Articles
Put your Child on a Path to Success by Building Healthy Attachment
What is healthy attachment and how is it linked to my child’s success in life? Healthy attachment, also referred to as secure attachment, is the emotional connection formed by communication exchanges, even wordless ones, between a parent and child. That connection will have a big impact on the wellbeing of your child. A secure attachment bond teaches your […]
From Dad, With Love
Every dad I know is proud of his children. We brag about their accomplishments at every turn: when they walk, when they talk, what they do in the classroom, on the sports field and at every stage of life. But not enough of us know how to tell our children we love them. I don’t […]
Immersed in Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
When L.A. Parent asked me if I were a “Star Wars” fan, I gave an emphatic yes!, so the editors sent me off to attend media day at Disneyland’s “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” the all-new adventure that opened on May 31. Galaxy’s Edge is an immersive experience that transported me to that “galaxy far, far […]
PBS KIDS Writers Contest Celebrates Local Students
On June 8,PBS SoCal celebrated young students’ writing achievements with an event at the Los Angeles Public Library in Downtown L.A. Guests were welcomed with opening remarks from PBS SoCal’s Director of Early Learning Susie Grimm as well as Senior Librarian for the Children’s Literature Department of the Los Angeles Public Library Brooke Sheets. Hosted […]
4 Meals from One Roast Chicken
Our L.A. Parent editors were delighted to be invited for a morning of cooking at the Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories at Santa Monica Place. Co-owner Clemence Gossett helped us be more efficient in the kitchen with her roast chicken recipe that actually creates four meals. Clemence walked editor Christina Elston through roasting the […]
Tomorrow’s Sci-Fi Writers Shine Today
Each May, the Pasadena Playhouse District transforms into a literary mecca. Its streets, alleyways, the playhouse itself and surrounding buildings teem with novelists, memoirists, journalists, food writers, political columnists and actors who cross the brick-laden streets to attend LitFest Pasadena. This year, L.A. Parent was a proud sponsor of a Litfest Pasadena event called The […]
When Families With Disabilities Should Seek Legal Help
“Our kids are not their kids,” says Veronica Mijangos, an Eagle Rock mom of two. That’s why parents of children with disabilities advocate, push, spend hours combing the internet, bug doctors and teachers, join support groups and, yes, sometimes, even seek legal help. Most parents face challenges now and again and have to become their […]
#CampReady: Last-minute Tips for L.A. Summer Camp Procrastinators
In March, I sat in a Silver Lake theater watching “Expressing Motherhood,” a show that gives women a platform for their mothering experiences. I expected to https://expressingmotherhood.com/ chuckle and cry as people shared their stories. I did not expect to be crushed by overwhelming summer-camp anxiety. A piano rolled onto the small stage and Mommy […]
Tween Time: Art and Soul in L.A.
Take in a fascinating mosaic of African American and art history – from the rise of the civil rights movement through the ascension of hip-hop – by visiting exhibits at four L.A. art institutions. “Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite,” an exhibit on view through Sept. 1 at the Skirball Cultural Center (skirball.org), […]
Ful Medames Recipe: A Lot of Little Bites of Breakfast
Tim Hollingsworth grew up eating what he calls “very American” food: chili, chicken and dumplings, Sunday pot roast, tacos, barbecue tri-tip and burgers. As an adult, he’s been on quite a food journey, working with culinary legends such as Thomas Keller, Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay – and eventually opening Otium next to The Broad […]
Teens, Tweens and Vaping
Don’t be fooled by the terminology. It may be called JUULing or “vaping,” but that doesn’t mean it’s as benign as inhaling water vapor. And these devices created to help smokers quit are now popular among young adults, teens and even tweens. Michael Ong, M.D., professor of medicine at UCLA and chair of the State […]
Mom’s Health: Working Through Worry
If you’re a parent, anxiety comes with the job, but not all anxiety is healthy. And what if you pass your fears along to your kids? Don’t worry! Pasadena-based clinical psychologist and dad Scott Symington, Ph.D., author of “Freedom from Anxious Thoughts and Feelings: A Two-Step Mindfulness Approach for Moving Beyond Fear and Worry,” offers […]
Watch for Summer Asthma Warning Signs
Summer brings higher temperatures and increased pollen and pollution in the air. That can cause trouble for the thousands of SoCal kids living with asthma. Watch for these warning signs from the American Lung Association that your child’s asthma might not be under control: 1. Needing to use a quick-relief inhaler more than two times […]
Teaching and Poetry Are Still Alive In Los Angeles
Memory and perspective are a funny thing. I’m in my 20s now, and I feel ashamed to say I didn’t think the beloved L.A. poet Mike Sonksen was a good teacher when I was a student in his class at View Park Preparatory High School. In hindsight, a more accurate description would be that his […]
Go Wild in L.A. This Summer With an NHM Guide
The words “wild L.A.” might conjure images of Hollywood celebrities and lavish parties, but this story is about the flora and fauna that exist in our urban sprawl. In the book “Wild LA: Explore The Amazing Nature In And Around Los Angeles” by Lila Higgins and Gregory B. Pauly with Jason G. Goldman and Charles […]
The Silver Lining of the Measles Epidemic
Last week, my four daughters, along with a handful of their friends, were scheduled to travel for a short but much-anticipated trip to Mexico for my oldest daughter’s birthday. It was a great plan until measles was reported at Los Angeles International Airport. One of those daughters, Sarah – not the birthday girl, but the […]
#CampReady: What Could Go Wrong?
For some of us, the ruminating starts when we’re lying in bed at night, listening to the air conditioning whir. What if he hates summer camp? What if she gets sick? What if it’s the hottest day of the year and I forget to pack him sunscreen/a bathing suit/a fill-in-the-blank? What if she gets eaten […]
Marvels of Representation
When my son Noah managed to discover his early 5th birthday present, an authentic special-edition Miles Morales Spider-Man costume, the look on his face proved the costume was well worth the $40, plus shipping and handling. After seeing the animated movie “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” he came home and told me, “I really am Spider-Man, […]
Granada Hills Charter Captures National Academic Decathlon
Granada Hills Charter (GHC) High School recently reclaimed the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) title, capturing the school’s seventh national championship with a total of 53,108.5 points out of a possible 60,000. The school secured the national title in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. A celebration with bagpipers, cheerleaders and special guests […]
6 Tips for Private School Applications
When it comes to choosing a private school for your child, the stakes can seem incredibly high. The hope is that if you choose the right preschool, she’ll get into the right grade school, followed by excellent middle and high schools and, ultimately, a top-tier college. While the school your child attends isn’t necessarily a […]
Catalyst: A Learning Hub Middle School Set to Open in September in Agoura Hills
From the founders of The Sycamore School in Malibu, an independent elementary school featuring a challenging curriculum rooted in collaboration, innovation, and learning through play and creativity, comes CATALYST: A Learning Hub, a revolutionary middle school based on the same foundational belief that education must be humanized for the 21st Century. Assumptions of the industrial-age-model […]
An Easy L.A. Bread Adventure
The best way for me to introduce Elisa Callow’s delightful book, “The Urban Forager: Culinary Exploring & Cooking on L.A.’s Eastside,” is to share my own experience with one of the recipes: the Twenty-One-Hour Boule. Following the book’s suggestion, I headed to Pasadena flour mill Grist & Toll and was met with a friendly “Do […]
Protecting Your Kids from Molestation
Bring up the topic of child molestation around any parent and the word “nightmare” inevitably comes up. But the problem is far too real. The National Center for Victims of Crime reports that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of sexual abuse. Sandra Murray, M.D., medical director of the Child […]
State’s First Surgeon General Takes on Childhood Toxic Stress
Did your last checkup include discussions of stressors such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse, violence, mental illness or substance abuse in the home, divorce or the incarceration of a family member? If California’s new Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, M.D., has her way, your next one will. Our state’s first surgeon general, Burke Harris, […]
Balancing Motherhood and Caring for Mother Nature
In April, Marissa Christiansen, executive director of Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), was gearing up for the 30th Great LA River Cleanup. She and her team were looking to galvanize 10,000 volunteers to pick up 140 tons of trash along the 51-mile span. But while she was excited to lead FoLAR’s cleanup for another […]
‘Your Future Family’ Offers Advice for Parent Hopefuls
In her new book, “Your Future Family: The Essential Guide to Assisted Reproduction,” Kim Bergman offers people who need reproductive assistance to become parents a volume of hope and sound practicality. She says almost anyone can build a family. “Your wish can come true,” she writes. “I must warn you, however, that having a baby […]
Kidsave and ‘Instant Family’ Creator Team Up for Foster Kids
Every year, more than 250,000 children are placed into the foster-care system. Even more heartbreaking than this National Foster Youth Institute statistic is this one: More than 23,000 of those children will age out of the system with nowhere to go. About 20 percent of them will become instantly homeless after they leave foster care. […]
HBO’s ‘FOSTER’ Reveals Complexity of Foster Care in L.A.
L.A. has the largest county foster-care system in the U.S., and an engaging new documentary explores it from the inside. “FOSTER” was written and directed by Mark Jonathan Harris and produced by Deborah Oppenheimer, the pair that worked together on the Oscar-winning documentary “Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport.” That movie told […]
Joy Cho: Making Everyday Products Bring Cheer
Contemporary parents are probably familiar with the fresh, colorful work of Oh Joy! founder and creative director Joy Cho. Her super-popular blog, Oh Joy!, is now in its teen years, and Cho’s lifestyle brand creates cheery versions of everything from luggage to baby clothes to, most recently, Clorox wipes. Her fans are especially looking forward […]
How Research Can Help Parents of Children with Autism Prepare for the Future
When I became a parent, my anxiety grew astronomically. Minutes after the births of my sons, I felt entirely responsible for the fate of these little human beings. I was the Earth and they were seemingly the Sun around which my every decision revolved. Parental worry is a common problem and it can take a […]
Our 7 Favorite June Family Events
You’ll find performances, puppets, short films, big-time art, winged dragons, special athletes and a beach museum among this month’s top events.
Helping Your Kids Cope with Allergies
The spring season for sniffles and sneezes has arrived. More than 40 percent of U.S. children suffer from allergies. Most common are reactions to seasonal indoor/outdoor allergens, including those caused by pollen from trees (spring), grasses (summer), weeds (fall) and mold spores. Seasonal allergies can start as early as age 1 and peak at ages […]
Inclusive Products We Love
For kids of all abilities, we’re showcasing cool relaxation cards, visual schedules, a guide to learning issues, a tech assessment tool and an imaginative CD.
Finding the Right Parent Support Group
I’m a joiner – always have been. Hello, my name is Megan and I’ve attended AA, OA, Al-Anon, Weight Watchers, The Artist’s Way meetings and Co-Dependents Anonymous. (Did you even know that was a thing? It is.) I’ve spent hours in drafty Kiwanis clubs and musty church basements, sitting on metal folding chairs and nodding […]
Addressing Your Child’s Language-Based Learning Difference
Then 10-year-old Adeela Gokal was 5, most people couldn’t understand her. “She had difficulty finding the right words,” says Alison Gokal, Adeela’s mom. When referencing objects, Adeela might say, “The thing with the thing.” Her parents figured it was something she would grow out of. And when Adeela struggled to read in kindergarten, her teacher […]
Supporting Siblings With and Without Disabilities
In the spring of 1993, like a good mother, I began creating my baby daughter Kelene’s photo book. I purchased colorful paper, stickers and stamps to decorate the blank pages. I pasted in her newborn photo, where she smiles so much her nose squinches and her chubby arm hugs her stuffed Lamb Chop doll. I […]
Meet Jennifer Bliss of Vista del Mar Child and Family Services
Jennifer Bliss, LCW, Psy.D., is director of adoptions and foster care at Vista del Mar Child and Family Services, a local nonprofit that provides education, autism, adoption, residential-care, prevention and early-intervention programs. She recently shared some information about herself – and about Vista. What are some of your immediate goals in your new position? Building […]
Don’t Get Caught up in College ‘What If’s’
“What school is your child going to?” No other question (other than perhaps “Do you have a reliable babysitter?”) is uttered more frequently at playgroups and birthday parties. And none evokes more anxiety. Most Angelenos are well aware of the pressures of school choices. This parental one-upsmanship starts in preschool and grows with the child. […]
The Family That Works Out Together
Many of us feel some pressure to “do it all” after we have children. That might look like taking on most (if not all) of the following: providing a safe and stimulating environment for our children, earning money, cooking nutritious meals, maintaining a social calendar and, somehow, staying in shape. It’s a high bar, and […]
A Cat-and-Mouse Story Explores Issues of Homelessness
L.A. County is huge, but its burgeoning homeless population is impossible to hide. And while tents and boxes dotting the 110 Freeway and people sleeping on benches at parks, beaches and bus stops are clearly visible, what is often not as apparent is how many of our homeless neighbors are children. As community leaders continue […]
The Ins and Outs of Sleep-Away Camp
Sleep-away camp is a rite of passage in some families, while others have never even given it a thought. It may seem scary to send your little one off into the great unknown alone, but there are tremendous benefits – from gaining independence and making new friends to exploring the world and acquiring an appreciation […]
Fun Foods Help Healthy Eaters Sprout
Shannon Payette Seip grew up in California in the 1970s and ’80s in a house that wasn’t too adventurous when it came to food, but still was pretty healthy. “We weren’t trying sushi and eating mangoes. It was like chicken and rice and go get a burger,” she says. “But we didn’t have a lot […]
Curbing Influencers’ Influence on Kids’ Eating
Once upon a time, adults worried about the sugary breakfast cereals advertised to kids on Saturday-morning cartoons. The times and the frontier have changed, with children as likely to tune in to YouTube or Instagram as Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel. The problem of media swaying children’s diets toward the unhealthy, however, remains the same. […]
When Autism and Sleep Issues Collide
New parents expect to be sleep deprived – but they expect the sleepless nights to eventually end. For parents of children with autism, though, they don’t always. A study in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics found that children with autism are more than twice as likely to have sleep problems as those without […]
Stay Strong: How to Make Parenting and Fitness Work Out
On a recent Sunday, as I was lying in bed (still half asleep), a light drizzle showered the orange tree outside my window. I stared at the ceiling, feeling awfully lazy. Suddenly, I heard the thundering footsteps of my 4-year-old, Hank, rushing toward my door. The door burst open. “Dad! Wake up!” he yelled, yanking […]
Sensory-Friendly Story Times at L.A. Libraries
Librarians have special powers. With the use of dramatic recitation, song and dance, interactive Q&A sessions and art – and a good story, of course – librarians can captivate any gaggle of children scattered about their feet. They make reading fascinating and make the library a central location for early learning. Story time is a […]
SoCal Programs Let Kids with Disabilities Play with Purpose
On a recent afternoon at Rocket’s Universe Playground in North Hollywood, kids – some with disabilities, some without – were bouncing on an oversized teeter-totter, climbing on a moon sculpture, drumming on hollow plastic tubes and waiting their turn to slip down a reverberating slide. They were doing what kids do best: playing. For children, […]
Local Programs Support Teens and Young Adults with Disabilities
Imagine if parents made birth-style announcements marking their children’s transitions into young adulthood. One might read something like this: “We are excited to announce we are now the proud parents of a teen. Weighing in at 130 pounds, and 67 inches tall, our teen comes with a healthy dose of attitude, eye rolling and a […]
Summer Camps for All Abilities
Bonding with teammates to learn a new sport, flexing a new artistic muscle, working as a group to achieve a united goal, gaining a deeper understanding of self – each year, more than 11 million children attend some kind of overnight or day camp in the U.S., according to the American Camp Association. These extended […]
What You Need to Know About Measles
This is shaping up to be a banner year for a childhood disease declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000: measles. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports of 79 cases in January, compared with 372 in all of 2018. A public health emergency has been declared in Washington state, where 52 […]
Should Your Kids Pump Iron?
Health experts have long promoted the idea of kids playing sports, swimming, hiking, biking and just plain running around. But when it comes to another form of exercise, strength training, the jury has been out. Specialists once cautioned that strength training was a no-no before puberty, when the growth plates – the areas of tissue […]
Bump Bestie Gets Parents Baby-Gear Ready
Pregnant with my first child, I daydreamed about how fun and memorable it would be to shop for baby gear. Determined to make thoughtful decisions, my husband and I studied the popular “Everything You’ll Need for Baby” lists and purchased a book that swore to make baby prepping stress-free. Saturdays were designated for scouring stores […]
A Journal to Start Revolutions
A few years ago, a friend gave me a unique journal for adults featuring creative prompts, a concept also used successfully in “I Am a Rebel Girl: A Journal to Start Revolutions” by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli. For elementary- and middle-school-aged girls, the “I Am a Rebel Girl” journal provides a welcome and judgment-free […]
The Pop-Ups (and Downs) of Popping Up
Like many L.A. mamas, I turned an innovative idea into a small business. Pop-up stores have been all the rage for a while now, and while you may view them as a trendy wave, they can be a great way to sell and market your products. On the flip side, they can also turn into […]
The Dude-la Helps Build New Dads’ Skills
Brian Salmon was a 19-year-old surfer dude in L.A. when he assisted as coach for his friend’s childbirth. “It was a humbling experience to witness and assist the birth of a human being, just amazing,” says Salmon, now dad to Daisy, 9, and Eva, 14. The life-changing experience led him to open two ultrasound clinics […]
Jessica Chang: Committed to Affordable Quality Daycare
As the mom of a toddler and baby, and the owner of three L.A.-area preschools, Jessica Chang understands the challenges facing parents seeking quality and affordable childcare close to home. Surprised and frustrated by the lack of affordable childcare in her Rancho Park neighborhood, Chang did some research and found that California is among U.S. […]
Love in the Bottom of the Pot
As I turned the pages of Naz Deravian’s cookbook, “Bottom of the Pot, Persian Recipes and Stories,” I was instantly hooked. This is the food of my childhood and carries memories of growing up in an immigrant family in L.A. I was 9 years old when we left Iran, and while just about everything was […]
Products for Greener Parenting
L.A. parents are, in many ways, at the forefront of ecoparenting. Many Angeleno kids grow up visiting farmers markets, recycling their trash and spending time outdoors hiking or at the beach. But many products that our children use every day still contain a cocktail of chemicals. Children’s soaps, moisturizers and other personal-care products often contain […]
Cash for Camp
“Summer is expensive,” says Korey Kalman, owner of Got Game Sports, an L.A. day camp he started in 2011. He isn’t just stating the obvious. While as parents we might start our summer-camp planning with visions of our children leaping playfully in the sun and creating magical memories while learning and growing, those dreams dissipate […]
Just Say Yes to ‘No More Poems’
Life on the road led Americana singer-songwriter Rhett Miller to write his first book, a collection of children’s poems entitled “No More Poems” The poems, however, weren’t inspired by wild rock band escapades (except maybe for “Stinky Mouth You”). They were created as a way for Miller to extend his Facetime conversations with his two […]
A Sneaky Take on Granville’s Mac and Cheese
Faced with a toddler who was a picky eater, Glenda Galvan-Garcia resorted to something that has worked for many parents: sneaking vegetables into his food by disguising them among the other ingredients. It worked for a while, until Isaac was about 3. Taking a bite of the macaroni and cheese into which Galvan-Garcia had mixed […]
The Food Chain for Picky Eaters
By Christina Elston Every mom and dad wants to have a kid who’s a good eater. “One of your major roles as a parent is to make sure your child is well nourished,” says Judy Hopkins, an occupational therapist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles specializing in children with feeding disorders. That’s why having a child […]
Start Your Kids on a Heart-Healthy Path
February is a great time to show your kids a little extra love by helping them take good care of their hearts. A paper published in December in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology noted that heart-healthy habits in adults are rooted in childhood and could be the key to preventing future heart […]
How Pint-Size Influencers Mila & Emma Took Over Instagram
When a mom and her kids visit a café in L.A., it usually doesn’t turn heads, but the Stauffer family isn’t just any family. This family includes Instagram-famous twins Mila and Emma Stauffer, the 4-year-old stars of the clan who can hardly go out in public without being recognized. When asked if they’re famous, in […]
Becoming an Expat Parent
I’ve never been one to stay in one place. As a journalist for more than 20 years, I’ve been able to make a living in my hometown of Detroit; the city where I went to college, Atlanta; the city where I married, New York; and the city where I landed after my divorce, L.A. Moving […]
Novel Explores Familial Love as Expansive as the Sky
I was reading something the other day that urged parents not to “forget about the kids” this Valentine’s Day. Maybe your kids will make grams for their friends or give their teachers boxes of chocolates, but while the day is all about love, the focus is usually on the romantic kind. And although romantic love […]
Julia Storm: Educating Parents About Digital Media
In my household, we were not on the same page about what age our son should be when he received his first cell phone. My husband (and son) figured turning double digits was the magical time, whereas I’d been thinking more like 13. Or 15. The guys won out, but it has been quite a […]
Because of Them We Can Campaign Launches Black History Subscription Box for Kids
From Instagram to the White House to the everyday household, the Because of Them We Can (BOTWC) campaign has come full circle. In 2013, Eunique Jones Gibson launched the Instagram campaign (@BecauseOfThem) during Black History Month, featuring photos of kids dressed as African American historical and contemporary figures such as Janelle Monae, Langston Hughes and […]
Kids Gym Provides Inclusion for Children – And its Owners
When Howard Luck was graduating from high school, his counselor told him that college would be way too demanding and that he should limit his career aspirations to bagging groceries at a local market. Howard has a variety of learning differences and had been in special education for much of his time in school. He […]
Despite Fire Devastation, Shemesh Enterprises Unique Culinary Program Continues
In the path of the Woolsey Fire that devastated our region in November was a unique occupational program, business and social enterprise that, thankfully, is already rising from the ashes. Shemesh Enterprises is many things to many people. To the farm fellows who work there – all young adults with disabilities – it is a […]
7 Reasons to Join a Parent Support Group
Recently, a father of a 14-year-old boy called to ask for a family session. He described how he got so fed up with his son’s video gaming that he turned the WiFi off in his house. A shouting match ensued and his son got so mad that he jumped out of the ground-level window and […]
Behold … Fatherhood!
Behold, the only thing greater than yourself. That’s the only line I remember from the original “Roots” miniseries. Kunta Kinte’s father lifted him up to the Gambian sky and with those words declared his son’s horizon to be boundless. Looking back on it, I suspect those words were more Hollywood scribecraft than west African wisdom. […]
New Treatment Shows Promise for Some with Peanut Allergy
One afternoon about five years ago, Danielle Darnault was shopping at a Target store in Culver City with her 1-year-old daughter Lila. Lila got hungry, so Darnault opened a box of granola bars she was tossing into her cart and handed one to her toddler. “Just holding the granola bar, her hand got really red,” […]
Healthy Advice for Parenting Through Chronic Illness
I was a reasonably healthy person up until my mid-20s. It was around age 26 that I started to feel as though something was off. I experienced a deep fatigue more appropriate for someone four times my age, had bizarre fainting spells and strange reactions to the sun. By my late 20s, I’d had a […]
Rachael MacFarlane: First Picture Book Urges Kids to Play Freely
Rachael MacFarlane is best known as a voiceover actress. She currently voices Hayley on “American Dad,” created by her brother, animator Seth MacFarlane, who is also the creator of “Family Guy.” In fact, her partnership with her brother on “Family Guy” launched her voiceover career. MacFarlane’s latest project is a different kind of family collaboration. […]
Take a Crack at Homemade Matzo Ball Posole
Jon Sloan, culinary director of The Crack Shack (which opened its newest location in Pasadena in November), is of Jewish descent and hails from the East Coast. That’s why this mashup of comfort foods, one from Jewish and one from Mexican tradition, felt like something he’d want to try. It didn’t hurt that The Crack […]
The Great Ice-scape, or How I Learned to Let My Kids Love the Snow
My boys loathe the cold. My boys loathe the heat, too, but since it’s January and about as chilly as it’s going to get here in L.A., I’ll focus on the cold. Hank, who’s 4, has always been more curious about the weather than willing to be out in it. “Tell me more about these […]
Cultivating Gratitude in 2019
Gratitude is always a good practice, even if you’re just grateful that 2018 is behind us. Sarah Salamon, M.D., is a pediatrician at Huntington Health Physicians and a mom actively cultivating gratitude within her own family. “I want to raise a nice, thankful, not-entitled child,” she says. “I think in this day and age, we’re […]
Get Started, Be Prepared
Whether or not your family’s emergency preparedness was tested by our area’s 2018 wildfires, the new year is a great time to step up your game. My Altadena neighborhood recently had a “Map Your Neighborhood” meeting so we can help each other during an emergency. Then Ken Kondo, emergency program manager at L.A. County’s Office […]
Truman’s Adventure: A Parakeet, a Dog and a Family Explore L.A.
As a resident of the city that everyone loves to hate (including many of those who live here), it’s refreshing to see works that encourage us to embrace L.A. In her new children’s book, “Truman’s Los Angeles Adventure,” Barbara Dourmashkin, originally from New York but now living in L.A. with her husband and their two […]
Family and Community Pull Together to Battle Rare Disease
When I worked for the Dodgers, I oversaw their community relations’ health pillar, a project designed to reach out to those in the L.A. community who are suffering from serious illnesses, to send them gift packages that included paraphernalia signed by their baseball idols and sometimes to give them a baseball experience of a lifetime. […]
Social and Job Skills are the Focus of Center4SpecialNeeds Programs
The Center4SpecialNeeds, a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources, education and supports for children with developmental disabilities and their families, has sessions of two popular programs beginning in January. Kids/Teens Clubs offer activities designed to help improve children’s social skills and build self-esteem and confidence. The groups are co-ed and organized by age and abilities. Led […]
Exceptional Minds Launches 2019 Virtual Private Tutoring Program
Exceptional Minds, a nonprofit academy and working studio for adults on the autism spectrum who are pursuing careers in animation and visual effects (VFX), has launched a Virtual Private Tutoring (VPT) program. VPT is designed to offer the academy’s specialized training to students wherever they may be. The three-year full-time Exceptional Minds program includes technical and professional […]
Course Offers Special-Needs Moms a Mindful Return to Work
Having a baby is a transformative experience, bringing intense physical changes and engulfing emotional ones due to the pending needs of this new human. The mind races from nesting to nursing to concern over who will care for this bundle of joy once parents return to work. These concerns are heightened when a child is […]
6 Ways to Prevent Your Child from Getting Sick this Season
It’s almost inevitable: Your child starts school and soon enough they come home with sniffles, cough, and fever. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tricks to prevent your child from getting sick as often. Keep Hands Clean If there is one tip that is most important on this list, it […]
Air Travel Practice For Kids With Autism
Faced with a challenging task, most of us would like a practice run before we tackle the real thing. Just in time for summer vacation, Open Sky for Autism offers a bit of practice for people with autism who might find air travel difficult. The event takes place Dec. 8 at Air Hollywood, a unique […]
Defying Gravity and Disabilities with iFLY
Who hasn’t imagined what it would be like to fly? To break free of the bonds of Earth and float upward? The folks at iFLY at Universal Studios CityWalk have been making that happen for folks for more than a decade. For the past year, they’ve been flying those who not only want to overcome […]
Adapted Living: Style & Accessibility
When I met my sister-in-law 10 years ago, I saw the very real necessity to remove barriers for people with disabilities in order to improve their quality of life. My sister-in-law uses a wheelchair, and spending one day out and about with her on L.A. sidewalks and in shopping centers was all it took for […]
Travel: Yes, You Can!
Planning a vacation when someone in your family has a disability presents challenges. Christi Oliver is more familiar with this than most. “We often travel with three or four generations of relatives, so all of our travel has to be appropriate and engaging for everyone, whether they’re 6 months old or 16, grandparents, sometimes great-grandparents […]
What Makes a Cookie Good
Do you remember your first favorite cookie? Ross Canter does. His grandfather was one of the original Canter brothers who ran Canter’s Deli, which at the time had a location in Boyle Heights, along with the Fairfax deli that is open to this day. “I really remember being a little kid and walking around the […]
The Jeffrey Foundation Celebrates 46th Anniversary
The Jeffrey Foundation, an L.A.-based nonprofit serving children with disabilities and their families, recently honored 46 of the foundation’s supporters to celebrate the organization’s 46-year anniversary. “We wanted to show our gratitude to an extraordinary group of supporters who have helped the foundation become the full-service agency that it is today,” said Alyce Morris Winston, […]
Baking Your Way to Better Health
Ten years ago, Beth Ricanati, M.D., found herself running in place in her bathroom late at night (while sorting the family mail) to get her 10,000 steps in for the day. She describes herself at the time as a “frantic, frenetic busy mom-wife-physician hyphenate” trying to do it all. It wasn’t working. Then Ricanati, who […]
Doc Talk: Understanding Acute Flaccid Myelitis
News of a mysterious illness called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, has been prominent in recent months. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking cases since 2014, and this year had received reports of at least 252 cases and confirmed 90 by mid-November, mainly in children ages 2-8. The illness generally […]
Searching for a New Holiday Tradition
December is upon us once again, and the holidays have got me reflecting on the meaning of tradition in a millennial’s life. Maybe, when you were growing up, your family’s holiday traditions were über-traditional: You went out caroling or the like. Or, maybe, you just went shopping all season and watched a ton of movies. […]
Aida Yodites: An Eye on Fashion and Comfort for Girls
I can’t wait to grow up! they think while they are still trapped in their young bodies, waiting impatiently for signs of adulthood. For boys, it’s that first, almost-invisible hint of a mustache. For girls, the first bra might be the confirmation they need. Aida Yodites remembers her first bra well: the giddiness she felt […]
Choosing – and maybe Grilling – Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Marconda’s Meats and Puritan Poultry is a family-owned meat and poultry market located at The Original Farmers Market. It’s been in business since 1941 and there are three generations of the DeRosa family working behind the counter. So, of course they don’t want you to buy your Thanksgiving turkey at the supermarket. Lou DeRosa, current […]
‘This Is Us’ Star Lonnie Chavis Expands His #FixYourHeart Message
When NBC’s “This Is Us” star Lonnie Chavis discovered that a few people trolling his Instagram account were making fun of the gap in his teeth, he clapped back. Not with retaliatory words; instead, the 10-year-old sent a message that prescribes self-reflection and self-acceptance as antidotes to eradicating a culture of bullying and low self-esteem. […]
Holiday Eating – in Moderation
Holidays mean a lot of love and, often, a lot of high-fat, sugary, delicious treats. To keep things in perspective, Sean Hashmi, M.D., regional director of clinical nutrition and weight management at Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Permanente Medical Group, touts what he calls the SELF principle – Sleep, Exercise, Love and Food. “Sleep seven to […]
Battling Motion Sickness During Holiday Travel
Whether your holiday travel is by plane, train or automobile, if you’re traveling with kids, you should be on the lookout for motion sickness. It’s caused when the brain, body and inner ear receive differing signals about whether or not you are moving. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea (and vomiting) and headache. If your children have […]
‘From Me to You’ – Letters from a Dad’s Heart
Norman Aladjem made it through a good-size chunk of his adulthood working as an entertainment industry executive and living it up as a child-free bachelor – you know, one of those “commitment-phobic L.A. men.” Hey, those are his words, not mine. When he was a teen in Cleveland, a cheerleader named Laura had been his […]