How to give teens advice

In partnership with

Hi there! This gorgeous weather has us coming up with all sorts of new business ideas and…all of them revolve around drinking a refreshing cocktail outside. Who wants to invest?!

Your Advice Isn’t Falling On Deaf Ears

Teens dismissing their parents’ advice is a tale as old as time. And even though it happens on the regular, it can still be disheartening. 

Are our kids hearing us? Do they understand that any advice we give them is not to “nag” but because we love them? Or are we kidding ourselves? 

Good news: Your kids are absorbing your guidance, even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

• Kelly Tu, lead author of the study, summarized it best: “One of the main takeaways from this study is the importance of providing kids with a wide range of suggestions they can apply in different situations…even if they don't seem to be receptive in the moment, we are finding that some advice still has longer-term benefits.”

So keep on offering your kids advice (minus the “I told you so”) with plenty of options and ideas for a path forward. They’re listening. We promise!

How To Prepare Your Child For College

If you have a teen headed to college soon, congrats to them! And sending a virtual hug to you, because you might be crying into your lunch right now at the thought of your kid heading off on their own.

Want some tips on preparing your child to become an independent young adult? We’ve got you. A former professor weighed in on what they learned after teaching college freshmen for almost a decade:

• Teach them to manage their money! The sooner they have a grasp on finances, the better off they will be.

• Make mental health as much of a priority as physical health. Advocate for therapy, exercise, good sleeping habits, and proper hygiene. 

• You won’t always be there to help them—encouraging your kids to ask for help is a skill they’ll need in college and beyond.

Fun Audio Experiences for the Whole Family

Limiting screen-time is often at odds with your kids enjoying their favorite films and series. But not with Popcorn Brainstorm! Jokes & Trivia for Kids, the chart-topping Kids & Family podcast from Netflix. Featuring trivia, games and jokes about Netflix films and series, Popcorn Brainstorm is an audio experience that keeps everyone in the family connected, entertained and having fun.

Listen to episodes about Leo, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, The Dragon Prince and many more!

Gen Z Has Rizz

Did we use that slang right? Our kids will definitely let us know if we didn’t. Anyway—turns out the generation that made “rizz” a thing has the right idea: This generation of teenagers/young adults seems to be more self-assured than we were at their age. 

Sometimes that confidence can be branded as “arrogance” by older generations. But let’s not mistake confidence for something bad! We loved the perspective shared by this mom in a stellar personal essay: My Gen Z Kids Don’t Need Anybody Telling Them How To Live.

The TL;DR: Confidence, especially for teenagers, isn’t just about feeling good about how you look in a pair of jeans—it’s about defining and implementing your own boundaries, accepting other people (and yourself), and taking a path that isn’t necessarily “the norm.” 

Young people are often expected to “fall in line” and do things the way we did them because “that’s how it has always been done.” That’s simply not good enough for today’s kids and teens. They have questions that they aren’t afraid to ask and the confidence to stay true to their convictions. And that is something worth celebrating!

Father’s Day is just around the corner! Don’t worry—we’re holding off on any jokes about golfing and beer (although we have plenty). So today, the perfect recs to celebrate the father figures in your life.

• This list of 79 dad jokes are guaranteed to make any dad chuckle

• Father’s Day Gift Guide to the rescue!

• An incredible story of a dad saving a life…with help from his young daughter!

• Not to put too much emphasis on gifts, but this journal is one for the books.