Global News: Editor's Letter: Life Lately

On set at the TODAY show with Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager, the Jacobs family, and my fellow experts, Ally Love and Kendra Scott. That's me in the hot pink!

Photo Credit: Carly Snook

January has felt like a whirlwind and February appears to be no different so I'm pausing to reflect on the last few weeks and all the amazing people I've had a chance to meet and hear from lately.

Destination Delaware
Did you catch me on Hoda & Jenna? That's where I met Daneya, Anthony, Jayda, and Lennox Jacobs before visiting their home in Delaware. They had written to the TODAY show for help transforming their family's life in 2024. So, when a producer asked me to pitch in as their parenting expert, I immediately said yes. I love meeting families IRL and hearing about their day-to-day. In the Jacobs' case, they're building a business while raising a preschooler and a teenager they're homeschooling. And like many of us, they're juggling all the things and feeling like it's never enough. Something needed to change. They asked me for advice on reconnecting as a family. As a first step, I had them create a family vision board that would help them manifest the things they want in the year ahead and put their goals into action. It may sound simple—take old magazines and cut out photos and words—but it's really an exercise in teaching our kids to dream big and small. I, for one, am rooting for the Jacobs family and will stay in close touch with them.

Meeting of Minds in San Francisco
Next, I headed to San Francisco for the inaugural Common Sense Summit on America's Kids and Families. If you've ever sat down for family movie night and tried to pick an age-appropriate film, you probably know Common Sense for its reliable ratings. But this organization is so much more. The non-profit not only helps families navigate the ever-changing media and technology landscape, but it strives to make the internet a safer place for children through its advocacy efforts. The conference brought together advocates, educators, researchers, policy makers, and youth leaders to find solutions to the challenges facing kids and families when it comes to technology and education. It's a tall order but one that can't wait. Surgeon General Vivek Murphy spoke about the loneliness epidemic and how young people are surrounded by their peers yet feel like they're on an island because of social media. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, superintendent of the Oakland, California Unified School District, urged the need to bring back joy to schools. The through line? Kids are going through an unprecedented mental health crisis and we need to act now.

Up Next: Washington, D.C.
This week, I'm in the nation's capital for Moms Clean Air Force first-ever Climate Disruption, Air Pollution, and Young Peoples' Health event. As someone who grew up suffering from asthma in an urban environment, I know what it's like to worry about the air we breathe. So, when I think about how climate change and its many consequences are impacting the next generation, including my own kids, my worries go into overdrive. Thankfully, Moms Clean Air Force, a community of over 1.5 million moms and dads, are on the frontlines working to protect our children's health. For this event, I'll be chatting with Chelsea Clinton about the Clinton Foundation's early childhood initiative Too Small to Fail, which promotes early brain and language development and is expanding its efforts into climate change. Hope you'll tune into the livestream on February 8!

See you on the road,
Grace
grace.bastidas@parents.com
@brooklynwriter