Amy Zhao, a client relationship manager from China Construction Bank (CCB), visited with a very curious and impressed group of kids at the International Montessori School of Beijing. From Qinghai province in western china, Zhao moved to Shandong province to study at the age of 15. She then moved to Beijing in 2002 for further studies and decided to stay on to work in Beijing. CCB is headquartered in Beijing, and Amy works in the asset custody division of the bank. She explained the workings of a bank to the children and talked about how client relationship managers help investors. The kids were very inquisitive and had lots of questions that Amy effortlessly answered, while shedding light on the entire banking industry from a high level for kids to understand. Read on to find out what kids think of banking in general and what their concerns are.

Roman, 11, Canada
 What is investment risk or risk appetite and is it like gambling?
It is the degree of risk you are comfortable with, when you invest. It is a little like gambling, but less so, if you educate yourself about market trends.

Sally, 11, China
Can banks fail? Do banks invest our money that we deposit and lend it out?
There are government bodies that regulate markets to ensure banks don’t go bankrupt and they also have insurances to avoid such issues. Investing your money is every bank’s basic business. That is what they primarily do. They do have other avenues to generate income too, though.

Ben, 10, Canada
What is the average age to open an account and how can one start a bank?
The average age to start an account in China is 18 years. To start a bank, you need a license, you need to register with the government, get a location, and have enough funds to begin.

Alex, 11, Singapore
How do they decide the rate of conversion for currency?
That changes every day so it’s different and all websites have that info. It’s something that depends on the market and a lot of other factors. Each bank will then offer their rate for a day based on their calculations. They’ll all be a little different.

Erik, 12, USA
What are the various kinds of investment products?
There are three dominant ones. Stocks, which are high risk and need a lot of knowledge, bonds (government bonds, with lower risk probability of losing money is low, financial institution bonds, and corporate bonds), and funds. They all offer different options to get a higher rate of return than what a bank might directly offer.

Jennifer, 12, USA
What is a personal investor?
A person or individual who banks directly and is a personal client, as opposed to corporate investor for a big company.

Sissi, 12, China
Can we lose a line of credit?
If we all deposit our money and then withdraw it for our expenses too, will the bank have no money and go bankrupt?  Yes, it’s based on your credit or track record. Credit cards mean that you’ve borrowed for a month. If you don’t pay back on time you’ll lose your credit line. Banks rarely go bankrupt if deposits equal withdrawals, because while that is their primary source of income, banks have other investments and avenues that bring in revenue.

Ashley, 11, Singapore
What do I need to do in college to work in a bank?
Most people need math, economics in college. Majors in finance, market and asset management are also quite popular for those seeking a career in finance.

Florina, 11, USA

Can kids have Credit Cards?
They can get add-on cards on their parents’ credit cards, but not of their own.

Tina, 12, Hong Kong
What are the risks of credit card usage?
People may steal it. We might use it more than needed and create financial problems for ourselves. Identity theft using different techniques is a huge problem too. However, banks have things in place like text messages for transactions, passwords on accounts, and freezing the account in case it’s stolen.

Roxie, 11, China
What is the limit of the amount for withdrawal?
That depends on where you withdraw. ATM machines in China have RMB 20,000 per day limit. At the teller inside a bank though, you can withdraw your entire balance.

Charlie, 11, China
Stock risks are high but why do people still invest?
Because those people have enough knowledge to make a calculated risk, they are open to taking a chance. The fact is that the higher the risk, the higher the return too, if it goes well.

Calvin, 11, USA

What are the different jobs in banks?

Client relationship manager, like me, account manager, bank tellers, accountants, management positions are a few examples.

This article originally appeared on pages 30-31 of the September 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTOS: DAVE’S STUDIO

Run by a Chinese-American native of Brooklyn, New York, Mrs. Shanen’s offers cream cheese bagels in a variety of flavors, including jalapeno cheddar, sesame, and cinnamon raisin. Their mostly organic food menu also includes  toasted muffins, smoked salmon, soups, salads, sandwiches, artisan pizza, burgers, falafel, and pasta. Loaves of bread can be purchased for home; their Challah bread is in high demand and should be ordered beforehand for pick up on Fridays. Produce and other organic products from the owner’s other venue, Green Cow Farm, are also available.

Annika Norberg (age 7) gets ready to dig in at Mrs. Shanen’s

This month’s food critic, Annika Norberg, 7, studies at Springboard International Bilingual School (SIBS). She was accompanied by her mom, Sara, and months old little brother, David. Sara and Nathan Norberg moved to Beijing from Alaska four years ago. Annika is their only daughter in a family of five kids, and Sara joked that she truly is the princess of the family.

Their kids have fairly adventurous palettes and are mostly open to trying different cuisines, but comfort food for them is typical American food, such as grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, and pizza.
Although Annika’s favorite dish is pizza, Mrs. Shanen’s menu has plenty of American comfort food so Annika had a hard time deciding what to order. In the end she went with macaroni and cheese (RMB 40), a hot ham and cheese sandwich (RMB 50), waffles (RMB 45), a sunny side up platter with a side of home fries and bacon (RMB 65), and lemonade ice tea (RMB 35). Sara ordered a plain pizza (RMB 20 per slice) to share and a cup of coffee (RMB 20).

While we waited for our food, we chatted with Denise, the friendly face of Mrs. Shanen’s, who took our orders and relayed it to the kitchen. She is known by all regulars, and mothers everyone like only a grandmother would.

Annika devoured the mac and cheese before Sara could get a chance to taste it. She paused for a giant gulp of the lemonade ice tea, which she told me was “lemony and refreshing.” She described the mac and cheese as “cheesy, gooey, and melted in the mouth.” When I enquired if the sandwich was good too, I got an enthusiastic nod before another bite.  When the waffles arrived with the sunny side up egg, Sara commented on how appetizing it looked, reiterating that both Annika and Sara loved the presentation of all the dishes. Sara also added the pizza was really very good, with the right amount of cheese, sauce, and basil.
Annika gave Mrs. Shanen’s a five star rating and promised to bring dad and her other three brothers next time.

Family-friendly Facts: Small and cosy, with no free WiFi distractions. Limited outside seating is available on a beautiful day, and a nice play area for little children. Best to come prepared to pay cash as their card machine often doesn’t connect.

Mrs. Shanen’s
Sun-Thu 7.30am-8pm, Fri-Sat 7.30am-8.30pm. 5 Kaifa Jie, Xibaixinzhuang (next to Capital Paradise), Shunyi District. (8046 4301)顺义区西白辛庄开发街5号 (紧邻名都园)

This article originally appeared on page 20-21 of the August 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos by Dave’s Studio

Australian trampoline park chain Latitude recently opened its first China branch in Shunyi, and already it’s become a favorite for parties and birthdays. Located on Anping Street, the activity center not only has an array of trampolines, it also boasts climbing walls, obstacle courses, a dodgeball court, and lots more to keep your spirits lifted and test your gravity defying skills.

You can work with staff to plan a party and have them arrange everything you’ll need for a price that varies based on each party’s requirements, or you could just book the venue ahead of time and bring everything you need for a party with you.

Feedback from parents who’ve held parties there has been mostly positive. They all talked about how great the activities were and how much the kids loved it. Some were concerned that there were older kids in the same area as the younger ones, although they agreed that overall, the venue was in good working order and felt quite safe. A lack of adequate English-speaking staff was another issue; however Latitude makes up for it by assigning numerous staff to your party, to ensure you have enough hands on deck to manage a group of excited and boisterous kids.

Overall, parents were pleased with the fun activity options, the upbeat music that keeps enthusiasm levels high, and the overall atmosphere.

Mon-Fri: RMB 108 per hour (RMB 98 for members)
Sat- Sun: RMB 138 per hour (RMB 128 for members)
Group price: Two people or more can enjoy an RMB 15 deduction each
Parent-kids price: From Mon-Fri one adult at full price can take one child that is up to 1.1 meters tall for free

*NOTE: We understand from Latitude that these prices may change after summer.

Mon-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat-Sun 9am-10pm. 3 Anping Street, Houshayu, Shunyi District. (8047 6556, service@latitudechina.com.cn) www.latitudechina.com.cn 北京市顺义区后沙峪安平街3号（枯柳树环岛国门一号）

This article originally appeared on page 3 of the August 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos: latitudemelbourne.com

Auckland native Christiana Zhu proudly calls herself a ‘Chiwi’ (a Kiwi of Chinese ethnicity). She decided to move to China in 2014 to explore the Chinese market. Initially hired by WildChina for a project, she eventually stayed on as head of marketing.

The move to Beijing significantly impacted her physical health. She developed allergies and severe eczema as her body adjusted to the air, environment, and food.  In an effort to manage her allergies, triggered by severe lactose intolerance amongst other factors, she experimented with different solutions. She then discovered coconut milk based yogurt, which helped reduce her skin related issues.

“My friend made coconut yogurt for me and taught me to make it for myself, as it wasn’t available anywhere in China, not even on Taobao. I wanted to share it with friends in the hope of opening their eyes and minds to new healthy options for people with food allergies in Beijing”, Christiana tells us.

“I started taking it to parties and gatherings. It slowly got popular and then, urged by my supportive friends, I tried selling it at Farms to Neighbors farmers market. I really did not expect it to be such a huge hit. I sold out every single time and started getting we chat orders for the week”, she adds.

There is a huge demand in Beijing for dairy free products, especially yogurts. Expanding to the Hatchery has helped with wider visibility for the yogurt.

Christiana says that she hopes to combat the negative reputation that a lot of healthy foods often get in the taste department. When it comes to good taste, people often almost instinctively turn away from foods labelled “vegan”, “gluten free”, or “dairy free”, and she wants to change that, and show that these foods can also be fun and delicious.

Yeyo’s main ingredient is coconut milk, which is a superfood, and complemented by digestion-enhancing probiotics, can be a great addition to a wholesome diet, according to Christiana. However, one drawback of coconut yogurt is that it contains more fat than regular yogurt made from cow’s milk, but Christiana says that “it’s quality and not quantity of calories that matter for a healthy diet, and coconut fat sure has the quality factor.”

Coconut fat contains medium chain saturated fatty acids instead of long chain fatty acids, which makes it easier to digest, and because coconut oil is thermogenic it increases energy expenditure and can speed up metabolism, Christiana says. Furthermore, because coconut reduces inflammation it facilitates bowel movement. Christiana says that there are also three different strains of probiotics in the yogurt to support digestion.

Lastly, the lauric acid in coconut milk boosts immunity and the calcium, minerals, essential fats, amino acids, and vitamins in the yogurt also helps maintain healthier hair, skin and bones, Christiana says, strengthening them through nourishment.

Yeyo is only six months old and very much in its infancy.

“The most challenging part is to find the time and energy to keep it going. Yet, every time I feel tired and get tempted to scale back, I get a message or feedback from some client telling me how much they enjoy my yogurt, how they’ve not had yogurt for years due to allergies and can’t thank me enough for making it available to them.  They send me a picture with their yogurt! That re-energizes me and helps me plough through, to keep going.”

There’s no competition for her yogurt in the Beijing, especially because it’s also unsweetened yogurt, which is hard to find in China. She offers dairy free yogurt, with the consistency of a Greek style yogurt in three flavors every week. Two are standard, the pure yogurt and yogurt with a little bit of honey at the bottom. The third flavor varies every week, with seasonal fruit compote at the bottom to make it interesting.

The yogurt comes in glass jars of 150ml for RMB 30 or a pack of four in a cooler bag for RMB 100. You can get a discount for recycling glass jars to reduce wastage. A delivery fee varies based on your location and it needs to be delivered to your door within an hour, for it to be fresh. It’s usually around RMB 16 for CBD area and RMB 24 for Shunyi. And that name? It’s simple. Yeyo comes from the Chinese words ‘ye’ for coconut and ‘yo’ for yogurt!

Find Yeyo’s products at Farm to Neighbors Farmers Market every Saturday and Sunday, on sale at Hatchery, or order via Wechat (yeyo-yogurt). RMB 30-100.

This article originally appeared on page 10 of the August 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos: Courtesy of Yeyo Yogurt

Balmain Gourmet is an increasingly popular choice for diners in the Shunyi area. As well as catering to the palates of foodies craving a gourmet burger or hot dog, they also offer great options for children of all ages. We decided to put that claim to the test by taking our young food critics there for dinner.

Brynn Comes (age 7) and her younger brother Alden Comes (6) both attend the International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB). They were accompanied to Balmain Gourmet by their mom, Michelle. Michelle and Justin Comes moved to Beijing from New Jersey in August 2012. They are really enjoying their first expat assignment and they especially love the travels that it allows them. Thanks to all that travelling, both kids have fairly adventurous palates, and are always open to trying different cuisines. They particularly enjoy tasting local fruits wherever they visit.

Brynn’s favorite dish is Sweet & Sour Pork and she is also quite fond of Mexican food. She thought the variety of burgers on the menu looked interesting and ordered the Cheese Burger (RMB 80) for herself. Alden, who enjoys hot dogs and burgers, could not resist ordering one of Balmain’s Red Cheddar Dogs (RMB 60), loaded with cheese. Both orders came with a side of fries and half a passion fruit, much to the delight of the kids who giggled while trying it. Michelle ordered a Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes (RMB 35) for herself. The kids also decided to share a Strawberry Milk Shake with marshmallows on the top (RMB 40) for dessert.

Biting into his Red Cheddar Dog, Alden gave me an enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’. When I enquired if it was as good as he had imagined, he responded with a matter-of-fact “better”, and that was all I got out of him till he finished dinner. Brynn took a bite of her burger and gave her approval too. When Michelle’s order of Grilled Cheese with Tomatoes arrived, everybody ooh’d and ahh’d at how appetizing it looked. Michelle took a bite and pronounced it delicious, with just the right amount of cheese and a dash of salt & pepper. The flavors, she said, were a perfect balance of good bread and lots of cheese, ideal comfort food that just hit the spot. Both brother and sister jumped at the opportunity to try it. Brynn savored her bite for a few seconds and then said she was going to order that next time.

It was time for dessert and the children gleefully grabbed their milk shakes and proceeded to suck up the marshmallows through the large straw, before drinking it all up. There is something old-world and charming about kids enjoying a classic shake, predictably with big smiles on their faces!

The portions were generous, and the children thought it would be a good idea to take their leftovers back for Dad to try when he got home from work. Balmain Gourmet’s predominantly meat-based menu has hotdogs, burgers, sandwiches, fries, and salads aplenty. They also have a few options for vegetarians. Some of their specialties include Beef Chili Dog (RMB 80), Eggs Benedict (RMB 80), Kimchi Dog (RMB 80), and Aussie Burger (RMB 140). Their bread, which they source from L’Atelier JMT in Shunyi, pairs exquisitely with their meats. Incorporating subtle twists into their regular fare, such as kimchi in a Korean Dog or grilled pineapple in the Aussie Burger, they’re managing to cater to a culturally diverse customer base in Shunyi.

Delectable food and a laid-back atmosphere, with outside seating options on a clear day, make it a perfect hangout option for families. Our Dining Out critics, Brynn and Alden gave Balmain Gourmet a five star rating. They said they’ll be back for more, preferably with Dad too next time!

Family-friendly facts:
The restaurant is small and cozy, with WiFi. It offers outside seating in summer months. It has filters so you don’t need to stress about the air quality, and its own private restroom. They’ve also started to carry an organic range of pork sausages, for the health conscious. The owner Drew’s pet, an adorable brown Labrador Retriever named Coco, never ceases to delight little ones. Brynn and Alden were no exceptions.

Balmain Gourmet Meat & Grill
Tue-Sun, 9am-9pm. South Gate of Yosemite A, YuYang Road, Shunyi District (18600039708, balmaingourmet@vip.163.com) 顺义优山美地A区南门向东100米宝美热狗店

This article originally appeared on page 20-21 of the 2016 June-July Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos by Dave’s Studio

Kids can spend hours, especially in the summer, creating artwork on the sidewalk using colorful chalk. However, have you ever heard of mess-free sidewalk chalk? It doesn’t exist!

But Sean Kelly, an Art teacher at Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA), was inspired to think outside the box and come up with a ‘mess-free’ substitute that’s super fun. He enlisted Nathan Yu, a student in Grade 1, to help him create something practical, environmentally friendly and easy to use. They call it the ‘Sidewalk Sponge Brush’: the age-old Chinese art of calligraphy fused with the western tradition of sidewalk chalk! It was an instant hit with Nathan who mastered it in minutes. He showed off his artistic abilities with elaborate scenes, and later challenged Kelly to a race to see who could finish spelling out their name on the sidewalk first. Needless to say, Nathan won!

It’s a simple idea which does not involve staring at a screen; instead, it encourages kids to be outdoors creating something fun, working together with their friends to make landscapes and little scenes or write messages to each other. Kelly was inspired by the water-based sidewalk calligraphy we typically witness in and around Beijing. We all know that children love to use water in any kind of play. Bringing these two ideas together, the Sponge Brush is a perfect tool to keep kids busy and entertained.

Estimated time:
10 minutes

Suitable for:
Age 4+

Materials:
• An old broom or dust pan, or alternatively a PVC pipe
• A plastic bottle, cut in half (assisted by an adult)
• A stiff sponge
• Duct tape
• Bucket of water

Instructions

1. Take an old broom or a dustpan and unscrew it, to get a good size pole. Alternatively, you can use a regular PVC pipe, and cut it to the appropriate height.

2. Next, take an old plastic bottle and cut it in half across the middle.

3. Duct tape the pole to the mouth of the cut bottle. If the sizes don’t quite match, use a filler such as plasticine or blu-tack before binding them together with duct tape.

4. Get a sponge that’s bigger than the diameter of the bottle (it works best if the sponge is stiff). Stuff the sponge into the open space of the cut bottle. You’ll need to squeeze it in and it should hold itself in place without any glue or binding agent.

5. Finally, trim the tip with a scissor to give it the appearance of a giant paint brush, with a nice point on the top. Voila! Your nifty little Sidewalk Sponge Brush, is now ready to put to use to create your next masterpiece!

This article originally appeared on page 30-31 of the 2016 June-July Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.
Photos: Dave’s Studio

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Shunyi Happenings this week offers a chance to catch up with friends over coffee, lend some support at a charity bazaar, and witness a new designer debuting her collection. If you want to promote an event, store opening or closing, sale, or any other fun family-friendly event taking place in Shunyi, please get in touch with our Shunyi Correspondent Anjana Kainikkara by emailing anjanakainikkara@beijing-kids.com

International Newcomer’s Network(INN) Coffee Morning, Jun 16
Adults. If you’re new in Shunyi or if you just want to come and catch up with friends, this is the perfect event to meet your neighbors. A recurring event held every third Thursday of the month, either at Roundabout or at British School of Beijing. For more information click on contactus@innbeijing.org

Free. 10am-Noon. The British School of Beijing (BSB), South Side, No. 9 An Hua Street, Shunyi District. (80473588, www.bsbshunyi.com) Fashion Show and Wine Pairing, Jun 16
Engelsblick is debuting at the Riviera Club House! This new fashion line is launching with a fashion show comprising of five pieces being modeled exclusively. These pieces are the first public line of young designer Vivien Engel. The designs are inspired by 1955 Vietnam during the war. The Riviera Club House will be offering a wine pairing, all French, with each piece, provided by NongChao Freserique Machine. They will also have canapés provided by Andy’s Bakery. Wine tasting starts from 7:30pm and the fashion show from 8pm. A fabulous opportunity to shop and be inspired by thought-provoking clothing!

Free. 7:30pm onwards. Thur, Jun 16. Riviera Country Club, No.1Xiang Jiang Bei Lu, Chaoyang District

Photos: Courtesy of Riviera Country Club.

Christiana Zhu proudly calls herself a ‘Chiwi’ (a kiwi of Chinese ethnicity). A New Zealand expat from Auckland, she was exposed to the Asian market while working in the NZ tourism industry. She moved to China in 2014 to explore the Chinese market, was hired by WildChina for a project and eventually stayed on as head of marketing with WildChina.The move to Beijing hugely impacted her physically; she developed allergies and severe eczema, while her body adjusted to the air quality, different environment, and foods. In an effort to manage her allergies, triggered by severe lactose intolerance amongst other factors, she tried various solutions, and that’s how she discovered coconut milk based yogurt, which has really helped reduce her skin related issues.

“When I realized how beneficial it was, I wanted to share it with friends, in the hope of opening their eyes and minds to new healthy options for people with food allergies, who might have difficulty finding certain foods here in Beijing”, Christiana tells us.

“My friend made coconut yogurt for me and taught me to make it for myself, as it wasn’t available anywhere in China, including Taobao! I started taking it to parties and gatherings. It slowly got popular and then, urged by my supportive friends, I tried selling it at Farms to Neighbors farmers market. I really did not expect it to be such a huge hit. I sold out every single time and started getting WeChat orders for the week”, she adds.

From there, the business developed naturally. There is a huge demand in Beijing for dairy free products, especially yogurts. Expanding to the Hatchery has helped with wider visibility. Since it’s still a part time venture, she continues with her day job and is somehow managing to keep up with this fast growing business as well.

Yeyo is only six months old and very much in its infancy right now. However Christiana is taking it one step at a time and enjoying the steady growth, while entertaining further expansion ideas. “The most challenging part is to find the time and energy to keep it going! Yet, every time I feel tired and get tempted to scale back, I get a message or feedback from some client telling me how much they enjoy my yogurt, how they’ve not had yogurt for years due to allergies and can’t thank me enough for making it available for them.  They send me pictures with their yogurt! That re-energizes me and helps me plow through, to keep going”.

There’s no competition for her in the Beijing area, especially because it’s also unsweetened yogurt, which is hard to find in China. She offers dairy free yogurt, with the consistency of a Greek style yogurt, in three flavors every week. Two are standard, the pure yogurt and yogurt with honey. The third flavor varies every week, with a seasonal fruit compote at the bottom to make it interesting. You can find her yogurts at Farm to Neighbors Farmers Market, at the Hatchery and through WeChat as well. They come in 150ml glass jars for RMB 30, or a pack of four in a cooler bag for RMB 100. You can get a discount for recycling glass jars to reduce wastage. The delivery fee varies based on your location, and the yogurt needs to be delivered to your door within an hour, for it to be fresh. It’s usually around RMB 16 for CBD area and RMB 24 for the hutongs. And that name? It’s simple. Yeyo comes from the Chinese words ‘ye’ for coconut and ‘yo’ for yogurt!

Photo: Courtesy of Christana Zhu, Yeyo Yogurt.

Last week we took an in-depth look at stress among teenagers. We also talked about the importance of educating our teens on recognizing stress and its various symptoms. There are a lot of constructive ways to help our teens manage daily stress, which will naturally lead them to have a more positive outlook on life.

We all have access to multiple resources to find tips and suggestions on how we can help our children. However, I find that this generation is always a step ahead of us, and it occurred to me to ask some of my teenage daughterís friends if they had any set habits they used as fallbacks when feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Some answers were funny, some witty and some, I must admit, were very impressive. Here are a few slightly unconventional stress management tips from a group of thirteen/fourteen year olds!

One girl said, “I make lists and get organized when it gets crazy.” A textbook approach, but very mature, I thought to myself. One we could all use. Another one excitedly shouted out, “I loovvve to get home from school and change into my pajamas!” Predictably, the entire group burst out laughing at this enthused statement, which prompted an explanation from her, “It always makes me feel relaxed, as soon I get into comfortable clothing. I know I’m home then and I can deal with everything slowly, taking my time!” I was surprised and had to smile at her simple, yet very rational explanation. Later, when I dwelled on that comment, I realized, much to my amusement, that I too was in the habit of doing exactly that! Except, I’d just never thought about why I did, and it was just a habit.

I couple of them contributed with responses referring to healthy habits like, sleeping enough, staying active, exercising regularly eating healthy, taking regular breaks, listening to music and talking to peers/parents. All really good ideas and aligned with what one might find on the internet, books and other resources accessible to all of us. Then, another great idea, which I perceived as completely out-of the-box, pleasantly surprised me. One girl, very thoughtfully and hesitantly volunteered, “You know, sometimes when I feel really stressed and down, I try and do something nice for someone else and it always makes me feel better.” It took the rest of the group a few seconds to process what she’d said, before they collectively launched into a discussion, agreeing with her, talking over each other and sharing instances when they’d all experienced the same.

I would have gladly shared their examples and stories with you, except, I didn’t hear a single one! I was too dumbstruck! That was all I got out of them that evening and following that chat, they went right back to being a group of giggly teenagers. I left the room, marveling at the amazing wisdom this small group of girls had passed onto me, while they were all chattering away, laughing and teasing each other. Yes! They need us to help them navigate through these adolescent years and manage stress. No! This is not a one way street by any means. Give them a chance, and I can assure you, they’ll teach us a lesson or two as well about stress management.

Photo: martinaK15 (Flickr)