As we all navigate closures and quarantines due to the coronavirus outbreak, L.A. Parent is #SupportingFamilies with this helpful series of articles. To receive daily updates via email, sign up for our newsletter!
#SupportingFamilies
By Understanding Our Own Anxiety, We Help Our Kids
As a parent, I have seen anxiety in my kids in different stages of their lives. My older child, while in the process of switching schools, started to bite his nails and continues to this day. My younger one, less emotionally expressive, bakes up a storm to calm herself down. Both have refused to learn […]
11 Tips to Help Kids Process Political Unrest
Since Jan. 6, the news has focused on little else than the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building. As Americans, many of us are feeling a wide range of emotions. On-screen violence, vandalism and traumatic events are never easy to discuss with your children or students. However, young people need help processing these events. Older children and teens will feel […]
Los Angeles Public Library “Student Zones” go Virtual, Offering Personalized Help with Online Resources
Los Angeles Public Library Student Zones — after school homework centers located in libraries—have been transformed into a virtual resource, allowing students to connect online with a Student Zone Helper for assistance in using library resources to complete homework assignments. Students can book a 30-minute appointment between 3 and 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and […]
What L.A. Parents Need to Know About MIS-C
Los Angeles County has been buried by a post-holiday spike in COVID-19 cases. On its heels, we can expect to see an increase in cases of a COVID-related syndrome in children called MIS-C. The letters stand for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. It’s rare and can be dangerous, but is highly treatable if caught early. […]
5 Easy Steps to an Outdoor Home Theater
During these uncertain times, it’s important to find creative and safe fun for your family. However, after so many months of pandemic conditions, it’s easy to run out of ideas. Our family found one more source of fun by creating a cozy home theater in the comfort of our backyard. Here is a safe way […]
Make the Most of Your Family’s Telemedicine Visits
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine appointments have gone from a rare novelty to a popular necessity, especially for children. These face-to-face virtual appointments allow doctors and patients to meet safely, and they ensure a child’s essential health needs are being met. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles pediatrician Mona Patel, M.D., offers advice on how to have […]
5 Ways to Get Your Family Moving
Are you sitting down? If you’re reading this during the COVID-19 pandemic, you probably are. And so are your kids. U.S. families have long struggled against the habit of too much “chair time,” and stay-at-home orders during 2020 haven’t helped matters. The University of Southern California conducted one of the first data-based studies of kids’ […]
Mom’s Health From Head to Toe
If Mom’s health isn’t looked after, how healthy is the rest of the family likely to be? Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to be at your best for yourself – and for everyone you’re taking care of. I reached out to experts from the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine […]
3 Ways to Start 2021 by Reveling in the Basics
As the year we’ll never forget wound down and we slipped (hopefully, cautiously) into 2021, my heart needed a break from the computer screen. For this month’s column, I took stock of some of the local treats I enjoyed in 2020 despite the pandemic. Without the hustle and bustle of in-person events, I was forced […]
How College Admissions Has Changed During COVID
While early submission deadlines for college applications have passed, families can still get ahead of the game for regular-decision applications by anticipating new developments. Applying for college is often a student’s first solo adult responsibility – a first experience of taking the future into their own hands. This year, however, all the trusty maps appear […]
Keeping Your Student Athlete in Shape From Home
We’re all suffering to some degree from being sidelined as the pandemic drags on. But for young athletes, being kept off the field and away from teammates and coaches is only part of the equation. Some are looking at their sport of choice as a pathway to a possible college scholarship or professional career. Whether […]
Scholarships to Help Recover from COVID-19
We won’t know the full impact of the pandemic on people’s livelihoods for some time, but as unemployment numbers rise and food giveaway lines lengthen, turning a blind eye is not an option. With basic needs top of mind, many people’s quests for career advancement and education attainment came to a screeching halt this year. […]
3 Ways to Build Social Skills Online
As we all continue to be socially distanced by the pandemic, kids’ social skills are certainly suffering. This can be especially true for neurodiverse children who already faced challenges connecting with peers. Even children who are working with a therapist aren’t getting the same social skills practice they would have with other children. “As much […]
L.A. County Libraries offer Park-and-Connect Service + More Family Films
The L.A. County Library is offering new free outdoor Wi-Fi and bolstering its library of Spanish-language films for kids. At branches offering the Park & Connect program, free wireless coverage has been extended to include the parking lots. With libraries closed, this will allow families without reliable internet services at home a chance to do […]
6 Tips for Connecting with Kids Virtually
Are you trying to stay close with the little ones in your life from afar? A good number of friends and family have confided that they don’t know much about connecting with kids virtually (both big kids and young ones). What can they talk about to keep the kids interested? Grandparents may get frustrated that […]
A Local Pediatrician’s Take on the Pandemic
To say this year has been crazy is an understatement. And along with all of the other changes, there have been many in pediatricians’ offices. Before this year, we had become accustomed to treating anyone who walks in. We now have a responsibility to ourselves, our staff and our other patients to ask about symptoms […]
Three Strategies for Practicing Social Skills During the Pandemic
As the pandemic drags on and children are kept home from school and away from friends, they are missing out on vital chances to build and practice social skills. Even skills we might not think of as academic, such as conversation and back-and-forth play skills, can take a hit, according to psychologist Amy Wilson, clinical […]
How to Take a Digital Detox Break
Are you having trouble sleeping lately? Are you frequently stressing yourself out with the late-night doom-scroll through news headlines? You’re not alone. During quarantine, most of us have spent large amounts of time scrolling through our phones, and it’s causing a lot of anxiety, stress and, sometimes, insomnia. How can we stop ourselves from doom-scrolling […]
Three Easy Ways to Build Your Child’s Social Skills at Home
Our kids have been away from their classrooms for months that sometimes feel like years. We worry about the lessons they might be missing, the academic ground they might have lost. Meanwhile, many kids worry about whether they’ll ever be able to hang out with their friends again. When we can’t be social, how do […]
California Approves Shorter Standardized Tests Due to COVID-19
In the midst of the pandemic, students, teachers and parents breathed a collective sigh of relief about the temporary halting of standardized testing. As we prepare to enter the second semester of the 2020-21 school year, however, the State Board of Education is bringing the test back but with a twist. The department has approved […]
Reopened School Offers Tips for Keeping Students Safe From COVID-19
One of the most delightful things about pre-COVID life was driving or walking past our local schools. We could see kids rushing to make it through the front doors on time or hear the younger ones squealing with joy on playgrounds. Many of our school buildings still sit idly and quietly by. But last month, […]
Remote Learning Resources: 5 Educational Apps for Kids
With the global pandemic in 2020, children are video conferencing into classrooms and parents are expected to be more hands-on in their child’s education. I don’t know about you guys, but my dad was a car mechanic and my mother a customer support agent, so asking them for help with my algebra homework was a […]
Does COVID -19 Belong in College Applications and Essays?
The normal process of applying to college has been upended by the pandemic, but one thing that remains constant is the need to write a college essay. Beyond lists of achievements and activities on a college application, the essays allow admissions officers a chance to get to know a student and who that student hopes […]
Santa Cruz Island: Social Distancing in Nature
For a family who ordinarily loves to travel, the pandemic has drastically limited our destination options. To make up for it, we’ve explored local road trips and day trips to bring a little bit of normalcy and family fun back into our lives. Recently, my 12-year-old, Elle, and I embarked upon our most adventurous pandemic […]
Try a Self-driving Tour for Safer Travel
While the mere thought of a crowded casino is enough to make one cringe in these times, consider using Las Vegas as a jumping-off point for an adventurous drive into nature. The adventure tour provider Bindlestiff Tours reopened this summer with new self-drive and private tour packages, as well as enhanced health and safety protocols. […]
4 COVID-Protecting Actions to Remember During Pregnancy
Being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic brings new and unexpected concerns for the health of expectant moms and their babies. As research and experience add to the knowledge about COVID-19 and pregnancy, physicians and patients can use that information to better protect themselves. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released information […]
L.A. Getaways From the Water to the Mountains to the Desert
Looking for a getaway close to home? We’ve got three great options that feel far away, but aren’t. Dana Point Harbor Just 59 miles south of L.A., Dana Point Harbor is the perfect beachside destination to celebrate Thanksgiving with shopping specials, waterfront dining and entertainment for the whole family. Take a whale-watching excursion with Dana […]
Know the Signs: Colds, Flu and COVID-19
We’re in our ninth month with the deadly respiratory virus that causes COVID-19 circulating among us – and now cold and flu season is here. Epidemiologist Brandon Brown of the Center for Healthy Communities at UC Riverside weighs in to help parents navigate the range of illnesses they might encounter this winter. “It is the […]
Teach Your Kids to Plan with These 4 Great Tips
It’s the fall of 2020, and your kids are back in school. The day’s learning may be happening in the classroom, in a small group or at your kitchen table. Wherever it is, the fact remains that many children (and parents) are overwhelmed and anxious during this time of the year. All the juggling of […]
5 Tips to Help Your Family Escape Through Reading
As the stressors of 2020 continue to increase – COVID-19, distance learning, an election and a brutal fire season – filling our children’s and our own need for a daily space of respite is vital. In my September L.A. Parent article, I discussed how critical it is that children read during this time of educational […]
Meet L.A. Parent’s Mask Contest Winners
In the end, two brothers and their doll edged out the competition. In September, L.A. Parent hosted a mask contest for local kids. We asked parents what masks their children like to wear. We also asked for their tips about explaining to kids why masks are important and getting them to wear them consistently. Parents […]
Teaching Kids About Voting
Election day is almost here. If you’re still looking for ways to get the kids involved, here’s a challenge: Turn your stay-at-home doldrums into an interactive civics lesson and lively debates that will inspire your children to become active, engaged citizens. Why is this important? According to a just-released study by the Knight Foundation, more than […]
The Art of Making Something from Nothing
I remember when my youngest son was 6 years old and we were in the car. It was a quiet moment – rare, as we all know – and suddenly he says, “Mommy, if everything has to be invented or made, is everything art?” Hmmmm… I was taken aback by such a thoughtful question and […]
Why Your Child Needs Sensory Play
Young children are hardwired to explore the world through their senses. This means that they create an understanding of what is around them largely through touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. This is also why your sweet child can’t resist splashing in puddles, digging in sand and finger-painting up to the elbows. As messy as […]
YMCA of LA Provides Free Wi-Fi at 20 Outdoor Locations
Distance learning has brought to light a number of equity challenges facing many Los Angeles County students and their families. One challenge that stands out is the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity to allow adequate access to at-home learning and other resources. The YMCA-LA is launching a new program to provide free unlimited internet access to […]
Quality Child Care is a Pandemic Essential
A low point for me during the pandemic – OK, admittedly, one of a few – was when I had to miss a late afternoon Zoom meeting, at the last minute, because of a more pressing concern. At least, it was a much louder one: my kids’ complaining that, “Mom, we’re staaaarving.” And so rather […]
Dealing with Physical Disability During the Pandemic
Even before COVID-19, families with children who have physical disabilities faced challenges and isolation in daily life. The pandemic has exacerbated those challenges. Fortunately, experts and organizations in the Los Angeles community are ready to help. Josan Wright Callender is an education consultant with more than 40 years of experience teaching special education. Her focus […]
A Little Bit Crazy!
Here is how I gauge that we are losing our minds a little: it seems a daunting task to try to get all four of us out of the house. I find myself drawn to pop-up ads that have masks built into the neck of a sweater. Hours go by each morning and I have […]
Accessing Early Intervention Services
“Early intervention oriented me at a vulnerable moment in the lives of my children and put me on a lifelong path of care and advocacy for them.” These words were shared with me by a mother whose daughter, a recipient of early intervention services, was preparing to start college. As the director of an early […]
29 Distance-Learning Field Trips in L.A.
Whether you vied for one of those few parent chaperone spots on your kids’ school field trips or actively sought to dodge them, we are all in this together (again). Only now, we must take the reins of field trip coordination like cruise ship directors channeling Julie McCoy from the 1970s sitcom “The Love Boat.” […]
Caring for Your Family’s Mental Health this School Year
Some time has passed since COVID-19 initially impacted our lives, lessening some of our early worries about the pandemic. As we continue to navigate drastic changes, my concerns these days turn mostly to my children and other children around me. My kids worry about how they will stay connected with the friends they saw daily […]
Great Distance-Learning (and Work) Packages at SoCal Resorts
You’re intimately familiar with staycations – 2020 made sure of that – but have you heard of study-cations? Picture it. Fed up working and schooling at home while the fridge empties like water running through a sieve and dishes pile up like trash at a landfill, you and your family pack an overnight bag. You […]
Parents Anonymous Offers a Helpline and Support Groups for Families
This year has been extremely difficult for people of all ages due to the many uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Californians are out of work and under serious financial stress. Children are partaking in virtual learning, which has come with unforeseen challenges and setbacks. Most recently, California has been dealing with devastating wildfires, and many parents are unsure on how to help their children cope with all that is going on. One resource […]
SoCal Eighth Grader Creates COVID Memorial Quilt
Eighth grader Madeleine Fugate has created a Covid Memorial Quilt to honor people who have passed away during the pandemic. Her goal is to foster healing for those who have lost loved ones, in the U.S. and around the world, by displaying the Covid Memorial Quilt as a living online memorial and in public spaces. […]
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, […]
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 […]
L.A. Volunteers Prove Love Has No Limits
They say love conquers all and money is the root of all evil, but Love Has No Limits is attempting to change those narratives. The organization launched a campaign last month to relieve 2,000 families in Inglewood, Lynwood and Compton of $5 million worth of unpaid (and unpayable due to families’ economic situations) medical bills. […]
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 […]
12 L.A. Enrichment Programs for Kids
However your children began school this year, you’ve been doing all you can to help them participate and stay engaged with their learning. These times aren’t easy for anyone, and children have been impacted by the separation from their teachers and friends, their only window to the classroom a screen. Fortunately, L.A. is filled with […]
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. […]
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 […]
COVID Youth Sports Disruptions: A Golden Opportunity for Families
It didn’t matter that everyone thought Brian was crazy. If 9-year-old son Jeffrey had two soccer games in Riverside sandwiched around a basketball game in Torrance, Brian would make sure that Jeffrey got to all three. The 250 back-and-forth miles he logged in the Highlander Hybrid was just a typical Saturday. Jeffrey was a multi-sport […]
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, […]
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 […]
This Year, Turn Your Kids into Smart Voters
Are you home with kids and running out of things to do? Here’s a challenge – turn your stay-at-home doldrums into an interactive civics lesson and lively debates that will inspire your children – and you – to become active, engaged citizens. Why is this important? According to a just-released study by the Knight Foundation, […]
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 […]
Finding Strength in Motherhood and Fitness During the Pandemic
My day in the life as a FIT4MOM manager and instructor looked really different back in March than it does now. Our Stroller Strides class was a full-body workout for moms with babies in tow. We would sing and squat and do jumping jacks to the ABCs. If a baby started crying, I would rock […]
Our End-of-Summer L.A. Field Trips
A friend of mine calls them “field trips,” as a nod to the 12 years I spent as an elementary school teacher. She’s referring to the day-long outings my son and I engage in during breaks from school. Because there really is no shortage of things to do in Los Angeles with kids – of all […]
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 […]
Los Angeles Dream Center Offers Drive-Through Lunches and School Help
With distance learning the norm as the new school year gets underway, the Los Angeles Dream Center in Echo Park is pitching in to fill some gaps for kids in underserved communities. School lunch, an important source of nutrition for at least 85% of children in California, is one. During a normal summer when school […]
Red Cross Virtual Family Assistance Center Offers Care for Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones to COVID-19
The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region has launched a Virtual Family Assistance Center to support families struggling with loss and grief due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. People can visit redcross.org/get-help to access a support hub with special virtual programs, information, referrals and services to support families in need. People without internet access can call 833-492-0094 for help. Many […]
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 […]
Silver Linings of the Pandemic
“The best thing I’ve ever done in quarantine is ignore my kids,” says special education master teacher, mom and wife Susie Snyder of Los Feliz. While there still isn’t enough time in 24 hours to manage all of the responsibilities of our myriad titles, at five months and counting, the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing a […]
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 […]
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 […]
An Inglewood and Windsor Hills Date To-Go
Recently, my husband, Byron, and I got a little break when my mom volunteered to keep our daughters (12 and 3) for a few days. After months of being quarantined and not interacting with the public, we were happy to get a little break (that’s putting it mildly). We had so many elaborate plans, such […]
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 – […]
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 […]
CalBike Is Linking Angelenos to Bike Match
Because of the quarantine, local bike shop owners have seen bikes wheeled out of their stores more than ever before. Angelenos who haven’t hopped on a bike in years are back in the saddle, hoping that old adage – you never forget how to ride a bike – is true. Rusty or not, bike riding […]
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 […]
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 […]
Here’s Your Family Road Trip Safety Checklist
We all need to have an adventure this summer, and one of the safest ways to do that is to take a road trip! When planning your road trip with the family, adding certain items to your checklist is essential to keep you all healthy. All travel requires some thoughtfulness and pre-planning. Below are my suggestions on ways […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
L.A. Volunteers are Doing Good
Help. We’ve been living through a spring and summer where plenty of people in our community need it as we all come to terms with the devastating impacts of a health crisis around the world and systemic racial injustices here at home. But even these stormiest of clouds have a silver lining, lately displayed as […]
A Family Takes Its First RV Road Trip
My husband Marcus, born on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and raised in apartments across L.A., is a bona fide city man. He loves the idea of nature, being particularly obsessed with astronomy, but I can probably count on one hand the number of times in our 14 years together that he’s suggested going hiking. Heck, […]
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 […]
Kids can Earn Junior Wildlife Ranger Badges at Home
Junior Wildlife Ranger, an environmental education nonprofit working to get kids ages 7 and up outside and learning about their local ecosystems and public lands, is offering a free Neighborhood Badge Program designed to give children safe, engaging outdoor experiences this summer. Kids first need to sign up to become a Junior Wildlife Ranger and start their […]
Tweens Can Learn Civics – and Contribute to Charties – By Playing Online Games
iCivics, a civic education provider, has launched a summer initiative to engage students and their families in learning important civics skills at home – while also helping to make donations to national and global charities that are working every day to address urgent public needs like healthcare access, food security, racial inequality and youth engagement […]