News: What’s happening in the community

Six Flags for All

The Jackson, NJ amusement park has plans to become an inclusive environment all year long.

Six Flags Great Adventure has plans to earn a Certified Autism Center™ designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. This means at least 80 percent of the guestfacing staff at Six Flags must complete a training and certification program through IBCCES, complete onsite audits, and make a commitment to future training. The Jackson, NJ location already hosts annual Autism Days, during which the park transforms into a sensoryfriendly space with lowered light and noise levels, shorter lines, and decompression areas. But the company is working toward the designation because it understands that visiting new places or going on family vacations can be challenging and overwhelming for kids with autism, and it wants to be an inclusive fun space. “We are proud to partner with IBCCES to ensure that guests on the autism spectrum have the best possible experience when visiting our parks,” said Jason Freeman, the Six Flags vice president of safety. “The certification process will equip our team members with the tools and training needed to better serve guests with special needs. We want them to know Six Flags stands ready to welcome them with open arms.” Find out more details at nymetroparents.com/six-flags.

It’s Story Time! In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2 is National Read Across America Day! So grab your favorite books and snuggle up with the kiddos for an extra story time. If you want to go all out, only read books by tongue-twisting, rhyming master. Our favorite? Daisy-Head Mayzie!

Pamela Pekerman with her two children

Celebrate Spring March 19 at 11:50pm officially marks the arrival of spring, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac—bring on the warmer weather! To celebrate, we found the top 20 things to do this season in Rockland. Check them out at nymetroparents.com/ spring.

Got a Green Thumb? Get your hands dirty and cultivate your child’s green thumb by creating grassy gnomes (think: chia pets) to watch over your garden— or add some greenery to your life if you don’t have space for a garden. Visit nymetroparents.com/ gnomes for directions.

Hustling Like a Mom

You might recognize Pamela Pekerman (@pamelapekerman) from morning shows, where she appeared for a decade talking about style trends. And then she had kids and decided she didn’t want to travel as much. “So, I began to write about the real-life moments I was experiencing as a mom of two under two!” she says. Soon she was blogging about time-saving tips for busy moms, creating videos for Parents.com, and hosting events for moms. Her focus evolved into content and networking events that appeal to hustling mompreneurs. While she still does school pickup and drop-off every day, she says, “I’ve never felt more fulfilled by my work than I am now, as I grow a community of women that are redefining what it means to be a working mom.”

What’s the best parenting advice you ever received? Listen to the crowd but go with your gut. Don’t silence your inner mama bear, as she truly knows what is best for her cubs. Sure, it’s nice to be a PTA mom, but that might not be on your priority list. …Parenting is hard, and you need to ensure you are coming at it from a place of inner contentment and confidence in your choices—because so many moments will challenge your sanity and your sense of self.

What do you think is a parent’s hardest job? Being present. It’s a gift to the person you are speaking with, in this case your children, to be present, to not have your mind wander. In 2019, I found that replacing the phrase “I have to” with “I get to” gave me a dose of gratitude for that which was before me. I get to practice piano with my kids. I get to pick up my kids from school.

Read more from Pamela Pekerman—and learn about her next Hustle Like a Mom event—at nymetroparents.com/hustle.

Connect with us

Sing, Dance, and Act Through the Summer Coupé Theatre Studio is slated to offer its Triple Threat Production Camp for ages 8 and older beginning June 29. The program will include daily technique classes in all styles of dance, acrobatics, singing and acting, plus workshops with Broadway professionals and NYC talent agents. Campers will also have daily rehearsals and weekly trips, including Broadway, Lincoln Center, and Westchester Dinner Theater. Campers will perform Aladdin Jr. as their final performance. The camp will run 10am-5:15pm, Monday-Friday. 430 Market St., Nanuet; 845-623- 2808; coupedance.com

Calling All Little Picassos Rockland kids ages 5-18 are invited to submit original artwork with a theme of their choice to Montefiore Nyack Hospital’s 2020 art contest. Submissions will be accepted until Aug. 1, and the art will be displayed in the pediatric emergency unit in the new emergency department. You can find the entry form and guidelines for submissions on the hospital’s website. Winning artwork will be announced in September and winners will be contacted as to how their pieces will be shown off in the pediatric unit. 160 N. Midland Ave., Nyack; 845-348-2000; montefiorenyack.org

Springing Forward

Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 8, which means we lose an hour of our already limited sleep. While “springing forward” makes us more tired (cue the extra cup of coffee), it can turn our children into major grumps. To help your kids adjust (and be a little less grumpy), have them go to bed 15 minutes earlier over the next few nights to get them back on track, suggests Lisa J. Meltzer, Ph.D., a sleep expert and co-author of Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician’s Guide to Behavioral Interventions.

The Importance of Sleep

It’s a pillar of health and is essential to human functioning, health, wellbeing, and healing. And for babies, sleep is essential to development. The growth hormone is released during sleep, causing your infant to gain weight, length, and head circumference; the brain develops and fosters better cognitive development; and it helps with social and emotional development. For more on the importance of sleep, and how it benefits the family unit as a whole, visit nymetroparents.com/sleep.