How to Parent at the End of the World

Parenting right now is an act of bravery.

(Jack Kent)

What quality does a parent need most right now? Our vote is for bravery.

Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported—in the sternest terms yet—that a degree of catastrophe due to global warming is now inevitable.

Even if world leaders somehow wrestled civilization onto a more sustainable track, we’re still looking at three decades of heat-strengthened hurricanes, drought, unprecedented forest fires, and other natural disasters.

Our Parents & Kids Issue may provide some comfort to parents troubled by this report—and other tools for coping with “Why are we raising kids in this world?” angst.

Frustrated by the lack of child-friendly attitudes in local environmental activism, families for saving the world’s climate started up their own nonprofit. After all, their children were a big reason why they were fighting for the future of the planet in the first place.

How do local high schoolers feel about returning to school, given the rise of the Delta variant? We talked to some and they gave us their unvarnished truth.

You’ll want to take the edge off then, and our regular cannabis authority Brianna Wheeler has some recommendations for low-THC strains parents can lean on through this stressful back-to-school season.

Don’t overlook our story about a local mom who just wants to find an affordable grilled cheese for her daughter at a restaurant she still wants to hang out at along with some perfectly brutal food reviews from the desk of a 14-year-old.

Raising children at the crossroads of a dire global climate crisis and a worldwide pandemic sounds like trying to climb two or more ladders at the same time—or trying to help your kid climb those ladders while you hold all of them still. So don’t forget to eat carbs.

Suzette Smith, WW Culture Editor

Families for Climate Started as a Environmental Group for Families. Now It’s Also a Support Group.

Portland Public School High School Students Share Their Thoughts on Returning to In-Person Instruction

Back-to-School Cannabis Strain Roundup

Places in Portland Where You Can Get a Kids’ Menu Grilled Cheese Sandwich That Won’t Break the Bank

Brutal Kid Reviews: Macaroni and Cheese

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