Month: August 2018

New child passenger safety seat guidance advises kids to ride rear-facing as long as possible

The most dangerous thing that U.S. children do as part of daily life is ride in a car. Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for children 4 years and older. Using the correct car safety seat or booster seat can help decrease the risk of death or serious injury by over 70%, and parents look to their pediatricians as a trusted source of guidance. New evidence over the past decade prompted the Academy to update the policy statement and technical report Child Passenger Safety. The documents are available at https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2460 and https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2461, and will be published in the November issue of Pediatrics. The impact of the revised policy should be minimal, as the only significant change is the removal of a specific age, 2 years, as a ...

Autism and Self-Esteem: 3 Critical Strategies

In my work in the autism community for the last twenty years, I have seen that there is no goal more important than helping a child cultivate self-esteem and a positive sense of self. This is important not only because it will help a child to experience more confidence and happiness in his life (what is more important than that?!), but also because it helps a child be much more open to learn and grow in a variety of other ways. Below are 3 strategies to begin this process and embark on a journey that will be deeply meaningful for you and your child. Identify and cultivate your child’s strengths and passions. To explain this strategy more fully, I want to share a story about a Mom named Mary and her son Jason. Jason loved the songs from the synagogue services she took him to on Saturday mor...

Deals: Biggest Sale in Colorado, Ski Deals, Labor of Love Event

I’ve always wanted to be a super hero. Haven’t we all at some point? One day it was the literal cape-wearing kind, which morphed into something more like I can get all this done this week. For now, I’ve settled into I can get as much done as I can, I let the little things go and just reach for the really big things. This is my daughter’s senior year. This is it. The last year that I really have any real hope of looking like a super hero to her. That is why I grabbed her tickets to the Bruno Mars concert next weekend (shhhh it’s a surprise) through FrontRow Tickets. Will a concert tickets make you a super hero too?! Outlets at Castle Rock. The best deals around just got even better with their “BIGGEST Sale in Colorado” August 31-Sept. 3. Get a colossal 25% off coupon at particip...

Marriage Advice: Why not to go back-to-school shopping together

My kids are [somehow] in the seventh and nine grades. The school provides laptops for them so school supplies are minimal. Pencil. Notebook. Organizer. I didn’t realize I was in mourning until I passed the anarchy-that-is-the-back-to-school aisle and wistfully thought, “I no longer need to buy them crayons.” My, how times have changed from this blog post I wrote just a few years ago…. ===== If there is one thing I despise about back-to-school, it’s the shopping. Now, let me be upfront here: If it isn’t Costco or Target and ends in ________ mall, I generally have to be dragged in kicking and screaming. For this reason, I left my kids’ school supply shopping until just a few days prior to the advent of school last year. Here’s a little tip to the procrastinators...

Cell phones are getting out of schools, thanks to you

Thanks to all of the changemakers working to create learning environments free from cell phone distractions, so many great things are happening in our schools. I want to tell you about real-life examples inspired by Screenagers’ AwayForTheDay.org, last week’s USA Today article about it, and some new resources on AwayForTheDay.org. But first, a huge shout out to France and their response to the data that putting phones away in the classroom results in higher grades and other positive outcomes. Late last month, they officially banned cell phones in schools countrywide for students ages 3 and 15. Meanwhile, on the home front, I was elated to get this letter from my daughter’s high school principal this week: “RHS (Roosevelt High School) classrooms will be cell phone free zones. As a res...

Labor Day Weekend: A Grand Finale to Summer with These Events

Denver is packed with fun (and free) festivals, pro sports, live music and plenty of late-summer, family-friendly activities before and after this Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 1–3, 2018. Visit Denver has some great suggestions; be sure to check-out our event calendar for even more. CAN’T-MISS EVENTS A TASTE OF COLORADO WHEN: Sept. 1–3, 2018 WHERE: Civic Center Park A Taste of Colorado stands proud as the end-of-summer celebration of community pride and spirit in the Denver region. Over 500,000 people make the four-day festival their Labor Day Weekend celebration, enjoying the offerings of more 50 area restaurants, 275 marketplace artisans and vendors, six stages and educational programs promoting the diverse cultural and Western heritage of the region. DENVER FOOD + WINE FESTIV...

The most realistic first-day-of-school sign you’ll ever see

Can we all just agree that this trend of holding up a sign on the first day of school should just go away? Consider this my personal boycott. For one mom, the sign she made for her child could not offer a more realistic take on the busy life of a parent. Lindsay Sutton, the mom behind the blog Essentially Momming, posted a photo on her blog’s Facebook page earlier this month that showed her son on his first day of school in Missouri. Like many kids, he held a sign that included his grade. It also included a funny message. Let’s hear it for the boy…and this mom!

What rules not to break in the school drop-off line

If you have kids in school, you’ve witnessed it. The fighting, the brawling, the all-out chaos that makes “Lord of the Flies” look orderly. And, no, it’s not the kids in the schoolyard. It’s the parents in the car drop-off or pick-up line. Or, as I call it, “the Thunderdome,” a Mad Max-style dystopia where cars are king and respect for mankind goes out the passenger seat window. In a study by British insurance company Allianz, more than 1,000 parents were surveyed for their levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, as they did their school day morning routine. Levels peaked just before leaving the house to drive to school, at around 8:15 a.m. each morning, researchers found. And the impact of the school run stress stays with parents well into the day. Also, nearly 25 percent of parents surve...

Say Farewell to Summer With These Mouthwatering Labor Day Recipes

Summer ain’t over until it’s over. These recipes are perfect for Labor Day weekend or any celebration to celebrate the end of summer! Hawaiian Chicken Bacon Pineapple Kabobs: Seriously savory but also sticky sweet, there’s something about these kabobs that make you keep coming back for more and more. Get the recipe from Cafe Delites. Barbecue Pork Sliders with GARLIC Aioli?!?! It’s a slow cooker recipe, they’re sweet and spicy, they’re garlicky, and well, they’re just darn good. This BBQ Bacon Meatball Recipe Will Change Your Summer Barbecues Forever. Enough said. The perfect corn on the cob recipe for this summer! Learn how to make Mexican Street Corn at home, it’s so easy to make! You can grill it or make it in the oven with a garlic mayo, lime juice, cotija cheese...

Elitch Gardens Announces One-Of-A-Kind New Ride!

Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park announced today that the park will be partnering with new neighbor Meow Wolf to bring an innovative, alluring and sensational new ride to Denver in 2019. Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscape will be a never-before-seen attraction that takes guests on a densely immersive and fully interactive experience. Riders who journey on Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscape will be transported to other-worldly motion, deep sound, wild color and interactive challenges that if well-played may just save the day. This intriguing attraction will be the first artist-driven dark ride the world has ever seen. “All of us at Elitch Gardens are thrilled to be partnering with Meow Wolf to create this unique, mysterious and artistic new ride. The park is a long-standing Denver...

23 family-friendly events in Denver this week!

The Colorado State Fair, Women’s Adventure Camp and the Dead Sea Scrolls for Families are just a few of the fun events you’ll find this week in Denver. See our event calendar for the full listings. Free Day at Mizel Museum Aug 23, 9:00 am – 3:45 pm The Mizel Museum, an educational, nonprofit organization, is Denver’s only museum that addresses today’s social justice issues through the lens of Jewish history and values. We encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate diversity and equality and to combat discrimination and hatred. Our programs, events and exhibits address these and other social issues and encourage positive change in our communities. Just Between Friends of Longmont at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Aug 23 – 26 Thousands of shoppers find bargains on ...

Hippo Encounter is Back at the Denver Zoo!

Meet long-time Denver zoo resident Mahali the hippo during this up-close-and-personal experience.  Participants will have exclusive access to the outdoor hippo habitat in our new encounter space, opportunities to learn from his keepers how they care for him, and help toss food to Mahali! Do you have what it takes to hit a four foot target from just a few feet away? Start practicing your aim! Please note that because of safety regulations, guests will not receive direct contact with the hippo, but rather will get a closer look than public perspective allows with exclusive access and interactions. Your Encounter Also Includes: Digital Photo Souvenir sticker Who Guests 10 years of age and older When This program is typically offered in the fall. Click below on the register...