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Mom is baffled why her Millennial and Gen Z kids refuse to watch TV without subtitles

Are subtitles helpful or annoying? It's a generational thing.

via GibsonIsHere/TikTok and Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
The generational caption debate is a big deal.

Have you ever had trouble catching all of the dialogue in a TV show or movie at home? Not necessarily because you're hard of hearing, but because you were distracted, the speakers on your television are terrible, the sound mixing is all over the place, or the characters were just talking really fast? If so, you should definitely take a cue from the younger generations.

If you’re a Gen Xer or older, one surprising habit the younger generations developed is their love of subtitles or closed-captioning while watching TV, during which every word of dialogue appears in crystal clear white text at the bottom of the screen. To older generations, closed-captioning was only for grandparents, the hearing impaired, or when watching the news in a restaurant or gym.

But these days, studies show that Millenials and Gen Z are big fans of captions and regularly turn them on when watching their favorite streaming platforms.

A recent study found that more than half of Gen Z and Millenials prefer captions on when watching television. It’s believed that their preference for subtitles stems from the ubiquity of captioning on social media sites such as TikTok or Instagram. Think about it, most of us watch videos on their phone without the sound, so younger people in particular are used to and adept at following along this way without missing a beat. It's comfortable for them.

This generational change perplexed TikTokker, teacher and Gen X mother, Kelly Gibson.

@gibsonishere

Always leaning! #genx #millennial #caption #learning

"I have three daughters, and they were here. Two of them are young millennials; the other one is an older Gen Z," Gibson explained in a video with over 400,000 views. "All of them were like, 'Why don't you have the captions on?'”

The mother couldn’t believe that her young kids preferred to watch TV like her grandparents. It just did not compute.

"My Gen X butt was shocked to find out that these young people have decided it's absolutely OK to watch movies with the captions going the whole time," she said jokingly.

But like a good mother, Gibson asked her girls why they preferred to watch TV with captioning, and their reason was straightforward: With subtitles, it’s easier not to lose track of the dialog if people in the room start talking.

 tv, closed captioning, millenials, gen z, subtitles, hearing loss, deaf, movies, netflix, streaming, generational differences If only live TV closed captioning was better, we'd really have it made.  Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash  

"They get more out of it," Gibson explained. "If somebody talks to them in the middle of the show, they can still read and get what's going on even if they can't hear clearly. Why are young people so much smarter than us?"

At the end of the video, Gibson asked her followers whether they watch TV with subtitles on or off. "How many of you out there that are Millennials actually do this? And how many of you Gen Xers are so excited that this is potentially an option?" she asked.

Gibson received over 400 thousand views on her video, along with over 8,400 responses to her question. People have a lot of different reasons for preferring to watch TV with captions.


 tv, closed captioning, millenials, gen z, subtitles, hearing loss, deaf, movies, netflix, streaming, generational differences Many young people can't or won't watch without the captions on.  Giphy  

“Millennial here. I have ADHD along with the occasional audio processing issues. I love captions. Also, sometimes I like crunchy movie snacks,” Jessileemorgan wrote.

“We use the captions because I (GenX) hate the inability of the movie makers to keep sound consistent. Ex: explosions too loud conversation to quiet,” Lara Lytle added.

“My kids do this and since we can’t figure out how to turn it off when they leave, it’s become a staple. GenX here!” Kelly Piller wrote.

One user made an astute point: "GenX here. Hubby and I do this! Especially watching British shows…sometimes my American ear doesn’t hear Scottish or Welsh accents well!"

The interesting takeaway from the debate is that anti-caption people often believe that having writing on the screen distracts them from the movie. They’re too busy reading the bottom of the screen to feel the film's emotional impact or enjoy the acting and cinematography.

"Gen X here. I hate the captions. I find I don’t watch the actual scene, I’m just reading the captions," one user commented.

However, those who are pro-caption say that it makes the film easier to understand and helps them stay involved with the film when there are distractions.

Here's another drawback, or con: The captions often screw up the timing of jokes and punchlines in comedies, which is a huge bummer. Watching a sitcom with the captions on, for example, can be a frustrating experience.

But here's a pro! It's way easier to follow convoluted plot points layered into fast paced dialogue when you can read it and never miss a name or reference.

Another pro: Turning on subtitles for young kids has been shown to help them to read!

Con: Even in 2025, live TV closed captioning is still an absolute disaster on many programs, full of errors and inaccuracies. Surprisingly, AI captions are currently considered less reliable than humans, but you have to wonder for how long.

So are captions and subtitles superior, or a pain? Who's right? Whoever's holding the remote, that's who.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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Mom breaks down in tears after another parent called her about her daughter's lunch

Small gestures can mean so much.

Photo by Katerina Holmes|Canva

Mom in tears after another parent calls about daughter's lunch

People say having children is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. You send them off to school, practices, or playdates and hope that the world treats them kindly because when they hurt, you hurt. Inevitably, there will be times when your child's feelings are hurt, so you do your best to prepare for that day.

But what prepares you for when the child you love so much winds up accidentally healing your inner child. A mom on TikTok, who goes by Soogia posted a video explaining a phone call she received from a parent in her daughter's classroom. The mom called to inform Soogia that their kids had been sharing lunch with each other.

Soogia wasn't prepared for what came next. The classmate's mother informed her that her son loves the food Soogia's daughter brings to school and wanted to learn how to cook it, too. "I was like, 'thank you for my food'? Like, what is she talking about? Did she find my TikTok? 'F**k, I"m mortified.' But that wasn't the case," Soogia recalled, hardly being able to get the story out through her tears.

That may seem like a small thing to some, but the small gesture healed a little bit of Soogia's inner child. Growing up as a Korean kid in California, Soogia's experience was a bit different than what her children are now experiencing.

 kids lunch, school lunch, children sharing lunch, lunch table, apples, carrots Children eating lunch together.Photo via Canva/Photos

"I guess I just never thought that my kids would be the generation of kids that could go to school and not only just proudly eat, but share their food with other kids that were just so open and accepting to it," Soogia says through tears. "Knowing that they don't sit there eating their food, feeling ashamed and wishing that their fried rice was a bagel instead, or something like that. And I know, it sounds so small and it sounds so stupid, but knowing their experience at school is so different from mine in such a positive way is just so hopeful."



At the end of the video, she vowed to send extra food in her daughter's lunch every day so she could share her culture with the other kids.


 
@soogia1

These kids, man. They’re really something else. #culturalappreciation #breakingbread #sharing #

 

Soogia's tearful video pulled on the heartstrings of her viewers who shared their thoughts in the comments.

"Soogia! It will never be small. Your culture is beautiful & the littles are seeing that every day. You've even taught me so much. I'm grateful for you," one person says.

"Beautiful! I can see your inner child healing in so many ways," another writes.

"Welp. Now I'm sobbing at the airport. This is beautiful," someone reveals.

"These Gen Alpha babies really are a different, kinder generation. I love them so much," one commenter gushes.

Ultimately, the story is a wonderful reminder that everyone has a backstory and that a simple gesture like appreciating someone's culture or history can mean far more to them than you'll ever know.

This article originally appeared last year.

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I forced my Gen Alpha kid to watch 22 episodes of 'Boy Meets World.' Then she asked for more.

This one still delivers.

Canva Photos & Disney Plus

Young girl watching TV,; Cory and Shawn from Boy Meets World

TGIF can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. A celebration of the fact that the weekend is just around the corner, a pretty solid casual restaurant or happy hour spot from the early 2000s, etc. But to elder millennials, TGIF refers to only one thing: an epic evening of television featuring iconic sitcoms like Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, and of course, Boy Meets World. Can you believe those bangers used to all be on back to back to back?! We truly didn't realize how lucky we were in the 90s.

Boy Meets World, in particular, was an incredibly important show for me. As a curly haired, middle-class kid, it was easy for me to see myself in Cory Matthews, the flawed protagonist of the series. Cory was always worried about fitting in and being popular. He was jealous that his cool older brother and best friend had great hair and knew how to talk to girls. He was constantly screwing up and finding ways to make things right. It's what television was meant to be, and it taught me lessons that I took into my own friendships, my first relationship, and more.

As I get closer to my late-late-late 30s, I decided that I wanted to see if Boy Meets World still had the same magic I remember from when I was young. The twist is that now I have a daughter about Cory Matthews' age, a Gen Alpha kid, and I wanted to see how she'd respond to the characters and storylines that resonated with me so deeply way back when. For reference, a LOT of books, movies, and shows of my youth have completely failed to connect with her and her more modern sensibilities.

So, I sat her down and more or less forced her to watch the first season, or 22 episodes, with me. To my surprise, she wanted to keep going.

 boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennials Im Right Here Look At Me GIF  Giphy  

Upon rewatch, it's not hard to see why. If you look past the baggy clothes and landline telephones, the lessons (and laughs) underneath are timeless. I was not expecting the show to connect with a representative from Gen Alpha, who are decidedly different from millennials when we were that age, in many many ways. But I think it works not because it reminds her of other things she likes, but specifically because it doesn't.

Here are five things Boy Meets World brings to the table that my 10-year-old is not used to seeing in her media:

1. Lessons (so many lessons)

 boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennials This line from "Cult Fiction" is better than anything on YouTube or TikTok  Giphy  

By the end of every episode of the show, Cory has had to learn a very tough lesson. He has to learn how to be more honest, how to be a better friend, or even when it's good to break the rules.

And that's just the regular episodes, to say nothing of the Very Special Episodes. After much consideration, I say: Bring back Very Special Episodes!

Are they cheesy? Absolutely. Are they a little simplistic and surface level? Sure. But they do something not a lot of kids media does anymore which is challenge young people with complex ideas. They are great discussion starters, especially as a parent watching alongside.

In one episode, Cory and Topanga fall asleep at the school while staying late to finish a project. The next day, everyone at school thinks Cory is "the man" for, presumably, hooking up with her. The show leaves certain things unsaid, or to the imagination, but it gave us a peek into sexism and reputation that my daughter hasn't been exposed to in the usual shows she watches.

And then, of course, there's the famous episode "Cult Fiction" where Shawn joins a cult called The Center. "Daddy, what's a cult?" is not a question I expected to field from my 10-year-old, but here we are! It was challenging, in a good way, to try to explain what they are and why they're harmful, which the show itself only vaguely touches on. These episodes were successful at piquing her curiosity and forcing her to ask questions, which is exactly the point.

A lot of the media my daughter watches just lacks this substance, even if it is simplistic at times in Boy Meets World. Shows she's enjoyed like Henry Danger or Sam and Cat come across as more purely silly—and both receive dismal scores from Common Sense Media for categories like "Positive Messages" and "Educational Value."

2. An honest-to-God plot

 boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennials A simple plot is still better than no plot at all.  Giphy  

Boy Meets World isn't known for convoluted plot twists or reinventing the narrative structure. But at least it's got a story to offer.

Gen Alpha doesn't spend a lot of time engaging with plot-based media. My daughter and her friends love to read, and to watch the films and TV shows based on their favorite books, but as a whole, younger people are getting a lot of their entertainment from YouTube and TikTok. They spend a lot of time watching Get Ready With Me videos, Try Not To Laughs, Mr. Beast stunts, or people playing video games on livestreams.

Maybe it makes me sound old, but I'll say it anyway: Story still matters! Plot is good for your brain because it forces you to put yourself in the shoes of different characters. You have to imagine what one character might be thinking in a scene that leads them to do whatever it is they do next. Characters don't always say exactly what they mean (subtext) so your brain has to fill in the gaps and try to decipher when they're lying or withholding information or their true emotions.

Not all screen time is created equal. Watching a story is an active process. It's important for our brains, and helps build empathy and social intelligence. It elicits emotion. That's definitely something that's missing from a lot of the Gen Alpha media diet.

It also keeps kids like my daughter coming back because she wants to know what's going to happen next, not because the algorithm's got her hooked with easy bursts of dopamine.

3. Extremely outdated references, fashion, and technology

 boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennials Kids today don't understand how much of an icon Shawn Hunter was.  Giphy  

The clothes and the landlines in the show are a serious walk down memory lane, but Boy Meets World feels old in more ways than that. (Seriously, at one point the Matthews family receives a telegram, which was a stretch even for the 90s.)

Boy Meets World, at this point, almost represents a completely different way of life. Shawn carries around a "black book" of all the girls he's dated with their phone numbers written down. The celebrity cameos are completely lost on my daughter, and often on me (I mean, the Love Boat guys, really?). But it's fun to get to explain these aspects of my own childhood to her, and she gets a kick out of it, too. The strange elements are challenging, in a good way.

As a side note: The baggy jeans are the one thing that don't look out of place anymore on the show. They're so back, baby!

4. Brave choices

 boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennials Remember Cory and Topanga getting hitched and living in the 'married dorm'?  Giphy  

BMW was not afraid to pull at the heart strings, and while the plot was usually pretty formulaic, the writers were capable of shocking you.

For example, one of the main teachers, Mr. Turner, nearly dies out of nowhere! Shawn's dad abandons him to go chase after the love of his life. And a fresh-out-of-high-school Eric finds himself dating a young, single mom. Of course, one of the most memorable and shocking moments in the show is when Cory cheats on Topanga with another girl on a school trip. Can you imagine that happening in a so-called kids' show today? It's character suicide by today's standards. But they did it anyway and somehow pulled it off. That episode is heavily debated among fans to this day.

The show also played into sitcom tropes and cookie-cutter themes and lessons, but it also wasn't afraid to wade into grey areas sometimes. One of my favorite early episodes of the show to rewatch is an episode where Cory's dad lets him stay up late to watch a big baseball game with him, and a very sleepy Cory flunks a test at school the next day. Cory's dad and teacher, Mr. Feeny, then trade jabs over whether it was right or wrong. There's no clear winner, no exact right answer, just a lot to think about. I like my daughter being exposed to the idea that there's not always a clear cut solution, and I get the sense she's enjoyed that about the show, too.

Boy Meets World, contrary to its squeaky clean reputation, also has a few episodes that Disney has subsequently banned for being too racy or controversial, including Shawn shoving his girlfriend after having too much to drink. I'd like to see any modern family-friendly show have the guts to go there and turn it into a teachable moment.

5. Good adults—mostly

 boy meets world, tgif, 90s tv, 90s nostalgia, television, disney, disney channel, gen alpha, millennials Alan Matthews belongs in the TV Dad Hall of Fame  Giphy  

Alan, Amy, Mr. Feeny, and Mr. Turner were anything but caricatures. What strikes me most rewatching as an adult is how much I relate to and still admire the core adults in the show.

Even in a lot of modern adult sitcoms, the adults are all idiots. In kids shows, it's worse, with the buffoon dad merely there for comic relief and the mom too busy and frazzled to have any idea what's going on.

Crucially, during our rewatch of BMW, I realize that every single one of the main adults screws up at some point and has to apologize for it. They do their best, they're mostly wise and responsible, but they make mistakes, too. It's so important for kids to see that, and for my daughter to know that my wife and I are the same way.

Not everything in Boy Meets World has aged well. Even I can admit that the show has its warts.

Cory's behavior isn't always great. He can be very jealous and controlling of Topanga, and there's also this running thread in the show that they are "soulmates" and "absolutely have to be together" under any circumstances. That's an idea we would likely consider harmful or toxic today. Topanga even gives up a chance to go to Yale so that she can go to the state school with Cory, which is probably not the decision I'd like my own kids to make. The boys on the show can also be a little girl crazy, to the point that it borders on misogyny or just plain gross-ness. It also leans so heavily on nerd/jock stereotypes that it ends up perpetuating them.

But the core elements of the show: the lessons, the way it never talks down to the kids watching it, the beautiful portrayals of friendship and first love. Those are absolutely timeless.

There just aren't many shows left that even attempt to do what Boy Meets World did and the way it grew up with its audience. The closest modern equivalent I've seen would have to be Bluey. Maybe that's why the show is so beloved, because it understands what made the TGIF formula work so well and has perfectly adapted it to the modern age. It hits all five of the points above, with admirable adult characters, complex lessons, and even flashbacks to the 80s!

A skeptic might say that my daughter doesn't really care about the show, she just likes getting to stay up late and spend time together. But, now that we're deep into Season Five and showing no signs of slowing down, I can safely say that the magic is still there.

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11 parents share the 'lightbulb' moment where they finally stopped helicoptering over their kids

The stories prove kids are capable of so much more than we think.

Canva Photos

One mom started a heartwarming discussion when she shared how her son ordered at a restaurant for the first time.

This summer in my house, we've made a big change. For the first time ever, we're letting our oldest daughter walk to the pool by herself. It's about three-quarters of a mile, or a 10-15 minute walk. It feels like a big deal to us. The walk is along a very busy road that she has to cross at the very end. She was nervous the first time she tried it, and so were we.

But...she's 10 years old. It's time. For reference, I was walking all over the place by myself at the same age, or playing outside for hours with my parents only having a very vague sense of where I was. This is a natural part of growing up that, it seems, more and more kids are being deprived of. Not through malicious intent on the part of parents, but just because we're scared.

It seems that everywhere I go, one parent or another is telling me I need to read The Anxious Generation. We're all worried about the Gen Alpha kids, apparently. And though I've yet to read it myself, one of the key takeaways I keep seeing is that "as parents, we’re too overprotective in the real world and not overprotective enough online," as summed up by The Everymom. In other words, we smother them and shelter them from any possible harm like kidnapping, getting hit by a car, being bullied or even made to feel uncomfortable—and in doing so, we stifle their growth, their confidence, and their ability to become successful adults.

One mom recently took to social media to share a big independence win. She called it a "lightbulb moment" when she realized she'd been helicopter parenting her son and finally decided to take a big step back.

Soon, dozens of other parents chimed in on the Reddit thread with similar stories. They're so heartwarming and empowering, reminding us that the kids are capable of so much more than we think. They just need the chance to shine.

1. "Let my son order his own meal at a restaurant for the first time."

parenting, kids, moms, dads, the anxious generation, anxiety, millennial parents, boomer parents, motherhood, fatherhood"Let my son order his own food at a restaurant for the first time."Canva Photos

The OP kicked off the powerful thread with a simple story from dinner.

"So yesterday we went to our usual diner for breakfast, and instead of automatically ordering for him like I always do, I told my son (7) that he was going to tell the waitress what he wanted all by himself. The look of panic on his face was immediate."

As hard as it was to hold back, Mom didn't help. She just smiled and encouraged her son to handle the interaction himself.

"He stumbled a bit at first, speaking so quietly she had to lean in, but then he found his voice. He ordered his pancakes, asked for extra syrup, and even remembered to say please. The waitress was so sweet about it too, giving him her full attention and treating him like a real customer. After she walked away, he had this huge grin and said 'Mom, did you see that? I did it all by myself' He sat up straighter in the booth and you could just see the confidence radiating from him.

"It was such a small thing, but watching him realize he could handle it on his own was incredible. I've been ordering for him out of habit and probably some misguided attempt to make things 'easier,' but I was actually robbing him of these little moments to grow."

2. "Sent my 4-year-old to the register with my credit card."

Handing over cash to a child is always risky. There's no guarantee you'll ever get it back. But the whole credit card?! That takes some serious bravery as a parent. But this is how kids learn.

"My proudest moment recently was when I sent my 4yo to the counter at McDonalds with my credit card and told him to buy himself a bottle of water. He came back with the water, my card, a receipt, and a huge proud smile on his face," another user added.

3. "Let my 6-year-old make his own noodles."

A child handling a heavy pot of boiling water. What could possibly go wrong!? Turns out, that's the wrong question. What could go right? That's a better one.

"I taught my six year old how to make noodles today. The only thing I did was lift the heavy pot twice. He was over the moon about making his own dinner. Then, of course my four year old decided he wanted to do it too, but that still didn't ruin the moment for the older one. Going to start doing this more," one user said.

4. "Encouraged my son to speak for himself at the doctor's office."

Once you start thinking about it, it's really amazing how often parents end up speaking on behalf of their kids who are perfectly capable of using their own voice. Again, it's not malicious, it's from a place of protectiveness. Maybe they don't need us to speak for them after all.

"We took our son (7) to an after hours clinic yesterday because we were worried about some ongoing stomach pain and wanted to rule out appendicitis. I had gone over with him what would likely happen in the appointment. The doctor came in and addressed my son asking what was going on and getting his story before addressing us parents. He did a very good job explaining how he had been feeling and when. He answered her questions as best he could," a user shared.

"But hearing him explain to her what was going on was a similar experience for me as what you had described. It was great to see him practice telling someone who is not his parent what is going on."

5. "Sent my 18-year-old to the bank to open his own account."

Even teens and young adults need lessons in independence. A parent's job is never truly done.

"My 18 year old went to the bank this weekend and opened an account all by himself. When I saw him afterwards he had the 18 year old version of your son’s expression. Confidence, pride, belief in self. It’s a big deal letting them do the things in their own. "

6. "Let my kid work the self-checkout all by himself."

parenting, kids, moms, dads, the anxious generation, anxiety, millennial parents, boomer parents, motherhood, fatherhood"I let my kid do the self-checkout from start to finish."Canva Photos

The grocery store is chock-full of lessons and opportunities for kids to practice independence.

"I have mine ring up the groceries at the self check out from start to finish. Or if he wants to buy something at a store: I give him my card and then stand back and let him check out (taught him to greet the cashier, say bye etc). Also at the library, if he’s looking for a book, damaged a book (it happened once), or needs help, I have him speak to the librarian and work it out," one parent shared.

7. "Asked my 8-year-old to return the cart across the parking lot."

You've got to start somewhere, even if these little independent moments seem small. They can really build on themselves if keep it up.

"My son just turned 8 and my in laws are taking him on a big camping trip for a week by themselves without us there. It's kind of been a crash course in independence getting him ready ... The last couple of weeks he's been showering by himself and today I let him park the cart across the parking lot in the little slots while I buckled his sister in the car. It's amazing what kids can do when you give them the opportunity!" a parent said.

8. "Helped the kids learn to call in the pizza order."

Calling in a pizza order seems small, too, but don't forget that a lot of younger people—heck, people in general—get extremely anxious about speaking on the phone. This is excellent practice for them.

"My kids [used] to get so angry when I would ask what's for dinner and one would suggest pizza, I would say great, who is calling it in. This started from age 12 with the oldest. We would write out the order so they just had to read and I would be right there if there was an issue," this parent added.

9. "Let my 6-year-old call the shots at the drive-thru"

Ordering their own food seems to be a popular and effective place to start, even for very young kids.

"I let my 6 year old daughter order her Happy Meals in the drive-thru. She gets to roll down her back window and give the order and she makes sure to say please and thank you. A few times I’ve had to step-in and confirm everything because her voice is still soft. And sometimes she gets stage fright and doesn’t want to talk at all and I take over. But no matter what she LOVES when I pull forward enough for the attendant to hand her the Happy Meal box," a parent shared.

10. "Taught my kids to check themselves in to the doctor."

parenting, kids, moms, dads, the anxious generation, anxiety, millennial parents, boomer parents, motherhood, fatherhood"I taught my kids how to check themselves in at the doctor."Canva Photos

Teaching your child independence isn't just about confidence. It could quite literally be a life-saving skill one day.

"I started having my children at 11 'check themselves in' to doctors appointments," one parent said. "I would always do the pre-check, but let them give their name. At 13 I stopped doing the pre-check. ... I started giving them their insurance cards that come in the mail at 12.5.

"My kiddos know their insurance information, know their primary care doctors name, and know how to handle checking in. I did this specifically just in case they ever had an emergency and didn't have the information and I wasn't with them. They know their address, 5 main phone numbers, primary care doctor, and both insurances. We are now working on social security numbers."

11. "I let my 4-year-old have the CostCo experience"

If you want to throw your kiddo in the deep end, just take them to the jungle that is CostCo on a Sunday morning.

"I've ... been trying to back off and let my 4yo son be more independent," another parent shared. "I have such high anxiety that I'm just trying to get from one thing to another quickly, but like you said robbing him of those moments to practice independence.

"Today we went to Costco to get batteries and he scanned the membership card, carried the batteries to the self checkout, scanned it, used my credit card to pay, and showed the employee at the exit our receipt. The employees were so nice and patient with him too (luckily it wasn't very busy) and all told him what a good job he did! He has been talking about how he went shopping all by himself for 4 hours now nonstop."

Fostering independence in our kids is not just good for their long-term outcomes and confidence, it's crucial for their mental health.

They need to feel that they have agency and some level of control in our crazy world. And though letting go of the reins can feel scary for parents who are constantly bombarded with worst-case-scenario news, there are lots of little ways to make progress: let them order at a restaurant, make a phone call, or check out at a store. When you start to stack bigger and bigger wins over time, you'll be amazed what they can do.

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