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DECEMBER 2016

FAMILY HOLIDAY HARMONY: HOW TO FIND IT

LOCAL TEEN LEAPS INTO HIS OWN WITH BALLET ELITE CHILDREN WITH CHALLENGES: HOW TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE SEASON STATE OFFICIALS STILL MUM ON MCAS 2.0

Holidays, Here We Go!

Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996

2 DECEMBER2016

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table of contents DECEMBER 2016 VOLUME 21

The holidays are generally known for families, food, and fun, but they’re also recognized for being overwhelming. On our parental end, there’s the shopping, the cooking, and the driving hither and yon (on top of all of our everyday shopping, cooking, and driving).

Kids may seem to skate

3

1.

NUMBER 8

when it comes to the hard parts of the holidays, but in two special situations, the most wonderful time of the year can be the most difficult. For children who have lost a loved one, the holidays can be very difficult, underscoring an already painful loss. On page 17, you’ll find expert advice on ways to help children navigate the month and their memories.

The season can also be challenging for children with autism or who have sensory challenges.

December is not a month known for routine and is famously filled with lights, sounds, sights, and

things we learned the december issue

There is no longer a clinical difference between ADD and ADHD. The appropriate technical term is now ADHD, for anyone diagnosed. Turn to page 62 and learn how parents can determine when it’s time to consult a pediatrician with concerns about their child’s ability to pay attention.

3.

Melissa

— Melissa Shaw

in every issue

while making

2.

smells, any or all of which can be tough for children with special needs. On page 20, four experts weigh in with practical, proven advice on how parents can help their children — and themselves — enjoy this time in a way that suits them best.

As we wrap 2016, we at baystateparent want to thank you for your support this year, a very special one for us as the magazine turned 20. We wish you and your family a peaceful season.

Need to dispose of outdated prescription drugs? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends mixing medications with a substance such as kitty litter or coffee grounds, placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag, and throwing away the container in the household trash. Head to page 54 to discover why proper medication storage and disposal has never been more important, and find expert tips on how to do it.

Seat belts “like” bone, which is why it’s critical they are properly situated tight against a body. Seat belts and car seat harness webbing keep passengers from being ejected in a crash and also help with “ride down,” allowing crash forces to spread across the strongest parts of the body. On page 59, learn why winter coats get in the way of this critical ability and what parents and children should do instead.

8 9 10 40 40 42

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

56 62

REEL LIFE WITH JANE: December’s top movie releases

66 70

OUR DECEMBER FAVORITES: FACTS, FINDS & FREEBIES

owner and publisher KIRK DAVIS associate publisher KATHY REAL kreal@baystateparent.com CREATIVE

22 West Street, Millbury, MA 01527 • 508-865-7070

editor in chief MELISSA SHAW editor@baystateparent.com creative director PAULA MONETTE ETHIER pethier@holdenlandmark.com senior graphic designer STEPHANIE MALLARD design@baystateparent.com

BSP ONLINE

BY THE NUMBERS: HOLIDAYS CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: Area adoption events DECEMBER’S CHILD: Meet Jacob OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: December Calendar Of Family Events

ASK THE EXPERT: Is My Child Easily Distracted or In Need of a Diagnosis?

TAKE 8: Actress Kerstin Anderson

multimedia editor MONICA HAMILTON monica@baystateparent.com ADVERTISING

director of sales REGINA STILLINGS 508-865-7070 ext. 210 regina@baystateparent.com account executives KATHY PUFFER 508-865-7070 ext. 211 kathy@baystateparent.com SHAUNA WHARTON 508-963-7154 shauna@baystateparent.com

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Features 30

Newton Company Organizes Families’ Digital Photo Libraries, Peace of Mind

36 38 52

Flying High: Somerville Teen Leaps Into Ballet Elite

54

Why Medication Storage and Disposal Has Never Been More Important

59

Winter Coats Remain a Car Seat/ Selt Belt Hazard for Kids

60

Social Media Superstar: Teach Your Kids to Love Themselves As Is

64

Families Flock to 2016 Rhode Island Comic Con

65

The Mystery of MCAS 2.0 Best-selling Author Jeff Kinney Doubles Down With Latest Wimpy Kid Release

Skylanders Turns 5, Branches Out in New Directions

Ripe 32 34

Bites: The Best Gifts For Food Fans of All Ages Simply Delicious: Quick-Fix Winter Meals

Holidays, Here We Go! 13

15 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays — and Reading!

16

Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Navigate Holiday Stress

17

How to Help Children Manage Grief During the Holidays

18

Jingle Baubles: Ornaments to Make With Kids of All Ages

20

Easing Holiday Challenges for Children With Special Needs

24

Who Goes First? Our 2016 Tabletop Games Guide

28

Holiday Gift-Giving Tips for Co-Parenting

29

How to Find Family Harmony During the Holidays

This month’s cover model: Charlotte, 6.

Photography by Shawna Shenette

JOIN US ONLINE! facebook.com/baystateparent Twitter @baystateparent

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Dr. Laurie Berdahl is an OB-GYN, parenting and adolescent wellness author, and speaker.

Brian D. Johnson, PhD, is a University of Northern Colorado professor, and licensed child and adolescent psychologist. They are authors of the new book, Warning Signs: How to Protect Your Kids from Becoming Victims or Perpetrators of Violence and Aggression (warningsignsforparents.com) and their prior awardwinning book, 7 Skills for Parenting Success.

Jane Boursaw is the film critic and editor-in-chief of ReelLifeWithJane. com. Her reviews and work have been published in Family Circle, Parade, New York Times, Variety, People, and more.

Raied (Ray) Dinno, R.Ph and Saad Dinno, R.Ph., FACA, FIACP, are co-owners of Acton Pharmacy, West Concord Pharmacy, and Keyes Drug in Newton.

Kristen Goodhue is Children’s Program Manager at Care Dimensions. Care Dimensions is a nonprofit organization offering palliative and end-of-life care, and is the largest hospice in Massachusetts

SHOULDERS ARE OPEN & STABLE

LEGS ARE TURNED OUT WITH EQUAL WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

CONTRIBUTORS

Kristin Guay lives in Cape Cod with her husband, two daughters, and beloved black Lab. A former middle school language arts teacher, she is currently Youth Services Director at Centerville Library and enjoys projects that foster a love of reading and writing in young children and teens. She offers daily helpful suggestions on literacy, books, and educational issues on her blog: kristinannguay.weebly.com.

Janine Halloran is founder and CEO of copingskillsforkids.com, where she provides products and resources for parents to help their kids cope with stressful situations in healthy ways. She is also the author of the Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, which offers more than 75 coping strategies to help kids deal with stress, anxiety and anger.

Marshal D. Haneisen is a freelance journalist, writer, and creative writing instructor. She lives in Fitchburg with her husband, son, and a variety of pets. Her son has a dual-diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism, and her experience as a parent of a child with special needs inspires some of her writing for various publications, as well as for her blog, thespecialneedsfiles.com. Information about Marshal’s writing and workshops can be found marshaldhaneisen.com.

Doug Page is a Medfield father of two whose newspaper career started in high school. He’s written stories, sold ads, and delivered newspapers during the morning’s wee hours. He’s covered stories as shocking as the crash of Delta flight 191 in Dallas many years ago to the recent controversy involving Common Core and standardized testing in Massachusetts.

Allana Pinkerton has been a Certified CPS Technician for over 10 years. She has worked in children’s hospitals and at community events with companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and State Farm. She is currently the Global Safety Advocate for car seat manufacturer Diono.

Attorney Irwin M. Pollack is founder and lead attorney of Pollack Law Group, P.C. (PollackLawGroup.com) and a divorced father himself. He shares insights and information about co-parenting on his weekly radio talk show, Talking About Divorce, which can be heard weekends on WRKO in Boston (AM 680), WTAG in Worcester (AM 580/94.9 FM), WXTK on the Cape (95.1 FM), and WHYN in Springfield (AM 560).

Massachusetts mom Leslie Reichert is known as the Green Cleaning Coach and is aiming to change the world — “one spray bottle at a time.” A national lecturer and author of The Joy Of Green Cleaning, you can find her at greencleaningcoach.com, on Facebook (GreenCleaningCoach), Twitter (@GreenCleanCoach), and Pinterest (cleaningcoach).

Martha Ruch is the owner of Simply Delicious Personal Chef Service, helping busy families come together at the dinner table since 2007. Find pictures, recipes, cooking tips and more at simplydeliciouschef.com, facebook.com/ pages/Simply-Delicious-PersonalChef-Service/100774143364091, and on Twitter @ chefmartha.

Alexandra Townsend is a freelance writer based in the Berkshires who covers LGBT-related topics. She’s a proud geek and loves talking about superheroes.

Dr. Erik von Hahn, MDCM, is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center and an associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is interested in all developmental and behavioral disorders of childhood, and especially in creating collaborative relationships between hospital-based clinicians, school professionals, and families through communication and joint training.

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M

erry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays! Did you know there are 44 total candles lit over the eight days of Hanukkah? Or that there are 1.76 billion candy canes produced each year in the U.S.? Or that 30% of Americans visit the post office over the holidays and spend about $1.3 billion on holiday stamps each year?

Find more holiday facts and stats on our fun page, “By The Numbers,” on page 10, and thumb through our Games Gift Guide on page 24, to find a fantastic family present. Look for our other holiday features including 15 ways to celebrate reading and the holidays, how to tackle holiday challenges for children with special needs, and find new quick-fix winter meals. And you can always find the latest parenting news, contests, and giveaways — and me — at baystateparent.com, Facebook (baystateparent), Twitter (@baystateparent), and Instagram (baystateparent).

They Got It! Jill of West Boylston and Nicole of Leicester and their kids had fun with Snazaroo face paint for Halloween. Cheryl of Worcester enjoyed Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon last month and Alanna of Worcester was a Disney on Ice winner. Make sure you visit baystateparent.com frequently, subscribe to our email newsletter, and Like us on Facebook to stay on top of the latest giveaways and contests.

And please remember to check all your email folders after the contests you’ve entered ends: We need to confirm names and mailing addresses before we send out your prize!

Congratulations...

Laura of Somerset, winner of last month’s newsletter-only giveaway and a We Bare Bears DVD! We are always adding more exclusive contests and giveaways for our Facebook and newsletter followers, so make sure you subscribe to our newsletter at baystateparent.com/newsletter/ to stay on top of the latest chances to win.

All aboard the Edaville Express!

Ho-ho-hop on the Edaville Express to search for Santa, check out their Christmas Festival of Lights, and enjoy Edaville USA during the holidays! We have family four-packs of tickets to give away to the Carver attraction, just in time for winter break! Email win@baystateparent.com with the subject line Christmas Festival of Lights by December 9 for your chance to win, and be sure to include your mailing address.

— Monica Hamilton, multimedia editor

ee fr santa photo Two FREE 4x6 Santa photo prints and digital download of a single image for every family who visits Santa.

Additional photos and Christmas merchandise available for purchase. One giveaway per family, per Christmas season. Some restrictions may apply. Valid through December 24, 2016. Visiting times may vary.

100 CambridgeSide Place Cambridge, MA • 617.621.8666

ShopCambridgeSide.com

BAYSTATEPARENT 9

Holidays By The Numbers This year, Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah) begins at sundown on December 24, Christmas Eve. Both holidays are celebrated in the U.S. and have religious as well as secular customs, and can involve food, family, and gift-giving. Celebrated for two millennia, people around the world have been observing Christmas as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. December 25 – Christmas Day – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days.

Stats $24.5 billion Estimated retail sales by the nation’s department stores in December 2014. $48.3 billion Estimated value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2014.

Top 5 most popular Christmas trees

1.76 billion Number of candy canes produced in the U.S. each year.

4 Number of Hebrew letters inscribed on a dreidel.

#1 Fraser Fir #2 Douglas Fir #3 Balsam FIr #4 Colorado Blue Spruce # 5 Scotch Pine

8 Places abound in the U.S. with Christmas-themed names, not including all the places with Holly in their names: (Santa Claus, IN; Santa Claus, GA; Rudolph, WI; Snowflake, AZ; Noel, MO; North Pole, AK; Dasher, GA; and Holly Springs, MI).

What do China, Thailand, and Canada have in common?

9 Number of candles, Including the shammus — or service — candle, in a menorah.

They are the top three suppliers of ice skates to the U.S.

1.3 billion Number of holiday stamps the U.S. Postal Service sells each year.

19 Number of celebrities mentioned in Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song. (Number of these who are not Jewish: 2).

350 million Number of future Christmas trees growing

on U.S. farms.

33 million Number of real Christmas trees sold in the U.S. each year.

Percentages 92% of Americans say they celebrate Christmas 81% number of non-Christians in the U.S. who also celebrate Christmas

9.5 million Number of artificial trees sold each year 7 Average growing time in years for a Christmas tree 100,000 Number of people employed by the Christmas tree industry

86% of Americans buy gifts for friends or family as part of celebrating the

3 Number of blessings recited during the first night of Hanukkah.

88% of Americans put up Christmas trees

2 Number of blessings recited during all other nights of Hanukkah

holiday

30% of the population visits a post office during the holidays 83% of Americans said buying and receiving gifts makes them feel joyful 46% said it makes them feel stretched thin financially 84% of Americans buy a pre-cut tree 16% of Americans cut down their own Christmas tree

15.8 billion Amount of cards, letters, and packages the U.S. Postal Service delivers between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. 44 Total candles lit (including the shammus) over all eight days of Hanukkah.

30 million Number in pounds of mail American military overseas receive over the holidays.

30 Minimum number of minutes the Hanukkah candles should burn each night.

10 DECEMBER2016

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12 DECEMBER2016

15 Ways to Celebrate Reading and the Holidays

BY KRISTIN GUAY

The festivities and family celebrations surrounding the winter holidays create perfect opportunities to foster a love of reading and promote literacy with a child. These can be achieved by sneaking in some literacy support via holiday traditions and gift giving.

Here are a few suggestions (Special note: Some adults might love these suggestions as well!).

Create a holiday tradition The holiday season is filled with a variety of themed books from those that tell the history of the holiday, The Story of Christmas and My First Chanukah, to the silly Olive, the Other Reindeer and I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel. Regardless of family preference, these stories create special opportunities to spend time with your child. Have a stack of these books easily available and read one every night leading up to the holiday. This is a wonderful tradition that can be enjoyed for many years.

Compare a book and movie version Many holiday-themed books have also been adapted into feature movies. Take the time with your child to read the book prior to watching the movie. Some popular holiday books that are also movies include The Polar Express, Miracle on 34th Street, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and A Christmas Carol.

This can also lead to an interesting discussion by comparing the book and movie versions. Ask questions about the setting and main characters. Was there anything in the movie that was not in the book or visa versa? Did they think the people who made the movie did a good job? Why or why not? Which did they enjoy more, the book or the movie? Why? There are many non-holiday books for younger children that have been made into feature movies, including Jumanji, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who, The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Curious George, Madeline, Shrek, Where the Wild Things Are, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Nim’s Island, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Tween and teens would enjoy these book/movie pairings: The Hunger

Games, The Harry Potter series, Twilight, Fault in Our Stars, The Help, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, The Book Thief, The Notebook, Water for Elephants, The Hobbit, To Kill A Mockingbird, Divergent, If I Stay, The Maze Runner, The Lightning Thief, The Host, and The Life of Pi. Some of these movies have a more contemporary version that might appeal to teen audiences. Director Baz Luhrmann has created modern versions of The Great Gatsby and Romeo and Juliet, both of which have been wellreceived by teen audiences.

During the holiday break, children usually have a little more free time to read, and this is a perfect opportunity to read the book and then watch the movie.

Look for books with accompanying toys There are many book/toy sets on the market, and these make great gifts for little ones, especially when the toy is used during the reading of the book. A toy or plush character creates an opportunity for the child to be actively involved in the reading of the book. Some suggestions for book/ toy sets are: Dragons Love Tacos; Frozen; The Very Hungry Caterpillar; You’re All My Favorites; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Owl Babies; Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site; Guess How Much I Love You; Maisy’s Bedtime; Beluga Passage; The Velveteen Rabbit; The Enormous Crocodile; and We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, to name a few. Just imagine how a book can come to life with a plush, bright caterpillar moving along the pages of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Flannel/felt storyboards encourage creative storytelling There are several flannel boards on the market that contain the characters of popular children’s books

such as Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed; Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See; The Very Hungry Caterpillar; and Cinderella. There are also flannel boards that provide an opportunity for imaginative storytelling with farm animals, transportation, medieval castle and knights, dance, ocean life, and international people.

Flannel boards are an easy project to make at home. All that is needed is a sturdy piece of cardboard or wood, various colors of felt, glue, sharp scissors, fabric markers, and resealable plastic bags to contain the various cutouts (instructions and tips are available on the internet). With these simple supplies, you and your child can create the felt characters, scenery, and accessory items you need to develop any story your imagination can create.

The article “Why Children Should Be Given the Opportunity To Tell Stories” (beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com) explains the importance of this skill and its impact later in life: “It’s difficult to be successful if you’re not a good communicator, and communication is, at its most basic level, the ability to tell a story well, whether to one person or to a group. Most of us will use reading and writing in our chosen professions, but all of us will use speaking and listening. Stories are the way we store information in the brain.

Miscellaneous facts and data are easily forgotten unless they are put into a narrative context. ‘Storying,’ or the process of constructing stories in the mind, is one of the most fundamental ways of making meaning, and thus pervades all aspects of learning.”

Fun with bookmarks With all that reading your child will be doing, they will definitely need a special bookmark. Many bookstores and specialty shops sell unique bookmarks. Some have tassels,

beads, and jewels, while others have a holographic picture that gives the appearance of a moving image (think Clark Kent transforming into Superman, tropical fish swimming in a coral reef, or a horse galloping through a green pasture).

The internet is filled with unique gift sites that feature one-of-a-kind bookmarks — personalized with a name or saying, crochet flowers, hand-cut silhouettes, carved wood, sculptured metal, even one that resembles the Wicked Witch of the West trapped in the book with her feet dangling out (visualize the fallen house from The Wizard of Oz).

Some bookmarks add humor to the reading with expressions such as, “Leave me alone, I’m reading,” “One more chapter,” “Fell asleep here,” or “Bookmark? You mean quitter clip.”

There are also many bookmarks available that feature characters from TV shows and movies such as Outlander, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, War and Peace, Star Wars, Peter Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland, Goonies, and even the musical Hamilton.

If you still cannot find the perfect bookmark, or simply want to do something unique for your child, you can create a personalized bookmark.

It requires only a few craft items to create a bookmark-making kit. A homemade kit would be a perfect holiday gift. Vellum paper (cardstock), sticky laminating sheets, and stickers, photographs, and pictures from magazines are all that is needed to create a design that is uniquely your own. The instructions are very simple: 1. Cut the vellum paper to the desired size.

2. Place stickers or glue pictures onto both sides of the paper.

2. Cover with self-sealing laminating paper.

If you want to add a special touch, make a hole in the top and thread through a bright piece of string or BAYSTATEPARENT 13

even add some beads or gems to the string. These also make great party crafts, party favors, gifts for friends, and any other time you want to give a child (or even an adult) a special treat.

Boredom-busting activities Provide your child with a variety of boredom-busting activity books such as crossword puzzles, seekand-find books, Mad Libs, and even word-of-the-day calendars. There are Mad Lib books on just about any topic that would appeal to a child — Scooby-Doo, Frozen, SpongeBob, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, DC Comics Super Heroes, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Legos, sleepovers, birthdays, holidays, ninjas, sports, and animals, just to name a few. There are many word-of-the-day calendars on the market for various age groups, and you can even find poem-of-the-day calendars for kids.

tant gift for reluctant readers in that they are not as overwhelming as a chapter book. Younger children get the satisfaction of finishing an article without the stress of feeling they need to complete an entire book.

Also, the length of magazine articles is perfect for teens who are inundated with school-required reading assignments.

Journals and diaries to support writing skills Cultivate your child’s imagination by giving them the gift of a diary or a journal. These come in a variety of styles and sizes sure to please anyone. Some journals include a message on the cover to encourage writing about a particular topic — “One Happy Thing Every Day,” “Shoot for the Moon,” “Make the World

the story and characters as they go along.

“Book clubs help children develop important language skills,” notes pbs.org. “Book discussions help children practice turn-taking, encourage them to use language to analyze, make predictions and solve problems, and provide them with opportunities to try out new vocabulary words. Simply by reading and participating in discussions themselves, parents can provide important language and literacy models for their children.”

Give the gift of a book tote – maybe even make your own A trip to the library is an entertaining and educational experience, and many kids walk out laden with

Boost literacy with word games There are many wonderful family games that can be entertaining while also supporting your child’s literacy skills. Games such as Bananagrams, Scrabble, Boggle, Hangman, Upwords, Zingo, Tiggly Words, and Tapple are enjoyable for the entire family, yet teach important literacy skills at the same time. Also, many of these games have a junior version and a more advanced version, so you and your child can progress in the game as their skills develop.

Games, in general, are considered an important tool in language development in children.

“Games don’t need to be overtly academic to be educational,” according to Scholastic magazine. “Just by virtue of playing them, board games can teach important social skills, such as communicating verbally, sharing, waiting, taking turns, and enjoying interaction with others.

Board games can foster the ability to focus and lengthen your child’s attention span by encouraging the completion of an exciting, enjoyable game.”

Give magazines a try Magazines subscriptions are an excellent way to help a child explore an interest or hobby. Magazines cover everything from crafts, sports, science, and travel, to outdoor activities, fashion, cooking, and more. Younger children would enjoy Babybug, Cricket, American Girl, Boys Life, Cobblestone, National Geographic Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Nick Jr., and Ranger Rick.

Tweens and teens might enjoy ESPN, Sports Illustrated, GamePro, GL (formerly Girls’ Life), Mad, Seventeen, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly.

Magazines are an especially impor14 DECEMBER2016

the recipient can select exactly what they want. Take the gift one step further and make it a special event. Enjoy browsing the shelves with your child, listening to what they prefer, and help them find the perfect books. If the bookstore has a snack section, take a break and enjoy a special treat while looking at all the new books. The key is to make an event of this, not just run in and out of the store. That is part of the gift, as well.

Create a home library for your child Is there a small spot in your child’s room, or in your home, where you could create a personal library for your child? Start with a small bookshelf, or even some baskets, and fill these with their favorite books — maybe even throw in a few new ones as a surprise. Put in a nice comfy chair, stack of pillows, or a beanbag chair. Add a soft blanket to make it even more relaxing. Make sure there is a reading lamp that provides adequate lighting in this area. Consider getting a special cup with a sealed top so they can take their drink outside the normal eating/drinking area without making a mess. All together these create a wonderful personalized reading nook for your child.

Give the gift of a story

a Little Kinder,” or “Be Awesome Today.” Others are bound in beautiful leather with a long decorative strap to secure its contents. Some have an antique look to the pages and embossed patina covers. If you want to make sure the writings are completely secure, there are many choices available. Some diaries have a simple key that can be locked to hide content from prying eyes, while others use a combination lock to secure the contents. There are even voice-activated diaries that only open under voice recognition.

Mini book club Encourage your child to have their own mini book club with a friend or even a family member; this is perfect for the time away from school obligations during winter vacation. Purchase the same book for your child and a special friend.

They could read the book at the same time and have fun discussing

an armload of books (or maybe it is their parents carrying the load).

Giving kids their own book tote is an amazing and very useful gift.

There are book totes with whimsical expressions such as “Hot Girls Read,” “Book Diva,” “Bibliophile,” and “So Many Books, So Little Time.”

There are book totes with a variety of designs such as sharks, alligators, ships, whales, sailboats, and flamingos that would appeal to kids.

If you are feeling very crafty or if you have a crafty child, decorating your own book tote could be a fun project. Again, all the supplies to create this project this could be the gift itself. First, find a good sturdy tote in a solid color. Next, find some items to decorate the tote such as fabric paint, fabric scraps or beads, and gems. Finally, have a great time and let the creative juices flow.

Bookstore gift cards This is a wonderful gift because

And now for the ultimate gift — give your child the gift of a story read aloud to them. Many times parents stop reading aloud to their children once their child can read independently. It is a great pleasure for children to have a story, poem, or magazine article read aloud to them by their parents. Parents and children can tackle a large book together (think Harry Potter or the Anne of Green Gable series) and read a little every night. Or if you prefer, smaller stories and picture books can be completed in one reading.

Aside from the academic support that reading provides, never underestimate the bond that is nurtured between a parent and child during quiet reading time. Reading and discussing books, stories, and articles in the safety and security of your home leads to many important conversations between you and your child. This is an opportunity to keep the lines of communication open with your child throughout the years.

Writes the Raising Children Network: “Reading or telling stories can also be safe ways to explore strong emotions, which can help your child understand change, as well as new or frightening events.

Books about going to the dentist or hospital, starting at childcare or making new friends, will help your child learn about the world around him. Reading stories with children

has benefits for grown-ups, too.

This special time together promotes bonding and helps to build your relationship, laying the groundwork for your child’s later social, communication, and interpersonal skills.”

Book Box Sets – Perfect for All Ages Surprise your child with a boxed set of a collection of books. Many of these come in decorative packaging that helps preserve the books for years to come.

Boxed sets for toddlers and young children: • The Eric Carle Mini Library: A Storybook Gift Set (Rooster’s Off to See the World, Papa Please Get Me the Moon, Pancakes Pancakes, A House for Hermit Crab) • Baby’s Box of Fun (Where Is Baby’s Bellybutton?, Where Is Baby’s Mommy?, Toes, Ears, & Nose!)

• Boynton’s Greatest Hits (The Going to Bed Book, Horns to Toes, Opposites, But Not the Hippopotamus) • Chicka Chicka (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Chicka Chicka 123) • Thomas and Friends: My Red Railway Book Box (Go, Train, Go!, Stop, Train Stop!, A Crack in the Track, Blue Train, Green Train)

• It’s A Busload of Pigeon Books (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!, Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!)

• Sweet Stories for Baby by Mem Fox (Time for Bed, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Everywhere Babies) • Baby Einstein Learning Library (12 book set about nature, colors, shapes, animals, and numbers) • Winnie-the-Pooh’s Library (The House At Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, Now We Are Six) • Pinkalicious Phonics Box Set. • The Complete Peter Rabbit Library (including 23 tales by author Beatrix Potter, such as The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, The Tale of Jemima PuddleDuck and, of course, The Tale of Peter Rabbit).

Boxed sets for early readers: • Pete the Cat’s Super Cool Reading Collection • Dr. Seuss’s Beginner Book Collection • Frog and Toad • Curious George • Disney Princess • The Little House collection • The Magic Tree House Library • My Weird School • Wings of Fire

• The Complete Ramona Collection • The Judy Moody Uber-Awesome Collection • My Little Pony • Amelia Bedelia • Minions • Fancy Nancy • Encyclopedia Brown • Mercy Watson • Judy Blume’s Fudge Set • The Cupcake Club • Baby Kitty • Captain Underpants • Clementine • Boxcar Children • Busload of Pigeons • The Disney Princess Little Golden Book Library • Walt Disney’s Six Little Golden Books (classic stories) • 65 Years of Little Golden Books • Disney Classics Collection • Rainbow Fish collection • Dork Diaries

Boxed sets for tweens and teens: • • • •

Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Underland Chronicles Warriors, The Seven Realms The Chronicles of Narnia

• Pokemon Adventures • Diamond & Pearl • The Spiderwick Chronicles • Wonder/365 Days of Wonder • Treasure Hunters • I Funny Set • A Series of Unfortunate Events • Septimus Heap • The Wrinkle In Time Quintet • The Giver Quartet • The Mysterious Benedict Society Collection • Survivors • The Ivy & Bean Secret Treasure Set • Theodore Boone • Carl Hiaasen Four Book Collection • Oz Series • Anne of Green Gables • The Secret Series • City of Ember • Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children • Maze Runner • Harry Potter series • The Hunger Games trilogy • The works of J.R.R. Tolkien • Beautiful Demons • Divergent • Twilight • John Green Set

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How to Help Your Child Navigate Holiday

Stress

BY JANINE HALLORAN

It’s

that time of year, that incredibly overwhelming stretch between October 31 and December 25 — the equivalent of the witching hour in the calendar year. Everyone — kids and adults alike — seems to get stressed out during this holiday gauntlet.

As a parent, you’re distressed.

You just want to make it through.

Your kids are cranky and acting out.

When you imagine the holidays, this isn’t what you pictured in your head. This shouldn’t be happening; it’s supposed to be an enjoyable time of year. Instead, it becomes a period during which you just want to tear your hair out, shuffling from one thing to another, feeling more ragged each day.

Let’s rethink how we approach the holidays and figure out some ways to make it more pleasant and less stressful!

Rethink your to-do list Be conscious about what you choose to do, and keep it as simple as you can. Figure out what brings you joy.

Take a few minutes and think about the holiday traditions you enjoy as a family. Which do you dread? Which overwhelm your children?

Determine what you want your holiday season to look like and rearrange your to-do list accordingly.

You can even make a to-don’t list to help reduce seasonal anxiety.

Here are two traditions on my todon’t list: • Christmas cards. Of all the things I’m trying to do around the holidays, this is just not a priority for me. We didn’t do it growing up, and I have never had a desire to do it.

I tried it one year, but it just overwhelmed me given all the things I really wanted to do and enjoy.

Rather than doing something that adds to my stress level, I let it go and focus on other things.

• Elf on the Shelf. Some people love the Elf on the Shelf tradition; I will confess that I’m not one of them. I have big concerns that I’ll forget to do my part, and it seems like unnecessary pressure to put on myself when I’m just trying to make sure presents are wrapped and the tree is decorated. I gave myself permission to opt out of this.

Because I skip the traditions that drain me, I have more energy for

the ones I enjoy, like making gingerbread houses with my kids, decorating cookies for Santa, and trimming the tree with homemade ornaments.

I recognize that my family’s list will not match other people’s lists, and that’s perfectly fine. No matter what’s on the list, the goal is for families to feel happy and energized from their traditions, not drained.

Manage parties successfully For kids who are overwhelmed or stressed, parties can be a challenge.

What can you do to make them easier? Here are several tips to help prepare your child for parties, and hopefully make the experience more pleasant for everyone.

Be choosy. Just because you’re invited to a holiday party every weekend doesn’t mean you need to attend them all. Too many parties and gatherings can be overwhelming, so pick and choose. It’s OK to say no. Give yourself permission to have downtime with your family to connect and relax.

Have your child use their imagination: What will the party be like, start to finish? Have children identify which parts of the party will be more difficult. Then have them imagine themselves there and successfully making it through those parts of the party they identified as more challenging. For example, if they struggle with entering a party, have them imagine a successful

Be conscious about what you choose to do, and keep it as simple as you can. Figure out what brings you joy.

16 DECEMBER2016

transition from the car into the house.

• When you arrive, politely explain your child’s needs.

Sometimes well-meaning relatives or partygoers will try to force kids to hug, make eye contact, etc. If your child is not able to do that, preparing a brief explanation helps. You want to be able to clearly and succinctly communicate your child’s need for space.

This help can prevent you and your child from getting frustrated and keep the other partygoers from being offended.

• When you’re there, fake it!

Have your child try their acting skills and just fake it. Ask them to act like the most outgoing person they know and try on that persona for the party.

• Find your people. Identify a couple of people with which your child feels comfortable. Have your child find them and hang out for a bit. You can even offer to drive one of these people to the party. This can help ease the transition and make your child feel more comfortable even before you enter.

• Take a break. I’m an introvert, and sometimes I need a break when I’m at a party. Kids need to learn to do the same. They can go to the bathroom, get a drink, or get a snack. It’s OK to bring a book or a portable gaming system to take a break when needed, just don’t do it the whole time. With your child, determine where a good place to take a break would be, especially when using an electronic device. Usually if other kids see that, they want to know what you’re playing and watch or get a turn. If your child really needs solitude, they need to pick an outof-the-way spot.

Take time to relax Schedule downtime for your family during this time of year. Model good coping skills to rejuvenate and gather more energy for the tasks you have ahead of you. Have a holiday movie night where you relax in jammies and have hot cocoa. Or take a drive around late at night and look at the lights and decorations. Read a holiday story together. Play a game together.

Dance and sing. Figure out what is relaxing and enjoyable for you as a family, and make sure you take some time to do it.

The holidays are often a stressful time, but we can take action to reduce that stress for our families and ourselves so we can focus on enjoying time together. Isn’t that what the holidays should be all about?

Helping Children Deal With Grief During the Holidays Tips for Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers

BY KRISTEN GOODHUE

The holidays are here; there’s excitement, anticipation, and happiness in the air. But if you’re a child or teen who has had a family member or close friend die, the harsh reminder of their absence is never more real than at special times of the year. Feelings of sadness, depression, and worry can replace those once-joyous emotions, and children and teens may wonder, “Will the holiday season ever be the same again?”

There is no script for how people grieve, and the first holiday season without a loved one can feel confusing and scary.

Often children and teens who have experienced a loss feel anxious around the holidays, as they worry about how the holidays will be without their loved one around. It’s important to reinforce with children that even though some parts of the holiday might feel really sad, it’s also OK to have happy feelings. Often children experience guilt for feeling happy or excited about the holidays, and it can be helpful for them to know that it’s OK to have fun, too.

The first thing families should do is decide what they can handle comfortably and let those decisions be known to family and friends. Hold a family discussion to talk about everyone’s hopes and fears. This makes room for new traditions, and children begin to look forward to the holiday with some fervor and fresh excitement.

Many families remember a significant role their loved one would play during the holidays.

Whether it was cooking the

turkey or giving the toast at mealtime, it is important to talk about these traditions and roles within your family. Some families may choose to leave an empty seat at the dinner table to acknowledge the loss of their loved one, or some may choose to gather meaningful photos to display or bring to family gatherings.

Here are a few ideas on how parents, caregivers, children, and teens can work together to make the holiday season a time of peace without forgetting the memory of their loved one: • Create a memory box by inviting people to write a favorite memory about the loved one and place it in the box. Choose a time during a family gathering where the memories can be shared aloud.

• Have a balloon release using biodegradable balloons and invite children and others to write messages on the balloons to the loved one.

• Bring the balloons to a significant place and release them into the air, watching as the balloons leave your hands and rise into the sky.

• Cook your loved one’s favorite holiday treat or meal together.

• Assemble favorite holiday recipes, along with photos or other mementos, in a scrapbook.

• Decorate a candleholder and light a candle at mealtime in memory of your loved one. If you celebrate Chanukah, recall a memory of the deceased on each of the eight nights you light the Menorah.

• Make a donation to a favorite charity in the person’s honor.

• Have children draw a picture or write a letter to their loved one. Save the letters/pictures as a keepsake or create a journal or book.

• Choose a special holiday decoration in memory of your loved one to hang or place in the house during this season. Some families choose to purchase a significant ornament to hang on their tree or in a special place.

Acknowledging this difficult time in your child’s grieving process can help bring your family together. Remember to listen to one another’s wishes and respect how each person chooses to honor their loved one this holiday season.

If you or someone you know needs help this holiday season dealing with the loss of a loved one, visit caredimensions.org/grief to learn more about support groups for children, teens, and families. Care Dimensions is a nonprofit organization offering palliative and end-of-life care, and is the largest hospice in Massachusetts.

BAYSTATEPARENT 17

BAUBLES e l Jing The holidays are a great time to craft, especially with kids. This DIY ornament activity is inexpensive (less than $5!), easy for crafters of all ages, and produces a fun decoration for your — or a recipient’s — Christmas tree. Even better, it’s screen-free family fun.

Bella Santa and Rudolph

Naughty and Nice Supplies • Clear plastic ornaments that snap together • Charcoal

• Peppermint candles • Stick-on letters • Ribbon

This can double as a gift tag Supplies

Supplies • Flat glass ornament • Map • Mod Podge • Disposable sponge paintbrush • X-acto knife or scissors

Holly Ornament

• Foam adhesive circles • Ribbon • Santa and Rudolph artwork • Heavy paper or scrap booking stickers

Directions • Cut map into small pieces and adhere to ornament with Mod Podge.

• Once ornament is covered with map pieces, Mod Podge the outside of map. (It may be easier to use your fingers, rather than the brush.) Let dry.

• Clear glass ornament • Embellishments • Stick-on letters • Mod Podge • Water

• 2 paper cups • Plastic spoon • Epsom salt • 2 funnels • Ribbon

Directions • Put Mod Podge in a paper cup and add a few drops of water. Stir well and pour in ornament using a funnel.

• Stir mixture inside the ornament until the inside is completely covered. Pour excess back into paper cup.

• Cut out the artwork/sticker, leaving a white border.

• Pour Epsom salt into ornament using the second funnel. Remove funnel and shake ornament to distribute salt around the inside; this will create a snow-life effect. Pour excess salt back into second paper cup.

• Apply letters to spell “Naughty” and “Nice.”

• Add foam adhesive to 2 or 3 places on the back of artwork/sticker and attach to ornament.

• Decorate with embellishments of your choice and stick on letters if desired.

• Add ribbon

• Add ribbon.

• Add ribbon.

Cost: Less than $2 per ornament

Cost: Less than $3.50 per ornament

Cost: Less than $5 per ornament

Directions • Fill one ornament with 2 pieces of charcoal and another with peppermint candies. Snap ornaments closed.

18 DECEMBER2016

• Look online for Santa/Rudolph clip art and print out on heavy card stock, or find a sticker and place on poster board.

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VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE

How You Can Help Children With Autism or Sensory Processing Challenges Enjoy the

Holiday Season

BY MARSHAL D. HANEISEN

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of celebration, renewal, family appreciation, and peace. We celebrate with music, prayer, decorations, twinkling lights, gifts, and food — so many wonderful things, many of which are not part of our regular routine. Changes in routine and all this sensory input can create challenges for children with autism or sensory processing disorder. We asked four experts for their advice on what parents can do to help their child have a more enjoyable holiday season.

The Occupational Therapist: Ashley Clarke MS, OTR/L May Center School for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Randolph

many different areas of the sensory processing spectrum based on the sensation, such as showing overresponsivity to sound, and underresponsivity to touch.

First, how would you describe sensory processing disorders?

Sensory processing is the way a person interprets sensory information.

Simply put, we interpret sensations as being too much, too little, or just right. Each person can interpret the same sensory information differently.

This is commonly seen with room temperature, as what one person finds a comfortable room temperature could be too hot or cold for another.

Sensory processing disorder comes into play when a person’s interpretation of sensory information impacts their day-to-day life. As with autism, sensory processing disorders fall on a spectrum. One end of the spectrum represents an overresponsivity (sensitivity) to a stimulus, while the other end of the spectrum represents an underresponsivity.

Generally speaking, individuals who show an overresponsivity (the stimulus is too much) will have a tendency to avoid the stimulus. Those with an underresponsivity (the stimulus is too little) will either seem disinterested or seek out a higher intensity of the sensation. Individuals can fall on

The holidays are abundant in outof-routine sensory inputs for all senses. What tips could you offer in mitigating the stress?

The first line of approach would be to modify the environment based on the needs of the individual, but this often isn’t possible during the holidays, as we don’t always have control over the environment. The best recommendation I can provide for these sensory experiences is provide the child with a sense of control in modifying the way they receive sensory information.

20 DECEMBER2016

Lights: If a person shows overresponsivity to light, try giving them a pair of sunglasses or a brimmed hat. They can put these on and take them off as needed to dim the intensity of lights.

Sounds: Provide the option for noisereduction devices. Noise cancellation headphones are often used in loud settings, such as on a plane, and can be an option if an environment becomes too loud. Other options include the use of earplugs or earbud headphones. Headphones can be used without music to lower the

volume of the environment and can also play music the person enjoys or finds soothing. If the noisy situation is causing escalation, look for a place to take a quiet break, such as a side room, the bathroom, the car, etc.

Crowds: Provide opportunities for breaks from the crowd and a coping strategy to use while in a crowd. It can be useful to trial “fidget” toys that can be squeezed or manipulated, such as a stress ball or putty, as these can provide a distraction and a source of stress relief, as well as an enjoyable sensory experience.

Scents: This is one of the most difficult sensations to avoid. Modifying the environment is ideal by avoiding scent sensitivity triggers. If this is not possible, try breathing through the mouth instead of the nose, use chewing gum or hard candy if safe to do so, and provide breaks from highly scented areas.

From allergies to sensitivities to preferences, food creates a range of challenges for some children. The holidays are loaded with foods we don’t have the rest of the year. From an occupational therapy standpoint, what do you recommend parents do about food challenges; perhaps they can bring a dish or two the child likes, being sure to include enough

for everyone to share? Who knows, macaroni and cheese might make a nice addition to the holiday meal?

Absolutely. Food is often the highlight of holiday gatherings, so I completely agree that bringing a dish or two of food the person enjoys is a great idea, and will also help build positive associations with holiday gatherings.

It is not always possible to anticipate what other guests are bringing, so it is highly recommended to bring food items that you know your child is safe to consume related to allergens, and willing to consume based on preferences. Allergen-free food can be expensive, and the child’s preferred food may not be appropriate for the holiday setting, so if preparing a dish to share with guests isn’t an option, you can pack a separate bag of food for your child. The packed items can be combined with food they are willing to try.

If introducing food is a challenge within the daily routine at home, a holiday gathering is likely going to be even more challenging. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage your child to try new foods.

Before the event: Prepare before the gathering. If you know their aunt makes a certain dish each holiday, try preparing it at home and introducing it to them the weeks preceding the event. You can consider providing

an incentive for trying new foods at the holiday party, such as, “For each bite of new food you try, you’ll earn ___.” This should be something very motivating for the child and does not have to be food-based.

At the event: If appropriate, provide a plate containing a small portion of their preferred food, along with portions of new foods. Encourage your child to try the new food before filling up on preferred items. Prepare for the possibility that they will not feel comfortable trying new foods. To appease the request of party goers urging them to “Just try one bite, I know you’ll like it,” make a “to-go” bag. They can make a plate or fill a bag with all the goodies they were uncomfortable trying at the party, while reassuring relatives that their homemade recipe will be tasted tomorrow.

After the event: If you’ve made a to-go bag, you can introduce these foods the next day. If they still don’t feel comfortable at home, you can encourage them to lick, sniff, or simply touch the food depending on their level of sensitivity.

The two previous items are more about coping, how about embracing and enjoying the season? What activities could parents try during the holiday season to encourage sensory exploration?

Food preparation is an excellent sensory experience, as well as a functional skill. Involving your child in food preparation is a great way to provide sensory input and holiday sentiment, as well as a useful life skill.

Provide your child with a responsibility at the holiday party. Helping to prepare a dish, carry in the food, pass out gifts, set the table, these are all opportunities to keep your child moving, engaged in sensory and social activities, and will provide them with a sense of accomplishment.

For multisensory activities related to your specific holiday, websites such as Pinterest have an enormous amount of activities. Searching “sensory holiday activities” will provide

multiple sensory crafts, games, and other activities that are appropriate and interesting for your child.

Finally, please offer any other thoughts you wish to share relative to making the holiday relaxing, enjoyable, and meaningful for our kids.

Making the day more predictable can help with reducing stress. Review the schedule of events ahead of time, and provide a set time of how long the event will last. If appropriate for your child, think of ways to provide incentives in increments throughout the event, such as earning a break with a preferred toy every 30 minutes.

As it can be overwhelming to be hugged and kissed by multiple guests, consider giving your child an alternative to hugs and kisses, such as a pat on the back, hand shake, high five, etc.

Think of activities your child loves and how to incorporate them in the event. Does your child love to take pictures? Give them the task of being a photographer for a portion of the party. Do they love computer or iPad games? Look for games they can play with a partner at the event. Do they have a game they love to play?

Bring it to the party and have them introduce it to their peers. Think of your child’s strengths and interests, and how to incorporate them into the party. You might even start a new holiday tradition.

The most important recommendation I have is to pack a bag of tricks.

Prepare for your child to reach a point where they can no longer tolerate being at the event and have preferred activities and food ready to use.

The Board Certified Behavior Analyst: Robert Shapiro, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA Owner, Shapiro Educational & Behavioral Consultants, Fitchburg For readers who might not know what behavior analysis is all about, please offer a short explanation of what you do and how understand-

ing behavior is important for children, particularly those with intellectual disabilities.

As behavior analysts, our primary goal is to affect meaningful behavior change. This means teaching or improving skills that improve the lives of those with whom we work and open them up to new opportunities. With children who engage in behavior that might interfere with their ability to form meaningful relationships, participate actively in their community, be as independent as possible, or remain safe, we seek to understand why that behavior is happening, so we can teach the child a more effective, efficient, safe, and socially acceptable way to gain what he or she is seeking through their interfering behavior.

Why are the holidays so difficult for some children, especially children on the autism spectrum?

Let’s face it — the holidays can be difficult for everyone. Nothing happens the way it usually does; we see people we rarely see, we go to different places, we participate in traditions that we only engage in once a year. While that can bring joy and excitement, it can also bring discomfort. Now, multiply that discomfort immeasurably for a child on the Autism Spectrum, who may struggle with social interactions, sensory stimulation, lack of predictability, and impulse control.

From a sensory standpoint alone, the smells, tastes, and sounds of the holidays can be strange and overwhelming. Add to that changes in routine, the stress level of those around them, and the unclear expectations that go hand in hand with crowds, large family meals, present giving and receiving, and dozens of other things, and it’s easy to see how someone on the Autism Spectrum could struggle in that situation.

Listening to some people talk about their holiday schedules overwhelms me. We don’t fully understand how a child with autism processes overstimulating chaos, but we often see it makes them unhappy, restless, upset, or frightened. Could you offer a few steps on helping parents rec-

ognize their child’s limit so they can prioritize how to adjust the holiday plan?

I think the most important thing with regard to preventing children from becoming overwhelmed in these situations is parents being willing to be flexible. It’s critical to be tuned in to how your child is feeling, and recognizing those early warning signs that a situation is becoming overwhelming.

In some cases, children may be able to effectively communicate that they need to take some time away, while at other times it may be necessary to look for nonverbal signs. In either case, it’s important to be proactive and honor a child’s need to escape a situation before that situation escalates. While it can be disappointing to have to cut an activity short, or even to take a short break, it is far preferable to do so (and in the process teach the child that he or she will be listened to) than to forge on, only having to take evasive action later.

From a behavior standpoint, what factors should parents consider when planning holiday activities?

The two things that come to mind here are antecedent management and replacement behavior.

Antecedent management refers to changes that can be made to the environment before things become difficult, which may serve to reduce some of that difficulty. For example, does a particular activity or tradition involve particular smells, tastes, social interaction, waiting, or anything else that your child might struggle with? If so, are there small changes you can make to that tradition that eliminates or reduces some of those things that you know might result in your child struggling? If you can eliminate or reduce those, can you do things like pre-teach (expose your child to those situations in a calm learning environment ahead of time so he or she is more likely to be successful) or work on coping skills so your child will be better equipped to handle those situations.

Replacement behavior refers to a socially appropriate and safe way for someone to gain the same outcome they sometimes gain by engaging

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in problem behavior. For example, if your child sometimes engages in tantrums when in a difficult situation, and often is removed from that situation as a result, a replacement behavior might be asking to take a break or to get away. If you teach your child that replacement behavior (and then honor the replacement behavior when it occurs), it makes it less likely that problem behavior will occur.

How might social stories help in planning for a family gathering?

Social stories are a great example of pre-teaching. By going over with your child events that are upcoming, including planning for unexpected changes and letting your child know what options he or she might have if the going gets tough, this makes it more likely that the event will be at least somewhat predictable, and that your child will have a strategy in advance for handling challenges.

Social stories often include visuals, are framed positively, and can be a great tool when going into novel situations.

What other tools and tips might you recommend for attending holiday parties?

In general, I often talk to the parents I work with about “thinking like a chess player.” A good chess player doesn’t just think about what move he or she is going to make; the good player thinks about how his or her opponent is likely to respond to that move, and what he or she is going to do next. The great players think many moves ahead.

When going into a new situation, think like a chess player. What is going to be present, and how are you going to set things up for success? What things might happen when you’re at the party, and how is your child likely to respond to those things? In turn, what is your plan if their response is less than ideal? The more you can be prepared and forward thinking, the more likely a new activity is to be successful.

Of course, a piece of this is learning to be flexible; our predictions aren’t always right, and we have to be ready and willing to roll with new situations that may arise, and adjust our plans accordingly.

You know parents might feel selfconscious when their child has an outburst or meltdown. You appreciate how discouraging it can be to feel the judgmental looks of other people who don’t understand our children. That hurt seems amplified when it comes from our own extended family. What encouragement or advice can you recommend to parents when they dread the holidays because it is a time when they feel the child they love so much will be in settings that set him or her up for failure and judgment?

It would be wonderful if we lived 22 DECEMBER2016

in a world where no one judged others, especially when often they have no idea what is really going on.

Unfortunately, judgment is passed all the time. When this happens with strangers, it’s a very personal decision whether to take the time to educate those strangers and set them straight; I think it’s important to try not to personalize (as difficult as that is), and to realize that anyone who is passing judgment in those situations is doing so from a place of ignorance.

Hopefully that ignorance is lessening as the overall awareness of children with disabilities is increasing, but it will always be there to a certain degree.

As far as family members responding that way, I can appreciate how much more disheartening that must be. Again, I think it often comes from a place of ignorance. In being proactive on that front, it may be worth-

arrived. My son decorated a cookie and made a craft. Then the children were all asked to yell as loudly as they could for Santa Claus to come.

My son was terrified. We left the event and I felt like I had failed him. What should I have done differently?

You totally didn’t fail, and I say that for a couple of different reasons.

First, you and your child obviously learned a lot from the experience.

The second reason you didn’t fail is because you tried. The biggest thing I would stress on this topic is that a lot of parents of a child with autism isolate themselves because of the fears of what can go wrong. They may try to recreate the experience at home, but in doing so they are really taking away the chance that it could be a wonderful experience. Also, by not trying, you will otherwise create a pattern where when things are really

one is available.

Know your child. Know what sets him or her off. Bring things that will help. It is a great idea to consult with the school professional who works with your child, the occupational therapist specifically. These people may understand what kinds of supports will best help your child on the outing. I have found that most school teams are inviting and welcoming.

They might even say, “I use this…. why don’t you bring it home for the weekend.”

What about practice?

Visual stories and social stories are wonderful. Using the show venue example, go to the venue ahead of time and do a walk through with your child. Call and tell the staff the situation. They can help you plan appropriately.

Any other recommendations?

Bring extra help, make sure you have enough adults to support yourself and the other children. You may be able to bring a support provider like an ABA therapist or a community mentor.

Know where you will park and arrive early so you don’t get yourself stressed out by being late.

Choose seats near an aisle so you can either leave or take a break and come back. Be thoughtful about the way in which we do things.

Engage with the holiday season. It is always easier to stay home. Take the chance!

while to have a frank conversation with your extended family regarding some of the challenges your child may face, what you are doing about those challenges, and the rationale for why you are doing that. For example, if a professional has recommended that you minimize the attention you give to your child when he or she engages in problem behavior because the attention seems to exacerbate the problem, that may look to the untrained eye like you’re being passive or ineffective, or that you don’t know what to do. However, by letting your family know what your plan is, and why that is the plan ahead of time, you may be able to cut off some of those judgmental responses before they have a chance to gain traction.

The Licensed Clinical Psychologist: Kirstin Brown Birtwell, Ph.D. The Lurie Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Lexington Several years ago, I took my son to a children’s holiday party sponsored by a local organization. I wasn’t sure what to expect when we

hard we escape them. These behaviors can create a socially isolated family and the research shows this to be true.

So how do parents address and overcome their fears of what can go wrong?

Preparation and practice.

Tell me about preparation first.

Do a little research to learn what is available in your community. This is such a great time for autism, particularly in Massachusetts. There are autism and sensory-friendly performances and shows, like The Nutcracker, which might be a great opportunity. Consider the language capacity of the child. Would they not be able to understand and access a particular show? Maybe a more visually stimulating show would be more appropriate? There are a lot of options.

Make sure you know the environment for the venue. Do a walkthrough so it is not your first time there when you go with your child. Locate the exits, bathrooms, and quiet room if

The Mental Health Counselor: Kelci Schulz, MS Art Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Outpatient/school-based clinician at Community Healthlink-Lipton Center, Leominster For some families, the holidays may be the only time certain relatives see or interact with a child. What thoughts do you want to share with parents about family gatherings?

The holidays can be a stressful time with typical children, not to mention for a child with a behavioral need.

You know your child best. Friends and family don’t live with your child every day. Don’t shield your child from extended family. Family members need to understand the challenges you face. Talking to your loved ones during this time can be difficult, not wanting to upset traditions.

What are some points to consider when talking with extended family about tweaks or accommodations a child might need at a family party?

Keep in mind these four key skills when communicating your child’s needs to others: 1. Become an engaged listener 2. Pay attention to nonverbal signals

3. Keep stress in check 4. Assert yourself What things do you recommend parents consider in advance of the party date?

Consider your child’s sensory and behavioral profile and how your child will interact with certain traditions.

Ask to schedule an early dinner, eat in advance, or pack a small bag of snacks or preferred foods if you think there will be difficulty at meal time.

Ask about a spot in the environment to which your child can go if overstimulated.

Consider bringing an activity he or she can use with headphones in order to decompress or encourage the children to play outside. Bring a small plastic basket with handles for preferred activities or items handy to keep their things contained.

How can parents support their child during the family party?

Keep an eye on your child for signs of anxiety or distress. Is your child humming or rocking more? Is your child very active or easily agitated? Try and take a short walk or find a place where they can freely move to help them calm down.

If your child has a meltdown, simply say to family, “We are practicing feel-

ing (insert emotion, i.e. frustrated, sad, angry) and need a moment to calm our bodies.” Then walk your child through deep breathing, counting each breath up to their age (3 years old = 3 breaths, 10 years old = 10 breaths). Be sure to ask your child if they are calm and ready to rejoin the activity. If not, take a moment with your child away and re-access why you are staying. Is it important to you? Your family? What is your child trying to tell you?

If you need to leave an event or family gathering, make sure you and your support have a go-to word, phrase or look that means “It’s time.” It’s all about communication between you and your immediate supports during a difficult behavioral moment.

Are there any final thoughts you would like to share?

Of course there may be an event or tradition that others won’t budge to make doable for you and your child — and that’s OK. You may want to consider making new traditions, like making popcorn garland or paper chains to decorate. The holidays are about your child enjoying themselves — you, too, Mom and Dad! So enjoy yourself whether that be with a busy packed weekend and a possibly fussy overstimulated child or skipping the hustle and bustle to stay home and make new traditions! You know your child best. Enjoy the holidays!

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Who Goes First?

BY MELISSA SHAW

Tis the season to see family, break out the games and have some fun Parties, gatherings, and family get-togethers are on the way, what do you do after all the eating and gift-giving? Wrong!

No electronics! Put those phones away (unless you’re taking pictures) and pull out a game. These choices are perfect for whatever group you have — big, small, or solo — and they’re great for gift-giving. Board games and puzzles are gifts that truly keep on giving all year round: affordable, fun, memory-makers that force players tall and small to use their heads.

Mr. Lister’s Quiz Shootout target.com • $19.99 Ages 14 and up • 5+ players One person serves as quizmaster Mister Lister, the rest split into two teams. Mister Lister reads off a question, such as: “There are nine common ways to prepare an egg. List ’em.” The teams take turns offering up answers, the first to three correct answers wins a drink card. If the teams tie, they do their best to answer an impossible question, for instance: “How many minutes does it take to boil an ostrich egg?” The closest to the correct answer wins the drink card. The first team to collect five different drink cards wins.

Creator Big Potato Games (bigpotato.co.uk) offers a free app (available via the App Store or Google Play) that provides extra question cards and shootout sound effects for even more fun.

Molecube & Skewb Xtreme recenttoysusa.com • $19.99, $29,99 Ages 9 and up • 1 player Symmetrical from all angles and sporting 10 colors, the Skewb Xtreme challenges gamers to solve the puzzle by twisting diagonally in any direction until they get a solid color on all 28 facings, putting their spatial reasoning, logic, and strategy skills to the test. The Molecube is a smooth, spinning, six-sided Sudoku puzzle that glides through your hands. Your mission: Get the nine unique colors on each side. These are challenging puzzles for those who have already mastered other famous cubes and will keep 3D puzzle fans entertained — and thinking — for quite some time.

Engineering Ants target.com • $15.99 Ages 4 and up • 1-4 players Engineering Ants is fantastic because it’s cooperative — players play with, not against, each other.

This is perfect for kids who are, let’s say, not great when they lose a game. And, of course, it also teaches/bolsters the key skills of teamwork and joint problem solving. The game is also STEM-based: Players have to work together to help three blocked ants overcome threatening obstacles. They are given a series of materials to build the ants’ escape route, encouraging them to think outside the box and work together to free the insects.

Sushi Go Party gamewright.com • $19.95 Ages 8 and up • 2-8 players

Yamslam blueorangegames.com • $15 Ages 8 and up • 2-4 players Yamslam is a fast-moving game in which players roll dice three times and choose the chip that best matches their roll. After all the chips are claimed, the player with the most chip points wins. It’s easy to learn and start playing right away.

24 DECEMBER2016

The game comes in a tin, the bottom of which sports a built-in dice tray surrounded by the chip stacks. This makes Yamslam very portable and perfect to take to a friend’s or family member’s home.

Thanks to the dice tray, Yamslam is also a good choice for those who like to roll dice, as well as little ones whose dice never stay on the table when rolled.

Sushi Go Party is a deluxe edition of Gamewright’s earlier (and very popular) Sushi Go card game. It offers up the same basic game, but now with a game board, wood tokens, and a variety of new cards that expand the number of players (previously 5, now 8) and gaming strategies. Gamewright calls Sushi Go (and Party) a “pick-andpass” game. You receive the hand of the player to your right, keep the card that best enhances your hand/sushi platter, pass the rest of the cards to the player on your left, and once more receive the hand of the player on your right. Players keep picking and passing until there are no more cards to pass. Your object is to assemble the best sushi platter (i.e., the highest number of points). It’s easy to learn, and the new variety of cards in this Party edition offer more strategy and replay value. Each game lasts only three rounds, so it moves quickly. Sushi Go Party is a great intro to the genre of card-drafting games for kids and very fun for adults. Plus, the artwork is super cute.

Clue Master thinkfun.com • $12.99 Ages 8 and up • 1 player Clue Master is a Suduko-like deductive reasoning and logic game that uses colors and symbols instead of numbers. Your mission: to help Tippy the dog unlock the door to his doghouse by placing the symbols (dog bone, bowl, and ball) in the correct grid order. The game provides clues that get you started, leaving players to use their brain to figure out the rest. The game board, directions, and challenges (ranging from beginner to expert) are spiral-bound into one book, and the nine symbols are magnets, so they stay put in this compact package. Clue Master is a unique way to develop the critical skill of deductive reasoning in kids — and adults!

Nada

blueorangegames.com • $14.99 Ages 7 and up • 2-4 players Nada is a fun, fast-paced dice game. Roll all 36 dice at once and be the first to spot matching symbols between the 18 orange and 18 white dice. Spot them first, shout out the symbol (such as, “Ghost!”), and you get to grab all the Ghost dice. If there are no matches, shout “Nada!” and grab all the dice.

However, if you shouted too soon and missed a match, you miss the next round. Whoever grabs the most dice over three rounds is the winner. Games

Ticket to Ride First Journey target.com • $29.99 Ages 6 and up • 2-4 Players

From creator Alan R. Moon and Days of Wonder, Ticket to Ride is one of the

move quickly and there are three different ways to play. The dice come with a travel bag for easy storage and on-the-go fun.

most popular titles in the board game world, with a multitude of expansions. First Journey is its latest edition, designed to introduce the game, at a slightly scaled-down level, to elementary-aged kids. Each player’s goal is to build train routes between major cities across the U.S. Build the most routes and you win. It’s a great introductory strategy game for kids, easy to learn and simple to play. Games move quickly and are a lot of fun for all ages. Even better, your kids will absorb some geography by constantly scanning the game board (a map of the U.S.) and locating cities on it.

Balance Beans

thinkfun.com • $17.99 Ages 5 and up • 1 player

Munchkin Legends Guest Artist Edition

target.com • $29.99 Ages 10 and up • 3-6 players This edition of the popular card game features a redesigned board and card deck by comic artist Mike Luckas.

Munchkin is a very popular tongue-incheek game that pokes fun at traditional Dungeon & Dragons players and games.

Armed with nontraditional weapons like Spiky Elbows, a Magic Bassoon, or Bermuda Shorts of Invulnerability, players work to amass cards to become the most powerful, slay the most monsters, and be the first to reach Level 10 to win the game. However, the deck is stacked with myriad cards others can use to thwart you. Players can team up to help — or hurt — each other’s chances, making it a fun, unpredictable game. A good pick for tweens, teens, and adults.

Parents can sneakily introduce key skills to kids via this fun logic and math game. Pull a challenge card and set up the red beans on the seesaw as indicated.

Gather the other colored beans specified on the card and add them — any way you can — until the seesaw balances. The 40 challenges increase in difficulty (from Easy to Super Hard), forcing kids to use more logic and reasoning and less trial and error. Kids will enjoy the challenge and have fun, not noticing they’re using elementary algebra to reach the desired balance. The game is also compact enough to fit in the included small bag, for easy storage and portability.

BAYSTATEPARENT 25

Who Goes First?

Cardventures: Jump Ship / Stowaway 52 gamewright.com $11.99 each Ages 8 and up 1 or more players

Jump Ship and Stowaway are the first two entries in Massachusettsbased Gamewright’s Cardventures series. Similar to the popular “Choose Your Own Adventure” books of the ’80s, each game has a basic setup. In Jump Ship you’re a ship captain who’s looking for one last adventure before retiring. In Stowaway 52, you’re stuck on an alien ship trying to stop an attack on Earth. Draw a card and you’re given two choices, that choice leads to another card with two more choices, and so on. Your decisions develop the game/story and decide whether you retire/stop the alien attack, or meet a more stark fate. The games are super portable (a box of cards), fastmoving, and have a lot of replay value (it’s harder to win than you think). You can play solo or in a group in which you take turns making the decision.

Either way, once the game is over you’ll be setting it up for another shot at winning.

Vikings on Board

blueorangegames.com • $36 Ages 8-adult • 2-4 players Vikings on Board is a family strategy game in which you strive to have your clan control the most well-stocked ships (thus earning points) before they sail. Players take turns trying to control and stock ships, and in a new twist, they can bet on who will end up in control of each ship (whoever’s right earns more points). The game has a monkey wrench factor in which players can really disrupt each other’s strategy; you could be in control of a ship ready to sail, only to have another player come in and reconfigure it to their advantage. Designed by Charles Chevallier, the illustrations, game board, and pieces are gorgeous and top-quality, no flimsy plastic or ripping cards. A very fun strategy game for all ages, with a high replay factor.

26 DECEMBER2016

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child’s wants and needs. List the items your child wants but aren’t necessities, such as toys or the latest electronics, as well as your child’s needs, including clothes, winter coats, boots, or other items outside of the normal family budget. Ideally, each of you will agree to buy gifts from both lists, which helps provide for your child’s immediate needs while also allowing each of you to surprise them with a few of their want items, as well.

DIVORCE & SINGLE PARENTING

Holiday Gift-Giving Tips for Co-Parenting

• If you’re handling gift-giving separately, try to agree on a budget on how much each of you will spend to avoid a competition in which one parent is trying to outspend the other — whether buying more gifts or more expensive ones to try to look better in the eyes of your child. Also, be sure to let the other parent know what gifts you’ll be giving to avoid duplication.

BY ATTY. IRWIN POLLACK

G

ift-giving is often a part of holiday celebrations with family and friends. Your own family rituals and values often determine how gifts are exchanged, as well as the number and types of presents given, and the expense involved. After divorce, you and your child’s other parent may want to discuss how to handle gift-giving to help ensure your child gets to enjoy the same holiday expe-

rience he or she has had over the years, or at least gets off on the right foot when creating new holiday traditions.

Here are some suggestions to help make gift-giving easier after divorce: • Consider making a list of your

• Consider pooling resources to buy presents from Santa Claus, or one big gift that is from both parents. Each parent can still buy smaller gifts to exchange at their individual homes, as well.

• If you and your co-parent are on relatively good terms, consider coming together for gift exchanges, whether participating in a Hanukkah celebration as a family or just making sure you’re both there to watch your

children open gifts. Consider the message you’re sending to your children when both of you — the most important people in their lives — are there to celebrate their joy and delight!

• Never criticize a gift the child receives from the other parent or a holiday celebration they may share together. Doing so hurts your child’s relationship with the other parent and can cast also a negative shadow over the holidays. Be supportive, even if you don’t share your child’s excitement over a particular gift or holiday ritual.

• Don’t try to regulate the use of a gift, saying this bicycle can only be used at Mom’s house or this game station is for Dad’s house only.

Remember — the gift belongs to your child and he/she should be able to use it at both homes.

Finally, help your child make or purchase a special gift for his or her other parent, as well as extended family members, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Doing so not only promotes your child’s relationship with the other parent, but it also shows that you respect that relationship as something special and important. Despite your feelings about your ex, it’s important not to diminish your child’s relationship with that person during the holidays — or any other time of the year.

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Tips for Family Harmony During the Holidays

BY LAURIE BERDAHL & BRIAN D. JOHNSON

F

rom Thanksgiving to New Year’s, holidays are opportunities to gather for joyful family time, but can also result in unwelcome conflict and bad feelings.

Here are tips for harmonious holidays with your kids and relatives.

Communication and planning is key. Before each holiday, talk with parenting partners and school-age and older kids about everyone’s desires and concerns. Who would you like to be with, where, and for how long? Which activities and meals are most important? How can preparation work be shared and minimized? What’s the budget?

Make a plan that includes parts of what each member would like — with flexibility, the ability to go with the flow of last-minute changes promotes harmony. Also consider that spending pleasant time with loved ones will likely matter much more than an extravagance of activities, venues, and food. Research shows that kids grow up remembering what parents and family did together much more than gifts received.

Building holiday activity traditions (jigsaw puzzles, favorite movies or shows, worship services) supports family peace via predictability. We feel that parents deserve priority in valued traditions such as worship services or volunteering. If kids resist, politely state your wish: “It’s very important to me that we share this, and I’ll join you in the activity you wanted.”

Holidays aren’t good times for family conflict resolution or behavior management training. Be prepared with plans for child fighting and misbehavior during family gatherings.

Young children get overstimulated easily and act out, so provide downtime. Underscheduling reduces stress and helps avoid conflict because there often isn’t time for everything planned. Also, try to remember past family conflicts to help anticipate and avert them.

• Avoid argument triggers or topics that brought on fights, bad feelings, or defensiveness, such as parenting methods, gift giving,

who’s taking care of elderly parents, accomplishments, and politics! If you find yourself wanting to say something that might seem critical, walk away. Let someone else have the last word.

• Limit time you spend with people with whom you’ve had fights or hard feelings.

• Let others decide things of low importance.

• Consider that alcohol and marijuana use can be associated with aggressive reactions to arguments or perceived threats.

• If you anticipate alcohol contributing to conflict, you might limit the supply or ask that an event you host be alcohol-free.

Make it a joke (“We’re going back to Prohibition,” or “We’d like a dry holiday”) or simply say, “We’d appreciate if there’s no drinking.”

• If adult kids are bringing friends home, decide sleeping arrangements in advance.

You might need to leave with the kids, call a taxi to pick up the person, or call law enforcement if things get violent.

If you worry about aggressive teens or young adults, start with the planning discussions above, balancing time with friends and family. Set clear behavior expectations needed for a fun holiday (such as no swearing, drinking, drug use, disrespectful name calling, threatening, fighting with siblings or parents).

If children will be splitting time between you and another parent, making arrangements early will help reduce stress and improve chances

of happy holidays for all. Although holidays are rarely all that we desire, we hope that using these tips will help you make them pleasant enough to create fond family memories.

Dr. Laurie Berdahl is an OB-GYN, parenting and adolescent wellness author, and speaker. Brian D. Johnson, PhD, is a University of Northern Colorado professor, and licensed child and adolescent psychologist. They are authors of the new book, Warning Signs: How to Protect Your Kids from Becoming Victims or Perpetrators of Violence and Aggression (warningsignsforparents. com) and their prior award-winning book, 7 Skills for Parenting Success.

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If family arguments do occur, here are tips for de-escalating them: • Use humor: Don’t tease, but tell a joke or do something goofy.

• Use polite assertiveness: “I’m worried we’ll get upset discussing this more, so let’s play a game instead.”

• Change the subject or take a time out: “Let’s talk about something lighter,” or “I’m tired. Maybe we can talk about it later.”

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• Be able to give in or let go (even if you are right).

• Pick a place (an area in the house or park) you can go if things get uncomfortable.

• It’s hard to de-escalate a drunk, belligerent person, so avoid getting to this point. Say, “I’m worried about still having fun (or about the kids), so can I replace your drink with a soda?”

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Newton Company Organizes Families’

Peace of Mind

BY MELISSA SHAW

T

oday’s children are the most photographed in the history of mankind. Yet always having a camera within reach is creating a major headache for well-meaning parents: How do I stay on top of all the photos and videos?

Massachusetts parents Eric and Jennifer Niloff have launched a new nationwide service to help families find, organize, and enjoy that massive mountain of data, and turn it into the family memories they were always meant to be.

The Niloffs’ company, EverPresent (everpresent.com), was founded in 2012, offering media conversion services: taking old photos, slides, videos, negatives, and film reels and

digitizing them to ensure they could be enjoyed by generations to come.

“My wife and I were visiting my grandfather in Florida and came across that magic closet full of World War II photos,” Eric Niloff says. “Fast forward four years and kid #1 later, and we had started this company.”

EverPresent’s new digital organizing service, Fresh Start, began after clients had secured their past media, and wanted help with the everexpanding present. After the Niloffs had their second child and their own photo library began to balloon, they understood the challenge first-hand.

“We knew about the digital problem,” he said. “The ease of creating new photos and videos is far exceed-

ing people’s ability to deal with them and have fun with them.”

The problem is threefold: 1. Thanks to technology, people are taking far more photos and videos than ever before. 2. Photos and videos are often scattered across several devices — smartphones, digital cameras and memory cards, cloud backup services, USB sticks, external hard drives, email, online photo printing/ gift sites, and more. Multiply this by two if both parents are shutterbugs.

3. There is so much to manage, most parents don’t have the time, energy, or expertise to stay on top of it.

Therefore, a family’s photo library keeps steadily growing in multiple locations unchecked, unmerged, and

unmanaged.

“It’s so rare that we have a client who hasn’t tried really hard in this area,” Niloff says. “It’s not people being lazy about their photos, it’s that people come to us with a decade’s worth of good intentions gone wrong. [For] even the most motivated or tech-savvy of people, if you have 100,000 photos and videos in your library and you’re taking 10,000 a year, no amount of motivation’s going to make that not take 20 hours to get through. “[Photo organization is] not something that lends itself to making a lot of progress in 10-minute increments,” he continued. “It’s a big block of time kind of thing.”

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Everything you read is how wonderful the latest new app for your phone is. You almost never read anything about, ‘I’m taking 10,000 photos and videos a year and I’m supposed to be making books for everybody for Christmas, and I’m supposed to be carrying everything online, and I am raising three kids and have a career, and there’s not enough time because it’s too easy to take too many pictures.’ I think people think they’re alone, they’re the only ones.”

However, Niloff says this is a very common problem.

“The average person comes to us with about 60,000 [photos and videos], of which somewhere between a third and a half are duplicated,” he says.

So far, the largest collection of images the company has seen is 400,000.

“That client had so much duplication, the actual number of unique photos was 60,000 to 70,000,” he added, a library size he classified as “large, but not abnormal.”

The largest number of unique photos EverPresent has set out to organize is 225,000. “We have seen all kinds of huge libraries,” Niloff says.

“It’s amazing.”

Niloff says many families come to the company overwhelmed, which is how client Alicia Piedalue, a mother of three from Charlestown, described her former photo life.

“It was a mess,” she laughs. “I still had hope that I would be able to go

And with busy parents, big blocks of time are hard to come by, pushing photo library management far down the priority list until they need to find an image they know they have — but can’t locate.

“Whatever number of years since they had their first kid, that’s how long they’ve been trying to tackle this,” Niloff says of clients.

The Fresh Start program pairs a family with one of EverPresent’s Personal Digital Organizers, who helps clients inventory all their devices to ensure all photos and videos are found and accounted for. A client’s library is then backed up, copied, and transferred to EverPresent, where every image is consolidated and organized into chronological folders. And, perhaps more importantly, the library is de-duplicated — multiple copies of the same image are deleted, saving gigabytes of storage space. Organizers then reinstall the new library and provide training on how to maintain it.

“We quickly realized people needed a fresh start, which is what we named the service,” he says. “Before we could even get to the truly fun stuff, making archives searchable and helping people edit their videos and making amazing books about their kids, you had to have sanity and security.

There’s not an open and honest dialogue right now about how hard a time parents are having keeping up with this very challenging topic.

organize them and make the baby books I should make, until I had the second child,” she says. “I had been putting it off for years, and now there were two and I had no idea what to do. Then I had a third child.”

Piedalue learned about EverPresent on a moms’ online forum and began the Fresh Start service when her youngest was 6 months old.

“I had 13,000 photos. The more kids I had, the rate of accumulation just increased,” she says.

Her photos were scattered across her phone and digital camera, her husband’s phone, and wherever she had stashed photos that were sent to her from friends or family. Making matters worse was the fact the family switched computers between her first and last child, which corrupted the images’ timestamp data, misorganizing them. For example, photos of her newborn were sitting in folders containing pictures before the couple had any children, making it difficult to locate the ones she wanted and knew existed.

“I was very overwhelmed and I didn’t even know where to begin,” she remembers. “The few times I did try to [organize photos] myself I would just get distracted by all the cute pictures. Or I would have this horrible feeling, I know there’s another picture of this age group.

Where’s this one? I could remember it and I couldn’t find it. That kept happening.”

Piedalue signed on for Fresh Start and “within 10 minutes I realized, This was a dream service,” she says.

Her photos were located and organized correctly, timestamp image repaired, and the entire library was de-duplicated and streamlined.

“I think that’s one of the reasons people like me don’t even start,” she adds. “Who wants to start with that? You’re not sure where to start.

Knowing photos weren’t lost and someone could get them in order was just so comforting. You don’t want to lose that forever.”

Starting at $449, Fresh Start is an investment, for sure. But for Piedalue, it was an expense worth the price.

“I thought, This has to be done at some point,” she says. “And for me to do it it would easily carry that same price tag in some other way, maybe getting a babysitter to watch my kids for two full weeks while I dedicate myself to the project. I didn’t think I had the expertise to make sure I was getting it right. I knew I’d have to hire that out. It wasn’t an option to not have the photos in order. In some ways, it’s like not even having the photos.”

Piedalue say she now can find any photos she’s looking for when she needs them, empowering her when it comes to her family’s priceless cache of digital memories.

“Man, it is so useful,” she sighs. “I’m not overwhelmed anymore.”

Mayor Joseph M. Petty and City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND

Featuring Sam James of The Voice!

Friday, December 2nd 5-9pm Worcester Common

455 Main Street, Behind City Hall Open Skating at 5pm Tree Lighting Sleigh Rides around the Common

Visit with Santa Claus Free Hot Cocoa And more!

Performances Northstar Figure Skating Demos Doherty Madrigals

Burncoat Quadrivium Goddard-Quinsigamond School Chorus

BAYSTATEPARENT 31

Bites

Cool Kitchen Gifts for Adults and Kids By baystateparent staff If you want to give a gift that will be well-loved and enjoyed, food and kitchen gear are always a big hit — with adults and kids. Check out these top picks for affordable gifts for the foodie in your life.

Dancing Deer Baking Co.

Krups GX5000 Burr Grinder

dancingdeer.com $19.99 and up

krupsusa.com $37.99

You know what people love any time of the year?

Desserts. One size deliciously fits all.

Gourmet treats, such as Chocolate Chunk Brownies, Molasses Clove Cookies, Snickerdoodles, and a host of other Dancing Deer favorites are a slam dunk for faraway relatives, hostess gifts, teachers, or pretty much anyone on your list. Affordable and indulgent — that’s a winning combination.

Save your favorite java junkie a bundle this coming year by allowing them to grind their own beans at home via this practical appliance from Krups.

The GX5000 features nine grind levels from coarse (french press and cold brew) to fine (espresso). The cup selector ensures it will grind enough beans, from 2 to 12 cups, so you get just as much as you need, but not more than you want.

Dripo getdripo.com $29.95 Cold brew coffee has gone mainstream in a big way, thanks to fans who say the process produces a smoother, less-acidic drink. The only drawback of make-your-own cold brew is the prep time; in many cases it needs to sit 12+ hours to yield the taste people love. Dripo, the 2-in-1 Travel Iced-Drip Coffee Maker & Tumbler, solves that by slashing the brew time to 2 hours and brewing it right in what will become your drink container. The three-step brewing process is simple, and the ability to take Dripo on the go and make and enjoy cold brew anywhere is a huge bonus for fans.

Cookies for Santa Set

Wine Glass Writer

Taco Truck Fun Kit

handstandkitchen.com $40

corkpops.com $7 and up

kidstir.com $19.95

Outfit the young baker in your life with everything they need via this adorable set from Handstand Kitchen. It’s loaded with 18 pieces, including cookie cutters, presses, a turner, frosting bottle, spatula, mixing spoon, pastry brush, and five recipe cards.

And remember, getting kids in the kitchen not only provides bonding time and delicious food, but also an opportunity for little ones to work on numbers, math, problem solving, and fine motor skills.

If there’s something wine lovers enjoy as much as the grape, it’s wine accessories. Cork Pops offers up a fun entry this season with its Wine Glass Writer, markers that can write on — and wash off — a wine glass. The markers work on glass, crystal, and glazed ceramics and wipe off with a soapy sponge. A fun way to keep track of whose glass is whose or just doodle, it’s also an affordable, unique Yankee Swap gift.

Let the kids turn your kitchen into a hip food truck with this cooking set from Kidstir.

The kit comes packed with three recipes, two kitchen utensils, and a little learning via fun fact cards on Mexican food, menu math, and a Spanish word game. While the Taco Truck Fun Kit can be purchased solo, Kidstir also offers a monthly subscription service to its unique cooking kits to keep kids in the kitchen all year long

Captain America Cutting Board underground-toys.com $14.99 Up the cool cred in your kitchen with this tempered-glass replica of Steve Roger’s famous shield. Armed with non-skid feet and measuring 13 1/4” in diameter, this easy-to-clean cutting board is stain-, heat- and odorresistant and provides a hygienic — and fun — work surface for your food adventures.

32 DECEMBER2016

StubbyStrip and StubbyStrip Vino stubbystrip.com $14.95, $24.95 Forget dragging around heavy coolers, StubbyStrip provides a new streamlined way to bring your beverages on the go. Slide up to seven sodas, waters, sports drinks, or adult beverages into the Neoprene slots, a frozen water bottle in the middle, Velcro the roll, and you’re ready to go. Slots can be removed from the Velcro wrap with the beverages, giving you a built-in coozie. As the drinks disappear, pull the strip tighter to keep everything cold and compact.

When all the slots are empty, roll StubbyStrip up, and it fits into your pocket — no heavy cooler to lug home. For wine lovers, The Vino holds up to four bottles. Not a wine fan? Use the slots to tote your mixers and liquor and turn it into a portable bar.

10 Simple Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Clean

BY LESLIE REICHERT The holidays tend to create a busier-than-normal kitchen. Here are 10 quick tips for keeping your kitchen clean: 1. Keep clutter off the counters.

Only keep things on your counter that you use every day. A counter filled with appliances and gadgets looks messy and it is difficult to clean quickly.

2. Use microfiber cloths to clean all the surfaces in your kitchen.

There are two types of microfiber.

One is a large looped cloth that is great for picking up crumbs and dirt. The other one is a fine woven cloth that is similar to those you get at your eye doctor; this one is great for cleaning chrome or other shiny appliances like stainless steel or black-fronted appliances.

With these two cloths, you can speed through a kitchen in just a few minutes 3. Use a microfiber mop and a spray bottle of diluted cleaner to

wash your floor. I call this “bucketless mopping.” Use a damp microfiber mop head on the end of the mop, spray an area with the cleaner, and wipe. You can mop a large kitchen in just minutes.

4. Always keep your sink free of dirty dishes. I recommend running your dishwasher at night, emptying it in the morning, and having it ready for dirty dishes all day.

When someone is done with a dish or cup, it should go straight into the dishwasher.

5. Keep your sink clean during the day. You can do this by wiping it with a microfiber cloth so it is clean and shiny every time you look at it.

6. When working on your stove, clean up messes immediately.

Don’t let them harden and dry, which takes much more work clean.

7. Clean windows over the sink (if you have them) on a weekly basis. Water spots and grease accumulate and can make the entire kitchen look dark and grimy.

8. If you only have a minimal amount of time, wipe fingerprints off the fridge handles and the microwave. You’ll be surprised how “clean” this little tip will make your kitchen look.

9. Dust or wipe off light fixtures, including the bulbs. Kitchens should be bright and cheerful.

Dust dims the lights and makes things look dull.

10. Empty and wash your trash container weekly. Food particles and moisture collect on the bottom of the garbage bag and can start to rot inside the can. Washing it out weekly will stop smells and keep the container fresh. Bad smells make a kitchen feel dirty.

baystateparent’s

KidsCon & CAMP EXPO

See page 27 for more information.

SAVE THE DATE Sat., Feb. 11, 2017 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough

This event is a one stop shop of all things kids.

Sponsored By

FUN

Holidayat Events Marini Farms Special Events Dec 10,11,17,18

Kids cookie decorating classes

Dec 3rd 11am-3pm Santa visits the farm

Dec 2,3,4,9,10 Tree Jubilee

Dec 2,3,9,10 Wreath Making

Hay Rides & Hot Cocoa

Private Parties Let us plan a private party for you • Wreath Making • Cookie Decorating • Bakery

Our bakery offers delicious baked goods Pre-order your holiday baked goods • Visit our farm stand • Visit our friendly farm animals.

For up-to-date information, please check out our website marinifarm.com

259 Linebrook Rd, Ipswich MA • 978-238-9386 BAYSTATEPARENT 33

Quick-Fix Winter Meals

BY MARTHA RUCH

Old-Fashioned Oven-Baked Beef Stew Serves 6

This month, let dinner cook itself while you are out having fun on the slopes, at the ice rink, or wherever your winter wanderlust takes you. Your crockpot, stove, or oven is your snowy-day ticket to warm, hearty comfort food that’s ready when you are.

If you don’t own a crockpot or don’t like the idea of having an appliance running while you’re away from home, I’ve also included recipes that may be prepared in advance on the stovetop or in the oven, refrigerated, and then heated at dinnertime later that day or the next.

When heating a meal that’s already cooked, remember not to let it come to a boil, which will cause the protein to become tough.

This stew reminds me of the type I grew up eating on cold winter nights in Buffalo. It involves a bit of upfront work, but once you’ve got everything chopped and the meat browned, it’s hands-off until dinnertime.

1 T canola or vegetable oil 2 pounds lean beef round stew meat — cut in 1 1/2 in. cubes (approx.)

1/3 cup flour 1 t salt, plus more for salting the beef before cooking 2 t garlic powder 2 bay leaves 1 14-oz. can diced tomato – undrained

24 fluid ounces low-sodium beef broth ½ cup dry red wine (I use Cabernet Sauvignon) 2 t Worcestershire sauce 2 Yukon Gold potatoes — peeled and cubed 4 medium carrots — sliced 2 stalks celery — diced, optional 1 medium onion — diced

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in 4-quart Dutch oven (a heavy oven-safe pot) over medium heat.

• Season the beef with salt and pepper, and brown it in the oil. Do this in several batches to get good browning (don’t crowd the meat). As it’s browned, remove the meat and set aside on a platter or tray until all the meat is browned.

• Add all the meat back into pan along with the flour, salt, garlic powder, bay leaves and a little pepper. Stir in tomatoes, broth, wine, and Worcestershire; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetables and stir well.

• Cover and bake for 2 ½ hours, or until the meat is very tender, stirring once or twice.

This meal may be prepared a day ahead of time, cooled, refrigerated and then heated up in a saucepan over medium-low heat at dinnertime.

Slow-Cooked Salsa Chicken Serves 4-6

Looking for a versatile, tasty dinner with a Tex-Mex flair?

Then look no further! Try Salsa Chicken on top of rice or a baked potato for a quick weeknight meal, or as a taco or tortilla filling, as a nacho topping, or as a traditional meal with a side salad or vegetable. Best of all, you might even have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry and fridge.

34 DECEMBER2016

Slow Cooked Peanutty Chicken Serves 3-4

This recipe can be doubled or tripled, and will fill the crockpot better if it is. If you can’t find tubes of ginger and garlic in the produce section, use about 1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger and garlic.

About 1/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth Nonstick cooking spray 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter 1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3 T low-sodium tamari sauce (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

1 squeeze of ginger from the tube 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges 1 squeeze of garlic from the tube 1 squeeze of Sriracha or other hot sauce (or crushed red pepper flakes – to taste) • Spray the crockpot insert with nonstick spray. Turn to Low. • Combine the peanut butter, tamari sauce, ginger, garlic, hot sauce, and broth in the crockpot and whisk to combine. Place the chicken breasts in the pot and use a spoon or spatula to coat them with the sauce.

• Cover and cook for 3 to 5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. You will have to stir this once or twice while cooking to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom of the crockpot, if yours is as hot as mine.

• Serve with wedge of lime, a starch or grain (I went with quinoa), and vegetable (I used baby spinach, julienned and stirred into the quinoa) for a very delicious dinner.

This meal may be prepared ahead, cooled and refrigerated, and heated on the stovetop over medium-low heat at dinnertime.

Recipe adapted from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O’Dea 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs (I used breasts, cut in half) 1 can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup frozen corn kernels 1 jar salsa

Spray your crockpot insert with nonstick spray. Lay the chicken pieces on the bottom of the pot. Place the beans, corn and salsa on top of the chicken. No need to stir. Cover and cook on low for 3-6 hours. (Timing depends on how hot your crockpot runs and whether you use breasts or thighs.) If you are not eating this right away, cool off the meal, refrigerate, and heat on the stovetop over medium-low heat at dinnertime.

Baby, It's Cold Outside COntest

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Flying High:

Somerville Teen Leaps Into Ballet Elite

BY MELISSA SHAW, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM PERRI

A

sharp, biting wind darts along the brownstones and narrow side streets of Boston’s South End, yet one story above the intersection of Clarendon and Warren, it’s quite warm in Boston Ballet’s Studio 4.

Nine young men in matching white T-shirts and gray tights

36 DECEMBER2016

have been dancing for 45 minutes, repeating combinations accompanied by the sounds of a lively rehearsal pianist and the measured instructions of their technique teacher. While the boys’ canvas ballet slippers are white, the leather soles are black, worn and weathered from hundreds of hours

of force against the sprung floor.

As requested by his teacher, Tyson Clark is executing a jete en ménage into a double saut de basque, which translates into a series of impossibly impressive leaps. He takes off on one foot high into the air, rotates clockwise 180 degrees, lands on his other foot, and quickly launches

again a microsecond later, continuously repeating the step, whipping his way around the room. His legs are long and powerful, his leaps high and seemingly effortless as he works his way around the bright studio in a circle until he ends with a double turn — in the air — smoothly landing on one knee, arms outstretched, parallel

to the floor, palms up, as if to say, “Ta da.”(Though ballet dancers do not, in fact, say “ta da.”)

Witnessing it in person, it’s easy to see why the 16-year-old from Somerville is a rising star in the dance world and a 2016 recipient of one of the community’s most prestigious awards: The Princess Grace Award for Dance Performance.

“It was supposed to be a very temporary thing” As you may guess from his name, Tyson Ali Clark was not expected to be a dancer. The son of a former Golden Gloves boxer who laced up in Lowell, Clark was thought to be destined for another type of athletics.

“This wasn’t the plan,” laughs Clark’s mother, Diane, admittedly still incredulous at how her son’s career has unfolded. “He was supposed to go into dance temporarily to gain coordination, agility, strength, and just take it from there and go into a sport of choice.”

Like many little brothers, Clark’s first exposure to dance was sitting in a waiting room while his two older sisters were in class. At Mary Flynn Dance in Somerville, Diane watched her 3-year-old dance in the hallway and eventually asked if he wanted to try a class. He said yes, but she didn’t expect much, thinking, He’s not going to want to stay because it’s a bunch of girls.

You can imagine her surprise when his teacher emerged and told Diane that Tyson was outperforming the girls. Her reply, “No. No way!” Diane had danced as a child and knew the focus required, even at age 3. Yet when she went to see for herself, there he was, standing on his spot, waiting for his music cue, and keeping up with the choreography.

At his first recital, Clark took the stage in a Cookie Monster costume.

“He stayed on his mark,” Diane remembers. “All the other girls were either playing with their dress or waving, but he stood right there with pride.”

The next year, Diane started to see talent blossom: “It just took off from there. We couldn’t believe it.” Two years later, Clark was performing in regional dance competitions, had his first competitive tap solo, and won his first title.

“We started introducing more and more dance and he would remember everything,” she says. “I couldn’t believe how he could retain all the routines.”

Clark’s older sister, who had taken classes at Boston Ballet School, encouraged the 8-year-old to do the same to supplement the classes at his home studio and improve his technique, given ballet is the foundation for all other dance styles.

“He said, ‘Mom, I like it. I want to stay,’” Diane recalls.

“We quickly, within days, identi-

fied his extraordinary talent,” says Margaret Tracey, director of the Boston Ballet School.

Clark studied at Boston Ballet School for three years, but left to return to a traditional multi-style studio and the world of competitive dance. But after four years of competing — and winning — in various styles such as tap and jazz with the Gold School of Dance in Brockton, Clark longed for a new challenge and looked once again to ballet to provide it. Now 13, he won a merit scholarship and spent a summer studying with the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official dance school of the New York City Ballet.

“Going to SAB, watching New York City Ballet, watching Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, it really inspired me to be a ballet dancer,” he says.

ally range in age between 16 and 19) are in class at Boston Ballet from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The days are longer if they have an upcoming performance. The daily technique and men’s classes, as well as conditioning, modern dance, character dance, and partner work, translate into about 20 hours of dance per week, 30+ if they’re rehearsing for a performance. The goal? To progress through the trainee program and eventually join Boston Ballet II, the organization’s second company, or Boston Ballet, the main company.

As a trainee, Clark has already performed in numerous productions with the main company and Boston Ballet II, such as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. (If you’re attending Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker this month, Clark will perform the role

“There’s a lot of athleticism in ballet — jumping, turning, lifting the girls. I find that a challenge, and that’s what I like.”

Soon Clark was back on Clarendon Street, a number pinned to his shirt, auditioning for Boston Ballet’s professional program.

“I’m walking around the room, and I’m looking at students and their numbers, and there’s this very tall young man — mind you, when he left the school he was still shorter than I was — with these long, long legs,” Tracey remembers. “I looked at his face, I looked at him again, and I realized that was Tyson.”

He aced the audition, receiving a full merit scholarship to study as a Boston Ballet Trainee.

“It was so easy to welcome him back and invite him to be a scholarship student in our professional division,” Tracey says. “Just like Michael Jordan was a talented basketball player, Tyson Clark — you could immediately identify he was a talented ballet dancer. He’s a natural talent. He was made to do this and he loves it.”

of an urchin in the prologue and a mouse in the battle scene for select performances.)

“Ever since I was younger, I always loved to perform,” he says. “It’s what you work up to. I love to do that, making the audience happy and relaxed and enjoy watching me dance.”

“I’m the nervous one,” Diane adds with a laugh. “I can’t even sit close, I’m way back! He’s so humble and so soft spoken. He doesn’t like to have the spotlight on him. But put him in costume and onstage to perform for an audience, and you’d be, like, ‘Was that the same kid?’”

Boston Ballet School students are also supported by the organization’s Wellness Team, featuring nutritionists and physical therapists. A licensed social worker — and former dancer — “works with our students on understanding what it means to become a professional dancer and giving them the coping skills and tools in order to deal with a performing career,” Tracey notes. “We’re providing that education because, yes, we’re training the next generation of dancers, but after they’re done they’re human beings, and we really look at the whole student. We want to make sure we’re giving them all of the

A trainee’s life As a trainee, dance is a full-time job.

Clark and other trainees (who usu-

education they need to succeed in their career and beyond.”

The schedule requires Clark to enroll in an online homeschool program. Every morning he gets up, eats breakfast, and fits in as much schoolwork as he can before hopping the Red Line to the studio. He finishes up schoolwork after he returns in the afternoon or evening.

“We’re always a student, it’s a tedious process,” Tracey notes of this level of training, a fact the public may not realize. “Whether you are an 8-year-old beginning the study of classical ballet vocabulary or a principal like Misa Kuranaga [of Boston Ballet], we start each day with the same technique class.”

At the trainee and professional level, instruction is an art of tiny angles and small degrees. A heel placement adjusted 2 inches here, an arm elevated a few degrees there — imperceptible corrections that make all the difference under an expert gaze.

“It basically takes 10 years to become a professional,” says Tracey, a graduate of the SAB and a retired principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. “That’s just to become a professional, to step into the corps de ballet in the big, long line. It can take anywhere from 2 to 10 years to be promoted through the ranks of a company. I hope at this point, with all the national acclaim of dance in the media, like So You Think You Can Dance, people have realized it’s a very athletic endeavor. Ballet dancers have been compared to some of the most rigorous, elite athletes in the world. Not only is it athletic, there’s the artistic elements; at the end of the day we’re expressing art through dance. It has that wonderful combination of your body and artistic expression all wrapped up into one.”

The Princess Grace Award Clark’s return to Boston Ballet School has been so successful, the teen was nominated for — and received in October — the prestigious Princess Grace Award for Dance Performance. Awarded by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, the nonprofit provided more than $1 million in scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships this year to foster rising talent in dance, theater, and film — all passions of the late princess. Clark was one of eight recipients in the dance and choreography category this year and the youngest award-winner.

“It’s one of the most prestigious awards one can receive through dance,” notes Tracey, an early winner of the Princess Grace Award herself. “It is like getting an Emmy in our field. It is incredibly rigorous, an unbelievable honor. Some of the greatest names in dance over the last 30 years are in that category.”

BAYSTATEPARENT 37

f o y yster

M e h T

0 .

2 S A C

M

ly n o s i e t t s a t e t s t e Th y, ye um a w a ths n nm i o a m m 4 e sr l it a i n c i i f s ’ t of a on wh

BY DOUG PAGE

M

assachusetts public school students in Grades 3-8 will take the new MCAS 2.0 test in just four months, yet state education officials still haven’t publicly detailed the breakdown of Common Core vs. non-Common Core questions on the exam.

The hybrid test approach, in which the annual exam would be a mix of Common Core-aligned questions and those unique to the state, was approved by the Massachusetts Board of Education (BOE) at its November 2015 meeting. At the time, Mitchell Chester, commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), which is the test’s final arbiter, told baystateparent he was unsure how much of the new test would be based on Common Core standards.

The decision to move to a standardized hybrid test ended nearly three years of educator and parent uproar over the use of Common Core standards in Massachusetts public schools and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) test, which is fully based on Common Core. Common Core critics claim the standards are far from being as rigorous as Massachusetts’s previous educational standards.

The new hybrid test will replace 38 DECEMBER2016

the 18-year-old homegrown MCAS exam in March 2017. Yet a full year after a hybrid test model was approved, DESE officials remain mum on exactly how much Common Core-based content the new test will contain.

“We do not have a percentage of test questions that will come from PARCC vs. MCAS,” DESE spokesperson Jacqueline Reis said. “We’re still building the new test.”

She added that parents and teachers can get a sense of what will be on the new test at two new websites: doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/ ela.html?section=testdesign and doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/math. html?section=testdesign.

“They [DESE] have a good sense of pushing this test to another level, and it will reflect a lot of Common Core and PARCC-type of questions,” said Tom Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS).

“In terms of an actual percentage, [DESE] might not have that yet, which is why they’re likely cautious on saying anything about it.”

Critics, however, offer a different theory.

“Of course they know what’s going to be on the test,” said Sandra Stotsky, a senior associate commissioner at DESE until 2003 and, until six years ago, a member of the BOE. “Everything is all done. No

one wants to define what a hybrid test is, but [Chester and his staff] know what it is. The BOE’s vote for a hybrid test was politically ambiguous. They know the use of the PARCC name will continue to arouse people, so that’s why they’re calling it MCAS even though it won’t look anything like the old MCAS test.”

Until he proposed the hybrid exam, with the full backing of state Secretary of Education James Peyser, it was thought Chester preferred the PARCC test. He was governing chairman of the PARCC consortium, which consisted of a number of state education officers from around the country, when he made the proposal last fall to switch to a hybrid test, telling the BOE that the PARCC “sets a higher bar than MCAS for student performance.” Chester has since stepped down from his role as chairman of the PARCC consortium.

In the same memo, Chester said he backed a hybrid test because “public comment, as well as the Board’s discussion, have helped me to understand the importance of ensuring the Commonwealth’s control over our standards and assessments.”

That sentiment likely stemmed from five forums the BOE held around the Bay State during the spring and summer of 2015. Chester and other BOE members attended

and listened to parents, teachers, school administrators, children, and interested parties share their thoughts on which test they preferred. Chester and board members witnessed fervent opposition to the PARCC test and Common Core standards from many attendees, mirroring that of parents, educators, and experts across the country. The BOE adopted Common Core standards for Massachusetts public schools in July 2010 and was rewarded with a $250 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to implement them.

In his proposal last fall, Chester dubbed the new hybrid test “MCAS 2.0” and pointed to Louisiana as an example, noting the Pelican State also assessed its public school students with a hybrid exam.

But in Louisiana, Common Core created such an uproar that the state legislature and then-Gov. Bobby Jindal passed and signed a law in May 2015, which has since expired, that allowed for no more than 49.9% of the questions on their annual assessments during the 2015-2016 academic year to be from PARCC. The remainder were unique to the state, says Bridget Devlin, Louisiana Department of Education chief of staff.

While a new Louisiana state law requires their annual standardized test to fully reflect the Pelican

State’s educational standards, they’re now allowed to use “a variety of assessment question banks [including one from PARCC] to meet these requirements,” Devlin said.

In Massachusetts, the BOE has left the term “hybrid” open to interpretation. It’s unknown if MCAS 2.0 will look similar to Louisiana’s previous annual assessment or be what Massachusetts Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni predicted immediately after the BOE approved the MCAS 2.0 concept: the PARCC test in disguise.

Stotsky said it’s painstaking work to create a standardized test, requiring DESE staff and the test maker to ask: “Have all the questions correctly addressed the [curriculum] standards? Is every [curriculum] standard being accounted?”

“They need to make sure they have the right distribution of questions, that the test items are organized in a logical manner. There’s also a printing issue. You’ve got to have lead-time to proofread the test. The testing company needs to make sure it has all the approvals from DESE officials. There are also [DESE] staff members who double- and triple-check the test,” she added.

Dover, N.H.-based company Measured Progress recently signed a new, five-year, $150.8 million contract with DESE to create the new MCAS test, an increase from $146 million it received for creating the previous version of MCAS between 2009 and 2014.

“It does not matter whether the test is the MCAS, PARCC, or MCAS 2.0, we believe that classroom teachers and other educators who work directly with students are the only ones who can create authentic, meaningful assessments,” Madeloni said. “Pursuing the development of MCAS 2.0 is an expensive endeavor, and it is shameful that the state would make such a commitment to this faulty method of judging students, educators, schools, and entire districts, especially at a time when we know that our public schools are underfunded by about a $1 billion a year.”

ch for the Stars Rea

What’s on MCAS 2.0?

“There will be a sizable number of PARCC questions because that’s the direction the curriculum standards are going in,” MASS Executive Director Scott said.

In March 2017, about 425,000 Massachusetts public school students in Grades 3-8, about 40% of the state’s public school student population, will face the new hybrid test, which measures English and math skills. Children in Grades 4 and 8, about 142,000 students, are expected to take the test on a computer.

The new MCAS test, at least in March, will not be timed, DESE spokesperson Reis said, but noted that might change in the coming years. An untimed test is a change from the PARCC, which some Massachusetts school districts trialed in 2015 and 2016. “[An untimed test] allows children enough time to feel comfortable and not feel rushed, but that’s not to say it wouldn’t be a harder test,” Scott said.

While DESE expects children in only Grades 4 and 8 to take the test online this March, it plans to offer the test on a computer for all students in Grades 3-8, too, DESE Deputy Commissioner Jeff Wulfson told the BOE this past spring, in the hopes that some school districts will have the necessary technology to test all of their students online. DESE Commissioner Chester has previously estimated that computer-based testing could cost Bay State public school districts between $5.5 million to $14.7 million in overall technology charges and updates.

A paper and pencil version of the new test will be offered in March and in 2018, but Reis said all school districts should be ready to take test on a computer by 2019.

Bay State public school children have taken the MCAS test since 1998. It was part of a law to reform the Commonwealth’s public K-12 schools, which passed the state legislature in 1993 and was signed by then-Gov. William Weld. Federal education law also requires states to assess their students annually or risk losing federal funds for their public schools.

While school districts won’t be held accountable for the results of next March’s exam, they will be held accountable in 2018. All Massachusetts public school districts are ranked from Level 1 (highest-performing) through Level 5 (lowest-performing) depending on how their students fared on their last annual MCAS exam.

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FINALLY FOREVER

December’s Child: Jacob

Jacob is a 9-year-old boy of Hispanic descent with a great sense of humor. He enjoys playing with cars, bikes, and other children. Jacob is creative child who loves to draw, color, and dance to music. He also likes to spend time outside in the community whenever he can.

Jacob is very sensitive and will not necessarily share his thoughts and feelings until he feels he has established a bond. He interacts well with others in his residential setting and has made many strong connections with the staff. He has his own room, which allows him to take time and space to calm down when feeling overwhelmed. Jacob is currently performing below grade level and has

some difficulties with his memory due to having global developmental delays. However, the structure of his schooling helps him remain focused and less impulsive.

Jacob would benefit from having someone in his life who will support him while dealing with the losses he has experienced at such a young age. Legally free for adoption, Jacob’s social worker hopes to find someone who will start as a visiting resource and meet with Jacob at his program, eventually taking him out into the community. He needs a support system that will work with him as he matures through life. At this time, Jacob’s social worker is trying to connect him with his biological siblings, who were adopted by other families. Should this be successful, fostering these connections would be helpful to Jacob. Jacob’s social worker believes he could do well in any family constellation with or without other children. Jacob expresses he wants to be in a family with a loving and affectionate mother.

For more information on Jacob, please contact Department of Children and Families (DCF) Adoption Supervisor Rukaiyah Saforo at (508) 929-2095.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Tuesday, Dec. 6: Western Region Adoption Info Meetings — Department of Children and Families, 140 High St., 5th Floor, Springfield. 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

(413) 452-3369.

Monday, Dec. 12: Southern Region Adoption Info Meeting — ADLU Canton. Canton Police Station, 1492 Washington St., Canton. Upstairs community/conference room. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. 508-894-3830 Wednesday, Dec. 14: Central Region Adoption Info Meetings — ADLU Worcester. 13 Sudbury St., Worcester. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. (508) 929-2413.

Tuesday, Dec. 14: Northern Region Adoption Info Meeting — ADLU, Lawrence. Jordan’s Furniture: 50 Walkers Brook Dr., Reading. IMAX Conference Room.

Contact: stephanie.frankel@state.ma.us Thursday, Dec. 15: Southern Region Adoption Info Meetings — ADLU Taunton, Morton Hospital, 88 Washington St., Taunton. Margaret Stone Conference Room, first floor. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. 508-894-3830.

Wednesday, Dec. 21: Boston Region Adoption Info Meeting, DCF Boston, 451 Blue Hill Avenue, Dorchester. 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. 617-989-9209.

Adoptive Families Together (AFT) are parent-run, confidential groups for sharing personal concerns and needs around adoptive parenting. AFT provides education, advocacy, support, and more. They welcome adopted individuals, birth parents, foster parents, Kin parents, pre-adoptive parents, and all those with a connection to adoption. No registration required, dropins welcome. Visit mspcc.org/aft for more information.

December AFT meetings: 40 DECEMBER2016

Friday, Dec. 2: Jamaica Plain MSPCC office, 3815 Washington St. Jamaica Plain. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Free childcare provided.

Tuesday, Dec. 6: First Church, 40 Monument Ave., Swampscott. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 6: Maynard Public Library, 77 Nason St., Cullen Conference Room, Maynard. 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 7: John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse, 5 Post Office Square, First floor library (use entrance facing Congress Street), Boston.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 15: Nu Café Conference Room, 335 Chandler St. (Same building as MSPCC), Worcester.

7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 18: Online meeting. 9 p.m.-10 p.m.

Register at annettecreynolds.clickmeeting.com/ aftonline/register.

Sunday, Dec. 18: First Congregational Church, 18 Andover Rd., Room 4 (use door in rear), Billerica.

7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Free childcare provided.

Monday, Dec. 19: 180 Old Colony Ave., Quincy.

7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 21: Roslindale Congregational Church, 25 Cummins Hwy, Roslindale. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Free childcare provided.

If your group or organization is holding an adoption information or support group and would like to have information posted for readers of baystateparent, please email editor@baystateparent.com.

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! - dr. seuss

GO DISCOVER Meet the Scientists.

The Discovery Museums, Acton.

Dec. 2.

42 DECEMBER2016

Photo courtesy Old Sturbridge Village

Photo courtesy The Discovery Museums

GO LISTEN Toe Tappin’ into the New Year. Regent Theatre, Arlington. Dec. 2.

GO BACK IN TIME. Christmas by Candlelight.

Old Sturbridge Village.

Dec. 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23.

GO TO PARIS Hugo.

Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline.

Dec. 18.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

1 Thursday

MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination.

Although we’ve done our best to ensure accuracy at press time, things can and do change.

gold foil pendants or ornaments during this adventure in art for children on the Autism Spectrum. For ages 8 to 12. $9. mfa.org.

Zoolights. Stone Zoo,149 Pond St., Stoneham.

5 p.m.-9 p.m. Be dazzled as thousands of twinkling lights decorate the zoo and bring you through a festively decorated Yukon Creek, an up-close nightly viewing of the zoo’s reindeer, our moonlight carousel, and more jungle fun.

Through Dec. 31. Members $8, nonmembers $9. zoonewengland.org.

Families @ WAM Make Art. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 11 a.m.11:30 a.m. Drop in for fun, intergenerational time in the Worcester Art Museum galleries, as you get inspired by our art and try making something uniquely yours. Free. worcesterart.org.

Photo courtesy Commonwealth Ballet

The Gingerbread Man. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 S Great Road, Lincoln. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Design and decorate your own gingerbread man and hear about his exciting adventures escaping from cow, pig, goat, and cat before visiting his friends on the farm as he bakes. For families with children up through age 8. Register ahead. Members $13.50, nonmembers $16.50. massaudubon.org.

Read to Lexie. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Read to Lexie the Maltese, free of judgment and full of fun. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Movies at the Meeting House: Little Women. Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston. 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Enjoy the film adaptation of Massachusetts’s own Louisa May Alcott. Advance members $4, nonmembers $8; day-of $10. oldsouthmeetinghouse.org.

TCAN Young Masters Inaugural Grand Opening. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. An intimate musical conversation as Medfield-raised composer and conductor Matthew Aucoin performs excerpts from his own compositions and those that influenced his development, proving why he’s been dubbed a “modern-day Mozart.” $50. natickarts.org.

2 Friday Music and Movement with Miss Bernadette. Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 9:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Explore sound through singing and playing. Move, make music, listen, learn, and get a multi-sensory workout with our favorite Kindermusik educator. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Backyard and Beyond: Forest Friday.

Discovery Woods at the Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Enjoy games, songs, special art projects, or exploration of the conservation lands adjacent to the museums. Designed for ages 2 to 6. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Holiday Open House: Family Fun at the Meeting House. Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

GO MARVEL Commonwealth Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

Regis College, Weston. Dec. 9-11.

Drop in during our Open House to enjoy crafts and interactive activities for all ages. Through Saturday. Free. oldsouthmeetinghouse.org.

First Friday Nights Free. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 4:30 p.m.8:30 p.m. Join us as we open the museums for exploration and accept food donations for Open Table of Concord and Maynard and the Acton Food Pantry. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

Meet the Scientists. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Drop in and learn directly from real scientists as you perform hands-on activities they have developed. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

From the Top: Live Musical Performance.

Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6 p.m. & 6:45 p.m. Enjoy an interactive musical performance with talented young classical musicians from National Public Radio’s program From the Top. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

The Dance Inn is ‘Toe Tappin’ into the New Year’. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 7:30 p.m. Dancers from the Dance Inn perform choreography to terrific holiday songs. Through Sunday. Adults $17, children $12. regenttheatre.com.

An Evening with Livingston Taylor. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 8 p.m.

This Boston-born artist performs hits across his 40-year career, with inspiration ranging from

traditional folk to gospel music. Members $35, nonmembers $40. natickarts.org.

3 Saturday Holiday Magic. The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, 70 Worcester-Providence Turnpike, Millbury. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Breakfast with Santa at Uno’s, Santa’s Village at Cinema De Lux, free photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, entertainment, face painting, games, giveaways, and more.

Home Alone: Free Screening. AMC Assembly Row 12, 395 Artisan Way, Somerville. 10 a.m.

Watch as Kevin McCallister fends off intruders from robbing his house after he is left home along following a Christmas rush to the airport during this showing to benefit The Welcome Project. Free. assemblyrow.com.

First Saturday Book Sale. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Stop by the library and pick up some books to take home. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Family Tour at WAM. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Explore the Worcester Art Museum galleries with your families on a docent-guided discovery tour. Free. worcesterart.org.

Beyond the Spectrum: Silver and Gold.

Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Explore Ancient Nubian jewelry, Paul Revere’s teapots, and more, before crafting your own embossed

Everyday Engineering: Straw Structures.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Construct and create with repurposed and recycled materials. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Holiday House Tour. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. A selection of Concord’s most beautiful private homes will be professionally decorated in the holiday spirit by local and well-known interior designers.

Register ahead. Free. concordmuseums.org.

Tween LEGO Ornaments. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Create two different LEGO ornaments to decorate your house. For grades 3 to 5.

Free. graftonlibrary.org.

Teen LEGO Ornaments. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 2 p.m.3 pm. Create two different LEGO ornaments to decorate your house. For grades 6 and up. Free. graftonlibrary.org.

Winter Stroll and Meet Mrs. Claus.

Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Share a story with Mrs. Claus before making your own Christmas Elf and searching for the library’s little green elf hiding somewhere on a library shelf. For ages 12 and under. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Cape Ann Big Band Holiday Concert. Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main St., Rockport.

3 p.m. & 8 p.m. Cape Ann’s 17-piece big band performs holiday favorites — old and new— infused with a bit of jazz, swing, and rock n’ roll. $19-$34. rockportmusic.org.

Especially for Me: Free Evening for ASD Families. The Discovery Museums. 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join in all the fun and explore both museums and Discovery Woods during this special evening with children on the Autism Spectrum and dinner provided. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

Grace Kelly. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 8 p.m. Saxophonist Grace Kelly plays with the heart and passion of an old soul, having played with such artists as Harry Connick Jr., Dave Brubeck, and Esperanza Spalding.

Through Sunday, Members $30, nonmembers $35. natickarts.org.

BAYSTATEPARENT 43

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

4 Sunday PJ Library Sunday Funday and Brunch.

LSJCC, 33 Nahanton St., Newton. 9:30 a.m.11 a.m. Get out of the house on a chilly morning and come have fun with activities from stories and sports, to crafts and music. Recommended for families with children up to 2. Register ahead. Free. bostonjcc.org.

Teen Takeover. The Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Teens take over the ICA for a special day featuring a collective audio project, pop-up talks by the Teen Arts Council, and more. Free. icaboston.org.

Beethoven’s Wig. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. This animated stage show brings to life the world’s greatest masterpieces of classical music through witty lyrics for the entire family. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org.

Santa Paws. Pendleton Outlet, 520 Assembly Row, Somerville. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Celebrate the season with your four-legged family members, for photos professionally taken with Santa Claus in store, benefiting the MSPCA. $10-$20. assemblyrow.com.

Holiday Craftin Fair. Oxbow Schoolhouse and Evergreen Garden Playschool, 270 Barnum Rd., Devens. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Children’s crafts, student performances, a puppet show, food, and artisan crafts. $5-$6. oxbowschoolhouse.org.

Grafton Celebrates the Holidays. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton.

12 p.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy crafts, henna, and shopping at the Friends Down Under Book Sale. Free. graftonlibrary.org.

ARTfull Explorations. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. Explore the Sculpture Park installations and Museum exhibitions as a family.

Investigate the ideas of puppetry and illustration before taking inspiration from what we’ve seen and crafting. Free with admission. Members free;

nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. decordova.org.

Author and Illustrator Day. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Meet some of the accomplished authors and illustrators whose books are featured in Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature, and explore the decorated trees throughout the Museum. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children ages 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

The Current. Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 2 p.m. A gathering for youth dialogue and engagement around social issues and the arts, designed and implemented by ICA Teens. Free. icaboston.org.

5 Monday Bilingual MFA Playdates. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Enjoy story time and looking activities in the galleries as we dive into the theme ‘Day’ in Spanish and English. Recommended for ages 4 and younger. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $25, youths 7 to 17 $10, children under 7 free. mfa.org.

Library Craft Night: Off to the Zoo. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. We read The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo and Going to the Zoo with Lily and Milo, then make a cute, stand-up giraffe and mini gingerbread man. For ages 3 to 7. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

6 Tuesday Tinker Tuesday: Construction Zone. The Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Try your hand at tools in the Construction Zone. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Spoil Them with Stories. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 11:15 a.m.-12 p.m.

Spark your child’s imagination with a story fea-

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tured in Family Tress: A Celebration of Children’s Literature at the Concord Museum, with a craft to follow. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children ages 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

Pajama Time Yoga. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Lindsay Lucarelli of Twisted Kids Yoga leads a guided and imaginative yoga session. For ages 3 to 7.

Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

ASD Friendly Afternoons. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 1:30 p.m.4:30 p.m. Participate in special sensory-based activities, a dedicated quiet and orientation room, and a less-crowded environment during this day designed for families with children on the autism spectrum. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

Card Battle Royale. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Fans of Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh are invited to join other gamers for an evening of open play and tournaments, with door prizes and snacks.

For ages 12 and up. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Backyard and Beyond: Sublime Snowflakes. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Discover the science and math behind snowflakes and create your own snowflake masterpieces during this drop-in activity throughout the afternoon.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Kids Rock Music Concert with Monument Square Community Music School. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Families are invited for this concert featuring an all-pro band that will play an hour of original and popular songs for children.

Recommended for ages 6 and under. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

8 Thursday

Make a MESS: Marbleized Masterworks.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Drop in and create a swirling, whirling artwork while having fun with paint and shaving cream. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

7 Wednesday Preschool and Play: Snowflakes and Snowmen. Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. View holiday decorations throughout the house, hear stories about snowmen and winter fun, and do a craft activity to take home. For ages 3 to 5. Register ahead.

Member children $5, nonmember children $7. goreplace.org.

Christmas Dinner and Concert. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge.

6 p.m.-9 p.m. Savor an evening of food and classical chamber music performed by The Worcester Chamber Music society, with a collection of Baroque music centered around a holiday theme.

Register ahead. Members $55, nonmembers $65, children 2 and under free. osv.org.

Growing Readers Celebrates the Books of Karma Wilson. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Celebrate the books of author Karma Wilson through stories, art, music, and movement. For ages 2 to 5.

Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Singers Showcase: Tribute to the Music of 1966. Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. 8 p.m. Enjoy as some of Berklee’s finest vocalists perform the hits of 1966, including songs from Revolver, the Supremes, Simon and Garfunkel, Otis Redding, and more. Advance $8, day-of $12. berklee.edu.

ARTfull Play. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Inspiration from artist Ashley Bryan’s puppets and collage illustrations lead visitors to create puppets from layered construction paper. Designed for ages 2 to 5. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. decordova.org.

9 Friday Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Ready for Winter!

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport. 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.

This parent/child program is designed for the creative, curious, and active preschooler who loves animals featuring original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. For families with children ages 3 to 6. Register ahead Member adults $6, children $5; nonmember adults $8, children $7. massaudubon.org.

Friday Fun with Mr. Kim. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Enjoy a music and movement program for preschoolers. Register ahead. Free. graftonlibrary.org.

Preschool Story Hour —Bats. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Road, Princeton. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Listen to an engaging story, make a craft to take home, and go for a walk on one of the sanctuary’s beautiful trails. For families with children ages 2.5 to5.

Register ahead. Adults free, children $2. massaudubon.org.

Teen Program: Dungeons & Dragons.

Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Join us for another night of D&D filled with pizza, snacks, and friends. For grades 6 to 12. Free. graftonlibrary.org.

Block Party. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Make

happening scenes of the streets of Boston in the Museum exhibit halls filled with music, art, stories, and play. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Boston Pops Holiday Concert. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. 8 p.m. Join the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra with Conductor Keith Lockhart for their sparkling and beloved Holiday Pops concert capturing the magic of the Christmas season and charms of winter in New England. $55-$125. thehanovertheatre.org.

Christmas by Candlelight. Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge. 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Escape the frenzy of a modern Christmas with an evening of gingerbread, roasted chestnuts, music, dance, and a sleigh ride (weather permitting). Meet and chat with Santa Claus and be on the look out for a new Santa’s village. Also Dec. 10 & 11, 16-18, 23. Adults $22, children 4-12 $14, children 3 and under free. osv.org.

10 Saturday Daddy/Caretaker and Me Brain Building Morning. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Enjoy a reindeer story before we build a reindeer using hammers, nails, and wood. For ages 3 to 7. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

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Morning with Santa. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Don’t miss Santa’s stop at the Concord Museum, as you enjoy a delightful photo with the Man of the Season, as well as a number of engaging seasonal crafts and activities including face painting, cookie decorating, and more. Register ahead. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children ages 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

Holiday Nature Crafts Open House. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. View our tree decorated with imaginative ornaments handcrafted from natural materials and join us in the Program Room to make your own. Register ahead. Member adults $4, children $2; nonmember adults $5, children $3. massaudubon.org.

Free Second Saturday Morning. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Enjoy a time to explore the grounds and artwork throughout the sculpture park and museum. Free. decordova.org.

Community Day. Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate 10 years on the waterfront with performances, activities, art-making, giveaways, and more. Free. icaboston.org.

Ben Rudnick & Friends 15th Annual Holiday Extravaganza. Regent Theatre,

7 Medford St., Arlington. 10:30 a.m. Ben Rudnick brings back one of them of the most treasured and rockin’ seasonal family traditions to the Regent. Members $7; nonmember adults $10, children $8. regenttheatre.com.

Tanglewood Marionettes’ Hansel and Gretel. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. The Tanglewood Marionettes take on this classic Brothers Grimm tale, featuring melodies from the Humperdinck opera and a colorful set in the shape of a giant storybook. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org.

Hidden Diversity: Amphibian Adaptations.

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Explore the wonderful and wacky world of amphibians, from those that dig, to those as big as dogs and smaller than a dime, before designing your own experiment to understand how researchers are still discovering new amphibian knowledge.

Designed for families with children ages 8 to 13. Register ahead. Members $10, nonmembers $20. hmnh.harvard.edu.

Yo-Yo People. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 11 a.m. Join the husband and wife three-time Guinness World Record Holders as they bring back the nostalgic toy through favorite tricks and new and bizarre ones.

Adults $10, children $8. natickarts.org.

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• K-4 is child-centered, experiential, playful,

nature-based.

• 5-8 encourages increased student autonomy, intellectual engagement.

• High School offers challenging academic courses, options to earn credit, college counseling.

• Start anytime during the year.

Visit us at oakmeadow.com

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

11 Sunday

Photo courtesy Worcester Art Museum

Leominster. 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Join the singers of the Boston Jazz Voices for a joyous seasonal celebration, bringing favorite melodies to life a cappella. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

GO STROLL Stroller Tours.

Worcester Art Museum. Dec. 21.

Wild Animals in Your Neighborhood. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

12 p.m.-2 p.m. Drop in and enjoy a unique opportunity to see native animals up close with a trained naturalist from the Blue Hills Trailside Museum and handle natural history artifacts.

Learn about the birds, reptiles, and mammals that live in your neighborhood. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Boston Jazz Voices Holiday Concert.

Leominster Public Library, 30 West St.,

Capturing Imaginary Animals with Pencil and Paper. Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Bring your creature drawings to life, as we invent imaginary animals using real world animals for inspiration. For ages 9 to 13. Register ahead. Members $25, nonmembers $35. hmnh.harvard.edu.

PJ Library Chanukah Lantern Walk-About.

Ready, Set, Kids! A Family Enrichment Center, 284 Broadway Ave., Arlington. 4 p.m.5:30 p.m. It may not be Chanukah yet, but we can still light up the night by making Chanukah lanterns to use as we stroll the neighborhood looking for hidden ‘candles’ before hot chocolate and a sing-a-long. Registration encouraged.

Families $20. bostonjcc.org.

Winter Solstice Lantern Walk. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield.

4 p.m.-6 p.m. Sanctuary staff and volunteers invite you to join this beautiful candlelit event, filled with some solstice stories and folklore before strolling the trails to light up the night and enjoying hot cocoa at the bonfire on our return. For ages 4 and up. Register ahead.

Member adults $8, children $7; nonmember adults $10, children $8. massaudubon.org.

Flip Over Chanukah with JFN and PJ Library. Energy Fitness, 1 HF Brown Way, Natick. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Create your own miracles at this Chanukah celebration where your kids will have a blast flipping, jumping, and tumbling through gym activities, with songs, snacks, and games to boot. For families with children ages 2 to 6. Register ahead. Families $20. bostonjcc.org.

PJ Library Maccabee Drums and Dreidels Chanukah. Heights Elementary School, 454 South Main St., Sharon. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Kickstart your Chanukah celebration with a high-energy party featuring Tony Fonseca of All Hands Drumming, as we recount the story of the ancient Maccabees with drumming, movement, and super beats. For families with children ages up to 6. Registration encouraged. Families $20. bostonjcc.org.

12 Monday Family Fun Night: Full STEAM Ahead.

Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Join us as we read Big Snow and Into the Snow and then do some fun activities incorporating the concepts of science, technology, engineering, and math with the arts. For ages 3 to 7. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

THE SHREWSBURY CHILDREN’S CENTER Celebrating over 30 years of care Now Enrolling Infant, Preschool & Pre-kindergarten Programs!

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

13 Tuesday

nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Make a MESS: Paper Mache Pots. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Drop in and use a flour and water paste to dip, drip, and design a 3D vessel. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

16 Friday

Toddler Tuesday. Legoland Discovery Center: Boston, 598 Assembly Row, Somerville. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Join us in Duplo Farm for special toddler activities, story time, and more Lego fun for the little ones. $29.95, children under 3 free. legolanddiscoverycenter.com/boston.

Preschool Story Dance with Miss Tanya Roberts. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Bring books to life through dance, props, play, and imagination. For ages 3 to 5. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Parent & Me: Yoga & Mindfulness.

Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem

Sq., Worcester. 11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Enjoy a warm and supportive environment for parents and caregivers to explore how yoga and mindfulness can introduce a new way to nurture their bond and connect with their infants. For ages through 24 months with caregiver. Free. mywpl.org.

fiery debate about the teat tax and then follow the Sons of Liberty on a march to Boston Harbor. $30. oldsouthmeetinghouse.org.

The Nutcracker. Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main St., Rockport. 7 p.m. The Bolshoi Ballet performs the classic Tchaikovsky Christmas Eve story following a young girl and her nutcracker who confront the Mouse King and his army. Youths $5, adults $22. rockportmusic.org.

The 243rd Anniversary Boston Tea Party Reenactment. Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston. 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Relive the event that changed American history forever — the Boston Tea Party — in the same place where it all began, as you join Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock for a

Candlelight and Holly Celebration. Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham. 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

A holiday party in the beautiful surroundings

Infants • Toddlers • Preschool Full Time Part Time

Backyard and Beyond: Great Hill Exploration. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m. Meet at The Treehouse to explore some of the trails that wind through the wooded 184 acres along with museum staff. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

14 Wednesday Woof: Dogs at the Library. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Join us for a special story time as we host Mark and Brandon, two therapy dogs that will accompany children as they read and learn about their special jobs. For ages 3 to 5. Register ahead. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Backyard and Beyond: What’s the Weather Wednesday. The Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Join us for a program that depends on the weather, from snow forts to wind catchers to rain painting, or more. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 5 p.m.-10 p.m. An evening of festive music and dance performances, plus crafts, tours, and a one-of-a-kind, interactive virtual reality experience. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $25, children free. mfa.org.

15 Thursday Doggy Days: Work Like a Dog. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Join Therapy Dog Abby as we read stories about other jobs dogs can have.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Take Aparts. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Grab a screwdriver to discover resistors, capacitors, and the inner workings of everyday electronics. Free with admission. Members free,

rly e v e B n i r e t n e Cummings C Enrolling Now! 78 Call (617) 838-68

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We have cameras in every classroom that parents can log onto throughout the day and watch their children at the center!

• Structured curriculum beginning at 15 months • All staff members are infant/child CPR and first aid certified • Weekly visits from The Story Teller, Music Man, My First Yoga, The Tumble Bus, Happy Feet and Hoop It (Kids Basketball)

Owner operated since 1994 Very competitive rates

www.thelearningzoneonline.com Woburn (781) 932-1070 23 Warren Ave.

Framingham (508) 872-3600 63 Fountain St.

Belmont (617) 489-1161 279 Belmont St.

Waltham (781) 891-3600 295 Weston St.

Weston (781) 642-6787 101 River Road

Beverly (978) 969-6679 600 Cummings Center BAYSTATEPARENT 47

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! of the 1806 mansion with games, music, and light refreshments. Advance purchase suggested.

Members $18, nonmembers $20. goreplace.org.

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School NOW ACCEPTING LOTTERY APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017 at 3:00 pm

Rock Off Main Street. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 7:30 p.m. Bands featuring local teen and young bands from the region performing the best pop, emo, punk, ska, hardcore, and indie music in the area. $8. natickarts.org.

• Classical liberal arts K-12 public school aimed at academic excellence, musical competence and character formation • Level I school district consisting of 1,426 students • Uniform Policy for all grades • Full day Kindergarten • Middle School and High School athletics • International Baccalaureate Programme offered in High School

Pajama Party in PlaySpace. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston.

7:30 p.m. Wear your pajamas to the Museums on Friday night and join us for games, songs, and picture stories. Free with admission.

Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Enrollment Lottery will be on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 9:00 am

KINDERGARTEN INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS

Wednesday, January 11th, 10-11 am in the Elementary School Lottery applications accepted for grades K-6 OPENINGS AVAILABLE FOR KINDERGARTEN (All applicants for grades 1-6 will be placed on a waitlist.)

Applications available on our website and Elementary School office Website: www.akfcs.org / Email: admissions@akfcs.org 10 New Bond Street, Worcester, MA 01606

The Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness and all students have equal access to the general education program and the full range of any occupational/vocational education programs offered by the district.

Taste of Local

December 10th & 11th 10 am to 6 pm

Holiday Festival December 17th & 18th 8 am to 6 pm

Winter Hayrides • Holiday crafts Make your own s’mores by the campfires Our Own mulled cider Shop for your holiday trees and decorations Santa arrives at 10 am till Noon then, 2-4 pm Saturday and Sunday, there will be a photo booth available to take pictures with Santa!

We are also offering family fun winter demonstrations

A sampling of our demos are: • Decorate your own gingerbread house • Decorate your own ornament • How to make your own Cheese and so much more!

Dates for demos available on our website

Every Friday now through end of 2016 decorate your own holiday cookie for free!

Open year round for family fun and local products!

Always check our website for year round family fun activities!

“YOU WANT FRESH YOU WANT LOCAL”

48 DECEMBER2016

294 Chase Rd Lunenburg 978-582-6246 www.lanniorchards.com 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 7 Days a Week

Divas with a Twist. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 8 p.m. This Bostonbased musical group of five powerhouse female vocalists present a mix of classic Holiday songs and fresh new arrangements of audience favorites. $23. regenthteatre.com.

17 Saturday Bolshoi Ballet: The Nutcracker. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline.

10 a.m. The Bolshoi Ballet performs the story of young Marie and her Nutcracker prince and their confrontation of the Mouse King and his army during this showing of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet captured live in 2014. $20. coolidge.org.

Santa Tea. Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham.

10 a.m. & 1 p.m. Enjoy a three-tiered tea with scones, sandwiches, and sweets, in our 1793built carriage house, with holiday craft activities, songs, stories, and Santa Claus. Through Sunday.

Purchase ahead. $35. goreplace.org.

Alastair Moock and Friends’ Family Holiday Hootenany. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 10:30 a.m. Alastair Moock and guests Fiddlin’ Quinn and The Fayerweather Street School Chorus take his Grammy-nominated sounds to the next level this holiday season. $12. regenttheatre.com.

Costume Character Days. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

Meet Lauri Keller’s Arnie the Doughnut and join him on his excellent adventures, during this special day at the museum. Through Sunday.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children ages 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

Lego Death Star Ornament. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 1 p.m.2:30 p.m. & 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Celebrate the release of the newest Star Wars movie by making a Lego Death Star Ornament for the holiday season. For grades three and up, adults welcome.

Register ahead. Free. graftonlibrary.org.

Kids Lego Club. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Build boats, bridges, buildings, and more, during this afternoon of Lego construction. Register ahead.

Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

Community Concert: Holiday Sing-Along.

Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main St., Rockport. 7 p.m. Get in the holiday spirit through this community sing-along featuring the Danny Frantina Brass Ensemble and Rockport High School’s Madrigal Singers. Free. rockportmusic.org.

18 Sunday Hugo. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. This Academy Award-winning tale, based on a favorite family book, follows the misadventures of Hugo Cabret as he lives in the walls of a 1930s Parisian train station. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Adults $8, children $6. coolidge.org.

Nature and Nurture with Miss Bernadette.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Explore the great outdoors as we sing songs, take a nature walk, read a story or make a craft, and engage with the wonders of nature. Designed for ages 2 to 4. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Puppet Playtime: Holiday Sing-a-long.

Creative Arts, 25 Woburn St., Reading.

10:30 a.m. Sing-a-long to your favorite holiday tunes featuring Brenda, Phil, Bella Monster, jingle-bells, a harp, and lots of snowy fun including two short puppetry performances to ring in the snowy season, with puppet making activities and refreshments following. $5. weteachcreativearts.org.

A Christmas Carol Sensory-Friendly Performance. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 South Bridge St., Worcester.

11 a.m. Enjoy this special presentation of the classic Dickens novel highlighting the Holiday Spirit created in collaboration with the New England Chapter of Autism Speaks, the Theatre Development Fund, HMEA’s Autism Resource Central, and VSA Massachusetts for families impacted by autism. $28-$52. thehanovertheatre.org.

Polar Express Holiday Celebration.

Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, 499 Mountain Rd., Princeton. 11 a.m. A day full of activities including skiing and riding, arts and crafts, holiday balloon creations, and a showing of the Polar Express film, with cookies, cocoa, and Santa. Lift tickets separate. Free. wachusett.com.

Banner Years: The Golden Era of Hockey in Massachusetts. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 1 p.m. This exciting new film chronicles the Golden Era of youth, high school, and Boston Bruins hockey in the Greater Bostonarea during the 1960s and early 1970s. $20. regenttheatre.com.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Family Storytime. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst.

2 p.m. We explore the Jewish Experience in Children’s books, featuring authors, experts, and fun. Free with admission. Adults $9, children $6, children under 1 free. carlemuseum.org.

Boston Area Chantey and Maritime Sing.

USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown. 2 p.m.5 p.m. Listen, learn, and lift your voices as you participate in your Maritime Heritage by joining a rousing chorus of sea chanteys. Free. ussconstitutionmuseum.org.

Wintery Songs in Eleven Part Harmony.

TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick.

7 p.m. This eleven-part harmony collaborative group of Boston-based singers gathers once a year to reinvent the sound of the holidays, with a distinctly Celtic flavor. Members $23, nonmembers $25. natickarts.org.

19 Monday MFA Playdates. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-11 a.m.

Enjoy story time and looking activities in the galleries as we dive into the theme ‘Snow Day’.

Recommended for ages 4 and younger. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $25, youths 7 to 17 $10, children under 7 free. mfa.org.

20 Tuesday Winter Workshop: Snow Globes. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Drop in and ensure that there is a little snow during your holiday celebrations as we make homemade snow globes to take home.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

21 Wednesday Stroller Tours at WAM. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester.

10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Join museum teachers as they engage with caretakers and their infants and toddlers with art and stories in the galleries.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, youths ages 4 to 17 $6, children under 4 free. worcesterart.org.

Winter Workshop: Solstice ’Scapes. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Celebrate the Winter Solstice by painting some winter landscapes, using crayons, cray-pas and watercolors to experiment with the technique of resist painting. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Music for the Holly Days. Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham. 7:30 p.m. Enjoy tra-

ditional Celtic and holiday music by The Moody Street String Band in the beautifully restored 1793 Carriage House. Purchase ahead. Members $12; nonmember adults $16, children age 12 and under $12. goreplace.org.

Join us for our 4th annual Holiday celebration!

22 Thursday Winter Workshop: Printed Wrapping Paper. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Add a personal touch to the season of giving by creating your own unique wrapping paper, using stamps, brushes, and even your fingers. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

23 Friday Lego Zone. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Drop in and bring all your imagination as we supply the Legos to build a colorful castle or tall tower to add to our community display. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

24 Saturday Appleton Farms Grass Rides Reindeer Quest. Appleton Farms Grass Rides, 801-899 Highland Street, Hamilton. Sunrise. Grab your snow shoes, hiking boots, or cross country skis and get the family outside to seek out our elusive herd of wooden reindeer sculptures found throughout the Grass Rides. $5 per car. thetrustes.org.

Urban Nutcracker. Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley St., Boston. 11 a.m. For the 15th season, Tony Williams brings to life his take on the classic Tchaikovsky ballet through influences of jazz, urban tap, hip hop, swing, and more. $25-$85. urbannutcracker.com.

25 Sunday Sound of Music 51st Anniversary SingAlong. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 6 p.m. Enjoy this family-holiday tradition at the Regent Theatre that was first held in 1965, as we present an on-screen lyrics presentation of this classic movie-musical, with a costume parade and Do Re Mi play-a-long.

Through Dec. 29. Adults $15, children $12.50. regenttheatre.com.

December 17th • Musical Performance featuring the Grinch and Buddy the Elf

SESSION 1 9am-10:30am SESSION 2 11am-12:30pm SESSION 3 1pm-2:30pm

• Meet Santa, Elsa and Anna • Crafts • Face Painting • Local Vendors and Artisans • and more!

Registration is required $15 Adults $12 Children UNDER 2 Free Admission

SkyRiseTheater.com for tickets

Enter Coupon Code ARTSUPPORT to save $8 for a family of 4

26 Monday Scenic Scents. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Go on an exploration through Greece to find the alabastron vases in Gallery 113A, before making your own cool perfume vase out of clay. Through Saturday. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $25, youths 7 to 17 $10, children under 7 free. mfa.org.

76 Otis St, Westboro At The SkyRise Studios BAYSTATEPARENT 49

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Ship Shape. USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Gather your crew and come visit the USS Constitution Museum, as we present hands-on exhibits, interactive programs, and creative crafts that will introduce explorers or any age to the work required to build a maintain a ship like the Constitution. Through Dec. 31. Free. ussconstitutionmuseum.org.

Everyday Engineering: Boxing Day. Discovery Woods at The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. We supply the cardboard and you bring the creativity as we build big or small designs from the simplest of materials. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

27 Tuesday Dreamscape. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Travel to New Mexico and look through Georgia O’Keeffe’s eyes, before dreaming up your own uniquely colored landscape. Through Saturday.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $25, youths 7 to 17 $10, children under 7 free. mfa.org.

Len Cabral: World of Winter Tales. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum,

Columbia Point, Boston. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Take a journey around the world with internationally-known storyteller Len Cabral, as he highlights the multicultural traditions that keep homes warm and the imagination vivid.

Free. jfklibrary.org.

Special Storytime: Kevin Barry. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. 11 a.m. Join Kevin Barry, the illustrator of Halfway Wild, during this special story time following one family through the course of the day as they march through meadows like ants, dive to the depths like seals, and chatter like racoons. Free with admission.

Adults $9, children $6, children under 1 free. carlemuseum.org.

Everyday Engineering: Cup Towers. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Engage in some everyday engineering as you construct and create with repurposed and recycled materials, and stack cups to make one-of-a-kind towers. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Holiday Vacation Week Programming.

Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Explore the galleries and create art together, with pop-up art investigations and more each afternoon.

Through Thursday. Free with admission. Members

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free; nonmembers $15, youth under 17 free. icaboston.org.

Assembly Row Celebrates Hanukkah.

Assembly Row Welcome Center, 340 Canal St., Somerville. 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights through crafting and kosher snacks. Free. assemblyrow.com.

The Secret Life of Pets. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. A family-friendly screening following the madcap adventures of pets when their owners leave for the day. Free. graftonlibrary.org.

28 Wednesday Travel with a Map. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.4 p.m. Explore the maps made by people of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific, and then design your own navigation map of your house, school, or neighborhood. Through Saturday.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $25, youths 7 to 17 $10, children under 7 free. mfa.org.

Backyard and Beyond: Trim a Tree for the Birds. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Help birds out this cold season by making bird feeders and trimming a tree for them. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

National Marionette Theatre’s Pinocchio.

Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. The National Marionette Theatre brings to life the classic story of a marionette who is transformed beyond his strings on a quest to become a real boy. Members $7, nonmembers $9. osv.org.

2016 British Arrows Awards. Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Enjoy the UK’s most innovative and daring pieces of advertising, from high-tech extravaganzas to wacky British comedy. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $15, youths under 17 free. icaboston.org.

Anime and Manga Society at The Bob. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy fans of anime through feature films, a preview of new library materials, discussions, snacks, and giveaways. For ages 13 and up. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

The Sound of Music. The Hanover Theatre, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. 7:30 p.m. The national tour of the beloved family classic enchants audiences in a new production for its 50th anniversary. Tickets $38 and up. Performances through Jan. 1. thehanovertheatre.org.

29 Thursday CactusHead Puppets Presents ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst.

11 a.m. CactusHead Puppets bring the story of the town of Hamelin to life, through a variety of puppetry styles and plenty of dancing rats.

Through Friday. Members $4.50, nonmembers $5. carlemuseum.org.

National Marionette Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. The National Marionette Theatre traces the story of a young princess cursed from birth and the attempts to rescue her by fairies and a charming prince. Members $7, nonmembers $9. osv.org.

Keep Calm and Color On: Teen Coloring Drop-in Program. Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster. 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Join the craze that is coloring as we learn tools to color away the stress. For grades 7 to 12. Free. leominsterlibrary.org.

On the Go Storytime. Framingham Public Library: Main Branch, 49 Lexington St., Framingham. 3 p.m. Listen to a reading of Lines That Wiggle and see ‘Abstract Landscape’

by Jason Berger as we play with the concept of lines during this story-time bringing together reading, the arts, and hands-on activities. Free. danforthart.org.

30 Friday Whole Book Approach Storytime with Megan Dowd Lambert. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Rd., Amherst. 10:30 a.m. Enjoy a story time featuring Simmons College lecturer and children’s literature expert, Megan Dowd Lambert. Free with admission. Adults $9, children $6, children under 1 free. carlemuseum.org.

National Marionette Theatre’s Peter and the Wolf. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Follow young Peter as he ventures out and is followed by a hungry wolf. Members $7, nonmembers $9. osv.org.

Backyard and Beyond: Lantern LightUp. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Construct a lantern before we put in an LED candle and light-up the Fairyborough with a lantern procession at 4:15 p.m. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Family Yoga. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 3 p.m.-4 p.m.

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! we practice mindfulness and age-appropriate stretches. For grades pre-K to 5. Register ahead.

Free. graftonlibrary.org.

Ghostbusters II. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 11:59 p.m. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Harold Ramis return to take up their proton packs and battle the forces of evil in Manhattan once more. $11.25. coolidge.org.

31 Saturday Bessie’s New Year’s Eve Party Prep. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Get ready to shake, rattle, and roll into the New Year by making party hats and noise makers. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Winter Travels. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Travel here, there, and everywhere at the MFA, and then take your global inspiration through exciting art-making activities. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $25, youths free. mfa.org.

Art Lessons with Bayda. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester.

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Explore the theme of Arabian Nights during this instructed and exciting art program at the library. For ages 7 to 12.

Free. mywpl.org.

National Marionette Theatre’s Hansel and Gretel. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Watch as two children, abandoned in the woods, must both find their ways home and escape the clutches of a hungry witch. Members $7, nonmembers $9. osv.org.

Bessie’s New Year’s Eve Pajama Dance Party. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11:45 a.m. Dust off your dancing shows, put on your finest PJs, and help us count down to 12 o’clock noon with a dance party. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

A New Year’s Eve Spectacular with The Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 9:30 p.m. Ring in 2017 with relentless blasts of classic 1970s Brit Rock from The Who and David Bowie to Led Zeppelin and Queen. $33. regenttheatre.com.

For more events, visit baystateparent.com 52 DECEMBER2016

Author Jeff Kinney Talks New Wimpy Kid Book in 30-Second Sellout

BY MELISSA SHAW

It was standing room only last month when author Jeff Kinney returned to his Plainville bookstore to meet fans, sign books, and celebrate the release of the 11th book in his best-selling series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down.

The event, held at Kinney’s An Unlikely Story bookstore (anunlikelystory.com), was the hottest ticket around. All 300 free tickets were snapped up in 30 seconds online on a first-come, first-served basis. Bookstore officials say the ticket waiting list grew to 5,000 requests.

Kinney returned to his hometown on a short break from a worldwide book tour, which took him to England, Germany, Israel, India, Korea, the Philippines, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which this year featured a new and improved Wimpy Kid balloon.

“It’s cool for me to be back home for a short while,” he said. “It’s really special to see you guys.”

In the hotly anticipated new book, released Nov. 1, Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley is back with another series of adventures, this time set around Halloween, including a humorous homage to R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, a creepy Halloween decoration that’s freaking out the Heffley family, Greg’s

scary movie-making adventures, and more.

“In a way, with this book I’m kind of starting over,” he told the crowd. “In a way it’s like Book 1 again. They say every story has been told a million different times.

I tried to tell the first story again, but in a totally different way.

“In the very first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Greg says, ‘One day I’ll be rich and famous.’ And in this book, on the first page he speculates, ‘You know what?

Maybe I already am. Maybe my life is being filmed for a TV show and my life is being broadcast all over the world.’ That’s a joke about Greg’s life: He thinks it’s a private diary, but kids are reading it all over the world,” he laughed.

Greg is, indeed, correct as since the 2007 release of the first book, there are now 180 million copies of his life’s misadventures in print, in more than 52 languages and 61 editions worldwide. The series has claimed a spot on The New York Times bestseller list for more than 497 weeks.

“I’ve always loved collecting funny stories, I love to hear about funny things, experience funny things in my life and write them down,” he noted. “That’s what gave me the idea for Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I wanted to take my

whole childhood, put it through the fiction blender, and spit it back out. For me, it all started with a sketch pad. It was 77 pages long and I wanted to fill it up with everything that happened to me as a kid.”

Over the hour-long presentation, Kinney showed the audience how he draws Greg; talked about early influences (Donald Duck/Scrooge McDuck cartoonist Carl Barks, cartoon strips Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side) and how he writes; took questions; and cracked everyone up sharing stories from his youth that were the inspiration for scenes throughout the series.

“People will say, ‘Where do you come up with your ideas?’ I have a normal life, for the most part, and funny things happen. Usually they’re embarrassing or sad, but over time they become really funny as you look back,” he noted.

“So I encourage any kid out there: Just keep a journal, just write a little bit here and there. You can write 10 Diary of a Wimpy Kid-style books easily.”

Kinney also shared the news that the fourth Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, based on the ninth book, The Long Haul, had nearly finished shooting in Atlanta and is due in theaters in May 2017.

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Why Medication Storage and Disposal Has Never Been More Important

BY RAIED (RAY) DINNO AND SAAD DINNO

Many of us are touched in one way or another by the opioid crisis that has become a national epidemic, one with a particularly strong grip in New England. This has prompted many questions from our patients about the best way to protect their children from becoming addicted.

A great place to start is by storing medications at home properly, and safely discarding those that have expired or are no longer needed.

program.

Be sure to remove or scratch out any personal information on the prescription label of empty pill bottles to make them unreadable.

Do not flush medicines down the toilet. Doing so can cause active ingredients to end up back in our drinking water — they are not necessarily filtered through the sewage process — and can be harmful when ingested.

Out with the old – and unneeded

Where to store the medications we need

There is no reason to keep unused or expired medications. Do a sweep of the medicine cabinets every six months to check for medications that are no longer needed or have expired.

There are a few ways to dispose of unused or expired medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends mixing medications with a substance such as kitty litter or coffee grounds, placing the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag, and throwing away the container in the household trash.

Many towns have also implemented drug take-back programs that will handle disposing unwanted drugs for you. Call the local police or fire department (not the emergency line) to inquire about this type of

It is crucial to properly and safely store medications, especially if there are children in the home. Store prescription medications in a high and/or locked cabinet or drawer so they are not accessible to children.

If you do not have a safe place to store medication away from curious children, lock boxes are available for purchase at any retail pharmacy.

It is also important that a prescription storage space be located in a dry, cool place, in a room where the temperature is not constantly fluctuating. Humidity, extreme heat, and extreme cold can affect the way medications work. For this reason, the bathroom is generally the worst room in a home to store medications. Attics and basements are also not good storage spaces because the

54 DECEMBER2016

temperature is usually not regulated like the living area of a home.

Never store any medications in your car where they can be exposed to extreme temperatures — especially EpiPens, inhalers, liquids, or any source of emergency medications.

You may be asking yourself, “Well, where can I store my medications?”

A kitchen cabinet is acceptable, as long as that cabinet is located away from the oven, microwave, or windows. Many homes have a cabinet located above the refrigerator. This would be an ideal place to store medications, not only because it is located away from heat sources, but also because it is out of a child’s reach. A bedroom cabinet or nightstand is also a good place to keep medications, again, as long as they are locked or not accessible to children.

If a child does gain access and ingests your medication, it is imperative to call Poison Control right away at 1-800-222-1222. Do not call a doctor or pharmacist, as they will direct you to call Poison Control.

Even if you are unsure what your child might have ingested, or if you found him or her sucking on a medication and aren’t sure if they ingested any, it is still important to act fast and call Poison Control to get the recommended course of action.

Never use prescription medications as toys by shaking a prescrip-

tion bottle to sound like a rattle, for example, or treat them as candy in front of your children. This can send the wrong message to children by making light of the serious consequences that can result when a child takes medication that has not been prescribed for them.

It is also important to be cautious with medications around pets. For example, parrots and other types of birds often get jealous when they see you taking medications or administering medications to family members and will, therefore, steal these medications, many of which are fatal when ingested by an animal. If your pet ingests a medication they shouldn’t have, contact Animal Poison Control immediately at 1-888426-4435.

Medications are vital to our lives and help us in ways earlier generations might have never imagined.

Because they can be harmful if not used properly, it is incumbent upon us to safeguard them. This lesson has been placed into even sharper focus by the opioid crisis, as our nation looks for new ways to keep drugs out of the hands of our children.

Raied (Ray) Dinno, R.Ph and Saad Dinno, R.Ph., FACA, FIACP, are coowners of Acton Pharmacy, West Concord Pharmacy, and Keyes Drug in Newton.

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Sing • Rated PG for some rude humor and mild peril • In theaters Dec. 21 • OK for kids 6+ • Reel Preview: 5 of 5 Reels From the creators of Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Minions, comes Sing an animated musical comedy about finding the shining star that lives inside all of us. Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing centers around Buster Moon, a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist (and scoundrel) who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition. The movie features the voice talent of major stars such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, and Scarlett Johansson, as well as 85 hit songs.

New movies coming to theaters this month

By Jane Louise Boursaw

Assassin’s Creed • Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, thematic elements and brief strong language • In theaters Dec. 21 • OK for kids 13+ • Reel Preview: 3.5 of 5 Reels

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day. Based on the popular video game series, the movie also stars Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson.

• Not yet rated; likely PG-13 • In theaters Dec. 16 (3D, 2D, IMAX) • OK for kids 12+ • Reel Preview: 4.5 of 5 Reels A rogue band of resistance fighters unite to steal the Death Star plans and bring new hope to the galaxy.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story takes place before the events of 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films audiences know. Yet the movie has elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe and explores the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to love.

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Jane’s Reel Rating System • One Reel – Even the Force can’t save it.

• Two Reels – Coulda been a contender • Three Reels – Something to talk about.

• Four Reels – You want the truth? Great flick!

• Five Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

Head to baystateparent.com/ December Flicks for a full list of movies heading to theaters and DVDs this month.

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umpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty’s enrolling next fall.

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To learn more, or to open an account, visit Fidelity.com/ufund or call 800.544.2776.

Please carefully consider the Plan’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. For this and other information on any 529 college savings plan managed by Fidelity, contact Fidelity for a free Fact Kit, or view one online. Read it carefully before you invest or send money.

MEFA is a not-for-profit self-financing state authority that works to make higher education more accessible and affordable for students and families in Massachusetts through community education programs, college savings plans, and low-cost financing options.

The U.Fund® College Investing Plan is offered by MEFA and managed by Fidelity Investments. If you or the designated beneficiary is not a Massachusetts resident, you may want to consider, before investing, whether your state or the beneficiary’s home state offers its residents a plan with alternate state tax advantages or other benefits.

Units of the portfolios are municipal securities and may be subject to market volatility and fluctuation.

MEFA, MEFA UFund Massachusetts 529 Plan, and U.Fund are registered service marks of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority.

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Why Winter Coats Cause a Car Seat/ Seat Belt Hazard for Kids

Simply Well

Learn one easy way to keep kids safe and warm

Get recipes, parenting tips and more delivered right to your inbox.

BY ALLANA PINKERTON, CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN

W

inter is time to get flu shots, take extra Vitamin C, stay hydrated, and bundle up. If you are spending time outdoors in cold weather, wearing heavy coats is a necessity.

However, when your child rides in his or her car seat wrapped up in a heavy winter coat, the harness will not be protecting them properly.

Wearing such a bulky coat and being strapped into a 5-point harness is also hot and uncomfortable, making it a miserable car ride for a child.

Harness webbing, like seat belt webbing, secures an occupant in the vehicle during a crash. Belt webbing “likes” bone. This is why it is necessary for the belts to fit across the strongest bones in our bodies — our hips, thighs, chest, and shoulders.

Seat belts and harness webbing not only keep us from being ejected in a crash, but they also help with “ride down,” allowing the crash forces to spread across the strongest parts of the body. This is important in order to reduce injuries and death.

The harness might feel tight when you buckle a child while they’re wearing a heavy coat. But during a crash, all of that extra fabric will compress, leaving the harness with too much slack. The safest option is to harness your child first, then put their coat on backwards over the harness, or wrap them in a blanket over the harness. This way, the harness is properly tightened and they still stay nice and warm. Adults are also at risk when wearing a winter coat under the lap/shoulder belt. At the very least, we should unbutton our coats when riding in the car. The best option is to remove your coat all together.

Remember, proper fit for a 5-point

harness means snug and comfortable, and you cannot pinch the webbing at the collarbone. With older children in booster seats, be sure the lap belt is low on the hips/ high on the thighs and the shoulder portion is on the center of the collarbone. This goes for adults, too. If you are pregnant, the rules stay the same.

Other important winter travel tips:

Follow today: www.umassmemorial.org/simplywell Conversations to Keep You Healthy and Well

• Make sure you have the proper tires on your car and that your treads are still in good shape.

Carry chains with you.

• Throw a safety/supply kit in the car. You never know when bad weather might leave you stranded.

Be sure to pack blankets, food, water, diapers, wipes, etc. for emergencies.

• Always carry an extra charging pack for your cell phone. Even if you are just going a few miles from home, always be prepared.

• Be sure the heat is working in the car.

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• Keep your gas tank full, rather than on fumes.

• Give yourself plenty of extra time to get to your destination.

• Keep a safe distance between yourself and the car ahead of you, and make sure your brakes are in good working order.

• When you reach your destination, “Look Before You Lock “and do not leave your child unattended in the car, no matter what. Even a few minutes in cold temperatures can be dangerous for a baby.

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Social Media Icon: Teach Your Kids to Love Themselves As Is

BY ALEXANDRA TOWNSEND

O

ne of the hardest parts of life can be learning to love yourself exactly as you are.

For popular internet icon and LGBTQ activist Jeffrey Marsh, teaching others self-acceptance has become a lifelong mission.

Marsh was raised as a boy in a fairly conservative, rural setting. Marsh is genderqueer — they do not identify as a man or a woman and prefers to be referred to with the pronouns “they” and “them.” It took years for Marsh to realize and accept that they were genderqueer and much more interested in wearing feminine clothes and performing on stage than becoming a farmer.

Since coming into their own, Marsh, 39, has gained a reputation online for promoting radical selflove through their popular tweets on Twitter (@thejeffreymarsh) and gender-defying, supportive Vine videos (vine.co/jeffreymarsh).

Marsh has over 300 million views on social media, 500,000 fans on their social channels, and is a regular contributor, writer, and on-air host for Snapchat Stories, Facebook Live, O Magazine, oprah.com, time.com, 60 DECEMBER2016

Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Mashable, and more. And they will soon be seen as the fashion model for their own line of genderfluid clothing.

Marsh’s message and the many pieces of advice that go with it have recently been collected in their new book, How to Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life, making them the first non-binary author with publisher Penguin Random House.

“From the beginning, my message has always been, 'There is nothing wrong with you,’” Marsh explained.

This is a message that has been widely embraced by Marsh’s thousands of fans, many of whom are young or LGBT, but also include people from all walks of life.

“A lot of people are raised getting these negative messages that they internalize,” Marsh said. “‘I’m too fat.’ ‘I’m too stupid.’ ‘I’m not how I’m supposed to be.’ Then you start to hate that part of yourself and feel like self-hate is the way to get rid of that trait, that if you punish yourself enough it will go away. The fact is, that just doesn’t work.”

Instead, Marsh recommends working to accept oneself without hate. In How to Be You, a combination memoir-workbook-journal, Marsh offers stories, advice, and exercises on how to do this, including recognizing one’s heroes and heroines, and realizing how loving and supportive they would be. Marsh also emphasizes that the reader isn’t to blame for the harmful messages they’ve internalized growing up, either from misguided parenting or society at large.

In fact, many adults might feel a little nervous about their kids reading How to Be You. It repeatedly cites parents as one of the most likely causes of internalized self-hate. In this way, Marsh taps into a fear that

every parent has at some point: that your parenting will somehow make your child miserable for life.

As any parent knows, proper discipline is very difficult to achieve.

If your child is falling behind at school, you certainly don’t want to call them stupid, but how do you address the problem without hurting their self-esteem? What if your child swears, steals, or hurts someone? Is it right to lecture them? The popular thought being: Discipline will make a child feel bad and, subsequently, not repeat the act.

Marsh disagrees. According to them, there aren’t really bad people, just people who make mistakes: “What’s important is for parents to say, ‘You are not a bad person, even though you did a bad thing.’

Then you need to ask the child why they acted that way and show that you appreciate and respect their answers,” they said. “Then you can share from your personal experience to show them why what they did was wrong.”

Much of Marsh’s advice involves parents building bridges and approaching their kids as equals.

“Kids see through the authority act,” Marsh said. “They see the difference between what you tell them to do and the way you lead your own life. They won’t respect what you tell them if they see contradiction.”

At the same time, Marsh’s philosophy doesn’t call for perfection among parents any more than they call for it among children: “I often tell parents that they need to do their own work on whatever problems are bothering them. That can be through therapy, religion, or even just practicing self-love. Kids learn by example and will respect you more if they see you living your life

openly and honestly. Then, if you make a mistake, it’s easier to understand because you’re a human, too.”

In fact, for Marsh the fact that so many parents care about being sensitive to the way their kids see the world and how to best guide them is the first step.

“I once got a message from a mother who went grocery shopping with her daughter and the girl’s grandmother,” Marsh says. “When they checked out, they saw that the cashier was transgender. The grandmother pulled the girl out of the store and told her that the cashier was ‘disturbed.’ The mom wanted to know the best way to counter that sort of influence in her daughter’s life, how to teach her to be accepting. I told her the fact that she cared so much already had her past the first hurdle. The next step is to do your research. Remember to always treat identities with respect.

You don’t have to be perfect, but be sincere.”

Maybe it’s unsurprising that the other half of Marsh’s self-love philosophy is a love and appreciation for others. It isn’t about being everyone’s best friend, but rather seeing that everyone deserves respect, and that being different or even doing bad things isn’t the same as being a bad person. It’s a notion that’s simple, but also radical for many who have gotten all too used to hating themselves for the flaws they see.

Many people would rather pretend to be someone else in order to fit in and hide from the qualities they hate. Marsh has lived through that pain themselves and reached a place of thorough self-love. For many teens, and even adults, Marsh’s book may be a great step toward blooming into the wonderful people they’ve always been.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 61 7/11/14 10:09 PM

Is My Child Easily Distracted or In Need of a Diagnosis?

ASK THE EXPERT

BY DR. ERIK VON HAHN

My son, 8, seems distracted at home and school. His teacher reports he has difficulty following multi-part directions and completing work (though she was quick to note it was not a behavior/attitude problem). When I thought about it, I realized he has similar challenges at home and has for a while — I always just thought he was slow to get things done. She suggested I consider consulting our pediatrician with our joint concerns. Now I’m wondering if my son may have ADD or ADHD. What is the difference between the two, and what are common red flags? Should I have noticed this earlier?

M

any parents become concerned about their child’s ability to concentrate or follow directions at some point in their lives. In fact, parents often reach out to pediatricians for concerns related to their child’s developmental status or their child’s behaviors.

An inability to concentrate or follow multipart directions may be cause to consult your child’s pediatrician for more information. Often times, an outsider’s perspective (such as the child’s teacher) is helpful in identifying or noticing behaviors that might not be expected at various ages. As the parent, you may not see an issue right away, especially if you have no other children to which you can compare your child’s performance.

It is important to understand that there is no longer a clinical difference between ADD and ADHD. The

appropriate technical term is now ADHD, for anyone diagnosed. There are three categories of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive, and a combination of the two, which is the most common.

There are different screening and diagnostic tools that can be used to test children for ADHD. For example, the Vanderbilt Rating Scale for ADHD is available in a version specifically for parents, as well as teachers. This could be a good place to start if you and/or your child’s teacher has some concerns.

It’s also good to know that you can request an evaluation from your child’s school. A school-based evaluation is especially important if reasons other than a short attention span are the cause of the child’s performance difficulties. If you are concerned, it is always best to reach

20 minutes, and can only complete a routine that includes multiple steps, if their attention span has developed sufficiently. A short attention span is a barrier that can interfere with the child’s success. There certainly can be other reasons why a child might not be capable of following classroom or home routines despite adequate instruction, but a short attention span is a common reason.

Dr. Erik von Hahn, MDCM, is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center and an associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is interested in all developmental and behavioral disorders of childhood, and especially in creating collaborative relationships between hospital-based clinicians, school professionals, and families through communication and joint training.

out to your child’s pediatrician and discuss any worries you may have.

Many children with ADHD will be diagnosed by the age of 5-6, as they are entering Kindergarten and first grade. It is at this age that we begin to demand more of them cognitively.

Children at this age are expected to sit, pay attention to a specific learning task, or participate in a play or social activity for 15–20 minutes at a time.

Also, by this age, we start to expect children to be able to follow a routine — and without much prompting.

This means that children remember normal classroom routines, such as hanging up their coat and bag when they arrive at school; sitting still at circle time; raising their hands before speaking; and lining up before going outside. However, children can only participate in activities that last 15 to

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Skylanders Turns 5, Branches Out in New Directions

New game, TV series deliver more fun for gaming fans

BY MELISSA SHAW

Activision’s Skylanders video game series turns 5 this year in a big way, thanks to a new Netflix series and a new game featuring never-beforeoffered abilities.

Skylanders remains true to its toysto-life origin, in which players place a figure on a special portal connected to their gaming system and that figure comes to life on screen, becoming a playable character in the game.

With this fall’s new release, Skylanders Imaginators, fans for the first time can create their very own Skylander, choosing its look, abilities, powers, catchphrases and more, making it totally unique compared to the 300+ previous character toys released since the first game’s debut in 2011. Players use a new toy type, a Creation Crystal, to create and transport their unique character to consoles anytime, anywhere.

Players can create one character per Creation Crystal.

This ability to create a totally unique character brings a whole new hook to the series, even for the seasoned Skylanders fan, and players will spend a lot of time perfecting their Skylander (mine sure did).

Imaginators also introduces new guest stars to the series called Senseis. These figures unlock special battle modes within the game and also help train (level up) the Imaginators characters. Skylanders

Senseis include 20 new characters and 11 former villains, including big baddie Kaos and the return of the ultra popular Crash Bandicoot — another draw for the gaming fan.

Like previous releases, Skylanders Imaginators is available in a Starter Pack, giving the gamer everything he or she needs to start playing right away: two Senseis, one Creation Crystal, the Portal of Power, and the full game. Activision is offering two special starter packs at higher price points, one featuring Crash Bandicoot and another called the Dark Edition. Additional Skylanders, Creation Crystals, and Sensei toys are available for individual purchase to add more characters and adventures to a player’s game. And, thankfully for seasoned Skylanders fans, all of their previous Skylanders figures work with Imaginators, offering a massive amount of game play.

And in more good news for the Skylanders fan, the video game phenomenon took to a new medium this fall via its first TV series, Skylanders Academy (skylanders.com/academy). The first 12-episode season is available now on Netflix and follows Spyro the Dragon, Stealth Elf, and Eruptor as new students at Skylanders Academy. Under the teachings of Master Eon and Jet-Vac, the trio learn what it means to be a Skylander while fighting the evil Kaos and other villains of Skylands.

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Kids, Families Conquer 2016 Rhode Island Comic Con

BY MELISSA SHAW

Families and kids from throughout New England flocked to the Rhode Island Convention Center last month to celebrate sci-fi, superheroes, cartoons, and other pop culture at the fifth annual Rhode Island Comic Con (ricomiccon.com).

The weekend has quickly become the biggest draw in the smallest state — and a major magnet for families. Comic book conventions (or cons, as they’re more typically

known) have extended their reach from the stereotypical “nerd in the basement” to feature kids, adults, and families of all constellations. As “geeks” have become more mainstream and respected in popular culture (witness the success of comic-book movies and the TV show The Big Bang Theory), so have the cons, with young and old alike enjoying the collectible shopping, meeting celebrities, and dressing up as

their favorite characters (known as “cosplay,” or costume-play).

While kids were welcome at all areas of the convention, a special Kids Con area was offered just for young fans and their families.

Sponsored by radio station WCTK, Cat Country 98.1, Kids Con featured face painting, mask-making crafts, coloring, an obstacle course, a Nintendo gaming area, and special entertainment.

Kids Con officials Jillian Aldrich and Maggie Bloomer reported a steady stream of families over the three days and “booming” business.

In the jam-packed event, which spanned the Convention Center and the Dunkin Donuts Center, the Kids Con area was a welcome respite for It’s awinter in New England, many and offered less-crowded place for families relax, have fun,learn to lettous help you and take a break from the bustling crowds.

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The term “solstice” comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning, “the Sun stands still.” On the Winter Solstice, the Sun reaches its southern-most position as seen from the Earth. The Sun seems to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then reverses its direction.

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Parents can take a break, grab a colored pencil, and relax with Storey’s Color-Your-Own Greeting Cards and Country Life Coloring Book. Enjoy 30 ready-to-color cards to cover a variety of celebrations throughout the year, as well as 45 coloring pages featuring scenes of farm life and outdoor beauty — including chickens, honeybees, flowers, and barns. Visit baystateparent.com today and grab your chance to win this creative set.

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If you’re an Apple lover, you understand the necessity of its Lightning charging cables for your phone, watch, or iPad. This also means you understand, all too well, how easily they fray and break due to bending. Enter the Tudia Klip, a twopiece silicone and polycarbonate clip that snaps onto Apple Lightning and 30-pin charging cables, reducing strain by 80% to extend the life of these important cables. Visit baystateparent.com and enter today for your chance to win a pack.

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The first new year’s celebrations are dated to 2000 BC Mesopotamia (today’s Middle East). At that time, the new year began on March 20, the spring equinox.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 69

TAKE EIGHT

with Kerstin Anderson Vermont native Kerstin Anderson had just finished her sophomore year studying musical theater at Pace University in New York City when she auditioned “on a whim” for the role of Maria in the upcoming national tour of The Sound of Music. She went just for the experience and was shocked to get a callback.

That led to auditions with the creative team and eventually landing the lead — one of the most iconic in popular culture — and her first professional role. “I still don’t believe it,” laughs the 22-year-old. Anderson, who along with the production has garnered raves across the country, will be at The Hanover Theatre in Worcester this month, Dec. 28-Jan. 1, as she and the cast bring the beloved musical back to New England.

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This is your first tour. You’ve been on the road since September 2015 and will continue through July 2017. What is touring life like?

It’s a pretty crazy lifestyle, unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Having to change what bed you sleep in and where your home is, where your workplace is — and then everything in the workplace is in a different place — it’s a really challenging exercise in how to remain grounded internally. None of your outside forces remain the same, except for, of course, the cast, which is wonderful. We really support each other.

What is it like taking on Maria, one of the most iconic roles in musical theater and film?

I’m incredibly honored by it. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to spend some time in Maria’s shoes.

Incredible women have preceded me in this role and their presence can feel daunting, but also inspiring. Our director, Jack O’Brien, was really careful and passionate about not delivering a cut-and-dry, by-the-book version of The Sound of Music. Through that, he allowed me to not be Julie Andrews or Mary Martin. I got to bring a real sense of who I am to the role and study the text for what it is at face value vs. what we think it is watching the movie a million times growing up.

What is the key to playing Maria?

The key to playing Maria for me is to open my heart and respond with optimism. It’s so clear to me in the text. Whatever obstacle she was given she was, like, “Well, that’s fine, we’re just gonna do this instead.”

“You guys don’t like thunder? We’re gonna sing louder than the thunder!” “The Nazis are coming? OK.” “They took our car? We’re gonna go over the mountain!”

She’s such an optimistic persevere-er. To open my heart to what is being given and respond out of love: that is the key.

Did you grow up loving The Sound of Music?

My parents, though they are not musical, love musical theater. My dad watched shows and my mom knew cast albums. I was lucky in that regard, we listened to Godspell and The Sound of Music. We had the VHS set growing up, [watching The Sound of Music] was a wonderful family activity.

What is the hardest song to sing in the show?

“The Lonely Goatherd,” especially in our version. In the film they added the puppet show [when singing the song]; the song they sing with the thunderstorm [in the stage production] is “The Lonely Goatherd” and “My Favorite Things” is sung with the Mother Abbess.

Because of that we made [“The Lonely Goatherd”] into this giant, playful, imagination number. The song itself is hard to sing, but on top of that I’m running around and picking up children. Because of the physicality of that number, it has become the hardest.

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Do you have a favorite song in the show?

Does it change?

It does change. What I had been saying was “My Favorite Things,” but my gut says “The Sound of Music” right now. It’s so beautiful and so simple. The end of that song is just beautifully honest, that’s the one I’m falling in love with again. You think, Oh, she’s fun. She’s talking about trees and the river, she’s so imaginative. But in the end, she tells you why she’s here: I’m here because I’m lonely. I don’t understand why I’m lonely. Something is not quite right yet, but I guess I’ll keep singing because that’s what I know how to do.

How did you make the decision to go from a teenager who liked performing in school shows and community theater to eyeing it seriously as a future career?

It started for me with one show. I was in eighth grade, my sister was in high school, and they were doing Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods — my favorite show to this day. It was the moment where it clicked, where it wasn’t just about tap dancing or an opening number or how beautiful or loud you could sing. It’s about getting to watch people deal with the challenges and the conflicts of life, and everything clicked. I thought, That’s what it’s about.

What is your advice for young aspiring actors?

The little kids who love it, I’m, like, “Yes! Go! Sing!

Be in shows! I’m so happy you love it as much as I love it.” Then there’s the other population of juniors and seniors in high school who ask, “Do I pursue this?

Do I go to school for this?” I can never tell anyone what they should do, it’s not my place. But I say: If you want to do this, you should buckle down in two regards. 1. Get academic about your craft. You should read Stanislavsky, read Uta Hagen, read a million plays if you can. You should really learn about what this is, learn about theater, love all parts of the theater.

2. You have to figure out who you are and how to love yourself. Be unapologetically you. That is how you’ll be successful. The only way you can stand out in crowds of thousands of actors is to be you, because no one else can do that like you can.

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