What is Galaxy Gas?

We did it! We made it through the longest month in human history. We can now return to the famously easy task of raising teens. Nothing to see here!

The Dangers of Galaxy Gas

Don’t let the quirky name fool you. These nitrous oxide products are intended for culinary uses only but studies have shown that teens are using them to get high. Teens doing whippets is nothing new but it’s important that we as parents know what to watch out for, because the side effects are downright terrifying. Inhaling blasts of nitrous oxide can lead to loss of consciousness, a heart attack, paralysis and even brain damage. It’s not a harmless act of teen rebellion. It can be incredibly hazardous and sometimes even fatal. 

What do we do about it? We talked about this with our The Common Parent community and crafted a helpful guide to help parents navigate topics like this. If you want more info, pop over to our recent IG post and comment “guide.” We’ve got you covered!

Keys to Your Child’s Success

What is success? The definition might depend on the person. But for most parents, success for their children means they are emotionally and financially stable, well-adjusted and most importantly, happy. It’s stressful enough to strive for success for yourself, but when it comes to your kid, it’s at a whole different level.  And while it can feel helpless at time, we actually have more control than we think

A recent study indicates that the most successful kids were raised by parents who, first and foremost, prioritized their relationship with their child. Not just by doing the bare minimum, but by bonding and really understanding each other. The study also showed that these kids were raised in a house where academic achievement wasn’t the end all be all, where reading daily was a daily habit and everyone was encouraged to embrace their emotions. This isn’t to say that every parent has to follow these things to the letter. But it is proof that running a tight ship and expecting academic excellence no matter what isn’t necessarily how you raise a successful kid…and certainly not a happy one. 

How to Raise an Assertive Kid

We all want to raise empathetic kids. From an early age, we teach our children to be polite,  to share, to treat others the way they’d like to be treated. That is all very good advice. But it’s also important we allow our children to be assertive and establish boundaries when appropriate. 

Kids of all ages don’t always have the vocabulary to express when they are feeling uncomfortable. It’s important we give our kids the language they need to build healthy boundaries. Being kind doesn’t mean being a doormat. The earlier we teach them this, the better off they’ll be! 

We encourage our kids not to care about what other people think of them. But do we take our own advice? There is a vulnerable kid inside all of us who just wants to feel loved and included. And once you become a parent, that feeling is amplified one thousand times over. Sometimes it’s good to check in on our own emotional health and consume media that actually heals our inner child instead of harming them: 

• Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory has helped millions of people, parents and non parents alike, in their journey of self-acceptance and changing the things you can control. It’s an incredible read that 

• Dr. Nicole LePera gently reminds us that changing other people and their opinions of you is not your responsibility.