Issaquah 2012
Supplement to The Issaquah Press and Sammamish Review
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A LOOK AT PARENTING AND ISSAQUAH-AREA RESOURCES
INSIDE
NOVEMBER 2012
TOURIST FOR A DAY PAGE 4 Take in the best of local destinations with your child. BIRDS AND BEES PAGE 8 Learn how to approach the subject and see how the school district’s sex education curriculum has changed. KIDS AND PETS PAGE 12 How do you know when your child is ready for a pet of his or her own? Here’s how to bring one safely into you home. BOOK LIST PAGE 16 Discover what’s new on the Issaquah Library’s reading list. ‘DIFFERENT’ SIBLINGS When a family raises a child with extra needs, siblings can often feel forgotten.
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SUGAR PAGE 22 It seems it’s everywhere from breakfast cereals to yogurt. How to satisfy a sweet tooth without going overboard.
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NOVEMBER 2012
Entertain children by playing tourist in your hometown By Warren Kagarise Forget Disneyland. The quest to offer memorable experiences to children is not limited to the Happiest Place on Earth. Issaquah is loaded with activities to please young adventurers (and their parents). The area offers indoor and outdoor activities for year-round fun and, as another bonus, most activities cost nothing or only a few bucks. Some activities need only a few moments to complete, but others require several hours and some even need a whole day set aside for fun. For parents and children, playing a tourist in their hometown can be as simple as feeding ducks at Yellow Lake in Klahanie or as in-
volved as a hike to Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain. Your only limit is creativity. Here’s a list to get you started.
Explore the Issaquah Alps
The majestic title for the forested peaks surrounding the city — Issaquah Alps — suggests adventure to children and adults alike. The term is a catchall for Cougar, Squak and Tiger mountains. (Credit the late mountaineer and conservationist Harvey Manning for the nickname.) The setting is a playground for outdoors enthusiasts of all ages. Trails designed for hikers, bikers and equestrians of all ages and abilities wind around the mountains. Come springtime, hike up Tiger Mountain along Poo
By Greg Farrar
Sophia Yost, 3, of North Bend, plays with the salmon sculpture at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.
By Greg Farrar
Mary Leifert (left), a longtime employee of Boehms Candies, takes a tour group of children and their parents through the Swiss chalet where Julius Boehm lived and the chocolate factory where employees make candy today. Poo Point Trail to the paraglider launch site. The giggleinducing name is actually a throwback to the noise made by steam whistles on logging equipment. Come spring and summer, hikers on Issaquah Alps peaks encounter wildflowers and bushes loaded with snackable salmonberries. From spring into autumn, hikers can stop in the grass at Poo Poo Point and watch paraglider pilots launch. The spot offers a prime vantage point of Issaquah, Lake Sammamish and — clear days — Mount Rainier year round. Meanwhile, Poo Poo Point visitors can watch paraglider pilots slice through the sky beneath wings as vibrant as Crayola crayons. The pilots seem suspended in the air, almost like pieces of confetti in a slow-motion descent. In the air, pilots manipulate a canopy to control
the glider, and only a harness separates pilots from the sky. (Onlookers can get a glimpse of paraglider landings along Issaquah-Hobart Road Southeast.) Elsewhere in the Issaquah Alps, Squak Mountain offers a trail designed with child hikers in mind. Inside Squak Mountain State Park is the easy Pretzel Tree Trail, a path open year round. Playful storyboards along the trail illustrate the adventures of Field Mouse as he searches for the Pretzel Tree and, along the way, he meets forest animals and learns about the forest ecosystem. The display offers lessons about the role different animals play in the forest ecosystem, from the lowly termite on up.
Reel in fun at the hatchery
Even if the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery appears a little dull
upon initial inspection, the state-run facility offers plenty to educate child and adult visitors. In the early autumn, the hatchery draws theme parksized crowds during school field trips and, of course, the Salmon Days Festival as onlookers peer into the creek to see the annual salmon runs. The most-visited hatchery in the state system hosts about 350,000 visitors — including many students — each year. Guests tour the facility and learn about the role of salmon and the hatchery in local and state history. The experience offers a hands-on science lesson for children. Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery docents dressed in pin-laden vests lead tours of the hatchery grounds throughout the fall, as hordes of people come to the banks
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NOVEMBER 2012
built as if to resemble a gingerbread house. The namesake behind the truffles and turtles, Austrian chocolatier Julius Boehm, left behind a legacy more colorful than author Roald Dahl’s beloved Willy Wonka. The former Olympic athlete escaped from Nazi-occupied Austria, opened a candy shop in Seattle and then relocated to Issaquah in 1956. Guests can pop into the chocolate factory to watch candymakers create caramels, turtles and other chocolatey confections. The factory is open for free self-guided window tours, so visitors can learn about the company’s history while watching the candymakers work. Groups can also make reservations for a longer and more detailed guided tour to learn about Boehm, candymaking and the chalet grounds. The attached retail shop offers another sweet treat — samples for customers.
Close encounters at the zoo
By Greg Farrar
Maya Smith, of Sammamish, is just a bit older than Taj the Bengal tiger, resting inside the glass wall after his 2nd birthday party bash at Cougar Mountain Zoo. of Issaquah Creek to see chinook and coho salmon complete their long journey from the Pacific Ocean. The activities continue after the fall salmon run concludes. The hatchery grounds include kid-friendly displays to educate visitors about the salmon lifecycle and the threats
salmon face.
Watch — and enjoy — candymaking
The mountains surrounding Issaquah do not claim the only link to the Old World Alps. Boehms Candies is a chocolate factory set in a chalet
The animal kingdom at Cougar Mountain Zoo includes subjects big and small, curmudgeonly and cuddly, curious and ferocious. Rare Bengal tigers — Almos, Taj, Bagheera and Vitez — reign at the nonprofit zoo. Zoogoers on the path to the marquee exhibits come across less glamorous, but no less fascinating, characters: Madagascar hissing cockroaches or Molu the cockatoo, a bird so popular it has its own Facebook account. The zoo is dedicated to dual missions of conservation and education. In addition to the rare tigers, zookeepers maintain a herd of alpaca to teach guests about the vicuña, a similar species at risk from habitat
loss and poaching. The zoo seldom closes due to inclement conditions, and parents sometimes use the facility as a snow day destination. The regal tigers retire to heated enclosures when the mercury falls. Some species — such as colorful macaws and other birds hailing from tropical climates — spend cold days inside and off display. Reindeer and other animals accustomed to arctic life and harsh winters thrive in the cold temperatures and deep snow. Each December, the zoo hosts the Issaquah Reindeer Festival — a monthlong party for the animals pulling Santa Claus’ sleigh aloft on Christmas Eve. Zoogoers can learn facts aplenty about reindeer and meet Santa during the festival.
Journey into Issaquah’s past
History abounds in Issaquah and, thankfully for parents, much of the city’s colorful past is destined to appeal to children. The former farming, logging and mining town sprouted on
the frontier in the late 1800s and, after a series of name changes, boomed through the 20th and into the 21st centuries. The keeper of local lore is the Issaquah History Museums — a nonprofit organization and the operator of Gilman Town Hall, a repository for items from throughout the city’s 120-year history, and the Issaquah Train Depot, a restored destination for generations of rail travelers. The museum at Gilman Town Hall includes the city jail used from 1914 and 1930. Visitors can climb inside the pair of concrete cells and marvel at the 8-inch walls and the 80-pound bar used to secure the door. At the depot, organizers recently started public service on the Issaquah Valley Trolley after more than a decade of planning. The cream-andred streetcar offers weekend service on a limited basis through November on about a half-mile of downtown track.
Continued on Page 6
By Greg Farrar
Navika Chobhe, mother Ameesha and sister Ritika, of Sammamish (from left), receive plastic toy-filled eggs from the Easter bunny during an Easter egg hunt at Gilman Village. The shops and restaurants were open to hand out candy and gifts to families.
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NOVEMBER 2012
tion of oversized plant sculptures seemingly lifted from a giant’s garden, line the trails near the Interstate 90 Sunset Interchange. Sculptors Nick Lyle and Jean Whitesavage used indigenous woodland plants as the inspiration for the 7- to 10-foot pieces.
From Page 5 Discover surprises at Gilman Village
Gilman Village offers restaurants and shops in a setting seemingly lifted from a child’s storybook. The quaint retail center is actually a collection of historic buildings relocated in the 1970s to a site between busy Northwest Gilman Boulevard and Issaquah Creek. The sense of magic is not limited to the buildings. On holidays, Gilman Village hosts the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and costumeclad trick-or-treaters for child-centric celebrations. Tenants continue to set up shop in Gilman Village, and restaurants offer tastes to appeal to children and adults, and more offer a respite for shoppers searching the boutiques for bargains. The major attraction for children at Gilman Village is White Horse Toys, a destination for toys, games, puzzles and crafts designed to educate young minds. The store packs more than 17,000 offerings into 3,000 square feet. Forget big-box retailers and soulless online shopping. Browsing the racks at White Horse Toys is half the fun.
Admire Issaquah’s public art
Issaquah is packed with public art pieces to inspire creativity in young and old admirers. The eclectic public
Shop the Issaquah Farmers Market
Ignore the springtime gloom and take children to opening day at the Issaquah Farmers Market. The opener signals the unofficial start to summer. Every Saturday from mid-April to early October, shoppers pack Pickering Farm for organic produce, artisan goods and street eats, complemented by musicians or other entertainment. The farmers market may sound too grown up for children, but the appeal of sunshine, snacks and entertainment is universal. Throughout the market season, kid-friendly magicians and musicians, pony rides and bounce
houses also appear from week to week. Come summertime, as the weather improves, marketgoers can chomp a pulled-pork sandwich from a pig-shaped truck — a favorite for children — and sample snacks from local farmers and vendors. Organizers also host Kids Day at the Market, a chance for young vendors to sell handmade items. The annual event unites pint-sized entrepreneurs and customers in the historic Pickering Barn setting.
Call on the fire station Fire trucks — all cherry red paint, flashing lights and blaring sirens — hold a magnetic appeal for children. Take the children to see a fire truck up close and meet firefighters at Eastside Fire & Rescue stations throughout Issaquah and the surrounding area. The agency also hosts occasional open houses for the public to meet firefighters, sit in a fire truck and collect fire safety information.
EARN YOUR By Greg Farrar
Lydia Keeler enjoys her fireman’s hat and a juice box while on an open house tour of the Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 72 on Northwest Maple Street. art collection displayed along city streets enhances the landscape and launches conversations. Highlights include the exotic Blue Door — a gift from sister city Chefchaouen, Morocco — on the City Hall
grounds and the oversized salmon sculptures, named Gilda and Finley, at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. Colorful murals on downtown buildings depict farming and mining scenes, and nod to the past.
Some child-friendly pieces include the bright and bubbly Miracle Grow in the Issaquah Highlands. Green steel stalks end in colorful flowers inspired by the blossoms in sculptor Leon White’s garden. Understory, a collec-
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Parents can call to set up tours at other times. Issaquah fire stations offer intriguing stories beyond the fire trucks and other lifesaving equipment. Firefighters at Station 71 established a rooftop beehive to boost honeybee populations and to collect a sweet treat. Station 72 along Northwest Maple Street is a state-of-the-art facility, perhaps the pinnacle of “green” design for any fire station on the planet.
Lake Sammamish dipping all year
Mountains surround the city, but Lake Sammamish, unfurled like
Le t
a crystalline carpet between Issaquah and Redmond, defines the landscape, too. Lake Sammamish State Park is the area’s ultimate summertime destination, and the cool water invites swimmers on scorching summer days. The park’s picnic shelters and open space also invite parkgoers inside for a picnic or party. Other activities at the park and near the lake offer year-round fun. Issaquah Paddle Sports rents boats at Sunset Beach from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year. Kayaking along the lake provides a peaceful way to explore the
th e i r i
shoreline and a blue heron rookery. The majestic birds can often be spotted hunting for fish in the marshy ground at the lake’s edge. In addition to herons, eagles, ducks, geese, beavers and otters round out the lake ecosystem. Kayakers can also explore a sunken forest washed into the lake by a long-ago landslide and earthquake. On land, parkgoers can bike across much of Lake Sammamish State Park’s 512 acres. Exploring the park on a bike is excellent exercise for bikers of all ages. Outside Lake Sammamish State Park, the regional East Lake Sam-
mamish Trail stretches along the lake on a converted railroad corridor. The path is excellent for biking, walking or jogging between Issaquah and Redmond. The trail hooks into a broader network of paths crisscrossing the region. Issaquah also sits along the Mountains to Sound Greenway, a 101-mile greenbelt from Puget Sound to Central Washington. Evangeline Flickinger, of Snoqualmie, meets Maximus/Minimus, the pigshaped sandwich truck, on a recent opening day for the Issaquah Farmers Market. By Greg Farrar
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Scary, but necessary: discussing the birds and the bees with your kids
By Greg Farrar
By Christina Corrales-Toy At some point in the trajectory of parenthood, all parents are going to have to face it. They’ll have to answer “the question.” They’ll have to figure out a way to explain to their young child a complicated, but natural occurrence. It will be scary, it will be uncomfortable and it will probably be a little bit embarrassing. But it’s going to happen. So, when your child comes up to you with a puzzled look on his or her cherubic, innocent face, asking, “Mommy, Daddy, where do babies come from?” it’s
important that parents are armed with a certain degree of preparation. Parents shouldn’t look at it as one, looming conversation, but rather it should be an ongoing discussion that increases in complexity as a child matures, said Swedish/ Issaquah doctors Anthony Barnett and Courtney Canavera, family practice providers at the hospital.
“Really, it’s something that shouldn’t be ‘the talk,’” Barnett said. “You should just answer your kids’ questions throughout their life in a way that’s appropriate for their age.” Canavera described it as a progression. At ages 2-4, kids will ask questions about their body parts and the anatomical differences between boys and girls.
It is vitally important to understand what exactly the child is asking so as not to overwhelm him or her with too much information, Canavera said. “It’s really important to figure out what they are actually asking,” she said. “Then, answer it very simply, in whatever you think is developmentally appropriate for them.”
Before they hit puberty, which could be anywhere from ages 9-12, children should be familiar with sex and their changing bodies, because at that point, kids will be inundated with information from peers and the media, Barnett said. “You should make sure your kids are familiar with it before they hit puberty, because that’s when they are going to be getting stuff from every direction,” he said. “They may be getting a lot of misinformation from friends and the media.”
Curriculum starts in fifth grade
In the Issaquah School District, students are introduced
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to sexual health education in fifth grade, but Canavera said parents should have already had several conversations about sex with their children before then. The school district uses the Family Life and Sexual Health, or FLASH, curriculum through King County Public Health. In fifth grade, students study lesson plans about gender roles, self-esteem, the reproductive system, pregnancy, sexual exploitation and HIV/AIDS. The entire curriculum is medically and scientifically accurate, said Dennis Wright, director of career and counseling services for the district. The district avoids imposing values when teaching the subject, preferring instead to leave that to the family. “I think it’s a subject around which there is a lot of medically accurate information that you can begin to cover the groundwork on, but beyond that, it is such a value-rich subject and the school does not get into that,” district spokeswoman Sara Niegowski said. The district recognizes that students get information from a multitude of sources, including school, family and friends. Wright likened it to a puzzle of factors that may influence how and what a child learns. The district wants to do its part in providing accurate information as children tackle this tricky subject, Wright said. Though he stressed that parents are a child’s most important teacher, especially when it comes to this subject.
Continued on Page 10
By Greg Farrar
Dennis Wright, Debbie Nye and Nancy Stewart (from left) are specialists who oversee sexual health education in the Issaquah School District. The district introduces sexual health education to students as fifth-graders, though parents may opt their children out of it.
Images provided by Issaquah School District
Above, the Issaquah School District uses this puzzle graphic to show parents the sources that help form a child’s understanding of sexual health. At right, this worksheet from the Family Life and Sexual Health curriculum teaches students about pregnancy.
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Do’s and don’ts for parents Swedish/Issaquah doctors Anthony Barnett and Courtney Canavera offer tips for parents when it comes to discussing the birds and the bees with their kids Don’t ❑ Do not say that sex is icky, dirty or bad. It’s a natural part of life and it needs to be conveyed as such to children. ❑ Do not use nicknames for body parts. Using nicknames suggests that the real name is dirty or something that should be hidden. ❑ Do not avoid the conversation. Studies suggest that kids who have good conversations with their parents are likely to start having sex later, have fewer
partners and are more likely to use birth control. ❑ Do not look at it as one conversation. It should be an ongoing discussion that evolves as the child matures.
Courtney Canavera
Do ❑ Look for teachable moments throughout everyday life. Today’s media environment is such that television, movies, video games and music may have sexual themes. Don’t shy away from the opportunity to discuss what your child is viewing. ❑ Find out what your child knows about sex. Ask your child
what he or she has heard about sex from friends and media, and work to correct any misinformation. ❑ Call it like Anthony it is. It is OK Barnett to tell your child that it is an embarrassing conversation to have, but create a comfortable environment where children feel safe coming to you for questions. ❑ Find out exactly what your child wants to know. You don’t want to overwhelm kids with too much information. Answer questions in whatever way you believe is developmentally appropriate for your child.
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parents a chance to see the curriculum.
“What I think this curriculum really tries to do is generate a conversation between home and the student,” he said. “It really involves family because there are times when you’ve got questions that are most appropriate for the family to answer based upon the family values.” The school district understands the complexity that comes with sexual health education, so parents are given the option to opt their student out of the program. The district also gives yearly presentations, giving
Have an open dialogue Regardless of the information that children get from school, the Swedish/Issaquah doctors stressed that parents still need to have an open dialogue with their kids. That can also be an opportunity for parents to instill the family’s beliefs about sex, Canavera said. “It’s OK to convey your own values,” she said. “It’s OK to explain to kids how sex happens and then still say, ‘I don’t want you to have sex yet.’ Giving them this information is not saying that you
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approve.” What’s not OK, she said, is refusing to have the conversation at all. “There is no evidence that talking about sex is going to make your kids have sex, and I think that’s some people’s fear,” she said. “It’s still important that they are armed with this information, because if they don’t get it from you, they are going to get it from somewhere else, and it may or may not be accurate.” It’s an embarrassing conversation to have with a child, but there are several resources parents can use to ease the pain. Barnett suggested checking the Internet for advice, asking your family doctor for tips or seeking advice from parents who have already done it. “Don’t let your embarrassment get in the way,” he said. “You need to get through that as a parent, because if you can’t handle it, how is your child going to handle it?”
Experts agree the best way parents can approach a discussion with their children about sex education is to maintain an open dialogue. Thinkstock
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By Lillian O’Rorke
Eliot Berry, Henry the Jack Russell terrier, Aresa Berry, Jefferson the bunny and Alex Berry (from left) play at their family home in Issaquah.
Man(child)’s best friend Deciding if your family is ready for a pet
By Lillian O’Rorke Pets can be a great addition to a growing family — after all, it takes a special someone to match the energy of a 6-year-old boy. But how do you know if and when it’s the right move for your household? For Heather and Alex Berry, of Issaquah, who had dogs in their pre-parenting days, it wasn’t a question of if. It was a question of when.
“I felt like my head was finally above water with a 5-year-old and I felt like I could quote-unquote add a third child, the puppy,” Heather Berry said. “We were in a place where we could tag-team as a family and I could get some participation. I knew it was time.” Henry, the Jack Russell Terrier, joined the family and immediately Eliot, 5, and Aresa, 8, got involved. They accompanied their parents
to puppy training classes and continue to help by feeding Henry, taking him for walks and, of course, cuddling their four-legged family member. All this, their mother said, has been a good lesson in responsibility. “To some degree, it’s just realizing that there is someone else on the planet that needs something,” she said. There is also the play factor. “My little boy and puppy, they like to rough house,”
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said Heather Berry, adding that reminding Eliot that the dog doesn’t like to be laid on is a constant conversation. But transgressions are easily forgiven among friends. “They just kind of pal-around. The kids and the puppy, they just race around. We’ve got a good thing.” But each family is different and Pearl Neill, manager of Earth Pet in Issaquah, agrees that there is no perfect formula for deciding on a pet. “It’s a family-by-family basis,” she said. “It very much depends on the child. I know 3-year-olds who are wonderful with pets and 10-year-olds I wouldn’t adopt a pet to.” There is also the question of which type of pet to choose. Options vary greatly
from the soft and cuddly to those without any fur at all. One animal that makes a really great pet, said Neill, is a house bunny and the Berry family agrees. For three years now they’ve had Jefferson, the bunny, hoping around their home. “He is fabulous. He just hangs out,” said Heather Berry. “He lets everyone come over and pet him. The more children I have running around, the more he likes to be underfoot.” But if sharing your home with Roger Rabbit does not sound inviting, there are many other pets that are easier to confine. Among the top ten best starter pets for kids on www.petside.com are easy-to-care-for gerbils; lowmaintenance hermit crabs;
exciting leopard geckos; hearty fish like the beautiful betta or the classic gold fish; happy-to-be-groomed guinea pigs and birds like finches, canaries or parakeets. One over-looked option that is championed by many pet experts is the rat. Fancy rats or domesticated pet rats are intelligent, rarely bite, easily tamed and love attention. But if dogs are still at the top of your list www.petside. com and Neill suggest that families with children forego a puppy for an older dog with a good rap sheet. “They should consider adopting a dog that has been around children … perhaps a more mature dog from a rescue
What makes a pet good for children? While many factors go into choosing a pet, the three following traits are the most important. The best pets for kids will be the ones that score highly in all three areas. Safety: Is the animal safe for children to be around and to handle? Some animals are likely to bite, scratch, or sting. Others are docile, but may be carrying high levels of dangerous pathogens that can make children sick. This is the one where you should never compromise. Care required: Is the child
ready to handle the responsibility of feeding, cleaning up after, and otherwise caring for the animal? This may be irrelevant if the parents are handling the responsibility for care, but it is very important if the child is actually going to be the pet’s primary caregiver. Sociability: Will the animal tolerate being handled in the way the child really wants to handle it? Many animals that people commonly think of as being kid’s pets really don’t like being picked up or petted, and some very small pets are just too delicate to be handled safely by young children. Source: www.goodpetsforkids.com
Continued on Page 14
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From Page 13 agency where they know the dog’s past history with children,” Neill said. “Also, if you adopt a more mature dog it eases the burden a little, you don’t have to go through potty training.” At the Seattle Humane Society, all dogs go through a behavior assessment. How they score on tests like those for guarding over toys and food, helps determine what age of children a dog best fits with, if any, the organization’s Amanda Walde said. Other things to consider when thinking about getting a pet
Having fun with pets ❑ Your child and dog can race with each other to a designated finish line. If necessary, you can run with your dog on a leash. ❑ Your child can throw a toy for your pet to retrieve. ❑ Armed with treats, your child can hide while you stay with your pet. When your child calls out, let your pet go search for him. include: ❑ Money — initial costs of bringing a pet home, food and vet bills
When your pet finds him, let your child give the treats as a reward. ❑ Your child and pet can team up to find treats that you’ve hidden. While your pet can excel at finding things hidden near the ground, your child can find things hidden higher-up. ❑ Search the Internet or library to find new tricks to teach your pet, such as roll over, shake, sit up and beg. Source: www.aspca.org
can quickly add up. ❑ Living space — do you live in an apartment or house with a yard?
NG PI I Y E FL
❑ Lifestyle — do you work long hours, travel a lot, exercise? To help people through the process, the Humane Society has staff on hand at its Bellevue adoption center that work with families to find the best match. “That’s definitely one thing we pride ourselves on,” Walde said. “It’s important for those questions to get answered for our adoption candidate.” When choosing a pet from a humane society, make sure to go through a checklist of traits that best fits your family. Thinkstock
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NOVEMBER 2012
B OO K L I S T By Ann Crewdson
E
very fall, I am delighted when I see the leaves pile outside on the lawn because they remind me of my desk at the Issaquah Library. Children’s librarians are often teased for their messiness, and those in our profession will defend themselves that puppets, music CDs and story time props are necessary tools but lend to the messy look. New books are piled up high on my desk — shiny, multicolored and rich with story. When I see them, I dive right on in, because I enjoy sharing them at my story times. Take a look at some of my favorites for 2012. I can’t wait for you to check them out at the library.
‘Make a Wish Bear’
By Greg Foley
Bear sits down and makes a wish on a little star. When nothing happens, his animal friends join him. One by one — mouse, owl, fox, elephant, turtle, hare — all come bearing good advice. Nothing happens or so was thought. Sometimes, simple gifts are best.
‘Llama Llama Time to Share’ By Kenneth Kraegel What happens when Llama Llama is forced to share a dolly with Gwen Gnu? Why does Gwen Gnu have to stop by for a playdate? Even if they are neighbors, Gwen Gnu doesn’t have to play with all his toys. Shouldn’t the blocks be enough?
‘Mossy’ By Jan Brett
‘Olive and the Big Secret’ By Tor Freeman
Mossy the turtle is an unusual specimen. The back of her shell is home to a fertile garden of moss, ferns and wildflowers. She’s even able to feed herself strawberries when they drop from her carapace before her. When Dr. Carolina and Tory discover her on Lilypad Pond, they are instantly mesmerized and decide to scoop her up for their museum. Little did they know that Mossy had just spotted Scoot the turtle and it was turtle love at first sight. Though her new surroundings mimic her old habitat, it is not the same. Visitors in period Edwardian dress come and go until Tory notices Mossy is no longer thriving. Tory convinces her aunt to release her back into the wild in a collection basket where Scoot had been waiting for her all the time. Each page celebrates nature with lush, green butterflies and flowers.
Have you ever had a secret that you just can’t keep to yourself? Olive has a secret and she just wants to tell her friend Jesse. She thought she’d tell Ziggy instead. Then, she thought she shouldn’t. It was passed on to Joe. Traveling through road to water to restaurant to playground where it came first circle back to Olive. Just what is the red, hot secret that would make a certain someone blush?
‘What Little Boys Are Made Of’ By Robert Neubecker Instead of slugs and snails and puppy-dog tails, we have snakes, rats and jungle cats, or horses, lords and knights. This spin on a 19th century nursery rhyme is refreshing, especially with its touch of femininity in the end. These days, little boys can be made of slugs and spice at the same time. As long as you add the most important ingredient — love — boys can be made of just about anything.
‘King Arthur’s Very Great Grandson’ By Kenneth Kraegel Henry Alfred Grummorson, great-great-greatgreat-great-great-greatgrandson, aspires to be legendary like his ancestor King Arthur. When he turns 6, he rides out with his trusty donkey on a quest against a foe. His journey would lead him to a dragon, a cyclops, a griffin and the leviathan. Instead of ferocious beasts and epic battles, he finds something he never knew he needed.
‘Time For a Hug’ By Phillis Gershator and Mim Green A book that encourages you to hug your child every other page can’t be bad. In fact, almost every hour, of every day, you can hug and hug again. A great companion book to Charlotte Diamond’s “Four Hugs a Day” song.
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NOVEMBER 2012
‘My Snake Blake’ By Randy Sieger and Serge Bloch
‘Pete the Cat’ By Eric Litwin and James Dean
‘Horseplay!’ By Karma Wilson and Jim McMullan
A picture book that mentions William Blake, my favorite Romantic poet, is certain to earn stars from me. In this case, it’s Blake the snake. When a boy receives a snake for an early birthday present, he’s in for a hilarious surprise. Blake is better than any cat, dog or horse, though he makes his mom recoil. He’s a snake that can spell out words. Remind you of someone else we know? Yes! Sam the Firefly. He also assists with homework, handles bullies and cooks. Using the Declaration of Independence and playful illustrations, Siegel convinces us that reptiles are sentient beings and make great pets, too.
Pete the Cat loves his four big, colorful buttons so much that he sings a song. But, one by one, the groovy buttons pop off, starting from 8 in the morning until high noon. He’s a good sport, though — the sky is always blue and heck he even goes surfing. The buttons keep on rolling and Pete just keeps on singing, even when he has only one left. Colorful primary text emphasizes the numbers as we count down. The song can be heard on the Harper Collins website — www.harpercollinschildrens.com/petethecat — to make sure you’re singing in tune.
Farmer is mystified. Why are all his horses nodding off on their jobs during the day? The young colts should be helping him run the farm; instead, they’re snoring and sleeping. Determined to get down to the bottom of it all, Farmer decides to spy on the horseplay that’s been happening at night. Horses tossing silly notes, playing hideand-seek and duck duck goose. Horse pucky or horse play — when will it all end?
‘Owlet’s First Flight’ By Mitra Modarressi Little owlet learns how to fly, with the gentle reassurance of Mama Owl. With every shadow and startling sound he hears, Owlet starts to shed his fear. On his own, he dips, drops, soars and steadies. He finds out that he is indeed ready. All his brothers and sisters are waiting for him on the other side, just in time to snuggle down with Mama. This is a delightful book that can easily be paired with “Owl Babies,” by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson.
‘Faces’ By Zoe Miller and David Goodman Pliable, recycled, cleverly made-pages alternate between vellum and paper layers, creating a vintage mood. Children are invited to remix everyday items and visualize faces. A bag with zippers can be a face with a flat affect, an even smile. Letters, commas and dots? No, they’re clowns with deep-set eyes or the parts of Mr. Potato Head in diecut. Sort through toy boxes, play, reassemble parts. Be unafraid, because there’s seldom a mistake in art.
‘Dog Loves Drawing’ By Louise Yates What happens when dog opens up a package from Aunt Dora? Given a splendid sketchbook, pens, pencils, brushes — tools to open up a new door — Dog draws a stickman who was so much fun, he draws a duck. Duck draws owl, owl draws crab and soon they are off on adventures — riding on a train, rowing on a boat and eating drawn lunches. However, a drawn paradise island isn’t what it’s drawn out to be, especially when an unexpected guest materializes.
‘Good Little Wolf’ By Nadia Shireen Rolf is the kind of wolf cub that eats his vegetables, makes friends easily and hangs around Grandma. What happens when Rolf meets the big bad wolf? Little wolf is well-behaved but not without means. Hanging out with Granny wasn’t all arts and crafts. He might have a few lessons he’s able to teach the bad wolves.
‘Dragons Love Tacos’ By Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri I cannot even begin to tell you how hungry I got reading this picture book. If you’re trying to tell a kid how to host a dragon party, you must tell him the basics: 1) great big tacos 2) little bitty tacos 3) beef tacos 4) chicken tacos 5) various extra backup tacos 6) secret hidden emergency tacos 7) fruit punch 8) more tacos. There are few things you want to have on hand, like some games, dress-up costumes and instruments to play, but you should really, really hold back on the sauce.
‘Up Above and Down Below’ By Paloma Valdivia There are happy kinds of people in the world — those up above and those down below. They’re mirror images of one another and exactly the same, except in a few small ways like walking a fish, flying a balloon or playing a violin with a foot. They affect one another like on a seesaw; they influence one another’s seasons. Whatever those above choose to do, the ones below feel it. It’s all for the best.
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NOVEMBER 2012
By Sebastian Moraga
Different siblings When time is short and the needs are many, siblings struggle Thinkstock photo
Sometimes a fractured bone leads to a fractured family. Sometimes a foul in soccer bruises not just a child’s leg but another child’s selfworth. Life-threatening or dayruining, an injury to a child may diminish the attention parents pay to his siblings. Siblings of children in need of extra attention sometimes do get less than their ailing brother or sister. Experts encourage parents to remind siblings they are valued, no grand gestures necessary. Sometimes, the simplest place on earth can replace the happiest place on earth. “It does not have to be a trip to Disneyland,” said Don Meyer, director of the Sibling Support Project at Seattle Children’s, which acts as a support group for children with special needs, including asthma, autism, cancer Don Meyer and Down syndrome. “It could be a trip to Burger King to let them know by deeds and by words they care about them as individuals.” Children, regardless of whether they have a sibling with a disability, need time and attention, Meyer said. Add a child with disabilities and the need grows and the challenges multiply. Becky Gordon has three children ages 9, 14 and 19.
Continued on Page 19
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NOVEMBER 2012
From Page 18 Her 9-year-old, John, has autism. “It has been difficult,” she said. “My 19-year-old, when she was in high school, I let some things slip.” Speech therapy for the youngest one took precedence over homework assignments or the grades or the moods of her oldest one, Gordon said. “If I wasn’t so focused on speech therapy or attending the needs of her little brother, maybe she would have been better adjusted in high school,” Gordon said. “She did have friends, but we were new to Washington, so she probably could have used a little more one-on-one time.” Even if at the time her two oldest children would say to her they did not want one-onone time, Gordon said she should have insisted instead of acquiescing. “I kind of took advantage of that, but I
should have said, ‘I’m going to be a parent, I’m going to that school function,’” she said. Meyer wrote in a list he titled “What Siblings Would Like Parents and Service Providers to Know” that brothers and sisters often get left “in the literal and figurative waiting rooms of service delivery systems” and they deserve better. Oneon-one time yields a message to siblings that the parents are there for them, he added. “One child’s special needs should not overshadow other children’s milestones and achievements,” he wrote. At the time, Gordon’s oldest child, Mackenzie, “dreaded” attending functions where the whole family attended, for fear of John throwing a tantrum. “But now that he’s 9, we don’t have those anymore,” Gordon noted. Now that Mackenzie is 19, she has become John’s protector, she added. “But when she was 13
“By gathering more information, I feel like I can be a better parent to my son with autism, but also to the other two.”
Becky Gordon or 14,” Gordon remembered, “it was kind of embarrassing.” Meyer wrote that brothers and sisters face issues that are uniquely theirs, such as resentment, peer issues, embarrassment and pressure to achieve. He recommended learning how to be a good listener, so when a child is unhappy, he or she can voice concerns. “Brothers and sisters share many of the concerns that parents of children with special needs experience,” he wrote, “including isolation, a need for information, guilt, concerns about the future and caregiving demands.” John was diagnosed late, when he was 7. By
Contributed
Tim, John and Mackenzie Gordon visit Pacific Science Center in Seattle. John has autism. Growing up while understanding their sibling’s struggles wasn’t easy for Mackenzie and Tim, but now they have become his protector, their mom said. the time the children learned that he had autism, they were better equipped to understand it. “I have heard him tell his friends, ‘It’s no big deal, my brother has autism.’ It’s just a matter of fact now,” Gordon said of her middle child Tim, 14. “If John
is doing something that might be embarrassing, they deal with it.” So has Gordon, from the start. “It never occurred to me not to seek a solution,” she said, adding that she has networked with parents in the same situation as hers. Knowing and learning from parents whose children face the same challenges has been comforting, Gordon added, particularly parents with children older than hers. “Just to see how they do it,” she said. “How they adjusted to it, what the setbacks were and what I had to look forward to. By gathering more information, I feel like I can be a better parent to my son with autism, but also to the other two.” Siblings also need ageappropriate information
on what’s going on with their brother or sister, said Meyer, whose Sibling Project has sired peer support groups for siblings of children with disabilities called “Sib Shops” and who has authored a collection of stories from siblings of children with disabilities called “Views from Our Shoes.” People must never forget that siblings are possibly the longest relationship a person with a disability will have, as they will probably outlive and outlast parents, grandparents and special caregivers, Meyer wrote. “If they are provided with support and information, they can help their siblings live dignified lives from childhood to their senior years,” he wrote.
Continued on Page 21
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NOVEMBER 2012
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NOVEMBER 2012
From Page 19 What to remember Here are 20 things to keep in mind if your child has a sibling requiring extra attention: ❑ Communicate with your child. ❑ Give your child oneon-one time. ❑ Celebrate your child’s milestones. ❑ Keep in mind your perspective on the disability; it’s more important than the disability itself. ❑ Include your child. ❑ Reach out to the child, ask for his or her opinion. ❑ Involve him or her in the development of support groups. ❑ Learn more about his or her life as a sibling. ❑ Involve both sons and daughters equally in caregiving tasks. ❑ Provide the child with all the information you can, ensuring that it is ageappropriate. ❑ Reassure the child when he or she express concerns about the future. ❑ Pay as much attention to his or her safety as to the safety of the child with special needs. ❑ Offer the child the opportunity to meet other
siblings of children with special needs. ❑ To the extent possible, keep your expectations of your children identical to one another. ❑ Watch for unreasonably high expectations the child may have set for him or herself, as a tendency to compensate for his sibling’s needs may arise. ❑ Always convey clear expectations and unconditional support to the child. ❑ Expect typical child behavior. Children fight and pick on each other, call each other names. A child with Down syndrome who grew up with siblings with whom he or she fought sometimes, will be better prepared to face life as an adult. ❑ Acknowledge the child’s concerns about the future. ❑ Do not make assumptions about responsibilities the child may overtake without discussing it with the child first. ❑ Give the child the right to have his or her own life. Source: Donald Meyer, the Sibling Support Project
At a Sibshop, a support group for children whose siblings have special needs, boys and girls’ activities include the silly (juggling, mime) and the serious (watching a painter with cerebral palsy use the mouth to hold the paintbrush). Contributed
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PAGE 22
NOVEMBER 2012
HIDDEN Parents can avoid sneaky sugar in children’s foods By Warren Kagarise
By Greg Farrar
Middle school students from throughout the Issaquah School District purchase candy and soft drinks at the concession counter during a dance at the Issaquah Community Center.
The added sugar in everyday foods is more sour than sweet for children’s health. The presence of added sugar is not limited to candy and soda. Other items on the menu for children contain sneaky sugar. The phenomenon is not limited to treats; many savory items contain sugar, too, as a preservative and a way to boost flavor. “A lot of the foods that kids are getting sugar from is coming from many of our processed foods — anything that comes in a box or a package,” said Erin Hoge, a clinical dietitian at Swedish/ Issaquah. In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released in February, researchers said children and adolescents consumed more added sugars from foods rather than beverages. Overall, boys ate more added sugar — about 360 calories’ worth each day — than girls. Though boys consumed a larger amount of sugar, both genders received almost the same propor-
PAGE 23
NOVEMBER 2012
Parents should check the nutritional label on boxed foods closely for those hidden sugars. Thinkstock
tion of calories from added sugar — 16.3 percent for boys and 15.5 percent for girls. The study examined “all sugars used as ingredients in processed and prepared foods such as breads, cakes, soft drinks, jams, chocolates, ice cream and sugars eaten separately or added to foods at the table.” The lineup included common sweeteners found in kitchen cupboards (maple syrup, honey and molasses) and ingredients more commonly found in a chemistry lab (anhydrous dextrose, crystal dextrose and dextrin). “It’s all the same when it’s digested by our body,” Hoge said. “It has the same effect.”
Different types of sugars
Sugar lurks in quickserve meals — such as popular macaroni and cheese mixes — frozen meals, jams and jellies, bottled dressings and sauces, and even some canned fruits and vegetables. “Anything with all that extra packaging
has to have some extra preservatives in it, and to enhance the flavor of something that’s got to have a shelf life of six months,” Hoge said. Some sugars — fructose in fruit and lactose in milk, for instance — occur naturally. But the presence — and prevalence — of added sugars is almost ubiquitous in processed foods. The easily identifiable high fructose corn syrup, a popular added
sugar, is among many added sugars used by food manufacturers. “Once we figured out that high fructose corn syrup was the villain, so now we’re doing things like brown rice syrup or evaporated cane juice. They’re all the same thing. That’s all sugar.” The label on the packaging is not always clear cut for the consumer. Though most shoppers recognize
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high fructose corn syrup as sugar, many processed foods use alternates names for forms of sugar — cane syrup, fruit juice concentrates and components ending in -ose indicate the presence of sugar. “Parents are getting better about reading packages, which is good,” Hoge said. “People are getting more mindful, but the food companies are getting more clever. People should know what’s in their food.” The experience causes frustration for some parents, because labels often disguise alternate forms of sugar as
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NOVEMBER 2012
From Page 23 healthier alternatives. “There’s a lot of misconception about what sugar actually is,” Hoge said. “They’ll say, ‘We don’t do soda because there’s all the high fructose corn syrup.’ But maybe they’ll be doing some sort of organic breakfast cereal that is sweetened with brown rice syrup or evaporated cane juice. There’s kind of that disconnect and that lack of recognition that sugar is sugar.”
Shop smarter to avoid added sugar
Hoge offers some simple advice to shoppers searching for items with less sugar. “Sugar is sugar no matter what you’re calling it, and unfortunately, we’re getting really creative names out there these days that are confusing a lot of people,” she said. The influx of sugar carries consequences. Health officials said
changes in diet and a more sedentary lifestyle fueled the increase of Type 2 diabetes — or adult-onset diabetes, as the condition was once characterized — in children and adolescents. The rise in childhood obesity is also linked in part to the increase in children’s sugar consumption. “It’s no longer adultonset diabetes,” Hoge said. Consumption of added sugars — sweeteners added to processed foods — is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol in adolescents, according to the CDC report. “We’re seeing a dramatic increase of kids younger and younger coming down with Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol and high blood pressure,” Hoge said. “We’re talking about 12-yearolds on blood pressure medication.” The added sugar is not the sole culprit, health experts said.
Thinkstock
When shopping for processed foods, parents need to beware of food additives and fat that can lead to onset of childhood obesity or diabetes. stuff in these processed foods that are leading us down the road of obesity and everything that comes with that.” Parents should read ingredient and nu-
Other food additives and fat contribute to health problems, too. “It’s not just the sugar or just the fat,” Hoge said. “It’s the combination of all that extra
trition labels at the grocery store and make smart choices for meals and snacks at home in order to reduce children’s intake of added sugar.
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“More than anything, it’s about planning out your grocery list so there’s time to make snacks ahead of time that you can then grab and take with you,” Hoge said.
Make smarter choices at meals
Some smart choices to avoid added sugars include the obvious — fruits and vegetables, of course — or homemade granola. Hoge also recommends adding fruit or nuts to flavor unsweetened Greek-style yogurt. “Limit the packaged foods as much as possible, and that’s really going to help you get
PAGE 25
NOVEMBER 2012 rid of those unnatural added sugars, as well as all of the other junk in packaged food,” she said. If shoppers buy processed foods, they should seek out items containing fewer than six ingredients, and all ingredients should be recognizable, Hoge said. Sugar should not be listed among the first three ingredients, she added. “It’s different historically, because if we think back to our grandmothers, they made everything from scratch,” Hoge said. “There wasn’t the macaroni and cheese in the blue box.” Parents should also consider reworking family schedules in order to set aside time for a balanced dinner, Hoge added. “It’s difficult in today’s social environment, where we’re overscheduling everybody,” she said. “So, it’s about reprioritizing and realizing that maybe playing three sports isn’t a good idea if it means we don’t have time for a healthy dinner.” Parents can also set a healthy eating example at the dinner table, Hoge added. Though children sometimes fixate on particular foods, nutrition experts said parents should continue to offer a broad selection. Parents might need to make several attempts before a child shows interest in unfamiliar foods. “I guarantee you if you sit down and say, ‘Look, kiddo, you’ve got to eat all of your spinach.’ Oh, but Mom or
How to reduce added sugar
Thinkstock
Experts recommend when shopping for processed food, to keep the list of ingredients fewer than six. Dad or whoever doesn’t have to, it’s not going to happen. Parents need
to be mindful of what they model for their children.”
Simple changes can result in children consuming less added sugar from processed foods. q Drink water or other calorie-free drinks instead of sugary, nondiet sodas or sports drinks, or blended coffee drinks. q When you drink fruit juice, make sure it’s 100 percent fruit juice — not a juice drink with added
sugar. Or, better yet, eat the fruit rather than drink juice. q Choose breakfast cereals carefully. Although healthy breakfast cereals can contain added sugar to make them more appealing to children, skip the non-nutritious, sugary and frosted cereals. q Opt for reduced-sugar varieties of syrups, jams, jellies and preserves. Use other condiments sparingly. Salad dressings and
ketchup also contain added sugar. q Choose fresh fruit for dessert instead of cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream and other sweets. q Buy canned fruit packed in water or juice, not syrup. q Snack on vegetables, fruits, low-fat cheese, wholegrain crackers and low-fat, low-calorie yogurt instead of candy, pastries and cookies. Source: Mayo Clinic
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NOVEMBER 2012
Beat the rainy-day blues with indoor fun By Lillian O’Rorke It’s getting chilly outside and the rain has begun to wash away memories of a nearcloudless summer. Now that playtime is moving inside, here are some suggestions for keeping indoor-bound children happy throughout the soggy days ahead.
Go camping — in the living room
Give up on having a clean house for the afternoon and offer the kids blankets, pillows and furniture for tent/fortbuilding supplies. Chairs from the dining room table are great for framing a fort and cushions from the couch easily become supporting walls. And what camping trip is complete without s’mores? To prepare sans campfire simply broil a single layer of marshmallows in the oven on a cookie sheet, lined with lightly-oiled foil. After browning both sides, set up a s’mores station for the children, including graham crackers and pieces of chocolate. Now that everyone is hoped up on sugar, send them on a scavenger hunt by creating a list of things that can be found in different rooms.
Make homemade play dough
I still remember how amazed I was as a little
Craft time!
Photos from Thinkstock
girl to learn that you could make your own play dough at home, and better yet, chose your own colors. To wow your children, there is a plethora of recipes out there, from simple salt, flour and water to the more complex with secret ingredients, like cream of tartar, to help the dough stay together. But all the recipes are basically the same and involve mixing all the ingredients together, over medium heat, stir-
ring constantly and finishing off with a good two minutes of kneading. To add pizzazz, use food coloring, old Kool-Aid packets or even sparkles. Now that it’s done, the play dough can be molded into building blocks, snakes, little people, rolled out like pizza dough and put through any other contortion that your child thinks up. To save it for another rainy day, wrap the now most likely rainbow dough in plas-
tic and put it in a sealed container.
Bring the sand box inside (not literally)
Bring all the fun of playing in a sand box inside by filling a large
storage container, like those that fit easily under a bed, with uncooked rice. Break out the beach tools like shovels and small rakes, add some toy cars and dump trucks, and you’ve got entertainment.
Craft time for children can be as simple as coloring in a coloring book or building a balanced mobile to hang in their bedroom. If you’re stumped for ideas, a good place to find inspiration is www. pinterest.com. One idea for a craft project that lends itself to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is a spin on the classic hand-outline turkey. Using brown finger paint, stamp the bottom of your child’s foot on paper. This will form the turkey’s body. While that dries, use a different color to make a stamp of the hand. Repeat this step several
times, using a variety of colors so that there are lots of little hand prints. Once everything dries, cut the prints out. On another piece of paper, assemble and glue the hand cut-outs around the foot print so that the finger impressions form the turkey’s feathers. Use other pieces of colored paper as the bird’s eyes, beak and wattle. Did someone say “Happy Thanksgiving?”
Inflatable Play & Party Center Brother and sister Ashford and Holly work on a craft project at Adventure Kids Playcare, in Issaquah. By Lillian O’Rorke
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NOVEMBER 2012
Community groups offer parents helpful resources Kindering Center
Kindering Center, a not-for-profit neurodevelopmental center, has been providing comprehensive services for children with special needs and their families since 1962. Each year, thousands of infants and children receive crucial therapies, special education and counseling. It offers the following programs: q Father’s Network connects men with other dads, resources, information and education, plus opportunities for “all family” celebrations. Focus is on assisting fathers as they become more competent and compassionate caregivers for their children with special needs. Meetings are the second and fourth Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon at 16120 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue. Call 653-4282. q Mother’s Circle is a community of women raising children with special needs, from newborns to age 6, sharing emotional support, promoting advocacy and creating solutions. Meetings are the first and third Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m. at 16120 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue. Call 653-4306. q Unexpected Journey is a four-week discussion series for parents of children with special health care needs and/ or developmental dis-
abilities. It is an opportunity to learn from the challenges and appreciate the joys of raising kids with special needs. Couples are encouraged to attend. Call 653-4286 for meeting times. q Parent Education Class is designed for parents of children from 2 to 12 years old. Parents who complete the 10week program are invited to participate in a monthly support group. The program instructor is available for individual parenting consultation. The next session meets from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 21 through Feb. 6. Call 6534302.
Childcare Resources
Childcare Resources will help you identify childcare options in your area. There is an incomebased fee. Call the referral line at 206-329-5544 or 1-877-512-3948 toll free, or go to www.childcare.org.
Youth Eastside Services
Youth Eastside Services presents Healthy Start, a home-visiting program for young, first-time parents who are pregnant or caring for their first child who is younger than 6 months of age. Teen mothers get consistent, nonjudgmental support for themselves and their babies. Early support and intervention promotes strong parentchild bonding, healthy
child development and optimal brain development, all of which lead to school success. Call 747-4937.
Encompass
Encompass is an independent, nonprofit, children’s and familyservices organization established in 1966. Its mission is to nurture children, enrich families and inspire community. Programs nurture typical and developmentally challenged children, enrich families in all their diversity and inspire community throughout the Snoqualmie Valley, Issaquah, Sammamish and the greater Eastside. Encompass Issaquah is in Blakely Hall, 2550 N.E. Park Drive, in the Issaquah Highlands. See a complete list of programs at www. encompassnw.org. Programs Encompass offers include: q Mom’s Moment is a support group for parents and caregivers of children with special needs. Participants gather to share information regarding resources and, most importantly, camaraderie with others in a similar situation. Call 888-2777. q The Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers Birth-to-3 program provides therapeutic developmental services for children with special needs. Call 888-3347,
ext. 2309. q The Parent-Child Home Program is a national program that supports young children’s early literacy and school readiness. It bridges gaps in achievement, preparing children to enter school as ready to be successful students as their more advantaged peers. In this evidence-based program, participants show significant gains in high school graduation rates. Call 888-2777, ext. 1219.
First Choice In-Home Care
First Choice In-Home Care is dedicated to providing responsive, respectful and caring support to vulnerable adults and children, and adults with disabilities. Call 747-5000 or go to www. fcihc.com.
Friends of Youth
Since 1951, Friends of Youth has been helping young people in challenging circumstances get their lives back on track. Today, Friends of Youth positively impacts more than 5,500 youth and young adults ages 6-24 and their families each year, operating facilities and programs at 21 sites in 13 cities across the Puget Sound region. In addition to operating the only overnight youth shelters on the Eastside, Friends of Youth offers youth development initiatives,
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Parents need not face unique challenges alone while raising their children. in-home family support for young parents of newborns, parent education, youth and family counseling, substance abuse counseling, therapeutic foster care, residential treatment and transitional housing for homeless young people and teen mothers. The Issaquah office is at 414 Front St. N. Call 392-6367 or go to www. friendsofyouth.org.
‘Toddler Time’
“Toddler Time,” presented by the Issaquah Parks & Recreation Department, for children ages 3 and younger, is from 8 a.m. to noon
Mondays through Fridays. This daytime class, with an indoor playground and interactive toys at the community center, lets children play and parents get a chance to bond. Fee is $2 per child. Call 837-3300.
The Cancer Lifeline Program
The Cancer Lifeline Program, in cooperation with Valley Medical Center, in Renton, and Evergreen Health, in Kirkland, is for children ages 6-12 whose parent or other significant fam-
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Formerly E.nopi
What is a pediatric dentist? After completing dental school, a dentist may choose to become a pediatric dentist by going on to two additional years of specialized education and training in how to deal with all aspects of oral health care for infants through adolescents and those with special health care needs. Pediatric dentists hire staff and set their offices up to be a friendly, fun, and safe environment specifically with children in mind.
CALL FOR YOUR CHILD’S FIRST VISIT! Dr. John R. Liu Dr. SallySue M. Lombardi Dr. Donna J. Quinby
185 NE Gilman Blvd. • Issaquah • 425.392.4048 www.eastsidepediatricdentalgroup.com
SAMMAMISH
Math
Reading
Writing
• Highly program where a student is THE KEY. • Only program that teaches at • Curriculum in line with • • • • • •
Teacher/Student Ratio Session Durations with Individual Seating near Pine Lake Plaza Mastery of Every S A M M A Mwith ISH Concept • Find out why are learning with Eye Level! • and !
Where Learning is Fun! Contact Learning Center Director Ms. Mehta @ 425 890 0896 and schedule a visit TODAY! Don’t forget to bring your child! Center Location: 2830 228th Ave. SE, Unit E, Sammamish, WA 98075
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NOVEMBER 2012
From Page 28 ily member has cancer. Learn more at www.cancerlifeline.org.
Kinship Care
The Kinship Care program helps kinship caregivers understand and navigate the services available for children living with relatives other than their own parents. Call 800-737-0617 toll-free or go to www.dshs.wa.gov/kinshipcare.
Eastside Macaroni Kid
The Eastside Macaroni Kid is dedicated to delivering the scoop on family-friendly events and activities happening in its communities each week. Sign up to receive your free weekly newsletter at http://the-eastside.macaronikid. com.
Moms in Prayer International
sclubsammamish.org.
nami-eastside.org.
Mothers of Preschoolers
Pine Lake Co-op Preschool
Moms in Prayer International (formerly Moms in Touch) — Mothers meet, grouped by area school, for one hour each week to pray for school concerns, teachers and for their children. Call 1-800949-MOMS toll free or go to www.momsintouch.org to find a group near you.
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is for mothers with children from infancy through kindergarten. Moms have the opportunity to share concerns, explore areas of creativity and learn from various speakers. Find a group near you at www. MOPS.org.
MOMS Club of Sammamish Plateau
National Alliance on Mental Illness Eastside
MOMS Club of Sammamish Plateau is a chapter of an international, nonprofit organization aimed at providing support for mothers who stay at home or work part time to raise their children. Meet other moms who share the same interests while providing a safe environment for children to socialize. Go to www.mom-
Pine Lake Co-op Preschool is a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Bellevue Community College Parent Education Program, combining parent education with an interactive program for parents and their children. Call 392-0496 or go to www.pinelakecoop.org.
Youth Eastside Services
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Eastside mission is to improve the quality of life of persons affected by acute and chronic mental illness through support, education and advocacy. Services include support groups, education forums, classes and more. All programs are free. Call 885-6264, email info@namieastside.org or go to www.
Youth Eastside Services is a lifeline for kids and families coping with challenges such as emotional distress, substance abuse and violence. Through intervention, outreach and prevention, YES builds confidence and responsibility, strengthens family relationships and advocates for a safer community that cares for its youth. YES offers the following programs:
q Youth & Family Counseling Services — A place for kids and their families to turn for help that is expert, confidential, respectful and effective. q SUCCESS Mentoring Program — Recruits caring adults to serve as a positive role model to young people who are struggling with their academic, social or personal lives. q LGBTQ Youth Support — Free drop-in support group open to youth ages 12-19 who may identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer or who may be questioning their gender and/ or sexual identity. The BGLAD group enables youth to meet their peers and discuss life issues in a safe and confidential environment. Call 747-4937 or go to www.youtheastsideservices.org.
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