other caregivers, and validating this sense of angst can be productive," Simmons says. If you don't have anyone in your network that you can talk to, join a climate café, a community space (virtual or IRL) where you can safely discuss climate fears, Silverstein suggests. "Finding people that you can share in the conversation with and not feel isolated by it is a super important way to take care of ourselves," she says. Stay present. Unfortunately, no matter how many trees we plant, it's nearly impossible to completely erase our climate anxiety since the future of our environment is largely out of any one individual's hands. Silverstein reminds clients that they still need to take care of themselves, and find ways to come back to the present moment when climate anxiety starts to get the better of them. "It could be really any kind of self-soothing," she says. "For me, it's nature. Whatever they prefer, whether it's music or going for a walk, I particularly encourage parents to do that, and share it with their kids." If you're struggling to figure out how to manage climate anxiety as a parent, or finding that it's often keeping you from being fully in the moment with your kids, seek out resources from places like the Climate Mental Health Network or find a climate-focused therapist through the Climate Psychology Alliance. "Support is out there," Silverstein says. Related: How Can I Have a Baby When I Already Take Care of My Elderly Parents? Jennifer Heimlich is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in fitness and wellness journalism. She previously worked as the senior fitness editor for Well+Good and the editor in chief of Dance Magazine. A UESCA-certified running coach, she's written about running and fitness for publications like Shape, GQ, Runner's World, and The Atlantic.

Image Source: Getty / GoodLifeStudio When you're running intervals, you can't beat the precision and accuracy of a treadmill HIIT workout. If I plug seven miles an hour into the machine, I'm going to be running exactly seven miles an hour - otherwise, I'll fall off the back. But during the same workout outdoors, I might overshoot the pace without even realizing it, or (more likely) ease off the gas as I get tired. "The treadmill has an inability to lie to you," says David Siik, founder of Precision Run at Equinox and author of "The Ultimate Treadmill Workout." That's why a high intensity interval training session on the treadmill is so powerful: You can't fudge it. "The beautiful design of that machine is really built for intervals," Siik says. The Benefits of Treadmill HIIT Workouts There are a few reasons why so many runners hit the 'mill for HIIT sessions. Here are some of the biggest ones: They're super efficient A HIIT workout can get you in and out of the gym quickly. "You do a lot of work in a short amount of time," Siik says. In comparison to a moderate-effort run, research shows that intervals improve both your endurance and speed more efficiently. You'll stay engaged If you jump on a treadmill without a plan, and just trudge it out for 30 minutes, boredom is pretty much inevitable (unless, of course, "Love Is Blind" is on, but I digress…). The time will fly by faster if you're doing a treadmill HIIT workout because you'll be breaking up the workout into short chunks by constantly changing the speed. You'll get a mood boost Blissful running isn't limited to outdoor routes with beautiful scenery. The challenge of doing a hard interval workout on a treadmill can release the chemicals responsible for that sought-after "runner's high." Intervals can be adapted to any fitness level You don't need to be an advanced runner to do a treadmill HIIT workout. "Absolutely every single person who is able to run can benefit," Siik says. Any speed can work during a treadmill HIIT workout; you just need to alternate between what feels hard and what feels like recovery for you. What To Know Before Trying a Treadmill HIIT Workout Keep in mind these two guidelines to get the most out of your treadmill intervals - and avoid injuring yourself. Don't jump off (or onto) a moving belt You've probably seen people at the gym step onto the sides of a treadmill between intervals. But Siik strongly warns against this. Although it can be annoying to wait for the treadmill to speed up and slow down to the right pace, going from a dead stop to a sprint, or vice versa, is unnatural. "The human body is designed to accelerate and decelerate," Siik says. More importantly, trying to step onto a quickly-moving treadmill is also a risky move that could send you to the ER. And why would you want to spend less time running, anyway? "If you're going to spend 30 minutes doing a high-intensity running workout, don't show up and try to find shortcuts," Siik says. Respect the recoveries Treadmill HIIT workouts ask for high intensity, but also low intensity. Don't overdo the recovery periods - if you don't let your heart rate come down, you'll make the next interval feel harder than it's supposed to, or have to pull back on that top speed. Which means you'll end up turning the session into a different kind of workout altogether. What to Know About This 30-Minute Treadmill HIIT Workout As a UESCA-certified running coach and someone who, to be honest, usually dreads the tread, this is my go-to 30-minute treadmill HIIT workout that makes me actually enjoy running indoors. After a warmup, the intervals progress from one to three minutes, then back down again, with two 30-second intervals at the end for a little extra spice. The pyramid-style format keeps things from getting repetitive by continually changing the length of the intervals - and therefore the challenge. And the last two quick reps offer one final chance to eke out whatever you've got left in the tank. Keep the incline at 0.0 the entire time, since the focus here is on speed. The pace you choose is based on your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), on a scale of one to 10. For the warmup, cooldown, and recoveries, aim for about a three or four effort level - that could be an easy jog or a brisk walk. Most of the intervals are an eight or nine effort level, similar to your mile pace. The three-minute interval in the middle holds back just a tad so you're hitting closer to a 5K speed, or a seven or eight effort level. Things kick into high gear pretty quickly, so before you get on the treadmill, be sure to start with a few minutes of dynamic warm-up moves to activate your muscles and get the blood flowing: squats, lunges, high knees, butt kicks, calf raises, and hip circles. Then hop on, and have fun! A 30-Minute Treadmill HIIT Workout Photo illustration by Keila Gonzalez Jennifer Heimlich is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in fitness and wellness journalism. She previously worked as the senior fitness editor for Well+Good and the editor in chief of Dance Magazine. A UESCA-certified running coach, she's written about running and fitness for publications like Shape, GQ, Runner's World, and The Atlantic.

Going back to work after having a baby is not a cheap thing to do. The average cost of daycare in 2024 is higher than it's ever been, marking an expensive new chapter in the decades-long childcare crisis in the United States. "Parents are paying exorbitant fees," says Cathy Creighton, who studies childcare costs as the director of Cornell University's ILR Buffalo Co-Lab. For many families, daycare prices are higher than in-state tuition at a public four-year college. If you're getting ready to send your little one to daycare when parental leave is over, buckle up - here's an idea of the costs you might be looking at. The Average Cost of Daycare in 2024 According to a January 2024 report from childcare platform Care.com, which draws from the tuition info of daycares listed on the site, the average cost to have an infant in a licensed center-based daycare is $16,692 a year, or $321 a week. Home-based daycare for an infant costs, on average, $11,960, or $230 a week. For a toddler, the average center-based daycare is $15,236 a year ($293 a week), and a home-based daycare averages $11,388 ($219 a week). For parents of school-age kids, meanwhile, Care.com found the average cost to get an afternoon sitter for 15 hours a week is $15,184 per year, or $292 a week. Of course, costs can vary widely depending on where you live. For instance, the average infant daycare cost in Washington DC is $21,788, while in Arkansas, it's $6,708. Even within a state, there can be a huge difference between the fees in a major city and a rural or lower-income area. Why Daycare Costs Are Rising These numbers are all higher than they were last year, varying between .4 to 13 percent more. And Sean Lacey, general manager of childcare at Care.com, says that fees are only projected to grow further this year. That's partially due to inflation, but mostly because of what's been termed "the childcare cliff": the end of the $24 billion in pandemic-era federal funding that supported 220,000 childcare providers. The aid just expired in September 2023, so we're only starting to see the effects, according to Creighton. "You know, there's a cut, and it'll take a little while for the body to bleed out," she says. "It's going to be quite grim." Without those government funds, daycare centers - which operate on very slim margins - have to either pass that cost along to parents or shut down. Progressive think tank The Century Foundation projects that 70,000 childcare centers will close, leaving more than three million children across the country without care. Meanwhile, many of the daycare centers that continue to remain open are having trouble staying fully staffed, per an analysis from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. Classrooms are empty, and wait lists are growing. "There's just more demand than there is supply," Lacey says. The Effects of High Daycare Costs For all but the very wealthy and parents who qualify for a childcare subsidy, daycare is a major financial burden. The US Department of Health and Human Services considers childcare to be "affordable" when it costs no more than seven percent of a family's income. Yet according to Care.com's findings, parents are spending an average of 24 percent of their household income on childcare, and 23 percent of respondents anticipate spending more than $36,000 on it this year. And it's not just their salaries they're using to pay for tuition. More than a third of parents surveyed by Care.com reported dipping into their savings to cover the cost of childcare - and a staggering 68 percent of those families said they only have six months or less until their savings are depleted. At a certain point, parents are forced to take more drastic measures. Cornell's recent research on childcare in New York, released in March 2024, found that 42 percent of respondents who had kids said someone in their household had stopped working to take care of their children, and 76 percent of those said that decision was made because they couldn't find or afford childcare. "It was not because they felt like staying home with their kid," Creighton says. When that happens, it doesn't just affect the family that's struggling: the community misses out on the taxes and productivity of the parent who leaves the workforce. The Cornell analysis found that an investment of $1 billion in childcare could generate $1.8 billion in increased economic activity. "And that doesn't even take into account the long-term impact on the child's well-being by being in a place where they can get quality care and education," Creighton says. Parents of infants and toddlers aren't the only ones ready to do something about all of this. Cornell's research found that 79 percent of the New Yorkers surveyed - from all political backgrounds - support making childcare a free service like K–12 public schools. Multiple states, both red and blue, are making investments to continue the changes that came from that pandemic-era funding. President Biden's just-released budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year takes a cue from Canada's playbook with a $10-a-day childcare program for families earning up to $200,000 (and no cost for the lowest-income households). Of course, a proposed budget is just a wish list and - especially in an election year - a political statement. But if it ever comes to fruition, the average cost of daycare could look far different than it does for parents today. Related: What No One Tells You About Matrescence Jennifer Heimlich is a writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in fitness and wellness journalism. She previously worked as the senior fitness editor for Well+Good and the editor in chief of Dance Magazine. A UESCA-certified running coach, she's written about running and fitness for publications like Shape, GQ, Runner's World, and The Atlantic.