Traveling without Kids

Anxiety or Bliss?

By Shirin Yadegar
Shirin YadegarThe anxiety of traveling without the kids for a week is overwhelmingly stressful and all consuming. A mother’s first instinct is to stay home and plan to get away when it’s more convenient, but it’s never convenient. One of your kids will undoubtably have a game, performance or life altering crisis while you’re gone. There is no “perfect” time to travel without the kids except for now. Now is the time to do everything we want to do because tomorrow will be filled with even more responsibility. (more…)

Children’s Hospitals

By Joseph Itaya
Children HospitalsIn a perfect world, two words you’d never find in the same sentence. But they are. Welcome to reality. A reality never more visceral than when you take an elevator to the dialysis ward at CHLA. Next to you, a mother of three. (more…)

Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

By Catherine McCord
Pumpkin Pie ParfaitsPumpkin Pie Parfaits
(makes 10 parfaits)
Prep Time: 10 min.

I’ve got two little whipped cream addicts on my hands. It’s no mystery why to me because the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Whenever my mom served pie during the holidays (usually pumpkin, chess and/or pecan) she would hand out each slice…

Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup whipped cream cheese, or non-whipped at room temperature
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 sleeves graham crackers, crushed (about 2 1/2 cups)
10 8-ounce mason jars (more…)

Screentime Guidelines

By Sarah Bowman
Sarah BowmanThe American Academy of Pediatrics has just updated their recommendations around screen time (again), easing slightly their caution around use of screens for children younger than eighteen months as a way of keeping up with the reality of parenting in the digital age — reiterating their focus on the importance of quality content and parent supervision. (more…)

Sahara Rose reveals how to achieve mind-body balance through diet and movement

By Shirin Yadegar
Shirin YadegarQ: As a holistic, Ayurvedic and Sports Nutritionist, how do you assess which foods create optimal health individually for each patient?
A: I look at the bigger picture of the individual—what their childhood eating patterns were like, periods of stress they’ve gone through in their lives, their ancestry, their blood type, hormonal panels, what their daily schedule is like, how often they’ve been on antibiotics, what they are currently eating, what foods they’re attracted to, their skin, even their dream patterns. I really try to get to know the deeper nuances of the person before making any suggestions because every little piece of the puzzle makes a huge impact on the ideal dietary and lifestyle suggestions for them. (more…)

EQ vs. IQ

By Shirin Yadegar
Shirin YadegarIn an era when EQ is just as important as a person’s IQ, we must weave it into our children’s lives. Everything from school admissions interviews to standardized tests are starting to question a candidate’s emotional intelligence.

So how do we make sure we are raising emotional intelligent children? The Q Wunder app is a great place to start. The app is the world’s most comprehensive parent and kid-friendly emotional intelligence curriculum. (more…)

The Woe’s of Potty Training

By Kathy Kuperman
Kathy KupermanJust the mere word potty training strikes fear into the hearts of mothers and fathers everywhere. Why isn’t there a manual that could solve all these issues? There really ought-to-be such a manual. Instead, you give yourself a pep talk, procure all the necessary paraphernalia, and brace yourself for the worst. Then you start to second-guess yourself, people have been doing this for thousands of years, why can’t you toilet train your child, is there something wrong with you? (more…)

How to Get Your Child to Eat More Fruits & Veggies

By Shirin Yadegar
Shirin YadegarLet’s kick off the school year with healthy snacks and lunches. As parents, we have complete control over what our kids eat throughout the day unless they are trading with their friends. We pack their lunches and snacks and if they are independently packing their lunches then make sure their options are healthy.

Use fruits and vegetables as snacks. Kids love fruit. Make a fruit salad for snack or send their favorite whole fruit if you don’t have time to prepare a fruit salad. Include one vitamin C–rich fruit, like orange, grapefruit, strawberries, melon, tomato, and broccoli. (more…)

Tips for Applying to Secondary School

By Nathalie Kunin
Nathalie KuninApplying to an independent school in Los Angeles often tops the list of parents’ most stressful tasks. It can feel like facing a towering wave, about to topple you. Although it all seems overwhelming, the tips below will help make gearing up for the school application process more manageable. Embrace the journey toward a new school! The application process really can be both exciting and empowering, especially for students who are ready to make a change. With the right tools and attitude, parents can avoid anxiety and better focus on what’s best for their son or daughter. (more…)