Raising and guiding our small humans into and through their tweens and teens — well — has always been tough, but today’s parents face challenges that are increasingly foreign to them, from TikTok to vaping. That’s why SheKnows is talking to teens themselves to help shed light on the issues facing Gen Z (and their parents) right now. This series gives a first-person perspective on raising tweens and teens.

Our ongoing “Hatch Kids” project represents Gen Z (defined as kids born between 1997 – 2012) at all ages and stages, and our stories featuring Hatch Kids reveal teens’ honest and uncensored perspectives on today’s big issues — from climate change to sexuality to the 2020 election — in a way that informs, inspires and, in some cases, entertains readers.