Archives for 2019

It turns out bigger isn’t always better when it comes to your child’s birthday.

Planning a birthday party for your child can seem to get more and more stressful and time consuming year after year, but those big birthday bashes we see online (we’re looking at you, Pinterest!) may not be what your child really wants for their celebration. We spoke to event planners and area parents to find out what their kids really wanted at their birthday parties this year—turns out, bigger isn’t always better when it comes to celebrating the birthday child.

Take it from parents who know: Your kids may say they want a huge birthday blowout at the local arcade, but what they really want is a celebration that’s far more meaningful—and less chaotic.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Am I the only one who has that single spot in their home that is a constant, infuriating reminder of how epically they are failing as an adult? For me, that spot is a hopelessly disorganized counter in my kitchen.

When it’s clean (semi-annually), it’s supposed to where you’ll find kitchen utensil storage and perhaps a place to store a few pieces of new mail. There is a little stack of post-it notes and a pen or two nearby for scrawling messages, like people in tidy homes do for each other when one isn’t home. There’s a calendar hanging up, not buried under a plethora of reminder notices and kids’ homework assignments. It’s an orderly, functional area of the home. Or at least, it’s supposed to be.

The thing is, this kitchen counter is more than just a ridiculously cluttered spot in a home that is almost equally disordered. It’s more than an inside-out junk drawer that seemingly threw up on itself.  It’s more than a mere representation of my messy personality.

It’s like…… a symbol of adulthood as I’ve come to know it.

If you were to look at it closely, you would see there isn’t just random junk mail and school art projects strewn carelessly about (though you will find an abundance of those too).

There are actual important documents in that pile. Things that should be dealt with immediately, or at least put away neatly. Things like unpaid bills. Important school notices. Insurance paperwork. My income taxes. My daughter’s first ever “report card” from preschool. Copies of the magazine in which my own words were literally published in print for the very first time in my life. Like, seriously important stuff.

It’s as though everything that is vitally significant to my existence resides within a chaotic stack on my kitchen counter, sandwiched between loose crayons and old Costco catalogues.

It’s not like I really have time to clean it. I sometimes distractedly stop what I’m doing and grab one or two things off the top to either toss in the recycling bin or file away somewhere safe. But then I take a second look and think “who am I even kidding?” and give up to stick my head in the fridge to find something to snack on.

So the stack just grows higher and higher with each passing day, more and more art projects and potentially important documents piled on top on a regular basis.

Sometimes I walk by that counter and I’m just like, wow. If being an adult were a class in school I would be seriously flunking out. If growing up were a video game, I would lose one life every time I added another “Final Notice” to top of the mound. If the fate of the entire free world hinged on my ability to be an actual, mature, grown, human being, there would be a crisis of apocalyptic proportions.

That kitchen counter represents the apocalypse of my ability to have my stuff together.

When you’re young, you have this overly optimistic faith in yourself, this notion that someday you’ll enter adulthood and just automatically grow up. Like it happens overnight or something. Maybe the domestic goddess fairy will sprinkle some fairy dust on your pillow one night and you’ll wake up the next morning as June Cleaver, or at the very least, Monica Gellar.

How silly, right? No one ever seems to realize that keeping your life together is hard enough when you only need to care for yourself, but it’s exponentially more difficult when you’re suddenly taking care of others as well. Why did no one ever tell me this???

Here’s a funny thought: I just realized that the time I’ve devoted to writing about my messy kitchen counter could have been spent ACTUALLY CLEANING IT. Oh well!

By Jeannine Cintron, a Staten Island mom of two and domestic goddess in training.

Ten ways to make your child’s workspace more conducive to finishing homework

Kids need a dedicated space to do their homework, whether it’s in their rooms, a common room in the house, or at the dinner table. But if it seems like your kids find any excuse not to sit down and do their homework, it could be their workstation is lacking in the right light, the right inspiration, or even the right chair. These quick and easy fixes will get your kids to focus on their homework—and ensure it gets done.

Annie Draddy, a professional organizer and co-founder of Henry & Higby, a professional organizing company in New York City, shares 10 ways to get your kids to actually sit down and get their work done—plus products that will help enhance their space.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

**This article and its content was published originally in NY MetroParents Magazine and on nymetroparents.com.**

Halloween is a holiday that most kids enjoy and look forward to. Before you head out for trick or treating this year, how can you ensure a good time for all while keeping safety and common courtesy top of mind?

Select Appropriate Costumes

Costumes that represent a culture, race, ethnic or religious group or someone with a serious illness, poverty or other hardship, are inappropriate. Sexually explicit costumes and those mocking LGBT or gender identity encourage negativity. During this heated political time, our public political figures are certainly on the table; so expect to see people dressed as them.

Age Appropriateness

While many adults enjoy Halloween dress up, remember this is mostly a children’s holiday. What your teenager might wear, is not a good fit for a first grade Halloween party. Gage the costume based on your child’s age, and the age of his or her peers. Even if you think your young child might be able to handle dressing up as Freddy Krueger, it might be too much for his or her friends.

Read Next | Halloween Asthma & Allergies: Beware of Hidden Dangers

Keep your house safe

Kids are going to be kids so make sure you get a 24hr Sliding Door Repair and get the door fixed cause firstly you don’t want them to get hurt and secondly you don’t want the scary decoration you have prepared for them to go in vain just cause the door got jammed. Keep your lawn and the pathway clean as well to make sure it’s a fun and safe holiday for all.

Candy Alternatives

Traditional chocolate or sugar-laced candy are always a hit. With more health-conscious parents, consider sealed mini bottled water, pre-packaged popcorn, coloring books, pre-packaged healthy snacks, small inexpensive toys, or pens/pencils.

When Not to Ring The Doorbell or Knock

By simply turning off the outside lights, you will alert trick or treaters to skip your house and go on to the next. As an option, consider leaving a bowl of candy by the front door. Putting the car in the garage may also remove the question of whether someone is home.

Knock One Time and One Time Only

If no one answers, move on to the next house. There’s no need to be excessive and knock 10 times. The homeowner might be on an important call or trying to help a baby to sleep. On a related note: know when it’s appropriate to knock. Trick or treating generally starts just before sunset and ends by 9pm.

No Homemade Treats

While it’s a nice thought to want to bake homemade Halloween treats, don’t do it. Parents have heightened safety concerns for good reason, and will discard these items. Buy pre-packaged nut-free candy from trusted brands like Hershey, M&M, Skittles, and Dove.

Teach Your Kids Manners

Halloween is a great opportunity to teach your kids manners, such as greeting and thanking each homeowner who gives them candy. Explain to older kids and teenagers that bullying and pushing smaller kids out of the way won’t be tolerated. When they encounter a bowl of candy at the door, make sure they are considerate and only take one or two pieces. Be sure they respect private property, including homeowner decorations, and don’t leave unwanted candy or wrappers in lawns.

Never Arrive Empty Handed

Anyone invited to a Halloween party does not arrive empty handed. Bring a small hostess gift such as tea towels, diffuser, candle, coasters, fresh fruit, wine, packaged sweets, or children’s game.

School Policies

Education policies vary, so don’t assume children may wear their costumes to school. In many school districts across the nation, costumes are prohibited for safety reasons. Double check and don’t assume.

Stay Safe

Younger children should always be accompanied by parents or a designated chaperone. Older children and teens should trick or treat as part of a group. Never enter someone’s home you don’t know, no matter how nice they seem. Carry a flashlight and mobile phone. Follow your intuition and if you have a bad feeling about something, avoid it.

Buy & Give Allergy-Free Snacks

Unfortunately, some people are uninformed, or worse, don’t believe in food allergies. In addition, with the hustle and bustle of life, many people fail to plan for food allergies. It is polite to plan in advance, buy and give allergy-free snacks does more than protect the trick-or-treaters. It also demonstrates a valuable lesson for future generations, and increases awareness. In this day and age, with the media and PSA’s about not only nut, but also other allergies, we must continue to educate and encourage awareness of food allergies.

Decorate with Teal-Pumpkins & Inspire Others

Decorate with Teal Pumpkins. The Teal Pumpkin Project started as a local awareness activity and launched as a national campaign in 2014. Teal Pumpkin Project’s messages of awareness, inclusion and community. This program encourages people to raise awareness of food allergies and promotes inclusion of all trick-or-treaters through the season. Participants are encouraged to :

• Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.
• Place a teal pumpkin – the color of food allergy awareness –in front of their home to indicate non-food treats are available.

Offer Creative Alternatives

Ask your children for ideas and be creative based on your locale and local customs. In Texas or Florida, for example, it can be extremely warm on Halloween, so we give cold mini-water bottles to everyone who comes down our cove. This is well received by the kiddos and parents truly look forward to this safe, sealed refreshment.

Emergency Preparedness

As someone who carried an EpiPen, I strongly encourage all parents with children who suffer from allergies to have 2 EpiPens at all times.

By Sharon Schweitzer, an international etiquette and modern manners expert, and founder of Access to Culture.

Is it just us, or is this summer pretty awesome so far? Every week has been a total blast! And Week 5 should be no exception. From Shark Week to carousels to movies for a buck, it’s definitely gonna be another good one.

Thursday, July 19
Ride the Carousel
Go for a whirl! You can ride the Carousel for All Children in Willowbrook Park every day in July and August from 11am to 5:45pm! Okay, you probably wont go EVERYday, but they are open seven days a week, so go whenever you want! There’s also a super cool big-themed one at the Staten Island Zoo (admission rates apply). If you feel like venturing off the Island to explore some of the city’s merriest go-rounds, you can check out our list of the top 10 carousels within the five boroughs here.

Friday, July 20
Scavenger Hunt
The best thing about scavenger hunts is that you can do them anywhere – inside, outside, home or on vacation — they are fun for all ages and a great way to keep kids busy for a little while. For some super cool ideas for your hunt, you can print over 30 different scavenger hunt ideas here for free.

Saturday, July 21
Special Trip Saturday – New York Aquarium
Have you heard about the shark-tastic new exhibit at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island? With 18 different species of the world’s scariest sea creatures, the “Ocean Wonders: Sharks!” exhibit measures a vast 57,500 square feet and stands at three stories high! It’s a can’t-miss for your summer bucket list. Click here for more info from the New York Aquarium, including hours, location, and how to purchase tickets.

Sunday, July 22
Celebrate Shark Week
You’re probably pretty pumped about sharks after checking out that cool exhibit at the aquarium, which is great because you are just in time for the 30th Anniversary of Shark Week. Discovery Channel’s biggest week of the year features shark movies all day, all week long, both new and classic. Settle in for night — a full week, really — of JAW-dropping undersea adventures. Click here for info on Shark Week programming and more from the Discovery website.

Monday, July 23
Get Crafty
Michael’s Craft Stores hosts crafting workshops for kids every Saturday morning, and in the summer, most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as well. Most classes are offered for ages 3+ for just $2 per child, and ages 6+ for $5 per child, at 10am and 11am, at all three Michaels locations in Staten Island. Check our Family Calendar to see which classes are offered and when!

Tuesday, July 24
Make Popsicles
They’re everyone’s favorite summertime staple. And they are so easy to make, a kid could do it. So make some together. Here’s a bunch of healthy popsicle recipes from Baby Foodie to keep it light and refreshing. If you’re looking to indulge, Nutella Cool Whip Popsicles will surely hit the spot. And these Vanilla Greek Yogurt Funfetti Popsicles are just too fun not to mention. Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 25
$1 Movie Afternoon
Beat the heat for just a buck! The Regal Summer Movie Express features different family-friendly films at the United Artist on Forest Avenue every Tuesday and Wednesday in July and August for only a dollar! Click here to see this summer’s movie lineup.