Bergen • Rockland Parent May 2017

Bergen RocklandParent MAY 2017

•

NYMETROPARENTS.COM

Are You Raising a

Sugar

Addict?

Tips for cutting back

SpecialParent The Campaign to

End the

‘R Word’

Kids Cover Contest 2017 See your child on our cover!

HELPING PARENTS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS

BOX. TRAIN. SCULPT. BURN. ROW. SWEAT. RUN. LIFT. SHRED.

JCC ROCKLAND. jccrockland.org/welcome

JCC ROCKLAND WELCOMES ALL AGES, FAITHS AND BACKGROUNDS.

JCC Rockland, 450 West Nyack Road, West Nyack, NY 10994 jccrockland.org/welcome

Are your child’s immunizations up to date?

Call your Child’s Doctor Today!

Fidelis Care is working to keep our members and the community healthy.

Measles and chickenpox are just two of the diseases that you can prevent by having your child immunized.

Children under the age of 2 don’t have all the defenses they need to fight infection. Immunizations (shots) protect them from dangerous childhood diseases like:

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TTY: 1-800-421-1220

RocklandParent

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NYMetroParents Helping Parents Make Better Decisions

Contents

May 2017 ››

24

Features

14 The Not-So-Sweet Truth Too much added sugar is detrimental to our health­­­—here’s why and what you can do

18

18 Fitting Fitness Into Your Day Some easy ways to make sure you’re exercising daily 22 Avocado Toast­—Elevated Kick up this basic meal with unexpected additions 36 Growing Up Mixed There are more mixed-race families than ever, but parents still face challenges raising kids in two cultures.

38 Putting a Stop to a Slur Parents of kids with special needs join other advocates to push for an end to the ‘R-word.’

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40 Self-Direction Services What you need to know to get state funding for services for your child with special needs 41 Introducing Dog to Baby Tips to successfully integrate a newborn into a house with pets

Connections

6 Editor’s Note 8 Quotables 9 NYMP Q&A: Sam Weinman shares the benefits of losing.

50 Voices: Why I’m thankful for all the parenting advice I got along the way

Fun & Activities

Family Activities CALENDAR ››

Original photo by PhotoOp NYC (photoopnyc.com) Clothing provided

by Appaman (appaman.com)

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10 DIY Corner: Fizzy Bath Bombs 11 Media Matters: Summer Movies 12 Get Your Kid on Our Cover!

13 Humor: Happy Mother’s Day to the Superheroes 24 Outing: Gulliver’s Gate 27 Family Activities Calendar 34 Where-To Guide: Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens

Directories 42 46 47 48 49

Camp Guide Meet the Health Care Professional Party Central Party Planner Advertisers’ Index

››

ON THE COVER ›› 12 Kids Cover Contest 2017 14 Are You Raising a Sugar Addict? 38 The Campaign to End the ‘R Word’ facebook.com/nymetroparents

@NYMetroParents

Visit NYMETROPARENTS.COM for family activities updated daily and more than 2,000 parenting articles!

Free Cancer Screenings

At The Breast Center at Nyack Hospital Friday, May 19, 2017 | 8:00 am – 3:30 pm The Breast Center at Nyack Hospital is offering FREE: Clinical Breast Exams Mammography

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For uninsured or underinsured women, age 40 and over.

Robbi Kempner, MD, FACS, surgeon and medical director of Breast and Women’s Health Services at Nyack Hospital will be performing free clinical breast exams. Dr. Kempner is a renowned breast cancer surgeon and expert with years of experience at leading Greater NYC area academic institutions.

To register please call The Breast Center at 845.348.8551.

Spanish speaking assistance is available at 845.348.8582.

Walk-ins are welcome!

There will be free refreshments generously provided by New York State Senator David Carlucci.

Funded by the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Chronic Disease Control.

For program questions, call the Cancer Services Program of the Hudson Valley at 855.277.4482.

Screenings for women ages 50 and over are provided courtesy of the Cancer Services Program of the Hudson Valley. Screenings for women ages 40 – 49 are funded by Capital One and Nyack Hospital.

Nyack Hospital. Care beyond compare.

845.348.8551 | nyackhospital.org/breastcenter 160 North Midland Avenue, Nyack, NY 10960 A Member of the Montefiore Health System

MAY 2017 • Vol.10 • No.7

NYMetroParents Publications EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Kress MANAGING EDITOR: Katelin Walling

EDITOR’S NOTE

DEPUTY EDITOR: Caitlin Berens SENIOR EDITOR: Bethany Braun-Silva ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Samantha Neudorf REGIONAL EDITORS:

Healthy Kids, Healthy Parents

Samantha Beranbom (Rockland); Karen Demeter (Suffolk); Rosalind Muggeridge (Brooklyn); Jamie McGillian (Westchester); Dorette Saunders (Nassau); Emma Steven (Manhattan); Gail Warren (Queens) DIRECTORIES EDITOR: Alice Van Dyke EDITORIAL INTERN: Sabrina Sooknanan

B

efore my kids were born, I thought I’d never be the type of parent to negotiate— let alone do battle—about desserts and sweets. Sure, I’d let my kids eat a moderate amount of junk, but I’d also be sure to have plenty of yummy fruits and vegetables around. Perhaps we’d cut them into fun shapes or make other irresistible but healthy snack creations. Then I actually had children. I know I am not the only one whose kids’ craving for sweets seems insatiable and all-consuming—and no, fruits and vegetables will not cut it. I am sometimes amazed at how much time and effort they spend thinking about—and conniving to acquire—their next snack. I am a firm believer in “everything in moderation,” but when it comes to kids and sugar, how much is too much? In this issue, Katelin Walling speaks with a nutritionist and other experts to find out, and the answer may surprise you (p. 14).

Of course, our kids follow our example, so modeling a healthy lifestyle is essential. But how many of us feel we have the time to take care of ourselves and hit the gym with any regularity? To help fix that, we’re offering tips on how to make time and space for fitness in our busy lives (p. 18). And if you want to truly relax after a good workout, suggest that your child make you our “Fizzy Bath Bombs” (p. 10) for Mother’s Day. If it’s May, that also means the NYMetroParents Kids Cover Contest is in full swing! You know your kid is the cutest in the world, so go ahead, enter the contest for a chance to see him or her on the cover of one of our magazines. See p. 12 for more details and enter at nymetroparents.com/cover.

We’re proud to feature our contest finalists on our covers throughout the year, showcasing amazing local kids who reflect the diversity of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and abilities found in our communities—this month is no exception. As parents, we often tell our kids people come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors—differences that we should embrace and celebrate. This month, we have two in-depth reports on the challenges some kids face for being different. In the first, Samantha Neudorf explores the growth of multiracial families in our area by speaking with several local parents in mixed-race families—and she reflects on her own experiences growing up in two cultures (p. 36).

In the second, we meet a group of moms who have been working hard in recent years to end use of the “R-word” (p. 38). Bullying takes many forms, but one pervasive example is calling kids with special needs “retards.” It’s a painful slur that is used all too often by adults as well as kids, in casual conversation as well as in schoolyard taunts. Sabrina Sooknanan takes us inside the efforts to end the use of that word.

Happy Mother’s Day—and happy May—to all!

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Keep in Touch: nymetroparents.com editor@nymetroparents.com

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

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BIG APPLE PARENT, QUEENS PARENT, WESTCHESTER PARENT BROOKLYN PARENT, ROCKLAND PARENT, BERGEN PARENT, and LONG ISLAND PARENT are published monthly by Davler Media Group, LLC Copyright © 2017, Davler Media Group, LLC No part of contents may be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher.

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UOTABLES There are times, be it a short drive to school or a longer weekend trip, when I just want to lose myself in a blast of ‘Enter Sandman’

by Metallica without three toneless backup singers in the back seat fighting for the air-drumming rights. Yes, they know all the words. Even my 3 year old.

—Lea Farrow, in a post entitled “7 Unexpected Things I Miss About Life Before Kids,” on her blog TheMethodMother.com

in an instagram 55 degrees! Perfect weather to follow dinosaur tracks and learn about fossils at #DinosaurStatePark #dinosaurs #travelandlearn #nyckids #weekendplans#littletraveler #familytravel #hartford #connecticut (Posted by @thelandoftwo, aka Aurora Aquino, a New York mom)

SKIPPING HOMEWORK

in an instagram Fearless #internationalwomensday #fearlessgirl #fearless #wallstreet #womenofthefuture #bravegirl #forceisfemale #fearce #disneyjunior #disney #disneyjr #artmonte (Posted by @a_a_almonte, aka Alexandra Almonte, a New York mom)

“When we bought this house, we pictured ourselves staying here forever, but I guess that’s normal.

Humans don’t put down roots while simultaneously planning to uproot them. Still, I have spent the last several weeks mourning the childhood I assumed would take place right here.”

—Rebecca Woolf, in a post entitled “And Keep Sailing,” on her blog GirlsGoneChild.net

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

“After giving up homework, she was able to spend hours doing things that children should have time to do: swing on the swing set, blow bubbles, plop down on the grass and watch clouds go by, catch fireflies, and make wishes upon stars. She could wonder about things.”

—Diane Roncone in an article entitled “Why I Let My Daughter Say No to Homework;” read the whole thing at

nymetroparents.com/no-homework.

MORE NYMetroParents.com HIGHLIGHTS: CRAFTS FOR MOM: Make it a flowery Mother’s Day with these crafts (nymetroparents.com/mothers-day-crafts).

SAIL AWAY: Where to go catch a boat in the NYC area (nymetroparents.com/boat-rides).

UNDER THE SEA! Discover a marine life paradise at Atlantis Bahamas (nymetroparents.com/atlantis).

SPRING IN NYC: Check out all the fun NYC has to offer this time of year (nymetroparents.com/nyc-spring).

NYMP Q&A

Losing Is Winning ››

By Bethany Braun-Silva

S

am Weinman is the digital editor at Golf Digest and has been a sports journalist for 20 years. His new book Win at Losing, which was inspired by his kids, shows the benefits of losing and what we can learn from it.

What do we win from losing?

Losing is great feedback. When you lose at a certain endeavor, you are learning something about where you need improvement. Losing exposes weakness and things you can be improving upon. So if it’s sport and you lose, you are ultimately given an indication at what you need to work on. The second thing is character. Losing is an inevitable part of life and the more we navigate that dynamic the better we get at it and the better we’re equipped to handle losing in whatever realm.

Losing is a great character-building moment in that you are given the opportunity to experience something difficult and emerge from it and that is ultimately a really great growth opportunity.

What should parents do after their child experiences defeat?

I would start by telling your child everyone loses and encourage them not to despair when you go through these moments because it may not be right away but there will be something good to come out of that loss and something positive to take from it. If you can get your kid to wrap their brain around that and know good can come from losing, then they’re less afraid of trying new things because they will be less afraid of failing. The undesirable outcome can yield something positive.

Anything parents shouldn’t do? The first thing is to not put your kid in a position where they are shielded from failure. There is a point when winning and losing is just part of the deal of growing up and I would be very leery of trying to protect your kid from that. Ultimately you are depriving them the opportunity to experience it and learn from it. The second thing is when your kids are upset after a loss, even if it seems trivial to you, don’t belittle how they are feeling. Try to meet them where they are and recognize that while it may seem insignificant to you, it’s a big deal to them and you should validate their feelings.

Do you suggest letting kids win at a young age? Or should parents play fair from the beginning? At a very young age you are dealing with emotion versus reason so my feeling is when you’re engaging in an activity with your kid you shouldn’t be rewarding winning or losing as much as rewarding trying something different. Try to focus on the process of playing the game or having fun and that’s true even as they get older, that yes you don’t want to shelter your kids from failure, but you can still define success a lot of different ways. It can be trying something new or sticking to a process or plan, or when they understand the rules. There’s value in commending that.

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DIY CORNER TREAT YOUR MOM

Fizzy Bath Bombs

The main ingredient in bath bombs is the chemical sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda. The other key ingredient is citric acid.

These chemicals don’t do much as dry powders, but in water they react and dissolve to produce tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, which is what causes the fizzzzzzzing! (A similar reaction is commonly used in volcano science projects to create foaming “lava.”) The fizzing helps the bath bombs dispense faster and, combined with the hot water, spreads whatever yummy scent you have chosen.

Pamper Mom this Mother’s Day by making these with her favorite scents and colors for a bath-time treat she’s sure to enjoy!

Maker Checklist Large bowl ½ cup citric acid 1 cup baking soda ½ cup cornstarch ½ cup Epsom salt Small bowl or glass

1 tsp. essential oil 1 tsp. water 1 tsp. olive oil Soap colorant in various colors Multiple small bowls Small plastic containers

Directions 1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Stir wet ingredients together in a small bowl or glass.

3. V ery slowly add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and keep mixing! Mix, mix, mix, so it doesn’t fizz and bubble up! After it’s all combined, let your mixture sit for a few minutes. It should feel like wet sand and stay together when you squeeze it in your hand. If it’s still too dry or crumbly, add a drop of water or olive oil—but be careful not to let it get too wet!

4. S eparate the mixture into smaller bowls and add a drop of soap colorant. Mix well! We found mixing by hand was the most effective way to get an even color. It’s also nice to leave one bowl white for layering.

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

5. Layer your mixture into molds. We used plastic ornaments split in half and experimented with small plastic containers and other recyclables, like yogurt cups.

6. Pack the layers down tightly into the mold by pressing with your fingers.

7. Let dry for a few minutes before carefully removing the bath bomb from the mold. Don’t try to handle the bath bomb yet!

Turn it out from its mold directly onto a surface to dry, and let dry a few hours or overnight.

8. Drop in a warm bath and enjoy!

Reprinted with permission from Curious Jane © 2017 by Girls Dream Out Loud Inc. Published by Sterling Children’s Books. Photography by Elissa Josse and Samantha Razook Murphy.

Media Matters: Summer Movies

5 Movies Your Kids Will Want to See in May and June

Guardians of the Galaxy

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The fourth Wimpy Kid mo vie has a new cast, but exp ect the same silly antics and potty hum or for which the series is kno wn.

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Expect plenty of rude lan guage and cartoonish vio lence in an animated movie based on the hugely popular boo k series.

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Age: 5-8

The Pixar racecar threequ el looks family-friendly, but with some intense moments.

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Age: 5-8

The third film in the popula r, kid-friendly supervillain series promises to be a fun choice for kids and parents to enjoy together, with lots of laughs and positive messages.

See more at NYMetroParents.com/media

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RocklandParent 11

Get Your Kid on Our Cover!

››

RocklandParent OCTOBER 2016

NYMETROPARENTS.COM

Scheduling Woes How to solve common birthday party dilemmas

Time for a Cellphone?

Knowing when kids are ready for independence

RocklandParen t SEPTEMBER 2016

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

H

•

THE POWER OF PRESCHOOL

ave you ever looked at the cover of this magazine and thought to yourself, “My child should be featured there”?

Well, now’s your chance! The 2017 Kids Cover Contest will open April 24. And this year we’ve expanded it to include 10 finalists, all of whom will be professionally photographed and have a chance to be on our cover. Here’s how it works: Go to nymetroparents.com/cover. You’ll be asked to upload a photo of your child, and you can add a caption, if you like. We’ll ask for your child’s name and age and for some information on how to contact you if your child is a finalist.

Our editors will choose nine of the finalists, and the 10th is the Fan Favorite—the entrant with the most votes. So after you enter, be sure to send the link to your friends and family and post it to your social media to get votes for your child.

After the photo shoot, our editors will choose two winners from among the 10 finalists, and both are guaranteed to be on a future cover of the magazine. One winner receive a photo shoot from Barbizon and a one-year scholarship to Barbizon Modeling and Acting School, while the other will win a free two-night stay at Kalahari Resort in the Poconos, the largest indoor water park in the U.S. The rest of the finalists might be featured on future covers as well, and the Fan Favorite will win four tickets to Sesame Place.

The cover contest is open to children ages 2-16 and ends June 9. Enter at nymetroparents.com/cover!

HUMOR

© 2016 Alison Wong

Happy Mother’s Day to the Superheroes!

Alison Wong is the writer and illustrator of New Mom Comics: The First Year, which offers a humorous and relatable take on the wild journey of parenting.

“That first Mother’s Day completely changes its meaning. I felt more thankful for my own mother and very grateful to be a mother,” Wong said in her book.

Anyone celebrating Mother’s Day this May will appreciate Wong’s illustration on the superpowers moms possess.

Alison Wong is an illustrator, product designer, and innovation consultant.

She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and son. Visit newmomcomics.com for more.

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The Not-So-Sweet Truth

››

Too much added sugar is detrimental to our health—here’s why, and what you can do about it. By Katelin Walling

F

ifty-six. That’s how many different names the food industry uses for sugar.

Here’s another number: 19½. That’s, on average, how many teaspoons of added sugar each person in the U.S. consumes each day. To be clear: We’re talking about added sugar—the sugar the food industry adds to foods, not the sugar found naturally in foods. The daily maximum recommendation from the American Heart Association? Six teaspoons for women, 9 teaspoons for men, less than 6 teaspoons for children ages 2-18, and zero for children ages 2 and younger.

Ready for another? One-quarter: the number of pounds of added sugar Americans are consuming daily, on average, which equates to 90-100 pounds of added sugar annually. “The problem is you’re really supposed to be consuming zero [added sugar], but you could consume an ounce or an ounce and a half,” says Robert Lustig, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist, professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at University of California, San Francisco, and author of Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

So, why is it a big deal that we’re consuming so much added sugar? Dr. Lustig—who was also featured prominently in the 2015 documentary Sugar Coated (available on Netflix) and is a member of the SugarScience team, an authoritative source for the scientific evidence about sugar and its impact on health—shares what we need to know and think about before saying “Yes” to dessert.

Glucose vs. Fructose

There are two main sugars found in foods, and it’s important to know the difference because one is necessary and one isn’t.

Glucose, which is found in starch, is the energy of life, according to Dr. Lustig. “Glucose is so important that if you don’t consume it, your body makes it,” he says. The liver has a way of turning fat into glucose called gluconeogenesis. So while it’s necessary for life, it’s not necessary to eat.

Fructose, on the other hand, is an entirely different molecule.

“There’s no animal cell on the planet that needs fructose for any reaction at all,” Dr. Lustig explains, adding that it’s sweet, it’s energy, and it’s calories, but it’s not nutrition.

Effects of Too Much Sugar

Acutely, too much sugar doesn’t have significant effects on the body. It’s the long-term effects that are the issue.

Dr. Lustig says there are three things fructose does to our bodies that glucose does not: Liver fat: “Because of the way fructose is processed, it goes to the liver and excess gets turned into liver fat, and that liver fat gums up the workings of the liver. When that happens, you end up with a phenomenon called insulin resistance. You have a situation where the liver’s not responding to the insulin signal so the pancreas has to make extra,” Dr. Lustig says, which raises insulin levels all over the body and leads to hyperinsulinemia.

Excess insulin, Dr. Lustig explains, does two things in your body to make you gain weight: It turns energy into fat cells, and it blocks leptin, the hormone that sends a signal to the brain when you’ve had enough to eat. Continued insulin secretion is also one of the major factors involved in chronic metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia. “All of those are referred to in total as metabolic syndrome. Some people will get some of those diseases, some people will get others of those diseases, and some unfortunate people will get all of them,” Dr. Lustig says. “Anything that drives insulin is going to drive those, and because of the liver fat issue, fructose drives it.”

Aging: Have you ever thought of why bananas brown? It’s a chemical reaction called the Millard reaction—the aging reaction. “All carbohydrates bind to proteins, all carbohydrates

cause a mild reaction. But because of fructose’s unique chemistry, it causes that mild reaction to occur seven times faster and generate a hundred times the number of oxygen radicals called oxidative stress that damage proteins and lipids inside cells,” Dr. Lustig says. “So basically sugar drives aging faster than other carbohydrates.”

Dopamine: Fructose causes the reward system to release dopamine, the reward response. When dopamine is released, it fosters continued consumption, according to Dr. Lustig. “That’s something only fructose does. So you get into a vicious cycle of consumption and disease.”

To paint a clearer picture, Dr. Lustig compares fructose to alcohol: “Alcohol is calories, but it’s not nutrition. Consumption of alcohol is dangerous in two ways: It’s dangerous acutely, and it’s dangerous chronically. Fructose is not dangerous acutely, but it is dangerous chronically for the same reason that alcohol is. In fact, fructose and alcohol are metabolized exactly the same in the liver, and that’s why kids are getting the disease of alcohol—Type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease—without alcohol. Fructose sugar is the alcohol of the child. While we have the capacity to metabolize a limited amount of alcohol, excess is dangerous.

While we have a limited capacity to metabolize the sugar in our diet, excess is dangerous.”

What Happens When You Cut Sugar From Your Diet?

When sugar is cut from your diet, “your metabolic primers get better, and you feel better, and your metabolic parameters continued on next page ››

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improve, and you detox, and you don’t crave it as much.

Everything gets better,” Dr. Lustig says, referring to a study his team published in October 2015.

For that study, the research team studied the diets of 33 Latino and African-American kids with metabolic syndrome (obesity plus at least one other chronic medical condition) to determine a home-baseline diet. Then, for the next 10 days, sugar was cut from the kids’ diets. “What we did was we gave them starch instead so they would not loose weight.

We took pastries out, and we put the bagels in. … We took the chicken teriyaki out, and we put turkey hotdogs in. We gave them processed foods, but there were no added-sugar foods,” Dr. Lustig explains.

After those 10 days, the kids were assessed, and “every aspect of their metabolic health improved and their liver fat reversed.

That is without any change in calories or any change in weight.

This shows fructose is the primary driver because when we gave them extra glucose instead of fructose, it got better unrelated to calories and unrelated to weight,” Dr. Lustig says. “That proves that sugar is the driver of these metabolic diseases. It may not be the only driver, but it certainly is the primary driver, and the one that children are exposed to.”

Easy Tips for Cutting Sugar

When working the following tips into your family’s lifestyle, the first thing to keep in mind is to cut back gradually and make realistic goals for your family. “It’s really hard to go to an extreme. I work with families that want to cut everything all at once, and that’s usually unsuccessful,” says Nicole Silber, R.D., a pediatric nutritionist based in New York City. “Meet your child where they’re at, engage them in the plan, and cut back slowly, which I think will end up yielding more success than to cut back drastically.”

Be weary of foods labeled as fat-free. “There are a bunch of fat-free items that tend to be loaded with sugar to compensate for the loss of fat in the product, especially in baked goods,” Silber says.

Opt for fresh fruit over dried fruit or fruit sauce. With dehydrated fruit and sauces, it’s a matter of the source of sugar being concentrated, Silber says. For example, when you dehydrate a plum, what’s left is the fiber and natural fruit sugar.

“It ends up being much smaller, so you could eat five prunes, which will fill your stomach the same amount as one plum, but you’re consuming five times the amount of sugar because you’re essentially eating five plums,” Silber explains. The same thing happens with applesauce. “It will take a child a few minutes to eat a whole apple, which has the skin, the fiber, the liquid.

When you boil it down and puree it into a sauce, you can probably have four or five apples in the same amount of time it would take to eat one whole apple,” Silber adds.

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Choose plain yogurt over flavored. Yogurt can be unhealthy if you’re not picking the right one, Silber says. “If a child is used to high-sugar yogurts, you can add in your own fruit, jam, maple syrup, honey,” she advises. “You can even add in your own white sugar. I’m confident you will add in less than the food companies.” And make sure you check the labels on baby yogurts; Silber says some brands are really high in added sugar.

Preventatively, don’t introduce infants to juice or sweetened foods in their first year. Silber advises to give babies more veggies and less fruit to accustom their taste buds to less sweet foods. When shopping for baby foods or making your own, opt for blends that have one or no fruit.

Cut down your weekly dessert intake. Wherever your family is now, cut back one to two servings per week, Silber advises. “If a family has dessert every night, I would say cut back to five nights per week” Silber says. Another option is to substitute fresh fruit and eat the fruit when it’s extra ripe because it will taste sweeter.

Check out Silber’s no-sugar-added recipe for chocolate banana ice cream at nymetroparents.com/banana-icecream.

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Drink water rather than sweetened beverages. Nearly twothirds of kids in the U.S., ages 2-19, consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day, and roughly 30 percent of children consumed two or more, between 2011-2014, according to a study published in January by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

That includes soda, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, and sweetened coffees and teas.

Silber says most kids don’t need to consume beverages aimed toward athletes. “Usually water and a nutritious snack before and after will be sufficient to restore the nutrition and hydration,” she says.

Leave sugar out of recipes when possible. With cooking, Silber suggests cutting the sugar from the recipe entirely, or cutting it in half. “I do this a lot where I see a recipe for a marinade that has a lot of honey or white sugar that I will eliminate and I still think the recipe comes out tasty,” she says.

For baking, Silber says to look for recipes that use more natural forms of sugar, such as honey, agave, or maple syrup because they’re more concentrated, so you’ll use less of it. And remember: “There is a time and a place for [sweets],” Silber says. “Just because it doesn’t have the white sugar doesn’t mean it’s a food that should be given all the time.”

Read and understand the Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods. The Food and Drug Administration announced a new Nutrition Facts label in May 2016, which among other changes includes an “Includes X g Added Sugars” field. Food manufacturers will need to implement the new label by July 26, 2018, while smaller companies will have an additional year to comply, according to the FDA. Until then, Silber suggests thinking about it in terms of a sugar packet, which is approximately 4 grams of sugar. If you choose a food product that has 8-12 grams of sugar per serving, “envision yourself opening up two or three sugar packets and pouring that into your dish. That can become quite alarming,” she says.

Silber recommends choosing condiments (ketchup, salad dressing, and marinades) with less than 5 grams of sugar per serving, and foods (breads, yogurts, cereals, etc.) with no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

An easy way to keep track of your added sugar intake is to convert the grams per serving into teaspoons. There are 4.2 grams of sugar per teaspoon, Dr. Lustig says. That comes out to less than 25 grams per day for children and teens, 25.2 grams for women, and 37.8 grams for men. “We’re currently at about 90 [grams per day] on average. That’s a big difference,” Dr. Lustig says.

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Fitting Fitness Into Your Day

››

As parents, our lives are crazy busy, so here are some easy ways to make sure you’re finding ways to exercise. By Rosalind Muggeridge

D

espite all the advice we parents get about self-care these days, our busy schedules—kids, work, extracurricular activities, and for many of us, aging parents—ensure that our fitness goals consistently end up last on our priority lists. To help remedy that, I spoke with Rachel Lozoff, a Pilates teacher, dancer, and founder of Daily Body Pilates, to get some tips for seasoned parents and new moms alike on developing and, even trickier, maintaining productive fitness habits.

You May Already Be Doing It

Make your daily routine work for you. It’s a fact that many of us are abysmally overscheduled, so finding an hour three times a week to hit the gym may not be practical for everyone.

(Kudos to you if you are making that happen!) It turns out you can still work fitness into your life by simply noticing and taking advantage of what you may already be doing. “I always tell my clients that everything counts,” Lozoff says. “Walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, playing with and picking up your kids, stretching or moving your body while you watch TV, or 18

May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

even adding a little aerobic exercise to your daily life by walking everywhere you normally walk, just a little more quickly.”

Be aware. I remember being surprised at how physically strenuous taking care of my first child felt. Whether it’s wrangling a fractious toddler into a stroller or spinning kids around during a dance party, parenting can take a physical toll. Trying to tune into your movements is a great way to help strengthen your body and avoid any chronic pain from starting or worsening. Lozoff calls this type of awareness “Livelates”(pronounced live-a lot-ease, a term Lozoff has trademarked), and it is one of the main strategies she says she uses to help her “stay strong, functional, and able to have daily wrestling matches with two young boys.”

Even when you’re not around your kids, you should try to maintain that awareness. Sometimes it makes sense to sweat the small stuff. “Alignment and posture are also things you can be aware of as a way to prevent overuse or injury,” Lozoff says.

“Are you twisting your body to look at your computer screen at work? Do you carry all of your bags on the same shoulder all the time? Details like this may seem minor or unimportant in the

moment, but can contribute to general aches and pains, and even overuse injuries, over time.”

Consider how you’re framing it. It may be helpful to think about working out in a way that speaks to you and your own personal needs and wishes. Maybe it’s a means to incorporate some time to yourself, a way to stay sane when everyone is wanting a piece of you, or simply something that is going to make you a calmer, better parent. “While the physicality of our lives in NYC can be taxing,” Lozoff says, “seeing your fourth-floor walkup as a daily opportunity to keep your legs and gluteals strong can help it feel less like torture and more like a few minutes of exercise that really will add up and make you stronger.”

Make a Habit of It

Take some time to plan before you start. Lozoff breaks down how to carve out time from our busy daily routines. The first step, she says, is to find 5-10 minutes of movement. “This can be from a class you take, a video you like, or one of many online fitness options,” she says. “If you can memorize the movement over time, this will make it easier to fit in to your daily life.

Another thing Lozoff recommends is picking a time of day when you can squeeze in those few minutes. That could be first thing in the morning, after your child goes down for his nap, on your lunch hour, or after your kids go to sleep at night. “This five to ten minutes can be a manageable amount of time to start with and can still go a long way toward feeling good,” she says.

“Once you get into the habit of fitting regular movement into your day, you can slowly start making your routine longer,” she adds. When I first began exercising after childbirth, I started by simply lying down on my yoga mat and trying to tune into my abdominal core muscles. Once I felt ready to move on, I worked up from there to include more strenuous exercises. Lozoff also advises trying to make the first five minutes of your session consist of the same exercises, so that over time you know the movements so well that you can lie down anywhere, anytime, and devote a few minutes to work out.

Do it before you can talk yourself out of it. For many people this is in the morning. For me, it’s as soon as I put my youngest down for his afternoon nap. It helps if I’m already wearing workout clothes, thereby eliminating one more step that might get me off track. For Lozoff, “As soon as I put my son down to sleep, and before I do anything else like clean up toys or do the dishes, I get out my yoga mat and do my 25-minute routine. Though it has changed over the years, I still have that routine and at the end of each busy day, it still feels good to know I had that time for myself in my day. And there are still some days when I can only do five minutes! But it counts.”

Have fun with it. I didn’t start being even remotely consistent about my fitness until I figured out that doing the loop in Prospect Park in Brooklyn is where my bliss lies. I go even more frequently if I’m meeting a friend who is expecting me to be there at a certain time. We try to finish the full 5-kilometer loop; sometimes we run half of it and sometimes we walk the whole thing quickly—it just depends on how we’re feeling that day. Tracking the subtleties of the seasonal changes allows me to become much more in tune with nature and makes me feel like I’m getting a respite from urban living. Plus, being outside on a regular basis clears my head and makes me feel much more calm and centered.

Involving your family is also a great way to get motivated.

(Check out the Movers and Shakers section of this month’s events continued on next page ››

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‹‹ continued from previous page

calendar on page 32 for ways to get out and moving with the whole family.) Or if you’re exercising at home try Lozoff’s tip: “Save your favorite TV show to watch while you exercise, so the whole thing feels like a treat.”

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Take it slow, but try to check in with your body as often as possible. After my daughter’s extremely difficult delivery, I was overwhelmed by how disconnected I felt from my body.

There were days I wondered if I would ever have the energy and motivation to even start thinking about getting back into shape.

But as I learned, feeling fit doesn’t have to involve making a huge commitment.

“Finding time to do something every day, even for just a few minutes, is really essential, especially when you’re postpartum,” Lozoff says. “Not only is it physically beneficial to move, stretch, and strengthen your body, but knowing you have a small part of the day that’s just for you can be both energizing and calming.”

Lozoff ’s first son was born via emergency cesarean section.

“Suddenly my life and my body were completely new to me,” advance notice on activities, she says. With Get help from her own fitness instructor—who even held her new baby during the workout—she was able to participate in group discussions develop a 25-minute routine. “Scheduling and finances were such that I could onlyreceive see my teacher a couple times, but once I and special notices. had that routine, I had the tools to come back to my body and feel strong again.”

Join

NYMetroParents

www.facebook.com/nymetroparents YOU REALLY ARE WHAT YOU EAT It’s fruitless to talk about fitness without considering what we’re feeding our bodies. Because some (okay, maybe a lot) of my sustenance comes from eating the remaining scraps from my kids’ meals, I asked anatomist, biochemist, and Ayurvedic practitioner Rebecca Dietzel, M.S., about ways to fuel your body to ensure you have the energy to meet fitness goals.

“Food provides not only fuel for the muscle work of exercising, but also the minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, and other factors required for the repair of tissues,” Dietzel says. “Physical Get advance notice on activities, exercise results in micro-damage to tissues. In the process participate in our group of repairing that micro-damage, bodiesdiscussions build stronger tissues. We need provide both the fuel and the repair and andtoreceive special notices. maintenance materials to our bodies.”

So what should we be reaching for when we want to get the most bang for our buck nutritionally? www.facebook.com/nymetroparents “Whole foods provide the best, most clean-burning fuel while also providing the resources to optimize the repair process.

There is no protein shake nor energy bar that can replace the value inherent in real food,” Dietzel says.

And just like starting off with five minutes of exercise, don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t able to make major dietary changes overnight. “Over time, small changes become new habits,” Dietzel says. “Experiencing what those new habits bring to your health and well-being both inspires and motivates exploration of new food habits, creating a self-sustaining cycle of change.”

So just do what you can, have fun, and perhaps most importantly, go easy on yourself. In this (as in most respects), parenting really is more a marathon than a sprint.

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FOOD & NUTRITION

Avocado Toast—Elevated Kick up this basic breakfast with some unexpected additions.

Avocado toast can be enjoyed in three simple steps: toast bread, top it with avocado (smashed or sliced), and eat. But Lara Ferroni shares 20 ideas to elevate the basic meal, from why-didn’t-I-think-of-that combos to unexpected and unusual flavor choices.

From left: Sourdough, smashed avocado, cucumber, chili flakes, fish sauce; sourdough, sliced avocado, strawberries, balsamic vinegar; sourdough, smashed avocado, nectarine slices, fresh mozzarella, fresh mint; sourdough, diced avocado, bacon jam, arugula

Clockwise from top: Brioche loaf, smashed avocado, banana, cinnamon, sugar; brioche loaf, sliced avocado, Nutella, pear slices; brioche loaf, smashed avocado, mandarin orange segments, coconut cream, fresh mint; brioche loaf, sliced avocado, scrambled egg, hot sauce

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

Clockwise from top left: Baguette, sliced avocado, almond butter, honey, lemon juice; baguette, smashed avocado, radish slices, Herbs de Provence, flakey sea salt; baguette, sliced avocado, marmalade, flakey sea salt; baguette, smashed avocado, grilled romaine, boquerónes

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Clockwise from top left: Bagel, smashed avocado, summer tomato slices, fresh basil; bagel, diced avocado, pickled beets, chèvre; bagel, smashed avocado, feta, black sesame seeds, cilantro, lime juice; bagel, sliced avocado, smashed sweet potato, ricotta salata

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Clockwise from top: Lettuce, smashed avocado, apple slices, cabbage, poppy-seed dressing; pita, sliced avocado, roasted poblano (or jalapeño), crema; cracker, smashed avocado, pepper jelly; chip, sliced avocado, cheddar, caramelized onions

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Want to know

OUTINGS: Gulliver’s Gate

nymetroparents.com/outings

See the World in Miniature

You can travel the world—and occasionally through time—without leaving Times Square. ›› By Katelin Walling

Katelin Walling

4

3

Katelin Walling

2

Courtesy Gulliver’s Gate

Katelin Walling

1

1 The Russian section of Gulliver’s Gate is entirely handcrafted (made of balsam wood and hand painted), while other countries utilized 3-D printing. 2 Iconic

buildings in New York City have been miniaturized, including the commuter hub of Grand Central. Various trains, vehicles, and even planes will move throughout the exhibit. Here the MetroCard shows just how tiny everything is at Gulliver’s Gate. 3 Visitors will see scenes from throughout history, including Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 4 Until the masters of science and technology are able to make time travel happen, Beatles fans young and old will have to make do with seeing this iconic scene in miniature.

G

ulliver’s Gate (a nod to Gulliver’s Travels) is a re-creation of various major cities across the world in Lilliputian proportions—miniature models, built to scale.

The extremely family-friendly venue— changing tables are in all bathrooms, a private nursing station is available for breast-feeding moms, and strollers are welcome—is set to become one of the most interactive miniature exhibits in America.

A Whimsical, Interactive Experience

Upon arrival, each visitor will exchange their ticket for a skeleton key (beginning May 9), which “unlocks” the interactive elements throughout the re-creation—until then, buttons control the elements. Examples include Nessie poking her head out of Loch Ness in Scotland and a bullring spinning to reveal a bullfight in which the bull, in an unusual turn of events, antagonizes the matador in Spain. (Keep an eye out for other humorous scenes like these as subtle and overt humor was integrated throughout—perfect for entertaining children and parents.) Bonus: You get to take the key home as a keepsake.

24

May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

More Than Just Buildings

You’ll see renderings of famous buildings and monuments from all over the world— from the Statue of Liberty to the Eiffel Tower in France, among many others. Just don’t expect to see the full Empire State Building and One World Trade—they are so tall that even built to scale they don’t completely fit in the space. You’ll also see some scenes from history: the Beatles walking across Abbey Road, a Lenape village in New York, and Colossus of Rhodes standing over a harbor in Greece.

A Culturally Inclusive Exhibit

Eight countries took part in building Gulliver’s Gate, and the stylistic differences in the models show how the different countries interpret their regions and what they see as culturally significant. “One of the most important things for us is inclusion,” says Jason Hackett, head of marketing. “We want you to be able to see yourself in the model, no matter where you’re from.”

And you actually can. Step into a 3-D scanner (for an extra fee) and be rendered

as a Lilliputian-sized model citizen to become part of the exhibit.

Learn How It Works

Visitors can learn behind-the-scenes details about the miniature world. The wood and high-tech model shops are open for visitors to talk to the builders and learn how the mini cities were created, and a hallway is filled with projections of the entire building process. The command center that monitors the circuitry and interactive components of the miniatures is also open for visitors to see, and the engineers are encouraged to explain how things work in ways all visitors can understand.

Want to Go?

Address: 216 W. 44th St., Times Square, Manhattan Directions: Approximately a 1-hour drive from New City Hours: Daily, 9am-10pm; last entry will be at 8:30pm Admission: $36; $27 seniors ages 65 and older and children ages 12 and younger For more information: gulliversgate.com

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Turn the page for details on Great American Cleanup (No. 1 on our list).

MAY

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CALENDAR 28 Editor’s Hot Tickets 29 We Can’t Believe It’s FREE! 30 The Great Outdoors,

Once Upon a Time

WANT US TO INCLUDE YOUR EVENT?

nymetroparents.com/submitevent UPDATED DAILY AT nymetroparents.com/calendar EDITOR: SAMANTHA BERANBOM rpeditor@davlermedia.com

31 Browse & Buy,

Must-Sees in NYC

32 Show Time!,

Movers & Shakers 33 Animal Lovers,

Special Needs

EDITOR’S HOT TICKETS

Our calendar is full of great ideas. First, here are the seven events we consider can’t-miss—the ones we’re taking our own kids to. Consider it your cheat sheet to the best of what’s great this month!

1

Great American Cleanup FREE

WHEN: Through May 6: See website for times WHERE: Keep Rockland Beautiful, see website for locations, Rockland County AGES: All WHAT: Join the 2017 Great American Cleanup Campaign and help remove tons of litter from our streets, parks, and waterways.

It’s a great way to make a visible difference in the community and an excellent teachable moment for children and youth to learn more about the environment around them.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This is us, community at its best!

WANT TO GO? 845-708-9164. keeprocklandbeautiful.org.

Mother-Daughter Yoga

2

WHEN: May 6-13, Saturdays, 1:30pm and 3:30pm; Sundays, 1pm and 3pm WHERE: SHINE Yoga Kids, 118 Maple Ave., New City AGES: 5-12, adult WHAT: Spend a beautiful hour bonding through yoga in honor of Mother’s Day. Come celebrate the special relationship between mothers and daughters.

WHY WE LOVE IT: A special way to spend a special day!

WANT TO GO? $30; $10 for additional children. 845-608-7344. shineyogakids.com.

Endangered Species Day

WHEN: Saturday, May 13, 10am-4pm WHERE: Bergen County Zoo, Van Saun County Park, Paramus, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Come out on this special day to learn all about endangered animals with keeper chats, zoo tours, educational activities, and crafts. Find out what role zoos are playing to help wild populations.

WHY WE LOVE IT: A hands-on experience for young animal lovers to learn about these special creatures.

WANT TO GO? $8; $5 children; $2 seniors; free for children younger than 3. 201-262-3771. co.bergen.nj.us/parks.

3

Strike a Pose for Mother Earth and Mother’s Day

4

WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 3pm WHERE: Rockland Lake, 94 Lake Road, Congers AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Help Keep Rockland Beautiful build the longest chain of people standing in a yoga tree pose or just come and throw your hands in the air. Then take a stroll around the lake with Mom. WHY WE LOVE IT: Celebrate Mother Earth and Mom! WANT TO GO? $25; $10 for children 12 and younger. 845-708-9164. keeprocklandbeautiful.org.

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

5

Rockland Boulders Opening Day

WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 7:05pm WHERE: Palisades Credit Union Park, 1 Palisades Credit Union Park Drive, Pomona AGES: All WHAT: Start the season cheering for the home team and stay for the post-game fireworks.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Take me out to the ballgame!

WANT TO GO? $15 infield seats; $11 outfield seats. 845-364-0009. rocklandboulders.com.

Nyack Famous Street Fair FREE

WHEN: Sunday, May 21, 10am-5pm WHERE: Downtown Nyack, Main Street and Broadway, Nyack AGES: All WHAT: This great family fun day will feature more than 300 exhibitors with arts, crafts, retail, and commercial booths lining downtown Nyack. Enjoy great food, music, and a large Kid’s Zone in the Main Street parking lot.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Shopping outdoors at one of our favorite local spots never gets old!

WANT TO GO? 201-666-1340. pjspromotions.com.

6

GARNER Arts Festival 2017

WHEN: May 20-21, Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm WHERE: GARNER Arts Center, 55 W. Railroad Ave., Garnerville AGES: All WHAT: Audiences are invited to explore more than 30 open artist studios, introducing them to painters, sculptors, woodworkers, jewelers, and photographers. Workshops are available in batik, watercolor painting, printmaking, a drum circle, and more.

WHY WE LOVE IT: A little bit of “downtown” right in our backyard.

WANT TO GO? $8; $6 seniors and students; free for children younger than 14. 845-947-7108. garnerartscenter.org.

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Register NOW!

WE CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S FREE Think a freebie has to be ho-hum? Don’t let the price tag (or lack of one) fool you. Here are the four no-cost events we’re excited about now. You’re welcome.

Prenatal Class FREE

WHEN: Wednesday, May 10, 5-6pm WHERE: Crystal Run Healthcare, 2 Centerock Road, West Nyack AGES: Adult WHAT: Expectant parents will learn how to prepare for the arrival of their new baby with invaluable information. Learn how to care for your child, what to expect in the first few weeks, and when to call the doctor.

WANT TO GO? 845-348-1100. crystalrunhealthcare.com.

Camp Open House FREE

WHEN: Saturday, May 13, 1-4pm WHERE: The Nature Place Day Camp, 307 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge AGES: 5-17 WHAT: Learn more about the summer program for children. Take a tour and get a full picture of the ins and outs of camp.

WANT TO GO? 845-356-1234. thenatureplace.com.

Mother’s Day Hike FREE

WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 11am WHERE: Palisades Park Headquarters, Park Headquarters, Palisades Park AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Take a guided hike to a trailside monument on the summit of the Palisades that honors the role women played more than a century ago in preserving the great cliffs.

WANT TO GO? 201-768-1360 x108. njpalisades.org.

Tot Shabbat at CSI Nyac FREE

WHEN: May 6-20, Saturdays, 11am WHERE: Congregation Sons of Israel, 65 S. Broadway, Upper Nyack AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Come celebrate Shabbat morning with stories and games to discover what Shabbat is all about. Enjoy grape juice and challah with Rabbi Russo followed by a free lunch for all.

WANT TO GO? 845-358-3767. csinyack.org. ››

Find us at:

Register Now!

facebook.com/i9sports

SUMMER T-Ball, Basketball, Soccer & Lacrosse Leagues and Cheerleading Program!

Summer Basketball, T-ball Soccer, Lacrosse & Cheerleading Leagues and Programs

The earlier you register, the more you save!

• Organized programs for boys & girls, ages 3-14 • Focused on fun, safe play and convenience • Just one day a week. All skill levels welcome. No tryouts!

Join in on the fun at i9 Sports.

• NEW weekday multisport instructional programs

The earlier you register, the more you save!

Convenient locations throughout Rockland

Registration ends 5/27/17 - Summer season starts 6/10/17

2017Succeed Summer Ups gh Sports Helping Kids in Sign Life Throu

®

Now Open in Congers, Register Online: www.i9sports.com Pearl River and Stony Point

or Call: (845) 624-7529 Organized programs for boys and girls ages 3-14.

Each location independently owned and operated.

Focused on fun, safe play and convenience. i9sports.com Coaches background checked and certified.

All skill levels welcome. No tryouts!

• One day per week! Practice held before game.

Danceworks

Register Online: www.i9sports.com or Call: 845-624-7529

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RocklandParent 29

WHAT: Celebrate Mother’s Day with a guided walk outdoors—the perfect activity to celebrate this special family day.

WANT TO GO? $6. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Geology Rocks!

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Guided Nature Walk

WHEN: Sunday, May 7, 3-4pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Enjoy the season with a guided walk along one of Tenafly Nature Center’s trails with an environmental educator. Whether a first time visitor or a regular on the trails, participants will enjoy different sensory experiences in the forest each month.

WANT TO GO? $6. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Flower Moon Beach Campfire FREE

WHEN: Friday, May 12, 8-11pm WHERE: Alpine Boat Basin, Alpine Approach Road, Alpine, NJ AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Celebrate the arrival of spring and commemorate the Flower Moon, with a campfire. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on, and some refreshments to enjoy. Guitars and other instruments are welcome.

WANT TO GO? 201-768-1360. njpalisades.org.

Seasonal Scavenger Hunt

WHEN: Saturday, May 13, 2-3pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Families will receive a set of clues to solve nature riddles along Nature Center trails. Each family will need to work as a team as they hike along the trails to complete the hunt and receive a small prize.

WANT TO GO? $6; $30 per family of three or more. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Three Sisters Gardening

WHEN: Saturday, May 13, 10am WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Outdoor Discovery Center, Muser Drive, Cornwall AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Explore the benefits of companion planting by investigating the historical Native American planting of the Three Sisters Gardens.

Learn about how the growth habits and biology of certain plants can complement each other to form a mutually beneficial relationship by planting corn, beans, and squash.

WANT TO GO? $8; $5 children. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

Mother’s Day Walk

WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 10am-12pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: All 30

May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 11am WHERE: Englewood Picnic and Boat Basin, Englewood Cliffs entrance at PIP Exit 1, Englewood Cliffs, NJ AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Christina Fehre, director of Trails and Outdoor Programs for the park, will lead a guided hike for children. The hike is rated easy by the hike leader and will cover a round-trip distance of approximately 2 miles.

WANT TO GO? $5 parking fee. njpalisades.org.

Bergen County Audubon Nature & Birding Walk

WHEN: Sunday, May 28, 9-11am WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Look for warblers and other spring migrants that are passing through. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $5. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

ONCE UPON A TIME Tales for Tails FREE

WHEN: Thursday, May 4, 6pm WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Children in first grade and older are invited to read to a certified Good Dog. Sign-up is required.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

Tales and Tunes FREE

WHEN: Through May 15: Mondays, 11:30am and 7pm, and Tuesdays, 11:30am WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Main Library, 10 W. Ramapo Road, Garnerville AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Stories, fingerplays, songs, and bubbles! Registration and caregiver participation required.

WANT TO GO? 845-786-3800. hkdpl.org.

WHEN: Through May 17: Mondays, 2pm, and Wednesdays, 10:30am WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Main Library, 10 W. Ramapo Road, Garnerville AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Stories, crafts, and more. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? 845-786-3800. hkdpl.org.

CityBound Must-Sees in

N Y C Courtesy Enchantment Theatre Company

Stories and Craft FREE

Nature Story Time

WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 11:30am-12:15pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Enjoy a nature-themed story and a visit from one of TNC’s Animal Ambassadors. A new story and animal are featured each month.

WANT TO GO? $6. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Story Walk Opening Day

BROWSE & BUY Palisades Winter Farmers’ Market

WHEN: Jan. 14-May 27, Saturdays, 9am-1pm WHERE: Palisades Community Center, 675 Oak Tree Road, Palisades AGES: All WHAT: Select vendors offer a wide-range of products including fish and seafood, meat, veggies, fruit, cheese, bakery, desserts, and prepared foods.

WANT TO GO? Prices vary. 845-359-3988. palisadesfm.org.

Can Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny save the day?

A Tale of Two Bunnies

Beatrix Potter’s famous hero, Peter Rabbit, has entertained children for more than 100 years. Peter Rabbit Tales tells the story of Peter and his friend Benjamin Bunny. They set off on an adventure that involves a rescue of the Flopsy Bunnies and of course, an escape from Mr. McGregor’s garden. Enchantment Theatre Company brings the beloved stories and characters to life using masks, puppets, and beautiful scenery reminiscent of Potter’s drawings. There will also be a preshow workshop in the lobby during which children can make their own Peter Rabbit puppets. May 6; 11am and 2pm. Age: 3-9, adult. $25-$29.

Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at NYU, 566 LaGuardia Place, Greenwich Village. 212-998-4941. nyuskirball.org.

Courtesy U.S. Navy

WHEN: Saturday, May 27, 12-4pm WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Wildlife Education Center, 25 Boulevard, Cornwall AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: The Story Walk allows families to read along the meadow trail with beautiful illustrations and nature references. Crafts and snacks provided throughout the afternoon.

WANT TO GO? $3; free for children younger than 2. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

Piermont’s Down to Earth Farmers Market

WHEN: May 7-Nov. 19, Sundays, 9:30am-3pm WHERE: M&T Bank Parking Lot, Piermont Avenue and Ash Street, Piermont AGES: All WHAT: Down to Earth Markets bring together two kinds of vendors: local farmers and area food makers who source locally.

WANT TO GO? Prices vary. 914-923-4837. downtoearthmarkets.com.

Nyack Farmers’ Market

WHEN: May 4-Nov. 30, Thursdays, 8am-2pm WHERE: Main Street parking lot, Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Some of the greatest vendors come together in the center of Nyack to hold the weekly Nyack Farmers’ Market with produce, baked goods, sweets, and more.

WANT TO GO? Prices vary. 845-353-2221. nyackchamber.com. ››

U.S. Navy ships sail into New York Harbor as part of the Parade of Ships.

Ships Ahoy

Fleet Week 2017, the weeklong celebration of maritime services, has been sailing into NYC nearly every year since 1984. It offers lots of fun activities for families and is a great opportunity to meet sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard members, as well as get up close to reallife Navy ships. The event kicks off with the Parade of Ships, an aweinspiring flotilla of U.S. Navy, including U.S. Marine Corps personnel, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian ships into the New York Harbor. Other highlights include the chance to visit actual working war ships (best suited to older children); a week of activities at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum; military band concerts; and aviation displays. May 24-30, times vary, see website for full activity schedule. Age: All. Various locations in New York City.

Most events are free. fleetweeknewyork.com.

RocklandParent 31

‘The Little Mermaid’

WHEN: May 12-21, Fridays, 7pm; Saturdays, 1pm and 7pm; Sundays, 1pm WHERE: Ritterhausen Theater, Old Nyack High School, 131 N. Midland Ave., Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Stage Left Children’s Theater’s newest presentation based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film.

WANT TO GO? $15; $12 children and seniors. 845-365-9000. stageleftct.org.

Kids’ Movie Night

WHEN: Through Dec. 17: Sundays, 5:30pm WHERE: Harry’s Burritos, 90 Main St., Nyack AGES: All WHAT: See animated films for kids every Sunday night at Harry’s Burritos. Parents receive happy hour pricing on meals and drinks.

WANT TO GO? Prices vary. 845-353-5220. harrysburritos.com.

SHOW TIME!

MOVERS & SHAKERS

WHEN: Sunday, May 7, 1pm and 4pm WHERE: Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, NJ AGES: 5 and older WHAT: This popular children’s ballet includes all the characters you know and love, performed with New Jersey Ballet’s original storyteller narration so little children can follow the story.

WANT TO GO? $19-$43. 201-227-1030. bergenpac.org.

WHEN: Saturday, May 6, 10am-3pm WHERE: Blue Rock School, 110 Demarest Mill Road, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Come browse the selection of good quality men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, outerwear, footwear, jewelry, toys, games, books, music, infant and toddler gear, furniture, housewares, electronics, antiques, and more. All proceeds benefit the Ruth Schaeffer Scholarship Fund at Blue Rock School.

WANT TO GO? Free admission. 845-627-0234. bluerockschool.org.

New Jersey Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’

Public Planetarium Show

WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 2-4pm WHERE: Town of Ramapo Challenger Center, 225 Route 59, Airmont AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Travel to the planets and moons of our Solar System, walk on the Moon like the Apollo astronauts, and observe comets, meteors, eclipses, nebulae, galaxies, and black holes. Following a 1-hour planetarium show, participants will take part in a 1-hour hands-on astronomy-related project in the center’s activity room.

WANT TO GO? $10; $5 seniors and for children younger than 9. 845357-3416. lhvcc.com.

‘Pete the Cat’

WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 4pm WHERE: Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, NJ AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Join Jimmy and Pete on an adventure of friendship, all the way to Paris and back in a Volkswagen bus.

WANT TO GO? $10-$25. 201-227-1030. bergenpac.org.

Children’s Shakespeare Theatre Presents ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

WHEN: May 12-20, Friday-Saturday, 7pm WHERE: Palisades Presbyterian Church, 117 Washington Spring Road, Palisades AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream mixed with the gumbo of New Orleans music, bayou culture, and mysterious voodoo for even more adventure, fun, and beauty in this unique CST production.

WANT TO GO? $15; $12 seniors; $10 children. 845-262-0278. childrensshakespeare.org.

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Blue Rock School Huge Multi-Family Yard Sale

Healthy Kids Running Series Cresskill

WHEN: Through May 7: Sundays, 4pm WHERE: Bryan Elementary School Field, 51 Brookside Ave., Cresskill, NJ AGES: 3-12 WHAT: A five-week running program for kids from pre-K through eighth grade that provides kids with a positive, educational, and fun experience in the world of running. Each Race Series takes place once a week and offers age appropriate running events. Check the website for other community locations and times.

WANT TO GO? $10 per race; $35 for all five races. 516-413-9788. healthykidsrunningseries.org.

Friendship Circle Walk

WHEN: Sunday, May 7, 1pm WHERE: Rockland Community College, 145 College Road, Suffern AGES: All WHAT: Rockland Friendship Walk is an annual 1K walk raises vital funds and community awareness for Friendship Circle, a nonprofit organization for that brings joy, cheer, and respite to children with special needs and

their families. Upon reaching the finish line, participants will enjoy a post-walk celebration with entertainment, activities, food, and more.

WANT TO GO? $6 for the Fun Family Fair. 845-368-1889. rocklandfriendshipwalk.com.

Nanuet Black and Gold Club ‘My School Color Run’

WHEN: Sunday, May 14, 9am WHERE: Nanuet Outdoor Education Center, 135 Convent Road, Nanuet AGES: 5 and older WHAT: The My School Color Run is an untimed fun run/walk.

Throughout the course, participants will experience color splash zones in which they’ll be doused in color and end with a final color toss celebration.

WANT TO GO? $40. 845-627-4889. nanuetblackandgoldclub.com.

Youth for Hospice/Clarkstown North Grad Nite Cloud of Color Run

WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 9am-12pm WHERE: Clarkstown North High School, 151 Congers Road, New City AGES: All WHAT: The Youth for Hospice/Clarkstown High School North Grad Nite Cloud of Color Run is a non-competitive, 2-mile run/walk with a twist: Volunteers cover runners in multicolored powder made of corn starch. Proceeds benefit the United Hospice of Rockland and CHSN Grad Nite.

WANT TO GO? $25. 845-634-4974. chsncolorrun2017.eventbrite.com.

Mommy and Me Yoga

WHEN: Through June 30: Fridays, 11-11:45am WHERE: Purple Mat Yoga, 408 Paulding Ave., Suite #M, Northvale AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Encourage children to an early yoga practice along with a caregiver, with games, music, poses, and the benefits of aromatherapy.

WANT TO GO? $16 per class. 201-633-6504. purplematyoga.com.

ANIMAL LOVERS Annual Evening Frog Walk

WHEN: Friday, May 5, 7:30pm WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Outdoor Discovery Center, Muser Drive, Cornwall AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Learn to recognize local frogs by sight and sound, and then take a guided twilight wetland walk to test your frog identification skills. Bring a flashlight.

WANT TO GO? $10; $7 children. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

Sheep Shearing

WHEN: Saturday, May 6, 10am-4:30pm WHERE: Bergen County Zoo, Van Saun County Park, Paramus, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Shearing demonstrations will be held every 45 minutes.

Children will also enjoy crafts and stories.

WANT TO GO? $8; $5 children; $2 seniors; free for children younger than 3. 201-262-3771. co.bergen.nj.us/parks.

Bats for Beginners

WHEN: Sunday, May 21, 7-9pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Learn how bats use echolocation to play a vital ecological role.

Then walk along one of the trails using a sonar detector to search for signs of bat life. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $10. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Shellabration Time: Come On!

WHEN: Sunday, May 21, 2-3pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Meet some of Tenafly Nature Center’s Turtle Ambassadors and learn more about how to protect turtles and help them thrive.

WANT TO GO? $6; free for children younger than 2. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

World Turtle Day

WHEN: Saturday, May 27, 11am-3pm WHERE: Bergen County Zoo, Van Saun County Park, Paramus, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Learn all about turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Find out how many different species of turtles are at the zoo, and enjoy stories and crafts.

WANT TO GO? $8; $5 for children; $2 seniors; free for children younger than 3. 201-262-3771. co.bergen.nj.us/parks.

Creature Feature Weekend: Rascally Rabbits

WHEN: May 27-28, Saturday-Sunday, 1pm and 2:30pm WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Wildlife Education Center, 25 Boulevard, Cornwall AGES: All WHAT: Learn all about rabbits and their special attributes during the Meet the Animal program.

WANT TO GO? $3; free for children younger than 2. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Sensory Tuesdays

WHEN: Through June 27: Tuesdays, 6-7pm WHERE: Bounce! Trampoline Sports, 612 Corporate Way, Valley Cottage AGES: 3-8 WHAT: For children with sensory issues and those with autism, this program offers fun, structured activities with decreased auditory and visual stimuli in a less crowded environment with limited class size.

WANT TO GO? $12. 845-268-4000. bouncevalleycottage.com.

Coming up next month: JUNE 4: The Flavors of Haverstraw Food Crawl, downtown Haverstraw JUNE 4: Ramsey Farmers’ Market Opening Day and Strawberry Festival at Main Street Train Station, Ramsey, NJ JUNE 15: Motorcycle Expo on Main Street, Nyack

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WHERE-TO GUIDE

Zoos, Nature Centers, and Botanical Gardens ›› Research by Sabrina Sooknanan

Michelle Riley

Read through our guide to find petting zoos, arboretums, nature preserves, farms, and public gardens, all packed with fun nature activities for the whole family. Let your little ones loose to try their hands at zoo feedings and touch tanks, explore wooded trails, and learn about exotic plants. The spring season is the perfect time to explore the outdoors. As always, please call ahead before taking your crew to the zoo. mitted May-Sept. 30. Dogs are permitted on leash (maximum 6 feet) through March, but dogs are not permitted on paved paths.

Orange County

Visitors can see opossums and other mammals native to New York state at Trailside Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland Education Center 10 Patriot Hills Drive, Stony Point 845-429-7085; rocklandcce.org Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm Admission: FREE tour of the gardens on the last Sunday of each month (April-October) at 1pm; prices vary for other educational programs.

The Master Gardener Volunteers of Rockland County design and maintain eight demonstration gardens at the CCE Rockland Education Center, including ferns, herbs, ornamental grasses, native plants, a cutting garden, a fenced in vegetable garden, and a container garden. Educational programs for children include 4-H youth development, gardening classes and workshops, and a horticulture lab.

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Rockland Lake State Park 299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage (pool entrance: 153 Rockland Lake Road) 845-268-3020; nysparks.com/parks/81 Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk Admission: FREE. Pool: $3. Parking vehicle use fee is $8 from early April through late October.

Rockland Lake State Park’s lake is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain, above the west bank of the Hudson River. It is home to many species of fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, and birds such as eagles, water birds, and songbirds.

The park has a 3.2-mile bicycle path. The pool will open May 27 and be open weekends and holidays, 11am-6:45pm, through Sept. 4 (also open weekdays, 10am5:45pm, July-August). Dogs are not per-

Bear Mountain Trailside Museums and Zoo Bear Mountain State Park, Palisades Interstate Parkway and Route 9W (99 Service Road, Bear Mountain) 845-786-2701 x265; trailsidezoo.org Hours: Daily, 10am-4:30pm Admission: FREE, but $1 donation per person is suggested. Parking is $10.

Enjoy paved walking trails and scenic views of the Hudson River, and learn about plants and animals native to New York state. All the animals here are either permanently injured or orphaned and would not be able to survive in the wild. Trailside has four museums: The Reptile and Amphibian House is home to turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders, and skinks, as well as many species of fish. The Nature Study Museum houses specimens originally created by the Museum of Natural History to educate people about animal identification. Visitors can learn about geologic formations of the Hudson Highlands in the Geology Museum and local Native American and early settler culture in the History Museum.

Hudson Highlands Nature Museum Outdoor Discovery Center: 100 Muser Drive (across from 174 Angola Road), Cornwall 845-534-5506 Wildlife Education Center: 25 Boulevard, Cornwall-on-Hudson 845-534-7781 hhnm.org Hours: Trails: daily, 10am to dusk. Wildlife Education Center: Friday-Sunday, 12-4pm.

Outdoor Discovery Center visitor center: weekends, 9am-1pm.

Admission: FREE; event and program costs vary.

The Nature Museum includes the two centers listed above, 3 miles apart, along with pond, field, and woodland hiking trails. Visitors can participate in weekly interactive programs, events, and activities, all with a basis in environmental education and conservation, for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. The Outdoor Discovery Center is the home base for the museum’s Young Naturalist Preschool, Summer Science and Nature Camp, and Grasshopper Grove, the Hudson Valley’s first nature playground. The Wildlife Education Center houses live native animals, where visitors can get an up-close look at the wildlife on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 2:30pm.

They can also learn and play in the new Birds on the Wing interactive exhibit in the Ogden Gallery.

Sterling Forest State Park 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo 845-351-5907 nysparks.com/parks/74 Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk. Visitor center: daily, 8am-4:30pm.

Admission: FREE The park offers a variety of hiking trails with scenic views of hills, valleys, and lakes. The Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center overlooking Sterling Lake features exhibits about the local environment and history. Lectures and hikes are led by the nonprofit organization Friends of Sterling Forest.

New Jersey Bergen County Zoo 216 Forest Ave., Paramus 201-262-3771 friendsofbergencountyzoo.org Hours: Daily, 10am-4:30pm Admission: May-October: $8 ($4 for county residents); $5 children ages 3-14 ($2 for resi-

dents); $2 seniors and disabled ($1 for residents); free for children younger than 3 and active military members.

See farm animals, reptiles, birds, and more. The zoo hosts a variety of special events throughout the year as well as a wide range of children’s programs. The zoo is part of the Van Saun County Park, which also includes the historic Washington Spring Garden as well as a train ride, carousel, pony rides, and picnic and fishing areas.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood 201-567-1265; flatrockbrook.org Hours: Trails and picnic area: daily, dawn to dusk; the center: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, and weekends, 1-5pm.

Admission: FREE A 150-acre preserve offering 3.6 miles of forested public hiking trails with highlights such as a cascading stream, wildflower meadows, and ponds. Yearround environmental education programs for all ages, along with guided hikes and an aviary with birds of prey.

Tenafly Nature Center 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly 201-568-6093 tenaflynaturecenter.org Hours: Daily, 11am-4pm Admission: FREE, but donations are appreciated This nature preserve encompasses nearly 400 acres, including several nature trails (open dawn till dusk) where you may catch sight of red foxes, whitetailed deer, or the more than 50 species of birds that reside there, not to mention an impressive display of trees and other local flora. The visitors’ center in the John A. Redfield Building houses natural history exhibits and live animals; it also offers public programs for children and families throughout the year.

Find the full guide at ›› nymetroparents.com/zoos

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RocklandParent 35

Courtesy Nicole Perrino

Courtesy Bicultural Mama Courtesy Betsy Vilca

Courtesy Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Suffolk County blogger Maria (who asked that her last name not be used) and her family at a birthday party. The kids are half Chinese and Maria hopes they embrace that side of their heritage.

Jen Rabulan-Bertram and her family live in Denville, NJ, and call themselves the “token mixed family” of their area.

Nicole Perrino and her family live in the Bronx, where she says the diversity makes them comfortable raising mixed-race kids.

Queens mom Betsy Vilca, who is Peruvian, says she and her husband, who is Irish, teach their kids about both cultures.

Growing Up Mixed

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There are more mixed-race families than ever, but parents still face challenges raising kids in two cultures. By Samantha Neudorf

T

here is no worse feeling than when people think you and your child are unrelated. At least, that’s how my mother felt.

I am half German and half Filipina, and I remember many times when I would be out with my Filipina mother and people would come up to her and say, “What a cute child! Are you her nanny?” or “Is she adopted?” One person even went so far as to flat-out deny I was her daughter and insisted, “I just don’t see how that’s possible.” All because I did not look exactly like her.

Incidents like these stuck with me and are among the major challenges parents face when raising a mixed-race child. I decided to speak with parents here in the New York metro region to hear their accounts of raising bicultural children today.

Looking Different

In my own experience, identifying as multiracial is complicated because you look “different” from others. It’s challenging because you do end up relating to one side more than another— yet you are not entirely of that race, so you are not always fully 36

May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

accepted even within that group. On the other hand, it feels great to be able to celebrate more than one heritage and be able to better understand other cultures.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2013, 9 million Americans identified as two or more racial categories when asked about their racial background, and a more recent Pew study put that number significantly higher. In Rockland, nearly 2 percent of the population identified as “two or more races” in the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, while statewide more than half a million New Yorkers did the same—and the number is surely growing.

A Cultural Melting Pot

Often revered as a cultural melting pot, New York City and its suburbs are home to people of countless ethnicities. It is therefore not surprising that interracial relationships are on the rise, and with them, the birth of multi-race children.

Nicole Perrino is the founder of the blog Bronx Mamas and is Italian-Irish. Her boyfriend Luis is Dominican, and their

daughters are Briana, 10, and Gia, 4. They live in East Bronx and found that the area has a blend of both of their cultures. “It’s so diverse and you never know what a person is just by looking at them,” Perrino says.

Betsy Vilca is a blogger and YouTuber at Thats Betsy V, and a mother of two children: Ziana, 4, and Gunner, 1. She is Peruvian and her boyfriend Bobby is Irish. They live in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, which is one of the most ethnically diverse places in the country.

Vilca expresses concern about how her kids will be treated based on the current political climate. “I feel like it’s much more accepting to be a mixed-race family than it was years ago,” she says. “But at the same time, with Donald Trump in office we’re concerned our kids might be ostracized because they’re not white-white and they’re not Spanish.”

Vilca is able to have her kids learn about both sides of their heritage in New York by going to St. Patrick’s Day activities as well as eating Peruvian dishes such as lomo saltado, a stir-fry of sirloin steak with onions, tomatoes, and French fries served over a bed of rice. “It’s very cultural here in New York and I feel like they’ll be able to identify more with different cultures when they get older,” Vilca says.

Preserving Tradition

One way to preserve tradition is to teach kids to be bilingual or to “speak their mother tongue.” Vilca’s daughter Ziana understands Spanish when she speaks to her, but sometimes refuses to respond because everyone around speaks English. Vilca grew up in Garden City Park on Long Island and felt the same way. “I grew up with a lot of Caucasians and my parents only spoke Spanish, so I couldn’t identify with those kids and was ostracized in that aspect,” Vilca says. She hopes her kids will grow up to speak Spanish fluently and understand it better than she does.

Maria (who asked that her last name not be used) is the founder of the blog Bicultural Mama and is Chinese-American.

She and her husband Matthew, who is Caucasian, live in Suffolk County and have two daughters: Ailin, 8, and Aimei, 2. Ailin is enrolled in Chinese school and Aimei will follow in her footsteps once she is old enough to attend.

Maria wants her daughters to go to Chinese school because there are not many Asians in her area and her family lives out of state, so her kids do not have a chance to hear relatives speak Chinese very often. She attended Chinese school growing up and wants her kids to be exposed to the culture, language, and traditions. “Some of the challenges of raising mixed-race children are ensuring that the minority heritage traditions are passed down and that my kids are embracing it and proud that there’s this part of them,” Maria says. “It’s very easy for them to lose the minority heritage because they’re not immersed in it.”

Maria hopes that her daughters will continue to celebrate both cultures. She says Ailin identifies more with her Chinese side, but says that could change if she decides she wants to choose to embrace her Caucasian side more. “My husband’s family is nearby and we see them several times a month,” Maria says.

“That’s why I feel like I need to make sure that the other side is being reinforced as well.”

happens. “I want them to be proud at a young age and try to protect them as much as possible.”

There was an instance where Maria was with Ailin at the post office when she was a baby and an older woman approached them and said, “Oh my gosh, is that an ‘Amerasian’ baby?”

The term “Amerasian” is used to define a person born in Asia to a U.S. military father and an Asian mother. It was first used during the wars in Korea and then Vietnam and could be applicable to U.S. citizens of any ethnicity, so this was a misinformed comment that made Maria feel taken aback. “I can tell that she didn’t mean it in an offensive way because she was smiling and said she knew other ‘Amerasian’ babies,” Maria says.

“It was just kind of strange to be called out that way.”

Teaching Kids to Understand Others

Jen Rabulan-Bertram is the founder of the blog Next Kid Thing. She is Filipina-American and her husband Jeff is German, English, and Irish. Jen, Jeff, and their kids Jack, 9, and Josh, 5, live in Denville, NJ, and say they are the “token mixed family” of their area.

Rabulan-Bertram grew up in Virginia, where she says people made racial jokes toward her and repeated racial stereotypes, so she made sure her kids learned how to embrace others. The common refrain in their household is that everyone is different, whether it’s how they look or if they are differently abled. Josh is in special education, so it is especially ingrained in her kids that they accept anyone regardless of race or physical differences.

“You don’t know the other person’s story, so you just say that everyone is different,” Rabulan-Bertram says.

Rabulan-Bertram says Jack has been learning about his culture in school and hopes he grows up to embrace both sides. “Having a mom that looks one way and a dad that looks another is definitely something he should be proud of,” Rabulan-Bertram says. “Whether it’s having awesome food and learning about how his grandparents grew up in a really cool island, I think it’s important for him to know that.”

As for me, being bicultural has allowed me to understand the world and empathize with others through a lens not many people can use. I understand and accept that people will continue to give me weird looks because they cannot figure out what my ethnicity is. I understand that I will be too Asian in some people’s eyes and too white to others. I understand the struggle to be accepted in society because at the end of the day, I’m still a minority. And I would never change any of it because I am proud of who I am.

Uncomfortable Situations

Maria talked to Ailin about racism and what to do if she is bullied. She grew up in Michigan and said she was teased, so she wants to make sure her kids know what to do if that ever

RocklandParent 37

SpecialParent

Putting a Stop to a Slur

››

Parents of kids with special needs join other advocates to push for an end to the ‘R-word.’ By Sabrina Sooknanan

I

“ hate that word! I don’t want you to ever use that word again!”

That’s what Kari Wagner-Peck yelled at a man who used the “R-word” in her son’s presence. Wagner-Peck, a Portland, MEbased blogger whose son has Down syndrome, says she felt as if the man understood her when she told him not to use language like that again.

Not everyone is so understanding, however. Calling someone a “retard”—whether in supposed jest or as an insult—is common, with many people probably unaware how hurtful it is to people with intellectual disabilities. That’s why activists, many of them parents, are taking a stand against the R-word with the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.

Hurtful language is a constant battle for many people with intellectual disabilities, who are often stigmatized. Advocacy against the R-word has been ongoing for decades, says Soeren Palumbo, cofounder of the campaign, whose sister has an intellectual disability.

“Spread the Word to End the Word was created as a grassroots,

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

youth-led campaign in 2009 as part of the Special Olympics World Winter Games being held in Boise, Idaho,” he explains.

From Clinic to Slang

The word “retard(ed)” comes from the Latin word retardare, which means to delay or make slow. The R-word was originally introduced as “mental retardation” to clinically define people with intellectual impairment. Initially, individuals were defined as having mental retardation if they received an IQ score of 70 or below. IQ looks at the difference between a person’s chronological age and his developmental age. “If you would score below a 70, the thought would be that you might have issues with verbal, performance, and adaptability to daily life,” says Nava Silton, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Marymount Manhattan College, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Eventually, the R-word became part of everyday slang and

people began to use it in jokes and pop culture, and it came to be seen as a pejorative word. The gap between medical terminology and offensive language grew and the purpose of the word became blurred.

What’s So Bad About It Anyway?

Dr. Silton believes a big problem with the R-word is it dehumanizes the person with the intellectual disability. “I’m very much a proponent of people-first language, so [that means] saying you are an individual with autism or an individual with a physical disability,” Dr. Silton says. She adds: “You are a person first with all those things that are uniquely human and unique to you, and then you also happen to have a disability. When you use the R-word you are defining the person by that term, and that is so reductive to do that to somebody.”

The language we use, advocates say, represents our values and can lead to certain behaviors, positive or negative. Using the R-word is a form of excluding and isolating people, but on the other hand, Palumbo says, “each decision to not use the R-word re-affirms the attitude that people with [intellectual disabilities] are valuable enough to not denigrate, valuable enough to include in shared human dignity.”

For parents of and advocates for people with intellectual disabilities, using the R-word singles out certain people for different treatment—and is just plain hurtful. “[It has] the same effect and intent of any slur, whether racial, anti-Semitic, antiLGBT, anti-Muslim, etc.,” Wagner-Peck says. “It diminishes the person’s humanity. It is a hateful word whether the user acknowledges that or not.”

R-Word Offenders

Wagner-Peck works to call out those who use the word, unknowingly or not. This led her to publicly confront Chuck Klosterman, the best-selling author and former New York Times ethics columnist, about several occasions in which he used the R-word in print. In her open letter to Klosterman, she pointed out several instances when Klosterman had used the R-word and characterized the author as an “unrepentant hater of people with cognitive disabilities.” She ended the letter with a question: “What are the ethics of using the R-word?”

Wagner-Peck says she didn’t expect Klosterman to respond to her letter, but he did—apologizing for his choice of words and even donating $25,000 for her to give to any charity. In his response, Klosterman wrote, “I realize the books that contain those sentiments were published over 10 years ago, but that is no excuse; I was an adult when I wrote them and I knew what I was doing.” Wagner-Peck says she reacted in yells and tears to his apology—and with shock to the donation.

Ellen Seidman, a New York City blogger and mom of a son with disabilities, created a public message on her blog LoveThatMax.com to call out people who used the R-word and shed some light on the effects of it. Among her efforts is a YouTube video called “Would You Call My Child A Retard?” showcasing photos of her son Max and flashing phrases that detail offensive and belittling uses of the R-word. She begins the video by saying, “To me, he’s not a kid with disabilities. He’s just an awesome kid. But some people give him a bad name.”

Seidman says most people would never say the R-word to a child’s face; however, she believes if you wouldn’t do that, then you shouldn’t use it in any place or situation. She writes in her blog post, “Ultimately, this isn’t just about a word—it’s about

respect. It’s about getting people to consider kids and adults with cognitive impairment equal members of society. It’s not about censorship, either; it’s about starting a conversation on how people can better treat Max and others like him.”

In another post, Seidman tells a story of Joseph, a 9-yearold boy with autism spectrum disorder, and the amazing thing he did at a Target in Medford. While shopping with his family, Joseph noticed someone had arranged metal letters to spell out the word “Retards” on a shelf. He knew it was a bad word and spoke to his mother to confirm the meaning of the R-word. Joseph’s mom Tracy explained, “It’s a word people use toward people with disabilities or a word people use kind of ignorantly—instead of saying ‘stupid’ or ‘silly’ they choose to use that word and it’s really mean.” As a result, Joseph thought of his brother Max, who has autism, and felt that they needed to change the letters so nobody would see the bad word. Joseph searched the shelf for letters and rearranged them to spell his name “Joe” and the word “Dream.” He didn’t let the negative word affect him and he turned it into something positive, something Tracy says she really wanted Joseph to learn, according to Seidman’s blog post.

‘R-Word’ the Movie

Amanda Lukoff is a filmmaker whose older sister Gabrielle has Down syndrome. Inspired by Gabrielle, Lukoff is creating a film called The R-Word about “how the power of words, and the love between siblings, can inspire a movement.” In an interview, Lukoff recalled a time when she was little and a friend came over to her house to play. When the girl saw Gabrielle she asked to leave, and Lukoff ’s dad ended up driving the girl home. This was the first time Lukoff was exposed to other people’s negative reactions to her sister. She remembers that she, along with her and Gabrielle’s other sisters, were confused by the girl’s reaction because Gabrielle was their sister—and no different from other children in their eyes.

“Growing up with Gabrielle made me and my [other] sisters more sensitive to the R-word—we advocated for Gabrielle by standing up to our peers about their use of the R-word,” Lukoff says. As a part of the film, Lukoff and her team created an animated short illustrating her experiences with the R-word and introducing her journey to find “how, when, and why the R-word became a part of pop culture, to discover if the R-word transcends American society, to uncover the lasting effects the R-word has on people with intellectual disabilities, and their friends and families, and ultimately, to try to empower people and communities and encourage everyone to think before they speak.” The film is set to be completed and screened this summer.

No doubt, some people will inevitably come away from any discussion of the R-word unconvinced that it is a big deal. For them, Jonathan Franklin Stephens, a self-advocate with Down syndrome, has a message, which he conveyed in a Huffington Post article he wrote: “To all of you who use it, let me say it one more time, THE R-WORD HURTS. You don’t have to aim the word directly at me to hurt me and millions of others like me who live with an intellectual disability. Every time a person uses the r-word, no matter who it is aimed at, it says to those who hear it that it is okay to use it. That’s how a slur becomes more and more common. That’s how people like me get to hear it over and over, even when you think we aren’t listening.”

Sabrina Sooknanan is a NYMetroParents intern.

RocklandParent 39

SpecialParent

Self-Direction Services

››

What you need to know to get state funding for specific services for your child with special needs By Dana Greenberg

S

elf-Direction Services is a New York state-funded program for children with special needs. Children who qualify for this program will benefit from it in so many ways. SDS is a way that services can be delivered to a person with a disability in which parents can choose the supports and services that will work best for their child. Parents are able to decide how and when the services are provided, while also helping to choose the staff and organizations that provide them. The parent will be responsible for helping to manage all supports and services.

In the SDS program, the state allots a yearly financial budget to every eligible child, with the specific amount based on the child’s DDP2 (Developmental Disabilities Profile) scores. The individual must have a Medicaid Waiver in order to apply for SDS. To start the process of applying for Self-Direction Services, speak with your child’s Medicaid Service Coordinator. If you first need to begin the process for a Medicaid Waiver for your child, you can go to the website for The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (opwdd.ny.gov). Under “Services and Supports,” click the link to “Front Door” for more information. This site will guide you in the process for both the Medicaid Waiver and SDS. Here are just a few examples of how you can spend some of the money from your SDS budget: Community Classes: Your child can take classes after school and on the weekends, and in most cases, you will not have to lay out any money for them. There are some guidelines the classes need to follow, but there is so much available from which to choose. From

swimming to music to karate—and so much more—you are very likely to find classes that are a good fit for your child.

Camp: You will be given a camp allowance in your budget. Yes, your child’s summer camp can be paid (or partly paid) for by the state. We all know how long the summer months can seem for our kids, who need their days filled with activities and stimulation.

Imagine not having to worry about how to come up with the money to give your child a camp experience.

Babysitters: Another wonderful perk of this program is funding for babysitters. You will actually get to choose the people to watch, work with, and teach your child. Once the person completes some paperwork, he will be paid directly by the state. It is an opportunity for your child to be with someone who wants to be with her and give you piece of mind when you are not at home.

Other Reimbursements: There are a variety of categories in the budget that allow for reimbursement of certain purchases. A few examples are clothing, transportation, staff training, Internet service, and a gym membership for your child. This is all money that will be well spent on a deserving child.

Self-Direction Services is a program I strongly recommend every parent look into for any child with special needs. You, as their caregiver, will need to put in some time and effort to make decisions and keep everything organized, but as you see from the opportunities above, it will be very worth the effort. Just remember, your child’s well-being and care are the lights at the end of all the paperwork.

Dana Greenberg is a mom of twins living in Manhattan. Her site TheAutismClub.com was created as a way to connect moms who have kids with special needs, like her son Jack—who has autism—and offer them a space to tell their stories. You can follow Greenburg on Twitter @theautismclub or on Facebook @theautismclub.

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PETS

Introducing Dog to Baby

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Tips to successfully integrate a newborn into a house with pets By Aimée Kahn, M.D., MPH How can I prepare for bringing a baby home to a dog? We have two small dogs at home and they were not usually around children.

We wanted to do everything we could to try to prepare them for our new arrival. We bought a baby doll and called it ‘baby’ around the dogs, though they were not interested, and we played YouTube videos of babies crying in order to prepare them for those sounds.

Because our dogs were used to sleeping in our bedroom, it was important that we start transitioning them to a crate in the evenings prior to the baby coming home. This is especially important with cats as well, to transition them out of the room where the baby will sleep as the cats’ jumping skills could land them in the bassinet. You can prepare your home by adding dog gates or baby gates between areas to prevent intrusion when you need time with the baby.

After the baby was born, we sent home a blanket that the baby had been wrapped in, so the dogs would be familiar with her scent.

Caring for a newborn is a big responsibility, and taking care of pets as well can feel overwhelming during this period. If possible, lean on family and friends to help dog sit while you are adjusting to your newest addition. When people visit, ask for some help. If they can play with your pet or take them for a walk, it can be a load off of your shoulders.

My dog is very sweet—can I introduce him or her to the baby and then put them together to take pictures? Whenever I see cute videos of puppies or dogs with babies, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Who wouldn’t want their pets and their child to get along that well?

The reality is, there is no way to know how an animal will act with

your new baby or child—you always have to be cautious. A very slow introduction of your baby to your pet is important. One way to do this is to allow the pet to sniff clothes that are off the baby first; followed by a blanket wrapped around the baby; and if all goes well, try to have the animal sniff the baby’s foot while a sock is on.

Every time the animal is near the baby, you must have your eyes on both, and I’d recommend a leash or harness on the pet, so you could easily pull them away if necessary. It is best to do these interactions with at least two people, that way while you focus on watching the baby and the pet, the person holding the pet has the ability to pull away if needed. Keep your baby safe while your pet is nearby with him or her on your lap or in your arms. Animals can react in unpredictable ways in new settings and the safety of your baby is the most crucial.

Are there benefits to having a pet at home with a newborn? Yes! Pets bring an incredible amount of joy and love into a home. They can be stress relievers, professional snugglers, and at times feel like therapists! While trying to balance caring for your newborn and your pet may initially be a challenge, it is totally worth it.

There can be medical benefits as well. A 2013 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that exposure to dogs or cats as an infant is associated with fewer allergic diseases as the child grows, and showed no increase in allergic disease. Another study published in 2012 by AAP, which followed children younger than 1 who had a cat or a dog in the household, determined that these children had fewer lung and ear infections than those children not exposed to animals.

Aimée Kahn, M.D., earned her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies, and completed her residency in Pediatrics at SUNY Health & Science Center in Brooklyn. She is board-certified and specializes in pediatrics. Dr. Kahn is seeing patients in Crystal Run Healthcare’s West Nyack office.

RocklandParent 41

camp GUIDE 2017

The Academy For Martial Arts

8 Orangetown Shopping Center, Orangeburg 845-359-4500 rocklandkarate.com

Camp Clio

Held at Camp Claire, Lyme, CT and Middlesex County Camp, Moodus, CT 212-472-5207 campclio.org

Camp Huntington

56 Bruceville Road, High Falls 855-707-2267 camphuntington.com dfalk@camphuntington.com

Camp Ramaquois

30 Mountain Road, Pomona 845-354-1600 ramaquois.com

Lindgren School & Camp

211 Irving Ave., Closter 201-768-3550 lindgrenschool.com/summer-camp

Mania Training Facility

15 Fernald Road, Stony Point 845-624-3868

24 Holt Drive, Stony Point 845-269-3300 maniatrainingfacility.com cheermaniastars@yahoo.com

Galaxy Gymnastics

Mathnasium of Nanuet

Camp Venture Equestrian Camp

17A Green Bush Road S., Orangeburg 845-398-1000 galaxy-gymnastics.com

i9 Sports®

Leagues held in all seasons at facilities throughout Rockland 845-624-PLAY (7529) i9sports.com ahenry@i9sports.com

209B W. Route 59, Nanuet 845-624-MATH (6284) mathnasium.com/nanuet nanuet@mathnasium.com

Mosholu Day Camp

261 Arden Valley Road, Bear Mountain 845-323-5794 mosholudaycamp.com

Palisades Country Day Camp

JCC Rockland

450 W. Nyack Road, West Nyack 845-362-4400 x111 jccrockland.org/camp camps@jccrockland.org

248 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ 201-784-7600 x3 palisadescountryday.com

Red Owl Academy Summer Camp 645 Main St., Suite 1, Sparkill 845-848-2407

redowlacademy.com info@redowlacademy.com

Rivertown Music & Arts Camp Rivertown Music Studio

20 Bridge St., Nyack 845-405-3615 rivertownmusic.net rivertownmusicnyack@gmail.com

Rockland Center for the Arts RoCA Summer Camp

Amy Alinkofsky, camp director 27 S. Greenbush Road, West Nyack 845-358-0877 x18 rocklandartcenter.org

Summer Junior Farmers at Cropsey Community Farm 220 S. Little Tor Road, New City 845-634-3167 rocklandfarm.org info@rocklandfarm.org

West Rock Indoor Sports and Entertainment Complex 21 Pralle Lane, Nanuet 845-623-3636 westrockindoor.com

CAMP MARKETPLACE

“The best thing about Mosholu Day Camp is everything!”

Sports

Quality

Boating

Swimming

Buses

Ages 5-16

Music & Arts

Mosholu Day Camp/MMCC Located at Lake Cohasset in Harriman State Park 261 Arden Valley Road Bear Mountain, NY 10911 CALL: 845.243.0751 VISIT: mosholudaycamp.com 42

May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

CAMP MARKETPLACE

Gymnastics Summer Camp That’s out of this world!

Fun for Campers of all abilities (Boys & Girls - ages 4 and up) • Flexible Registration Half or full day - by week or daily • Gymnastics Skills • Outdoor Water Slide • Games, Arts & Crafts, Snack Time Also Pre-School and Teen Gymnastics Classes, Mommy & Me, and Birthday Parties

Come learn gymnastics that helps build body awareness, confidence, discipline, and positive self-esteem.

Galaxy Gymnastics 17A Greenbush Rd South, Orangeburg, NY

(845) 398-1000 Galaxy-Gymnastics.com

JUNIOR FARMERS CAMP Suitable for Ages 5-10 Monday through Friday, 9am - 3pm Three Weekly Sessions July 17th | July 24th | July 31st

Our junior farmers program provides all the fun of summer camp while providing invaluable lessons on sustainability and healthy living. Your child will spend their their days planting, harvesting, caring for the chickens, going on bug scavenger hunts, cooking, making art with nature, and lots of time playing in the open fields.

Cost: $360 per week *CSA and Sibling discounts available!

For more on our 25 week veggie CSA share visit www.rocklandfarm.org

CROPSEY COMMUNITY FARM 220 S. Little Tor Rd, New City, NY | 845-634-3167 | sarah@rocklandfarm.com

site web uts k c e Ch 17 Tryo 0 e for 2 chedul s

Visit us at our

OPEN HOUSE – April 23rd 10am – 1pm Or schedule a tour today!

PalisadesCountryDay.com (201) 784-7600 ext 3 MANIA TRAINING FACILITY | 24 HOLT DRIVE - STONY POINT, NY 845.269.3300 | WWW. MANIATRAININGFACILITY.COM

248 Herbert Avenue, Closter, NJ 07624 RocklandParent 43

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CAMP MARKETPLACE

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Meet the Health Care

Smile More Dentistry 140 Oak Tree Road, Tappan 845-367–4866 tappandentist.com

PROFESSIONAL

Drs. LaCap, Tong, and their “Smile Team” have been providing exceptional dental care with a gentle touch and state-of-the-art technology for more than 25 years.

Children love going to their office because of the friendly and fun environment. Busy moms love the office because it offers an “on time guarantee,” “workmanship guarantee,” and “you will love us” guarantee! Dr. Tong was voted one of NJ’s top children’s dentists five years in a row. The office receives a perfect five-star rating in patient satisfaction.

A&R Advanced Dental Group, Anna Alekseyeva, D.D.S., Roman Izmailov, D.D.S. 5C Medical Park Drive, Pomona 845-364-9400 aradvanceddental.com

Marita Smith, D.D.S. Smith’s Little Smiles Pediatric Dentistry 5C Medical Park Drive, Pomona 845-414-9626 smithslittlesmiles.com drsmith@smithslittlesmiles.com

At A&R Advanced Dental Group, patient satisfaction and comfort is our No. 1 priority. We are a cutting edge practice that delivers state-of-the-art dental care to our patients. Dr. Roman Izmailov and Dr. Anna Alekseyeva have more than 30 years of experience in all phases of dentistry, including high quality and affordable dental implants, zirconia crowns, porcelain veneers, fixed bridges, root canal treatments, teeth whitening, and composite fillings. Evening appointments are available and we accept most insurances.

Dr. Marita Smith is a board-certified pediatric dentist dedicated to providing excellent dental care for children from infancy through adolescence in a warm and friendly environment. As a mother of two, Dr. Smith knows how important it is for a child to be comfortable and stress-free during their dental visits. Dr. Smith places great focus on prevention and her goal is to keep your child’s smile healthy! Most insurances accepted. Evening and Saturday hours and 24-hour emergency service available. Se habla Español.

Kastin & Newman Orthodontics 6 Medical Park Drive, Pomona 845-354-7233 rocklandorthodontics.com info@kastin-newmanortho.com

Dental Wellness of Suffern Sherri Alpert, D.D.S. 2 Executive Blvd., Suite 307, Suffern 845-918-1801 dentalwellnessofsuffern.com dentalwellness@optonline.net

To be in this section, call 845-848-8021 or email nympads@davlermedia.com

Drs. Brett Kastin and Warren Newman utilize stateof-the-art materials and customized treatment planning for every patient, ensuring the highest quality of care. Dr. Kastin is a certified Invisalign® provider, and has been president of the Rockland County Dental Society since 2006. Dr. Newman has more than 40 years of orthodontic experience. They have been a team for more than 10 years, and were voted Rockland’s Top Orthodontists by the dentists of Rockland County. Their practice offers an experienced staff and flexible appointment times. Initial exams are complimentary, as are children’s recall appointments.

Kupchik Dental Dr. Anna Kupchik, D.D.S. 2 Medical Park Drive, Suite 16, West Nyack 845-535-3500 kupchikdental.com info@kupchikdental.com

At Kupchik Dental, patients’ comfort is our No. 1 priority. We strive to make every dental experience easy and relaxing by practicing gentle touch dentistry. Our state-of-the-art dental office is committed to providing the best quality of care for the entire family. Dr. Kupchik and her team believe in educating patients and keeping them informed of their oral health every step of the way. We are open seven days a week for your convenience, and have an in-house insurance plan for the uninsured.

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

Dental Wellness of Suffern provides natural, effective, quality dental care for your family, making your visit enjoyable, comfortable, and relaxing. A parent herself, Dr. Alpert enjoys working with children who are apprehensive about the dentist, creating a fun environment with magic tricks, interactive Wii games, a wall mural, and a Find the Dental Helpers game. Author of two books, Cassandra Gets Her Smile Back and Attack of the Sugar Bugs, Dr. Alpert makes visiting the dentist fun. Dental Wellness of Suffern—let them create the smile you were born to have.

Helping Kids Pediatrics 180 Phillips Hill Road, Suite 4A, New City 845-499-2339 helpingkidspediatrics.com hkp@helpingkidspediatrics.com

Drs. Stanley and Elizabeth are board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and have specialized training in caring for pediatric patients. They offer customized care and look forward to caring for the health and well-being of your children from birth through adolescence. Dr. Elizabeth is also an internationally board-certified lactation consultant, offering consultations in the office. In addition, they have specialized training in the Ear Well™ system for correction of newborn congenital ear deformities. This is a noninvasive, pain free, non-surgical option for newborns.

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Bobby Bobby Crohn, Crohn, D.D.S. D.D.S. Monroe Monroe Dental Dental Office Office 400 400 State State Route Route 17M, 17M, Suite Suite 2, 2, Monroe Monroe 845-782-0189 845-782-0189 monroedentaloffice.com monroedentaloffice.com monroedental@optonline.net monroedental@optonline.net

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Dr. Dr. Crohn Crohn graduated graduated from from SUNY SUNY Stony Stony Brook Brook with with aa degree degree inin biology. biology. He He received received his his Doctor Doctor of of Dental Dental Surgery Surgery from from the the University University at at Buffalo Buffalo inin 1992, 1992, and and he he completed completed his his general general practice practice residency residency at at Danbury Danbury Hospital Hospital inin 1993.

1993. Dr. Dr. Crohn Crohn has has done done extensive extensive additional additional training training inin implant implant dentistry dentistry including including training training with with Dr. Dr. Nick Nick Elian Elian at at Vistara Vistara Institute, Institute, DentalXP DentalXP Symposiums, Symposiums, and and training training at at Zimmerman Zimmerman Institute.

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AD INDEX

NYMetroParents.com features more than 20,000 businesses serving the NY Metropolitan area!

ACROBATICS / GYMNASTICS

Rockland Farm Alliance................................................. 43

Fidelis Care New York..................................................... 3

Galaxy Gymnastics........................................................ 43

Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 21

Helping Kids Pediatrics.................................................. 46 Kastin & Newman Orthodontics..................................... 46

Mania Training Facility................................................... 43 Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 21

DANCE Danceworks................................................................... 29

BIRTHDAY / PARTY SERVICES Academy for Martial Arts............................................... 45 Blue Moon Mexican Café ............................................. 20 Galaxy Gymnastics........................................................ 43 Gulliver’s Gate............................................................... 21 Mania Training Facility................................................... 43 Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 20 Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 13

Nyack Pediatric Dentistry.............................................. 17

J.E.P. of Rockland......................................................... 23

Rockland Behavioral Health.......................................... 16

Lindgren School & Camp............................................... 44

Smile More Dentistry............................................... 19, 46

Mathnasium of Nanuet.................................................. 11

Smith’s Little Smiles Pediatric Dentistry.................. 19, 46

Palisades Country Day School & Camp........................ 43

Tenafly Pediatrics.................................................... 17, 47

Red Owl Academy........................................................... 9 Tuxedo Union Free School District - STEM Academy..... 9

Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 21

EVENTS / OUTINGS

West Rock Tennis Club................................................. 45

Gulliver’s Gate............................................................... 21

Camp Ramaquois.......................................................... 44

RESTAURANT / FOOD SERVICES

Wild West City............................................................... 12

Blue Moon Mexican Café ............................................. 20 Palisades Center ............................................................ 7

FAMILY TRAVEL Land of Make Believe.................................................... 37

Lindgren School & Camp............................................... 44

Wild West City............................................................... 12

Mania Training Facility................................................... 43

Palisades Country Day School & Camp........................ 43 Red Owl Academy........................................................... 9 Rivertown Music............................................................ 21 Rockland Center for the Arts......................................... 45 Rockland Farm Alliance................................................. 43 West Rock Tennis Club................................................. 45

J.E.P. of Rockland......................................................... 23

Palisades Center ............................................................ 7

JCC of Rockland.............................................................. 2

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center........................ 42

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Land of Make Believe.................................................... 37

Galaxy Gymnastics........................................................ 43

Mathnasium of Nanuet.................................................. 11

MUSIC Rivertown Music............................................................ 21

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT /

Camp Clio...................................................................... 45

Nyack Hospital................................................................. 5

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Kupchik Dental, PLLC............................................. 16, 46

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RETAIL Palisades Center ............................................................ 7 Tilly...A Deer’s Tale........................................................ 23

Academy for Martial Arts............................................... 45 Danceworks................................................................... 29 Galaxy Gymnastics........................................................ 43

SPECIAL EVENTS Jewish Week (The)........................................................ 35

i9 Sports - Rockland County.......................................... 29 JCC of Rockland.............................................................. 2

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Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 20

Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 21

Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 13 Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 21

SPORTS Academy for Martial Arts............................................... 45

CLASSES Fin 2 Swim..................................................................... 12

HEALTH

Fin 2 Swim..................................................................... 12

Galaxy Gymnastics........................................................ 43

A&R Advanced Dental Group........................................ 46

i9 Sports - Rockland County.......................................... 29

Mathnasium of Nanuet.................................................. 11

Clemente Orthodontics.................................................. 16

Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 20

Rivertown Music............................................................ 21

Crystal Run Healthcare................................................. 52

Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 13

Rockland Center for the Arts......................................... 45

Dental Wellness of Suffern................................ 15, 46, 47

West Rock Tennis Club................................................. 45

RocklandParent 49

VOICES

Non-Judgment Day in the Village

››

Why I am thankful for all the parenting advice I got along the way—from friends, family, and strangers alike. By Heather Ouida

P

rior to being a mother I thought I knew all there was to know about raising a child. I promised myself that when I had children, my kids would never watch TV, stay up too late, eat junk food, scream in the supermarket, be fresh, or throw sand in the sandbox. I was so judgmental I didn’t even realize I was being so—until I had my first child.

As a mom, I’ve learned I don’t have all the answers, and there is no one right way to raise a child. I recognize that sometimes you can do everything right and your 2-year-old may still flop on the ground and pound his feet in a full-blown, screaming tantrum in the check-out line. I admit what I now profess to know only came about with the help of so many—mothers, friends, even strangers, who, in short, helped me be less judgmental of myself and of others.

I realize now the wisdom of “It takes a village…” and am thankful for all the women who helped me along the way. When my older son was going through a difficult time and I would start a sentence by saying, “Why can’t he just… (fill in the blank: eat like other children, go to mommy-and-me classes without crying, etc.),” they would say, “Because he’s just himself.” This is a mantra from the Village I continue to carry with me today.

Now that I’ve opened this Village door, I can see just how many

people have played a positive, non-judgmental role. When my younger son decided getting up at 3:50am was a totally acceptable time to start his day, my family and friends would call with suggestions, encouragement, and empathy (and the occasional Cosmo when things got really rough!). They reminded me, too, that just as I can’t take credit for all of my kids’ successes (as much as I would like to!), I also can’t take the blame for all the things they sometimes do wrong. “Don’t make this about you and your parenting,” they would say. “Just help them through it.”

The Village cannot be a parochial or provincial place. On that note, I want to acknowledge all the strangers who have helped me out in airports, restaurants, and grocery stores over the years when I was having a hard time with my boys. I promise you and them that I will pay it forward. I will not give you a mean look when your child is screaming, I will not tell you I can’t understand why your child can’t happily share because mine always does. I will not look at my watch when I see your child is up past what I consider to be an acceptable bedtime. I will remember that I, too, have been there. I will remind myself what I have learned from so many others along the way.

I will help you, offer you a hand and listen; I will not judge you.

I am part of your Village, too.

Heather Ouida is the co-founder of Mommybites, a site that offers nanny boards, online parenting education, and other services. She lives in New York City with her husband, two sons, and her pet turtle Squirtle. This essay first appeared on Mommybites.com.

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May 2017 | nymetroparents.com

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Back-to-School Resource Guide Pack a Smarter Lunch Ease the Morning Rush Advocate for Your Twins

How to Manage Kids’ Schedules

What Makes a Good Mentor?

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Plus: Learning to Let Go

Vaccines at Every Age Plus: Journaling for Your Child

Where-To Guide: Berry Picking

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Dinosaur Fun

Where-To Guide: Apple Picking • Outing: New York Hall of Science

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Helping Parents Make Better Decisions RocklandParent 51

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