Month: July 2024

Every parent wants to see their kid get good grades in school. But now we know social success is just as important.

From an early age, we’re led to believe our grades and test scores are the key to everything — namely, going to college, getting a job, and finding that glittery path to lifelong happiness and prosperity.

It can be a little stressful.

But a study showed that when children learn to interact effectively with their peers and control their emotions, it can have an enormous impact on how their adult lives take shape. And according to the study, kids should be spending more time on these skills in school.

Nope, it’s not hippie nonsense. It’s science.

Kindergarten teachers evaluated the kids with a portion of something called the Social Competence Scale by rating statements like “The child is good at understanding other’s feelings” on a handy “Not at all/A little/Moderately well/Well/Very well” scale.

The research team used these responses to give each kid a “social competency score,” which they then stored in what I assume was a manila folder somewhere for 19 years, or until each kid was 25. At that point, they gathered some basic information about the now-grown-ups and did some fancy statistical stuff to see whether their early social skills held any predictive value.

Here’s what they found.

1. Those good test scores we covet? They still matter, but maybe not for the reasons we thought.

Back To School GIF by IFC – Find & Share on GIPHY

Traditional thinking says that if a kid gets good grades and test scores, he or she must be really smart, right? After all, there is a proven correlation between having a better GPA in high school and making more money later in life.

But what that test score doesn’t tell you is how many times a kid worked with a study partner to crack a tough problem, or went to the teacher for extra help, or resisted the urge to watch TV instead of preparing for a test.

The researchers behind this project wrote, “Success in school involves both social-emotional and cognitive skills, because social interactions, attention, and self-control affect readiness for learning.”

That’s a fancy way of saying that while some kids may just be flat-out brilliant, most of them need more than just smarts to succeed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt spending a little more time in school teaching kids about the social half of the equation.

2. Skills like sharing and cooperating pay off later in life.

Adam Sandler Pee GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

We know we need to look beyond GPA and state-mandated testing to figure out which kids are on the right path. That’s why the researchers zeroed in so heavily on that social competency score.

What they found probably isn’t too surprising: Kids who related well to their peers, handled their emotions better, and were good at resolving problems went on to have more successful lives.

What’s surprising is just how strong the correlation was.

An increase of a single point in social competency score showed a child would be 54% more likely to earn a high school diploma, twice as likely to graduate with a college degree, and 46% more likely to have a stable, full-time job at age 25.

The kids who were always stealing toys, breaking things, and having meltdowns? More likely to have run-ins with the law and substance abuse problems.

The study couldn’t say for sure that strong or poor social skills directly cause any of these things. But we can say for sure that eating too much glue during arts and crafts definitely doesn’t help.

3. Social behaviors can be learned and unlearned — meaning it’s never too late to change.

The researchers called some of these pro-social behaviors like sharing and cooperating “malleable,” or changeable.

Let’s face it: Some kids are just never going to be rocket scientists. Turns out there are physical differences in our brains that make learning easier for some people than others. But settling disputes with peers? That’s something kids (and adults) can always continue to improve on.

And guess what? For a lot of kids, these behaviors come from their parents. The more you’re able to demonstrate positive social traits like warmth and empathy, the better off your kids will be.

So can we all agree to stop yelling at people when they take the parking spot we wanted?

But what does it all mean?

This study has definite limitations, which its researchers happily admit. While it did its best to control for as many environmental factors as possible, it ultimately leans pretty heavily on whether a teacher thought a kid was just “good” or “very good” at a given trait.

Still, the 19-year study paints a pretty clear picture: Pro-social behavior matters, even at a young age. And because it can be learned, it’s a great “target for prevention or intervention efforts.”

The bottom line? We need to do more than just teach kids information. We need to invest in teaching them how to relate to others and how to handle the things they’re feeling inside.

Ignoring social skills in our curricula could have huge ramifications for our kids down the road.

This article originally appeared on 08.12.15

The water bill at the Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis residence appears to be pretty low after recent revelations the couple made about their family’s bathing habits.

In a recent appearance on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, they admitted they’re not that into bathing themselves or their two children, Dimitri Portwood, 4, and Wyatt Isabelle, 6.

The conversation started when Shepard explained his ongoing disagreement with co-host Monica Padman. The two have dissenting views over whether people should use soap. “You should not be getting rid of all the natural oil on your skin with a bar of soap every day,” he said. “It’s insane.”

Kunis agreed with Shepard and was very candid about her bathing ritual. “I don’t wash my body with soap every day,” she shared. “But I wash pits and tits and holes and soles.”

“I can’t believe I’m in the minority here of washing my whole body in the shower,” Padman replied. “Who taught you to not wash?”

“I didn’t have hot water growing up as a child,” Kunis recalled, “so I didn’t shower very much anyway.” Kunis was born in the then-Soviet controlled Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi in 1983. Her family migrated to America when she was seven.

Kutcher added that he regularly uses soap and water on just his “armpits and crotch” and “nothing else.”

Kunis has passed her lax attitude towards bathing on to her children.

“When I had children,” she said, “I also didn’t wash them every day. I wasn’t the parent that bathed my newborns—ever.” Shepard agreed, saying that he and wife Kristen Bell only bathe their children as part of a nighttime routine and don’t pay much attention to their cleanliness.

“That’s how we feel about our children. We’re like, ‘Oof, something smells,'” Kunis added. Kutcher has a simple rule when it comes to his children and their cleanliness. “Here’s the thing — if you can see the dirt on ’em, clean ’em,” he says. “Otherwise, there’s no point.”

u201cMila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Say They Only Bathe Their Kids When ‘You Can See the Dirt on Them’u201d

— People (@People)
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While the Kutcher-Kunis clan’s approach towards hygiene may not be typical of the average American family, they may not be wrong according to science. Research suggests that children benefit from being exposed to germs early in life.

“This line of thinking, called the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ holds that when exposure to parasites, bacteria, and viruses is limited early in life, children face a greater chance of having allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune diseases during adulthood,” WebMD says.

Basically, the more your body is exposed to the more it can fight off.

“Just as a baby’s brain needs stimulation, input, and interaction to develop normally, the young immune system is strengthened by exposure to everyday germs so that it can learn, adapt, and regulate itself,” notes Thom McDade, PhD, associate professor and director of the Laboratory for Human Biology Research at Northwestern University.

As for Kutcher and Kunis, they both share the same attitude when it comes to hygiene so nobody in the relationship has the right to complain if the other is a little funky. If it works for them, who are we to judge?

This article originally appeared on 7.28,.21

Esther Wojcicki has earned the right to tell people how to raise their kids. She’s an educator, journalist and bestselling author of “How to Raise Successful People” who has raised three daughters—two are CEOs and the other a doctor.

Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube, Anne Wojcicki is the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe and Dr. Janet Wojcicki is an anthropologist and epidemiologist who works on HIV progression and obesity risk in children.

In “How to Raise Successful People” Esther Wojcicki says the secret to success is the result of “TRICK”: trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness. In a new article she wrote for NBC Chicago, she boiled that down to one rule, “Don’t do anything for your kids that they can do for themselves.”

“Parents need to stop coddling their kids,” she continues. “The more you trust your children to do things on their own, the more empowered they’ll be. The key is to begin with guided practice: It’s the ‘I do, we do, you do’ method.”

The “I do, we do, you do” method is used by teachers to gradually give students new responsibilities. The teacher first demonstrates the task, then they do it with the student and finally, the student does it alone.

u201cSisters Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, and Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, are ranked among Americau2019s top women entrepreneurs nhttps://t.co/En8Vin9Zl7 #SelfMadeWomenu201d

— Forbes (@Forbes)
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Wojcicki says that parents can start with their children by asking them to make their beds, pick their own outfits and to help with dishes and making dinner. It’s funny that every child is raised by a parent who cooks them meals, but an astonishing number of them grow up having no idea how to boil water. Why? Because nobody bothered to get them involved.

As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he’ll eat forever.”

u201cFor all you parents out there. nYou may want to do something “unpopular” while raising your kids, “How to Raise Successful People” author Esther Wojcicki says. https://t.co/GEkHHnN5q5u201d

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBC10 Philadelphia)
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“The idea is to teach them how to cope with what life throws at them,” she writes. “One of the most important lessons I taught my daughters is that the only thing you can control is how you react to things.”

Wojcicki’s rules are a reaction to the modern trend of helicopter parenting, which is “overly focused on their children” where parents “take too much responsibility for their children’s experiences and, specifically, their successes or failures.” This can result in children who grow into adults with lower self-confidence and self-esteem, poor coping skills, increased anxiety and a sense of entitlement.

Simply put, when children are too dependent on their parents, they become ill-equipped to deal with real-world challenges. So when parents think they’re helping their children, they are actually setting them up for failure. Is it any wonder why we live in an age where more and more people suffer from crippling anxiety and depression? The world is a lot scarier when you’re not properly equipped to deal with everyday problems.

“When you trust kids to make their own decisions, they start to feel more engaged, confident and empowered,” Wojcicki writes. “And once that happens, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.”

While, at first, this dramatic change in parenting may seem difficult for parents who have a hard time letting go, it’s an opportunity for them to grow. “What I realized, through a lot of conscious effort, is that parenting gives us perhaps the most profound opportunity to grow as human beings,” she writes in “How to Raise Successful People.”

This article originally appeared on 11.02.22

What started out as a lighthearted class presentation quickly turned into a fabulous humanities lesson for all.

A teacher under the pseudonym Larry Lexicon has 1.8 million followers on TikTok, where they tune in to catch the funny-yet-inspirational interactions Lexicon has with his students.

Recently, Lexicon had his class rolling with his meticulously crafted PowerPoint explaining what certain Gen Z words mean.

“All year long I’ve been listening to you and making a list, which I’ve compiled here for you — the Gen Z Term Dictionary,” he told the class, saying that they should speak up if anything was inaccurate.

Here’s what he came up with.

He took “bruh,” (aka the “staple of their generation”) to simply be the alternative for “bro,” except that “bruh!” can also be used as an exclamation. That was correct.

Although the word “Rizz,” was fairly new to him, he also correctly guessed that this was short for “charisma,” and thus refers to someone who has the ability to charm.

“You can use it in all kinds of ways. Like I’m the Rizzard of Oz!” he joked.

“Bussin” he took to mean that something was good, particularly food. Also correct. He even knew that “bussin’ bussin’” meant that something was really good. Clearly, Lexicon had done his homework.

@larrylexicon Let me know if there are more terms I need to add to my list! #larrylexicon #doyourbuckingvocab #genzterms #teacherlife #highschool #teachersoftiktok #school ♬ original sound – Larry Lexicon

However, a few people pointed out in the comments that many terms have roots in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). So in his third TikTok, Lexicon chose to make some revisions, and explained to the class why those revisions were important.

“I know you think you came up with a lot of these words, but you didn’t, and they’ve been around for a long time,” Lexicon said, noting how parts of AAVE language are at first “looked down upon by society as uneducated or thuggish” yet nonetheless sneak into daily vocabulary through pop culture.

“What happens is it makes its way into like, white suburbia, and you get a middle-aged dorky white dude mislabeling it just for a whole generation as a term dictionary,” he said. “And it ends up erasing the importance of it.”

@larrylexicon Food smacks, music slaps. Got it. #larrylexicon #aave #genzterms #teacherlife #teachersoftiktok #school #revisions #slaps ♬ original sound – Larry Lexicon

Lexicon then admitted that it was a mistake made by his own ignorance, which was okay, because he was able to take feedback, learn and act on it to grow.

“Being ignorant’s OK, but being willfully ignorant and not doing anything about it — not so OK.”

Viewers who have been following Lexicon’s series applauded him for taking the time to make even a silly little powerpoint into an important conversation for everyone involved.

“I love how you’re learning it and then teaching it! This is education!” one person wrote.

“The fact that you came back and showed HOW TO LEARN and that it’s OK NOT TO KNOW but not ok to be willfully ignorant,” added another.

“This is a hell of an example for your students,” read the top comment.

In case you’re curious, here are all the words gathered so far for the newly re-titled “AAVE-inspired Gen Z term dictionary.”

• “Delulu”— delusional.
• “Eepy”— really sleepy.
• “Be so for real”— “Are you serious?”
• “Witerawy”— “Literally,” but with emphasis.
• “Baddie” — “A pretty girl, typically very curvy and independent.” But can also be a guy.
• “Gyatt” — A substitute for “gosh darn!” typically used in response to seeing a baddie.
• “Getting sturdy” — A dance usually used when winning, kind of like a touchdown dance.
• “Bet” — Another way of saying “OK” or “alright.” Likely a shortened version of “you bet.”
• “Slaps” — a verb for when a song is really good. Or food. Maybe? Debate’s still out on that one
• “Cap” — A lie.
• “No cap” — The truth.
• “On god”— undeniable truth.

Lexicon plans to add new words each week throughout the remaining weeks of school. If you’d like to follow along, he can be found on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on 5.19.23

There’s a fine line between a unique name and one that sets kids up for a lifetime of ridicule.

On the one hand, maybe it shouldn’t matter what other people think, and parents should pick a name that suits their preferences, consequences be damned. On the other hand, their kid might not appreciate that kind of bravery after enduring years of bullying during childhood, followed constant confusion at Starbucks and truly unenviable work emails once they’re adults.

And this chapter of parenting can be a little stressful—even more stressful if neither partner can agree on a name they both like.

This was the case for a husband who absolutely hated a name his wife so eagerly wished to give their unborn son. But rather than follow the popular “one no, two yeses” rule of baby-naming, where both parents must agree on the name chosen for a child, the wife instead went full steam ahead with her idea.

According to the husband’s account on Reddit, here’s what happened:

“Me (25m) and my wife (23f) are having our first child together. She is currently 9 months pregnant and could give birth anytime in the next couple of weeks. The only major fight we have had throughout her pregnancy happened a couple days ago, and it was about what we were going to name our kid.”

AITA for refusing to let my wife name our kid something stupid?
byu/Public-Praline-3691 inAmItheAsshole

“It all started when we found out the gender of the baby,” he continued. “After we found out we were having a boy we sat down together and made a list. Almost all of the names she suggested were normal, until the one that caused me to write this post. She suggested we name our son Mune.”

Mune. Like…dune an “m?” Or like “mun?” “Moon?” “Money?” “Mew-nay?” So many questions.

“She told me the name was from this movie she watched when she was younger and that it always stuck with her,” the husband explained, saying that when he told her it felt a “little out there” and was worried their son might get made fun of.

After a little back and forth, the couple agreed to take the name Mune off the list. Or so the dad-to-be thought.

“Later on in her pregnancy her mom decided to throw a baby shower as it was her first grandchild. It was fine for the most part until we started to open the gifts. Most of them were normal baby things like diapers and bottles, until we got to her mom’s gift. My wife opened the gift bag and pulled out a blue handmade blanket. It seemed normal enough at first until my wife unfolded it and low and behold there was the name Mune written on the blanket,” he wrote.

The man had tried to keep cool until after the party was over. However, when he confronted his wife about it, all hell seemed to break loose.

“She got defensive and told me that it was a good name and that I was overreacting about it,” he concluded. “I brought up the earlier points and told her it was a stupid name for a kid and if she wanted to name something Mune so bad she could use the name for a dog. She got upset and called her mom to come get her. After she left she called me and told me she wouldn’t be coming back for a while. Everyone I’ve talked to about this has said I’m not the asshole, but now that my wife has been gone and I’ve been thinking about it I feel like I could have handled the situation better.”

Yikes.

While the husband might have regretted his actions, public opinion overwhelmingly sided with him.

One mom wrote, “Naming a baby is a 2 yes or 1 no situation. You do not name a child something your partner does not agree with. You find a compromise. This is the start of many necessary compromises in life and it is a total AH move to unilaterally decide on a child’s name despite your partner’s misgivings…She is absolutely not mature enough for motherhood if she can not find a reasonable compromise on this.”

Another added “this is a child, not a goldfish. There are consequences and repercussions to choosing a name that is very unusual to begin with…. To go behind the other parent’s back and tell a grandparent what the name is going to be, that is unacceptable.”

Others noted how the wife and her mom “pulled a power play,” which “in itself is an a**hole move.” In addition, many pointed out that running away from the conflict (leaving to go to mom’s house) might have not been the best way to handle the situation.

“Leaving so she doesn’t have to face the argument is actually a form of abuse if it happens a lot,” one person commented. “She may just have baby brain and be overreacting due to hormones, but that is red flag behavior of it can’t be dismissed for reasons beyond her control.

And if there’s any doubt as to just how damaging weird name can be, take it from this person:

“My name has prevented me from doing anything that would have my name called out in a crowd of people. Never tried sports. Military was a no go. I don’t even want to apply for higher positions at work because I don’t want to have meetings in closed rooms where people might call my name.

“…Being forced to grow up with a weird name discouraged me from a lot of things and I began resenting my parents for thinking they were being creative. I had to live with it through grade school and high school. The ridicule didn’t end until the damage was already done.”

Raising a kid together is full of making compromises, prioritizing healthy communication, and honoring commitments, none of which are easy 100 percent of the time. But if couples can’t learn how to navigate these issues, then disagreeing on names is the least of their problems. We can all agree that parenting as true partners means men often need to step up their games. But it takes two for parenting to truly flourish and that includes respect your partner and making choices that are good for the entire family. Together.

This article originally appeared on 10.19.23

In case you missed it, Lily Allen joined OnlyFans recently, and for just $10 a month, you can gain access to photos and videos of… her feet. How does husband David Harbour feel about all this? Unbothered!

On the July 4 episode of her and Miquita Oliver’s Miss Me? podcast (as Billboard notes), Allen was asked if Harbour is “alright” with the account and Allen said, “Yeah, he is, he thinks it’s great. At first, he was like, not turned on, but he was like, ‘Is this a kink for you?’ And I was like, ‘No, it’s totally not a kink,’ but maybe there’s something in the power element of it that’s slightly kinky for me.”

Oliver joked, “I think attention and power will always be a lifelong kink for you. And we’re just kind of surfing both. So, yeah, I bet you’re having a great time.”

In a previous episode, Allen described the encounter that sparked her OnlyFans interest: “I have a lady that comes and does my nails, and they informed me that I have five stars on WikiFeet, which is quite rare. My feet are rated quite highly on the internet. […] She said that I could make a lot of money from selling foot content on OnlyFans, and I’m like, ‘Not no.’”

Many of the biggest stars in the world of sports, music, and entertainment are in the Hamptons this weekend for Michael Rubin’s annual white party. Before they all don their all-white outfits to celebrate the Fourth, a bunch of them got together for a game of beach football, with Tom Brady and CJ Stroud serving as captains.

Among those playing were Travis Scott, Quavo, Micah Parsons, Odell Beckham Jr., Damar Hamlin, and Grant Williams, while others like Druski wisely opted to offer commentary from the sidelines.

Unsurprisingly, it was the non-football players that seemed to be taking the game the most seriously, as Travis Scott was running routes like his life depended on it, and he and Quavo went head-to-head on some reps, with Scott catching a TD from Brady and Quavo catching one from Stroud. We also can see Damar Hamlin got a pick-six off of Brady (who I assume then ripped into his receiver for running a terrible route and not coming back to the ball). And then at one point Grant Williams gets tackled to the ground by Rubin, who seemed content to play offensive line, and I guess when you are throwing the party, holding rules don’t apply. The most important part was it seems we avoided any of the active athletes suffering an offseason injury, and everyone got a little sweat in before hitting the open bar later.

When Klay Thompson opted to leave the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors found themselves in serious need of adding some three-point shooting on the free agent market. While Thompson may not be the All-Star he once was, he still was second on the team in scoring (17.9 points per game) and knocked down 38.7 percent of his threes on nine attempts per game.

Filling that void wasn’t going to be easy, but on Thursday the Warriors were able to land the best pure shooter on the market to help replace what was lost in that area with Thompson’s departure, agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Sixers to bring in Buddy Hield. Hield will be brought into the trade exception created in the Thompson deal, and will send one of the second round picks they acquired for Klay to Philly.

The contract for Hield is fairly complex as it is technically a 4-year deal, but only two are guaranteed, with a partial guarantee on the third year and a player option for a non-guaranteed fourth year.

Hield never quite found his footing as part of the Sixers rotation last season, as he was not much of a factor for them by the time they reached the postseason, but he did shoot 38.6 percent from three on 6.8 attempts per game last season in Indiana and Philadelphia, and will bring some needed floor spacing to the Warriors backcourt rotation. Hield will likely fill the bench shooting role the Warriors envisioned for Thompson this season, as Brandin Podziemski figures to take the starting two-guard spot.

This trade will ultimately be part of a five-team deal, bringing in the Kyle Anderson sign-and-trade and Klay Thompson deal as well to allow both Hield and Anderson to be brought in via the money being sent out with Klay.

Wednesday smashed several streaming demographics head-on, but of course, Jenna Ortega’s Addams daughter could have foretold such success to achieve renewal almost immediately. As with other successful franchises on the service, Netflix is spreading the gloom around to a spin off, so Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester will receive his own installment in the doom-filled franchise. The main attraction, however, remains the “little viper,” “little storm cloud,” “little death trap,” and “Tormenta,” as expressed by Gomez Addams himself.

What dark adventures shall come? Nevermore Academy’s greatest outcast will keep her deadpan ways intact with Jenna Ortega initially revealing that the second season would embrace its strengths, “and we’re definitely leaning into a little bit more horror” with a story that’s “more action-packed.” Still, Ortega’s character “never really changes and that’s what’s wonderful about her.” Let’s talk about what else to expect:

Plot

After much Hollywood strike-related delay, the second season of the Tim Burton series began filming in Ireland (switching things up from Romania, as reported by Tudum) back in May. Here’s that proof:

Variety has added that this season shall represent the “largest production to ever film in Ireland,” when dollars spent are counted. Ireland Prime Minister Taoiseach Simon Harris enjoyed a visit to the set and declared the following:

“I’m delighted to see Ireland continues to be chosen as a location to film series and movies which supports our economy, creates jobs, showcases our creative talents and promotes our country on a global stage.”

An official synopsis has not been released (to provide hints on the followup steps to Tyler being revealed as a Hyde), but co-showrunner Al Gough spoke with Hollywood Reporter and dropped plenty of hints on what else is on tap. In short, this sounds like romance is out, and both friendship and the mother-daughter relationship are in:

“For us, the show also is really about this female friendship, with Wednesday and Enid really being at the center of that. The fact that they really connected with audiences, it has been really gratifying. So, we’re excited to explore now that Wednesday’s dipped her toe into the friendship pool, what’s that gonna look like? It’s like, she hugged. That was her big arc for the season, right? So it’s like now, we do that. Then, the other thing that’s really interesting is to continue to explore the Wednesday-Morticia mother-daughter relationship as well, which now that Morticia knows about the power, it has given her sort of an idea of how that’s going to go.”

Meanwhile, Ortega assures viewers that her character will “not [be] out to please anybody,” and she hopes that the season dives deeper into motives and exploring why “her main drive with the monster was a kind of competitiveness.” Co-showrunner Miles Millar has revealed that Wednesday will still have loose ends to tie up and a new mystery (possibly again in the form of a whodunnit to crack, and “[t]hreats remain out there… to both Wednesday and the school.” Sounds ominous.

Cast

Beyond hoping for more Thing, there is actual casting news. Jenna Ortega will unblinkingly return and Morticia and Gomez will still be portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman. A mystery member of the Addams clan that we haven’t seen yet, will also appear, and hopefully, that will be Cousin Itt.

Some musical chairs are otherwise occurring with shakeups including Percy Hynes White, Jamie McShane, and Naomi J Ogawa, who will no longer be series regulars. However, new cast members will rise to the occasion, and those additions include Steve Buscemi, who will portray the new principal at Nevermore. Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, and Noah Taylor will also arrive for regular action, and guest stars will include Joanna Lumley, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo, Frances O’Connor, and Thandiwe Newton.

Additionally, Netflix has not confirmed whether Uncle Fester will be back on Wednesday this season in addition to Armisen’s ongoing work on the spin off.

Release Date

Netflix knows better than to reveal a release date yet, but this sequel season is expected in early 2025.

Trailer

The same goes for a trailer, but nobody can resist these dance moves again.

The History Channel Vikings lasted for six seasons before the story hopped ahead in time toward Netflix’s sequel series, Vikings: Valhalla. The results haven’t been as universally celebrated by the original show’s fans, although a substantial audience kept the show going for multiple seasons with Netflix bringing the show’s version of historical figures to a conclusion soon.

The streaming service has promised “even more bloodbaths and beards” as Leif Erikson, Harald Sigurdsson, and Freydís Eiríksdóttir finish their epic run but “won’t be sailing off into the sunset quietly.” Let’s hash out what to expect.

Plot

“Heroes will become Legends in this final chapter in the Vikings: Valhalla saga.” That’s the official word from Netflix, but it’s worth noting that this entire franchise — although Vikings aired on History Channel and did strive for some measure of accuracy — kind-of ruined the chances for Vikings: Valhalla to authentically portray a key accomplishment of one of its lead characters. Does this matter? That depends on how Netflix decides to finish the spin off, but the audience will likely be there regardless.

To briefly recap that issue with the saga, Vikings: Valhalla is a sequel series that begins in 1002, about 100 years after Vikings concluded. If that series would have adhered to history books, then it would have left space for Lief Erikson to be the first European to set foot on North America/Newfoundland multiple centuries before Christopher Columbus swooped in and grabbed credit. However, Vikings chose to show a different character, Ubbe Ragnarsso (firstborn son of Ragnar Lothbrok), landing in North America. It’s no wonder that Redditors have wondered whether this spin off was worth watching due to actually being wildly inaccurate. The general consensus there is that, for those who loved the original Vikings, it’s just fine as entertainment.

With that said, yeah, suspend that belief because lineage might also get twisted before this is over, but there’s still enough going on to keep the fires burning. Expect the extremely hairy spin off to return after a seven-year time jump. Freydis, Harald, and Leif have split up, and the two men had reached Constantinople, yet romantic tension lingered in the air after Harald’s lover, Eliana, intends to marry Emperor Romanos. (Viking soap opera alert.)

Lief will now be gearing up for more travels, including to Newfoundland, and ideally, the series would at least end with him landing there, since, as an invested Redditor pointed out, “They’ll have to right? I mean it’s literally what he’s known for lol.” We shall see.

Additionally, Netflix hasn’t revealed whether this series will end in 1066 as previously planned. A very vague synopsis has surfaced:

In pursuit of a new Viking home, our heroes must venture further than they ever have before. From Constantinople to Greenland to the edge of the known world. But before they can set sail for new horizons, they must travel back to where it all started for one last battle.

Cast

The cast includes Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson (Harald III of Norway) and Frida Gustavsson as Freydís Eiríksdóttir, sister to Norse explorer Leif Erikson and founding colonist of Vinland. Sam Corlett stars as Erikson.

Release Date

This final season streams on July 11, 2024.

Trailer

Here’s the final preview before go time in less than two weeks.