Rockland Parent December 2016 by City Guide NY

RocklandParent DECEMBER 2016

NYMETROPARENTS.COM

Staging a Holiday Classic

Behind the scenes at a local Nutcracker production

Weird Behavior Explained Why kids do the strangest things

Staycation Inspiration

Seven fun-filled itineraries for local family fun

CUT YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE â&#x20AC;¢ MANNERS & ETIQUETTE SCHOOLS

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RocklandParent

NYMetroParents Helping Parents Make Better Decisions

Contents

December 2016 ››

Features

16 Upholding a Holiday Tradition A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on a performance of The Nutcracker

18 Minding Their Manners It may seem quaint, but etiquette schools for kids are thriving. 22 Make Your Own Hot Cocoa Four recipes that use favorite flavor combinations 38 Kids Do the Weirdest Things Some of your child’s strangest behaviors and habits, explained by experts 42 A Staycation a Day Ideas for seven fun-filled family days around the New York metro area 46 Get as Good as You Give How to indulge in gift-giving instincts without spoiling your kids

Connections

6 Editor’s Note 8 New Places, New Programs 10 Quotables 12 Voices: Pride and Fear 15 NYMP Q&A: Risa Klein, a certified nurse midwife, talks midwifery

Fun & Activities

14 Media Matters: Virtual Stocking Stuffers 14 DIY Corner: Christmas Crackers 24 Outing: Vanderbilt Museum 27 Family Activities Calendar 36 Where-To Guide: Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

Family Activities CALENDAR ››

Directories

44 48 49 50

Winter Break Activities Meet the Health Care Professional Party Planner Advertisers’ Index

Original photo by PhotoOp NYC (photoopnyc.com) Clothing provided by Appaman (appaman.com)

››

ON THE COVER ›› 16 Staging a Holiday Classic 18 Manners & Etiquette Schools 36 Cut Your Own Christmas Tree facebook.com/nymetroparents

@NYMetroParents

38 Weird Behavior Explained 42 Staycation Inspiration Visit NYMETROPARENTS.COM for family activities updated daily and more than 2,000 parenting articles!

Happy Holidays

from the Nyack Chamber of Commerce

Three events celebrate the season and support local business:

Thursday December 1 Opening day of the Nyack Farmers' Market indoor season. Every Thursday from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm at the Nyack Center, 58 Depew Avenue, through March 30 2017.

Saturday, December 3 Holiday Lights celebration from 4:00 pm until 5:30 pm at Veteran's Park gazebo (corner of Main Street and Cedar Street) with live holiday music, tree lighting, cocoa and cider and a special visit from Santa.

Sunday, December 4 Our third annual Holiday Indoor Street Fair from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm at Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave. Join local artisans and your favorite merchants offering one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, art, clothing, home decor, chocolate and sweets. Get into the season's spirit with live music, holiday cheer and special treats.

For more info visit nyackchamber.org RocklandParent

DECEMBER 2016 • Vol.10 • No.2

NYMetroParents Publications EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Kress

EDITOR’S NOTE

MANAGING EDITOR: Katelin Walling DEPUTY EDITOR: Caitlin Berens

‘No Feet in Soup’

ne of my kids compulsively put her feet on everything, to the point where I had to institute a rule that’s become infamous in our household: “No feet in soup.” Another one can’t go more than a few minutes without her fingers in her belly button. I am sure many of you are nodding knowingly, since my kids are hardly unusual, even if the particulars differ person to person. Let’s face it: Kids do weird stuff, even they can’t explain why they do it. So we turned to the experts and asked them to explain kids’ unusual habits, from putting things up their noses to stripping in public to finding potty humor irresistible (p. 38). Usually, these odd-but-normal behaviors fade as kids get older and move on to the next mysterious habit. But learning to navigate the world can be difficult for many children. Enter manners and etiquette schools. You may have thought these were a thing of the past, but they’re alive and well in our region. And while they still teach kids the basics—sitting and eating properly at the dinner table, making eye contact and conversing with adults, and so on—many also ready their students for a world where so much communication happens via social media, texts, and email. Megan Bailey takes a look at today’s manners and etiquette programs and how participants benefit from them (p. 18). Holidays are, of course, a good time for kids to remember their manners, between the festive dinners and the presents for which they need to say thank you. It’s one of my favorite times of year, as I look forward to Hanukkah lights and my kids’ winter break. I often find, however, that I can’t decide what to do as a family, even when we are all eager for a fun outing. To help out, Bethany Braun-Silva offers seven “staycation” itineraries around the region (p. 42). Even though I don’t celebrate Christmas myself, I’ll admit to loving the lights, decorations, and general vibe the season brings. I’ll also make another admission: I’ve never seen The Nutcracker. Not by design, nor by opposition to it—it’s just never happened. So I was fascinated to read what it takes to mount a local production of this holiday classic in Samantha Neudorf’s behind-the-scenes look (p. 16). Whatever your plans this December, and whatever holiday(s) you celebrate, may the month—and the new year ahead—be filled with joy, peace, and health for all of you. Michael Kress Editorial Director

SENIOR EDITOR: Bethany Braun-Silva ASSISTANT EDITOR: Samantha Neudorf REGIONAL EDITORS: Karen Demeter (Fairfield, Suffolk); Rosalind Muggeridge (Brooklyn); Jamie McGillian (Westchester); Samantha Beranbom (Rockland); Dorette Saunders (Nassau); Emma Steven (Manhattan); Gail Warren (Queens) DIRECTORIES EDITOR: Alice Van Dyke EDITORIAL INTERNS: Jonathan Perry, Kathryn Sheridan

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The NYMetroParents

Caring Kids AWARDS

So many children and teenagers dedicate time to helping in our communities, and plenty of families do volunteer work together. If this describes your kids or your family, enter The NYMetroParents Caring Kids Awards, and be eligible to win a $500 gift card!

Here’s how it works: • Go to nymetroparents.com/caring-kids between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. • Follow the directions there to tell us—in 75 words or less—about your child’s or your family’s community service efforts and the impact this volunteer work has on others. If you’d like, you can upload a photo or link to a video of them volunteering. • Eight Caring Kids will each receive a $500 gift card and a letter of commendation, and many more will be featured in our magazine and/or website. 6

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

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BIG APPLE PARENT, QUEENS PARENT, WESTCHESTER PARENT BROOKLYN PARENT, ROCKLAND PARENT, BERGEN PARENT, FAIRFIELD PARENT and LONG ISLAND PARENT are published monthly by Davler Media Group, LLC Copyright © 2015, Davler Media Group, LLC No part of contents may be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher. Subscription rates per year, per publication: $39

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UOTABLES Their quirks are the things that are important to me. Not photos of them looking perfect. … When they were ready to go out that door, I was pretty sure that my heart might literally burst. My girls felt completely comfortable with themselves and completely beautiful. What better gift is there to give them? —Westchester mom Jennifer Garry, in a post entitled “School Picture Day Rebellion,” on her blog cuddlesandchaos.com

in an instagram Writing workshop at school ... I love every minute that I get to spend with my girls. (Posted by @3citygirlsnyc, aka Nilsa K, who blogs at 3citygirlsnyc.wordpress.com)

A SPECIAL MILESTONE “My son has autism and, at age 13, recently saw a movie in a theater for the first time. It is not something I thought would work for him—until now.”

in an instagram It’s so nice here, Mama! Can I take a nap? deitar no chão sujo do parquinho, né?

Tão gostoso

(Posted by @blogmeandthecity, aka NYC mom Fernanda Seelos, who blogs at blogmeandthecity.com)

“Every mother should know she is not alone in this. It is going to take some getting used to. Everyone struggles at first—everyone—even if they don’t admit it.” —Kate Bingham-Smith, in a post on scarymommy.com entitled “What Every Mother Should Know.”

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

—Manhattan mom Dana Greenberg in an article entitled “Taking a Child with Autism to the Movies: 5 Tips From a Mom Who’s Been There.” Read the whole thing at nymetroparents.com/autism-movies.

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RocklandParent 11

VOICES

Pride and Fear

››

The intense, mixed emotions of being the wife of a police officer. By Bethany Braun-Silva

uring Spirit Week at my son’s school, students were asked to dress up as what they wanted to be when they grew up. My son chose to be a baseball player, and I figured we would see lots of other ballplayers, along with plenty of doctors and superheroes. But that wasn’t the most popular choice among kids at his school—not even close. As we approached the school, I noticed dozens of kids dressed as police officers, which surprised me. Boys and girls, younger as well as older kids, all decked out in navy blue uniforms and badges. I had a sense of pride, and I smiled at the innocence of these kids’ desires to serve and protect. I also got a rush of anxiety because, should these young children still want to be cops when they actually do grow up, they are in for a rough road. It’s a tough life, and police officers and their families need a lot of support—not to mention, it’s scary as all get out. My husband is a New York City police officer, and he is very dedicated to his job. He takes it seriously; he does it with pride and rarely complains. With two young boys at home and a demanding job with even more demanding hours, the fact that my husband doesn’t complain isn’t just worth mentioning, it’s a feat in itself. As a cop’s wife who also works, it has been tricky managing our schedules. He works nights, and so, between work and parenting duties, I sometimes go several days without interacting with my husband face to face. This is the norm, and the boys and I have grown accustomed to missing him and spending weekends without him. We try to capitalize on any time off my husband has by spending quality time together and doing fun things as a family. However, with the recent bombings and ever-present threats in New York City, we’ve had even less time together than usual, since he has been working tons of overtime. As for me? I am more anxious than ever about his career given the current climate and recent police shootings.

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

At home, we talk about these things in private. Our sons are 4 and 1 and best left out of conversations about the dangers of their father’s job, at least for now. However, one day in the near future we will have to sit them down and explain the realty of being a police officer. We will have to tell them that police officers sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect the people of their community. That sometimes officers make bad decisions. That while it is a noble, selfless profession, many officers misunderstand the responsibility they have to protect and serve. In lieu of those talks, right now we have a strict family rule of saying “I love you” and giving hugs and kisses when Daddy leaves for work. It’s a great tradition that I’m sure many families enjoy, but in our home, as in many law-enforcement families, it is not to be missed, even on the busiest days. That’s the strange reality of living with a police officer. He might not come home after his shift. He might not come home ever again. That truth is something I carry with me always, but am sadly reminded of it more frequently of late. We live in scary times and part of me just wants to run away from it all and move to a more serene environment—somewhere with a backyard and a garden, where I can give my kids a more innocent upbringing. But that’s out of the question given my husband’s job. Plus, the reality is there are dangers everywhere. I support my husband in his career, just as he supports me in mine. Whatever happens, we will get through it as a family. With all that being said, life is otherwise great. Our boys are happy and healthy, and I have pretty much adjusted to the demands of being a police officer’s wife. It’s unfortunate that we live with the ever-present knowledge of potential tragedy in our lives, but that just comes with the territory. On the other side of it, we have our own personal hero who protects and serves us daily. My boys and I couldn’t be prouder.

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In Theaters Dec. 21: Sing

Our Partner: Common Sense Media An independent nonprof it that helps families make smart media choices. Check out thousands of ratings and reviews at commonsensemedia.org

Parents need to know that Sing is an animated comedy that looks like a mash-up between Zootopia and American Idol. In a world in which animals walk, talk, wear clothes, and— yes—sing, Buster, a koala (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), proposes to host a singing competition in a last-ditch effort to save his theater. Animals from near and far gather to vie for the prize money, including a gorilla trying to get out of his father’s gang (Taron Egerton), a suburban mama pig (Reese Witherspoon), and even a gambling mouse (Seth MacFarlane). Some of the humor might not be appropriate for the littlest kids, but overall Sing looks like a movie that kids and parents will be able to enjoy together.

See more at NYMetroParents.com/media

DIY CORNER HOLIDAY FUN

Christmas Crackers

Making your own crackers is fun and easy, and it means you can put your own choice of novelties and silly handwritten jokes inside. Make the crackers from colorful wrapping paper and trim them with sequins or glitter finished with pretty bows. And throw in some confetti to add a fun element to your New Year’s Eve party. You will need: • Cardboard toilet rolls • 8-by-8-inch piece of paper per cracker • Pencil • Ruler • Scissors

• Glue or sticky tape • Snaps for crackers (you can find these on Amazon.com) • Gifts, paper hats, and jokes • 8 inches of ribbon (¼-inch wide) per cracker • Sequin trim

Directions: 1. Lay the cardboard roll in the center of the paper and mark the position of each end using a pencil. Set the roll aside. 2. Using the marks made on the paper as a guide, fold the paper, right sides together, and press the folds flat. Using a ruler, mark out lines along the fold approximately ¾ inch apart, stopping approximately 1 inch in from the outside edge of the paper. 3. Use scissors to cut along the marked lines to create slits in the paper. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the other side.

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

4. Now unfold the paper and lay it flat, wrong side facing up. Place the cardboard roll on top. Apply a dab of glue or use a small piece of double-sided tape to hold the paper on the roll. Wrap the paper around the roll as tightly as you can. Apply glue along the whole edge of the paper and press firmly in place. Allow to dry completely. 6. Push the cracker snap through the open end of the roll. This is also the time to insert any small gifts or trinkets, a paper hat, and a joke or other motto. 7. Cut the ribbon in half and tie a length of ribbon around one end of the cracker. Tie in a knot. Repeat at the other end. Trim the ends of the ribbon on the diagonal with scissors to prevent them fraying. 8. Measure the circumference of the cracker and cut three lengths of sequin trim to fit. Glue the sequin trim in rows around the cracker. Allow glue to dry completely. Crackers Safety: Crackers snaps are a low-risk fire hazard and must always be used with adult supervision. Never pull a snap on its own. Visit nymetroparents.com/crackers for step-by-step photos. Excerpted from My First Christmas Craft Book, Cico Kidz, $14.95; rylandpeters.com. Photography by CICO Books 2016.

NYMP Q&A

What a Midwife Does ›› By Bethany Braun-Silva

Risa Klein is a certified nurse midwife with an office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She was the “birth consultant” for the feature films Baby Mama and Laze. Are there any misconceptions about midwives you want to set straight? Midwives are very smart. We go through very rigorous academic accredited midwifery schools. Sometimes people think midwives only do home-births for impoverished, poverty-stricken people around the world, and that’s really not true. Midwives serve women of all socio-economic backgrounds and what we do is we pride ourselves on understanding what is normal for each woman we see. We also do GYN-care, conscious conception planning, and contraceptive planning. Basically, midwives have a holistic view of the process of birth and childbirth is just an organic, natural process. Midwives see it as normal, it’s not a disease; it’s nothing to be afraid of.

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Can any woman see a midwife during her pregnancy? We take care of healthy, low-risk women. We don’t take care of women with pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, liver disease, or other metabolic diseases. We could co-manage women, but for the most part we take care of healthy women, but we are educated and experienced to screen for other risk factors. So many women think, “Oh, I’ll be safer with an OB,” but if there’s a true medical issue, then we will refer, consult, and collaborate with an obstetrician, with a perinatologist, or with a genetic counselor. So what I could share is that a lot of people don’t understand the magnitude of experience midwives have in terms of understanding the medical piece of it, and knowing when to and how to recognize if there is a challenge, and when to consult and co-manage. Any tips for woman to help make pregnancy an easier, more enjoyable process? Many women are working very hard, and they’re going up and down stairs and going to the gym, but unbeknownst to them, they’re throwing themselves into pre-term labor and their waters are breaking early because they’re doing too much. So I really encourage women to go slow. My phrase is, “be boring.” Modify work, go in late, work from home, do what you can so you can enjoy the last few weeks and not risk a premature labor. In our country we have very high infant morbidity and mortality, and it’s truly something that I believe could be avoided with positive communication about eating well, having protein in the diet, making sure a woman’s blood volume stays high, and getting enough rest. If a woman is dizzy by exercising and running around and forgetting to eat or drink, those all set up for preterm labor contractions. RocklandParent 15

Samantha Neudorf

Julieta Cervantes

The party scene from the Westchester Ballet Company’s 2015 production of The Nutcracker

Logrea Dance Academy students rehearse the finale from The Nutcracker in October.

Upholding a Holiday Tradition

››

A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to plan, choreograph, and perform The Nutcracker, a beloved holiday show. By Samantha Neudorf

t 1pm on a recent Saturday, Beth Fritz-Logrea ushers all of her ballet students into the studio to begin rehearsing the snow scene from Act I of The Nutcracker. The girls stand in position and Fritz-Logrea walks up to them to go over placement on the stage at Logrea Dance Academy in Ossining. Each girl is given a number, which corresponds to a marker on the stage designating where she should stand. Twenty minutes after first inviting the students in, they’re all in place and Fritz-Logrea walks to the front of the studio, sits in a director’s chair, and cues her husband, Jean Logrea, to start the music from the top of the snow scene. Rehearsal has begun. The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition that kids and adults look forward to each year. First performed at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, the ballet is Alexandre Dumas père’s adaptation of the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Despite those roots, it was not until 1964 that The Nutcracker gained popularity. That’s when George Balanchine—considered by many as the “Father of American Ballet”—debuted his rendition of the ballet at New York City Center. In Balanchine’s words, his Nutcracker was to be “full-length and expensive,” according to Vanity Fair. He envisioned a grandiose tree for the background, and somehow managed to get a $40,000 tree commissioned to make the magic of The Nutcracker feel as real as possible. That magic, as well as the tradition of this ballet, are still very much alive and well today—at major venues such as Lincoln Center as well as at regional and local theaters seemingly everywhere. No matter where it is produced, the grace and 16

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

beauty on display is the result of countless hours of hard work by dedicated dancers, many of them teens at local high schools.

A Ballet Family

Westchester Ballet Company’s version of this classic has been the responsibility of co-directors Jean Logrea and Beth Fritz-Logrea since they became owners of the dance troupe in 1985. A year later, they founded the Logrea Dance Academy and named it the official school of the Westchester Ballet Company. Though Fritz-Logrea stopped personally performing in the production 25 years ago, she is both the choreographer and director of the show. Her husband has played the role of Uncle Drosselmeyer for the past 31 years, while their son, Nick, will be performing in his 25th Nutcracker show in several different roles: the butler in the party scene, the Mouse King, the Arabian pas de deux, and a soloist for the company’s Ukranian variation—an added scene that is not usually performed in other Nutcracker productions. Nick says the best part about performing each year is being on stage. “There’s something about being on stage and being in front of a large group of people and performing for them then getting the satisfaction of them applauding you at the end,” Nick says. “It’s a big adrenaline rush, something that I’ve loved from the very beginning.”

Balancing High School with Rehearsal

Back at rehearsal, there are nearly 28 girls who have been cast in the snow scene, divided into two groups, each of which will perform at two of the four shows. Fritz-Logrea runs through the

scene with the first cast for the first time this season. All of these dancers are wearing pointe shoes and are between ages 11-18, including the dance studio’s three graduating seniors: Charlotte Chandler, Clare Hammonds, and Molly Powers. These three girls have been dancing for 15 years and have been performing in the Westchester Ballet Company’s Nutcracker for 10-12 years each. Powers and Chandler first started out as mice and Hammonds was a page; this year, they each have three roles—Chandler, a 17-year-old from Cross River, is a snow soloist, Chinese soloist, and the Dew Drop Fairy; Hammonds, a 17-yearold from Ossining, is a snow soloist, in the gigue variation, and is the flower soloist; Powers, a 17-year-old from Hawthorne, is a party scene guest, in the snow scene, and is a flower soloist. The teens dance ballet six days a week, which is how they’ve grown close to one another. “We’re all such good friends and the community surrounding us helps to put on the performance,” Hammonds says. “That plays a huge part in performance week for us.” The most challenging part for these seniors is juggling college applications and extracurricular activities with dance rehearsals six days a week. Saturday rehearsals for The Nutcracker are four hours long. “This teaches you time management because you’re here so often, but you need to focus on your studies, too,” says Powers, a member of the National Honor Society at her school. The end of the snow scene transitions into one in which Clara, the main character, travels to the Land of Sweets with the Nutcracker Prince. Clara is played by 14-year-old Rylee Carpenter of Ossining. She has played Clara for the past three years, and aspires to perform on Broadway when she is older. “I love being able to act, especially doing Clara,” Carpenter says. “I love the feeling of acting and dancing because it just lets me express myself more.” She also takes theater and singing lessons in addition to dance. Tim Bohrman, a 14-year-old from Carmel, is Logrea Dance Studio’s oldest boy, and has been dancing for 10 years. He will play Fritz, the lead soldier, and the Chinese soloist in this year’s performance, and this is his first year as a soloist. “A lot of the guy parts are a lot of fun because there’s usually a lot of cool jumps and turns,” he says. Bohrman started taking ballet after his older sister—who is now 20 and a trainee with the Orlando Ballet Company in Florida— started taking lessons. Though Bohrman also takes modern and tap at the dance studio, he says his favorite dance is ballet and intends to join a ballet company, just like his older sister.

Planning the Production

To mount an ambitious production such as The Nutcracker, the Logreas start thinking about the show as early as late July or early August. Right after their spring season is over in May, they sit down and discuss which dancers are returning and start calling guest dancers to see if they will be available. Auditions for this year’s Nutcracker were held in midSeptember, and are typically open to whoever would like to be a part of it. Students at Logrea Dance Studio are not required to participate in The Nutcracker, and they are also not guaranteed a role just because they are a part of the company. Rehearsals begin a week after auditions and run until performance week—Dec. 16-18 this year. In order to ensure the production is staged as planned, there are also many logistics to be considered. Westchster Ballet Company

board members must consult with the performance venue—the Westchester County Center in White Plains—and the county Parks and Recreation department to take care of contracts. They also have to coordinate with the stage crew at Westchester County Center about technicalities such as lighting and set changes. The Logreas are able to bring in guest dancers from ballet companies around the world because of the connections they have made over the years as ballet dancers themselves. Beth and Jean met when they both danced at the Graz Opera House in Austria. There are usually four to five guest dancers who perform in their show, and the Logreas say it is good experience for their students to see what it is like to dance among a professional. “[To see] how they carry themselves on and off the stage, how they prepare for the production in the warm-up class, how early they arrive to the theater—it’s just good for the kids to witness,” Logrea says.

Keeping the Magic Alive

After the Mouse King is slayed on stage during the performance, a screen comes down, the Nutcracker Prince comes to life, and Drosselmeyer introduces him to Clara. The music crescendos, the lights dim, and dry ice blocks are placed to create the illusion of a dreamlike fog—then the snow scene begins. Nick says that is his favorite scene from the show. “I know dancers that have graduated from us and have come back to watch… they still say to this day that they always cry during the beginning of the snow scene,” Nick says. “I still get chills every time that music comes up.” Logrea recalls a time when a college student visited Westchester and watched the show—particularly the transition into the snow scene. “He said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I will never forget that in my life,’” Logrea says. It’s what every Nutcracker performer everywhere hopes for, performance after performance of this holiday-season tradition.

WHERE TO SEE PERFORMANCES OF THE NUTCRACKER IN ROCKLAND AND BERGEN COUNTIES Bergen County Academies Auditorium 200 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack, NJ nunnbetterdance.com Dec. 2-4, times vary $17-$30 Bergen Performing Arts Center 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, NJ njballet.org Dec. 3-4, 1pm and 4:30pm $23-$53 North Rockland High School 106 Hammond Road, Thiells rocklandyouthdanceensemble.org Dec. 2-4: Friday-Saturday, 7pm;

Sunday, 1pm and 4pm $25 at theater; $22 advance sale SUNY Rockland Community College Cultural Arts Theatre 145 College Road, Suffern rocklandyouthdanceensemble.org Dec. 9-11: Friday, 7pm; SaturdaySunday, 1pm and 4pm $25 at theater; $22 advance sale Bergen County Academies Auditorium 200 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack, NJ dancetheatreofnewjersey.com Dec. 18, 1pm and 5pm $15-$25

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Courtesy Fleur de Lis Academy

Students at Fleur de Lis Academy in Norwalk, CT, prepare for the day’s lesson.

Minding Their Manners

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It may seem quaint in today’s world, but etiquette schools for kids are thriving nonetheless. By Megan Bailey

t seemed to be that whenever 5-year-old Belle sat down for dinner, most of it would end up on the floor rather than in her mouth. She overlooked the fork and knife and used the tools she was born with—her fingers. As a result, Belle’s parents got tired of crawling under the table to pick up whatever they’d had for dinner that night. But they couldn’t seem to get Belle to stop, so they turned to some outside help. That’s right: We’re talking etiquette school. Belle’s mom, Anne, decided to enroll her in a dining course at Beaumont Etiquette in Manhattan. Not wanting it to feel like a punishment, Anne set out to make sure Belle saw it as a fun and light-hearted activity. When the day came to start, Anne made it a big deal for Belle, dressing her daughter in a cute party dress, letting her put on some makeup, and getting her excited about using fancy tableware. During class time, Beumont’s founder and director, Myka Meier, taught Belle the basics of mealtime etiquette, including where your napkin goes, when to use a fork and a spoon, and how you shouldn’t put your feet up while eating. Today, Anne is happy to report, Belle’s food now reaches her mouth instead of the floor, she utilizes her silverware, and she even stirs her mother’s tea on a regular basis. “Do you think Myka would be proud that I did this?” Belle will ask Anne from time to time. Or she will turn to her little brother and say, “Good, Jack. You’re eating over the plate!”

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

“She picked up some things from it, and I think it was a great thing, and I know she had fun doing it,” Anne says. “It was more of a fun activity than a class.” In our fast-paced world, in which families are eating together less often and informality seems to rule the day, it may seem as if manners and etiquette are a thing of the fabled past. But Belle is far from the only area child who’s learned a thing or two from a program like Beaumont’s. Schools, classes, and private teachers dedicated to spreading the gospel of good manners are still thriving in 2016. “I think we’re all seeing a big increase in business because it’s becoming almost trendy again, it’s becoming cool,” Meier says. “I think the millennial generation and onward have a lot of new challenges in everyday life, and we have to cater to the changes that are happening around us.”

Manners vs. Etiquette

To understand what goes on in these programs, it’s helpful to define some terminology, starting with the fact that manners and etiquette are not, in fact, the same thing. “Good manners never change,” says Michelle Sperry, founder and director of Fleur de Lis Academy in Norwalk, CT. “For example, 100 years ago it wasn’t okay to bonk someone over the head and take their food. And, it still isn’t okay to do that.”

Courtesy Socialsklz:-)

Etiquette, on the other hand, is culturally specific, dependent on time and place. “Etiquette is a set of rules,” Sperry continues. “It changes with each era, style, demographic, etc. For example, 100 years ago people used to eat with their hands. Now, we eat with forks and knives, although in some cultures they still eat with their hands. But, nonetheless, these things will change.” Manners, then, are basic social skills, such as holding the door for someone or sharing toys with friends, while etiquette programs cover modern American norms, which can include making eye contact with others or shaking hands. “All parents want their child to be successful. However, success is not only measured in academia, but through the way we teach our children to show courtesy, respect, honesty, and politeness,” says Dianne Marsch, founder and director of the Etiquette School of Manhattan.

A GLIMPSE INSIDE LOCAL MANNERS AND ETIQUETTE PROGRAMS Alice Austen House 2 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island 718-816-4506 info@aliceausten.org aliceausten.org The Alice Austen House isn’t primarily focused on etiquette, but there is a reason its programs include this topic: Austen, a prolific photographer in the early years of the medium, lived for many years with Gertrude Tate, who taught etiquette and manners. Family courses are offered at the house or programs can be set up in schools and can focus on social etiquette, communication skills, or table manners. Always Gracious: The Academy of Etiquette 516-593-3817 alwaysgracious@optonline.net alwaysgracious.com Long Island’s Always Gracious has no set location, offering its programs—which include social etiquette, table etiquette, and image and style classes—in a family’s home, or for groups of 10 or more participants, on-site at a school or office. Lessons are also offered for the Spanishspeaking community.

Students at Manhattan’s Socialsklz:-) focusing on digital etiquette

Today’s Needs

Most parents who send their children to these programs have modest goals, seeking attainable improvements in their kids’ behavior. “Most of the time the parents just want the kids to listen a little bit more, to chew their food with their mouths closed—it’s mainly that. If these things are not addressed now, later on they will be harder to learn,” says Arely Mendoza-Cantos, founder and director of Always Gracious, a manners and etiquette school for Long Island youth. “I find that young kids are really eager to please their parents and show their manners.” Many programs today include classes on digital etiquette— how to behave online, and how and when to put the device down and be present in the real world. “We have social media, and children especially are on computers all day and that

Beaumont Etiquette 5 Columbus Circle, #1701, Manhattan 212-390-1557 info@beaumontetiquette.com beaumontetiquette.com Beaumont Etiquette offers training one-on-one or in small groups and customizes courses based on a survey parents or guardians fill out about their child when they enroll. Beaumont Etiquette also offers online courses for children. In addition to classes on social skills and American dining manners, among others, its roster covers international dining and travel etiquette.

Etiquette School of Manhattan 101 W. 23rd St., Suite 525, Manhattan 877-506-2663 dianne@etiquetteschool.org nyc.etiquetteschool.org At the Etiquette School of Manhattan, founder and director Dianne Marsch mostly avoids classrooms and teaches her courses at restaurants, in private groups, or in schools. In addition to programs about dining, basic manners, and social skills, the school offers classes that include parents and grandparents as well as a Nanny Educational Etiquette Certification program (also taught in Spanish). Marsch also works with many low-income families and at-risk kids, teaching them the skills they need to transition into adulthood. Fleur de Lis Academy 327 Main Ave., Norwalk, CT 203-210-7155 enrollmanners@gmail.com fleurdelisacademy.com Fleur de Lis Academy runs several programs, one of which is First Impressions, covering manners and etiquette. It offers classes, private and semi-private lessons, workshops, leadership training, in-school sessions, and other programs. Socialsklz:-) 250 W. 85th St., Suite 1B, Manhattan 212-579-5300 info@socialsklz.com socialsklz.com Socialsklz:-) offers many public workshops and caters to our digital age (hence the emoticon and slang in the title). It offers a wide range of courses, from basic workshops to technology courses to CAMPsocialsklz:-).

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RocklandParent 19

‹‹ continued from previous page

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sometimes is their preferred method of communication,” Meier says. “So, I found that they were losing really basic social skills.” Despite the emphasis on technology and digital media, many of the schools find their more traditional classes, especially those covering mealtime behavior, are the most popular. Educating today’s youth on how to communicate clearly—face-to-face and through their screens—how to conduct themselves in professional settings, and how to act at the dinner table are skills that can have an impact on their future and ultimately give them an advantage over those who have not been brushing up. “It’s interesting, a kid in our very modern world who has great social skills and great manners and great etiquette really stands out, because for most kids the bar is so low when it comes to social skills,” says Faye de Muyshondt, founder and director of the Manhattan etiquette school Socialsklz:-). “Parents are always trying to give our kids the competitive edge, but really the competitive edge in the modern world is an awesome set of social skills and a great foundation of manners and etiquette in life, because most kids don’t have it.” With the introduction of social media and the rise of technology, there is a newfound urgency to etiquette education. “Is it okay to text someone who’s more senior than you and use emojis? Is it okay to still be writing old-fashioned thank you letters? Just going over and making it a bit more relevant to today—that’s the whole point of it— for it to be practical etiquette that they use every day,” Meier says. Despite our digital world’s dizzying pace of change, knowing how to chew your food politely or conduct yourself during an interview are skills that are ultimately timeless. On the other hand, maybe putting our pinkies up and carrying a handkerchief are, indeed, a bit outdated. The key is to find the balance, and today’s schools understand the difference. “The more students we can teach all of these social, communication, and leadership skills to, it can change an entire generation,” Marsch says. “And I love every day that I can teach and make a difference in the life of someone.” Megan Bailey is a former NYMetroParents intern.

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FOOD & NUTRITION

Make Your Own Hot Cocoa

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Four hot chocolate recipes that use favorite flavor combinations. By Chelsie Jangord Nothing makes us enjoy winter more than coming in from the cold and enjoying a nice, steamy cup of hot cocoa. While these recipes call for specific vegan ingredients, feel free to use what you have in your cupboard.

Orange Hot Chocolate Makes 2-3 cups

Ingredients 3 cups non-dairy milk 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1/ 3 cup vegan chocolate chips Zest and juice of 1 orange Instructions In a saucepan over low heat, whisk together milk, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, orange juice, and zest. Once thoroughly combined and heated, pour into mugs and top with Dandies Mini Marshmallows. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Mix

Yields: Approximately 3 cups of dry mix Ingredients Dandies Pumpkin Marshmallows 1 cup cocoa powder 1 bag of vegan chocolate chips, frozen 3 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 Tbsp. cornstarch ½ cup powdered sugar Instructions Add frozen chocolate chips (it is very important that they’ve been thoroughly frozen) to a food processor and blend until chips have turned into a fine powder. In a mixing bowl whisk together chocolate chip powder, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, powdered sugar, and cornstarch. Fill a Mason jar with cocoa mix and top with Pumpkin Dandies to make a great gift that will stay good for up to a month. To make a cup of a hot cocoa, bring 1½ cups of non-dairy milk to a boil, add 3-4 Tbsp. of mix, and stir. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring often to remove any clumps. Taste as you go: If you like your cocoa on the sweeter side, add an extra tablespoon of mix. Top with Pumpkin Dandies and enjoy!

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Ingredients 1 handful of Dandies Peppermint Marshmallows 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder 2 cups non-dairy milk 4 Tbsp. sugar ½ tsp. peppermint extract Crushed peppermint candies, optional garnish Melted chocolate, optional garnish

Ingredients 3 cups non-dairy milk 1/ 3 cup natural peanut butter ¼ cup sugar 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chips 1 tsp. vanilla Handful of Dandies Mini Marshmallows

Instructions In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and peppermint extract. Whisk until all clumps have dissolved. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Optional: Dip the rim of a mug in melted chocolate, then into the crushed peppermint candies. Fill with hot cocoa, top with Peppermint Dandies Marshmallows, and enjoy!

Instructions In a saucepan over low heat, whisk together all the hot chocolate ingredients. Once thoroughly combined and heated, pour into mugs and top with Dandies. Up your game by drizzling on some additional peanut butter! The longer it sits the thicker it gets. If you prefer a thinner hot chocolate, you can add more non-dairy milk to reach the desired consistency.

Serves 2

Serves 2-3

Chelsie Jangord is the in-house chef at Dandies Marshmallows.

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OUTINGS: Vanderbilt Museum

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Mansion, Museum, and Planetarium 1

Courtesy Vanderbilt Museum

William K. Vanderbilt II, who was an ocean and natural world enthusiast, posthumously helped to turn his sprawling estate into a museum for marine-life and natural history. ›› By Melissa A. Kay

1 Winter is a festive time at the mansion. 2 The museum is home to numerous pieces of fine art. 3 The Vanderbilt’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium offers fun and educational programs for kids and adults. 4 William K. Vanderbilt II collected tools from expeditions around the world, which can be seen in exhibits in the museum. 5 The mansion is a “living museum,” which can be toured regularly.

Vanderbilt Museum is a wonderful educational experience and an interesting and exciting combination of mansion, marine and natural history museum, planetarium, and park.

Year-Round Fun

The mansion offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a renowned family from the Jazz Age through the end of World War II. Set atop 43 breathtaking acres, see the SpanishRevival style mansion and its distinctive architecture. Check out oceanic expeditions, global journeys, islands, marine life, bird and insect life, and more in the many exhibits at the museum. Specimens in the exhibits show the artisanal talents of Asian, Pacific, and African cultures including their artifacts, clothing, and utensils. The Reichert Planetarium is one of the most advanced in the country. Visitors can see seasonal shows and special features created for families and school audiences under the 60-foot dome. The $4 million makeover has revealed new seating, a renovated lobby, and a gift shop. 24

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

December Highlights

Come to Vanderbilt to hear live Beatles music in the planetarium. On Dec. 11 from 7-8:30pm, The Liverpool Shuffle, a Long Island Beatles tribute band, will play songs beloved by generations under the dome. Tickets are $20 for adults in advance or $25 at the door. Kids ages 5-15 pay $15 and kids ages 5 and younger may attend for free. While the band plays, a montage will be projected into the planetarium’s dome, featuring 1960’s photos, news clippings, pop-culture iconic moments, and more. On various dates in December, see Laser Holidays, an all-ages program featuring laser lights and digital artwork set to holiday music. The kids will enjoy the music in an exquisite venue with family and friends.

Annual Events

Through Jan. 2, 2017, come to the planetarium to see Long Island Skies. Following the program, and weather permitting, the planetarium staff will open

the Observatory. One World, One Sky depicts Sesame Street’s Elmo and Big Bird who discover that they see the same stars at their friend Hu Hu Zhu who lives in China. Night Sky, Live! features lectures by an astronomy educator who will use the planetarium’s Starball to show viewers what the Long Island night sky will look like on the very day they visit the venue.

Details

Address: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport Directions: Approximately a 1½-hour drive from New City Hours: Through April 10, 2017: museum: Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday, 124pm (the last mansion tour is at 4pm); planetarium: Tuesday, Friday-Sunday, see website for show times. Admission: $7; $6 students with ID and seniors ages 62 and older; $3 children 12 and younger. Planetarium show and mansion tours: an additional $5 each per person. For more information: 631-854-5579 or vanderbiltmuseum.org

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We've got everything for a…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! NYMetroParents.com is parents' Party Central—one-stop shopping for the best in: H Party Places (for the trendiest, newest, or most classic locale) H Entertainers (clowns, balloon twisting, magicians, spa parties & so much more!) H Gift-Giving (from charitable ideas to the best presents for every age) H At-Home Party Themes (think pirates, princesses, superheroes, Harry Potter…) H Planning Help H Tips & Tricks from the Pros (…and parents who’ve been there!) Bergen•RocklandParent NORTH

HILLSDALE • MONTVALE

SEPTEMBER 2012

NORTHVALE • NORWOOD • OLD TAPPAN • PARK RIDGE • RAMSEY • RIDGEWOOD • SADDLE RIVER/UPPER SADDLE RIVER • WALDWICK • WESTWOOD • WYCKOFF

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LongIslandParent Parent SPETEMBER 2012

Class Is In!

After-School Activities

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Resource Guide

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SLOW DOWN!

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Back-to-School Resource Guide Pack a Smarter Lunch Ease the Morning Rush Advocate for Your Twins

How to Manage Kids’ Schedules

What Makes a Good Mentor?

+ 174 Family

+ 130 Family

(see our calendar, p. 26)

(see our calendar, p. 32)

Events

Plus: Learning to Let Go

Vaccines at Every Age Plus: Journaling for Your Child

Where-To Guide: Berry Picking

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

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Dinosaur Fun

Where-To Guide: Apple Picking • Outing: New York Hall of Science

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Turn the page for details on The Laurie Berkner Band Holiday Concert (No. 5 on our list).

y-day day-b : r u o t ou line ar Check alendar on alend c ood, hborh cost. g i e n h by and Searc type, age, t n eve ily! ted da a d p U

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DECEMBER CALENDAR

28 Editor’s Hot Tickets 30 We Can’t Believe It’s FREE!, Browse & Buy 31 Smarty Pants, Must-Sees in NYC WANT US TO INCLUDE YOUR EVENT?

nymetroparents.com/submitevent UPDATED DAILY AT nymetroparents.com/calendar EDITOR: SAMANTHA BERANBOM rpeditor@davlermedia.com

32 Once Upon a Time, Mini Musicians

33 Animal Lovers, Movers & Shakers 34 Show Time!, The Great Outdoors 35 Holiday Fun

EDITOR’S HOT TICKETS

Our calendar is full of great ideas. First, here are the nine events we consider can’t-miss—the ones we’re taking our own kids to. Consider it your cheat sheet to the best of what’s great this month!

Christmas Parade

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 6-9pm WHERE: Village of Suffern, Downtown Suffern AGES: All WHAT: A night of fun featuring floats, marchers, community groups, bands, and Santa Claus. Prior to the parade, the movie classic Miracle on 34th Street will be shown at the historic Lafayette Theater. WHY WE LOVE IT: Celebrate with family and community, which are what the holidays are all about. WANT TO GO? Movie: $2; parade: free. suffernchamber.org.

Parents Night Out Art Party

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10, 6-9pm WHERE: Art Adventure, 60 Dutch Hill Road, Suite 8, Orangeburg AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Drop the kids off to enjoy a night full of art projects, games, movies, snacks, and more. Registration required. WHY WE LOVE IT: The kids occupied with activities and out of the house sounds like the perfect kind of night. WANT TO GO? $25. 845-680-6780. artadventureny.com.

‘The Nutcracker’

WHEN: Dec. 9-11, Friday, 7pm; Saturday-Sunday, 1pm and 4pm WHERE: RCC Cultural Arts Theater, 145 College Road, Suffern AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate the season with full length performances of The Nutcracker performed by the Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble Senior cast—a holiday classic since 1980 in the tri-state region. WHY WE LOVE IT: This local favorite is the true start of the holiday season. WANT TO GO? $22. 845-624-7933. rocklandyouthdanceensemble.org.

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

Winter Shopping Village and Illuminations

WHEN: Dec. 10-11, Saturday, 4-8pm; Sunday, 1-8pm WHERE: Rockland Country Day School, 34 Kings Highway, Congers AGES: All WHAT: Families will enjoy the display of holiday lights, a life-sized gingerbread house, fairy tale forest, bonfire, s’mores, hot cocoa, and an illuminated interactive playground for kids of all ages. Plus, get gifts at the holiday shopping village. WHY WE LOVE IT: A little shopping mixed with a little playing and quality time is a great way to kick off the season. WANT TO GO? $7; $25 per family. 845-268-2802. rocklandcds.org.

The Laurie Berkner Band Holiday Concert

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2pm WHERE: Bergen PAC, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, NJ AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Celebrate the season with classic songs such as “Jingle Bells,” “The Dreidel Song,” and “Frosty the Snowman,” along with holiday originals from the well-loved album, A Laurie Berkner Christmas, and an array of Laurie’s greatest hits. Bring dancing shoes and a stuffed animal to join in the holiday spirit and sing-along. WHY WE LOVE IT: Just because we may occasionally belt out all of Berkner’s classic tunes in the car, even if we are momentarily without the kids, doesn’t mean we are at all excited to celebrate the holidays with her. (Oh yes it does!!!! And they will be too.) WANT TO GO? $29 and up. 201-227-1030. bergenpac.org.

‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the Musical’

WHEN: Dec. 1-18, Wednesday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: The Theater at Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, Midtown, Manhattan

Keep Your Family’s Smiles Bright! AGES: All WHAT: A stage production of the classic, animated, TV special featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius, and, of course, Rudolph! WHY WE LOVE IT: Happiness is being able to revisit your childhood with your kids! WANT TO GO? 212-465-6741. theateratmsg.com.

Healthy, nuturing, emotionally supportive environment

• Dental Wellness of Suffern & Monroe Dental Office, P.C. provide natural, effective, quality dental care for you and your family. • We help children who are apprehensive about visiting the dentist feel comfortable and have fun.

Hanukkah Hoopla

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 18, 11am-1pm WHERE: JCC Rockland, 450 W. Nyack Road, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: The festival of lights will be the highlight of this event with glow juggling. There will also be a show, crafts, a fill-your-own sufganiyot (doughnut) station, latkes, meet-and-greet with the entertainer, and more. WHY WE LOVE IT: Doughnuts and latkes—enough said. WANT TO GO? See website for prices. 845-362-4400 jccrockland.org.

Sherri Alpert, DDS Author of Cassandra Gets Her Smile Back and Attack of the Sugar Bugs. Both books help children enjoy their dental visit. Books can be ordered on Amazon.com

• We also treat adults for dental implants, crowns and other dental treatments. Accepting new families. Book your Appointment today. Most Insurances Accepted

Community Chanukah Party FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 25, 4:30pm WHERE: Chabad of Fort Lee, 808 Abbott Blvd., Fort Lee, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Join in for the first night of Hanukkah with dinner, latkes, chocolate gelt, dreidels, and a menorah lighting. WHY WE LOVE IT: A fun way to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. WANT TO GO? 201-866-1238. chabadfortlee.com.

Monroe Dental Office – Bobby Crohn, DDS 400 State Rt. 17M, Suite 2, Monroe 782-0189 – monroedental@optonline.net Learn more about MonroeDentalOffice.com

The New York City Ballet Performs George Balanchine’s ‘The Nutcracker’

WHEN: Through Dec. 31: see website for show times WHERE: David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, Upper West Side, Manhattan AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Tchaikovsky’s beloved melodies will transport you to a magical world in which mischievous mice besiege a battalion of soldiers, and an onstage blizzard leads to an enchanted Land of Sweets. WHY WE LOVE IT: A New York holiday tradition—the original and the best! WANT TO GO? $40 and up. 212-496-0600. nycballet.com. ››

HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW® November 19 – January 16 NYC’s Favorite Train Show is New and Bigger Than Ever!

Insertion date: DECEMBER 01, 2016 Size: 3.55" x 4.7" 4C MAG

Dental Wellness of Suffern 2 Executive Blvd., Ste. 307, Suffern 918-1801 – dentalwellness@optonline.net Learn more at DentalWellnessofSuffern.com

Camp • Birthday Parties • Kidz Night Out Creative Play • Robotics • Stop Motion Animation

Winter break camp

Tues., Dec. 27th – Fri., Dec. 30th | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm www.B4Kcenter.com Bricks4Kidz.RcklndNY 121 W. NYACK RD. NANUET, NY 845-501-7800

Founding Sponsors VICTORIA and ROBERT ZOELLNER

Sponsors LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust

Brooks Brothers

JUST 20 MINUTES ON METRO-NORTH FROM GRAND CENTRAL GET TICKETS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT NYBG’S ANNIVERSARY AT NYBG.ORG/125

RocklandParent 29 NBG-0044-TrainShow_NyMetroParents_3.55x4.7_Dec01_v1.indd 1

11/9/16 11:13 AM

Tot Shabbat at CSI, Nyack FREE

WHEN: Dec. 3-17, Saturdays 11am WHERE: Congregation Sons of Israel, 300 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Come celebrate Shabbat morning with stories and games, and discover what Shabbat is all about. Grape juice and challah with Rabbi Russo followed by a free lunch for all. WANT TO GO? 845-358-3767. csinyack.org.

BROWSE & BUY Nyack Winters Farmers’ Market FREE

WE CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S FREE Think a freebie has to be ho-hum? Don’t let the price tag (or lack of one) fool you. Here are the five no-cost events we’re excited about now. You’re welcome. The Essentials of Waldorf Education FREE

WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 7:30pm WHERE: Green Meadow Waldorf School, 307 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge AGES: All WHAT: Anna Silber, a former Waldorf class teacher, will speak about the basics of Waldorf Education, one of the fastest-growing educational movements in the world. WANT TO GO? 845-356-2514. gmws.org.

United Hospice of Rockland’s Tree of Life Lighting Ceremony FREE

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 7-9pm WHERE: Palisades Center Mall, 1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Honor or remember a loved one by dedicating a star on a tree. Donate online or stop by the tree display at the Palisades Center during the month of December. WANT TO GO? 845-634-4974. hospiceofrockland.org.

Family Friendly Friday Night Service at CSI, Nyack FREE

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 9, 5pm WHERE: Congregation Sons of Israel, 300 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack AGES: 3-8 WHAT: All are welcome to take part in the joy of Shabbat with engaging and interactive services. Come sing, dance, pray, tell stories, and have fun. WANT TO GO? 845-358-3767. csinyack.org.

Friday Fun FREE

WHEN: Through Dec. 16: Fridays, 4-5pm WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Village Branch, 85 Main St., Haverstraw AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Families can enjoy a different program every week, including Builder’s Club, games, 3-D fun with 3-D pens, PS4, Code Club, and Science Squad. WANT TO GO? 845-429-3445. hkdpl.org. 30

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 1, 8am-2pm WHERE: Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave., Nyack AGES: All WHAT: This year-round market moves indoors for the season featuring many popular vendors including Orchards of Concklin, Pie Lady and Son, Taiim Shack Mobile, American Seafoods, and Kiernan Farms. WANT TO GO? 845-353-2221. nyackchamber.org.

Affordable Art and Pottery Bazaar FREE

WHEN: Dec. 11-22, daily, 10am-5pm WHERE: Rockland Center for the Arts, 27 S. Greenbush Road, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Just in time for the holidays, shop for an array of functional pottery, jewelry, masks, smaller original 2-D and 3-D artworks, and ceramics from the estate of Rosemary Aiello, a beloved RoCA teacher. WANT TO GO? 845-358-0877. rocklandartcenter.org.

Ramsey Winter Farmers’ Market FREE

WHEN: Dec. 4–March 26, 2017, Sundays, 9am-2pm WHERE: Eric Smith School, 73 Monroe St., Ramsey, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Ramsey’s ever popular market takes it indoors for the winter season. Enjoy 35 local food purveyors who offer fresh, artisanal products along with special events for the whole family. WANT TO GO? ramseyfarmersmarket.org.

CityBound

N Y C Jayme Thornton

Must-Sees in

SMARTY PANTS Pollution Solutions FREE

Public Planetarium Show

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2-4pm WHERE: Town of Ramapo Challenger Center, 225 Route 59, Airmont AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Observe meteors, eclipses, nebulae, galaxies, and black holes, then take part in a hands-on astronomy related project in the center’s activity room. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? $10; $5 seniors and children younger than 9. 845-3573416. lhvcc.com.

I’m With The Band The best-selling, award-winning, Laurie Berkner Band rolls into town this month for one morning only! This special holiday concert will celebrate the season with a mix of traditional songs, Berkner classics, and new songs. Berkner is famous for being the queen of kiddie rock and performing shows that little ones love, but don’t send the parents to sleep. Get your tickets early! Dec. 3; 11am. Age: All. $37.50-$100. New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th St., Upper West Side. 212-799-5000. laurieberkner.com

John Minchillo / AP Images for Macy’s Inc

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 4, 2-3pm WHERE: Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood, NJ AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Come learn about easy ways you can improve water quality in your neighborhood. Using an Enviroscape, see how pollution makes its way into the water. WANT TO GO? 201-567-1265. flatrockbrook.org.

Play the PS4 FREE

WHEN: Through Dec. 13: Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30pm WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Village Branch, 85 Main St., Haverstraw AGES: 5-17 WHAT: Gamers are invited to play the PS4 on the library’s big screen. WANT TO GO? 845-429-3445. hkdpl.org.

Hogwarts Book Club FREE

WHEN: Through Dec. 15: Thursdays, 7-8pm WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Main Library, 10 W. Ramapo Road, Garnerville AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Discuss the stories and adventure of Harry Potter and his days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 845-786-3800. hkdpl.org.

Public Space Mission

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 18, 2-5pm WHERE: Town of Ramapo Challenger Center, 225 Route 59, Airmont AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Just like the real astronauts, public crew members will attend a briefing session and then select tasks to perform on the mission. Small teams of space adventurers will conduct research, perform scientific experiments, and even deploy a probe. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? $10; $5 seniors and for children younger than 9. 845357-3416. lhvcc.com. ››

The North Pole On 34th Street Macy’s Santaland starts just after Thanksgiving and sees our hero in a red suit turn the 8th floor of the famous store into a Christmassy North Pole. Complete with cheerful elves, animatronic displays, presents, and most importantly Santa himself! Book early for a shorter wait time; this is one of New York City’s most famous holiday treats. Don’t forget to bring your letter to Santa. For shorter wait times come early in the day and in the season, or book a Santaland Express Pass to skip the line. Nov. 25-Dec. 24. 9am-9pm (with some exceptions, see website). Age: All. Free to visit and photography package purchase is optional. Packages start at $20.99. Macy’s Herald Square, 151 W. 34th St., Midtown. 212-695-4400. macys.com/santaland. RocklandParent 31

Adventures in Reading: Outdoor StoryWalk® Exhibit FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 17, 11am WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Ditch the screens and join this interactive outdoor exhibit that turns reading into an adventure along the trails. Hikers can read a nature-themed story while walking in the woods. Designed for beginning readers, the stories will appeal to all ages. WANT TO GO? 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Stories & Craft FREE

WHEN: Through Jan. 9, 2017: Mondays, 2pm; Wednesdays, 10:30am WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Main Library, 10 W. Ramapo Road, Garnerville AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Stories, crafts, and more for the littles to enjoy. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 845-786-3800. hkdpl.org.

ONCE UPON A TIME ‘The Polar Express’ Pajama Storytime FREE

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 2, 7pm WHERE: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Nanuet, Palisades Center, and Paramus, NJ locations AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Come wearing PJs and join a magical evening. Enjoy coloring and other activities including writing a letter to Santa. WANT TO GO? barnesandnoble.com.

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ Storytime FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 11am WHERE: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Nanuet, Palisades Center, and Paramus, NJ locations AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Celebrate all things Grinch with a reading of the classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and activities to follow including good deed badges and tracking booklets for kids to log all the good things they do this holiday season. WANT TO GO? barnesandnoble.com.

Harry Potter Magical Holiday Ball FREE

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 9, 7pm WHERE: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Nanuet, Palisades Center, and Paramus, NJ locations AGES: 9-17 WHAT: Come dressed as a favorite Harry Potter character, wear your holiday best, or come as you are and enjoy dancing, music, activities, and giveaways. WANT TO GO? barnesandnoble.com.

Nature Story Time

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 17, 11:30am-12:15pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Enjoy a nature-themed story and a visit from one of TNC’s Animal Ambassadors. Animals may include snakes, frogs, turtles, owls, or a hawk. WANT TO GO? $5. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org. 32

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

MINI

MUSICIANS R&R Music School Winter Showcase FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 2-4pm WHERE: Palisades Center, 1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: R&R Music School presents a live music showcase featuring performances by some of its current students and teachers. WANT TO GO? 845-267-3311. rnrmusicschool.com.

Winter Holiday Sing-Along Fun with Sukey Molloy FREE WHEN: Friday, Dec. 9, 10:30am WHERE: Rose Memorial Library, 79 E. Main St., Stony Point AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Join Sukey Molloy to celebrate the winter holiday season with sing-along fun and musical play. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 845-786-2100. rosememoriallibrary.org.

Music Lesson Registration

WHEN: Dec. 1-Jan. 31, 2017, call for scheduling options WHERE: New City School of Music, 12 N. Main St., New City AGES: All WHAT: Kids will love music lessons with these patient and talented teachers. Come learn piano, guitar, drums, voice, violin, flute, saxophone, clarinet, or more. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $46 for a 30-minute class. 845-499-2137. newcitymusicschool.com.

MOVERS & SHAKERS Santa’s Dance Party FREE

Beary Merry Holiday Party

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 17, 10:30am WHERE: Trailside Museums & Zoo, Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain AGES: All WHAT: Have a Beary Merry Holiday with the bears of Bear Mountain. Help make tasty holiday snacks for the black bears and watch them celebrate the season when they unwrap the gift boxes full of delicious holiday treats. WANT TO GO? $10 parking fee; $1 suggested donation. 845-786-2701 x265. trailsidezoo.org.

Christmas Bird Count FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 17, 9am-1pm WHERE: Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood, NJ AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Help count all the birds at the nature center as part of National Audubon Society’s annual nationwide Christmas Bird Count. Search sections of the park and identify different species of birds. Bring binoculars and lunch, and dress for cold weather. WANT TO GO? 201-567-1265. flatrockbrook.org.

Shalom Baby Playgroup: Hanukkah FREE

WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 9:30-11am WHERE: Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, 275 McKinley Ave., New Milford, NJ AGES: Newborn to 3 WHAT: The Shalom Baby playgroup series includes crafts, stories, and songs. WANT TO GO? 201-820-3902. jfnnj.org.

Pee Wee Playtime

WHEN: Through March 30, 2017: Mondays and Thursdays, 10am-1pm WHERE: The Joseph T. St. Lawrence Center, 115 Torne Valley Road, Hillburn AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Children, along with a parent, participate in a variety of different developmental activities from a bounce house to balance beams, bouncy balls, mat activities, and more to develop balance and coordination skills in preparation for kindergarten. WANT TO GO? $5 per day. 845-753-2324. ramapoparks.org.

Sensory Tuesdays

WHEN: Through June 27, 2017: Tuesdays, 6-7pm WHERE: Bounce! Trampoline Sports, 612 Corporate Way, Valley Cottage AGES: 3-8 WHAT: This program offers fun structured activities with decreased auditory and visual stimuli in a less crowded environment with limited class size. WANT TO GO? $12. 845-268-4000. bouncevalleycottage.com. ››

l C ee la ss !

WHEN: Through Dec. 12, Mondays, 10am-12pm WHERE: Bergen County Zoo, Van Saun County Park, Paramus, NJ AGES: 2 and younger WHAT: Toddlers and their caregivers meet in the Education Discovery Lab to play with animal-themed toys, interact with other visitors, and meet animals. WANT TO GO? $8; $5 children ages 3-14; $2 seniors; free for children younger than 3. 201-262-3771. co.bergen.nj.us/parks.

WHEN: Through Dec. 5: Mondays, 11:30am and 7pm; Tuesdays, 11:30am WHERE: Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Main Library, 10 W. Ramapo Road, Garnerville AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Little walkers and their caregivers will love stories, fingerplays, songs, bubbles, and fun. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 845-786-3800. hkdpl.org.

Playtime at the Zoo

Tales and Tunes FREE

WHEN: Through May 28, 2017: daily, 10am-5:45pm WHERE: The American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park W., Upper West Side, Manhattan AGES: All WHAT: One of the museum’s most popular, annual events, this exhibit features up to 500 live, iridescent, tropical butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia. WANT TO GO? $27; $22 seniors and students; $16 children ages 2-12; free for children younger than 2. 212-769-5100. amnh.org.

ANIMAL LOVERS

The Butterfly Conservatory

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 4, 10-11am WHERE: Dave and Buster’s, 4661 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Spend the morning with Santa at Dave & Buster’s. Space is limited, reservations required. WANT TO GO? 845-348-1000. palisadescenter.com.

Project Feederwatch FREE

WHEN: Dec. 5-20, Monday-Tuesday, 10am-12pm WHERE: Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood, NJ AGES: All WHAT: This citizen science program is great way to learn how to identify the local birds in the area and help to collect valuable data for this North American project. WANT TO GO? 201-567-1265. flatrockbrook.org.

Visit us online or call about

Holiday Art Mini-Camp

Birthday Parties Ages 2-18 Class/Camps Walk in Art Time Spacious Studio

60 Dutch Hill Rd, Orangeburg www.ArtAdventureNY.com • (845) 680-6780 RocklandParent 33

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Guided Nature Walk

SHOW TIME!

Julian Fleisher & Ana Gesteyer: ‘The Jews Who Wrote Christmas’ WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 8pm WHERE: First Reformed Church, 18 S. Broadway, Nyack AGES: Adult WHAT: Based on the WNYC Radio Special, The Jews Who Wrote Christmas, this fun holiday concert includes some of your all-time favorite Christmas songs, surprisingly written by Jews such as “White Christmas,” “Chestnuts,” “Let it Snow,” and “Rudolph,” performed by Julian Fleisher and his band along with special guest Saturday Night Live’s Ana Gasteyer. WANT TO GO? $25. 855-278-7762. artsrock.org.

Michael Dubois: Solo Circus FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10, 10am, 11am, 12pm, and 1pm WHERE: Westfield Garden State Plaza, Macy’s Court Level 2, 1 Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ AGES: All WHAT: A fast-paced, audience interactive and technical skills variety show featuring an all-original presentation of magic, juggling, circus, and sideshow stunts all wrapped up in a blanket of comedy. WANT TO GO? 212-986-7080. bergenpac.org.

‘A Christmas Carol’

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 18, 1pm and 4pm WHERE: Bergen PAC, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Take a picture with Santa at this brand-new musical production of the timeless and beloved tale of redemption and enchantment. The show is specifically geared toward young audiences, but is appropriate for people of all ages. WANT TO GO? $15-$29. 201-227-1030. bergenpac.org.

‘The Bossy Frog Band’s Old Tyme Carnival Show!’

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 11am WHERE: The Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave., Nyack AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Fan favorite The Bossy Frog Band is back with another fun, interactive show to get the kids singing and moving. The concert will be followed by a penny carnival with magnet fishing, beanbag toss, games, old school photo booth, and more. Enjoy milk and cookies after the show. WANT TO GO? $15. 855-278-7762. artsrock.org.

‘Radio City Christmas Spectacular’ Featuring The Rockettes WHEN: Nov. 11-Jan. 2, 2017, see website for show times WHERE: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Ave., Midtown, Manhattan AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Celebrate the holiday season in a way that only Radio City can deliver: with this celebrated Christmas spectacle in an iconic venue. Be wowed by favorite numbers including The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and The Living Nativity. WANT TO GO? $46 and up. 866-858-0007. radiocitychristmas.com. 34

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 4, 3-4pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Whether a first time visitor or a regular on the trails, participants will enjoy different sensory experiences in the forest. Weather permitting. WANT TO GO? $5; free for children younger than 2. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Seasonal Scavenger Hunt

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: 3 and older WHAT: Families will receive a set of clues to solve nature riddles along the center’s trails. Complete the hunt to receive a small prize. WANT TO GO? $6; $20 per family. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Crafting and Camping

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10, 4:30-6:30pm WHERE: Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave., Tenafly, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Young artists can design winter decorations and seasonal ornaments using natural materials, followed by s’mores and hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $12. 201-568-6093. tenaflynaturecenter.org.

Winter Solstice Walk

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 18, 2-3pm WHERE: Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, 443 Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood, NJ AGES: 13 and older WHAT: The winter solstice is the longest night of the year. Join Flat Rock Brook Nature Center staff for a program full of folklore and hiking on the trails. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $8. 201-567-1265. flatrockbrook.org.

School Break Mini Session

WHEN: Dec. 27-30, Tuesday-Friday, 9am-3pm WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Outdoor Discovery Center, Muser Drive, Cornwall AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Meet a different live animal each day and learn how animals survive the cold of winter. Enjoy plenty of time hiking, playing outdoor games, hands-on activities, and crafts. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $48 per day. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

AGES: All WHAT: Enjoy this local favorite full-length performance of The Nutcracker by the Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble Junior Company. This has been a holiday classic event for more than 35 years in the tristate area. WANT TO GO? $22. 845-624-7933. rocklandyouthdanceensemble.org.

New Jersey Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’

HOLIDAY FUN Pizza with Santa

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 2, 6-8pm WHERE: The Joseph T. St. Lawrence Center, 115 Torne Valley Road, Hillburn AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Come enjoy holiday fun with music, arts and crafts, and a special visit with Santa for a pizza dinner. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $5 per family of five; $1 for each additional child. 845753-2324. ramapoparks.org.

Tree Lighting in the Plaza FREE

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 2, 6:30pm WHERE: The Shops at Nanuet, 5101 Fashion Drive, Nanuet AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate the holiday season with local entertainment and family fun during the lighting of the shops’ tree. WANT TO GO? 845-367-9450. simon.com/shopsatnanuet.

Holiday Lights of Nyack FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 4-5:30pm WHERE: Veteran’s Park Gazebo, Main and Cedar streets, Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Ring in the holiday at this village tradition with live caroling, a tree lighting, and a holiday story reading. Enjoy free cocoa, cider, and a visit from Santa. WANT TO GO? 845-353-2221. nyackchamber.org.

Yule Log Celebration

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 10am WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Outdoor Discovery Center, Muser Drive, Cornwall AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Come celebrate the end of year with a scavenger hunt for the hidden Yule Log. Learn the story of the Yule Log and the Winter Solstice, then make a craft and enjoy hot chocolate around the campfire. WANT TO GO? $7; $5 children. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

Holiday Festival and Gift of Art Sale

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 4, 12-7pm WHERE: Piermont Chamber of Commerce, various village locations, check the website AGES: All WHAT: Enjoy a variety of holiday fun throughout the day including a tree lighting with snacks, hot chocolate, and live entertainment featuring Tom Chapin, Santa, gingerbread making, art exhibition and sale, a children’s party, and ice sculpture installation. WANT TO GO? Free admission. piermontchamber.org.

‘The Nutcracker’

WHEN: Dec. 2-4, Friday-Saturday, 7pm; Sunday, 1pm and 4pm WHERE: North Rockland High School, 106 Hammond Drive, Thiells

WHEN: Dec. 3-4, Saturday-Sunday, 1pm and 4:30pm WHERE: Bergen PAC, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood, NJ AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Nothing says “holiday magic” better than spending an afternoon visiting with Clara and her amazing Nutcracker. This firstrate, traditional production never fails to enchant youngsters and grown-ups alike with splendid dancing, colorful costumes and scenery, eye-popping special effects, and a touch of holiday magic. WANT TO GO? $23 and up. 201-227-1030. bergenpac.org.

Snow Globe Workshop

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 11, 10am WHERE: Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Outdoor Discovery Center, Muser Drive, Cornwall AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Learn how to make a winter wonderland snow globe from a recycled jar, then shake it to make it snow or give as a gift. WANT TO GO? $7; $5 children. 845-534-5506. hhnaturemuseum.org.

Family Chanukah Party

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 22, 6-8pm WHERE: Rockland Jewish Academy, 450 W. Nyack Road, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Join the Rockland Jewish Academy in celebrating Hanukkah. WANT TO GO? See website for prices. 845-627-0010 rocklandjewishacademy.org.

Winter Holiday Workshop

WHEN: Dec. 2-23, Monday-Tuesday, 10am-12pm; Fridays, 3-5pm WHERE: Jill’s Ceramics, 180 Germonds Road, West Nyack AGES: All WHAT: Hand-paint a large selection of seasonal items including Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, menorahs, or holiday-themed plates, mugs, bowls, napkin holders, and more. Items can be painted and taken home the same day or left for glazing. Registration is recommended. WANT TO GO? Prices vary per piece. 845-623-4975. jillsceramics.com.

Santa in the Park FREE

WHEN: Dec. 3-24, Saturdays, 12-3pm WHERE: Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, East Ridgewood Avenue and Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ AGES: All WHAT: Santa takes a break from his busy schedule for a visit at the park. Check the website for updates. WANT TO GO? 201-445-2600. experienceridgewood.com.

Coming up next month: JAN. 2: Night skiing begins at Mount Peter, Warwick JAN. 14: Story Pirates at Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ JAN. 27: Gaming Night at Tech Adventure, Nanuet

RocklandParent 35

WHERE-TO GUIDE

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree ››

Research by Jonathan Perry and Kathryn Sheridan

Bring holiday cheer and family bonding from the farm to your home by cutting your own Christmas tree this winter. Head to your local tree farm and spend a few fun hours seeking out your family’s perfect tree, then cut it yourself. You can also load up on some festive wreaths, garlands, and baked goods to make the holiday merry and bright! As always, call ahead of time to confirm hours and tree availability before planning your adventure. Nov. 25-Dec. 24, Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm. Handsaws and baling available. Wreaths, garland, and roping for sale. Bakery is open with hot and cold cider, fruit pies, fresh apple cider doughnuts, jams, and jellies. Leashed dogs welcome. Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm 1335 White Hill Road, Yorktown Heights 914-245-5111; wilkensfarm.com Nov. 26 until they run out of trees, 10am4pm daily. Each family member gets a free cup of hot cider while you choose and cut your own tree. There is a farm market, bakery, and gift shop on-site with roping, wreaths, tree stands, and decorations for sale.

Putnam County

Orange County Emmerich Tree Farm 101 Sleepy Valley Road, Warwick 845-986-0151; emmerichtreefarm.com Nov. 25-Dec. 20, weekends, 9am-5pm. Free trimming, drilling, shaking, and baling available. Wagon rides to the fields, hot chocolate and cookies by the bonfire. Hot dogs by Pippy’s Food Truck. Wreaths for sale. Graney Tree Farm 24 Lang Drive, Pine Bush 845-361-3022 Information not available at press time. Manza Family Farm 730 Route 211, Montgomery 845-692-4364; manzafamilyfarm.net Nov. 25-Dec. 24, daily, 8am-5pm. Roping available. Pre-cut trees and wreaths for sale; gift shop on premises. Sled rides and pony rides on weekends from 11am-3pm (one free with each tree purchase). Santa and his elf onsite during all December weekends from 11am-4pm. Free candy canes and coloring books for kids. 36

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

Pine View Farm 575 Jackson Ave., New Windsor 845-564-4111 pineviewfarmny.com Dec. 10-18, Saturday-Sunday, 9am-4pm. Five fields from which to choose a tree. Tools, baling, and assistance provided. Homemade wreaths and Christmas decorations for sale starting Dec. 3-4, 9am-4pm. Free candy canes and coloring books for kids. Stone Oak Farm 207 Stony Bar Road, Slate Hill 845-355-4751 or 845-537-9060 (cell) stoneoaktreefarm.com Nov. 26-Dec. 24, weekends, 10am-dusk, other times by appointment. Barn with fireplace and free hot chocolate and candy canes for children. Fresh wreaths for sale. Three types of trees: white spruce, blue spruce, and Canaan fir. All trees are $52. Dogs are welcome.

Westchester County Stuart’s Farm 62 Granite Springs Road, Granite Springs 914-245-2784; stuartsfarm.com

Hardwick Tree Farm 213 Wood St., Mahopac 845-528-5814 Nov. 25-Dec. 18, Saturdays and Sundays, and Black Friday, 9am-dusk. Saws and baling provided. Free hot cider and cookies.

Morris County, NJ Hidden Pond Tree Farm 4 West Field Road, Mendham 973-865-6362 hiddenpondtreefarm.com Nov. 25-Dec. 20, Tuesday-Sunday, 9am5pm. Pre-cut trees also available. All trees grown at the farm are pesticide-free. Refreshments available. Free hay rides (weather permitting). Marshmallow roasting around the bonfire and free hot chocolate on weekends. Christmas shop with wreaths, greenery, centerpieces, and other decorations. After the first weekend, call for updates on availability before visiting. Rolling Green Farm 61 Hacklebarney Road, Long Valley 908-879-7457 Nov. 25-Dec. 24, Black Friday and weekends, 10am-5pm. Cut your own

nymetroparents.com/where-to trees. Wreaths, tree sprays, and antiques for sale in the shop.

Sussex County, NJ Country Heritage Farm 129 Plains Road, Augusta 973-875-5590 countryheritagefarm.com Nov. 25-Dec. 18, weekends, 9am-4pm. Saws provided. Christmas shop with decorations, ornaments, wreaths, holly, stands, and garland on-site. Hayride to haul tree from field provided.

Warren County, NJ Evergreen Valley Christmas Tree Farm 77 Jackson Valley Road, Washington 908-835-0557 evergreenvalleychristmastrees.com Nov. 25-Dec. 24, FridaySaturday, 10am-sundown; Sunday-Thursday, 12pm-

sundown. Tools and assistance provided. Wagon rides and hot chocolate available on weekends. Pets on leashes allowed. Wyckoff’s Christmas Tree Farm, LLC 249 County Road 519, Belvidere

908-475-4508; wyckoffs.com Nov. 25-Dec. 24, daily, 8am4:30pm. Country gift shop with holiday decorations open 9am-4:30pm weekends only. Hayrides on weekends only, weather permitting. Thousands of trees available. Leashed dogs welcome.

Find the full guide at ›› nymetroparents.com/xmastrees

Giordano’s Tree Farm 350 Route 94 S. (at Hilltop Drive), Newton 908-231-8847 giordanostreefarm.com Dec. 3-4, Saturday-Sunday, 8:30am-dark. Saws and tree wrapping provided. Santa visits. Ten-foot trees available. More than 1,000 trees up to 9 feet tall, dozens of trees as tall as 20 feet. All trees are $42. Assistance is available for wrapping and tying to car. Bailing available. Holiday Tree Farm 44 Augusta Hill Road, Augusta 973-948-7488 holidaytreefarmnj.com Nov. 25-Dec. 18, FridaySunday, 9am-5pm. Saws provided. Christmas shop on premises with wreaths for sale. Shale Hills Farm 98 Pond School Road, Sussex 973-875-4231 shalehillsfarm.com Nov. 25-Dec. 24, weekends only, 10am-dark. Santa appearances throughout the day. Christmas movies in the hayloft and a petting zoo full of animals in the barn. Stonerow Tree Farm 242 Wykertown Road, Branchville 973-875-7968 (farm) or 973-948-6463 (office) stonerowfarm.com Information was not available at press time; please call to confirm. RocklandParent 37

Kids Do the Weirdest Things

››

Some of your child’s strangest behaviors and habits, explained by experts. By Laurie Sue Brockway

hen my son was in kindergarten, the teacher called me in to tell me the staff was taking up a collection so that I could buy him new clothing. He’d been wearing the same clothes every day for two weeks, and the staff assumed it was because I was not able to properly clothe him. It took everything for me not to burst out laughing as I explained that my son decided he would wear only black pants and a favorite black sweatshirt—so I’d bought him five pairs of the same pants and sweatshirts and washed his clothes constantly. But I told him that it was the same outfit every day. When the teacher asked if he had other clothes, he apparently said no. Don’t get me started on the phase in which he insisted on wearing his Superman cape to school. Or the stuffed cat that had to be with us as all times. Kids do weird things. Really weird things. We asked experts to comment on some of the unusual traits we are bound to see as our kids grow.

Toddlers

Touching everything. If you feel like smudgy fingerprints cover every surface in your home, you’re not alone. “Many toddlers learn by touching,” says Mary Ellen Renna, M.D., a pediatrician in practice in Jericho and author of 10 Steps to Almost Perfect Parenting. “They are tactile learners. They need to touch, manipulate, open, tear, and pull items. They need to see what sounds they make, how they feel, what it tastes like.” Eating and licking gross things. Toddlers do not discriminate 38

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

when it comes or putting things in their mouths or up to their lips—dirt and snot included. “Children are inherently curious,” says Deena Blanchard, M.D., a Brooklyn- and Manhattan-based pediatric and postpartum depression expert with Premier Pediatrics and a mom of three boys. “As they grow and explore the world they will explore with all their senses. Early exploration is often oral in nature.” That’s why parents have to make sure there are no small pieces of things on the floor or within grasp. “The good news is that as children get older these habits fade,” Dr. Blanchard says. Flushing stuff down the toilet. Remember that time when you couldn’t find a toy or your sunglasses, and then you heard a splash? “Kids are attracted to the toilet more between ages 18 months and 2½ years, when they are developing their bathroom skills—toilet training,” Dr. Renna says. “Once they develop the aversion to their waste products, they don’t play around the toilet as much.” Taking over cellphones. Phones and other mobile devices are very attractive because they are filled with colors and sounds, Dr. Renna says. “They also have games and songs that are entertaining.” That doesn’t mean they should play with them. “I don’t believe kids should have access to a parent’s phone,” she says. “Too much potential danger there.”

Small Children

Sticking things up their noses—and elsewhere. Kids are usually led by the desire to see how things fit into other things.

“It is rare for children to put things in various places to act out or purposely annoy their parents,” Dr. Blanchard says. “It is much more likely that they are curious about what it would feel like to put a pretzel in their nose, or if a bead could fit inside their ear.” She says to talk to children about how their bodily orifices work and explain, We only put food in our mouths and that it’s not healthy or safe for your body to put things in your nose or ear. Most children grow out of these behaviors by age 5 or 6, or after they have to see a doctor to have something removed from an ear or nose. “It’s not actually a fun experience and that works in our favor as parents,” Dr. Blanchard says. Peeing on, or in, stuff. While dogs do it to mark their territory, kids do it to experiment and explore. “I know a 4-year-old who urinated in a backpack because he wanted to see what it felt like,” Dr. Blanchard says. To make sure it doesn’t happen again, focus on the positive and make it a teachable moment. “For example,” she says, “you can say, ‘I sometimes wonder what things may feel like too. It is important to only go pee in the potty or your pull up so we can keep the house clean.’” Also, tell children to check with you if they aren’t sure about whether they should do something. Clinging to an object of affection. Linus isn’t the only one who likes his security blanket. “The object in some way represents the parent who the child does not want to separate from,” says Gail Saltz, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at The New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornel School of Medicine and host of “The Power of Different” podcast. “The parent can come and go, so the object provides comfort and permanence in staying with the child and being snuggled or held.” Termed a transitional object, it can be a blanket, a stuffed animal, or toy—something that can be carried around. “Parents know if you leave it at home or it gets lost, there is hell to pay in the form of tantrums or refusal to go anywhere without it,” Dr. Saltz says. Making animal noises and sounds. There are a number of things that inspire kids to roar, purr, or make odd or loud noises. “It may be dramatic play, actually pretending to be an animal,” says Jephtha Tausig-Edwards, Ph.D., a New York City-based clinical psychologist. “It would not be unusual for a 3- or 4-year-old to pretend he or she was an animal until they tired of doing so.” It can also be to gain attention, or to make parents or peers laugh, she adds. Inviting imaginary friends to dinner. Imaginary friends can be helpful to kids who have gone through trauma and can serve as allies to any child. “These friends are sometimes only in the child’s head but can sometimes be seen in great detail by the child,” Dr. Saltz says. “It may be one or multiple people, animals or fantasy beings and is often viewed in a real friend way, with discussion, shared feelings, and inclusion in family activities.” This is all a reflection of this child’s imagination and creativity, and is more likely to occur for a child who has enough unstructured play time to invent a friend, she says. Stripping in public. “Young children can be unselfconscious about their bodies such that they may spontaneously strip off their clothing because they feel hot, or too restricted, or just like the feel of being naked—but obviously not when it’s cold out,” Dr. Tausig-Edwards says. “Sometimes, they may want to show the world their ‘big boy underpants’ or something they are proud of, which could also include genitalia if they feel this is continued on next page ››

RocklandParent 39

‹‹ continued from previous page

important.” She says this behavior usually stops due to caregiver reprimands and/or pressure from peers in social situations such as birthday parties or playdates. It should clear up completely during the first year of preschool if not before. Drawing a masterpiece on a freshly painted wall. Remember that time when your kids unleashed their inner Michelangelos in unsolicited wall murals—furniture, upholstery, and other items? “This behavior can be an expression of artistic impulses and/or a method of gaining our attention,” Dr. Tausig-Edwards says. Or kids just think it is a good idea at the time. She suggests hanging large sheets of butcher paper with masking or some other nonmarking tape on all four corners and then invite your children to draw only on the paper. “You will know fairly quickly whether the driver of their behavior is more of an artistic impulse or more of an attention-getting one.” Decorating a sibling’s face with magic markers. They’re not trying to ruin their sister or brother’s good looks out of jealousy. “It’s usually part of fun, curiosity, or an imagination game,” Dr. Blanchard says. “It’s rarely manipulative or purposefully intent on upsetting someone. Kids are fun, curious little beings. They aren’t yet fully aware of the consequences of their actions and likely have not thought it through.” While this may lead to some coloring on your baby, it also leads to a time where your child is super fun to play with and talk to, she says. “Their minds are open and the world is their oyster. Try to embrace this period and guide your child in making good choices.”

Older Kids

Refusing to talk about their day at school. Some kids just need downtime when they get home. “As a mom of three boys, I totally understand the frustration of asking your child how was your day at school and getting back, ‘fine.’” Dr. Blanchard says. “After a long day at school kids may not be in the mood to talk or review their day.” Try asking your child more specific questions instead of broad ones, such as: What did you eat for lunch? Or, What made you smile today? Or wait until bedtime to chat, when kids are more relaxed. Giving the pet a makeover. Some kids like to dress up pets like dolls and put barrettes on long-haired dogs, but Rachel Barrack, a veterinarian with Animal Acupuncture, has also seen cases of kids trying to add color. “Kids love to color with markers and crayons, but keep these away from your pets,” says Barrack, who practices in NYC. She says that body glitter and nail polish are also not safe. Holding pets (or siblings) up like Simba. The sweet scene in the Lion King inspires kids to hold their pets up like a baby lion. However, Barrack says, “this is not only scary for them, but you can drop them.” That goes for little sister or brother, too. “We don’t want to encourage children to do any weird things with pets,” Barrack says, suggesting pet-friendly alternative activities such as cuddling, teaching and learning new tricks, exercise, reading, and “pet-friendly” arts and crafts. Playing with prickly things. Some foods need close parental supervision. Naresh C. Rao, D.O., FAOASM, of Sports Medicine at Chelsea, shares a cautionary tale about a 9-year-old sister and

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

6-year-old brother who saw a prickly pear in a grocery store. “The sister picked it up, and it felt fuzzy. She then told her brother to pick it up,” he says. “After both of them held it, they felt pain and told mom.” As it turned out, he says, “The slivers from the Prickly Pear had to be removed by a pediatric dermatologist because the spikes were so small that the doctor needed specialized equipment to have it removed from their skin.” Creating obstacle courses. Dr. Rao, who lives in Scarsdale and was on Team USA’s sports medicine team for the 2016 Summer Olympics, has treated injuries relating to kids playing around in cars. One 9-year-old boy decided to buckle all the seat belts in the back of mom’s minivan and swing through them like an obstacle course. “He then convinced his 11-year-old sister to join him,” Rao says. “She got through one but then got caught up in the next one. It was so tightly wrapped around her body that the latching mechanism would not release.” The seat belt needed to be cut to free her.

Tweens

Girls going gaga over male pop idols. It’s a rite of passage that harkens back beyond Elvis and the Beatles and the Back Street Boys. “Teen idols are often fantasy romantic partners when tweens and teens first start to have crushes,” Dr. Saltz says. “It is a safe way to express and experience romantic and sexual feelings in an exciting way.” Teens and tweens feel close to the idol by going to concerts and playing their music, which explains why parents find themselves shelling out money for tickets, T-shirts, and posters. Because adolescent brains are more primed for risk taking and emotionality, a teen may go to great lengths to be close to and experience their idol, Dr. Saltz says. Boys using potty humor. “Boys love potty humor—farts and poop jokes never get old— and that’s why they will read a series like Captain Underpants over and over again,” says Hillary Tubin, former literacy educator and author of Boys and Books: What You Need to Know. “Boys also love to read in the weirdest positions: standing, squeezed into a tiny space, in a fort, on their backs with their arms raised and the book high in the air, and while moving around to name a few.” She says boys are the happiest when they get to read a book such as Captain Underpants squeezed into a tiny space made into a fort, with a flashlight in hand and their favorite pet close by. Being tied to electronic devices. The romance begins early on and by the time kids have cellphones and iPads they might as well have been born with the device firmly attached to their hand. Texting is how teens communicate. “We live in a world of constant motion and as such they grab anything to keep constantly busy,” says technology expert Donna Conroy, co-founder of House Monkey. Always monitor use, she says, and get kids to take a time-out from devices as much as possible. Laurie Sue Brockway is a journalist and author who has written extensively on love, romance, marriage, parenting, well-being, and emotional health. Her work has appeared in hundreds of print and online publications, including Woman’s Day, Everyday Health, and The Huffington Post.

Mitzvah Market magazine Your Source for Ideas & Inspiration Get Your FREE Copy New Issue in 2016

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Courtesy MSG Entertainment Courtesy Billy Beez

Courtesy Cradle of Aviation Museum

Courtesy Brooklyn Boulders

Celebrate the holidays with the beloved Radio City Rockettes and witness the iconic kickline.

Kids take in the view at Brooklyn Boulders. A Grumman F-11ATiger, one of 75 aircraft at Cradle of Aviation Museum Billy Beez’s play space will keep the kids busy for hours.

A Staycation a Day

››

Ideas for seven fun-filled family days around our region. By Bethany Braun-Silva

here’s no better way to create lasting memories as a family than taking a trip together, especially around the holidays. As a mom of two young boys, however, I know how hard—and expensive—it can be to take a trip. The good news is you don’t need to get on an airplane or even stay at a hotel to have a memorable and exciting winter break. The New York metro area offers such a wealth of things to do with kids that there are virtually endless possibilities for a “vacation” right here at home. To help, we’ve created a list of seven great local “staycation” itineraries—a week’s worth of kid-focused fun for you and your family to enjoy this holiday season.

Brooklyn

Courtesy Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Check out Brooklyn Boulders, at which adults and kids can scale mountain-like fixtures in Boerum Hill. You can also experience a bit of history at the New York Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn. Got an animal-lover on your hands? Head to Coney Island and visit the New York Aquarium to marvel at the sea turtles, sharks, seals, and more.

Fairfield County, CT

The Stepping Stones Museum for Children offers kids educational fun.

Check out the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, which is home to a special “Animals Without Passports” exhibit through Jan. 2, 2017. The Stepping Stones Museum for Children, also in Norwalk, offers a great variety of activities, including Zumba® classes for kids and an Elf Workshop in which children can create their own Christmas tree ornament. Top off the day by catching a performance of The Nutcracker at The Palace in Stamford.

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

Long Island

Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum features more than 75 aircraft and spacecraft, a dozen cockpits, and 30 hands-on exhibits. You can keep the learning going with a trip to Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, Theodore Roosevelt’s home, which offers tours and ranger activities for kids. Kids can also enjoy troutfeeding demonstrations and tours at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium in Cold Spring Harbor and take a trip back in time at Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, at which they can take part in the junior apprenticeship program, dress in authentic period clothing, and learn historic crafts.

Manhattan

Start at everyone’s favorite, the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side. You can then take a short trip downtown—walk through Central Park if it’s not too cold—to experience the holiday fun

at Rockefeller Center or take in the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Finish up with some grub at Ellen’s Stardust Diner in Midtown, since you’re sure to be hungry.

Queens

Head to Corona to experience GingerBread Lane at the New York Hall of Science. It won the Guinness World Record—in 2013, 2014, and 2015—for the largest gingerbread village. You can also see a family-friendly show at Flushing Town Hall or check out the annual Holiday Market there. Next, head over to Funtopia USA for some arcade fun in Middle Village.

Englewood Wyckoff • Norwood, NJ

Bronxville Woodcliff Lake

Pinatas • Crafts • Entertainment • Sombreros • Birthday Cake

Courtesy New York Hall of Science

(packages range from $8.95 - $21.00 per child)

for party info

201.848.4088 • www.bluemoonmexicancafe.com

Angie’s List Award Winner

Kids take in the amazing feat that is GingerBread Lane at the New York Hall of Science.

Rockland County

Visit Us At Our Newly Expanded

Head to the Palisades Center in West Nyack for some serious family fun all in one place. Kids and adults can take on the ropes course at Palisades Climb Adventure. Afterward, parents can sit back while their kids jump and play at Billy Beez, an indoor play space. Younger kids will enjoy the Ferris wheel and carousel just off the food court, while older ones can catch a movie or IMAX and go ice-skating.

We’re closer than you think!

Just 2 miles from Rockland. NEW online appointment booking for sick visits. Equipped with an in-house lab and the latest in visual/hearing testing.

Westchester

Call about evening hours for check ups.

Have a museum-filled day at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah or the Westchester Children’s Museum in Rye (or both!). Afterward, head over to Ridge Hill in Yonkers for an afternoon at Legoland Discovery Center, to experience the festive creations at Bricktacular. Walk just a block or two within Ridge Hill to find a bite to eat or be truly adventurous and try indoor skydiving at iFly.

201.326.7120 TenaflyPediatrics.com

Tenafly • Clifton • Oakland • Fort Lee • Paramus • Park Ridge

NEED

Courtesy Legoland Discovery Center

to plan the perfect party?

Kids can build and learn with Legos at Legoland Discovery Center.

FIND venues, entertainers, suppliers, and other ideas to create the ideal party in our online Parent Resources Directory.

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Winter Break Activities The Academy For Martial Arts

8 Orangetown Shopping Center, Orangeburg 845-359-4500 rocklandkarate.com Academy For Martial Arts has been serving the Bergen and Rockland communities under a different name for 18 years. We offer kids’ martial arts classes, summer camp, great birthday parties, kickboxing classes, and adult martial arts classes. This holiday season we will also be hosting holiday mini camps—a great introduction to the world of martial arts for your children, and a lot of fun! Check out our website or call for more information.

Art Adventure

60 Dutch Hill Road, Suite 8, Orangeburg 845-680-6780 artadventureny.com info@artadventureny.com Your child can unleash their creative side this holiday season with walk-in art times and holiday mini camps here at Art Adventure! We will also be offering, again, parent’s nights out—Mom and Dad can have time to get some shopping done or have a nice dinner out on the town. Drop your kids at Art Adventure and let them have their own night out! Art projects, games, movies, and snacks. Pizza and beverages included. Visit our website or call for more information.

ArtsRock

Milk and Cookies Playhouse 855-ARTSROCK (278-7762) artsrock.org Milk & Cookies Playhouse starts Nov. 19 with Klassic Rock for Kids featuring the popular Alice Leon—a family concert for kids of all ages with rock ‘n’ roll favorites. Then on Wednesday, Dec. 28, The Bossy Frog Band’s Old Tyme Carnival Show! The award-winning band’s annual musical extravaganza with banjo, a hula-hooping fiddler, a dancing monkey, and 6-foot-tall Bossy Frog! Penny Carnival Games, too. On Saturday, Jan. 14, enjoy the fourth annual Puppet Festival with interactive puppet making following the show. Visit our website for location of shows. And yes, we give out milk and cookies.

Bricks 4 Kidz

121 W. Nyack Road, Suite 11, Nanuet 845-501-7800 b4kcenter.com info@b4kcenter.com Bricks 4 Kidz is offering four days of Winter

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

Break Lego® Camp Tuesday, Dec. 27–Friday, Dec. 30, providing the Lego® enthusiast an atmosphere in which your child will learn, build, and play with Lego® Bricks. Bricks 4 Kidz programs provide a unique approach to educational play using Lego® bricks, motors, and remote controls. Camp runs 9am-4pm. Sign up online at b4kcenter.com.

JCC Rockland

450 W. Nyack Road, West Nyack 845-362-4400 jccrockland.org/camp camps@jccrockland.org Camp J Rock, JCC Rockland’s school break programs, are fun-filled and engaging. We offer three options to keep every child engaged, Jr (pre-K to third grades), Sports (third-seventh grades), or Trips (third-seventh grades). No additional fee for early care from 7:30-9am and late care from 5-6:30pm. General program hours are 9am-5pm. Snacks, activities, trip entry, and lunch are included (lunch is not provided on certain days for trip camp). Check out our website for full listing of dates, rates, and themes.

Jill’s Ceramics

180 Germonds Road, West Nyack 845-623-4975 jillsceramics.com jillsceramics@aol.com Come enjoy a great holiday activity for the whole family! We are offering extended hours for the winter school break, so please call ahead for days and hours. Established for more than 35 years, we offer a huge variety of plaster pieces for all seasons that can be painted and taken home the same day, or glazed ceramics with a large assortment of finishes. There are no hourly fees and all supplies are included—you pay one price per finished piece.

Palisades Climb Adventure

4590 Palisades Center Drive, Level 4 of the Palisades Center, West Nyack 845-727-3500 palisadesclimb.com Palisades Climb Adventure offers the world’s tallest indoor ropes challenge course. Standing 85-feet tall, it has five levels and 75 unique challenge elements to explore, climb, and conquer. More advanced athletes will find a challenge, while “just for fun” climbers will experience a sense of athletic accomplishment. Our Sky Tykes kids’ ropes course is designed for ages 2-7, 48 inches tall and shorter. Both courses are available for

birthday parties, groups, and special events. Check out our new Sky Rail zip line. Call or check our website for winter break and holiday hours.

Rockin’ Jump: Ridge Hill

241 Market St., Yonkers 914-510-9119 ridgehill.rockinjump.com ridgehill-ny@rockinjump.com Rockin’ Jump: Mount Kisco 333 N. Bedford Road, Mount Kisco 914-743-5730 mtk.rockinjump.com info@mtk.rockinjump.com Bring your family to Rockin’ Jump, the all-new ultimate trampoline park in Ridge Hill Mall! It features a huge rock climbing wall, dodgeball arenas, slam dunk zones, spacious trampolines, and more! Kids and adults are welcome to jump! Visit ridgehill. rockinjump.com for our special holiday jump times and to book your jump times in advance!

Smart Alec

646-583-3611 smartalec.com Smart Alec offers outstanding in-home private tutoring sessions throughout the month of December. Our tutors teach all grades, kindergarten to 12th, and almost any subject you can imagine (from writing to algebra to test prep). You can seamlessly schedule same-day tutoring sessions on our website or iPhone app. We also match students with the best possible tutors for their unique learning style, making sure that students find the right teacher for them.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort

4323 Vermont Route 108 South, Jeffersonville, VT 888-393-9097 smuggs.com Find your family’s perfect winter vacation at Smugglers’ Notch Vermont. With 1,000 acres of mountain terrain, you’ll find something for everyone. Three inter-connected mountains offer terrain to meet all types of skiers and riders. Kids at Smugglers’, as well as adults, are treated to the best ski and snowboard programs in the East. With on-hill activities focused on fun, learning has never been so appealing, especially for the No. 1 Kid Friendly Resort in the Eastern U.S. and Canada as voted by the readers of SKI Magazine. Celebrating 60 years of family fun!

Math Help

Tech Adventure

404 E. Route 59, Nanuet 845-627-7000 techadventureny.com info@techadventureny.com Innovative and exciting minicamps offered Nov. 25, Dec. 26–30, and Jan. 2. We will have the gaming room open and staffed for a fun gaming experience. Various teachers will be around to run workshops and to help out if you want to use our programs or tech! Try your hand in 3-D printing, learn about game modding, learn some basics about designing video games, or just come to play! Recommended for ages 6 and older. Pizza included. Additional snacks and beverages are available. Call or check our website for more information.

21 Pralle Lane, Nanuet 845-623-3636 westrockindoor.com We are Rockland’s premier facility for sports training and development and special events. Our versatile, air-conditioned facility is comprised of two regulation-sized basketball courts, 26,000 square feet of all new turf, and six tennis courts. We will be offering Holiday Recess Open Play the week of Dec. 26-30. Come and enjoy sports activities, inflatables, and arts and crafts. Our counselors will create teams to compete in relay races, kickball, dodgeball, basketball, and soccer. Check our website for more details and other Open Play dates.

Find us at:

facebook.com/i9sports

Indoor Soccer & T-ball Clinic

Hurry to secure your spot! The earlier you register, the more you save! • T-Ball: ages 3-5 Soccer: ages 3-11 • Organized programs focused on fun, safety, & convenience. • All skill levels welcome. No tryouts!

Each clinic is five weeks long.

1st session starts Dec 4th • 2nd session starts Feb 11th

Helping Kids Succeed in Life Through Sports

Each location independently owned and operated.

Test Prep

Homework Help

We make math make sense.

West Rock Indoor Sports and Entertainment Complex

Math Enrichment

50% OFF on Assessement Fee + $100 OFF the First Month! Some restrictions apply. New students only.

Mathnasium of Nanuet

(845) 624-6284

Nanuet@mathnasium.com www.mathnasium.com/Nanuet 209B W. Route 59, Nanuet, NY 10954

A Lavishly Illustrated Children’s Story of Friendship and Overcoming Obstacles

Tilly... A Deer’s Tale (BASED ON A TRUE STORY)

Follow the adventures of a rescued baby deer. Share Tilly’s courage and valiant recovery. Call 914-764-5564

to schedule a free Tilly Event for schools, libraries & hospitals Available at Barnes & Noble, Walden Books and at Amazon.com For books preview and sale, visit us at:

www.tillyadeerstale.com

i9sports.com

Jill’s Ceramics

Where children & adults create their own functional works of art

Established for over 35 years, Offering:

• KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES • Adult’s Night Out • Specialty Items For Every Holiday • Paint & Go - Same Day • Glaze & Fire Mon., Tues. & Weds. 9:30 am - 3:00 pm Tues. & Thurs. 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Friday Kids Classes 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Look Us Up on Facebook Call for Extended Holiday Hours

& Current Weekend Hours

180 Germonds Rd. West Nyack, NY • 845-623-4975 • www.jillsceramics.com

Come paint a holiday item & receive a free gift to take home & paint RocklandParent 45

Get as Good as You Give!

››

We all want to grant our kids’ every wish, especially during the holidays—but is showering them with presents really best? How to model the spirit of giving without spoiling your child, make generosity a part of your family’s routine, and bring smiles to their faces. By Katelin Walling

efore families sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, stores put out holiday decorations. With all the hype and commercialism of the extended season, it’s hard to not feel pressure to get your children the most extravagant gifts. “One kid can’t have a better Christmas than the other one, so you keep upping the ante. The pressure is so much. I start getting a stomachache, like, in November,” said comedian Louis C.K., talking about buying gifts for his daughters in his appearance on the nowdefunct The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC on Jan. 6, 2014. “I actually do think that one Christmas with nothing would make [my kids] more generous, more cautious, and smarter people, so it would actually be good parenting to have one Christmas where [they] get nothing,” he said of not wanting to give in to the contagious gift-buying frenzy. “But I can’t do it. I can’t do what’s right for my kids.” You don’t need to go to the extreme measure of refraining from giving your children gifts this holiday season to encourage them to be more grateful, more generous beings.

Understand how we got to ‘affluenza.’

Entitled children are not born, they’re made, according to Wednesday Martin, Ph.D., a social researcher with a background in anthropology and author of Primates of Park Avenue, who lives in New York City. Our modern culture is a time of “ecological relief,” Dr. Martin says—meaning we’re not foraging for food, hunting prey, or primarily occupied with matters of survival. “One of the things that means is, that to a completely unprecedented extent, we can invest really heavily in each and every child we have versus the way it was in our evolutionary prehistory when humans had to balance care for their offspring with care for themselves,” Dr. Martin says. “They were always playing the numbers game—how much attention can I give this child without dying myself?” 46

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

“Affluenza”—which “is characterized by a sense of entitlement, an inability to delay gratification, an exaggerated belief in the ability to control one’s life, and a diminished capacity for empathy and compassion,” according to Josh Glawe, LCSW, who provides individual, family, marital, and group therapy in Parsippany, NJ— also stems from the fact that we, as primates, give gifts because we live to make social connections, Dr. Martin says. “We long to belong. We long to build connections and cement relationships, and gifts are one of the ways that we do that. By giving something to someone we say, ‘I value you. I like you. You mean something to me.’ But now, because we live in a state of ecological relief, sometimes we give really lavish gifts,” Dr. Martin says. “And we know that most people around the holiday, no matter what their financial situation, give to the outer extent that is possible for them.”

Counteract the ‘gimmes.’

Glawe says the most important step to guard against the escalating effects of entitlement is to recognize the problem and work toward a more balanced view of the role of money and material items to your child, as well as within the family as a whole. Once this has been determined, there are a few easy things you can do with your children to help them become more gracious. Name your blessings. Beyond counting your blessings, naming them is a great way to reflect on the things you’re grateful for each day. “There are so many ways that you can do that,” says Andrea Reiser, a Westport, CT-based happiness coach and co-author of Letters From Home: A Wake-Up Call for Success and Wealth. Reiser suggests you write your blessings down once a week; go around the dinner table and have each family member mention a few things they’re grateful for. Or participate in the “100 Days of Happiness” (100happydays.com) challenge by capturing images

of things that make you happy or that you’re grateful for 100 days in a row—71 percent of people who tried have cited “lack of time” as the main reason they were unable to complete the challenge. Let’s instill in our kids that making time for happiness is a worthwhile priority! Show gratitude every day. Be a grateful parent and tell your children why you’re grateful for them. “It models what gratitude is and it also helps them build self-esteem because they realize you love them for certain skills, qualities, and characteristics, and it makes them feel good to know they’re appreciated,” Reiser says. Parents should also model gratitude by saying “thank you” sincerely and often in your everyday life. “Yes, the grocery store cashier is paid to ring up your order, but say ‘thank you’ to that person just for the interaction that you’ve had with them,” Reiser suggests. Help children express gratitude. Unfortunately, thank-you notes have largely disappeared from our culture, Reiser says. “There are so many ways you can make it easier for kids to send thank-you notes, even if it’s a thank-you email, to make the child acknowledge that they received something from someone else and show that they appreciate it,” she adds. Create a form note for younger kids on which they fill in the blanks for who gave them the gift, what they received, and sign it or maybe draw a picture. Take older kids shopping for their own stationery to send handwritten notes. And remember: A phone call to the giver is a simple way to say thank you, especially in this age of texts. “I think that gratitude is such a great solution because it kind of counteracts the ‘gimmes’,” Reiser adds. “Really instilling gratitude in kids and living it yourself as a model goes so far to change the entitlement culture.”

Indulge your gift-giving instincts.

So, how can you indulge in some of your gift-giving instincts without spoiling your kids? Give the gift of time. We live in a very fast-paced, hyped-up culture, so we give lavish gifts because it’s the most efficient way to say “I love you,” Dr. Martin says. But the most extravagant, most precious gift you can give your child? Your time. Dr. Martin suggests you give children gift certificates, such as 1 hour of arts-and-crafts with Mommy or the opportunity to help Daddy make dinner. Or give a board game, which is something that will facilitate everyone spending time together, and then commit to a family game night once a week. “As your child is opening a gift, talk about how using it will allow you to spend time together,” Dr. Martin says. “What you’re modeling is that a gift is a route to a social and personal connection.” Spend money doing rather than having. “I’m huge into giving kids experiences rather than material stuff—spending time instead of spending money, and also asking relatives to do the same,” Reiser says. “It’s so much more meaningful and lasting to have experiences together.” A 2014 study by Amit Kumar, Matthew A. Killingsworth, and Thomas Gilovich titled “Waiting for Merlot” found that experiential purchases (spending money on doing) tends to provide longer-lasting happiness than material purchases (spending money on having). So you’ll be happier buying experiences for you and your child, and your child will be happier because you’ll be spending time with him.

Set realistic expectations. The only way to prevent your children from feeling extreme disappointment when they don’t get everything they want is to talk about expectations beforehand. “I grew up celebrating Hanukkah, and we did not get a gift every night for the eight days of Hanukkah, but we knew that up front,” Reiser says. “Maybe the first and fourth and eighth nights my mom would give us a gift. We didn’t know exactly what nights to expect them, but we knew we weren’t getting something every night, and it just made it more realistic.” Once you’ve set expectations with your child, share with relatives and ask them to follow suit with you. Reiser adds that there may be some initial disappointment, but you have to remind the child that you discussed expectations beforehand and to appreciate the things they were given. While it may not be easy during the holidays, Reiser suggests asking your child to participate in purchasing the newest gadget or fashion accessory they want. “Then, they have a little more investment in it, and it’s more rewarding when they finally get to that point where they’ve saved up enough to be able to buy it,” she says.

Keep the charitable feeling year-round.

“In general, I don’t believe that kids act selfishly because they genuinely don’t care about others. It’s more that they aren’t really sure how to help others and give back because they aren’t being taught,” says Todd Patkin, author of Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and—Finally—Let the Sunshine In. “Ultimately, raising children who understand the value of giving back—and whose lives reflect that knowledge—is one of the most philanthropically-minded things parents can do.” The best way to teach your children is to set an example for them. Whether it’s donating time, money, or items to an organization, or simply a random act of kindness such as helping an older person with their groceries or taking homemade soup to a sick friend, showing your kids that you take a little time every day to be kind to someone is “going to go just as far as going to a soup kitchen but in a different way that’s profound,” Dr. Martin says. And if you see something happening in a charitable way, Resier says you should point it out to your children so they have real life experiences within their own community. After showing your children a few ways you give back, get them involved in giving back, too—just keep them interested. Use your kids’ interests to focus on what they might want to do, whether it’s supporting a charitable foundation monetarily or volunteering, Reiser suggests. If your child likes animals, volunteer at the local humane society; if she loves reading, take her to buy and donate books to a literacy foundation. One way Reiser kept her four sons interested in donating money when they were young was to connect the act to baseball. Each child picked a baseball statistic to follow for the family’s favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. “One of them would pledge one dollar each time Big Papi (David Ortiz) hit a home run. Another might give 50 cents for each strikeout during the month of August. It was a fun way to incorporate an interest of theirs and keep them engaged on how much money we were donating,” Reiser says. Again, setting expectations is key. “At the end of the day, kids are still kids. You can’t expect them to always want to donate their toys,” Patkin says. “Be conscious of your children’s ages and capabilities, and (without being too quick to exclude them from an activity or event that might not be ‘fun’ from start to finish) keep in mind that your budding philanthropists are still kids.”

RocklandParent 47

Meet the Health Care

PROFESSIONAL To be in this section, call 845-848-8021 or email nympads@davlermedia.com A&R Advanced Dental Group, Anna Alekseyeva, D.D.S., Roman Izmailov, D.D.S. 5C Medical Park Drive, Pomona 845-364-9400 aradvanceddental.com

At A&R Advanced Dental Group, patient satisfaction and comfort is our No. 1 priority. We are a cutting-edge practice that delivers state-of-the-art dental care to our patients. Dr. Roman Izmailov and Dr. Anna Alekseyeva have more than 30 years of experience in all phases of dentistry, including high quality and affordable dental implants, zirconia crowns, porcelain veneers, fixed bridges, root canal treatments, teeth whitening, and composite fillings. Evening appointments are available, and we accept most insurances.

Kupchik Dental Dr. Anna Kupchik, D.D.S. 2 Medical Park Drive, Suite 16, West Nyack 845-535-3500 kupchikdental.com info@kupchikdental.com

At Kupchik Dental, patients’ comfort is our No. 1 priority. We strive to make every dental experience easy and relaxing by practicing gentle touch dentistry. Our state-of-the-art dental office is committed to providing the best quality of care for the entire family. Dr. Kupchik and her team believe in educating patients and keeping them informed of their oral health every step of the way. We are open seven days a week for your convenience, and have an in-house insurance plan for the uninsured.

Kastin & Newman Orthodontics 6 Medical Park Drive, Pomona 845-354-7233 rocklandorthodontics.com info@kastin-newmanortho.com

Drs. Brett Kastin and Warren Newman utilize stateof-the-art materials and customized treatment planning for every patient, ensuring the highest quality of care. Dr. Kastin is a certified Invisalign® provider, and has been president of the Rockland County Dental Society since 2006. Dr. Newman has more than 40 years of orthodontic experience. They have been a team for more than 10 years, and were voted Rockland’s Top Orthodontists by the dentists of Rockland County. Their practice offers an experienced staff and flexible appointment times. Initial exams are complimentary, as are children’s recall appointments. 48

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

Smile More Dentistry 140 Oak Tree Road, Tappan 845-367-4866 tappandentist.com

Drs. LaCap and Tong, and their “Smile Team,” have been providing exceptional dental care with a gentle touch and state-of-the-art technology for more than 25 years. Children love going to their office because of the friendly and fun environment. Busy moms love the office because they offer an “on time guarantee,” “workmanship guarantee,” and “you will love us” guarantee! Dr. Tong was voted one of New Jersey’s top children’s dentists five years in a row. The office receives a perfect five-star rating in patient satisfaction.

A&R Advanced Dental Group, Marita Smith, D.D.S. 5C Medical Park Drive, Pomona 845-364-9400 aradvanceddental.com

Dr. Marita Smith is a board-certified pediatric dentist who is dedicated to providing excellent dental care for children, from infancy through adolescence, in a warm and friendly environment. As a mother of two, Dr. Smith knows how important it is for children to be comfortable and stress-free during their dental visits. Dr. Smith places great focus on prevention and her goal is to keep your child’s smile healthy! We accept most insurances, and evening hours are available.

Dental Wellness of Suffern Sherri Alpert, D.D.S. 2 Executive Blvd., Suite 307, Suffern 845-918-1801 dentalwellnessofsuffern.com dentalwellness@optonline.net

Dental Wellness of Suffern provides natural, effective, quality dental care for your family, making your visit enjoyable, comfortable, and relaxing. A parent herself, Dr. Alpert enjoys working with children who are apprehensive about the dentist, creating a fun environment with magic tricks, interactive Wii games, a wall mural, and a Find the Dental Helpers game. Author of two books, Cassandra Gets Her Smile Back and Attack of the Sugar Bugs, Dr. Alpert makes visiting the dentist fun. Dental Wellness of Suffern—let them create the smile you were born to have.

Clemente Orthodontics 603 S. Route 304, New City 845-638-6646 60 W. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 201-447-2888 clementeorthodontics.com

At Clemente Orthodontics, our patients receive the benefit of experience, quality, and energy that comes with a multigenerational team. Dr. Michael Clemente and his daughters, Dr. Nicole Clemente and Dr. Marissa Clemente, work together seamlessly to care for your orthodontic needs. They run a state-of-the-art practice with digital X-rays, private treatment rooms, impression-free Invisalign, and a highly experienced staff. They are an Invisalign Super Elite Premier provider, offering Invisalign and Invisalign Teen as treatment options. Consultations are complimentary.

Bobby Crohn, D.D.S. Monroe Dental Office 400 State Route 17M, Suite 2, Monroe 845-782-0189 monroedentaloffice.com monroedental@optonline.net

Dr. Crohn graduated from SUNY Stony Brook with a degree in biology. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University at Buffalo in 1992, and he completed his general practice residency at Danbury Hospital in 1993. Dr. Crohn has done extensive additional training in implant dentistry including training with Dr. Nick Elian at Vistara Institute, DentalXP Symposiums, and training at Zimmerman Institute.

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Dr. David Schaumberger is one of the pediatricians working out of our newly expanded Park Ridge office. As someone who lives nearby, he enjoys working in Northern Bergen and Rockland counties. Dr. Schaumberger completed his pediatric residency from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and has been working at Tenafly Pediatrics since 2001. On a personal note, he enjoys ethnic cuisine and spending time with his three children. Tenafly Pediatrics is a recent Angie’s List Winner with offices conveniently located throughout Bergen County.

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PARTY PLANNER

To advertise: 845-848-8021 or nympads@davlermedia.com

Available all seasons. Indoor/Outdoor facilities Private party room & host

NEED to plan the perfect party? FIND venues, entertainers, suppliers,

and other ideas to create the ideal party in our online Parent Resources Directory.

NYMetroParents.com

Small animal farm on site FREE riding photo for each child PATH certified staff Also Year-Round Lessons & Therapeutic Riding

Camp Venture Equestrian Center (845) 786-3939 15 Fernald Rd., Stony Point Visit Us on Facebook

Visit Us at NYMetroParents.com RocklandParent 49

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ACROBATICS / GYMNASTICS

DEVELOPMENTAL

MUSIC

Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 11

Smart Alec..................................................................... 15

R&R Music School......................................................... 23 Rockland Music............................................................... 9

Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 11 Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 13

EDUCATION J.E.P. of Rockland......................................................... 20

BIRTHDAY / PARTY SERVICES

Mathnasium of Nanuet.................................................. 45

Academy for Martial Arts............................................... 15

Smart Alec..................................................................... 15

Bricks 4 Kids - Rockland................................................ 29 Jill’s Ceramics................................................................ 45 Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 11 Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 11

HPAL - Rockland Theatre Company.............................. 39

RELIGIOUS

Art Adventure................................................................. 33 Blue Moon Mexican Café ............................................. 43

PERFORMING ARTS / ACTING

J.E.P. of Rockland......................................................... 20 FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT / EVENTS / OUTINGS

RESTAURANT / FOOD SERVICES

ArtsRock of Rockland.................................................... 11

Blue Moon Mexican Café ............................................. 43

JCC of Rockland............................................................ 52 New York Botanical Garden........................................... 29

RETAIL

Nyack Chamber of Commerce........................................ 5

Rockland Parent Party Planner..................................... 49

Palisades Center ............................................................ 3

Rockland Music............................................................... 9

Tech Adventure................................................................ 9

Rockin’ Jump - Mount Kisco.......................................... 21

Second Time Around Thrift Store.................................. 45

Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 13

Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble Presents

Tilly...A Deer’s Tale......................................................... 45

West Rock Tennis Club................................................. 39

The Nutcracker.............................................................. 13

Toy Box (The).................................................................. 7

Smugglers’ Notch Resort............................................... 37

Toyriffic.......................................................................... 23

FAMILY TRAVEL

SPECIAL EVENTS

Smugglers’ Notch Resort............................................... 37

ArtsRock of Rockland.................................................... 11

Rockin’ Jump - Mount Kisco.......................................... 21

CAMPS Art Adventure................................................................. 33 Bricks 4 Kids - Rockland................................................ 29 Camp Ramaquois.......................................................... 20 Mathnasium of Nanuet.................................................. 45 R&R Music School......................................................... 23 Tech Adventure................................................................ 9 West Rock Tennis Club................................................. 39

HPAL - Rockland Theatre Company.............................. 39 FITNESS Academy for Martial Arts............................................... 15 i9 Sports - Rockland County.......................................... 45 Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 11 Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 11

CLASSES

Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 13

Art Adventure................................................................. 33 Bricks 4 Kids - Rockland................................................ 29 HPAL - Rockland Theatre Company.............................. 39 J.E.P. of Rockland......................................................... 20 Mathnasium of Nanuet.................................................. 45 Rockland Music............................................................... 9 Tech Adventure................................................................ 9 Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 13

JCC of Rockland............................................................ 52 Nyack Chamber of Commerce........................................ 5 Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble Presents The Nutcracker..................................................................... 13

SPECIAL NEEDS Tumble-Bee Gymnastics............................................... 13

HEALTH

SPORTS

A&R Advanced Dental Group.................................. 13, 48

Academy for Martial Arts............................................... 15

Clemente Orthodontics.................................................. 48

Camp Ramaquois.......................................................... 20

Crystal Run Healthcare................................................... 2

i9 Sports - Rockland County.......................................... 45

Dental Wellness of Suffern................................ 29, 48, 49

Master Jung & Yu Traditional Taekwondo..................... 11

Fidelis Care New York..................................................... 7

Palisades Climb Adventure............................................ 11

Kastin & Newman Orthodontics..................................... 48

Rockin’ Jump - Mount Kisco.......................................... 21

Kupchik Dental, PLLC............................................... 8, 48

West Rock Tennis Club................................................. 39

DANCE

MVP Health Care........................................................... 21

Rockland Youth Dance Ensemble Presents

Smile More Dentistry............................................... 20, 48

TUTORS

The Nutcracker.............................................................. 13

Tenafly Pediatrics.................................................... 43, 49

Smart Alec..................................................................... 15

December 2016 | nymetroparents.com

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CelebrateShowcase.com $10 at the door

RocklandParent 51

SUNDAY, DEC 18 FROM 11AM-1PM FEATURING KEITH LEAF, FAMILY FRIENDLY COMEDY JUGGLER EXTRAORDINAIRE. EVENT INCLUDES SHOW, CRAFTS, FILL YOUR OWN SUFGANIYOT (DOUGHNUT) STATION, LATKES. TICKETS INCREASE AFTER DEC 13 JCCROCKLAND.ORG/ FAMILY-FUN 845.362.4400 JCC Rockland, 450 West Nyack Road, West Nyack, NY 10994 jccrockland.org membership@jccrockland.org