Articles
Remote Learning Resources: 5 Educational Apps for Kids
With the global pandemic in 2020, children are video conferencing into classrooms and parents are expected to be more hands-on in their child’s education. I don’t know about you guys, but my dad was a car mechanic and my mother a customer support agent, so asking them for help with my algebra homework was a […]
Does COVID -19 Belong in College Applications and Essays?
The normal process of applying to college has been upended by the pandemic, but one thing that remains constant is the need to write a college essay. Beyond lists of achievements and activities on a college application, the essays allow admissions officers a chance to get to know a student and who that student hopes […]
4 COVID-Protecting Actions to Remember During Pregnancy
Being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic brings new and unexpected concerns for the health of expectant moms and their babies. As research and experience add to the knowledge about COVID-19 and pregnancy, physicians and patients can use that information to better protect themselves. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released information […]
If You Suspect Your Child Has a Learning Disability, Do These 5 Things
I’m a mother and a special-education advocate, and I have dyslexia. Many parents have confided in me that they had a “hunch” that something was not right with their child. More often than not, a parent’s hunch turns out to be correct. Maybe your child doesn’t have a serious learning disability, but a parent knows […]
How to Prepare Your Preschooler for Coding
The use of coding is all around us – from online payments to photo-editing apps and food-ordering services. And there’s the field robotics, the backbone of manufacturing and our healthcare system. This era of COVID-19 has only illuminated our reliance on technology. Whether we’re fully on board or not, technology is the wave of the […]
5 Ways to Pick Toys that Support Development
When you walk down the aisle at Target or scroll through pages of toys on Amazon looking for the perfect toy for your kids, it is hard to know what to pick. I am passionate about toys and how they contribute to a child’s development. Do you remember being a child and playing with dolls, […]
Here’s How to Keep Your Thanksgiving Gathering COVID-safe
“It will be a challenging and very different holiday season for all of us,” says infectious disease specialist Kimberly Shriner of Huntington Hospital, voicing what many of us are thinking right now. “We can be creative, but we must be careful. It is imperative that we try to control this pandemic to prevent so many […]
4 Self-Care Tips for a More Joyous Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving promises, for sure, to be unusual. Many of us will be missing family and friends due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Local officials are recommending that no more than three households gather together. And, to keep things safe, many of us will be carving the turkey outdoors. Some challenges, however, remain the same from […]
Know the Signs: Colds, Flu and COVID-19
We’re in our ninth month with the deadly respiratory virus that causes COVID-19 circulating among us – and now cold and flu season is here. Epidemiologist Brandon Brown of the Center for Healthy Communities at UC Riverside weighs in to help parents navigate the range of illnesses they might encounter this winter. “It is the […]
Q&A: Practicing Liberated Parenting
Freedom is such a precious concept that a piece of its etymological makeup means to “hold dear.” While it is not a tangible commodity, the desire to obtain it is universal. But shackles come in all forms – mental, emotional, financial, political – so none of us is truly free. And even though human slavery […]
Read About – And Help – Mountain Lion P22
To help ring in this year’s P22 Day, a children’s book based on the famous mountain lion was published on that day, Oct. 22. “The Cat That Changed America” is based on the true story of the cat who was born in the Santa Monica Mountains, but author Tony Lee Moral uses imagination to bring […]
Teach Your Kids to Plan with These 4 Great Tips
It’s the fall of 2020, and your kids are back in school. The day’s learning may be happening in the classroom, in a small group or at your kitchen table. Wherever it is, the fact remains that many children (and parents) are overwhelmed and anxious during this time of the year. All the juggling of […]
5 Tips to Help Your Family Escape Through Reading
As the stressors of 2020 continue to increase – COVID-19, distance learning, an election and a brutal fire season – filling our children’s and our own need for a daily space of respite is vital. In my September L.A. Parent article, I discussed how critical it is that children read during this time of educational […]
5 Ways to Boost Your Gratitude Practice this Thanksgiving
Are we grateful to have made it to November? Thankful that 2020 is almost over? Before it is, we have the holiday season to get through and next up is Thanksgiving. This is a time of year when we focus on gathering together, connecting with family and friends, sharing a meal and expressing gratitude. Does […]
Teaching Kids About Voting
Election day is almost here. If you’re still looking for ways to get the kids involved, here’s a challenge: Turn your stay-at-home doldrums into an interactive civics lesson and lively debates that will inspire your children to become active, engaged citizens. Why is this important? According to a just-released study by the Knight Foundation, more than […]
This Thanksgiving Bread Gives Back
Maybe the pandemic has given you your fill of sourdough. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, though, here’s a new reason to give it a try. With a donation to United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, you can receive a free batch of sourdough starter. UCPLA board member JJ Levenstein, a retired pediatrician who […]
An Easy, Hearty Thanksgiving Salad
At the Thanksgiving table, it can seem as if so many things are pureed: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry. As an alternative or an accent, consider this Thanksgiving salad recipe from Chef Jon Rollo of Greenleaf Kitchen and Cocktails, which has several SoCal locations. One handy thing about this recipe is that you can […]
A Holiday Side Dish That Will Pop
If you’re looking for a side dish that comes together quickly but leaves a long-lasting impression, you can’t do better than these high-crowned beauties. “I love serving herb popovers for the holidays,” says Tracy Wilk, lead chef and recipe editor for the recreational program at the Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena. “They are festive, […]
The Art of Making Something from Nothing
I remember when my youngest son was 6 years old and we were in the car. It was a quiet moment – rare, as we all know – and suddenly he says, “Mommy, if everything has to be invented or made, is everything art?” Hmmmm… I was taken aback by such a thoughtful question and […]
Why Your Child Needs Sensory Play
Young children are hardwired to explore the world through their senses. This means that they create an understanding of what is around them largely through touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. This is also why your sweet child can’t resist splashing in puddles, digging in sand and finger-painting up to the elbows. As messy as […]
9 Children’s Books to Help Your Kids Understand Elections
With the Presidential Election around the corner, you might be struggling with how to talk to your young children about it all on a relatable level. Reading Partners, an early literacy nonprofit, has curated a book list for parents to start an engaging and entertaining democracy dialogue with their children. As part of their #RiseUpForReading2020 […]
YMCA of LA Provides Free Wi-Fi at 20 Outdoor Locations
Distance learning has brought to light a number of equity challenges facing many Los Angeles County students and their families. One challenge that stands out is the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity to allow adequate access to at-home learning and other resources. The YMCA-LA is launching a new program to provide free unlimited internet access to […]
Avoid a COVID Scare this Halloween
Halloween isn’t going to be the same this year, but families can still have fun while reducing their risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus), says Priya Soni, MD, a Cedars-Sinai pediatric infectious disease specialist. “The bottom line is there is no safe way to celebrate a traditional Halloween in this pandemic,” Soni says. Haunted […]
Colorblindness is a Myth: Talk to Your Children About Race
As a psychotherapist, I regularly talk about the “isms” (racism, classism, ableism, ageism, sexism) and have learned to sit with the discomfort of recognizing how much I don’t know, while acknowledging that learning about the lived experiences of those different from me will be a lifelong journey. As a parent, my goal has been to […]
6 Tricks to Help You Accept Compliments
Do you struggle to accept compliments? When someone says something nice to you, do you wince, blurt out an awkward reply or swat the compliment away like it’s a fly that’s trying to land on you? You’re not alone. Many people have trouble receiving compliments. Even though we, as humans, really desire praise and positive […]
Quality Child Care is a Pandemic Essential
A low point for me during the pandemic – OK, admittedly, one of a few – was when I had to miss a late afternoon Zoom meeting, at the last minute, because of a more pressing concern. At least, it was a much louder one: my kids’ complaining that, “Mom, we’re staaaarving.” And so rather […]
Dealing with Physical Disability During the Pandemic
Even before COVID-19, families with children who have physical disabilities faced challenges and isolation in daily life. The pandemic has exacerbated those challenges. Fortunately, experts and organizations in the Los Angeles community are ready to help. Josan Wright Callender is an education consultant with more than 40 years of experience teaching special education. Her focus […]
Accessing Early Intervention Services
“Early intervention oriented me at a vulnerable moment in the lives of my children and put me on a lifelong path of care and advocacy for them.” These words were shared with me by a mother whose daughter, a recipient of early intervention services, was preparing to start college. As the director of an early […]
Caring for Your Family’s Mental Health this School Year
Some time has passed since COVID-19 initially impacted our lives, lessening some of our early worries about the pandemic. As we continue to navigate drastic changes, my concerns these days turn mostly to my children and other children around me. My kids worry about how they will stay connected with the friends they saw daily […]
Duff Goldman’s Super-Good Cookbook Doesn’t Fudge on Fun
Duff Goldman started his cooking career behind the scenes, at a bagel shop in a mall and as a fry cook at McDonald’s. Even his first real restaurant job had him far from the spotlight. He baked cornbread and biscuits, and nothing else, every day. But that’s where Goldman started noticing the magic of the […]
Rob Evans: Leading the Charge Toward Diversity and Inclusion
Navigating the Southern California independent schools admissions process is a tall order under any circumstances. For families of color, historic underrepresentation, concerns about diversity and inclusion and, in some cases, financial constraints can make an independent-school education seem out of reach. Fortunately for Los Angeles families, The Independent School Alliance (the Alliance) provides support and […]
Kamala Harris Captured in New Children’s Book
As history unfolds, our poets and artists have always been at the ready, portraying such moments through lyricism and imagery. On Aug. 11, Sen. Kamala Harris became the first woman of color on a major party’s presidential ticket, joining Joe Biden in the race for the presidency. And children’s book author Nikki Grimes’ new picture […]
Calling All (Teen) Sci-Fi Writers
With Octavia Butler’s prescient novel “The Parable of the Sower” hitting the New York Times Best Seller List last month, it’s no secret that many of us are turning to works of science fiction to get us through these strange days of 2020. Two local organizations, Sci-Fest L.A. and the Light Bringer Project, are calling […]
Parents Anonymous Offers a Helpline and Support Groups for Families
This year has been extremely difficult for people of all ages due to the many uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Californians are out of work and under serious financial stress. Children are partaking in virtual learning, which has come with unforeseen challenges and setbacks. Most recently, California has been dealing with devastating wildfires, and many parents are unsure on how to help their children cope with all that is going on. One resource […]
USC Seeks Kids to Participate in Brain and Language Study
The USC Brain & Creativity Institute is starting a new study investigating extracurricular activities, language and brain development in children. We are looking for participants! We are specifically looking for children ages 9 to 11 who are native English speakers and do not speak a second language. This study is funded by the National Institutes […]
Building Toddler Vocabulary with Forks and Familiarity
My youngest child usually likes peaches. I say usually because she’s a toddler and so it’s her prerogative to change her preferences 174 times a minute. The other day, her big sister and dad were sleeping, and I had the luxury of cooking breakfast with a quiet(er) house. I decided to switch things up a […]
Best Music for Enhancing Kids’ Virtual Learning
With so many kids learning from home during this unprecedented start to the new school year, many students are in desperate need of help concentrating, staying focused and remaining in good spirits. Music might be just what the doctor ordered. Soothing, relaxing music can help students minimize stress or anxiety while learning virtually. During long study sessions, […]
Even in Fall, Keep Your Kids Swim Safe
Even heading into the cooler fall and winter months, the risk of child drownings is greater than ever this year with more families staying home to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4. The latest water safety data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety […]
Video: How are Your Teen’s Executive Function Skills?
Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. According to the experts at Understood.org, we use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things. School psychologists […]
Don’t Forget Your Flu Shot This Year
With everyone’s focus still so firmly fixed on the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts are warning families that we can’t afford to ignore a much more familiar threat. Flu season is approaching, and flu shots are more important this year than ever. Because the flu can be a serious illness, public health officials are warning that […]
Navigating Nutrition: 5 Ideas for Healthy, Easy School Lunches and Snacks at Home
By now, many parents and kids have accepted they will be taking part in distance or hybrid learning at least for the short-term. Having nutritious ready-made foods in the fridge will increase the amount of time (and focus and energy) students have for learning. Planning ahead can also alleviate some stress for parents. Here are […]
Can Kids’ Videogame Play be Healthy?
Amidst historic wildfires and a global pandemic, virtual worlds hold an understandable appeal. Yet, many parents fear that videogames pose risks of their own – that these all-too enticing digital ecosystems may interfere with children’s healthy emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Indeed, parents have struggled to manage their kid’s videogame play, even before COVID-19 relegated […]
Turning Family Meals into Learning Time This Fall
When I became principal of a second- and third-grade elementary school, each grade had just 22 minutes – start to finish – for lunch. What was the result? Rushed eating. Food waste. Frequent friction between kids and lunch aides. General mayhem. Then, while traveling in Japan, I visited a school in which the students served […]
Free Digital Tool Helps Families Identify Early Signs of Learning Differences and ADHD
With many families spending more time together during the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and caregivers might notice things about their children’s behavior that they don’t fully understand. Some of these things could be signs of learning differences. A survey by Understood, an organization dedicated to empowering individuals with learning and thinking differences, found parents are more […]
Get Kids’ Brushing Habits Halloween-Ready with Elmo
Already dreading the sugar bath your children’s teeth will take this Halloween? Get good dental habits started now with some help from Sesame Street’s Elmo. In a new video, created in partnership with a UCLA-led consortium called More LA Smiles, everyone’s favorite furry red monster teaches children “Elmo’s Toothy Dance.” The 2-minute YouTube video is designed […]
7 Optimistic Observations about Distance Learning
Since COVID-19 quarantine began mid-March, we’ve experienced longing for “returning back to normal” – a pre-quarantine normal. Humans have a natural craving for seasons: we long for cool indoors when experiencing hot and humid air or sitting by the fireside when it’s raining or snowing outside. Seasons can not only be based on months or […]
I Have a Child with Special Needs and Built My Own Good Life
Editor’s Note: Eraina Ferguson was a 20-year-old college student when she gave birth to her first child, Taylor, who was diagnosed with profound hearing loss and autism. While the diagnoses felt overwhelming, Ferguson decided she was not going to let the medical challenges stop her from pursing her goals while being the best parent she […]
Three Bike Safety Rules Your Family Needs Now
As fitness centers and yoga studios closed due to COVID-19, and stay-at-home rules opened up people’s schedules, Angelenos have been taking to their bikes. “There is a bike boom that we haven’t seen since the 1970s,” says Eli Kaufman, executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC). “That’s what we’ve been after for […]
Here are Our Favorite Back-to-School Products
We are in the midst of the most unusual back-to-school season we’ve seen. Like many of you, we feel like it’s still March. After weathering the difficult pivot to virtual learning last spring, we rallied and somehow got our kids through. But the pandemic continues and now we are beginning a new academic year fraught […]
L.A. Theatre Works ‘Sets the Stage’ for the School Year
From Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to Culture Clash’s “Chavez Ravine,” educators and parents can stream a plethora of theater productions through L.A. Theatre Works as part of its expanded curriculum, Setting the Stage for Learning. A nonprofit media arts organization and producer of audio theater, L.A. Theatre Works’ mission is to present, preserve and disseminate classic […]
Why Reading to Your Child Matters Now More than Ever
Whether your child has returned to school remotely or via a hybrid model this fall, their education is more digitized than ever. I learned new online platforms through several professional development classes myself this summer, and I couldn’t help but think about how little actual reading students will need to do to complete their schoolwork. […]
‘Summer of L.U.C.K’ Takes on Tween Communication
Few challenges are as disheartening as not being able to communicate effectively, and when a child doesn’t feel heard or understood by her parents, it can be downright debilitating, setting the stage for a lifetime of self-doubt. In local author Laura Stegman’s debut middle-grade novel “Summer of L.U.C.K.,” we meet three preteens fighting to find […]
A Brownie Recipe that will Spread the Love
A wedding can mark the beginning of a life together. For Val and Zach Fishbain, it also marked the beginning of a business venture that feeds their family and so many others. The idea was sparked by the couple’s DIY wedding favors. “I was already using my Vitamix that I got from my bridal shower […]
A Happier, More Organized Home for Distance Learning
Home is supposed to be a haven, but we never imagined it would need to be everything – work, gym, church, the place for date nights and summer “vacation” and, once again, school. But here we are, most of us a few weeks into the 2020-21 school year, trying to make the best of another […]
Back-to-School Mental Wellness Help From Moms Who Care
If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Secure your own oxygen mask first so that you can help your child. Your kids don’t want a perfect mom, they want a happy one. There are plenty of quotes urging mothers to take care of themselves. But do we listen? Sharon Feldstein, Patsy Noah, Meredith Wolff and […]
Dr. Deepika Chopra, the Optimism Doctor, Keeps it Real
Dr. Deepika Chopra calls herself the “Optimism Doctor” but admits that she is far from the most optimistic person you’ll meet. Still, her understanding of the deep range of human emotions and challenges drew her to the study of optimism more than a decade ago. Today, individual clients, boutique brands and Fortune 500 companies seek […]
9 Great Back-to-School Products
However the school year is starting off for your family, make it more fun with these back-to-school products: backpacks, lunch options, learning tools and sweet toys.
How to Talk to Children About Online Meanness
With many schools starting the year online, kids of all ages are spending more time than ever on their devices. While this shift is designed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, it’s also fueling the rise of another worry for parents: online meanness. Bullying is nothing new, of course, but it takes a […]
More Tips for Remote Learning Success
For many students, back-to-school this year means heading back to the living room or bedroom where they will be learning remotely. That creates a host of challenges for parents, teachers and students, who have to grapple with how to make remote learning as engaging as classroom learning. And that is a tall order, says Rebecca Hedrick, […]
10 Baby Dangers You Might Not Have Considered
Nerves are a natural state for new parents. Hazards seem to lurk everywhere and having responsibility for protecting your little one can feel overwhelming. In honor of Baby Safety Month in September, the California Poison Control System offers a quick guide to dangers you might not have noticed – right in your own home. “Babies […]
Building Critical Thinking Skills During Distance Learning
As distance learning commences this fall and parents again take on the role of teacher and facilitator, myriad issues will emerge. Managing daily logistics and keeping children motivated and engaged are among the enormous tasks that parents must take on. The distance-learning model is imperfect and fraught with complexities and shortcomings. Nonetheless, it must be […]
Encouraging Your Child to Wear a Mask
As schools work on plans to safely reopen and more in-person activities become available, there will be more occasions where children will need to wear masks. Many parents are concerned that their child will refuse to or even take their mask off during the day. How can parents encourage and maintain mask wearingwhen they struggle with this […]
Why Happy Parents Apologize
As parents, we all have challenging days – and moments. One of the most difficult things for us to do during those times is to summon the ability and the courage to recognize our own faults. We know how patience and empathy work. When we are calm, quiet and relaxed, we respond to our little […]
Dealing with Uncertainty During the Pandemic
When Laura Yocum’s 12-year-old son is feeling anxious, they’ll sometimes sing a doomsday song together. Yocum is a licensed psychotherapist and the clinical director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, and this is her humorous way of helping him cope with the uncertainty we’re all facing during the coronavirus pandemic. With cases of COVID-19 […]
A Berry Cool Smoothie Recipe from #smoothieproject
It’s been a while since you actually sent your kids off (as in out of the house) to school. All signs indicate that it could be a while longer until you do, but any school day, even a day of distance learning, should start with the right breakfast fuel. In 2015, Catherine McCord realized that […]
Are Play Dates OK During COVID?
Complaints about schlepping their kids to and from them aside, most parents (and children) are missing play dates about now. “The increased family time during this pandemic has been wonderful for many families, but by now both parents and children can probably use some new people scenery,” says John Rodarte, M.D., with Descanso Pediatrics/Huntington Health Physicians […]
Drive-Up Childhood Vaccines Available at the Saban Community Clinic
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and while campuses in the Los Angeles Unified School District (and many others) will be closed as the 2020-21 school year begins, vaccines are still required to register for school and parents are advised to keep up to date with their child’s vaccines, now more than ever. Amidst COVID-19, […]
6 Tips for Healthier Time Online During the Pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic arrived and health officials urged us all to stay “safer at home,” no one chained us to our computers, televisions or phone screens – but they might as well have. We’ve worked and learned online, celebrated birthdays and graduations at our computers, visited grandparents and sat in on virtual camps, play […]
Tips for a Healthy New School Year – Wherever You Are
I spoke with Nava Yeganeh, a pediatric infectious disease doctor with UCLA Health, minutes after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mid-July announcement that California schools will not reopen for in-person instruction in the fall – following months of speculation and a patchwork of announcements by various schools and districts about their plans. “It’s a big deal, because […]
8 Things to Learn with Your Kids
You’ve baked muffins, walked the neighborhood, had Zoom parties and play dates, soaked in the kiddie pool, started virtual summer camp and driven around to every outdoor spot where you could keep your social distance. Somehow, there are still hours left in the day – and maybe a few days left until school starts – […]
Quarantine, YouTube and Puppy Talk with London and Sedona Fuller
To all you parents who can’t stand to hear your safer-at-home kids say “I’m bored” one more time: Meet London and Sedona Fuller. They’ve been quarantined just like the rest of us but have found some fun ways to keep busy. True, the 8-year-old twins say it’s tough having their busy acting careers on hold. […]
Teens Use Quarantine to Teach Others
We’ve all spent countless hours worrying about our kids during the pandemic. We talk about how adaptable kids are, but none of us imagined our kids would have to face the kind of intense global and national experiences we’ve had over the last few months. But while we do have to be vigilant about our […]
‘Happy’ Children’s Book Based on Positive Psychology
In her fifth children’s book, author Joanne Jeffers Veeck leaned on her decades of research and training in positive psychology to create a book aimed at teaching grade-school kids how to nurture a sense of curiosity, happiness and well-being. “Happy – Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are,” illustrated by Jenalyn B. Ewart, features a […]
Where Will Your Family Find the Fun in the New School Year?
There’s nothing like the anticipation of a new school year. Kids are filled with excitement to see their friends, meet new teachers and learn. But this year the global pandemic has robbed our kids of the joy of returning to school safely. So, what will it be? Distance learning, hybrid (online and in-person) home school […]
How are L.A. Parents Coping with this Pandemic Back-to-School Year?
The other day, I was looking for a long-lost bowl in the kitchen when my eyes fell on my son’s lunchbox. It stopped me in my tracks with a deep welling-up of yearning and sadness. I fled the kitchen and closed myself in the bathroom so that my son would not be able to hear […]
Your Kids Can Learn to Swim at the Rose Bowl This Summer
With so much canceled this summer, your kids can still enjoy some cool fun with lessons at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena. With a mission to make sure that every person is water safe, the RBAC has implemented new policies and procedures – and is operating at a limited capacity – in order […]
Scream of Consciousness
One Black woman’s prayer, lament and battle cry for the safety of her baby grandson echoes over 400 years of collective hope and heartache for our youth James Baldwin wrote, “people are trapped in history and history is trapped in them,” and if this is so, I look at those people, particularly some white Americans […]
5 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids
We’re all looking for ways to lure our kids away from their screens for a couple of hours. Why not ignite their imaginations through the wonderful world of stories? No, I don’t mean stories in the form of movies or video games. I’m talking about the old-fashioned written word. These five writing exercises, or “prompts” […]
5 Tips to Help Your Kids Make the Most of Video Chats
Video chat using apps such as FaceTime and Skype is a great way for young children to stay in touch with long-distance family and friends. Through video chat, children have an opportunity to to build a relationship, communicate with, and learn from a loved one on the screen. Here are five ways to help your […]
Steering Clear of Unsafe Hand Sanitizer
With coronavirus cases continuing to climb in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, hand sanitizer sales have been through the roof, to the point where there have been times when it is hard to find. Given the increased demand, the Food and Drug Administration is finding that some companies might be cutting corners and using replacement […]
Pediatricians Offer Guidance on Returning to Youth Sports Amid Coronavirus
Sports activities offer children and teens many physical and psychological health benefits besides fitness, such as socializing with friends, a critical part of development. Many children have missed these activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and re-engaging youth in sports will require careful thought and safety precautions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), drawing on the […]
5 Ways to Help Children Find the Path to Positivity
No question about it, we are living in challenging times. Several months into a quarantine version of family life, it is not just the adults who are feeling a little “off.” Staying positive when things are perfect is easy. Staying positive when things are challenging takes a lot of intention and practice, something the kids […]
Don’t Skip Well-Child Visits and Vaccines During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic is creating health risks that go far beyond the dangers of COVID-19 itself as families skip well-child visits to the pediatrician – and the childhood vaccinations that go with them. Priya Soni, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai, says that well-child visits in the U.S., including those for immunizations, are […]
How to Get Your Family Ready for Wildfire Season
L.A. families shouldn’t let the COVID-19 crisis make them forget about another danger in our community: Wildfire season. The 1,400-acre Soledad fire in the Santa Clarita Valley earlier this month should serve as a reminder, according to officials. “A wildfire can come without warning and spread quickly, leaving you little time to get to safety. […]
Coronavirus Testing Update
As the county continues to wrestle with the coronavirus pandemic, health officials remind us that the virus has not gone away. Testing will still play an important role in protecting us from infection, and L.A. County Department of Health Services Director Christina Ghaly, M.D., shares the latest on whether you need to be tested and […]
JPL’s Pauline Hwang Has Her Sight on Mars
Pauline Hwang is a working parent here on Earth, but she spends her days looking to the heavens. Hwang works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena as the mission operations system manager for the Mars 2020 mission, which will land the Perseverance rover on the planet to study the possibilities for life on Mars. The rover is set to launch on July 20 from Cape Canaveral, […]
Free Comic Book Summer Comes to SoCal
Free Comic Book Day usually takes place the first Saturday in May. This year, because of COVID-19, it’s going to happen throughout July and early September, effectively making it Free Comic Book Summer! Between July 15 and Sept. 9, comic shops will receive five to six free titles. The shops may release one free title […]
The perfect picnic snack, side, sandwich or dessert
One of the few fun, safe outings for families this summer is to picnic – and Anne Kirk, pastry chef at Little Dom’s in Los Feliz, has the perfect picnic recipe. “I love focaccia as picnic food because of its versatility,” she says. “You can really top it with anything – salt and herbs, grated […]
This Children’s Book Embraces the Struggle and the Light
Breegan Jane, the popular L.A.-based lifestyle entrepreneur, has written “Carbie,” a children’s book that features a gender-neutral character whose journey is meant to encourage children to view struggle in a different way. Inspired by her travels to Kenya and her understanding of the trying circumstances many children face in the country, Breegan Jane wrote “Carbie” […]
What Families Can do About the COVID Slide
Responsible parents don’t let summer go to waste. That, for a long time, has been the thinking among parenting experts. And so, instead of the carefree summers of our own childhoods, we parents squeeze little more than a “free” day or two in between sports practices, well-curated family vacations, “meaningful” camps designed to advance our […]
Fighting for Educational Justice for Black Children
As I wander through this constant maze of eight minutes and 46 seconds murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all of the other members of my Black family and friends and culture, I think about my six children, the three sons and three daughters that left my womb and are becoming Black […]
L.A. Parents Weigh in on Racism
It was Jan. 20, 1992, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but the civil rights icon was far from my mind. I was home on maternity leave, having given birth to a baby girl just two weeks before. In a maternal fog, I wandered out to the curb in front of the house – baby in […]
How Families Can Safely Make Outdoor Play a Priority this Summer
As these first weeks of summer unfold, the American Academy of Pediatrics reminds parents of the benefits for young children of outdoor play. “Getting outside to play is good for children’s health on so many levels,” says AAP President Sally Goza, MD, FAAP. “Children play harder outdoors, and so getting them outside can help with […]
Parents: Stay Focused on Your Goals
In times of uncertainty, it is sometimes difficult to stay focused on your personal and career goals. As parents, we might even feel guilty for pushing forward to achieve success. When areas of our lives at home or at work add to our daily stress, it is important not to ignore the chaos. But it […]
Spider Bite Prevention Tips From California Poison Control
The California Poison Control System (CPCS) suggests being on the lookout for spiders, which are increasingly active when temperatures rise. With more people sheltering at home or just starting to hike in the hills, the risk of bites is more likely. Spider bites can result in small puncture wounds, pain, redness, itching and swelling that can last […]
Top 5 Tips for Making the Toddler Years Terrific
Toddlers are fascinating little beings. They can go from laughing to crying in a split second, and so can their parents. The technical definition of a toddler is a child between the ages of 1 and 3, though some would consider this stage to extend to age 4. Toddlers’ brains develop at a rapid pace. […]
Report Says Black and Brown Babies are Born at a Disadvantage
Studies have long shown that where in the U.S. a baby is born can have a major impact on that baby’s health and wellbeing going forward. But a new report out this month notes that Black and brown babies, which make up more than half of all U.S. infants, start life at a disadvantage no […]
Virtual Birthday Party Tips to Put Your Celebration on Top
They come around once a year – global pandemic or not – and kids look forward to them more than most adults. I’m talking birthdays and, specifically, birthday parties. When safer-at-home guidelines closed down traditional party options, parents replaced backyard petting zoos and princess visits, mini golf and trampoline park field trips with Zoom get-togethers […]
Kids’ Mental Health During the Pandemic
As we move from spring to summer and fewer things seem to be getting back to “normal,” many kids are struggling. Clinical psychologist Bridgid Mariko Conn, Ph.D., of the division of adolescent and young medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, offers some insight. What are the major sources of anxiety for kids right now? What […]
In ‘The Ocean in Your Bathtub,’ Each Page Makes a Splash
In his last children’s book, “A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars,” Seth Fishman brought us the wonders of the universe. With his most recent, “The Ocean in Your Bathtub,” he’s back to reveal the science of our oceans, teaching kids that our five oceans “cover 71% of the planet and contain 97% of our water.” With […]