0216bsp by baystateparent magazine

baystateparent FREE

FEBRUARY 2016

Massachusettsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996

The Money Issue

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R E T S E e C c a R l M p U ! WO E s A S e i U l i M m T a f AR r fo February School Vacation Workshops Ages 3-17 / February 16-19 2 FEBRUARY2016

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table of contents FEBRUARY 2016 VOLUME 20

NUMBER 10

things we learned

while making

the february issue

The first time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb played guitar in front of an audience was at summer camp. Her summers at camp inspired and affected Loeb far beyond music, find out how starting on page 58.

Seventy percent of Massachusetts Millennial parents surveyed are still paying off their student loans. Perhaps that’s why that generation is excelling at saving for their children’s higher education. Head to page 44 to learn more about how Bay State parents are planning for their kids’ education.

When a big storm is on the way, WCVB Meteorologist Danielle Vollmar packs enough clothes to be on the air (in studio and out in the field) for three days. Learn more about what it’s like to predict and report on Massachusetts’s wild weather on page 66.

Money 38 39 40 42

Inside The History of Money

Massachusetts Millennials Saving Big For Kids’ College

How Co-Parents Can Teach Children Smart Financial Habits

48 50

The No. 1 Way Families Can Find Money

in every issue 8 10 11 12

SHOW & TELL: Jenga Giant

ASK THE EXPERT: Healthy Protein Options For Kids Who Dislike Dairy

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: February Calendar Of Family Events

VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE: The Arc of Massachusetts Looks Ahead

FINALLY FOREVER: Massachusetts Author Pens Magical Adoption Story

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: February Area Adoption Events

55 58

FEBRUARY’S CHILD: Skye

OUR FEBRUARY FAVORITES: FACTS, FINDS & FREEBIES

TAKE 8: WCVB Meteorologist Danielle Vollmar

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS BSP ONLINE 20 FOR 20: Celebrate our 20th anniversary with a look back at 1996’s top sports stories

COUNTDOWN TO CAMP: How Camp Inspired SingerSongwriter Lisa Loeb To Give Back

Creative DIY Fun: It’s In The Bank The Money Men Kids & Charitable Giving: Ideas to Get Them Excited About Making a Difference

Fumble No More When Figuring Out FAFSA

14 16

Once-A-Month Cooking Saves Time, Money, and Family Dinners Bites: Save space in your lunch box; reduce your mountain of Mason jars; and how to speed clean your home for guests

features 32

Why More Parents Are Delaying Kindergarten For Their Children

How One Boston 5-YearOld Put Desegregation On Trial

baystateparent.com BAYSTATEPARENT 7

meet team bsp publishers publisher KIRK DAVIS associate publisher KATHY REAL 508-749-3166 ext. 331 kreal@baystateparent.com

creative editor in chief MELISSA SHAW 508-865-7070 ext. 201 editor@baystateparent.com creative director PAULA MONETTE ETHIER 508-865-7070 ext. 221 pethier@holdenlandmark.com senior graphic designer STEPHANIE MALLARD 508-865-7070 design@baystateparent.com

multimedia editor MONICA HAMILTON monica@baystateparent.com

baystateparent.com Find us on:

advertising director of sales REGINA STILLINGS 508-865-7070 ext. 210 regina@baystateparent.com account executive KATHY PUFFER 508-865-7070 ext. 211 kathy@baystateparent.com account executive NIKKI PETERS 617-276-5247 nikki@baystateparent.com presidents KIRK and LAURIE DAVIS photographers STEVEN KING and SHAWNA SHENETTE

is published monthly with a main office at

22 West Street, Millbury, MA 01527 It is distributed free of charge throughout Massachusetts.

SHOW & TELL Jenga Giant: Bigger Is Better

When the Jenga Giant box arrived at work, I couldn’t wait to get it home to play with my kids. A huge version of Jenga that could stack to more than 3 feet high? Can I leave work early? However, I made one critical mistake: I showed my co-workers the box, a move that delayed Jenga Giant games with the family for a long time. Why? The game was quickly commandeered by my colleagues, who set up games that ran for hours…or days. Anyone walking near our main printer would stop and assess the tower and poke out a block. Or try to poke out a block and fail, the sound of 54 hardwood blocks crashing to the ground thundering throughout our open office. A sound of defeat that was always accompanied by a less-than-sympathetic “OHHHHH!” from everyone who didn’t crash the tower. (Once, a colleague cued up Pitbull’s “Timber” just to rub it in.) So, while I initially attempted to review Jenga Giant as a family game, I was waylaid by one unexpected fact: Jenga Giant is a great game for an office, too.

Put it in any communal space — break room, lunch room, bullpen, you name it — and let the games begin, literally. It’s fun, a great way to interact with colleagues, and much smaller (and less expensive) than a foosball table. However, Jenga Giant certainly delivers at home, too. In this super-sized version, the blocks are six times the size of those in the traditional game, which brings play to a whole new level. If you thought the stakes — and nerves — were high trying not to topple Jenga classic, imagine what it’s like trying to manipulate a version that can stretch over 3 feet tall. Jenga is a game that truly can be enjoyed by everyone. You can play with your family, your children can take on each other or friends, and it is a fantastic addition to a grown-up game night. Jenga Giant is available at jengagiant. com or Amazon, and costs $79.95. Yes, that’s a pretty penny, but it’s built to last and deliver a lot of laughs and fun, game after game after game. — Melissa Shaw, Editor-in-Chief

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FEBRUARY

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CONTRIBUTORS Michele Bennett Decoteau is a writer and mom to a tween and a teen in central New England. In addition to writing on science, nature, and parenting topics, she is a hiker and beekeeper. You can find her at MicheleDecoteau.com or @MBDecoteau. baystateparent Creative Director Paula Monette Ethier has been with us since Day 1 and is responsible for our award-winning design and covers. A veteran crafter and DIY enthusiast, Paula enjoys creating projects that are simple, practical, and inexpensive! Heather Kempskie is a freelance writer and mother of two from Bellingham. Alex L. Khan is a journalist who focuses primarily on minority, low-income, recovery, and former-prison populations, and currently is examining the economic post-incarceration reintegration pathways for his undergraduate degree at King’s College London. Michael Leidig is a nationally recognized speaker on weight management and has co-authored book chapters and journal articles related to obesity management for children, adolescents and adults. His specialties include the design, management, and evaluation of clinical programs and research studies to address the pediatric obesity epidemic. He is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and clinical director for the Center for Youth Wellness at Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center. Michelle Perras-Charron is a freelance writer and mother to four school-aged boys in Western Mass. A Navy brat and also the wife of a retired Air Force Captain, she has called many places home, to include Sicily and Hawaii. She loves writing about people and all topics related to parenting. She also enjoys running and a strong cup of coffee.

Sara Pokorny is a freelance writer from Amherst and puppy mom to Link and Piper. She loves eating and running (and really can’t do one without the other!). She will tackle any writing topic, but especially loves exploring things that are new to her. You can find her at vomitshermindd.wordpress.com or twitter.com/sara_pkrny. Attorney Irwin M. Pollack is founder and lead attorney of Pollack Law Group, P.C. (PollackLawGroup.com) and a divorced father himself. He shares insights and information about co-parenting on his weekly radio talk show, Talking About Divorce, which can be heard weekends on WRKO in Boston (AM 680), WTAG in Worcester (AM 580/94.9 FM), WXTK on the Cape (95.1 FM), and WHYN in Springfield (AM 560). Massachusetts mom Leslie Reichert is known as the Green Cleaning Coach and is aiming to change the world — “one spray bottle at a time.” A national lecturer and author of The Joy Of Green Cleaning, you can find her at greencleaningcoach. com, on Facebook (GreenCleaningCoach), Twitter (@ GreenCleanCoach), and Pinterest (cleaningcoach). On page 18, she shares her Miracle Laundry Whitening recipe. Rutland-based writer and mother of three Kathy Sloan is a regular contributor to baystateparent.

Got a story idea? Interested in contributing to baystateparent? Contact editor@baystateparent.com.

Find our writers online!

Where were you 20 years ago?

baystateparent

was here.

Massachusetts’ premier parenting magazine turns 20 this year! Join us each month as we take a sweet look back at what was making news in 1996 (see page 12 for this month’s look back). And make sure you grab a copy of our May anniversary issue — you won’t want to miss it! To advertise in this award winning publication contact Regina Stillings, Advertising Director at 508-865-7070 ext. 210 or regina@baystateparent.com

10 FEBRUARY2016

bsp ONLiNE Thank you, readers and staff, for the warm welcome. I look forward to seeing you online as baystateparent’s new Multimedia Editor. You can find the latest parenting news, contests, and giveaways — and me — at baystateparent.com, Facebook (baystateparent), Twitter (@baystateparent), and Instagram (baystateparent).

NO JOINING FEE IN FEBRUARY

They Got It! Anne of Bridgewater (pictured), and Tanalyn and Nora of Ashby, are a few of last month’s lucky giveway winners. This month promises even more fun and prizes, so make sure you visit baystateparent.com frequently or Like us on Facebook to stay on top of the latest giveaways and contests.

Smugglers’ Winner Announced! The McDermott family of Charlton is our grand prize winner in the Smugglers’ Notch contest, winning a free weekend of mountainside lodging, skiing, and fun — a $2,500 value. Congratulations!

The Monster Trucks Are Coming Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter — and visit us on Facebook — as we’ll be giving away family four-packs of tickets to the Feb. 12 & 13 Monster Jam at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Your Ultimate February Vacation Guide While it may seem like just yesterday that the kids were on Christmas break, February vacation is headed our way. Looking for fun things to do with the family? Head to our Ultimate February Vacation Guide, our continuously updated, on-the-go guide to the best family events over the nine-day break: baystateparent.com/februaryvacation2016/

Your Ultimate February Vacation Guide BAYSTATEPARENT 11

20 for 20 We’re gearing up for our big birthday in May by looking back to 1996. This month we’re remembering the year in sports, from football and wrestling to baseball and the Olympics. Test your memory and see how well you remember the top athletes and stories of 1996.

Top 20 sports stories of 1996

1 2

Shannon Miller of the United States won the gold medal in this event, the first time an American gymnast won an individual gold in a non-boycotted Olympic games.

3 4

In its first season after relocating form Quebec City, this new franchise blanked the Florida Panthers 4 games to 0 for its first-ever Stanley Cup title.

Known as one of the NBA’s most colorful — and controversial — players, this power forward was suspended six games and fined $20,000 for head-butting a referee during a March game.

This renowned tennis champion beat Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario to win Wimbledon for her 20th Grand Slam title and 100th tournament victory.

10 12

Dominating the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, this country won the most medals (101) and the most gold medals (44).

Widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, this shooting guard became the first player ever to be named the NBA’s MVP of the regular season, playoffs, and All-Star game in the same season

8 12 FEBRUARY2016

Still reviled today in Ohio, Art Modell announced this new name of his transplanted Cleveland Browns.

The United States scored twice within 43 seconds late in the third period to beat this country and win the championship game of the inaugural World Cup of Hockey.

This long-suffering baseball team — now 108 years between World Series titles — tied its post-1900 record for most runs in a game, routing the Colorado Rockies 26-7.

15 16

This legendary professional wrestler did a heel turn (i.e., became a villain) and formed the New World Order.

In U.S. dollars, this was the cost for staging the 1996 Olympic Games.

The U.S. women’s gymnastics squad captured its first team Olympic gold medal, thanks to a dramatic vault by this injured 18-year-old.

One of the greatest pitchers in Red Sox history matched his own major-league record this season, fanning 20 batters and pitching a four-hitter to lead Boston over the Detroit Tigers 4-0. In December, he would leave the Sox for a $24.75 million, three-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

This soon-to-be legendary golfer won an unprecedented third U.S. Amateur Championship and turned pro one month later.

The Centennial Summer Olympics officially opened with the lighting of the torch by this legendary boxer.

13 14

This women’s professional U.S. sporting league was founded on April 24, with league play beginning the following year.

Capping a near-perfect season, this U.S. figure skater won the women’s title in the World Figure Skating Championships.

6 7

This legendary Miami Dolphins coach retired after 33 seasons in the Sunshine State and a record 347 victories.

This ’90s dynasty beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 for their third Super Bowl victory in four years.

It took this high-profile pugilist only 109 seconds to win the WBA heavyweight championship from Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

See page 65 for answers. Join us next month for more blasts from the past.

BAYSTATEPARENT 13

Once-AMonth Cooking Saves Time, Money, and Family Dinners

BY MICHELE BENNETT DECOTEAU

Once-a-month cooking is a timetested method for saving time and money on food and food-preparation. It takes a lot of planning, but advocates and fans say the method saves money, makes evenings easier, and consistently unites families at the dinner table. Mary Beth Lagerborg, Once-aMonth Cooking cookbook co-author and advocate, suggests trying the method via baby steps: “Start small, maybe a week or two. Otherwise it can be overwhelming.” In the winter months, the thought of having healthy, home-cooked, consistent meals can be a sanity saver. And with today’s busy families, having a few favorite dinners in the freezer any time of year can help get everyone together at the table at the end of the day. “The Once-a-Month Cooking technique is more efficient and allows families to consistently share a meal together,” she adds. The system is simple in design. One day a month, shop for all the ingredients for your meals. The next day, prepare and freeze meals, then go out to eat or get take-out! The following day, your family can start to enjoy a month of ready-to-eat homemade meals. “Start small with a mini-menu,” advises Tricia Callahan, founder and president of OnceAMonthMeals. com, a service that delivers tailored menus for once-a-month cooks. “A mini-menu is 5 recipes doubled to make 10 meals, rather than the a 14 FEBRUARY2016

full month, which is 15 recipes doubled to 30 meals. A smaller freezer cooking day allows you to figure out the best approach for you, assess your skill level, and to still feel productive and efficient in the kitchen.” Callahan points those interested in the concept to a getting started post on her Website: onceamonthmeals.com/blog/series/get-started/ start-freezer-cooking-in-five-easysteps. “Try doing the preparation with a friend and it will save time and be more fun,” Lagerborg advises. Lagerborg, along with co-author Mimi Wilson, first developed the technique from need. They had children, busy lives, and not enough time, yet were committed to having family dinner. “The dinner table is where good things happen with your family,” notes Lagerborg, who is now a grandmother and hosts big family Sunday dinners with her sons and their families. The two books in Lagerborg’s Once-a-Month series provide menus and preparation instructions, while the accompanying Website, oncea-monthcooking.com, also offers a sample menu, some gluten-free options, and favorite recipes. “The recipes are all family-friendly and not gourmet,” she says. “They are not time-intensive and really (are) foods your family will eat.” “The major savings is in time and money,” Callahan adds. “In the instance of time, cooking many

meals in one day opposed to daily helps to maximize your preparation, cooking, and cleanup time. You are preparing (dicing, slicing, etc.) items all at once, opposed to on a daily basis. Add to that, that in most cases you aren’t tending to the meal on the stove on your serving day. And last, but not least, let’s not forget the amount of daily cleanup that is saved from not dirtying several pots and pans on your serving day. Cleanup is quick and easy. All of this time equates to about 30 hours for those who cook and freeze a month’s worth of meals [30 meals x 1 hour of prep, cook, cleanup = approximately 30 hours]. Who couldn’t use another day in their life every month?” Even for a small family, there is an economy of scale. By purchasing in bulk, you save money. And families also save money with fewer uneaten purchases and less eating out or getting takeout when there isn’t a plan for dinner. Over the years since the technique was popularized in the early 1980s, food trends and eating have changed. For example, today there is a greater emphasis on fresh foods. Incorporating this into the freezer-intensive Once-A-Month technique is easy. “Layer fresh foods with the OnceA-Month entrees,” Lagerborg says. “Add a fresh salad or as a side dish.” “Approximately 27% of our audience utilizes our Traditional menu,”

Callahan says. “That means that 73% of all users are using other specialty menus. Traditional [which replicates classic home cooking] is our most popular, but is closely followed by our Paleo and Whole Foods menus. We added our Allergen menu in 2014 because we see a wide array of specialty and allergen diets emerging, and we want to stay relevant to our audience’s dietary needs.” An adaptation of the once-amonth idea is an entree exchange group. Rather than cooking once a month for your family, this project provides a week’s worth of meals for the freezer — home cooked by someone else. For example, if five families participate, each mother or father makes five of the same meal, meets up, and trades, which sends parents home with four meals plus their own. Similar to the once-amonth technique, making multiples of the same meal can save families preparation time and ingredients. Tricia Desmarias, a mom from Millbury, participated in such a group: “It was great not to have to worry about what was for dinner. Knowing that I could just take something out of the freezer and knowing what it will be was a great relief.” “It was a great way to build up recipes I know will freeze well and (know I) like,” added Andrea Hosier, who participated in the same group as Desmarias.

Here is one of Lagerborg’s favorite recipes from her cookbooks:

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• 1 tablespoon butter

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• 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 onion (2 cups sliced)

• 1 bunch fresh parsley (1/2 cup chopped)

• 5 cloves chopped garlic (2-1/2 teaspoons, chopped)

• Salt and pepper to taste 1 16-ounce package mini penne pasta

• 1 pound mild Italian sausage

• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese (1 cup grated)

• ½ pound hot Italian Sausage

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Add diced tomatoes and simmer 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool, package in labeled gallon freezer container, and freeze with 1 cup Parmesan cheese in a sandwich bag attached. To serve, thaw meat sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Pour sauce over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Summary of Processes: Slice 2 cups onions; chop ½ cup fresh parsley; chop 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic

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Save Space In Your Lunch Box

Bites

Space can be a premium in your lunch bag, which is why Joseph Joseph has launched its GoEat line, designed to keep those on the go from toting around multiple containers. For example, the Space-saving lunch box ($18) offers a large base for sandwiches and dry food, a top compartment with a divider for wet food or snacks, and a silicone lid with a locking collar to keep it all fresh and safely inside. When empty, the top compartment fits inside the base and locks together for easy transport. A Space-saving cutlery set ($16) features a stainless-steel knife, fork, and spoon, whose magnetic design stores them neatly together in their own storage case. More on the GoEat line can be found at josephjoseph.com.

Reduce Your Mountain of Mason Jars: Free Book reCAP, a mom-founded company that invented and sells a series of functional lids for Mason Jars, is offering a free downloadable eBook that promises to help you “reduce your mountain of Mason Jars.” The 10-page book features recipes for on-the-go smoothies and all-natural hair masks and face washes, as well as strategies for cleaning up an easily cluttered craft area. To download your copy, visit masonjars.com.

How to Speed Clean Your House For Guests BY LESLIE REICHERT

You just got a call from some friends who are in town and want to drop by to say hello. Don’t worry, very few people live in a perfect home. So, relax and get ready to clean up. You can speed clean your home in a matter of minutes. And if you run out of time, I’ll show you how to cover up the dirt. 1. Start with the vacuum — Vacuuming the floors can make your house look clean. If you have carpeting, concentrate on vacuuming the main areas. Don’t worry about going behind furniture – no one will be looking there. Use your vacuum on the hard floors, too. Vacuum the rugs in the entrance area and anywhere you’ll be sitting with your guests. 2. Wipe away pet hair — Use my rubber glove trick to remove pet hair quickly. Use a rubber glove and wipe the pet hair to the edge of the piece of furniture. Use a damp paper towel and wipe it off.

16 FEBRUARY2016

reCAP Mason Jar Smoothies

Maple-Oat Cinnamon Swirl

Basic Vanilla Smoothie Ingredients

Blend ingredients and serve in a Mason Jar.

Here are three fun smoothies from reCAP, all made with the same Basic Vanilla Smoothie Base:

1 Tbsp cinnamon 1 package instant oatmeal 1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 6-8 oz. vanilla yogurt 1 tsp coconut oil

Classic PB&J

Add to base: ½ cup strawberries 2 Tbsp peanut or nut butter 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Super Berry Blast Add to base: 1 cup mixed berries 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1 Tbsp turmeric

3. Wipe away fingerprints – Are there fingerprints and smears all over your kitchen appliances? Just wet a blue microfiber cloth and go over everything. Don’t look back. You’ll have sparkling clean appliances in minutes.

8. Distract them with food — Keep some treats in the freezer, especially for pop-in guests

5. Put out clean towels — Put clean hand towels in the kitchen and the bathroom. You don’t want your guests using those dirty ones.

9. Use a nice scent to make your home smell clean — People definitely relate scents to cleanliness, and you can use some essential oils to make your own “clean home” spray. Mix 8 ounces of witch hazel and 8 ounces of vodka in a spray bottle. Add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil for scent. Shake well. Use this spray to freshen the air or as a linen spray on sheets and towels. It's perfect to use when company is coming. Spray on doorjambs and room entrances. Your guests will get a light scent as they enter the room.

6. Collect clutter — Fill a laundry basket with all the clutter. Take the basket upstairs where your guests won’t see it.

10. Dim the lights — Dim the lights and light candles. It seems simple, but it will keep the focus off your home and on your visit.

7. Empty the sink — Nothing makes your kitchen look dirtier than a sink full of dirty dishes. Put everything in the dishwasher or if the dishwasher is full of clean dishes, put them in a bucket and hide them under the sink!

11. Don’t stress over the mess — If all else fails, just relax and welcome your guests with a huge hug and your sparkling personality.

4. Fluff your furniture — Fluff and straighten your furniture so it will look cleaner. Puff up the throw pillows and fold the blankets so everything looks neat. If you have a stain or spot, place a folded blanket over the area.

ASK THE EXPERT

Healthy Protein Options For Kids Who Dislike Dairy BY MICHAEL LEIDIG

“My 8-year-old doesn’t like to drink white milk, nor does he like cheese or yogurt. I’m concerned he may not be getting enough protein. Aside from meat, are there other protein sources I can offer? Also, he will drink chocolate milk, but I was wondering if the added sugar makes that nutritionally a bad move.”

Dear Reader, Protein is certainly important to your child’s growth and development. Similar to your son, many children do not enjoy dairy products such as plain milk, yogurt, and cheese. Thankfully, there are plenty of other protein sources that offer a variety of ways for parents to ensure their child is receiving an adequate amount. Know your child’s protein needs According to the recently released 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, a typical, healthy 8- or 9-year-old boy or girl should consume between 19-34 grams of protein each day. A complete listing of how much protein a child requires based on his or her age and bodyweight can be found by visiting health.gov/ dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ and clicking on Appendix 7. Protein requirements might be different if your child is very athletic or has other health conditions, so contact a registered dietitian or your child’s pediatrician to better understand specific needs. Offer a variety of high-protein foods Although your son does not like milk, yogurt, or cheese, you can easily reach 19-34 grams of protein a day with foods such as poultry, seafood, red meat, eggs, beans, tofu, nuts, peanut butter, and other nut butters.

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Consider trying an egg and toast instead of a sugary cereal for breakfast, two slices of turkey or chicken on a sandwich for lunch, and another 2 ounces at dinner. There are also many vegetarian options, such as a half-cup of beans, which contributes 6 to 7 grams of protein and can be added to tacos, pastas, salads, and much more. Nuts and other nut butters add small amounts of protein and could be included as healthy snacks in between meals. Watch out for high-sugar, high-carbohydrate snacks Given that your son only enjoys chocolate milk (a common complaint!), consider serving this occasionally as a sweet treat in place of other high-sugar snacks like cookies, candy, and other desserts. An 8-ounce glass of chocolate milk contains 8 grams of protein (much less than a 2-ounce portion of poultry or meat), along with three unhealthy teaspoons of added sugar. Two glasses a day is the equivalent of two or three fun-sized candy bars and exceeds the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation of limiting total added sugars to less than 10% of total daily calories (or 3 to 4 teaspoons for an 8- or 9-year-old — the equivalent of one glass of chocolate milk). While consuming less sugar is preferred, the protein included in a glass of chocolate milk can slow the

blood sugar spike that results from consuming straight sugar or refined carbohydrates. When it comes to snacking, keep in mind that loading up on sugary foods and other snacks often results in children not being hungry for dinner, which usually contains a greater range of nutrients — including protein. Find your go-to proteins Try feeding your son different types of high-protein foods listed above to pinpoint the ones he enjoys most. This will allow you to plan meals and seek out recipes that you know will contribute to his protein needs. Many parents find it is helpful to make their child part of the mealplanning process. Most children are not proteindeficient, but as a parent, it is important to monitor your child’s protein needs and intake. Luckily, there are plenty of protein-rich foods to satisfy these needs. Regularly incorporating high-protein foods is a matter of discovering which ones your child enjoys most and making them an integral part of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle. Michael Leidig, MS, RD, LDN, CPT, is clinical director for the Center for Youth Wellness at Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, and an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.

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THE PLACES YOU’LL

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! - dr. seuss

GO INVESTIGATE Icy Investigations. Science Discovery Museum, Acton. Feb. 6, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 18 FEBRUARY2016

GO DISCOVER Native Voices. Boston Children’s Museum. Feb. 7, 1 p.m.

Photo by John Kennard

Photo by Ryan McMahon

GO BUILD Feb Fest. MIT Museum, Cambridge. Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

GO DESIGN Art-Making for All Ages. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. Feb. 16, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination. Although we’ve done our best to ensure accuracy at press time, things can and do change.

1 Monday

6 p.m. Learn about owls through hands-on activities and go on an “owl prowl” on the sanctuary, before warming up with hot chocolate and cookies. For ages 3 to 6. Register ahead. Member adults $8, children $7; nonmember adults $10, children $8. massaudubon.org.

Especially for Me! Deaf and Hard of Hearing Families. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Join in all the fun during this special morning for families with infants and toddlers with hearing loss. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

First Friday Nights Free. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 4:30 p.m.8:30 p.m. Enjoy free admission and explore the museums at night during this special monthly event, during which the museums gratefully accept food donations for area food pantries. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

MFA Playdates. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10:15 a.m.11 a.m. Bring your toddler to enjoy story time and looking activities in the galleries, as we explore the theme of ‘Museum of Fine Arf.’ Recommended for children 4 and under. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $25, youths 7 to 17 $10, children 6 and under free. mfa.org. Crafternoons. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Drop in and make a fun craft with library staff or with friends. Suggested for ages 4 to 14. Free. worcpublib.org. Sophisticated Stories. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 7:30 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Enjoy cool, strange, weird, and wacky picture books during this specially curated story time for older kids. For grades 3 and up. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

2 Tuesday Groundhog Day Shadows. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Drop in as we explore how shadows work using light, paper, and messy materials incorporating science, technology, engineering, and math. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Groundhog Day at Drumlin Farm. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Come as Ms. G, the Official Groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, delivers her forecast at 10 a.m., followed by a celebration with hot cocoa, family crafts, and nature programs. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers adult $8, ages 2 to 12 $6, under 2 free. massaudubon.org. Matt Heaton Family Singalong. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 11 a.m.11:45 a.m. Join Matt Heaton, the Toddlerbilly Troubadour, as he brings an infectious energy to his sing-alongs, peppered with well-known classics and a few soon-to-be classics performed with panache. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. ASD Friendly Afternoon. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 1:30 p.m.-

School Readiness Night. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6 p.m.8 p.m. An evening of school readiness activities, including storytelling, science exploration, art, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. Bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

GO BIG Monster Jam, DCU Center, Worcester. Feb. 12--14.

4:30 p.m. Participate in special sensory-based activities during this day designed for families with children with an ASD, including crowd limitations and a dedicated quiet room for families. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

3 Wednesday Free First Wednesday. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Explore deCordova’s sculptures, grounds, and special exhibitions during this day of free art immersion. Free. decordova.org. Great Hill Exploration. Great Hill Conservation Land, The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. Explore with museum staff some of the trails that wind through the wooded 184 acres that make up the Great Hill Conservation land. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

4 Thursday

2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Explore hands-on educational activities about nanoscale science and technology, uncover hidden rainbows, discover something invisible, and find out if metal has a memory. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. STEAM Ahead. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. A story-time that explores math, science, and the arts with children’s books and related activities. For ages 3 to 5 with caregiver. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

5 Friday Music and Movement with Miss Bernadette. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 9:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Explore sound through singing and playing, as you move, make music, listen, learn, and get a multisensory workout with professional musician and educator Miss Bernadette. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

We Are Nature. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St., Norfolk. 11 a.m.12 p.m. Explore topics from bee communication to winter-bird habits during this interactive program using discovery tables, crafts, music, story time, and short trail walks. For ages 2 to 5. Register ahead. Members $5, nonmembers $6. massaudubon.org.

Trail Detectives Club. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan. 3:15 p.m.-4:45 p.m. Drop-in for this fun afterschool nature club. Follow animal tracks to uncover the secrets of winter survival and investigate other hidden stories of the winter landscape. Register ahead. For ages 6 to 10. Member children $5, nonmember children $7, adults free. massaudubon.org.

Exploring Nano: The Smallest Science. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton.

Pre-K Owl Prowl. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. 4 p.m.-

Italian Culture Night. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6 p.m.8:30 p.m. The Italian Consulate of Boston and the museum host a celebration of Italian performing and visual arts, science, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Family Owl Prowl. Blue Hills Trailside Museum, 1904 Canton Ave., Milton. 7 p.m.9 p.m. Explore the world of owls, practice owl calls, and meet some of our resident owls before going on a night hike to search for owls. For ages 6 and up. Register ahead. Members $8, nonmembers $10. massaudubon.org.

6 Saturday Nature Story Hour. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Listen to a nature-themed story and take a short walk around the trails to learn about resident animals and plants. For ages 1 to 3. Members free; nonmember adults free, children $5. massaudubon.org. Science on Saturday: Rockets and Flight. MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Experience a presentation with fun demonstrations in which students can volunteer, and explore hands-on activity booths explaining the science of flight and rocketry. Free. mit.edu/museum. Chinese New Year Celebration. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Celebrate the Year of the Monkey through Chinese arts and crafts, games, a performance, and traditional Chinese food. For ages 2 to 10. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. BAYSTATEPARENT 19

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Snowshoeing for Families. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Learn how to use snowshoes before heading out onto the trails. For ages 5 and up. Register ahead. Member adults $6, children $3; nonmember adults $8, children $4. massaudubon.org. Winter Warmth & Walk. Powisset Farm, 31 Powisset St., Dover. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Embark on a guided walk around the farm with a trained ecologist excited to share the joy of nature before heading inside for a nourishing meal. Register ahead. Members $5, nonmembers $10. thetrustees.org. Lunar New Year Celebration. Museum of Fine Art: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Ring in the Year of the Monkey through an exploration of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese traditions while enjoying activities, demonstrations, and performances throughout the day. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $25, youths ages 7 to 17 $10, children 6 and under free. mfa.org.

World Storytime: Vietnamese. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Stories and activities exploring and combining English and Vietnamese. Free. worcpublib.org.

before a short walk to explore the stars and learn about some famous constellations. For ages 4 to 8. Register ahead. Member adults $8, children $6; nonmember adults $10, children $8. massaudubon.org.

adventure in the Science Center wood. Look for animal tracks, learn about the history of snowshoeing, have some fun in the snow, and enjoy some hot cocoa. For ages 3 and up. Register ahead. $8. southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org.

World Storytime: Portuguese. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Stories and activities exploring and combining English and Portuguese. Free. worcpublib.org.

7 Sunday

Super Bowl Stroll. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Power up for the Super Bowl with a guided walk in the woods. Look for signs of wildlife along the woodland trails, Spruce Swamp Brook, and across the open meadow. Members $5, nonmembers $10, children free. thetrustees.org.

Owl Festival at Broadmoor. Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St., Natick. 1 p.m.2 p.m. Explore the wonders of owls, with the opportunity to get a close-up view of local species. For ages 5 and up. Register ahead. Member adults $15, children $8; nonmember adults $18, children $10. massaudubon.org. Winter Fun Day. Francis William Bird Park, 41 Rhoades Ave., East Walpole. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Join in this family favorite winter fun day. Bring a sled if there is snow or play lawn games if there isn’t. Free. thetrustees.org.

Nature Play Date. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan. 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. Drop in and take part in winter-themed experiments, art, and other activities led by Boston Nature Center’s youth leaders. Free. massaudubon.org.

Pan. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Get transported to Neverland, in this prequel to the classic J.M. Barrie novel, following a young Peter Pan as he explores the island while battling Blackbeard. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Tiny Trekkers. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St., Norfolk. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Learn about nature through crafts and activities. Register ahead. Members $5, nonmembers $6. massaudubon.org.

Especially for Me! ASD Families’ Night. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join in all the fun and explore both museums during this special evening for families with children on the autism spectrum, with dinner provided. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

Icy Investigations. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Discover how cool science can be as we experiment with ice. and investigate the effects of salt, ice melt, and Magic Salt on the cold stuff. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Fireside Stories and Winter Stargazing. North River Wildlife Sanctuary, 2000 Main St., Marshfield. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Discover the attraction of the winter sky, as we read stories about Orion the Hunter, the Gemini Twins, and more,

Super Bowl Sunday Pickup Games. Governor Oliver Ames Estate, 35 Oliver St., North Easton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Get some fresh air and indulge in a game before the Big Game, as we supply footballs and you supply the players. Free. thetrustees.org. Ethan Rossiter & the Jamberries. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. These Parents’ Choice Award-winning musicians provide lively and fun engaging tunes set to inspire children on topics such as eating right, brushing their teeth, facing fears, and boosting self-confidence. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org. Native Voices. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 1 p.m. Explore collections and try crafts and games that complement our exhibit introducing stories, songs, and materials from indigenous New England communities. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Fun with Animal Footprints and Signs. Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St., Natick. 1 p.m.-2:15 p.m. Search for tracks and signs of otters, rabbits, deer, coyote, and other animals, before learning about what these tracks tell us about animal activity during winter. For ages 6 to 16. Register ahead. Member adults $12, children $6; nonmember adults $14, children $7. massaudubon.org. Family Snowshoe Hike. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. Bring the family and join in a winter

Drop Into Art. Danforth Art Museum and School, 123 Union Ave., Framingham. 2 p.m.4 p.m. Get inspired by the repurposing of material, including textile close-ups pencil drawings, Branch Silhouette Drawings, a texture collage, and a What’s That? game. Free. danforthart.org. Tea and Tunes. Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham. 3 p.m. Come to the recently restored Carriage House for tea and cake, before fiddler Adrienne Howard performs a mix of New England, Quebecoise, and Celtic Traditional dance music. Register ahead. Members $15, nonmembers $18. goreplace.org.

8 Monday Music Creation: More, Better Rhythms. Boston Public Library: Central Branch, 700 Boylston St., Boston. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Create drum parts in the piano roll and use varying velocities to make parts sound more “human” during this session manipulation sound. For ages 13 to 18. Free. bpl.org. VA Valentine’s Day Cards. Boston Public Library: Hyde Park Branch, 3 Harvard Ave., Hyde Park. 3:30 p.m. Create a heartfelt valentine for a friend or family member and another for a veteran to be mailed to a VA hospital in Boston. Free. bpl.org.

For more events, visit baystateparent.com NOW ENROLLING

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20 FEBRUARY2016

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

9 Tuesday Mini-Mardi Gras Celebration. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.11 a.m. Drop in to craft music makers and masquerade masks, and join in a parade during this mightily merry Mardi Gras celebration. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymseums.org. Try It Out Tuesday. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Provide your expert opinion and help us prototype a new idea, program, or exhibit component, during this drop-in session to help shape our future programs and spaces. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Visit the sheep, feed them their evening dinner of hay, and use their wool to make warm mini-blankets. For ages up to 7. Register ahead. Members $12, nonmembers $15. massaudubon.org. Take Aparts: Happy Birthday Thomas Edison. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Celebrate inventor and businessman Thomas Edison. Grab a screwdriver and discover resistors, capacitors, and more to inspire your inner Edison. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Drop-In Valentine. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy fun Valentine crafts. For ages 2 to 5. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Grab a snack from the market and curl up on a comfy rug to hear stories about cooking, growing, and eating food. Recommended for ages 2 to 6. Free. thetrustees.org.

Zumba. Worcester Public Library: Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton St., Worcester. 4 p.m.6 p.m. Get your exercise today in the best way, by dancing to a big screen of this popular fitness dance class. For ages 8 and up. Free. worcpublib.org.

Story and Nature Hour. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. An engaging morning of stories and crafts, and walk on one of the sanctuary’s beautiful trails. For ages 2 to 5. Register ahead. Member children $2, nonmembers $3, adults free. massaudubon.org.

12 Friday Kids Kitchen Story-Time. Kitchen at Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston.

Noble Expo & Event Production Presents

Polar Explorers Club: After School Adventures. Rocky Woods, 64 Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield. 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Learn how to read a compass, build a shelter, and track animals before ending the day around the wood stove hearing tales of high adventure. For ages 7 to 12. Members $10, nonmembers $20. thetrustees.org.

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10 Wednesday What’s the Weather Wednesday? Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m. This weather-dependent program may include frozen bubbles, rain painting, or snow forts — whatever Mother Nature provides. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

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Edible Art for Kids. Kitchen at Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston. 3:30 p.m.4:30 p.m. Make healthy and delicious edible pieces of art, sure to enchant children and parents. Recommended for ages 3 to 6. Members $12, nonmembers $20. thetrustees.org.

An exciting day of fabulous fun & connecting.

Night Light Adventures. Ward Reservation, 34 Prospect Rd., Andover. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Hike up to Holt Hill, learning about nocturnal animals, tracking signs, and winter-living skills, before reaching the peak for some light infused winter fun. Register ahead. Member cars $15, nonmember cars $25. thetrustees.org.

Media Sponsor:

11 Thursday Playing with Mirrors. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Discover how to manipulate what is reflected, exploring the movements and capabilities of mirrors. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Warm and Wooly. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln.

Owls Always Love Ewe. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Rd.,

Pre-Registration required. Tickets are limited.

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! 2016 P R EM I ER SPONSOR

Lincoln. 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. Visit the sheep and make wooly valentines, while learning a love song from an owl during this celebration of love. For ages up to 7. Register ahead. Members $12, nonmembers $15. massaudubon.org.

more about birds and see who you can spot at our feeders during this winter exploration of our native avian species. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Rock Off Main Street. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Musicians of all ages perform an eclectic mix of music from pop, to emo, to indie. $8. natickarts.org.

Abominable Snowman Tracking. Rocky Woods, 64 Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield. 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Help search for clues and tracks, and investigate the recent arrival of the Abominable Snowman to Rocky Woods. Recommended for grades K to 5. Members $10, nonmembers $15. thetrustees.org.

Monster Jam. DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. 7:30 p.m. Twelve-foot-tall, 10,000pound machines race and rip up a custom designed track full of obstacles to soar over or smash through. Also Saturday (2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.). Tickets start at $17. dcucenter.com.

13 Saturday

NOW ON VIEW Sniff out the truth about the origins of the human/dog relationship, the unique role of our four-legged friends in human societies, and explore key concepts of dog biology. Sponsored by

PUPPET FESTIVAL

School Vacation Week • February 15-19 Performances by top puppet ensembles, plus hands-on art, science demonstrations, and more. FREE with museum admission.

DR. SEUSS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Saturday, March 5 • 10 am-5 pm Dr. Seuss cake contest, family shows, and more! FREE with museum admission. Supported by

Chocolate and Valentines Weekend. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn about the history of chocolate from bean to beverage and see how chocolate is processed by hand in the manner of ancient Mexico. Make a valentine and “meet” the local women responsible for the popularity of sending valentines in the United States. Through Sunday. Free with admission. Adults $28, youth 3 to 17 $14, children 2 and under free. osv.org. Sleeping Beauty. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. Tanglewood Marionettes bring to the stage this classic tale about a princess’ curse through beautifully hand-crafted marionettes. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org. For the Love of Birds Craft Workshop. North River Wildlife Sanctuary, 2000 Main St., Mansfield. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Use natural and recycled materials to create a variety of birdrelated treasure, and make some simple treats to feed the birds in your own backyard during this celebration of National Bird Feeding Month. For ages 4 and up. Register ahead. Member children $5, nonmember children $7, adults free. massaudubon.org. Beyond the Spectrum. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Children on the autism spectrum are invited to explore royalty through antiquity and make their own creative crown to march away with. For ages 8 to 12. Register ahead. $9. mfa.org. Backyard Birding. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Learn

413.263.6800 • SpringfieldMuseums.org •

22 FEBRUARY2016

Family Design Day. Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpk., Concord. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Explore the exhibit Middlesex County Modern to learn about the features and principles of modern architecture, then design your own dream room using recycled materials. Recommended for ages 5 to 13 with an adult. Members $15, nonmembers $20. concordmuseum.org. Here Comes the Sun. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Come beat the winter blues by creating a sunflower painting on canvas and potted sunflower seeds. Register ahead. Member adults $4, children $2; nonmember adults $6, children $3. massaudubon.org. Pop-Up Valentine Cards. Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 1 p.m.4 p.m. Give your sweetheart a handcrafted St. Valentine’s card made with love, as museum interpreters show you how to make three fanciful pop-up cards. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 5 to 13 $6, children under 5 free. fruitlands.org. Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m. Come watch this family favorite following the Nickelodeon silly sponge and his friends. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

14 Sunday Music & Movement. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. Sing along to music that gets all ages moving, as toddlers and preschoolers interact through sound, sight, and touch while enjoying live music. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Valentine’s Day: Simply Engineered. Science Discovery Museum, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Use simple engineering and creativity to make oneof-a-kind pop-up Valentines to share with families and friends. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

For more events, visit baystateparent.com

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Hands-On History. Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpk., Concord. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. An afternoon designed for kids and families during which they will learn how to weave with wool through hands-on demonstrations. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $15, youth 4 to 18 $6, children under 4 free. concordmusuem.org.

15 Monday Morningstar Access. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 8 a.m.10 a.m. A specially-designed morning of museum exploration for children with special needs, including limited crowds and noise. Register ahead. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Mornings at the Park. Francis William Bird Park, 41 Rhoades Ave., East Walpole. 9 a.m.11 a.m. Drop in for morning activities designed to be enjoyed by children and their favorite adult, built around February vacation weather. Through Friday. Members $15, nonmembers $20. thetrustees.org. Human and Animal Connections. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Discover how animals play, use their senses, and cooperate with each other in families during this unique February vacation adventure. For ages 3 to 6. Register ahead. Through Friday. Members $33, nonmembers $38. southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org. Unexplored Lands. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Investigate the unexplored areas on earth, from caves to the depths of the ocean to planetary bodies, through hands-on activities, games, and experiments. For ages 6 to 10. Register ahead. Through Friday. Members $33, nonmembers $38. southshorenaturualsciencecenter.org. Presidents’ Day. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Come celebrate Washington’s Birthday as visitors take part in traditional toasts to George Washington and other famous American patriots, learn about the country’s first president, and learn how to dance for our traditional ball, including contra- and line dances. Free with admission. Adults $28, youths 3 to 17 $14, children age 2 and under free. osv.org. Feb Fest. MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Come celebrate National Engineers Week with engineering-centric activities, workshops, and afternoon demonstrations led by MIT students, including how to plan, design, and build a community through transportation, green building, and sustainable living.

Through Friday. Free with admission. Adults $10, youths 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. mit.edu/museum. Celebrate Little Joe’s 23rd Birthday. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston. 10:15 a.m. Don’t miss the birthday party for western lowland gorilla Little Joe. Sign a giant birthday card for Little Joe and enjoy cake. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $20, children ages 2 to 12 $13, children under 2 free. zoonewengland.org. Story Pirates. Leventhal-Sidman JCC, 333 Nahanton St., Newton. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Children’s short stories are transformed into a hilarious sketch comedy musical that will have the audience doubled over laughing and motivated to use their imagination. Recommended for ages 4 and up. Members $13, nonmembers $15. bostonjcc.org. STEAM Week. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Drop in all week during a full week of activities exploring the intersections of science, technology, engineering, art, and math, including kitchen chemistry, building with repurposed and recycled materials, creating unique works of art, and more. Through Friday. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Not-Even-Bedtime Pajama Party. Danforth Art Museum and School, 123 Union Ave., Framingham. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Wear your pajamas and join us for activities inspired by the exhibition of The Memory Palace, including artmaking, bedtime yoga, and gallery games. Free. danforthart.org. Holiday Hot Cocoa Snowshoe Hike. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 1 p.m.3 p.m. Snowshoe through the woods with a guide and then gather ’round the outdoor fireplace with steaming hot chocolate. Members $5 snowshoes $5; nonmembers $10, snowshoes $7, children free. thetrustees.org. Afternoons at Ames. Governor Oliver Ames Estate, 35 Oliver St., North Easton. 1 p.m.3 p.m. Drop in as the Estate welcomes children and their favorite adults for a changing list of activities throughout the week, promising enjoyment all around. Through Friday. Members $15, nonmembers $20. thetrustees.org. Pizza, The Muppets and a Mitzvah. Temple Kol Tikvah, 9 Dunbar St., Sharon. 3:30 p.m.6 p.m. Come bring items such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, or lotion, and perform a mitzvah (good deed) before watching the hilarious movie The Muppets Most Wanted with a pizza dinner. Recommended for children ages 2 and up. $20. bostonjcc.org.

For more events, visit baystateparent.com BAYSTATEPARENT 23

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! what it would take to produce a year’s worth of candles. Through Friday. Free with admission. Adults $28, youths 3 to 17 $14, children 2 and under free. osv.org.

Contemporary Art: Boston, 100 Northern Ave., Boston. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Play gallery games, listen to book reading especially for families, and try your hand with mixed media and storytelling with visiting artist Dave Ortega. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $15, youth under 17 free. icaboston.org.

Photo courtesy of MassArt

Tune In To Art. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Discover some of the many creative ways artists have been inspired by music in their artwork, through drop-in activities including storytelling, musical performances, family tours, and art activities. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $25, youths 17 and under free. mfa.org.

GO CREATE Family Day at MassArt. The Bakalar & Paine Galleries at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston. Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

16 Tuesday School Vacation Week. Old Sturbridge

Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy hands-on crafts and special winter performances, including trying out sleds and sleigh rides, and learning

iToddlers. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Watch and listen to a story, sing a song, or play an instrument during this engaging morning activity mixing learning, creativity, and technology. For ages 1 to 2. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. A Visit from Cinderella. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Attend a fantastic visit from Cinderella, as she sings and tells her story to children, teaches them how to curtsey or bow and ballroom dance, and is available for plenty of hugs and pictures. Costumes allowed. Free. worcpublib.org.

Stop, Look, & Listen Tour. Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, 310 Argilla Rd., Ipswich. 1 p.m.3 p.m. Bring your sharp senses and observation skills on this hike looking for tracks and signs left behind by travelers who passed before us. Register ahead. Member adults $10, children $5; nonmember adults $15, children $10. thetrustees.org. Boston Baroque Performance and Instrument Playground. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. A special interactive performance of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Boston Baroque brings their Classics for Kids music series to the Museum, followed by a chance to try out some real musical instruments. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

17 Wednesday It’s winter in New Eng

us help you lear Pasta Party with Kidslet Cooking Green. Kitchen at Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover

Art-Making for All Ages. The Institute of

Our specially-trained instructors will make sure your children not only learn, but have fUN, too! At any age and at any level, we’ve been teaching kids how to have

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Under the leadership of Director Thom Norton, the Wachusett Mountain Ski & Snowboard School instructors are among New England’s finest. We have a program that’s perfect just for your child!

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! St., Boston. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Learn how fun it is to make pasta dough from scratch using local eggs and semolina flour, as you roll, cut and stuff your own raviolis for a delicious pasta dish. Members $28, nonmembers $35. thetrustees.org.

Cinderella. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Lavishly costumed marionettes retell the story of Cinderella. Recommended for ages 12 and under. Free. worcpublib.org.

African Adventure Tales. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Columbia Point, Dorchester. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Crabgrass Puppet Theatre brings hilarious folktales to life in honor of African-American Heritage Month. Register ahead. Free. jfklibrary.org.

Pizza & Board Games. Powisset Farm, 31 Powisset St., Dover. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Venture out on a glorious winter night for a fun-filled evening of pizza making, eating, and board games. Register ahead. Member adults $10, children $5; nonmember adults $15, children $10. thetrustees.org.

Urbanity Dance Performance. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. These creative dance performances push the boundaries of imagination through movement and storytelling during this inspiration showcase. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

ADHD Essentials Workshop. Learning Experience, 350 East Main St., Suite 6, Milford. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. First in a series of three workshops aimed at helping parents of children with ADHD better understand both the disorder and their children. $15 per session, $30 for all three sessions. For more information email bmahan@adhdessentials.com.

Art for February Vacation. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Drop in anytime and investigate some redefined drawing processes — bending paperclips, cutting away paper, and even by casting shadows on the floor. Recommended for ages 5 to 12. Through Friday. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. decordova.org.

18 Thursday Bee-Licious with Kids Cooking Green. Kitchen at Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Learn about the role of bees in our food and cook with local honey as we make homemade granola and a yogurt-granola parfait. Members $28, nonmembers $35. thetrustees.org.

Hexbugs. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Create habitats for these robotic creatures that react to their environment, before having your Hexbug do battle and race. For ages 5 and up. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Kitchen at Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Cook with local naturally colorful eggs, from brown to green to blue, and talk about the different chickens they come from. Members $28, nonmembers $35. thetrustees.org.

Vacation Week Crafts. Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Tpk., Concord. 11:30 a.m.3 p.m. Get creative this February Vacation, as the museum hosts fun craft-activities in Brooke Hall. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $15, youth 4 to 18 $6, children under 4 free. concordmuseum.org.

Igloo Building Contest on the Grand Allee. Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, 310 Argilla Rd., Ipswich. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Build snow forts to determine the best winter architects, before ending the day with some hot chocolate. Member adults $10, children $5; nonmember adults $1, children $10. thetrustees.org.

Three Billy Goats Gruff & the Lion and the Mouse. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Pumpernickel Puppets presents two classic tales through use of colorful and friendly hand puppets. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Create Comics. The Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 100 Northern Ave., Boston. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Join illustrator and visiting artist Dave Ortega to explore how stories and pictures are arranged to create narratives, while experimenting with telling your own stories. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $15, youth under 17 free. icaboston.org.

Wizard of Oz. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 7 p.m.-8:45 p.m. Come enjoy this classic movie starring Judy Garland as a girl lifted from her home and Kansas and flung into the wonderful, wacky world of Oz. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

19 Friday Yes, Dr. Seuss, There ARE Green Eggs.

Make It and Take It. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Drop in to spend quality time with your child and other patrons — make a craft, read a book, schmooze, and relax. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Who’s Out There: Winter Wildlife Prowl. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St.,

Join us for creative, hands-on school vacation week workshops inspired by art from WAM’s world-renowned collections and exhibitions. Extended day and supervised lunch options available.

Enroll today! worcesterart.org/classes BAYSTATEPARENT 25

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Norfolk. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Explore the fascinating world of Stony Brook after dark by practicing your owl hoots and heading out on the trail to look and listen for the Sanctuary’s local nocturnal animals. For ages 7 to 16. Register ahead. Members $8, nonmembers $11. massaudubon.org. Pajama Party in PlaySpace. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 7:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Toddlers and the young at heart are invited to wear your pajamas to the Museum for night of games, songs, and stories. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

20 Saturday Antique Sleigh Rally. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. See more than 20 horsedrawn sleighs featuring horse breeds including Clydesdale, Percheron, and miniature horses, as participants compete for prizes in a dozen different divisions. Visitors can opt to take a horse-drawn sleigh ride around the common, go sledding, or see one of our many craftsmen at work. Free with admission. Adults $28, youth 2 to 17 $14, children 2 and under free. osv.org. Snowflake Art. Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 293 Moose Hill Pkwy., Sharon. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Learn how to make paper snowflakes that have your name hidden in the design during this drop-in class to create a storm of snow art. $1. massaudubon.org.

many owls of our region, and learn about what they eat, where to find them, and what they sound like. southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org.

Adults $10, youths 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. mit.edu/museum. Owl Prowl. Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Come listen to Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, examine owl pellets, and take a walk in search of owls. For ages 4 and up. Register ahead. Member adults $6, children $3; nonmember adults $8, children $4. massaudubon.org.

Josh and the Jamtones. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. Enjoy this exciting Boston-based rock and roll family band working to create a musical experience that parents can enjoy with their children. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org.

Backyard Birds with Blue Hills Trailside Museum. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy a unique opportunity to see some feathered friends up close with a trained naturalist from the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Family Yoga Class. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. Chuck your to-do list and enjoy this relaxing morning filled with age-appropriate and parent-partner poses, breathing exercises, and simple mindfulness activities. Recommended for ages 3 to 12. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Abominable Snowman Tracking. Ravenswood Park, 479 Western Ave., Gloucester. 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Search for clues and tracks, as we investigate the recent arrival of the Abominable Snowman to Ravenswood Park. Recommended for grades K to 5. Members $10, nonmembers $15. thetrustees.org.

Animal Engineers. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m. & 12 p.m. This fun and engaging live animal program examines the innovative techniques utilized by the animals around you. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Winter Fun Day. Governor Oliver Ames Estate, 35 Oliver St., North Easton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Join us for games galore and enjoy the winter like never before, during this family-favorite day of play. Free. thetrustees.org.

Creature Feature: Live Animal Presentation. Ravenswood Park, 479 Western Ave., Gloucester. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Visit barred owls, red squirrels, or salamanders presented live for a close-up view while learning about their habits and behaviors. Register ahead. Member adults $10, children $5; nonmember adults $20, children $10. thetrustees.org.

Mapapalooza. MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy an exploration of map-related activities, devices, art, and more, during this celebration of National Engineers Week. Free with admission.

Family Owl Prowl. Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary, 1417 Park St., Attleboro. 6 p.m.7:30 p.m. Learn about owls and their habitats and adaptations, before heading out on the trail to listen for our feathery friends at Oak Knoll.

Owl Day. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy games, crafts, and experiments related to the

Full Moon Owl Prowl & Pizza. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Enjoy an early evening walk by moonlight and listen as we call in the owls, before enjoying pizza around the outdoor fireplace. Members $10, nonmembers $1, children $5. thetrustees.org.

c o M M o n W e A l T h

B A l l e T

Nightingale

The

March 12th - 1pm & 6pm March 13th - 1pm Regis college, Weston, MA

Chip Morris ArtistiC DireCtor

A story ballet created by Chip Morris based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale

TickeTs: commonwealthBallet.org or 978.263.7794 26 FEBRUARY2016

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! For ages 7 and up. Register ahead. Member adults $8, children $6; nonmember adults $10, children $8. massaudubon.org. Star Gazing Nights. Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 293 Moose Hill Pkwy., Sharon. 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join local astronomers for a look at the stars and other night objects through big telescopes to explore the celestial night sky. For ages 6 and up. Free. massuaudubon.org. Full Moon Owl Prowl for Families. Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St., Natick. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Learn about owl calls, behavior, and habitats, before exploring Broadmoor’s trails under moonlight. For ages 6 to 16. Register ahead. Member adults $13, children 7; nonmember adults $15, children $9. massaudubon.org.

p.m.-4 p.m. Come learn what bluebirds, chickadees, and Carolina wrens look for in a home before assembling a birdhouse for your own backyard. For ages 6 to 16. Register ahead. Member children $25, nonmember children $30, adults free. massaudubon.org. Under the Night Sky. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan. 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Snowshoe with us under the moonlight as we learn about the night sky and the animals that thrive under it through activities and experiments. Register ahead. Member children $5, nonmember children $7, adults free. massaudubon.org.

22 Monday Trivia Nite @ the Library. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 6:30 p.m.8:30 p.m. Come alone or with friends as you stretch your brain to win great prizes, during these fun and testing collection of questions challenging your knowledge of useful and useless information. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

23 Tuesday Peep Science Adventures: Building a Castle. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Drop in and

littleBits DIY Club. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Transform with us as we use these easyto-manipulate electronic building blocks that empower students to understand the world around them and create inventions that transform it. For ages 9 to 12. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Marble Runs. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Design,

Enjoy the best of Broadway, music and more.

21 Sunday

Feb 27

Cup Towers. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Challenge yourself to build a one-of-a-kind tower made entirely out of cups during this celebration of National Engineering Week. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Chinese New Year Festival. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Welcome the Year of the Monkey through this afternoon of first-hand experiences with Chinese music, dance, art, and culture. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmusem.org.

take a walk around our building for inspiration before building a castle of your own. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Presented by

Feb 13

Winter Art. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan. 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Use natural objects to create take-home art pieces and temporary art displays at the sanctuary using snow and ice. Registration recommended. Member children $5, nonmember children $7, adults free. massaudubon.org. Tap a Tree. Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 293 Moose Hill Pkwy., Sharon. 1:30 p.m.2:30 p.m. Support our maple sugaring by adopting a tree, making a family label for it, and heading up to the sugar bush to tap your tree. For ages 4 to 16. Register ahead. Member adults $40, nonmember adults $50, children free. massaudubon.org. Sense of Wonder Walk: Hot Chocolate Hike. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m. Explore the sanctuary trails and learn how to identify animal tracks and signs in the snow before warming up with hot chocolate. For ages 3 to 16. Register ahead. Member adults $7, children $6; nonmember adults $9, children $7. massaudubon.org. Build a Backyard Birdhouse. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St., Norfolk. 2

March 11-13

April 10 New shows added all the time! GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE For tickets call 877.571.SHOW (7469) or visit TheHanoverTheatre.org 2 Southbridge Street • Worcester, MA 01608

Worcester Center for Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre for Performing Arts.

BAYSTATEPARENT 27

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! build, and test out roller coaster marble runs by making tracks out of tubes, cardboard, and other recycled materials to send marbles on a fun ride, during this celebration of National Engineering Week. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

24 Wednesday Dance and Movement Class. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10 a.m.10:45 a.m. The Joanne Langione Dance Center presents a music and movement class for toddlers and preschoolers. For ages 2 to 5. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Forest of Forts. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Join us as we explore fort buildings with materials we find in our environment, during this celebration of National Engineering Week. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

25 Thursday AutomoBoats. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Engage in some everyday engineering as you construct and create with repurposed and recycled materials into

automobile-sailboat hybrids, during this celebration of National Engineering Week. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Hindi Bilingual Story Time. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 4 p.m.4:30 p.m. A special drop-in story time of songs, stories, and movement in English and Hindi. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Owl Prowl. Rocky Woods, 64 Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Learn about the species of New England owls from their calls to their habitats, before walking into the woods to look and listen for the resident owls at Rocky Woods. Members $10, nonmembers $15. thetrustees.org.

26 Friday Tinfoil Ferries. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Investigate floating by building tinfoil boats and loading them with pennies until they sink, during this everyday engineering project in celebration of National Engineering Week. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Anime Appetizers. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 3 p.m.-

FAMILY FUN FOR

EVERYONE!

5 p.m. Come for a trivia contest with awesome prizes and a sampler of the best Japanese cartoons out there, with snacks, anime, and a perfect place to kick back and chat. For ages 13 to 17. Free. worcpublib.org. Soup and Quackers. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. Come make a delicious “Duck Soup” with Drumlin Farm-harvested roots and shoots. For ages 3 to 8. Register ahead. Members $14, nonmembers $16. massaudubon.org. Owl Prowl. Myles Standish State Forest, Carver. 6 p.m.-7:15 p.m. Join an expert naturalist on a hike in search of resident great horned and screech owls, while learning about amazing owl adaptions and how to call an owl in. Register ahead. Free. massaudubon.org. KidsJam @ Club Common. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6:30 p.m.8 p.m. Join us for our monthly family dance party, featuring a live DJ, dance lessons, free dance, games, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Winter Star Search. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St., Norfolk. 6:30 p.m.8:30 p.m. Come as we use telescopes and binoculars to view planets, stars, and galaxies before heading inside for hot chocolate. For ages 6 to

16. Register ahead. Members $10, nonmembers $12. massaudubon.org.

27 Saturday Leap Day Celebration. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Celebrate this once-in-every-four-years day, as we honor the special occasion by highlighting leaping creatures from kangaroos to frogs to ring-tailed lemurs, with arts and crafts to round out the day. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $20, children ages 2 to 12 $13, children under 2 free. zoonewengland.org. Play Date: What’s the Story. The Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 100 Northern Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join us for a day of exploration into the world of visual storytelling, during this enriching event filled with activities for families and children. Free. icaboston.org. Explore ArtScience. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Explore moving phenomena to discover dynamic patterns of motion and experience the excitement of combining art and physics, with guidance from visiting artist Kim Bernard. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Magic and Beyond. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. Watch

B O S TO N C H I L D R EN ’S T H E AT R E p re s e n t s

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! The Nature of My Backyard. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Meet some wild creatures living in your backyard, include a fisher, skunk, turtle, fox, or flying squirrel. For ages 2 and up. Register ahead. Member adults $6, children $4; nonmember adults $7, children $5. massaudubon.org. Hotel Transylvania 2. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Come enjoy this hilarious animated movie, following the ins-and-outs of a hotel run by and for creatures of the macabre and fantastical. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

GO SWEET Chocolate and Valentines Weekend. Old Sturbridge Village. Feb. 13, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Illusionist David Garrity create a unique, theatrical, and visually-impactful magic show mixing audience participation with comedy and music. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org. Helping Wild Turtles. Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary, 1417 Park St., Attleboro. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Learn how to protect rare and endangered turtles and what to do if you ever come across one in your own backyard, while meeting our turtle collection. Register ahead. Member adults $8, children $6; nonmember adults $10, children $8. massaudubon.org. Nature Myths. Boston Nature Center, 500 Walk Hill St., Mattapan. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Learn the answers to common nature myths and bring your own to stump our naturalist. Register ahead. Member children $5, nonmember children $7, adults free. massaudubon.org. Family Tracking. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St., Norfolk. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Become an expert tracker and enjoy a morning of winter exploration in search of animal tracks and signs of deer, coyote, fox, fisher cats, otters, minks, rabbits, and mice. For ages 5 to 16. Register ahead. Member adults $7, children $6; nonmember adults $9, children $7. massaudubon.org. Sleeping Beauty. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 11 a.m. The classic fairy tale brought to life by the Tanglewood Marionettes. Adults $10, children $8. natickarts.org.

Dental Health Awareness Day. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Learn how to take care of your teeth through proper tooth brushing and flossing, keeping cavities away and sparkling smile always showing. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Family Day at MassArt. The Bakalar & Paine Galleries at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, 621 Huntington Ave., Boston. 11 a.m.4 p.m. Guests of all ages are invited to drop in for a fun-filled day of interactive activities and art-making designed and guided by MassArt students and gallery staff to illuminate the featured exhibition, with refreshments provided. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Free. massart. edu/galleries.

Afternoon Chores and More. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 South Great Rd., Lincoln. 2:30 p.m.-4 p.m. Come feed the animals and help settle them in for the night, before collecting eggs in the Chicken House and enjoying a seasonal farm treat. For ages 4 to 12. Register ahead. Members $13, nonmembers $16. massaudubon.org. International Guitar Night. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 8 p.m. Experience this leg of the 2016 North American International Guitar Night, as internationally renowned musicians take the stage and strum away. Members $26, nonmembers $28. natickarts.org.

28 Sunday DIY Snowshoeing. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Snowshoe through

The Great Race at Rocky Woods. Rocky Woods, 64 Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield. 12 p.m.-3 p.m. Use maps and a compass to navigate the park, find hidden markers, complete challenges, and post your team’s time to win prizes as you venture through this fun set of winter challenges. Member teams $10, nonmember teams $20. thetrustees.org. Sugaring Off Tours. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkin Row, Topsfield. 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Come learn how to identify a sugar maple, observe tapping and sap collection methods, observe sap being boiled down in the sugarhouse, and taste the final product, before warming up with treats. Register ahead. Member adults $9, children $7; nonmember adults $10, children $8. massaudubon.org.

the woods, then gather ’round the outdoor fireplace to warm your fingers with hot cocoa. Members $5, nonmembers $7. thetrustees.org. Tikkun Olam. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Make friends, play games, and practice Tikkun Olam – kindness and caring for the world around us. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmusem.org. Winter Explorations. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Join a fine art photographer and learn how to photograph the lines, angles, overlapping shapes and shadows of this winter wonderland, during a guided walk through our woods and meadows. Members $5, nonmembers $10, children free. thetrustees.org. Fed Up. Powisset Farm, 31 Powisset St., Dover. 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Come watch this documentary from Katie Couric and Oscar-winner Laurie David, as it explores the commercial food industry and challenges long-held ideas about food and exercise. Free. thetrustees.org.

29 Monday Now You See: A Celebration of Courageous Kids. Boston Public Library: Connolly Branch, 433 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Enjoy this photo exhibition as it reveals the bravery of neglected and exploited children who disclose their trauma to law enforcement. For ages 13 and up. Free. bpl.org.

Find February Vacation Fun! Visit baystateparent’s

Ultimate February School Vacation Guide at baystateparent.com/ FebruaryVacation2016/

For more events, visit baystateparent.com BAYSTATEPARENT 29

VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE

The Arc of Massachusetts Looks Ahead BY MELISSA SHAW

ast fall, The Arc of Massachusetts turned 60. A major milestone to be sure, and while the grassroots advocacy nonprofit has done decades’ worth of work to help enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, Executive Director Leo Sarkissian says the mission continues with several key initiatives on the table for the 180,000 children and adults it champions. Transition with inclusion. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such

as Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses, become young adults, a time in which life beyond school should deliver new opportunities. “Young adults were graduating from high school and there wasn’t enough funding for employment opportunities, so they were getting stuck — a waste of the education they received,” Sarkissian notes. “There’s been some headway in our state. A few years ago, a new employment plan was developed where the priority was put on employment.” Yet, he notes, The Arc’s emphasis on postschool transition must continue, along with the need for a family plan for that critical time. “We need to make sure people get help in the school years to have a plan, to think about the future, about what’s adult life going to look like at home, at work,” Sarkissian says. “We think there still needs to be a tremendous amount of family education about [transition] so planning is done in advance, so they ask for the right educational services while they’re in school.” Then, he says, the young adult and his or her family can be empowered “so the planning is realized and carried out, and the person is supported. Too often kids with special needs are left behind.” The Supporting Families campaign. Gone are the early decades of The Arc of Massachusetts’s existence, when parents of children with intellec-

tual and developmental disabilities were told to put their loved ones in institutions or hospitals. Today, 18,000 families support their children — young and adult — in their homes, serving as primary care givers for a lifetime. Many of these families don’t receive enough financial support from the state Department of Developmental Services in order to do this. “The kinds of services for families offered by the Department of Developmental Services has declined per capita in Massachusetts over the

A Commitment That Lasts a Lifetime The Special Needs Practice Group at Fletcher Tilton PC offers years of experience providing comprehensive legal services in a caring and concerned environment. We help individuals and families with: • Special Needs Planning • Guardianship & Considering Alternatives • Transition Planning & Adult Services • Advocacy For more information call our Special Needs Practice Group leader, Frederick m. misilo, Jr., at 508.459.8059 or email him at fmisilo@fletchertilton.com. We’re here to help! Worcester | Framingham | ca p e co d | www.fletchertilton.com BayStateParent-new size.indd 1

30 FEBRUARY2016

5/28/2015 9:04:04 AM

PhotoS courtesy The Arc of Massachusetts

with their legislators so lawmakers can understand how an increase in funding could improve their lives. The effort is a collaboration between The Arc of Massachusetts, the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change, Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts, Autism Speaks, and the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress. Sarkissian says Feb. 11 is Supporting Families Day at the State House, during which The Arc is asking families to visit their legislators and ask them to support funding the program, a proposed $100 million over four years.

past 20 years. It’s declined not because spending has declined, but because there has been more of a response,” Sarkissian says. “And what’s happened is the family, whether it’s a young child or an adult, they’re not necessarily getting the help they need to keep doing what they’re doing.” For families who can provide care for their loved one, not only is living at home better for the individual, but it’s also more cost-effective. For example, a residential school placement can cost $200,000 a year, Sarkissian says. However, caring full-time for a person with a disability can affect everything from a caregiver’s ability to hold a job to their ability to get a good night’s sleep. An increase in family support funding could allow a caregiver the opportunity to work outside the home, buy adaptive equipment for the residence to improve their loved one’s quality of life, or even pay someone to take the “night shift” so the caregiver can get a decent night’s sleep. The Supporting Families Campaign (supportingfamilies.org) is urging families to share their stories

Employment. The Arc (thearcofmass.org) champions dignity and respect for its constituents, and one way to foster that is by increasing job opportunities. “In our community, we have a higher unemployment rate than in the general disability population,” Sarkissian notes. “Employment is an important area and we need to really grow it. Obviously, it gives people respect and a sense of pride when they work.” Self-direction and self-determination. One goal the general public may overlook or take for granted is that of a person’s ability to choose. Sarkissian explains: “Imagine someone who lives in a group residence. He’s 30 years old. He has an activity he’d love to do once a week with a group, but the staffing is such he can’t do it because they can’t get him there. It’s not just a matter of budget, but of helping folks have more choice in decision-making, to help people get more choice in their daily lives.” The Arc of Massachusetts has spent more than a half-century providing support and services for families, educating lawmakers and the general public about the abilities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and advocating for their rights and inclusion in the community. Sarkissian says progress has been made, but more is needed. “I do think people in the broader community have gotten much better at understanding people with disabilities, but I do think there still is a gulf between people appreciating that disability is a natural occurrence in our world,” he notes. “If someone has a disability, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the same opportunities as someone else. Until we see more people integrated, more people included, more people with all kinds of impairments doing things, I think we’re still going to lag behind understanding.”

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Redshirting

Your Kindergartener Why more parents are delaying their 5-year-old’s elementary school start BY MICHELLE PERRAS-CHARRON

“Redshirting”: The term originates from the world of collegiate sports, describing the practice of keeping an athlete out of varsity competition for one year in order to extend his or her eligibility. Now the word has been borrowed to describe a growing trend among parents of kindergarten age-eligible children. In recent years, more parents are choosing to delay their child’s entrance to kindergarten by one year. Typically, these are parents of children whose birthdays fall right before the kindergarten cutoff date. Parents may delay entry because they feel their child needs more time to develop socially, emotionally, or even physically. Others may do so to give their child a leg up academically once they do enter kindergarten. Experts say the decision to delay kindergarten — or not— can have far-reaching effects on a child, ones that play out far beyond the first few years of school.

Social-emotional development and kindergarten You could argue academics and social-emotional development go 32 FEBRUARY2016

hand-in-hand, but on the playing field of early childhood development, this is just not the case. Academic learning and success cannot happen without social-emotional learning providing a solid foundation, says Donna M. Denette, director and co-founder of Children First Enterprises, a nonprofit childcare organization in Granby. While most parents recognize that the social and emotional development of their child plays an important role in early childhood development, many do not realize how critical it is — especially when it comes to entering kindergarten. Parents tend to focus on a preschool’s academics, how it will help a child learn his or her ABCs, numbers, and colors. Instead of asking how a prospective preschool can help a child learn valuable social skills, like sharing and empathy, parents instead ask what type of academic curriculum the school will offer. In a valiant effort to put children on the path to success in school, parents are putting the cart before the horse. “Other kinds of learning cannot happen until social-emotional learning occurs,” Denette says. “It’s the difference between knowing how to drive a car and knowing how to follow the rules of the road. Yet we’re asking kids to drive the car before knowing the rules of the road.” Social-emotional skills encompass so much more for youngsters than simply being able to play well with peers and not have a meltdown when things don’t go their way. Here are some examples of social-emo-

tional skills that preschool programs help children develop prior to making the move to kindergarten: • Empathy • Sharing • Taking turns • Cooperation • Problem solving • Delayed gratification • Emotion management • Self-regulation • Positive conflict resolution • Self-help skills (toileting, dressing, eating) • Self-awareness • Attentive listening “Children have to be socially and emotionally mature enough to handle all that goes on in the big world of public school,” agrees Lorraine Swanson, director of Miss Tanya’s Nursery School in Westborough. At Miss Tanya’s, Swanson teaches a class specifically for children who are being given an extra year prior to kindergarten, as well as those who turn 5 in the fall. “Socially and emotionally, a child needs to be able to make their wants and needs known to the teachers and especially to their peers,” she adds. Swanson spends a large amount of time in her class working on peer problem-solving with children to ensure they are socially and emotionally prepared to take part in a kindergarten class of 20 children. “Going from having one adult focused on you to sharing that attention with 20 peers is a learned socialemotional skill,” Denette agrees.

“Think of all that has to happen before a child even gets into their seat in the kindergarten classroom,” Swanson says. Children must first separate from parents, oftentimes by getting on a school bus, she notes. Then they must find a seat, manage their belongings, and interact with peers on the bus. Once they arrive at school, they must know where to go and be able to ask for help otherwise. At the classroom, they must hang up their coats, backpacks, and find their seat. Now their day begins. Is the child able to tell the teacher if he or she needs help, don’t feel well, or must use the bathroom? This is a lot for young children to contend with, and their social-emotional skills — or lack of — will dictate how successful they are at negotiating these tasks and the rest of their day at school.

The case for redshirting For the most part, parents who choose to delay kindergarten for their child do so for the right reasons. Children who are younger than their kindergarten counterparts due to a birthday that falls right before the kindergarten cutoff date simply may not have developed the social-emotional skills needed to be successful, through no fault of their own. For example, Denette explained that impulsiveness is a natural part of being a toddler, and for a younger child who has been moved on to kindergarten lacking the appropriate social-emotional skills needed to

self-regulate, it can, unfortunately, look like the markers for something diagnosable. “What we’re seeing is kids being tagged with ADHD,” Denette says of some of these younger children. Other ADHD markers that may be displayed in younger kindergarten children are distractibility and hyperactivity, which can be attributed to a lack of social-emotional skills or even weak core muscles. Core muscle strength is typically gained with exposure to outdoor play. Children build core muscle strength as they grow, becoming more in control of their gross motor skills, and interacting with the world around them via jumping, swinging, climbing, sliding, tumbling, etc. Denette explains that during a typical preschool circle time, children with weak core muscles are putting all of their energy into sitting upright and paying attention. They may fidget, slouch, lie down, and generally be a distraction to the group, as well as to themselves. Children in this scenario aren’t able to learn because they are not free to pay attention; rather, they’re struggling to sit up straight. On the other hand, children with strong core muscles are able to sit upright and thus are able to put all their energy into paying attention to the teacher. Angela Hanscom agrees. Last year, when baystateparent interviewed her about the importance of playtime, she explained her belief that the lack of movement (swinging, spinning, tumbling) plaguing today’s children is partially responsible for many of the attention problems children have in school, as well as the rise in the number of children being recommended for ADHD testing. Hanscom is the founder of Timbernook, a nature-based outdoor camp, as well as a pediatric occupational therapist whose work focuses on sensory and attention issues in children. She related that more and more, teachers find children fidgety and unable to pay attention in classrooms. So while it appears there are benefits to giving kindergarten-eligible children that extra year to develop socially, emotionally, and physically, does it benefit them long term?

Beyond kindergarten “Typically, kids who have extra time benefit,” says Theresa AbodeebGentile, an associate professor and the director of Elementary Education at Hartford University. “It’s not always a big difference in elementary school, but in middle and high school, not having that extra time really shows up.” From a social-emotional perspective, Abodeeb-Gentile points to issues that can arise involving maturity, social development, and the ability to make good choices in peer

groups. “We’re pushing them out at the other end young, immature, and not ready,” Denette agrees. Upon graduation from high school, these same young children, who may not be as mature as their peers, must make significant life choices related to further schooling, the military, or the workforce, she adds. From the viewpoint of physical growth, Abodeeb-Gentile notes that these younger children may typically be smaller than their peers, especially during middle and high school, and could also hit puberty later than their peers. “Teens can be very self-conscious about their physical appearance,” she adds. These two factors can impact a teen’s self-esteem, and possibly have repercussions when it comes to team sports as they compete with larger athletes. Westborough mom of four Nancy Heffernan delayed kindergarten entrance for two of her four children. She made the choice first for her son, who has an August birthday, and then for her daughter, whose birthday falls at the end of July. She explained that when her son was in his second year of preschool at age 4, she observed a big difference between him and older peers. “There were two girls in his class who were almost a year older than him. They had fall birthdays. They had their self-help skills down pat and were actually helping him zip his coat,” Heffernan says. “I was shocked at the difference eight or nine months makes developmentally.” She talked with her son’s preschool teachers and physician about kindergarten. They both told her he could move on to kindergarten, but that there was also no downside to delaying it one year. Heffernan ultimately decided to give her son the gift of another year and has had no regrets. “In his third year of preschool, he was doing everything the older kids in his previous class were doing,” she says. More importantly, “he was doing it all with confidence.” Heffernan’s children now range in age from 15 to 20, but she says that as her son went through school, she saw there were many children whose parents had made the same choice, therefore he fit right in — a factor about which she was initially concerned.

The research Studies show that children with more developed social-emotional skills fare better over time. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of studies led by Stanford Psychology Professor Walter Mischel concluded that children who had the ability to delay gratification (a social-emotional skill) had better

outcomes later in life. In an experiment known as the Marshmallow Test, 4-year-olds were told they could have one marshmallow now or two marshmallows if they could simply wait 15 minutes. The experiment found that the children who were able to wait the 15 minutes had fewer behavioral problems later on in school and also scored higher on the SAT than their counterparts. More recently, a study published last October found improved selfregulation (another social-emotional skill) in children who delayed entrance to kindergarten by one year. The study “The Gift of Time? School Starting Age and Mental Health” found a significant reduction in inattention and hyperactivity (markers for ADHD) in redshirted kindergartners. Similar to what Denette mentioned earlier, older children are simply able to sit still and pay attention better due to more developed self-regulation skills. Other studies reflect that selfregulation skills are closely tied to academic success. This most recent study, co-authored by Stanford Graduate School of Education Professor Thomas Dee, found that even at age 11, these same children continued to report significantly reduced levels of inattention and hyperactivity.

“Typically, kids who have extra time benefit. It’s not always a big difference in elementary school, but in middle and high school, not having that extra time really shows up.” — Theresa AbodeebGentile, associate professor and director of Elementary Education at Hartford University.

Help for parents “It can be hard for parents to know if their child is socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten,” says preschool director Swanson. She recommends parents talk to their child’s preschool teachers and spend time in the child’s classroom when making decisions about kindergarten enrollment. Here are some factors to look for, according to Swanson: • Do they separate easily at drop-off? • Do they interact well within their peer group or play alone instead? • Can they follow the rules of play that emerge? • Do they often meltdown or cry during difficulties? • Can they express their wants/ ideas/feelings/thoughts/needs to teachers and peers? • Do they see themselves as capable? • Do they fit in with their peers, or gravitate toward younger children? Denette also encourages parents to speak with their child’s preschool teachers, and if they are not in preschool, enroll them in one for exposure. If parents are unable to get their child into preschool for whatever reason, she encourages them to contact their local school district to find out if their child can be screened at age 3 and 4. School

screenings are free and very basic. Meanwhile, children can learn and practice needed social skills through play dates, provided parents are not controlling the interactions and constantly intervening, Denette cautions. At home, Denette says parents can help their preschool-aged child develop social-emotional skills by: • Playing games together in which children experience losing • Practicing delayed gratification • Making them wait • Allowing them to make mistakes and experience failure • Having responsibilities/chores Delaying kindergarten entrance by one year is a complicated decision. There are many factors at play with potential short- and long-term, farreaching effects. Parents can review the research, listen to anecdotal information, and consult with trusted resources in their community; however, the decision ultimately rests with each parent. Abodeeb-Gentile sums it up well with this gentle reminder: “Parents need to parent the children they have, not the child they will have in 10 years. Take them from where they are now and move them along that continuum.” BAYSTATEPARENT 33

How One Boston 5-Year-Old

Put Segregation On Trial

ention “school desegregation” and Brown v. Board of Education is the thought that pops into most minds, yet the first step toward African-American and white students sharing a classroom was taken 104 years earlier in pre-Civil War Boston. The true story of Sarah Roberts, an AfricanAmerican 5-year-old, is the subject of a just-released children’s book, The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation On Trial, by Massachusetts author Susan E. Goodman. It’s a remarkable tale with threads that stretch into the landmark Brown case, yet it’s a historical event few know — even in a city steeped in history. “Isn’t it crazy?” Goodman says regarding Sarah’s relative anonymity. “It’s an unbelievable story. I was so shocked I didn’t know about it. I lived in Boston for decades and I didn’t know about it until I went on a Black Heritage Trail walking tour. I thought, How can I not know about this? Then I thought, How could everybody not know about this? I knew I was going to write about it, right then.” Sarah’s story was relatively straightforward: In 1847, her parents enrolled her in the nearby Otis School in Boston, which was close to her home and far better equipped than the city’s lone school for African-Americans, which had no playground and one (yes, one) book. “Sarah had to walk past five schools for white children to get to an inferior one for African-American kids,” Goodman says. She attended the all-white Otis School until the school committee discovered she was African-American and sent a police officer to remove her from class. Sarah’s parents — father Benjamin, a printer, and mother Adeline — sued the city to allow Sarah to attend a school close to her home, in what became 1850’s Roberts v. City of Boston. The family’s lawyers were noted abolitionist Charles Sumner (who would go on to represent Massachusetts as a Senator and nearly get beaten to death on the Senate floor for his anti-slavery views) and Robert Morris, the second African-American lawyer in the United States. The family’s case made it all the way to

34 FEBRUARY2016

the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, where the judge ruled for the city after months of deliberation. While the Roberts family didn’t win the day, they certainly paved the way. In 1855, Boston became the first city in the U.S. to ban segregated schools. Goodman astutely conveys all of these complicated themes for young minds across just 32 pages, in conjunction with masterful watercolor work by illustrator E.B. Lewis. These are big issues for little readers, yet she says Sarah’s story remains relevant today. “It’s a story of what life was really like for one little girl in very different times, and yet it’s a struggle that is still going on for many people in our country, for many young kids in our country now,” she notes. “People think that history was so long ago, but those were people just like us. They had dreams, they had disappointments, they lived real lives, and I think that’s an important thing for everybody to realize.” Goodman spent months researching the book, a quasi-mystery/adventure in itself that led her to the state archives, where she could read the original trial notes, to the heart of the then Big Dig, where a hard hatwearing supervisor helped her figure out where Sarah’s house would have stood as they examined a 19th-century map. “He said, ‘Lady, as far as I can tell, she lived right in the middle of the TD Garden,’” Goodman laughs. The one-book school for African-American children that was Sarah’s lone public option, the Abiel Smith School on Beacon Hill, still stands today. It is part of the Museum of African American History (maah. org) and offers exhibits and a step back in time. “There’s something really wonderful about being a nonfiction writer who has to research a story and have it be your hometown,” Goodman says. “And to have that hometown be Boston, where there are so many great libraries, collections, and archives. I found old maps and tried to trace the walk she would have taken [to the Smith School]. I looked at paintings to try to get a sense of the hairstyles for E.B. I talked to so many experts. Did they have a cloakroom at this school or did they have coat hooks? You just keep plowing along until somebody can give you answers.”

Goodman even found one Roberts descendent, who shared family history. Benjamin Roberts was a printer who wrote for The Liberator, a newspaper for abolitionists. He came from a middle class family of activists, his father also active in the drive for equality. Benjamin Roberts’s great-grandfather, James Easton, was a Revolutionary War veteran who refused to be seated in a segregated gallery in his Bridgewater church, so he bought a pew in the white section. The family was persecuted, so he bought a pew in the Baptist Church in Stoughton Corner. Fellow churchgoers tarred the pew, so the following week the family brought their own chairs into the pew. The pew was pulled down, yet, unbowed, they returned and simply sat in the aisles. “Benjamin Roberts came by it honestly — his fervor for the cause — and had experience in it,” Goodman says. “For me, one thing that is really important about this story is change takes time. That’s one of the messages [that] was really important to get across — not to be patient, necessarily, but that we should recognize that sometimes even if you lose something there’s a victory involved in it.” That victory would arrive nationwide in 1954 via Brown v. Board of Education, a case that has one amazing tie to Sarah Roberts’s fight 100 years earlier. In 1950, 8-year-old Linda Brown had to cross a train yard in Topeka, Kansas, walk six blocks, and then take a bus to her African-American elementary school. A better, closer school was just seven blocks from her home, but it was for white children only. It was the Sumner School…named after Charles Sumner. “You don’t know how many times I checked that because I thought, There’s gotta be another Sumner. This couldn’t be right. But it was,” Goodman says. While race and justice are still roiling issues in the United States, Goodman hopes sharing the story of Sarah Roberts will help counterbalance one of the grimmest periods in Boston’s rich history. “I moved to Boston when busing was happening. One of the reasons I was so happy to write this book is those were very dark times,” she says. “And when people think of Boston and the word ‘desegregation,’ they think of a very, very dark time in the

city’s history. I think that there’s been some strides, but it’s really complicated, as always. I think there’s something wonderful about our city, the fact we have another really important episode in the history of desegregation we can point back to with pride and celebrate, and that can be part of our history as well.” Goodman offers a host of resources for families at the book’s Website: thefirststepbook. net. One feature is an anonymous survey

for kids about race, one she created in conjunction with education research experts, professors who specialized in psychology, education, race issues and Africana studies, elementary school teachers, and principals. “I’m hoping it might make families talk more about their own feelings, thoughts, and experiences,” she says, promising to share the tabulated results in the future. Families can also visit the Museum of African American History on Beacon Hill

(maah.org) and take the Black Heritage Trail walking tour that first inspired Goodman. The guided tour is seasonal, but resources for a self-guided tour can be found at maah. org/trail.htm. For older readers who want to learn more about the case, one other book has been written — 2006’s Sarah’s Long Walk: The Free Blacks of Boston and How Their Struggle for Equality Changed America by Stephen and Paul Kendrick.

BAYSTATEPARENT 35

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7/11/14 10:09 PM

The Money Issue 38 39 40 42

Inside The History of Money Creative DIY Fun: It’s In The Bank The Money Men Kids & Charitable Giving: Ideas to Get Them Excited About Making a Difference

44 47 48 50

Massachusetts Millennials Saving Big For Kids’ College How Co-Parents Can Teach Children Smart Financial Habits The No. 1 Way Families Can Find Money Fumble No More When Figuring Out FAFSA Photography by Shawna Shenette BAYSTATEPARENT 37

THE MONEY ISSUE

Inside The History of Money BY MELISSA SHAW

For something that is as ubiquitous and critical to everyday life as money, how much do you know about its history? How much do your children know — aside from the fact that you have that incredible money tree hidden in the backyard? If you’d like to take a little learning journey with your children, Martin Jenkins’s The History of Money: From Bartering to Banking (Candlewick Press) is a fantastic place to start — interesting, fun, and highly educational. We had an opportunity to talk to Jenkins who, in addition to his role as an award-winning author of wildlife and other nonfiction

THE HISTORY OF MONEY. Text copyright© 2014 by Martin Jenkins. Illustrations copyright© 2014 by Satoshi Kitamura. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somervile, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.

books for children, is also a conservation biologist who has worked for WWF and the UN.

How does a conservation biologist get interested in writing The History of Money? They’re not as far apart as you might think. A lot of modern conservation work is trying to find ways of paying for conservation or making conservation pay for itself. I’ve done this kind of thing myself, in Madagascar for example, looking at whether there might be incentives to encourage local people to conserve rainforest rather than cut it down. So over the years I’ve become familiar with (although often skeptical of) economics as a way of looking at the world. And economics is almost always couched in terms of money. It was only when I started working on the book that I began to appreciate how little I really knew about money and its history, although I quickly realized that this wasn’t just true of me, but of almost everyone else, including a lot of economists.

What surprised you most when researching the book? The research for the book was full of surprises. For me, one of the most fascinating things was that it really does seem as if we have the invention of money to thank for the invention of writing. I’d always imagined that writing grew out of an oral tradition of storytelling or recitation of poetry, but no, it evidently came from a need to have a reliable form of bookkeeping. Very unromantic!

What do you think may surprise the reader (child or adult) the most? I think the most surprising thing, and the hardest to grasp, is that money doesn’t exist as a thing. It’s only ever there because people agree that it’s there. If people stop agreeing, then the money disappears. There’s also no fixed amount of it, ever. It’s reasonably easy to understand that the value of things, like houses or automobiles, might go up and down, but the idea that money itself just comes and goes is much more difficult.

You mention several forms of money throughout the

book. Do you have a favorite from centuries gone by? Although I only mention it in passing, I am very fond of the stone money of the Yap islanders. When you first read about it, it seems really bizarre: How can unmovable stones, perhaps at the bottom of a lagoon, count as money? But the more you think about it, the cleverer it seems. For the people who use it, it serves its function extremely well.

What do you hope readers take away from The History of Money? It’s an old story, but in my opinion it can’t be repeated often enough: Money is a great servant, but a bad boss. We should learn much more to keep it in its place, to be used as a tool but not be an end in itself. I also hope that someone reading the book may come away with an understanding of some basic concepts to do with money – like inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. I think that if more of us understood these things better, we might be less frightened or in awe of it, and rather better at managing it.

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Creative DIY Fun: It’s In The Bank THE MONEY ISSUE

BY PAULA MONETTE ETHIER STEVEN KING PHOTOGRAPHY

staple of most children’s bedrooms, the money box, or more commonly known piggy bank, far predates financial institutions, with the animal nickname stemming from an unexpected place. During the Middle Ages, people began keeping their money in household pots made from an orange clay known as pygg. According to TheFinancialBrand.com, the banks were known as “pygg pots.” By the 1800s, European potters began creating the pots in the shape of a pig, a play on words that continues to this day. Money boxes have been found and dated back as far as 2BC Greece, the earliest in the shape of a Greek temple bearing a slit at the top,

Supplies for both banks • 8x8 glass Krafty Blok • Alphabet stickers (scrapbooking stickers work well)

making stashing money in a safe place a longstanding tradition and necessity. If you’re looking for some simple and inexpensive DIY fun, decorate a money box for a lucky recipient. A trip to your local craft store can yield limitless ideas that can be personalized for savers of all ages (kids, teens, family, friends, or grandparents) or with themes coordinated with savings goals (Disney, golf trip, girls’ weekend, family vacation, Grandma’s mad money for the casino, etc). Most money boxes, like those above, can be assembled in a half-hour and for less than $20 in supplies. And, just a reminder, these are for decoration only — not for play.

To make the Ballerina Bank you will also need: • Silk flowers • Tulle • Needle and thread • Glue gun Instructions

• Gather tulle at top with needle and thread to create a “tutu.” Wrap tutu around the bottom of the blok and sew ends together.

• Attach letters across the front of the blok to create name. • Glue silk flowers to top of bank and tutu.

To make the Jungle Bank you will also need: • Christmas garland • Wire cutters • Wire • Ribbon and jute • Pre-painted wood Lion decoration • 2-sided Velcro • Glue gun

Instructions • Attach letters across the front of the blok to create name. • Cut length of garland to fit around the base of the bank. • Wire garland ends together around base. • Attach lion to bank with Velcro. • Embellished the top with garland, ribbon and, or jute. BAYSTATEPARENT 39

The Money Men For our Money Men photo shoot, we talked dollars and cents with a few young men. If you could buy something for your mom, what would it be?

What would you buy if you had a lot of money?

A soccer ball.

A monster truck – but a toy one. – Tyler, 4, Millbury

If you could buy something for your mom, what would it be? A dirt bike, a grown-up one, and a kid’s one. – Shawn, 4, South Hadley

– Phineas, 4, Cambridge

Where does money come from? Each year, Gramma gives me $100, but it’s not all in the bank. – Liam, 5 1/2, Acton

If you could buy something for your mom, what would it be? A Rocket Raccoon mask.

– Ducati, 5, North Brookfield

Photography by Shawna Shenette. Hair by Rob Roy Hair Salons 40 FEBRUARY2016

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The U.Fund® College Investing Plan is offered by MEFA and managed by Fidelity Investments. If you or the designated beneficiary is not a Massachusetts resident, you may want to consider, before investing, whether your state or the beneficiary’s home state offers its residents a plan with alternate state tax advantages or other benefits. Units of the portfolios are municipal securities and may be subject to market volatility and fluctuation. MEFA, MEFA UFund Massachusetts 529 Plan, and U.Fund are registered service marks of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority. The Fidelity Investments and pyramid design logo and the navigational line and directional design are service marks of FMR LLC. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917 © 2015 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

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THE MONEY ISSUE

Kids & Charitable Giving: Ideas to Get Your Kids Excited About Making a Difference BY HEATHER KEMPSKIE

42 FEBRUARY2016

may be hard believe — especially when most every toddler has grabbed a favorite toy away from his “friend” — but children are actually hardwired to be generous. In 2014, researchers at the University of Chicago recorded the brain waves of 57 children and found that neural markers for generosity emerge at an early age. It’s just up to parents to foster and nurture that compassionate side. “Kids are very innocent and don’t have very much experience in the world,” explains George Ancona, author of Can We Help? Kids Volunteering to Help Their Communities. “For them to be made aware that there are people that are hurting is so crucial. They need to know: What do you do? Do you walk away or do you do something to help them?” Ancona, an award-winning author and photographer of more than 100 books for children, knows firsthand how impactful that lesson can be. “I’ve been the recipient,” remembers Ancona, who just turned 86 and lived in Coney Island as a child. “I grew up in the Depression. We were told we had to leave our apartment. All of our furniture was taken outside. My mom was there with my kid sister, who had a heart condition. We were the only Spanish-speaking people in the community; everyone else spoke Italian, so we really didn’t have a connection with the neighbors. But they still all chipped in and paid our rent and moved us back in.” The experience had an incredible impact on Ancona, who now lives in New Mexico. “When you do something for someone you don’t know or may never see, it connects you with the world. Isn’t that what growing up is all about?” The Bouchards of Douglas feel it is important to raise their children to not only give back to their communities, but also to think of others in a tangible way. Their daughter, Celia, 9, used her Harry Potter-themed birthday as the basis for a sock-drive that benefitted a women and family shelter. Their 11-year-old son, Ben, is active in the BuzzOff for Kids with Cancer, which raises money and awareness for children with cancer and their families when participants shave their heads. This June will mark Ben’s fourth year, and he’s raised more than $1,000 to date. “We want them to recognize the joy that comes from giving of themselves, and the blessing of serving others in their daily lives,” says Sonya, Ben’s mom. “It’s important that they realize that seemingly small actions and sacrifices of one person truly do have a ripple effect on the world around them.”

More Talking, More Doing How can lessons in charitable giving begin early? A tried-and-true approach for children as young as 5 is to encourage them to set aside a bit of their allowance or birthday money to donate to a charity of their choice. Does your child have an affinity toward animals? Perhaps they can give their money to a local animal shelter. Has there been a local or even international disaster they heard about and now feel compelled to help the survivors? Help them make an online donation or even coordinate a bake sale to raise additional

money. Nine-year-old twins Mallory and Zachary of Bellingham decided to skip favor bags at their party and instead donate $5 per guest to a local fundraiser to create a splash park as a memorial for a young child who passed away. The total donation was $125. “It definitely was a good teaching moment,” says their mom, Lois. “I made up little cards with some candy [for the guests] and the card stated that $5 would be given to the charity in their name.” Mirabella Carrara, 11, of Franklin, has always had a giving heart and looked for ways to put a smile on someone’s face, shares her mom, Kelly. Mirabella began a collaboration with American Girl and Boston Children’s Hospital in 2013, and in two years, she raised funds and collected donations, giving patients more than $1,500 in products. “This past year, she was so moved when walking in the St. Jude walk to end childhood cancer, she presented an idea called Project Holiday Cheer to her elementary school principal and rallied her entire school to create hundreds of cards of strength for children undergoing treatment at the Memphis hospital,” Kelly says. “In her spare time, she buys and sends small packages across the country to children with cancer just to brighten their day.” Whether it’s fundraising for a cause or donating time at a local nonprofit, here are a few local charities that happily open their doors to the entire family.

Helping the Homeless Cradles to Crayons, based in Brighton and founded in 2002, provides children birth to 12 with some of the most important basics of life — free. The organization collects new and nearly new children’s items through grassroots community drives and corporate donations. Donations are then processed and packaged by volunteers, and are distributed to disadvantaged children across the state through a collaborative network of social service agencies and school partners. “We welcome children as young as 5 to volunteer with us in The Giving Factory,” says Megan Collins, family philanthropy coordinator. “I believe that the hands-on work they do during volunteer shifts truly drives home the reality of poverty.” And here’s the reality: More than 305,000 Massachusetts children 12 and younger live in low-income or poverty-stricken households. In any given year, more than 100,000 Massachusetts children will experience homelessness. “When children volunteer, they are able to relate to the children they are processing donations for, who often are only a few years older or younger than themselves,” Collins notes. “Youth volunteers frequently express shock at the volume of donations in our warehouse and the need that represents.” Volunteering as a family lends itself to meaningful conversations about helping others, she adds: “Many parents talk to their kids about the clothing, shoes, books, and toys that they have and contrast that with the real possibility that the package they are creating [for a homeless child] might be the only items the child who is receiving the package has.” From weekly volunteer shifts or an after-

school program on Tuesdays, there are plenty of opportunities to become involved at the Cradles to Crayons facility. And for families who might not be able to get to the warehouse, there are other ways to become involved, including handwriting notes to the recipients. For more information, visit cradletocrayons.org

Riding for a Cause Kids can put their pedals to work to make a difference via the evergrowing Kids Ride with Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC). Last year, 34 PMC Kids Rides attracted more than 4,300 young cyclists, 1,900 volunteers, and 4,000 parents, and raised more than $730,000 to support cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. “So many families are affected by challenges — whether it’s cancer or something else,” says Kids Ride Director Justine Darmanian. “By participating in the ride, it teaches children core values that they can use throughout their lives. Just imagine what impact they will be making years from now.” PMC Kids Rides are mini bike-athons that involve children ages 2 to 15 in the PMC mission by giving them the opportunity to fight cancer just like adults. From a short obstacle course for tricycles to a 26-mile

trek, the PMC Kids Rides vary in terrain and mileage. Some have music, games, and food. Others have silent auctions, character appearances, and face painting. To date, the PMC Kids Rides program has raised more than $6.5 million for the PMC. Each child is asked to raise $25, and many go beyond that. One second-grader raised $700 by setting up collections for spare change around his elementary school. Other kids host lemonade stands or contact friends and families for contributions. The next round of Kids Rides begin in May. Visit kids.pmc.org for more information. “We really try to encourage children to do their own fundraising,” Darmanian says. Many do so because they have a parent or friend going through treatment. “It allows them to feel like they can do something to help. Too often children feel helpless.” In Ancona’s most recent book, the main character, Molly, goes with her father whenever he delivers food to the needy. Ancona believes it’s important for parents to serve as role models when it comes to charitable giving. “When children witness their parents helping others, they admire them,” he says. “I think they are proud of them and want to be like them.”

Charitable Projects By Age Preschoolers

Teens

1. Bake goodies and deliver them to your local police or firefighters as a way to say “thank you.”

1. Clean your room and put together a box of items that can be donated to a local charity.

2. Put together care packages for men and women serving overseas and include a special drawing and message. Looking for a soldier to send to? Check out adoptaussoldier.org.

2. Put aside money earned babysitting or busing tables to donate to a charity of your choice.

3. Plant easy-to-grow vegetables (think green beans) and share them with neighbors and friends.

School-Age/Tweens 1. Research causes that are important to your family and find a way to help 2. Consider putting together a Birthday Box for the Massachusetts-based charity called Birthday Wishes (birthdaywishes.org). This volunteer organization brings the magic of birthday parties to thousands of homeless children each year. 3. Make a dinner for a friend or family in need.

3. Volunteer time at church or a neighborhood project. Shovel a neighbor’s walkway. Just keep your eyes open for little ways to lend a hand. “Lending a hand, physically doing something whether it’s cooking, carpentry, or helping a neighborhood project, it connects people,” Ancona says. “It’s the perfect excuse to go and enter someone else’s world and get to know them.”

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THE MONEY ISSUE

Massachusetts Millennials

Saving Big For Kids’ College BY KATHY SLOAN

illennials certainly have a bad rap, often touted as selfentitled and lazy. However, according to a new study, they are proving to be the best generation at saving money — particularly saving for their own children’s college education. The latest “College Savings Indicator” study, sponsored by Fidelity Investments and the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), found that Massachusetts Millennial parents (whom they categorize as those born between 1981 and 1997) appear to

be particularly determined to help their children avoid significant student loan debt, and are adopting smart savings habits early. The study spanned three generations — Boomers (ages 51-65), Gen X (34-50), and Millennials (18-34) — and found that across these three age groups: • 71% of parents have started saving for their children’s college education. • 67% of parents are saving monthly, putting away a median amount of $250 per month in 2014. • 53% of parents saving for college report they have a

financial plan in place to help them reach their college savings goals. • 37% of families are investing in 529 college savings plans, 90% of which have either increased their savings or continued to save at the same rate over the past 12 months. MEFA Executive Director Thomas Graf said results of the study, now in its ninth year, were shocking: “We used to have to convince people to save for college. Now, as we can see from the study, people are doing just that.”

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Millennials Are Savers Millennials are living with more debt than any generation before them. “This is the first significant generation to have debt that has inhibited their lives,” Graf said. Much like their great-grandparents learned how to be frugal with food after living through the Great Depression, it appears as if Millennials have learned to be prudent with their money, at least when it comes to future higher education costs. According to the study, • 37% of Millennial parents graduated with student loan debt, averaging $29,000. • 70% of Millennial parents who graduated with student debt are still paying back their loans. • 82% of Millennials agree that their own student loan debt is motivating them to help their kids save more for college. A 2014 White House report, “15 Economic Facts About Millennials,” prepared by The Council of Economic Advisers, reports that Millennials are now the largest, most diverse generation in the United States. One of the most significant

markers for Millennials is that they have come of age during one of the most difficult economic times in U.S. history: the 2008 recession. The White House report states that the oldest of the Millennial generation were 27 when the recession began. While unemployment surged and people struggled to find and keep jobs, younger Millennials were about to enter college and had to make tough decisions about whether they could afford to attend. Those who did are now burdened with enormous amounts of student debt, a fact reinforced by the Fidelity survey, which states nearly threequarters are still paying back those loans.

College Savings Sees All-Time High According to the College Savings Indicator, of the Massachusetts Millennial parents surveyed, 68% have started saving for their children’s college education and 52% have a financial plan in place to help them reach those goals. The study reports that on average, Millennial parents started saving for their oldest child’s college education when the child was 4.6 years old, and more than twice as many Millennial parents (13%) started saving before their child turned 1, compared to Gen X parents at 5%.

9 OUT OF 10 9 out of 10_BayStateParent half page.indd 1

Millennial parents also plan to cover more of their children’s college costs (71%) than either previous generation of parents: Gen X (59%) or Boomer (59%). So, what is motivating Millennials to save so aggressively? One theory: the generation is in so much debt themselves they don’t want their children to suffer the same fate. Or, perhaps, the options for saving have simply become easier. Elizabeth A., of Worcester, is a Millennial in her early 30s with two small children. She is still paying down her student debt and will be for another five years — much like many of her friends. While her parents weren’t able to pay for her education, she hopes to be able to help pay at least some of her children’s. However, with a mortgage, saving for retirement, and general life expenses, saving for college isn’t really a priority. “We opened a U.Fund account when our oldest was born,” she said. “The money comes out automatically, so we don’t even notice it. When our other daughter was born, we upped the amount we put in. We don’t really have any goals or anything, it was just easy to open an account and make the automatic payments.” The U.Fund is MEFA’s 529 college investing plan that began in 1999 and is managed by Fidelity. The money can be used at any accredited

college, and last April, the Senate Finance Committee passed a bill allowing the money to be used to purchase computers intended for use at college. While Elizabeth is saving for her children’s college education, she believes it’s still not enough. Due to rising tuition costs, she doesn’t think she could possibly eliminate all of her children’s future student debt.

It’s Never Too Late One of the biggest misconceptions regarding saving for college is the assumption that if parents save a lot of money for college, their child will be less likely to receive financial aid. “The financial aid formula is largely income-driven,” MEFA’s Graf said. “You won’t be penalized if you save too much.” Therefore, even if a family builds up a large 529 account, their child could still receive financial aid. “It’s best to start early. Even if you have a child in high school, you can open a [529] account and start putting money away,” Graf said. “They can use that money to pay for laptops or side costs. Any amount takes the burden off them.” Parents of younger children should consider opening a 529 college savings account by the time the child is 6, he said: “With the cost of tuition rising each year, families can’t wait

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46 FEBRUARY2016

to start saving.” One suggestion: When children start school and daycare expenses are eliminated, parents should consider rolling some of that former daycare money into a college savings account. “There is an aspirational quality to putting any amount aside for your child’s education,” Graf said.

“It raises the consciousness of the child that you, the parent, value education.” He noted that according to a study done by Washington University in St. Louis, children whose parents saved a minimum of $500 for education are 2.5 times more likely to enroll in, and graduate from, college than children with no account.

Saving for college is at an all-time high, according to the 9th Annual College Savings Indicator Study, sponsored by Fidelity Investments and the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority.

• 71% of parents have started saving. • 67% of parents are saving monthly, putting away a median amount of $250 per month in 2014. • 53% of parents saving for college report they have a financial plan in place to help them reach their college savings goals. • 37% of families are investing in 529 college savings plans, 90% of which have either increased their savings or continued to save at the same rate over the past 12 months.

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Teaching money management to children can be a challenge in and by itself, but add divorce and co-parenting to the mix, and it makes the job even tougher. While it can be difficult to consult with a former spouse — somebody you no longer share a life with — on every decision, the two of you should attempt to make the bigger decisions together and trust that each will work within the confines of that agreement. This is especially true when it comes to teaching children smart financial habits.

Allowance: Yes or No? Your feelings about giving your child an allowance may differ greatly from his or her other parent. The issues you both should focus on are whether to give an allowance, when to start giving it, how often, how much to give, and how it should be spent. If co-parents can agree, decide which of you pays the allowance and the degree of responsibility or chores your child will be required to complete. If the two of you can’t get on the same page, your child may try to take advantage of this by seeking financial support from each of you.

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In the early years, children ought to learn that they may have to save to buy something they want. From there, make it visual. With preschoolers, one way to teach about money is by creating three jars — each labeled “saving,” “spending,” or “sharing.” Whenever your child receives money, whether from an allowance or birthday gift, divide the money equally among the jars. Eight- or 9-year-olds can begin to make choices about how to spend Are you happy with your current provider? money. During the pre-teen years, Come visit us and see the difference. The Best Way to Teach consider introducing the kids to the concept of compounding interest Money Management: Call us today! and the idea of saving for retirement Lead by Example at some point. Those who face chalInfant (from 12 wks) • Toddler • Preschool lenges of running out of money often Pre-Kindergarten • Full Day Kindergarten Preach a good message and then could benefit from early lessons on practice it by making a budget and budgeting. Infant (from 12 wks) • Toddler • Preschool Conveniently located in Shrewsbury spending with cash. You cannot conFinally, take every opportunity to 138 North Quinsigamond • 508-755-3922 trol what your co-parent does, but Pre-Kindergarten • Full Ave. Day Kindergarten involve children in someNow of the Enrolling famInfant, Preschool you can control what you do. ily’s financial decisions. For example, When the children are with you & Pre-kindergarten Programs! at the supermarket you might and you use cash or a debit card explain why you make the purchases Enrolling to pay for a meal at a restaurant or you do, e.g.: “TheNow reason I choose Full Day Kindergarten Fall 2015! clothes at malls, they may ask you the generic apple juice over the Call to setup a visit. questions. For example, if asked brand names you see on TV is that it why you don’t pay with a credit costs 50 cents less and tastes pretty Infant (from 12 wks) • Toddler • Preschool card like their other parent, make it much the same.” Pre-Kindergarten • Full Day Kindergarten an opportunity to explain your point Also, talk about finding deals. of view. Talk about why you feel it’s Explain how buying certain products better to buy most things with cash (paper towels, lunch bags,Conveniently soap, located in Shrewsbury — or with a debit card. If they peretc.) in bulk can save money. 138 North Quinsigamond Ave. • 508-755-3922 sist with the credit card point, you Now Enrolling Infant, Preschool It’s never too early to start teaching can tell them why you don’t believe children good financial habits that Pre-kindergarten Programs! in them. Try not to criticize& other hopefully will last a lifetime.

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THE MONEY ISSUE

THE NO. 1 WAY FAMILIES CAN

FIND MONEY BY ALEX L. KAHN

report issued by the Massachusetts Treasurer’s Office last year concluded that “many residents and families simply lack access to and awareness of the tools that they need to manage their money.” Yet experts say there are simple ways for families to avoid financial pitfalls and wasting money. Creating a budget is the first — and best — step toward shoring up a leaky bank account. It’s an obvious choice, yet a budget can have a major impact on a family’s bottom line. A 2011 report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that households given money labeled “Winter Fuel Payments” spent 41% of those funds on fuel, compared to the 3% spent on fuel by households given unlabeled money. Ultimately, budgets constitute what behavioral economists call

“mental accounting,” an implicit way to earmark money that could be spent anywhere. “Families should make a habit of creating a budget each year and reviewing it on a monthly basis to track their progress and to make certain they are able to live — and spend — within it,” says John Navien, a financial professional with MetLife Premier Client Group. “It’s really just identifying costs and benefit, and doing the math,” adds Albie DiBenedetto, a market and education supervisor with American Consumer Credit Counseling. Easily finding places to save money is another benefit of making a budget. “If you’re taking a close look at your comprehensive financial picture each month, areas where you’re wasting money should reveal themselves fairly quickly,” Navien adds. The best way to do this is a sim-

ple eye test, DiBenedetto advises. For example: “If you find that you are not utilizing [your cell phone] services, you should evaluate the needs, contact your provider and see if you can lower your plan, and explore other options,” he says.

Simple Ways To Save “Groceries can cost a family of four around $230 a week,” notes Katie Ross, education development and marketing manager at American Consumer Credit Counseling. “The

best way to avoid wasting groceries and money is to plan your meals out weekly. Go to the grocery store with a list and buy only those items you need to get you through the week.” While this may seem difficult, it needn’t be, she says: “Have the whole family help in planning the weekly meals.” This will provide not only quality time with the kids, but also meals that everyone will enjoy, resulting in less wasted food and fewer calls for take-out or dinners out — especially on busy weeknights. Eating out twice a week can run

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between $140 to $210, or over $10,000 a year, Ross notes, but that doesn’t mean families have to abandon the experience all together. “Stick to one night a week out and make it light,” she suggests. “Have a pizza or two delivered, and you’ll spend half the cost of going out to eat.” If you’re a shopper, you can still scratch that itch, just put it in the budget. “As long as you can build it into a budget — an allowance or some special treat — that is probably the biggest way of balancing [pleasure and responsibility],” DiBenedetto says. Those who add Navien’s advice of waiting to make large purchases can solve two problems. This approach alleviates the potential of incurring greater debt immediately and allows people to plan larger purchases around retail clocks. For instance, according to Consumer Reports, February is the best time to buy workout equipment, discounted from New Year’s resolutions that never materialized. Once they’ve created a budget and employed ways to eliminate wasting money, what should families do with those found funds? “I would recommend that funds diverted from wasteful spending be used to pay down debt, create a rainy day fund, and save for retirement — in that order,” says Navien, who encourages families to build an emergency fund that would cover six months’ worth of expenses. However, he acknowledges, “it’s difficult to move forward with your financial plan when you’ve got debts dragging you down.”

5 Tips For Better Financial Health Getting your financial house in order doesn’t have to be a burden. Follow these tips to establish a budget and begin building healthier money habits: Account for incidentals. When listing all the people and places you owe money, it can be easy to overlook other expenses that really add up. Things like a work wardrobe, toiletries, and personal hygiene items are necessary purchases that should be reflected in your budget. Expect the unexpected. Even the best-planned budget can fall apart when unexpected expenses arise. Ensure that you’re not only directing a sum of money to your sav-

ings account each month, but that you’re also earmarking some of that money for emergency car repairs, an unplanned visit to the veterinarian, or a critical home repair. Don’t treat your budget like a bad diet. Like a crash diet, being too restrictive with your budget will leave you discouraged and exhausted — and maybe hungry. The key is to be honest with yourself about your spending. Look at your spending history — you might be surprised to see where your money goes. Be sure to set a reasonable budget each month that allows you

to manage your finances without falling off the wagon. Leverage rewards. It may seem counter-intuitive to use a credit card for expenses you don’t need to buy on credit. But if you use a cash-back rewards credit card for your regular essential purchases and even bills, you’ll have some extra income each month. Deposit those rewards in a savings plan or allocate them to help pay down debt each month. Just remember that this approach only works to your advantage if you pay the balance each month.

Research all your money management options. A solid budget is the foundation of a good money management plan, but the type of accounts you use can also influence your financial situation. A financial advisor can help you understand the benefits and limitations of various types of checking, saving, and investment accounts, as well as other products to help maximize your savings and minimize debt. — Primary Financial Group/ Family Features

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THE MONEY ISSUE

Fumble no more when figuring out

FAFSA BY SARA POKORNY

ending a child off to college is daunting to begin with, and thinking about the process of applying for financial aid is one more major to-do to add to parents’ considerable list. Yet, filling out the famously formidable — and frustrating — FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) doesn’t have to feel hopelessly complicated. Yes, there are two FAFSAs this year, and parents need a considerable amount of paperwork to get the process going, but we’re here to calm your nerves with answers to some frequently asked questions about the process. Financial aid has been on the minds of those seeking higher education since 1953, when John Monro of Harvard University created the first financial aid need analysis formula. From there, a bevy of other forms and landmark

events came to fruition, leading up to the creation of FAFSA in 1992; it would become available online in 1997. FAFSA was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded financial assistance for education beyond high school.

Every student seeking higher education should fill it out It’s generally recommended that every student fill out the form. Nearly everyone who applies will be offered aid of some sort. Aid is generally offered regardless of credit history or if you feel your family’s yearly income is too high to require assistance. Also, federal loans are easier to deal with after graduation than private loans.

Why are there two FAFSA forms this year? Unlike earlier years, in which families filed a FAFSA form outlining their prior year’s income and tax data, this year there the two: the 2016-2017 FAFSA, with a start date of Jan. 1, 2016, and the 2017-2018 FAFSA, with a start date of Oct. 1, 2016. Though it may seem to make things more complicated for parents, it’s actually a benefit to students and their families. The two forms align financial aid applications with the start of the college admission season, so students will be able to apply for financial aid before or at the same time as they apply for admission, allowing cost considerations to help when choosing where to enroll. “Starting with the 2017-2018 award year, the FAFSA requires families to switch from providing prior-year to prior-prior-year income and tax data,” said David Levy, editor at Edvisors

(edvisors.com) and a leading expert in the industry. “The use of older income and tax data will allow students to file the FAFSA three months earlier, starting on October 1, instead of January 1. For example, instead of filing the 2017-2018 FAFSA on or after Jan. 1, 2017, using income and tax data from 2016 federal income tax returns, families will be able to file the form on or after Oct.1, 2016, using income and tax data from 2015 federal income tax returns.” Bottom line: The early filing will give families an earlier, more accurate picture of potential financial aid for the next school year.

When should we apply, and how do we know what year is covered by each application? The application season for the 20162017 FAFSA opened on Jan. 1 of this

“Starting with the 2017-2018 award year, the FAFSA requires families to switch from providing prior-year to prior-prior-year income and tax data. The use of older income and tax data will allow students to file the FAFSA three months earlier, starting on October 1, instead of January 1.” — DAVID LEVY, EDITOR, EDVISORS

50 FEBRUARY2016

year, while the FAFSA for the 20172018 academic year will be available beginning Oct. 1. For students filing the first form, the base year runs from January 1 of the junior year in high school (spring term) to December 31 of the senior year in high school (fall term). For those filing the latter form, the base year runs from January 1 of the sophomore year in high school (spring term) to December 31 of the junior year in high school (fall term).

How long does this whole process take? Between gathering necessary documents and filling out the form, the answer is: “a while.” “Although the U.S. Department of Education says that it takes less than half an hour to complete FAFSA on the Web, an hour is a more realistic estimate, assuming that the family has already assembled all the information needed to complete the form,” Levy said. After the FAFSA is completed, it can take several months for a college’s financial aid office to determine a student’s financial aid eligibility, and after presenting that to the student, the family has a few weeks to make a final decision. “College financial aid offices typically start working on the financial aid packages for admitted students in January and February,” Levy said. “Financial aid award letters are then issued in late March and early April. Most students will have until the May 1, National Candidates Reply Date, to decide whether to accept the college’s offer of admissions and financial aid. Students who apply under early admissions programs, such as early action and early decision, may receive financial aid award letters in December.”

What do we need for preparation beforehand to make this process easier? A lot of documents, but going through the process of gathering those will only benefit the student in the end. Not every family will have all documents listed below, but gathering as much information as possible is a great start. To complete the FAFSA, a student needs a driver’s license (if they have one) and/or an Alien Registration Card, if the student is not a U.S. citizen but is an eligible non-citizen. The student and parents will then need a number of documents: • Social Security cards • W-2 forms, 1099 forms, records of earned income and records of other taxable income such as unemployment benefits, if available

• Federal income tax returns for the prior tax year, if completed (IRS Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ or the equivalent foreign income tax return) • Records of child support paid, if any • Records of untaxed income, if any • Records of student aid funds that were included in adjusted gross income, such as the taxable portion of scholarships and fellowships and AmeriCorps benefits • Records of taxable earnings from Federal Work-Study or other needbased work programs

circumstances, appeal for more financial aid by asking the college financial aid administrator for a professional judgment review of those circumstances,” Levy said. This may also be called a “special circumstances “These can include changes in income or the net value of assets from last year to the current year, and anything that distinguishes the family from the typical family,” he added. A review/appeal can be requested by either writing a letter summarizing the circumstances and providing supporting documents, or completing a form on a college’s Website. Supporting documents may include

copies of a layoff notice, proof of the recent receipt of unemployment benefits, copies of medical or dental bills, and letters from doctors, clergy, social workers, child advocates, police, teachers, guidance counselors, college financial aid administrators, or anyone else who is familiar with family’s situation. Have more questions? Check out the FAFSA helpline: 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243), email the U.S. Department of Education federalstudentaidcustomerservice@ed.gov, or get Edvisors’s free “Filing for FAFSA” book at edvisors.com/fafsa/book/ user-info/

• Current bank and brokerage account statements as of the date the FAFSA is submitted • Current records of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments All financial information must be reported for the previous tax year, which is usually the previous calendar year. For example, to file the 20162017 FAFSA, students will need documentation from the 2015 tax year. It’s also good to keep a folder containing copies of these documents, as well as a copy of the completed FAFSA form and confirmation page (if done on the Web), as a college’s financial aid office may require them.

What if our 2015 federal income tax isn’t ready yet? Taxes don’t need to be filed before applying. “Submit the FAFSA and other aid applications by the published deadline dates, if not sooner, even if this means using estimated income and tax data,” Levy said. “If the FAFSA is based on estimated data, all inaccuracies must be corrected after the student and parent(s) have filed their 2015 federal income tax returns.” The federal income tax return data can be updated using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool at fafsa.ed.gov.

What if my spouse/ partner and I are separated/divorced? Only one parent is responsible for completing the application, even if he or she files a joint federal income tax return. The filing parent is determined by the family and does not necessarily have to be the parent who has legal custody of the child or who claims him or her as a tax exemption.

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FINALLY FOREVER

Massachusetts Author Pens Magical Adoption Story BY MELISSA SHAW

Author Nancy Tupper Ling’s latest children’s book was, she admits, unexpected.

“It was a surprise to me,” says the Massachusetts mother of two. “I was driving down the road and I thought, What if a child ended up on a parent’s doorstep? What kind of story would you tell your child as to how he or she came into your life?”

hose fanciful questions resulted in the recently released picture book, The Story I’ll Tell. In its pages, a mother tells her son beautiful, extraordinary stories of his arrival (via balloon, a stallion, an angel, a lark’s song, the August moon, and more) each bearing a tidbit of the truth, which by the end of the book is pieced together into the child’s actual adoption story. Also an award-winning poet, Ling returned to familiar ground to communicate her vision: “I began thinking of it as a poem, the fantastic ways the child could have come into their life, almost like a bedtime story a parent would tell her child.” Regardless of the amazing stories

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FRIENDS Wednesday, Feb. 3 — Northern Region Adoption Info Meetings — ADLU Lawrence, Jordan’s Furniture Reading: IMAX Conference Room - 50 Walker’s Brook Dr., Reading. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8 — Southern Region Adoption Info Meetings, Mass. Department of Children and Families, Police Station, 1492 Washington Street, Canton. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. RSVP to 508-894-3830. Wednesday, Feb. 10 — Central Region Adoption Info Meetings — ADLU Worcester, 13 Sudbury St., Worcester. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. (508) 929-2413.

the mother spins for the boy in her lap, the underlying message is clear: The mother always sought the child, who was destined to be her son and protected by her from the moment they met. Though not an adoptive parent, Ling was inspired by friends who have built their family through international adoption and has been often mistaken for a member of the community. “My children are half-Chinese, so I always have been asked if they’re adopted because I’m Caucasian and they look more like my husband,” she laughs. When it came time to pick an ethnicity for the book’s child, Ling looked no further than her family,

Wednesday, Feb. 17 — Boston Region Adoption Info Meeting, DCF Boston, 451 Blue Hill Avenue, Dorchester. 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. 617-989-9209. Wednesday, Feb. 17 — Post Adoption Support Group, First Connections, 179 Great Road (Rte. 2A), Patriot Square Office Building, Acton. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. A support and education group for parents of adopted children ages birth through 8. This month’s topic: “The Typical Effects of Adoption during Developmental Stages.” For more information, email lmatthews@jri.org. Thursday, Feb. 18— Southern Region Adoption Info Meetings, Morton Hospital, 88 Washington Street, Taunton, Margaret Stone Conference Room, first floor. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. RSVP: 508-894-3830. Ongoing — Federation for Children with Special Needs Parent Trainings. Free and open to the public, these trainings cover a

weaving in Chinese symbols and culture, reinforced by illustrator Jessica Lanan’s soothing artwork. “Even though it ended up as an adoption story, I would love it to reach anyone, to think about their [family] story,” Ling says. The Story I’ll Tell is Ling’s second picture book to feature ChineseAmerican characters. Double Happiness, released last year, tells the story of a brother and sister who move from the West Coast to the East Coast. To help with the transition, the siblings gather small treasures to put into a Happiness Box, so they can bring their joy with them no matter where they go. Her first children’s book, My Sister, Alicia May, outlines the story of

range of topics: Effective Communication and the IEP, Basic Rights in Special Education, Understanding My Child’s Learning Style, and more. Visit fcsn.org/ptic/workshops/schedule for a schedule and descriptions. Ongoing — Group for Adoptive Parents. Adoption Associates, 34 Lincoln Street, Newton. For parents of children in elementary or middle school, this monthly group focuses on understanding the impact of loss and trauma; learning to manage difficult and challenging behaviors; strengthening the family bond while preserving identity; and more. For more information, contact 617-965-9369 or info@adoptionassociates.org. Ongoing — Group for Adopted Teens. Adoption Associates, 34 Lincoln Street, Newton. For adopted children ages 14-19, this group focuses on identity development, self-esteem improvement, confidence building and communication skills. Participants will use conversation to reflect upon the experience of

a girl with Down syndrome, told from her older sister’s perspective, a story she says was inspired by a friend’s children. A former stay-at-home mom, Ling says she would “write down my ideas wherever I was” when inspiration struck, but saved actual writing time for when her daughters were asleep: “I worked as soon as they went to bed, and that was my writing time, 7 to 11 or midnight.” In addition to working on a novel for tweens and also working in a local library, Ling is the founder of Fine Line Poets (finelinepoets.com), a Website for New England poets. For more on Ling’s work, visit nancytupperling.com.

adoption and belonging. For more information, contact 617-965-9369 or info@adoptionassociates.org. Ongoing — Group for Adoptive Parents of Teens. Adoption Associates, 34 Lincoln Street, Newton. This monthly group focuses on understanding the impact of loss and trauma on children ages 14-19; learning to manage difficult and challenging behaviors; strengthening the family bond while preserving identity; and more. For more information, contact 617965-9369 or info@adoptionassociates.org. Ongoing — The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children offers an after-hours telephone hotline that provides emergency assistance to foster kinship and pre-adoptive families when the DCF offices are closed. The helpline is available 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. The number is (800) 486-3730.

If your group or organization is holding an adoption information or support group and would like to have information posted for readers of baystateparent, please email editor@baystateparent.com. 54 FEBRUARY2016

Partnering With Families To Promote Good Health

February’s

CHILD: Skye

Fifteen-year-old Skye is a typical teenage girl. She loves shopping and enjoys getting her hair, makeup, and nails done. Skye currently resides in a group home and attends public school. She would love the opportunity to participate in extracurricular actives with her friends, including school dances. Skye has made great strides in the past year. She has worked hard to meet personal goals and has overcome many obstacles. Skye is a great self-advocate and if there is something she wants, she is not afraid to go after it. Currently what

she wants is a family and is working hard with her adoption team to find the right fit. Of French, Russian, and German decent, Skye is legally free for adoption. She has an open adoption agreement in place for two visits per year with her birth father and would like a family that can support that relationship in a healthy way. Skye is open to any family structure. She would do best in a family that is able to set firm, yet flexible, limitations and rules.

For more information about Skye, please contact Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) Recruiter Deirdre Madden at 617-54-ADOPT. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) ADLU Office hosts monthly informational meetings about the adoption process. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 24 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. The ADLU Office is located at 13 Sudbury St. in Worcester. Please call (508) 929-2143 to register and for specifics about parking. During the winter months, always call to verify the meeting will still be taking place, given the weather conditions.

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p am

LISA: How childhood camp experiences inspired singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb to be herself, make music, and give back BY MELISSA SHAW

“Lisa Loeb’s music and non-profit work have helped to build awareness of the importance of a camp experience in the life of every child. Lisa truly defines a ‘Camp Champion.’” — BETTE BUSSEL, ACA NEW ENGLAND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

58 FEBRUARY2016

rammy-nominated singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb is known for more than a few things: her 1994 No. 1 hit song “Stay (I Missed You)”; her acting career (Gossip Girl, Community, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver); her reality shows on Food Network and E!; her voice-over work (DocMcStuffins, Jake and The Never Land Pirates); and even her signature eye glasses. Yet, as of late, the 47-year-old is attracting attention for a personal love and interest of which many fans may be unaware: Lisa Loeb is a major summer camp veteran, fan, advocate, and philanthropist. Last fall, Loeb received the 2015 Camp Champion Award from the American Camp Association New England at a Fenway Park celebration. Loeb attended a number of summer camps as a child, the most memorable being Camp Champions, a sleep-away camp located outside of Austin in her home state of Texas. She described it as a “typical summer camp experience,” one that she said challenged her to step outside

of her comfort zone and imparted important lessons that still reverberate today. “Trying new things was a really big deal,” she remembered. “I wasn’t really an athlete, but we had to try all sorts of things, from swimming in the lake to jumping off huge rocks to playing sports I wasn’t really great at. Going through those challenges and coming out on the other side alive and happy made me a stronger person, both emotionally and physically. I think that’s such a great thing for kids to learn — to participate, to try things they haven’t tried before. Being able to engage in those challenges really makes you a stronger person. If you get that self confidence, that ‘Wow, I get to try something and I might be able to do it,’ it does make a big impact on us as grown-ups.” And while camp stretched Loeb’s comfort zone, it also nurtured a favorite pastime. “There was music everywhere, all the time, just for fun,” she said. “It was the first time, I think, that I played guitar in front of people. It was when I really recognized that music was fun to perform, but it was

also a great connector for people. We used to sing for fun in the cabins and all over the place.” Those annual weeks, Loeb said, gave her and other campers an opportunity to experience some freedom in those growing years, as well as a respite from a demanding school year. “I felt like a stronger person at the end of [camp],” she said, the affection still strong and deep in her voice. “It’s not making a good grade, it’s about being a person and having life experiences. School was really important to my family, making good grades, that whole school track. I found that summer camp was where I really learned more about being myself and how to be in a community. There’s so much freedom at summer camp, hanging out with other kids, but with the feeling of safety. It gives you the chance to try yourself out. Values were so important: leadership, working together, doing what’s right. All those things that were so important and had a really big impact on me.” Loeb attended Camp Champions “for years and years, until I was too old to go.” And even after leaving

those cabins outside Austin for the last time, she would return to camp in a whole new way as an adult.

Camp Lisa Loeb released her first kids CD, Catch the Moon, in 2003, then found herself wondering what to do for the follow-up demanded by fans. She realized there wasn’t a lot of summer camp music in the market, and her figurative return to her camp days was born in the form of a new rock/ pop CD: Camp Lisa. “Camp Lisa highlighted a lot of the songs I sung in summer camp when I was growing up. I wrote some new songs that reminded us of that era of going to camp, of the late ’70s, early ’80s — songs we listened to on the radio at camp. We wanted to capture the era of the ’70s, where kids stuff wasn’t just for kids, grown-ups might enjoy it also, like, The Muppet Show, Steve Martin, The Carol Burnett Show — grown-up stuff kids could enjoy, too. I pinch myself. I can’t believe part of my job is singing these silly, gross-out songs I sung at camp.” Camp Lisa was recorded as a way to share the summer camp experience with everyone — even those who never attended. “As I got deeper into it, I thought, Why not just send kids to summer camp? ” said Loeb, who created a nonprofit

organization, Camp Lisa (lisaloeb. com/camp-lisa), which is funded by proceeds from the album. Camp Lisa, in turn, takes that money and partners with SCOPE, a New Yorkbased nonprofit with the same goal: funding camp scholarships so more kids can reap the benefits of a summer experience.

Camp Kappawanna Loeb returned to camp once more last year, this time via a play, Camp Kappawanna, inspired by the song “Best Friend” from the Camp Lisa CD. A Miami theatre company approached Loeb about developing a short play based on the song. The project eventually turned into a full-length musical that enjoyed a limited run off-Broadway last spring, with music and lyrics co-written by Loeb. The story of a group of campers who learn about themselves via the values and experiences of summer camp, the musical received a good review from The New York Times: “Like its campers, it has abundant humor and heart. You can’t spend a summer here, but 75 minutes is a delightful stay.” “It was amazing,” Loeb said. “It was very emotional to see the songs all come together and see the characters’ development before our own eyes.” The production is still in

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development — “a great, long process,” she noted — and is one Loeb hopes to take on the road in the future. Now a mother of two (Lyla, 6, and Emet, 3), Loeb is now seeing camp

from another side — as a parent. Lyla is already a day camp veteran: “She asked me at the end, ‘Mom, when can I start going to sleep-away camp?’”

From Indie to Kindie addition to developing a musical and receiving camp accolades, Lisa Loeb is writing and recording music — music for parents and, last fall, her latest kids CD, Nursery Rhyme Parade. “I finally had kids and I started thinking about what we really need as far as kids music,” Loeb said. While there is a lot of kids music already on the market covering nursery rhymes, most of it was recorded in a variety of styles. Loeb researched classic nursery rhymes but couldn’t find any basic, stripped-down versions, “the way my mom might have sung it to me as a kid,” she said. “There might be a funny rock version of ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ or a Cajun version of ‘Jack and Jill’, or ones that were very animated, played-up, and produced to entertain the kids, but they weren’t just the simple ones I remember as a kid,” Loeb added. The result is Nursery Rhyme Parade, (available via Amazon Music or Prime), which she describes as “simple recordings of classic nursery rhymes.” “It’s very soothing, intimate, very personal,” she explained. “We tried to keep the production as simple as possible, so it almost feels like I’m the mom who’s in your room singing to your children, just like the way I sing to my kids when we wake up in the morning, when I change a diaper, when we get dressed, when we take a bath. These are songs that will help soothe and relax and engage kids rather than hype them up. It’s information and music kids can take in at the same pace their brains can process. Because they’re so simple, when

I play them for kids I find they really connect to the lyrics, the melody, the rhythm of the songs.” Loeb admits that researching the songs “became a little bit like a homework project in a way. There were certain songs that I thought, Oh, well, I know this, we’ll just go in and sing it, and then when it came down to it, I thought, I actually don’t know if this is the real melody. I would call my Mom, I would go on the Internet, I would look up sheet music, and in some cases I had to reference a number of sources to try to find what I thought was the most authentic melody. It was fun. It was like a puzzle, figuring out how to produce so many songs so that they sounded different from each other but they had the essence of the song in the simplest production possible.” Loeb is one of several recording artists who gained fame via rock or pop and later branched out into music for smaller fans. “With kids music, the fun part is it’s completely open-ended,” she said. “It’s not about being cool, it’s about making fun music for people to connect to.” With her appeal to adults and children, Loeb is now officially a multigenerational artist, a role she values. “It’s a relief,” she said. “In this day and age, it’s hard to have a long music career; I didn’t realize that when I was starting out. I really appreciate I’ve been able to acquire a fan base from people who listened to me when I first came out on the radio to now, where some of those people have children or grandchildren.”

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29 28 {Fact} 28 Be prepared: the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated 116 years ago this month.

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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tiger Woods Muhammad Ali Canada The Chicago Cubs Hulk Hogan $1.8 billion Kerri Strug Roger Clemens The Dallas Cowboys Mike Tyson

FEBRUARY INDEX Bancroft School.........................................67 Bay State Skating School...........................15 Big Y Foods, Inc........................................13 Boston Children’s Theatre..........................28 Boston Conservatory (The)........................43 Brigham and Womens Hospital.................17 Children’s Development Network, Inc.......... 6 Citi Performing Arts Center........................56 City of Worcester / City Hall......................44 Commonwealth Ballet...............................26 Cornerstone Academy................................. 9 Country Montessori...................................51 DCU Center.......................................... 52,61 Disney On Ice............................................53 Ecotarium.................................................23 F3............................................................... 3 Fay School................................................59 Fidelity Investments..................................41 Fitchburg Art Museum...............................28 Fletcher Tilton PC......................................30 FMC Ice Sports............................................4 Greater Quincy Child Care.........................55 The Hanover Theatre................................27 Heywood Hospital.....................................36 ID Tech.....................................................59 Kathy Corrigan’s Gymnastics.....................47

Kids in Sports............................................38 Legoland Discovery Center Boston.............63 Mall at Whitney Field................................10 Mass Audubon Society...............................57 Millbury Federal Credit Union....................43 New Horizon Karate & More.....................15 Next Generation Children’s Ctr.................... 5 Noble Expo...............................................21 Providence Children’s Film Festival............26 Reliant Medical Group...............................45 Rise and Shine Academy...........................20 Shawna Shenette Photography..................46 Shrewsbury Children’s Center....................47 Shrewsbury Montessori School...................55 Smuggler’s Notch Resort............................46 Spa Tech Institute........................................ 8 Springfield Museums Corp.........................22 Summer Fenn/The Fenn School.................57 The Chestnut Hill School............................31 The Learning Zone....................................49 UMass Memorial Medical Center......15,20,68 Wachusett Mountain..................................24 Whale Camp.............................................60 Worcester Art Museum..............................25 Worcester Kids’ Dentist..............................55 YMCA Central Branch................................11

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TAKE EIGHT

with Danielle Vollmar

We think she may have the toughest job around — a meteorologist. In New England. As we brace for more winter weather, Danielle Vollmar, a StormTeam 5 meteorologist for WCVB-TV Channel 5, tells us what it’s really like on the front lines of sleet, snow, rain and, occasionally, sunshine. Do you get mostly love letters or hate mail? I get mostly love letters, however, when I do receive “hate mail” it does make an impression on me. I wish it was easier to block out the negativity, but what can I say, I am human!

Did you grow up wanting to be a meteorologist? I have always had a love for weather, but I decided to become a meteorologist in 8th grade when my local chief meteorologist in Philadelphia, Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, came to my school for Career Day. Let’s just say I was hooked and knew my calling. Now, I try to return the favor by visiting schools and trying to inspire students!

One word to describe New England weather: Unpredictable

What was it like going from reporting weather in Dallas to New England? I would say the big difference would be the type of storms we forecast and what time of year can make the biggest impact. In Dallas, the big thing is severe weather and tornadoes in the spring. In New England, it is all about the winter and snowstorms. For example, the 2014-2015 winter was the snowiest in Boston on record.

Name three things you have with you at all times: I always have Diet Pepsi to keep me awake since I work in the middle of the night, and I also love to snack on Cheez-Its. Lately, I’ve been spotted with a bridal magazine since I am recently engaged and getting married in June!

What’s it like to work a big storm? Are you there all night? Do you go without sleep for days? For a passionate weather fanatic like myself, it is awesome. We pack enough clothes to be on TV for three days, both in the studio and out in the field. The day before the storm I am in the studio double-teaming with our meteorologist Cindy [Fitzgibbon]. Then I’ll typically drive out to a location where they expect the worst conditions and grab a quick nap before reporting from the storm, which can last up to 12 hours at times. I normally go out live the next morning from the “jackpot” location. When I’m finished, I reward myself with a nap. This time, a long one!

Take us behind the scenes of school cancellations. What is the newsroom like? I actually am not a part of this operation, however, there are a lot of people working as a team to get the information out there as fast as possible.

What is the worst weather you’ve ever seen? I had to work through a couple of tornado outbreaks while I was in Oklahoma City. After being on television for 12 hours straight and warning many people of tornadoes on the ground, I reported live from the damaged areas. It was always incredibly hard to meet people who had lost everything, and to see their homes torn to shreds in front of me was definitely an emotional task for everyone involved. However, despite the destruction, the people I met were always so grateful just to be alive. It was inspiring and always put things in perspective. 66 FEBRUARY2016

BONUS question

What is a popular misconception about meteorologists? I think most people think I come to work and someone does my hair and make-up and picks out my wardrobe. This could not be further from the truth. We all do our own hair and makeup and, yes, we pick out our own clothes and have to purchase them. TV is not as glamorous as many think, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I love forecasting the weather!

BAYSTATEPARENT 67

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