Very recently, CNN commentator, Van Jones became the father of his third child. He now has a baby girl with a long-time friend, Noemi Zamacona with whom he will co-parent their child. Although not a strictly traditional family structure, co-parenting is becoming a more common method for people who want children to achieve this goal.

Van Jones Shared His Excitement With TMZ

Before the birth of his baby girl, Van Jones was already a father of two boys that he had with his ex-wife, Jana Carter during their 14 years of marriage. Jones told TMZ the big news and explained that they will raise her as co-parents. He said that this was a special time for both his and Zamacona’s families and that he felt joyful and blessed. However, they were not the only ones, as CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper welcomed baby boy Sebastian Luke with his co-parent and ex, Benjamin Maisani that same month.

What It Means to Be a Platonic Co-Parent

The process begins with a search for a willing and seriously dedicated co-parent. They are usually found through candid conversations with friends and like-minded people that share the desire to have a baby. If no suitable platonic partners are found in the person’s area, some turn to the internet and widen the search. A successful co-parenting strategy greatly depends on discussing and agreeing upon the parenting styles and values they’ll want to implement, and getting on the same page about decision-making concerning the child’s upbringing. Dividing responsibilities, defining roles, and developing trust are key.

Important Considerations to Make

Whether one’s chosen co-parent is a stranger or a close friend, lawyers would advise creating and signing some form of co-parenting agreement or contract. A template for such an agreement is available on Modamily, a co-parenting and dating site. Law is evolving to better accommodate these new family formates. In fact, Jerry Brown, California governor, signed a bill back in 2013 that allows there to be more than two legal parents to a child.

Different Ways of Becoming a Parent

When a co-parenting partner is chosen and all the important details of how to raise a child and share responsibilities equally are agreed upon, the next step is becoming parents. This can be done through intimacy, medical procedures, surrogacy,  or adoption. In a platonic parenting partnership, both partners decide which method to attempt.

A Valid Form of Parenting

One of the more significant societal shifts that need to occur is the realization that co-parenting is still parenting. The roles of a co-parent are the same as that of parents in marriage. Once a child is born, it takes some time to settle into parental roles and create a routine. There are those who criticize the platonic co-parenting concept saying that the children will miss out on what the mainstream concept of a family could offer, such as witnessing a healthy romantic relationship between parents. However, Cooper and Jones are great examples of the evolution of the concept of family and how it can and should be recognized and accepted in society.

If you’re a sneaker-head, you likely know how hard it can be to get your hands on a pair of limited-edition sneakers when they release. To get ahead in the sneaker-game, it’s important to start early. When it comes to selling kicks, it just got a bit easier, and that’s thanks to the e-commerce giant, eBay.

eBay Adds a New Feature

eBay is known to be the king when it comes down to buying, selling, and even reselling online. The e-commerce consumer is making it even easier to sell your designer and limited-edition sneakers online. Not only that, but they’re making it easier to purchase a pair of these sneakers without having to worry whether or not they’re indeed authentic.

When shopping online, it’s common for people to open their package and discover that it’s not an authentic product, but instead, a dupe. This is most common with luxury or designer brands, especially when it comes to sneakers.

eBay is now saying “goodbye” to fraudulent purchases as they add their new feature, which is the eBay Authenticity Guarantee for sneakers.

What Does the New Feature Entail

The authenticators for the sneakers will verify the box, along with the sizing labels, the stitching, soles, logos, laces, heel tabs, and more. Once the pair of sneakers is authenticated, the left sneaker will be tagged with a unique NFC-enabled tab that provides thorough and detailed information regarding the pair’s authenticity.

There’s no additional fee for sellers or buyers to have their designer sneakers authenticated through eBay’s experts. The company also covers the cost of three-day shipping from their authenticators to the buyer.

To qualify for use of eBay’s new feature, the shoes have to be sold for at least $150 and be shipped to an address in the U.S. and they can’t be a customized pair.