healthy kids, happy families

10
WAYS TO
RAISE A
CAN-DO
KID

HAPPINESS
HACKS
FOR MOMS

HERE COMES
THE SUN!
SOLAR-POWERED
OUTDOOR CRAFTS

AVOID
SUMMERS
TOP
DANGER
TAKE A
ROAD TRIP!
4 MAPS FOR FAB
FAMILY DRIVES

JULY 2016 PARENTS.COM

KIDS DONT JUST GROW, THEY OUTGROW.

visit us online at garanimals.com

2016 Garan, Inc.

Little clothes for growing kids shouldnt come with big

price tags. Thats why durable, mix-and-match Garanimals
come with everyday low prices. No wonder millions of
times every week, Americas moms choose Garanimals.

contents
KIDS
17 Screen Out
Get outside already!

18 Health News
The effects of fast
food, Kevin Harts active
family, toothpastes that
simplify brushing, and more

28 More Than 600 Children

Drown Every Year
Keep yours safe this summer.

38 Downtime Finds
Our latest favorite kids
media picks

40 Bright Ideas
Harness the power
of sunshine to create
these fun crafts.

46 10 Skills to Master
Before Age 10
Set your child up for
independence.

54 All-American Drives
Road trips the whole
family will love

64 Meat Me Halfway
Four flexitarian recipes

72 Whodunnit? The Case

of the Broken Sofa
Try to solve this hilarious
household mystery.

74 Baby Bloopers
Quirky quotes from kids

in every issue
mom to mom 8
parents to parents 11
parents last laugh 124

YOU
77 Spot On!
Dont be afraid to flaunt
your freckles.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

3 PA R EN T S

uly.
78 Beauty News

AGE-BY-AGE GUIDE

A flawless self-tan, mani-pedi

polish picks, and more

advice as your child grows

Pregnancy & Baby
17 Screen Out
28 More Than 600 Children
Drown Every Year
112 Creating a Birth Plan
114 Hello, Sunshine!

80 Be Happier:
Think Like a Kid!
Recapture some of that
childlike spontaneity.

86 Youre a Great
Father, Man!
A dad asks why men are
graded on a curve.

46
92 Solutions
Kid-proof upholstery and more

95 Joy Rides
Parents and Edmunds.com
team up to recommend the
10 best family cars of 2016.
104 5 Easy Meals
Your weekday-dinner planner

46

80

40
28

95

HOME

54

ON THE COVER

91 Sleep on It
Sweeten a pillowcase with
this cute craft how-to.

Rachell and Zara, 4 years. Photograph by

Priscilla Gragg. Wardrobe styling by Lisa Moir.
Hair and makeup by Tricia Turner. Studio
teaching by Elise Ganz. On Rachell: Dress,
J. Crew. On Zara: Swimsuit, Bobo Choses.
Sunglasses, Crewcuts. Sandals, Zara kids.

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PA R E N T S

4 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Toddler
17 Screen Out
18 Kids Best Friend
18 Another Reason to Go Slow
25 Smiling About Smart Snacks
26 Turtle Trouble
28 More Than 600 Children
Drown Every Year
116 Escape Artists
Preschooler
17 Screen Out
18 Kids Best Friend
18 Another Reason to Go Slow
24 Good News About
Video Games
25 Smiling About Smart Snacks
26 Turtle Trouble
28 More Than 600 Children
Drown Every Year
46 10 Skills to Master Before
Age 10
118 Gender Benders
School-Age
17 Screen Out
18 Kids Best Friend
18 Another Reason to Go Slow
24 Good News About
Video Games
25 Smiling About Smart Snacks
26 Turtle Trouble
28 More Than 600 Children
Drown Every Year
46 10 Skills to Master Before
Age 10
119 Power Struggles
Big Kid
17 Screen Out
18 Kids Best Friend
18 Another Reason to Go Slow
24 Good News About
Video Games
25 Smiling About Smart Snacks
26 Turtle Trouble
28 More Than 600 Children
Drown Every Year
46 10 Skills to Master Before
Age 10
120 Social Smarts

DANA POINTS Editor-in-Chief

JEFF WELLINGTON Vice President/Group Publisher

Creative Director AGNETHE GLATVED Executive Editor CHANDRA TURNER

Managing Editor MICHAELA GARIBALDI Deputy Editor DIANE DEBROVNER

ADVERTISING SALES
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Manager, Direct Media TYLER HUB
National Travel Director MELISSA LUEBBE
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Senior Research Manager ALISON JAYE

Lifestyle Director LAURA FENTON

Senior Editors JULIA EDELSTEIN (Health), GAIL OCONNOR, DAVID SPARROW
Contributing Nutrition and Travel Editor KAREN CICERO
Entertainment Editor JESSICA HARTSHORN
Beauty Director TRACY PEREZ
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Assistant Editor CHRISANNE GRISE
Editorial Business Coordinator CATHY SIMPSON
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ART & PRODUCTION

Art Director EMILY FURLANI
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Senior Art Production Manager JOHN J. OSULLIVAN
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MARKETING
Executive Director, Integrated Marketing SHARON MULLIGAN
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Associate Marketing Managers JULIA CORBETT, PAIGE JORDAN
Activation & Events Associate Managers JORDAN CLIFFORD, CARINA FRIAS
Group Creative Director JEANETTE CHOW
Creative Director REBECCA LEE
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PHOTO
Photo Director LILY FRANCESCA ALT
Photo Editor JOANNA MUENZ
Associate Photo Editor MICHELE MARTUSCELLO
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DIGITAL
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Digital Director ERIKA RASMUSSON JANES Managing Editor JULIA DENNISON
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Director of Quality JOSEPH KOHLER
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PA R E N T S

6 J U LY 2 0 1 6

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mom to mom

lifeguard duty
MY TWO BOYS, at ages 12 and 14,
are now old enough to gently poke
fun at me for my devotion to family
safety: We may not be consistently
healthy eaters or rabid exercisers,
but we are helmet- and seat-beltwearers without fail.
I do think the guys have a touch
of pride, though, that I serve on the
board of Safe Kids Worldwide, a
nonprofit that focuses on reducing
the risk of preventable injuries in
children around the globe.
In the U.S., especially for children
ages 1 to 4, one of the biggest targets
of Safe Kids efforts is preventing
drowning. Reading the story about
water safety on page 28, I am still
haunted by my own brush with this
tragedy. It was years ago now, a
lovely summer afternoon at a party
filled with young families gathered
at a pretty in-ground pool. My kids
werent in the water, but when I see
any kids in a pool I cant help but
nervously pay attention. As I scanned
the scene I saw a toddler who
moments before had been happily
sitting on the top step playing under
the watchful eyes of a parent. Now
the child was facedown in the water,
unable to lift his head or regain his
footing. The parents were right there,

PA R E N T S

8 JUNE 2016

standing by the edge of the poolhe

was essentially at their feetbut
whoever was watching him had been
momentarily distracted. I yelled
frantically from across the pool and
a grown-up bent down and picked
him up. Waves and nervous smiles all
around and the moment was over
in a flash. But Ive never forgotten it.
This summer, thanks to the
reminder in our story, Im scheduling
my boys for some basic lifesaving
lessons and will need to take a
refresher CPR course myself. The
guys might make fun of me, but I
dont care. As the old saying goes,
like water off a ducks back.

Dana Points
dana@parents.com

Leo and Eli never balked at

wearing safety gear. Its been
part of our life from Day 1.

how about some

sunny fun?
This months story Bright
Ideas on page 40 helps
you and the kids harness
the power of the sun to try
crafts you can only create
at this time of the year.
Round out your day with a
snack and some tunes!
Make your own raisins.
Boil a bunch of whole, seedless
grapes for 30 seconds. Remove
with a slotted spoon and
immediately put grapes in a bowl
of ice water. Place on a rimmed
baking sheet. Cover with a
breathable cloth and let dry in a
sunny spot for three to five days.
Create a sunny playlist.
Start it off with Here Comes
the Sun by The Beatles and
Walking on Sunshine by
Katrina and The Waves.
DIY a sundial.
Push a straw through the middle
of an upside-down paper plate.
When you take it outside at
noon, the straws shadow will
be in the middle of the plate.
Secure it in some loose soil,
and mark the hours as the day
progresses.

DANA POINTS: GRACE HUANG. WARDROBE STYLING BY LAURA PRITCHARD. MAKEUP BY ASHLEIGH CIUCCI FOR RAY BROWN REPRESENTS. HAIR STYLING BY DAVID LOPEZ FOR ARTISTS BY NEXT.
SET STYLING BY CARLA GONZALEZ-HART. ON DANA: JACKET, ALL SAINTS. SHIRT, J. CREW. NECKLACE, T. KAHRES. FAMILY PHOTO: COURTESY OF DANA POINTS.

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A Sweet Piece of Fun.

seen, heard, shared

parentsparents
P UL SE

Instagram Filters
We Wish Existed
Every moment of our kids
summer break wont be
post-worthy. But wouldnt it
be nice to be #blessed
with some mom-approved
filters to add that glow of
faux perfection to our feeds?

After we get
this shot,
youre coming
right down,
Superman.

Chardonnay
Removes the overwhelmed look
from your face after spending a day
wrangling the kids and replaces it
with your best laid-back, laughing,
happiest-mom-in-the-world face.

Fleeky
Covers up your roots, gives you a
spray tan, tweezes your eyebrows,
and shaves your legs.

Bon Voyage
You may be at the crowded local
splash pad or playing in the sprinklers
in your backyard, but this filter
replaces your surroundings with
picturesque scenes from faraway
tropical locales.

Zinc

PASCAL CHEVALLIER/THELICENSINGPROJECT.COM.

Hides the fact that you forgot to

reapply sunscreen on your kids
while they played at the beach and
turns their pink cheeks into a
dermatologist-approved shade of
never-seen-the-sun-in-my-life.

Instant Maid
Removes dirty dishes, piles of
laundry, and clutter from your home
when you want to show the joy of
summer fun together-time with the
kids but dont want anyone to know
that having fun means your house is
now a shambles. #NoRegrets

WE CAN R E L AT E

Every time you yell because I said

so, thats why the waist on your mom
jeans moves up an inch.
Momma of Midgard, @MidgardMomma on Twitter

Sabrina James
ITS COME TO THIS While pushing his 11-month-old daughter in a stroller, a Texas dad placed first in a half marathon,

J U LY 2 0 1 6

11 P A R E N T S

parents to parents

MOM M UST-READ
by Kristen Kemp
book-club inspiration

S I T T E R-WO R T H Y

Ghostbusters Not yet rated, July 15

While the story line is entirely new, fans of the first
Ghostbusters will catch glimpses of the original plot points. In
this one, the men may not be saving the city, but they are making it
good-looking: Chris Hemsworth plays the ghoul-catchers eye-candy
secretary and Andy Garcia is cast as the NYC mayor.
WHY YOULL LOVE IT This much-anticipated rebootby Bridesmaids
director Paul Feigpasses the supernatural torch to some of
the funniest ladies in Hollywood right now, including Leslie Jones,
Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon (all above).

Most of us would be shocked if

the DEA and IRS arrived at our
door to arrest our parents when
we were 9 months pregnant.
But when Victoria Fedden, 36,
texted her sister, Mom got
arrested this morning, her sister
simply replied, Again? Her
parents had been in the slammer
before for several different
things, but this time it was for
conspiracy to commit wire fraud
and she didnt even know what
that meant. In Feddens hilarious
new memoir, This Is Not My
Beautiful Life, we get a clear
picture of what its like to grow
up in a dysfunctional family
living on the edge of the law. It
would all make for a really great
TV sitcom ... if it werent real. The
story is relatable in many ways
but completely out there in others;
this quirky memoir is definitely
one to add to your reading list.

GOOD TO K N OW
No one enjoys
chasing down
payments from
an ex. The
SupportPay
payment
platform allows separated
parents and blended families to
collaborate on child expenses
and child supporthelping
coparents chip away at the
conflict and miscommunication
that may otherwise get in the
way of smooth finances. It
lets both parents see where
money for the kids is being
spent and makes adding or
subtracting variable expenses
a snap. A basic account is
free; a premium account is $10
a month; supportpay.com.

20%
of married
people would
rather be sick
than deal with
a sick spouse.
Advil survey

Honey,
Im
siiiick.

breaking the Guinness World Record. | An Instagram photo showed a Spanish matador holding his 5-month-old daughter

PA R E N T S

12 J U LY 2 0 1 6

KRISTEN KEMP: COURTESY OF JOHANN SVENSON. GHOSTBUSTERS: COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES. BEAR: ISTOCKPHOTO.

WHAT YOULL LOVE

 2015 Pandora Jewelry, LLC All rights reserved

UNIQUE AS WE ARE

Stylish essentials for every adventure you take this summer.

Discover Honeysuckle Pink Leather Bracelet at PANDORA.net

parents to parents
were
going live
in 5 ...

WHO ASK ED YO U? ( WE DI D!)

Would you film your babys birth and share it

88% no

yes 12%

If I posted my last one, birth rates

would plummet!
Amanda Richardson-Kent

I did! Last time I checked it had 35K

views on YouTube.
Sana Graham

Personally no, but now that my kids

are 8, 6, and 4 and we are done I
kinda wish I had a video so I could
watch it myself. Terri Reed

My husband accidentally filmed

our cesarean. I totally shared it.
Rebecca Danielle Campbell

GET IN TOUCH! Send your comments and photos to writeus@parents

.com. Include your daytime phone number, city, and state or province. You
can also post on facebook.com/parentsmagazine. Submission of your material
constitutes permission for Meredith Corporation to allow its use in all media.
Subscription help: Visit us at parents.com/myaccount, e-mail pmmcustserv@
cdsfulfillment.com, or call 800-727-3682.

LO L !

We almost wouldnt believe

these new book titles if they
werent right before our eyes,
eliciting out-loud laughs. For
your consideration: Can I Sit on
Your Lap While Youre Pooping?,
a collection of hilarious quotes
one single fathers young
daughter has said over three
years (i.e., I forgot how to go
to sleep); Nobody Likes a
C*ckblock a childrens book
for parents who arent getting
any, thanks to their kids; and
Kids Are Turds, aptly subtitled
Brutally honest humor for the
pooped-out parent. We think
they are $@#*ing awesome.

while bullfighting. | A University of Michigan study found that husbands create an extra seven hours of housework a week.

PA R E N T S

14 J U LY 2 0 1 6

LABOR: KIDSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES. BOOKS, TOP AND BOTTOM: PETER ARDITO.

online? There was plenty of buzz when a woman

in the UK named Gemma Vaughan uploaded a
39-minute video of her birth experience which
captured the entire graphic process from epidural
to umbilical cord on YouTube and caught the
attention of moms around the world. In fact, search
for videos of actual childbirth and youll find
thousands of others like it. How you responded to
our Parents.com poll:

UE DE

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kids.

DEAN BELCHER/GALLERY STOCK.

K E E P T H E M H E A LT H Y A N D H A P P Y

screen out

In a recent survey by the YMCA, 64 percent of parents said that

during the summer their kids spend three or more hours a day online, watching
television, or playing video games. While the weathers nice, kick those kids outside!
Then they can unplug and really chill out ice pops mandatory.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

17 P A R E N T S

kids

health news

68%

The percentage of parents

who feel camping helps
their children to enjoy
learning in the classroom,
a U.K. survey found

Kids Best Friend

They may look like any normal
family pet, but a service dog can be a
lifesaver for a child with diabetes.
Low blood sugar smells acidic
and high blood sugar smells sweet
and fruity. Our dogs are trained
to identify those scents, explains
Nicole Parayno, a trainer for
Diabetic Alert Dogs of America.
Used with children as young as 18
months, the pup follows a diabetic
child throughout the day and
sleeps close by at night, when sugar
fluctuations are often more

PA R E N T S

18 J U LY 2 0 1 6

difficult to manage. When the dog

smells a blood-sugar change, he
reports it to the child (or caregiver,
depending on how old the child is)
by sitting and pawing repeatedly.
Thats not the only way service
dogs are helping children these
days. Theyre also trained to assist
kids with conditions such as
seizures, hearing loss, and fetal
alcohol syndrome. They can open
doors and retrieve items for
children in wheelchairs as well.

Eating a lot of fast food may

be detrimental to a childs
brain, a recent study found.
Kids who ate fast food four or
more times a week when
they were in the fifth grade
scored lower on math,
reading, and science tests
in eighth grade than kids who
hadnt eaten fast food as
frequently. Many items at
fast-food restaurants dont
provide the nutrients that
promote learning processes
needed to be successful at
school, says lead researcher
Kelly Purtell, Ph.D., assistant
professor at The Ohio State
University. Also, highfat and high-sugar meals
have been shown to reduce
memory and attention.

Amy Palanjian

by SUNNY SEA GOLD

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: LUCA ZORDAN/GALLERY STOCK; JESSICA DOWNEY/OFFSET; FOTOGRAFIA INC/GETTY IMAGES.

Another Reason
to Go Slow

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Theres more than enough food in America for every child
who struggles with hunger. Help get kids the food they
need by supporting Feeding America, the nationwide
network of food banks. Together, we can solve hunger.
Join us at FeedingAmerica.org

Dont Wait.
Communicate.

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kids

health news

P Youre known for dishing out

some friendly ribbing when it
comes to sports. Do you talk
like that even when youre
competing against your kids?
KH Of course! At the end of the day,
its my job to talk trash. Im
preparing my kids so they know how
to deal with it and it wont make
them lose their focus. But when I do
it, its always done in a motivating
way, like I bet you I can do this and
you cant, or I bet you I can run to
that mark faster than you can.

Healthy Harts

Comedian Kevin Hartwho voices Snowball, the militant

bunny in this months family film The Secret Life
of Pets is serious about keeping his family active.
PARENTS Youve invited fans in
cities youve toured to do a 5K
run. How did that come about?
KEVIN HART Physical fitness not
only moves your body but also works
out your mind. I love encouraging,
motivating, and inspiring others to
come move with me. From my 5K
runs to circuit-training events, this
has grown into a global movement.

P What are your favorite

activities to do as a family?
KH Im big into basketball, but my
kids love soccer, so I get out there
and play with them.

P Have you gotten your kids

(Heaven, 11, and Hendrix, 8)
running with you?
KH Yes. I believe in leading by
example. Kids naturally want to do
what their parents are doing, so they

P Who is better on the field?

KH Im Dad, so even if I wasnt better
at it than they are, I wouldnt let
them know that! But theyre growing
rapidly. Theyre very driven and they
push themselves when we play.

PA R E N T S

22 J U LY 2 0 1 6

work out and run with me. My kids

push themselves to try to do what I
do and to be as good (and maybe one
day better) than Dad.

P Have you always had such a

healthy lifestyle or did you
have a turning point yourself?
KH I made a change. Being an actor
and a comedian, I put a large demand
on my body, and I realized I needed
to start taking care of myself.
So I mentally prepared to make a
change to be the best version of me I
could be, and thats a healthy me.
I hope I am able to motivate others
to do the same thing.
Patty Adams Martinez

3 in 10
The small number
of kids at child-care
centers who spend
at least 60 minutes
outdoors for recess

UNIQUE NICOLE/GETTY IMAGES.

Kevin Hart
with Hendrix
(left) and
Heaven (right)

P If your kids lose, are they

good sports about it?
KH Yestheyre disciplined and they
train to win, but if they lose they
take that loss, learn from it, and try
to put themselves in a better position
to win at another time.

It may be called the end of the trail, but in

many ways its just the beginning.

Discovering your Maine Thing begins here.

kids

health news

More than 90 percent of children

play video games, according to the
NPD Group, a market-research
company. That statistic may alarm
some parents, but studies show that
games can actually be a fantastic
medium through which kids create,
solve problems, multitask, and
take on new perspectives, says
Sandra Schamroth Abrams, Ph.D.,
associate professor of adolescent
education at St. Johns University,
in Queens, New York. They may also
help kids become more resilient.
Its often necessary to fail in order
to do better, and video games teach
kids to try again, says Dr. Abrams.
Some guidelines to keep gaming
time positive and productive:

Play together. Most kids are

Seize teachable moments.

happy to show their parents what

theyre doing, says Dr. Abrams.
They love getting to be the teacher.
Set limits. You might decide not to
allow any gaming on school nights,
for example, and to ban all screens
at the table.

Once when my daughter was

playing online, another gamer asked
her to meet him on Skype for a chat,
says Dr. Abrams. That gave me an
opportunity to talk to her about
Internet safety and how she can be
smart while shes online.

IMAGESBAZAAR/GETTY IMAGES.

Good News About

Video Games

Fabin Castillo
FC Dallas

Diego Fagndez
New England Revolution

Kyle Beckerman
Real Salt Lake

Be prepared for play.

No matter what team youre on.

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2016. BAND-AID is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson.

Giovani Dos Santos

LA Galaxy

Smiling About
Smart Snacks

The Fight Against

Wolfram Syndrome

Putting a smiley face on a

healthy snack could make your
child more likely to choose it
over something less nutritious.
Greg Privitera, Ph.D., of the
Center for Behavioral Health
Research at the University of
Phoenix, put stickers of smiling
or frowning faces on foods and
explained to a group of kids
that a smile meant a food was
healthy and they should
eat more of it, while a frown
meant it should be eaten less
frequently. The kids were
then allowed to choose a
handful of snacks to eat. With
the emolabels in place, kids
were 83 percent more likely
to pick healthier food options.
Parents could certainly try
this at home by using their own
stickers, says Dr. Privitera.

When Stephanie Snow Gebels

daughter Raquel was 5, she
was diagnosed with Wolfram
syndrome, a genetic form of
diabetes that causes death
before age 30 in about 60
percent of cases. Researchers
at Washington University in

St. Louis are among the only ones

looking for a cure, but around
the time of Raquels diagnosis,
the university was denied
funding. Gebel jumped into
action, establishing the Snow
Foundation (thesnowfoundation
.org) to raise money for more
research. I want to give hope to
these families who never were
able to hope before, she says.
Scientists have since identified
a drug that may help slow the
progression of the disorder and
the group is trying to raise
$5 million to support preclinical
work and human clinical trials.
I can see the light, Gebel says.
Zachary Verbit

From bottom left to right:

Raquel, Gebel, Dr. Saad Nasser,
and Dr. Fumihiko Urano

Parents donated $500 to the Snow

Foundation. To nominate your organization
or community-service project and to
be considered for a donation, e-mail
advocacy@parents.com.

Use all products as directed.

LEFT: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/GETTY IMAGES.

T H E POWE R O F PA R E N T S

Prepare for anything with the

New Clean-Treat-Protect Pack.
Three products to care for cuts & scrapes. PLAY ON.

kids

health news

1 in 5

U.S. kids have an abnormal

cholesterol measurement,
says the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.

Change Up Your
Toothpaste
Beat your kids dreaded
bedtime-routine blues
with one of these.

While he brushes, Plaque HD

turns any plaque thats stuck on
his teeth a teal colorso hell
know where more attention is
needed. $15; amazon.com

Yet another study has shown that

pet turtles can make kids sick.
Researchers identified salmonella
outbreaks associated with small
turtles and found that 68 percent of
patients had direct exposure to
turtles the week before they became
ill. Salmonella is part of a turtles
gut bacteria, says study coauthor
Maroya Spalding Walters, Ph.D., an
epidemiologist with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
That means all turtleshealthy or
sick, big or smallcarry it. That

also means that turtles dont make

good pets for homes, schools,
or settings with kids under 5, since
young kids have a less-developed
immune system and are more likely
to put their hands in their mouth.
For families with older kids, make
sure everyone washes their hands
after handling the animal, dont let
it roam free, and disinfect areas
where it or its aquarium are washed.
Having second thoughts about your
turtle at home? Many shelters
and pet stores accept unwanted pets.

Instead of using abrasives and

detergents, LIVFREE Livionex
Dental Gel cleans teeth with a
food-grade ingredient called
edathamil. The toothpaste
contains no fluoride and only
edible ingredients, so its okay if
your child ends up swallowing it.
$22; livionexdental.com

Cautious in the Car

The Drivers Little Helper kit includes a sensor pad
that goes under the fabric cover of any car seat and
alerts you on your smartphone if your child gets out
of her seat, if it becomes too hot or cold, or if you
accidentally leave her inside for a while after the car
is stopped. $80; driverslittlehelper.com

PA R E N T S

26 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Hello Kids Fluoride Toothpaste

comes in blue raspberry and
bubble gum but contains no
artificial flavors or dyes.
$4; target.com

TOP LEFT: BLEND IMAGES/JOSE LUIS PELAEZ INC/GETTY IMAGES. RIGHT (3): PETER ARDITO.

Turtle Trouble

NO CORN SYRUP.
HIGH FRUCTOSE

#LovEyOurBread

staying safe

more than 600 children

drown every year
But you can help bring down this tragic number. Well show you how
to make nearly every body of water from your bathtub to the beach
a whole lot safer for your family and friends. by KATE LAWLER
ON A SUMMER Sunday in 2013,
three of Trudy Cedeno-Quintanas
five kids splashed in their backyard
pool while she watched them from
just beyond the stone columns that
surrounded it. Trudy usually swam
with her children, but her husband,
JC, had gone out to run an errand, so
she had to listen for her infant twins,

PA R E N T S

28 J U LY 2 0 1 6

who were napping inside. She could

see her son, Kyan, almost 3, on
the pool steps with a flotation ring
around his waist. His older siblings
were nearby, talking to Trudy
about Kyans upcoming birthday.
When Trudy lost sight of Kyan
from between the columns, she
called out a question to him, but he

didnt respond. She stood up to get

a better view and glimpsed Kyan
floating, just behind his brother and
sister, who had their backs turned.
His safety ring had fallen off.
Trudy ran to the pool and jumped
in, but Kyan was unresponsive.
She did CPR and called 911, but he
never regained consciousness.

photographs by THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY

WARDROBE STYLING BY SARAH CONROY. GROOMING BY CAROLINA BELLAVISTA. ON GIRLS, FROM LEFT: EGG BY SUSAN LAZAR. MINI BODEN.

kids

kids

staying safe

Sadly, young children can drown

silently in as little as 25 seconds,
even in the shallow end or in a baby
pool, says Lois Lee, M.D., M.P.H.,
an emergency-medicine specialist
at Boston Childrens Hospital. A
doctor in the emergency room told
JC that some children hold their
breath and stay still, waiting for
someone to grab them.
The day after they lost their son,
the Quintanas created Kyans
Kause, a foundation that advocates
for water-safety awareness and
helps fund swimming lessons and
CPR-certification in South Florida.
With its year-round warm weather
and an abundance of pools, beaches,
and waterways, Florida has the
highest drowning rate in the country
among kids ages 1 to 4.
But make no mistake: Drowning
is a threat to children everywhere.
Nationwide, its the number-one
cause of accidental death in kids ages
1 to 4 and the second-most-common
cause of injury-related death in
children ages 1 to 14, according to

the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention. Every year upwards
of 600 children under age 15 die
from drowning, and seven times
that many get treated in emergency
rooms for nonfatal submersion
injuries. Most deadly accidents
affecting young kids happen in
backyard pools, but there are also
sneaky hazards around the house
and at the beach. Thats why
learning water-safety essentials
and being aware of drowning
dangers is so important. Start with
this lifesaving advice:
RULE 1

Never take your eyes off

your child when shes in or
around the water.
Kids who are not yet experienced
swimmers need constant touch
supervision when theyre playing in
or near a pool or at the beach. That
means you (or another responsible
adult) should stay in the water
with your child at all times, within
touching distance, giving him

hidden dangers
at home
Buckets, ice chests, and
5-gallon tubs
If youre washing the car or
mopping the floor, empty that
bucket of water as soon as youre
finished. Keeping drinks on ice
at an outdoor party? Put the
tub or chest up on a table. Left
outside to dry, an empty one
can turn into a drowning hazard
if it fills up with rainwater.
Inflatable kiddie pools
Its a hassle, but youve got to
dump the water from these
pools each time you use them.
In fact, theyre particularly
dangerous because theyre not
surrounded by fencing and
theyre irresistible to small kids.
If your toddleror a neighbors
childwanders into the yard,
he can easily climb over the
soft side and slide into the pool.
Backyard fish ponds
Babies and toddlers are
especially susceptible to cement
fish ponds and other decorative
water features. Either fence
them in, fill them in with dirt, or
wait until your child is older to
install one in the first place.

Can you spot the drowning hazard in this photo? Long hair left loose
(rather than pulled into a bun or braid) can get caught in a pools drain.

PA R E N T S

30 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Tubs and toilets

Install locks on the covers of
toilet seats, recommends Safe
Kids Worldwide. During baths
always hold onto your baby or
toddler, even if shes in a seat.
And never leave her alonenot
even to grab a towel, answer
the phone, or get the door. Until
they are old enough to take a
shower, children need constant
supervision in the tub. And
keep in mind: Drowning rates
increase when children bathe
together in the same tub.

 2016 Gym-Mark, Inc. Gymboree is a trademark of Gym-Mark, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introducing

Made to keep up

g y m b o re e. c o m /g y m g o

Coming in July

with active kids.

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kids

staying safe

100 percent of your attention. Once

your child has learned to swim long
distances and float on his back, he
wont necessarily need you right
next to him, but you should always
keep him in sight, no matter how old
he is. (Kids of all ages can get stuck
underwater, grow tired, or become
panicked.) And dont assume youll
hear your child yelling or splashing
if he needs helpthats something
you see in the movies. In real life,
most kids and adults drown quietly
and quickly, just like Kyan did.

On beach trips, the

best view of your kids
is a close-up.

RULE 2

Ignore your phone.

Make a pact with yourself: When
youre at the pool or the beach or the
lake, silence your phone and stow it
out of reach in your bag so youre not
tempted to use it. If you hear a text
message come in and turn to your
phone for five seconds, thats long
enough for a child to be submerged,
says Anne Beasley, M.D., a pediatric
hospitalist at Phoenix Childrens
Hospital. This doesnt mean,
however, that you should leave your
phone at home; its best to keep
it fully charged and within reach in
case of emergency. (You should also

memorize the address of wherever

youre swimming so you can easily
give your location to a 911 operator.)
RULE 3

Dont rely on water wings,

inflatable toys, floating
loungers, or pool noodles.
Parents put too much faith in
flotation devices that were never
made to be life preservers, says
James Callahan, M.D., a pediatric
emergency physician at The
Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

If your little one is a nonswimmer,

its okay to let her use floatie toys,
but only if youre right there next to
her in the water. And just say no to
toy mermaid fins; they can trap your
childs legs, preventing her from
easily kicking her way to the surface
from beneath the water. The only
safe flotation device is a well-fitting
Coast Guardapproved life jacket,
and its not a bad idea to have a weak
swimmer wear one while shes in or
around the water (though, of course,
you still need to be with her too).

safety checklist
Find out if your pool or hot tub has these features recommended by kids health experts.
Fence and Gate
A four-sided, non-climbable
fence that completely isolates
the pool or the hot tub can cut
drowning risk in half. The fence
should be at least 4 feet high,
with a self-closing, self-latching
gate that a child cant reach
without an adults help. If you
have a three-sided fence that
attaches to your house, be
vigilant about keeping your back
door and windows secured with
a lock that is out of childrens
reach. Also consider putting an
alarm with a unique tone on the

PA R E N T S

34 J U LY 2 0 1 6

door, since a small child can easily

get into the yard and wander to the
pool if its left open. A pool alarm,
which goes off when something falls
into the water, may also help.

Safety Cover
For pools, the Consumer Product
Safety Commission recommends
multiple layers of protection. One
they suggest, a rigid power cover,
operates on a track and is strong
enough for an adult to stand
on. For hot tubs, purchase a hard,
lockable cover. Keep the cover
on whenever the pool is not in use.

Drain Covers
Your pool and hot tub need
anti-entrapment drain covers as
well as safety vacuum-release
systems that cut the risk of a
child getting her hair or a limb
caught in the drains. If youre not
sure you have the right ones, ask
your pool-maintenance service
to check. Teach kids not to touch
drain covers, and to keep long
hair in a braid during swim time.

Lifesaving Equipment
Its essential to have a poolside
life ring and reaching pole.

Get creative with the fresh

taste of Maries. Made with
real, premium ingredients.
in the

PRODUCE S E C T I O N

kids

staying safe

Dont assume youll hear your child

yelling or see him splashing if he needs
help thats something that happens
in movies. In real life, most kids and adults
drown quietly and quickly.

Remember to keep all floating toys

out of the pool when theyre not
in use; otherwise they may entice
a toddler into the water.
RULE 4

Sign your child up for

swimming lessons.
Whats the right age to get started?
The American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that
all children ages 4 and older take
swimming lessons. But dont
let lessons give you a false sense
of security: Regardless of ability, all
toddlers and preschoolers need a
caregiver at their side in the pool.

that each kid is responsible for

knowing where her buddy is at all
times. But dont forget that a pal
doesnt replace adult supervision; the
system serves as a supplement.
RULE 6

When theres a crowd, put a

parent on lifeguard duty.

RULE 5

Make older kids buddy up.

As an extra layer of protection,
experts recommend that kids follow
the buddy system. Pair your child
with a friend or a sibling, and explain

Or better yet, hire help. At a party or

a gathering, its almost guaranteed
that parents will get distracted
and look away from the pool at some
point. A simple backup to make sure

that everyones safe: In addition to

keeping track of your own kids, pay
a pro or designate an adult water
watcher and take turns every 15
minutes, suggests Dr. Beasley. That
persons only job is to sit on the edge
keeping an eye on all of the children.
If there are more than a few kids,
designate multiple water watchers,
with some swimming in the water
with the littlest ones and others
standing where they can observe
the entire group. And dont drink
alcoholic beverages while your kids

.
T
I
K
S
I
W
Dramatization:
Hidden body oils and sweat on cotton
t-shirt after workout under blacklight

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This shirt is ilthy white. Sure it looks clean, but after

a workout, its full of hidden odor-causing body oils
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IT.
H
S
WA
T
S
JU
T

N
DO

are swimming or hanging out by the

pool; save the wine for when outdoor
time is over for the day.
RULE 7

Teach your child the rules.

For easy memorizing, stick to these
five: no running, no diving in the
shallow end, no pushing people in,
no pulling other kids under the
water, and no swimming without
adult supervisionever. And
remember: Children arent the only
ones who shouldnt swim alone;
its not particularly safe for adults to
swim solo either, says Dr. Callahan.
RULE 8

Learn CPR.
If the worst happens and you have
to rescue a distressed swimmer,
conducting CPR while you wait for
an ambulance to arrive could save
that persons life. When the heart

3 tips for open water

Wear Coast Guardapproved life jackets. Every person on a boat
needs one. Kids should also put on a jacket when theyre around a
pond, a lake, a creek, or a river or walking or playing on a dock.
Watch out for waves. Be extra-vigilant when the waters rough.
A wave can knock a child over and drag her underwater in seconds.
Stand near the edge of the water when your older children swim,
and hold little kids hands at all times, even in the shallowest water.
Understand the flags at a public beach. Different beaches may use
different coding systems, but generally a red flag indicates high
hazards. Two red flags (one on top of the other) means no swimming
allowed. (So does a sign that says no lifeguard on duty.)

stops, continuing to circulate blood

to the brain helps prevent a bad
outcome, explains Dr. Beasley. In a
perfect world, all parents would be
trained in CPR. You can find a
class through a community center or
hospital, or via the American Heart
Association (heart.org) or the

American Red Cross (redcross.org).

If youre untrained or rusty on CPR,
do chest compressions (100 per
minute), and skip rescue breathing,
also known as mouth-to-mouth.
When it comes to drowning, doing
something is always better than
doing nothing.

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kids

playroom

downtime finds
Our latest favorite kids media picks

For Your Gamer

Get ready for the summers
most epic athletic event with
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016
Olympic Games. Players can
prepare with a trainer and then
test their skills in 14 events,
including hurdles, archery, and
golf. 10 years+, $40 for
Nintendo 3DS; $60 for Wii U

For Your Bookworm

Sam Gartons adorable critter
returns in Otter: Oh No, Bath Time!
Otters knack for getting into trouble
will amuse younger children, while
simple sentences make the book
perfect practice for older kids who
are learning to read. 4 years+, $17

Thunder Boy Jr. doesnt like being

named after his dadhed rather
have his own name, like Touch the
Clouds. Written by Sherman Alexie,
author of The Absolutely True Diary
of a Part-Time Indian, the book is a
sweet look at the bond between a son
and his father. 3 years+, $18

Fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald

Dahl wont want to miss Look Out
for the Fitzgerald-Trouts, by Esta
Spalding. It follows four siblings who
live together (in a car!) on a tropical
island. In order to find a home,
theyll have to work together to deal
with some inept adults. 8 years+, $17

Whats Appening?
Based on the
animated TV show,
Slugterra: Slug
Life lets kids go on
exciting missions with colorful
creatures. Players complete
mini games to earn coins,
which can be exchanged for
training gear, dress-up items,
and more for the slugs.
6 years+, free with in-app
purchases for iOS
its really
fun to go on
the missions!
-Enzo, 7

For Your Movie Lover

One of our favorite fishes returns in Finding Dory.
The film follows the forgetful blue tang, voiced by
Ellen DeGeneres, as she looks for her parents.
Naturally, she meets some crazy characters along
the way. Not yet rated; opens June 17
PA R E N T S

38 J U LY 2 0 1 6

BOOKS: PETER ARDITO. DORY: COURTESY OF DISNEY PIXAR. MARIO & SONIC: COURTESY OF NINTENDO.

Peter Browns The Wild Robot

begins as Roz wakes up to find shes
mysteriously alone on a strange
island. The robot has no idea why
shes there, but shell have to deal
with hostile weather and animals in
order to survive. 8 years+, $17

THE LOVE OF READING

bright ideas
These simple crafts and activities are made
with the power of good old-fashioned sunshine.
by JOCELYN WORRALL

Colors of the Sun

Give new life to worn-down crayons. Remove paper from
about 20 crayons and seal them in a gallon-size,
zip-top plastic bag. Break them up using a hammer.
Place 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters onto a parchment-lined
cookie sheet. Your kid can fill the cutters with a -inch
layer of crayon pieces, then place the sheet in direct
sunlight until the pieces melt, 3 to 6 hours. Let cool for one
hour or until solid, then gently pop out of cutters.

photographs by TARA DONNE

kids

playtime

Daylight Designs
Using the suns light and treated fabric,
your child can make a print of her favorite
specimens. Gather toys, trinkets, and
natural objects and let the fun begin.
Turn the page for the full instructions.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

41 P A R E N T S

kids

playtime

Daylight Designs
White cotton fabric, cut into
18x18 squares
20x20 cardboard
squares, covered in
wax paper
Tape
Inkodye ($15;
store.inkodye.com)
Sponge brush
Assortment of objects, such
as leaves, branches,
shells, rocks, or small toys
Inkowash ($14;
store.inkodye.com)
MAKE IT

1. Tape fabric squares to

wax-paper-covered
cardboard. While indoors or in
a well-shaded area, paint a
thin coat of Inkodye onto the
fabric with sponge brush.
Instead of making
your own sun-sensitive
fabric, you can buy
special paper (Nature
Print Kit; $11; dickblick
.com) to create the
same effect.

2. Have child place objects

on the painted fabric. When
the arrangement is complete,
place it in direct sunlight.
3. After 10 minutes, bring it
indoors. Remove the tape and
then the objects. Wash the
objects immediately if they
will be reused.
4. Wash the fabric thoroughly
as soon as possible using
Inkowash to remove the
Inkodye. Hang it up to dry in a
well-shaded area.

PA R E N T S

42 J U LY 2 0 1 6

PROP STYLING BY PAM MORRIS. WARDROBE STYLING BY SARAH CONROY. GROOMING BY SOPHIE HAIG FOR BERNSTEIN & ANDRIULLI.

WHAT YOULL NEED

kids

playtime

With a Trace
Let shadows be your childs guide for
this activity. In the morning (8 a.m.) or late
afternoon (4 p.m.), place a table in a
sunny spot where long shadows will be
cast. Unroll paper (Easel Paper Roll,
$14; alexbrands.com) along one side of
the table and arrange a variety of
objects along the papers edge. Have
your child trace the shadows with markers.

Berry Tea

Mint Green Tea

4 decaf hibiscus tea bags

+ 50 blueberries
+ 25 halved red seedless grapes
+ 25 raspberries

4 decaf green tea bags

+ 4 sprigs of fresh mint
+ 1 sprig of fresh
lavender (optional)

Lemon Tea
4 decaf black tea bags
+ 1 sliced lemon
+ 5 slices of fresh
ginger (optional)

Sun Tea
A refreshing treat thats easy to make: Fill a 64-ounce glass jarbe sure its
thoroughly washedwith 6 to 8 cups of water. Then with clean hands
add tea and prewashed fruit or herbs. Cover loosely with a breathable cloth,
place in direct sunlight, and steep for 3 hours. Stir in sugar or honey to taste,
and serve over ice. Teas can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Ray Catcher
Hang this mobile in a light-filled
window to really let it glimmer and
glow. Just be sure to keep it out of
reach of little kids; the beads are a
choking hazard.
WHAT YOULL NEED

4 jumbo ice-pop sticks

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Cotton braiding cord
(Clubhouse Crafts Tropical
Cotton Braiding Cord,
$4; joann.com)
Small plastic, glass, and
wooden beads
Large crystal ball prism
(40mm Feng Shui Asfour
Crystal Ball Prism,$7;
crystalclearimage.com)
MAKE IT

1. Place a dab of hot glue on one

end of an ice-pop stick. Attach the

end of another stick so that you now

have one long, straight piece.
2. Create a cross shape with the two
remaining sticks: Hot-glue the third
stick, at a 90-degree angle, in the
center top of the long piece you
made; glue the last stick under it,
also at a 90-degree angle.
3. Cut 8 pieces of cord in various
lengths. Knot one end of each, then
have your child string beads onto
the cords. Wrap two beaded cords
around each arm of the cross and
knot in place. Adjust positions as
needed to create balance.
4. Cut a 15-in. and a 7-in. length of
cord. String and knot prism to
bottom of longer cord, then string
on more beads. Tie cord to center of
mobile. Use shorter cord to knot a
loop around center so it can hang.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

45 P A R E N T S

kids

milestones

10
skills
to master
before
age 10

Your child is more capable than

you realize. Even your
preschooler can begin to learn
these essential life lessons.
by MICHELLE CROUCH

STELLA, my 9-year-old daughter,

was preparing to heat her dinner in
the microwave when I noticed shed
left her fork on the plate. As I lunged
across the kitchen to prevent sparks
from flying, I wondered why no one
had ever taught her that you cant
put metal in the microwave. Then I
remembered: Wait, thats my job!
With so much for our children to
learn in todays high-tech world, its

PA R E N T S

46 J U LY 2 0 1 6

all too easy for them to miss out on

practical life skills, whether its
running a load of wash, reading a
map, or handwriting a letter. A
recent study by the online security
company AVG Technologies found
that while 58 percent of 3- to
5-year-olds in the U.S. can navigate a
smartphone, fewer than one out of
six (15 percent) could make their
own breakfast. I see many parents

doing everything for their kids

instead of letting them figure out
how to fend for themselves, says
Tim Elmore, founder of Growing
Leaders, a nonprofit in Norcross,
Georgia, that works with schools
and civic groups to promote
leadership qualities in children.
Start teaching these life skills
now, and put your kid on the path
toward independence.

photographs by PRISCILLA GRAGG

 Doing the Laundry

Too many teens head to
college with no clue how
to clean their clothes.
Dont let your kid become
one of them.
You can begin teaching your
child when she is around 6. If you
have a top-loading washer, keep
a step stool nearby. Walk her
through the processhow to
measure and add the detergent,
choose the settings, and start
the machine. Amy Mascott, who
blogs at TeachMama.com, taught
her three kids (now 9, 10, and
12). She chose cute names for
jobs: Wash Warrior, Super-Fly
Dry Guy, Put Em Away Triple Play.
Mascott says there have been
snafus, like the time a whole
load was folded and put away
damp. But Im not aiming for
perfection. Im aiming for them
to get the job done, she says.

kids

milestones

your child to
1herRemind
remove the price tag. Help
find the right-size box.
Explain that its important to
wrap fragile items in Bubble
Wrap or layers of tissue paper
to protect them.
Demonstrate how to unroll
2
the paper, wrap it all the
way around the gift to make
sure it fits, and then cut it.
Tear off at least five pieces
3
of tape and line them
up along the edge of a table.
Show her how to turn over
4
and center the box, bring
the paper up one side and

Planting a Seedling
Lots of preschoolers learn to plant seeds in class but not how
to transfer sprouts into a garden. Whitney Cohen, coauthor
of The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids, shares the basics.
Ask your child to dig a hole
thats slightly larger than the
container the plant is in.
Once you remove the plant
from the pot and place it in the
hole, have her delicately push
soil around it and pat it down.
Let your child water it with a
gentle stream from a watering
can with a perforated nozzle.

PA R E N T S

48 J U LY 2 0 1 6

By age 6 or 7, your child can

remove a seedling himself.
Have him split two fingers apart
so the stem of the plant goes
between them, then squeeze
the outside of the container
until the plant comes out. If the
roots are wound tightly, he
should loosen them a few at a
time before planting.

tape it to the box, then bring

it up the other so it overlaps,
pull the paper tight, and tape
it down. For a pro look, she
can fold over the edge and
form a sharp crease before
sticking it down.
Have her face an open
5
end toward her, fold the
top flap down and the sides
flat against the box to form
triangular flaps, then bring
up the bottom piece and
tape it. Repeat on the other
side. Voil! Shes created a
pretty present.

WARDROBE STYLING BY LISA MOIR. HAIR AND MAKEUP BY TRICIA TURNER. STUDIO TEACHER: ELISE GANZ. PREVIOUS SPREAD, ON GIRL: OVERALLS, ZARA. SHIRT, JANUARY AND JUNE. SHOES, H&M.
ON MOM: SHIRT AND NECKLACE, MADEWELL. PANTS, UNIQLO. THIS PAGE, ON BOY: SHIRT, SHORTS, AND HAT, ZARA. ON MOM: SHIRT, MADEWELL. NECKLACE, MINT. ON GIRL: DRESS, BOBO CHOSES.

Wrapping a Gift
Your child already loves
giving presents, and
wrapping them makes it
even more satisfying.
Preschoolers can help
cut the paper and
stick on the tape, while
kindergartners can
complete these steps.

Lifes greatest moments are celebrated with paper and paper-based

packaging. On birthdays or any day. Discover how paper and packaging
make special occasions even more meaningful. HowLifeUnfolds.com
2015 Paper and Packaging Board. All Rights Reserved.

kids

milestones

Writing a Letter
Toddlers can dictate a letter to a family member (enhanced
with drawings), attach the stamp, and drop it into a mailbox.
Teach an older child how to address an envelope and the
five parts of a letter: date, greeting (Dear ), body, closing
(Sincerely), and signature. You can also have them:
Help with holiday cards.
After your kid attaches 100 stamps
and return-address labels, shell
never forget where each goes.

Find a pen pal. Sites such as

Hammering
a Nail
1. Give your child a 7- or 9-ounce
hammer. Home-improvement
stores sell kids models as light
as 4 ounces, but with those its
harder to pound a nail.

Amazing Kids (Amazing-Kids.org/

penpals) and International Pen
Friends (InternationalPenFriends
.com) can connect your child with
an English-speaking pen pal in
another country. Or keep it local;
my daughters have gone through
phases of corresponding by letter

with friends in our town. For them,

nothing is as exciting as receiving
something addressed to them.

Correspond with POTUS.

Have her address the letter to The
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.
When my 7-year-old daughter, Rosie,
requested that President Obama
adopt his next pet from the pound,
she was thrilled to get his response,
including an autographed portrait
and a photo of his dog, Bo.

2. Use a piece of soft wood

(such as pine, poplar, or cedar).
You can hold it in place with
clamps or a vise, or simply place
it on the ground.

4. When your child is ready to

do it himself, you can push a
nail through a small piece of
cardboard so its held in place
as he hammers it into the wood.
Make sure your child holds the
edge of the cardboard instead
of the nail (to protect his fingers).
5. Once hes mastered that
method, have him try holding
the nail. Be prepared for a
sore thumb or two, but before
long hell get the hang of it.

Next Tool: the Screwdriver

Unscrewing is easier for young
kids than screwing. Theyll love
taking apart broken printers,
vacuums, and other devices. You
can start the screw if its extra
tight. Dont forget to teach the
saying, Righty, tighty. Lefty,
loosey to help them remember
which way to turn.

PA R E N T S

50 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Make it
easy on yourself:
Have your kid
add applesauce
to her
own yogurt!

Preparing a
Simple Meal
Invite your child to help make
meals, assign him jobs to do,
and stay calm when the flour
spills and the eggshells fly, says
Christina Dymock, a mom of
four and author of Young Chefs.
Yogurt with fruit is a good first
DIY breakfast. Preschoolers
can spoon yogurt into a bowl and
add prewashed cut-up fruit.
Work with kids 5 and older on
making sandwiches and
smoothies (monitor the blender

closely). Around age 7 or 8, your

kid can try toaster-oven faves
like English-muffin pizza. Rosie
makes salad by ripping lettuce,
dumping in croutons, and cutting
up tomatoes, cucumbers, and
carrots. By age 10, kids can use
the stovetop with supervision for
a grilled-cheese sandwich.
Focus on safety and practice, and
you might just have a MasterChef
Junior on your hands. Stella
recently made scrambled eggs
for breakfast by herself, and
they were better than mine.

LEFT: EHSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES. RIGHT: TARA DONNE. FOOD STYLING BY LIZA JERNOW. PROP STYLING BY PAM MORRIS.

3. Pick nails with a wide head.

At first youll have to start each
one for him.

, , 2016 Kellogg NA Co.

HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU

SNAP, CRACKLE, POP ?

Find more fun and easy recipes at RiceKrispies.com.

kids

milestones
Let her wash
the dogand
then the tub!

Navigating
If youve ever gotten lost following a
GPSs turn-by-turn voice directions,
you know why being able to read a
map is essential (even if its one on
your phone). These activities will
build your childs navigational skills.

Hunt for treasure. Maps seem

boring until you use them to look
for booty. Hide toys in your yard and
then draw a simple sketch to mark
their location. Show your 3- or
4-year-old how objects on the map
correspond to those in front of her.
Have her lead the way. Zoos,
museums, and theme parks have
colorful, easy-to-read maps. Ask
your preschooler to track her path,
and challenge an older kid to get
you from point A to point B.

Treating a Wound
Teach your child from a young
age not to freak out when
he sees blood (and dont
overreact yourself). Giving him
a game plan will distract him
from the pain and come in
handy when youre not around
to kiss his boo-boos.

1. If the cut or scrape is

bleeding, press firmly on the
area with a clean cloth or
a paper towel until it stops.
2. Hold the cut under running
water or dab it gently with a
wet paper towel.
3. Apply antibiotic ointment
with a cotton swab.
4. Cover with an adhesive
bandage or gauze and tape.

PA R E N T S

52 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Cleaning the Bathroom

I hate toothpaste blobs, so I showed each of my kids,
at age 3, how to wipe the sink after spitting. By 5
they were cleaning the counter too. Keep rags or a
sponge handy. Toilet duties require greater skill.
School-age kids can clean the lid, seat, and base
with a disinfecting wipe. Make sure they wash their
hands thoroughly afterward. Big kids can scrub
the bowl with a nontoxic cleaner: Sprinkle the sides
with baking soda, let it sit for a few minutes, pour in
some vinegar, then scrub with a toilet brush.

Comparison Shopping
Teaching kids to be smart consumers takes practice. This
three-step approach worked for our family.
Explain as you go. Mention
prices out loud and talk about your
choices: Im getting gas at the other
station because it costs 10 cents less
per gallon. I tell my kids about some
things Id like to have (Lululemon
yoga pants, anyone?) but dont buy
because theyre not in our budget.

Let your kid pay sometimes.

Give him an allowance, and then
designate items he is responsible for

purchasing. My husband and I dont

buy any sweets. Thats forced our kids
to become savvy shoppers. When
the ice pops at our local pool began
putting a dent in their cash flow, they
pooled their money and bought a
box of 12 to keep in the freezer.

Play the grocery game. At the

supermarket, challenge your kid
to find the least expensive brand of
paper towels or tomato sauce.

ON GIRL: SHIRT, STELLA McCARTNEY KIDS. BANDAGES: ISTOCKPHOTO.

Take up geocaching. Kids ages

5 and up love this outdoor treasurehunt game, which uses GPS tracking
to find containers filled with trinkets.
Learn more at geocaching.com.

a d ve r t i s e m e n t

EXPLORERS GUIDE TO THE

NATIONAL PARKS
Brought to you by

A trip to the nations great National Parks in an RV will let you experience nature,
discover history, and reconnect as a family, all with the comforts of home. Share these fun
facts and activity cards with your little explorers for some added fun along the way!

Find your AWAY. Go RVing.

YELLOWSTONE
NATIONAL PARK,
WYOMING
Known as the American Serengeti because of its sprawling landscape
and rich wildlife, Yellowstone contains 67 different mammal species.
Use the checklist on the back of this card to keep track of the
animals you spot on your RV adventures.

NAVAJO
NATIONAL MONUMENT,
ARIZONA
The Navajo National Monument preserves the cliff dwellings,
homes, and territory of the Ancestral Pueblo Native Americans.
See the back of this card for ideas to help your kids celebrate
the rich Native American culture, while you take in the
awe-inspiring scenery.

ACADIA
NATIONAL PARK,
MAINE
From July through September, wild Maine blueberries are
ripening throughout Acadia National Park. Pick some up at
a roadside stand and whip up delicious wild blueberry muffins.
Turn card over for the recipe.

GREAT SMOKY
MOUNTAINS
NATIONAL PARK,
TENNESSEE
Sometimes referred to as the Wildflower National Park,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a world-renowned
preserve of wildflower diversity. Recreate their beauty with the
craft idea on the back of this card.

a d ve r t i s e m e n t

EXPLORERS GUIDE TO THE

NATIONAL PARKS
Brought to you by

These activities are sure to create lasting memories

of your family RV vacation to a National Park!

Keep track of the amazing animals you see

Wild Blueberry Muffins

INGREDIENTS
2

1
1

cups all-purpose flour

cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar, divided
tsp. baking powder
tsp. baking soda
tsp. salt
large egg
cup buttermilk, well-shaken

BISON

BLACK
BEAR

BALD
EAGLE

ELK

6 Tbs. unsalted butter,

melted and cooled
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cups wild blueberries

1. Heat oven to 425F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Combine our, cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
in a large bowl. 3. Whisk together egg, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla
in a small bowl. 4. Pour wet ingredients into dry, stir until just barely
combined. Gently fold in blueberries. 5. Divide batter among mufin
cups. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Bake 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375F; continue baking until golden,
about 15 minutes more. 6. Transfer mufins to wire rack and let cool.

Find your AWAY. Visit GoRVing.com

for more RV travel information.

Unleash their inner Picasso

Before your trip, stock up on painting
suppliescanvases, paint, brushes, etc.
During your adventures, set up canvases
outside of the RV and have your kids
paint pictures of their favorite
wildflowers and beautiful landscapes.
This way, you will have a memento from
your visit to bring home with you!

Find your AWAY. Visit GoRVing.com

for more RV travel information.

Embrace the Native American culture by trying

these fun activities while you relax in your RV
BASKET WEAVING
Navajo artists are famous for their weaving
skills. Stop at the Visitors Center, where each
summer a weaver demonstrates her craft.
MAKE FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS
Pack a variety of colors of thin yarn, scissors,
and safety pins and let your kids weave away!

MAKE DREAM CATCHERS

Using paper plates, string, and feathers, let your kids
creativity sing by making colorful dream catchers.
Place them above their sleeping area in the RV.

Find your AWAY. Visit GoRVing.com

for more RV travel information.

Find your AWAY. Visit GoRVing.com

for more RV travel information.

The other guy.

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kids

going places

Go to parents.com/maps to link
to a Google Map for each
trip. You can customize it based
on your starting location.

Parents teamed up with Google Maps to create

family-friendly road trips to some of the
apps most-searched summer destinations and
attractions. With low gas prices and loads of
fun places to stop, theres never been a better
way to see the country. by KAREN CICERO
PA R E N T S

54 J U LY 2 0 1 6

how our maps work

Each route is a loop, so you can
begin at any point and follow the
path in either direction. Dont get
hung up on the listed order; you
can customize to suit your family.
Ending up at the starting point is
ideal if youre flying in and renting
a car. Look for our suggested pit
stops on the maps, plus lodging and
activities for your overnight stays.

ALISTAIR BERG/GETTY IMAGES.

all-american drives

kids

going places

california dreamin

Head east from San Francisco for a nature-packed adventure

at Yosemite National Park; end your drive on Route 1 for 200-plus
miles of unobstructed ocean views. Aah!
3 Sacramento (1 night) Make it
to Fairytale Town by 2 p.m. so you
can spend two hours exploring the
storybook-themed playground plus
animals and a garden. Start the next
day at the ArtBeast Studio, with a
puppet theater, blocks, musical
instruments, and a space capsule. By
lunchtime, start driving to Humboldt.

913 miles
20 hours of driving
Avoid taking any of
these road trips the first
week of August, when
Google Maps predicts
summer traffic
will peak.

STAY Embassy Suites by Hilton

Sacramento Riverfront Promenade
(suites with two double beds start at
$189 per night)

2
1

4 Humboldt County (1 night)

Check into the resort at night. The
next morning, head down the road to
the Shrine Drive Thru Tree, where
you can squeeze your car through
a redwood tree and explore the
nearby treehouses. Then drive 4 miles
to the Visitors Center at the Humboldt
Redwoods State Park. It will have
info on the days Junior Ranger
programs and guided nature walks
to Founders Grove. Leave by late
afternoon and drive to Mendocino.
STAY Redcrest Resort (a cabin that
sleeps 4 starts at $165 per night)

1 San Francisco (2 nights)

Hop on a cable car for Fishermans
Wharf, where youll kick off the trip
at the Exploratorium, a hands-on
science museum. Start at the
tinkering gallery if you have kids
under age 8. Spend the next morning
at Golden Gate Park. Zoom around
the playground, rent a rowboat, and
have a cup of tea at the Japanese
Tea Garden. Then cool off following
the family-guide activities at the
newly expanded San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art.
STAY Handlery Union Square Hotel
(rooms with two queen beds start at
$229 per night)

PA R E N T S

56 J U LY 2 0 1 6

2 Yosemite National Park

(2 nights) Take the park shuttle bus
to the lower falls area, where youll
hike up to Yosemite Falls and get
misted at the footbridge along the
way. The next day, hit the 2-mile
Sentinel Meadow and Cooks
Meadow Loops, stopping off for a
snack at the Yosemite Village Store.
Also see the Bridalveil Fall; the kids
will get wet! Refresh by boarding
the shuttle to the Nature Center at
Happy Isles, which has interactive
natural-history displays. Round out
the trip with Junior Ranger activities.
STAY Half Dome Village (tent cabins
start at $104 per night)

5 Mendocino (2 nights)
Have pizza and ice cream at
Frankies, which offers gluten-free
crust. The next day, explore downtown.
Stop in the bookshop (it has a kids
section) and Village Toy Store. Hop on
the Adventure Trail at the Mendocino
Coast Botanical Gardens or build
sand castles at the beach. Return
to San Francisco the following day.
STAY Little River Inn (rooms with two
queen beds start at $195 per night)

The majority of
Californias roads
are toll-free.
illustrations by GARY VENN

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kids

going places

a roaring good time

The gurgling geysers and newly discovered dinosaur fossils on this
trip through Wyoming and Montana will wow your mini scientist.
Grand Teton & Yellowstone
National Parks (3 nights)
1

Start by exploring Grand Tetons trails

that extend from the Craig Thomas
Discovery & Visitor Center. Since the
popular Jenny Lake area is under
construction, take the 3-mile Heron
Pond-Swan Lake loop, where you
might see trumpeter swans, osprey,
and moose. Have more fun at Grand
Teton the next day. Then venture into
Yellowstone, exploring the grounds
around Old Faithful. Eat at the nearby
Inn to fuel up for the Yellowstone
Lake Overlook hike from West Thumb
Geyser Basin, where youll see more
geysers and mudpots. On the way
to Billings, drive through the Hayden
and Lamar Valleys, the best places
to spy elk. Hop on the Trout Lake
Trail for a short hike through the
forestyou might spot river otters.

770 miles
15 hours of driving
Download your maps
before your trip in
case you drive into
an area with no
cell service.

STAY Headwaters Lodge at Flagg

Ranch in Moran, Wyoming (cabins with
two queen beds start at $280 per
night). Or book a tent cabin for about
$70 per night at either park.

2 Billings, Montana (1 night)

When you arrive, grab an ice cream
at the Big Dipper near the hotel.
The next day, take the loop trail at
Pictograph Cave State Park to view
100-plus rock paintings that date
back more than 2,000 years.
STAY Best Western Plus Clock Tower
Inn (rooms with two queen beds start
at $135 per night)

leave the car at home!

Last summer, Jamie Clark rented
a mini Winnebago camper for a
trip from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee,
to Marion, Virginia. It was one of
the first times we didnt hear, Are
we there yet? from my sons, who
were 8 and 10 at the time, says
Clark. Want to try it? Kevin Broom
from Go RVing gives you the basics:

PA R E N T S

58 J U LY 2 0 1 6

3
1

3 Thermopolis (2 nights) Get up

early for the Dig for a Day Program at
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center, where
you can search for dinosaur fossils
(more than 10,000 bones have been
excavated from the area). Youll stay
there eight hours and receive a

Model The most popular motorized

RV for a family, type C, comes with a
shower, bathroom, and dining area, and
sleeps 8. Type A Rvs are larger; some
require a special drivers license. The
smaller type Bs fit up to 4 people.
Price A rental costs $150 to $300 per
day. Linens and dishes are extra.
Gas Most RVs run on regular fuel,
averaging 15 miles a gallon; Type Bs
can get up to 20 miles per gallon.

guided tour of the museum when you

return ($150 for adults, $100 for kids).
Too big a commitment? Visit the
museum and get a tour of the dig site.
STAY Elk Antler Inn (rooms with bunk
beds and a queen start at $80 nightly)

Safety Every seat, including ones at

the dining table, comes with a seat
belt. You can strap in a car seat or a
booster for your child (state laws vary
on whether they are required).
Parking Its best to settle in at a
campground, since youll have ample
room for parking and access to water,
electricity, and Wi-Fi hookups; KOA
has a lot of family-friendly ones with
pools and activities. Brooke Bunce

How can I share these cookies on the

worldwide web if I cant see them?

Keebler elves.
Yummy Fudge Stripe cookies, they know.
Social media, not so much.

kids

going places

blasts from the past

Bring social studies to life with this Mid-Atlantic route highlighting the
historical attractions that offer kids plenty of cool stuff to do.

3 Annapolis (1 night) Start with

an Annapolis Harbor Cruise. The
next day, tour The Maryland State
House (where the treaty that ended
the Revolutionary War was ratified)
and the William Paca House and
Garden (he signed the Declaration
of Independence).

STAY DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

Annapolis (a room with two double
beds starts at $119 per night)

1
3

777 miles
14 hours of driving

Avoid Philly in late

July when the crowds
for the Democratic
National Convention
will roll into town.

1 Washington, D.C. (2 nights)

Begin at the Smithsonians National
Museum of American History, where
youll see the flag that inspired the
Star-Spangled Banner, First Lady
dresses, and interesting artifacts
from the American Revolution. Dont
miss two kids play areas. The next
day, go inside the Washington
Monument (tickets at nps.gov), tour
the White House (your congressman
can arrange it), and check out the
U.S. Capitol Visitors Center (tickets
at visitthecapitol.gov).

2 Williamsburg (3 nights) Spend

a full day at Colonial Williamsburg,
where youll walk along cobblestone
streets and interact with costumed
characters. See the fife-and-drum
parade, the Governors Palace, and
its shaded garden maze. The next
day, visit Jamestown (with a replica
ship, a fort, and real artifacts) as
well as Yorktown (take a 30-minute
ranger-guided tour of Revolutionary
War battlefields). Stop at your hotel
for lunch and swimming in between
the visits to the two cities.

STAY The Embassy Suites Washington

D.C. Convention Center (suites with two
double beds start at $179 per night)

STAY Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg

(condos with a king bed and sleeper
sofa start at $289 per night)

PA R E N T S

60 J U LY 2 0 1 6

4 Philadelphia (2 nights) Spend

a day or more at Independence
National Historical Park. Stop at the
Visitors Center (kids can try on period
costumes and park-ranger outfits),
Benjamin Franklin Museum, Liberty
Bell Center (find out why the bell is
cracked), and Independence Hall
(where the Declaration was signed;
tickets at nps.gov). Then walk to the
National Constitution Center; kids
will have fun comparing themselves
with the 42 life-size bronze statues
of the Constitution signers. Finish at
Firemans Hall Museum.
STAY Wyndham Philadelphia Historic
District (rooms with two double beds
start at $219 per night)

5 Gettysburg (1 night) Head to

the Gettysburg National Military
Park Visitors Center. In summer, it
has a cart with uniforms and soldier
gear that kids can touch. Tour the
battlefield free with a park ranger
or, for kids 8 or older, on horseback
with a private guide ($75 per person).
STAY Drummer Boy Camping Resort
(cottages start at $184 per night)

Ask your kids to

spot license plates
from the original
13 colonies.

No Artificial Preservatives.
No Artificial Flavors. No Leftovers.

No artificial preservatives or flavors.

Always made with milk.

kids

going places

new england charm

Balance the bustle of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Boston with the
serenity of Cape Cod and the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
1 Springfield (1 night) Begin at
the free Dr. Seuss National Memorial
Sculpture Garden at the Springfield
Museums, where The Cat In the Hat
and other Seuss characters are
represented. Then go to the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame;
kids shoot hoops in a full b-ball court,
dunk in training camp machines,
and record a sportscast.

2
634 miles
11 hours of driving
Time your trip to
be in Cape Cod on
weekdays, when
beaches are less
crowded.

STAY Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield

(rooms with two queen beds start at
$139 per night)

2 White Mountains, New

Hampshire (2 nights) Before
checking into the hotel, stop at Polar
Caves Park. Kids will love the nooks
and crannies of this series of caves
as well as the petting zoo and
Maple Sugar House on-site. The next
morning go to The Flume, a natural
gorge, for an easy (and misty) 2-mile
hike to see several waterfalls, rock
formations, and covered bridges.
Ride away at Clarks Trading Post,
which has a trained-bear show.

3
1

STAY Omni Mount Washington Resort

in Bretton Woods (rooms that sleep 4
start at $219 per night)

3 Boston (3 nights) Spend at

least a half day exploring the 21
exhibit areas (including a space just
for newborns to 3-year-olds) at the
Boston Childrens Museum. Then visit
the nearby Boston Tea Party Ships
and Museum. In the one-hour tour,
kids will get to dump tea overboard,
meet the colonists, and participate
in a reenactment. Start the next day
at the New England Aquarium, where
kids can touch sea stars, epaulette
sharks, and rays. Dont miss two rides:
the Greenway Carousel (near Fanueil
Hall Marketplace, a restaurant
mecca) and the Swan Boats (at the
Boston Public Garden).

4 Cape Cod (2 nights) See the

Highland Lighthousethe Capes
firstwhere kids can take part in the
Junior Keeper program; if theyre
48 inches or taller, they can climb to
the top. The next morning, take your
little ones to an hour-long musical
or puppet show at the Cape Rep
Theatre. Then visit the Wellfleet Bay
Wildlife Sanctuary for guided walks
through salt marshes and tidal
flats; kids can dip in nets to search
for wildlife. Spend the rest of your
time at the beach or splurge on
the Whale Watch Dolphin Fleet, a
naturalist-led cruise to see whales
and sometimes dolphins.

STAY Hyatt Place Boston/Medford

(rooms with two double beds start at
$189 per night)

STAY The Villages at Ocean Edge,

Brewster (one-bedroom villas start at
$125 per night)

PA R E N T S

62 J U LY 2 0 1 6

4 more great trips!

Looking for one closer to your neck

of the woods? Check out these
routes at parents.com/roadtrips.

Florida Fun Explore Amelia Island,

the Space Coast, Boca Raton, Tampa,
and Ocala. Theme-park fans can
add a side trip to Orlando.
Midwestern Hotspots See museums,
landmarks, and more in Chicago,
Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.
Sand & Skyscrapers Combine city
stops in Seattle and Portland with a
couple of days at the beach.
Monumental Vacation Tour Mount
Rushmore and Estes Park, Colorado.

kids

eating well

meat me halfway

Dinner gets flexible with these dishes that cater to both

vegetarians and the carnivores who love them. The trick?
Prep one plant-based meal and add meat to half.
by KATIE WORKMAN

Calling all
omnivores
Give the veggie
one a try! More
plants are a plus
for everyone.

VEGGIE

or
CHICKEN

Rainbow Couscous
Salad

Main-course salads
are ideal for flexitarian
families. Use leftover or
rotisserie chicken for our
version (recipe, page 70).
PA R E N T S

64 J U LY 2 0 1 6

photographs by YUNHEE KIM

Grilled Chimichurri Steaks

Slice cauliflower from the

center of the head in 1-inchthick steaks (recipe, page
70). Save the extra from the
sides of the head to roast
later in the week.

VEGGIE

or
BEEF

kids

eating well

Cakes Two Ways

Active Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Makes 6 servings (3 vegetarian)
INGREDIENTS

Hearts of palm have

a similar texture to
lump crabmeat for a
tasty alternative.

1 sleeve saltines (36 crackers),

crushed and divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 Tbs. mayonnaise
3 Tbs. minced red onion
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
1 14-oz. can hearts of palm,
drained and chopped
8 oz. drained crabmeat, picked
over for shells
3 Tbs. canola oil, divided
Lemon wedges and purchased
remoulade sauce, for serving
VEGGIE

or
CRAB

MAKE IT

1. Place cup of the crushed

saltines on a plate and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the
remaining cup saltines, the eggs,
mayonnaise, red onion, parsley,
mustard, Creole seasoning, and
black pepper. Place half of the
mixture into another medium bowl.
Add the hearts of palm to one
bowl and the crab to the other;
stir each to combine.

4. In a large nonstick skillet,

heat half of the oil over medium
heat. Add the vegetarian patties
and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per
side, or until golden brown. Transfer
to a paper towellined plate.
Repeat with the crab patties. Serve
each with lemon wedges and
remoulade sauce if desired.
NUTRITION PER SERVING (VEGETARIAN)
357 calories; 6g protein; 28g fat (4g sat.
fat); 23g carbs; 3g fiber; 2g sugar; 3mg
iron; 72mg calcium; 889mg sodium (CRAB)
400 calories; 18g protein; 29g fat (4g sat.
fat); 20g carbs; 1g fiber; 2g sugar; 1mg
iron; 93mg calcium; 768mg sodium

PA R E N T S

66 J U LY 2 0 1 6

FOOD STYLING BY SIMON ANDREWS. PROP STYLING BY PAIGE HICKS.

3. Shape the hearts-of-palm mixture

into three -in.-thick patties. Repeat
with the crab mixture. Coat each
patty with crushed saltines, working
with the vegetarian patties first.

Dont be afraid of
these dinosaurs.
Theyre 100% all
natural* chicken.

*Minimally processed, no artificial ingredients.

/2016 Tyson Foods, Inc.

kids

eating well

VEGGIE

or
SAUSAGE

Summer Vegetable
Lasagna
Active Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Makes 12 servings (6 vegetarian)
INGREDIENTS

2 red, orange, or yellow sweet

peppers, halved and seeded
1 zucchini, bias-sliced -in. thick
1 Japanese eggplant, bias-sliced
-in. thick
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 oz. uncooked turkey-sausage
links
1 28-oz. jar pasta sauce
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan
cheese, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Nonstick cooking spray
1 8-oz. pkg. no-cook lasagna
noodles (12 sheets)
2 cups shredded part-skim
mozzarella cheese

PA R E N T S

68 J U LY 2 0 1 6

MAKE IT

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Preheat

grill to medium. Brush the sweet
peppers, zucchini, and eggplant
with oil and season with tsp. salt
and pepper to taste. Grill the
vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes per
side or until they are grill-marked
and tender. Grill the sausage links
for 15 to 20 minutes or until done
(165F). When cool enough to handle,
coarsely chop the vegetables
and sausage.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the
chopped vegetables and pasta
sauce. Transfer 3 cups into another
bowl and set aside. Add the
sausage to the remaining pastasauce mixture.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the
ricotta, cup Parmesan cheese,
eggs, and pepper to taste.
4. Coat an 8-in.-square baking pan

with cooking spray. Layer 2 lasagna

noodles, cup ricotta mixture, and
1 cup vegetarian-sauce mixture.
Repeat layers two more times.
Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese
and 2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese on top.
Repeat the process in a second
baking pan using the meat-sauce
mixture. If desired, top veggie version
with a V-shaped piece of pepper.
5. Cover the pans with foil. Bake,
covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover
and bake for 25 minutes more, until
bubbly and lightly browned on
top. Let stand for 10 minutes before
cutting and serving.
NUTRITION PER SERVING (VEGETARIAN)
304 calories; 16g protein; 15g fat (7g sat.
fat); 27g carbs; 4g fiber; 7g sugar;
2mg iron; 309mg calcium; 592mg sodium
(WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE) 360 calories;
22g protein; 18g fat (8g sat. fat);
27g carbs; 4g fiber; 7g sugar; 2mg iron;
316mg calcium; 824mg sodium

SHALL
WE
BE
ORIGINAL?
Nothing Else
Tastes Like

Or hit
the
sweet
spot?
Nothing Else
Tastes Like

2016 Kraft Foods

kids

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+65;
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0530;;3,
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3LHYUTVYLHIV\[YL
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eating well

Rainbow Couscous
Salad

Grilled Chimichurri

Active Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes
Makes 6 servings (3 vegetarian)

Active Time 35 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings (3 vegetarian)

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

1 medium zucchini, halved

lengthwise and sliced into
half-moons (1 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn,
thawed
cup olive oil, divided
tsp. salt, divided
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby spinach
2 cups cooked Israeli couscous
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained
and rinsed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
(optional)
2 cups cubed or shredded
cooked chicken breast
MAKE IT

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. In a

large baking pan combine the
zucchini, corn, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil,
and tsp. salt. Roast for 10 minutes
or until just tender. Let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, for the dressing,
whisk together the remaining 3 Tbs.
olive oil, the lemon juice, honey,
tsp. salt, and pepper to taste.
3. In a very large bowl combine
the spinach, couscous, chickpeas,
tomatoes, red onion, zucchini
mixture, and dressing. Toss to
combine. Sprinkle the feta over the
top, if using.
4. Separate the salad youd like to
keep vegetarian and add the
cooked chicken to the rest. Serve
warm or at room temperature.
NUTRITION PER SERVING (VEGETARIAN)
307 calories; 9g protein; 11g fat (1g sat.
fat); 47g carbs; 4g fiber; 7g sugar;
2mg iron; 47mg calcium; 545mg sodium
(WITH CHICKEN) 461 calories; 38g protein;
14g fat (2g sat. fat); 47g carbs; 4g fiber;
7g sugar; 3mg iron; 61mg calcium;
614mg sodium

(W\ISPJZLY]PJL
TLZZHNLMYVT
PA R E N T S

)0*<:(0UJ:OLS[VU*;

70 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Steaks

2
1
2

3
3

cups parsley leaves

cup red-wine vinegar
Tbs. chopped shallot
Tbs. fresh oregano or
1 tsp. dried oregano
cloves garlic
Salt
tsp. crushed red pepper
cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1-in.-thick cauliflower slabs
6- to 8-oz. boneless strip or
sirloin steaks

MAKE IT

1. In a food processor or blender

combine the parsley, vinegar,
shallot, oregano, garlic, tsp. salt,
and crushed red pepper. Pulse until
finely chopped. Add the oil and
process until nearly smooth. Season
with black pepper to taste. Divide
cup chimichurri evenly between
two large plates and reserve the
remainder.
2. Preheat a greased grill to
medium. Season the cauliflower
and beef with salt and pepper. Grill
the cauliflower for 14 to 16 minutes,
turning once halfway through.
Grill the beef for 8 to 10 minutes or
to desired doneness.
3. Transfer the cauliflower and beef
to the prepared plates. Let rest for
10 minutes, turning each steak
once to absorb some sauce. Drizzle
with the remaining chimichurri.
NUTRITION PER SERVING (VEGETARIAN)
209 calories; 4g protein; 19g fat (3g sat.
fat); 10g carbs; 4g fiber; 3g sugar; 2mg
iron; 61mg calcium; 346mg sodium
(STEAK) 431 calories; 38g protein; 29g fat
(7g sat. fat); 2g carbs; 1g fiber; 0 sugar;
5mg iron; 40mg calcium; 400mg sodium

 2016 BIC USA Inc., Shelton, CT 06484

100%
QUALITY INSPECTED

RELIABLE

&SAFE

CHILD
RESISTANT

| Learn more at FlickItSafely.com

kids

ha!

The verdict

whodunnit ? the case

of the broken sofa
Solve this household mystery, using limited clues
left at the scene. You must decide which of
the usual suspects is responsible. by AARON TRAISTER
The scenario
You return to the comfort of your
(unusually empty) living room after
taking out the garbage to discover
that your couch has been broken in
half. So, who is responsible:
Kindergartner, Toddler, or Dog?

The 5 clues
1. The seat of your once-proud,
year-old Crate & Barrel couch is now
shaped roughly like a V.

PA R E N T S

72 J U LY 2 0 1 6

2. Three of the cushions have been

ripped open, and the interior foam
has been shredded and strewn about
the rest of the room.
3. There are two muddy spots on
one of the armrests, which vaguely
resemble footprints.
4. Dog fur covers everything.
5. Half a pair of orange-handled
nunchucks are sadly hanging out
from beneath the only surviving
seat cushion.

Next time on future

installments of Whodunnit?
The case of Dads shoe in the toilet
The case of the smartphone thats
buried in the cucumber bed
The case of Moms book clubs
missing cheese platter

STEPHEN SWINTEK/GETTY IMAGES.

Its
not what
it looks
like!

Kindergartner is the culprit.

Toddler is not shy about jumping
all over the furniture and creating
chaos; however, Toddler lacks the
strength, dexterity, and body mass
to generate the momentum thats
needed for this kind of targeted
large-scale destruction.
While Dog certainly had a hand in
destroying the pillows, it must have
occurred after the fact, because Dog
has never displayed interest in using
the couch for anything other than a
place to sneak naps.
Kindergartner doesnt use objects
in the way they were intended and
has a couch-destroying combo of
weight, mobility, and poor judgment.
The most likely explanation is
that Kindergartner was reenacting
an episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles. Kindergartner climbed up
on the armrest and launched himself
into the air (most likely shouting
Cowabunga!) and then landed
smack in the center of the couch,
cracking it down the middle. In the
ensuing chaos, Dog began tearing
up the displaced cushions of his oncebeloved napping space, nervously
shedding his fur everywhere.
This hypothesis is supported by
the fact that you caught and
reprimanded Kindergartner for
making a similar jump from the
armrest of said sofa last week.
Mystery solved! Proceed to have a
talk with Kindergartner in which
you assure him that he wont see
anything Mutant Ninjarelated
until hes 18. Then try to score some
lawn chairs and milk crates to use
for your entertaining needs for the
foreseeable future.

Cats Cant Resist

/ Trademarks Mars, Incorporated 2016. TEMPTATIONS Cloud design is a trademark.

kids

baby bloopers

quirky quotes from kids

While at the grocery store, I put a
container of breadcrumbs in the cart. My daughter
asked what it was and I told her. She then asked,
Is that for when we get lost? Chela Williams; Murray, UT
ELLIANA, 5

LAUREN, 6 We were driving through a residential neighborhood, when the

voice on the GPS said, After 50 yards, turn right. My daughter looked from
side to side out the windows and then said, Do I have to count all the yards
or only the ones on my side? Rachel Lowe; Trumansburg, NY
EMERY, 7 Our daughter was pretty stressed about our

move from Kentucky to Philadelphia, so we talked

up the exciting sites in our new city. She loves animals,
so I mentioned that Philadelphia had the first zoo in
the country. Wow, she said. Those animals must be
getting really old. Lauren LeBlanc; Royersford, PA
ROSALIND, 3 A close friend of mine is gluten-free, so my daughter and I
have talked about what she can and cant eat. Rosalind saw me picking
daffodils in the yard one day and asked who they were for. When I told her
they were for my friend, she exclaimed, Mama, you cant! Shes allergic
to flower! Sarah Wright; Lewis Center, OH

On our drive to town to go shopping, we

always pass a herd of buffalo. I told my boys to
look out the window so they could see them, and
my oldest son said, Thats where wings come
from, right? Sheena Arnold; Hamilton, MT
ODYNN, 8

EIVIND, 4 My son and 2-year-old daughter were playing with my pots

and pans one day. Eivind put one on his head, turned to his sister, and said,
Do you want to be a pot head with me? Kayla Jore; Nicollet, MN

crack us up & win!

Your funny story could appear on this page and you
could win a $50 gift card from kids clothing company
Crazy 8. Plus, you could also win the Parents Best of
Bloopers grand prizea $500 gift card from Crazy 8.
PARENTS BEST OF BLOOPERS CONTEST, RULES Send your funny story to kidquotes@parents.com. Include your full mailing
address, phone number, and your childs name and date of birth. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to
Official Rules at parents.com/blooperscontest. The Best of Bloopers Contest begins at 12:00 a.m. ET on 12/1/15 and ends
at 11:59 p.m. ET on 11/30/16. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 21 years or older.
One entry per person per e-mail address per day. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Meredith Corporation.

PA R E N T S

74 J U LY 2 0 1 6

you.
F I N D YO U R H E A LT H Y, H A P P Y M O M P L A C E

THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY. WARDROBE STYLING BY KAREN KOZLOWSKI. HAIR AND MAKEUP BY PAOLA ORLANDO FOR TIMOTHY PRIANO.

Didja know? Freckles are

not the same as age spots,
which are larger in size
and show up later in life.

spot on! If you have a smattering of freckles across your face that showed

up in childhood, flaunt them. Freckles are a genetic response to sun exposure, but
theyre not always a sign of skin damage, says Alicia Barba, M.D., a dermatologist
in Miami. Of course, wed be remiss not to remind you to wear sunscreen with a
minimum of SPF 30 every day to protect yourself from UV rays. So do it!

J U LY 2 0 1 6

77 P A R E N T S

you

beauty news

road
test
Body Serums
Designed to nourish skin with a
higher concentration of active
ingredients in a lightweight,
fast-absorbing formula, body
serums are a good moisturizer
option for summer. We asked
moms to give a few of the
latest offerings a spin.

Vaseline Intensive Care

Advanced Relief
Healing Serum. $9;
walgreens.com
I was surprised by the
lightweight feelgood
for a humid summer
day. And it did a better
job than my current
moisturizer of making
my skin soft. Andrea
Katz; Winchester,
Massachusetts

The scent is refreshing.

I used the serum on my
thighs, where I have
some problem skin; it
absorbed quickly and
made the area feel
almost firmer.
Loraine Wallace;
Caledonia, Mississippi

Bare Republic Milk &

Honey Daily Recovery
Serum. $12; target.com
I think this is great for
parched skin, but Im
not sure how deeply it
moisturized. It has
manuka honey, which
I recently discovered
and loveso good for
treating my eczema.
Kristin Fuerst;
White Plains, New York

PA R E N T S

78 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Fix This Common Sunless-Tanner Mistake

Applying sunless tanner with a heavy hand is a frequent rookie
flub. So if things are looking a little uneven, try these tips
from Monica Blanco, CEO of Golden Runway, a line of sunlesstanning cosmetics. Avoid the instinct to scrub; that only leads
to streaks. Instead, gently buff any excess color thats settled
in with a warm, damp washcloth, then reapply to the trouble
spot when its dry. The second layer will hide most flaws.

Pretty Pairings
Its mani-pedi season and we rounded up the hot new shades.
The first in each set is fun for fingers, the second for toes.
Pantone
colors o s
f the

CND Vinylux
Weekly
Polish in Be
Demure.
$10.50;
loxabeauty
.com

Sinful
Colors Nail
Enamel
in Sail La
Vie. $2;
drugstores

Orly Nail
Color in
Paradise
Cove. $8.50;
orlybeauty
.com

Sally Hansen
Miracle Gel
Nail Color in
World Wide
Red. $10;
drugstore
.com

OPI Nail
China
Lacquer in
Glaze Nail
Sailing &
Lacquer in
Nailing. $10;
Whip It
macys.com Good. $7.50;
ulta.com

SERUMS AND NAIL POLISH: JEFFREY WESTBROOK. MODEL: FABRICE LEROUGE/GETTY IMAGES.

EO Certified Organic
No. 2 Restorative Body
Serum. $22;
eoproducts.com

HAVE YOU EVER BREWED

ICED TEA AT HOME?
ITS LIKE THAT.

2016 Pure Leaf is a registered trademark of the Unilever Group of Companies used under license.

you

finding balance

be happier

think
like
a kid!
Savoring the moment is hard when you
cant find a free one. With a little
ingenuity, though, you can feel like a child
again and (almost) anything is possible.
by CARA BIRNBAUM

IF YOU walked by my house one

morning last summer, you may have
seen my two children in the front
yard, barefoot, attempting to sell
dirt to passersby for a quarter. With
enterprising grins and smudged
faces, they hustled our mailman
and hatched a plan to take their
business up the street, door-to-door.

PA R E N T S

80 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Which is when I stopped weeding the

tomato beds andimagining a trail
of mud through my kitchenhosed
down their feet. Our neighbors
have their own dirt, I said tensely,
ushering them inside.
Later that night, I lay awake,
watching a mental loop of my kids,
7 and 4, prancing around the lawn,

squeezing every ounce of joy out of a

bucket of dirt. I wanted a do-over.
Instead of cutting the fun short, what
if Id kicked off my shoes and joined
my kids? How could I possibly stress
about mud tracks in the houseor,
anythingif I was skipping barefoot
through grass? But then, I hadnt
skipped anywhere since I was a kid.

#YOLO!

finding balance

Honestly, I wanted that do-over

even more for my benefit than for my
childrens. Because, while everyones
buzzing about the disappearance of
unstructured play, my kids actually
get lots of it, often with me on the
floor playing doll school with them.
But heres the missing piece of the
conversation about play: Parents
need playtime of their ownbeyond
doll school, which frankly makes
me to want to gouge out my eyes. It
makes us more interesting and better
adjusted in social circumstances,
according to Scott Eberle, Ph.D.,
editor of the American Journal of
Play. We are undeniably fitter
and quicker when we play, and we
are measurably duller and more

PA R E N T S

82 J U LY 2 0 1 6

on edge when we do not. Play helps

us blow off steam.
Ill admit my first reaction was:
Great. Another self-improvement
exercise to squeeze into my day.
Then I thought back to my kids.
They dont pencil in time to sell dirt
and sing country songs at the top
of their lungs. My preschooler, in
particular, lives out of the box,
approaching life with spontaneity,
wide-eyed curiosity, and a sometimesmaddening disregard for anyone
elses feelings or timetable. In other
words, play finds kids. And experts
who study happiness say it can find
us grown-ups, sometimes in the
most unexpected moments, if we
learn to channel a little kid-think.

Our Playful Past

Ive been flipping through a lot of old
photos lately. When I study shots of
myself from college and just after, Im
struck less by the lack of crows-feet
and smile lines and more by the
general buoyancythe sparkly eyes
and broad smiles that seemed to say,
Whatever guyor jobturmoil is
happening today, anything can
happen tonight, or tomorrow, or next
week. As a friend, a mom of two,
said to me the other day, I miss that
feeling...the unexpected! A crush, a
new task to master, a wave of music
washing over me at a live concert.
I consider my average grind: wake,
shower, blend breakfast smoothies,
barely make the school bus, hop
on the treadmill, hustle to meet
my work deadlines, cook dinner,
chase my kids down the hall waving
pajamas and toothbrushes, repeat.
Its hard (okay, its scary) to imagine
shoehorning in any extra surprise
or spontaneity. But Dr. Eberle swears
I can get back therenot to those
freewheeling postcollege days (who
has the stamina?) but at least
partway back to early childhood, when
my brain was wired for unadulterated
play. Any mom worth her dog-eared
copy of Harvey Karp, M.D.s The
Happiest Toddler on the Block knows
this is when our emotions reigned
supreme and we were unhampered
by logic, forward-thinking, or fears
of looking silly.
Even more remarkable is kids
instinctive knack for savoring the
moment. Parents advisor Eileen
Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D., child
psychologist and author of What
About Me?: 12 Ways to Get Your
Parents Attention (Without
Hitting Your Sister), recalls when
she watched her daughter, then
barely a year old, laughing at the
sounds of measuring spoons she
kept dropping on the floora perfect
example of flow, a state first
documented by the psychologist
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, about

PREVIOUS PAGE: STEPHANIE RAUSSER/TRUNK ARCHIVE. THIS PAGE: MC KENNEDY/GALLERY STOCK.

you

BRUSHED
CLEAN
FEELING

you

finding balance

emeritus of pediatrics at Childrens

Hospital Colorado and author of
No Regrets Parenting. Now that
my children are grown, Im seeing
the world with a wonderment that
I missed during the hectic years
of parenting kids and climbing
professional ladders. Im able to sit
with a cup of coffee in the backyard
and watch how a group of little
gnats gather in one community and
then disperse. I wish I hadnt
skipped the decades between my
own childhood and now before I was
able to think like this again with
awe and wonderment.

40 years ago, when he was watching

artists who were completely
absorbed and utterly unself-conscious
while they were painting. He went
on to study it in rock climbers, train
engineers, and other people and
found that these moments of flow
are deeply satisfying. They give us
a sense of joy, she says.
Even euphoria. I feel it occasionally
on the treadmill, when Beyonc pops
up on my shuffle play and my sneakers
start slapping the conveyor belt in
time. All the single ladies, all the
single ladies... (Dont judge.) Of course,
little kids dont need treadmills or
classes to move their body. Theyre
happierand they sleep better
when theyre running, scooting, or
dancingpreferably in the fresh air.
According to Dr. Kennedy-Moore,

when they start to act up, the typical

parents response is Everyone
outside! Yet, she points out, we dont
do that for ourselves.
By the ripe old age of 5, those
moments are already fewer and
farther between. Kids understand the
idea of rulesthe notion that certain
things are okay and others are not.
By 7 or 8, they develop the ability
to realistically compare themselves
with others, says Dr. Kennedy-Moore.
Once young adulthood rolls around,
the regions of the brain responsible
for managing lifes juggling act are
fully functioning. Being a good parent
is usually synonymous with more
responsibility, more attention to
your kids needs, and more obsessive
worry, notes Parents advisor
Harley A. Rotbart, M.D., professor

Dr. Rotbart has his gnats. And my

preschooler has his birds. A few weeks
ago, after dropping my daughter at
school I was cramming my son into
his car seat when he pointed across
the street to a park filled with geese.
Bawds! he called out.
Yeah, look at that, I said
mindlessly, hurriedly. Then it struck
me that we didnt actually have
anywhere to be this morning. Soon
we were at the park, hand in hand,
mesmerized as a ginormous flock
of geese skated across the sky in
one mystifyingly choreographed
sweep, before swooping down to the
water. It sounds totally sappy, but it
felt like a gift to see the show through
my childs unjaded eyes. More often
than not, says Dr. Rotbart, whatever
our kids are observing is something
we havent stopped to think about

n-ups

STEPHANIE RAUSSER/TRUNK ARCHIVE.

Capturing Kid-Think

g
since our own childhood. Their
excitement is contagious.
So are the giggles. As a busy mom
of four, Dr. Kennedy-Moore knows
how hard it is to banish her to-do
list in the face of family chaos: Part
of our responsibility as parents is
to look ahead and say, Wed better
go inside now and have a bath
before dinner. But she finds pulling
a few silly gags takes almost no time
at alland can turn a frantically
late school car pool into a hilarious
start to the day. Speak in a funny
accent, put your shoe on your
ear, challenge everyone to pick up
a pencil with their elbows, she
suggests. Being silly is a good
exercise for adults, who sometimes
get too bogged down in the
seriousness of life.
The idea is to keep the kid-think
going after we step away from our
little muses. Ive got the silly part
down: After a protracted bedtime
routine, cackling with my husband
over reruns of Broad City melts
away the tension better than the
stiffest cocktail. Its more fun to
laugh over my sons poop-in-thebathtub incident than wring my
hands about itand I surround
myself with pals who do the same.
Im also striving not to shy away
from the unfamiliar. Experts point
out that little kids live many of their
waking hours outside their comfort
zoneand wed be wise to do the
same. A child who is learning to walk
will fall down 8 million times,

kt

getting up again and again, says

Dr. Kennedy-Moore. Older kids
and adults tend to say, Im not good
at thatIll just stop. (I think
about my 8-year-old daughter,
whos been hounding me to take
our local museums printmaking
class ever since I murmured
an interest months ago.) When
Dr. Kennedy-Moore bit the bullet
and signed up for ice-skating
lessonsdespite a complete lack of
coordinationshe was out of her
comfort zone but proud of herself
for being brave enough to try.

u
t e kD
n

K dS.

Playtime 2.0
A few weeks after I finish my
conversation with Dr. KennedyMoorefeeling inspired by her
sense of funour family is kicking
back with some friends by their
pool, eating chips and guacamole,
the adults sipping margaritas.
Later, after the kids have been
tucked into the guest room, guitars
and egg shakers will be brought
out. An old Go-Gos song will play
on someones iPad. The next day,
Ill show my kids the video of
Mommy dancing to We Got the
Beat. But before all that, as the
sun sets, our host suggestsI
swearthat we all try skipping
around the yard. And suddenly,
there we are, a bunch of goofygrinned adults prancing barefoot
through grass, our kids looking
on with bemused smiles before
running over to play along.

2016 Wells Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

bluebunny.com

you

first person

youre a great father, man !

ITS A CRISP Saturday morning,
and Im walking down West Eighth
Street in New York City. My infant
son, Theo, is secured to my chest in
an Ergobaby carrier. Im also
holding two bags of groceries. The
boy and the food total about 35
pounds, evenly distributed, and Im
not struggling in the least. Suddenly,

PA R E N T S

86 J U LY 2 0 1 6

a twentysomething man walking

the opposite way makes eye contact
with me. His gaze moves from my
eyes to the baby carrier, then back to
me. At the precise moment we pass,
he says, softly but definitively,
Youre a great father, man.
My immediate thought: There
must be some other dad behind me

simultaneously changing the

diapers of triplets. Or empathizing
with his teenage daughter. I turn
around. Theres no other parenting
going on. Its me hes talking about.
Yes, Im the great father.
Me. Me!
I manage to complete my roughly
three-minute journey from the

STEPHANIE RAUSSER/TRUNK ARCHIVE.

We dads routinely get praised for things moms are expected to do

every day. Shouldnt we be held to the same standard? by ROSS McCAMMON

THE CHOICE OF ITALY

you

first person

supermarket and hike up the four

flights of stairs to our apartment, my
son alive, my groceries intact, my
devotion to family totally validated,
and my attitude slightly more
sanctimonious than when I left to
run some errands.
Hey, honey, guess what? Some
dude just told me Im a great father,
I say to my wife.
Why? she replies.
Because I was taking care of
business, you know?
Because you went to the grocery
store with your son?
Yeah.
Theo wasnt even awake.
She had a point.
In the three-plus years since that
weird street encounter, Ive received
heaps of unwarranted acclaim for
the decidedly ordinary skills and
devotion I regularly exhibit as a
father, performing feats such as

We need to move beyond the idea

that a dads presence alone makes him
great at the job. It undervalues the
importance of a fathers engagement.
Carrying my son on my shoulders
(What a great dad you are)
Doing something that seems to
stop him from crying (Nice job!)
Taking Theo and his friend to the
other end of the playground so their
moms can talk by themselves
(Good man!)
Showing my son how to use a
screwdriver (Awww!)
The language people use to stroke
fathers sounds an awful lot like the
words we tend to use to praise kids.
In fact, men are graded on such a
generous parenting curve that I came
up with a handy checklist for
measuring our so-called excellence.

Each entry is worth 10 points.

Accumulate 40 and congrats: You,
too, are a great dad!
Hang out with your kid in a
public setting without your
partner
Attend an event that you likely
wouldnt be attending if your kid
wasnt with you
Dont blow up the house while
warming a bottle
Seem to have a good time with
your kid
Transport your child from one
place to the next in a manner
that might be considered by some
to be a bit uncomfortablefor
you, not for the child
(Note: Moms can also use this
checklist to rate themselves, but
each entry is only worth 1 point.)
All joking aside, we need to
move beyond the idea that a dads
presence alone makes him great at
the job. Its condescending and
undervalues the importance of a
fathers regular engagement.
Spending time with your child does
not make you great. Strapping a
baby to your chest and leaving the
house does not make you great.
On the other hand, the seemingly
silly things a dad does may actually
be great. A friend of mine recently
planted a golf ball that my son
and his son were fighting over so
they could check back in a few
months to see if it had grown into a
golf-ball bush. Thats greatness.
When Theo, now 4, couldnt get to
sleep one night, I crawled into bed
with him and made up a story about
a skinny cow named Buckley,
who was ostracized by the rest of
the herd: One day, the cows had
eaten all the grass in their fenced-in

PA R E N T S

88 J U LY 2 0 1 6

pasture and were getting hungry.

Buckley, being a skinny and frail cow,
was able to squeeze his head through
the fence posts, bite off grass, and
deposit it into the pasture so the other
cows could eat. Despite a brisk
narrative and a comedic subplot
involving the farmer that Im not
getting into here, it was hardly
a brilliant story (logic problems,
undeveloped characters). Yet it
was exactly what my son needed at
exactly the time he needed it, and it
involved thoughtfulness, creativity,
and devotion. I was great that night.
What makes a father great is what
makes a mother great. Greatness is
what happens when no one is around
to congratulate you. Its hidden,
quiet, and only occasionally (and
incidentally) public. Others might
have a hunch that a father is a great
parent, but only two people know it
for sure: the dad and his kid.

MELANIE ACEVEDO/TRUNK ARCHIVE.

True greatness
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home.
G E T YO U R L I F E I N O R D E R

COURTESY OF ANISSA ZAJAC.

Made with Pellon

805 WonderUnder fusible
webbing. $3 per
yard; joann.com

sleep on it Perk up a pillowcase with this idea from House Seven blogger

Anissa Zajac. Following package directions, iron fusible webbing onto wool felt. Cut
out two arcs and eight rectangles for the lashes, and a heart for a mouth. Peel the
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protect the felt, then iron again to bind the fabrics together. Sweet dreams!

J U LY 2 0 1 6

91 P A R E N T S

home

solutions

Beach-Trip Hacks
by Elle Walker (right) of Whats
Up Moms

Say hello to your family rooms new hero! Crypton

Home has partnered with Pottery Barn to bring you
super-durable, stain-resistant textiles. Often used
in hospitals, Crypton fabrics can repel even the
toughest drips and dribbles. You can outfit any piece
of fabric-covered furniture at Pottery Barn with
the line; it comes in seven neutral shades of linen
and canvas. Starting at $149

Clean out your stuff with one of these free apps.

PA R E N T S

OfferUp allows
you to snap a
pic of your
sellable item,
post it, and wait
for customers in
your area to
contact you. All
app users have
ratings, so you
can see who will
be a reliable
buyer. Available
for iOS and
Android

92 J U LY 2 0 1 6

KidsTrade lets
kids swap toys
with classmates
by connecting
students who
are registered
at the same
school. After
agreeing on a
trade, kids must
meet up IRL to
make it happen.
Available for iOS
and Android

Store plastic bags for trash

and wet bathing suits in an old
wipes container so theyre
easy to dispense.
Lay a fitted sheet upside
down and fill the corners with
bags and shoes. The sheet
will stay put, and less sand will
end up on your belongings.

Instead of Hosting a Garage Sale ...

VarageSale
connects you
with residents in
your community
to buy or sell
used items.
Members sign
up with
Facebook, so
you can see the
buyers name
and photo.
Available for iOS
and Android

Save cooler space by

using edible ice packs, such
as frozen cut grapes, water
bottles, or yogurt tubes.

Close5 is a
hyper-local app
from eBay that
allows you to list
items with or
without a price
so buyers can
give you their
best offer. Keep
your sales
nearby with a
search radius as
close as 1 mile.
Available for
iOS and Android

When youre swimming, stow

your valuables discreetly in
an empty Pringles container or
a diaper thats labeled dirty.
An oldie but goodie: Sprinkle
baby powder on your skin to
wipe away lingering sand.

Whats Up Moms and Parents

contributing editors Brooke Mahan,
Meg Resnikoff, and Elle Walker
take turns sharing their best mom
tips and tricks on this page. See
more of them by logging on to
whatsupmoms.com or subscribing
to their YouTube channel.

TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF POTTERY BARN. RIGHT: COURTESY OF WHATS UP MOMS.

Kid-Proof Your Next Couch

My three kids love the beach,

but the idea of packing all
the familys supplies (not to
mention bringing home all that
sand) makes me break into a
cold sweat. With these beachday tips, I can sit back and
relax well, almost !

money smarts

joy rides
AMERICANS parked a record 17.5
million new vehicles in their
driveways last year. Looking to join
them? Parents is here to help.
Together with Edmunds.com, the
destination for car shopping, weve

PA R E N T S

95 J U LY 2 0 1 6

BEST
FAMILY
CARS
2016
by LAWRENCE ULRICH

selected the 10 cars on the following

pages. They are standouts in their
class, blessed with style, substance,
driver- and kid-friendly features,
and lots of bang for the buck (three
start under $20K). Whether you

have a new baby or a carload of

grade-schoolers to chauffeur to
soccer practice, youll find a model
with the size, capabilities, and
price you need to keep your family
on the moveand the ride fun.

photograph by AARON DYER

PROP STYLING BY RANDI BROOKMAN HARRIS.

home

money smarts

Best budget
vehicle

Best green car

Best hatchback

Kia Soul

Chevrolet Volt

Mazda 3

Starts at $15,800

Starts at $25,720 (after $7,500

federal tax credit)

Starts at $18,545

MPG 24 city/30 highway

The Souls smart design and great

value make it an ideal starter model.
Its cabin includes niceties such
as six speakers with dash-mounted
tweeters, Bluetooth, steering-wheel
audio controls, and a 60/40 splitfolding rear seat. We prefer the
Soul+ ($19,300), which has a larger
2.0-liter engine that adds 34 useful
horsepower. That version also
includes an 8-inch navigation screen
and the Uvo eServices system,
which links smartphone apps such
as Pandora to the onboard display,
keeping Taylor Swift at your kids
beck and call. Despite its tiny
footprint and playful ride, the Soul
loves to pretend its an SUV: Folding
the split rear seats creates cavernous
cargo space, while the soaring roof
swallows tall, bulky gear with ease.

Faster, roomier, less expensive, and

more efficient than its predecessor,
the redesigned Volt is a tour de force.
This plug-in hybrid can now travel
up to 53 miles on a single charge
(about a 40 percent gain), meaning
parents with a modest commute can
do a daily round trip without ever
filling up. But its no mere novelty:
This sleek vehicle switches to gas
operation automatically and boasts a
fuel range of up to 420 miles, making
lengthy road trips possible. And
the comfortable ride supports such
ventures, provided your bags fit into
the modest-size trunk and you
have no more than two kids in back
(the rear-center perch is tight).

Michelle Hasbrouck; Sacramento, California

PA R E N T S

Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety
2016 Top Safety Pick

96 J U LY 2 0 1 6

The Soul is perfect for a small family. I have

full-size car seats installed for my twin girls,
and yet theres still ample room between
them for toys and books. Plus, I like how
smooth and maneuverable it is to drive.

car key

MPG 30 city/41 highway

MPG equivalent combined 106

on electricity; 43 city/42 highway
on gas only

Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety
2016 Top Safety Pick +

This hatch has international flair:

Italian curves, German handling,
and the practicality youd expect
from a Japanese maker (no
squeezing to install car seats). The
2016 version includes a rearview
camera, as well as Mazdas dashmounted infotainment system with
7-inch touchscreen. Fold the split
60/40 rear seats and it holds a
ginormous Costco run. Few models
in this class have comparable
safety options, including a $2,600
package (available on the $25,445
Grand Tourings trim) that features
radar-based cruise control so you
dont trail too closely; lane-departure
and forward-obstruction warning
systems; and Smart City Brake
Support (which automatically
applies the brakes at low speeds if a
collision is imminent).

I love the Mazda 3s

handling and acceleration,
and its absolutely great
on gas. The hatchback has
plenty of room for storage.
And my 7-year-old thinks its
sporty and awesome.
Kelli Rogers; Live Oak, Florida

Passenger capacity

Car-seat capacity

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF KIA; GENERAL MOTORS; COURTESY OF MAZDA.

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money smarts

Best small sedan

Best sedan

Best wagon

Honda Civic

Kia Optima

Subaru Outback

Starts at $18,640

Starts at $21,990

Starts at $24,995

MPG 31 city/41 highway

MPG 25 city/37 highway

MPG 25 city/33 highway

The reworked Civic is a blast to

drive, with enhanced handling and
plenty of pizzazz. Its slope-roofed
body wraps a decidedly richer
and more accommodating cabin.
The lower windshield provides
outstanding driver visibility. Even
the base model includes a rearview
camera with three viewing angles.
Youll appreciate the extra-large
center console, while your kids will
like the fold-down cup holders in
back. The new continuously variable
automatic transmission boosts
the fuel economy. And an extra
$1,000 nets you Hondas impressive
safety suite, including adaptive
cruise control, forward-collision and
lane-departure warnings, and more.

Who said a family car has to be

boring? The refreshed Optima is
striking inside and out, with sleek
lines, pleasing ergonomics, smart
controls, a smooth ride, and
enhanced fuel efficiency. Even the
base model includes a rearview
camera and remote keyless entry.
This sedan has both Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto, which integrate
your smartphone with the Uvo
eServices infotainment system via
voice, screen, or steering-wheel
controls. Consider springing for the
EX version (an extra $3,000), which
has dual-zone temperature control,
heated front seats to combat frosty
mornings, woodgrain interior
accents, and a push-button start.

Wagons may seem out of fashion, but

this one offers key advantages over
most crossovers, from its excellent
handling in ice and snow to its top
fuel economy to its lower step-in
height. All-wheel drive and 8.7
inches of ground clearance make the
Outback game for every type of
family adventure. And it feels deluxe,
with a rear-vision camera, a tilt/
telescoping steering wheel, and
vacation-ready roof rails. Opt for the
2.5i Limited version ($30,395) for
a package that includes blind-spot
detection, a rear cross-traffic alert,
pre-collision braking, and adaptive
cruise controlnot to mention rear
climate control and reclining heated
rear seats that keep your kids happy.

the dope from a former car dealer

Matt Jones spent a dozen years selling vehicles at Southern California dealerships
and is now a senior editor at Edmunds.com. He offers this smart advice.
1. Do your homework.
Armed with information
such as Edmunds True
Market Valuewhich tells
you what other people are
payingyoull be able
to negotiate a better deal.
2. Go for a spin.
Remarkably, some people
buy a new vehicle without

PA R E N T S

98 J U LY 2 0 1 6

climbing behind the wheel.

No matter how good
the reviews or what your
neighbor says, take a
test-drive.

least familiarize yourself

with other sedans and
maybe even try out a
competitor or two to be
sure youre still sold on it.

3. Expand your horizons.

You may plan to simply
replace your old Accord
with a brand-new version.
Fine. But you should at

4. Trust your instinct. If you

dont like the salespeople,
shop farther afield; your
warranty will be valid at
your local dealer.

5. Be nice. Its not as simple

as it sounds, especially
when youre stressed about
a big purchase. If Ive got
one customer barking
orders and another being
pleasant, guess who Ill
give the best deal to? asks
Jones. Get the salesperson
on your side, and let
him go to bat for you.

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF HONDA; COURTESY OF KIA; COURTESY OF SUBARU.

home

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money smarts

Best crossovers

Hyundai Tucson

Nissan Murano

Starts at $22,700

Starts at $29,660

MPG 23 city/31 highway

MPG 21 city/28 highway

If youre in the market for a do-it-all

crossover, put the Tucson on your
list. Shapely and sculpted, it has a
tranquil ride and a refined, spacious
interior. Your kids can stretch out
and kick back, thanks to the clever
two-stage reclining seats and
best-in-class rear legroom. For
parents whose hands are always full,
the Tucson offers an innovative
tailgate that swings up automatically
when you approach with the key in
your pocket. Move up to the Limited
version ($29,900), and youll get
19-inch sport alloy wheels, leather
seats, an 8-inch touchscreen
navigation system, and an optional
$2,750 safety package that includes
hill-descent control, lane-change
assist, and blind-spot monitors.

Despite its whimsical appearance,

the redesigned Murano is a serious
family vehicle. The tranquil cabin has
terrific passenger and cargo space,
including super-comfy contoured
rear seats that kidsand even
adultswill appreciate. All models
except the base include an 8-inch
touchscreen. An optional Around
View monitor (standard on all
models beginning with the $37,950
SL) provides 360-degree camera
views that make parking a breeze,
along with a moving-object
detector that chimes if a pedestrian
darts into your path as youre
pulling out. A V6 engine supplies
excellent pickup, the continuously
variable automatic transmission
improves the mpg, and the buttersoft ride and utter lack of cabin
noise ensures that your little ones
nap wont be disturbed on the drive.

The Tucson feels powerful when thats

needed but comfortable and refined
the rest of the time. The mileage
is better than whats listed, the brakes
are reliable, and our car seats fit well.
We havent found anything to complain
about. Tyler Thacker; Clinton, Iowa

PA R E N T S

100 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Crossoversvehicles built
on a car platform but with
the high seating and extra
ground clearance of an
SUVare the hottest-selling
family models, so its no
surprise that new smaller
versions are hitting the
road. Still, this latest group
is different: The Buick
Encore, Chevrolet Trax,
Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V,
Nissan Juke, and Jeep
Renegade are closer in size
and space to compact cars
(on which they are based)
than to miniaturized SUVs.
Consider the $19,215
Honda HR-V. While it lists for
$4,530 less than a CR-V
crossover, the interior space
is in line with that of the Fit
hatchbackwhich not only
offers nimbler handling
and significantly better gas
mileage (33/41 mpg vs.
28/35 mpg) but also starts
at $3,325 less.
Still, for many parents
shopping for a car, the math
doesnt matter: A crossover,
however scaled down, beats
a traditional sedan. If the
extra height and all-wheel
drive option give you
greater confidence behind
the wheel, buying one of
these mini crossovers might
be a smart move. But be
sure to bring your car seats,
suitcases, and kids to the
test-drive to ensure that it
meets your familys needs.

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF HYUNDAI; COURTESY OF NISSAN.

read this before

you buy a mini
crossover

home

money smarts

Best minivan

Best SUV

Toyota Sienna

Honda Pilot

Starts at $28,850

Starts at $30,145

MPG 18 city/25 highway

MPG 19 city/27 highway

runners-up
Volvo XC90
Starts at $43,950
MPG 22 city/26 highway

Its a splurge, but the XC90s

Scandinavian style, peerless
safety, and great mpg for
its class have helped it rack
up awards (including Motor
Trend SUV of the year).

Mazda CX-5
Starts at $21,795
MPG 26 city/33 highway

This compact crossover SUV

delivers tremendous family
utility and frugal mileage, not
to mention striking good looks
and confident handling.

Ford Escape
Starts at $23,600
MPG 23 city/30 highway

The inviting cabin, markedly

improved infotainment
interface (Sync 3), footactivated power liftgate, and
outstanding cargo space
make this crossover stand out.

Honda Accord
Starts at $22,205
MPG 23 city/34 highway

A perennial sedan fave, it

offers sophisticated handling
and an airy interior. This years
version includes the Honda
Sensing safety-suite option
($1,000) for all trim lines.

The endlessly roomy Sienna stands

above its competitors for two reasons:
Its the only one with available
all-wheel drive, and the especially
user-friendly controls help you stay
focused on the road. Its library-quiet
cabin makes for a soothing ride,
while a powerful V6 supplies quick
acceleration. The Limited version
(which starts at $41,900) features
second-row captains chairs with
reclining chairstyle footrests,
along with a rear-seat entertainment
system that eliminates bickering by
allowing siblings to watch two
different media sources at the same
time. And if you need to bring the
thunder, the optional Driver Easy
Speak system broadcasts the drivers
voice through the rear speakers.

The revamped Pilot jumps to the top

of the family-size SUV pack. Less
boxy, nearly 300 pounds lighter, and
more responsive than its predecessor,
it sports a peppy V6 that makes short
work of freeway on-ramps. The
cabin is serene and spacious, with a
third row thats roomy enough for
adults; when folded down, its almost
impossible to fill (though youll have
fun trying). Generous standards
include keyless push-button start,
capless fuel filling (which reduces
the likelihood of gas getting on your
hands), and a multi-angle rearview
camera. And the $1,000 Honda
Sensing package has every smart
safety system you can list, including
a steering wheel that vibrates
when you veer out of your lane.

Toyota Prius

FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF TOYOTA; COURTESY OF HONDA.

Starts at $24,200
MPG 54 city/50 highway

The all-new Prius sips even less

fuel than prior versions. Its also
quieter, with sharper steering,
better brakes, and elegant
digital dashboard displays.

The Pilot is sporty but still family-functional.

Its great for traveling with kids thanks to the
Blu-ray player, numerous cup holders, heated
captains chairs, panoramic sunroof, and easy
third-row access. Bridget Leet; Paducah, Kentucky

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT! Car prices listed are for entry-level trim lines and dont include destination charges, optional
equipment, or other fees. Some photos may represent models with optional equipment. Mileage ratings represent the most
fuel-efficient versions of each model and may differ depending on engine and transmission choices. Car-seat estimates
are based on our measure of how many would fit comfortably in each vehicle (some models may technically have the capacity
for more). Maximum passenger capacity is based on the number of seat belts and includes optional third rows and extra
seats. If you made it all the way through this paragraph, youre sure to make a smart car-buying decision.

J U LY 2 0 1 6

103 P A R E N T S

home

whats for dinner?

grocery list

Supper is solved! With only one grocery

trip and a bit of prep, your weeknights will now
go a lot more smoothly. by SUZANNE LENZER
MONDAY

Chicken Taco Salad Bar

Active Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS

2
2

1
1
2
1

Tbs. vegetable oil

Tbs. lime juice, or to taste
tsp. ground cumin
tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
head romaine lettuce, shredded
15-oz. can reduced-sodium
black beans, drained and rinsed
plum tomatoes, chopped
avocado, peeled, seeded,
and chopped
cup shredded cheddar cheese
cup crushed tortilla chips

PA R E N T S

104 J U LY 2 0 1 6

cup sliced pickled jalapeos

(optional)
1 cups weekend-prepped
shredded chicken
MAKE IT

1. In a small bowl whisk together

the oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and
pepper to taste.
2. Place remaining ingredients
except for chicken in separate
serving bowls. Assemble individual
salads with desired ingredients.
Top each serving with chicken and
drizzle with lime dressing.
NUTRITION PER SERVING 449 calories;
29g protein; 26g fat (7g sat. fat);
33g carbs; 9g fiber; 3g sugar; 4mg iron;
252mg calcium; 671mg sodium

PANTRY ITEMS Ground cumin,

light-brown sugar, olive oil,

vegetable oil, salt, pepper

weekend prep
1. Tear meat from chicken; discard
skin and bones. Refrigerate meat in
a zip-top bag.
2. Make chickpea paste: Drain and
rinse chickpeas. Puree with 1 Tbs.
olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 Tbs. lemon
juice, and tsp. each cumin and
salt until smooth. Refrigerate.

photographs by YUNHEE KIM

FOOD STYLING BY SIMON ANDREWS. PROP STYLING BY EMILY RICKARD.

5 easy meals

6 oz. pad Thai rice noodles

1 15-oz. can chickpeas
1 15-oz. can reduced-sodium
black beans
1 small bottle fish sauce
cup salted peanuts
1 bag tortilla chips
cup pickled jalapeos
(optional)
1 6-oz. can pitted black olives
1 16-oz. box penne pasta
1 6-oz. jar marinated artichokes
1 small jar Cajun seasoning
1 lemon
3 or 4 limes
1 head napa cabbage
3 medium carrots
2 heads romaine lettuce
10 plum tomatoes
1 avocado
1 head garlic
1 cucumber
1 5-oz. container baby arugula
1 lbs. russet potatoes
Cilantro (optional)
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
(optional)
2 large eggs
8 oz. plain low-fat Greek
yogurt (optional)
1 pkg. Greek pita flatbreads
1 rotisserie chicken
8 oz. ground lamb
1 lb. beef skirt steak
lb. thinly sliced prosciutto

DREAM BIG.
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home

whats for dinner?

Chopped
cashews are a
tasty substitute
for peanuts.

TUESDAY

Chicken Pad Thai

Active Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS

6 oz. dry pad Thai rice noodles

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice, plus
wedges for serving
2 Tbs. fish sauce
2 Tbs. packed light-brown sugar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
6 cups coarsely shredded
napa cabbage
1 cup coarsely shredded carrots
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cups weekend-prepped
shredded chicken
cup salted peanuts
Fresh cilantro (optional)
MAKE IT

NUTRITION PER SERVING 309 calories;

17g protein; 12g fat (2g sat. fat);
34g carbs; 2g fiber; 7g sugar; 1mg iron;
98mg calcium; 750mg sodium

WEDNESDAY

Greek Tostadas
Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS

1. Cook noodles according to package

directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the lime
juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar.

PA R E N T S

3. In a very large nonstick skillet heat

the oil over medium-high heat. Add
the cabbage and carrots. Cook and
stir about 2 minutes or until cabbage
is lightly wilted. Move the veggies to
one side of the pan. Add the eggs
and cook, stirring, until scrambled,
about 30 seconds. Add the noodles,
chicken, and sauce mixture. Cook
and stir 1 minute. Serve with peanuts,
lime wedges, and cilantro if desired.

106 J U LY 2 0 1 6

1
8

tsp. olive oil

oz. ground lamb
tsp. ground cumin
tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 whole Greek pita flatbreads,
warmed
1 cup weekend-prepped
chickpea puree
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumber
12 pitted black olives, halved
cup Greek yogurt (optional)
MAKE IT

1. In a large skillet heat the oil over

medium-high heat. Add the lamb
and cook until browned, stirring to
break up the meat as it cooks, about
5 minutes. Drain fat. Season with
cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
2. Spread each pita with cup of
the chickpea puree. Top with the
lamb mixture, lettuce, tomatoes,
cucumber, olives, and a dollop of
Greek yogurt if desired.
NUTRITION PER SERVING 498 calories;
23g protein; 21g fat (7g sat. fat);
56g carbs; 9g fiber; 6g sugar; 5mg iron;
63mg calcium; 885mg sodium

 2016. Dukes is a registered trademark of CF Sauer. All rights reserved.

home

whats for dinner?

Letting the
steak rest for
ten minutes before
slicing makes
for juicier meat.

THURSDAY

Cajun Skirt Steak With

Oven Fries
Active Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS

1 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and

cut into small wedges
3 Tbs. vegetable oil, divided
tsp. plus tsp. salt, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb. beef skirt steak
1 Tbs. Cajun seasoning
1 5-oz. container baby arugula
MAKE IT

1. Put a shallow baking pan in the

oven and preheat oven to 425F.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes
with 2 Tbs. of the oil, tsp. salt, and
pepper to taste. When the oven
is hot, carefully transfer the
potatoes to the baking sheet in an
even layer. Bake for 25 minutes.
Turn and bake 5 minutes more or
until browned and tender.

PA R E N T S

108 J U LY 2 0 1 6

2. Season steak with Cajun

seasoning. In a very large skillet
heat 1 Tbs. oil over medium-high
heat. Add the steak and cook,
turning once, 6 to 8 minutes for
medium doneness. Remove the
steak and let it rest.
3. While the pan is still hot, add the
arugula. Cook until just wilted.
Season with tsp. salt and pepper
to taste. Serve the steak thinly sliced
with the potatoes and greens.
NUTRITION PER SERVING 416 calories;
28g protein; 21g fat (5g sat. fat); 32g
carbs; 3g fiber; 2g sugar; 4mg iron; 85mg
calcium; 493mg sodium

FRIDAY

Prosciutto Penne
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS

Salt
8 oz. penne pasta
2 Tbs. olive oil

1 lb. plum tomatoes, coarsely

chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 6-oz. jar marinated artichokes,
drained and sliced
4 slices prosciutto, torn into
bite-size pieces
Freshly grated Parmesan
cheese (optional)
MAKE IT

1. In a large pot of lightly salted

boiling water, cook the penne
according to package directions.
Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil
over medium heat. Add the tomatoes
and season with pepper to taste.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to
8 minutes or until tomatoes have
broken down. Add the artichokes and
prosciutto. Heat through. Stir in the
pasta. Serve topped with Parmesan
cheese if desired.
NUTRITION PER SERVING 337 calories;
12g protein; 10g fat (1g sat. fat); 49g
carbs; 4g fiber; 6g sugar; 3mg iron; 47mg
calcium; 730mg sodium

ages+stages.

STEPHANIE RAUSSER/TRUNK ARCHIVE.

A D V I C E A S YO U R C H I L D G R O W S

Im working on my roar. I Just Cant Wait to Be King, The Lion King

J U LY 2 0 1 6

111 P A R E N T S

ages + stages

pregnancy

PREGNANCY

creating a birth plan

Before the big day arrives, its helpful to
consider how youd like it to go.
by ASHLEY NICHOLS GUTTUSO

in mind that some requests may be

at odds with hospital or insurance
rules, in which case youll need to
adjust accordingly. We once had
a patient who wanted candles and
incense, which is against policy,
says Carole Kramer Arsenault, R.N.,
author of The Baby Nurse Bible.
Unfortunately, she didnt review
protocols before her delivery, and it
led to a negative experience for her.

reduce the number of interruptions

by requesting limited internal exams
and intermittent fetal monitoring,
as long as its safe, explains Glenna
Hendricks, M.D., an ob-gyn at
St. Francis Family Medicine Center
in Midlothian, Virginia. Note if
you wish to try a nontraditional
position for pushingsuch as
squattingand whether you want
someone to position a mirror for
you to see your babys arrival.
Sometimes an episiotomy (an
incision in the perineum) is needed
to facilitate delivery if the fetus is in
distress. If youd rather not have one,
write in your birth plan that youd
prefer to risk having a vaginal tear.
Most doctors now follow the American
Congress of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists policy of restricting
the use of episiotomies.

ALL MOMS have the same end goal

when it comes to delivery: bringing
their baby into the world safely.
However, that doesnt mean they all
want the same birth experience.
Perhaps youd like a water birthor
maybe you already know youll
opt for drugs. Discussing a plan
with your health-care provider
can be a great way to clear up any
misconceptions and prepare for
labor, says Laura Riley, M.D., an
ob-gyn and a Parents advisor.
Write your plan at around 30 weeks
so you have time to share it with
your doctor. Theres no reason for
the task to feel overwhelming; even
if you just consider the five factors
below, youll be ready when your
first contraction hits. And remember:
Its critical to trust your doctors
judgment and recognize that what
you write down may not be what
has to happen in the moment, says
Dr. Riley, author of You & Your Baby:
Pregnancy. You should also speak up
and alter your plan, if you wish, at
any point in the process.

During labor and delivery, you may

be advised to use medication to move
things along or to decrease your
pain level. If youd prefer to deliver
drug-free, specify it in your birth
plan, says Dr. Riley. If you want or are
open to an epidural, mention this
too. Also consider whether you
would be willing to receive a shortacting narcotic, such as Demerol,
that takes the edge off pain but
may make you and your baby sleepy.
Of course, theres no shame in
accepting medication even if you
initially intended to skip it.

If you require a C-section for medical

reasons, you can still make a few
personal requests. For instance, your
partner can usually join you in the
operating room, and some doctors
are happy to momentarily lower the
drape so you can see your baby right
away, says Dr. Hendricks. If youre
concerned that your doctor will
recommend a C-section when its
not absolutely needed, discuss the
reasons in advance. If your cervix
isnt dilating enough or the baby
stops moving down the birth canal,
you may be able to wait things
out for a while.

Setting the Scene

Taking Precautions

Bonding Time

Write down all your preferences for

establishing the mood, such as low
lighting or a special playlist. Keep

As the hours pass, your dilation

and the babys heart rate will be
monitored. You may be able to

The events that occur right after

delivery are often flexible as long as
you and your baby are doing well.
If you want skin-to-skin contact
for the first half hour, remind your
doctor and nurses during labor,
suggests Arsenault. You dont get a
do-over for these precious moments,
so make sure everybodys on the
same page in advance.

Debating Drugs

Check out our week-by-week

pregnancy podcast! You can
download it for free at parents
.com/pregnancyconfidential.
PA R E N T S

112 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Possible Surgery

ages + stages

baby

BABY 0-12 months

hello, sunshine!
Your infants sensitive skin needs extra
protection this time of year. by JENNIFER RAINEY MARQUEZ

I COME FROM a fair-skinned

family and I live in the South, where
summertime lasts about six months.
So when my older daughter was born,
I was relieved that shed inherited
my husbands darker-toned skin;
I figured at least she wouldnt look
like a lobster if I missed a spot with
the sunscreen. But I soon learned
that I actually needed to be just as
diligent with her darker skin as I
am with my own pale complexion.
Sunburn isnt the only summer
skin issue that parents need to
worry about, though. Babies have
sensitive skin in general, so they can
be more affected by the heat, says
Kate Pttgen, M.D., director of the
division of pediatric dermatology
at The Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine, in Baltimore.
Below, the best ways to prevent and
treat common warm-weather woes.

Sunburn
For babies under 6 months old, the
American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends avoiding direct sunlight
entirelythink umbrellas, hats, and
lightweight long sleeves and pants.
Covering your baby is better than
applying sunscreen at this age. In
the early months, infants may be
more likely to have an adverse skin
reaction, explains Dr. Pttgen.
However, if you have a beach trip
planned and cant realistically keep
him under wraps the entire time,
its okay to use sunscreen on any
of his exposed skin. For a 4or 5-month-old, its better to use

PA R E N T S

114 J U LY 2 0 1 6

sunscreen than for him to burn,

says Dr. Pttgen. Reapply every two
hours, and after bringing him in
the water or drying him off. In this
case, choose a physical sunscreen
(scan the label for the words zinc
oxide or titanium dioxide), which are
less likely to cause irritation than
so-called chemical sunscreens. If
your baby does get too pink, you can
usually soothe him at home with
aloe or moisturizer, says Dr. Pttgen.
But call your doctor if theres
blistering or if your baby is lethargic
or running a feverthese could be
signs of an infection, sunstroke, or
severe dehydration.

Heat Rash
Also known as prickly heat, these
bumps can erupt in areas where your
baby sweats a lot, such as the folds
of her skin. This happens when the
sweat glands are blocked, a common
occurrence with babies who are
dressed too warmly or who spend a
lot of time snug in a carrier or car
seat, says Kara Shah, M.D., medical
director of pediatric dermatology
at Cincinnati Childrens. The rash
can be itchy and uncomfortable,
although it usually looks worse
than it feels.

Babies have
sensitive skin, so
they are often
affected by heat.

To prevent prickly heat or to stop

it from getting worse, dress your
baby lightly in natural fabricssuch
as cotton or silkto keep her from
sweating too much. When youre
outside on a hot or humid day, make
sure she doesnt stay in one position
for too long. And to help speed the
healing process, apply a creamy
moisturizer on the affected area.
Just stay away from a thick ointmentbased one, which can sometimes
make the rash worse.

Insect Bites
In the summertime, mosquitos are
one of the most common nibbling
offenders, and its especially
important to protect your baby
from them now that the Zika virus
is spreading. Try to keep his arms
and legs covered when youre in
buggy areas, and avoid soaps or
lotions that contain fragrance, which
can attract the critters. If its too
hot for pants and long sleeves, use
an insect repellent with DEET.
Be careful not to spray it around
your childs face, and wash your
hands and your babys hands
after application. When used as
directed, DEET with a 10 to 30
percent concentration is safe for
children over 2 months of age,
according to the AAP. However, you
should avoid over-applying, warns
Dr. Shah. When used more often
than recommended, it can cause
headaches, irritability, or nausea,
she says. For a baby under 2 months,
your best bet is to keep him covered
with a net or a muslin blanket when
hes in a stroller.
After a bite, consult with your
pediatrician if you see two or more of
these symptoms: fever, rash, or red
eyes. If your child just seems itchy,
try easing his symptoms with
hydrocortisone cream or calamine
lotion. Scratching can sometimes
cause the bite to become infected, so
make sure you keep an eye on it.

The power
of hugs.

What hugs mean to baby.

Over 600 medical studies on the effects of human touch
prove what moms have always known: Hugs are important.
In fact, more and more hospitals will tell you they are vital to the
healthy development of your child. And the benefits of human
touch for babies often extend throughout childhood.

The benefits of hugging.

Every hug with your baby sets off cascades of hormones
that benefit health and help regulate body temperature.
Oxytocin, the hormone released by touch, is even
nicknamed the bonding hormone. A hug can stabilize
their heart rate, increase oxygen levels, strengthen the
immune system, and reduce crying and stress.

How will you greet your baby?

After your first hug, let the second thing that
touches your babys skin feel just as good.
New Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers and
Huggies Natural Care Wipes provide our best
care to help keep their skin clean and healthy.
And as perfect as the day they were born.
Huggies.com/DearBaby
Registered Trademark and * Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. KCWW.
Disney. Based on the Winnie the Pooh works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard.

ages + stages

toddler

Make sticking around fun.

TODDLER 1-2 years

escape artists
Does your kid hightail it every chance he gets?
Try these tips to keep him close. by TAMEKIA REECE

ONCE your child masters walking

(and running), getting him to
stay near you becomes an almost
impossible task. In the mall, at the
park, on the sidewalkwhenever
theres an opportunity, hell bolt as
fast as he can. While toddlers love
to show off their new speediness,
theres another reason they tend to
flee: Running away lets them
assert their independence and say,
Im me. I can do what I want,
says David Elkind, Ph.D., author of
Parenting on the Go. Still, your childs
constant getaway attempts can be
both tiring and frightening. Our
advice will help put the brakes on
your little sprinter.

Set ground rules.

Dont bother to explain why wandering
off is dangerous; your toddler wont
be able to understand anyway, says
Adelle Cadieux, Psy.D., a pediatric
psychologist at Helen DeVos
Childrens Hospital, in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. Instead, let her know
what you expect from her during
an outing. As youre driving to the
library, for instance, you can say,
When I open your door, were going
to hold hands, stay on the sidewalk,
and go straight into the library, got
it? Wait for her to agree. Of course,
toddlers tend to forget the rules
and dart off anyway when they see
something interesting (like a bird
splashing in a puddle), so you may
have to remind her several times.
Be sure to heap on the praise when
she cooperates. Making your child

PA R E N T S

116 J U LY 2 0 1 6

feel good about her positive actions

means shes more likely to repeat
them, says Dr. Cadieux.

Give the right commands.

If your kid runs off giggling
toward a busy street, your natural
reaction may be to yell, Stop!
But a toddler may be confused about
which behavior you want him to
cease: running, laughing, or looking
back at you. Instead, Call his name
first, because a toddler is more
likely to recognize it and respond
to whatever command follows, says
psychologist Stephanie Mihalas,
Ph.D., founder of The Center for
Well-Being in Los Angeles. Then be
specific about what you want him
to do: Jacob, stop running. Walk
back to Mommy.
You can also try reversing the
chase to divert his attention. If
youre in a safe area and your child
takes off, you can say, Uh-oh,
Mommys running away from you
now. Youd better get her, suggests
Dr. Cadieux. Try doing a slow,
animated jog. Then let him catch up
and grab your leg. Make a big deal
about how he caught you (Wow,
you ran so fast!).

When its possible

(and safe), let your
child explore to
build his sense of
independence.

Sometimes toddlers run off simply

because theyre bored. When youre
doing something routine like
grocery shopping, be prepared. Take
along a picture book or a toy as well
as a snack and some water, says
Dr. Elkind. Engage your child too:
Point out interesting objects, play a
color-hunt game, or sing interactive
songs such as If Youre Happy
and You Know It or B-I-N-G-O.
Kids this age also get a thrill out of
helping, so put your toddler to work
by assigning her a job like grabbing
lightweight items from the lower
shelves at the supermarket.

Allow him some space.

If your child is constantly by your
side, hes stuck doing what you do.
So when its possible (and safe),
let him explore to build his sense
of independence. Having some
freedom is important because
toddlers need to take in new
information and process it for
themselves, says Dr. Mihalas. At
the park, give him permission to
wander ahead and look around. If you
allow him to satisfy his curiosity
this way, he may be less resistant
when you need him to stay close.

Use a stroller when

necessary.
When youre in a busy or an unsafe
area, it makes sense to insist on
using a stroller. Pack some portable
playthings to make the ride more
fun, says Dr. Elkind. If your toddler
puts up a fuss because she wants to
walk, you may be tempted to try a
harness or a leash. Thats your call:
Some childhood experts believe
these are demeaning and dont teach
self-control, while others say theyre
perfectly fine. Fortunately, your
childs make-a-run-for-it phase wont
last forever. Like many other quirky
toddler behaviors, it will likely fade
away around age 3.

ages + stages

preschooler

PRESCHOOLER 3-4 years

gender benders
Little kids dont grasp societys stereotypes
about pink vs. blue. Help your child express his
or her individuality without judgment. by HAGAR SCHER

SEVERAL YEARS ago, when my

son was 3, I signed him up for a
soccer team. At first, he was thrilled
with his shiny uniform. But after
three practices, Pele sat down and
announced, No soccer. Dance
class! With a little searching, we
found a modern-dance program
for kids his age. Pele was the only boy
in the room, but he didnt carehe
was too busy twirling in the black
leggings he had picked out from
Gaps girls department.
While its not always easy, theres
something rewarding about raising
a child like Pele, whoarmed with
purple sneakers and a teddy bear
named Ella the Boyembodies the
idea that gender can be a spectrum.
Every individual has a unique gender
self, an inside knowledge of who he
or she is, says Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D.,

author of The Gender Creative

Child: Pathways for Nurturing and
Supporting Children Who Live
Outside Gender Boxes. Each person
also has a distinct set of gender
expressions that they present to the
world. These grow out of a mix of
nature, nurture, and culture, and
can change throughout ones life
span. These expert-approved tips
will help you encourage your child
to be happy and comfortable in his
or her own skin.

Understand child
development.
You may be curious about your childs
interest in toys, activities, or clothes
that you align with the opposite
sex, but kids dont make those kinds
of associations at this age. They
havent learned that certain

objects and activities are culturally

associated with gender. In fact,
preschoolers tend to believe gender
is something that can be slipped on
and off like a tutu or a firemans
hat. Kids under the age of 6 dont
seem to grasp the concept of gender
constancythat gender doesnt
change because of superficial changes
in appearance or behavior, says
Judith Elaine Blakemore, Ph.D.,
professor of psychology at IndianaPurdue University and coauthor of
Gender Development. When I show
kids this age a drawing of Jeffrey
dressed in typical boy clothes and
then another of Jeffrey wearing a
dress, many of them will say hes a
boy in the first picture and a girl
in the second.

Keep an open mind.

If your childs behavior differs from
gender norms, you may have mixed
emotions about that. And it may be
challenging to let go of your previous
assumptions about your child.
When my younger son, Dyson, began
putting on my jewelry and wandering
into the girls aisle at the store, I
started redirecting him toward blue
and trucks, says Cheryl Kilodavis,
author of My Princess Boy, a picture
book. Though I consider myself

ages + stages

open-minded, I couldnt get away

from the mind-set that this is not
what boys do.
Remember that your child is
growing and trying on interesting
new identities even when she is
young (such as Im a fireman! or
Im Beyonc!). My advice to
parents is: Relax, says Parents
advisor Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., author
of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee.
Wait and see whom you are given.
Then cherish that child. This will
take time. Until then, dont assume
todays snapshot of your child is
an epic movie of her life.

school-age

child? When a childs cross-gender

behavior and declarations are
consistent, persistent, and insistent,
you should pay careful attention,
because shes telling you something
important about herself, says
Dr. Ehrensaft. For example, she
frequently expresses that she is
or wishes to be a boy and wont
listen to those who try to correct
her. In that case, you may want to
consult with a pediatric mentalhealth gender specialist or get
information from Gender Spectrum
(genderspectrum.org) or TransYouth
Family Allies (imatyfa.org).

BIG
CLEAN.
SMALL
PRICE.

Prepare yourself
for rude comments.
You might want to come up with
responses ahead of time, so youre
prepared in case a stranger or a
well-meaning relative makes a
remark. Its possible youll need to
discuss with your child the fact
that his choices may be surprising
to some people and that they may
say things that are inconsiderate.
Wait for the first bad moment to
have this conversation so you dont
plant feelings of shame in your
child, says Dr. Ehrensaft. Be
supportive and matter-of-fact, by
saying something like, That dress
looks beautiful, but some people
dont understand why youre wearing
it and they might say mean things.
Practice possible responses for when
someone confronts him, such as,
Most boys dont wear dresses, but
some do. And if youre concerned
about bullying, talk to your childs
teachers and to other parents.
Ultimately, your goal is to show him
that you have his back, even when
hes wearing costume fairy wings in
the grocery store.

Know when you need to

consult an expert.
So how can you tell if something
more might be going on with your

SCHOOL-AGE
5-6 years

power
struggles
Try these levelheaded
ways to avoid
everyday battles.
by AMELIA RICHARDSON DRESS

IT SEEMED like a reasonable thing

to ask my 5-year-old daughter to
set the table. I even asked nicely:
Honey, its about time for dinner.
Can you set the table, please? But
instead of a chipper Sure, Mama!
or even a grudging Fine, Belle
responded with a loud No!which
sent my blood pressure skyrocketing
and launched us into a prolonged
back-and-forth. Despite my efforts
to set firm limits, we had been having
a lot more of these moments.
Parents often worry that power
struggles are a sign that theyre
not parenting right, said Jim Stokes,
Ph.D., a psychologist at the Child

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ages + stages

school-age

& Family Counseling Center in

Glenwood Springs, Colorado. But
being insistent is your childs way
of learning to be her own person.
Follow these expert strategies to
help you maintain control.

Encourage his
independence.
Your child wants to express his
individuality by making his own
choices, so try understanding his
resistance. If you want him to do his
homework right after school but he
wants to do it later, ask him why. Is
he hungry? Does he need a break
first? Approach the situation as an
opportunity to problem-solve with
your child. In the case of homework,
you might agree to a 20-minute
break before diving in, but no screen
time. Since hes participated in the
decision-making process, hell be
more likely to agree to the boundaries
that have been set. Look for various
ways to empower your childs
growing need for autonomy. Let him
have control over other things like
which cereal to have for breakfast
or what clothes to wear, says
Laura Goodman, a licensed parent
coach at Boost Parenting, in Duluth,
Minnesota. Letting him have a say
in some parts of his day may make
it easier when its time for you to
make the decisions.

Pay attention to
emotional triggers.
When your kid picks a fight, its not
always a sign of strength. Everyone
is susceptible to stress, including
children, says Dr. Stokes. If your child
is tired, hungry, or overstimulated,

Being insistent
is your childs way
of learning to be
her own person.
PA R E N T S

120 J U LY 2 0 1 6

she will be more likely to resist

when you ask her to do something.
If you have to go grocery shopping
on the way home from picking her
up from school, you can predict
shell fuss because shes tired from
a long day. Dr. Stokes recommends
acknowledging how shes feeling by
saying something like, I know youre
tired but I have to run this errand
now. Ill hurry and then we can go
home so you can rest.
Power struggles are also likely to
happen during times of transition,
such as morning and bedtime. Your
kid cant always jump from one thing
to another, says Dr. Stokes. She may
be reluctant to leave her toys and
go to school or might be overwhelmed
by the morning rush. Try using
humor to lighten the mood or take a
quick break for a hug or a back rub.

Consider your
own feelings.
If your child refuses to clean his room,
you might be tempted to threaten
to take away the iPad for the week.
Regardless of whether you decide to
enforce these consequences, try to
stay calm; otherwise your child will
be more likely to respond heatedly
instead of rationally. Try to identify
your own triggerssuch as feeling
disrespected or unappreciated, or
needing to assert authoritythat
make you initiate a power struggle,
suggests Tracie Giargiari, Ph.D.,
a psychologist at Thrive Health and
Wellness in Longmont, Colorado.
Even if your child is the instigator,
the situation changes when you
remain calm.
Sometimes, you may just need a
five-minute break to decide how to
handle the situation. You might say,
Since were both upset, lets talk
about this in a few minutes. When
you return to the conversation,
you can either come to a solution
together or explore the reason for
his resistance.

BIG KID 7+ years

social
smarts
Kids are focused on
photos, fans, and
followerslike it or
not. by MARISA COHEN

WHEN Audrey Slaters daughter

(well call her Katie) was in third
grade, she picked up her moms phone
one day and discovered Instagram.
It was love at first sight. She begged
me to let her get her own account,
recalls Slater, of Brooklyn. She
resisted at first but finally gave in,
and last year at age 9 Katie began
posting silly selfies, videos of herself
doing cartwheels, and pictures of
her dog. Its all very age-appropriate
and sweet, but I do have to keep a
constant eye on her, says Slater.
At ever-younger ages, kids are
asking for their own YouTube
channel, Instagram account, or even
to use Snapchat. Before you say yes,
here are some issues to consider.

Decide whether
shes ready.
Technically, we shouldnt even be
having this discussion. According
to the Childrens Online Privacy
Protection Act, its illegal for
commercial websites and apps to
allow children under age 13 to open
an online account without verifiable
parental consent. The law was
created to keep companies from
collecting data about kids and
marketing to them, says Stephen
Balkam, the founder and CEO of
the nonprofit Family Online Safety
Institute. Still, most children are
savvy enough to get around this rule

NATURAL FLAVORS
NATURAL SWEETENERS
NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS

ages + stages

big kid

by using a parents e-mail and a fake

birth date, often with permission.
Besides the legal issues, however,
there are the concerns about
maturity. At ages 7 to 11, children
are still thinking very concretely,
and they havent yet developed the
ability to consider hypothetical
situations, explains Lisa Strohman,
Ph.D., founder and director of the
Technology Wellness Center and
coauthor of Unplug: Raising Kids in
a Technology Addicted World. So
an 8-year-old girl posting a video
about how to do her hair is just
thinking, My friends will see this
and it will be great! She cant take
that next step and think about who
else might watch that video and
write mean comments or even repost
it and use it to sell hair products.
Still, its hard to generalize about
the best age to start. Some kids
may be ready to handle social media
under the legal age of 13, but most
probably cant, adds Parents advisor
Michael Rich, M.D., director of the
Center on Media and Child Health
at Boston Childrens Hospital. You
are the best judge of your child. Ask:
Can she use it in ways that are
healthy and respectful of others?

Set the ground rules.

When you do decide to let your kid
make his first foray into social
media, approach it as if youre taking
a new swimmer to the adult pool:
Go in together at first, and keep a
watchful eye on him as he finds his
way. Dr. Rich recommends that
you join the site yourself (if youre
not on it already) and become
familiar with the safety issues and
its potential uses before allowing
your child to jump in.

Next, make sure you have full

access to your childs account by
learning his username and password,
and by following him with your own
account. Not only do I follow Katie
on Instagram, but so do my husband
and sister, says Slater. I also go
through her list of followers every
couple of weeks to make sure they
are all people she knows in real life.
(If theyre not, Slater logs in and
blocks them.)
If your child posts on YouTube,
you can ask him to make all his
videos unlisted, meaning they can
only be viewed by people who use
a link that he sends them. If theyre
posted as public, remind him that
anyone can view and post nasty or
inappropriate comments. Another
huge safety issue to keep in mind is
geotagging (when a photo is stamped
with the location where it was
taken): Before you let your kid post,
go to the settings on his phone and
turn location services off.
Also, be certain that he knows
he can talk to you about anything bad
or weird that happenswhether
another kid starts bullying him or
someone he doesnt know tries
to contact him or ask for personal
information. Its a conversation you
have to begin before you give him
the device or let him join the site,
and you must keep the discussion
going, says Balkam. Lay down the
rules for using technology from
the beginning (when and how hes
allowed to use it and specific
punishments if he breaks the rules).
And as difficult as it will be for
your big kid to understand that his
actions today can reverberate in the
future (such as when he applies for
college or a job), stress the Grandma

Its easy to become preoccupied with

how many likes your photo or joke gets,
and even young kids are not immune.
PA R E N T S

122 J U LY 2 0 1 6

Rule, says Dr. Rich. Never post

or snap anything that you wouldnt
want your grandma to see.

Help her get a grip

on likes.
As any adult whos ever posted on
social media knows, its easy to
become preoccupied with how many
likes your photo or joke gets, and
even the youngest kids are not
immune to measuring their selfworth this way. Ill confess that
my daughter, Molly, is constantly
checking how many followers she
has on her Instagram fan page for
the Broadway musical Hamilton
(I allowed her to join at age 11). But
the joy she gets from posting videos,
trivia, and photos and connecting
with fans who share her passion has
made it a positive experience.
However, experts caution that most
social media doesnt revolve around
musical passions and deep thoughts
but focuses on photos and videos
that put the emphasis on looks.
Constantly viewing images that
feature appearance, popularity, and
even sexiness pushes a dangerous
message, especially to young girls,
says Michele Borba, Ed.D., author
of UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids
Succeed in Our All-About-Me World.
They can buy into the view that what
I look like is more important than
who I am. To keep your childs image
from sliding too far into the look
how pretty I am lane, encourage her
to post about books she likes, causes
shes interested in, and positive
messages that shed like to share.
Right now, Molly seems content
with posting pictures and lyrics from
her favorite show (with occasional
shots of cute animals on her personal
account). But if her social-media
excursion ever gets in the way of her
schoolwork or she starts posting
inappropriate pictures, Ill know.
After all, I am one of her biggest
followers, online and in real life.

I cant believe my child is afraid of...

Bubble Wrap. My daughter runs away from it. April Hooks

Fuzzy socks on peoples feet. Angie Fletcher

Statues, mannequins, or any inanimate object that looks like a person.

Her shadow.

Puppies. Shes fine with grown dogs, but puppies terrify her.

PA R E N T S

124 J U LY 2 0 1 6
Terri Ruiz

Serenity Garretson-Evans

Amanda Raene Zaragoza

Her belly button. She burst into hysterics trying to brush it off. Kristin Kohl Wardwell

Answer our next Parents Last Laugh question at Facebook.com/ParentsMagazine.

illustration by ALEX EBEN MEYER

PARENTS (ISSN 1083-6373); July 2016, Vol. 91, No. 7, is published monthly by Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription prices, $15.98 per year in
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