Seattle’sChild March 2019 // Issue 471 “Seattle is my town. I know this city inside and out… or so I thought until I had kids.” Seattle’s Child is your guide to getting to know your city all over again. Finding things to do, places to eat, and how to get around — it’s a whole new ballgame with kids in tow. We’re interested in how parents make homes in a space-challenged urban environment, how families create community, and what parents are talking about. Seattle’s Child reflects real Puget Sound families and their broad range of parenting experiences. ANN BERGMAN Publisher, Founder abergman@seattleschild.com BOO DAVIS Art Director bdavis@seattleschild.com SYDNEY PARKER Managing Editor sparker@seattleschild.com JULIE HANSON Website Editor jhanson@seattleschild.com JENNIFER MORTENSEN Calendar Editor calendar@seattleschild.com MIKE MAHONEY Copy Editor
«What Parents Are Talking About CONTINUED
JEFF LEE, MD Columnist REBEKAH DENN Contributing Editor ERIKA LEE BIGELOW, ERIKA ALMANZA BROWN, LYNN DIXON, HALLIE GOLDEN, BRETT HAMIL, JOELY JOHNSON, JILLIAN O’CONNOR, ASTRID VINJE Contributing Writers AMY CADWELL Publisher’s Assistant ISSY BELZIL Marketing & Sales Coordinator ADVERTISING KIM LOVE Ad Production Manager klove@seattleschild.com MELIA WILKINSON Advertising Sales Manager mwilkinson@seattleschild.com 774-253-2219 STEPHANIE KONAT Sales Account Manager skonat@seattleschild.com 425-770-4768
Seattle’sChild Seattle’s Child has been providing useful information to parents since 1979. In addition to our monthly magazine, look for our special themed publications — Explore, FamilyPages, School and SummerTime — distributed free throughout the Puget Sound area. Seattle’s Child is published monthly with combined issues in January/February and July/August.
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much of my energy. Being the only adult in the house is often exhausting, and without even a glimpse of sun, some days seem to roll out in super slow-motion. So I burn a lot of candles (they really help; each one is like a tiny guest in the room) and recently bought a diffuser to make the house smell like bright essential oils. Practicing yoga keeps me connected to the inner light, as does getting enough sleep and eating plenty of green veggies (really!). Enjoying creative or funny activities with my son is a big dose of sunshine, so I try to clear the decks as much as possible when we’re together. The side hustle is real. I had a long and strong career in editorial and communications before being married. Even though I quit my office job while trying to conceive, I never stopped working. My freelance writing and editing projects brought in “extra” money that often surged into five digits, but I certainly wasn’t the main breadwinner. When we moved here, our household was buoyed by the region’s strong tech economy (thank you, online retail). Now that my personal IT support has left the building, and an appropriate full-time job doesn’t seem to be manifesting despite my best efforts (thank you, online retail), my side hustles (I’m also a private yoga instructor) need to grow exponentially. Like, yesterday. I’m stretching beyond my Libra comfort zone to network and market myself, and that’s a good thing. In fact, focusing on my work has been powerfully grounding. Even though Seattle is a tough
town for small business, I’m pretty busy and fully aiming to get even busier. Meanwhile, I’m using the opportunity to model perseverance and patience for my son. Family is far away. Every one of my family members lives in New York, and my oldest friends are out of state. Single parenting without my sister, brother or mother nearby has been crushing. When my heart was breaking so much I could barely think, or when I caught the flu and thought I was dying, I was on my own. I do have a number of very supportive local friends who give me lots of reasons to smile and be thankful. Still, there are nights I would be so glad to have Gramma
“Single parenting without my sister, brother or mother nearby has been crushing. When my heart was breaking so much I could barely think, or when I caught the flu and thought I was dying, I was on my own.” Tina over for dinner, just for adult company and conversation — and help with the dishes would be nice, too. As it is, my son and I work on “meaningful discussions” over our dinners, sometimes followed by some pre-adolescent guff about pitching in for cleanup. But I make it a point for us to have regular, nutritious meals at the dining table, and he knows he’s expected to take the plates into the kitchen when we are done, guff or no guff. At this point, it’s all about baby steps. And broccoli.
