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Q: I'm a busy mom with young children. I have to take them with me when I go shopping -- but this time of year especially, sometimes they drive me crazy in the stores! Help!

Jim: Shopping with children, particularly during the busy Christmas season, can be either a fun time together or a frustrating experience -- sometimes both in the same outing.

Author Karen Ehman has some tips for navigating shopping with little ones.

-- Feed them first -- and avoid hot spots: Temptations are everywhere. If the children are hungry, you could be inviting trouble (and let's face it, we all have our "hangry" moments). Meanwhile, if they haven't learned that needs are different than wants, you'll probably want to stay away from some aisles altogether as much as possible.

-- Build incentive: Before heading out, help children make a coupon for a special treat. If they get through the trip without complaining or acting out, they get to have that treat afterward.

-- Guide financial awareness: If your older child wants something, talk about cost. If they don't have enough money of their own, brainstorm ways they can earn it.

-- Buddy up: Some ages and stages are rougher than others. If you can, arrange with another parent to watch each other's kids while you each go to the store alone.

-- Most of all, hang in there! Not all shopping trips will be stress-free. But intentional efforts to develop your children's behavior -- even in the most "everyday" moments -- can have a lasting impact.

For more ideas to help your family thrive, visit FocusOnTheFamily.com.

Q: I recently heard someone mention "Grind Culture." What is it and how does it affect teens?

Adam Holz, Director, Plugged In: "The daily grind." That cliche has floated around our culture for decades. And, until recently, it's mostly been one that applied to adults talking specifically about their work experience. Get up. Go to work. Grind it out. Come home. Repeat.

More recently though, the age-old daily grind metaphor has morphed a bit, both in meaning and with regard to those who feel like they're experiencing it. Now, it's called "grind culture." And it's not just adults toiling in the workplace who are experiencing it. Increasingly, teens are reporting the stress of having to plow through grind culture, too.

In fact, according to a 2024 Common Sense Media survey called "Unpacking Grind Culture in American Teens," 27% of teens report feeling burned out already. Researchers believe that the pressure kids face today -- pressure to perform, to be and appear successful, to achieve dreams often fueled by the lavish lifestyles they see on social media -- is greater than ever before.

The study identifies six areas contributing to stress for adolescents today: the need for a "Game Plan" for their future; the pressure to achieve; their appearance; their social lives; maintaining meaningful friendships; and the growing cultural emphasis on social activism.

Stir those ingredients together in a big cauldron of social media, parental expectations, and economic uncertainty, and you've got a recipe for teens who already see life as a grind to be endured.

So, what can parents do to help kids navigate grind culture? First, we can start by asking, "What makes you feel stressed out?" And then ... just listen. If you have a teen who's feeling overwhelmed, using the six categories identified above might be a way to put your finger on where that stress is the greatest.

And that can lead to a bigger conversation about whether adjustments need to be made, either in a student's workload or activities, paired with an assessment of how much social media is potentially contributing to those stresses as well.

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Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at jimdalyblog.focusonthefamily.com or at Facebook.com/JimDalyFocus.

Copyright 2024 Focus On The Family. (This feature may not by reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without written permission of Focus on the Family.)

COPYRIGHT 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication. This feature may not be reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without the written permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication.