Latest news with #AshleySmith
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
My teen was making up to $30,000 a month from YouTube. I was so ignorant about the kid-influencer world.
Ashley Smith's daughter, Claire, was part of a popular YouTube channel. Ashley says she was ignorant about the financial mechanisms of social media. Ultimately, the money wasn't worth the chaos influencing created, she says. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ashley Smith and Patience Rock Smith, the parents of Claire Smith and the subjects of a recent Netflix docu-series, "Bad Influence." Recently, my wife, Patience, and I have been getting a lot of backlash after a documentary about our daughter's time as a kid influencer aired on Netflix. I get it — the documentary shows abuse, questionable decision-making, and chaos. If I knew what I was getting into, I would never have let it happen. But I was ignorant about the world of kid influencers. My wife's niece, Piper Rockelle, is a YouTuber with more than 12 million subscribers. My daughter, Claire, was excited about the opportunity to film with Piper. Patience thought that working with her sister, Tiffany, might help rebuild their troubled relationship. I just thought we were filming with family, and that sounded fun. My daughter travelled to LA to film 3 days a week I've thought a lot about trust in recent years. We're often told not to trust strangers. When family is involved, however, it's easy to ignore those little gut feelings telling you that something is off. Looking back, I can see I had some reservations about Tiffany. At the time, I didn't hear those internal warnings — or maybe I tried not to. Each week, Claire and Patience would drive from our home in Las Vegas to LA, where Claire would film YouTube videos under Tiffany's direction. They'd be in LA for three days, usually Sunday through Tuesday, and then come home for four days. Since Claire wasn't always in LA, having the split schedule helped us maintain some normalcy in our lives. I wanted my daughter to know her income wasn't normal Eventually, Claire got her own YouTube channel. Compared to other kids in Piper's "squad," she wasn't a high earner, but she still made nearly $30,000 during her most lucrative month. I have a background in finance and encouraged Claire to save her money and invest for her future. I couldn't stand the frivolous spending I saw in LA, like the girls getting their nails done constantly. I wanted her to save for needs, like a car and college, not just on wants. We're a pretty middle-of-the-road family income-wise. I had a lot of conversations with Claire about how her income and lifestyle weren't normal for a 14-year-old. I tried to do it in a way that didn't scare her. I want other parents to be informed Patience was the first one to realize that the environment around filming for the squad was becoming unhealthy. It was causing a lot of chaos in our family. Patience felt guilty — if I had never fallen in love with her, Claire wouldn't have been exposed to this world. Patience stopped taking Claire to LA, so I went instead. It didn't take long for me to realize I wanted my child out. When Tiffany insulted Claire, we left. Claire still does occasional content on social media, but there's no pressure. We've decided to keep sharing our story because we were so oblivious going in. Social media is here to stay, and I don't think it's all bad. Any child with an account could go viral or have a filming opportunity with an influencer, like Claire did. I'm creating courses for parents that have all the information I wish I'd known. Our story is about more than that, though. It's about recognizing abuse and gaslighting, and the impact that a dysfunctional family can have. We want to heal trauma, but sometimes you can't see how bad it is until it's all taken away. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
CBC
04-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
New space at The Forks aims to help visitors discover Indigenous tourism offerings in Manitoba
A new discovery space in Winnipeg aims to help people explore the growing Indigenous tourism industry in Manitoba. Explore Indigenous, launched at The Forks national historic site on Friday by Indigenous Tourism Manitoba and The Forks North Portage Partnership, was developed to build awareness and understanding of Indigenous-led tourism experiences in the province, a news release said. The space includes self-guided learning tools and interpretive displays that introduce people to Indigenous Tourism Manitoba's network of tourism operators. The space also serves as the new home for Turtle Tours, an Indigenous-owned walking tour and culinary experience, and Indigenous Tourism Manitoba's discovery centre. Ashley Smith, who owns and operates Turtle Tours and runs Turtle Village — a tourist destination in Riding Mountain National Park — said it's "monumental" for her operation to be among those opening in the Explore Indigenous space, in what she described as the heart of Canada. "It's not just a business, it's a story. It's one that's been passed down through generations, and it comes out of a deep love for our people and for the generations yet to come," Smith said at a Friday news conference to launch the space at The Forks, a national historic site where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet that was an Indigenous meeting place for thousands of years before colonization. "Through these tours, we invite people into our history — not the one that's written in books, but the one that we carry in the land, in our memories and in our voices." Holly Spence, the chief executive officer of Indigenous Tourism Manitoba, said the space aims to "create more awareness about our Indigenous tourism experiences that we have here in Manitoba, and where to find them and what they have to offer." "As a growing industry, we really need to spread that awareness about where to find our authentic Indigenous-led tourism experiences and help drive traffic to those businesses," Spence said, adding the number of Indigenous tourism operators in Manitoba has grown in the past couple of years from 81 to more than 170. "Those businesses support economic development in their communities, they help create jobs, they help [people] support their families." Spence said the space will open on weekends initially, but there are plans to eventually expand those hours. It will also include a curated product showcase featuring artisans accredited by Original Original — an initiative from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada that helps identify experiences that are at least 51 per cent Indigenous-owned — and linking people directly to Indigenous-owned businesses through QR codes. In the future, there will also be on-site retail, the release said. "It's about culture, it's about history, and it's about stories that have always been here. Indigenous tourism is growing in Manitoba," said Angela Cassie, chief operating officer of Travel Manitoba. Rotating displays and videos will also help tell stories of Indigenous tourism operators in Manitoba, while visitor information service staff can help travellers include an Indigenous tourism experience in their trip planning. Indigenous Tourism Manitoba has also launched its new guidebook, called Adventure to Understanding, which serves as a travel companion highlighting operators in Manitoba accredited by Original Original. It's all something Nellie Kennedy, Manitoba's minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism, said plays a role in what she described as economic reconciliation. "It's important in the sense that we support Indigenous communities and tourism operators," Kennedy said.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Should You Let Teens Sleep Late During the Summer, Or Wake Them Up?
The mom of a 16-year-old night owl asks: How much sleep do teens need in the summer? Should parents wake up their teens at a semi-decent hour of the morning, or let them sleep? 'He is turning into a vampire, staying up all night and sleeping all day,' Ashley Smith, a middle school teacher, tells about her teen son. 'Is that normal — or am I totally crazy for letting him do his own thing in the summer?' Smith quizzed TikTok for help. 'Question for parents of teenagers, especially teenage boys,' Smith said in a TikTok video. 'How long are we letting them sleep in during the summer — do we wake them up at all?' Parents had different rules for summer bedtimes, responding: 'As long as they want. Summer is for recharging.' 'When they're sleeping, they're not eating all the food. Let them sleep.' 'Two teenagers here. They're sleeping in as long as they want, so they're not bothering me.' 'You never wake a sleeping baby. Same applies with teenagers.' 'We're a farming family, so no, our son can't sleep all day. In summer, he can sleep an hour later than during the school year, so 6:30 a.m.' 'Unless we have plans, I let all the kids sleep. If they have chores or things I need them to do, they can do it when they're up. I don't care if they clean their room at 9 a.m. or 11 p.m., as long as it gets done.' 'Depends on why they're sleeping so much and how late in the day. If they're waking up at 4 p.m. and playing video games until 6 a.m., that's a 'No' for me.' 'Youth is such a short period of time. They have the rest of their lives to have alarms and deadlines. Let them be kids, as carefree as possible, for as long as possible.' 'My parents made me work, volunteer, etc. during the summer. Y'all aren't setting these kids up for success.' 'Why do you think kids grow so much over the summer? ... They are exhausted, they are growing.' 'Summer just started two minutes ago. Let them sleep.' Smith tells that her 15-year-old daughter wakes up around 10 a.m. to hit the pool, while her 16-year-old son has been rising in the late afternoon, after staying up for most of the night playing video games. The lenient bedtime rule, says Smith, is more for her son, who wakes up early during the school year and for part of the summer to attend marching band practice. 'There's a lot of variability for sleep duration across all ages of children,' Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee, the director of pediatric sleep medicine at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, tells 'For teenagers, the current recommendation is at least eight hours of sleep — and not less,' says Bhattacharjee, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 'As children get older .... their need for sleep reduces: Babies spend half the day sleeping and adults spend a third of the day sleeping.' Bhattacharjee adds, 'Up to 85% of teenagers are not getting the recommended amount of sleep.' These are the sleep guidelines for children of other ages (including naps for the youngest kids), according to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Babies: ages 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours. Toddlers: ages 1 to 2 years old should sleep 11 to 14 hours. Preschoolers: Ages 3 to 5 years old should sleep 10 to 13 hours. School-aged children: Ages 6 to 12 years old should sleep 9 to 12 hours. Teenagers, Bhattacharjee says, should get 8-10 hours, but he notes, 'There's a range. Some teens can function on 8 hours of sleep while others may need 9 to 10 hours.' You don't have to, but it's OK if you do, and sometimes you should. 'This is an incredibly relatable scenario for many parents of teens,' John Lopos, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation, tells in an email interview. 'There's nothing wrong with checking in on and waking up a teen who's sleeping late into the day, including during summer, especially if they've had the opportunity to get ... a sufficient amount of quality sleep.' Lopos says parents should figure out the reason a teen is sleeping in for so long. 'Are they very sleep deprived from what they are doing late at night into the early morning? How is their mental health? Are there any medical symptoms that are disrupting their sleep at night?' says Lopos, adding that checking in with a medical or mental health professional can help. Teens who don't heed their natural body clocks while playing video games or using other devices at night 'are setting themselves up for a really poor sleep schedule and the consequences for health and performance that can travel with that,' notes Lopos. Even without a reason to wake up during the summer, Lopos recommends a consistent sleep-and-wake schedule for teens, which also helps them adjust to earlier wakeup times as the school year approaches. Without an explicit time at which parents should wake their sleeping teens, Lopos suggests using judgment 'based on reasonable social and activity schedules' and 'the effects of daylight.' 'Our circadian clock needs light during the day, especially sunlight in the morning, also to help our sleep at night,' says Lobos. 'Even with longer summer days, if a teen is sleeping so late into the day that they have less opportunity to get up, get outside and be active in the light, that's another contributor to an unhealthy sleep experience and a pattern of behavior that can have lasting negative effects.' Teens are usually sleep-deprived on weekdays and 'incur a sleep debt,' says Bhattacharjee, adding, 'They sleep more on the weekends to make up for it.' Video games are a frequent offender when it comes to disrupting sleep. "Engaging in video games during the nighttime exposes teenagers to potentially harmful screen time, which can disrupt their circadian rhythm," Bhattacharjee says, noting that video games can have addictive effects, making it harder for kids to stop playing and get the sleep they need. Sleep is involved in learning and memory consolidation, emotional regulation and athletic performance, according to the doctor. He adds that sleep-deprived kids could have higher rates of anxiety and depression, lower scholastic performance, poorer executive functioning and unsafe driving skills. 'Teen boys and girls need about the same amount of sleep .... but teen girls struggle more with sleep than teen boys,' says Bhattacharjee. 'That disparity starts in adolescence and persists throughout adulthood.' This article was originally published on
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The hidden financial nightmare when your child is critically ill
Menai-Davis set up It's Never You, a charity that provides support to families facing long hospital stays, after the 'financially inhumane' circumstances his family found themselves in while trying to care for Hugh. Every day, he says he speaks to 'parents [who] are struggling because they have to repay back debts on credit cards that they've taken out to cover that first initial hit of being away from work – they're losing their jobs, they're having to sell homes, they're having to sell clothes'. Some parents have to rely on food banks, or miss meals to ensure that their children can eat. Others turn to crowdfunding in the absence of any financial help, although receiving over £16,000 this way invalidates eligibility for universal credit. 'The last thing you are thinking about is how to pay the mortgage' It is the constant unknowns – whether their child might respond to treatment, and when – that adds to the enormity of families' financial burden. Ashley Smith* has spent the first two years of her daughter's life in and out of hospital following her diagnosis with neuroblastoma, a condition that has at times required chemotherapy, five-hour trips for treatment and 12 types of medication to be administered eight times a day. 'I had to get a loan. I couldn't afford to just pay,' Smith says of the endless costs, which hit £18,000 during one period of treatment alone. These often require relocation to be close to a specialist hospital, leaving many parents paying rental costs on top of their mortgage. For single parents like Smith, who receive no financial support from their former partners, these mount up even quicker. To cope with the mental load of dealing with her daughter's illness, she went from full-time work to part-time to fit in with her care. 'I pick up extra hours where I can, and I work at night just to try and pay off the debt that I've got,' she says. Smith is also repaying a loan from her parents. The financial implications have repeatedly left her in a state of 'sheer fear – it's a really scary place to be', she admits. 'You're going through the absolute worst. You're holding a baby that is lifeless, and the last thing you want to be thinking about is: 'Can I make the mortgage this month?'' She says that the last resort, should things reach that point, will be selling their home. Menai-Davis hopes that this week's meeting finally marks the turning point for struggling families. He notes that on becoming Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer promised to back workers who, 'if things go wrong, might need a little bit of help. That's exactly what we're asking for now'.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Not just a party:' World Pride celebrations end with defiant politics on display
After the raucous rainbow-hued festivities of Saturday's parade, the final day of World Pride 2025 in the nation's capital kicked off on a more downbeat note. Thousands gathered under gray skies Sunday morning at the Lincoln Memorial for a rally and protest march, as the community gathers its strength for a looming fight under President Donald Trump's second administration. 'This is not just a party,' Ashley Smith, board president of Capital Pride Alliance. 'This is a rally for our lives.' Smith acknowledged that international attendance numbers for the bi-annual World Pride were measurably down, with many potential attendees avoiding travel to the U.S. due to either fear of harassment or in protest of Trump's policies. 'That should disturb us and mobilize us,' Smith said. Protesters cheered on LGBTQ+ activists taking the stage while waving both traditional Pride flags and flags representing transgender, bisexual, intersex and other communities. Many had rainbow glitter and rhinestones adorning their faces. They held signs declaring 'Fight back,' 'Gay is good,' 'Ban bombs not bathrooms' and 'We will not be erased.' Trump's campaign against transgender protections and oft-stated antipathy for drag shows have set the community on edge, with some hoping to see a renewed wave of street politics in response. 'Trans people just want to be loved. Everybody wants to live their own lives and I don't understand the problem with it all,' said Tyler Cargill, who came wearing an elaborate costume with a hat topped by a replica of the U.S. Capitol building. Wes Kincaid drove roughly 6 hours from Charlotte, North Carolina to attend this year. Sitting on a park bench near the reflecting pond, Kincaid said he made a point of attending this year, 'because it's more important than ever to show up for our community.' Reminders of the cuts to federal government programs were on full display, Sunday. One attendee waved a pole bearing a massive rainbow flag along with a large USAID flag; another held a 'Proud gay federal worker' sign; and a third held an umbrella with the logos of various federal program facing cuts — including the PBS logo. Trump's anti-trans rhetoric had fueled fears of violence or protests targeting World Pride participants; at one point earlier this spring, rumors circulated that the Proud Boys were planning to disrupt this weekend's celebrations. Those concerns prompted organizers to install security fencing around the entire two-day street party on a multi-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue. But so far, the only clear act of aggression has been the vandalizing of a queer bar last week. Late Saturday night, there was a pair of violent incidents near Dupont Circle — one of the epicenters of the World Pride celebrations. Two juveniles were stabbed and a man was shot in the foot in separate incidents. The Metropolitan Police Department says it is not clear if either incident was directly related to World Pride. A cold rain began falling around noon Sunday as the rally speakers cut short their comments and prepared to march. Some attendees filtered away while others huddled under umbrellas and ponchos. 'Rain will not stop us, and after rain comes rainbows,' said one speaker from the stage. The speeches didn't just target the Trump administration or the Republican Party. Some turned their ire on Democratic politicians, who they say have wilted under the pressure of Republican control of the White House and both houses of Congress. 'We have to call out people who have abandoned our movement,' said Tyler Hack of the Christopher Street Project. 'Being a Democrat is more than carrying the party affiliation,' Hack added. 'It's about unapologetic support for the trans community.' While the main march headed toward the U.S. Capitol, a separate group splintered off and headed toward the White House, unfurling a large 'TRUMP MUST GO NOW' banner. Those who stayed to brave the weather said their presence amid less-than-ideal circumstances was vital. 'People are still out here, despite the rain, despite their exhaustion,' said Gillian Brewer, a university student studying physics from Silver Spring, Maryland. 'We're not going anywhere.' Brewer expressed some frustration that the turnout for Sunday's protest march was lower than for the World Pride parade the day before, which she decided to skip. 'This is more important,' Brewer added. 'You can party all you want but at the end of the day, the protest is why we can party.' Natalie Farmer, who traveled from San Diego with her wife, attributed the difference in numbers between the march and Saturday's parade to people being tired from celebrating the previous night. 'Some of us have to do the rallying to keep the party going,' Farmer said. 'We all fight in different ways.'
