What do you do on Memorial Day?

If you’re like most Americans, you spend the day relaxing with family and friends, barbequeing in the backyard and welcoming the coming of summer. But is that what Memorial Day is all about? More…

Category: Holidays // Posted on May 31, 2010 // Leave a Comment

Can you feel the warm winds of summer in the air? OK, maybe not yet, but we’re still kicking off the season in style this weekend with the opening of the Rose Festival’s Waterfront Village and our own Multnomah County Fair. Below you’ll find more of our picks for the weekend ahead, and as always, you’ll find complete listings on our daily calendar.

ALL WEEKEND

Rose Festival. Portland’s biggest party kicks off May 28 with the opening of Waterfront Village and fireworks at dark. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito Pkwy. 503-227-2681. rosefestival.org.

Multnomah County Fair. The earliest – and most urban – of the region’s county fairs features lots of entertainment More…

Category: WOW! (What's On this Weekend) // Posted on May 28, 2010 // Leave a Comment

Our June issue will be out this week featuring two very special guests: U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley from Oregon and U.S. House Rep. Brian Baird from Vancouver, Wash. In D.C. Dads, the two discuss how they balance parenthood and politics, and how being a dad influences the work they do as legislators on Capitol Hill.

You’ll also find a powerful Ages & Stages in our June issue with a focus on Teaching Your Kids to Think … for Themselves! No matter what age your children are, More…

Category: New Issue // Posted on May 26, 2010 // Leave a Comment

As we close out the month of May – our “focus on Moms month” here at Metro Parent – we’re taking a look at two recently released studies related to motherhood in the United States.

The fist is a Pew Research Center study that looked at the changing demographics of women who gave birth in 1990 versus those who gave birth in 2008. Turns out, new moms today are older, more likely to be unmarried, and slightly better educated. More…

Category: Uncategorized // Posted on May 24, 2010 // Leave a Comment

We’re heading to the Oregon Zoo this weekend for the opening of Prehistoric Predators and the Oregon Episcopal School’s LEGOmania. Below you’ll find more options for family fun this weekend, too. And as always, check our online calendar for complete listings every day.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Potter School Musical. The Golden Garter Family Comedy Theatre presents this hilarious collision of Harry Potter and High School Musical. Ages 4+. 7 pm May 21. 2 and 7 pm May 22. $12-$19; family rates available. Venetian Theatre, 253 E Main St., Hillsboro. 360-687-7891. goldengarter.com.

Night Walks. Guided walk to see nocturnal critters. More…

Category: WOW! (What's On this Weekend) // Posted on May 21, 2010 // Leave a Comment

We know you’ve heard this before, but new research confirms what earlier studies have told us – we need to seriously limit the amount of television our babies and preschoolers are watching.

A new study reported in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that for each additional hour of television viewed per week at age 29 months, children were less engaged in school and had lower math scores in fourth grade. The more television children watched, More…

Category: Health and Wellness // Posted on May 19, 2010 // Leave a Comment

Summer’s just around the corner and we’ve got traveling on our minds! We’re hoping you do, too, because we also have a copy of Lora Shinn’s Northwest Kid Trips (ParentMap Books, 2010) to give away.

This handy guide offers tips for traveling with kids to Portland, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver, BC. From navigating around each town to finding the best places to eat and sleep to keeping kids of all ages (and their parents) entertained, Shinn’s got you covered.

If you’d like to win a free copy of the book, More…

Category: Uncategorized // Posted on May 17, 2010 // 34 Comments

Dozer Day, Asia Fest, Pioneer Family Festival, Sunday Parkways and more! This is a great weekend to get outside and enjoy the best of what the Portland area has to offer! As always, check our online calendar for a complete listing of events each day.

ALL WEEKEND

Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Oregon Children’s Theatre presents zany stories from Louis Sacher’s novels. Best for ages 4 and older. Runs through June 6; check Web site for dates and show times. $13 to 24, plus service charge. Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway. 503-228-9571. octc.org.

Potter School Musical. The Golden Garter Family Comedy Theatre presents this hilarious collision of Harry Potter and High School Musical. Best for ages 4 and older. More…

Category: WOW! (What's On this Weekend) // Posted on May 14, 2010 // Leave a Comment

The documentary BABIES is a delightful and often hilarious look at the lives of four babies from birth to their first steps.

The babies come from extremely different surroundings: a yurt in Mongolia, a modern apartment in Tokyo, a mud hut in Namibia and a middle-class house in San Francisco. The film cross-cuts from one to the other, without narration, letting the babies’ personalities and adventures tell the story. Babies often is slow-paced, but that’s part of its charm – the camera keeps rolling as life goes on. More…

Category: Uncategorized // Posted on May 12, 2010 // Leave a Comment

Children First for Oregon released it’s 15th Annual Essay and Policy Recommendations last week, entitled Keeping Children Safe: Improving Oregon’s Child Welfare System. The essay and policy recommendations provide a detailed analysis of Oregon’s child welfare system and outline a set of nine policy recommendations designed to strengthen families and keep kids safely in their homes; ensure that when safety requires children be removed from their homes, they move to safe and stable environments; and ensure that youth aging out of foster care at age 18 have the support they need to successfully transition to adulthood. More…

Category: Uncategorized // Posted on May 10, 2010 // Leave a Comment

We first printed this in our Mother’s Day issue in 2006. We reprint it here, again, as food for thought for mothers (and fathers) everywhere, as they celebrate Mother’s Day.

If asked what Mothers’ Day is all about, most of us would say, simply, that it’s a day to honor mothers. We do that, for the most part, on Mothers’ Day with gifts, flowers, cards and more.
But the original idea for Mothers’ Day in America wasn’t about elaborate brunches or jewelry or chocolate. Truth be told, it wasn’t even strictly about honoring mothers but rather about honoring what all mothers want – to see their children grow up healthy, strong and safe. More…

Category: Uncategorized // Posted on May 8, 2010 // Leave a Comment

Happy Mother’s Day! Lots of fun and freebies for moms this weekend. Here are our picks. Check out our daily calendar for more!

FRIDAY

Oregon Zoo Mother of the Year. Special Mother’s Day treat for a Zoo mom. 10:30 am. Free with zoo admission. 4001 SW Canyon Road. 503-226-1561. www.oregonzoo.org.

Free First Friday at Portland Children’s Museum. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with crafts and more. Admission is FREE from 4 to 8 pm. 4015 SW Canyon Road. 503-223-6500. portlandcm.org. More…

Category: WOW! (What's On this Weekend) // Posted on May 7, 2010 // Leave a Comment