Articles
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 […]
Tune in to ‘Dads’ This Father’s Day
Just in time for Father’s Day, a new documentary called “Dads” will premiere on June 19. An official selection of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, “Dads” is a heartfelt and humorous film that celebrates the joys and challenges of parenting in today’s world. Featuring six fathers from across the globe, this film offers a […]
Father’s Day Wisdom from a Dozen L.A. Dads
A million questions run through your head when you become a father – most of them driven by panic because you and your partner are now responsible for another person. Yikes. But as things settle down and life takes on more meaning as you realize that you’re a parent, you start looking ahead. You wonder […]
Virtual Camp Programs Spring up for Summer
“All indicators point to the fact that this is not going to be a normal summer.” That’s how Korey Kalman, founder and CEO of Got Game Sports, sums up the uncertainty that the coronavirus pandemic has brought to our family routines. Got Game runs after-school, physical education and summer camp programs at a host of […]
A Scientist Shares Her No-churn Ice Cream Recipe
Maya Warren has a job title that would get most kids’ attention. She’s an ice cream scientist. Translation: Warren is senior director of international research and development/tastemaster at Cold Stone Creamery, and has a doctorate in food science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in frozen desserts. After being introduced to food science through the […]
Planting Early Learning at Home with Child360
The emotional, social and educational development of young children has always been at the core of Child360’s mission. Now that more young children are at home, the early-education nonprofit has launched a digital series to help parents innovate learning with their children. Home Grown with Child360 incorporates tips and activities from Child360’s child development experts […]
Bring Those Cool Summer Vibes Home
“School’s out for summer!” Yes, Alice Cooper! Could there be a better feeling than the last day of school? One of the things I savor about my kids’ childhood is the gift of experiencing summer vacation and summer fun again, but – as we are reminded over and over – the end of the school […]
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Keeps Us Looking Up
I have a special place in my heart for Los Angeles Dodgers team manager Dave Roberts. As the first person of color to lead the MLB team, he’s broken barriers while unifying players and fans in new ways. On top of that, he’s a genuinely good guy – hardworking and full of grit, sure, but […]
Kristen Bell Colors Her New Children’s Book With Hope for the Future
Purple is the color of royalty, and there’s also something soothing about it. Something promising and fertile. For Kristen Bell, it is the seed color for a better future, and you and your kids will get all the purple feels when you read her new children’s book, “The World Needs More Purple People.” Bell, an […]
Simple Steps to Changing Unwanted Behavior
With everyone stuck at home right now, I’m hearing from many parents that behaviors are escalating. When that happens, so many times frustration takes over. It feels like everything is going wrong and there is no way to deal with it. Here are some simple steps to help you pinpoint the behaviors you dislike and […]
Make a Cool Amazebowls Smoothie Bowl
Bryan Leong and Stephanie Wang met as undergrads at USC. Like many college students, they were hungry. Unhappy with the dining options at hand, in 2013, they took matters into their own hands. “We just wanted to eat something more healthy, and it was really difficult for us to find something healthy that was affordable,” […]
How to Properly Care for Your Face Mask
As California and other states begin loosening stay-at-home orders and reopening businesses, it’s likely that everyone will be encouraged to wear a mask in public for months to come. But to be effective in slowing the speed of COVID-19 infection, a mask must be used correctly “Properly using a mask is just as important as actually wearing […]
10 Ways to Practice Social Skills at Home
Let’s not kid ourselves, starting another school year distance learning with our children is a challenge. After all, most of us have no professional teacher training. And working with our own children can bring back some less-than-pleasant memories – like the time that Mom decided that she was going to teach you how to drive, […]
Partnering to Close the Digital Divide
The Weingart Foundation has granted $100,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to tackle the food and technology inequities, also known as the digital divide, in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and families in underserved communities are primarily concerned with three major issues: the continuation of education through access to […]
Make Casa Vega Guacamole at Home!
The 64-year-old Sherman Oaks Mexican restaurant Casa Vega has been in current owner Christy Vega’s family throughout its history. Now, the mother of four has adapted its menu for a first: to-go service. Classic dishes, margaritas and pantry staples and essentials (paper towels, toilet paper) are now available for curbside pickup. Can’t wait for their homemade […]
Lyf App Offers Virtual Support Group
You’ve likely seen the sentiment “physical distancing, not social distancing” floating through your social media platforms. As we are all under quarantine, it’s a powerful reminder that people still need people. Lyf, a new free iOS and Android app, has launched to offer what it calls the “world’s largest virtual support group.” For people struggling […]
Touch-Screen Generation Still Good at Face Time
Are today’s children, who grew up with mobile technology from birth, worse at reading emotions and picking up cues from people’s faces than children who didn’t grow up with tablets and smartphones? A new UCLA psychology study suggests today’s kids are alright. Infancy and early childhood are critical developmental phases during which children learn to […]
Simona Grace, founder of Moms in Office, is California Mother of the Year
Simona Grace’s quest to help shape the world started at a young age. Growing up in Hungary during the decline of the communist regime, Grace saw the consequences of a lack of democracy firsthand. Searching for a better life, she left her home and family in Hungary and moved to the United States to attend […]
Make a Tasty Turkey Bolognese
Brook Williamson, Top Chef winner and co-ownerof Playa Provisions says Bolognese is one of her go-to recipes. “It’s great for an individual, a couple, or a crowd, easy to assemble, and is healthy and filling all at the same time,” she says. “In addition to tomatoes and your meat of choice (ground beef, turkey, or chicken), it’s […]
14 Fun Things to Do With Your Toddler at Home
After baking another batch of cookies together and playing hide-and-seek with your preschooler again, it’s discouraging to look at your watch to discover that it is only 9:30 a.m. With everything on pause, keeping little ones busy is more challenging than ever. Don’t despair! Here are a few ideas that are fun and include an […]
Reading Roundup: Books That Will Transport Your Child Outside
With so much indoor time, it’s no wonder that many parents and caregivers may find themselves running out of ideas on how to keep their children engaged and electronics-free. So how about taking your kids outside, without actually leaving the house? Here are a few outdoor-themed books sure to provide your child with a breath […]
Actress Alyshia Ochse Embraces Slowing Down with Her Family
We are all in this together, so let’s be honest: being a parent during this time is really hard. Cue the Rolling Stones’ song that has been on repeat in my mind as I try to juggle being a conscious parent while working from home: No, you can’t always get what you want But if […]
Make a Crisp with Your Favorite Fresh Fruit
Under normal circumstances, Phil Kastel would be busy cooking at The Milky Way, the Mid-Wilshire restaurant opened by Leah Adler (Steven Spielberg’s mom) in 1977. Kastel, who took the helm as executive chef last year, says that though Adler died in 2017, her spirit still infuses the eatery she ran for more than 30 years. […]
Fave Mommy Podcasts from Mama Said
This month, we’re celebrating moms all month long, so were delighted to get some favorite parenting and family podcasts from actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and musician Jenna Parris, co-hosts of the Mama Said podcast on PodcastOne. They say these podcasts are helping them get through the quarantine. We’ll start the recs off with their own podcast. […]
Graduation Dreaming: The Heartbreak and Hope of the Class of 2020
The senior year of high school is the toughest academic year in a student’s life, but the rewards – prom, senior trips, class rings, the signing of yearbooks, college acceptances, scholarship wins and the act of walking across that stage to receive that rolled-up scroll – add up to a rite of passage that forms […]
Pregnancy and Childbirth During the COVID Pandemic
My daughter and her husband are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, and they’ll be doing it under coronavirus quarantine. They’ve also been talking about starting a family. They’re both healthy, but I wondered whether getting pregnant right now is wise, so I decided to chat with Dr. John Ozimek, medical director of the […]
Talking First-time Motherhood With Daniella Monet
We first met new mom Daniella Monet for our cover shoot and interview a couple of months before COVID-19 hit our shores. We soaked in the warm rays of sunlight pouring through the windows of Monet’s Sherman Oaks home as she and baby Gio gazed at each other in the middle of her big fluffy […]
Pancakes Dad can Make for Mom
Zoe Nathan, part of the team behind the Rustic Canyon family of restaurants and author of “Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes From our Kitchen,” got this recipe from her dad. “My father used to make these almost every weekend when I was growing up, and then he proudly made them every weekend for Saturday Morning […]
An Easier Cheesecake with Thai Tea Flavor
This Basque-style cheesecake recipe is the opposite of the fussier New York version, which must be baked carefully (often in a water bath) to produce an unscorched, uncracked top. This version is cooked at high heat so that it cracks and browns deeply – making it almost impossible to mess up. This particular Basque-style recipe […]
A Versatile Way to Make Veggies Appeal to Kids
Elvis Prado, owner of Bad Son Tacos in Little Tokyo, says his mother would prepare this recipe for him and his siblings when they were kids. “She wanted us to eat more vegetables and she found just the way,” he says. “At first, we didn’t want to eat them. Then she’d put a dollop of […]
It’s a Great Time to Garden
Spring has sprung and we’re all at home, which makes it the perfect time to start your own home garden – in your yard or in containers. “We have a really great climate for growing vegetables in Southern California,” says Brie Wakeland, a master gardener and garden educator at The Garden School Foundation. The organization […]
Lunch is Served with this Easy Grilled Cheese
All kids love grilled cheese, right? This easy and classic flavor combo of turkey and swiss is wonderful on La Brea Bakery’s fan-favorite Three Cheese Semolina Loaf – but feel free to sub in whatever you have on hand. La Brea Bakery Pesto Turkey and Swiss Melt 8 thick slices Swiss cheese 4 tablespoons pesto 8 thin slices turkey 2 tablespoons […]
A Quick Family Breakfast with Your Leftover Bread
One fun side-effect of being at home is that everyone has lots more time to make – and eat – breakfast. This French toast recipe from La Brea Bakery makes use of their wonderful baguette (in case you didn’t finish it off with dinner) and doesn’t require any special equipment or technique. You can put […]
Check out Joy Cho’s New Children’s Books
After bringing us home décor, furniture collections and even personalized planners, Joy Cho, mother of two and founder of Oh Joy!, has entered the world of children’s books. Available for purchase now, Cho’s vibrant board book “Be Curious!” takes readers on an adventure with a curious cat that uses its sensory nervous system to further […]
Any Easy New Way to Make Rice a Meal
Who else is eating an awful lot of rice right now? The pantry staple is easy and comforting, but most of us have quickly run through our repertoire of rice dishes. Fortunately, Chef Margarita Manzke – owner with her husband, Chef Walter Manzke, of that gem of South La Brea dining République – offers us […]
A Simple Berry Crumble Recipe Using Frozen Fruit
Most families are trying to shop less often these days, which means there might not always be fresh fruit in the house. Berries, which are coming into season, are particularly delicate. That’s part of what makes this crumble recipe from lifestyle maven and restaurateur Yunnie Kim Morena particularly handy right now. With some frozen berries, […]