A mother has taken the internet by storm with her controversial decision to charge his children rent.

Samantha Bird, 30, found herself spiraling into debt and is on a mission to ensure her children don’t suffer the same fate.

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Hoping to give her children a head start when they grow up, Samantha has Simon, Jonah and Asher, nine, eight and six respectively, pay “sham bills.”

Each week the children are given an allowance of $6 (£4.76), of which $1 (79p) is expected to go towards their expenses, a further $1 for groceries and a final $1 for utilities.

The children receive their money by doing chores during the week and can keep track of everything through workbooks that their mother has created.

The insurance representative of HollandMichigan, USA said: “Once a week we sit down with the boys to check our financial records, take out their workbooks and wallets and then talk about a financial literacy.

“We charge our kids rent for a few reasons. I want them to have self-control when it comes to their money and to be able to control their spending.

After years of trying to get her financial life in order, Samantha is steadfast in trying to ensure that her children are better prepared for adulthood than she is.

The 30-year-old realizes her kids are still young, so she makes sure they know they’re saving for a treat and makes it as fun as possible.

The workbook created for them is divided into six sections: earning, saving, spending, giving, investing and spending.

She uploaded a video on TikTok she showed off her parenting technique and it was viewed more than seven million times, with many parents taking the advice and doing similar things.

However, not everyone was so positive about their feedback.

Some parents have taken the comments, and sometimes her private messages, to heart to let her know that what she is doing is wrong and that she should just let her kids be kids.

One TikTok user said: “Just let kids be kids!”

While a second added: “They are way too you to do stuff like this, just leave them alone!”

Samantha did joke that her children won’t be evicted if they don’t pay rent for a month.

The negative feedback hasn’t stopped her from helping families around the world.

She said: ‘My husband and I found ourselves seriously in debt and not in good financial health.

We charge our kids rent for a few reasons. I want them to have self-control when it comes to their money and to be able to manage their expenses

Samantha Vogel

“It took us years to get our financial lives in order and get ourselves out of the hole we were in.

“Because of this experience, I really wanted to make sure my kids could avoid this as much as possible.

“Once a week we sit down with the boys to have our money date.

“Then we take out their workbooks and wallets, discuss a financial skill for the week and hand out their pocket money.

“They receive this for doing chores during the week, and then budget it depending on the goals they are working on.

“So many parents have told me they’re going to try it with their kids, or that they wish their own parents would teach them similar things.

“A lot of people really don’t like it and want to let my children be children. It’s been a heated debate in the comments of my videos for weeks.

“It was great to see so many parents investing in their children’s finances future.”

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He’s been romantically linked to Cara Delevigne, Bella Hadid and Laura Woods during his 12 years in the spotlight.

But despite the intense interest in his romantic history, Anthony Joshua has always tried to keep his love life strictly private.

However earlier this month, the British boxer, 34, sent tongues wagging when he put on an affectionate display with influencer and businesswoman Kika Osunde.

After his triumph over Francis Ngannou on Saturday night, the athlete looked thrilled when he spotted Kika in the crowd after the match in Saudi Arabia. 

AJ ran over to the social media star, 37, and gave her a hug before she then planted a kiss on his cheek.

According to The Sun, Anthony said to her: ‘How are you Kika? I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?’

Days later, Kika posted a video on her Snapchat showing her arms wrapped around Anthony as they enjoyed some quad biking around sand dunes in Dubai.

As well as boasting almost 275,000 Instagram followers and being one of Snapchat’s ‘Top 5 UK Stars’, Kika is the proud co-founder of wig brand Good Hair and the Lagos restaurant Brass and Copper.

Although Anthony insists that he only has a relationship with professional boxing, here FEMAIL delves into the backstory of the woman who may have stolen his heart – from a leaked nude photo scandal to being slammed for a pricey career Q&A.

Upbringing and business dreams

Nigerian Kika was born in North West London in December 1987 and was the youngest of four ‘eccentric’ children, as she details on her website. 

In an interview with Femmetrepreneur in 2017, Kika explained how her friends call her ‘Keeks or Ronks’ and described herself as ‘fun, warm, fashionable and vibrant’.

Praising her upbringing, Kika told the publication: ‘My mother is my biggest supporter and has inspired me to be the ambitious, tenacious devotee of Good Hair. She taught me good work ethic and how to be a go getter!’ 

Setting her sights on the business world from a young age, Kika applied to study Business & Marketing at University College Birmingham. 

During her time at university, Kika met her business partner Chioma and the pair bonded over their shared love of wigs and weaves.

Following their graduation, Kika and Chioma set up Good Hair in 2009 and began extensively promoting it on Facebook – where they amassed a following of 135,000 in just two years.

As well as selling their hair extensions online, the pair also set up a salon in Lagos – which also offers nail, lash and male grooming services.

In January 2018, Kika and Chioma set up the restaurant Brass & Copper in Lagos, which they described as having a ‘metallic Scandi-esque vibe’. 

Kika’s ‘arrest warrant’

In early 2020, Kika found herself embroiled in scandal in Nigeria after being accused of leaking a nude photo of a fashion designer, who is married to a billionaire businessman.

After damaging stories about the designer emerged in local media, the journalists responsible claimed Kika was their source – which the social media star has always denied.

Nigerian publication The Will reported that the social media star was wanted by police for questioning but had ‘taken refuge in Ghana’ at the time before later returning to the UK.

In March 2020, Kika addressed the allegations against her on her Instagram Stories.

She said in a statement: ‘I wish to inform the general public that I’ve seen what is out there against me and my person. But anyway, I’m not ready to join issues with anybody.

‘As it stands, I’m in discussions with my lawyer and I’m making a complaint to the British authorities to be aware that there is also a threat to my life. At this point, I’m not safe anymore. I’m aware that I’ve been reported to the DSS. 

‘I know my rights and the law is going to take its cause (sic). I’m going to follow through the due process to fight my battle.

But not relent, I’m not scared of blackmail or intimidation from those trying to hide their atrocities.

At the appropriate time I will speak my truth with facts. I know my rights, and I will fight for my rights. Stay tuned…’

Kika does not appear to have ever addressed the allegations again. In an interview with Nigerian publication The Guardian, Kika revealed how she spent the pandemic in the UK.

She explained: ‘I’ve stayed very close to my family. We all decided to quarantine together, which was the best decision we made as we went through all the mental and emotional turmoils of a global pandemic together.’ 

Slammed for ‘Kika Experience’ 

Kika now splits her time between London and Dubai and has amassed over 593,000 followers on Snapchat.

The social media star has been named a ‘Top 5 UK Snapchat Star’, having racked up over 100m views on the platform.

In 2022, the star hosted an event in London called ‘The Kika Experience’ where followers could pay £225-a-ticket for an exclusive Q&A with the influencer.

On her blog, Kika wrote: ‘By the end of the experience, you’ll walk away with a playbook telling you all you need to know creating and leveraging valuable relationships across your career.’ 

On her YouTube channel The Way Up with Sol, social media star Solange criticised Kika for asking her fans to pay £225 for a ticket without specifying who the panellists at the experience would be.

Solange said: ‘Even though [her fans] want to get that experience, they might need a little more explanation because there are so many scammers out there.’

In February 2023, Kika was pictured rubbing shoulders with ex British Vogue editor Edward Enninful at a Snapchat and Vogue augmented reality fashion exhibition opening in London.

She wrote on her blog: ‘I had a chance to talk with the amazing Edward Enninful, and at one point, I even locked eyes with the legendary Anna Wintour herself who was impressed by my [Victoria Beckham] shimmery dress. It was unbelievable to be in the same room as such an icon.’ 

In recent years, Kika has worked with Tiffany & Co, Tom Ford and Chanel. She has also set up the Kika Asunde Foundation, which provides mentoring, accessible financing and ‘entrepreneurship training’ to local communities. 

Anthony Joshua ‘romance’ 

Although it is not known when the pair met, Anthony Joshua put on a very cosy display with British hair salon owner and influencer Kika Osunde following his knockout match in Dubai earlier this month.

The boxing champ cuddled up to the star as they quad biked through the desert after sharing a ringside kiss two round demolition of Francis Ngannou in nearby Saudi Arabia.

According to The Sun AJ rushed to Kika in the crowed following the match and asked: ‘How are you Kika? I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?’.

As she replied: ‘Congratulations. I’m good,’ before planting a kiss on his cheek.

They later went racing through the Dubai dunes with Kika wrapping her arms around the athlete and resting her head on his back. 

According to the publication Anthony had been riding alone, with Kika in a nearby buggy with pals, before she jumped on to join him.

A source said: ‘They looked very cosy and like they were having fun with each other.’ 

The pair also dined together at swanky Lebanese restaurant Babati Lounge and posed with pals for a snap outside the venue. 

A spokesman for AJ told MailOnline: ‘Anthony is in a relationship…. with professional boxing. He has no time for extra commitments. He is having a break from boxing and will return to the gym this week. Sadly the claims of a relationship are just rumours.’

Anthony, who shares eight-year-old son JJ with ex partner Nicole Osbourne, has previously been linked to Gigi Hadid and Rita Mahrez, the then wife of Man City player Riyad Mahrez. 

Last year Anthony revealed why he still lived with his mother insisting that any future partner would struggle to convince him to move out.

The boxer, who moved back into his mother’s two bedroom ex-council flat in 2017 sat down with Louis Theroux to discuss his close relationship with his family and warned future girlfriends they’ll need to compete with his mum, Yeta Odusanya.

‘I still live with my mum,’ the two-time world champion told the BBC. ‘In our culture, we grew up in our own family home, we support our parents. 

‘Why am I going to move out and leave my mum by herself, for some girl? Family is the most important thing. 

‘When a girl gets with me, she ain’t just marrying me, she’s marrying my family.’

The grounded boxing star, who is not publicly in a relationship, admitted that he likes to keep his personal life private as he cannot live up to the expectations people have of him.

He continued: ‘Are we going to dissect everything I say and use it as a narrative to create a story? That’s why I keep myself to myself.

‘You put all this pressure on yourself to come and be this big star and be perfect. I’m telling you, they’ll pull you down. The higher you are, the bigger the drop.’

Why it matters

Lithium-ion batteries, used to power e-bikes, e-scooters and other e-mobility devices, have quickly become one of the leading causes of deadly fires in New York City. The batteries caused 268 fires in 2023, killing 18 people and injuring 150 others.

This year, as of Feb. 26, there have been 31 lithium battery fires in the city, including a fire at a Harlem apartment building last week that killed 27-year-old Fazil Khan, a journalist, and injured 17 others.

Lithium batteries can explode with little or no warning. Fire officials have warned that batteries should not be stored or charged near doors and windows where fire could hinder escape. The safest place to charge batteries is outdoors.

“I think I can literally say today that projects like this are going to save lives,” Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at a news conference.

The charging hubs will be installed starting next week, Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.

Background

Last year, New York became the first city in the United States to ban the sale of e-mobility devices and batteries that are not certified to industry safety standards. The city council passed a law on Wednesday to strengthen enforcement and penalties for illegal sales of devices and require sellers to post battery safety information in stores and online.

New York leaders have also focused on unsafe battery conditions at e-bike shops public service announcementsand lobbied for greater state and federal oversight of e-mobility devices. Several voluntary trade-in programs have attempted to take unsafe e-bikes and batteries off the streets.

The city received a $25 million federal grant last year to install 173 outdoor charging stations for e-bikes and other e-mobility devices in 53 of the city’s subsidized public housing complexes, but none have been built yet. A separate pilot program with utility Con Edison is expected to install charging stations in four other complexes by the end of this year.

A safer way to charge e-bikes

The city collaborates with three companies: Swobbee, PopWheels And Swiftmile — about the new charging hubs.

The other locations are outside Essex Market, a food market on the Lower East Side; at Plaza de Las Americas, a pedestrian plaza in Washington Heights; at Willoughby and Jay Streets in downtown Brooklyn; and at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park.

Swobbee and PopWheels will install battery swapping stations where riders can replace used batteries with fully charged ones. Swiftmile installs a secure charging bicycle rack where e-bikes can be parked and charged. Only at the Cooper Square and Brooklyn Army Terminal hubs will charging technologies from all three companies be available.

The charging hubs will include fire safety measures such as sensors to monitor the batteries and an automatic shut-off function if a battery overheats. Fire officials will regularly inspect each charging hub.

During the pilot program, a maximum of 100 delivery personnel worked can do volunteer work to use the charging hubs for free and provide feedback to the city. City officials did not immediately respond to questions about how much the pilot program would cost and whether it would be expanded beyond delivery drivers.

Swobbee already operates a network of battery swapping stations in 10 cities in Europe, including Vienna, Berlin and Lisbon. William Wachtel, president of Swobbee USA, said the company has had no fires after more than a million complaints.

Mr. Wachtel said the company plans to set up a network of charging hubs for all e-bike riders across New York, charging up to $2 per day for unlimited battery changes.

CYBERSECURITY experts have warned that criminals could hack into wireless chargers and damage your phone.

Researchers from the University of Florida even published a study into the attacks.

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“Our research has identified new vulnerabilities in wireless charging systems, making them susceptible to intentional electromagnetic interference.

“These vulnerabilities facilitate a range of new attack vectors, allowing adversaries to manipulate the Charger and conduct a range of attacks,” the researchers said. wrote.

The experts have named the attack method VoltSchemer and described in detail how it works.

They say this has the potential to affect “commercial off-the-shelf wireless chargers.”

The VoltSchemer attack method is said to target two specific features of common wireless chargers.

First, the researchers focused on the way phones and wireless chargers communicate information.

Second, they took advantage of the lack of encryption that allows wireless chargers to charge almost any compatible phone placed on it.

These two factors would make wireless chargers susceptible to attacks from middlemen, Kaspersky said.

The researchers proved that they could create a malfunctioning power adapter that looks just like a USB wall socket.

They used this to send messages to a nearby wireless charger and manipulate how it behaved.

It was also possible to fry objects using the hacked wireless charger.

The researchers heated a paper clip to 280°C and were able to set documents on fire.

It’s worth noting that your wireless charger at home is probably safe.

If you’re concerned about using wireless chargers in public, try bringing your own portable charger or a plug that plugs into a power source.

THERE are all kinds of battery-saving hacks in the world of TikTok, but not all of them are necessarily effective.

Some are actually a complete waste of time.

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We recently heard that Apple is not recommending the long-awaited trick of dipping a wet iPhone in rice.

But how well do you know the myths and truths about batteries? Check the five below and see if you're doing the right thing for your Android phone.

Charging at night is bad for your phone

• Myth or truth? Little myth

People believe that leaving your phone charged overnight will damage the battery over time.

Nowadays, your Android handset is smart enough to control its power consumption so it doesn't get overloaded.

But there are factors related to overcharging that will age your phone's battery faster, namely the heat it can generate.

Samsung's website states: “The battery is not at risk of overcharging if you leave your phone plugged in overnight.

“Once the battery is fully charged, the charging process stops and only restarts periodically to keep the battery at full capacity.”

But it also explains: “Technically, it is recommended to disconnect your phone once the battery is fully charged (at 100%) to extend its life.

“However, the positive impact of this action is relatively minimal.”

Airplane mode saves battery

Airplane mode is an easy way to save battery life quickly, but of course it comes at a cost.

You lose access to everything that makes cell phone connectivity, so no calls or data.

But if you don't have a charger and desperately need to save the dwindling battery for an emergency or to make a call later, airplane mode is a good option.

You can still enable Wi-Fi in airplane mode, but this will consume more battery.

Closing apps saves battery life

You might think that force-closing apps will save battery life, but this is incorrect.

According to WiredGoogle has previously stated that closing apps completely can actually use more battery.

When an app is not running, it goes into a kind of sleep mode.

That's because constantly closing and reopening apps consumes more energy.

Reduce the screen brightness

Brightness is known to be one of the biggest battery drainers on phones.

So the brighter your screen is, the more battery you use.

By lowering the brightness you can save some juice.

Don't forget that there is also a dark mode that can help.

Let your battery drop to zero before charging it

• Myth or truth? Myth (but was once a truth)

Letting your phone's battery drop to zero before charging it will not improve its lifespan, contrary to popular belief.

This was the case with old telephones with nickel-based batteries.

But the batteries of today's smartphones don't need that treatment at all.

IF you have an Android phone, there are some easy ways to extend the life of your battery.

Google has revealed eight different settings you should check to 'use less battery'.

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The effect they have on your battery life depends on your phone model and your own usage.

But they are a good start to reducing the burden on your battery.

Not only will that keep your Android's charge going further, it should also protect the battery health the battery also lasts longer.

“There are several actions you can take to extend the life of your device's battery and make charging last longer,” Google said.

Try switching them one by one and see if it goes well with the changed settings.

The list of eight settings is:

• Let your screen turn off sooner.
• Reduce the screen brightness.
• Set the brightness to change automatically.
• Disable keyboard sounds or vibration.
• Limit apps with high battery usage.
• Turn on the adaptive battery.
• Delete unused accounts.
• Enable the dark theme.

The locations of these settings may vary depending on your Android phone model, so make sure you check where they are for your specific device.

THAT'S NOT ALL

There are three other ways to ensure you protect your battery.

The better its health remains, the better your charge will be over time.

That's important if you plan to keep your Android phone for a few years.

First make sure you have the current adapter that came with your phone – or at least chargers from reputable brands that provide similar power levels.

Second, make sure your Android stays cool.

“Avoid situations where your phone could overheat, especially if your battery is fully charged,” Google explains.

“Your battery will drain much faster when it is warm, even if you are not using it. This type of discharge can damage your battery.”

And third, Google recommends charging “as much or as little as necessary.”

“You don't have to teach your phone battery capacity by going from full charge to zero, or from zero to full,” Google recommended.

“We recommend that you occasionally drain your battery to less than 10% and then fully charge it overnight.”

There are many tips to boost your iPhone's battery, but turning off things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth won't make a difference.

Some hacks are just a myth and just waste your time.

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And others can do just the opposite, draining your energy faster.

Here are some you may have heard before that you think won't make any difference iDropNews.

Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Wi-Fi uses little energy on your iPhone, just like Bluetooth.

In fact, your device will consume more battery from 4G and 5G than Wi-Fi, and when Wi-Fi is turned off, it will resort to the network instead.

If you really want to save battery life, you should enable airplane mode to block all connections.

Force close an app

Force closing apps can save some power, especially if you've gone into settings and discovered it's a heavy battery sucker.

But there's a catch.

Constantly opening and closing apps will actually consume more power as your device will have to restart everything every time.

So for the apps you use often, like WhatsApp or Instagram, it's probably better to leave them alone.

Draining the battery

It used to be best practice to leave the battery completely empty, but that's really old news.

Nowadays the technology is more intelligent and you don't need to drain it to make its life last longer.

So don't be afraid to charge your iPhone whenever you want and for as long as you want.