Education

New ISEE Rules

Students can take the test multiple times, but what do admissions directors advise?

By Valerie Lev
Valerie LevFor the first time since the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) was administered, in 1989, the ISEE Board is now allowing students to take the test more than once. For students planning to take the test this fall, the following two times will be offered:

One time in either August, September, October, or November and one time in either December, January, February, or March. The February and March options are mute points because most schools require that an applicant’s file be completed by mid to late January. More information, including specific test dates and locations will be posted on the official ISEE website:http://www.iseetest.org in early August. (more…)

Lifestyle

6 Tips to Create A Balanced School Lunch

By Shani Mara Breiter, RDN
Shani Mara BreiterSummer is almost over and it’s time to get organized for the school year. Sending school lunch from home gives your child the best chance to be well nourished with fresh, whole foods. Kids enjoy school lunches that have balance, variety and include a little surprise treat that hits the spot. This allows the child not to feel deprived when friends bring less nutritious food in their lunch. Here are 6 tips to help you build a balanced school lunch box.

Tip 1: Add a healthy fat. Healthy fats provide energy, build brains, helps the body use vitamins and provide energy. Do your kids like nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, walnuts or pecans? What about avocado or guacamole? If you have a teen who likes a salad, provide a quality vinaigrette dressing with avocado or nuts. (more…)

Education

CoParenting by definition is two parents that are no longer together who strive to simultaneously parent their child.

In an ideal world this would be pragmatic, however we’re dealing with reality, emotions and emotions are energy in motion. If we can remember this one notion, “emotions are energy in motion,” then you’re setting yourself up for success. Divorce/Separations are messy and hurtful, throw in the mix kids, and you’ve got fireworks. This is when some parents start to use their own children as leverage instead of doing what’s in the best interest of their child.

One of the things you’ve got to remember is when you’re dealing with your ex spouse who’s angry, has pent up hostility and bitter, this is actually a good thing! Yes, you read that correctly, this emotion has a root, that root is love. Hear me out, when a person is angry to a point of hatred the nucleus is love. They feel betrayed, the promise, vow, it’s broken and now they’re hurting, they channel their emotion through anger. (more…)

Health

Keeping a Balance in Youth Sports Participation

By Kate Carr
Kate CarrWe all want our kids to be the best athletes they can be and to play the sports they love for a lifetime. But there is a growing debate about the best way to make that happen. Is it better to focus on one sport, or is playing a variety of sports the best way to help kids reach their full potential?

Some parents, coaches and athletes believe specializing in just one sport year-round offers the best opportunity for a young athlete to reach his or her full potential. After all, they figure, the more you practice and play one sport, the better you get. (more…)

Lifestyle

New Food Labels Highlight Sugar

Moderpop co-founder Julie Podolec is optimistic about better labeling of our food.

By Julie Podolec
Julie PodolecI think we’re fortunate to be raising little ones in this age of awareness as it relates to foods. We have so many more reliable resources at our fingertips to help us become more educated about labels, the nutritional benefits of certain foods, and what to watch out for.

It seems as though the widespread accessibility of these resources has put the power back in the hands of the food consumers. Our collective demands for more transparency, easy to understand labels and real food are leading to big changes in grocery aisles and across food categories.

Changes are even happening at the FDA level, where revisions to nutritional labels were announced last week. The new labels will put more emphasis on calories (bolder type), and will help us delineate between natural and added sugars, as brands will be required to add an added sugars line. (more…)

Education

5 Tips To Keep Your Child Engaged This Summer

By Sophia Parsa
Sophia Parsa1. Plan educational field trips
You live in Los Angeles – a hotspot of amazing and often free museums, parks, and monuments that have so much educational value. What are you doing to take advantage of it? For example, did you know that in addition to their exhibitions, LACMA provides art classes for children and teens throughout the summer including watercolor, printmaking, and street photography? If your child isn’t a huge art critic but the star of the science fair, be sure to check out the La Brea Tar Pits or the Natural History Museum where they learn fascinating things about science and nature. Although these are great resources, it’s up to you to decide where the educational value will come from. There’s a difference between a fun trip to the museum and an opportunity to engage your child and challenge them to think critically about the world around them in a fun way! (more…)

Health

Preventing Homesickness

By Erica Feinman
Erica FeinmanCamp Directors all over are preparing to make this summer the best summer ever for your kids and kids like yours all over the country. Some of the things we do in the months and weeks leading up to camp are training staff to deal with all kinds of situations that may arise. In addition to training we like to help parents feel prepared for summer as well. Below are a few tips on how to deal with your campers heading off to summer without you and making this a successful summer for your campers and you!

Preventing Homesickness

Whether this is your child’s first summer at Camp, or they are a returning camper, many children struggle to be away from home. Allowing your child to navigate this challenge will help them develop independence, confidence in their abilities, and a deeper sense of self. Here are three tips to set your child up for success. (more…)

Education

5 Essential Steps Every Parent Should Take Before Assessing Their Child for a Mental Health Disorder:

By Yasmin Mossanen, Psy.D.
Yasmin MossanenLet’s face it; we all are guilty of using psychological language to label our children’s’ behaviors. It is not meant to be harmful or malicious, however, the sudden increase in mental health diagnosis in children is forcing us to take a hard look at what options we take as parents. Research has shown that ADHD is diagnosed in 1/10 children, Autism Spectrum Disorder is diagnosed in 1 out of 54 school-aged-boys, and mood disorders have increased by 40% in the last decade. Why the sudden surge?

Educators, administrators, and parents have become casual about incorporating mental health language in everyday life. Over-diagnosis in our school systems has paved the way to medicate and abnormalize children’s normal behavior. It is common for parents to categorize their child’s behavior in order to control it. Consequently, it is easy to forget that a mental diagnosis will follow children into adulthood. The label and the experience that comes with the disorder are irreversible. Mental health diagnoses are important and can be very helpful, and you want your child to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder if he/she really has one. (more…)