Letters by Burk #144: Stay-at-home Dad

Also, top newsletter platforms 2025, the dancing plague, childhood facts, and more

Hi friends,

I am a father of 5. You might know that. But I’ve never told you the entire story.

My firstborn son is now 15. Crazy. Time flies. He doesn’t live with me. He lives with his mother.

Then I have 4 children with my wife. My firstborn daughter died shortly after her birth due to complications with her lung. That was the hardest time in our lives.

Luckily, my sons and my little second-born daughter are healthy and well. And growing so quickly.

I love this creator job for many reasons, but one of the most important for me is the freedom I have to stay at home and do everything with and for my children.

I am sort of a stay-at-home dad that works on the computer in between. And I love it. In fact, I enjoy cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes, and all the housework.

When I worked my 9-to-5 for Google a few years ago, I was gone from 6 am to 6 or 7 pm.

It was a nice job, a good salary, and fun, but the commute and the time away wore me out. I saw my kids for an hour a day during the week. That’s not how it should be, I think. But it’s the reality for many people.

I’d much rather be a stay-at-home dad.

Fitting quote:

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#1 Main Story:

The Best Newsletter Platforms in 2025 (The Only List You'll Need)

Newsletters are the most effective way to connect with audiences, build relationships, and grow your business.

Some people will tell you, it’s social media like TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter.

But they’re wrong. Mostly.

Social media might come in first in sheer numbers of potential followers and subscribers, but it’s way behind on return of investment (ROI) and other crucial factors for building an engaged fan base and eventually making some real money.

Large isn’t always better.

Picking the right newsletter platform can be a game-changer. But which one should you choose?

Let’s break down the best newsletter platforms of 2025, highlighting what makes each one stand out and which might be the best fit for you.

We’ll cover user experience, pricing, and key features, helping you find the perfect platform to elevate your email marketing game.

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#2 Off Topic:

When a Town In 1518 Couldn’t Stop Dancing

Few historic events are as bizarre and captivating as the so-called Dancing Plague of 1518.

Yeah… you read that right.

A small town in what is now modern-day France, where hundreds of people suddenly and inexplicably start dancing non-stop for days on end.

No, this wasn’t a medieval rave or a particularly enthusiastic festival.

This was a real event that baffled contemporaries and continues to intrigue historians to this day.

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#3 Fun Facts

Here are 10 fun facts about childhood

1. Children laugh more than adults: Kids laugh around 300 times a day, while adults typically laugh only about 17 times per day! Children’s ability to find joy in small things keeps their spirits high.

2. Children’s bones are still developing: Babies are born with around 270 bones, but as they grow, some of these bones fuse together, leaving adults with only 206 bones.

3. Kids’ brains are super fast: By age two, a child’s brain is already about 80% of its adult size and has twice as many neural connections as an adult’s brain. This rapid brain development helps them absorb information like sponges.

4. Babies can naturally swim: Newborns have a “diving reflex,” also called the bradycardic response, which allows them to hold their breath and open their eyes underwater. This reflex fades after a few months.

5. Children are natural-born polyglots: Up until around age 7, children can learn multiple languages with perfect pronunciation and fluency, thanks to their highly adaptable brain circuits.

6. Children see more vivid colors: Babies are born colorblind but develop full-color vision by about 5 months old. Their lenses are more flexible, allowing them to perceive colors in sharper contrast than adults.

7. Infants can recognize rhythm: Babies as young as a few days old can detect the beat in music. This innate sense of rhythm helps explain why children often respond instinctively to music and rhythm.

8. Baby teeth begin developing before birth: Although they don’t appear until around 6 months old, a baby’s teeth start forming in the gums while they’re still in the womb, around the sixth week of pregnancy.

9. Children’s sense of smell is more powerful: Young children have a heightened sense of smell compared to adults, which is why they can be more sensitive to strong odors.

10. Babies’ sleep is filled with dreams: While adults typically spend about 20-25% of their sleep in REM (the dreaming phase), infants can spend up to 50% of their sleep in this active dreaming stage. This helps their brains process all the new information they encounter daily.

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Read more

• How to Grow Your Substack in 2025

• MacOS Sequoia’s AMAZING New Features

• iOS 18’s AMAZING New Features

• Why You Should Ditch Gmail 2025 (And What to Use Instead)

• The Downsides Of Substack (Is It a Sinking Ship 2025)

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Something to think about

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Best,

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