In partnership with

I finally watched the much-loved “Inside Out 2” with my two boys, and we love love loved it! Did you know it officially surpassed Frozen 2 as the highest grossing animated film in history?

If you haven’t seen it (which you probably have 🙄), the movie takes us through 13-year-old protagonist Riley’s new set of internal emotions as she hits puberty. We saw Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui (boredom) join the core emotions from the original film: Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness.

While these new emotions are self-conscious and future-projecting, they’re not limited to teenagers only. Research has shown that kids acquire a partial start to grasp bits and pieces of tricky emotions like pride and jealousy long before they fully understand what triggers these feelings. My 11-year old is giving me sneak peek of his upcoming teenage years, showing signs of the grass-is-greener attitude, the occasional eye roll, and growing anxiety.

Here’s what I learned from Inside Out 2

ANXIETY

I loved how this movie de-stigmatizes “anxiety”. Dr. Lisa Damour, a psychologist specializing in teenage emotions who consulted on Inside Out 2, says, “Anxiety has a protective function, and it’s not necessarily always negative. Most people don’t know that.”

Anxiety is an essential part of life; it helps us imagine and anticipate things that could go wrong. Research has shown that anxiety in reasonable doses can help us pay attention, remember details, and avoid danger. It can be a great lever to course-correct and make better decisions. So instead of demonizing anxiety and pretending it shouldn't exist, we should normalize it and find coping strategies that help us and our kids as they get older.

SELF COMPASSION

Every emotion (whether good or bad) has a place and purpose in our lives. Accepting uncomfortable emotions is as hard as doing yoga on a bed of rocks. Sometimes, strong emotions can get the better of us, causing us to act out in ways we’re not entirely proud of. The best way to tackle this is through self-compassion.

The movie beautifully shows self-compassion as an essential tool for building emotional resilience. So the next time you’re worried about your kids’ screen time or your kids are throwing a tantrum, treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer to your loved ones.

After watching the movie, I leveraged some scenes as a conversation starter. Here are some questions I asked them:

• Which emotions did you relate to most?

• What did you think of Anxiety?

• How did you feel when Anxiety caused a panic attack?

• What emotion should they add next? Why?

• Did you feel Anxiety was bad for Riley?

• Which emotion did you like/dislike the most?

Coming Soon to Your Doorstep: Seasonal Plant-Based Meals from Purple Carrot

Are you sick of the evening scramble to put a tasty and nutritious meal on the table? Purple Carrot has got your back with fully plant-based, chef-crafted meals delivered right to your door.

Purple Carrot offers three time-saving options that let you skip the stress of meal planning and grocery shopping and spend more time doing what matters, whether that’s helping your kids with their homework or squeezing in a quick workout.

Choose from prepared meals that are ready to enjoy in two minutes or less or meal kits featuring delicious recipes with the exact amount of ingredients you need - meaning nothing gets wasted! You can also shop their “plantry” to find a curated selection of plant-based grocery items - perfect for days when you want to get a little more creative in the kitchen.

Can’t pick just one? You don’t have to! Purple Carrot plans are fully customizable. Each week, you can choose from any combination of meal kits, prepared meals, and grocery items.

Plus, if you need a break, you can skip a week or cancel at any time, so your food won't go bad while you head off on a well-deserved vacation.

Now is the perfect time to try Purple Carrot. This summer, they’ve launched 5 new seasonal prepared meals that are light, vibrant, and perfect for enjoying outside or on the go.

Discover the power of delicious, fully plant-based meals. Pick your plan today.