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The Current: News Seattle-Area Parents Need in February 2025

Bite-sized news to fuel busy Puget Sound-area parents’ lives

Published on: January 27, 2025

mom and baby sitting on the couch mom reading the newspaper
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Cupid’s arrows points to shoppers more than lovers

Heartbreaking research from Montclair State University reveals that Valentine’s Day on social media is more about shopping than romance. Analyzing over 80,000 posts with hashtags like #ValentinesDay, researchers found that the words “shop” and “gift” appeared 131 percent more often than “love” in the posts.

Nonbinary trees

It turns out walnut trees have been gender nonconforming for over 40 million years. Biologists from UC Davis have discovered that the trees have a unique way of alternating female and male flowers throughout the growing season, which helps the plants maintain balance while avoiding self-pollination. The genetic code behind this shift functions similarly to the mechanism behind sex determination in humans.

Compassion for teens has lasting impact

A recent survey by the University of Virginia reveals that empathy is a family affair. Over a 25-year period, researchers found that parents who show empathy to their teens often raise more empathic adults. Starting in 1998, researchers followed a group of kids into adulthood, surveying them once they began to become parents themselves. The study found that the more empathic a mother was toward her teenager at age 13, the more empathic the teen was toward close friends across the adolescent years, and into adulthood as a parent.

Teen girl showing empathy to another teen girl
The more empathic a mother was toward her teenager at age 13, the more empathic the teen was toward close friends across the adolescent years. Photo: iStock

Inadequate prenatal vitamins could be putting moms and babies at risk

Unsettling research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently revealed that most prenatal supplements don’t have enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for preventing preterm birth. The research suggests pregnant women may need extra omega-3s from sources other than supplements, such as a diet rich in fatty fish like salmon.

Funding opportunity in Washington

Do you have an innovative idea for building or renovating an inclusive community space in King County? 4Culture’s Building for Equity: Facilities grant is back to support unique projects with budgets under $10 million. For 2025, the award comes with free technical help and includes three new tracks starting with projects with budgets of $250,000 and under. Applications open on Feb. 20, and the pre-screening deadline is March 25. Learn more and apply at 4culture.org.

The most romantic baby name

Is your baby daughter due in February? You may want to consider naming her Valentina in homage to the month of love. Meaning “strength” and “health,” Valentina is a sweet yet mighty name with Latin roots, making it a fresh alternative to Valerie or Vanessa. Popular in Hispanic families and on the rise globally, Valentina was the 49th most popular U.S. girls name in 2023, a steep climb from its 1995 low at 973.

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