Creating young eco-stewards; everything you need to know about Thanksgiving; West Virginia's new biking trails
|  | Sunday, November 14, 2021 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY KLAUS VEDFELT / GETTY IMAGES | | By Laura Goertzel, KIDS and FAMILY Senior Manager
A generally happy, healthy fifth grader I know was complaining of constant stomachaches and dreaded leaving the house to go to school. His mom suspected that something was up and kept him home sick from school one day. Her son finally shared with her that he was being bullied and wasn't sure how to deal with it. So his mom helped him strategize responses and reached out to school counselors to help defuse the situation.
This "sick day” wasn't a sick day at all. It was a day to regroup after an emotionally trying situation. Unfortunately, this student doesn't live in a state that allows kids to be excused from school for mental-health reasons, just as they would if they were physically sick. It went on the school attendance record as a sick day, even though it was something much more. Not being forthcoming about the cause of an absence can add to the stigma around mental health and can lead to the underreporting of its prevalence among kids.
The good news is that more states are allowing kids to take excused absences to address their mental-health needs, giving parents increased flexibility when faced with a child who's anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed out. And with the American Academy of Pediatrics sounding the alarm about kids and mental health, it's something that counselors are focusing on as kids return to in-person school.
If a family decides that missing a day of school would be constructive for their child, then “the focus should be on mental health,” says child development specialist Claire Lerner in this Nat Geo Family article about the trend. It's not an excuse to play video games all day, but experts do recommend allowing kids to help figure out how to spend the time out of the classroom.
Here are some thought starters:
• Really notice trees. Head outside with your kids and soak in your surroundings. Experts say it can help reduce stress.
• Switch up their reading habits. Trying out different book genres can help kids learn empathy and fire up their problem-solving skills.
• Connect with grandparents. Studies show that a strong relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can ease depressive tendencies in both adults and kids.
• Cook up a connection with your family's heritage. Making recipes that celebrate ancestry is a way to strengthen kids’ sense of identity.
If you want to get this newsletter every week, sign up here. If you want your children to get Nat Geo Kids or Nat Geo Little Kids magazines, subscribe here. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY AZMANL / GETTY IMAGES | | | Kids ask the darndest things. Your children might be shaming you into recycling, but that doesn’t mean they’re experts on the process. And since tomorrow is America Recycles Day, we went straight to kids to find out what they really wanted to know about recycling. From what happens when you put nonrecyclables in the curbside bin to what it’s like to drive a recycling truck, we tell it like it is to young eco-stewards. Share these answers and more with your own little environmentalists—the more they understand, the more they’ll embrace the process. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY SHUTTERSTOCK / PANBAZIL | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY KURT SCHACHNER
| | | West Virginia’s new biking trails. If your family is one of the many that discovered—or rediscovered—biking during pandemic closures, you might know that old-school mountain bike trails are often rugged and steep. But several states are opening “flow” mountain bike paths that are flatter, smoother, and broader—and more kid-friendly. The Whistle Pig Trail (above) is one such bike path at West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Find info on more flow trails in this article. | | | |
 | ART BY CLAYTON HANMER
| | More recycling! For a fun look at how a recycling center works, have kids check out this silly comic showing what the process might look like (minus the octopus workers, of course). Then empower them with some Save the Earth tips, or look into taking a tour of your own local recycling center—many have observation rooms, though again you probably won’t spot any raccoon employees in the building. Before you go, check out the Nat Geo Kids book 101 Life Hacks for genius ways to reuse, repurpose, and upcycle all kinds of stuff! Here’s an eco-hack to get your family started—these washable, reusable, and compostable food wraps can help cut back on single-use plastic wrap.
This newsletter was edited and curated by Laura Goertzel and Rachel Buchholz, with David Beard and Monica Williams. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead. | | | |
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