Is your child wearing a "lead vest"? (A 5-Day Challenge)

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Anyone else experience the cart before the horse syndrome? You know, when you get so excited about something you forget to mention why you’re doing it? Yeah, that’s me, today. I launched my next five day play adventure but forgot to tell you so here we go!

Over the weekend I originally found this piece by Harvard psychologist Jennifer Breheny Wallace that has been weighing on my mind. This morning, I went back to re-read it and thought it would be a great exploration for our community.

Short summary, after working with thousands of families, she found a common, heavy thread: our children are wearing a "lead vest" of performance pressure.

Many kids today believe their value is tied to their "output”, their grades, their starting positions, and their social standing. They feel they only truly "matter" when they are achieving.

In this community, we believe Play is the antidote. It’s the one space where a child can be "useless" in the best way possible. When we play without a goal, we tell our kids: "I value you for who you are, not what you can produce."

Starting today, I’m launching the Mattering Through Play 5-Day Reset.

How it works:

Every day for the next five days, I’ll be sharing two posts:

The Education: A short insight into why our kids feel this pressure and how we can shift the narrative.
The Play: A 15-minute activity designed to build connection, agency, and resilience.

These aren't your typical "keep them busy" activities. They are designed to help our kids shed that lead vest and rediscover their own sense of mattering.

Will you join us?

Drop a "Count me in" below if you’re ready to prioritize connection over achievement for the next 5 days. Tagging some of the members who have expressed interest in more play-based ideas.