Teen trends we need to talk about

Hey Friends!

So… we are officially touring university and college campuses with our oldest kids and having a full-body, mindblown moment because, weren’t they JUST little?! Now we’re peeking into dorm rooms, scanning course calendars, and trying to figure out the first year / freshman vibes. It’s emotional. It’s exciting. It’s also giving “new era unlocked” energy. We’re trying to set our little babies up for success… while also reminding ourselves they’re not actually babies… even though they will always be babies. (You get it.)

Also: Daylight Savings happened for us this weekend and while we are not in the newborn stage anymore (thank you sweet universe), WHY does the time change still hit like we’ve been up nursing triplets? Our energy is questionable. Our patience is fragile. But that later sunlight? It’s a Major mood booster. Like, fine, take an hour from us, but if we get golden hour walks and slightly less seasonal depression? We’ll allow it. 😅

Why “Boy Kibble” is trending

Some of us remember the whole girl dinner moment from a few years back… you know, the snack plate that looks cute and curated: crackers and cheese, olives, almonds, little nibbles that somehow feel fancy even when it’s literally just what’s in the fridge.

Boy kibble is kind of the same low-effort energy but instead it’s usually a bowl of rice and ground beef and not much else. It blew up after a content creator and bodybuilding pro posted a simple Reel and suddenly teens everywhere were like, Yep. That’s dinner.

The problem experts and some parents are having with this is that an adult professional body builder’s diet cannot be the same diet of a developing adolescent. If this becomes their go-to on repeat, it can crowd out fiber, fruits/veg, and healthy fats, which can hit teens with low energy, digestion drama, mood dips, and less overall balance.

How to parent this without making it a fight:

• Don’t mock it. Teens double down when they feel judged.

  • Try: “Okay, I get why this is appealing because quick, filling, & high-protein. What do you think your body might be missing if you ate this every day?”

• Make it a build-your-own upgrade: keep the rice + meat if they love it, but encourage them to add one easy add-on:

  • frozen veggies + butter/olive oil

  • salsa/guac

  • shredded cheese + beans

  • a side of fruit they’ll actually eat

  • swap in brown rice/quinoa sometimes for more fiber

• If you’re noticing fatigue, constipation, skin changes, or obsessive food rules, it’s a good time to loop in their doctor or a dietitian.

Teens need balanced fuel, especially when they’re growing, training, stressed, and sleeping like… well, like teens.

Teens are spending a third of the school day on smartphones

A new study tracked teens’ phone use during school hour-by-hour over two weeks, and found students were on their phones every hour, totalling about one-third of the school day, with social media + entertainment making up 70%+ of that time.

It’s not only the screen time that is the most concerning thing about the study’s outcomes, it’s the constant checking. Teens picked up/checked their phones about 64 times during school hours on average. Frequent phone checking was linked to poorer cognitive control (basically: focus, impulse control, the ability to stay on task). And honestly, this tracks with what we see at home: it’s not always the hours… it’s the micro-interruptions that turn brains into browser tabs with 37 windows open.

What you can do this week (without turning into the phone police):

• Ask: “How often do people check their phones in class?”

  • (Let them talk. Don’t jump in with “SEE???”)

• Try a friction move:

  • turn off non-essential notifications

  • move social apps off the home screen

  • set Focus mode during school hours

• If your school is changing phone policies, use it as a team moment by saying, “These news rules are about protecting your brain while you’re learning.”

Here’s how Screen Sense can help

If you’re feeling like you’ve tried everything and you’re still stuck in the daily phone battle, Screen Sense gives you the scripts, boundaries, and setup steps to reduce the constant checking in a way that doesn’t torch your relationship. This is about building skills (focus, self-regulation, confidence), not just taking phones away.

Can we just say it? Letting go of your kids is brutal. Like, we’ve spent years holding their hands, packing the snacks, reminding them where their shoes are (still), and now we’re supposed to… what… watch them launch? Give them space to make their own choices, learn from their own mistakes, figure out who they are. All without getting hurt, or in trouble, or having their hearts broken? It’s a fine balance between letting them do things on their own and making sure they have the right guidance… and some days it feels like we’re walking a tightrope in the dark.

And if you’re in it too…if your kid is on the cusp of flying the coop, or even just pulling away a little more than usual, please know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong. It’s hard because you love them. You’ve poured into them for years. You’ve built the foundation. And now, as much as it makes us want to crawl out of our skin, it’s time to trust that what you gave them will hold.

If you’re feeling the same way, just remember: your kid is going to be okay. And so are you. ❤️

—Cat & Nat