Teaming up with other parents can help ensure a fun and healthy break
By Oregon Partnership
Many area kids are counting the days until Spring Break. Excitement reigns. For parents, however, the reaction can be mixed.
Maybe Spring break means a reprieve from the typical busy week of homework and shuttling between school and activities, but for parents who will clock in at work during Spring Break, kids’ time off can present challenges. How can you ensure a fun and safe Spring Break for your kids amid your busy workweek?
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Category: Holidays, Past Articles // Posted on July 5, 2010 // Leave a Comment
The Importance of Family Traditions
By Cynthia Boman Thompson
Strong family rituals and traditions are the driving philosophy of Dr. Kathy Masarie, pediatrician, founder of the Family Empowerment Network (family-empower.com) and creator of the guidebooks Raising Our Daughters and Raising Our Sons. “Children especially thrive on predictability and repetition,” she emphasizes. Traditions, by their very nature, are designed to be just that – predictable and repetitive. The Fourth of July is an excellent venue to help you establish traditions that convey your family’s beliefs and provide a sense of belonging to enrich your child’s life. These Independence Day traditions also build community spirit as we celebrate the birth of our country and our freedoms.
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An Earth-Friendly (and Unsuccessful) Easter Egg Experience
By Anna Seip
Dyeing Easter eggs is one of my favorite things to do this time of year. Long after my kids get bored and retreat to the living room, I’m still standing in the kitchen with stained fingertips, dipping eggs and rolling them in glitter. This year, though, I decided to go “green’ and try out some natural dyes. The other moms on the block would envy my subtle hues, my resourcefulness, my commitment to Mother Earth.
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Category: Holidays, Humor, Past Articles // Posted on March 1, 2010 // Leave a Comment
Good Girls Wear Green – or Else
The day started normally enough. The March wind was whipping, but you could tell Spring was just around the corner. We were running late, as usual. I got the kids ready, threw on my green argyle sweater, kissed my husband bye and then headed out the door to work.
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What Women REALLY Want on Feb. 14
Red roses? Check.
Romantic dinner? Check.
Jewelry, candy and mushy greeting card? Check, check and check.
That’s what Valentine’s Day looks like for many women – a combination of stuff that our husbands rush out and buy because the calendar says so. And, all of those things are certainly nice. Once a woman becomes a mom, though, those trophies don’t seem nearly as important. We’re too busy trying to find a matching pair of socks, a rogue pacifier or a new ‘n’ exciting way to make chicken, again. We also realize roses are a waste of money, candy has to be shared with the kids and a fancy dinner out requires a baby-sitter who charges a small fortune.
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By Teresa Carson
The winter vacation from school can be a fun break for kids, but can create headaches for working parents. Many area institutions have camps that keep the kids safe and entertained while parents are on the job. Some camps and workshops inspire or build skills. We’ve listed just a few of them. The December calendar and Holiday Highlights also lists many more activities during winter break. Parents should also contact their local parks and recreation district or community schools, if not listed here. (Many organizations offer discounts for members and some offer scholarships; ask when registering.)
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By Anna Seip
Let’s face it: all the holiday preparations fall to moms. In between the workday and taking care of children, women are expected to plan parties, decorate the house, bake batches of cookies and send out dozens of cards over the next several weeks. Oh, and we’re also supposed to find, wrap and deliver thoughtful and unique gifts to all of our family and friends. Talk about setting ourselves up for failure!
It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 10 holiday problems and 10 holiday solutions:
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Category: Holidays, Past Articles // Posted on November 2, 2009 // Leave a Comment
By Anna Seip
We flew out of town for the week of Thanksgiving – me, my husband, my 2-year-old daughter and my 12-year-old son. This was not the norm for our family. The kids had never flown before, and I’d boarded a plane only once since 9/11. (That flight had ended in a panic attack and a trip to the emergency room as soon as I disembarked.) Flying just didn’t feel safe to me anymore, and I’d resigned myself to a lifetime of car travel. My husband didn’t like flying, either, and traveled by plane only when his job required it. Swayed by the offer of four free tickets from my father, however, we set out for a coast-to-coast adventure.
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By Anna Seip
October is my favorite month. I love autumn, but I especially love Halloween. Last year, we’d just moved into a new house and had no idea how many trick-or-treaters would knock on our door. I stocked up on candy, decorated the porch with glowing jack-o’-lanterns and sat on the front steps. The setting was perfect.
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Category: Holidays, Past Articles, Summer // Posted on August 30, 2009 // Leave a Comment
By Anna Seip
Dear Parent:
Several months ago, I started a new job as the editor at a small college. The human resources manager handed me a list of the employee holidays I’d receive as a new employee.
“We don’t get Labor Day off,” she said, “but you can certainly take a vacation day then.”
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A Father By Any Other Name
By Anna Seip
Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew I would grow up to have a son named Marshall. That’s the name of my stepfather, the man who raised me and my brother. Everyone calls my stepdad “Bud,” a nickname that serves as a barometer of how well people know him. If someone called our house asking for Marshall, we knew it was either a business associate or a telemarketer. If they wanted Bud, well, that was a friend or a family member. When we were kids, my brother and I talked about the easiness of calling him by his nickname. Calling him “Bud” was less formal and avoided the issue of whether or not to call him “Dad.” Of course, years later we call him Bud and Dad interchangeably.
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Category: Holidays, Past Articles // Posted on May 8, 2009 // Leave a Comment
By Marie Sherlock
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 flowers, chocolate, cards and more.
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