Sending love your way

Hi, everyone. How are you? This is one of those weeks when our hearts are breaking as parents. We’ll chat about how to talk to your kids when such horrific things are happening in our world in just a sec, but first we want to say this: We wish we could hug every single parent affected by what’s going on in Israel. We know you’re trying to keep it together for your babies, and we can’t even imagine how hard that must be. We love you and we’re so sorry you’re going through this. ❤️

How to Talk to Your Kids About Israel

It’s been a heartbreaking week. On Saturday, Hamas (a Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip in the Middle East) launched a surprise attack on Israel that throttled the region into war. Over 2,700 people have been killed and 8,000+ wounded on both sides. It’s truly a devastating story—and one most people (kid or adult) are talking about right now.

We’ve been thinking a lot about how we talk to our kids about such awful global issues like this one. What do we tell them? What do we sugarcoat? What do we speak about with brutal honesty? And what lessons can we hopefully teach them in these conversations?

We’re not really sure there’s a one-size-fits-all solution, but we’ve compiled some ideas for how to approach a big thing like this with your teens and tweens.

• We learned a lot in this conversation we had about kids’ anxiety in uncertain times (which is what right now feels like).

• This piece suggests getting proactive, even when the news is so alarming.

• A family therapist reminds us parents that we’re not alone.

We hope these resources help. Again, our hearts are breaking for anyone affected. We’re here if you want to talk. ❤️

One more thing: It might not be a bad idea to remove social media from your kids’ phones this week. Hamas has promised to broadcast footage of hostages this weekend, and it’s hard to know how far their violent messaging could get. Here’s how to keep graphic images from ending up in front of your kids on social.

Remember When You Were 13?

Honestly, we’d prefer not to. But if you’re a parent to a teen or tween, this super in-depth look at what it’s like to be 13 these days is a must-read. The New York Times kept track of every detail of every day from a few teens over a long timeframe, and the insights these kids shared are truly bonkers. Social media, sex, self-confidence…nothing is off limits.

Why Our Partner’s Mood Affects Us So Much

When you or your partner come home in a mood, it can throw off the entire dynamic of your household. You might find yourself feeling tense or end up in an argument that you didn’t see coming. Why does this happen? What can you and your partner do to better regulate your emotions and avoid future battles?

These are questions we ask ourselves all the time, so we decided to switch things up by asking a professional instead. We talked with Dr. Tracey Dalgleish, a psychologist, couples therapist, and relationship expert, to hash out why we get so triggered, what we can do to manage those triggers, and how to teach our kids to express their own emotions in a healthy and constructive way. We loved this one!

You Might Become Your Parents

Why do we make the same mistakes as our parents? We lived through them the first time, so we know where to go left when they went right. But still…so many of us don’t. Why is that? It might have something to do with running low on patience—and it might not be our faults.

The perfect recs for anyone who might need a smile or a distraction today.

• Is this 6-year-old available to tutor us in math? He went viral after successfully calculating a hefty equation that includes multiplication, addition, subtraction, division, and even square root.

• Retail therapy is almost as good as the real kind of therapy, and it’s the final few hours of Amazon’s fall edition of Prime Day. Here are some great deals.

• There’s something so satisfying about making a delicious meal that you’re actually proud of. This cookbook has been called “culinary school—without the student loans.” We’re enrolling ASAP.

• Normalize doing what you can to help your kids feel confident! We loved this mom’s approach.