Dumb phones for smart kids

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Hello friends! Welcome back, especially to all of our friends in the US still recovering from an all-popsicles and hot dogs diet over July 4th. ’Tis the season!

P.S. Here’s your friendly reminder that members of our Common Parent community get access to a monthly virtual member meetup, where we field anonymous questions from all of you with the help of the world’s best experts. This is one of our favorite parts of doing all of this, and we can’t wait to see you at our next meetup on July 23! Want to join the Common Parent? Snag a free trial here. ✔️

Netflix’s Popular Kids Podcast Drops New Episodes

Looking for an activity that will engage and entertain the whole family? Check-out Popcorn Brainstorm! Jokes & Trivia for Kids, the chart-topping Kids & Family podcast from Netflix. Featuring trivia, games and jokes from your kids’ favorite Netflix films and series, Popcorn Brainstorm explores and quizzes listeners on Leo, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, The Dragon Prince, and many others!

Dumb Phone = Smart Choice

Social media and our phones are ruining everything. And yes, we realize that sounds a little hypocritical coming from your two favorite Instagram moms typing this on their iPhones…but do as we say not as we do, right?

Anyway, there’s a good twist on all this. Sales of “dumb phones” in North America are on the rise. People are reverting back to phones that perform basic functions only—none of the social media apps that trigger the same part of your brain as substance addiction (yikes).

Obviously, the biggest concern re: smartphone addiction is for our teens, who were basically born with an iPhone in their hands. And while it’s hard to imagine our kids trading in TikTok for T-9, we can dream.

And in the meantime? Here are 5 ways to reduce your teen’s smartphone use, complete with scripts for how to broach a touchy subject like this one.

Teach Your Kids to Wash Themselves

What’s the opposite of a Sephora teen? Asking for a friend…because we have to be honest (just like this mom). Sometimes our teens don’t smell so great. 

We’ve all been there! Puberty means body changes: periods, acne, and definitely some new B.O. smells. As parents, it’s on us to ensure our kids get the rundown on basic hygiene early and often—and, no, that doesn’t mean a full bottle of Axe body spray. 

Some things we should cover?

• Deodorant, deodorant, deodorant! In whatever form they want, as long as it masks that sweaty smell, it’s a win! 

• Remind your kids to change/wash clothes more regularly. If you’re still on laundry duty, we promise it’s worth the extra load here and there.

• Scrub that scalp! Everyone’s hair is different but one thing remains the same: hair gets dirty fast, especially in the summer.

Most importantly, remind your kids that everyone has been through or will go through puberty. There’s no shame in getting a little smelly—so long as you equip your kids with the tools to get un-smelly.

Summer Camp Blues

Conversation starter for the week: Should you force your child to do something they don’t enjoy, even if you know they’ll end up getting a ton out of it?

One mom on Reddit says her daughter presented her with a laundry list of valid reasons why she no longer wants to attend summer camp. It begs a big question: Should you force your kid to attend a summer camp that they don’t enjoy?

Our take? The answer is not one-size fits all. If your kid seems to want to quit every single thing they do, maybe allowing them to skip camp isn’t the right move because it sets a bad precedent. But if camp just isn’t their thing, maybe forcing them to go does more harm than good. The important thing is that you cultivate an environment where they feel comfortable to voice their issues in the first place.

We know free time is at a premium for anyone who cares for kids. But if you do find yourself with time to spare at some point this summer…hold on tight to that opportunity to devour a summer read. Today, the perfect recs for your summer reading list (we promise it’s more fun than your kids’).

• Holly Gramazio’s The Husbands is a hilarious story about a woman who comes home one night to an endless supply of husbands in her attic. Dream? Nightmare? Maybe both? Either way, an incredibly fun read!

• Dolly Alderton’s Good Material tells a clever, painfully relatable story about the very different sides of a break up and the hilariously unhinged things we do to mend our broken hearts.

• Melissa Broder’s Death Valley covers a ton, from the many different kinds of loss to forgiving our parents and ourselves.

• Nathan Hill’s Wellness is about the psychology of love, the triumphs and heartbreaks of parenthood, and the bumpy, terrifying, wonderful journey to real healing.

• Miranda July’s All Fours is a unique take on intimacy, motherhood, and dismantling societal expectations for women. It’s a little bit spicy too. 🌶️