FortWorthChild November 2019

FORTWORTH

T H E M A G A Z I N E PA R E N T S L I V E B Y I N TA R R A N T C O U N T Y

N O V E M B E R 2019

HOW BURNOUT AFFECTS YOUR CHILD

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EVENTS TO LOVE THIS MONTH

IS BLUE LIGHT REALLY HARMFUL?

MEET MOTHER BEVERAGE’S ALLISON ELLSWORTH

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A FAMILY GUIDE TO GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA

MOMMY BURNOUT IT’S REAL. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT.

KIDS BELIEVE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. SO DO WE.

We’re 10,000 strong all united in one goal — to help your child get back to being a kid. KIDS RULE.™ childrens.com

pages / N O V E M B E R

2019

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FORTWORTH

DEPARTMENTS NOTED 7 The Blue Waves

Get the facts about blue light exposure

REAL MOMS

11 Mom Next Door / Allison Ellsworth

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ABOVE // After experiencing gut problems and experimenting with apple cider vinegar, Allison Ellsworth created Mother Beverage.

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FEATURE

The Dallas prebiotic soda mixologist spills on Shark Tank, running a small business and the struggle between mom and CEO 5 Things... / A Full Life Our Mom Next Door’s favorite self-care ritual and gluten-free dining spots Routines / Randi Skinner This Denton mom left her marketing career to become a momprenuer and spend more time with her baby girl

KID CULTURE

27 Worn Out

Is your kiddo burned out? Here’s what you can do

18 Burn Out A new two-part series tackling the causes— and the cure—for parental burnout words Jessica Elliott

30 Travel / Falling for Greenville

The perfect fall getaway 33 Calendar / The Agenda

Our favorite family events this month

ON THE COVER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CINDY JAMES; CARTER ROSE; ©ISTOCK: ILLUSTRATION MARY DUNN

Cover Family: Reese, Blakely and Ashley of Fort Worth Photography: Cindy James Hair/Makeup Artists: Kay Reeder and Nicole Estill / Independent Artists Art Direction/Styling: Heather Vance Devers

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joylyn Niebes CREATIVE + CONTENT DIRECTOR Heather Vance Devers EDITORIAL Executive Editor Carrie Steingruber Managing Editor Elizabeth Quinn

Freelance Assistant Editor Maya Butler Calendar Editor Elizabeth Smith Digital Editor Sydney Blalock Ritchie Editorial Intern Emily Yearwood ART Contributing Editorial Designer Lesley Busby

COLUMNS

4 dfwchild.com / Off the Pages

Speech pathology, fall recipes and more words Sydney Blalock Ritchie

38 Confessions / Mom Truths

Five-year-olds say the darnedest things

Graphic Designers Susan Horn, Ariana Leyva

Advertising Coordinator Alli Renner

CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT LARGE Lauren Niebes

PR/MARKETING Audience Development Director Candace Emerson Promotions Coordinator Tram-Anh Le

ADVERTISING Account Executives Alison Davis, Kristen Gramling, Mendy Lea, Nancy McDaniel, Diana Whitworth Nelson, Sandi Tijerina

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ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Leah Wagner Accounting Jeanie Vance

NorthTexasChild is published monthly by Lauren Publications, Inc. NorthTexasChild is distributed free of charge, one copy per reader. Only NorthTexasChild authorized distributors may deliver or pick up the magazines. Additional or back copies of NorthTexasChild are available for $2 per copy at the offices of Lauren Publications, Inc. We reserve the right to edit, reject or comment editorially on all material contributed. We cannot be responsible for the return of any unsolicited material. NorthTexasChild is ©2019 by Lauren Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without express written permission prohibited.

fortworthchild / november 2019

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online / D F W C H I L D . C O M WORDS SYDNEY BLALOCK RITCHIE

OFF THE PAGES

what’s in store this month on dfwchild.com

WELCOME TO NOVEMBER, the month that really kicks off the biggest holidays of the year. But don’t start getting stressed about all the planning, shopping and cooking just yet—there’s still so much fall yet to enjoy. As you enjoy your pumpkins, leaves and apple picking, make sure you check out some of our picks for the season too—you can find these three articles (and more) at dfwchild.com. While you’re there, sign up to receive this magazine in your mailbox every month and our e-newsletter every week.

5 Go-To Fall Recipes

Looking for some new tasty recipes to add to your family kitchen’s repertoire?

We found (and tried out) five scrumptious fall recipes. From roasted veggies to a hearty baked potato soup, your family is sure to request these again and again all season long.

What Speech Therapists Want You To Know

Ever heard of speech pathology? Don’t know too much about it or how it works? This article is just for you. We spoke with three local speechlanguage pathologists about what they want parents to know, how speech therapy works and how to work with your kids when the therapist isn’t around.

We’ve all seen a lot about vaping in the news recently. Stores are even pulling vape products from the shelves because some young people are having serious health issues related to the hobby. But do you know enough about vaping and how it can impact your kids? We have the facts for you.

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november 2019 / fortworthchild

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noted.

©ISTOCK

THE BLUE WAVES Is blue light really that dangerous?

WORDS

GINA MAYFIELD

T

AKE A PEEK INTO THE HOME OF MOST NORTH TEXANS ON ANY GIVEN EVENING, and chances are you’ll see faces awash in a faint bluish glow—Mom and Dad doing one last email or social media check and the kids squeezing in a final video game, sitcom or movie before bedtime.

Or, if they are procrastinators like my own children, they may be finishing up homework on a school district–issued Chromebook—the same one they’ve been staring at all day in school. Even if all the gadgets and gizmos are off for the night, fluorescent and LED household lightbulbs—even that new flat-screen—emit brighter short-wavelength blue light than those oldfashioned incandescent bulbs ever did.

So in recent years, attention has turned to the effects of light pollution on our eyes, with shortwave blue light as the primary concern. We’ve all seen the articles, news segments and blog posts about the perceived dangers of blue light, but, truth be told, the long-term consequences of blue light exposure in children are not well understood. That’s why we decided to shed a little light on fortworthchild / november 2019

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this subject (pun intended) and look at what we do know now.

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BLUE WAVES

november 2019 / fortworthchild

and wake cycles.

“During the day, blue light wakes us and stimulates us,” says Dr. Cynthia Beauchamp, managing partner of ABC Eyes, a pediatric ophthalmology practice with offices in Grapevine, Dallas and Plano. “But too much exposure to blue light at night can make it simply more difficult to get to sleep.”

With that, she hit on one of the greatest concerns parents have about screen time: While we may not be going blind from staring at our cellphones all day, what concerns many already sleep-deprived parents is their child’s brain stimulation. Turns out blue light may inhibit melatonin secretion levels, which affect sleep quality.

“Using a device at bedtime can delay sleep and can affect REM sleep and simply make it more difficult to get your child to calm down,” Beauchamp explains.

Turns out this high-energy blue light passes through the cornea and lens to the retina, and that can cause problems such as dry eye, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, according to a late 2018 study published by the International Journal of Ophthalmology. But not all ophthalmologists are sounding the alarm.

“There is blue light spectrum in most ‘white’ light, including sunlight,” says Dr. Serena Wang, a pediatric ophthalmologist from Children’s Health and associate professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “As best as we can tell, blue light is not different than exposure to light itself,” If your children spend too much time she says, citing an in front of a screen, that can keep article recently published online by the them from blinking as often as they American Academy of should, which may make their eyes Ophthalmology, titled feel dry, gritty, tired or strained. The “No, Blue Light From simple solution is to have them look Your Smartphone Is at least 20 feet away, for 20 seconds, Not Blinding You.” every 20 minutes. Ophthalmologists As that title sugcall this the “20-20-20 rule.” gests, and as Wang

The 20-20-20 Rule

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

So what’s a parent to do? Simple solutions, based on the age of the child, make the most sense.

“With little children, up to a year or two in age, I just advise that they don’t puts it, “There is no Other minor adjustments can help too: use devices at all,” good evidence that Beauchamp says. For blue light is harmful Lighting: Keep the room softly lit. young school-age to the eye itself or The biggest troublemakers are light children, the American vision.” The article sources above or behind the screen, Academy of Pediatrics says that concerns including fluorescent lighting and recommends less than raised by recent sunlight. Turn off some or even all of half an hour to an hour research out of the the overhead lights. a day, in part to give University of Toledo Glare: Lower blinds and shades, and kids the opportunity and in Scientific be sure the screen isn’t positioned to get up from behind Reports is “alarmist.” a computer for cardioAs a matter of directly in front of a window or white vascular exercise, she fact, some blue light wall. Consider anti-glare covers for says. That’s something exposure is essential your devices. everyone can agree on. for a healthy body Screen settings: Enlarge the type to And what about and may even help make reading easier for little ones, those older kids like with eyesight. and be sure to set the brightness and mine, who tend to be “The progression contrast to comfortable levels. finishing homework of nearsightedness is late into the evening? really this hot topic “Definitely putting in pediatric ophthalaway the device an hour before bedtime is mology right now,” Wang notes. “Many absolutely reasonable,” she says. studies have linked light levels and being Truthfully, being “reasonable” seems to outside to helping slow the progression of be the answer to our questions surroundnearsightedness.” ing blue light. (Check the sidebar for more Plus, blue light boosts alertness, helps reasonable precautions.) memory and cognitive function and Like most things in life, “everything in elevates mood. It even helps regulate those circadian rhythms, the body’s natural sleep moderation” applies here as well.

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With help from you, children will feel the love they never knew.

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Bring Hope: support a child with a donation.

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real moms.

BELOW //

Co-founder of Mother Beverage Allison Ellsworth was nine months pregnant when she went on Shark Tank.

MOTHER LOAD AGE 32 HAILS FROM Wichita Falls LIVES IN Lake Highlands SIGNIFICANT OTHER Husband and business partner Stephen OFFSPRING Theodore, 3, and Sebastian, 1 ALMA MATER University of North Texas PREVIOUS CAREER Landman in the oil and gas industry CURRENT CAREER Co-founder of Poppi, formerly Mother Beverage CV HIGHLIGHT Getting a deal on Shark Tank when she was nine months pregnant WHERE TO FIND HER DRINKS Whole Foods, Central Market, Market Street, Tom Thumb, Natural Grocers and some small eateries. “We are going nationwide in Sprouts next year, and then we are in talks with Whole Foods to do seven regions across the U.S. next year, and then HEB as well.”

mom next door /

ALLISON ELLSWORTH health mixologist INTERVIEW HEATHER VANCE DEVERS PHOTOGRAPHY CARTER ROSE

A

FTER FOUR YEARS OF WORKING WITH DOCTORS to figure out her stomach issues—with no answers—Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Mother Beverage, took her health into her own hands. She turned to Dr. Google and read about the benefits of apple cider vinegar.

“I was amazed, within two weeks of drinking it every day, how amazing I felt,” Ellsworth says. “[I] immediately had lost that bloat, and I felt more energetic, and it was just crazy that this apple cider vinegar could do this to you.”

Now almost four years, two sons and a Shark Tank deal later, she and her husband are expanding their beverage company nationwide with new branding and packaging—they’re moving from bottles to cans and changing the name to Poppi.

“Renaming your company is like renaming your child,” Ellsworth says. “But we love it.” → fortworthchild / november 2019

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real moms / M O M

NEXT DOOR

NorthTexasChild: Tell us a little bit about your story. Allison Ellsworth: In my previous

register with us for great benets

career, I was on the road a lot. I traveled town to town in small little towns across the U.S. for about 10 years, living in hotels, and eating on the road, and not really living the healthiest of a lifestyle. I had that bloating feeling in the stomach where your gut kind of always hurts, and my face was always a little red. I read online drinking apple cider vinegar could help with a lot of those issues.

So I was like, “What’s the harm in trying [something] natural?”

Child: Is that how you started Mother?

AE: Yeah. I couldn’t get Stephen to try

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it, or my family. So I’m like, “I’m going to come up with an idea, or a recipe, to make this taste good so I can get everybody else to feel as good as I feel.” I spent a few months in the kitchen doing different things, like I would take real raspberries and simmer them down to make a syrup.

A lot of people … add a bunch of honey, and they mix it with all these different things, and you end up drinking like 200 calories in the morning. What was really important to me was to taste good as well as keep it healthy. So, I was just playing around with it, and then I started giving it out to friends and neighbors, and they were like, “Wow, this is actually pretty good.”

Child: So, it took off organically? AE: I

just started selling it at the farmers market, and it just took off. Within the first three weeks, the Whole Foods buyer was there, tried it, and she’s like, “Here’s my number. Call me.

Let’s get you guys in Whole Foods.”

november 2019 / fortworthchild

Child: What role does apple cider vinegar play with prebiotics and probiotics? AE: Apple

cider vinegar is actually prebiotic not probiotic. The prebiotics actually feed the healthy gut flora. So, probiotics are putting in extra to make you feel better, then the prebiotics are helping feed those probiotics. You kind of need both to really feel at your best. If you don’t have the balance or the alignment in your gut, it can throw so many things off.

Child: How have you balanced building a business and having small kiddos? AE: It’s

actually really difficult.

From the outside it looks great, but it’s really tough because when we started the company, I was pregnant. We were a startup.

We weren’t paying ourselves. Stephen actually got a second job, was working at night, after working 80-plus hours at Mother.

I was putting caps on, filling bottles, the day I went in labor. We just didn’t have that luxury where you get to take three months off. At one point, I just wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and just focus on my baby.

“I’M GOING TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA, OR A RECIPE TO MAKE THIS TASTE GOOD SO I CAN GET EVERYBODY ELSE TO FEEL AS GOOD AS I FEEL.”

Child: Talk about serendipitous! AE: I

know, and it was still in, like, prototype Mason jars. We were just making it in our kitchen at home. I never really set out to start a beverage company. It just kind of happened.

Child: How did you go from Mason jars to Whole Foods? AE: We ended up opening our

own production facility. At that point it had 12

taken off quite a bit at the farmer’s market, so we were like spending 10-hour days filling these by hand. It was really crazy. If you’re going to sell in stores, you have to be in commercial kitchens. You can’t make it at your house anymore. So we signed a lease and just started making plans to really grow this.

Child: And then you decided to have a second child. AE: I

didn’t want to sacrifice having a family for the business. So I got pregnant with our second, and Stephen kind of backed off [from] depending on me so much that I was actually able to enjoy being a mom a little bit.

Child: How do you make time for romance and your husband? AE: It’s hard, I think, to

find the balance sometimes of not just being roommates, best friends and business partners. We go on a date, and we just talk about

POPPI BY MOTHER // FORMERLY KNOWN AS MOTHER BEVERAGE, POPPI SPORTS REDESIGNED PACKAGING IN HOPES OF APPEALING TO MORE CONSUMERS.

business the whole time. It’s because we’re so passionate about it. It’s funny because I get a lot of the credit, and I get to do all of the fun interviews. He would not want to do any of that. He’s like, “Well, you deserve it, Babe.” He’s just so sweet about it, and he realizes we play our roles.

Child: You signed a deal with Rohan Oza on Shark Tank last December.

What has that been like? AE: In the beverage industry, he’s like Steve

Jobs or Bill Gates as far as shaping brands and starting at the bottom and working his way all the way up to make you a really successful national brand. They actually didn’t tell us he was a Shark—you don’t know who your Sharks are until the night before you go on.

The whole Shark Tank process is very hush hush. They don’t tell you you’re going to be on the show until a week before.

Child: And you were nine months pregnant. AE: Yeah, they are like, “Are you sure you can fly?” I’m like, “I will have my baby in California. I am coming to Shark Tank.” So we’re backstage at Shark Tank.

I didn’t want to stress myself out because I didn’t want to go into labor. I think was a blessing that I was so pregnant because it kind of brought this calmness over me. You’re actually in there for like an hour talking with them, and they cut it down. You pour your blood, sweat and tears into this thing.

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Child: What’s the biggest thing that’s happened since signing with Rohan? AE: Something crazy, which we haven’t told anybody yet, is

we’re actually changing the name of the company. What we’ve found is vinegar is very polarizing—the word “vinegar.” It just scares a lot of people off. So we’re actually just marketing ourselves different to be more successful and go after more consumers. We’re basically just recategorizing ourselves as a prebiotic soda. It’s the exact same liquid.

Our formula is not changing at all.

Child: Sounds like people are judging a book by its cover. AE: It’s funny—in consumer studies [with the new packaging] everyone is like, “This tastes so much better with the prebiotic soda.” It’s the exact same.

We’re switching from bottle to the cans because glass is definitely recyclable, but cans are a lot easier, and we’re trying to do our part with the footprint of being easy to recycle. The packaging is really fun and cool and more for the masses. This [current] packaging is very feminine. We found a lot of women were buying it for their husbands, and then they got hooked, but if they walked up on the shelf, they wouldn’t pull it themselves. Literally just because of the look.

What’s really been amazing through the whole process is Rohan is very involved with the decision-making and the big stuff, but he’s not interested in running the day-to-day. He still really values us as founders.

Child: It seems like this has been a major passion project for you and your husband no matter how much work it takes. AE: It goes back to

the fact that I didn’t start this to get rich. I genuinely had a problem, this solved it, and I wanted to help other people. I know it can make people feel better—I get emails and people are calling.

We have grown quite a bit, but we’re still small in the scheme of things. At the beginning of the year, we just started paying ourselves.

My husband finally got to quit the second job that he was working that was paying our mortgage. It’s just crazy because everyone thinks, “Oh, you guys made it, you were on Shark Tank,” but it’s still so scrappy. fortworthchild / november 2019

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real moms / 5

THINGS …

INTERVIEW HEATHER VANCE DEVERS

A FULL LIFE how allison ellsworth fills her well and her “me” time

FO R A R E BO OT

IN OIL AND GAS, WE MADE PRETTY GOOD MONEY—FOR ME, GOING TO GET MY NAILS DONE EVERY OTHER WEEK OR ONCE A WEEK WAS LIKE NO BIG DEAL, AND BEFORE YOU HAD KIDS, YOU HAD TIME TO DO THAT TOO. BUT NOW IT’S A REALLY BIG LUXURY TO GO GET A MANICURE AND PEDICURE. I STILL ONLY DO IT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR HONESTLY BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE TIME, BUT WHEN I DO, I AM JUST LIKE, ‘AHH, THIS IS SO NICE.

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2

Justin Bieber and the stuff on the radio. I used to

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FO R A FA M I LY VAC ATI O N

have my pulse on music

and go to festivals and do all that fun stuff.

Now, I just enjoy listening to what’s popular.”

g “For podcasts, probably How I Built This and This American Life. I like something that’s just easy, maybe a little educational kind of podcast.” How I Built This // npr.org/podcasts This American Life // thisamericanlife.org

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november 2019 / fortworthchild

g “I love Justin Timberlake,

FO R D I N I N G O UT

4

“I am gluten free, so my options are very limited. And I’m a pretty big cook, so we don’t eat out that often, but when we do my go-to’s are probably Flower Child or HG SPLY CO. FLOWER CHILD // Multiple locations; iamaflowerchild.com

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FO FORRFA S EMLFI LYC A TIM R EE “My absolutely favorite thing in the entire world is going to a yoga class. I used to go to Lifetime Fitness. I was obsessed; the kids love it. We moved a month ago, so I’m actually looking for a studio right now.”

STEPHEN’S FAMILY HAS A HOUSE IN NEWPORT BEACH. WE GO EVERY SINGLE YEAR, AND IT’S LIKE A HOME AWAY FROM HOME. IT’S ON THE BEACH WITH THE KIDS, AND IT’S NICE NOT BEING IN A HOTEL. YOU’VE GOT THE GROCERIES AND YOU CAN COOK, AND THE NAPS. IT’S JUST MAYBE THE ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD THAT WE CAN GET AWAY.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NPR; CARTER ROSE; ARIANA LEYVA; ©ISTOCK;

‘‘

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a wednesday in the life of

ANGELA SHORTLEDGE Angela Shortledge is a wife, mother and fourth grade teacher married to Mathew.

The two met when he was joining the Air Force, so they married young at just 19. Now living in Keller, they have two kids— daughter Alannah, 8, and son Morgan, 6—as well as a Doberman named Lilly, two cats named Jack Jack and Ruby, and a goldfish (Seaweed II—her kids don’t know Seaweed I passed away).

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:25AM The “cuddle alarm” goes off (previously known as “first alarm”). My multiple alarms drive my husband crazy. I had to find a loophole because those extra 10 minutes are crucial! The solution? I hit snooze and cuddle with him. Everyone’s happy.

5:35AM “For real” alarm goes off. I drag myself out of bed and start getting dressed.

6:15AM I finish getting ready. Alexa wakes up the kids—seriously a game-changer! I let the dog out and feed the animals. Then I pack the kids’ lunches and get their breakfast ready while they get dressed.

6:30AM Ask the kids to get their shoes on as I say goodbye to my husband. Walk back out to the foyer … find my kids trying to fall back asleep and still without shoes.

6:35AM Everyone finally has shoes on, and we get in the car. We drive to my brother’s house to pick up my nephew.

6:40AM Starbucks. Cannot miss this step!

Pick up my mobile order, and we’re back on our way.

6:55AM Arrive at my school. My kids and nephew play in my classroom while I prepare all the materials I need for today.

7:45AM Bell rings. I give my biological kids and nephew a hug and kiss goodbye and

wish them a great day. They head off to their first, second and third grade classrooms as my nonbiological children (aka students, whom I care for as my own) arrive outside my door. I greet them with a hug, high five or fist bump, depending on their preference, and they enter our classroom.

Our day begins.

8AM We watch announcements and begin Morning Meeting. This is our time to build community and positive relationships within our classroom.

9:05AM Stop! Grammar time—not just an MC Hammer song; this is our grammar block.

9:20AM I’ll write, I’ll write, I’ll write! aka my spinoff of Matthew McConaughey’s infamous saying. You guessed it—writing time!

10AM Like Buddy the Elf says, “I just like to read; reading is my favorite!” I think that’s what he meant to say, anyway. My students ask me every day if we can read just a little bit longer, and my teacher heart couldn’t be happier.

10:45AM The rest was history … literally.

11AM My homeroom switches to math and science. Hello, second period!

11:20AM Recess: This is my duty for the week. Bring on the fall weather! Currently I’m trying not to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. 11:50AM Lunch! My teammate takes over for cafeteria duty.

2:05PM My students go to Co-Curr (cocurricular classes), and my conference period begins.

3:10PM Dismissal. I hug all my students goodbye, and dismissal duty begins. “Tomorrow, tomorrow! I’ll see ya tomorrow!”

3:30PM My biological kiddos and nephew are waiting for me in my classroom. They’re excited to tell me about something new that happened today.

4PM I never actually finish getting everything done but decide it’s time to head home.

My daughter changes the “Come in! We’re Open!” sign outside my door to, “Sorry! We’re Closed!” and we head to the car.

4:15PM The kids run inside the house, dumping their backpacks all over the foyer. I’m hoping I’m not the only mom out there that has to remind her kids (Every. Single. Day.) to put their backpacks where they belong. They all get a snack from the pantry and continue to play until my nephew gets picked up.

5:30PM Their homework consists of reading. Right as we finish up reading, my husband comes home. We share a little bit about our day, and then he looks for what he wants to make for dinner. I am a terrible chef, and I do not enjoy cooking, so he

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

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november 2019 / fortworthchild

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA RAMBO PHOTOGRAPHY

real moms / R O U T I N E S

the fine

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BEVERAGE OF CHOICE Iced white mocha from Starbucks BEST VACATION Touring castles in Ireland INSTAGRAM SHE ALWAYS LIKES @themrsgibby (also from DFW) WHAT SHE’S READING Kind Is the New Classy by Candace Cameron Bure (a gift from a student) WHERE SHE GOES FOR RETAIL THERAPY HomeGoods FAVORITE MOVIE Pitch Perfect FAVORITE DATE NIGHT SPOT Texas de Brazil WORDS SHE LIVES BY “Let your light shine.” —Matthew 5:16 BIGGEST PET PEEVE Disrespect MOTHERHOOD IN FIVE WORDS Where does the time go? DREAM JOB AS A KID Teacher and Disney princess HOW SHE AND HER HUSBAND MET Don’t even get us started— we have two totally different stories!

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graciously accepted this role.

6:30PM After we finish eating dinner and I clean up the kitchen, I tell everyone goodbye and then start driving to the gym.

7PM Self-care begins! There are many ways people stay active and relieve stress. My self-care comes in the form of dance. Twice a week, I take a 90-minute hip-hop class. I’ve danced since a young age, so being able to continue this passion is like my chicken noodle soup. It’s good for the soul! In order for me to be my best, and take care of others, I must first take care of myself.

9PM Make it back home. The kids should already be asleep, they’re waiting for me to get home and read them a story. I read them a quick story and kiss them goodnight. “Alexa, set a timer for 6:15am.” “Momma, can you put on some sleeping music?” “Alexa, play ‘relaxing sleeping music.’” What would I do without you, Alexa?!

9:15PM Wash off my makeup and take a quick shower. Then I browse through my closet and lay out clothes for tomorrow.

9:30PM Finally hop into bed. My husband is watching a show on Netflix, and I cuddle up beside him. We both fall asleep before the show is over. Thanks for setting the sleep timer, Hunny!

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17

burn When did feeling exhausted and overwhelmed become our everyday reality?

WORDS JESSICA ELLIOTT

ABOVE //

Burnout is "akin to having a completely overwhelming day— day after day."

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november 2019 / fortworthchild

PHOTOGRAPHY CINDY JAMES

PART NO. 1

STA I WA NDI S NG I N KIT THE C EYEHEN ING

a full pot of chili I’d absentmindedly left out overnight, made to last at least a few dinners. A year before, I’d have spent some energy upset about the waste. Instead, I shrugged and blankly stared out the kitchen window, the trees becoming a hazy blur as the chili slid down the drain. I was too tired to care.

This wasn’t the first day I’d had such an apathetic reaction.

Off and on for months, I’d felt impatient, anxious, maybe even uninterested in parenting. It was a challenging state of mind, one I’d drifted into while caring for my 2-year-old son and 5-month-old identical twin daughters. As the chili disappeared, I gave up on assembling a solidly nutritious lunch for my son and poured him some cereal.

That’s when it hit me: I was burned out. Toasted. Crisped to a multigrain Cheerios level that required far more intervention than a coffee date or pedicure.

Though it was little consolation, I knew I wasn’t alone.

Late-night or rapid-fire naptime texts from friends often consisted of confessions—of exhaustion, of feeling overwhelmed, of day-to-day parenting minutiae leading to minimal patience, dissatisfaction and emotional withdrawal. The number of moms reeling from this host of emotions is well documented in books, articles, medical journals and surveys.

A Care.com survey from 2014, for instance, found that “one in four working moms cry alone at least once a week,” due to the stressors of balancing work, child care and household duties. And “Exhausted Parents,” a study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2017, documented that nearly 13% of mothers are experiencing “high burnout.”

There’s an official term for this hung-out-to-dry state: It’s

“mommy burnout,” and it’s widely recognized as a real—and potentially serious—problem. It creates a seemingly inescapable emptiness that impedes your ability to properly care for yourself—and your family.

Despite previously devoting your full being to every aspect of your child’s life, it becomes hard to enjoy a moment with them—hard to simply think. You lose interest in parenting and have a hard time coping. Burnout makes you irritable, moody, unable to manage responsibilities—in short, it’s the worst version of yourself on autopilot.

It’s a dark place, and it’s one that more and more moms are finding themselves in.

DO I HAVE MOMMY BURNOUT?

After months of mothering, it was clear I’d reached an utterly drained state of mind. I took a burnout quiz created by two of the “Exhausted Parents,” researchers, Isabelle Roskam and Moira Mikolajczak. (You can quickly gauge your own burnout level by taking the assessment at parentalburnout.com.)

According to the quiz, I am at the “moderate burnout” level, meaning I need to get to a better place—soon.

The intensity of mommy burnout lies between stress and postpartum depression, according to the “Exhausted Parents” study. Burnout compounds when perceived demands continually outweigh resources—when there is no respite from acute stress. In other words, it happens when stress becomes chronic. It’s akin to having a completely overwhelming day—day after day.

“It’s like a bank account that keeps dwindling,” says Katie Sardone, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and owner of Behavioral Health Dallas who specializes in peripartum and postpartum depression. “You hit your limit, and you keep going, and once you overdraft, there are fees and fines, and you’re going into debt. It takes so long for people to see that they are in the red.”

In simply struggling to get through the day, it’s easy to miss warning signs on the road to burnout. Cognitive errors, such as being at fault in a minor accident or making an unusual mistake at the office, are red flags, Sardone says.

Sheryl Ziegler spent years observing mothers who were suffering from the rigors of parenthood. When she had her second child, the Denver-based doctor of psychology began to fortworthchild / november 2019

19

struggle alongside her patients. “I felt like I was drowning,” she says. “I didn’t have enough time, and thought, ‘Am I even a good mom anymore?’”

This led her to write Mommy Burnout: How to Reclaim Your Life and Raise Healthier Children in the Process. In her book, Ziegler, who now has three kids under 11, notes that signs of burnout also include having too little energy to speak to friends, having less interest in sex, erratic and unhealthy eating, and self-deprecation.

“A hallmark of mommy burnout is that you no longer feel good at your job,” Ziegler says.

In a 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers Sarah Hubert and Isabelle Aujoulat found the same underlying theme in worn-out moms: fear.

Moms are afraid of being bad parents, afraid of losing control and afraid of losing their sense of self.

parenting norms and the pressure for perfectionism—both societal and individual—are two of the main culprits.

Parents are feeling more pressure to raise successful, well-rounded kids, possibly thanks in part to income inequality. In the U.S., inequality has drastically risen since the ’80s, and as economists Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti explained in a Quartz article earlier this year, the wider the economic disparity, the higher the parenting fervor. Fueled by concern for their kids’ futures, middle- and upper-class parents are trying their best to ensure their kids go to college and have successful careers.

“My goodness, the pressure on these moms and dads to have their kids in every activity known to man,” says Beth Ann Contreras, a licensed therapist and counselor and the Bedford site director for Logos Counseling.

THE NOT-SOContreras and her husband BURNOUT, DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY? GREAT ESCAPE have three grown daughters, The evening after delivering and now she’s watching While mommy burnout can have seri•Experiencing real problems with my twins via unexpected them raise children of their ous ramifications, it isn’t genetic and

concentration?

C-section, I found myself own in this environment of medicine is not required for treatment.

•Experiencing headaches and downright relaxed—giddy, frantic overscheduling.

Anxiety and depression, meanwhile, are stomachaches? even—as I lay in my hospital “It borders on insanpsychiatric disorders that can require •Having suicidal thoughts or fantasies bed. My 19-month-old ity,” she laments, adding medicine and/or therapy for complete

such as “disappearing permanently”? healing. (They also can be experienced rainbow baby, my first son, that of course parents feel •Abandoning your goals completely? simultaneously.)

•Snapping at people easily and

was snoozing in his crib (conthe strain of “being in the But how can you determine whether

exhibiting close to zero patience for firmed via iPhone app), the right place at the right time, you’re dealing with mommy burnout,

your kids or spouse? substantial weight and stress with the right clothing and postpartum depression (PPD), general •Struggling to get out of bed in the of carrying my preemies the right equipment, in the depression or anxiety? Burnout crosses

morning and fantasizing about

had lifted, and the girls were right car…” into postpartum depression, for instance,

sleeping all the time? being cared for in the NICU. This might be why when a mother’s daily abilities are severely impaired and she is unable to eat, Dinner was delivered, and it “overzealous, overcommitThen you might be depressed. sleep and take care of herself. Because felt like I was on vacation. ted” parents are most at depression or anxiety might require HAVE YOU BEEN… Before the twins, I’d risk for burnout, according different interventions than burnout, it’s •Preoccupied with something most devoted every minute to to the “Exhausted Parents” important to seek help from a doctor

days of the week and hours of the my precious son, and while study. or therapist when symptoms start to

day for the past six months? pregnant, I didn’t feel good In any case, it is clear interfere with daily life.

•Experiencing trouble sitting still, enough to take any sort of we are devoting a lot more Here are a few symptoms that cross

fatigue, trouble concentrating,

real vacation. (Not to mentime to hands-on parentthe line from burnout to depression or

agitation, tight or sore muscles, or anxiety, according to Mommy Burnout by tion I worked harder than ing. According to Pew

difficulty falling or staying asleep?

Sheryl Ziegler.

•Dealing with so much worry that it ever to earn the time off and Research Center data, the

causes significant stress and financial cushion I’d need average time U.S. mothers HAVE YOU BEEN… interferes with daily life? when my twins arrived.) spent caring for children •Engaging in reckless behavior to Sadly, I’m not alone increased by four hours escape your family and responsibilities?

Then you might be anxious. in enjoying a hospital weekly from 1965 to 2016. visit. Maybe you know A 2016 study for the the feeling—that urge to National Council on Family “escape” for a break, even if it means being in an were intentionally overinvolved “gradually Relations’ Journal of Marriage and Family unfavorable situation. developed a sense of being overwhelmed by the found much the same.

Women suffering from burnout often look pressure that they perceived was being put on Ziegler notes that because of this increase in to debilitating circumstances for downtime, them.” And they blamed themselves instead of engagement, today’s families lack the freedoms Ziegler says. their situation—I know I did—therefore becomwe—and therefore, our parents—once had. In “When women tell me they want to run away ing both the “victims and perpetrators.” the past, “there was much more of an emphasis or get injured so they will be taken care of for a So, do these internal pressures or societal to go outside and play, and ‘Don’t come in until change, I hear chronic stress that has turned into and other external pressures cause burnout? it’s dark,’” she says. “Now we are like, ‘Let’s do mommy burnout ringing through,” she writes.

The answer is a mix. flash cards together.’ We have taken on the role She speaks from experience—once, she of play dates, coaches and stimulators.” thought she might need surgery and was looking STRESSONOMICS I can relate. Homemade sensory or motor forward to a “much-needed break.” Then when Parental burnout triggers are wide ranging, but skill-building activities found via Pinterest? doctors determined she didn’t need surgery after experts and research confirm that intensive Check. Apps with tips on challenging your 20

november 2019 / fortworthchild

all, Ziegler was actually disappointed not to be getting a “night off” in the hospital.

Not only do burned-out mothers feel a loss of self-identity, they also feel trapped. And that’s how they end up fantasizing about having an ailment or sickness that warrants a night away.

Eight months after my hospital stay, following severe sleep deprivation (my husband and I clocked three hours in total too many nights to count), near-constant pumping, and a home as dirty as I’d ever lived in, I found solace in spending two hours at Starbucks working. It was an escape, if temporary.

You can’t quit motherhood like you can a job—and this can ultimately lead to frustration and emotional distancing.

Burnout is often reinforced by feelings of “guilt, shame and loneliness,” the 2018 study says. The researchers found that mothers who

newborn daily? Check.

As we’re spending more time on parenting, we’re also spending more time at work.

Pew Research Center data shows that mothers spend 16 more hours a week at their jobs than they did in 1965. (To help balance the difference, we’ve cut time on household chores, but there’s still a two-hour disparity.)

Not only are we working more and spending more time with our children—we have less help. Experts say there are vast differences in the familial structure today versus that of the 1950s and ’60s.

“Throughout the history of humans, communities used to raise babies together,” says Sardone, who has two daughters, ages 4 and 2. Now, “it’s more common to live away from parents and has become harder and harder to get practical support.”

Ziegler agrees. “We don’t raise children around our extended families, and we are not meant to raise generations of children without help,” she says.

SHE’S A SUPER MOM

Even with abundant resources, women often have a hard time delegating, which could be credited to an unspoken societal pressure to be “supermom.”

Kelly Krug, a physician assistant at Olympus Family Medicine in Frisco, attributes our society’s “females can do everything” mentality to some of our stress.

“I’m not opposed to the idea that women should have equal rights, but we haven’t managed our expectations,” explains Krug, who has a 14-year-old stepson, 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. “Women are expected to be CEO of a company and manage the household, creating grocery lists and helping with bills. Any woman can’t keep all of those balls up at the same time.”

Krug works three days a week and stays home the other two days, and still struggles to maintain a balance. “Trying to juggle naps, appointments and take care of tiny humans that are needing all day long is exhausting,” she says.

She believes our empowerment is a doubleedged sword: “Women are taking on the role that men traditionally did of working fulltime, then trying to be a perfect mom, perfect employee and perfect wife, and it’s impossible.”

These high expectations are costly, resulting in “maternal guilt, lower self-efficacy beliefs, and higher stress levels,” notes a 2018 study titled “Feeling Pressure To Be a Perfect Mother Relates to Parental Burnout and Career Ambitions.” What’s more, mothers fear “social penalties” for falling short of these high standards—perhaps feeling like an outsider or being looked down upon by other parents.

To make matters worse, efforts to live up to these standards only worsen perfectionism, which is rampant among mothers. Psychologist Paula Miltenberger, Ph.D., of Dallas-based

ABOVE // "WE ARE DEVOTING A LOT MORE TIME TO HANDS-ON PARENTING. ACCORDING TO PEW RESEARCH CENTER DATA, THE AVERAGE TIME U.S. MOTHERS SPENT CARING FOR CHILDREN INCREASED BY FOUR HOURS WEEKLY FROM 1965 TO 2016."

Women’s Mental Wellness says about 85% of her clients struggle with unattainable expectations.

“A lot of women tend to have perfectionist personalities, which can lead to never feeling good enough,” she says. This pressure leads to a dangerous thinking pattern of I should or I must.

“When our thinking patterns get that way, we add additional stress on ourselves,” she adds.

Then there’s that other big stressor that feeds right into our own self-doubt: social media. It’s a pressure-cooker of images from parents who expertly conjure balanced (and, of course, organic) bento box meals, make crafts that rival preschool teachers’ projects, and assemble magical playrooms.

Moms in the past didn’t have this “barometer people were judging themselves by,” says Miltenberger. “I don’t have a bone in my body that can craft, but if I were to look at all these mothers on social media who do crafting, I’d be setting myself up for disappointment and negative thoughts.”

Which is what many of us do—to our own detriment. “Social media can significantly exacerbate depression and anxiety,” Sardone says.

For many, time spent on social media is a substitute for real phone conversations or time spent with friends—those face-to-face

connections that Ziegler contends are key to motherhood fruition. “One of the reasons moms are so unhappy is the lack of connection and isolation in motherhood,” she says.

“Moms are very isolated,” agrees Contreras. She says that stay-at-home moms, especially, can lose their sense of self because they lack meaningful interactions with family, friends, neighbors, even strangers at the grocery store.

“A stay-at-home mom doesn’t have what historically women had, which is connection,” she explains. “It’s all about the child, and they don’t have an adult to speak to all day long.”

In short, we are loaded with more expectations and work than ever before, with less support than ever before. It all equates to lots of stress and little personal time for matriarchs.

Unfortunately, healing requires more than a quick fix. As I’ve discovered in my own efforts to achieve postpartum normalcy, beating burnout is a journey that requires consistent dedication and the most precious of commodities: time.

Read the December issue of NorthTexasChild, on newsstands the last week of November, for part two of this series. fortworthchild / november 2019

21

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november 2019 / fortworthchild

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kid culture.

©ISTOCK

WORN OUT

how to protect your kid from burnout WORDS LISA SALINAS

A

FTER A LONG DAY, YOUR KIDS MIGHT BE MORE AGITATED AND LESS

likely to want to do their homework—or anything, for that matter. But when do these outward expressions of fatigue become telltale signs of more than just that long-day crankiness?

We use the term “burnout” when talking about adults feeling completely overworked and overwhelmed. (Read about mommy burnout on page 18.) But kids can suffer from burnout too. It’s defined as physical and emotional exhaustion and having a lack of motivation.

Laura Wright, family therapist at Cook Children’s, defines the key elements of burnout. “[It’s] a breakdown of being overstimulated and not having enough down time to recharge,” fortworthchild / november 2019

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kid culture / W O R N

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she explains. “A physical, mental, emotional collapse.”

Wright, who’s been practicing for 10 years, says she has seen several young patients experiencing burnout, even kids as young as 5—yes, 5. One particular 5-year-old patient has a full plate: soccer, T-ball, family outings almost every night and on top of all that, kindergarten.

The new kid culture is a culture of busyness: While involvement in after-school clubs and lessons has fluctuated over the past couple of decades, the number of children ages 6–17 involved in sports has increased according to the U.S. Census Bureau—in 1998, 36% of kids were involved in sports compared to 42% in 2014. And younger elementary kids seem to have more homework than they did in the 1980s, per data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress—more homework but less recess and free play time.

All of this activity can add up to burnout. As your kiddos’ first line of defense, you can watch for burnout symptoms and find a plan to help your kids truly feel and do their best in the things they love.

STRESS FACTORS

november 2019 / fortworthchild

your kiddos up for extracurriculars such as basketball or dance, on top of taking them to social events on the weekends because you want them to make new friends. “[Parents feel pressure] to get their kids involved in so much more because they feel like their kids are going to get left behind or left out, or they’re not going to be successful later in life, and so they’re just kind of guilted into that path of overscheduling,” Wright says.

BURN(OUT) RELIEF

Signs that your kiddos are burned out include a sudden disinterest in things that they used to love, complaining that they don’t want to do something, and procrastinating. “[They are] just having less enjoyment or pride in what they’re doing,” Wright says.

Sometimes an extreme change might be needed to address your kids’ burnout symptoms. Polk and her husband decided to move—now in Rowlett, they’ve cut the school commute by more than half. But smaller steps can be taken to prevent burnout too.

Wright recommends taking a step back and doing one thing at a time. For example, don’t enroll your kid in soccer and baseball at the same time. And help them manage the time they spend on dayto-day activities such as school and chores.

“Teach them how to take effective breaks,” she says.

This is something Polk does with her kids—they tackle homework piece by piece. “[My son] will work on it a little bit, while I’m making dinner,” she explains.

“And in the morning, while I’m preparing breakfast, I’ll say, ‘Hey, let’s start your homework, let’s see if we can get a little more done. Or we’ll just practice spelling words while I’m cooking.”

Wright stresses the importance of checking in on your kids. Talk to them about how they’re feeling. “Ask about their needs,” she says.

She also mentions giving your kids unstructured time, which she says shouldn’t be synonymous with screen time. This

“GIVING UNSTRUCTURED TIME HELPS KIDS LEARN TO MANAGE THEIR FEELINGS, TO COPE WITH UNCOMFORTABLE FEELINGS.”

Local mom Courtney Polk noticed her two young kids, ages 3 and 5, were showing signs of exhaustion from their long commute to and from school (a drive of a little over an hour—multiply that by five days a week).

She explained that her 5-yearold son would become frustrated when he would do his homework and would sometimes cry. “[He] would just give up,” Polk says. “I want him to be excited about learning and want to learn. It’s hard to find that balance, pushing him to do it, and knowing we have to do it, but also not overwhelming him— that was really difficult with us getting home so late.”

Aside from school and long commutes, extracurricular activities can also add to that feeling of exhaustion. Remember Wright’s 5-year-old patient?

As parents, it’s natural to want our kids to excel in all aspects of life. You might sign 28

OUT

should be a time where kids get to play freely.

“Giving unstructured time helps kids learn to manage their feelings, to cope with uncomfortable feelings,” she says. Take your kids out to the playground or a walk (weather permitting, of course).

Polk tries to make sure her and her kids’ weekends stay free of work for the most part. One of her son’s favorite pastimes is going to the discount store Five Below.

“He looks forward to the weekends and going to Five Below if he’s had a great week,” she shares. “Even if he doesn’t do that great, we still celebrate his accomplishments.”

RECHARGE & RESET Although this might seem like you’re adding one more thing to you and your kid’s to-do list, yoga classes can actually help them learn how to refocus their energy and cope with their emotions. Consider replacing something on the schedule with one of these kids’ yoga and meditation classes, and we’ve included a few athome resources to try too.

Just released earlier this fall, Stress Stinks by Bryan Smith tells the story of little Amelia, who is overwhelmed by school, extracurricular activities and social worries. The book talks about her feelings and stressors and how her mom helps her through these feelings. Recommended for ages 5–11. boystownpress.org If your child is more of a visual learner, check out Cosmic Kids Yoga’s YouTube channel. Episodes incorporate stories and themes—such as cats, Pokémon and Frozen—with yoga poses and guided meditation. youtube.com/cosmickidsyoga

IMAGES COURTESY OF BOYSTOWN PRESS; KELLER YOGA

Every Saturday at 10am (except holidays), Cook Children’s Medical Center offers free yoga for kids and parents. Located in the Family Support Meeting Room, these classes focus on breathing with the goal of reducing stress and pain.

801 Seventh Ave., Fort Worth; 682/885-4549; cookchildrens.org DFW Sahaja Meditation hosts meditation classes for kids all throughout the Metroplex, including Coppell and Irving. RSVP for a session near you online. If you can’t make it to a class, join the online meditation class on Saturday mornings at 11am (in your PJs, of course).

Multiple locations; dfwmeditation.com Kids ages 6–12 are welcome to the once-a-week classes at Keller Yoga. Here, kids will focus on breathing, poses and emotional regulation exercises—in other words, they’ll learn how to differentiate their emotions and redirect or get rid of negative energy. Classes start at 4:45pm. For teens ages 13–18, classes every Monday focus on breathing and poses, with an emphasis on stress reduction. Classes start at 5:15pm.

5761 Park Vista Circle, Suite 201, Keller; 817/591-1702; kelleryoga.com fortworthchild / november 2019

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kid culture / T R A V E L

2

where to go in upstate south carolina WORDS ELIZABETH QUINN

“O

UR DOWNTOWN

looks like something out of a movie,” says mom of three Ashli Stockard. “Everything is green, the landscape is manicured and there’s a beautiful bridge over the river running through the center of downtown.” A close climate relative to Dallas-Fort Worth, Greenville, South Carolina, might be the next best place to vacation this November. With temperatures usually in the 50s, it’s the perfect destination for some outdoor fall-stivities or indoor exhibitions. Stockard is a DFW native who now lives in

Greenville with her husband and girls. She gave us the rundown on all the not-to-miss spots and even notable events to keep in mind for future travels.

FOR THE BUDDING ZOOLOGIST

Open during its fall/winter season from 10am–5pm, the GREENVILLE ZOO is near downtown Greenville for an easy all-day schedule.

Between farm animals, African cats and reptiles, there’s something for all bravery levels. Stockard notes the zoo isn’t too big, so it is walkable in around an hour and a half—“but that means you often get to see the animals getting fed or trained,” she says. Just outside the zoo is a shaded park that Stockard likes to take her girls to for lunch and playtime after exploring the zoo. “There is also a splash pad in downtown Greenville you can hit up after the zoo if it’s especially warm,” she says.

FOR THE CURIOUS KID

One place everyone mentions is 4

30

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE UPSTATE —and for good

reason: It was the first children’s museum to be an affiliate of the

november 2019 / fortworthchild

1 3

Smithsonian. With over 20 indoor and outdoor exhibits and activities for kids (Stockard recommends the experience for ages 1–9), the museum is sure to have something for every interest. Littles can engage in STEAM activities (the entire downstairs section is just for art and technology) as well as imaginative play. “A favorite attraction is the farm exhibit where you can pick vegetables and even milk a fake cow,” Stockard says.

FOR THE ADVENTURER AND THEIR TUMMY

Get some fresh, crisp autumn air on the PRISMA HEALTH SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL , equipped with restrooms, paved trails, secondary trails, half-mile markers and more.

Trees line the trails for the perfect fall aesthetic. There’s even a digital guide to food, drinks and “hops” within a mile of the trail—conveniently called The Carrot. “You can bike from Greenville to [Travelers Rest, South Carolina], and eat at the SWAMP RABBIT CAFE ,” Stockard says. “The menu changes often but any of their sandwiches on stecca are the bomb! [The trail is] not super hilly, so it would work for families with kids of all ages.”

FOR FUTURE PLANS

If you find yourself in or near Greenville during the holidays, there is plenty to do. A little over an hour away is a free gingerbread house exhibit in Asheville, North Carolina. Held at The Omni Grove Park Inn,

1 / Walk inside the wind tunnel at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.

2 / Pick your own berries at familyowned Blueberry Hill. 3 / The Swamp Rabbit Trail is good for cyclists of all ages. 4 / Don’t miss the gingerbread competition an hour away in Asheville.

the NATIONAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION viewing is from Nov. 20–Jan. 4, 2020. These go beyond the simple brownboxed gingerbread sheets and white icing. Or in the spring and summer season, go strawberry picking at SANDY FLAT BERRY PATCH in Taylors or blueberry picking at BLUEBERRY HILL . “We do [Blueberry Hill] every year,” Stockard says. Blueberry Hill is family-owned by a local and has enough property to spend two to three hours just picking berries.

“The kids love trying to find the biggest berries—some of them are huge!” Stockard remembers. “We fill our baskets full and occasionally taste a few, and the owner lets us feed fish in his koi pond.”

GREENVILLE ZOO

greenvillezoo.com

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE UPSTATE

tcmupstate.org

PRISMA HEALTH SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL

greenvillerec.com

SWAMP RABBIT CAFE & GROCERY

swamprabbitcafe.com

NATIONAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION

omnihotels.com

SANDY FLAT BERRY PATCH

@SandyFlatBerryPatch on Facebook BLUEBERRY HILL

Search on Facebook

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRISMA HEALTH SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL; CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF THE UPSTATE; BLUEBERRY HILL; THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN

FALLING FOR GREENVILLE

merry

members SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2019, 1–5 P.M. Celebrate the holiday season with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art! Join Carter Family Members for milk and cookies with Santa and Mrs. Claus, explore the collection with a wintery Art Discovery Guide, let your creativity sparkle as you create masterpieces of your own, and more!

Become a Carter Family Member at cartermusem.org/membership.

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EVENTS TO LOVE THIS MONTH

FORTWORTH

T H E M A G A Z I N E PA R E N T S L I V E B Y I N TA R R A N T C O U N T Y

O C T O B E R 2019

J U N E 2019

MEET HGTV'S

HOW TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT HATE SPEECH

GRACE MITCHELL

+

HOW TO THROW A PEPPA PIG PARTY

A FAMILY GUIDE TO

BENTONVILLE

WAYS TO SPEND JUNE

MEET JEWELRY DESIGNER

MADISON MCKINLEY ISNER BRAIN BREAKS THE LATEST SCHOOL TREND

ART SMART HOW THE ARTS SHAPE YOUR KID’S BRAIN

TOUGH LOVE HOW TO NURTURE A SPIRITED KID

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PLAY TIME!

TIPS FOR TAKING KIDS TO THE THEATER

ial

spe c

KID CULTURE: HOW TO CHOOSE AN INSTRUMENT

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SUMMER OF FUN

FORTWORTH

20 EVENTS WE

T H E M A G A Z I N E PA R E N T S L I V E B Y I N TA R R A N T C O U N T Y

F E B R U A R Y 2019

HEART

+

THIS MONTH

THE TOLL ON MOM

M EET GRAMMY NOMINEE

TONI ESTES

GIVING BIRTH HAS LASTING EFFECTS—HOW SERIOUS ARE THEY?

HOW YOUR FEARS IMPACT YOUR KIDS

BEST FOR

MOMS +WINNERS! BABIES

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FORTWORTH

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Guide to Child Care & Preschools

DON’T WANT TO MISS THE NEXT ISSUE? GET IT DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX. Visit dfwchild.com to sign up for free home delivery.

fortworthchild / november 2019

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November 15, 2019 – January 5, 2020 This holiday season, Gaylord Texan Resort will present a winter wonderland with two million lights, a 54-foot tall Christmas tree and 15,000 ornaments!

Family events will include Snow Tubing, Ice Skating, Gingerbread Decorating Corner, Breakfast with Charlie Brown™ & Friends, Build-A-Bear Workshop®, and our signature hand-carved attraction ICE! featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Stay overnight to experience it all! Tickets and packages on sale now.

ChristmasAtGaylordTexan.com | (817) 778-2000 Peanuts © 2019 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. © Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

PEPSI, PEPSI-COLA and the Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo, Inc.

GRAPEVINE, TX

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21 F A M I L Y - F R I E N D L Y E V E N T S Y O U C A N ’ T M I S S I N

NOVEMBER of the same name, this world premiere children’s production created by Fort Worth Opera follows the real-life story of Mariana Morillo Safa and her friendship with famed painter Frida Kahlo. Get your tickets to hear Frida’s parrot, dog and monkey all sing in this Saturday afternoon performance. $15 adults; $10 children. $40 family fourpack available by phone.

1440 N. Main St., Fort Worth; 817/731-0726 fwopera.org/frida-kahlo

FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS

NOV. 24 // STAND IN AWE AS YOU WATCH THE PARADE OF LIGHTS IN DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH, INC.; B.E.S. PUBLISHING; DALLAS COWBOYS

PUMPKIN NIGHTS

HOWE L L FARM S Through November 3 Don’t let this Halloween season end without experiencing this new attraction, which opens with a glowing tunnel of more than 3,000 jack-o’-lanterns hand-carved by master pumpkin artists.

Warm up with hot cocoa and live fire shows when (or if) the weather turns cold. Advance tickets required; from $17 for adults; $14 for children 4–12; $60 for family four-pack; free for age 3 and younger.

4016 W. Division St., Arlington pumpkinnights.com

DALLAS COWBOYS RALLY DAYS

AT&T STADIUM November 9 Before game day Sunday, make the most of your trip to the Boys’ home stadium by coming a day early to get a behind-the scenes tour of the locker rooms, meet Cowboys alumni and cheerleaders, and

best of all, play on the same field as the pro team. Rally activities include a Kids Zone with games, face painting and inflatables. $25 adults and $22 children ages 5–12 for the self-guided tour. $35 adults and $32 children for the VIP guided tour.

1 AT&T Way, Arlington; 817/892-5000 attstadium.com/rallydays

WINNIE THE POOH

TH EATR E AR LINGTON Through November 10 You’ve heard of The Tao of Pooh. Ponder the age-old questions of “Is there any more honey?” and “What is a pooh?” when Theatre Arlington continues this children’s musical adapted from the classic A.A. Milne story originally written nearly 100 years ago. $17 adults; $11 children. Note that children must be 3 or older to attend.

305 W. Main St., Arlington; 817/275-7661 theatrearlington.org

ICE! FEATURING A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

G AYLORD T E X A N November 15–January 5 Bundle up and buckle up to experience this real-life winter wonderland kept at a frigid 9 degrees. You’ll zip down twostory-tall ice slides and stroll through an exhibit of colorful ice sculptures, hand-carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice and modeled after scenes from the Charlie Brown holiday film. Even more fun at the Gaylord’s Lone Star Christmas includes ice skating, 12 lanes of snow tubing, Santa’s Snow Throw and Breakfast with Charlie Brown & Friends. Prices vary by activity. ICE! tickets are $23.99 for adults and $14.99 for children.

1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine; 817/778-1000 christmasatgaylordtexan.com

T HE MODE RN A RT MUSE UM OF FORT WORTH November 16 Discover the contemporary works on exhibit created by artist Julie Bozzi during this program for children 9–12.

Begin in the galleries for education and inspiration, and then head into the studio for an art activity and further discussion. Space is limited, so register online; admission is $20 per child per session and $15 for members. Scholarships available.

3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth; 817/840-2121 themodern.org

CARTER PLAYDATE – TASTY ART

AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART November 16 This new, monthly program at the newly renovated Amon Carter Museum focuses on themed explorations of the galleries, a story time to connect the dots and then an art-making activity designed for parents and their little ones ages 3–5 to do together.

This month’s program focuses on all the food-inspired artwork on exhibit, so come with a full stomach to talk about your favorite snacks. $10 per child, free for Carter members. Accompanying adults are free (max two adults per child; no siblings).

3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth; 817/989-5013 cartermuseum.org

DRUMLINE LIVE HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR

BASS PE RFORM A NC E HA LL November 20 The Historically Black College and University marching band takes the drumline off the football field and onto the stage for a rollicking holiday performance of

FRIDA KAHLO AND THE BRAVEST GIRL IN THE WORLD

ROSE MARINE THEATER November 16 Based on the children’s book

NOV. 16 // VISIT ROSE MARINE THEATER IN FORT WORTH TO WATCH FRIDA KAHLO AND THE BRAVEST GIRL IN THE WORLD.

fortworthchild / november 2019

33

CALENDAR 6–15; free for children 5 and younger and GROW members.

3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth; 817/392-5510 fwbg.org

CAROL OF LIGHTS

NOV. 26-27 // THE NAME SAYS IT ALL, IN FORT WORTH WATCH THE BLUE MAN GROUP PERFORM AT BASS PERFORMANCE HALL.

favorite Christmas songs.

Dance in your seats to “The Little Drummer Boy,” The Nutcracker Suite and Mariah Carey’s hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” combined with the sounds of gospel, jazz, hip-hop and Motown.

Tickets from $33.

525 Commerce St., Fort Worth; 817/212-4280 basshall.com

Theatre in New York, returns to perform the coveted role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ballet Frontier of Texas’ 11th annual production of The Nutcracker.

Start the holiday season with your family off on the right foot with this quintessential ballet. Tickets from $35.

3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth; 817/852-6887 balletfrontier.org/nutcracker

JACK FROST

SOUTHLAKE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

C AS A M AÑANA November 22–December 23 Santa Claus narrates this children’s holiday show about a young Jack Frost who’s loving life and busy making ice sculptures with his misfit friends—that is until his evil uncle banishes him from the Frozen Kingdom. Watch as Jack and his friends try to save the world from a new ice age. Tickets from $19.

3101 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth; 817/332-2272 casamanana.org

PANTHER ISLAND ICE

C OYOTE DR IVE-I N November 22– January 20 Winter comes early to Fort Worth by way of this frozen outdoor ice skating rink, open daily, including holidays. $13 admission includes skate rental and concession stand access. Free for spectators to watch from outside the rink. Come on Tuesday for half-price admission, and stay for a double feature at the drive-in, open daily at 5:30pm. Admission is $8; $4 kids 5–11.

223 NE Fourth St., Fort Worth; 682/704-7711 pantherislandice.com

THE NUTCRACKER

W ILL RO G E RS AU DITORI UM November 22–24 Dallas native Kathryn Boren, visiting from American Ballet 34

SOU TH L AK E TOW N SQUAR E November 23 Tell your kids to finalize their Christmas wish lists because it’s time to mail their letters to Santa—or ask him yourself at this hometown holiday festival and tree lighting ceremony. Don’t miss out on the four-lane snow tubing hill and snowman building area—guaranteed no matter the forecast. Free admission. Donations of nonperishable food items and new, unwrapped toys accepted for charity drives.

1560 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake; 817/748-8038 southlakehomefortheholi days.com

JAPANESE FALL FESTIVAL

FORT WORTH B OTANIC GAR DEN November 23–24 Play dress-up with kimonos and experience the traditions of calligraphy, origami and taiko drumming at this festival in the Japanese Garden.

This twice-yearly festival has in fact outgrown the Japanese Garden itself, so look in the surrounding gardens as well for more cultural performances, booths and demonstrations presented by the Fort Worth Japanese Society. Free with general garden admission: $12 adults; $10 seniors; $10 children

november 2019 / fortworthchild

GR A PEVINE CIT Y HA LL November 25 Live reindeer, snow hill sledding and ornament making— it’s the most fun you’ll have on a Monday all season. Head to the Christmas Capital of Texas (aka Grapevine) for the ceremonial lighting of the historic downtown with the Carol of Lights show, plus live performances and fireworks.

Free admission. $5 reserved seating option.

200 S. Main St., Grapevine; 817/410-3185 gograpevine.com/caroloflights

BLUE MAN GROUP

BASS PE RFORMA NCE HA LL November 26–27 The world-renowned trio lets the drums do the talking in this new show, the Blue Man Group’s Speechless Tour.

Covered from head to toe in blue paint, the group plays all-new music with drums and tube-based instruments in this show, which is also known for its large-scale audience participation. Tickets from $44.

525 Commerce St., Fort Worth; 817/212-4280 basshall.com

CINDERELLA AND THE CRYSTAL SLIPPER

RUNWAY T HE AT RE November 29–December 15 You’ll laugh in unison with your kids at the Ugly Sisters, jeer at the evil stepmother, and cheer on Cinderella and Prince Charming when they realize their true love in this classic fairy-tale reimagined as a British-style panto. The show is G-rated and written with plenty of fast wordplay and modern references to elicit all the giggles. $22 adults; $12 children 12 and younger.

215 N. Dooley St., Grapevine; 817/488-4842 runwaytheatre.com

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

BASS PE RFORMA NCE HA LL November 29–December 1 The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ushers in the holiday season with seasonal favorites to sing along to as well as an appearance from Santa and snow flurries inside the Bass concert hall. Tickets from $33. Want even more time with Santa? Sign up at basshall.com for the breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 9am. $22.

525 Commerce St., Fort

START YOUR ENGINES Feel the bleacher-shaking roar of monster trucks, climb aboard a vintage railcar for a holiday excursion and marvel at 100 floats decked out with lights in an epic holiday parade after dark.

HOT WHEELS MONSTER TRUCKS LIVE

DICKIE S A RE NA November 15–16 Six monster trucks—Bone Shaker, Tiger Shark, V8 Bomber, Demo Derby, Hot Wheels Racing 1 and the famed Bigfoot—roar into the brand-new Dickies Arena for epic stunts, jumps and crashes.

Come to the free Crash Zone Party before each show to meet the drivers and see the trucks up close. Tickets from $25 for adults; $8 for kids; $20 for military. Limit four kids’ tickets to one adult ticket.

1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth; 800/745-3000 dickiesarena.com

GM FINANCIAL PARADE OF LIGHTS

D OWNTOWN FORT WORT H November 24 More than 100 floats—illuminated with white, colored and blinking lights—roll through downtown Cowtown for this evening parade.

Bring the whole family to sip hot chocolate from the sidelines and wave at Santa on his specially designed float. Free to attend; reserved street seats from $12.95.

Fort Worth; 817/336-2787 fortworthparadeoflights.org

NORTH POLE EXPRESS

G R A PEVINE VINTAG E R A ILROA D November 29–December 23 Let your littles live out their Christmas adventure fantasy inspired by The Polar Express storybook. Head to downtown Grapevine to board the vintage train cars where you’ll be greeted with chocolate milk and cookies. Once the trains reaches its destination at the snowy North Pole Forest, you’ll disembark to walk through the forest toward Santa’s workshop and take in a performance from elves, Mrs. Claus and Santa himself. Tickets from $28. Seats sell out quickly, so purchase your tickets soon.

705 S. Main St., Grapevine; 817/410-3185 grapevinetexasusa.com/christmas

Worth; 817/665-6000 fwsymphony.org

TEXAS CHRISTKINDL MARKET

T E X AS LIVE !

November 29– December 22 Shop authentic German gifts and festive goods at this outdoor marketplace honoring German Christmas traditions and the city of Arlington’s relationship with sister city Bad Königs-

hofen. Plus, this year features a new ice skating rink (open through January 12) as well as food vendors, live musical entertainment and a Christkindl-style warming hut.

Come on opening day to see the tree lighting ceremony at The Plaza. Free market admission; entry fee required for ice rink.

1650 E. Randol Mill Road, Arlington txchristkindlmarket.com.

F O R M O R E F A M I LY- F R I E N D LY F U N T H I S M O N T H , C H E C K O U R O N L I N E C A L E N D A R A T DFWCHILD.COM/CALENDAR. A N D W H I L E Y O U ’ R E T H E R E , S I G N U P F O R O U R W E E K LY E - N E W S L E T T E R : THE WEEKEND GUIDE.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU; TEXAS CHRISTKINDL MARKET; HOT WHEELS MONSTER TRUCKS LIVE; JOAN MARCUS; VISIT SOUTHLAKE

kid culture /

PICK YOUR FAVORITES FOR ALL THINGS MOM & BABY.

GIVE THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! fortworthmuseum.org

CLICK TO

VOTE FOR THE

MOMS AND BABIES 2020

FOR A CHANCE TO

WIN A $250 BUYBUY BABY GIFTCARD

AL!* E M S ’ D I K FREE er, discount or h any other off rée. Not valid wit location only. se of an adult ent id at Grapevine cha val pur er Off the b. ith Clu *W discount.

Select e ’s eiv dry rec Lan to ing present coupon promotion includ per table. Must strictions apply.

Limit one coupon cash value. Re or gratuity, no 48 Not valid on tax 8-8 Code: 564-22

GRAPEVINE MILLS 972.539.5001 rainforestcafe.com

fortworthchild / november 2019

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HOLIDAY FAMILY FUN DIRECTORY //

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HOLIDAY FAMILY FUN DIRECTORY

Whether your thing is hot chocolate in your jammies or dressing up for a holiday theater performance, here’s a list of family-friendly events and winter activities to get you in the holiday spirit; find more to explore at dfwchild.com.

DESCRIPTION

36

Adventure Kids Playcare adventurekidsplaycare.com 972/899-9332

Spend the holidays with Adventure Kids! We offer flexible options for every parent's need!

Drop in holiday camps, exciting theme nights, daily activities and so much more! See ad on page 13.

Amon Carter Museum of American Art cartermuseum.org/events/merry-members 817/738-1933

Make the most of your holidays with Merry Members! on Dec. 7 at 5pm exclusively for Carter members. Become a Carter Family member today for artmaking, wintery art tours and milk and cookies with Santa. See ad on page 31.

Ballet Concerto balletconcerto.com 817/738-7915

Ballet Concerto presents A Holiday Special at Will Rogers Auditorium Friday, Dec. 7, at 7pm.

Holiday ballets include Winterwonderland, Hanukkah Flamenco, The Christmas Grump based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and O Holy Night. Family-friendly cost of admission.

Ballet Frontier balletfrontier.org 817/852-6887

Ballet Frontier has been captivating audiences with their production of The Nutcracker for 11 years. The beautiful dancing, dazzling costumes and world class choreography sets the stage for an unforgettable holiday experience for all ages!

Christmas at the Anatole hiltonanatolehotel.com 214/748-1200

Christmas at the Anatole presents Peppermint Park! Enjoy Breakfast with Santa, games, activities and relaxing accommodations for the whole family. Book your wish-list weekend today! See ad on page 17.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History fwmuseum.org 817/255-9300

All aboard! Polar Pajama Parties are your chance to enjoy wintry hands-on activities coupled with the classic holiday film The Polar Express at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History! See ad on page 35.

Fort Worth Stockyards fortworthstockyards.com 817/625-9715

Cowboy Santa's arrival kicks off the holiday season at the Stockyards on Nov. 29 following the 11:30am cattle drive. Activities through the season include photos with Santa, cowboy poetry, storytime with Mrs. Claus and more! See ad on page 17.

Gaylord Texan Resort christmasatgaylordtexan.com 817/778-1000

From Nov. 15, 2019 to Jan. 5, 2020, Gaylord Texan Resort will transform into a winter wonderland featuring millions of holiday lights, lavish decor, hand-carved ice, snow tubing, ice skating, gingerbread decorating and so much more! See ad on page 32.

Gift Of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway giftoflightstms.com 800/788-9627

Enjoy the magic of the holidays at Texas Motor Speedway Gift of Lights. Over 1 mile of gigantic light displays. Drive through the raceway, get a picture with Santa, ride the Santa Tram, ice skate, with refreshments in Santa's Village!

Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau grapevinetexasusa.com/christmas 817/410-3185

Celebrate the magic of Christmas in Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas! With 1,400 Christmas events in 40 days, enjoy millions of lights, enormous decorations, classic Christmas movies and more. It's more merry in Grapevine! See ad on page 9.

november 2019 / fortworthchild

HOLIDAY FAMILY FUN DIRECTORY //

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DESCRIPTION

Grapevine Parks and Recreation gograpevine.com 817/410-3450

The REC of Grapevine has plenty of party room rental space for your holiday celebrations. Don't miss pictures and cookies with Santa in December. Visit our facility for more information about Carol of Lights event, which kicks-off the Christmas Capital of Texas' events in Grapevine!

Log Cabin Village logcabinvillage.org 817/392-5881

Holidays at the Hearth and Santa photos: Dec. 7, 1–4pm Celebrate historic traditions with holiday crafts, games, music, and more! Visit/receive a digital photo with historic Santa and make your own holiday ornament. See website for pricing. See ad on page 13.

North East Mall shopnortheastmall.com 817/591-4371

Join us for the Santa & Soldiers Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 9 at 8am, followed by Santa's Arrival Celebration in Center Court at 9:30am! Santa Photo Operations continue through Christmas Eve.

Panther Island Ice pantherislandice.com 682/704-7711

Panther Island Ice returns this holiday season! Located at Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth's outdoor ice skating rink offers public skating Nov. 22–Jan. 20, everyday, including holidays. There’s free parking, covered seating, gas heaters, restrooms, playground, and the coyote canteen.

Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show stockyardsrodeo.com 817/625-1025

A historical Wild West Show every Saturday at 2:30pm and 4:30pm, with a special Thanksgiving showing on Nov. 29! Featuring trick roping, shooting and riding, as well as cowboy songs and an entertaining look at history.

Pic-OlOgy pic-ology.com 817/554-2109

Make holiday memories with this interactive art exhibit, featuring a variety of unique displays in 10 different rooms. Combining the technology of today with traditional art forms, visitors can share their multi-sensory experience through social media or through IRL interactions.

Prairie Lights prairielights.org 972/237-4569

Drive through 4,000,000 lights at Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake. Half-way through the drive, stop at Holiday Village for vendors, concessions, carnival rides, an indoor holiday show, and the lighted walk-through forest.

Rainforest Cafe rainforestcafe.com 972/539-5001

Join us for Breakfast with Santa Dec. 7, 8, 14,15, 21 and 22. Start the holiday with a wild adventure! Bring the family to meet Santa and Cha! Cha! in the rainforest. Purchase tickets today at rainforestcafe.com. See ad on page 35.

Reunion Tower reuniontower.com 214/712-7040

Tis the season to be jolly! Reunion Tower is sprinkling holiday cheer from 470 feet above Dallas at the GeO-Deck. Join Santa and his elves for photos on Dec. 14 from 12–3pm.

SeaQuest Fort Worth fortworth.visitseaquest.com 817/731-5357

Gift unforgettable memories this holiday season with a gift card to SeaQuest Fort Worth!

For a limited time, purchase a $50 gift card for just $40! See, touch and feed 1,200 animals at SeaQuest Fort Worth.

Texas Ballet Theater texasballettheater.org 877/828-9200

TBT presents The Nutcracker in Dallas Nov. 29–Dec. 8 and Fort Worth Dec. 13–29. Select Saturday matinees include Kingdom of Sweets craft and activity center one hour before the performance begins.

The Shops at Clearfork shopsatclearfork.com 817/985-3773

Visit Fort Worth's premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination for family fun this holiday season. Enjoy visits with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday entertainment, A Clearfork Christmas on Dec. 14 and more! Visit shopsatclearfork.com for more details.

The Theatre at Grand Prairie theatregp.com 972/854-5092

Cirque Musica presents Holiday Wishes brings a holiday story to life in a full theatrical cirque event for the entire family. Featuring the world-renowned cast of Cirque Musica with your favorite holiday hits all performed live by a full symphony orchestra.

Vetro Glassblowing Studio & Fine Art Gallery vetroartglass.com 817/251-1668

Create your own hand-blown glass ornaments at Vetro Glassblowing Studio this holiday season! Or visit our onsite Fine Art Gallery to purchase beautiful artist-made ornaments, along with fine art glass jewelry, lighting, sculptures and more. See ad on page 9.

Visit Mineral Wells merrywells.org 940/325-2557

Merry Wells is more than a festival, it's a month of holiday fun and festivities. Day-long festival, lighted Christmas parade, photos with Santa, Lighted Homes Scavenger Hunt, events and activities from Nov. 30–Dec. 25. See ad on page 15.

Visit Southlake southlakehomefortheholidays.com

Southlake's Home for the Holidays Annual Tree Lighting is a free event with activities for the entire family to enjoy! Festivities begin at 4:30pm with the Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6pm.

fortworthchild / november 2019

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confessions

MOM TRUTHS ILLUSTRATION MARY DUNN

WE TRIED A NEW SIPPY CUP WITH A SUCTION TOP. THE TOP WOULDN’T STAY, AND IN MY ATTEMPT TO FIX IT, THE TOP BURST OFF, EXPLODING MILK IN MY SON’S FACE.”

“The first time I took my new baby to my sister’s house to babysit, I was overprepared with multiple outfits, toys and blankets. I even had several bottles made … that I left at home. All that prep and no food!”

MY HUSBAND PUT OUR 6-MONTHOLD SON TO BED. HE WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT CRYING; HE AND THE BED WERE SOAKING WET. MY HUSBAND FORGOT TO PUT A DIAPER ON HIM BEFORE PUTTING HIS PAJAMAS ON!”

—KISHIA, FORT WORTH

—ASHLEY, DALLAS

I once sent my kid to school dressed up for character day a week early.” —CHRISSY, DENTON

—AUDREY, FORT WORTH

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COMPILED BY LISA SALINAS

november 2019 / fortworthchild

“While we were doing our Thanksgiving shopping, my 5-year-old granddaughter, who was eating Jelly Bellys, said very loudly, ‘This one tastes like beer!’

I immediately asked, ‘How on earth do you know what beer tastes like!?’ She said, ‘I meant root beer!’”

—LEIGH, ARLINGTON

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

I slept late Thanksgiving night and was half asleep the next morning when I woke up. I put two different socks on my 11-month-old son without realizing, only to be told by the day care provider that my son threw the ‘oddly designed’ sock somewhere and she couldn’t find it. Now he’s got only one sock of that design.”

—ARPITA, PLANO