What to know about the holidays; catching the northern lights; talking to kids about ads
|  | Sunday, December 5, 2021 | | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFREY GREENBERG / EDUCATION IMAGES / UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP
VIA GETTY IMAGES | | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
One year, to my parents’ dismay, I asked Santa for a Barbie Townhouse for Christmas. It was an odd request coming from a self-proclaimed tomboy who had completely absorbed the family mantra that girls could do anything that boys could do—and that did not include playing with pretty, curvy dolls that looked like ’70s Barbie.
But rather than disappoint me with subpar girl-power gifts under the tree, my parents decided that Santa would indeed bring me my Barbie Townhouse—as well as a Hot Wheels playset that I hadn’t asked for. I suppose the idea was to offset the “girly” gift with a “boyish” option. I loved them both, and it was the Best Christmas Ever.
Even though doing so ran counter to their ideals, my parents made sure I wasn’t disappointed that holiday. But this year, thanks to those supply chain issues we’ve all been reading about, a lot of kids will be facing disappointment when those must-have toys simply aren’t available. Bikes have been scarce all year (as they were at the Miami Walmart above), and experts predict that hot items like Lego sets and Razor scooters will soon be sold out.
That’s going to totally ruin your kid’s holiday, right? Well, experts aren't so sure, acknowledging that it’s actually healthy for children to experience and deal with disappointment. “We hate to see our kids disappointed,” says Hunter Clarke-Fields, author of Raising Good Humans. “But we do our children a disservice when we try to protect them from all the uncomfortable feelings.”
So how do parents keep from doing that? No one's recommending telling your kid to just get over it. Instead, be honest about what’s happening as early as you can. Here are some other ideas:
• Name those emotions. Experts say in order for children to deal with their feelings, it’s important for them to be able to put a name on them. Try adapting these other pandemic social-emotional learning ideas as well.
• Understand their disappointment. Usually it’s not the gift itself, but what the gift represents. For instance, a child might not care so much about not getting a bicycle, but he does care about not being able to ride with friends. Try taking a walk out in nature, which research shows might help children be more communicative.
• Practice soothing techniques. This helps calm kids in any stressful situation, and the more you practice, the better it works when something major happens. These DIY slimes and squishies can help squeeze the stress away.
This article about dealing with kids’ disappointment has more. And don’t worry. Being honest doesn’t mean explaining supply-chain challenges to a seven-year-old. Telling a child that Barbie and her Hot Wheels collection are stuck on a long boat ride will do just fine.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY TRUE IMAGES / ALAMY | | | Talking to kids about advertising. Perhaps my Bizarro request for a Barbie Townhouse was because of all the commercials I was watching in between Saturday morning cartoons. Grown-ups have always been concerned about the effects of advertising on children. But with basically the entire internet at their disposal—and sneaky stuff like pre-roll advertising and potential influencer endorsement in content like live-stream gaming videos (above)—the amount of “buy-me” messaging that children are exposed to has skyrocketed. Instead of shutting down the Wi-Fi, experts recommend teaching children about advertising literacy. This article provides tips on how to get those conversations started. | | | |
| | Winter holidays quiz! Your kid likely knows what date Christmas falls on, or when Hanukkah ends this year. But what else do they know about all the winter holidays? Have them take this fun winter holidays quiz that also explores Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, and why some people eat cake after the 12 days of Christmas. (For more fun holiday facts—like that “Jingle Bells” was the first carol sung in space—check out the Nat Geo Kids book Weird But True! Christmas.) | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY PATRICK BARRON, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO | | | Voyageurs National Park. If Frozen is on its thousandth showing in your house, you might want to consider Minnesota’s only national park for some real-life northern lights action (pictured above). Visiting Voyageurs during a northern Minnesota winter is best for adventurous and well-prepared families, but the reward is some of the darkest skies on the planet, perfect for aurora watching. Of the three visitor centers, only Rainy Lake remains open at this time (December 3, 2021-May 26, 2022), when visitors can borrow snowshoes and cross-country skis for free. Check out this article for more tips. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY SBTHEGREENMAN, GETTY IMAGES | | Dance like a polar bear. Need a quick movement break, or just want to get those wiggles out? Have kids watch this silly music video that will also teach them about this cute but fearsome predator. (Psst: Those rolling polar bears are actually just taking a bath!) Then they can learn even more with this engaging article about the furry Arctic creature.
Learn anywhere! National Geographic has lots of resources to take your kids on a global journey from any seat in the house. From live connections with National Geographic Explorers to fun ways to learn about science, technology, history, and more, these virtual adventures help young people explore the world. Our Learn Anywhere guide will help you easily access our resources from any device and can be used independently or collaboratively with a family member.
This newsletter was edited and curated by Rachel Buchholz, with David Beard and Monica Williams. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead. | | | |
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