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My 10 yo refers to Facebook as “Nosebook” because my “nose is always in it,”
and I think this is what “getting owned by your kid” feels like.
--Michael Vogel, @MichaelVogel1

weekly survival tip

If your children haven’t gone back to school yet, chances are they will any day now. And, if you’re like most parents, that sadly still comes with a fair amount of covid-related anxiety. Here a psychiatrist offers four actionable tips for how parents can manage and mitigate those fears. We’ll be taking notes.

trail talk

There was some big news coming out of our neck of the woods recently. In mid-August, the prominent outdoor brand, Patagonia, decided to end its relationship with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR). The company pulled all of its products from the resort’s stores after Jay Kemmerer, one of the resort’s owners, co-hosted a pricey fundraiser for the House Freedom Caucus at a Jackson hotel. The event featured U.S. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Although the ski resort is Patagonia’s largest customer in the area, the company’s move was the result of its commitment to “using both our business and our brand to advocate for our strong priorities,” said Corley Kenna, head of communications and policy. And those priorities – on the environment, social justice and politics – happen to be in stark contrast to those of Greene, Meadows and Jordan. Kenna said there is a chance Patagonia would reconsider its' withdrawal if the resort’s owners “recommit to priorities,” in particular “protecting the planet.” But for now, the company and JHMR are parting ways.

To shift gears a bit (a lot) we’ve got a pretty evergreen topic for you if we ever did see one: talking to your kids about sex. Yup, we’ve all got to do it, and we should probably be starting these conversations earlier than we think. This article from the New York Times parenting newsletter offers some useful pointers about what to say, how to say it, when to say it and why it’s all so important. There’s also a few great resources and book recommendations, too. You know, so someone else can do the sometimes (often, always??) awkward explaining for you! Listen, we’ll take a crib sheet for stuff like this any time we can get it. No shame in our game.

Gen Z Americans, those born since 1997, care about the environment. In fact, according to a recent survey by the accounting and professional services network, Deloitte, climate change and protecting the environment was among the top concerns for these youngsters. And as they enter the workforce, begin voting, and become consumers in their own right, companies are taking notice. Gen Z not only wants to buy sustainable products, but they want to work for employers that take sustainability seriously, too. While many companies are responding with various initiatives that support efforts to protect the environment – reducing waste, insuring ingredients or fabrics are safe, using recycled and recyclable / compostable packaging for example – others are just greenwashing. So how to know if a company is truly green or just telling a good story? Transparency. That means eco labels with enough information to back the claims: clarifying the origins of ingredients and publishing “clear statistics and information about sourcing, manufacturing and direct environmental impact.” Gen Z’ers (and, we, their parents) will be watching closely.

Summer may be winding down, but over here we’re clinging on with white knuckles. Not ready! Not ready! How to cope? By packing in as many last camping trips as we can. For tips on how to make those as fun and memorable as possible, we turned to our friends at Tales of a Mountain Mamaand Bring the Kids. From the former we got some excellent recommendations for campfire games to play with all ages. Whether you play these around an actual fire or just while you’re hanging at camp, the options from charades to going on a bear hunt, glowing bowling, 20 questions, balderdash and more, will keep everyone thoroughly entertained. Now, to keep all your campers well fed – the key to any great outing – we sourced a few excellent camping recipes from Bring the Kids. While cooking outdoors can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore, these meals prove it doesn’t have to (think omelets cooked in a bag). Or if you happen to find yourself in a recipe rut and just…cannot…grill…one…more…hot dog, this list of easy and yummy recipes will quickly inspire you anew. Your little iksplorers will even enjoy them, too. But, sadly, you’re still going to have to do the dishes afterwards…we know…so sorry…

What it feels like when it’s FRIDAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY…!