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Real Life: Ryan Mundy
This dad’s mission is two-fold: Raising strong girls and changing Black health.
A Mom’s Life
How the pandemic changed the work-life balance for moms and why it’s still a struggle.
Summer Unleashed
We’re all so ready for a return to normal or as close as it can be. Plan one with a summer bucket list for families, day trip packing tips for newer parents and tips for navigating your family’s re-entry.
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Stir up magical mermaid lemonade, try a Puerto Rican treat, plus discover swimsuits to show off mom’s curves, fun Father’s Day experiences to consider and diaper bag surprises.
18 VOICE
What happened when one local dad started believing his child and how it might work for you, too.
19 WHY
Why do kids fall out of bed?
33 THINGS TO DO
Fill your calendar with fun.
38 MY MANTRA
Find out what one local mom has on repeat to keep her parenting sanity.
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I’m most looking forward to raising my face to the warmth of the sun and possibly even getting to that point where I can’t remember winter. I’m looking forward to riding my e-bike at dawn and singing at the top of my lungs. I’m looking forward to using the binoculars I got for Christmas so I can spy on birds. I’m looking forward to winning the Charlton Family Garden-in-aPot Competition.”
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Handpicked Bits of fun, inspiration and cool finds for you
Make it a Magical Summer
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s the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. After the bummers of the last few summers, we definitely have a bunch of lemons to turn into something magical for the kids this summer. So, we thought, why not mix up a little secret summer learning to combat the dreaded brain drain, along with a refreshing summer drink. It’s perfect whether you are celebrating Pride month, Juneteenth, Mother’s and Father’s Day, or National Eat What You Want Day (It’s May 11 so go ahead and treat yourself!). For those keeping track, National Lemonade Day falls on May 1, so let the kids set up those lemonade stands and learn a little about being an entrepreneur, too. Staff Photographer and Graphic Designer Lauren Jeziorski turned her kitchen into our unofficial test kitchen. Lauren, a pretty awesome mom of one, whipped up a tart magical summer drink we’re calling Magical Mermaid Lemonade. It’s a color-changing lemonade that sneaks in a science lesson about mixing colors and the changing state of molecules. Kids will love seeing the “magical” change as the ice cubes melt and you’ll love their sweet smiles. Cheers to summer!
Find the recipe and fun places to sneak in a little summer learning ChicagoParent.com/LatestIssue. PHOTO BY LAUREN JEZIORSKI
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
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A Day Out in Humboldt Park Ways to celebrate Chicago’s culturally rich Puerto Rican community
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BY EVELYN SANCHEZ-TOLEDO
ne of the great things about Chicago is its diverse cultures and the neighborhoods that showcase them. Puerto Ricans have been in Chicago since the late 1940s. Although the neighborhood population is changing, the cultural influence of Puerto Rico is still visible in Humboldt Park. For a great day out, and a little learning, head to Humboldt Park and finish with a treat.
EVELYN SANCHEZ-TOLEDO is a former educator and Humboldt Park grandmother who has just published her third children’s book, Las aventuras de Ana la abeja/ The Adventures of Ana the Bee, available in English and Spanish for kids 3-8. estbooks.com
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D O T HI S Take a walk with your family starting on Division and Western, through what is known as Paseo Boricua (Puerto Rican Promenade) and head west. Look up and you will see the first of two 56-foot-tall, 40-ton steel Puerto Rican flags. As you stroll on Division Street, watch for the murals. Among my favorite, at 2460 W. Division, is The 79th, naming Paseo Boricua as the symbolic 79th municipality of Puerto Rico. (The island has 78 municipalities.) The mural depicts the Paseo Boricua flag. Here are other murals to explore on your walk: Sea of Flags at 2500 W. Division, Escuelita Tropical at 2516 W. Division and Born of Fire at 2700 W. Division. Head to La Casita de Don Pedro, 2625 W. Division, a small courtyard with a statue of Don Pedro Ablizu Campo and a replica of a traditional Puerto Rican one-room home with a front porch and a zinc roof. Located at 3015 W. Division is the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. Two beautiful statues of horses adorn the front entrance of what once was Humboldt Park Stables. The museum hosts exhibits by wellknown artists from the island and around the United States. From Robert Clemente to Javier Baez, Puerto Ricans are known for their love of baseball. In celebration of this, your next stop should be Little Cubs Field, a replica of Wrigley Field found at the west end of the Park. Finally, attend the Puerto Rican Festival June 9-12 (the parade is June 11) to immerse yourself in the culture. Enjoy the local artists and experience traditional Puerto Rican music and dance.
T RY THAT Here is a quick and easy recipe for one of Puerto Rico’s popular desserts, Pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava filled puff pastry). I enjoyed making them with kids. Ingredients • 1 package puff pastry dough • 1 package guava paste or guava jelly (if using guava paste, cut into small pieces and place in microwave for 45 seconds until creamy) • Powdered sugar Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. Make sure puff pastry is thawed if previously frozen. Open one sheet and cut into equal size squares. I like 3-inch by 3-inch. 3. Place the squares on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes or until puffy and golden. 4. Cut the pastry in half horizontally, fill with guava to your liking and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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No More Mom Swimsuits Moms can live their best summer lives in super stylish, comfy looks
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BY CHERYL LEAHY
f you have ever watched the viral video “I Swimsuit Season So Hard,” you can relate to how difficult it is to find a swimsuit that straddles the line between skimpy and frumpy. Yes, trying on swimsuits can mimic a comedy routine, but you can have the last laugh by finding a flattering suit that you love. Here are a few favorites that will allow moms to focus on what really matters at the beach: having fun with family and friends.
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ONE-SHOULDER STUNNERS The “mom suit” traditionally encases post-baby boobs in a type of double sling without support, allowing gravity to take its course and wardrobe malfunctions to manifest. Enter: the oneshoulder style. Magicsuit is a historically mom-friendly line, with a focus on support, shape and style. The Goddess suit features an asymmetrical neckline with strategic ruching and actual coverage for your backside. No cheeky bottoms or French cuts that leave nothing to the imagination here — you will actually be able to move around without constantly adjusting your suit. From sandcastle building to snorkeling, these suits stay put. The company also has styles with draping that can be tied high or low on the hip depending upon how much coverage you prefer.
CURVES AHEAD Remember when swimsuits above size 12 consisted of a solid or basic pattern with a skirt attached? Eloquii has elevated suits for sizes 14-28 with bold, beautiful patterns, on-trend styling and, yes, sex appeal. These suits are designed for mamas with curves that are meant to be showcased, not hidden. Most of their styles can be worn as tops as well — pair high-waisted white jeans with the Puff Sleeve Front Tie Bikini Top or pop a skirt over the Ruffle Shoulder Swimsuit. Moms need to be flexible and quite often don’t have the time or space to pack multiple outfits for a day out. And Eloquii is all about the details — from coordinating belts to voluminous sleeves, coordinating sarongs to chic hair scarves, it encourages customers
3 SUPPORT SYSTEM Lively took its best-selling bra styles and redesigned them for swim. So if you love the bandeaus, sports bras and bralette tops, you will absolutely swoon over the swim styles. To help customers find the perfect fit, custom sessions are offered at its Chicago bricks-andmortar store or you can also hit them up virtually with a video session. The brand is all about authenticity and inclusivity, showcasing products on a wide range of body types, shapes and skin tones so you are more likely to see yourself represented. It also offers an array of mix-and-match two-piece styles, from plunge tops that flatter while keeping you contained to bandeaus with removable straps that mean minimal tan lines and maximum style. Lively specializes in a wide variety of sizes, from A to DDD, keeping with the theme of inclusively.
CHERYL LEAHY is a savvy millennial mom of two who knows how to show her kids a good time – with a lot of style. alldressedupwithnothingtodrink.com @cjalldressedup
to be as extra as they wish. CHICAGOPARENT.COM
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HANDPICKED Find more great ways to celebrate Father’s Day at ChicagoParent.com /LatestIssue.
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Dad Spoilers Four great Chicago experiences to celebrate the father figure in your life
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BY STACI HAUK
ather’s Day is a time to celebrate and check off some bucket list items for Dad. Starting a new tradition or creating a unique experience can be a memory that will last a lifetime. Whether it’s family time, embarking on a city adventure or sending Dad on an excursion all his own to a city hotspot, there is something for even the most discerning dad on this list.
Moody Tongue Brewing Company Moody Tongue is a Michelin-starred beer concept that offers a 15-course hyper-seasonal tasting menu with curated beer pairings at the restaurant, as well as its most popular offering — a private culinary beer virtual tasting. Dad will enjoy this experience from the comfort of home and will have the opportunity to learn while enjoying beer. This private, interactive experience allows the participant to taste four different beers while learning from acclaimed brewmaster Jared Rouben, a new father himself. The tasting includes two specialty glasses and two bottles each of Aperitif Pilsner, Juiced Lychee IPA, Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison and Bourbon Barrel Aged 12 Layer Cake Imperial Stout. “Our virtual beer tasting is the ultimate Father’s Day gift,” Rouben says. 2515 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago; $215 moodytongue.com
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Tall Ship Windy There is nothing more quintessential Chicago than cruising Lake Michigan in a sailboat. The Tall Ship Windy is perhaps the most notable for a brisk and beautiful family-filled Father’s Day. Each adventure lasts 75 minutes with great points of history and some embellished pirate stories. Everyone will be a part of the crew — hoisting the sails or even firing the cannons. It is always OK to just sit back and enjoy the incredible Chicago skyline, too. Option one: On June 18 and 19, 10 national teams will race cutting-edge, foiling F50 catamarans along the shores of Lake Michigan. Book a tour on the Tall Ship Windy for the perfect vantage point. Option two: On June 19 at 11 a.m., 5 and 7 p.m., Dad can hop aboard the four-mast schooner for an adventure complete with a Dad Joke Competition (at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.). Pirate dad jokes earn extra points! 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago; starting at $39 for adults, $17 for kids under 12 tallshipwindy.com
Chicago Magic Lounge The trickery begins the moment Dad enters this hidden gem. Disguised as a laundromat, enter a back door that transports visitors to a swanky art deco-style speakeasy. From there, Dad will be ushered into the Harry Blackstone Cabaret Theater to enjoy close-up magic performed tableside by talented house magicians, coupled with a mind-blowing stage show. This gift is an opportunity for Dad to escape his everyday life and feel like a kid again. It is an adult-only night out, however. Shows run seven nights a week with ever-changing entertainment, so dad can fit this experience into his busy schedule. Chicago Magic Lounge is the only venue of its kind in the Midwest and truly allows adults to explore that nostalgia that comes with whimsical and classic turn-of-the-century magic. 5050 N. Clark St., Chicago; Tickets start at $50 chicagomagiclounge.com
The Studio at W.I.P. Chicago is no stranger to street art and seeing it in abundance might make Dad want to dabble in a little himself. Maybe he needs an eclectic piece for his man cave or garage and wants the kids to join in. Enter The Studio at W.I.P. A team of local artists will lead dad and the family through a 90-minute spray paint workshop. Instruction includes can technique, stencil application, line work, drip technique and a take-home 16x20 canvas that will make all of Dad’s friends jealous. For the dad that appreciates his creative side but wants a little edge, this is a space custom-made for a Father’s Day outing. All classes are kid-friendly and BYOB. The Studio at W.I.P. provides the tools, Dad brings his imagination. 800 Kedzie Ave., #208, Chicago, second location in Evanston; $40 per person native312.events
STACI HAUK is a mom of two who recently relocated back to her hometown of Naperville. She is a published children’s book author of Sawyer’s Two Cents. stacihauk.com
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What’s in Your Diaper Bag?
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h, the amount of things we stuff into diaper bags and tote around when we’re out and about with babies. The bare necessities for baby can really add up — multiple diapers, wipes, diaper cream, at least one change of outfit for those exploding diapers, burp cloth, bottles, blanket, extra socks (because one always falls off those pudgy feet and gets lost), a pacifier or four to account for the drops and of course, small toys and board books to keep baby entertained. But then there’s all the extras that seem to gather in the bag: snacks and toys if you have older kids, phone charger and more. We reached out to a few new moms to see what they’re packing and the answers are brilliant as well as helpful.
“A butt spatula! I can’t get my nails messed up.”
– LORI ORLINSKY, mom of three, including a newborn girl @loriorlinskyauthor
“Underwear, because when you are a mom, your bladder is just not what it once was.”
– ERICKA POLANCO WEBB, mom of six, including a baby girl @erickapolancowebb
“Something that I keep in my diaper bag is our trusted Nail Frida SnipperClipper! It is literally my favorite mom hack because it is made in such a way that it does not hurt your children's fingernails when you cut them! You can not overcut while using them and they are amazing! I started keeping them in my diaper bag and they come in handy way more than anyone could imagine.”
“Because I’m forgetful, I keep my grocery list and coupons in the baby diaper bag.”
Lavender scented dog poop bags. “I put the dirty diapers in them before tossing them out when we’re at a friend’s house and I don’t want to stink up their garbage.” – LYNDSEY SLEEK, mom of one
– ERICKA WOODS, mom of three, including a newborn boy @1Mother2Another
– DANA IVY, mom of three, including a baby girl @danaivy
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Nurturing THE POTENTIAL WITHIN
Each Child
NOW ENROLLING • Ages 15 months through 12 years • Beautiful, bright new building • Regular informational tours Accredited by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
GATEWAY MONTESSORI 4041 N. Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641 773.539.3025 | office@gatewaymontessorischool.org W W W. G AT E WAY M O N T E S S O R I S C H O O L . O R G
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Summer Camp a
GUIDE Start planning for your kids’ best summer with these great
camps. Most are already filling their spots so check them out with your kids before it’s too late. No one should miss out on fun, friendships and adventure this summer.
Bennett Day Camp Day Camp Ages: Under 6-17 Where: 955 W. Grand Ave., Chicago 312-236-6388 info.bennettday.org/summer-camp It provides an enriching atmosphere that enables campers to develop self-identity, leadership skills and a lifelong sense of adventure. Campers and counselors participate in field trips, team sports, music, arts, scientific discovery and water play in a collaborative culture. Camp Anokijig Overnight Camp Ages: 7-16 Where: Plymouth, Wisconsin 920-893-0782 anokijig.com Located on 396 acres of hills and woodlands, this 96-year-old camp offers the best of both worlds. It’s a traditional summer camp with a long list of daily activities, including fishing, sailing, archery, digital photography, woodworking, yoga and ukulele. Plus specialized camps for horseback riding, shooting sports and adventure challenges.
Camp Ben Frankel Overnight Camp Ages: 7-17 Where: 1206 Touch of Nature Road, Makanda 618-235-1614 campbenfrankel.org This overnight summer camp is for children and teens in search of a welcoming and an inclusive Jewish community. Located in southern Illinois amid the Shawnee National Forest, campers choose from 100plus activities, including aquatics, sports, horseback, arts and STEM. Camp Chippewa for Boys Overnight/Away Camp Ages: 9-17 Where: 22767 Cap Endres Road SE, Cass Lake, Minnesota 218-335-8807 campchippewa.com In-camp activities and out-of-camp wilderness adventures help boys build independence, resiliency, life skills, deep personal connections, leadership and an appreciation of the wilderness setting.
Camp Galileo Day Camp Ages: PreK-10th grade Where: Locations Vary 800-854-3684 galileo-camps.com At Camp Galileo, preK–rising 10th graders engage in hands-on, STEAM-based learning. Supported by staff, kids get inspired to turn their big ideas into reality — and have the fun-filled summer of their lives. Optional extended care offered.
Camp Naper at Naper Settlement Day Camp Ages: Grades 1-8 Where: 523 S. Webster St., Naperville 630-420-6010 napersettlement.org/166/camp-naper Expect a summer full of learning and exploration. Utilizing Naper Settlement’s beautiful 13-acre museum campus as their learning laboratory, campers will go on adventures in history, art, science and more.
Camp Kamaji for Girls Overnight Camp Ages: 7-16 Where: 32054 Wolf Lake Road, Cass Lake, Minnesota 218-556-1805 kamaji.com Kamaji is a safe, kid-centric, fun-filled place to unplug and learn new skills like water skiing, horseback riding or sailing. Girls grow independence and make life-long friendships with people from all over the world. Plus, Kamaji is owned and operated by a local Lake Bluff family.
Camp Nicolet for Girls Overnight Camp Ages: 7-17 Where: P.O. Box 1359, Eagle River, Wisconsin 715-545-2522 campnicolet.com Enjoy a summer adventure in Wisconsin’s Northwoods and learn or perfect water skiing, horseback riding, sports, sailing and more, plus enjoy exciting trip opportunities and leadership training. Traditional three- and six-week sessions are offered, plus one-week specialty horseback riding and water skiing/wakeboarding camps.
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GUIDE a
Summer Camp
Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University Day Camp, Overnight Camp Ages: Age 3-Grade 11 Where: 617 Dartmouth Place, Evanston 847-491-3782 ctd.northwestern.edu CTD’s summer programming provides academic adventures with lifetime impact. It offers a wide variety of summer options for gifted students, ranging from online courses to in-person academic day and residential camps, held on Northwestern’s Evanston campus and at other Chicago area sites. Kids can take an enrichment course that delves into a subject they love or challenge themselves with a high school honors or Advanced Placement course for credit. Circus Summer Camp with CircEsteem Day Camp Ages: 6-17 Where: 4730 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago 773-732-4564 circesteem.org/classes/camp Kid enjoy a fun, safe, supportive environment where they explore the circus arts. Circus Summer Camp allows each child to develop self-confidence, self-esteem and an understanding of their potential. Skills taught may include trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, juggling, stilt walking, gym wheel, tight wire, rola bola and mini trampoline. Continuing Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Day Camp, Specialty Camp Ages: Grades 4-12 Where: 36 S. Wabash, Chicago saic.edu/continuing-studies 847-997-3790 Get the highest quality educational opportunities in art and design. The goal is to nurture and support life-long learning and the development of creative thought and practice in students of all ages.
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Female Strong’s Idea Camp! Day Camp, Specialty Camp Ages: 9-17 Where: 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 608-709-9583 femalestrong.org/program/ideacamp-2022 Girls engage with other girls their age about building confidence, sparking their passions and discovering themselves. They hear from executives from different career paths about how to achieve goals, take risks, mess up, and become her amazing, imperfect, totally powerful self. Girls learn how to brainstorm business ideas, develop a business plan and confidently pitch their concepts. Field Explorers Summer Camp Day Camp Ages: Kindergarten-Grade 8 Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago 312-665-7200 fieldmuseum.org/summer-camps-programs The in-person Field Explorers Summer Camps are for curious minds. From Jurassic Oceans and Wild Color, to dinosaurs and falcons, campers will get an up-close look at the collections, learn what happens behind the scenes, investigate using real scientific tools and discover the stories that only the Field Museum can tell. One- and two-week sessions offered; choose a theme that fits your child’s interest. Game On! Multi-Sport Camps Day Camp, Specialty Camp Ages: 4-14 Where: (Girls) Chicago, Glencoe, Evanston; (Boys) Glencoe 847-229-9959 gameonsports4girls.com Girls Camp: Empowers girls of all abilities through sports. Confidence-building programming designed to shape girls to be strong in body, mind and team. Boys Camp: Builds confidence and poise in boys of all abilities through multiple sports daily in a fun, spirited environment.
GrowGirl: A Woodlands Academy Summer Camp Day Camp Ages: Campers entering grades 4-6 Where: 760 E. Westleigh Road, Lake Forest 847-234-4300 woodlandsacademy.org/growgirl GrowGirl is an all-girls summer day camp open to campers entering grades 4-6. Taught by world-class faculty from Woodlands Academy, this camp offers a one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary approach to exploration, growth and fun. iD Tech Day Camp Ages: 7-19 Where: Various locations and online 888-709-8324 idtech.com A premier destination for STEM education with on-campus and online programs that sharpen students’ coding, game development and creative skills. Choose from summer programs held at prestigious campuses nationwide, virtual tech camps, teen bootcamps, online private lessons and small-group online classes. Interlochen Arts Camp Overnight Camp, Specialty Camp Ages: 8-18 Where: 4000 J Maddy Parkway, Interlochen 231-276-7200 interlochen.org/summer-arts-camp The world-renowned summer arts programs encourage emerging young artists to explore and refine their artistic passion in music, theater, dance, creative writing, visual arts and film. Students will do what they love all day long in the most beautiful place imaginable. From cabin games to exploring the outdoors, students will experience all the fun of summer camp while practicing, performing and making art.
Jellystone Park Camp-Resort Overnight Camp, Specialty Camp Ages: Target ages are parents with 4-12-year-old children Where: 8425 HWY 38, Caledonia, Wisconsin 262-835-2565 jellystone-caledonia.com Jellystone Park offers 12 activities daily during peak season, most of which include Yogi Bear, Cindy Bear and Boo Boo! Visit the largest floating water park and obstacle course in the U.S. at sister property, Bear Paw Beach & Adventure Island. KidzToPros STEM, Arts & Sports Summer Camps Day Camp, Virtual Camp Ages: 4-14 Where: Multiple locations throughout Chicago and Cook County 877-202-1554 kidztopros.com Kids can explore a variety of new robotics, art, makerspace, programming and sports activities all summer long. Save $50 on your registration with code CHIP-50. Lillstreet Art Center Summer Camps Day Camp Ages: Under 6-16 Where: 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago 305-987-8798 lillstreet.com/department/camps Offers a wide variety of summer camps for children and teens in multimedia and specialized art forms, including pottery, movie making, photography, sewing, jewelry, comics, painting and more. Each day campers explore and learn alongside professional artists.
Summer Camp GUIDE
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GUIDE a
Summer Camp
CenterSchool Merit for Talent of Music Development at Day Camp Northwestern University Ages: Day Camp, 6-17 Overnight Camp Where:Age Ages: 38 S. 3-Grade Peoria11St., Chicago 312-786-9428 Where: 617 Dartmouth Place, Evanston meritmusic.org/summer-camps 847-491-3782 With options for all ages, instruments and ctd.northwestern.edu experience CTD’s summer levels, programming summer atprovides Merit is a great way adventures academic for kids andwith teens lifetime to stayimpact. social Itand offers creative. a wide Campers variety of will summer learn with options some for gifted of the students, best music ranging educators from online while having fun courses to and in-person making academic friends with day young and music lovers residential camps, from across held onChicagoland. Northwestern’s Beginnerscampus Evanston welcome. and at other Chicago area sites. Kids can take an enrichment Music Theater Works Company course that delves into Kids a subject they And or Youth Company love challenge themselves with a high Specialty Camp school honors or Advanced Placement Ages: 8-18 course for credit. Where: 516 4th St., Wilmette 847-920-5360 Circus Summer Camp with CircEsteem musictheaterworks.com/youthreach Day Camp The Kids Ages: 6-17Company, a unique performance program Where: 4730 N. Sheridan for ages 8-13, Road, has Chicago no audition requirement and “tag team” 773-732-4564 casting means everyone gets a chance circesteem.org/classes/camp to be Kid enjoy the star. a fun,Kids safe, learn supportive an entireenvironshow in just a where ment week and theythen explore perform the circus it for friends arts. and family. Circus Summer This Camp year’s allows shows each from July child 11-Aug. to develop 13 are self-confidence, The Sound of self-esteem Music: Youth Edition, and an understanding High School Musical of theirJr., potential. In the Woods Skills taught Jr., Shrek may Jr. include and Disney’s trapeze,Mary acroPoppinsclowning, batics, Jr. The Youth juggling, Company. stilt walking, Ages 1318, June gym wheel, 6-22, tight willwire, focus rola onbola Disney’s and mini The Little Mermaid on the set of the theater’s trampoline. professional production. Continuing Studies at the School of the Porchlight Music Theatre Summer Art Institute of Chicago Camp Day Camp, Specialty Camp Day Camp, Specialty Camp Ages: Grades 4-12 Ages: 4-17 Where: 36 S. Wabash, Chicago Where: 2330 N. Halsted, Chicago saic.edu/continuing-studies 773-777-9884 847-997-3790 porchlightmusictheatre.org/events/ Get the highest quality educational summercamp opportunities in art and design. The goal Perfect for Broadway-loving singers, is to nurture and support life-long learning dancers and writers. Learn from the and the development of creative thought experts all about music, drama, dance, and practice in students of all ages. writing and more while practicing teamwork, communication, and self-confidence. Camps, which run 9 a.m.-2 p.m. daily, end in a final performance for family and friends. Scholarships and payment plans available.
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Female Strong’s Idea Camp! River Forest Community Center Day Camp, Camp Specialty Camp Ages: 9-17 3-12 Where: 444 N.Madison MichiganSt., Ave., Chicago 8020 River Forest 608-709-9583 708-771-6159 femalestrong.org/program/idearfcc.info camp-2022 Full- and part-time summer camp Girls engage with other girls their age programs available for parents, tots about building confidence, sparking and older children. Activities include their passions and discovering themselves. arts and crafts, games, sports, special They hear executives from different events andfrom more. Half-day options for career about how to achieve goals, parentspaths and tots, incoming preschoolers take risks, mess up, are andavailable. become her and kindergartners Or amazing, imperfect, totally powerful consider three-week options for kidsself. Girls learn how weekly to brainstorm 3-6, or full-day optionsbusiness for kids in ideas, develop a grade. business plan and confisecond-seventh Extended care dently pitch their and concepts. available before after camp. Field Explorers Summer Camp Camp Snapology of Chicago Summer Day Camp Ages: Kindergarten-Grade 8 3-14 Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. DuSable Multiple locations Lake Shore Drive, Chicago 773-570-7627 312-665-7200 snapology.com/location/chicago fieldmuseum.org/summer-camps-proCampers receive the full STEAM exgrams perience using Legos. With dozens of The in-person Field from Explorers Summer programs on hand, Minecraft, Star Camps arePokemon, for curious From JurasWars and tominds. STEM/STEAM sic Oceansrobotics and Wildand Color, to dinosaurs programs, movie-making, and falcons, campers get an up-close there’s something for will everyone. look at the collections, learn what happens behind the scenes, investigate Stages Chicago using real scientific tools and discover the Day Camp, Specialty Camp stories that only8the Field Museum can Ages: 3-Grade tell. One-1535 andN. two-week sessions offered; Where: Dayton, Chicago choose a theme that fits your child’s 773-812-3039 interest. stageschicago.org/summer-camp The week-long musical theater camps, Game Multi-Sport Camps run by On! professional teaching artists with Day Specialtyexperience, Camp stageCamp, and classroom use Ages: 4-14favorite songs, stories and campers’ Where: (Girls) Chicago, characters to help themGlencoe, develop Evanthe skills ston; Glencoe every(Boys) performer needs to perform on a 847-229-9959 Broadway stage. They’ll also learn what gameonsports4girls.com goes on “behind the scenes,” helping to Girls Camp: Empowers all abilities create costumes pieces,girls setsofand props. through sports. Confidence-building programming designed to shape girls to be strong in body, mind and team. Boys Camp: Builds confidence and poise in boys of all abilities through multiple sports daily in a fun, spirited environment.
GrowGirl: Woodlands Academy SpringHillACamps Summer Camp Day Camp, Overnight Camp Day Camp Ages: Under 6-17 Ages: entering grades 4-6 Where:Campers Two away properties in Seymour, Where: Westleigh Road, Lake Indiana, 760 and E. Evart, Michigan. Day camps Forest throughout the Midwest. 847-234-4300 231-734-2616 woodlandsacademy.org/growgirl springhillexperiences.com GrowGirl is an all-girls summer daythat Life-impacting camp experiences camp to people camperstoentering enableopen young grow in grades their 4-6. Taught by world-class faculty froma relationship with Jesus Christ through Woodlands thisand camp offers message of Academy, grace, hope love. Ev- a one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary erything at camp is focused onapproach teaching to exploration, growth and fun. faith these messages to kids through and fun. iD Tech Day Camp Youth Creative Writing StoryStudio Ages: 7-19Camp Summer Where: Various Specialty Camplocations and online 888-709-8324 Ages: 9-17 idtech.com Where: 4043 N. Ravenswood #222, A premier destination for STEM education Chicago with on-campus and online programs that 773-477-7710 sharpen students’ coding, game develstorystudiochicago.org/youth-creativeopment and creative skills. Choose from writing-summer-camps summer programs held at virtual prestigious Enjoy multiple week-long writing campuses virtual tech camps, workshops.nationwide, Young writers learn elements teen bootcamps, private lessons of writing and gainonline valuable feedback and online classes. whilesmall-group building friendships and community with fellow peers across the nation. Interlochen Arts Campfor fifth to 12th Check out the sessions Overnight Camp, Specialty graders, spanning genres likeCamp screenwritAges: ing and8-18 sci-fi/fantasy. Where: 4000 J Maddy Parkway, Interlochen 231-276-7200 Summer Lab interlochen.org/summer-arts-camp Day Camp The world-renowned summer arts proAges: 3-17 grams emerging young artists Where:encourage 1362 E. 59th St., Chicago to explore and refine their artistic passion 773-834-7766 in music, theater, dance, creative writing, summerlab.org visual artsLab andoffers film. Students do what Summer so many will opportunithey love all dayto long in the most beautiful ties for children learn, connect and place imaginable. From and cabintheater gamestoto discover — from sports exploring the outdoors, students will urban adventure and academics. Theexfun perience the fun of summer camp while programsall are designed to inspire curipracticing, performing and making art. osity, creativity and confidence. Located on the University of Chicago campus, Summer Lab students have fun, try new things, make lasting memories and build lifelong friendships alongside a lifelong love of learning.
Jellystone Park Camp-Resort UIC Engineering Experience Camp Overnight Day Camp Camp, Specialty Camp Target ages are parents Ages: Campers entering gradeswith 4-12 4-12-year-old children Where: UIC East CampusLabs (pickup Where: 38, Caledonia, and drop8425 off atHWY UIC Daley Library, 801 S. Wisconsin Morgan St., Chicago) 262-835-2565 engineering.uic.edu/about/uic-engijellystone-caledonia.com neering-summer-camp Jellystone offers 12 This camp Park experience is activities hands-on fun for dailywho during season, most which kids likepeak to make things, ledofby reinclude Yogi Cindy Bear and Boo searchers in Bear, engineering education, and Boo! Visit and the largest floating waterwith park graduate undergrad students and obstacle course the engineering. U.S. at sister backgrounds in STEMinand property, Bear Pawavailable, Beach &each Adventure Weeklong camps day Island. dedicated to a unique engineering discipline: biomedical, chemical, computer KidzToPros STEM,and Arts & Sportsand Sumscience, electrical computer, mer Campsand industrial. Aftercare mechanical Day Camp, Virtual Camp available. Ages: 4-14 Where: Multiple WeHaKee Camplocations for Girlsthroughout Chicago and Cook County Overnight Camp 877-202-1554 Ages: 6-17 kidztopros.com Where: N8104 Barker Lake Road, Winter, Kids can explore a variety of new Wisconsin robotics, art, makerspace, programming wehakeecampforgirls.com and sportsisactivities all summer long. WeHaKee a community with girls from Save $50 on your registration with races code diverse nations, religions, cultures, CHIP-50. and economic backgrounds. Two-, fourand six-week sessions for girls and family Lillstreet Art Center Summer and mother/daughter camps areCamps offered. Day Camp Girls choose their own activities from Ages:than Under more 356-16 offered. Where: 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., ChicagoCamp Pinewood YMCA 305-987-8798 Overnight Camp lillstreet.com/department/camps Ages: 7-17 Offers a 4230 wide variety of Road, summer camps Where: Obenauf Twin Lake, for children and teens in multimedia and Michigan specialized art forms, including pottery, 231-821-2421 movie making, photography, sewing, ymcachicago.org/pinewood jewelry, comics, and more. Located on 200 painting scenic acres of landEach in day campers explore YMCA and learn alongside Twin Lake, Michigan, Camp Pineprofessional artists.transformative camp wood has created experiences for nearly a century. With a climbing tower, high ropes course, swimming and boating on our lake, archery, and more, youth ages 7-17 can enjoy a variety of activities while staying safe, building character and making lifelong friendships.
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MAY/JUNE 2022
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VOICE
Believe Your Child A simple mindset shift can change how you see your child’s anxiety
D
“
ad, I just can’t do it.” This wasn’t an expression of low self-esteem from my young daughter struggling to conquer one of life’s many challenges, but an exasperated declaration that her anxiety had again taken hostage her ability to go to school on this particular morning. I stood in her bedroom doorway, frustrated. Thinking to myself, This again? Sensing the usual get-out-of-bed-and-get-toschool response about to come out of my mouth, she held up her hand, looked at me with a sincerity I will not soon forget, and said, “I wish you would just believe me for once.” Simply put, my daughter was asking me to believe that her inability to get out of bed — what we would learn to call social anxiety and panic disorder — was a real thing, a debilitating thing. It wasn’t, as I so many days assumed, a coy plot by a brilliant manipulator to get out of school on a test day. As time went by and her condition escalated, we knew we had to take action, but weren’t sure where to turn or what to do. Google search results number in the billions (literally) for any query related to childhood anxiety. And that’s the problem. There is more than enough professional (and not-so-professional) advice to go around. We tried as many resources as we could afford, hoping for the best. There were therapists recommending fidget toys, school counselors espousing the virtues of smelling essential oils, psychiatrists prescribing medications, and, of course, other parents who were just sure taking away her iPhone would solve everything. All of the advice, of course, was well-intended and proven to work for others in some cases. But for us, most of the solutions offered — after giving many of them a try — weren’t hitting our gut right. There just seemed to be a missing piece to it all.
“Lastly, we granted our daughter’s wish. We
believed her. We trusted her. We assumed the best. And, in turn, she did the same for us. It
was a simple lesson, but life changing.”
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BY CHRIS BONNEY
CHICAGOPARENT.COM
After some soul-searching and more research, we had a revelation that was as simple as it was humbling. We needed to change. As parents, we needed to adjust our lens to the situation. How did we do it? Our first step was to redefine anxiety not as something that is solved or cured, but more like a partner in this dance we call life. It will always be there, by your side. So, move with it. Make friends with it. And diffuse its power in the process. Then we tried a most difficult feat: to not let our daughter’s struggles somehow define us as parents and people. The dread, guilt and embarrassment a parent can feel when their child needs to be called out of school (again) or picked up early from a sleepover can lead to feelings that challenge your worth and esteem. Detaching from outcomes renewed our confidence as parents and gave us much-needed strength. Lastly, we granted our daughter’s wish. We believed her. We trusted her. We assumed the best. And, in turn, she did the same for us. It was a simple lesson, but life changing. With the tension, anger and frustration gone from our lives, she was able to feel a sense of comfort and safety with us. And that was everything. Does all this make our lives nothing but sunshine and rainbows? No, it does not. My daughter, over 10 years into her journey with anxiety, still has days she can’t get out of bed. As parents, our hearts break almost every day wishing we could do more for her. But, what we do have now is a bond. We share an understanding that evolved from a bold attempt to redefine the world around us. And, at the center of it all, was us believing her.
CHRIS BONNEY is a web strategist, freelance writer and dad of two living in Naperville. When Chris is not writing, he enjoys watching soccer, playing guitar and reading books on anything from stoicism to AI.
WHY
Why do Kids Fall Out of Bed? BY LORI ORLINSKY
I
t happens almost every night like clockwork. My husband and I finally get the kids off to bed and an hour or two later, we hear a thud. We’ve grown accustomed to this noise, which signifies that our daughter fell out of bed and face-planted on the floor. After chatting with our pediatrician, we learned that falling out of bed isn’t uncommon for toddlers and kids, and experts say it is typically no cause for concern (though we won’t be purchasing bunk beds any time soon). Here’s why they fall.
SPATIAL AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT Nationally renowned pediatrician and child development specialist Dr. Harvey Karp says it all comes down to
T E L L M E W H Y. . .
Got a kid riddle you need help sorting out? Send your Why question to editor@chicagoparent.com or just hover your phone’s camera here, no app required.
ART BY BRENT MOSSER
spatial awareness. Through practice, and trial and error, in their awake time, kiddos slowly learn how their little bodies move through the world. “Every slide they go down, every tunnel they crawl through, each tight corner they sneak past helps to teach your child, quite literally, how they fit in the world around them,” says Karp. “Eventually, all that body knowledge becomes intuitive and includes knowing where they are while sleeping.” This body knowledge is called proprioception, and many experts have dubbed it our “sixth sense.” Proprioception helps our bodies know where they are in relation to the world and in relation to each other. As we get older, our sense of self-movement and body position are fully mature, Karp says. “That’s why grown-ups aren’t really the falling out of bed types,” Karp says. “Our body has already mapped out how much space we take up in our bed and how much wiggle room we need for tossing and turning. “
DIFFERENT STAGES OF SLEEP
Dr. Arthur Lavin, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, says the five-stage sleep cycle may be a factor in why kids fall out of bed. He notes that while a body can roll over in any stage of sleep, stages 3 and 4 — also considered deep sleep —
SAFETY TIPS FOR A CHILD WHO MOVES OFTEN
can trigger this behavior more often. “In stage 1, you can be easily awoken. In REM sleep, the body cuts off the connection between your brain and spinal cord,” Lavin says. “But in stage 3 and 4, you are really knocked out and don’t have much control of what you are doing.” Lavin notes that the sleep cycle sets at 4 months and doesn’t change throughout one’s life. Meaning, anyone in the deep sleep stage can fall out of bed. However, some kids are less aware of a bed’s edge in a deep sleep, while other children may roll around more than others. And because there’s no memory of deep sleep, kids will not realize in the morning that they have fallen out of bed the previous night. This is what Lavin refers to as a “deep sleep phenomenon.”
• Choose the right time for your child to transition to a bed (usually between 18 months and 2 years old. When a child can climb out of the crib out on their own, it’s probably time. • Consider putting the mattress directly on the floor instead of on a bed frame and box spring. • Arrange a bed so that it is against at least one wall. • Add protective gear like rails or bumpers to act as a barrier to a child rolling off the bed. • Place cushions on the floor right beside the bed on both sides. • Check the stability of the bed every few months and tighten the screws.
Experts all agree that while falling out of bed is quite common, if your child of any age falls out of bed and gets injured, is vomiting, super drowsy, or won’t wake, you should seek medical care immediately. CHICAGOPARENT.COM
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REAL LIFE: RYAN MUNDY
Dad’s Mission: Raising Strong Girls, Changing Black Health
F
ormer Chicago Bears star safety Ryan Mundy knew he wanted to do something that would make life better for the people around him after leaving the gridiron. But in that transition from No. 21 to businessman, anxiety, depression and identity issues took hold. Though Mundy says he knew he needed help, he couldn’t find the right help. And if he couldn’t, he says, imagine the obstacles facing others in the Black community. From that realization grew his new mission. Alkeme is an innovative digital health platform for the Black community filled with Black practitioners and experts focused on wellbeing and mental health that meets people where they are and isn’t one-size-fits-all. “The good that we do is we create generational health for the Black community. We have a vision of a world where Black health disparities are nonexistent,” says Mundy. There’s much work to do. “... We are trying to course correct for 400plus years of a bad relationship with the health care system.” "Do good and do well" is Mundy's core belief and driving force. “How can I use my time, my talents, my treasure, the things I believe that I’ve been blessed with, to give back to the world and leave it in a better place?” Mundy says. While he’s doing that, his life’s mission, along with his wife Jillian, is to raise his two daughters, Ryan-Taylor, 10, and Camryn, 7, to be strong, confident women. He sat down with us recently to
BY TAMARA L. O'SHAUGHNESSY | PHOTO BY EMILY QUEZADA
talk parenthood in Chicago, a place he says felt like home the moment he arrived at Soldier Field. It’s become the stability he wanted for his family.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A CHICAGO DAD?
He calls it “the experience of a lifetime.” “My children look at me as still Dad. Dad every day. That’s always been a breath of fresh air for me, because sometimes I go out into the world and I have to be Ryan Mundy the athlete or Ryan Mundy the businessman, but, at home, I’m just Dad. I can just be unapologetically and authentically myself around my children and they love me for it, regardless if I’m an athlete, regardless if I’m a businessman. Raising two daughters has been quite joyful for me and also a great learning lesson,” he says.
DAD TIPS YOU'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY:
The belief at Alkeme, that a healthy life starts with a healthy mind, comes into play at home, too. He says raising strong Black women is always top of mind for him. Along with giving them the true essences of being Black on a daily basis, he and Jillian work to instill self-awareness and self-confidence in the girls, while making sure they feel good about standing up on their own two feet, he says. “I really try to operate with (the idea), provide guidance but don’t overreach. Particularly with growing young girls, I want them to develop that self-awareness, to de-
velop that intuition, to understand that with that, sometimes they have to make mistakes, sometimes I have to let them make mistakes so that they can learn on their own.” He says he turns everything into a teachable moment at home so that when they get out into the world they will be comfortable with who they are and how they show up. And if he had a magic wand to wave over their future? He envisions an inclusive, collaborative, supportive world in which they have the resources to think big. He always tells his girls to protect themselves, protect each other, be healthy, be successful, have fun and help others.
FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH THE GIRLS:
“I’m really, really active in my children’s lives. I make breakfast for them every day, I drop them off to school every day. I would say that the time I have with them in the car … it’s our time. That’s a special time we have with one another, so I’m really appreciative of that.”
ALKEME IS BIG ON AFFIRMATIONS, WHAT’S YOURS?
“Everything happens the way it should, when it should. Good, bad or indifferent, it happened for a reason, it happened the way it was supposed to happen. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate throughout my life’s journey, but it hasn’t always been pretty, and I’ve had to overcome quite a bit of obstacles and difficult times to keep going.”
FAST TA L K YOUR BEST FATHER’S DAY GIFT: “Somewhere warm on a beach with my family. I would love that for Father’s Day.” WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER: “My creativity. I can think quickly, I can see things, I have vision.” ONE THING THAT SURPRISES PEOPLE ABOUT YOU: “Generally people think the only thing they can talk to me about is football. I’m a multidimensional individual and I have a world of experiences beyond that. … I think people are generally pleasantly surprised when I shift the conversation away from football and can talk about whatever they are interested in.” YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE: Sweets. “I love cupcakes, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I love pancakes.” WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR DAUGHTERS SAY ABOUT YOU? “I really love my dad.”
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A
Nurturing
Private School Educating the Whole
Child
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22 MAY/JUNE 2022
PilgrimChicago.org
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A Mom’s Life HOW THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE FOR MOMS AND WHY IT’S STILL A STRUGGLE BY DANIELLE BRAFF
A Mom’s Life
T
he first part of the story you’re about to read may sound very familiar. Sadly. It’s all true. Chicago mom Laura Danger was happily teaching at a special needs public school while her two children were in day care. And then came the pandemic. Her children, who were 9 months and 3 years, were exposed to COVID-19 back-toback, their day care classes closing for a total of eight weeks. Like the rest of us, Danger and her partner — who was also working full-time — continued paying for day care, but their children were home with them. “We bought a corral and a million toys, and I put the baby in a mesh puppy pit in the basement behind me,” Danger says. “The 3-yearold would try to keep her busy, and I would mute the computer if they were screaming.” It seemed unsustainable, but Danger was hopeful that the worst of COVID would pass by summer 2020. She kept her children out of day care that summer so they’d be healthy, though she continued to pay to keep their spots. Once fall came around, the kids returned to day care, and were sick immediately, so they switched to a nanny. Danger taught from the basement, escaping to Target to use the bathroom so her children wouldn’t realize she was at home. “I was the dungeon troll for the school year,” Danger says. But again, it wasn’t sustainable, and she fell into a mental health crisis. The following year, Danger was struggling with her mental health, one child started kindergarten, and the family realized they couldn’t afford to continue spending the money on a nanny for a single child. She dropped the nanny and put one child in kindergarten and one back in day care. Of course, her children got sick immediately and had to stay home until the PCR tests cleared. “I was coming home every night, not sleeping, my stomach was tied into knots, I was snapping at my own children who were
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home sick, and I was almost out of sick days,” Danger says.
Enough
It was time. She wrote a resignation letter and officially left the workplace, joining the 64 million women who lost jobs in 2020 alone, accounting for 5% of the jobs held by women who were forced to choose between their children and their jobs. Today, two years into the crisis, women don’t appear to be making any major leaps or bounds back into work. In fact, they’re still leaving. The January jobs report found that 275,000 women left the workforce in December 2021 alone, leaving the women’s workplace participation rate at just 57%. This is a rate that hadn’t been seen since 1988. While the number of women working or looking for work dropped from August to September, it rose for men. The reasons aren’t surprising, says Chandra Sanders, the director of RISE, the nonprofit arm of The Mom Project, which addresses a lack of equity in the workforce. “Mothers are often celebrated for being expert multitaskers — caregivers and team-playing coworkers, C-suite officers in their professional lives and their personal lives — and the pandemic put even more pressure on these already very demanding, multifaceted roles,” Sanders says. Even though most schools have been reopened for at least a year, there have been intermittent closings and many sick days, making it difficult for women to consider committing to a full-time position when they can’t predict the future of the virus.
Plus, burnout has accounted for even more job losses. In one survey, 42% of women reported feeling burnout this year, compared with 32% who felt this way in 2020. Just 35% of men say they were burned out this year, compared with 28% in 2020. Mothers returning to work require flexibility, which encompasses so much more than the ability to choose the location you work from, if that’s even an option, Sanders says. “Embracing atypical schedules — hours that allow mothers to attend to their familial and professional needs — is key, as is ensuring that there’s a strong employee support structure consisting of access to mental health resources, child care resources and a culture of understanding,” she says. There were 1 million fewer women in the labor force in February 2022 compared with early 2020, meaning they are neither working nor looking for work; men, on the other hand, have recouped all their pandemic labor losses, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Women now make up more than two in three, or 68%, of net job losers since the start of the crisis.
The battle
“For the millions of women who left the paid workforce at the start of the pandemic and haven’t yet returned, the two-year mark is significant,” says Sharmili Majmudar, the executive vice president of policy organizational Impact Women Employed in Chicago. “This is the point at which the gap in work history becomes much harder to overcome.” Majmudar pointed to a study by ResumeGo, which found that as two years outside the paid workforce turn into three, the chances of getting an interview fall by 50%. Women who want to return to work face multiple challenges, from the employers who have a bias against long gaps in work history, to the caregivers and household responsibilities that continue to be a gendered burden, Majmudar says. According to a Pew Research Center study conducted at the end of January, roughly 59% of U.S. workers who said their jobs could mainly be done from home were working from their residences all or most of the time. And, of those, the majority were working
“Women didn’t leave the workforce to relax somewhere,” she says. “They were simultaneously managing ill friends and family, kids attending Zoom school, drive-by birthday parties, wiping down groceries and constant fear about the health of their loved ones.”
from home by choice versus necessity — a flip from the start of the pandemic. Most of the respondents (64%) said their teleworking arrangement made it easier to balance personal and work life.
The pivot
The women who appear to be having the best luck are those who are pivoting. Nicole Rhone, 38, was living in a three-bedroom Hoffman Estates home with her 5-year-old and 17-year-old when the pandemic began. She was an HR manager and a business partner for a billion-dollar global organization — and she was also her father’s primary caregiver. “Everything hit the fan,” Rhone says, explaining that she knew immediately that she’d have to give up her job. Her husband traveled too much to help with pandemic schooling, and she couldn’t take on all the roles. So she moved her family to a two-bedroom Elgin home in April 2020, resigned from her job and became a full-time stay-at-home mother and caregiver. “I think that it speaks to how many hats women really have to wear,” Rhone says. “We’re not only working in the workforce, but we’re responsible for the kids, for our parents, for handling all those other things. We really had to be forced to choose between work and our families, and it stinks.” The pandemic exacerbated a problem that’s existed for a long time, says Tara Ceranic Salinas, professor of business ethics at the University of San Diego. Research shows that women still do the majority of the child care and domestic work at home, she says. “In fact, working women spend 21 hours a week on household tasks and that does not include child care,” Salinas says. “So when schools and day cares closed, women often added managing Zoom school and entertaining kids to their already full days.”
The situation simply became so unmanageable that over one-third of mothers living with school-aged children left the workforce since the start of the pandemic. That’s not to say that men haven’t also exited the workforce for the same reasons, but women and their careers have borne the brunt of this pandemic in ways men simply have not, Salinas says. The pandemic erased two years of advancement, skill development, relationship building and learning, but if organizations are smart, this shouldn’t hurt women, Salinas says. “Women didn’t leave the workforce to relax somewhere,” she says. “They were simultaneously managing ill friends and family, kids attending Zoom school, drive-by birthday parties, wiping down groceries and constant fear about the health of their loved ones.” Rather than returning to pre-pandemic days, Salinas says, she hopes companies spend the resources to do better for women. But before those companies do that, she suggests that women ask themselves: Do you want to do what you used to do? What have you learned about yourself and your skills in the last two years, and how can that apply to work? What kind of flexibility do you need, and how will this company support you? This is exactly what Rhone did. When her father passed away and her youngest returned to school, Rhone started trying to incorporate her HR past into her own business, founding her own company called Flourishing, which helps women create a work-life balance to avoid burnout. Rhone still can’t work full-time, since she has to take her child to and from the bus, there’s limited before-and-after care, and she’s responsible for any of her children’s sick days. But she feels good to be working again. “It’s turning into something pretty lucrative and pretty fulfilling,” Rhone says. CHICAGOPARENT.COM
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ormal, n to rn tu re a r fo Y D A E R We’re all SO or as close as it can be BY KATE SCHWEITZER | ART BY JUSTINE ALLENETTE ROSS
an’t.”
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“Not yet, but maybe whe
“No, honey, it’s just not safe.”
The past two years of the pandemic were exhausting for nearly everyone, but for parents, the added layer of having to say some version of "no" multiple times a day to pleading kiddos has felt particularly repetitive — and exponentially tiresome. That is, until now? Although the promise of a post-pandemic summer isn’t guaranteed — the risk of a potential new variant could rattle our plans at any time — things are certainly looking up. As COVID-19 cases have plummeted and safety protocols have relaxed, this might be the first
season families are able to finally breathe a mask-optional sigh of relief and give their kiddos a long-overdue "yes." Still, coming off of two summers that had more rules than Monopoly, parents may have a hard time relearning how to let loose. From a checklist of must-experience moments, to expert-backed tips to navigate your family’s re-entry, to how packing for a day out may look a little different with little ones, we’ve got your guide to your most carefree summer yet. (Or, you know, your most carefree summer of the past few summers ...)
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The
Ultimate Chicago Summer Bucket List After a few straight summers without much need for schedule keeping, this one promises to be action packed. New attractions are arriving and previously shuttered festivals are back to their prepandemic size and scope. Before it fills up, consider adding these family-friendly delights to your calendar.
Go fetch at Montrose Dog Beach.
Reach new heights at ClimbZone.
Whether or not your family welcomed a pandemic puppy, Chicago’s first legal off-leash beach is a sight for all animal lovers to behold.
In need of a little indoor (air-conditioned) action? The recently opened ClimbZone — the first in Illinois — lets your kids climb Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and, well, a giant computer keyboard. The sky quite literally is the limit at this imaginative facility, which features 68 themed walls, a soft, toddler-friendly play space, rope courses and a laser tag arena.
Play catch on game day at Gallagher Way. Whenever the Cubs are playing at home, Gallagher Way allows ticket holders to stop by before or after the ballgame at no extra charge. It’s the perfect time to sip local brews, play a game of catch in the plaza with your kids, and pay a visit to the 2016 World Series Trophy on display seven days a week.
Get a sugar rush at the Original Rainbow Cone. A rare line worth waiting in these days is the one wrapped around this iconic South Side shop with the pink stucco exterior. That’s because it gets you the namesake Rainbow Cone, a classic sugar cone topped with colorful layers of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (that’s New York vanilla with cherries and walnuts), pistachio and orange sherbet.
May 7 Hope for wind at the Kids & Kites Festival. An annual tradition spanning two decades, many families may be willing to brave the crowds — and risk the tangled kite strings — atop Cricket Hill this year in order to behold a sky full of colorful kites in flight.
May 15 Cross the finish line at Kids Run This City. After its inaugural races in 2019, the children’s running series switched to virtual in 2020 and went on hiatus in 2021, which means its return to Lincoln Park this May is hotly anticipated by the 12-and-under crowd determined to medal in either the 1K, 2K or 3K event. (Spoiler alert: every participant walks — or runs — away with a medal!)
Get to know Chicago's neighborhoods better than your own. There’s nothing quite like summer and all of the neighborhood fests that come with all the flavors and sounds of the neighborhood to really feel one with the Windy City. Most offer kid-friendly activities and music.
Dive into the Museum of Ice Cream. The interactive art installation that started a trend of Instagram-ready “museums” back in 2016 will have a permanent home in the Tribune Tower. Known for its ball pit-style pool of oversized sprinkles, which may have felt a touch risky at the height of the pandemic, it’s sure to provide sweet photo opps — and free samples! Photo courtesy of Museum of Ice Cream
MORE SUMMER FUN
Let our summer fun guide help your family grab on to an amazing summer. ChicagoParent.com/LatestIssue
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Photo courtesy of DCASE
Your Day Trip Packing List Before Kids Look to the sky at the Chicago Air and Water Show.
Now Vs.
After being canceled in 2020 and showcasing a singular performance by the US Navy Blue Angels in 2021, the beloved event will return for a two-day spectacle, complete with low-flying supersonic stunts that are sure to wow audiences of all ages — and warrant the purchase of some pint-sized noise-canceling headphones.
Aug 20-21
Then:
Now: A wallet with your ID,
Then:
Now: Spare diapers (at least
Then:
Now: Six bottles of sunscreen
A bottle of sunscreen.
— the mineral-based one they always refuse but you’re determined to try every single time, the stick version of that mineral-based one, the one where the cap turns blue in the sun, and the one they will actually just-barely tolerate in varying SPFs: 30, 75, and 100. (You forgot your fancy $65 facial sunscreen on the bathroom counter.)
Then:
Now: An assortment of fruit pouches, a baggie of half-crushed Goldfish crackers, a not-quiteleak-proof sippy cup, a banana with a single brown spot that makes it entirely inedible, and a few loose, stale Cheerios hiding out at the bottom of your bag.
A wallet with your ID and credit card. Add in all the happenings in the suburbs and you could have something unique to do nearly every weekend this summer. (No one will judge any added pounds from tasty treats.)
June 26 Show your support at the Chicago Pride Parade. Be sure to claim your spot early to see the rainbow-bedecked floats! The popular pride parade, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, returns to its usual path —starting in Uptown and ending in Lincoln Park — after being canceled the past two years. Similarly, Chicago Pride Fest, the annual all-ages street festival, makes a welcome comeback in Northalsted.
Stay up late for the fireworks at Navy Pier. In Chicago, you don’t have to wait until the Fourth of July to watch a fireworks display. If you’re willing to delay bedtime by a few hours, you can enjoy a free, 15-minute spectacle over Lake Michigan. The shows take place twice a week, with two showings a night — all summer long at Navy Pier!
An extra pair of sunglasses.
July 8-10 Come hungry to the Taste of Chicago. It feels like forever since the world’s largest free-admission outdoor food festival graced Grant Park with all the deep dish, Italian beef and Portillo’s hot dogs your kids could eat. Although only a bite-sized version of the lakefront extravaganza will return this year — with 30 to 40 eateries and food trucks over a three-day span — the event will also sponsor pop-ups throughout June in select neighborhoods.
Photo courtesy of NAVY PIER
July 28-31 Be one of the cool kids. Lollapalooza and its kid-friendly sibling Kidzapalooza are back and ready to rock your world this summer. Tickets are already on sale so best hurry to make this huge music fest a memory for the kids.
A protein bar.
credit card, health insurance card, COVID vaccination cards for you and the kids, three different library cards, a membership card to a museum you are determined to use once this year, a buy-10get-1-free punch card you never remember to use at the frozen yogurt shop you’ve gone to dozens of times this month.
one for every two hours away from home!), wipes, burp cloths, and, once potty trained, an extra pair of underpants, socks and pants.
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Prepare For
Re-entRy
How to navigate your family’s return to normalcy
A SPECIAL NOTE TO ...
those who became parents during the pandemic: Although they’re new to parenting, Livorsi advises parents of pandemic babies — or, now, pandemic toddlers — to trust themselves. “There’s going to be a lot of people who’ve missed you and are clamoring to see your baby, but be sure to take it slower,” she says. “Don’t succumb to the pressure to go back to normal — because there has been no normal for you to go back to.”
Even for the most COVID-fatigued family, the return of a “normal” summer — ahem, packed crowds, long lines and high temps — may be trickier to traverse than expected. Whether you’re ready to go big or inclined to go straight home, Dawn Livorsi, a staff therapist with The Family Institute at Northwestern University, has advice to keep your cool in every scenario.
1
Start off simple. You might think your kids are ready to jump feet first into a freewheeling summer, but keep in mind: COVID has been a factor in nearly every decision concerning them — at home and at school — for years. “I’d recommend small steps to reintegrate,” Livorsi says. “As opposed to jumping into a multiday summer camp or a pool party, start with an afternoon playdate that feels manageable, especially if they need to accli-
mate to the experience of being away from home or away from parents.” Ease gradually into one experience before piling on another, and be OK with backtracking as needed. In fact, it’s normal for even the calmest of kids to be nervous about new activities, Livorsi says, “considering all the starts and stops we’ve had.” Sure, it may be disappointing to realize even preschoolers aren’t as uninhibited as they might have been if not for the past two years. “But listening to their concerns and then normalizing and validating them as a universal experience that we’re all managing is important,” she says.
2
Make a plan -- but be flexible. Even for those families who’ve hit up masked museums and events, most venues had limited occupancy to account for social distancing. Now, with spaces at maximum ca-
pacity, it’s important to prepare kids for what that means in practice. “Some kids have never been out to experience these things,” says Livorsi. “It’s an opportunity for families to do some creative problem solving, to think through what could come up.” Do they have fears about getting lost? Being jostled or pushed? Discuss each scenario. Eating inside a restaurant, waiting in a long line for a public restroom, or changing up a routine (a skipped nap, for instance) all come with a learning curve if you haven’t done it in awhile. Teaching kids age-appropriate ways to regulate their emotions — like taking deep breaths or even a sip of water — can help them to redirect distressing feelings and soothe themselves if ever these experiences start to feel like too much. Life rarely goes as planned even without the ebbs and flows of an ongoing pandemic, so Livorsi suggests parents set realistic expectations and help prepare kids for all possibilities — including the bummer of a can-
Prefer to Get a Bit
Farther Away?
Heading to the airport with kids was stressful pre-pandemic. Consider this advice before booking your flight.
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Avoid Fridays.
Summer is the busiest travel season, and Fridays are, yearround, the busiest travel day of the week. You’re sure to face excessive crowds, and if you add the occasional weather delay, you run the risk of a longer-than-expected stay at your departure gate.
Check the requirements at your destination. Particularly if you are traveling internationally, you’ll want to be sure you have the most up-to-date intel on rules surrounding COVID testing and possible quarantine procedures. If any step is confusing, call your airline and ask to connect with its official testing hotline.
A SPECIAL NOTE TO ...
celed event or the reversal of a mask mandate. “We need to give them some sense of predictability, but in the times that we’re in, we still have to be flexible.”
3
Expect resistance -- but watch for red flags. Parents should expect to see some common symptoms as kids transition back to more typical gatherings. They may be clingy or show separation anxiety, they may be irritable, they may exhibit different eating habits or they may experience regressions — like accidents after being successfully potty trained or the return of a kicked thumb-sucking habit. “Much of that is going to be managed with some experience,” Livorsi says. “They go out, they do it a few times and they get more comfortable.” Patience is paramount, as is allowing every member of the family to go at the pace that’s right for them: “For some kids, the best thing for them might be to sit in the discomfort of it and realize that they can do it, while some may just not be there yet. In that case, take a step back and figure out how to better prepare them for next time.”
Pack extra masks.
If the TSA’s mask mandate remains in place, you’ll want to be sure you have extras of the style your children prefer in case they get wet or dirty.
If, however, worry is eliciting outbursts or impacting their ability to function in day-to-day tasks, it might be time to seek additional support, such as counseling. “They’ve missed a lot already, so if they’re now missing birthday parties or day camps at the local park, we should address it,” she says. “We don’t want them to miss out on anything else.”
4
Acknowledge your own anxieties, too. Just as parents need to support their children’s re-emergence, they need to do the same for themselves. “They’re going to have to figure out how to manage their anxiety so that it doesn’t impair their kids’ experiences,” Livorsi says. “If you send your kid out the door biting your nails, your kid is going to feel nervous, too.” It might feel like an act of treason to watch your child sneeze (into their elbow, of course!) in public and not turn six shades of red and apologize to everyone in a quarter-mile radius, but letting go of some of those knee-jerk responses is a good starting place.
Board the plane first. Normally, it’s nice to let kids run around the gate as long as possible before they are saddled into cramped airplane seats, but extra time (and space!) to wipe down surfaces is worth the request for early boarding.
those who lost the last years with "kids" at home:
Many parents are mourning the loss of two crucial years with their growing kids, who’ve since graduated into tweens or teens no longer interested in participating in family outings. “What’s unfortunate is we can’t go back and try to force it — that would be a mistake,” Livorsi says. “There’s some grief in that, in knowing they’ve surpassed this developmental stage of your collective lives.” Instead of dragging your kids to some version of forced family fun, she suggests a collaboration. “Ask them what they’d suggest doing that everyone would like.”
Her key advice? Focus only on what you can control. “You can’t control what others do,” she says. “But you can make decisions for your family based on your best judgment.” And, Livorsi says, it bears repeating: “Remember to give yourself permission to have fun.”
Overpack snacks.
Many airlines have paused snack and beverage service, so be sure to have enough granola bars and trail mix to go around. Also, don’t forget about you! A hangry parent doesn’t stand a chance.
YOU CAN STAY: Pandemic-Era Pastimes We Don't Want to Go Away Not everything that came about as a consequence of COVID was a bad thing. A short list of what we hope will stick around for good:
Park picnics. Meeting up with
friends for lunch al fresco doesn’t have to require a 45-minute wait for the next available patio table. An oversized blanket on a shady patch of grass works just fine. And, now it’s safe enough to go potluck! Just no double-dipping in the hummus, mkay?
Nature preserve playdates. There’s no need to turn your playroom into a disaster area when you can coax your kiddos to meet up in the great outdoors. With nearly 69,000 acres of natural areas in Chicagoland, there’s no shortage of space to explore.
A 'rain or shine' attitude. Eight seasons of being forced to socialize outside has taught most families how to make due with inconvenient weather. Raining? Just grab the galoshes and go!
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Things To Do Through July 31 Chicago
FREE May 1 River Forest
Lookingglass Alice Photo by Liz Lauren
May 7 Naperville
May 14 Chicago
FREE May 14 Chicago Switch on Summer 2022
Please check events before heading out due to the pandemic. Plus, easily find even more fun for your family at ChicagoParent.com /Calendar.
Opens May 20 Chicago
Lookingglass Alice
See a circus-infused spin on the classic that has toured the country and now is coming back home. Times vary by date. $50. Lookingglass Theatre. lookingglasstheatre.org.
Spring Festival & Trailside Museum’s 90th Anniversary Celebration
Enjoy guided wildflower walks, bird banding, animal encounters and crafts. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Trailside Museum of Natural History. fpdcc.com.
June 3-5 Chicago
Do Division Street Fest
FREE June 4-5 Chicago
75th Annual 57th Street Art Fair
June 9-Oct. 9 Chicago
Prince: The Immersive Experience
June 10-12 Chicago
Andersonville Midsommarfest
FREE Opens June 24 Elmhurst
Eat Your Heart Out: Iconic Chicagoland Foods
FREE June 25 Chicago
Dragon Boat Race for Literacy
Naperville Food Truck Festival
Enjoy 25-plus of the area’s best food trucks, a DJ, beer garden, bubble artist and a vendor village featuring local businesses. 1-7 p.m. $5-$10. Naper Settlement. naperville.il.us.
Carnival of the Animals
See the debut of A&A Ballet’s take on “Carnival of the Animals” and a world premiere of “The Firebird.” The show features new choreography and sand art animation. Ages 3 and older. $25$55. 3-4 p.m., May 14. Athenaeum Theatre. aacenterfordance.org.
Switch on Summer 2022
Watch as the official switch of summer — iconic Buckingham Fountain — is turned on. Enjoy in-person, family-friendly activities and entertainment, food vendors, giveaways and special guest appearances. ComEd will also livestream on its Facebook page. Noon-3 p.m. Buckingham Fountain. comed.com
Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories Hear from Native Americans and Indigenous people about their music, dance, art and stories. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free with museum admission. Field Museum. fieldmuseum.org.
Enjoy two live music stages, local designer runway shows, vendors and a kids zone with a mega slide, petting zoo and musical performers. 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $10 donation. Division Street between Damen and Leavitt. westtownchamber.org.
See nearly 200 artists with live music presented by Buddy Guy’s Legends. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 57th Street, Hyde Park. 57thstreetartfair.org.
Get your purple rain fill at the newest immersive experience making its worldwide debut featuring the music and life of Prince. $39.50. The Shops at North Bridge. princetheexperience.com.
Experience the annual Swedish celebration by dancing around the Maypole. Family-friendly activities include a pet parade. 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $10 donation. 5217 N. Clark. andersonville.org/midsommarfest.
Explore the history of many favorite Chicagoland specialties. 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Elmhurst History Museum.elmhursthistory.org
Enjoy a day out in Chinatown for the annual dragon boat races. Cheer on teams raising money for literacy and explore the vibrant community. Races 8 a.m.-5 p.m., trolley rides 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Ping Tom Memorial Park. chicagochinatown.org.
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THINGS TO DO | Find Your Zen
Soak in Nature
Get the kids excited about nature at some of the great nature centers around Chicago at ChicagoParent.com /LatestIssue.
Where to take a nature bath for all the feel-good benefits. Clothes not optional!
DIY NATURE BATHS
BY LORI ORLINSKY
Forest Glen Woods Located just outside of Jefferson Park on the far northwest side of the city, Forest Glen Woods is a small natural habitat that is part of the Lower North Branch preserves. Nature bathers can take in some of the best natural habitat on the Chicago River and see an abundance of plants that include swamp buttercup, trout lilies and wild geranium. This is also a popular location to observe migratory and nesting birds, snapping turtles and monarch butterflies. 5420 N. Forest Glen Ave., Chicago fpdcc.com
F
resh air, beautiful scenery and the sounds of the great outdoors. There is nothing more peaceful than unplugging from technology and truly connecting with nature. This ritual practice — also known as nature or forest bathing — comes from a Japanese concept developed in the 1980s. During a nature bath, you experience nature therapy by “bathing” in the energy of clean air to awaken the senses. Taking a mindful stroll is known to ease stress, restore positive moods and boost immune function. Here are five places to get you started on taking a nature bath with kids this summer.
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN
ORGANIZED NATURE BATHS Chicago Botanic Garden The Chicago Botanic Garden offers nature baths with certified nature and forest therapy guides. Instructors combine standard and progressive methods to deliver uplifting classes for all ages and abilities. Participants connect with forest life through mindful activities on a gentle walk, typically covering less than a mile and ending with a tea ceremony using native plants. $50 for non-members; 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe chicagobotanic.org
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Garfield Park Conservatory Led by an experienced horticultural therapist, Garfield Park Conservatory offers guided nature bath walks for families. Each walk begins with grounding activities that include breath work and sensory work with plants around the conservatory. At the end of each walk, guests enjoy a tea ceremony that highlights plants from the walk as well as an art-based activity using plants and plant material. Sliding scale ticket prices 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago garfieldconservatory.org
Morton Arboretum The Morton Arboretum offers two- and three-hour forest therapy walks led by a certified forest therapy guide. No two walks are the same, as each one visits different locations on the 1,700-acre property. Participants experience a series of guided, gentle “invitations” to commune with nature and notice new details. The walks conclude with a calming tea ceremony where guests can reflect over tea made from edible plants foraged along the trail. $32; 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle mortonarb.org
LaBagh Woods LaBagh Woods boasts a wealth of diverse natural areas, including wooded landscapes, wetlands, savannas and sedge meadows. Located at the southern start of the popular North Branch Trail, nature lovers can take in large oaks, hickories and maples. LaBagh has also been dubbed a birdwatching paradise. North Cicero Avenue, north of West Foster Avenue, Chicago fpdcc.com Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve Thorn Creek in Will County gives families more than 1,000 acres to bath in. Not only does it have nearly two miles of trails and a nature center to explore after your bath, it offers a vast variety of habitats, such as forest, prairie, savanna, wetland and Thorn Creek — as well as wildlife (flying squirrels!). 247 Monee Road, Park Forest reconnectwithnature.org
Find a summer full of fun at ChicagoParent.com /LatestIssue.
THINGS TO DO | Celebrate Big
Celebrate a Summer of Culture
From Pride to AAPI and Juneteenth, get your family out of the house to experience all that May and June offers
T
BY KARI ZAFFARANO
here’s so much to enjoy this summer, but it is also a great time to celebrate and learn more about the many people who call Chicagoland home. Make celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Juneteenth and Pride month part of your summer traditions.
AAPI EVENTS FREE DIY Origami Butterflies May 9-13 • Chicago Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by creating a colorful origami butterfly. All supplies are provided. Noon-3 p.m. Clearing Branch Library. chipublib.bibliocommons.com. AAPI Restaurants Week 2022 May 13-22 • Chicago Taste different foods. OCA Greater Chicago is hosting AAPI Restaurants Week featuring AAPI-owned restaurants. Check website for participating locations. Times and prices vary by location. ocachicago.org. FREE Spring Festival: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month May 15 • Chicago Celebrate with arts, storytelling and craft projects. 1-3 p.m. Caldwell Woods. fpdcc.com.
JUNETEENTH EVENTS FREE Juneteenth Celebration June 16 • Chicago Enjoy food and music at this celebration, held in partnership with the Base Chicago and Tilton Park Advisory Council. 6-7:45 p.m. Tilton (George) Park. chicagoparkdistrict.com. FREE Juneteenth Independent Festival June 18-19 • Elgin Join Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and the African-American Coalition of Kane County for a celebration. There will be live bands, BBQ, a DJ and a parade. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Festival Park. cityofelgin.org. FREE Homewood-Flossmoor Juneteenth Festival & Parade June 19 • Flossmoor Delight in a parade, live music, vendors, food trucks and more at this celebration of African American culture. 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (10 a.m. parade). Homewood-Flossmoor High School. youmatter2.org.
PRIDE EVENTS Chicago Pride Fest June 18-19 • Chicago Experience live music on three stages, food and drink, more than 100 vendors, drag shows, pet parade, giveaways, games, DJs and more. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. $15 donation. Northalsted on Halsted Street from Addison to Grace Street. northalsted.com. FREE Navy Pier Pride June 25 • Chicago Families with kids of all ages can enjoy this family-friendly event that spreads pier-wide. Experience music, dance, storytelling and other activities. Noon11:30 p.m. Navy Pier. navypier.org. Pride in the Park Chicago June 25-26 • Chicago Experience this annual outdoor music festival expanding to two days in Grant Park. It features LGBTQ+ performers, artists, vendors and more. 2-10 p.m. Saturday and 3-10 p.m. Sunday. $100-$275, Free/10 and under with paying adult. Grant Park. prideparkchi.com.
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Silver Lake Sand Dunes, Michigan Photo courtesy of Pure Michigan
Tank Down the River in North Platte, Nebraska Photo courtesy of AJ Dahm, Nebraska Life Mag
THINGS TO DO | Get Out of Town
Crank up the Fun Exhilarating Midwest outdoor adventures: Familytested, family-approved for summer
W
BY CORTNEY FRIES
hen it comes to summer, outdoor adventures might be something that fits on everyone’s list. We tried out some of the adventurous excursions in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska so you’ll know what to expect.
WHITEWATER RAFT IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Get a taste of class 2 whitewater rafting close to home at East Race Waterway in South Bend, Indiana. Open mid-June until early September, this urban adventure might be just the adrenaline rush your family is looking for. RIDE HIGH IN SILVER LAKE SAND DUNES, MICHIGAN Soaring sand dunes and sugar sand beaches lure families to the Silver Lake Sand Dunes area of Michigan. Off-road in an ATV or UTV for a rush your kids won’t forget. Or leave the driving to Mac Wood’s Dune Rides and sit back with a smile spread across your face as they take you on a wild ride. Afterward, get out on the water in a boat, WaveRunner or paddleboard rental from Wave Club Water Sports.
Whitewater Raft in South Bend, Indiana Photo courtesy of South Bend Venues Parks & Arts
watering tank and up to eight of your favorite friends and family. Relax and float down the river, listening to tunes and taking in the scenery. Dusty Trails offers tanks with benches and room for a cooler. You can also go horseback riding, kayaking or canoeing. SLEEP IN A FLOATING TENT IN TROY, OHIO Camping becomes even more memorable when you sleep in an inflatable, floating tent. Float Troy in Troy, Ohio, offers the only floating tent experience open to the public. Up to two adults and two kids can spend the night per tent on the Miami River late June through early September.
PAINTBALL AND AIRSOFT PARK IN ALTON Near St. Louis in Alton, Illinois, you’ll find Bing Field, the ultimate paintball and airsoft park. Perfect for older kids and birthday parties, experience an epic battle akin to a real-life video game.
RIDE TORPEDOES AND LAUNCH HUMANS ON EAST SILENT LAKE, MINNESOTA East Silent Lake Resort in Dent, Minnesota, offers a wholesome, family-friendly escape. Summer means tween activities like riding torpedoes through the water and launching friends and family members into the lake off a giant inflatable. Little kids love the water slide and classic summer games like balloon toss and sack races.
TANK DOWN THE RIVER IN NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA A unique spin on a floating trip, found only in Nebraska, tanking involves a round, buoyant livestock
WAKEBOARD, SWIM AND BOAT IN CRYSTAL LAKE The 32-acre, next-generation Quarry Cable Park is in Crystal Lake. Wakeboard over jumps, then hang out lakeside at restaurant, play sand volleyball or baggo
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and listen to live music. Part of Three Oaks Recreation Park, you can also swim and rent boats at the marina. KITEBOARD AND WIND WING ON SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN Kids ages 8-12 can experience ultimate thrills kiteboarding or wind winging with Stoke Riders, in St. Joseph, Michigan. Certified instructors provide exhilarating, safety-focused lessons around southern Lake Michigan on windy days. PARASAIL OVER GRAND TRAVERSE BAY, MICHIGAN Aerial views of aquamarine waters can be all yours as you float above Traverse City with Traverse Bay Parasail. A gentle, yet refreshing experience, you’ll walk away with beautiful pictures of your family with joy written all over their faces. ZIP DOWN AN ALPINE SLIDE IN THOMPSONVILLE, MICHIGAN Michigan’s only alpine coaster is the 1,700-foot Crystal Coaster at Crystal Mountain Resort. Dips and turns make the slide a laugh fest. Other summer activities include disc golf, bike riding, swimming, climbing, archery, pickleball, laser tag and more.
THINGS TO DO | Go On An Adventure
(Henry) Palmisano Park
Bridgeport Get to know this near South Side neighborhood known for its art, culture and politics
I
BY DAWN REISS
f you want to see where Chicago’s past mayors have called home, there’s no better place than Bridgeport. This near-South Side neighborhood has ties to five Chicago mayors — Edward Kelly, Martin Kennelly, Richard J. Daley, Michael Bilandic and Richard M. Daley. (There’s a reason Bridgeport Coffee offers the “Mayors Blend”). The neighborhood is known for its “machine politics” and has grown more diverse in recent years with 63% identifying as either Asian or Latinx. “Bridgeport is closer to downtown than Logan Square or Wicker Park,” says Kevin Hickey, chef-owner of The Duck Inn and a sixth-generation resident in Bridgeport. “And it’s just as cool.”
Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple
E AT
THE DUCK INN 2701 S. Eleanor St., Chicago Although it’s known as a dinner destination spot, try the Sunday brunch. This gastro pub offers up a host of sweet and savory options, including delicious sweet potato French toast, an egg mcduckinn made with a duck-infused sausage patty, and a rotisserie duck hash. Make a reservation and go early to avoid the crowd. (And, yes, it has high chairs.) PIZZA FRIED CHICKEN ICE CREAM 964 W. 31st St., Chicago This kid-friendly joint offers tavern-style pizza, buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches and tenders, and ice cream. There’s an outdoor patio and it’s a part of delicious trifecta with Kimski and Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar next to each other. “It’s a favorite of mine with my niece and nephews,” says Megan Delurey of Bridgeport.
SHOP
GETTING THERE: Bridgeport sits just west of the Chicago White Sox’s Guaranteed Rate Field in Armour Square, bound by the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, the south branch of the Chicago River and Pershing Road.
The Duck Inn
TANGIBLE BOOKS 3324 S. Halsted St., Chicago With more than 50,000 books, this recently opened second-hand book store offers a wealth of resources. It’s run by the former owners of Wicker Park-based Myopic Books, Joe Judd and his wife Lisa. Wind through to the back of the store to a “kids’ room” where children flop on the floor and read after digging through bins of board books and storybooks, or browsing the extensive young adult collection. “We want kids to find it fun to read books,” Judd says. Check out the local authors section, where the owners give 100% of the proceeds to the writers.
Find more reasons to visit Bridgeport at ChicagoParent.com/ LatestIssue.
P L AY
(HENRY) PALMISANO PARK 2700 S. Halsted St., Chicago Better known as “Mount Bridgeport” or Stearns Quarry, this once privately-owned limestone quarry turned nature park offers 26.5 acres to roam. There’s a pier for catch-and-release fishing, a 380foot hole formed by mining more than 130 years ago. Climb up winding hills by stepping on gigantic stones or wander around on metal pathways that offer breathtaking views of the city skyline. It’s filled with prairie grasses and wetlands. Kids will love “climbing the mound” and the places to picnic.
EXPLORE
LING SHEN CHING TZE TEMPLE 1035 W. 31st St., Chicago This former Presbyterian church turned Buddhist temple is filled with golden statues and spots to meditate. Be prepared to remove your shoes and keep voices low. Wander past bodhisattvas and Buddhas alters with offerings dedicated to the teachings of Taoism, Sutrayana and Tantric philosophies. CHICAGO MARITIME MUSEUM 1200 W. 35th St., Chicago Learn about the shipping and naval history of Chicago at this hidden gem. Located at the river level of the Bridgeport Art Center, this 10,000-square-foot museum walks visitors through the French fur traders, and steam and sail-powered vessels and frigates.
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MY MANTRA | How I Make It Through The Day
BRENNA MOSS After more than a decade of teaching early elementary, Brenna now spends her days at home with her two children in Lincoln Square. Their days are guided by a strong belief in child-led learning through play and exploration. Find her fun at-home play and craft ideas on Instagram @raisingminimoss.
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ART BY LAINEY YEHL
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