Goodbye, toxic masculinity

Gyatt? Yeet? Cap? Have the aliens finally taken over? Because that’s what teen slang is starting to sound like. We swear: We understand, like, five words out of every 20 that leave our kids’ mouths these days. If you’re also feeling confused, don’t worry. We’re here to help with our teen slang dictionary. Good luck out there.

A Great Reason to Get Those Kids Outside

File under: Roblox could never. New research indicates that there is a direct correlation between a child’s relationship to exercise and their mental health. Kids who are more physically fit are less likely to suffer with mental health issues as teenagers. 💪

How do we encourage our kids to exercise? Because it’s good for them in so many ways!

• First and foremost, definitely don’t shame them into being physically active. It rarely works and it can cause more harm than good.

• Keep in mind that physical activity looks different for everyone (after our pilates class this morning, we can confirm). Some kids want to play team sports, others want to try yoga or a long walk. Encourage your kids to find what works for them.

• Check out this helpful guide to inspire more activity for your teens—we love the advice to “find the fun.”

Toxic Masculinity and Being A Girl Dad

“My daughter’s first boyfriend will be terrified of me.” We’ve heard it before. For decades, even. But that’s not really the goal, right? To hope a kid your kid likes is terrified of you?

We don’t think so, and neither does Professor Neil Shyminksy on TikTok. Professor Neil gave a masterclass on what a healthy father/daughter relationship looks like. The rundown?

• A fellow girl dad to a teenager made a video about how glad he is that his daughter’s new boyfriend is “terrified of him.”

• Professor Neil makes a stellar point: That’s…not a win. A boy who respects a girl simply because he’s afraid of her dad is not a good thing. That is not respect.

It brings up a really important point, especially for parents of teens starting to date. We can protect our children and look out for them without intimidating some 13-year-old kid (who is, also, someone’s child). The best thing for everyone involved? Fostering a trusting, empathetic relationship with your kids, one that allows them to feel safe to come to you about anything.

Regrets from Empty Nesters

Parents, we all know this much is true: It goes by so fast. It feels like our kids will be with us forever, raiding the pantry and leaving cabinet doors open, and then one day…they’re gone. 

And while that’s by no means the end of your journey together, it is definitely the end of an era. Some very vulnerable (and brave!) parents shared some of their regrets now that they’re empty nesters, and we thought some of them might resonate:

• “I wish I had let go of the arguments about the little things that no longer matter—messy house, bathroom mess.”

• “Wish I worked less and instead had more dance parties when they were young, picnics, travel, and more slow days, especially during the summer.” 

• “I wish we had created a space and more opportunities for their friends to hang out at our house.”

• “Wish I had relaxed more and stayed more present. I feel like my anxiety took joy out of some beautiful moments.”

Kudos to those parents for being so honest and helping us learn from their experiences. We hope they—and all of you—go easy on yourselves, though. We’re all doing our best!

We hear a lot of “kids these days” statements and it’s almost never followed by anything good. But there’s good reason to have a lot of faith in this generation of kids, especially in their compassion and decency. We’ll show you what we mean: 

• This video of a group of fifth grade boys supporting their friend as he sings will bring a tear to your eye.

• Last year, students at Providence College pooled their money so the beloved security guard of their dorm could finally go home to Nigeria to see his family.

• VP Kamala Harris calls Gen Z “wonderfully impatient”—they don’t wait for good things to happen, they take action!

• Kids at a Missouri elementary school got to choose who to name a new campus building after…and they chose their favorite person: longtime school custodian Claudene Wilson.