All bets are off

Hello everyone! Time for a #MomTruth…if you really want your kids to play sports? Go ahead and file for a divorce, get rid of your other kids, say goodbye to your friends, cash out your savings account, and forget having any free time. You now live 1) in your car and 2) rinkside in a smelly arena. Aren’t we lucky??

Anyone else struggling through winter sports…we feel you. It’ll get better soon (maybe).

The Reality of Kids & Sports Betting

The Super Bowl is this weekend. For us, that means an excuse to eat an insane amount of buffalo chicken dip. For other people, though, it means a major sports betting moment. Do you have the info you need to make sure your kids are joining you at the buffet instead of blowing their allowance on sports betting?

Did you know: Over half of parents aren’t aware of their state’s legal age for online gambling and one in six admit they probably wouldn’t know if their child was betting online.

And the rise in popularity of online betting makes it harder to know whether kids are following legal age requirements. 58% of young adults ages 18–22 placed at least one wager last year…even in states where the legal age to gamble is 21.

So? Here’s how to talk to your kids about gambling. Like so many parenting challenges we talk about…it all starts with a conversation!

How to Protect Your Kids from Human Trafficking

Human trafficking. You probably think of it as something terrifying. And also probably something that happens to other people in other places—not in your world, right? Unfortunately…that’s not the reality of human trafficking, according to Alexandra Stevenson, human trafficking survivor and anti-trafficking advocate.

So how do you teach your kids to be safe from both physical kidnapping and things like love bombing, coercive control, and other manipulative tactics traffickers and abusers use to keep their victims captive? Alexandra told us everything—and we’re so glad she did. We learned so much from her in this episode for members of The Common Parent.

Trigger warning: This episode covered topics such as sexual abuse, physical violence, drugs, and self-harm. Please listen with care.

We Love This Parenting Rule

What’s your “no questions asked” parenting rule? We shared our approach with the 🍦 emoji last week, and it inspired us to seek out more nontraditional parenting styles. This one is such a winner.

What to Know Before Putting Kids on Meds

Do your kids struggle with anxiety or depression? It’s nothing to be ashamed of—let’s reduce the stigma around mental health! Because at the end of the day, more kids (and adults) than you think are working on their own mental health.

One tool for doing just that? Medication. It’s not for everyone, but it might be something your doctor recommends for your kids…and if that happens, you want to be prepared. We loved this piece that was chock full of insights on alternative interventions, side effects, types of meds, etc. The more you know!

The perfect recs to become a better parent in just five minutes. We’ve loved sharing these Better in 5 guides with our Common Parent community—and we’re just getting started. Here are five of our favorite guides so far →

• 5 Ways To Keep Your Teen Safe Online

• 5 Ways To Encourage Healthy Eating

• 5 Ways To Deal With Teen Siblings Who Fight A Lot

• 5 Ways To Connect With Your Teen

• 5 Things To Do When Your Teen Lies To You

We’re adding new Better in 5 guides all the time. Join us in The Common Parent with a 14-day free trial to get answers to all the parenting questions you’ve been wanting to ask.