Should you do your kids’ homework?

Anybody here a Dancing With the Stars fan? Well, we don’t mean to brag but our talents were on display this week. We’re just waiting on that call from ABC! We have a sneaking suspicion the next mirrorball trophy is all ours. 

Parents Embrace Scruffy Hospitality

What’s that, you ask? Our latest fixation, care of the internet. Scruffy hospitality is a more low-key approach to hosting that’s all about flexibility and forgiveness. Translation? Your house doesn’t have to look straight out of Architectural Digest to have friends over.

This mentality lets us parents let go of the pressure to clean every surface before answering the door and just do the thing that matters…hanging out with loved ones. Frozen pizza for dinner! A PJ dress code! Your kids’ sh*t on the kitchen counter! Let it all fly. And let yourself off the hook.

The Slippery Slope of the Smartphone

Have you guys seen this? It’s a viral ad about the devastatingly negative effects of technology on our kids. And it’s powerful…smartphones are a slippery slope for our teens. That Christmas gift in the Apple box they’ve wanted forever can turn addictive, and fast.

We talked about this on our Common Parent IG this week. The rundown →

• The reality is that we can’t ever stop talking about it. Admitting defeat and just letting the phones rule our kids’ lives isn’t an option. 

• We need to encourage them to experience real life whenever possible. Whether it’s riding a bike, going to the movies with friends, doing arts and crafts, playing sports, reading, hiking…anything that gets them off their phones and into the real world. It can be pretty beautiful and we don’t want them to miss a single precious moment of it! 

What’s the Right Amount of Involvement in Your Kids’ Schoolwork?

We’re hoping the answer is “zero” because math is hard. But seriously, it’s a totally fair question. 

These kids get inundated with homework and it can be overwhelming. Like this parent, you probably want your kids to excel in school, but you don’t know how hands-on you should be to help them get there. And you aren’t sure how much academic excellence should really mean to a 12-year-old.

So what’s a parent to do? Our take: Chill out a little bit. Working hard toward something like a good grade is a valuable lesson in getting out what you put in. But an A in social studies is not all that matters.

It’s not that we should encourage kids not to care about school. But every kid’s brain is different and wild academic success is not the only way kids learn and grow. 

Next time you’re faced with the prospect of babysitting your tween while they write biology flash cards, try not to give them all the answers just so they can make the honor roll. They need to build up their own self-esteem by doing things themselves. Most importantly, we need to instill in our kids that while it’s great to get good grades, it by no means defines your intelligence. 

You don’t have to be a parent to get humbled. It happens to all of us, whether we have kids or not. But it just so happens that when you have kids, getting taken down a peg happens a lot. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll do both at the same time. Allow us to demonstrate with today’s perfect recs for keeping it real…and real humble…as a parent. 

• Kids ask questions—and that often means we get a sick burn in the process. Just stay positive, people.

• Nothing is off limits when kids review your cooking, right?

• The rules of engagement always seem to change when it comes to teens.

• And because our kids will grow up someday, here’s how to tease-proof them.