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
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 […]
Drive-Up Childhood Vaccines Available at the Saban Community Clinic
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and while campuses in the Los Angeles Unified School District (and many others) will be closed as the 2020-21 school year begins, vaccines are still required to register for school and parents are advised to keep up to date with their child’s vaccines, now more than ever. Amidst COVID-19, […]
6 Tips for Healthier Time Online During the Pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic arrived and health officials urged us all to stay “safer at home,” no one chained us to our computers, televisions or phone screens – but they might as well have. We’ve worked and learned online, celebrated birthdays and graduations at our computers, visited grandparents and sat in on virtual camps, play […]
Tips for a Healthy New School Year – Wherever You Are
I spoke with Nava Yeganeh, a pediatric infectious disease doctor with UCLA Health, minutes after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mid-July announcement that California schools will not reopen for in-person instruction in the fall – following months of speculation and a patchwork of announcements by various schools and districts about their plans. “It’s a big deal, because […]
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 […]
Your Kids Can Learn to Swim at the Rose Bowl This Summer
With so much canceled this summer, your kids can still enjoy some cool fun with lessons at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena. With a mission to make sure that every person is water safe, the RBAC has implemented new policies and procedures – and is operating at a limited capacity – in order […]
Scream of Consciousness
One Black woman’s prayer, lament and battle cry for the safety of her baby grandson echoes over 400 years of collective hope and heartache for our youth James Baldwin wrote, “people are trapped in history and history is trapped in them,” and if this is so, I look at those people, particularly some white Americans […]
5 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids
We’re all looking for ways to lure our kids away from their screens for a couple of hours. Why not ignite their imaginations through the wonderful world of stories? No, I don’t mean stories in the form of movies or video games. I’m talking about the old-fashioned written word. These five writing exercises, or “prompts” […]
5 Tips to Help Your Kids Make the Most of Video Chats
Video chat using apps such as FaceTime and Skype is a great way for young children to stay in touch with long-distance family and friends. Through video chat, children have an opportunity to to build a relationship, communicate with, and learn from a loved one on the screen. Here are five ways to help your […]
Steering Clear of Unsafe Hand Sanitizer
With coronavirus cases continuing to climb in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, hand sanitizer sales have been through the roof, to the point where there have been times when it is hard to find. Given the increased demand, the Food and Drug Administration is finding that some companies might be cutting corners and using replacement […]
Pediatricians Offer Guidance on Returning to Youth Sports Amid Coronavirus
Sports activities offer children and teens many physical and psychological health benefits besides fitness, such as socializing with friends, a critical part of development. Many children have missed these activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and re-engaging youth in sports will require careful thought and safety precautions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), drawing on the […]
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 […]
AccuWeather Summer Camp is in Session
It’s hot outside, and global weather information portal AccuWeather is providing fun, science-based learning all summer long for children, parents and interested adults. AccuWeather Summer Camp is a virtual educational series that draws on insights from AccuWeather expert meteorologists, teaching hands-on science lessons and activities remotely while “campers” are sheltering at home. AccuWeather Summer Camp features daily lessons […]
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. […]
UNICEF Launches Free Virtual Kids’ Camp That Gives Back
Kids stuck at home this summer can have fun, and help out, through CAMP@HOME with UNICEF Kid Power. The online UNICEF camp features more than 75 short videos (only a couple of minutes long) that guide children through activities and new skills including sports, crafts, cooking and campfire songs. Videos run the gamut from crafts such as […]
Coronavirus Testing Update
As the county continues to wrestle with the coronavirus pandemic, health officials remind us that the virus has not gone away. Testing will still play an important role in protecting us from infection, and L.A. County Department of Health Services Director Christina Ghaly, M.D., shares the latest on whether you need to be tested and […]
Free Comic Book Summer Comes to SoCal
Free Comic Book Day usually takes place the first Saturday in May. This year, because of COVID-19, it’s going to happen throughout July and early September, effectively making it Free Comic Book Summer! Between July 15 and Sept. 9, comic shops will receive five to six free titles. The shops may release one free title […]
L.A. Parks and Splash Pads are Ready for Summer Fun
The official start of the 2020 summer season is here at L.A. County parks, and the county is celebrating July as “Parks Make Life Better” month to highlight splash pads, swim beaches and recreation trails sure to draw families this year. Working with the Department of Public Health, the county has developed COVID-19 health procedures […]
Kids Can Read Their Favorite Books at Storyline Online Summer Camp
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Storyline Online literacy website streams free storytime videos of actors of all ages reading books for kids. It’s a delightful and literacy-building program, and this summer the foundation is giving kids a chance to get into the act through Storyline Online Summer Camp. To join in, kids just choose their favorite book […]
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 […]
How Families Can Safely Make Outdoor Play a Priority this Summer
As these first weeks of summer unfold, the American Academy of Pediatrics reminds parents of the benefits for young children of outdoor play. “Getting outside to play is good for children’s health on so many levels,” says AAP President Sally Goza, MD, FAAP. “Children play harder outdoors, and so getting them outside can help with […]
JOANN Launches Masks for Schools Buy One, Give One Program
Although plans for the fall academic season are far from solidified, one thing is undoubtedly true: students, teachers and staff will be wearing masks when they return. JOANN fabric and craft stores are helping to prepare the nation’s most at-risk schools to get back safely with a new Masks for Schools program. With every pre-made […]
City of L.A. Offers Free Street Trees During COVID-19 Crisis
As Angelenos stay home to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, a City of Los Angeles partnership is offering a unique way to bring families and neighborhoods together and build healthy communities – with free trees. There are so many benefits to trees: they clean the air we breathe, cool our streets and […]
Los Angeles YMCA Branches Begin Reopening
YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles announced the reopening of six of its gyms June 22, with the remainder of its 26 branches to open in phases over the next month. The reopenings are being conducted in accordance with local public health and CDC guidelines, with the health and safety of members and staff of the […]
Parents: Stay Focused on Your Goals
In times of uncertainty, it is sometimes difficult to stay focused on your personal and career goals. As parents, we might even feel guilty for pushing forward to achieve success. When areas of our lives at home or at work add to our daily stress, it is important not to ignore the chaos. But it […]
What Travel Might Be Like This Summer and Beyond
We can all agree travel will look different in the future. Even if we are wearing masks, covered in antibacterial, and can’t touch anyone, we will get back out there. Here are my predictions for this summer and beyond. Flexibility: We’re getting some power as we move into the future of travel, since airlines, hotels, car […]
Report Says Black and Brown Babies are Born at a Disadvantage
Studies have long shown that where in the U.S. a baby is born can have a major impact on that baby’s health and wellbeing going forward. But a new report out this month notes that Black and brown babies, which make up more than half of all U.S. infants, start life at a disadvantage no […]
Find Your Family’s Summer Fun in This Handy Guide
There is something so wonderful about summer. Its long days and warm nights are just right for backyard barbecues, hammock story times, bike rides, baseball, a splash down in the swimming pool or a run through the garden sprinkler. With everything going on in the world these past few months, our kids need some old-school, […]
L.A. Kids can Grab Free Lunch at the Library and Snacks at the Park
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation and the L.A. County Library are once again offering kids free lunches and snacks this summer. Both programs – Summer Lunch at the Library and the Free Summer Lunch and Snack Program – are shifting to grab-and-go, no-contact pickup to keep everyone safe during the coronavirus pandemic. […]
Getting Dad Out (Safely) for Father’s Day
During the pandemic, we’ve all had plenty of time to reflect on the beauty and freedoms we took for granted. On a good day, for instance, I can get to the beach from home in 20 minutes flat, but did our family take advantage of that nearly enough? You know the answer. And so, when […]
L.A. Area Libraries Offering Curbside Service
Summer is a great time for reading, and libraries offer access to a world of books free of charge. SoCal libraries have closed their doors during the coronavirus pandemic, but filled the gap with an amazing raft of virtual services. And if, after months of Zoom meetings, distance learning and reading on your Kindle or […]
Virtual Birthday Party Tips to Put Your Celebration on Top
They come around once a year – global pandemic or not – and kids look forward to them more than most adults. I’m talking birthdays and, specifically, birthday parties. When safer-at-home guidelines closed down traditional party options, parents replaced backyard petting zoos and princess visits, mini golf and trampoline park field trips with Zoom get-togethers […]
Kids’ Mental Health During the Pandemic
As we move from spring to summer and fewer things seem to be getting back to “normal,” many kids are struggling. Clinical psychologist Bridgid Mariko Conn, Ph.D., of the division of adolescent and young medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, offers some insight. What are the major sources of anxiety for kids right now? What […]
Tips from School Psychologists on Managing Anxiety
School psychologists Natalya Bogopolskaya and Kendrea Hart of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Jennifer Ganz of the Baltimore City Public Schools, have created a video (with Spanish subtitles) offering tips to help adults and children in managing anxiety – during any time, due to any stressor, not just as emotions related to COVID-19. […]
Father’s Day Wisdom from a Dozen L.A. Dads
A million questions run through your head when you become a father – most of them driven by panic because you and your partner are now responsible for another person. Yikes. But as things settle down and life takes on more meaning as you realize that you’re a parent, you start looking ahead. You wonder […]
Virtual Camp Programs Spring up for Summer
“All indicators point to the fact that this is not going to be a normal summer.” That’s how Korey Kalman, founder and CEO of Got Game Sports, sums up the uncertainty that the coronavirus pandemic has brought to our family routines. Got Game runs after-school, physical education and summer camp programs at a host of […]
Volunteers Pitch in to Create Now
Create Now is using Fridays to create free fun programming for families on its Facebook and Instagram livestreams. Every Friday, the local nonprofit hosts “Volunteer Takeover Fridays,” offering a variety of arts programming, including fashion design, cooking, music and even TikTok dances. Create Now’s mission is to empower at-risk and high-risk youth and young adults […]
Planting Early Learning at Home with Child360
The emotional, social and educational development of young children has always been at the core of Child360’s mission. Now that more young children are at home, the early-education nonprofit has launched a digital series to help parents innovate learning with their children. Home Grown with Child360 incorporates tips and activities from Child360’s child development experts […]
Bring Those Cool Summer Vibes Home
“School’s out for summer!” Yes, Alice Cooper! Could there be a better feeling than the last day of school? One of the things I savor about my kids’ childhood is the gift of experiencing summer vacation and summer fun again, but – as we are reminded over and over – the end of the school […]
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Keeps Us Looking Up
I have a special place in my heart for Los Angeles Dodgers team manager Dave Roberts. As the first person of color to lead the MLB team, he’s broken barriers while unifying players and fans in new ways. On top of that, he’s a genuinely good guy – hardworking and full of grit, sure, but […]
L.A. Drive-ins Reopen for Family Fun
On May 26, L.A. County officials announced further progress in reopening local businesses and easing restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. This reopening opened up the possibility of a fun family outing you might not have considered lately: L.A. Drive-ins. There are a few new rules. All will require you to practice social distancing of […]
Simple Steps to Changing Unwanted Behavior
With everyone stuck at home right now, I’m hearing from many parents that behaviors are escalating. When that happens, so many times frustration takes over. It feels like everything is going wrong and there is no way to deal with it. Here are some simple steps to help you pinpoint the behaviors you dislike and […]
Hybrid Battery Recycling Company Pivots to Assist Medical Field
Eric Lundgren is a masked superhero of a different sort. As founder and CEO of BigBattery Inc., the largest hybrid battery recycling company in the country, Lundgren is importing millions of KN95 masks, COVID-19 test kits and medical supplies, and is donating mobile emergency power trailers at no cost to Los Angeles-area hospitals to power […]
How to Properly Care for Your Face Mask
As California and other states begin loosening stay-at-home orders and reopening businesses, it’s likely that everyone will be encouraged to wear a mask in public for months to come. But to be effective in slowing the speed of COVID-19 infection, a mask must be used correctly “Properly using a mask is just as important as actually wearing […]
10 Ways to Practice Social Skills at Home
Let’s not kid ourselves, the past two-plus months of distance learning with our children have been a challenge. After all, most of us have no professional teacher training. And working with our own children can bring back some less-than-pleasant memories – like the time that Mom decided that she was going to teach you how […]
L.A. County Opens Beach Bike Paths, Mall Curbside Service and Car Parades
L.A. County has announced three new openings as part of phase two of its Roadmap to Recovery. Beach bike paths are now open, indoor malls can open for curbside service and car parades will be allowed for celebrations of birthdays, graduations and other special events. Beach Bike Paths and Parking Lots The opening of bike […]
Red Cross, LAUSD Serve 10 Million Meals in a Month
After one month of partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region reported in April that more than 10 million meals had been provided to students and families at the more than 60 Grab & Go Food Centers across the district. The organization praised the more than than […]
Partnering to Close the Digital Divide
The Weingart Foundation has granted $100,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to tackle the food and technology inequities, also known as the digital divide, in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and families in underserved communities are primarily concerned with three major issues: the continuation of education through access to […]
Make Casa Vega Guacamole at Home!
The 64-year-old Sherman Oaks Mexican restaurant Casa Vega has been in current owner Christy Vega’s family throughout its history. Now, the mother of four has adapted its menu for a first: to-go service. Classic dishes, margaritas and pantry staples and essentials (paper towels, toilet paper) are now available for curbside pickup. Can’t wait for their homemade […]
Lyf App Offers Virtual Support Group
You’ve likely seen the sentiment “physical distancing, not social distancing” floating through your social media platforms. As we are all under quarantine, it’s a powerful reminder that people still need people. Lyf, a new free iOS and Android app, has launched to offer what it calls the “world’s largest virtual support group.” For people struggling […]
Touch-Screen Generation Still Good at Face Time
Are today’s children, who grew up with mobile technology from birth, worse at reading emotions and picking up cues from people’s faces than children who didn’t grow up with tablets and smartphones? A new UCLA psychology study suggests today’s kids are alright. Infancy and early childhood are critical developmental phases during which children learn to […]
Make a Tasty Turkey Bolognese
Brook Williamson, Top Chef winner and co-ownerof Playa Provisions says Bolognese is one of her go-to recipes. “It’s great for an individual, a couple, or a crowd, easy to assemble, and is healthy and filling all at the same time,” she says. “In addition to tomatoes and your meat of choice (ground beef, turkey, or chicken), it’s […]
14 Fun Things to Do With Your Toddler at Home
After baking another batch of cookies together and playing hide-and-seek with your preschooler again, it’s discouraging to look at your watch to discover that it is only 9:30 a.m. With everything on pause, keeping little ones busy is more challenging than ever. Don’t despair! Here are a few ideas that are fun and include an […]
Parenting A Growing Toddler In a Shrinking World During the COVID-19 Crisis
Yellow “caution” tape cordoned off playgrounds. All the basketball hoop rims were gone, leaving bare backboards and empty courts. Locked gates blocked entry to the baseball diamond and skate park. On March 20, five days after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered his “safer from home” recommendation related to the COVID-19 crisis, I visited Verdugo […]
Adventuring at Home with Hotel Kids Clubs
With schools closed for the remainder of the year, many summer camps following suit and parents needing to continue working from home, we’ve enlisted the help of kids club directors and education coordinators from notable resorts and destinations around the globe to provide fun and imaginative ideas to help keep your children entertained. Whether you […]
Reading Roundup: Books That Will Transport Your Child Outside
With so much indoor time, it’s no wonder that many parents and caregivers may find themselves running out of ideas on how to keep their children engaged and electronics-free. So how about taking your kids outside, without actually leaving the house? Here are a few outdoor-themed books sure to provide your child with a breath […]
From the Teacher Toolbox: Meaningful Praise
With the schools shuttered, many parents are asking for a little help having our children cooperate while the family is holed up at home. They know that their kids cooperate better at school … but why? Why do our children act differently at school? First of all, this is normal. It is good when your […]
Actress Alyshia Ochse Embraces Slowing Down with Her Family
We are all in this together, so let’s be honest: being a parent during this time is really hard. Cue the Rolling Stones’ song that has been on repeat in my mind as I try to juggle being a conscious parent while working from home: No, you can’t always get what you want But if […]
Fave Mommy Podcasts from Mama Said
This month, we’re celebrating moms all month long, so were delighted to get some favorite parenting and family podcasts from actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and musician Jenna Parris, co-hosts of the Mama Said podcast on PodcastOne. They say these podcasts are helping them get through the quarantine. We’ll start the recs off with their own podcast. […]
Graduation Dreaming: The Heartbreak and Hope of the Class of 2020
The senior year of high school is the toughest academic year in a student’s life, but the rewards – prom, senior trips, class rings, the signing of yearbooks, college acceptances, scholarship wins and the act of walking across that stage to receive that rolled-up scroll – add up to a rite of passage that forms […]
Need a Break? Your Kids Will Love These Solo Play Resources
Since many of us have just one kid, or kids with huge age gaps between them, this guest post from Dadventures explores ways your kids can enjoy playing alone. Since 2018, Dadventures has been a resource for parents looking to discover family events and ways to engage with their kids. This group of dads got […]
Parents can Form Community Circles to Help Their Kids Cope
These are uncharted, and often traumatic, times for children. Their life routine has been disrupted. They aren’t attending school as usual. They can’t interact with their friends. In many cases, milestones such as graduation have been postponed. People in their home might have lost their jobs. Let’s not overlook the impact this experience has on […]
Pregnancy and Childbirth During the COVID Pandemic
My daughter and her husband are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, and they’ll be doing it under coronavirus quarantine. They’ve also been talking about starting a family. They’re both healthy, but I wondered whether getting pregnant right now is wise, so I decided to chat with Dr. John Ozimek, medical director of the […]
Reflections on a Mother’s Day Like No Other
The paradox of being a mom is that you can feel deeply loved and appreciated in one moment and just as deeply misunderstood and undervalued in another. We live in a culture that puts motherhood on a pedestal every Mother’s Day, but as moms we know that the real work of motherhood – the daily […]
A Versatile Way to Make Veggies Appeal to Kids
Elvis Prado, owner of Bad Son Tacos in Little Tokyo, says his mother would prepare this recipe for him and his siblings when they were kids. “She wanted us to eat more vegetables and she found just the way,” he says. “At first, we didn’t want to eat them. Then she’d put a dollop of […]
How You can Enjoy L.A. County Parks – From Home
We Angelenos are used to being out and about, making safer-at-home restrictions especially tough for us. We’re no longer able to take to the trails, the beaches and our local parks and public gardens – most of which are now closed. To help keep cooped-up families sane while we’re staying safe, the Los Angeles County […]
Are Your Quarantined Kids Crowding the Kitchen?
During the quarantine, most of our grocery bills have increased as we shop for today and an uncertain future, packing our pantries with canned goods while also buying the usual fresh foods and snacks to keep our kitchens feeling normal. If your kids are anything like ours, now that they’re home around the clock, they […]
It’s a Great Time to Garden
Spring has sprung and we’re all at home, which makes it the perfect time to start your own home garden – in your yard or in containers. “We have a really great climate for growing vegetables in Southern California,” says Brie Wakeland, a master gardener and garden educator at The Garden School Foundation. The organization […]
Lunch is Served with this Easy Grilled Cheese
All kids love grilled cheese, right? This easy and classic flavor combo of turkey and swiss is wonderful on La Brea Bakery’s fan-favorite Three Cheese Semolina Loaf – but feel free to sub in whatever you have on hand. La Brea Bakery Pesto Turkey and Swiss Melt 8 thick slices Swiss cheese 4 tablespoons pesto 8 thin slices turkey 2 tablespoons […]
A Quick Family Breakfast with Your Leftover Bread
One fun side-effect of being at home is that everyone has lots more time to make – and eat – breakfast. This French toast recipe from La Brea Bakery makes use of their wonderful baguette (in case you didn’t finish it off with dinner) and doesn’t require any special equipment or technique. You can put […]
Tips for Better COVID-19 co-parenting
When it comes to parenting in the COVID-19 era, the onslaught of “new normal” practices is, frankly, exhausting. But parents everywhere are rising to the occasion and finding ways to adjust. In the realm of co-parenting – the term used most for parents who are divorced, separated or not in a relationship with each other […]
Any Easy New Way to Make Rice a Meal
Who else is eating an awful lot of rice right now? The pantry staple is easy and comforting, but most of us have quickly run through our repertoire of rice dishes. Fortunately, Chef Margarita Manzke – owner with her husband, Chef Walter Manzke, of that gem of South La Brea dining République – offers us […]
A Simple Berry Crumble Recipe Using Frozen Fruit
Most families are trying to shop less often these days, which means there might not always be fresh fruit in the house. Berries, which are coming into season, are particularly delicate. That’s part of what makes this crumble recipe from lifestyle maven and restaurateur Yunnie Kim Morena particularly handy right now. With some frozen berries, […]
Reading at Home: Your Pets are All Ears!
You’ve heard that reading to pets is good for kids. That it’s encouraging for them to have a non-judgmental furry, finned or scaled friend as an audience. Maybe you’ve even taken your children to a read-to-a-dog event at your local library. But libraries are closed at the moment, and everyone is learning (and doing everything […]
A Quarantine Date with L.A. at Home
We Angelenos love to explore. A hunger for adventure courses through our blood. And with so much to do and see right here in our city, every weekend is a holiday. Just about every nook and cranny of L.A. is packed with great restaurants, unassuming holes-in-the-wall serving up mouthwatering food, cool bars, bookstores and record […]
A Healthy Granola Recipe to Make at Home
Here’s a recipe that will help you clean out the various packages of nuts and dried fruits in your pantry and turn them into a healthy snack. It comes from the cookbook “Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets & Recipes From Our Kitchen ” by Zoe Nathan, proprietor (with husband Josh Loeb) of the local Rustic Canyon family […]
Lure the Kids Away from their Video Games with Music!
Since receiving the order in March that we families in L.A. are “safer at home,” many parents have feared that their children will spend more time than ever playing video games on Xbox or PlayStation. Their concerns are valid, but this is also an opportunity to explore music. I believe that nothing replaces quality, comprehensive […]
Separating Home and Office During the Quarantine
Juggling your professional and parenting roles might be a challenge as you’re working from home and your students are distance learning. Like much of the world, our team of mentors at Command Education has shifted from office life to working remotely. Though we’ve always supported our students over video calls, the change has been a […]
Parenting on Demand (vs. Appointment Parenting) During the Pandemic
In the age of quarantine, parenting on demand takes on a whole new level of dedication, time and patience. My partner, though, practices “parenting by appointment.” We are not co-parenting compatibly in this pandemic, and it’s a real problem. By no means is this the gravest of issues in a time of global crisis, but […]
Keeping it Clean During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Parents are no strangers to cleanup duty. From the time we change our baby’s first diaper it seems there is a never-ending chain of messes of one kind or another: mud pies, sticky handprints on walls and doorknobs, food spilled anywhere and everywhere, toys in various states of filth. But this is different. With cases […]
If Your Child’s Early-Intervention Language Services were Interrupted Due to COVID-19
With restrictions in place due to COVID-19, parents and caregivers of children ages 3 and younger who were receiving early-intervention services by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) may be concerned about their child’s progress during this time. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers this advice to families whose services have been interrupted: Communicate with your service coordinator. Check in […]
Autism’s Lessons on Adjusting to Change During COVID-19
As we settle into the new reality that the novel coronavirus has gifted us, two things have become abundantly clear: the situation is constantly changing and there is no one “right” way to do this as a parent. Whether you are one of the essential workers risking it in groups every day, working remotely with […]
School Psychologists have 10 Tips to Help Your Family Survive and Thrive During COVID-19
School psychologists Natalya Bogopolskaya, PsyD, Jennifer Lisa Ganz, MA/CAS, and Kendrea Hart, PhD., created this wonderfully uplifting and informative video with COVID-19 tips for L.A. Parent families as we all cope with this crisis. In February, they gave a presentation to school psychologists on how to cultivate resilience and post-traumatic growth in the school setting via […]
Miracle Project Tips for Easing Coronavirus Anxiety
As the anxiety over the challenging news these days is spreading faster than the coronavirus itself, it’s important that we ask what can we do as parents, coaches, colleagues and friends to help calm the mind, ease emotional tensions and promote overall wellbeing? Recently I decided to ask our resident experts from The Miracle Project Company […]
Why Play is More Powerful Than Ever Right Now
You and your family have been cooped up together for what seems like a year (but has really only been a couple of weeks). You’re trying to work and learn from home, and a simple trip to the grocery store – practically the only place you’re now allowed to go – has become a gloved […]
Family Movie Night – At Home
Family movie time can be anytime while everyone is staying safer at home. Happily, you can find family movies on a wide variety of online platforms. Because it can be confusing when it comes to finding what film is playing where, we’re breaking it down for you (with age recommendations from Common Sense Media). Hulu […]