One morning last week, while sipping coffee in bed and scrolling on my phone, my social media feed presented an article about parenting teenagers using the “potted plant” method.
“Get this,” I said to my husband Chris, next to me in the bed. “This article says that teenagers don’t want to engage with their parents, but they still want them nearby, hovering quietly in the background – like a ‘potted plant,’” I said using air quotes.
Chris looked up from his phone. “So first it was helicopter parents, then snow plow parents, and now potted plant parents?”
He rolled his eyes and went back to Wordle. However, I was interested enough to read on.
“While normally developing teenagers seek new levels of emotional and physical distance from their parents perhaps they, like toddlers, feel most at ease when their folks balance active engagement with detached availability,” she writes.
The research cited in the piece is convincing: physical proximity alone, whether or not you’re actually connecting, does appear to improve adolescent well-being.
Maybe, I thought to myself as I got out of bed to begin my day. But at what cost to the parents’ well-being?
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My children are now 18, 20, and 22, technically past the teenage years the potted plant method targets. But they are not quite out of the nest, and so the article still landed. I recognised the instinct: that parental tug to stay nearby, available, just in case.
I also recognised the trap.
I know so many parents on the verge of an empty nest who don’t know what to do with themselves – who have been so busy being parents that they’ve forgotten to build a life of their own.
The potted plant method gives them permission to keep delaying that reckoning. When the baseball games end, and the rides stop, what’s left? In retrospect, refusing to disappear into the background has set me up for a full life, and I’m ready to step into it.
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Do you remember that scene from The Goonies when Mikey Walsh gives that pivotal speech and declares, “It’s our time”? I’m ready to give that speech to myself. After 22 years of parenting, it’s my time. I am done. I know, I know. Older parents are already typing their responses: “You’re never done parenting, blah blah.” I respectfully cry bullshit. The late, great radio psychologist Dr. Joy Browne used to say: “Your job as a parent is to give your kids roots and wings. And the wings are the hardest part.” If you’ve done your job, the wings are what they’re using right now. Let them fly.
Here’s the thing. I actually was a potted plant for the first seven years of my parenting, present in body, not fully there in any other way. I suffered from the disease of alcoholism, and although I could check the boxes (packed lunches, PTA, tooth fairy), a layer of vodka acted as a barrier between my kids and me. I got sober through a 12-step program when my kids were 7, 5 and 3, and what followed were 15 years of genuine, engaged, present motherhood. However, I never gave up all of myself as these parenting trends seemed to suggest you should.
During those years, while the kids were at school, I worked part-time and took a memoir-writing class. As my children grew more independent – when they no longer needed rides and their math classes became so advanced I could no longer help with the homework – I joined the workforce full-time and dedicated more hours to my writing. My hard work paid off. My debut memoir, Sober Mom, is being published this summer.
Should I skip the writing conference because my daughter might want me in the room while she watches TV? Should Chris and I cancel our weekend away in case one of my adult sons needs someone to explain how the washing machine works?
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What I want – what I’ve decided my kids actually need – isn’t my quiet presence on the periphery of their lives. I want them to see a woman who finished her memoir, who went to the writing conference, who kept showing up for her own life the same way she showed up for theirs. I want them to witness what a marriage looks like when two people still choose each other after 20-plus years – two people who still go away for weekends alone. And I want them to learn, by watching me, that parenting doesn’t have to mean disappearing.
So, if they pick their heads up from their phones and wonder, Where’s mom? Good. That’s the point. I’m not a potted plant.
Elizabeth Jannuzzi’s debut memoir, “Sober Mom,” will be published by She Writes Press in July 2026 and is available now for pre-order. Her work explores themes of loss, motherhood, and recovery from alcoholism. Her essays have been featured in Under the Gum Tree, The Rumpus, WOW! Women On Writing, and more. Elizabeth earned a Best of the Net nomination in 2023. She is the program director at Project Write Now, a nonprofit writing organization. She engages with her audience through a weekly Substack newsletter.
The Falcon Inn in Arncliffe doubled as The Woolpack in the ITV series in the 1970s when it was known as Emmerdale Farm and featured in the show’s title sequence for many years.
The village green it overlooks continues to be used as a filming location for Channel Five’s All Creatures Great and Small.
Now, the leasehold of the pub has been brought to the market by leisure property specialists Fleurets.
The grade two listed, family-owned Dales pub has changed little since the 1870s.
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Described by Fleurets as “one of the most individual and storied inns in the Yorkshire Dales” it is being marketed at a guide rent of £25,000 per year.
The ivy-clad property looks out over a “quintessential Dales village scene”, says Fleurets, complete with free-roaming chickens and ducks and rolling hills beyond.
Inside, the inn is a step back in time with fireplaces, mullion windows, simple tap room furnishings, and beer served by the jug from barrels behind the bar.
The property also includes six letting bedrooms, a two-bedroom private cottage, and four miles of fly-fishing rights on the River Skirfare.
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Simon Hall, Director and Head of Agency North at Fleurets, said: “The Falcon Inn is a truly unique Dales pub, with period features, coal fireplaces, and one of the country’s best-known village greens. It is a step back in time to the way pubs used to be, with character in every corner.
“These authentic features are what visitors love and remember, making the Falcon Inn both distinctive and a successful business. It represents a rare opportunity to run a traditional Yorkshire pub steeped in history.”
Emmerdale was first filmed in Arncliffe in 1972 before moving to Esholt in 1976, where it was filmed until 1997.
Arncliffe village green (Image: Fleurets)
It is now filmed at a specially built set in the grounds of Harewood Estate, where fans of the soap can visit on open days.
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In January this year, a Bradford Council owned building in Main Street, Esholt, which was used as the post office in Emmerdale, was put up for auction, but failed to reach its £200,000 guide price.
Viewings of The Falcon Inn are strictly by appointment only through Fleurets North Office. For further information or to arrange a viewing, contact Fleurets at 0113 234 0304 or email northwest@fleurets.com.
Bahama Breeze, the Caribbean-themed dining chain, is shutting down after almost three decades in business.
Darden Restaurants — which operates restaurants including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Ruth’s Chris — is shuttering 14 of its tropical-themed Bahama Breeze locations and converting another 14 to different brands.
The company made the announcement in February, with many of the remaining Bahama Breeze locations closing for good Sunday, April 5. The closures and rebranding will mark the end of the chain.
Last May, Darden closed approximately a third of its Bahama Breeze locations and in June said it was searching for new opportunities for the brand.
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The stores that will be rebranded include 10 locations in Florida and one each in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. The stores that are closing are located in Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as five Florida locations, Restaurant Dive reports.
Darden Restaurants is closing half of its remaining Bahama Breeze restaurant locations and converting the other half of the remaining stores into different brands. The final day for the Bahama Breeze chain will be on April 5 (Getty/iStock)
“The conversion locations are great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio,” Darden said in a statement.
The company said it hopes to place as many of the affected workers as possible in other roles across its restaurants.
“Going forward, the primary focus will continue to be on supporting team members, including placing as many as possible in roles within the Darden portfolio,” the company said.
Darden said that it doesn’t expect the end of the Bahama Breeze chain to have “a material impact on its financial results.”
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The company did not reveal what the rebranded Bahama Breeze locations will become.
It’s a tough time for casual dining locations like Bahama Breeze, as inflation and the affordability crisis have made eating out more of a luxury than in past years. The rise in popularity of fast-casual restaurants has also eaten into the primary customer base for chains like those in Darden’s portfolio.
The company has seen growth thanks to its Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse brands, with both posting strong same-store sales growth last quarter.
But other chains are struggling.
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Last year, Bravo Brio, an Italian chain, went bankrupt for the second time and closed some of its locations. Outback Steakhouse closed several locations ahead of a planned 2026 brand overhaul. Other chains — including Hooters, Bar Louie, and Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe — shut down stores and filed for bankruptcy in 2025.
Bahama Breeze, the Caribbean-themed dining chain, is shutting down after almost three decades in business.
Darden Restaurants — which operates restaurants including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Ruth’s Chris — is shuttering 14 of its tropical-themed Bahama Breeze locations and converting another 14 to different brands.
The company made the announcement in February, with many of the remaining Bahama Breeze locations closing for good Sunday, April 5. The closures and rebranding will mark the end of the chain.
Last May, Darden closed approximately a third of its Bahama Breeze locations and in June said it was searching for new opportunities for the brand.
Advertisement
The stores that will be rebranded include 10 locations in Florida and one each in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. The stores that are closing are located in Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as five Florida locations, Restaurant Dive reports.
Darden Restaurants is closing half of its remaining Bahama Breeze restaurant locations and converting the other half of the remaining stores into different brands. The final day for the Bahama Breeze chain will be on April 5 (Getty/iStock)
“The conversion locations are great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio,” Darden said in a statement.
The company said it hopes to place as many of the affected workers as possible in other roles across its restaurants.
“Going forward, the primary focus will continue to be on supporting team members, including placing as many as possible in roles within the Darden portfolio,” the company said.
Darden said that it doesn’t expect the end of the Bahama Breeze chain to have “a material impact on its financial results.”
Advertisement
The company did not reveal what the rebranded Bahama Breeze locations will become.
It’s a tough time for casual dining locations like Bahama Breeze, as inflation and the affordability crisis have made eating out more of a luxury than in past years. The rise in popularity of fast-casual restaurants has also eaten into the primary customer base for chains like those in Darden’s portfolio.
The company has seen growth thanks to its Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse brands, with both posting strong same-store sales growth last quarter.
But other chains are struggling.
Advertisement
Last year, Bravo Brio, an Italian chain, went bankrupt for the second time and closed some of its locations. Outback Steakhouse closed several locations ahead of a planned 2026 brand overhaul. Other chains — including Hooters, Bar Louie, and Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe — shut down stores and filed for bankruptcy in 2025.
Raval Indian Brasserie & Bar, located near the Tyne Bridge in Gateshead, has built a reputation as one of the region’s leading fine-dining destinations.
Sir Ian McKellen (Image: RAVAL)
In recent years, that reputation has travelled far beyond the North East, attracting a steady stream of A-list visitors.
Among the most notable names to dine at Raval is legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen.
The star of The Lord of the Rings and X-Men chose the restaurant during a visit to the region, a moment manager Nas Islam described as a particular honour.
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Claire King from Emmerdale (Image: RAVAL)
“It was a real privilege to welcome Sir Ian McKellen,” he said.
“For someone of his stature to choose to dine with us speaks volumes about the standards we aim to maintain every single day.”
The glittering guest list does not stop there.
Tony Hadley (Image: RAVAL)
Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole has been spotted enjoying the restaurant’s refined dishes, while acclaimed classical pianist Martin James Bartlett visited ahead of a performance at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, just a short distance away.
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Raval has also struck a chord with pop royalty.
Brendan Cole (Image: RAVAL)
Boyzlife duo Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden praised the food during a recent visit, and 1980s music icon Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet fame described his experience as “first-class”.
Television favourites have likewise been drawn through its doors.
Toadie from Neighbours (Image: RAVAL)
Emmerdale star Claire King, a long-standing fan favourite, and Ryan Moloney, known to millions as Jarrod “Toadie” Rebecchi in Neighbours, have both sampled the restaurant’s signature blend of authentic Indian flavours and contemporary presentation.
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Raval’s rise as a celebrity hotspot comes as little surprise given its growing list of accolades.
The restaurant was named Best Indian Fine Dining Restaurant outside London at the 2024 Asian Curry Awards and currently sits at the top of the British Indian Good Food Guide’s national rankings.
Known for its elegant setting and carefully curated menu, Raval has carved out a distinctive niche in the UK’s competitive fine-dining scene.
It is hard to believe that Easter is behind us and we are a third of the way through 2026.
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If you are the type to keep on top of your Bank Holidays to maximise your annual leave, you may be wondering when our next day off falls.
It is hard to beat a nice little long weekend so we have rounded up the remaining Bank Holidays in Northern Ireland for the rest of the year.
Whether you are looking to get a holiday booked or like to organise your nights out around a Bank Holiday weekend, there are six Bank Holidays left this year to work with.
Here is the list of the remaining Bank Holidays in Northern Ireland for 2026:
The C2K school system, provided by Capita, is used as a curriculum support and the Education Authority had apologised to those preparing for exams over the Easter break
20:43, 05 Apr 2026Updated 20:44, 05 Apr 2026
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The Education Authority is making “good progress” to restore access to a school IT system following a cyberattack.
The C2K school system, provided by Capita, is used as a curriculum support and the Education Authority had apologised to those preparing for exams over the Easter break.
In a statement on Sunday, the Education Authority (EA) said: “We are continuing to make good progress to restore access to the C2K system following the recent cyber attack.
“Our teams have been working hard through the weekend to restore access to the system safely and securely, starting with post primary schools.”
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It added: “This work will continue over the coming days, as we move to stand the system back up in all schools as soon as possible.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The EA said the investigation is at an early stage and it “cannot yet be confirmed if any personal data has been affected”.
It said it would continue to provide updates on its social media channels and website.
Seven-time winners City, 4-0 victors over Liverpool, will be bidding for a place in the final for the fourth successive season having lost to Manchester United and Crystal Palace respectively following their last win in 2023, while the Saints will be looking to rekindle memories of their 1976 success.
The West Yorkshire club led 2-0 at the London Stadium, but saw the hosts score twice in added time to take it to an extra 30 minutes, only for the visitors to eventually triumph 4-3 on penalties and claim a place in the last four for the first time since 1987.
Chelsea, 7-0 victors over League One Port Vale, famously provided the opposition for Leeds in the 1970 final, which went to a replay eventually won by the Londoners, one of eight occasions on which they have won the FA Cup.
Chelsea and Leeds memorably contested the 1970 FA Cup final (Getty Images)
The ties will be played on Saturday 25 April 25 and Sunday 26 April at Wembley.
Rats carry lots of diseases and they can leave a mess behind so you might want someone else to help you with your rodent problem.
Let’s take a look at what you need to do and who you should call if you spot rats in your home or garden.
Who should you call if you find rats in your home or garden?
To report a pest problem, the government website encourages you to get in touch with your council to see if they provide pest control services to get rid of rats.
You can ask for help when it comes to removing rats from your home or garden (Image: Getty)
You can enter your postcode and the website will match the postcode to a council and direct you to their website for more information.
The website explains: “They are trained in rat control and will have access to a range of professional use rodenticides and tools, which are not available to the public.
“Knowing how much, where, and when to deploy products is where professionals are able to take control of situations efficiently. There’s also a growing issue with resistance, due to incorrect choice of rodenticide or widespread use by members of the public.
“Professional pest controllers will take an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to tackling your infestation.
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“A pest professional will have access to monitoring equipment, which they will use to confirm entry points into your property, the size of the infestation and to track the rat to its harbourage (nest).
“They can then recommend a proofing strategy and decide on the best course of action in terms of control; this could be traps, rodenticides or a combination of both.
“You should always expect to receive a full, written report from a professional pest technician.”
Recommended reading:
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You can find a pest management company using the BPCA website. You’ll need to enter your postcode and state whether your property is commercial or residential and the service you’d like.
Then, companies that are BPCA members and located in your area will be listed with contact details.
The BPCA says all of its members have the correct insurance and use trained and qualified technicians.
They all have to be audited to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636 and follow BPCA’s Codes of Best Practice.
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Have you spotted rats in your house or garden? Let us know in the comments below.
Days after HBO released the trailer for the forthcoming series adapted from J.K. Rowling’s beloved books, comedian Kam Patterson appeared Saturday on “Weekend Update” as Professor Severus Snape — a character previously played by the late white actor Alan Rickman, but now being portrayed by Black actor Paapa Essiedu.
After “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost introduced Snape, Patterson joked that the franchise’s titular character was “racist as hell.”
“We got this new kid. His name is Harry Potter, and he’s racist as hell,” Snape said. “Harry Potter — or, the Proud Boy Who Lived — spent the whole year telling everybody that the school’s only Black teacher was secretly evil.”
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Jost replied, referring to the plot of the first book in the series: “I think he’s just worried because he knows someone’s trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Kam Patterson played Professor Snape on a Weekend Update segment on ‘Saturday Night Live’ (NBC)
Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape in ‘Harry Potter’ (HBO)
Snape responded, “So somebody stole something, and the number one suspect is Black Snape?”
As the audience laughed, Snape joked that he was used to other characters jumping to conclusions with racist undertones.
“It happens all the time,” he said. “I showed up at Hogwarts, and on the first day they looked at me and said, ‘You’re the professor of the Dark Arts.’ I never even studied that! I majored in African Muggle Studies.”
“The whole wizarding world is racist,” Snape continued before joking about how Rowling’s books included a Black character named Kingsley Shacklebolt, which he said was “a name I’m guessing they got out of the Wu-Tang name generator.”
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“Everyone’s in these dignified robes. They dressed him up like he was selling cocoa butter incense out of a barbershop,” he said about the character’s portrayal in the original movies.
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Jost joked, “Well, for the very first time, I’m starting to think J.K. Rowling might be problematic.”
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Snape went on to say, “The whole wizarding world is messed up. We have magic, we have wands that can do anything, and people in my world still have slaves,” referring to the house elves in the series.
Patterson’s appearance concluded with Snape’s message to Harry Potter, referencing another plotline: “Your mama was thick as hell, dog. I miss her so much.”
Paapa Essiedu (left) is playing Professor Snape, who was previously played by Alan Rickman (right) (Getty Images / Warner Bros Pictures)
Essiedu’s casting has raised eyebrows, especially after the release of the first trailer, partly due to Snape being a figure that Harry mistrusts due to his own assumptions. However, the casting also sparked a wave of racist backlash against the actor over the fact that Snape was written as white.
“I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you,’” Essiedu told The Times. “The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.”
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He said, “Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in Harry Potter. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally.”
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