DFWChild June 2020

J U N E 2020

MEET MOM NEXT DOOR JESSICA NOWITZKI

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GREAT NATURE TRAILS TO HIKE! PADDLE THE TRINITY WITH YOUR FAMILY

HOW TO: SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCING

HOPE & HEALING BUILDING RESILIENCE TO TRAUMA

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INSIDE: SPECIAL NEEDS ISSUE

DEAR CAREGIVERS, WE THANK YOU. What do you call those who dedicate their lives to saving thousands, who spend their days caring for others and who work tirelessly to give us a brighter future? We call them heroes. To everyone on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight, Children’s HealthSM can’t thank you enough.

#THANKYOUCAREGIVERS

Share encouraging words at childrens.com/sendcard

pages / J U N E

2020

22 CHILD + SPECIAL NEEDS

DEPARTMENTS NOTED 9 Go With the Flow

See a wilder side of DFW from the new Trinity River Paddling Trail

REAL MOMS 15 Mom Next Door / Jessica Nowitzki

The wife of Dirk Nowitzki talks about parenting in the pandemic, raising a multicultural family and leading the Nowitzki Foundation

18 Briefs / Fast Break The books, to-go favorites and self-care secrets that help Jessica Nowitzki navigate life with three kids

20 Routines / Crystal Nerpel

Social distancing with a Corinth mom and professional organizer ABOVE // We can’t stop our kids from experiencing every trauma, but there are ways to help them become more resilient.

FEATURE

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22 Building Resilience to Trauma Helping kids deal with traumatic situations words Carrie Steingruber

SPECIAL NEEDS

OVERCOMING TRAUMA: ©I ©ISTOCK; CANOEING: FAISAL KHAN

ON THE COVER

Cover Kid: Everette, 6 Photography: Carter Rose

29 Mom Next Door / Lindsey Garner

This nonprofit executive felt isolated as a special needs parent—so she built a community for other DFW moms 32 Briefs / Survive & Thrive Our Mom Next Door shares her picks for special needs learning, time for herself and more 34 Routines / Maria Rosales

This mom, wife and educator is teaching remotely while helping her son with at-home lessons 37 Take Note / Go the Distance Social distancing can be especially distressing for kids with special needs— here’s how parents can help

38 Take Note: In Brief

Improving language learning, face

masks for all kids and virtual workouts

KID CULTURE 51 Social Stars

Do you have a budding social media star? Local influencers tell us how to (safely) get noticed

PEOPLE + PLACES 55 Families in Nature / Get Out!

Kids bored inside? This group helps them learn about—and love—nature

61 Green Scene /

8 Great Nature Trails in DFW

Take a hike (literally) during social distancing

SPECIAL PROMOTION 41 Mom Approved / Pediatricians

Facts about your little’s wellness, plus readers’ top healthcare providers

COLUMNS

4 Hello / We Did It!

Chase that sense of accomplishment words Heather Vance Devers

6 dfwchild.com / Off the Pages

Manage tantrums, create some backyard fun and more

66 Confessions / Mom Truths

Laugh along with these moments, from sleep-talking toddlers to a forgotten lunchbox dfwchild.com / june 2020

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hello / E D I T O R ’ S

NOTE

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C

UE THE ROCKY MUSIC—it’s June! We made it!

By this point most of us have endured unexpected homeschooling, been confined with our families for what seems like eternity (we’re on day 61 here) and done our best to keep our families healthy and sane during the chaos.

A lot of my friends had strong reactions to our roller coaster of a spring: sadness for their senior who would miss major milestones, happiness at getting to spend more time with their children (I am unfamiliar with this notion currently) or even anger that for the rest of the school year their child’s education would fall squarely on their shoulders. All these feelings are valid. There is no way you could have prepared for this, so please give yourself some grace.

It’s easy to look at social media and see other moms doing fun activities with their kids every day—smiling, with hair and makeup on point—but to be honest, that is not reality. Yes, some families are thriving during this time, but many, many more are not.

I myself am quarantined with a spirited 6-year-old girl and a 2-year-old Wreck-It Ralph. My husband and I are both juggling full-time jobs along with everything it takes to keep a family of four fed, dressed and clean. Are there days that are wonderful, when I am so grateful for all this extra time together? Absolutely. But there are also days full of raised voices, tears and exhaustion.

My husband and I have started to take on DIY home projects at night to keep us sane. We recently built a 10-foot-tall chevronpatterned barn door for our bathroom. It took three weeks, but now we have a beautiful and functional door that we are proud of.

While many of us are tired, spread too thin and existing in conditions that we aren’t accustomed to, I encourage you to find something to help you feel that sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s starting a DIY home project, digging in on that book you’ve always wanted to write or taking an online class that caught your eye, carve out some time for you—I promise, once you’re done, it will do wonders for your mindset.

I want to say a quick Happy Father’s Day to my husband Jeff— who is a wonderful father; thank you for all you do for our family— and to the men who raised me: my dad Chuck and my stepdad Vaden, who taught me the importance of hard work, integrity and a good sense of humor. Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there. You make the world go round!

Be well,

Heather Vance Devers

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KORENA SINNETT

Open 7am to 5pm Everyday including Father’s Day and 4th of July

we did it!

CHILD + SPECIAL NEEDS

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joylyn Niebes

CREATIVE + CONTENT DIRECTOR Heather Vance Devers

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SYDNEY BLALOCK RITCHIE

OFF THE PAGES

what’s in store this month on dfwchild.com

IT’S SUMMERTIME, Y’ALL! The heat is upon us and school is out (goodbye, crisis homeschooling days). We don’t know about you, but we are ready to lounge at the pool with a Popsicle or two. And while summer travel might look a little different this year, you can still find ways to get out of the house and enjoy time with your family. Our website has plenty of ideas when it comes to outdoor and indoor activities, road trips and more. And while you’re there, sign up for our newsletter to have all of this delivered to your inbox every day.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day is this month—what are you giving the dads in your life? We have ideas that go beyond another golf shirt.

Check out our guide for some great, unique gifts.

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noted.

CANOEING: FAISAL KHAN; CANOE: NOUN PROJECT CANOEING

The Trinity River Paddling Trail makes nature accessible by boat.

GO WITH THE FLOW see a wilder side of dfw from the new trinity river paddling trail

WORDS

CARRIE STEINGRUBER

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HE DEER SEE YOU AND FREEZE, as if not moving will make them invisible. But their eyes follow you as your canoe drifts downriver. This is a staring contest you will lose—and an encounter you won’t forget.

“Not only do you see things on the river that you wouldn’t ordinarily see, but you see things in Dallas that you wouldn’t ordinarily see,” says Bryan Jackson, a longtime local paddler. His daughter Angela Rogers chimes in: “We’ve seen bald eagles that you wouldn’t think would be around here, but they are.”

“The river” is the Trinity, which connected Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton long before plans for Interstate 35 were conceived in whatever circle of hell is reserved for eternal road construction. Traveled for hundreds of years, the river is fundamental to the founding and evolution of our cities; Dallas once tried to become an inland port that would welcome steamships from the dfwchild.com / june 2020

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noted / G O

Online and Live

LESSONS OFFERED

WITH THE FLOW

Gulf of Mexico. (It didn’t work out.) Yet we I got to see Angela just one-on-one. We’d North Texans often treat this resource with have a day off, and we’d hop in the boat and undeserved dismissiveness. go someplace.”

“This is like the secret here in the Now he and Angela are taking her 10-yearMetroplex,” says Teresa Patterson, a local river old daughter, Hannah, on paddling trips. “It not guide and American only gives her an outlet Canoe Association certifor something to do, it fied instructor who serves gives me and her someas the paddling manager thing in common that for the nonprofit Trinity we can spend some time Coalition. “The people doing,” Angela says. who are in the city don’t A dad gets a lot of think about the river. the credit for encouragThey have no idea that ing the development Visit the Trinity Coalition website this gem is sitting there of the trail. As Dale (trinitycoalition.org) for a map of the right at their feet.”

Harris, president of the Trinity River Paddling Trail and—most So the Trinity Dallas Downriver Club, important—safety information. It can be Coalition has assembled scouted the river, he dangerous to paddle when the river is the 130-mile Trinity envisioned a string of high, so the website links to color-coded River Paddling Trail, safe, accessible launches gauges for each launch site that will tell which as soon as this only 4–6 miles apart. you whether conditions are safe. month could become “I had kids at the time, a National Recreation and I know you can’t If your family is new to paddling, the Trail. That’s a big deal— best way to hit the trail is to go with get them out on the National Park Service river and expect them a guide. Pandemic permitting, these big. And despite the Hill three organizations offer guided paddles to be out there five to Country’s reputation for (boats and lifejackets included): six hours,” he says. As float-worthy rivers, the he talked to others, he • The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Trinity would boast the found out that paddlers offers family-friendly trips along the first paddling trail in the were more comfortWestern portion of the paddling trail, state to earn the National able with the idea of an including canoe tours and full moon Recreation Trail designaestablished trail with paddles. Check website for dates. $20 tion. Yes, the Trinity. signage and official per person. fwnaturecenter.org launches rather than just a list of access points.

ROW TOGETHER • Trinity River Expeditions hosts guided At some spots along Jackson and Rogers rattle canoe trips the second Saturday of the river—mainly on the off an impressive list of each month, year-round. Call Charles Fort Worth side—the wildlife spied from the Allen at 214/941-1757 to find out which water is calm enough river: otters, beavers, upcoming trip would be best for your to return to the same coyotes, wild pigs, deer, family, or to arrange a private tour. $45 launch, which is a eagles, owls, lots of per person. canoedallas.com great option for kids to turtles. The best area for • Besides managing the paddling trail, (figuratively) get their nature, Jackson says, is Teresa Patterson co-owns Arlington’s feet wet. Where the river the Great Trinity Forest Adventures Unlimited Paddling Company, flows, however, a boat in Southeast Dallas which offers guided tours of the Trinity ramp doesn’t do families (which, by the way, is the and full moon paddles. From $40 per much good if the next largest urban hardwood person; $5 per child too young to access point is 10 or forest in the country). paddle. adventuresunlimitedpaddling.com 20 miles downriver.

Patterson mentions Sewing the trail together that launching from Visit dfwchild.com for even more local required inter-city the Fort Worth Nature outfitters and a guide to paddling the cooperation.

Center, she sees the occa- Trinity with kids—including where to go, “While the sional alligator. “Very what kind of boat to rent and how to Metroplex has done tame, friendly alligators,” keep your kiddo safe on the water. a good job of putting she adds hastily. “Don’t together a vision for pet one, but they won’t uniting their bike trails,” mess with you.”

Patterson says, “[the cities] didn’t have any Obviously, this is a very different side idea that they each had pieces of the river that of DFW than most of us typically see—but might be able to be united.” thanks to the paddling trail, it’s right here at Now with a National Park Service label our oar-tips. The river also connects parents imminent, cities are eager to spiff up their and kids as they explore North Texas from a sections—so far, the trail has 21 official new vantage point. For Jackson, being on the launches from Southeast Dallas to Lake water means being with family.

Lewisville to Lake Worth, and more under “It’s a lot of memories,” he says. “I used to construction. work a lot of hours and that was the only time

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WITH THE FLOW

ABOVE // The Trinity Coalition is working to trademark the phrase “Where Nature Happens” to support nature tourism in North Texas.

®

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ONLINE SIGN UP TODAY! Weekdays throughout the Summer Flower Mound: 972-899-9332 ALL-DAY OR HALF DAY PRESCHOOL Fort Worth: 817-741-2572 AND SCHOOL-AGE CAMPS. Frisco: 972-668-5990 Highland Village: 972-317-4158 McKinney: 214-491-4088 North Dallas: 214-295-5877 Plano: 972-612-5400 Southlake: 817-488-4600

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june 2020 / dfwchild.com

“THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS GEM IS SITTING THERE RIGHT AT THEIR FEET.”

CANOEING: FAISAL KHAN CANOEING

Create Blow Paintings! ts! ne Squishy Circui Sce e! nt ? a o h g g p Ele hpaste Build Robot Bake LeChallen Make a Spidey La Web Shooter! Toot Frogs! Beignets!

Lam va ps! y Sp Missions! d Scente lk Sidewa !

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BUT WAIT—THERE’S MORE! Though the project is itself an accomplishment, Steve Smith, board chairman of the Trinity Coalition, explains it’s a stepping stone to an even grander goal: for every public green space in DFW that touches the Trinity to become part of a 40,000-acre National Recreation Area.

What’s the difference between a National Recreation Trail and a National Recreation Area? For one thing, the latter requires an act of Congress—so big, big deal—and the National Park Service would be likely to set up at least one local office. Most exciting, local cities might receive funding to clean up and preserve those green spaces, and North Texas would become a destination for nature tourism. The Trinity Coalition is even working to trademark the phrase “Where Nature Happens” to support that goal.

Just imagine the National Park Service arrowhead welcoming families to parks all over town; in a handful of years (Smith hopes), you might see it for real.

“Think about how that will change the way that people think about that park,” he says. “It’d be, ‘Oh, wow—I need to be more careful about throwing litter down; I need to be more careful about protecting nature.’”

For local families, living next to a National Recreation Area would mean access to even better-maintained parks and amenities, and perhaps more incentive to explore the area we all call home.

“I really think that the Trinity River Paddling Trail is already starting to unite the cities,” says Smith. “And I think that if we can get the full National Recreation Area brand on it, then the cities will start thinking of themselves as being really DFW people, not just Dallas people or Fort Worth people.”

dfwchild.com / june 2020

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real moms.

NOWITZKI AND CHILDREN: MISTY KEASLER; BASKETBALL: NOUN PROJECT

Jessica Nowitzki says it has been wonderful having husband Dirk home with her and the kids more since he retired from pro basketball.

mom next door /

JESSICA NOWITZKI raising kids and building community

WORDS

HEATHER VANCE DEVERS

A

CHIEVING DALLAS SPORTS MONONYM STATUS—the ranks of Emmitt, Troy, Pudge and Modano—is no small feat. But Dirk (Nowitzki— not that we needed to specify) is no doubt in that category. He played his entire 21-year NBA career as a Dallas Maverick and become the highestscoring foreign-born player in league history.

You probably picture Dirk on the court. But these days, according to his wife Jessica, you’re likely to find him in the school car line. “Before lockdown, to be honest, I can count on one hand how many times I took the kids to school in the morning. He’s been so awesome. He loves carpooling.”

Before retiring from basketball, Dirk was obviously often on the road. But Jessica didn’t mind being the primary at-home parent. In fact, she said it helped her come into her own dfwchild.com / june 2020

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real moms

/ MOM NEXT DOOR

as a mom. “The kids were staggered [in ages] to a point where I was always home nursing, or home with someone who wasn’t in school. To me, it was kind of nice, because I hibernated and really found my way as a mother.” She’s thoughtful, but quick with a joke too. “Of course, Dirk comes home from a road trip and the kids don’t even know who I am. I’m the one doing everything wrong.” It doesn’t take long chatting with her to realize she’s actually doing everything right.

You are president of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation. Can you tell us about the organization’s work?

We focus on children’s organizations, wellness, health and educational fields, and we commit annual grants to a number of amazing organizations throughout the Metroplex. A lot of times, we try to find programs that are very grassroots and build that up from start to finish. We have programs like the Dallas Tennis Association.

Now, they’ve renamed the team to Team Nowitzki because we helped a lot of underprivileged children. They’re high school students, and they get an opportunity to play tennis. They get gear. They get funding for tournaments and those kinds of things, but they have to pass all of their schoolwork, any projects or tests that they have. So far, they have a 100% graduation rate.

You and Dirk have a longstanding partnership with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Children are our focus of giving and helping, and “Children First” is UNICEF’s slogan. They’ve done some really good things and have great support in Dallas. Dirk has been a UNICEF ambassador in Germany since 2013, and I actually have been involved with UNICEF for quite some time, even before Dirk and I met. They have a great Kid Power program [a free dance, yoga and activity video platform] that started a couple of years ago.

And anything they do in Dallas, we’re always here to support.

What other projects are you passionate about, especially during COVID-19? We’re committed to help in any way we can. There is so much work to do, and I think we all have a responsibility to pitch in whenever we can. Luckily as a foundation, we are able to move quickly and offer funding to organizations helping to meet some of the immediate needs of our community—North Texas Food Bank, Hope Supply and CitySquare, just to name a few. We try to focus on hunger, health and wellness. When I say wellness, it’s everything from sports to food. Then, of course, domestic abuse and violence, child exploitation.

So my main focus is, obviously, children’s wellness, and then art is my second passion. You get kids creative and it opens their minds to so much.

They educate themselves through art.

Your kids are young—how have you talked to them about the pandemic? You know, we’ve talked about it, and I think our daughter is probably the only one that really understands it. We’ve used very basic explanations as to what’s going on. We found some really interesting comics online, and NPR did a great illustration about the virus that we showed them.

This is, obviously, a very historical time, but 16

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

I think they’re still so young that I don’t want to overload them too much with information. We don’t really watch the news here. I mean, my husband and I have the paper coming to the house, and so we read the papers and we read what’s online. But we sort of keep it to ourselves and discuss that amongst us. We never turn on the news for the kids. I think at this age it’s a little bit too overwhelming and graphic for them.

What has family life been like during social distancing? We really try to embrace this time and make it fun for the kids. Of course, they ask about their friends, and so I say, “Well, let’s call. Let’s FaceTime them. Let’s do a meeting, a conference call”—which we do anyway every weekend, because we call home to our families in Europe. Because everyone lives on the other side of the world, they’re used to that digital sort of interaction. Then we just kind of come up with fun activities at home, throughout the house, and we go outside. They help cook. You obviously

RÉSUMÉ AGE 39 LIVES IN Dallas HAILS FROM “My dad’s Swedish. My mother’s from Kenya.

I was born in Sweden and raised between Sweden and Kenya.” SIGNIFICANT OTHER Dirk Nowitzki, retired Dallas Mavericks player CHILDREN Malaika, 6, Max, 5, and Morris, 3 CURRENT CAREER President of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation PREVIOUS JOB Associate director of the Goss-Michael Foundation Art Gallery DREAM JOB AS A CHILD Flight attendant

have to try and keep them busy, but it does get challenging sometimes when you get tricky questions from your 6-year-old.

It definitely is interesting times. I think what’s going on right now will probably change the course of a lot of things moving forward.

How do you get your kids active? We play tennis a lot. Tennis—I forget about the world. And the kids love to jump on the trampoline. My oldest likes to get on her bicycle. We bike a lot.

Before the virus, they all did all sorts of activities. My son plays soccer, and my daughter does ballet. We do a lot of sports. My brothers are professional soccer players, and we watch a lot of sports at home. We try to get the kids involved in any type of sports, just to try them out and see if they like it. Sports run in our families, so we’re very active.

What are some ways you relax? I love cleaning.

I really do love cleaning because it’s very meditative. I like doing the dishes. I like ironing because

you’re in your zone, and no one’s there. I recently got a Dyson vacuum cleaner. I don’t usually vacuum much, but it’s great. My husband grabbed it the other day. He was like, “This is fun.”

Tell us about your early days in Dallas. I did almost all my schooling in Sweden, including two years of university, and then I did two years in an exchange program in Hawaii. I finished my college there, and I moved here right after college. I’m a Swedish citizen, and I had a visa for a year to see if I could find work within my field of study, international business. It’s pretty broad, and I was always into art. When I got here, I met a lady who was a manager at an art gallery that had just opened in town. They were putting together a group of people to manage it and get it started. So I met her at the right time, and I got a job instantly.

We had shows every month and exhibited these works, whether it was paintings, photography or sculptures. It was a fun, very creative, vibrant, energetic art scene. I was just lucky enough to get a job, and then I kind of just grew into the role of managing their collection.

Throughout the time I was there—I was there for eight years—I worked under the curators and traveled quite a bit, went to art fairs. It was an exciting time. It was really fun, and I loved it.

How did you and Dirk meet? We met at a charity event. This was 2010, and I was on the committee for this event. It was during NBA All-Star Weekend, and a good friend of mine was working on SEED Project, which is a sports and educational program in Senegal. His friend founded it, and so I was on the committee. We had put on an event, and Dirk was one of the guests. My boss at the time, Kenny Goss, knew Dirk from way back in the days when Dirk and Steve Nash used to come to the gallery. We got introduced, and from then on, we just started communicating. That was how we first met.

Has your family dynamic changed since Dirk retired? When he was playing basketball, I was happy enough to let him do his thing—because, obviously, his career is not forever and [I wanted] him to really enjoy those last couple years that he had playing, and not have the distraction of getting up at night and feeding a baby or tending to the kids and being stressed out about being up early in the morning. We really have had that understanding and it’s worked out well.

With him being home more, it’s been great.

It’s just nice to have a second parent around to back you up and to keep that balance. Mom’s not always the bad guy. It’s nice to bounce off ideas with someone who understands and sees things on a daily basis that are hard sometimes to explain. He loves it. The kids were so young [before he retired] that I don’t think they really understood that he wasn’t around much. He’s been lucky in that sense. I think they’re now understanding that Dad’s always home and Dad’s here to help. It’s been really nice. He’s enthusiastic and he’s excited to be home with them.

Have your multicultural backgrounds impacted the way that you parent? We speak three languag-

es in the house. I speak Swedish with the children, and Dirk speaks German for the most part. They all went through the German International School. We try to engage them, obviously, in most of our travels.

They’re always with us, and so we try to keep a very wide view of things and lay out all sorts of scenarios. We make sure they have books with a variety of ethnicities, and we listen to world music. We listen to Afro beats. We listen to German music. We listen to Swedish music.

We try to just really incorporate our heritage in raising the kids, and sometimes, I’m sure it can get confusing for them. One of our kids took a little while before he started speaking completely clear, where you could understand him, because I think he was sort of processing all these words and all these languages and everything he hears at home.

But then one day the language just came, and he’s fine.

I think the younger you start them, the better, and that’s kind of our thing. We just want to get them emerged into our culture and heritage, and same with foods. We make sure to introduce them to everything: African food, European food, Indian food, Thai and Chinese. We grew up in very multicultural communities, and we want to make sure that our kids get a part of that, too.

What life lesson do you most want to impart to your children? I try to always teach my kids to be kind to everyone and just understand that we’re all the same. My mother is Kenyan and my dad’s Swedish.

We came from this world of 10 siblings and kind of a wild African, crazy family—you know, we have to help out at home.

You start there, even when you’re young, and you help with daily chores. Everyone’s treated the same, and there’s no talking back to the adults. There’s no questioning what the adults are telling you to do. And then you have the Swedish side, which is a little more liberal and laid-back—so I kind of grew up with more of that. I started off parenting saying, “This is it; this is what we’re going to do. There’s no question asked.” But then, as you become a parent and you notice that your kids all have different personalities, you cannot speak to each kid the same way. You really have to alter your way of talking and telling them what to do, or your tone of voice.

It was a challenge. It still is a challenge. I think parenting’s challenging throughout, but I think it’s just been a learning experience for me.

And it’s an exciting one. It’s fun. It gets frustrating sometimes. You’ve got to have a lot of patience, but you really learn how kids become individuals early. You have to really adapt to them because they’re all different. It’s interesting, and I think you get to know yourself a lot, too, throughout this.

“WE SPEAK THREE LANGUAGES IN THE HOUSE. I SPEAK SWEDISH WITH THE CHILDREN, AND DIRK SPEAKS GERMAN FOR THE MOST PART.”

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BRIEFS

FAST BREAK

the books, to-go favorites and self-care secrets that help jessica nowitzki navigate life with three kids INTERVIEW

Q UA R A NTI N E CO O KI N G FAV E S

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FAVO R ITE VAC ATI O N S P OT

g “I’m biased—I would say Sweden or Kenya. I say Sweden because it’s so laid-back and relaxed. We go fishing. We swim in lakes. We go on four-wheelers. It’s a nice, grounded place. In Kenya, it’s all the wildlife and all the chaos of traffic, and people everywhere. That’s the norm over there, obviously, but it’s so different for my children.

Their senses are just exploding when they go to Kenya. I love it because I see that they’re soaking everything up and they’re learning so much every day.”

G O -TO FO R TO - G O

I LIKE TO COOK INDIAN FOOD. I LIKE LENTILS. I LIKE SPICY FOOD. I WANT THE HOUSE TO SMELL LIKE WE’RE IN INDIA, LIKE WE’RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. WE TRY TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, BUT I DO LIKE THE ETHNIC FOODS A LOT—STIR-FRY AND CURRIES.

4

“Grange Hall. They have tons of fun themed dinners.

For carb loading, we love Zio Cecio. Francesco Farris is the owner; he used to own Arcodoro Pomodoro.”

GRANGE HALL // 4445 Travis St., Dallas; ufgrangehall.com ZIO CECIO // 4615 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas; ziocecio.com

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S H O PPI N G LO C A L

g “There are a lot of great local boutiques.

You’ve got V.O.D. down in Victory Plaza. You’ve got Grange Hall for beautiful jewelry and oneof-a-kind items. You’ve got Cabana. I recently became an aunt, and with the kids home, I’ve been stocking up on fun eco toys and games from The Tot.” V.O.D. // 2418 CABANA // 4711 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas; cabanacanary.com THE TOT // thetot.com

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

‘‘

SOLITUDE. BEING AT HOME BY MYSELF. THAT’S MY MAIN THING. I CAN DECOMPRESS, GET MY THOUGHTS BACK IN ORDER, AND THEN I CAN GO OUT AND TACKLE THE WORLD. I JUST WANT TO HAVE MY MOMENT TO MYSELF. I DO THAT, AND I PLAY TENNIS A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.

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BO O K S O N H E R N I G HT S TA N D

Victory Park Lane, Dallas; vodbotique.com GRANGE HALL // 4445 Travis St., Dallas; ufgrangehall.com

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S E LF- C A R E R ECI PE

Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power; Becoming by Michelle Obama; The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book by Tom Robinson

CURRY SPICES: ©I ©ISTOCK; FOOD: GRANGE HALL; SOUL OF A NATION BOOK: D.A.P./TATE; DRESSES: CABANA

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HEATHER VANCE DEVERS

3

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/ ROUTINES

a monday in the life of

CRYSTAL NERPEL

Crystal Nerpel, the owner of Cloud Nine Organizing, lives by the words “declutter, de-stress and simplify.”

She lives in Corinth with her husband of 24 years, Rob, a business development executive and cattle rancher.

Together they’re raising Barret, 11, and Tori, 18.

On the weekends, the family relocates to their ranch in Loving, northwest of Fort Worth.

During the pandemic, Nerpel’s days have been anything but typical.

7

:30AM I wake up before the kids so that I can get my daily self-care routine done without interruption. I have started oil-pulling, and it’s hard to talk to your family while you are swishing coconut oil around in your mouth for 10–15 minutes. Apparently, it releases toxins. I make the bed while I’m oil-pulling. Then I brush my teeth, take my vitamins and meditate for 15 minutes.

8:15AM My husband is in his office on a conference call, so I peek my head in and say hi. I scoop up a small load of laundry to throw into the washing machine.

8:25AM I find my son Barret sitting at the kitchen table. He’s working on his fifth grade Google Classroom assignments. On Mondays, he gets a calendar from his teachers for the week.

Math, fantasy writing, independent reading … the list goes on. I give him an elderberry gummy, probiotic gummy and breakfast. He’s a picky eater, so I give him toast or Cheerios and hope he’ll eat.

Sometimes he’ll want a corndog or soup instead!

My daughter is still sleeping.

9AM After getting dressed and having a cup of coffee, I put the laundry in the dryer. Then I head to my office, log into Canvas and start working on this week’s lesson for my life-coaching course.

I’m taking a couple life-coaching courses so I can

better help my organizing clients. Each week, I have one interactive discussion question about a coaching technique and respond to other students’ answers. I usually spend about 15–20 hours a week on these classes.

10:15AM I hop on Zoom with my Tuesday morning Organizing Mastermind group. As usual, I learn something new from these brilliant women.

I have several of these group meetings each week through my company, Cloud Nine. I discuss organizing, decluttering and de-stressing.

11:30AM I am hungry! I’m trying out intermittent fasting … not sure if I love it. I eat breakfastslash-lunch and check in with my son to make sure he’s not overloading on video games. The struggle is real.

11:45AM My teenage daughter Tori, a senior at Guyer High School, makes an appearance in the kitchen. Both kids eat and we chat.

12PM I have my son read a chapter in one of his I Survived books, a series that tells the stories of kids who survived historic disasters. He reads as fast as he can then runs off to play with his mini-basketball hoop in his bedroom. His hair now hangs in his face because there are no barber shops open. He’s trying out the “man bun” look.

It’s interesting. Looks more like a small fountain on top of his head.

12:30PM I go back to my office to finish an assignment.

1:15PM I work on new content for my Love Your Home Club—Cloud Nine’s monthly subscription club full of decluttering and organizing tips—and prepare for my Wednesday Organizing Mastermind group.

3:45PM I finally check emails and see a request for a virtual organizing session. I follow up and set up a phone consultation for tomorrow afternoon. I check my Google Calendar for the day and make my “ta-da list” for tomorrow. I have a ta-da list, not a to-do list. I know it sounds silly, but it works for me.

4PM Time to close up shop for the day! I ask my daughter to join me for the Facebook Live Pure Barre class that I was supposed to take at 9:30 this morning. My daughter says, “That sounds terrible”—like I knew she would. I’ll still ask her again and again. I tell her to get the laundry out of the dryer and start folding it.

5PM Meditate for 15 minutes.

5:15PM Family time! We usually eat dinner pretty early. My husband has been cooking pulled pork on the smoker all day—my favorite! We all sit down at the table and eat. Then, my kids and I do our best to clean up the kitchen. I love when my husband cooks, but the kitchen is usually a wreck afterwards.

6:30PM Blinded by the Light is on HBO, so we all sit down and watch the last half of the movie together.

7:30PM I grab the laundry that my daughter put in my bedroom for me and put my clothes away.

Diaries are penned by moms (and dads) in the North Texas area. The authors volunteer to share a day of their choosing and are not paid or endorsed by DFWChild. Send your diary to editorial@dfwchild.com. All submissions are subject to editing and may be cut for space.

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june 2020 / dfwchild.com

NERPEL FAMILY: MELISSA GUY

real moms

the fine

print

WHAT SHE’S READING Marie Forleo’s Everything Is Figureoutable and Emily Fletcher’s Stress Less, Accomplish More FAVORITE INDULGENCE

Sitting in my rocking chair on the front porch of our little ranch house, sipping my famous “ranch” margarita. GUARANTEED TO MAKE HER LAUGH My sister GUARANTEED TO MAKE HER CRY When I drop my daughter off at college this fall FAVORITE SCENT Peppermint oil in my diffuser BEST PURCHASE EVER My Toyota Sienna minivan. We sold it about five years ago, but it was perfect for a family with two small kids! TITLE OF HER FUTURE AUTOBIOGRAPHY Declutter.

De-Stress. Simplify. NO. 1 ITEM ON HER BUCKET LIST Become a New York Times bestselling author MOTHERHOOD IN FIVE WORDS So much love and uncertainty HOBBIES Reading, using my label maker (haha), simply being outside SHE’D LIKE MORE TIME TO Do nothing. Sometimes, “nothing” is my favorite thing.

CELEBRITY MOM SHE ADMIRES

EVERYTHING IS FIGUREOUTABLE: PENGUIN PUBLISHING GROUP; LABEL MAKER: DYMO

Beverly Goldberg on the show The Goldbergs. She cracks me up! HOSTESS TIP If you’re an introvert like me, it’s OK to not host parties.

I think it’s funny that she would rather do laundry than work out with me.

8PM The poor dog has been a bit neglected today, so we take a family walk around the block. The boys (my husband, my son and the dog) all run ahead. My daughter and I take our time enjoying ourselves.

We talk about the fact that we get to pick up her cap and gown this Thursday. It’s a bright spot in our week. Denton ISD is still holding my daughter’s graduation ceremony at the scheduled time at Texas Motor Speedway but with social distancing guidelines in mind.

8:30PM Back home. I make sure all bright lights are turned off. I turn off the TV and put my phone on silent and on the docking station in the kitchen for the night.

9:30PM Right before bed, I take the time to journal. I try to write down at least three things I’m grateful for today. There is always something to be grateful for. This puts me into a good mind-space for sleep.

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Building Resilience to Trauma BOY: ©ISTOCK

WORDS CARRIE STEINGRUBER

How our kids process serious ordeals depends, in large part, on our actions as parents dfwchild.com / june 2020

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H

E DOESN’T REMEMBER the walk home from school. The confrontation. The punch. Falling back, his head striking the electrical box.

Another punch, and another.

The beating left AJ with a level three concussion, vision problems, slurred speech and no memory of the incident—or the 14 years that came before.

Monique Young, AJ’s mom, says her son went to bed early after the attack. When she went to wake him the next morning, “he barricaded himself in his room because he didn’t know who I was; he didn’t know where he was,” she recalls.

Six months of therapy fixed AJ’s physical symptoms, but he had to rely on loved-onesturned-strangers to help him relearn what a dog is, what a hamburger is called, how birthdays are celebrated. He turned 15 a couple of months after it happened. “We got a cake for him,” Young says, “and we brought it out, and we lit the candles, and he kind of looked at all of us, and he goes, ‘Why would you set a cake on fire?’”

necessarily protect our kids from trauma, we can prepare them for it, and be emotionally available to meet their needs as they heal.

A CRY FOR HELP

With trauma experts, “It depends” is a common refrain. Everything about trauma is subjective, including how traumatic stress manifests in a child. Plus, what we know about trauma and how it affects the body is still evolving.

“What research is showing us is that when trauma happens, it gets stored in our body,” says licensed professional counselor Kelsey D’Amore, founder and co-owner of Connect To Thrive in Plano. “So that’s why kiddos will have tummyaches, why they’ll have headaches, why they may get sick and throw up or why they may lose control of their bowels.”

Mentally, trauma jacks up our levels of cortisol, thrusting the brain into survival mode—the proverbial fight, flight or freeze. “When we experience that cortisol and adrenaline, that’s the same thing that zebras feel when they’re trying to run away from lions,” D’Amore says. “So if

A LIVING NIGHTMARE

Though AJ doesn’t remember the beating that took all those memories from him, he still has nightmares about it two and a half years later.

“He just has learned to stay up and function on no sleep,” shares Young. “There was a period of him saying he was sleeping, and then I discovered that he’s actually not been asleep for two days, to avoid the nightmares.”

He also avoids crowded spaces, like the mall or concerts. Young says if they’re at Subway and a couple of tough-looking men walk in, AJ will tense up and whisper, “Mom, look at those guys—are they going to hit me? Are we safe?”

“I can’t even imagine what he’s thinking sometimes,” Young says. “He’ll be 18 in January, and it’s still a constant, ‘Is somebody going to do something to me when I go out?’”

The extent of AJ’s traumatic memory loss is exceptional, but his anxiety, his nightmares— those are classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. We’re quick to associate PTSD with battle-scarred soldiers or victims of abuse, yet especially for children, what constitutes “trauma” is broad and highly individualized. An event that seems trivial to one child might rock another kid’s world for weeks, months or even years, possibly into adulthood.

How do you protect a child from something like that? In a way, you can’t. As much as we cling to what tendrils of control we have over the chaos in our lives, as much as we surround our children with the trappings of security and try to guard them from life’s sharp edges—stuff happens. Thunderstorms rattle our foundations.

Beloved pets die. A virus sends the world into lockdown. In some things, we are powerless.

But we do have control over our response to trauma—even before it happens—and experts say that can be just as powerful an influence on a child as the event itself. Though we can’t 24

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

“You can be physically present and emotionally unavailable without realizing it.” we’re feeling that way 24/7, we’re exhausted, and we’re irritable, and our brain can’t work the way that we need it to.”

Kids with PTSD continue acting out of that “primal brain,” the one programmed for survival, long after the event. “With post-traumatic stress disorder, what it does is it hijacks the neural pathways in your brain,” explains Molly Davidson, a training specialist at Texas Christian University’s trauma-focused Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development. “The amygdala part of your brain is the smoke detector, so it’s the part of your brain that stands constantly for threat, and it is on high alert all the time.”

That’s one of the signal differences between

PTSD and other trauma responses: The brain doesn’t return to standard operating procedures after a few weeks or months. Instead, like AJ, the child remains captive to the base instincts aroused by that event. They’re plagued by intrusive flashbacks or nightmares, and they might struggle with insomnia, anxiety or low self-esteem. These symptoms are severe enough to interfere with their daily life. In AJ’s case, it’s turned him into more of a homebody, and his family moved from Little Elm to Frisco because driving down the street where they lived—where the attack happened—made him anxious.

Kids with severe but short-term symptoms may have acute stress disorder instead of PTSD; anxiety disorders and depression can also result from trauma.

The challenge for parents is recognizing the symptoms for what they are: a cry for help.

“Kids use behaviors to signal how they feel,” Davidson says. “They’re not able to use their words when they’re in distress a lot of times.”

Instead, they may act out, withdraw or even regress, which the experts say has been a common reaction to the stress of the pandemic.

“For instance, if you have teenagers in your house who typically wouldn’t need you as a caregiver to help them regulate [their emotions], all of a sudden they might be acting almost immature, like, ‘Why are you acting like that? You’re acting like a baby,’” says Davidson. “Well, when we get stressed, sometimes that’s what we want—we want to be cared for in that way.”

Other times, the behavioral tells are subtler or more mundane. “[AJ] does something that’s kind of peculiar that makes him feel safe. He will put his hoodie over his head, and that’s kind of my signal that he’s uncomfortable,” Young reveals. “You know when you have a small baby, and they put the blanket over their head and they’re like, ‘You can’t see me!’? It reminds me a lot of that.”

STRUCTURE VS. NURTURE

Sarah Mercado is Davidson’s colleague at the Karyn Purvis Institute, so she’s worked with kids from challenging backgrounds for years.

But when trauma ambushed her own family five years ago, she was surprised by how she reacted.

Getting ready for a rainy-day outing to the movies, Mercado’s family was alarmed to see floodwaters threatening their rural home. “We looked out, and what is typically a dry creek on the side of our house, probably 50, 60 yards away, was literally like a raging river through our side yard,” she says. “It happened in a total heartbeat.”

She, her husband and their two daughters (then 12 and 10) fled the home. Mercado had the girls with her in the family’s SUV. “When we were backing out, I sank the Suburban in our grass, and—this is just full disclosure—I cussed in front of them for the first time, and so they were convinced that we were going to die.”

They made it to safety, but only by crossing a couple of low spots in the road, where

GIRL: ©ISTOCK

Mercado feared the fast-flowing water would carry away the Suburban. Meanwhile, four feet of water inundated their home, destroying most of her older daughter’s possessions and forcing the family to rebuild. “[The girls] reacted very differently,” Mercado reveals. “One wanted to be really heavy in the mess of fixing it. She wanted all the information; she needed to know what was going on, because I think with all of that information, it calmed her down. My other one, that was creating more anxiety for her. She just needed to know, ‘Do you have me? Am I safe?’”

Both girls exhibited physical symptoms too—“lots of upset stomachs, for several months”—and uncharacteristically short tempers. But at first, Mercado and her husband were so embroiled in the busyness of taking care of the family’s physical needs that they missed the signs of their daughters’ emotional distress.

“They weren’t unsafe, they were well cared for, they were having fun, but what they actually needed was us, more so than any of the other stuff,” she says.

It is easy for adults to get caught up in maintaining schedules, getting food on the table, making sure their family is physically safe and taken care of when that might not be what kids really need from them in the midst of trauma.

“When we think about safety, a lot of times we think about it in terms of, ‘I’m working really hard as a parent to provide you with a good home, a safe home’—all those structural pieces,” Davidson says. “But you can be physically present and emotionally unavailable without realizing it.”

She adds that kids need “a solid balance of structure and nurture.” But so often parents substitute one for the other. For instance: “‘I put the note in their lunch, and I made them their favorite meal, and I took them to 9,000 activities.’ And all those things are good, but they’re structural things; they’re not connection things,” Davidson explains. “When we have that relational or emotional disconnect, it’s really easy to miss the small indicators our kids are giving us that things aren’t going great.”

It took a few weeks of the girls acting out for Mercado and her husband to pick up on those indicators. “If we had intentionally made time for 10 minutes of play with them or listening or talking or just being with them, we probably would not have seen the behaviors,” she says.

But for Mercado, sitting with her girls in their feelings was not comfortable—however irrational, she felt some responsibility for the trauma her daughters had experienced. “I almost didn’t want to see that this was a big deal, because if it was a big deal, then I potentially allowed my children to get hurt,” she says. “For me the only way to get out of the mom guilt and the being overwhelmed was to hurry up and get back to normal.”

When you just want your kids to be OK and feel safe, it’s easy to dismiss their feelings. But saying “You don’t need to be afraid” doesn’t

help a child move forward; it only discounts their very real emotions. Mercado reveals that her own upbringing encouraged her to brush things off and move on. “Because I was raised in a really dismissive way, the most comfortable place for me to go was away from any heavy or hard feelings,” she says.

She’s done the work to become more emotionally available to her girls—to “sit in her discomfort” for their sake, as she puts it—and that intentional relationship-building served her family well after the flood. Once she and her husband validated their daughters’ feelings and gave them a voice in the rebuilding process, their traumatic stress symptoms began to subside.

“We don’t want the feelings to be a big deal, but the truth is the feelings become a whole lot smaller when we allow them to feel them,” she says.

BOUNCING FORWARD

Mercado can attest: It’s easier to work through your child’s feelings during a traumatic situation

if you’ve practiced beforehand.

“Being able to talk openly with your child, and having them feel comfortable and willing to talk openly with you, is a skill that should be developed and nurtured,” says Ronald S. Palomares-Fernandez, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and associate professor at Texas Woman’s University. “It shouldn’t be just during a traumatic event or right after the traumatic event.”

After 9/11, Palomares-Fernandez helped create resources about bouncing forward from trauma by building what researchers call resilience. He offers the good news that resilience can be learned—and must be learned, if we want our kids to weather traumatic events. “We find that there’s resilience-building skills that we can have to help us overcome not just the current trauma, but also to be more successful in the future,” he explains. Skills like these: TALK WITH, NOT AT, YOUR CHILD. We may fall into the habit of lecturing our kids, directing them to the next activity or telling them how they should feel, rather than engaging in a dfwchild.com / june 2020

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feature /

BUILDING RESILIENCE TO TRAUMA

two-way, intentional dialogue. “It’s really easy as a parent—and I can be accused of this at many times—to just be really busy, and when my son or my daughter asked me a question, I gave them an answer but I wasn’t really engaged with them,” Palomares-Fernandez admits. “It’s really listening to your children, and when they have questions, answering them honestly and simply and with reassurance.”

He reveals that for kids, one of the key ingredients of resilience is having a trusted adult that they can talk to about anything and know that their feelings won’t be dismissed. Davidson echoes this sentiment: “Truly the best indicator for mental health is for kids to have meaningful relationships where they feel seen and heard, and by that, safe.”

If you and your kids don’t have this kind of open discourse, Davidson recommends starting small—just five or 10 minutes a day of intentional play and conversation. “It’s going to be awkward at first,” she says. (You can find more of her advice for these play sessions at dfwchild.com.)

going to take care of them, you’re going to love them.”

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. “When we’re not feeling good, it’s easier to let things bother us, let our mind wander, let us go to more negatives and more extremes,” says Palomares-Fernandez. “So taking care of ourselves is critical.” He harkens back to the need for creating routines, which could include regular exercise and healthy meals— for your kids and you. “[Parents] need to be healthy and present in order to be able to be healthy and present for their children.”

Part of caring for yourself is giving yourself grace, especially when you too are in the mire of a traumatic situation. You can’t change your circumstances or cure your child’s emotional turmoil in a day, Davidson says. “Here’s the hope for your kids,” she adds. “You can’t always protect them from all the scary things out there, but what you can do is do your best as a parent to always be sharpening your own skills to say, ‘How am I available for my child?’”

CREATE AND MAINTAIN ROUTINES.

Established routines become especially important during a traumatic event, says Palomares-Fernandez. “Trauma just takes control away from us in so many different ways, and we feel lost. And by creating a routine, it gives us a little bit of sense of stability and control back, that ‘I can’t control what’s happening out there, but I can control my environment in here.’”

But as Davidson reminds us, structure shouldn’t take the place of nurture—the goal is to find a balance that works for your family.

FIND A PURPOSE. Involve your child in something outside themselves, whether it be a chore that contributes to the household, or a service activity like picking up litter at the neighborhood park or working at a food pantry. “We find that when we’re altruistic, when we’re helping other people, there’s just this sense of happiness or goodness that invades us,” PalomaresFernandez explains. “And by calling on a child, it does so much more because it also establishes or helps to build on their confidence.”

OFFER PERSPECTIVE AND CONSTANT REASSURANCE. While the 24/7 news cycle

is a dangerous rabbit hole, exposing your kids to some news is healthy if you’re there to offer context. “[Ask] them what they think about what’s going on, what they’ve heard, what worries them, what are they looking forward to and things like that,” Palomares-Fernandez says, stressing that parents should temper scary information with words of reassurance. “Children need to be reassured that as a parent you’re going to be there for them, that you’re 26

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

Read Your Feelings Part of cultivating an open dialogue with your child is helping them build an emotional vocabulary beyond the basics of happy, mad and sad. “They don’t always have the ability to express their experience or even put words to how they’re feeling,” says licensed professional counselor Kelsey D’Amore of Connect To Thrive in Plano. These books can help fill in those gaps, she explains, teaching words like “frustrated, disappointed, embarrassed, ashamed—all these different kinds of words that can help them better understand themselves.”

• The Color Monster by Anna Llenas • The Bad Seed by Jory John; illustrated by Pete Oswald • The Good Egg by Jory John; illustrated by Pete Oswald • The Cool Bean by Jory John; illustrated by Pete Oswald • The Invisible String by Patrice Karst; illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff • In My Heart by Jo Witek; illustrated by Christine Roussey And Pixar, of course, has a movie for that. “Inside Out is one of my favorite movies,” D’Amore says. “It’s wonderful; I encourage parents to start there.”

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special needs.

RÉSUMÉ AGE 38 HOMETOWN Granbury LIVES IN Fort Worth JOB President and CEO of Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County ALMA MATER Texas A&M University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s in public service and administration SIGNIFICANT OTHER Husband Johny, a professor of organizational communication at TCU WHERE THEY MET Through Aggies for Christ and their church in College Station CHILDREN Sons Nathan, 9, and Ryan, 6. Ryan has autism and is minimally verbal.

Lindsey Garner, with son Ryan, started a community for special needs moms in Fort Worth and beyond.

AUTISM PUZZLE PIECE: NOUN PROJECT

mom next door /

LINDSEY GARNER 'mom strong' leader WORDS

ALEXIS PATTERSON

PHOTOGRAPHER

N I C K

PRENDERGAST

T

HE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN TOUGH for all moms. We’ve been balancing motherhood, relationships, work (from home, for many of us) and the stress of pandemic-induced isolation. North Texas mom Lindsey Garner has also had the challenge of keeping her nonprofit organization meeting the extensive needs of local at-risk children—without the benefit of personal contact—and ensuring her 6-year-old son Ryan, who has autism and is minimally verbal, continues progressing in learning and life skills. It’s a lot, of course, but doing for others comes naturally to her.

Still, while Garner always knew her calling involved service, becoming a special needs parent was entirely unexpected. She had no experience with autism, and she felt shock, grief and a disconnect from those around her with neurotypical children. So what’s a mom dfwchild.com / june 2020

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special needs / M O M

Offering virtual or in-person campus tours year-round

• PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL • SMALL CLASS SIZES • SOCIAL LEARNING CURRICULUM AT ALL GRADE LEVELS • SENSORY MOTOR LAB • SPEECH AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ON SITE • PRESCHOOL THROUGH FIRST GRADE CLASSES TAUGHT BY LICENSED SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS • TRANSITIONS SKILLS AND JOB READINESS • SUMMER CAMPS

Oak Hill Academy is dedicated to providing individualized academic and social-emotional learning programs not found in traditional learning environments. Through a multi-sensory instructional model, we take a whole-child approach, preparing our students for life after graduation.

9407 MIDWAY ROAD, DALLAS 75220 | 214-353-8804 | oakhillacademy.org

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approaches to speech + feeding therapy Speech | Orofacial Myofunctional | Feeding Therapy

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to do? Garner drew on her leadership skills and desire to serve in order to build support and community for herself and other special needs parents in DFW. Where did your interest in solving social problems originate? My family was always really involved in our church, and I had lots of opportunities to go on mission trips. I grew up being mindful of the poor and ways that you can serve other people. I think that just became the thing that I wanted to do with my life and my career. And honestly, I never really felt called to do anything else professionally. So it really was a natural fit to pursue a career in a nonprofit industry.

You are president and CEO of Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County. How does your organization support children at risk?

Communities In Schools is a national organization that is focused on providing supportive services for at-risk kids. That might include addressing basic needs or social, emotional or mental health supports.

We work with children in poverty, those who might be in a situation of abuse or neglect, children who have a parent incarcerated or those who need the support of a caring adult to help identify their specific challenges and to overcome those barriers. Communities In Schools is the bridge between the student, their family and community agencies and services.

In a nutshell, we contract with school districts to place our licensed social workers on their campuses full time. And each social worker case-manages up to 90 students per campus. Our social workers do needs assessments to see what resources are lacking for a child, and their job is to connect the student and family with local social services.

We also provide one-on-one mental health counseling for students and their families. The idea is to surround students with what they need to be successful in school.

That’s a big job. How do you ensure those kids are taken care of while managing your own life and family? It’s definitely asking a lot of our team to give of themselves to so many children and families in need, but then still be able to be a parent or a spouse in their own home. I’m in that same boat as well. We’re constantly pouring out into others. So we talk a lot at work about self-care. I believe that we have to nurture ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually to be our best. And I can tell when I’m neglecting any one of those areas—it impacts me. And then that’s going to impact my ability to be my best for my family and in my work.

When did you realize that Ryan had special needs? He seemed to be developing normally or meeting his milestones until he was about maybe 1½ or 2. He was making sounds and being responsive. He crawled and walked and that sort of thing at the normal times. But about the time you would expect his speech to really be starting to take off, he was doing the opposite. He never moved past baby sounds and making noises. And he flapped, flapping his arms constantly, spinning, jumping, constant movement. So we saw red flag after red flag.

“I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A REAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WE’RE SEEING IN OUR HOME.”

CREATIVE + INTEGRATED

Rebecca L. Dana, MS, CCC/SLP, PC, SIPT-C

NEXT DOOR

At what age was Ryan diagnosed with autism? He was diagnosed at 3.

For a long time, they called him nonverbal. I really don’t like that term for him because I think it is so finite—like a description of what he can’t do, and I don’t believe that. I do not believe that my child cannot speak. I think he doesn’t speak a lot yet, but he does have some words, and he’s constantly adding to his list of words. Some are repetitive. Some are generative, meaning that he is saying them on his own in the right context. But he is minimally verbal, not socially verbal yet.

Was it hard for you to adapt to being a special needs parent?

Absolutely. My husband, I think, once read an analogy about somebody telling you that you were going on a trip, and you pack for a certain destination. And then at the last minute, you are told you’re going someplace completely different, experiencing the shock of that: You’re still going on a trip but are completely ill-equipped.

I felt very isolated. It was amazing to me that you can feel so isolated when you are so involved. We were very involved at church. I was very involved in the community through work. And I had the sweetest girlfriends. But I went through a time where I couldn’t go out with girlfriends because I felt like my path was so different. It affected me psychologically. I couldn’t participate in conversation the way that you would want to. I didn’t want to be around people I could not relate to and who didn’t relate to me. I got really tired of sympathy and what felt like platitudes. I’m like, “You know what? That’s nice, but I just want you to truly understand.” I wanted to be able to have a real conversation about the challenges we’re seeing in our home.

How did you create the community you needed? Well, first, I looked for it. I really thought that in a thriving city like Fort Worth, I would easily find a support group for moms who were raising children with autism. So the first thing I did was go on social media, looking for other moms I could meet with. And there were a couple of groups I found, but they weren’t convenient for my location and schedule. Also, I didn’t want to go to a formal meeting where we sit around in a circle and who knows what. I wanted girlfriends. I wanted to go out with some girlfriends like me. And I could not find that in Fort Worth proper.

Another girl I connected with on social media said, “I’m looking for a support group too. Why don’t you start one?” And I was thinking, “Yeah, that’s just what I need—one more thing on my plate.” But I did.

Tell us about that process. In October 2018, I started #MomStrongFW on Facebook. I scheduled a meeting for La Madeleine on Camp Bowie.

And I told my husband, “I’m going to go. I’m going to sit there with my dinner and my glass of wine, and I’m going to just hope and pray some women will walk through the door.” And soon enough—I think at that first meeting, we had 13 women.

That meeting really turned into a core group of women who now have developed friendships. We get together for dinner one evening a month, except during COVID. We usually have about 15 women attend. And then we have 166 members on the online platform.

How does #MomStrongFW use Facebook? I started it as a public Facebook page, but then quickly, some moms gave feedback and said, “If we are going to share information about our children, we’d rather it be a private group,” which totally made sense. So I turned it into a private group. And it’s just people trying to navigate their everyday lives.

It’s sharing resources, maybe recommending a therapist they use with their child, and a lot of emotional support.

Now that you have this community, is it easier to spend time with your girlfriends who are raising neurotypical children? Yes, actually. I don’t feel isolated anymore. Before, when I was with them, I was comparing and saying to myself, “Oh my goodness, look at this huge contrast between where I am and what they’re saying and talking about. I can’t relate and you can’t understand where I am.” And I was grieving. But I think because I have another group of people that I can process through that with and people who do relate, I’m not bringing that with me anymore and not bogged down by that. Isn’t that amazing?

Search #MomStrongFW on Facebook to connect with Garner’s group. dfwchild.com / june 2020

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special needs / B R I E F S

INTERVIEW ALEXIS PATTERSON

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G E T TI N G TH RO U G H SO CI A L D I S TA N CI N G

OUR CHILDREN NEED ROUTINE, SO WHEN COVID STRUCK, WE QUICKLY CREATED A NEW ROUTINE THAT PROVIDED SOME CONSISTENCY FOR HOW WE STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES, LEARNING TIME AND FUN TIME. WE ALSO STUCK WITH CONSISTENT BEDTIMES. STRUCTURE CAN HELP MINIMIZE ANXIETY WHEN SO MANY THINGS SEEM UNCERTAIN. AND OUR MOMS GROUP CONTINUED TO MEET VIRTUALLY.

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R ECOM M E N D E D R E A DS

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g ON RAISING A CHILD WITH AUTISM: Uniquely Human by Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D. “This book offers a helpful lens through which to view autism, how to think about goals for your child and a sense of what is really important.” g FOR PLEASURE: “I’ve always been interested in World War II and enjoy reading fiction novels based on this time period, especially when they’re inspired by true acts of heroism. Some of my favorites are The Nightingale, The Alice Network and Lilac Girls.”

FO R G I R LFR I E N D G ATH E R I N G S

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S E LF- C A R E S P OT

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I LOVE WALKING THROUGH THE JAPANESE GARDEN AT FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN. IT’S SO SERENE AND A GREAT PLACE FOR REFLECTION AND MEDITATION.

FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN // 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth; fwbg.org

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MU S T-H AV E A PP

“Anywhere that makes a good margarita and tacos!

Some of my favorites are Rusty Taco and Blue Mesa.”

“Using an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) device has been a helpful tool for our family as we encourage our son to develop expressive language. There are several popular language software programs, but we are finding LAMP Words for Life very user-friendly and easy for our son to learn.” LAMP

RUSTY TACO // Multiple locations; rustytaco.com BLUE MESA // Multiple locations;

WORDS FOR LIFE APP // aacapps.com

bluemesagrill.com

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WO R DS O F WI S D OM

g“I think grief is a natural part of raising a child with special needs, and it’s not a one-time experience. While you try to focus on the ways your child is progressing and to celebrate the victories, you are constantly reminded of ways they differ from their neurotypical peers. For me, this is where having others who can truly relate to our experience is so important, to provide encouragement and support, and where my faith helps to strengthen me on the journey.”

GARNER : NICK PRENDERGAST; UNIQUELY HUMAN: SIMON & SCHUSTER; MARGARITAS: RUSTY TACO

lindsey garner’s tips and tools for fellow parents

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SURVIVE & THRIVE

Make a beeline for our Telehealth hotline.

To schedule ABA therapy live and online, call 469.353.6634 now.

(Limited, in-person therapy also available)

The Behavior Exchange offers ABA therapy live and online?

Yes, we do! Even before the health crisis, we offered Telehealth services to ensure families have access to the best Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) no matter where they were located.

Our Telehealth services are the best way to stay connected to our therapists and receive the care your child needs to make an easy transition back to a normal routine once the health crisis has passed.

We’ve got something for parents, too!

Telehealth Parent Training will help you learn key ABA principles and how to apply them in real life situations with your child.

• Call our Telehealth hotline at 469.353.6634 to learn more!

TBE TELEHEALTH 1

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SEEKING PARENTS WHO UNDERSTAND SPECIAL NEEDS

Telehealth Hotline

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469.353.6634

Monday-Saturday. 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM CST

P.S. Slowly and safely, we’re reopening our Frisco and Plano hives. Limited onsite therapy sessions are available in keeping with current health guidelines.

Please call for details if interested.

972.312.8733

intake@behaviorexchange.com

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dfwchild.com / june 2020

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a monday in the life of

MARIA ROSALES

For more than two decades, Maria Rosales has shaped young minds in the classroom. She went virtual this spring, teaching her Northwest ISD pre-K students remotely during the pandemic. Rosales lives in Haslet with her husband Al, a University Park police officer, and their two children: Marisol, 14, and Marcos, 9, who has Down syndrome. In addition to teaching, Rosales is staying on top of Marcos’ IEP sessions and online karate classes.

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AM Al turns off the house alarm and heads out for his morning commute to Dallas.

7AM Quick shower. My hair and skin have never looked so good. I rarely put full make-up on anymore. I plan the day and write my daily gratitude.

7:30AM Workout time. I’m not a fitness guru, but I’m trying out all those Pinterest routines I’ve pinned. I make my infused water—another Pinterest obsession.

8AM I check emails, look at students’ uploaded work and send Zoom invitations for this week’s Fun Friday meeting.

8:30AM Marcos strolls in my room, still sleepy.

He snuggles in my bed. I have to admit, this is my favorite part of the day. He’s been attending public school since he was 3 years old. Since kindergarten, he’s attended school with me, which means getting up extra early because I’m a teacher. These days, I let him sleep in and don’t rush him.

9AM Time to log in to Marcos’ third grade class meeting. He loves seeing his friends and teachers. They talk about the week’s activities and play a game, then the kids share and talk.

9:30AM Since I have Marcos’ full attention, I work on a quick IEP session with him. We practice identifying letters and numbers.

10AM Marisol appears from her “cave.” Again, being a teacher’s kid, she also had to be at school earlier than most. So I don’t mind her sleeping in. At the beginning of remote learning, I worked with her on how to schedule her day and plan her

week. Once she had a routine, she took off. I don’t have to keep tabs on her because she does what she needs to and turns in her assignments online.

11AM Marcos has earned 30 minutes of iPad time. He sings songs and plays games on his favorite app. Marisol is busy with schoolwork.

I go back to check emails and start small group videos to send out to my students.

12PM I revamp leftovers for lunch. Since we have been quarantining, I have been brushing up my culinary skills with home-cooked meals.

1PM Back to Marcos. We log in to the district’s online reading support site. He is not interested in this activity, but I try. He acts like he’s sleepy and pretends to go to bed, shouting “No!” from his room. I go on and on about how much fun I’m having. Halfway through the lesson, he joins me.

2PM I force my daughter to go outside with Marcos. He loves to play ball and recently found YouTube videos of past NFL games. So now he acts like he is playing football, and it just makes me smile!

2:30PM While the kids are outside, I go back to check emails and call families to check in on how they are doing. I love learning and have been researching various education workshops and motivational training programs.

3PM The kids come inside, ready for a snack. I am ready for a brain break. Marcos pulls me into his room and we “play.” (I put toys away, but he thinks we are playing.) We practice counting toys, and he helps arrange and sort clothes and shoes. I call this his “life skills” time.

4PM We log in to recorded classes from Marcos’ karate school. I do the best I can and learn some new moves with him. Even though we are at home, Marcos insists on wearing his full karate uniform.

5PM We go back to free time. Marisol calls a friend or paints. Marcos watches Elmo’s Playdate.

If you haven’t watched this, it is the cutest show.

We have it on replay.

6PM Daddy is home! My husband arrives and washes up before he greets us. He has been very diligent since all of this has started; he wears a mask and gloves, and he distances at work. Hugs and kisses. I catch my Zumba class on Zoom.

7PM My husband plays with the kids while I start dinner. We eat and chat about our day.

8PM We work on our latest puzzle as a family, and Marcos plays catch with balloons. Who would have known that a balloon could create an hour or so of fun? We play until he gets tired.

9PM Kids start getting ready for bed. Baths, brushing teeth and picking out bedtime books. Finally, kisses goodnight.

10PM My husband and I catch up on world news and finish adult conversations. I read a bit in bed and scribble an idea for my dream novel. Marcos gets up a few times and turns on the lights. We take turns tucking him back in bed, and finally he goes to sleep. Another day down in this new life we have. Stay home and healthy!

Diaries are penned by moms (and dads) in the North Texas area. The authors volunteer to share a day of their choosing and are not paid or endorsed by DFWChild. Send your diary to editorial@dfwchild.com. All submissions are subject to editing and may be cut for space.

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ROSALES FAMILY: J GAMEZ PHOTOGRAPHY

special needs / R O U T I N E S

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS AND GUARDIANSHIPS

5600 Tennyson Parkway, Suite 105 Plano, Texas 75024 214-269-4290 weekslawfirm.com dfwchild.com / june 2020

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special needs

/ TAKE NOTE advised, contact your local health authority for potential alternatives and guidance. (For more on masks for children with special needs, see page 38.)

Virtual interactions can be difficult—for kids with special needs in particular.

GO THE DISTANCE

helping kids with special needs social distance WORDS

STUDENT: ©I ©ISTOCK; MASK: NOUN PROJECT

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ALEXIS PATTERSON

ORI IS A FRIEND to everyone she meets. The 7-year-old north Fort Worth girl, who has Down syndrome, thrives around others. It’s a happy quality—but one that isn’t exactly compatible with the mandates of social distancing.

“This has been a struggle,” admits Tori’s mom, Azure Jensen. “Being quarantined at home has been hard.”

Though that’s true for everyone, for kids with special needs, it can be especially distressing. Still, there are ways to help your child, even if they resist safeguards or don’t fully grasp the situation.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE Adults have, to a large extent, settled into a new normal; however, children—those with special needs, in particular—need frequent reminders about what’s expected. While you can and should talk about social distancing (before and during outings), visual learning and engaging activities are more impactful.

“I’ve found role-playing scenarios very beneficial,” says Jill Hansen, a special education teacher in Fort Worth ISD. “We also watch

TECH SUPPORT As families and friends physically distance, we’re all relying on virtual connections more than ever. Though some kids have adapted to technology-based communication relatively easily (“Tori has done well with the online learning process,” Jensen notes), for others, the change has been onerous. “Using Zoom and other technology for social interactions can create symptoms of anxiety in even the most socially apt and verbose individuals,” points out Bianchi. “Imagine navigating that technology with a deficit in communication and socialization.”

It’s even harder when there’s not a visual component to the conversation. Tone and intent can be difficult to infer through emails and text messages, and children may be impatient for replies.

If your kiddo is struggling with socializing and receiving therapy by screen, Bianchi advises flexibility. If your child needs a break from a virtual session and it’s not going to really adversely affect their development, let them take a pass. And when they do participate, take it in steps. Your child Our experts offered these additional may start by just listensuggestions for this time of social ing. They could then write distancing: down what they want to say before moving on to Find social stories about appropriate vocal contributions. For distancing online, or check out Julia texts and emails, reiterate Cook’s book Personal Space Camp, which that replies will not always teaches personal space with a hula hoop be instantaneous. Finally, activity. If needed, reward your child for help children get clarificamaintaining distance. tion when they are unsure of someone’s tone or are Tell kids exactly what you want them to confused by expressions do. For example, say, “Put your hands in that are not meant to be your lap” instead of “Stop putting your taken literally. hands in your face.”

videos, look at pictures and read social stories to reinforce personal space concepts. That’s a social skill needed right now, but it is also beneficial for students as they progress into adult life.”

While masks are now part of our everyday world, parents of kids with sensory issues may have trouble getting them to cooperate.

Jensen plans to do the best she can with Tori on an upcoming flight. “I can’t imagine trying to keep a mask on her. We will try, but I’m not going to stress her and us out about it,” she says. “Maybe they will DIFFERENT IS OK Let your child have some control by be lenient with her and all With routines important kids and adults with special choosing activities. When possible, dem- to many kids with special onstrate a “go with the flow” attitude if needs. Hopefully people needs, it’s no wonder they they change their minds. will be forgiving.” may feel extra stress these To increase your child’s days. New behaviors may If your child has an intense focus on success with a mask, “start come up, or behaviors specific facts related to the pandemic, with baby steps,” advises you’ve previously dealt acknowledge what they are experiencHeather Bianchi, vice preswith may re-emerge. “Chiling, then attempt to redirect to another dren are attempting to ident of clinical operations activity or conversation. for Behavioral Transforcontrol their world that is, mations, an ABA, speech essentially, out of control,” therapy and counseling explains Bianchi. provider in Rockwall and So moms and dads Rowlett. “Have the child practice wearing the should reassure their kids that just because we’re mask at home for a short amount of time, then still not following normal schedules, they don’t increase that time incrementally.” have to be scared. Hansen emphasizes, “Parents If your child truly can’t tolerate a mask and can help their [child] by communicating that must be in a situation where it is required or things are different right now, and that’s OK.”

Social Security

dfwchild.com / june 2020

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special needs / WORDS

TAKE NOTE: IN BRIEF

HEATHER VANCE DEVERS & ALEXIS PATTERSON

Language Learners

Meghan Swanson, Ph.D., has spent more than a decade researching communication in children who have autism. Today she is an assistant professor of psychological sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas and director of UTD’s Baby Brain Lab (formally known as the Infant Neurodevelopment & Language Research Lab).

We talked to Swanson about her work and how families can nurture their kids’ language skills.

What has your research shown about the brains of infants who were later diagnosed with autism? It’s really clear that neurodevelopmental changes come before the overt behaviors that we think about with autism. Our research as part of the Infant Brain Imaging Study shows atypical development in the parts of the brain that process language as early as 6 months of age. It could be even sooner.

To learn more about UTD’s Baby Brain Lab and volunteer for a study, visit labs.utdallas.edu/ babybrainlab.

Tips:

FACE MASKS The CDC’s guidelines for reopening schools include masks for kids over age 2. Masks can be hard for adults to tolerate, so wearing one can be really tough for a child with special needs.

Here are four tips: Involve them. Let your child choose the pattern. Cotton and bamboo fabrics are softest.

Choose a comfy option. Elastic behind the ears can irritate. Consider a tie-on design or a style that goes over the head. There are tutorials on YouTube (and a sewing machine isn’t always required).

Make multiple. Face masks can get dirty after one or two wears. Have a few masks so your child won’t have an aversion to the smell. Bonus: If a child can choose between designs, they may think of masks as an accessory.

Help them adjust. Start wearing the mask at home—now, way before school starts—in short increments (as little as 10 seconds). Try blowing bubbles for them, playing their favorite song or giving them a fidget toy while they wear the mask. Graduate to wearing a mask on walks and other short outings.

And reward your child for wearing it.

stay active during quarantine IT CAN BE TOUGH to keep our kids moving and happy these days. So Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) created S.O.Connected, an all-digital activity platform for the special needs community. The at-home program engages the whole family with workouts, e-gaming competitions, nutrition challenges, arts and crafts, podcast episodes and virtual community celebrations. You can access the platform at sotx.org/soconnected.

And check out the SOTX Virtual Summer Games through June 12. Athletes are encouraged to train and “compete” by submitting scores for four sports: athletics (track and field), tennis, cycling and soccer.

Find out more at sotx.org/virtual-summer-games.

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SWANSON: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS; BABY BRAIN AND MASK: ©I ©ISTOCK; SPECIAL OLYMPICS: SOTX

ABOVE // Meghan Swanson, Ph.D., studies communication in children who have autism and runs the University of Texas at Dallas' Baby Brain Lab.

What are the takeaways for parents, since the diagnosis comes later? The good news is that the strategies that we found in our research that support language development for typically developing kids also support kids with autism.

Can you explain those strategies? First, we encourage parents to talk to their children a lot throughout the day. Children learn what they hear the most and need a lot of repetition to learn new words.

Second, young children learn the best with face-to-face interactions. We encourage parents to read books to their children and take some time for play each day.

Third, during playtime we encourage parents to use predictable play routines. Play routines help children stay engaged and participating in play. For infants, these play routines may be peekaboo, rolling a ball back and forth, or stacking blocks. This repetition may feel boring to parents, but they are creating a situation ripe for learning. This tip is especially helpful when playing with children with special needs.

Last, children learn words for things that interest them. Some children with special needs struggle with having their attention redirected, so pay attention to the things your child is looking at and comment on those things. For example, if your child is playing with blocks, you could say, “Are you stacking the blue block?” [instead of] “Look, there’s a flower over there.” The child is going to have more success learning “block” and “blue” than “flower.”

When are these strategies most critical? My hunch is that these strategies probably have the biggest impact earlier in life. Because development is this chain of cascading events, right? If you can act earlier in that chain, then you will see widespread benefits.

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Your Child’s Life Can Go Many Directions.

We’ll Lead Them To The Right One. If your teen is going through challenges like substance abuse or negative behaviors related to an autism spectrum disorder, Fort Behavioral Health can help. Our residential treatment programs teach teens, aged 11-17, coping and communication skills so they can live up to their true potential.

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Mom Approved 2020

PEDIATRICIANS WORDS

THE EDITORS

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY BONES NEWBORNS HAVE? (SPOILER: IT’S WAY MORE THAN

US ADULTS.) AND WHAT BRINGS KIDS TO THE PEDIATRICIAN MOST OFTEN? READ ON FOR FACTS ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO BOOST YOUR LITTLES’ WELL-BEING.

7% OF CHILDREN IN TEXAS HAVE

SOURCES: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES; NEMOURS KIDSHEALTH; NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES; ASTHMA AND ALLERGY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA; NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

ASTHMA.

BABIES ARE BORN WITH ABOUT

300

BONES AT BIRTH. EVENTUALLY GROW TOGETHER TO FORM

206

ADULT BONES.

5 OUT OF 6 KIDS WILL HAVE AN EAR INFECTION BY AGE 3.

DURING CHILDHOOD, UP TO

40% 50% OF GIRLS AND

CHILDREN AGES

SHOULD DO ONE HOUR OR MORE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A DAY.

ARE THE MOST COMMON REASON PARENTS BRING THEIR CHILD TO THE DOCTOR.

THEY

KIDS GROW ABOUT 2.5 INCHES EACH YEAR FROM AGES 6–12 AND GAIN ABOUT 4–7 POUNDS ANNUALLY UNTIL PUBERTY.

6–17

EAR INFECTIONS

Dallas is the

16TH MOST

challenging place to live in the U.S. with allergies.

200 MG PER DAY

OF BOYS WILL FRACTURE A BONE.

dfwchild.com / june 2020

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mom approved

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

P

ut aside lofty daydreams and aspirations for our kids’ futures—all we really want is for them to be healthy and happy. We rely on pediatricians to help ensure our littles’ well-being and make them better when they’re sick. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has many outstanding medical professionals who treat children, so finding the provider who is best for your family may seem overwhelming. But DFWChild readers are great at sharing. They’ve given us their recommendations for pediatric health care so we can spread the word. Read on for this year’s list of Mom Approved pediatricians, family doctors and nurse practitioners who care for young patients.

WHAT IS A MOM APPROVED DOCTOR?

Mom Approved Doctors are health care professionals who have earned the trust, admiration and respect of our readers. Local parents reached out to our magazine, recommended these providers and told us why. Whether it’s for their kid-friendly communication style or ability to reassure worried parents, these doctors and nurse practitioners made a positive impression. All these providers were in good professional standing at press time.

WHAT MAKES MOM APPROVED DOCTORS DIFFERENT?

Each year, various publications come out with lists and rankings of area health care professionals. Often these providers are chosen by their colleagues in the industry instead of patients. We think Mom Approved Doctors are special because they’ve been nominated by the consumers: parents like you. These providers didn’t make it on our list by purchasing ad space, and their inclusion doesn’t imply an endorsement by DFWChild.

This is truly a mom-to-mom referral guide.

IS THE LIST EXHAUSTIVE?

The list is by no means exhaustive—there are likely 42

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

a number of outstanding professionals who aren’t on the list because they didn’t receive a reader recommendation. If you have a local health care provider you love, tell us!

HOW DO I RECOMMEND A PROVIDER?

DFWChild conducts four annual surveys that allow readers to nominate their favorite health care providers. Those surveys cover pediatricians, OB/GYNs and midwives, dentists, and wellness professionals such as counselors. We post the surveys online at different points during the year; when we’re taking submissions in one of those categories, you can nominate your provider on dfwchild.com.

Just look for the “Directories” header and choose “Mom Approved.” We ask that you tell us what makes your provider a great choice. Is it his listening skills? Her dedication to finding a solution? Other parents want to know your thoughts. (We may edit comments for length, grammar or clarity.)

WHERE CAN I VIEW PARENTS’ COMMENTS ABOUT THESE MOM APPROVED DOCTORS?

The list of Mom Approved providers, with comments from the parents who recommended them, can be viewed on dfwchild.com. Look for the “Directories” header and choose “Mom Approved.”

BURLESON

PEDIATRICIANS ALEDO

Fowler, Gina DO Little Plum Blossom Pediatrics

ALLEN Cash, Jenna DO, FAAP TLC Pediatrics

Baird, Tiffany MD Baird Pediatrics McClain, Lanna MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Burleson See ad on page 7

Moulton, Daniel DO, FAAP TLC Pediatrics

Vert, Deborah DO Cook Children’s Pediatrics Burleson See ad on page 7

ARLINGTON

CARROLLTON

Gold, Stephanie MD, FAAP Gold Pediatrics

Wang, Jian MD Fairway Pediatrics

Medina, Alma MD Cook Children’s Neighborhood Clinic Arlington See ad on page 7

DALLAS

Morohunfola, Adunni MD Tots & Tykes Pediatrics Nussbaum, Sherry MD Office of Sherry Nussbaum MD Pilgrim-King, Karen MD Bright Star Pediatrics Raine, Wilfred MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Arlington See ad on page 7

BEDFORD Jackson, Sharon MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Bedford See ad on page 7 Kayani, Sana MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Bedford See ad on page 7 Leung, Christina MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Bedford See ad on page 7 Olivo, Julie MD USMD Mid-Cities Clinic Wheeler, James MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Bedford See ad on page 7

Agrawal, Anuradha MD PGV Pediatrics PA Bacsik, Sue DO Oak Cliff Pediatrics Brown, Michael MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 Clarke, R. Adrian MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Copeland, Emily MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Curtis, Somer MD, FAAP Pediatricians of Dallas Denison, Early MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 Diaz-Esquivel, Maribel MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 Do, Bich MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 Foster, John MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 Gray, Larry MD Woodhill Pediatric Associates Guimont, Sheree MD MD Kids Pediatrics – Oak Cliff

mom approved

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Halsell, Karen MD, FAAP Pediatricians of Dallas Jowdy, Michelle DO Baylor Scott & White Family Medicine – Lakewood Kravitz, Michelle MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Lewis, Hilary MD, FAAP Pediatricians of Dallas Linderman, Julie MD Inwood Village Pediatrics McClard, Karen MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 McDonald, Tonya MD, FAAP Radiance Pediatrics See ad on page 48

Waters, Melissa MD Pediatric Associates of Dallas See ad on page 46 Watkins, James MD, FAAP Pediatricians of Dallas Wheeler, Jennifer MD Preston Centre Pediatrics

DENTON Goff, David MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics South Denton See ad on page 7

DESOTO Keyes, Elizabeth MD Pediatrics Southwest Longshaw, Jacquelynn MD Pediatrics Southwest

EULESS

Milici, Marjorie MD Baylor Scott & White Pediatric Center

Nnamani, Ijeoma MD, FAAP Ivy Children’s Clinic

Mitchell, Damien MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47

Dhoot, Shrikant MD Pediatric Physicians PA

Neely, Joe MD, FAAP Pediatricians of Dallas Roberts, Tana MD Pediatrics at Campbell Center Schorlemer, Roger MD Clinical Pediatric Associates Seidel, Jack MD, PA Office of Jack D. Seidel, MD, PA Simon, Matthew MD Park Cities Pediatrics Straughn, Christopher MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Strong, Lily MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Tang, Lynda MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47

FLOWER MOUND

Pape, Jennifer MD, FAAP 18 & Under MD Wisler, Carolyn MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Flower Mound See ad on page 7

FORNEY Baker, Jaqwiana “Mia” MD, FAAP Lake Ray Hubbard Pediatrics

FORT WORTH

Grajeda, Hector MD Cook Children’s Neighborhood Clinic Northside See ad on page 7 Halpenny, Walter MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Southwest Harris Parkway See ad on page 7 Hamilton, Rachel MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Henderson See ad on page 7 Hayes, Eriel MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Forest Park See ad on page 7 Kinloch, Ramon MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Forest Park See ad on page 7 Mandal, Kathryn MD, FAAP Continuum Internal Medicine & Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Martin, Bruce D. MD Alliance Pediatrics See ad on page 47 McGehee, Frank MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Magnolia See ad on page 7 Mercer, Bradley MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Forest Park See ad on page 7

Arnaout, Diane MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Forest Park See ad on page 7

Morrow, Julee MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Southwest Harris Parkway See ad on page 7

Becker, Elizabeth MD Continuum Internal Medicine & Pediatrics See ad on page 47

Olvera, Rebecca MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Southwest See ad on page 7

Charette, Vanessa MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Magnolia See ad on page 7

Rafati, Joyce MD Cook Children’s Medical Center See ad on page 7

Readinger, Robert MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Henderson See ad on page 7 Wesp, Krystyna DO Continuum Internal Medicine & Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Wylie, Kevin DO Cook Children’s Pediatrics Fort Worth – Southwest Harris Parkway See ad on page 7 Young, John MD Young Kids Pediatrics

FRISCO Bain, Deborah MD, FAAP, ABIHM, IFMCP Healthy Kids Pediatrics Blair, Ronald MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Dickschat, Diana MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Gondol, Sara MD, FAAP, DABP Starside Pediatrics Kaplan, Seth MD TLC Pediatrics of Frisco Mannering, Isha MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 McGonnell, Christopher MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Menon, Rohan MD Forest Lane Pediatrics See ad on page 47 Paruolo, William MD Office of Dr. Bill & Dr. Pete Shridharan, Lata MD, FAAP Natural Pediatrics Stellman, Harry M. MD Office of Dr. Bill & Dr. Pete Terry, Stacy MD BestNest Pediatrics dfwchild.com / june 2020

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mom approved GARLAND Davila, Holanda MD, FAAP MD Kids Pediatrics

GRAPEVINE

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Hampton, Catherine DO Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Keller Parkway See ad on page 7

Hopkins, Eric MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Grapevine Springs See ad on page 7

Jacob, Shelby MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Heritage See ad on page 7

Scott, Anthony MD Grapevine Pediatric Clinic

Mangham, Kim MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Keller Parkway See ad on page 7

Shori, Vanita MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Grapevine Springs See ad on page 7

HASLET See, Paulette MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Haslet See ad on page 7 Soria-Olmos, Bianka DO Cook Children’s Pediatrics Haslet See ad on page 7

HEATH Becker, Christopher MD Pediatric & Adolescent Specialists of Rockwall Pascoe, Rana MD Pediatric & Adolescent Specialists of Rockwall Sonnen, Gregory MD Pediatric & Adolescent Specialists of Rockwall

IRVING Bhatt, Anand MD Baylor Scott & White Health Pediatrics – Las Colinas Holland, Karen MD Baylor Scott & White Medical & Surgical Clinic Pediatrics See ad on page 48 Kay, Joan MD Baylor Scott & White Medical & Surgical Clinic Pediatrics See ad on page 48

KELLER Garza, Sara MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Keller Parkway See ad on page 7 44

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

Matlock, Kimberly MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Keller Parkway See ad on page 7 Terk, Jason MD, FAAP Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Keller Parkway See ad on page 7 Wineriter, Nicole MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Keller – Heritage See ad on page 7

LEWISVILLE Levy, Kathryn MD Lake Lewisville Pediatrics Peak, Sandra MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Lewisville/Castle Hills See ad on page 7 Varughese, Lizy MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Lewisville/Castle Hills See ad on page 7

LITTLE ELM Baker, Jeremy MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Little Elm/Frisco See ad on page 7 Bridgewater, Erin MD Centennial Pediatrics

MANSFIELD Daniels, Clive MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Mansfield See ad on page 7

MCKINNEY Frank, Catherine MD, FAAP Pediatric Healthcare Associates

Lessner, Elizabeth MD, MPH McKinney Pediatrics Reyes, Paul MD, FAAP Lone Star Pediatrics Valliere, Jennifer MD, FAAP Pediatric Healthcare Associates

MESQUITE Lalwani, Mansi MD Baylor Scott & White Family Health Center See ad on page 48

MURPHY Kotas, Robert Andrew MD Baylor Scott & White Pediatric & Adolescent Associates Rosen, Myron MD Baylor Scott & White Pediatric & Adolescent Associates

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS Subramanian, Kalaimani MD Tarrant Community Pediatrics

PLANO Berger, Laurie MD West Plano Pediatrics Berry, Marcy MD A Bright Future Pediatrics Gair, Ashley MD West Plano Pediatrics Goebel, Charles DO Pediatric Specialists of Plano Gomez, Anna MD Kids Docs Pediatrics

Mohiuddin, Ovais MD, FAAP Honey Pediatrics Rylie, Sarah MD A Bright Future Pediatrics Schwartz, Jay MD, FAAP Collin County Pediatrics Shridharan, Lata MD, FAAP Natural Pediatrics Sickler, Susan MD, FAAP Willow Bend Pediatrics Taneja, Nancy MD, FAAP Collin County Pediatrics

RICHARDSON Henderson, Allison MD Office of Allison Henderson MD Naidoo, Randy MD Shine Pediatrics & Wellness Center Porter, John MD Office of John Porter MD Pounds, Natalie MD Richardson Pediatric Associates Randles, Norah MD Richardson Pediatric Associates Smith, Abbie MD Richardson Pediatric Associates Troendle, Sarah MD Richardson Pediatric Associates

Horn, Cheryl MD, FAAP Collin County Pediatrics

Yedwab, Alan MD Methodist Richardson Medical Center

Katz, Scott MD, DABP, FAAP Plano Pediatrics

RICHLAND HILLS

Le, Janet S. MD, FAAP Willow Bend Pediatrics Leon, Elizabeth MD West Plano Pediatrics Mix, Angela DO West Plano Pediatrics

Amin, Vida MD Cook Children’s Neighborhood Clinic Richland Hills See ad on page 7

ROCKWALL Iannelli, Vincent MD, FAAP Lake Ray Hubbard Pediatrics

mom approved

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

SAGINAW Davis, Samuel MD Child Plus Pediatrics

SOUTHLAKE Benzick, Arthur MD Baylor Scott & White Southlake Family Medicine Knapp, Roger MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Southlake See ad on page 7

STEPHENVILLE Miller, Kelly DO Cook Children’s Pediatrics Stephenville See ad on page 7

TROPHY CLUB Smith, Justin MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Trophy Club See ad on page 7

WILLOW PARK Martin, Devona MD Cook Children’s Pediatrics Willow Park See ad on page 7

WYLIE Pecson, Grace MD Pecan Tree Pediatrics

PEDIATRIC SPECIALISTS DALLAS

Gelfand, Andrew MD Children’s Medical Center Dallas Pediatric Pulmonology

Sirsi, Deepa MD Children’s Health Specialty Center Pediatric Neurology

Dave, Mona MD Texas Digestive Disease Consultants Pediatric Gastroenterology

FORT WORTH

Ewalt, David MD Cook Children’s Urology Pediatric Urology See ad on page 7

Duncan, Jay MD Cook Children’s Medical Center Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care See ad on page 7 Felps, Kelly MD Continuum Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Internal Medicine Hsieh, Susan MD Cook Children’s Endocrinology – Dodson Specialty Clinics Pediatric Endocrinology See ad on page 7 Rafati, Danny MD Cook Children’s Gastroenterology – Dodson Specialty Clinics Pediatric Gastroenterology See ad on page 7 Ranelle, Ann DO Fort Worth Eye Associates Pediatric Ophthalmology Sharaf, Mai MD, FACP Continuum Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Internal Medicine

FRISCO Saleha, Khanum MD, FAAP, ABOIM Healing Care Pediatrics Integrative Medicine

SOUTHLAKE Dave, Mona MD Texas Digestive Disease Consultants Pediatric Gastroenterology Roop, Jay DO North Texas Musculoskeletal Medicine Osteopathic Manipulation

FAMILY MEDICINE COLLEYVILLE

Cunningham, Kelly MD Baylor Scott & White Southlake Family Medicine

NURSE PRACTITIONERS ALLEN

Kidd, Mystii CPNP TLC Pediatrics

EULESS Featherston, Elishia DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS True Connections See ad on page 47

FRISCO Greco, Rebecca APRN, CPNP-PC Natural Choice Pediatrics Potter, Christie APRN, CPNP-PC Natural Choice Pediatrics

PLANO

FORT WORTH

Boniol, Jessica MSN, FNPBC, APRN Family Health & Wellness of Plano

Escamilla, Norma DO Texas Healthcare, Fort Worth

RICHARDSON

Lee, Song MD Office of Dr. Song Lee

HIGHLAND VILLAGE Linden, Benjamin MD HV Family Medicine

Garvey, Chandra MS, RN, CPNP Shine Pediatrics & Wellness Center

GRAPEVINE

Karr, Nick MD Sinai Urgent Care Emergency Medicine

Ghaffar, Faryal MD Dallas Pediatrics & ID Associates Pediatrics & Infectious Diseases

Mendeloff, Eric MD Children’s Medical Center Dallas Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery

Ghali, Fred MD Pediatric Dermatology of North Texas Dermatology

PLANO Oishi, Scott MD, FACS Scottish Rite Hospital Hand & Upper Extremity Disorders

Peskind, Steven MD Office of Steven Peskind, MD & Associates, PA General Otolaryngology (ENT) See ad on page 48

SOUTHLAKE

Brunstrom-Hernandez, Janice MD 1 CP Place Pediatric Neurology

Check out our Mom Approved lists at dfwchild.com/directory. You’ll find a variety of reader-recommended providers and the reasons local moms love them.

dfwchild.com / june 2020

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mom approved

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Michael Brown, MD; Early Denison, MD; Maribel Diaz-Esquivel, MD; Bich Do, MD; John Foster, MD; Karen McClard, MD & Melissa Waters, MD Pediatrics

8x Mom Approved Pediatric Associates of Dallas has been providing excellence in pediatric medicine and service since 1971. Our dedicated team is committed to delivering quality and compassionate care to generations of children in North Texas. PAD has many unique services that benefit all of our patients. We have caring pediatric nurses and medical assistants, trained in-house lab technicians, a friendly, helpful administrative office, and of course our physicians are second to none!

P.A.D. offers two convenient locations in Dallas and Plano.

Our Dallas location provides extended hours five nights a week for routine check-ups and sick appointments. On Saturdays and Sundays the Dallas location is open for sick appointments. Our Plano location provides extended hours four nights a week for routine check-ups and sick appointments.

We also have an Audiologist, Speech Therapists, Family Counselors and Educational Diagnosticians available at our office for full-service pediatric care. Please visit paddallas.com for additional information on the services that we provide.

P.A.D. has adapted during COVID-19: • Dallas location – 20,000 square feet of office space separates well/sick patients; separate entrances and exits for well/sick patients • Plano location – Well appointments in the morning, sick appointments in the afternoon • Telemedicine available at both locations • Open 7 days a week, including evening hours Monday–Friday in Dallas and Monday–Thursday in Plano.

At Pediatric Associates of Dallas our priority is to make your trip to the doctor as pleasant as possible. Our goal is to create an environment where children feel welcome and parents feel safe and confident in our care.

Pediatric Associates of Dallas 7859 Walnut Hill Ln., #200, Dallas, TX 75230 5800 Communications Pkwy., Bldg. #1, Plano, TX 75093 214-369-7661 paddallas.com

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june 2020 / dfwchild.com

mom approved

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Ronald Blair, MD; R. Adrian Clarke, MD; Emily Copeland, MD; Diana Dickschat, MD; Michelle Kravitz, MD; Isha Mannering, MD; Christopher McGonnell, MD; Rohan Menon, MD; Damien Mitchell, MD; Christopher Straughn, MD; Lily Strong, MD; & Lynda Tang, MD Pediatrics 8x Mom Approved At Forest Lane Pediatrics, we have 15 outstanding board-certified pediatricians in 3 offices who are dedicated to optimizing the physical, mental, and emotional health of your child. We have separate waiting rooms for well and sick patients as well as virtual visits. We also have fantastic lactation consultants and an extensive website with great information to help you care for and nurture your child from birth to college.

Forest Lane Pediatrics Locations in Dallas, Mesquite and Frisco 972-284-7770 • 972-629-2250 • 972-526-0700 forestlanepediatrics.com

Elishia Featherston, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Dr. Elishia Featherston has 14 years of experience as a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care (CPNP-PC). In addition to primary care she has a passion for behavioral and mental health maintaining a certification as a Pediatric Mental Health Specialist (PMHS). She is adjunct faculty at the University of Texas Arlington in the Nurse Practitioner program and a strong supporter of parents rights to choose medical interventions for their children. She, herself, is a proud mother of two boys and enjoys yoga, crossfit, cycling, and camping. She travels internationally giving back through multiple organizations.

True Connections Pediatrics 323 Westpark Way Euless, TX 76040 682-253-5437 • trueconnectionspediatrics.com

Kathryn Mandal, MD; Krystyna Wesp, DO; & Elizabeth A. Becker, MD Pediatrics

4x Mom Approved Dr. Kathryn Mandal, Dr. Krystyna Wesp, and Dr. Elizabeth A. Becker with Continuum Pediatrics aim to provide a unique place where patients can easily get appointments and see their doctor every time. As superheroes who have duties of being both pediatricians and mothers, they work hard to make convenient access to healthcare a priority and provide support to new parents. Through prenatal consultations, preemie and newborn checkups, urgent care and more, the Continuum Pediatrics doctors are dedicated to providing the best care for each unique patient, and the practice is proud to have our “Mom Approved Docs” chosen once again.

Continuum Pediatrics 9509 N. Beach St. #102 Fort Worth, TX 76244 817-617-8600 • continuumtx.com

Bruce D. Martin, MD Pediatrics

7x Mom Approved Mom Approved Doctor 2020! Wow! Beyond grateful for such recognition, Dr. Bruce Martin began his medical career in Pediatrics after exceptional experiences in Florida and St. Louis. Dr. Martin spent time as a pediatric hospitalist and pediatric urgent care physician before setting out and building a successful independently owned Pediatric Practice in North Fort Worth, Alliance Pediatrics. In 2019 Alliance Pediatrics celebrated their 10th anniversary. Dr. Martin has built a strong team of physicians, nurses and staff which has allowed Alliance Pediatrics to provide exceptional care and to build meaningful, long-term relationships with our patients and their families.

Alliance Pediatrics 12461 Timberland Blvd., Ste 309, Fort Worth, TX 76244 9445 N. Beach St., Fort Worth, TX 76244 817-741-5437 • apkids.net

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Joan Kay, MD & Karen Holland, MD Pediatrics 6x Mom Approved Dr. Joan Kay loves helping young children feel better and giving their families a much-needed peace of mind. She has been serving families in the Irving community since 2000 as a part of Baylor Scott & White Medical & Surgical Clinic – Irving. Dr. Karen Holland has a strong understanding of family and a dedication to young children. She has been with Baylor Scott & White Medical & Surgical Clinic – Irving since 1976.

Baylor Scott & White Medical & Surgical Clinic – Irving 2021 N MacArthur Blvd., Suite 250, Irving, TX 75061 972-817-1400 • BSWHealth.com/MSCIrving

Mansi Lalwani, MD Pediatrics Dr. Lalwani is a board certified pediatrician with special interest in newborn care, childhood nutrition and development, ADHD, learning difficulties, asthma and allergies. She is genuinely invested in the wellbeing of her patients and collaborates closely with the parents to formulate the best treatment plans for their children. Her patients describe her as nurturing, knowledgeable, empathetic and accessible. She would love for you to trust her with your child’s care.

Baylor Scott & White Family Health Center - Mesquite 1575 Interstate 30, Mesquite, TX 75150 469-800-2800 • bswhealth.com/physician/mansi-lalwani

Tonya P. McDonald, MD Pediatrics 2x Mom Approved Radiance Pediatrics is thrilled DFW moms love the direct access they receive to their child’s doctor via text, phone, or video. Dr. McDonald is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine with twenty years of pediatric care expertise. She exhibits her passion for the total wellness of children and families at each house call. Experience stellar medical care in the comfort of your home.

Radiance Pediatrics

Serving the DFW Metroplex 469-431-2627 • radiancepeds.com

Steven Peskind, MD Otolaryngology 2x Mom Approved I have been a solo practice ENT in Plano for over 20 years focusing on problems of the ear, nose, throat and sinuses for children and adults. I truly enjoy taking care of children, acknowledging I am taking care of both the child and their parents. Nothing brings me greater satisfaction in my daily work than to have a baby or child who intuitively knows they are sick let me take care of them, and then share in their improved health with their family.

Steven Peskind MD

5957 Dallas Pkwy., Ste. 100, Plano, TX 75093 972-596-2552 • drpeskind.com

Mom Approved 2020 When your child is sick or hurt, little else matters.

Check out our Mom Approved directory at dfwchild.com/directory (and select Mom Approved Docs) to find doctors, dentists, therapists and other health care professionals to fit your family’s needs.

Each Mom Approved professional is nominated by local moms, just like you.

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june 2020 / dfwchild.com

Mom Approved 2020 DENTISTS

FAMILY DENTISTRY • PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY • ORTHODONTICS

NOMINATE & WIN A $250 VISA GIFT CARD

Survey begins June 1 Entries accepted at

dfwchild.com

dfwchild.com / june 2020

49

Little Ones, Big Experiences Zoo Preschool pairs education with big-time fun. Students ages 3 to 5 will enjoy learning all about the natural habitats of native and exotic animals, participate in interactive activities and master new skills during fun-filled days of adventure.

Zoo Preschool Overview:

Zoo Members Save 10 Percent

• September 2020 to May 2021 • Classes meet once a week for three hours

Registration Now Open:

• Zoo Preschool T-shirt included

FortWorthZoo.org/Preschool

kid culture.

SOCIAL STARS: THE PRINCE AND THE P; INSTAGRAM ICON: NOUN PROJECT

Shay Jiles runs her family’s Instagram but expects children P and MJ will take over in the coming years.

SOCIAL STARS how to become an influencer

WORDS

ALEXIS PATTERSON

W

E NEVER SET OUT TO BE INFLUENCERS,” says Shay Jiles says of her family, known on social media as The Prince and the P. “It just happened. So I was like, ‘OK, we’re going to run with it.’”

Today, The Prince and the P—which prominently features Jiles’ 11-year-old son MJ and 8-year-old daughter P—boasts more than 44,000 Instagram followers. The North Texans have worked with brands including Disney, Target, Gap, Frito-Lay, H&M and Kardashian Kids; their rate starts at $600 for a static photo post. Social media has been so lucrative for them that Jiles doesn’t even really promote her photography business anymore. “Now I’m like my kids’ personal Kris Jenner,” she laughs.

The family may not have planned to be Insta-famous, but here they are—and they, along with other experts, have lessons to share. dfwchild.com / june 2020

51

kid culture / S O C I A L

STARS

WORK IT Of course, increasing follower numbers The Jiles crew’s Instagram (@theprinceand “like” counts shouldn’t drive you. A pasandthep), run by Mom, is a family lifestyle sion for fashion was the reason Dallasite Jane account; areas of focus including parenting Aldridge started her blog, Sea of Shoes, as a and children’s fashion. “Several years ago, teenager in 2007. “I don’t think that populara friend kept saying, ‘Your kids are so cute. ity or immediate success is a healthy thing You should create an Instagram account for for young kids to focus on or expect,” notes them,’” recalls Jiles. “I didn’t really understand Aldridge, now 28. “Those things come with why a bunch of strangers would be interested time and commitment. I would focus instead in seeing my kids. But I started the on what great skills you can learn. I account and had posted maybe learned so much about writa dozen pictures. One of ing, photography, business those pictures got picked management and other up by the Huffington skills you need as an Post for an article; I entrepreneur.” think it was called Jiles concurs.

‘The 11 Most “If your goal is Fashionable Kids to blow up and in America.’ And become famous, our Instagram don’t do it, started growing.” because there’s no Not everyone guarantee. If you will get that kind really care about of lucky break. Jiles, something and want who is preparing to to share it, you’re launch a social media much more likely to consulting firm, says the not get frustrated with the real keys to growing an process.” account are hashtags, It’s definitely a probrand reposts and cess. Influencers have post shares from other contracts, photo shoots, accounts. “Make sure you reshoots, brand approvare tagging your posts, als, posting, audience everything from the chips engagement … It may you are eating to the not be something your shoes you are wearing, so kids are really up for. the brand picks it up and There are specialized marketing While Jiles’ kids enjoy reposts it. Then you have platforms that connect brands to the perks (MJ and P influencers and content creators. their followers saying, love the trips they get to Companies post paid content ‘Who are these people?’” take through their brand opportunities on those websites; Instagram is the Jiles connections), they have influencers create accounts and apply family’s main avenue for their limits. connecting with fans and for selection. Each marketing platform “If [a photo shoot] may have certain requirements, such brands, but they have takes a long time, then I as number of followers or a certain other accounts—ranging don’t really like doing it engagement rate. Here are a few to from a YouTube chanthat much,” confesses P. check out, recommended by Shay Jiles: nel, which features curly And Jiles says there was

Music Go Round

6006 Southwest Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76109 • 817-763-8188 musicgoround.com/locations/fort-worth-tx

A progressive curriculum • Small classroom ratios

Preschool: 6 wks – 5 yrs School Age: 5–12 yrs 817-246-1448

501 Academy Blvd., Fort Worth 76108

Advertise with us! advertising@dfwchild.com 972/447-9188 52

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

hair tutorials (Jiles is a period of about a year Popular Pays. Its community of also developing her own when MJ didn’t really influencers includes more than 60,000 blends of hair oils and tea people. popularpays.com appear on the account rinses), to a blog, where because he just wasn’t Jiles posts glam photos of AspireIQ. This platform has made into it. Jiles gets it. the kids and expounds on more than 500,000 creator-to-brand “There was a season connections. aspireiq.com life’s messier moments. when we would drive to During quarantine, downtown Dallas and Activate. This site has worked with they’ve been trying shoot for three or four influencers and creators to share over TikTok. hours with a car full of 6,500 pieces of collaborated content There are obviously 10 outfits,” she says. “It each month. try.activate.social a lot of platforms for getwas exhausting on all ting your family into the of us.” social universe. But Jiles Now, the family advises taking it slowly. shoots a couple of days a “I would start with one platform. Having folmonth, and Jiles saves content to post over the lowers will propel you to success on another course of the following weeks. platform. You already have this pool of inter“You have to listen to your kids. If they’re ested people.” unhappy, it’s not going to work,” Jiles says. “It

SOCIAL STARS: THE PRINCE AND THE P; LIKES ICON: NOUN PROJECT

Social Connections

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Shay Jiles says when it comes to influencing, success is for the authentic. Here’s her advice: AVOID BOTS. “They have bots that will comment on other accounts for you. The idea is that those people will say, ‘Oh, who’s commenting on my picture? Let me go see.’ And then the hope is that they would follow you. But I’ve seen it backfire. There are bots commenting on inappropriate accounts.”

DON’T PAY YOUR WAY TO THE TOP. “People buy followers. They buy likes. They can buy, I think, video views,” says Jiles. “But brands know when you do it. And once you buy them, you cannot take them away.”

can be damaging to their self-esteem, or in the future they might say, ‘My mom always had a camera in my face.’ That’s definitely not the story I want my kids to tell.”

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SAFETY FIRST Sponsored vacations, designer clothes, free toys—the benefits are numerous if your kids achieve success. But you can’t talk about the perks of the internet without also veering into the dangers.

“A lot of kids are absolutely not following the rules for social networking,” says Katie Greer, a nationally recognized internet safety expert. “If you’re going to have your young child on these apps and sites, parents managing the account is the only way to do it—for their safety and their kids’ developmental well-being. At this point in their lives, kids’ brains aren’t developed enough to handle such a complex space.”

While Greer says there is a federal regulation that requires kids to be at least 13 years old to have their own social media accounts, many children find ways around that. “I see kids as young as kindergarten with these apps and sites,” she notes. “I’d say the majority of middle school kids have at least one of these apps, and with TikTok being wildly popular, a lot of elementary kids are on as well.”

Seemingly, more kids than ever are taking on the potential risks of heightened exposure—but those risks aren’t new. “I got harassed by men who seemed overly keen on working with teenage girls,” remembers Aldridge. “Online harassment is not something unique to being an ‘influencer,’ but if you have a public profile, you can expect to get more of it.”

Aldridge’s parents were very involved in her blog while she was a minor. They went over emails and reported disturbing messages. Greer says that kind of oversight is critical. “There’s no special, secret app that will keep our kids entirely safe, or we would all already be using it,” she points out.

Still, there are tools and practices that can help. “I would definitely discourage any interaction with strangers’ accounts. That’s best achieved by blocking direct message features and not allowing comments,” says Aldridge. “No one should be able to privately contact a child.”

Jiles doesn’t use her kids’ full names and has a block that prevents their names (as well as profanity) from being shared in comments.

She doesn’t reveal their city and often purposely tags the wrong location. Jiles also frequently reviews their followers and blocks anyone she deems “sketchy.”

Even when moms and dads are running the social show, Greer advises caution and a thoughtful approach. “Parents are making a giant footprint for their kids. This isn’t a Polaroid we can throw away in 10 years. These are lasting accounts available to millions—even billions—of people, whether we intend for that to happen or not.”

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people+places.

BADGES: KUHLKENPHOTOGRAPHY; MOUNTAINS: NOUN PROJECT BADGES

Families in Nature awards badges in different branches of science you can explore through its lessons.

GET OUT!

outdoor learning and fun WORDS

SYDNEY BLALOCK RITCHIE

F

AMILIES ARE SPENDING MORE AND MORE TIME outside these days. But when you get out of the house, do you have a hard time finding something to do?

Let’s be real: You can take only so many walks around the block with the kids before boredom sets in. Fortunately, Families in Nature (FIN)—an organization that works across Texas—offers some 1,500 lessons that will create a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around us. We talked to Heather Kuhlken, FIN’s founder and director, about how to get involved—and why it’s important to nurture a love of nature.

What’s the goal of FIN? It’s our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. We teach science outside to families, and we’re extremely focused on inclusivity and equitable access to nature while also getting field science experiences and family time together outdoors. dfwchild.com / june 2020

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What kind of activities does your organiactivities to do over the summer and next zation typically host and promote? We take school year. Teachers, as well—we’re hoping a holistic approach to getting families into a lot of teachers will join us to get access to nature and teaching science outside. We have this resource. a travel program, camping trips and campus We also encourage our guides to form campouts, among others. their own nature communities. [That’s] where The basis of all our programming is what we get several groups, several families together I’ve called The Ecologist School. It contains and go out into nature. And you can use the a large amount of information about how to curriculum to think about what you want to teach all ages together, how to engage families, do in nature. It’s very open-ended; it’s very how to schedule events when everyone is so hands-on, play-based activities. A group with incredibly overscheduled and why nature is all ages can learn together. important to health and education—espeWhere are the nature communities here? cially now during COVID, because of We have a newly trained guide who is everyone’s stress levels. It also has a in the Flower Mound-Denton area. curriculum that I’ve written that And then we have one who is has about 1,500 lessons to teach also fairly close to Denton. She science outside. runs a program called North What topics are Texas Kids Outside—sepaincluded? The curriculum rate name, but her program is divided into 16 branches is part of FIN—and she is of science relevant to ecolhappy to have anybody go to ogy, [including] ornitholher website and sign up for ogy, meteorology, climatolher mailing list for whenever ogy—which focuses on climate in-person programming starts change adaptation again. and solutions, not on Why do you believe causes—and things like it’s so important for marine biology and families to get outside anthropology and paletogether? Actually, ontology. You can earn COVID is emphasizing a badge in each of those what we believe, with branches of science. everyone together now.

And then concentrically, Siblings are getting to it’s got STEAM, outdoor Visit familiesinnature.org/ecologistschool see each other as an and download the lessons. “Families can skills, volunteerism and ideal playmate because just open those pages and do the lessons they’re the only ones leadership. at home,” says Kuhlken.

You can work on the they can get to. Families

SUMMER CAMPS DIRECTORY dfwchild.com/directory SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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badges at home. We’ve have to spend time Join an existing FIN nature community. “If just released six sample together, and people are you want to join the community in the lessons in each branch Denton area—North Texas Kids Outside— working from home. of science that we’re And I have three kids— you can go to ntkidsoutside.com. Once putting on our website, we’ve gotten to a point in-person programming begins again, one week at a time. And in time where the overshe’ll start offering activities.” Email teachers and parents info@familiesinnature.org for information scheduling, the drive can do those lessons to do everything all at on the Flower Mound-Denton group. and order the badges on once, was so strong that Attend online guide training in June. “The we were just in our cars our website. The idea is application and registration are on our that we’re supporting all the time, dividing website. Look under ‘Our Programs,’” at-home learning. and conquering. “You shares Kuhlken.

We work a lot on take this one to soccer, teaching hope and soluand I’ll take that one to tions—really inspiring violin.” people to love nature and giving them the I feel like it was headed to a place—and space to love nature. was already in a place—that was not ideal You have nature communities all over for human health and family health, and for the state, including here in North Texas. learning, honestly. I think everyone was very How does that work? We have a guide stressed. When people are stressed, they’re development program, where we train people burying their faces in their computers, playto teach what we teach. And once you’ve gone ing video games or something else instead of through our guide development program, you connecting with each other, which actually is get the whole curriculum. Normally, we do better for lowering stress. And there’s so much guide development in person. We’re doing it research now that going outside lowers stress. online starting June 16, and our website has I think that the world seems to be realizing information on how to apply or sign up. So, that they want and need nature more than parents could do that and then have tons of anything else right now.

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MAPPING YOUR FAMILY’S

SUMMER OF FUN

Sweet summertime is finally here. This directory features Dallas-Fort Worth’s top destinations that are perfect for keeping the whole family entertained all summer long. The best part? We’re giving away at two-night stay at the Gaylord Texan through our Summer Fun Map contest. Learn more about how to participate by sharing your Insta-worthy shots at the bottom of this page.

1.

Adventure Kids Playcare. Multiple locations; adventurekidsplaycare.com. Drop Off summer fun! Unique entertainment center for kids 6 weeks to 12 years old. Kids can play, explore, learn in a safe secure environment.

6.

Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). Lewisville; 940/243-0077; bit.ly/3bxRK2T. Get out and walk, bike or run on our A-train Rail Trail! Put on your adventure hats and let the family fun begin!

11. Reunion Tower. Dallas; 214/712-7040; reuniontower.com. Parties, showers, graduations—take your next event to new heights at Reunion Tower! Options can include exclusive access to the GeO-Deck, plan your party now!

2.

Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Fort Worth; 817/738-1933; cartermuseum.org.

Looking for the perfect family picnic spot?

Enjoy the best view of downtown at the Carter while you play, twirl, or lounge on the lawn!

7.

3.

Arbuckle Wilderness Park. Davis; 800/PETPARK; arbucklewilderness.com. Drive on the wild side. Come feed the animals while driving through the Arbuckle Mountains. Walkthrough features; reptiles, petting zoo, fish feeding, pony rides+.

Dinosaur World. Glen Rose; 254/898-1526; dinosaurworld.com/texas. Go back in time, see them alive at Dinosaur World! Dinosaur World presents animatronic dinosaurs, fossil dig, gemmine, playground, gift shop and over 100 dinosaurs.

12. Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Grand Prairie; 972/263-2391; ripleys.com/grandprairie.

Have an extreme summer at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Explore the Odditorium, Palace of Wax, 7D Moving Theater, Enchanted Mirror Maze and Laser Race.

8.

4.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Fort Worth; 817/231-4001; bep.gov/fortworthtxtours.html. Let us $how you billions of dollars @USMoneyfactory in Fort Worth. Open 8:30am to 5:30pm Tuesday through Friday. #FREE admission and parking.

Epic Waters Indoor Water Park. Grand Prairie; 972/337-3131; epicwatersgp.com. Celebrate a splashtastic summer with family at the awardwinning Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark! Waves, slides and plenty of fun. For info and tickets, epicwatersgp.com.

13. Strong Fitness. Dallas; 972/373-4062; strongdallas.com. Where fun and safety intersect!

Including camp games, indoor soccer field, obstacle courses, dodgeball, ziplines, Sport Fit and Ninja training. Day, week and private camps.

9.

Fort Worth Zoo. Fort Worth; 817/759-7555; fortworthzoo.org. With 64 acres, the Fort Worth Zoo is home to nearly 7,000 animals and many exciting attractions. Plan your summer visit today!

14.

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Denton County Office of History and Culture. Denton; 940/349-2850; dentoncounty. com/chos. Learn like a local with the Office of History and Culture! Explore our online resources with coloring pages, puzzles, and more! Visit dentoncounty.com/chos.

10. Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Grapevine; 8174103185; grapevinetexasusa.com.

Relive the story of a pioneer on the Grape Vine Prairie through a variety of hands-on activities with the Grapevine Pioneers Storybook Adventure Passport!

Texas Discovery Gardens. Dallas; 214/428-7476; txdg.org. A natural oasis in the heart of Dallas, featuring a massive butterfly house, critter exhibits and acres of gardens. Bring the whole family and enjoy!

15. Town of Little Elm. Little Elm; 972/731-3296; littleelmliveandplay.com. Best beach in North Texas! Sand volleyball, swimming, kayaks/SUPs, unique restaurants, cable wakeboarding, hike and trails. There’s something for everyone in Little Elm!

Win a family getaway!

Join in on the Summer Fun Photo Contest and play with DFWChild on Instagram. With every shared photo, you will be automatically entered to win our prize:

DFWCHILD’S

SUMMER OF

FUN

#DFWChildSummerFun [ photo contest ]

A two-night stay for four at the Gaylord Texan!

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow @dfwchildmag on Instagram 2. Visit any Summer Fun Map locations 3. Snap a picture and post it to Instagram 4. Use hashtag #DFWChildSummerFun and

be sure to tag us @DFWChildMag

Contest closes July 31 at 11:59 pm. Winners will be announced on August 1.

Winners selected at random. Must be 21 years or older to enter.

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people + places / G R E E N

SCENE is $5 per vehicle.

More to know In addition to an array of selfguided activities in the nature center, LLELA hosts toddler nature time, bird walks and more—it’s like a 2,600-acre classroom!

Best for Tots can handle the .3-mile Cicada Trail, but most activities require more coordination and longer attention spans.

Visitors to the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve can explore a rustic landscape with giant trees and unpaved trails.

8 GREAT NATURE TRAILS IN DFW WORDS

THE EDITORS

M TRAIL: OAK CLIFF NATURE PRESERVE

ANY FAMILIES HAVE REDISCOVERED THE JOYS OF NATURE during pandemic-related closings. Here are some of DFW’s best nature trails to explore. Just be sure to social distance, bring your own water and check on restroom availability. Many parks are not permitting access to bathrooms and water fountains right now.

ARBOR HILLS NATURE PRESERVE // Plano Location 6701 W. Parker Road in Plano. Be aware that the city has reduced the number of usable parking spaces to encourage social distancing.

More to know Arbor Hills Nature Preserve has had a lot of visitors lately, so the preserve is closing 5am–2pm every Wednesday for maintenance. When you’re there, try walking against the crowds. Keep little hikers and strollers on the 3 miles of paved trails, dotted with educational panels about the area’s birds and critters.

Bikers and sure-footed walkers enjoy 2.8 miles of unpaved trails.

Best for The whole family.

OAK CLIFF NATURE PRESERVE // Dallas Location 2875 Pierce St., Dallas, which offers 121 acres of prairie landscape in city limits. The primitive area means no paved trails, restrooms or water fountains.

More to know The six loop trails cover roughly 8 miles, and huge pecan trees offer lots of shade.

Some trails border Five Mile Creek, and funky junk art and license plates nailed to trees pepper the paths. Trails close after heavy rains.

Best for Families with sure-footed walkers and runners as well as confident cyclists.

RIVER LEGACY PARKS // Arlington Location 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington.

The 1,300-acre park sits along the banks of the Trinity River in northwest Arlington. The ecological diversity of wetlands, prairie and forest provides the ideal habitat for wildlife.

More to know Follow 8 miles of paved hike and bike trails and a 10-mile mountain biking trail.

As of press time, the adjacent River Legacy Living Science Center is closed as a precaution.

When it’s open, you can enjoy interactive environmental exhibits, aquariums and terrariums, programs and more.

Best for With hikes ranging from a quarter of a mile to 4 miles, River Legacy Parks has a suitable trail for most everyone.

LEWISVILLE LAKE ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING AREA // Lewisville Location 201 E. Jones St., Lewisville. Hike five trails, kayak in Beaver Pond (bring your own boats), fish for bass and carp in the Elm Fork of the Trinity, spot dozens of bird species or camp on the grounds of this nature haven. Admission

HEARD NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM & WILDLIFE SANCTUARY // McKinney Location 1 Nature Place, McKinney, with undisturbed nature on 6.5 miles of unpaved walking trails. Six different paths measure from a halfmile to just over a mile. Each offers access to different habitats such as tallgrass prairie and wetland forest.

More to know You can enjoy Texas summer in all its glory with a jaunt along the Cedar Brake Loop (around two-thirds of a mile long), with stunning seasonal wildflowers. The mile-long Wood Duck Trail offers beautiful views of the Heard’s wetlands. Prices vary; purchase reservations in advance online.

Best for Sure-footed walkers. The trails aren’t stroller friendly.

BRECKENRIDGE PARK // Richardson Location 3555 Brand Road, Richardson, encompassing more than 4 miles of paved multi-use trails looping through 417 acres. There are also sports fields and a lake where you can catch and release. (Adults require a fishing license; kids fish for free.)

More to know We recommend parking at entrance B and heading toward the lake. Stop for a picnic in the lakeside pavilion and enjoy the scenic view.

Best for All ages. Paved trails are wide, flat and stroller friendly.

TANDY HILLS NATURAL AREA // Fort Worth Location 3400 View St., Fort Worth. Take your adventurous crew through miles of unmarked loops and intersecting paths in the 160-acre prairie. The relatively hilly hike ranges from wide dirt paths to narrow tracks.

More to know It’s a far cry from a stroll—walkers must hop over creeks, climb steep hills and use a sense of direction (or a smartphone with a compass app) to navigate. The reward? Great views of downtown Fort Worth and some of the best wildflower fields in Texas.

Best for Intermediate hikers; not for beginners.

COLLEYVILLE NATURE CENTER // Colleyville Location 100 Mill Wood Drive, Colleyville, where you can enjoy 46 acres of natural refuge, nine ponds, 3.5 miles of multi-use trails, a covered pavilion, rest benches and a fishing pier.

More to know The facility features easy parking, lots of shade and superb views of Texas wildlife.

This oasis is home to more than 180 bird species. Take a bathroom break beforehand; there is no restroom on-site.

Best for All ages. Trails are well maintained, wide and stroller friendly. dfwchild.com / june 2020

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BEST Summer EVER EPIC SUMMER PLANNING STARTS HERE Additional camps online at dfwchild.com/directory “AT-HOME” DAY CAMP experience!

We welcome youth of all ages to participate in our free virtual day camp, whether they are a Cub Scout or not. While intended for 1st–5th grade youth, the entire family will enjoy the activities. Simply pick the activities from a list that sound the most fun to you and get to it!

Two hours, over five days, and you will create memories that will last a lifetime.

Circle Ten Council Boy Scouts of America 214-902-6700 YourAdventureStartsHere.org

The Craft Guild

Text “HandPickedFun” to 55741 to start your day camp adventure today.

If you want to learn more about Scouting adventures, visit YourAdventureStartsHere.org.

Young Artists Summer Camps Craft Guild of Dallas

Teaching the Arts Since 1948 3410 Midcourt Rd., Ste. 115 Carrollton, TX 75006 972-490-0303 craftguildofdallas.org

Weekly Classes for Ages 5–18 June 8th–August 14th Bring a sack lunch and stay all day!

SPECIAL PRICING EXTENDED THRU JUNE 30TH! Weeklong, half-day Camps: Pottery, glass art, jewelry/metalsmithing, painting, drawing, bookbinding, mixed media, and more.

Goldfish Swim School’s unique Jump Start Clinics are specially designed for families looking to get their kids water-ready in a hurry.

Jump Start Clinics include five consecutive days of 30-minute swim lessons that focus on everything from teaching the fundamentals of water safety to fine-tuning stroke technique.

These clinics are so effective, we guarantee you’ll see significant improvement in your child’s swimming skills in just five short days!

Carrollton – West Plano 4240 International Pkwy., Ste. 130 Carrollton, TX 75007 972-440-3003 goldfishswimschool.com

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Jump Start Weeks: • June 8–12 • July 13–17 • June 15–19 • July 20–24 Cost: $115 member, $140 non member Call 972-440-3003 to reserve your spot

BEST Summer EVER

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CAMPS | TRAVEL | SPORTS | ARTS | STEM

100% online.

Thoughtful, engaging and facilitated.

Minimal, easily-accessible materials.

NuMinds Enrichment

2100 N. Greenville Ave., Suite 900 Richardson, TX 75082 camppursuit.com 877-678-7671

Two-week sessions.

Join all summer and save.

Real inspired learning.

When the crisis hit, NuMinds Enrichment flipped the script.

We blended the best of online learning with our unique, mixed-age approach to STEAM education in order to engineer Camp Pursuit World Edition.

Summer School Registration NOW OPEN Virtual and in person camps available.

Summer classes with Yorktown give students the choice between 2 programs. Sign up now!

OPTION 1: Work ahead and earn credit or complete a course where teachers provide one-on-one or small group instruction based on the course selected.

5170 Village Creek Dr. Plano, TX 75093 972-936-7988 yorktowned.com/summer

OPTION 2: Be a Future Innovator! Enjoy creative classes in Coding, Design, Gaming and Robotics.

Classes are fast-paced and in-depth, offering challenges that are suitable for tech enthusiasts to creative geniuses. These camps are fun, spark curiosity and deepen passion for technology. No experience needed!

The start of summer doesn’t mean the end of learning ...

Brookhaven College has moved its Summer Youth Program online. You can bring the magic of summer camp home with activities and classes to keep students challenged and learning all summer long.

3939 Valley View Ln. Farmers Branch, TX 75244 972-860-4715 • bhcinfo@dcccd.edu brookhavencollege.edu/youthprograms

• App Development • Photography • Python Coding • Creative Writing • Leadership • Digital Photography

Weekly Onsite Classes from 6/1–8/7 • Smaller groups sizes with each group in self-contained classrooms • Masks worn by all until further notice • Enhanced cleaning and individual materials • STEAM Challenges, crafts and activities Challenge Island West Plano/North Dallas 17630 Davenport Rd. #103 • 469-779-7844 challenge-island.com/westplano-northdallas

Virtual Camps also offered in June • Supplies provided for campers • Morning and afternoon times • Sibling discounts

Camp Clayton 2020 June 29th–August 7th

817/923-9888 claytonyouth.org

Sibling Discounts & Financial Assistance Available Preparing Children For Great Lives Through Social Emotional Learning Serving Keller, Fort Worth, Crowley schools Camp hours Monday–Friday, 6:30am–6:30pm Call us today 817/923-9888.

Visit us online: Claytonyouth.org

dfwchild.com / june 2020

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BEST Summer EVER

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CAMPS | TRAVEL | SPORTS | ARTS | STEM

Create Your Own Camp!

June 1–August 15 Acting • Art • Ballet • Sports Agility • Hip Hop Jazz • Musical Theatre • Singing • Tap • Tumbling

Dallas • Frisco Info@TheDallasConservatory.org TheDallasConservatory.org/Summer

Plan your dream summer with your closest friends!

Camps are limited to ages 4+ and can be tailored to any theme or genre of dance. Get ready to twirl with teddy bears or march with dinosaurs! This summer is yours to create and the studio is your oyster!

All camps open to the public

1021 N. Bowman Springs Rd. Kennedale, TX 76060 817-483-2400 • fellowship-academy.org

• • • • • • • •

June 8–11 Boys Basketball Camp June 15–18 Girls Basketball Camp June 15–16 Elem. Football Quarterback & Skills Camp June 17–18 JH Football Quarterback & Skills Camp June 29, July 1, 6, 8, 13, 15 JH Volleyball Bootcamp July 20–24 JH Volleyball Camp July 20–24 HS Volleyball Camp July 17–18 Elem. Cheer Camp

TCU Experience Showcase #1 – Sat., Aug.1–Sun., Aug. 2 All Star Day Camp #1 – Mon., Aug. 3–Thurs., Aug. 6 All Star Day Camp #2 – Fri., Aug. 7–Mon., Aug. 10 All Star Day Camp #3 – Tues., Aug. 11–Fri., Aug. 14 TCU Experience Showcase #2 – Fri., Aug.14–Sun., Aug.16 For more information and to sign up, please visit:

collegebaseballcamps.com/tcu

Camps are open to any and all entrants (limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender).

SPARK CREATIVITY! KAWAI MUSIC SCHOOL offers SUMMER MUSIC ENRICHMENT CAMPS Ages 4–Adult • Virtual or In Person • Register online!

601 W. Plano Pkwy., Ste. 153 Plano, TX 75075 972-955-3339 abyars@kawaius.com kawaipianosdallas.com/musicschool

3803 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Fort Worth, TX 76107 817-738-7915 margodeanballet.com

• • • • •

Carnival of the Animals Music History Blast From the Past Way Cool Keyboarding Musical Moments for the Adult Hobbyist Keyboard Orchestra Camp

Private Lessons: individualized lessons in piano, strings, and guitar.

Margo Dean School of Ballet will have Summer Ballet Camps from July 6–23 for ages 3 & 4, 5 & 6 and 7–12. Students will learn about the ballet Coppelia.

June 8–26 there will be a three-week long workshop for intermediate and advanced students ages 10 and up with classes in ballet, pointe, modern dance, partnering, and flamenco. Also, virtual adult ballet and ballet barre classes. Special guest master teachers have been invited to teach. Register online or call for more information.

Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners Summer Camps SPACE IS LIMITED. Includes a placemat, workbook, coloring book, and storybook. Teaching children manners since 2003, our original, fun, and interactive curriculum!

214-212-2033 MrsMcVeighsManners.com 64

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

June 15-19, 9:30-12:30 Near SMU. Ages 3-11 $225 June 22-25, 10:00-1:00 Small Pockets Tea Room.

Ages 5-11 $180 July 20-24, 9:00-12:00 Episcopal School of Dallas.

Ages 6-11 $225 August 10-14, 9:30-12:30 Near SMU. Ages 3-11 $225

©

BEST Summer EVER

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CAMPS | TRAVEL | SPORTS | ARTS | STEM

817-860-6752 riverlegacy.org

Join River Legacy in our Virtual Summer Camps!

We are sending our famous exploration adventures right to your computer! Our June and July Virtual Summer Camp provides campers (age 3–6th Grade) with an exciting hands-on, minds-on opportunity to explore wildlife, ecology and the environment from their homes. These Virtual Camps feature daily video lessons and activities for your child(ren) at home, live virtual interaction, and a resource kit.

Summer The Shelton Way June 8–26 There’s something for everyone! Shelton’s unique multisensory and discovery learning methods are perfect for students with and without a language-learning difference. And did we mention fun?

Shelton School & Evaluation Center 15720 Hillcrest Rd., Dallas, TX 75248 972-774-1772 Ext. 2223 shelton.org/summerschool shelton.org/sportscamps

Academic and Enrichment Classes EC–12 Languages • Drama • Fitness • Technology • Science • Reading Scholars Small Group Tutoring in Reading / Writing / Spelling Upper School Credit Classes Sports Camps for girls and boys Speech / Language / Hearing Program

Trinity River Farm & Equestrian Center offers horseback riding camp for kids ages 7–16. We teach English riding with an emphasis on safety and horsemanship in a fun-filled farm setting.

8375 Randol Mill Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76120 817-683-5610 trinityriverfarmtx.com

Note: We will be following CDC and State of Texas guidelines for safe camp operations during Covid-19. Additional information found at our website camp page.

COVID-Cautious Camp June 1–July 31, 2020 Camp Ages: Entering 1st–7th Grades

White Rock North School

9727 White Rock Trail, Dallas, TX 75238 214-348-7410 whiterocknorthschool.com

• Outdoor Learning Center • Indoor Swimming Pool • Roller Skating Rink • Performing Arts activities • Reading nook

• XBox Kinect, movies & interactive games • Board games • Game tables • Hands-on projects

Want more camps?

From sports and STEM to dance and art–we’ve got them all! Explore our not-so-secret weapon, the online directory, at dfwchild.com.

dfwchild.com / june 2020

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confessions

MOM TRUTHS ILLUSTRATION MARY DUNN

WHILE IN AN INDOOR PLAY AREA BEFORE SOCIAL DISTANCING, MY SON BOLTED AND RAN TO THE RESTROOM. I DROPPED MY CHICKEN SANDWICH AND RAN AFTER HIM. OF COURSE, HE RAN INTO THE MEN’S RESTROOM. I HAD TO ASK A RANDOM MAN TO BLOCK THE DOOR WHILE I HELPED MY SON. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN BACK.” —MARIA, HASLET 66

june 2020 / dfwchild.com

CO M P I L E D BY E M I LY Y E A R W O O D

“I cleaned out my car yesterday, which I hadn’t done since school breaks were extended. I found my son’s lunchbox that still had food, or what resembled food, in it. It was nasty, y’all.” —LAUREN, FORT WORTH

“While we were in the car, my 6-yearold son was kicking the backseat air conditioning vents.

I told him that if he broke my car, he’d have to pay for the repairs and that I’d garnish his paychecks for the first 15 years of his working life.

He was quiet for a minute and then said, ‘Mom, that’s cold-blooded.’”

—ALEXIS, BEDFORD

“While I was pregnant, my Brazilian mother let my 5-year-old stepson know how excited she was to teach the newborn Portuguese. He said he would call the police and say, ‘There’s a strange lady speaking a strange language in my house!’

Now my stepson is teaching his baby brother songs in Portuguese. No police reports yet.”

—JULIANA, DALLAS

MY 20-MONTHOLD DAUGHTER HAS STARTED TALKING IN HER SLEEP. SHE MOSTLY SAYS ‘MAMA’ IN A SOFT VOICE. ONE NIGHT, SHE STARTED SCREAMING ‘GUCK!’ REPEATEDLY AT 3AM. WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS OR WHY SHE WAS YELLING IT.” —ELEANOR, DALLAS

Got a funny parenting moment you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. Send it to editorial@dfwchild.com.

I was trying to turn on the TV the other day and it wasn’t working. My toddler was frustrated, so I explained, ‘I’m sorry, buddy; we’re having technical difficulties.’ He obviously misheard, because he looked at me and said, ‘Mmmmm, cookies.’” —EMILY, MCKINNEY

RAISING A BRAIN CHILD? GO PUBLIC. â„¢

KERA offers a world of teacher-tested, kid-approved resources for families and educators. Like Start Smart, a free texting service that delivers tips about child development, literacy, health, math and more right to your phone. Go find out how to make any time learning time.

KERA.ORG/STARTSMART

safe summer fun is closer than you think Our enhanced cleaning technology, hospital grade disinfectants, attendants dedicated to sanitizing frequently throughout the day, and hundreds of new cleaning protocols are all to keep you safe while having summer fun.

Book now at GaylordTexan.com