According to a new Colgate study, 7 in 10 parents of school-aged children say it’s more difficult for their kids to be positive about the world today than it was just a couple of years ago. For actress, activist and mother Cobie Smulders, those startling stats are, as she describes it, deeply personal. “I’ve seen the social and emotional effects the past two years have caused. As a mother of two, I’m witnessing how today’s youth are living through experiences that are making it difficult for them to keep a positive attitude about the future.”
That’s why the How I Met Your Mother star is teaming up with the Colgate this summer to launch their latest initiative. “I believe that all kids deserve a future to smile about, and Colgate’s Smile Fund will work to get kids back on track to become more resilient, optimistic people,” says Smulders, who recently sat down with us to discuss the cause, turning 40 and the best healthy-skin habit she’s learned from her career.
The fund is obviously important to you. How will it work?
“In its first year, the Colgate Smile Fund will award a donation to City Year, a non-profit organization that provides social-emotional and academic support for students in systemically under-resourced schools across the country. Colgate’s support of City Year will help in the development of social-emotional training resources for City Year AmeriCorps members, ultimately impacting almost a quarter of a million children in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.”
How do you teach your own children about smile health?
“As a parent, you take on many responsibilities and roles, including being there emotionally for your child and teaching them how to emotionally be there for others. It is important to me to have daily conversations with my children to ask how they are feeling, help them reflect on those feelings, and, if necessary, guide them through a solution. This not only helps me connect with them even more but reminds me and my husband to take the same steps through our own emotions.”
What beauty products are you currently loving or, likewise, what are some all-time favorites?
“I try to keep my beauty routine as organic as possible, so I stick to non-toxic brands that have a small environmental footprint. From work, I’ve learned that having a great cleansing routine is important. So even if I am exhausted at the end of the day, I make sure to clean it all off before bed.”
You recently turned 40. Did that come with any a-ha moments or thoughts?
“When I turned 40, one of my biggest a-ha moments was knowing that it was time to shift my priorities. I am seeing my kids and today’s youth going through really challenging times, and I have a platform to help. I want to make sure that I devote time and energy to helping the next generation become resilient, optimistic people. So that when they are faced with adversity, they are equipped to handle it and can bounce back. That’s why the Colgate Smile Fund is so important; it is actively working to help kids with their social and emotional development.”
