Here’s why your kid can’t social distance; telling true from false; finding a 1,500-year-old sword
|  | Sunday, October 25, 2020 | | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY FATCAMERA, GETTY IMAGES
| | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
When people ask me who my boss is, I tell them I have about a million of them … and they’re all between 6 and 12 years old. That’s about how many kids read the magazine I oversee—and I listen closely to what they tell me. (Don’t worry—this isn’t a shameless plug for Nat Geo Kids, though it is my absolute favorite magazine in the world.)
It’s how I know that they adore cute animals, but maybe not birds, unless it’s a penguin, and then only an emperor penguin. It’s how I know that they’re inspired by scientists—but they’ll be more inspired if one of them somehow gets covered in poop. It’s how I know that a lot of children would rather be smart than popular, and how I know that more than anything, kids want to help others.
Children have a lot to tell us, if only adults would just listen. (Calling Mr. Rogers, please.) That’s especially important now, as plenty of grown-ups who are struggling with the ongoing stressors caused by the pandemic can sometimes forget that kids are stressed out, too. The kicker is that we don’t always know how to help them. After all, kids nowadays are dealing with things that their parents never had to go through as children.
But you know who has been through this? Other children. And when you listen to them, you realize there’s no one better to give advice to kids than, well, other kids. “Because children use similar language and communication styles, they have a way of relating to one another that helps them learn better,” says Montessori educator Elenore Pfefferman.
In this article highlighting advice from the experts (aka middle schoolers), one 14-year-old had this sage realization after feeling super stressed: “I was forgetting to take time out for myself.” And a 12-year-old recommended this activity to alleviate extreme boredom: “We roll down the hill and get grass all over ourselves because we don’t know what else do to.” (What advice would your child give to another about living through the pandemic? Tell us!)
And now I’m off to make my own “mask-lace”—a creative cross between a mask and a necklace—instructions courtesy of a seventh grader.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES | | Fact or fiction? Adults have a hard enough time figuring out what’s real and what’s not when it comes to news. Imagine what it’s like for children. These kid-friendly tips on fact-checking stories, avoiding clickbait, and other need-to-know basics for media literacy will help children develop critical-thinking skills and become responsible digital citizens. This activity that teaches kids the tricks behind fake photos can help as well; you can also check out the new book Breaking the News for plenty of other ideas and activities to turn children into truth-seekers.
Tiny but tough, just like your kids. Check out this corn maze in the shape of a tardigrade, better known as a water bear. These microscopic animals are considered some of the most resilient on Earth. You name it, they can survive it: 30 years without food or water, temperatures as cold as absolute zero or above boiling, even living in space. What better mascot for 2020 than this adorable little survivor?
What’s it like to discover a family of fish? In waters under the ground in southern India, researchers found two species in a new family of eel-like fish. The whole family of fish, known as dragon snakeheads, diverged from their closest relatives more than 100 million years ago, Nat Geo’s Douglas Main writes. One of the types of fish has been named the Gollum snakehead, after the subterranean character in Lord of the Rings.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKIMAD, GETTY IMAGES | |
Social versus science. That moment when your kid catches a glimpse of a friend she hasn’t seen in months and dashes across the park to give her a hug isn’t just your child ignoring all your carefully taught pandemic protocols. It’s science. As Nat Geo’s Rebecca Renner explains in this article, a child’s need to be social is simply part of their DNA. “We’re hardwired to seek this social engagement and social interaction, because it fulfills a lot of our needs and pushes development forward,” says Lori Markson, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University St. Louis. That can be challenging right now, but experts say being social is crucial to a child’s development. Here are some ways to do that, as well as advice on how your kid can be the virtual host with the most.
We asked, you responded. Last week we asked if your child was taking on more responsibility at home during the pandemic, and proud parents enthusiastically responded “yes.” Planning and cooking meals were big ones, but kids are also contributing to more mundane chores like doing laundry, washing dishes, taking out garbage, and scrubbing toilets (even if they’re using too much cleaner). Parents are clearly excited over their children’s newfound confidence and independence—and they’re especially grateful for the help.
Family discussion: Have you ever found something neat around the house, on the sidewalk, or hiking or swimming outside? Do you still have it? Here’s what an 8-year-old Swedish girl found while swimming in a lake—a 1,500-year-old sword. “I noticed something that felt like a stick,” Sana Vanacek said. The BBC reported the sword dated from the Viking era.
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| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY DOXIEONE PHOTOGRAPHY, GETTY IMAGES | | | |
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