Words from our President, May 2025

Cincinnati's Best First Job For over 50 years, Kids First has been a trusted name in providing exceptional care and development for children in Cincinnati and surrounding communities. We also take pride in offering young adults a fantastic first job experience. Each year, we employ over 300 individuals, many of whom are new to the workforce, and help them grow through valuable leadership, communication, and child development skills. Join us as we continue to positively impact both the kids we serve and the future leaders we develop.

Level up your skills with NinjaConnect's 2025! The Ninja Conference for owners, staff and leaders to connect and build up The Ninja Community. Get ready to take your business to the next level.

WELCOME TO 2025! While I do love the holiday season, I am incredibly excited to dive into a new year filled with possibility and growth. I’m coming up on a birthday this month, and it has occurred to me that I am now in about the last 35% of my life (yikes!). So, in light of that terrifying reality, I’ve committed myself to 'controlling the weather' around me this year by spreading gratitude, solutions, and growth wherever possible. Seems my first step in 2025 was to jump feet first into understanding today’s child and how the digital landscape has impacted them. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND THE DIGITAL AGE Recently, I've been deeply inspired by Jonathan Haidt's groundbreaking book, The Anxious Generation, which has me contemplating how childhood has transformed over the past 15 years…And boy he has shared some truths that have hit home for me. Haidt highlights how we've been so intent on protecting children in the physical world that we have (generally speaking) under-protected them in the virtual world. For many children, gone are the days of monkey bars, tree climbing, neighborhood play time until dinner was ready; all for reasons we understand, but true nonetheless. By focusing too much on protecting children from perceived physical dangers while neglecting the risks of the digital world, parents are inadvertently contributing to what Haidt calls "The Great Rewiring" of childhood. He believes it is causing an epidemic of mental health diagnoses among young people. A SHIFT WE CAN’T IGNORE Haidt's research is not only about the technological shift, but it also highlights a critical shift since 2010 from a play-based childhood to a phone-based experience that it is fundamentally reshaping how our children learn and play. This shift also impacts how they develop resilience, social skills, and independence (and so much more). Recently, I’ve been spending my weekends at my son’s high school wrestling tournaments. This past weekend, I saw a young child wearing a shirt that said “Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be Safe.” Although the message was well intended, my immediate thought was what if we instead encouraged “Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be Courageous.”  Can more courage in the physical world (with appropriate oversight of course) and more caution in the virtual world lead to more opportunities for discovery, problem solving, and confident decision making in childhood? KIDS FIRST’S COMMITMENT TO YOUR CHILD We do things intentionally different at Kids First. Giving kids the life long tools to help them develop into happy, healthy responsible adults is our primary goal. Kids First is committed to bridging the gap between the play-based childhood that existed prior to 2010 and today's phone-based childhood. We are deliberate in our instruction. We engage with children through physical activity. We create learning opportunities that allow children to build confidence in their decision making, learn risk assessment, develop physical literacy, and connect with others in meaningful face-to-face interactions. AN INVITATION TO CONNECT As we look forward to 2025, Kids First remains committed to providing an environment that counteracts the isolation and anxiety many young people experience in the digital world. We will work daily to support your child's growth - physically, emotionally, and socially. While we may not solve the problems Haidt shares, we can make a profound difference in the lives of the children and families we serve; one child, one lesson, one moment of connection at a time. We may not change the world, but we absolutely can change the world of each child who walks through our doors. PLEASE JOIN US I invite you to read The Anxious Generation, and join us for a discussion and education series. We hope to bring together parents, teachers, coaches, or anyone who may be interested in diving deeper into this overwhelming phenomenon. Looking back, I wish this book had been available to me prior to the first moment I opened up the digital world to my children. If you’d like to be a part of a discussion group, or would be interested in spearheading one, please follow this link . I know this was a lengthy email. Thank you for your time, and most especially, thank you for choosing Kids First. Gratefully, Jen --- JENNIFER EVANS President Kids First Sports Center 7900 E Kemper Rd | Cincinnati, OH 45249

Kids First Academy - A Day in the Life Check out this short video showcasing the activities and enjoyment that students at Kids First Academy experience!

Dear Kids First Parents, I just wanted to take a moment to share a quick reflection on this wonderful and unpredictable journey we call parenthood. I absolutely love being a parent! It’s a rollercoaster ride filled with joy, laughter, and the occasional “What was I thinking?” moment. I would like to think most of us approach parenthood with a mix of excitement and nerves, armed with all the (expert) advice we’ve gathered over the years—like a superhero with an arsenal of parenting do's and don’ts. And then, “BAM!” that tiny human arrives, and suddenly, all those expert plans go out the window. I can’t help but chuckle when I think back to my twenty-something self, confidently declaring how I would raise my kids. Insert eye roll here! If only I had known that “expertise” would quickly turn into “winging it” while trying to decipher baby babble, two year old ‘assertiveness’, and the trials and tribulations of the teenage years. So, after 35 years of working with children, employing thousands of teenagers, admiring differing parenting styles up close and from afar, and raising my own children, what would I say to the younger version of myself clumsily navigating parenthood, while trying to play it cool? Have clear family principles to use as your GPS and share them often with your children. Offer choices when it makes sense, with guardrails when appropriate (when & then, this or that model for younger children who are learning to make choices). This gives a sense of autonomy while still maintaining influence. Advocate for them, but don’t steal the struggle- from stacking blocks, to striking out, teach them to embrace the challenge and struggle, then celebrate the small wins. This creates coping skills for life and kids who chase a challenge! Crying is ok for babies, and for teenagers (also ok for parents!). The journey is far more valuable than nearly any single moment. Children learn through natural consequences (affordable ones of course). When we intervene to soften disappointment or the pain of a poor decision, we are actually robbing them of the ability to build confidence in decision making and the important lesson of learning through true choice. Our role goes beyond raising our children through adolescence. We are preparing them for adulthood, to be mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, friends, employees, business owners, professionals. Enjoy them. Support them. Teach them. We can’t love them too much, but we can prepare them too little. Parenting in the difficult moments DOES NOT mean we love them less. While I might not have nailed the parenting thing perfectly, I count myself lucky to have surrounded myself with countless others who blazed the trail before me. One thing is for sure: we all seem to be expert parents before we have kids and long after they’ve flown the nest. It’s that messy middle part—when we’re knee-deep in tantrums, laundry, and endless “Why?” questions—that really throws us for a loop! But here’s the silver lining: somehow, despite the chaos, our kids seem to turn out just fine. So here’s to us—the brave souls navigating this chaos together! Let’s embrace the messiness, laugh at our blunders, and cherish every moment, even the ones that involve digging out the endless supply of cheerios from the mysterious abyss of the minivan. Grateful for the chaos, Jen --- JENNIFER EVANS President Kids First Sports Center 7900 E Kemper Rd | Cincinnati, OH 45249