Articles
New Ways of Working Out During the Quarantine
Virtual workouts might just be the salvation of gym rats and others forced away from their in-person classes. Your kids will love them, too.
#SupportingFamilies: Working from Home is a Work in Progress
Working from home is suddenly reality for many parents. Use these tips to balance getting things done with homeschooling for your kids.
#SupportingFamilies: Library Resources You Can Use From Home
Libraries are closed, but library resources are often as close as your nearest laptop, smartphone or e-reader. Check out these options!
#SupportingFamilies: Breathing Tips to Steady You in Unsteady Times
These breathing tips from Sandy Abrams, the C.E.Om, can help frazzled parents and kids steady themselves and feel more empowered.
#SupportingFamilies: Remote learning during Coronavirus
Remote learning can be a challenge for families new to the practice. But local companies and nonprofits are stepping up to help!
#SupportingFamilies: Funny Picture Books to Lift Your Spirits
These picture books, all favorites of Pasadena children’s librarian AnnMarie Kolakowski, will give your family a much-needed laugh.
#SupportingFamilies: Home-Learning Tips During Coronavirus Closures
These home learning tips are especially for families navigating remote schooling for the first time during the coronavirus crisis.
#SupportingFamilies: How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
As novel coronavirus, called COVID-19, continues to spread to multiple countries, including the U.S., it’s important for adults to communicate calmly with children. Karen Rogers, PhD, Clinical Psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, provides some guidelines for how to talk to kids about the virus. Kids pay close attention to how adults talk about coronavirus. “One […]
Largest Study to Date links 102 Genes With Autism
The symbol for autism spectrum disorder has long been a puzzle piece, and a global team of researchers has come a little closer to understanding the shape of this puzzel, according to research published online in January in the journal Cell. In the largest genetic autism study to date, they identified 102 genes that appear […]
This Nonprofit Takes Travelers with Disabilities in a New Direction
In the late 1970s, Dee Duncan worked at a Santa Barbara facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program gave its residents plenty of chances to get out into the world, offering vacation trips three times a year, and Duncan helped arrange many of them. Still, when Thanksgiving and Christmas came around, some […]
SoCal Special Olympics Soccer Team is Hosting Tryouts for the 2020 Season
Attention soccer players ages 16-25: Here’s a chance to play the game you love and promote friendship and inclusion. The L.A. Galaxy Special Olympics Unified soccer team is hosting tryouts at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson March 29. The co-ed team has slots for 20 athletes, including Special Olympics athletes ages 16-25 and Unified […]
Unconventional Career Journeys: Beyond Nine-to-Five
Self-Employed Parents in Los Angeles have some creative ways to provide for their households and ensure their children thrive.
Kid Patches that are ‘See Worthy’
As a mom, Paige Brattin knows one thing for certain: Pirate play aside, wearing an eye patch is no fun. She learned this about five years ago after her daughter Eddy was diagnosed with multiple vision problems, including amblyopia. Also called lazy eye, amblyopia can happen when the vision in one of a child’s eyes […]
Brella’s Mom Entrepreneurs Help Fellow Moms at Work
Being a wife, mom and entrepreneur is no easy task. Each individual role demands so much, and trying to manage all three often leaves little time for other interests. I’ve often found myself doing really well in one area and feeling like I was failing miserably in others. Looking for inspiration, I am drawn to […]
The Benefits of Outdoor Camp for All Kids
It used to be that summer camp meant a few things – singing around a campfire, bunking in cabins and exploring the outdoors in hiking boots, canoes and swimsuits. Today, the quintessential summertime experience can also include learning to code a ninja robot, practicing a new language or forming a rock band. While these are […]
YA Novel Addresses Homelessness
Award-winning San Gabriel Valley author Catherine Linka’s compelling new contemporary fiction, “What I Want You to See,” is the first YA novel to put a face on homelessness among college students. The protagonist, Sabine Reyes, is determined to keep her past homelessness a secret during her freshman year at a competitive art institute. Flashbacks convey how she became […]
A Casserole that’s 4 Recipes in One
Gentle reader, please don’t let the lengthy list of ingredients for this family recipe scare you away. This sneaky casserole, from chef Rich Mead of Farmhouse at Rogers Gardens in Corona del Mar, is like a Russian nesting doll. It actually contains four mini recipes, all of which can be made ahead – and even […]
Graphic Novel ‘Diana’ Reminds Tweens to Embrace Themselves
As a tween, it can be hard to grasp a sense of your own identity, let alone your future – despite well-meaning adults who tell you you’re something special. This theme is what makes a new graphic novel about Wonder Woman as a girl so relatable for tweens. “Diana: Princess of the Amazons,” written by […]
Los Angeles Coronavirus Update and Tips for Families
The virus now known as COVID-19, first reported in December, continues to spread, and as of mid-February had infected more than 72,000 people in China, more than 800 in other countries and around 15 in the U.S., including 10 in California. On March 4, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of […]
4 Keys to Managing Family Conflict
For many, the greatest family and parenting challenges lie in navigating conflict. It’s especially exhausting because most people are conflict adverse. But what if we embraced conflict as a healthy part of family life? We tend to think about family conflict as a negative but, frankly, conflict has many positive side effects. It is natural […]
On Grief, Public Memorials and Our Children
To be a parent is to want to give our children the world. We hope to protect their innocence as long as we can, to shield them from bullies and bad news, even though we know that “the world” holds as much pain as it does joy, and that our arms are not long enough, […]
For This Teacher, Tennis and Autism are a Winning Combination
Two things have been consistent throughout much of Emily Werman’s life: autism spectrum disorder and tennis. “I was born into a tennis-playing family, so I was introduced to the sport at an early age,” says the 25-year-old from Chicago, who was diagnosed with autism at age 12. “By that time, I was already playing competitive […]
An Easy Hands-On Tomato Sauce Recipe
Phillip Martin’s mother is Mexican, his grandfather is from the South, and his childhood home in East L.A. was definitely hands-on when it came to cooking. “I remember waking up, and my grandmother making tortillas by hand every single morning,” says Martin. “It’s a really awesome thing to wake up to.” Today, he’s chef at Ray’s […]
Must-Know Tips on Caring For Your Child’s Teeth
Smile. Now think about your kid’s smile. One of your major responsibilities as a parent is to make sure that smile stays healthy. That means being consistent with everyone’s daily brushing and flossing routine. “That’s the biggest gift you can give to your child,” says Jill Lasky, DDS, of Lasky Pediatric Dental Group in Studio […]
Building a Healthy Heart for Your Child
February is a month where paper hearts abound, but making sure our children’s actual hearts are strong and healthy is a year-round responsibility that begins during pregnancy. Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, and your child’s risk is connected to your family’s health history. According to Paul Kantor, chief of the Division of Cardiology […]
For the Love of Family, Dance and L.A.
If you’re someone who is never satisfied with your progress, who is always, as singer Ciara puts it, trying to “level up,” you have a trait in common with “Dancing With the Stars” performer Gleb Savchenko. Born in Moscow, Savchenko has been dancing since his legs could hold his weight. Over the years, from Russia to Hong Kong and […]
This Tiny Alpaca Could Make a Big Difference
When alpaca Princess Pumpkin was born, she weighed 5½ pounds and should have been too small to survive. However, Michael James and Amber Cavalier Splier adopted and raised her as a “princess” in their “castle,” eventually letting her venture out in search of friendship with bigger alpacas. They’ve now turned this special alpaca’s story into a children’s […]
6 Essential L.A. Kid Reads
The first time I felt truly connected to L.A. was through the young adult novels of Francesca Lia Block. I first learned of her from a panel she was on at the first Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in 1996. I was in the fifth grade. That day, I bought, and she signed for […]
Choosing a Camp Your Kids Will Love
Believe it or not, it’s time to plan where to send your kids for summer camp. With so many options out there – from traditional and specialty camps to day camps and sleepaway options – it can feel overwhelming trying to choose just the right one. Have no fear, L.A. Parent is here to help […]
This Dog Gives Kids a ‘Sense’ of Safety
In 2014, Bunni and Rick Benaron founded The Hero In You Foundation as a way to honor first responders, but the project has morphed into a campaign that teaches kids to use their common sense and their senses to stay safe and be ready for emergencies. Six years ago, the Benarons were erecting 6-foot Dalmatian […]
The Builder Bees Hive Offers Fun and Friendship for Girls
Orley Garber’s daughter had a problem that’s pretty typical for those on the autism spectrum: she had trouble making friends. “From preschool, I felt like she didn’t have a place,” Garber says, “because she was really overwhelmed in mainstream settings and she just felt annoyed by ‘the boys who don’t listen’ in special-needs settings.” Around […]
8 Hacks for Grocery Shopping With Kids
Running errands or grocery shopping with your little one is probably going to take longer than one on your own. Accepting this will help you be more tolerant and flexible. Young children’s concept of time and their ability to control their emotions aren’t fully developed; there will be times when their feelings overwhelm them. Do […]
5 Spots Where L.A. Kids can Run, Flip and Fly
Back in the day, children who enjoyed tumbling and monkey bars might take up gymnastics – and, of course, they still do. A classic never goes out of style. But in the never- ending game of “what’s next?” parkour and freerunning are the trendy new kids on the block. First created by a French physical educator in the […]
5 Reasons You Should Go to Camp Fair
Happy New Year – and happy summer-camp season. While you might not be ready to leap that far into the future, you should at least consider thinking ahead to February (and March and April), when summer camp fairs pop up all over the L.A. area to help with your camp shopping. “Somebody asked why we have it […]
Homemade Dumplings for a Taste of Home
Husband and wife Leo and Lydia Lee grew up in their families’ Chinese restaurants (Lydia in Hong Kong and Leo in Mexico). Now, every day, they work to bring a bit of their childhoods to L.A. through their RiceBox Cantonese barbecue restaurant in Downtown L.A. “RiceBox evokes feelings we had as a kid,” says Leo. “It is us […]
Should Kids Eat Artificially Sweetened Foods?
January is a time when many of us are trying to curb our sugar intake, but are zero-calorie or non-nutritive sweeteners a good way to do this? A November report from the American Academy of Pediatrics noted that the number of foods containing these sweeteners has quadrupled in recent years, but that their impact on […]
5 Life-Hack Mindsets for Moms
It took a hip-hop class to make Amber Trueblood realize she had lost track of herself. The L.A. mom had brought two of her four young sons to the class and filmed them through the classroom window with her phone. Later, she showed the video to her husband. “In it, you could see my reflection, […]
Check Out This Messy Read for Tweens
Middle graders reading “The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid,” written and illustrated by L.A. local Kirk Scroggs, will get an insider’s look at the private journal of the character Russell Weinwright. Not your ordinary middle schooler, Russell describes himself as a “half-swamp monster/half-human student at Houma Bayou Middle School.” He’s got face tendrils, a tree trunk arm, […]
Meet a Mom who Means Business About Cookies
Kelley Hart truly loves what she does. When she was growing up, her parents encouraged her to pursue whatever interested her, and she credits their support with influencing her decision to become a world-traveling saxophone player. After she became a mom, she eventually gave up her musician life to spend more time with her son, […]
This MLK Day: Share ‘A Place to Land’
When children first learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they are mesmerized by his resonant, booming voice espousing ideals on equality, compassion and freedom. But how many of them learn about the grueling behind-the-scenes work it took to craft those famous speeches? This MLK Day, consider introducing the children in your life to “A […]
Helping Puppies Become Guide Dogs of America
During the holidays, Guide Dogs of America (GDA) launched a hearty campaign to solicit donations and volunteers for the organization, one of the nation’s leading training and learning centers for guide dogs. And while the holidays are over, GDA officials hope you’ll keep its mission top of mind. Through the work of GDA volunteers, staff […]
Tips for Managing Kids’ Cell Phone Use
Many children across the Southland received their first cell phone this holiday season, and if your kid is one of them, you may be wondering how best to monitor their usage. But getting your child a phone doesn’t need to be complicated and stressful, says Andrew Moore-Crispin, director of content at Ting Mobile — a mobile […]
Youth Cycling Association: Paving a Road to Cycling for All
Royce Felten is an endurance cyclist. That makes sense for so many reasons. At age 14, he has already battled and beaten Hodgkins lymphoma. He has also faced the many challenges that go along with being a person with autism. So, what’s a 100-mile bike ride? “I just like being on the bike for long […]
Carnival Cruise Line Earns Certifications to Assist Guests With Autism, ADHD, PTSD, Down Syndrome and Sensory Issues
Carnival Cruise Line has become the first cruise operator to be certified “sensory inclusive” by KultureCity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accessibility and inclusion for individuals with sensory needs and invisible disabilities. Rollout of the program began in October with ships based in South Florida. It is scheduled to be implemented in the rest of the […]
Academy of Pediatrics Updates Autism and Developmental Delay Guidelines
The last time the American Academy of Pediatrics issued clinical recommendations on autism spectrum disorder, the prevalence of autism was calculated at one in every 155 children. Today, 12 years later, one in every 59 kids in the U.S. has autism and the academy has updated its recommendations. Much has happened in the field during […]
Declutter During the Holidays
It seems that even before the Christmas songs start on the radio, the hourly emails come pouring in about the steals and deals for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Ads appear on TV for the must-wants and the kids start writing their lists for the must-haves. The messaging this time of year […]
Sweet Little Holiday Snowballs
Walking through Little Flower Candy Co. bakery-café with founder Christine Moore takes a bit of time, but not because it’s a long walk. On the way through the tiny eatery at Pasadena’s western edge, Moore stops to chat at a table where three generations who’ve been customers since the beginning are showing off a new […]
Climate Change and Kids’ Health
Even as we leave fall behind, the impacts and memories of our region’s recent wildfires linger. We’re likely headed into a winter that will be shorter and a summer (and another wildfire season) that will come sooner. In fact, wildfire activity in our state has been increasing for the past 50 years. Research out this past summer […]
A Dreidel in Time – A New Spin on an Old Tale
Fans of “Magic Tree House” will love “A Dreidel in Time” by Marcia Berneger with illustrations by Beatriz Castro (ages 7+), which transports readers via a magical dreidel to when Hanukkah began. When the grandparents of 9-year-old Benjamin and his 12-yearold sister, Devorah, visit on Hanukkah, the siblings hope to receive gifts. Instead, they’re offered a large, […]
Ryan’s World: Making Toy Reviews and Dental Hygiene Fun
While Ryan Kaji, the kid behind Ryan ToysReview, has 2.5 million more YouTube subscribers than Beyoncé, he tries to keep a low profile. The L.A.-based Kaji family posts Ryan’s toy review videos (www.youtube.com/ryantoysreview) daily, but screen time ends by homework time, which allows the YouTube sensation to make room for music lessons, coding, soccer and tae kwon do. Still, his life […]
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree
On a recent Friday, as scores of people across Los Angeles prepared to go out drinking or stayed in to binge-watch their favorite TV shows, a small group of writers at The Last Bookstore explored the impact our parents’ lives, traits and behaviors have on us – for better or worse. The event was a […]
Make Sure They Took It
Did you take the pill yet, or do you still need to take it? From antibiotics for an infection to medications for chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes to simple vitamin supplements, it can be tough to keep track. A Pasadena mom’s battle with breast cancer led her to a simple solution. Leeanna Gantt […]
Of Frogs and Mindfulness
If Instagram were a mindfulness exercise, most tweens and teens I know would be completely grounded and centered. If yours isn’t, convince her or him to put down the screen for 10 minutes and have the new book “Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day: Exercises to Feel Calm, Stay Focused & Be Your […]
A Sweet Southern Treat
Our favorite foods often make us think of “home,” especially near the holidays. Catarah Coleman and Shoneji Robison both grew up in Florida. After moving to L.A., Coleman founded Southern Girl Desserts, head-quartered in Baldwin Hills, and was soon joined by Coleman. The two brought their childhood with them. In their homes, “Thanksgiving is a […]
Try a Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe
For some people, pie is all about the filling. For others, it’s about the crust. For Roxana Jullapat, baker and co-owner of Friends & Family in East Hollywood, the crust is about the right flour. She uses Sonora wheat flour milled at Grist & Toll in Pasadena. “It lends itself to that beautiful flakiness,” she […]
The Invisible Leash: Teaching Kids about Loss through Story
Patrice Karst, author of the best- selling picture book, “The Invisible String,” introduces her newest creation, “The Invisible Leash,” to teach kids how to cope with the loss of a beloved pet. Complemented with touching illustrations by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, this story will help parents open up conversations about death, loneliness and the joy that animals […]
LA Rockstars Baseball Club Mines Talent at Local Diamonds
Historically, a love of baseball is passed down from generation to generation. But in many communities, the generational chain to baseball has been broken, and playing the game as a primary sports option has long passed. According to an ESPN report, since 1986 the percentage of African Americans in professional baseball dropped more than half, […]
A Head’s Up About Concussion
Your young soccer star and a teammate both go up for a header and … Boom! … end up colliding head-to-head in-stead. As you rush down to the sidelines, your heart pounds as you think of all those statistics about concussion and the damage it can do: long-term memory problems, trouble concentrating, even depression. “I […]
Natasha Case: Coolhaus Owner Combines Design and Ice Cream
An architect with good taste, Natasha Case designs cool edible “houses.” She’s the CEO and co-founder of Coolhaus, the ice cream brand she operates with her wife and business partner, Freya Estreller, a realtor and entrepreneur. Combining their design and real estate skills, they started baking cookies and making creative ice cream sandwiches in 2008. […]
Our Children’s Keepers
This past January, when L.A. County public school teachers, students, parents and other allies donned red shirts and took to the streets for a six-day LAUSD strike, the state of k-12 education was on most everyone’s mind. As debates over traditional public vs. charter school choices and issues of access to private and highly selective […]
Real-world Training at Finn’s Bistro Empowers Students with Disabilities
At Finn’s Bistro, a coffee house on the campus of Willenberg Career and Transition Center in San Pedro, students with disabilities push their books aside to gain real-life employment experience as employed individuals. “Our students go through the application process and an interview and, based on their interest, start working on skills they would need […]
Could Cannabis Oil Help Children With Autism?
Offering her infant marijuana might have been the last thing Tracy Ryan expected to do, but after her 8-month-old daughter, Sophie, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, everything changed. After much research, Ryan and her husband decided to put Sophie on a high concentration of CBD and THC oil alongside her ongoing chemotherapy […]
Easy Family Traditions
Family traditions bring the generations together and give us the chance to build lasting memories – and they don’t need to exhaust you, your family or your budget to be worthwhile. The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and with it the expectation of family celebrations stamped with the Martha Stewart seal of approval. But manifesting […]
Two Fall Tastes on a Plate
David Slay grew up in restaurants. He started cooking at age 11 in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant, began his first culinary apprenticeship at 17 and opened his first restaurant when he was 26. He currently owns three in California, the newest being SLAY Steak + Fish House, opened in Manhattan Beach (where he […]
A Cold and Flu FAQ
Cold and flu season officially starts in November, but John Rodarte, M.D., with Descanso Pediatrics/Huntington Health Physicians in La Cañada Flintridge, says kids going back to school get a jump on the season. “We already are seeing the influx,” he says. Rodarte warns families that kids starting school for the first time could catch a […]
Self-Care at Boot Camp
For moms, self-care can be tricky. It’s easier when you learn that taking care of yourself doesn’t have to happen by yourself. Working out is a great example. “When you’re at home or you’re at the gym, it’s very easy to lose motivation and stop when you start to feel tired,” says Crystal Ferris, owner […]
Good Lessons on a Bad Day
We’ve all had bad days. As parents, we’ve watched our kids have bad days, too. A new picture book from L.A.-based author-illustrator Ruby Roth, called “Bad Day,” aims to help children cope with whatever comes their way. The book’s hero is Hennie, a boy who has just arrived home at the end of a day […]
Bridgid Coulter: Creating Diverse Spaces with Blackbird House
The moment you enter the new 12,000-square-foot Blackbird House in Culver City, your spirit shifts. With everything from soothing music and wellness and fitness classes to inspired interior designs and chef-curated cuisine, it feels like a retreat. I recently spoke with Bridgid Coulter, the woman behind this innovative co-working space launched by women of color […]
Sparking a Passion for Travel and Foreign Language in Young Readers
“Do you want to play with me?” the boy asked. “My name is Ethan.” This invitation begins the tender friendship between “Travel, Learn and See” characters Ethan and Dean in a charming children’s book, written in English and Mandarin, that celebrates cultural and racial diversity and the power of friendship. After Dean finds out he […]
Joymode: Reusable Products Increase Sustainability and Family Fun
Looking for a way to try the coolest new products without breaking the bank? Joymode (joymode.com) is an L.A.-based subscription company that provides access to thousands of awesome items on a temporary basis. By finding a membership that works for you, you can choose from a flurry of products, from household cleaning tools to electronic […]
Stress-Free College Applications?
College applications: two words that often trigger panic in parents and students alike. But you don’t have to let them send your family into a stressed-out tailspin. Check out these tips from a trio of experts – who are college counselors and parents – and get your student’s college applications in without all the stress. […]
What Resilience Means for Your Child
The college admissions scandal that rocked several high-profile U.S. universities, nicknamed “Operation Varsity Blues,” ignited heated discussion in the academic community: Did parents believe their kids couldn’t handle the college admissions process on their own? Did the scandal reflect the parents’ driving desire to see their kids at a top-notch university? More importantly, was it […]
Thinking Outside the College Box
In light of last spring’s college admissions scandal, where parents allegedly paid “fixers” to open “side doors” onto prestigious campuses for their kids, a lot of questions have emerged about what matters most when it comes to choosing a school. Is a top-shelf school really worth cheating for? There are, in fact, a kaleidoscope of […]
Home-Schooling Away From Home
Picture a child working on lessons at the kitchen table and you’ve pictured just a tiny sliver of the modern home-schooling landscape in SoCal. There seems to be an assumption that home-schooling is synonymous with staying at home, but parents, advocates and many local attractions are tackling this misconception with dynamic extracurricular programs for home-schooled […]
An Adventure Story About the Power of Family
The numbers are hard to imagine: roughly 30,000 of L.A.’s children are in foster care. It can be tough to get your head around the idea that all of these kids – many who are on the autism spectrum or have learning disabilities or other challenges – are in need of help at the most […]
Local Schools Embracing Sustainability
Something amazing caught the eye of Madeleine Gygli, principal of the Carson-Gore Academy of Environmental Studies, while she was walking on the schoolyard one day. It’s something many other principals would love to see. Several third graders were sauntering through a grassy play area picking up trash and sorting it to be discarded or recycled. […]
Choosing the Right Preschool: One Family’s Search
In my pre-child fantasies, I effortlessly prepare my son for his educational journey. While handling the usual challenges (sleep routines, potty training, vegetable eating), I plaster the walls with brightly colored letters, organize age-appropriate toys according to developmental stages and sing enthusiastic jingles to help him count, rhyme and spell. In real life, however, when […]
Personal Finance Education for Kids
Money management and attending college debt-free are among the useful lessons L.A.-area kids are learning in schools offering the Ramsey Education’s Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum. The versatile finance program covers important yet often over-looked topics such as balancing a checkbook, saving money, following a budget, managing credit and debit cards, buying a car, college […]
Educators, mentors and advocates celebrate their diversity
Amy Faigin fell into advocacy at a young age, and into teaching by accident. “When I realized at a pretty early age that ableism existed, I was immediately angry about it,” says Faigin, who is autistic and highly gifted. “And I just have never been a person who could keep my mouth shut, so I […]
Lynette Hoy: Developing Toys that Develop Young Minds
Teachers from every corner of the country rely on Lakeshore to furnish their rooms, stock their supplies and provide endless learning opportunities for their students. And each fall, Lakeshore introduces new products as part of its Gifts for Growing Minds collection, which is designed to help parents inspire learning at home. At the helm of […]
California Content Standards in New App
Eager to understand the California State Standards your kids are supposed to learn this year? There’s an app for that. The California Department of Education has launched a mobile app where you can find the standards with a touch of your fingertips. The app offers quick, targeted access to standards related to the arts, computer […]
‘Connoisseur Kids’ Transforms the Way We Teach Kids Manners
As a mother of four, Jennifer L. Scott is no stranger to a case of the wiggles at dinner. Author of the New York Times bestselling “Madame Chic” series and founder of The Daily Connoisseur blog, Scott’s newest book, “Connoisseur Kids,” inspires parents and kids to work together and create healthy habits and manners that […]
5 Ways to Discover Your Child’s Academic Passion and Career Potential
What parent isn’t curious about what their child’s future holds in an academic and professional sense? If you are like many parents, you want to support your child’s childhood passion and talents to help ensure they not only have a fun and fulfilling childhood, but a rewarding career as well. Here are five tips to […]
Stratford School Expands Classes, Programs for Fall
Stratford School, a California-based private school with an emphasis on the areas of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) is expanding its Altadena campus to offer new classrooms and programs for students. The campus, which currently works with students from preschool through 3rd grade, has expanded with eight brand new classrooms, a large outdoor […]
Sparking Hope: How One Project is Propelling Autism Research
Parenting a child with autism comes with a lot of questions. One chance for some answers: the SPARKforAutism Study conducted locally through UCLA. By sharing your family’s DNA with SPARK, you can help researchers understand more about autism, connect to a community of families with questions like yours, and learn valuable information about your child. […]
Theater Company Hosts Boot Camp for Kids with Cancer
Dean Productions Theatre Company is jumping into its fifth season of free, family-friendly shows with the Shakespearean classic “King Lear,” which will be performed this fall in front of Brand Library in Glendale. While there are many companies that offer free Shakespeare in the park, what makes this one unique is its dedication to working with pediatric cancer patients and their […]
Setting L.A. Teens Up For Success
While summer is traditionally reserved for sunbathing by the pool and binge-watching Netflix, many motivated students are taking advantage of their free time to work at internships, gaining leadership skills for the future. High school internships help teens gain the experience needed in the workforce and boost their confidence throughout college. For five teens from […]
You Can – And Should – Cook Fish at Home
Andrew Gruel wants you and your family to eat more seafood – and not just because he’s the founder of Slapfish, a chain of fast-casual seafood shacks with locations in 10 states, including SoCal restaurants in Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Brea, San Clemente, Tustin and LAX. “Environmentally, it’s a good choice and from a […]
Rebecca Crews: It’s Never Too Late to Be
Rebecca King-Crews, wife of Hollywood comedian and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Terry Crews, has a story to tell. And while it’s no fairy tale, her unique journey from childhood promise in music to choosing her family over career has come full circle. In her second act, King-Crews is bringing Regina Madre, the pseudonym she performs under […]
Is Screen Time Connected to a Mental-Health Crisis?
For decades, the Volunteer Center in Torrance has run a popular community-service program for South Bay, Long Beach and harbor-area teens. A couple of years ago, staff began noticing that teens seemed less able to focus on and complete service projects. Parents, teachers and others in the community also saw changes in teens. They wondered […]
Meeting Special Needs Family Style
The mission statement on the Ed Asner Family Center website is broad: “To promote self-confidence in differently abled individuals and bring balance and wellness to those individuals and their families.” For neurodiverse kids and young people, this means programming that includes ballroom dancing, voiceover classes, adaptive karate, culinary class, health and fitness, comic-book making, fine […]
Letting Kids Explore Their Sense of Style
My high school cafeteria was its own kind of runway, a place where the popular kids paraded their personalities and latest outfits while the timid, clumsy and fashion-starved hoped the ground would open up and swallow them whole. I would like to say I existed somewhere in the middle, but I would be lying. Then, […]
Moving: The Millennial Dad Changes Digs
Moving happens to us all, and it is so much harder for families. It is that moment when the cold, infinite dark of the cosmic abyss takes you away from that earthly presence you once called home. Believe it not, moving is actually ranked fifth in most stressful events in one’s life (and one day […]
The Right Shoes for Back to School
A new school year is a great time for new shoes. We turned to podiatrist Pedram Aslmand, DPM, at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach for some advice on finding the right fit. What do parents need to know about choosing a shoe? When kids are just starting to walk, you want a pair […]
10 Facts for Families New to Speech and Language Services
As children across the country embark on a new school year, some will have their first experiences with being evaluated or treated for speech and language disorders through the school system. This is something that occurs only with a parent’s consent. Many parents are worried about their child’s communication. Recent national polling commissioned by the American Speech-Language-Hearing […]
The Sasha Project LA: Art That Helps Heal
In some ways, Sasha Bogosian is like many 11-year-old girls you might meet. “I love unicorns and rainbows. My favorite colors are the rainbow colors. I like going to the movies with my friends. I like having sleepovers, going to museums, playing with my dog,” she tells me enthusiastically when we chat on the phone. […]
Go Retro for a Back-to-School Film Fest
As a latchkey kid of the ’80s, I enjoyed summers that were far from over-scheduled. I watched soap operas, fried my skin with friends at the beach and never, ever missed $2 Tuesday movie night at the local theater. We’d pay for the 6 p.m. show, sneak into the 8 p.m. show and eat popcorn […]
Play Hooky With Your Kids
Ever think of taking a day off work and playing hooky with your kids? You should this month! August is chock full of weekday events and unique experiences you should fit in before the freedom gates of summer clang closed. From chasing dancing fairies through Descanso Gardens to leaping across giant indoor trampolines and handcrafting […]
Sticky Chicken Dodgers Style
As our L.A. Dodgers play their way through the season, the team has coaches for almost every aspect of the game, from pitching, hitting and the bases to the bullpen and the bench. There are also strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists on staff. With all this focus on performance, it should […]
Back to School: Getting Kids to Open Up
From pressure around grades to anxiety about transitions, bullying or home-related tensions such as divorce, some kids will start this new school year facing a host of issues. “One of the big, big issues is immigration,” says Suzanne Silverstein, M.A., founding director of the Cedars-Sinai Share & Care program. “Because a number of them are […]