These trivia questions for teens might teach your older kids a thing or two

It’s not always easy to impress a teen or to tell them something they don’t “already know.” But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. From who is the half-blooded prince to who is the oldest gamer on YouTube, we’ve rounded up some of the most intriguing trivia questions for teens (and tweens) that are guaranteed conversation starters.

find out about hot dogs with food trivia for kids
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Q: Who holds the world record for most hotdogs eaten?

A: Joey Chestnut with a whopping 73 hot dogs.

Q: Who has the most followers on Instagram?

A: Instagram! The platform's own channel is the most followed. Second place goes to footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

Q: What national holiday is celebrated in all countries?

A: New Year’s.

Q: What is ‘Baby Yoda’s’ real name?

A: Grogu.

Q: When was the iPad first released?

A: 2010.

Q: What is the largest ocean in the world?

A: The Pacific Ocean.

Q: Which artist made history as the youngest winner of the Grammys‘ four main categories in 2020?

A: Billie Eilish.

Q: Who was the first basketball star to appear on a box of cereal? 

A: Michael Jordan.

Q: Which actor voiced both Darth Vader and The Lion King‘s Mufasa?

A: James Earl Jones.

Q: What flower plant does vanilla flavor come from?

A: An orchid.

Q: What is the first monster Percy Jackson defeats in The Lightning Thief? 

A: The Minotaur 

Q: What holiday celebrates the end of slavery in the United States

A: Juneteenth, on June 19

Related: 35 Harry Potter Trivia Questions Even Muggles Will Love

Connor Simonson via Unsplash

Q: What tree is the largest and tallest in the world?

A: The California Redwood.

Q: Stan Lee made his last cameo in which Marvel movie?

A: Avengers: Endgame.

Q: How many stars are there in our solar system?

A: One, the sun!

Q: What is Rhianna’s real name?

A: Robyn Fenty.

Q: Who is the Half-Blood Prince in the Harry Potter series?

A: Severus Snape.

Q: Which company owns Lamborghini, Ducati, Porsche, Audi and Bugatti?

A: Volkswagen.

Q: What is the largest mammal in the world?

A: The Blue Whale.

Q: What show has an ice cream shop called Scoops Ahoy?

A: Stranger Things.

Q: What is the strongest muscle in the human body?

A: The masseter or jaw muscle.

Q: Who was able to pick up Thor’s hammer in Endgame?

A: Captain America.

Q: What is the smallest country in the world?

A: Vatican City.

Related: The Ultimate List of Trivia for Kids

trivia questions for teens: what is the diameter of a basketball hoop?
Markus Spiske via Unsplash

Q: What is the diameter of a basketball hoop?

A: 18 inches and regulation hoops are 10 feet high.

Q: What is Mickey Mouse's original name?

A: Mortimer Mouse.

Q: What is the most spoken language in the world?

A: Mandarin.

Q: What kind of animal is Squidward from Spongebob Squarepants?

A: Despite his name, he’s actually an octopus.

Q: What famous artist was suspected of stealing the Mona Lisa?

A: Pablo Picasso.

Q: What country was checkers invented in?

A: Egypt.

Q: What is the number one most streamed song on Spotify?

A: “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd.

Q: What percentage of people have black or brown hair?

A: About 80%, only 2% have red hair.

Q: How many toes does a cat have?

A: 18, 10 on its front paws and 8 on its back.

Q: Who is the oldest gaming YouTuber?

A: Hamako Mori, better known as Gamer Grandma was born in 1930.

Q: Which Star Wars movie contains the line, “Luke, I am your father.”

A: None, the often misquoted line is actually, “No, I am your father.”

Q: What is the busiest airport in the world? 

A: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (over 100 million passengers annually!).

Q: What is superman’s real name? 

A: Kal-El 

Q: What is ailurophobia? 

A: The fear of cats

Q: What is the most common M&M color?

A. Blue 

Q: What galaxy is the planet Earth in? 

A: The Milky Way 

 

“Live by the Golden Rule… but also know there’s more to it”

What exactly does it take to raise a compassionate, empathetic, and open-minded boy? According to experts, the key is open, honest, and frequent communication—starting when boys are young. We came up with 10 easy yet important messages for raising a son with compassion.

1. It’s more than OK to show and share your emotions.
Boys traditionally haven’t been encouraged to express themselves emotionally. Instead, they are applauded for their prowess in physical pursuits like sports. Despite social progress that has definitively proven otherwise, “boys don’t cry” and “man up” remain common-if-outdated sentiments among even the most well-meaning parents. “Boys can have battles and want to jump off of things and light things on fire, and still be emotionally complex and need to be held when they are upset,” says Rosalind Wiseman, a parenting educator and author of Masterminds and Wingmen. Let your boy cry, hug him and tell him that you support him, always.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
According to Dr. Mary L. Gavin, what kids worry about is often related to the age and stage they’re in. For boys, particularly tween-aged and teenaged ones, anxiety about their changing bodies and changing social dynamics can easily and quickly spiral out of control. Encourage your boy to focus on what’s genuinely important—like having a solid foundation of knowing what’s right and what’s wrong—and to let go of the trivial stuff.

3. Live by the Golden Rule… but also know there’s more to it.
Beyond teaching the Golden Rule, which is to treat others as you’d want to be treated, impress upon your boy that while respect is a two-way street, tolerance, and acceptance are just as important. According to Dana Williams, parenting columnist at Teaching Tolerance, the Golden Rule alone is insufficient. “There are times when we as parents must explain things that are painful and unfair—racism, sexism, stereotypes, hate. Times when we must comfort our children, times I have had to help my eight-year-old son learn that what some would do unto him isn’t always kind or fair.” Teach boys that mutual respect is just a start toward open-hearted acceptance.

4. Learn to walk in others’ shoes.
An essential life skill that parents should teach children is empathy. “It sounds a lot like ‘sympathy,’ but empathy is quite different,” says business and life coach Justine Campbell of Mindquest Group. “Empathy is about feeling with other people. It’s the ability to understand and experience another’s feelings, and to respond in ways that help, not hinder.” Research shows that while the ability to understand others’ perspectives begins rising steadily in girls starting from age 13, it doesn’t really begin for boys until age 15. Empathy is like a muscle that needs to be flexed over time to gain power.

5. Know that kindness is one of your greatest strengths.
Speaking of muscles: perhaps the greatest muscle everyone needs to use more is kindness. Encouraging boys to practice kindness will help to habituate them to know how to give and receive kindness, which will reap benefits in current and future relationships. Science has proven that kindness and generosity are the two driving forces that lead to successful, long-term relationships. Remind your boy that the more he uses his kindness muscle, the stronger it’ll get.

Related: 20 Empowering Things to Say to Your Daughter Every Day

a little boy who's parents are raising a son with compassion for others
iStock

 

6. Celebrate those who are different from you.
If empathy and tolerance are foundational skills required for nurturing a boy to become a nurturing, caring man, teaching him to celebrate differences in others will empower him to recognize and love the differences in himself. Scholastic has a useful lesson plan and reading list for learning about differences that can help foster a greater understanding for both young and old people alike.

7. Share what you have generously and willingly.
Generosity is an infectious condition. According to Nancy Eisenberg, a researcher who specializes in children’s social development, children become more generous by having the experience of giving to others—and learning how good that feels. But there’s a catch: Eisenberg cautions that the giving experience needs to be voluntary. “If we force children to share, they walk away resentful, not feeling generous. Not surprisingly, they’re less likely to share after that.”

8. Recognize and embrace your own strengths and ideas—don’t always go with the flow.
Few people would argue that callous behavior is somehow innate. If anything, bad attitudes and jerkiness tend to be learned over time—and either tamped down or reinforced by our social circles. Studies have shown that rudeness can be as contagious as the common cold; thus, it’s important to teach boys that they have control and ownership of their behavior and ideas, even if the crowd does and believes something different.

9. Know when to say “I’m sorry.”
For many people, especially men, the two hardest words to say are “I’m sorry.” Girls and women often are conditioned to apologize, whether or not an apology is warranted. Teaching boys the power of saying “I’m sorry” will instill self-awareness and humility, and give them a head start in understanding that taking personal responsibility is a quality that will serve them well into their adulthood.

10. Be yourself.
Whether you’re raising a son who is a star athlete who likes to wear black nail polish or a math whiz who likes to watch Broadway musicals, letting your kid know that he is perfect exactly the way he is will empower him to love himself, no matter what external cultural and social forces and messages may be put upon him. Reinforcing the truth that there isn’t a single way to “be a man” will help to create a new generation of boys who’ll change the world for the better.

Related: 9 ‘Harmless’ Phrases That Hurt Kids More Than You Think

“She doesn’t want to be my friend anymore.”

We’ve certainly been there. As a mother of two young children, I’ve unfortunately had both of them make this sad declaration. Relational aggression in young children is a real thing, and it happens far earlier than I was prepared for. It forced us to have discussions about complex feelings and emotions much earlier than anticipated. As an adult, though, this doesn’t really happen, right? That’s what I thought until it happened to me.

I have a long history of great relationships with women, yet when it comes to my current circle of friends, it’s relatively small. Which, for me, is perfectly fine. I would much rather have a few, strong friendships than a huge circle of people I don’t truly love being around. Friendships change, shrink and expand—I get that, but I wasn’t necessarily prepared for a friend to leave me.

As I look back at some of my relationships, I see that many were situational. We were friends because we worked together, had a class together, the list goes on. Situational friendships are like the seasons, they come and go, but they can be just as wonderful as life-long ones.

When I first started teaching, the greatest blessing, besides our amazing principal, was the women I worked with. This was a group of strong, kick-ass humans who persisted daily to get stuff done. We were faced with a number of challenges but consistently greeted each day with a passion and joy that permeated the school. We were smart, beautiful, hard-working, and clearly committed to our job and each other. While I’m no longer teaching there, I’m still very much in contact with many of these women. I could call any one of them tomorrow and pick up right where we left off. Some of us, 15 years later, still exchange Christmas cards.

My friendships now are different. They really are no longer situational, in large part because my life is relatively permanent. I’m not working my way through college and I’m (thankfully) no longer in graduate school. I’m firmly planted. So, it was my assumption that one friendship, in particular, was ef for the long haul as well.

We were friends. We lived close to each other so getting together was a regular occurrence. We talked and laughed through playdates with our kids that lasted for hours. It was easy, and I could tell her just about anything. She was the next person, after my husband, to know I was pregnant with my second child. She called me when there was an emergency with one of her children. She called me to share cupcakes. There were so many things that signaled friendship permanence—kids’ ages, school, church, proximity. It just made sense that we’d always be friends.

I realized one day, somewhat out of the blue, that the calls to chat and texts to set up playdates were totally lopsided. It stopped me in my tracks. When it came to flexing the friendship muscle, I was the one doing all the heavy lifting. I felt a flush of embarrassment. Was I the only one interested in keeping this friendship alive? Should I say something? I tried to assure myself that I was imagining it all, so instead of an awkward, dramatic confrontation, I pulled back. I intentionally pulled back for about a week to see what happened. Nothing. I swallowed hard.

Her birthday came along and even though we had not talked or texted for a few weeks, I knew it was her birthday. It’s one thing if I forget, but to knowingly ignore someone’s birthday is something I just can’t do, so I sent her a birthday text along with birthday cake and celebration emojis. I felt a pang of embarrassment but knew it was the right thing to do. After that, the friendship went completely dark.

I spent some time during the weeks after rummaging through my memories trying to figure out what had happened. Was it something I did? Something I said? Was I not enough for her? Was I too much for her? The truth is, I will never know and thankfully I’m in a place now where I really don’t want to know. I don’t want to unearth something that I likely can’t do anything to fix, repair, or remedy. It’s over, and I have to be okay with that.

I know that I will never be everything to anyone and that may mean people will leave me. I guess I’d rather have a painful breakup than stay in a friendship that isn’t healthy. Especially if the other person doesn’t want to be friends anymore. If ending the friendship was best for her, then honestly, I am happy for her.

The thing is, though, when we were friends, we talked about exactly that. Doing what’s best for yourself no matter what. She was often stuck in situations she was unable to get out of because of the fear of upsetting those around her. I often encouraged her not to worry about what other people thought. “Do what’s best for you and your family. Even if other people don’t like it.”

So, maybe I should have seen this coming? Well, maybe not. Friendships come in and out of our lives for seasons and sometimes for reasons. While I enjoyed this friendship for the season, all I can hope for is that it existed for a reason.

Melanie Forstall is a full-time mother, full-time wife, full-time teacher, and never-enough-time blogger at Melanie Forstall: Stories of Life, Love, and Mothering. She holds a doctorate in education and yet those many years of schooling have proved to be utterly useless when it comes to actual mothering.

If you had to choose between working harder or working smarter, which would you pick? If you’re a busy, tired, hardly-sleeping parent, we’re betting smarter. There’s good news for you! “Research from my NeuroFit lab shows that short five-minute movement breaks help you stay focused and remember more,” says Dr. Jennifer Heisz, author of Move The Body, Heal The Mind. This means that even though mom-brain is very, very real, little bursts of exercise will help lift that fog. What’s more, Dr. Heisz adds, “During the first 10 minutes of movement there is an increase in oxygenated blood flow to the brain, especially to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which governs our working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control.” 

Whether it’s five minutes or thirty, giving yourself easy ways to keep active will have lasting benefits way beyond simply burning calories. We’ve tested a variety of short, simplified workouts geared at busy parents, all of them at or around just 15 minutes long. Read on to get moving.

 

The NeuroFix Workout

Thomas Yohei via Unsplash

We love this one because although it is high-intensity, it requires no equipment or devices. Do it several times and you'll have a 15-minute (or so) routine you can take anywhere.

Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds 

Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds 

Skaters for 30 seconds

High Knees for 30 seconds 

Repeat 

Where to find it: Pre-order Move the Body, Heal the Mind here

Mom on the Go

Madison Lavern via Unsplash

Mom on the Go offers seven, short, thematic yoga practices designed to energize your body. Follow the 28-day program for postpartum recovery including pelvic and core exercises, or just pop in and do a reinvigoration yoga session.

Where to Find It: Mom on the Go

The 15-Minute HIIT Metabolism Booster

iStock

This quick 15-minute workout uses your body weight to boost your muscles and your metabolism—no gym equipment required! 

Where to Find It: Fitness Blender

The Tabata Cardio Workout Plan

Bruce Mars via Unsplash

This fat-blasting workout plan is as effective as most longer workout sessions and combines two proven fat-loss techniques— metabolic strength and Tabata training. You'll work every muscle in your body (especially your abs!) in a fraction of the time!

Where to Find It: Shape

15-Minute Bounce-Back Dance Cardio Workout

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This high-energy step-by-step dance routine will make you forget you're actually working out! 

Where to Find It: YouTube

15-Minute Jump Rope Workout

Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels

This jump rope routine only has five moves, but is sure to get your heart racing!

Where to Find It: Real Simple

The No-Equipment Necessary Plan

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Take it back to basics with this 15-minute beginner workout— with no equipment necessary!

Where to Find It: YouTube

Sculpting Kettle Bell Workout

Jess Tinsley via Unsplash

Just two kettlebells and 15 minutes are all you need to get in this body-sculpting workout. 

Where to Find It: Women's Health

The 15-Minute Runner Workout

Bruno Nascimento via Unsplash

This quick runner workout focuses on tightening and toning your body with moves like jump squats and mountain climbers. 

Where to Find It: Women's Health

Low Impact Cardio Workout

Matthew LeJune via Unsplash

This low-impact cardio workout is a great way to exercise your whole body without worrying about any injuries!

Where to Find It: YouTube

At-Home Barre Workout

madison lavern via Unsplash

Can't make it out to a barre class? This 15-minute routine you can do right from your own living room!

Where to Find It: Greatist

Bonus Fitness Hacks

Need a few more fitness hacks to work into your routine? Try these, from lifting your baby to sprinting the stairs!

Where to Find Them: Tinybeans

—Kaitlyn Kirby

 

RELATED STORIES:

Mom-Friendly Fitness Programs to Jump-Start Your New Year

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15 Minute Workouts That Actually Work

If you’ve been snagging ham or pepperoni for easy meals during the holiday season, you’ll want to take a look at this recall. Alexander & Hornung, the business unit of Perdue Premium Meat Company, Inc. recently recalled 234,391 pounds of the fully cooked meat products due to potential listeria contamination. But in an important update, the recall has now expanded to 2,320,774 pounds of products.

The recall affects many different brands of ham, including lunch meat from Wellshire, spiral sliced ham from Garrett Valley Farms and Niman Ranch uncured ham. It also affects Five Star pepperoni and pepperoni sticks. You can see the full list of products and the associated dates here.

There have been no reports of associated illness but Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that mostly affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women and newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, stiff neck and convulsions and the infection spreads from the gastrointestinal tract.

The original recall listed an establishment number of “EST. M10125” inside the USDA mark of inspection but check the updated info to see if a ham product in your fridge is now included.

Check your refrigerator or freezer if you think you might have purchased one of these products and throw it away if you find it. If you have more questions about this recall and the affected products you can visit www.alexanderhornung.com or call the Alexander & Hornung Consumer Hotline at 1-866-866-3703.

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of Сергей Орловский via Unsplash

 

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As our kids begin their second consecutive pandemic-impacted school year, the Delta Variant is threatening the chances of a “normal” school experience, parenting can feel more stressful than ever. 

With all this uncertainty, it’s important that we continue to foster meaningful conversations with our kids to help them feel secure, grounded and connected, despite feelings of fear, anxiety and confusion. One topic families may be reluctant to discuss? Money. According to a recent survey by T. Rowe Price, 69% of parents are reluctant to talk with their kids about money, and only 23% of kids reported talking with their parents about money on a regular basis. It may seem like a strange time to talk about money with everything happening in the world, but this conversation can be an important part of daily interactions with your child to help build a strong foundation during times of uncertainty. 

Demystifying money, by making it a regular topic of discussion, is crucial to helping your kids develop smart money habits later in life. And its not just talking about money, but giving kids exposure to money decisions: what to buy, what not to buy and how to make those tradeoffs is an important muscle for them to start flexing while still at home. Without a solid financial foundation, based on conversations and experience, kids will be unprepared to function as successful economic actors when they leave the nest. 

The first step for empowering kids to be smarter spenders is collaboration. Encourage your kids to ask questions by including them in spending decisions. Shopping, whether for back to school supplies or for a hobby, is a great opportunity to give your kids a budget and allow them to buy items that will directly impact their daily experience. 

The next step: Make a plan around spending. Sit down with your kids and break down their expenses into different buckets: wants vs. needs, fixed vs. variable expenses. This is a great way to help kids visualize money and gain a firmer understanding of their financial situations. After making a plan, the final steps are to set goals and prioritize. Ask your kids what short and long term purchases they want to make and use the plan from earlier to evaluate how close they are to achieving their spending and saving goals. For example, do your kids want to save up for a new gaming console? If so, they might want to take fewer trips to the ice cream shop. 

While these steps are a great way to get kids thinking about smart money habits, tools like Till give kids hands-on spending experience by putting the power in their hands. Till is an app and debit card combo designed to encourage collaboration between parents and kids. Unlike other apps that focus on saving or investing, Till’s #1 priority is teaching kids to be smarter spenders. The reality is that we are living in a spending economy, and without developing the ability to spend effectively, kids will have a very difficult transition once they leave the nest. 

On average, each kid in the US influences family purchases of $6,000 a year. That equates to a lot of opportunities to teach them about how to spend wisely. Imagine if instead of putting some of those expenses on a credit card auto-pay, you use the opportunity to talk with your kid on a monthly basis about if it’s a worthwhile expense, and better yet, give them the exposure and the opportunity to pay the bill themselves (even if you subsidize it). Paying bills is a very real part of life that kids should have exposure to before they’re out on their own and potentially caught off guard. 

We all want our kids to grow up to be strong, educated financial actors. Taking the time to teach your kids smart money habits will benefit them for the rest of their lives. No one knows what this next year will bring, but one thing you can control is planting the seeds for your kids’ long-term financial success.

 

Taylor Burton is the co-founder of Till Financial, the first app and debit card that empowers the next generation of smarter spenders, helping families find teachable moments to learn financial literacy and demystify money management for kids. He is a proud father of two girls and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife.

“Traveling with kids is so easy,” said no one ever. If you’ve ever boarded an airplane with a baby, you know that the amount of stuff a small person needs is in inverse proportion to their size. Diapers, wipes, a change of clothes for all parties, snacks, a breast pump, and more and more and more—they all need to fit into your carry-on bag. And you want everything to be easily accessible.

That’s where No Reception Club comes in to save the day.

Co-founders Gemma Gaisano Ng and Daniel Ng are parents themselves and they know the struggle it is to travel with little ones—the constant digging through your diaper bag to find the paci clip or favorite toy. No Reception Club just released its first two products, the Getaway Bag and the Sidekick, and you’re going to want to get in on the kickstarter pronto!

The sleek Getaway Bag speaks to Gemma’s fashion background as it is totally functional with design features you don’t see in other family travel bags. The narrow shape makes it easy for any parent to carry and the stylish black exterior makes it more of an everything bag than a diaper bag. Gemma and Daniel worked with a bag designer with 20+ years of experience and you can definitely tell when you see the bag in person (which we did!).

Here’s what you’ll love about the Getaway Bag: 

  • Instant Side Access into the bag’s two largest compartments, making it easier and faster to retrieve what you need.
  • Flexible Organization System with 2 “shelves” that velcro securely into the main compartment. Create 1, 2 or 3 sections. based on your needs.
  • Odor-Resistant Emergency Compartment at the base to isolate and contain any “accidents” along the way. It’s waterproof too.
  • An Essentials Compartment for the quickest side-access to critical items including diaper changing essentials—it also perfectly fits Sidekick!
  • Parent Pockets in the hood, front, and back panels to store everything you personally need like a laptop, passports, money, snacks and more. 

The Sidekick is awesome for so many reasons:

  • It’s a totally discreet waist or shoulder pack that fits all the diaper-changing essentials.
  • The magnetic back flap gives you one-handed access to your wipes pouch inside. This totally brilliant feature makes it so you can use one arm to muscle your squirmy toddler on the changing table while accessing wipes with the other hand.
  • There’s an included changing pad.

How to Get Your Getaway Bag and Sidekick
Get in on the Kickstarter that launches on July 13, 2021. It wraps up August 15, 202`1 with products shipping out in time for the holidays.

No Reception Club
Online: noreceptionclub.com

—Kate Loweth

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We’ve heard a lot about how resilient our children are and have been throughout this pandemic, and it’s true. But we also must remember that children, and adults, are not born resilient. Resiliency is a learned skill that requires constant practice.

When children experience a traumatic event, like this year-long pandemic, where they can’t see their friends, can’t hug grandparents, can’t celebrate birthdays and holidays, you may notice they get angry or act out, and that is because they need help regaining control and establishing a more positive mindset. Other behaviors you may see that indicate this need for control are hitting/biting, tantrums, becoming overly emotional, trying to escape or hiding.

If you start to notice your child exhibiting one or more of these behaviors, there are areas you, as a parent, can focus on to help them bounce back, maintain a positive attitude and cope with stress. Validating feelings, promoting quality relationships and interactions, and creating safe, secure environments, are all ways you can help your child flex their resiliency muscle.

The most important way to promote resiliency is by following a pathway of validating feelings and expressing understanding for what children are going through. It is important for them to know that we understand and care about how they’re feeling. Quality interactions and strong family relationships can help children identify their feelings. Even the youngest of children, who might not know the emotion they are feeling or be able to give it a name, can share how they feel through visuals or by reading a book about the feeling. It’s imperative to let children know that not only are they going to be safe and secure, but that these feelings are real and valid. The ability to identify those feelings is what leads to resiliency.

Additionally, creating a safe, secure environment for your children also helps build resiliency. During the pandemic, children have largely spent most of their time at home or at school/childcare, so focus on safety and security in both of those environments.

Here is a list of specific things you and your children can do at home and at school to help build resiliency:

1. Create a routine so they know what’s going to happen every day
2. Build visual schedules that show their routine via pictures so they see the events of their day.
3. Provide continuity of care for children
4. Make sure interactions with teachers, other children and at home are positive
5. Build and focus on those “how are you feeling” type questions
6. Validate your child’s feelings by helping them name the feelings and give them techniques for moving through those feelings
7. Establish cozy corners – a quiet place children can go when they’re having “big emotions”
8. Make a sensory bin of things they can touch, squeeze, look at etc.
9. Look in the mirror with your child so they can see their emotions
10. Set up “mindful minutes” to practice breathing exercises, empathy exercises, discuss book recommendations and other activities found at our Facebook page
11. Seek help if you are a parent or caregiver who demonstrates loss of control of your emotions and actions in response to stress – children pick up on how people around them react

Resilience is the foundation of a child’s mental health, confidence, self-regulation, stress management and response to difficult events. We all want our children to feel and be resilient so that they can go grow stronger, even through an event like the pandemic!

Joy has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. As Vice President of Education at Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care, she oversees all things curriculum, assessment, training and more. Joy earned a B.S. in Education from Salisbury University.

Self-injurious behavior. 

This hand of “SIB” that has been dealt is not for the faint of heart. Most days it can bring the strongest to their knees. Watching your child who has a heart of gold and whose giggles could burst your heart, hurt themself is the lowest point of numb. 

How can I help my baby? 

Why is he doing this? 

I ask these questions every single day.

I feel completely numb as if I’m not in my own body while my son is thrashing his sweet body around our floor. When he bangs his head off our walls and scratches himself until he bleeds, I do everything I can to protect him but I can only do so much. And I sit there, helpless and numb.

Numb, that’s the emotion, the feeling, and the way we live. I don’t cry anymore, I just don’t feel anything as if I’m not human while he’s doing it. 

His superhuman strength tears away from me every time and I can’t stop him. He gets away and it’s all I can do to hold my hands by his head as he drops to the ground and fights with every muscle he has to protect his head. 

His body that I created inside of mine, he is fighting and hurting. He’s bruising it, he’s scratching it and he’s trying to rid his body of the misery inside. It literally kills me inside to know how he must feel on the inside if he acts this way on the outside.

With therapies, medications, and love we will grow through this. We have to. It’s all we can do. We wake up every day and start all over just like everyone else. 

We will grow through this, I promise that to my son.

I'm a stay at home mom to 3 young children. Blakely, our daughter, is 4. We have twin 3 year old boys named Lucas and Jameson. I've been married to my husband Logan for 6 years. Both of our boys have special needs. 

Is your daughter (or the growing girl in your life)…1. NEVER confident? 2. SOMETIMES confident? or 3. ALWAYS confident?

If you are like most parents, teachers, and girl champions today, you will likely see that she is wavering between numbers 1 and 2, unlikely to be anywhere near number 3. I am so curious why girls seem to be confident until around age 8 or 9. Then, their confidence wanes, enormously. What happens? Where does this confidence go? And, most importantly, how do we work together to build and boost her self-confidence?

What Is Confidence? 
Put simply, confidence is feeling strong and secure in yourself and your abilities and knowing you are capable of developing even more of your skills and talents to become even more confident. Why does confidence matter? Confident girls feel more happy and healthy. They are much more willing to take risks and show their bravery and adapt to changes. The most confident girls I know don’t spend a lot of time on their devices, they are engaged and involved in many different activities, and they don’t seem to care about what others think of them. Refreshing but rare.

Why Does a Girl Seem to “Lose” Her Confidence as She Grows? 
Girls seem to lose their confidence in a “perfect storm” of changes as they grow. They begin to have an awareness of how they compare to their peers and they start to evaluate (am I taller, smaller, smarter, less smart, as popular, not as popular, prettier or less pretty than so and so?). At the same time, their bodies start to change (at different rates, of course), their thinking becomes more shaped by their perception of how others seem them, and they are sensitive to what others think of them. Since they also need to gain peer acceptance (and fear judgment, criticism, and, ultimately, rejection) they change themselves to fit in. So, it’s no wonder they hold back and shy away from bravery, morph themselves into who others want them to be, and diminish their uniqueness. And, at the very seem time, they have 24/7 access to something called social media—perfected and polished images for them to see and though they love their phones, they do not realize how this is damaging their self-confidence and feelings of “not good enough.” 

Do you see how it is no wonder her confidence diminishes?

How Do We Work Together to Build & Boost Her Confidence? 

​​​​​​​Here are my top 6 tips to help you get started:

1. Be a positive power of example to her: you can tell her to “be confident” but more helpful, you will have to show her how it’s done —with your words—how you speak to yourself and also to others (and about others), with your body language—posture is everything, and with your actions, challenging yourself to speak up when you have been wronged and taking chances that may make you feel uncomfortable. 

2. Together, find examples of confidence in the girls she may be following online or watching on Netflix: talk about why they seem confident and if she is willing to try to emulate these girls in any way. What about Malala Yousafsai, Zendaya, Greta Thunberg, or any of the girls from the Babysitter’s Club Netflix series? Help her find and follow girls who are taking big steps, breaking glass ceilings, speaking up and out, making a difference, and shaping our world.

3. Practice how she speaks: words are EVERYTHING. First, to herself. Instead of, “I am just not good at reading”, ask her to try, “I am working hard on my reading skills and improving every day.” Then, with others. Instead of “I kind of think I might want to try a new restaurant for dinner”, ask her to say, “I would like to try a new restaurant” —clear and concise!

4. Work on her body language: essentially, this can help her feel more confident from the inside out but it also can show others she believes in herself. Body language includes: standing tall, chin out, shoulders back, and good eye contact. Practice makes progress (especially when it comes to muscle memory).

5. Finally, work on her skillset: I promise you, the more competent she feels the more confident she can feel too. To start, ask her what skills and talents she already has (girls tend to discount and discredit the work they have already achieved) from being a good friend, creating videos on Tik Tok, or being your sous chef. Then, ask her what skills she wants to develop—come up with a broad and expansive list that could include: learning to bake or cook; adventuring with hiking, biking, or swimming; starting a group for a fundraiser for the food bank or an environmental club. After all, we want our girls to be “all-rounders.” 

6. Teach her to be brave: taking risks—whether this is making a new friend, ordering for herself at Starbucks, or trying new activities is never easy—and you may need to do this in tandem. Break new skills into small acts of micro-bravery. Remind her that skill development takes time and practice but she has done it before and she can do it again! Finally, teach her that failure is a good thing; it is an opportunity to try again, to improve, and to grow even more. I can’t tell you how critical it is that we build and boost her confidence—not just today, but every day! In the words of the Dalai Lama, “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”  

Lindsay Sealey, MA Ed. is an educator, speaker, consultant, and author of Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years and Rooted, Resilient, and Ready now available on Amazon and Audible. She is the founder and CEO of Bold New Girls and Brave New Boys.

 

 

 

I am a girl advocate and girls champion; the founder of Bold New Girls and Brave New Boys teaching and coaching for girls, boys, and their parents. As well, I am the author Growing Strong Girls and Rooted, Resilient, and Ready (available on Amazon and Audible). I am an international speaker and an instructor with Udemy.