Was that an eye roll? 👀

Hi Barbies! We really tried to nail this summer’s version of the Barbie Girl song and dance. I mean we really, really tried. What’s that saying about dancing like no one’s watching?

—Cat & Nat

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Earth to Parents 👽

Sometimes having a teen feels like living with an alien. But our kids could soon be off the clock because actual, real extraterrestrial life might…exist?

The 411: Last week, three military veterans testified before Congress about sightings and knowledge of unidentified anomalous phenomena (that’s government slang for UFOs). Another whistleblower also claimed that nonhuman “biologics” have been recovered from alleged crash sites. This doesn’t mean ET is real, but still…

This is so whacky. It’s also probably something your teens would be interested in talking about (experts have even said kids are our best bet at communicating with aliens). So trade your usual “how was your day?” with “what do you think about extraterrestrial life?” tonight.

How to Talk to Teens About Grief 💔

Earlier this week, the family of 25-year-old Euphoria actor Angus Cloud announced that he died at home Monday. Chances are, your teens and tweens were fans of Cloud’s—he won over pretty much all of Gen Z. On TikTok, #ripanguscloud leaped from 2.4 million views Monday night to 14.7 million views Tuesday morning.

If your kids were fans, they might be grieving this loss. And grief can be really confusing for teenagers with topsy-turvy emotions. If you’re talking to your teens about grief, this may help: We spoke with registered psychotherapist Andrea Warnick about teens, profound sadness, and how we as parents can support a complex grieving process.

We’re Going on Tour ✨

We know you need it because we need it: a night out. Well, grab your Spanx, hire a sitter, and pop a bottle because your unfiltered besties and our crew are coming to a city near you.

Check out the tour lineup and grab your tickets before they’re gone. You don’t want to miss this one—we promise someone will pee their pants laughing (it might be us, but who knows).

Teen in a Mood? We’ve Got Your Back

The bad news: It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter their gender identity, their age, their report cards with “pleasure to have in class,” or their history as the world’s easiest baby. Your teens and tweens will at some point fall into a major, major mood. And chances are, you’re going to face the brunt of their frustration, anger, and emotional whiplash. Isn’t parenting fun?? 🙄

The good news: There’s a solution. We talked with parenting expert Alyson Schafer to learn why kids get into these monster moods and how we can navigate them. FYI, this one’s for our Common Parent crew—join the club here if you wanna listen in!

The perfect recs to help you both 1) make the most of the end of summer and 2) get ahead on your to-do list so the week before back to school is only moderately chaotic and not a total sh*t show.

• Start your back to school shopping. And take it from this teacher: Not all school supplies are created equal. Your kid will get over you saying no to a fidget spinner pencil bag (and their teacher will thank you).

• Start enjoying the summertime you have left. We’ve got a few ideas! ☀️

• Start your sleep routine overhaul. Our parents used to make us practice our school year bedtime and wake up for two weeks before the first day—and TBH it never made the first day easier. Instead, learn about why sleep really matters from expert Alanna McGinn in this podcast for our Common Parent community.

• Start teaching your kids the lessons they won’t learn in school. Because algebra is important, but these life skills probably matter more.

• Start experimenting with more than just takeout. We all know you won’t have time to cook like this during the school year, so try out these summer-inspired ideas for (we mean this literally) every meal and cocktails while you’ve got a little extra time.