NEED TO KNOW

• Vidya Gopalan, known as @queencitytrends, often shares parenting, lifestyle and fashion content with her nearly 5 million followers

• A recent video sparked backlash after she cleaned out her daughter's closet without consulting her about donations

• Gopalan has faced criticism before for her parenting choices, including her strict summertime rules for her children

Known to her nearly 5 million followers as @queencitytrends, 40-year-old viral mom-fluencer Vidya Gopalan primarily creates parenting, lifestyle and fashion content. Her videos often feature her husband Rakesh, whom viewers know online as Pookesh, and their two children: Sahana, 14, and Shaan, 11.

Gopalan is no stranger to sparking controversy over her parenting decisions, and a recent viral video on donating her kids' clothes is no different. The content creator began the clip by warning her children about her actions, prompting an immediate exclamation from her daughter, Sahana: "We need more clothes, not less!" Vidya laughed and fired back, "You guys act like we don't buy anything."

Vidya explained that trying to clean and organize with the children around is "too much," so she chooses to wait until they leave before she starts sorting. However, once the kids actually saw the cleaned-out closet, they appeared to calm down and acknowledged that her plan did make the space look nice.

She captioned the video, "When moms walk in with a trash bag 💕don't worry she will look over everything to make sure I didn't get rid of something she loves 😉." Nevertheless, some users in the comments section disagreed with her parenting choice, pointing out that the clothes selected for donation should be chosen by the tween herself instead of her mother.

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"These kids get no privacy in any aspect of their lives. So sad," one commenter wrote.

"You need to have respect for her and let her chose what SHE wants to get rid of 😫," another added.

"yeah that's insane. if my mom did this to me I would be livid," wrote a third.

These remarks are only a small fraction of the more than 1,000 comments left on the post, the majority of which express criticism toward Vidya's parenting.

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The video ends with Vidya panning the camera toward Sahana, who is seated next to three completely stuffed trash bags of clothing, as she asks, "Where should we donate this all… me?"

Read the original article on People

NEED TO KNOW

• A TikTok showing Aliyah Norales' daughter calmly entertaining herself without an iPad sparked a conversation among parents about screen time

• Norales says her family isn't screen-free but intentionally avoids giving their daughter personal devices or using screens as a coping tool

• The 26-year-old stay-at-home mom tells PEOPLE how she's encouraging curiosity, independence and healthy technology habits for both her daughter and herself

When Aliyah Norales sat down to fill out paperwork at an appointment, she expected an ordinary afternoon with her 2-year-old daughter. 

Instead, a quick TikTok showing the little girl quietly taking in the world around her without an iPad sparked a conversation among millions of parents about screen time, boredom and what childhood looks like today.

The text on the video read, "POV: I never did screen time in public so this is my non iPad kid while I fill out paperwork for my appointment." 

But Norales, 26, is quick to clarify that her family isn't anti-screen. "I wouldn't consider us screen-free. We're anti-iPad," the stay-at-home mom and content creator tells PEOPLE. "We don't give our daughter personal screens like phones or tablets, especially when we're out, but she does watch movies and TV at home."

Long before she became a mom, Norales imagined raising her daughter without screens altogether. That changed once she started building a family of her own and realized movies weren't something she wanted to eliminate, but something she wanted to experience together.

"Film and television are a meaningful part of our family culture and something my husband and I genuinely appreciate as an art form," she says. "I believe the value of screen time isn't just about whether children watch something, but how it's consumed. When it's intentional, shared, and thoughtfully chosen, it can create connection, spark imagination, and become part of the stories and memories a family shares."

The difference, she says, is that screens aren't the answer when her daughter is restless or bored. 

Instead, Norales has spent years making everyday moments feel like opportunities to learn, something as simple as talking through what she's doing or inviting her daughter to pay attention to what's happening around them.

"I've narrated our day to my daughter since she was born," she says. "Rather than creating separate entertainment, I invite her into what I'm already doing and explain it as we go." Whether they're waiting at an appointment or running errands, she says her daughter is encouraged to observe, explore and satisfy her own curiosity instead of reaching for a device.

That philosophy extends to Norales' own habits, too. As a content creator, she acknowledges that spending time on her phone is part of her job, but she wants her daughter to understand the difference between working and mindless scrolling.

"I genuinely want to be better," she says. 

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Norales uses a Brick device to lock distracting apps and often leaves her phone in another room, adding that if her daughter sees her filming or editing, she'll explain, "Mommy is working." If she catches herself scrolling without a purpose, though, "I make a point to put my phone away because that's not the habit I want to model for her."

Choosing not to hand over a phone during errands doesn't mean every outing is easy. Norales admits there are times she understands why other parents do it, but she's found that involving her daughter in the task at hand usually works better for their family.

"I do occasionally envy parents who can hand their child a phone and have them sit quietly while they run errands," she says. "The biggest difference with our approach is that it requires more work and intentionality on my end." 

At the grocery store, she'll ask her daughter to help put items in the cart, ask for her opinion or simply talk through her thoughts out loud. "My goal isn't to constantly entertain her," she adds. "It's to keep her engaged and help her learn from the world around her."

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Norales isn't interested in telling other parents how they should raise their children. But for anyone hoping to rely on screens a little less, she says the biggest shift might be learning to sit with the uncomfortable moments instead of immediately trying to fix them.

"I'm not an expert, and I think every family has to find what works best for them," she says. "One small change I would suggest is welcoming boredom and not making screens the default option. Give your child the opportunity to figure out what to do before stepping in to entertain them."

She adds that she's still learning alongside her daughter, but for now, slowing down, turning on music and simply being present is what's working for their family.

Read the original article on People

It's easy for clutter piles to build up in the home. One often-overlooked source: Those things you bring home but aren't sure what to do with. Organizers say the solution is to get rid of these items first, before they have a chance to pile up. Examples might include a promotional tote bag you got at a community event, small party favors from a friend's baby shower, or a flyer from that new restaurant down the street. Rather than let these items linger on the entryway table for weeks while you decide what to do with them, experts say it's best to either find a home for them or toss them as soon as you get home. Making the choice ASAP can reduce decision fatigue and keep your surfaces clutter-free. It also ensures you don't go "clutter blind" and forget about the items altogether.

Below, organizing experts share the things they always get rid of as soon as they get home, from unneeded receipts to unwanted hand-me-downs. If you're looking for more inspiration on what to declutter from your space, read up on the things professional organizers say most people keep way too long.

1) Kids' schoolwork

By sorting through schoolwork immediately, you'll make things easier for yourself and your kids in the future. "Too many times I have helped people who have been burdened with their childhood life's work instead of being blessed with a concise box of extra special pieces," says Cate Adams, professional organizer and founder of The House Half Full Professional Organizing. "I quickly sort through to see if there are any gems worth saving, and then the rest goes into the recycling."

2) Open envelopes

Keeping sentimental cards is sweet, but the envelopes are unnecessary. "We normally toss the envelope in with the card out of laziness, not for practical purposes," says Meghan Cocchiaro, a certified professional organizer and founder of Organized by Meg. Tossing it at the door halves the amount of paper you're keeping.

RELATED: 10 Paper Items Pro Organizers Want You to Toss

3) Free samples

It's easy to tell yourself you'll use all those mini face washes, perfumes, and hot sauces, but in reality, they'll sit in a drawer for years. "Unless I know I'll use them within a week, I put free promotional samples straight into the recycling," says Judith Clarkson, master KonMari consultant and professional organizer at Life Sorted. "Just because they're free doesn't mean they should take up valuable space in my home."

4) Party favors

Similar to free samples, consider how likely you or your kids are to actually use these items. "Oftentimes, goodie bags are filled with cheap plastic trinkets and off-brand candies that taste like wax," says Megan Barnhart, professional organizer and founder of Barnhart Home. "After attending an event, I always do a quick sort and purge of the goodies." Many can go right in the trash.

5) Dry cleaner hangers

If you don't get rid of these immediately, they'll stack up fast. "They rarely match my closets or add value to my wardrobe system, so I discard them," says Christina Lee, professional organizer and co-founder of Graceful Spaces Organizing. Fun fact: You can often return them to the dry cleaner if they're in good condition.

6) Unwanted hand-me-downs

"You can quickly get rid of items that were 'forced' upon you by others, such as hand-me-downs or other clutter that they were decluttering from their own lives and now represents clutter in yours," says Meghan Cocchiaro. Donate the items if they're in good condition, but don't feel guilty about tossing them.

7) Empty shipping boxes

Don't let a haphazard mountain of shipping boxes stack up by the door. "It would amaze you how many empty shipping boxes I come across when organizing homes," says Megan Barnhart. "I hear, 'I may need to send the item back,' often." She suggests setting a certain number of boxes to keep and store, but to break them down first so they take up less space. You'll always have a box for returns, but things won't get out of hand.

8) Receipts

You're probably not returning your groceries, so you can safely toss the receipt immediately. "That goes for all products you 100 percent know you will not return, including food, snacks, and clothing or shoes you are sure of or that you know you have an electronic copy of if you end up needing it," says Meghan Cocchiaro.

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The Gist

• Princess Diana's wardrobe was iconic—and, according to her former royal butler Paul Burrell, she sold some of her pieces to thrift shops.

• The reason she did so is surprising and has ties to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

• "Some dresses were never destined for auctions or museums," Burrell wrote in his book A Royal Duty.

Long before Princess Diana's famous Christie's auction in June 1997—just two months before her untimely death—the former Princess of Wales was selling her old clothing differently.

That's according to Diana's former royal butler Paul Burrell, who wrote in his book A Royal Duty that, when it came to the princess's iconic wardrobe, "Some dresses were never destined for auctions or museums."

Instead, Burrell wrote (per Marie Claire), some of Diana's designer clothes were taken to thrift stores in Knightsbridge or Chelsea "where they would be handed over in exchange for cash when sold."

It was Diana's decision to sell some items of clothing in order "to raise spending money for her, because royals rarely carry hard currency," Burrell added.

"By generating cash, she could spend it as she wished without trace, and take [her sons Prince] William and [Prince] Harry to the cinema or to McDonald's," he continued.

Burrell said of William and Harry, "In the biggest paradox of their opulent royal life, the young princes were fascinated by money and how the Queen [Elizabeth]'s face adorned every note of every denomination."

"A £10 note was a 'brown Granny' and a £50 note was a 'pink Granny,'" Burrell wrote, nodding to William and Harry's nickname for their grandmother, the queen. "When the princess handed out money, it was a joy to watch the boys jumping up and down, clutching the notes, invariably a 'pink Granny.'"

As to the aforementioned Christie's auction in June 1997—an idea from William to sell Diana's clothes to raise money for charity—The New York Times reported that the event brought in $3.25 million for 79 cocktail and evening dresses. This averaged more than $41,000 per dress, well above Christie's estimated $5,000 value for each dress.

The auction benefited cancer and AIDS charities and was attended by more than 1,100 people, no one, of course, knowing that by the end of the summer, the event would be even more poignant after Diana died in a Paris car crash at just 36 years old on August 31.

Lord Hindlip, the auctioneer and chairman of Christie's International, said Christie's took in about twice what he had expected, per The New York Times. Christie's International's creative director, Meredith Etherington-Smith, visited Diana's home at Kensington Palace to look at Diana's dresses, and was taken aback by "quite a large room" jammed with clothes.

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"The princess said, 'You can see my problem,'" Etherington-Smith said at the time. "I said, 'I certainly can.'"

During the auction in New York City in June 1997, Diana remained in London, but asked that Christie's send her the results overnight. "She wants a fax so that her butler can bring it with the breakfast tray," Etherington-Smith said.

Items from Diana's closet still go up for auction today, nearly 30 years after her death. Last summer, one of the largest auctions of Diana's belongings took place in Los Angeles, where 300 items hit the auction block. 

"I don't know if it's wrong to say this, but in some people's minds, she's like a saint," said Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed Diana's 1981 wedding dress with her then-husband David. Speaking to People, Elizabeth said, "They want to touch her, they want anything that was part of her. She was such a beautiful person, such a radiant soul—they don't want to let her go."

"I can't think of anybody else that this would apply to, who was like her and remembered by so many people," she added.

One item that will never go up for auction or for sale? Diana's winter coats. That's according to Martin Nolan, cofounder and executive director of Julien's Auctions, which put on 2025's "Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection" auction.

"We learned through this how generous Diana was, always giving items," he told People. "And you never see a coat from Diana come to auction, because she used to get her butler or her staff or friends to drive around London, [in] January, February, [in the] freezing cold."

"She'd find homeless people, and she would give her coats away," Nolan said. "That's how she was—without any spectacle or whatever."

Read the original article on InStyle