Throw away your teen’s phone?

Hello everyone! Here’s a question for the smart people out there: Where does all of the food go? Seriously, we feel like we spend hundreds on groceries every week, and the entire loot is gone within an hour of us getting home from the store. Are these kids bottomless pits? Should we be eating more protein? Why are there granola bar wrappers everywhere?

Asking the big parenting questions. That’s us.

The Case Against All Teen Phone Use

Is it time to go cold turkey? In a new book called The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues it’s actually past time. 

Haidt’s take after years of research on the impacts of smartphones and social media on young people: Teen mental health got drastically worse after iPhones became widespread and Instagram hit the scene. TikTok is a huge threat, too (or “arguably the worst consumer product ever invented,” as Haidt called it).

So what do we do? As parents, it’s tough to be the first line of defense in protecting our kids from things like the negative side effects of smartphones (read: depression and anxiety and political dislocation, to name a few). The best way to start is to arm yourself with info. Some recs:

• We highly recommend reading this conversation with Haidt.

• Know more about the good that comes when a kid puts down the phone

• Get an idea of what happens when your child gets a phone before you get them one

Good luck! 🙏

Caitlin Clark’s Dad Is the Ultimate Sports Parent

Caitlin Clark is changing the game. The Iowa basketball player leads the NCAA Division I in all-time scoring, holds the single season scoring record, and has become one of the most talented prospects in the history of college basketball.

But that doesn’t exempt her from some sideline parenting. In her recent NCAA Tournament game, Clark got a little mouthy to the refs…and Clark’s dad promptly shut it down, or at least attempted to from his seat. 😂

It’s a pretty relatable parenting moment (how many times have you wanted to tell your kids’ coach to “take them out” when they’ve gotten an attitude?), but there’s also a lesson here: We’re on the hook for teaching our kids 1) good sports attitudes and 2) how to chill out when things get intense. 

This episode we did with sports psychology consultant Brenley Shapiro is a great way to brush up on parenting through the mental game of sport! (BTW, that’s for members of our Common Parent community. Sign up for a free 14-day trial here if you’re not part of the crew just yet!)

Teen Boys Are Struggling With Mental Health

Four years after Covid-19 lockdowns began, we’ve got an update on the mental health impacts of the pandemic on teens and tweens…and it might surprise you.

Teenage boys were hit hardest by Covid lockdowns, according to new academic research. Their mental health failed to recover despite things going back to normal in the world around them. 😞 Young girls struggled too, but they experienced the typical natural improvement in mental health that comes with getting older (been there).

So how do we support our boys?

• Encourage therapy and mental healthcare if it’s available to you! There’s already been a big uptick in teen boys seeking therapy.

• Know what’s going on. Diagnoses for mental health conditions in kids ages 5 to 17 rose by almost 22% from 2017 to 2021. Knowing the symptoms (here you go!) can help you help your kids better. ❤️‍🩹

• And here are four things you can start doing today to help your teen’s mental health

What’s the Best Age to Have Kids?

Have you seen this trend? Moms are all chiming in with what they think is the best age to have kids—your 30s when you’ve got your life together, your 20s when you have more energy, etc. We’re curious what you think!

We talked a lot today about helping kids with their mental health: creating support systems, talking it out, the works. Let’s keep the positive (and supportive) vibes going with some perfect recs to help your kids love growing up.

• What parents can do to help their kids make friends

• Cat’s one piece of advice to all parents? Diversify your child’s social circle, because the sh*t will hit the fan at one point.

• This is amazing—we know talking is one of the best ways to help your kids with their mental health, so this parent came up with 304 conversation starters to use with their kids that aren’t “so how was school today”

• And finally, 5 ways to respond when your teen is being unkind to themselves