3% of Teens Identify As Transgender

TOP OF MIND

3.3% to be exact
The CDC recently conducted the first ever national survey of over 20,000 students in public and private high schools across the U.S. to determine how many U.S. high schoolers identify as transgender. The results were a little surprising.

It was determined that around 3.3% of high school students identified as transgender, with another 2.2% either currently or previously identifying as questioning.

The important bits
More than a quarter (26%) of transgender and questioning students attempted suicide in the past year, according to the CDC's findings. That's compared to 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students.

72% of transgender students experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and just over 40% have experienced some form of bullying at school. Around 25% of trans students skipped school because they felt unsafe.

Transgender students were also around 5x more likely to experience unstable housing than cisgender male and female students. The CDC noted this disparity is likely due to discrimination such as family rejection.

What's it all mean?
Kathleen Ethier, director of the division of adolescent and school health for the CDC, says schools need to start paying attention to these numbers.

She stresses that when schools put LGBTQ+ friendly practices into place, such as implementing Gay-Straight Alliance programs, enforcing anti-harassment policies, and providing training to teachers and staff, schools see an improvement in the health and wellbeing of both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual students.

And remember, your kids are always watching you. As this insightful article explains, bullying starts at the top.

DID YOU HEAR

👃 Does it smell like dirty diapers in here, or is it just me?
Remember what we were just saying about how we shouldn't judge others for living life differently? Well, that still applies to this mom, who went viral on TikTok for having 17 dirty diapers scattered around her home. This sparked a heated debate in the comments. Some moms were disgusted and questioned why she didn't just put them in the trash can, while others expressed support. Read the comments here.

🧑‍💻 Parents trust ChatGPT for health advice over actual doctors
A University of Kansas study in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology found that parents trust AI more than human doctors, even when the AI's source is unknown. The parents also rated AI-generated text as more credible, trustworthy and even moral. We don't know about you all, but until ChatGPT can give us a lollipop on our way out, we're sticking with the good doctor.

🍿 Have you heard of Fluffy Popcorn?
There's a new viral food trend taking over TikTok, and this time it comes with the added risk of salmonella! Most "Fluffy Popcorn" recipes call for a combination of butter, marshmallows, popcorn, sprinkles and Funfetti cake mix. And it's that last ingredient causing all the concern. Cake mix contains raw flour, which means it hasn't been heated/treated to kill bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. Just last year, Gold Medal announced a recall on their flour after testing came back positive for salmonella.

😓 5 tips to cope with the stress of parenting
What's harder than being a parent? Being a parent with no coping mechanisms! Thankfully, Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist who specializes in parenting, is giving us 5 tips to cope with parenting stress. One of our favorites? Make repairs instead of seeking perfection. Find out what that means here.

🛝 A parent's guide to the rules of the playground
Study up here.

A DOSE OF GOOD

Watch on TikTok

BITES WITH KIYAH

Pumpkins aren’t just for your front steps (although they do look great there too)! Bring the flavors of the season to your dinner table with these three pumpkin-packed recipes - one for breakfast, dinner, and my personal favorite, a pumpkin pie milkshake for dessert. 

They're so good, your porch may be jealous. 🎃

@KiyahDuffey is the co-founder of Kizingo Kids and an expert in nutrition.

HERE’S A QUESTION

Last week, we asked you if you thought spanking was effective, and nearly 75% of you said, "possibly, but I think there are better methods," while the rest of you said, "nope!"

RECALLS

Pre-packaged chicken products
This is a big one. Public health officials are urging Americans to check their fridges and freezers after recalling 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items. The items in question could be contaminated with listeria. Nearly all stores are impacted by this recall, including Walmart, Target, Trader Joe's, Kroger and Aldi.

The recalled products include salads, wraps, pasta bowls, burritos, enchiladas and several other ready-made frozen and family meals. Brands impacted include Fresh Express, Rao’s, Boston Market, Atkins, Dole, ReadyMeals, Taylor Farms, Home Chef and Signature Select.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE... LISTERIA!
Frozen waffles served at major grocery stores are being recalled due to risk of listeria contamination.

The recalled waffles – including popular brands like Best Choice, Target’s Good & Gather and Walmart’s Great Value – were distributed throughout the United States and Canada.

You can see all the products being impacted here. Check those codes!

These are just two of the many listeria outbreaks impacting the U.S. this year. A few months ago, Boar's Head had to recall over 7 million pounds of meat after a listeria contamination sent nearly 60 people to the hospital.