Parents - June 2021 by Lawrence Ambrocio

J U S T R O LL W I T H I T: W H Y M E S SY P L AY I S A M U S T

FA M I LY T R AV E L AWA R D S ( VAC AT I O N S A R E H A P P E N I N G)

Y U M ! 5 I N C R E D I B LE I C E B OX C A K E S

TV’s L I N D S AY C Z AR N IA K and C R AI G M E LV I N with Sybil and Delano

JUNE 2021 PARENTS.COM

Power Up the Fun this Summer! Make the most of your summer, and enjoy unforgettable family adventures on the water. Whether you’re a lake lover or an ocean enthusiast, there’s never been a better time to experience the excitement of a Sea-Doo watercraft.

power, the GTI model now features a flatter, more stable swim platform that’s ideal for tow sport prep. Adventure seekers of any age will be in for a wild ride.

➜ Catch some memories. ➜ Explore the shore. With a Sea-Doo, your family can explore narrow canals and tuckedaway coves much easier than with a boat. It’s made for shallow water, so you can pull right up to the shoreline to have a picnic, go snorkeling, collect seashells, or simply let your kiddo do cartwheels in the sand.

➜ Go with the tow. Want your kid to think you’re the coolest parent ever? Let them try tubing or wakeboarding off the back of your Sea-Doo. With plenty of

Fishing from a boat or a dock may be fun, but fishing from a Sea-Doo is even better. There’s a certain thrill that comes from loading up your gear and zipping out to your fishing spot of choice. And with the Sea-Doo quick-attach LinQ cooler, you can keep your bait—and your beverages— perfectly cold.

➜ Live the #SeaDooLife. Built for families, the Sea-Doo GTI features three seats, extra storage, and an add-on gas accessory so you can go the extra mile. Check out this and other models at Sea-Doo.com.

All aboard the fun express. Spend your summer with friends, family and a whole lotta fun on the water. The Sea-Doo life is built for everyone. You ready to hop on board? Visit Sea-Doo.com ®

© 2021 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. , TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. Carefully read the operator’s guide and safety instructions. Observe applicable laws and regulations. Always wear appropriate protective clothing, including a personal flotation device and wetsuit bottoms. Riding, alcohol and drugs don’t mix. See your authorized BRP dealer for details.

R AI S I N G T H E F UTU R E

CONTENTS

JUNE. I N E V E RY I S S U E 8 Editor’s Note

11 Playbook 104 Giggles

Bust out the goggles and the paint: Messy play turns out to be good for kids’ development.

KIDS

21 / The Wild, Wild Mess A roundup of sloppy, squishy projects that (yes!) benefit kids

PA R E N T S

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28 / Health News The connection between climate change and allergies and what to do about it; tips on safe headphone use for kids; a happy finding about new babies, and more

30 / Icebox Cakes to the Rescue! Cookies and fresh whipped cream star in these decadent no-bake desserts that are all about chill vibes.

36 / The Book Nook Ten new series make summer reading feel fun—not obligatory. 38 / Animal House! Meet twins Graham and Philip, 9, and their cat, Strawberry.

R AI S I N G T H E F UTU R E

CONTENTS

JUNE.

YO U

41 / Hair Removal Questions, Answered Advice on shaving, lasering, or just letting things grow 46 / Dream Team at Home Today anchor Craig Melvin delves into fatherhood in a new book—and talks parenting along with his wife, sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak. Plus: an announcement about our America’s Kindest Families contest! 52 / Black Parenting Joy Essays by seven moms who say it loud: They could not be more proud. 58 / Protect Your Mom Vision A closer look at some common eye issues

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2021

64 / Real Talk About the COVID-19 Vaccine Health experts address a few last questions.

92 / Blissing Out the Backyard Simple upgrades for your summertime family room

69 / Women’s Health News Alarm clocks for calmer mornings; the pluses of pomegranate juice

A G E S + S TA G E S

LIFE

100 / Pregnancy Team up with your partner.

71 / Beach Season, for Real How to prep for a day of sand, sun, and snaaacks 76 / Pick Your Next Vacation Announcing our family travel award winners, just when we need them 80 / Crush the Cookout! Burgers and dogs that you can fully load up—or pare down for picky eaters

100 / 0–12 Months Introduce drinking cups. 102 / 1–2 Years Keep toddlers safe at playgrounds. 102 / 3–4 Years Know that sleep regressions are normal. 102 / 5–6 Years Deal with tattling and encourage telling. 103 / 7+ Years Start teaching kids about spending and saving.

On the Cover Craig Melvin and Lindsay Czarniak with their children, Sybil, 4 years, and Delano, 7 years. Photograph by Mei Tao. Wardrobe styling by Shelley Young. Hairstyling by Charles McNair. Makeup by Mark Edio. Prop styling by Tracy Morgan. On Craig: Sweater and jacket, Alex Mill. Joggers, Cotton On. Socks, Gap. Shoes, Reebok. On Lindsay: Shirt, DÔEN. Pants, COS. Sneakers, Converse. On Sybil: Sweatshirt, dress, and shoes, Zara. Socks, J.Crew. On Delano: Sweatshirt, Zara. Button-down and shoes, Cotton On Kids. Joggers, H&M. Socks, COS. Lettering by Timothy Goodman.

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WHAT IS YOUR TRADITION FOR THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL?

JULIA EDELSTEIN Editor-in-Chief Executive Creative Director AGNETHE GLATVED Executive Editor MIRANDA VAN GELDER Managing Editor PATRICK MOFFITT Deputy Editor DIANE DEBROVNER

“We always got out early, so each year, my best friend and I and our moms would spend the rest of the day at the zoo!”

Food and Lifestyle Director YOLANDA WIKIEL Beauty Director KATE SANDOVAL BOX Senior Editor, Features KATIE ARNOLD-RATLIFF Senior Editor, Books and Travel KAREN CICERO Entertainment Editor JESSICA HARTSHOR N Staff Health Editor EMILY ELVERU Staff Beauty Editor SHANNON M. BAUER Assistant Lifestyle Editor CASSIE HURWITZ Editorial Assistant REBECCA RAKOWITZ ART & PRODUCTION

“When I was a kid, my parents would write letters in my yearbook along with my friends. It was a sweet way to capture my growth each year.”

Art Director EMILY FURLANI Associate Art Director JAMIE LEE Senior Designer MARIA FERNANDEZ-DAVILA Art Assistant AVA BRAMSON Production Director VINCENT M. SPINA PHOTO Photo Director MARY CLARE CAHILL Photo Editor JOANNA MUENZ Photo Coordinator MAGGIE BLATTEL Associate Photo Editor ERIKA THOMPSON RESEARCH & COPY Research Director BARBARA BRANDON-CROFT Copy Chief JEAN RODIE Copy Editor SHELLEY WOLSON Test Kitchen Project Manager LINDA BREWER, R.D.N. Deputy Managing Editor TARA LUSTBERG Executive Operations Coordinator, Office of Editor-in-Chief ADRIENNE FARR

MARK JOSEPHSON Senior Vice President, Group Publisher Sales Manager, Meredith Parents Network DONNA LINDSKOG

ADVERTISING SALE S West Coast Director JULIE BANFIELD Advertising Sales Staff ALYSSA CRAMER COHEN, CATHERINE DAUN, ANNE GILHOOL, MOLLY THOMPSON, MARIA TOCCO TORRES, NADINE WAXENBERG Assistant BRITTON FORKER Sales Director, Direct Media TYLER HUB National Travel Manager KATY HILDMAN Senior Research Manager ALISON JAYE MARKETING Group Marketing Director KRISTEN STUCCHIO-SUAREZ Senior Marketing Manager JUDY SCHIFFMAN Marketing Manager MARNIE DOWLER Marketing Coordinator DIANA ZULUAGA Group Creative Director JEANETTE CHOW Art Director TRACY D’AGOSTINO A D M I N I S T R AT I O N Executive Business Director JANICE CROAT Business Manager MEGAN WOOD Advertising Business Manager BOB PARLAPIANO Consumer Marketing Manager RACHEL BLACK Production Director MELANIE STOLTENBERG Production Manager COURTNEY PETERSON Director of Quality JOSEPH KOHLER Quality Analyst BEN ANDERSON Prepress Desktop Specialist GREG FAIRHOLM

Contributing Editors ANNA HELM BAXTER, DAPHNE de MARNEFFE, Ph.D., CATHERINE HONG, JOY HOWARD, TAMEKIA REECE, ERIN ZAMMETT RUDDY, VIRGINIA SOLE-SMITH

“My mom and I would go to Rita’s and have mango gelato.”

D I G I TA L Digital Content Director JULIA DENNISON Deputy Editor MELISSA BYKOFSKY Senior SEO Editor LIZ LASHWAY Features Editor ANNA HALKIDIS Social Media Editor GILLIAN NIGRO Associate Editor LIBBY RYAN SEO Writer NICOLE HARRIS Associate Producer FRANCESCA SPATOLA ADVISORY B OARD

PEDIATRICS Ari Brown, M.D., Antwon Chavis, M.D., David L. Hill, M.D., Yvonne Maldonado, M.D., Terri McFadden, M.D., Kimberly Montez, M.D., M.P.H., Natalie D. Muth, M.D., M.P.H., R.D.N., Cara Natterson, M.D., Irwin Redlener, M.D., Michael Rich, M.D., M.P.H., Darshak Sanghavi, M.D., Jennifer Shu, M.D. NUTRITION Jill Castle, R.D.N., Maya Feller, R.D., Sally Kuzemchak, R.D., Dalina Soto, R.D. MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR Lisa Damour, Ph.D., Wayne Fleisig, Ph.D., Becky Kennedy, Ph.D., Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D., Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D., Laura S. Olivos, Psy.D., Silvia Pereira-Smith, M.D., Adiaha Spinks-Franklin, M.D., Timothy L. Verduin, Ph.D. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Aaron Bernstein, M.D., M.P.H., Philip Landrigan, M.D. DENTISTRY Lezli Levene Harvell, D.M.D., Maria Velasco, D.M.D.

“Taking a photo. Then we look at the first-day-ofschool pic to compare how much the kids have changed this school year.”

WOMEN’S HEALTH Tamika Auguste, M.D., Yamel Belen, R.N., C.L.C., Marjorie Greenfield, M.D., Marta Perez, M.D., Laura Riley, M.D., Alexandra Sacks, M.D. EDUCATION AND LITERACY Patricia Edwards, Ph.D., Jennifer Serravallo, Colby Sharp ALLERGY Michael Pistiner, M.D., Hemant Sharma, M.D. EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND SAFETY Khama Ennis, M.D., M.P.H., Mark Anthony Griffiths, M.D., Wendy L. Hunter, M.D. SLEEP Maida Chen, M.D., Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., Judith Owens, M.D. DERMATOLOGY Anna Bruckner, M.D., Jody Alpert Levine, M.D., Kim Nichols, M.D. SOCIAL JUSTICE Traci Baxley, Ph.D., Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, Ph.D., Ibram X. Kendi, Ph.D., Julie Lythcott-Haims

“My kids race on over to the community pool with all their school pals and kick off summer with a pizza party.”

MEREDITH NATIONAL MEDIA GROUP President CATHERINE LEVENE President, Meredith Magazines DOUG OLSON President, Consumer Products TOM WITSCHI President, Meredith Digital ALYSIA BORSA

“My children got to choose their favorite restaurant for dinner. My husband and I would cross our fingers, no Chuck E. Cheese, please!”

Executive Vice Presidents Chief Revenue Officer MICHAEL BROWNSTEIN Digital Sales MARLA NEWMAN Finance MICHAEL RIGGS Marketing and Integrated Communications NANCY WEBER

Senior Vice Presidents Consumer Revenue ANDY WILSON Corporate Sales BRIAN KIGHTLINGER Research Solutions BRITTA CLEVELAND Strategic Sourcing, Newsstand, Production CHUCK HOWELL Foundry 360 MATT PETERSEN Product and Technology JUSTIN LAW Vice Presidents Finance CHRIS SUSIL Business Planning and Analysis ROB SILVERSTONE Consumer Marketing STEVE CROWE Brand Licensing TOYE CODY, SONDRA NEWKIRK Corporate Communications JILL DAVISON

Vice President, Group Editorial Director LIZ VACCARIELLO Chief Digital Content Officer AMANDA DAMERON Director, Editorial Operations and Finance ALEXANDRA BREZ

“In our neighborhood on the last day, parents ‘greet’ the kids as they come off the school bus—with water balloons!”

MEREDITH CORPORATION Chairman and Chief Executive Officer TOM HARTY Chief Financial Officer JASON FRIEROTT Chief Development Officer JOHN ZIESER Chief Strategy Officer DAPHNE KWON President, Meredith Local Media Group PATRICK McCREERY Senior Vice President, Human Resources DINA NATHANSON Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer ERICA JENSEN Vice Chairman MELL MEREDITH FRAZIER

© Copyright Meredith Corporation 2021. All rights reserved. Parents is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation, registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Executive, editorial, and advertising offices: 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281. Email: writeus@parents.com. Submission of your material constitutes permission for Meredith Corporation to allow its use in any media. Subscribers please note: Our subscribers list is occasionally made available to carefully selected firms whose products may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive info from these companies by mail or by phone, please let us know. Send your request and your mailing label to Parents Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508. Subscription help: Visit us at parents.com/myaccount, email pmmcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com, or call 800-727-3682. For syndication or international licensing requests or reprint and reuse permission, email syndication@meredith.com. Printed in the U.S.A.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

E V E RY Y E A R ,

when I walk outside on the first warm day of spring, I have a five-senses memory of my own last weeks of school. For an instant, I can swear it’s time to lug my history books out to the backyard and cram for a final (note to future teens: outdoor studying does not work) or file into a sweltering gym for a goodbye assembly. In elementary school, my principal, Mr. Buckley, ended each year with a heart-tugging photomontage honoring the graduating fifth-graders. The images changed from year to year, of course, but the music was always “The Wind Beneath My Wings” followed by “You’ve Got a Friend” and Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game” (“And the seasons, they go round and round ...”). Parents sniffled quietly in the back as their kids’ faces flashed across the screen. Mr. Buckley stood at the podium and spoke for what felt like hours, opining on growing up and what the fifth-graders had accomplished. Or at least, that’s what I imagine he discussed. The folding chairs groaned and creaked as we kids swung our sticky legs and daydreamed to quiet the butterflies in our stomachs. When I felt sure I could not sit still for one more minute, Mr. Buckley would inevitably pause and look at his watch. “Well, what do you know?” he would boom into the microphone. “It’s 2:03. You’ve already been on

I’M REMINDING

M Y S E L F T H AT J U N E , E S P E C I A L LY THIS ONE, IS A TIME T O C E L E B R AT E .

summer vacation for three whole minutes. School is dismissed!” It didn’t matter that we’d heard this line the year before and the year before that. The kids would all go wild—shouting and clapping, hugging and laughing. We’d flood through the gym doors and leap onto school buses or into our parents’ cars. The long slog of the school year was over. We had taken everything from it that we could. This year is different. It’s not just that my kid won’t get to sit in a crowded gym—or that I wasn’t able

to step foot inside his class or say a big “thank you” to his teacher face-to-face. I’m grappling with the fact that I simply want more school. Town to town and state to state, school experiences have varied dramatically this year. Maybe your kids have been going in person since September, or maybe their classes have been remote. Or perhaps like mine, after months of a stop-and-start hybrid setup, your kids only recently went back to full-time in-person learning. My 6-year-old, Joey, who was new at school this year, just began showing signs of settling down in April. He seemed to finally know the names of all the kids in his first-grade class and to be navigating recess with joy. How can it be time to stop when he’s just begun?

When these thoughts swirl and I’m faced with the emotions transition brings, I note one thing I’ve learned over the years at Parents: Just because I’m torn up about something doesn’t mean my kid is. And so I’m reminding myself that June, especially this one, is a time for families to celebrate. When the final school bell chimes, Joey and I will make a new five-senses spring memory. I’m tempted to start with the many great ideas in this issue, from the Insta-ready ice pops on page 11 to the epic beach planner on page 71 and the deliberately messy shaving-cream project on page 22. There may be a lump in my throat, but there will also be pride and relief—in all that our kids have accomplished in this roller-coaster school year, and in a world that’s showing signs, once again, of looking brighter.

Visit Me on Instagram Simply hover your phone’s camera over the smart code to catch my feed.

We’re here to help. Email JuliaE@parents.com to tell me about the topics you’d like to see in future issues of Parents.

PA R E N T S

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2021

ZOE ADLERSBERG. WARDROBE STYLING BY CONNIE BERG. MAKEUP COURTESY OF MAKE UP FOR EVER.

Farewell School, Hello Sunshine

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PLAYBOOK Your guide to making the days easier and the journey sweeter

Icy what you did there! Surprise ingredients will thrill the kids.

LET THERE BE DELIGHT!

FOOD STYLING BY MONICA PIERINI. PROP STYLING BY PAM MORRIS.

Pop Art Score major “cool dad” points with the chillest eye candy: homemade ice pops that sneak in colorful gummies. We used Airheads Xtremes—the soft texture freezes like a dream and packs a rainbow-striped, sweet-and-sour wallop. To make them, drop several chewy candies into ice-pop molds, making sure they’re evenly dispersed along the sides, then fill with coconut water, lemonade, or flavored seltzer (anything to balance out the sugar high of the candy). Slide the molds into the freezer and let set until frozen, about four hours. You may want to make extras; if you’re tempted to have your own, no shame!

photograph by L I N D A X I A O

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2021

P L AY B O O K

“How can I deal with ‘momsplaining,’ you know, when moms tell you how to raise your own kids, presumably just because you’re a guy?”

This month’s lineup of what’s new, novel, and nice to know

One dad’s take (no wrong answers)

Oh, the irony of waking your kid because you were noodling with the sound machine. The Hatch Rest Mini pairs with an app, so you can turn it on, set a timer, or tweak the volume without tiptoeing into their room. Given that it’s about hockey-puck-size, you can tote it other places, too, and turn on classic soothing sounds that bring the zzz’s. $40; hatch.co “First of all, my wife is currently trying to tell me how to answer this, which is hilarious, given the question. We had a good laugh. Second, when it’s your partner, it’s not momsplaining, it’s coparenting. However, telling someone else what to do (“You should teach your kid some manners”) is rarely effective. Telling someone how you feel (“Hey, your child called my child a mean name, and it made them feel sad”) works much better. It’s subjective and indisputable. Your feelings are your own. So are theirs. Third, when it comes to well-intentioned mom friends and family telling me what I should or shouldn’t do, I like to give them as much grace as possible and assume that they’re saying it because they love my kids and want what’s best for them. In the end, though, no one will ever know more about my kids than me. Except for my wife. Probably.” —Penn Holderness, coauthor of Everybody Fights: So Why Not Get Better at It? and dad of two @theholdernessfamily —Caylin Harris

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2021

Sunny Hostin, mom and host on The View, has written her first novel, and it’s juicy. Summer on the Bluffs follows three women and their godmother who are spending one last summer together on Martha’s Vineyard. It hits all the escapist notes you’d want in a tale of secrets and lies by omission, while also tackling the complex nuances of womanhood, race, and place. $28; amazon.com

If your craft corner is out of control, it’s time to streamline with a rainbow pack of Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 pencils, which cover your kid’s need for crayons, watercolors, and colored pencils. Your little artist can even draw on the windows—the marks will wash right off. $40 for 18 plus a sharpener and a watercolor brush; amazon.com

“What’s the best way to handle tantrums?” “How can I ease my kid’s fears?” On the new podcast Good Inside With Dr. Becky, Parents advisor and clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy, Ph.D., offers honest advice on questions like these, asked by real parents. You’ll come out of each episode with ways to both strengthen your bond with your child and help them develop emotional skills. It’s like free therapy right in your headphones.

“IF YOU ASK ME”: COURTESY OF THE SUBJECT. “THE SHORT LIST”: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS AND PUBLISHER.

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B A BY O N T H E WAY: YO U R G E T- R E A DY G U I D E

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to Official Rules available at www.parents.com/kindcontest. Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on April 1, 2021 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on May 31, 2021. Open to legal residents of the continental U.S. & D.C., 21 years or older. Void in Alaska, Hawaii and where prohibited. Sponsor: Meredith Corporation. Contest may be promoted by any of Meredith’s publications in various creative executions online and in print and at additional URLs at any time.

P L AY B O O K

OOPS!

HANDY STAIN FIGHTER

Source: Katie Berry, of the blog Housewife How-Tos.

A R E FO R M E D P I C K Y E AT E R

/ TA K E 5 /

G RO U N D YO U RS E L F I N STA N T LY Before you tackle your mounting to-do list, try this mindfulness trick. “As we go through the day, our brain tends to play out future scenarios or get stuck reliving the past,” says Sophie Lazarus, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “This can help you focus and connect to the moment.” 1

Pause. That’s it —just stop what you’re doing. 2

Feel both feet on the ground. 3

Take one full breath — eyes open or closed. 4

Go and take on your next task.

PA R E N T S

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2021

For most of his life, my son, George, was as picky an eater as they come. But he turned the corner a couple of years ago, and ever since, this kiddo—now 8—has been making up for lost time, happily wolfing down rare steaks and pickled herring. (Can you tell how smug I’ve become?) The other day, I overheard George on FaceTime with his friend Bowen, who’s still, ahem, pretty selective about his diet. (Think all carbs, all the time.) Given that the two are so simpatico in every other area, George has struggled to make sense of this divide. “Bro, bro,” I listened to George say. “You gotta stop being such a picky eater. What if you’re, like, 35 and go to a fancy restaurant and say, ‘Can I please get some buttered bread?’ They’re gonna be like, ‘No, dude, we don’t have it.’ ” Alas, Bowen was unswayed, and I stood in the kitchen—once the scene of many a food war—stifling my giggles. Beware the zeal of a convert, especially one who’s in second grade. —Ingela Ratledge, mom of two in Westport, Connecticut HAVE A SWEET STORY TO SHARE? Email it to simplejoy@parents.com.

“OOPS!”: PRISCILLA GRAGG. “TAKE 5”: CAVAN IMAGES/GETTY.

What’s a family outing without your kid dribbling a splotch of ketchup or pizza sauce onto their shirt? Just reach for the hand sanitizer you now never leave home without, as long as it doesn’t contain dyes or moisturizers (those can cause their own stains). The alcohol in the sanitizer breaks down grease and even ink. If the garment is cotton or a cotton blend, squirt the spot with sanitizer, then dab it with a cloth. At home, wash as usual, but hold off on the dryer until the mark is gone for good. Later, stains!

/ S I M P L E J OY /

Usar como se indica. ©JJCI 2021

TESTED BY PEDIATRICIANS DERMATOLOGISTS OPHTHALMOLOGISTS BECAUSE GENTLE IS ALWAYS IN.

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P L AY B O O K

THE ESSENTIALS

ZE RO -WASTE MEAL PREP Add some R&R—that is, reducing and reusing—to your cooking and food-storage routines. These smart and stylish inventions are forces for good. 1. Swap plastic bottles for this

one beautiful glass Water Filter Pitcher. Proceeds help bring safe water to schools in need worldwide. $65 with silicone base; lifestraw.com 2. “Store leftovers in an

ice-cube tray” is now classic advice. The Souper Cubes Freezer Tray, designed with a lid to keep freezer odors out, comes in ½-, 1-, and 2-cup sizes so you can keep a realistic portion of soup, sauce, or stew. $20; williams-sonoma.com

3. Walk right by single-use

baggie dispensers in the veggie aisle and pack your haul in these Plastic Free Produce Bags. $15 for a set of three; uncommongoods.com 4. This pot lives up to the

Instagram hype: The Always Pan can be a frying pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, and more. The nonstick ceramic coating is nontoxic. $145; fromourplace.com

5. OXO Good Grips 8-Piece

6. The genius Recycled

/ LI F E S C H O O L /

A LU N C H A N D L E A R N J UST FO R M O M One of the great silver linings about the age of Zoom is that everything can be recorded, and you never have to have FOMO again. Case in point: Head to itstartswithmom.org, grab yourself a snack, and enjoy info-packed advice presented by Parents and the March of Dimes, a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. You’ll hear Parents editor-in-chief Julia Edelstein and Parents Latina editor-in-chief Grace Bastidas speak with leading experts on hot-button topics like maternal mental health, vaccine confidence, and nutritious meal prep.

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2021

Bamboo Colander & Pour Bowl Set reserves excess water from rinsing produce and draining pasta that you can use to hydrate plants or wash floors. $30 for small, $39 for large; food52.com 7. Bee’s Wrap, made of

beeswax, jojoba oil, organic cotton, and tree resin, sticks to itself and can be washed and reused. Seal up a sub, half an onion, or a bowl of salad. $18 to $19 for a three-pack; beeswrap.com

1, 2, 4: JEFFREY WESTBROOK. 3, 5, 6, 7: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.

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P L AY B O O K

/ THE HIGHS AND LOWS /

Erin Napier On HGTV’s hit Home Town, artsy Napier and her woodworking husband, Ben, modernize neighbors’ houses in Laurel, Mississippi, often using found materials and creative solutions that fit each home’s history. On this spring’s special Home Town Takeover, they restore 12 spots in Wetumpka, Alabama, including an entire downtown street. Next up: a baby sister on the way for their 3-year-old, Helen.

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Best trait my kid got from me Creativity and imagination, like when she makes up elaborate background stories for all of her Peter Rabbit figurines and plays with them by herself for an hour, uninterrupted

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Unfortunate trait my kid got from me A very sensitive nose

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JBL® Recent parenting win Helen has been totally potty trained for several months. Recent parenting fail She watched Band of Brothers with Ben. (But! She did cheer for the good guys!) My parenting superpower Knowing when Helen’s making bad choices because she’s just tired, not because she’s misbehaving

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My parenting kryptonite Giving her what she wants

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because she says, “I love you so bad, though, Mommy” Best time of day When she wakes up in the morning wanting kisses Worst time of day 7 p.m. if there’s been no nap that afternoon Meals I make that the fam loves Fried rice, spaghetti and meatballs Meal I tried that the fam rejected Ben rejects nothing. Helen hates mashed potatoes, even homemade ones.

Kid activity I hate Going to the doctor! She’s always so afraid, and in the time of COVID-19, only one of us can be there to comfort her. It would be so much easier if Daddy could be with us. At least I have this down I can talk with Helen about anything, even mermaid hair and invisible friends. She feels understood. I am still figuring this out When to worry, when to let it go

COURTESY OF THE SUBJECT.

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Kid activity I love Long walks collecting flowers and leaves to show off to her grandmothers and nanny. She gathers them like prizes and keeps them in the basket of her stroller for a few days before emptying it to start all over again.

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WARDROBE STYLING BY LISA MOIR. PROP STYLING BY KATE BRIGHTBILL. GROOMING BY PRESTON NESBIT FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. ON GIRL: BATHING SUIT, ZULU AND ZEPHYR. PANTS, ZARA. ON BOY: JUMPSUIT, BOBO CHOSES.

The Wild, Wild Mess Give kids what they really want: freedom to squish, squash, and splatter with abandon! These thrilling yet very sloppy activities are just the ticket. (And no worries—we’ve thrown in cleanup hacks for when the fun’s all over.) by J E N N Y C O M I TA photographs by PRISCILL A G R AG G

Gross and goo-covered, or absolutely ecstatic? Both! (Go with it.)

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SPL AT TER PAINT

With this project, it pays to present some supplies, give a quick how-to, and after that, step aside, advises art teacher Barbara Rucci, who blogs at Art Bar Blog and is the cofounder of The Creativity Project, a series of art-centric home-school guides. “Let kids take the lead because they’ll be pretty excited.” MESS KIT

Painter’s drop cloth or a large, flattened cardboard box Paper (8x11 in. or larger) Washable tempera paints, preferably in squirt bottles Cotton cosmetic rounds Wooden spoons or mallets

SQUISH S H AV I N G C R E A M !

For instructions, see page 26.

1. Lay down the drop cloth or cardboard, preferably outdoors, and rest paper on top of it. 2. Let your kid squirt a small blob of paint onto a cotton round. Set it on the paper, paint side down. 3. Hand them a wooden spoon and have them smash the round, splattering the paint on the paper to create a design that’s splashy, swirly, or just utterly bonkers.

the look of pure bliss on the face of a 6-year-old splashing in a puddle, you know that a little mess can bring a lot of joy to a kid. The truth is that getting wet or sticky is also a component of healthy development for children. “Think of messy play as turning on your child’s brain,” says I F YO U ’ V E S E E N

Meghan Fitzgerald, a former elementary-school principal who founded Tinkergarten, an outdoor education program with locations in every state. “When they’re covered in mud, they’re seeing, feeling, hearing, and smelling the mud. All of their senses are activated, and their neurons are

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lighting up.” However, if kids are deprived of a chance to get messy, they can have trouble tolerating certain textures, which may contribute to issues like picky eating, says Pittsburgh-based occupational therapist Alisha Grogan. “If a kid isn’t comfortable touching something unfamiliar, they

may not want to put it in their mouth either.” These days, providing kids with the opportunity to get dirty is more important than ever, given that many of them have been sitting in front of screens for much of the year, explains Jeffrey Hutchinson, M.D., an Austin-based pediatrician and coauthor of the most recent guidelines on play from the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Online play is structured and limited. The brain isn’t picking up those different types of input.” To get kids started, we’ve offered up four full-sensory ways they can make a glorious mess.

4. Experiment with layering colors, changing up the method (squirt the paint on the paper, then put the round on top), and varying the amount of paint and rounds. Kids can pick up the rounds after smashing or leave them as part of the artwork.

CLEANUP TIME! Place a bucket filled with water and a sponge nearby. Kids will inevitably splash around, washing their hands, sponging down their arms, and rinsing the spoons.

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“Fingers are covered with gluey, pasty dough before it magically comes together,” says Dana Bowen, who, along with business partner Sara Kate Gillingham, founded The Dynamite Shop, an online cooking school for kids. “We teach kids that mistakes happen but that it’s all part of the process.” MESS KIT

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface 4 large eggs Fork Plastic wrap Large pot Salt Knife Rolling pin

1. Have kids mound the flour on a clean surface into what resembles a volcano—complete with crater in the center. Crack 1 egg into crater and, using a fork, gently whisk the egg, pulling in bits of flour. Repeat with remaining eggs, 1 at a time. Once it becomes difficult to mix with a fork, let kids use hands to knead the dough, pushing and pressing it until it’s no longer sticky. 2. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, unwrap the dough and cut it into quarters with a knife. (An adult should handle these steps.) Work with 1 piece at a time and rewrap the rest.

4. Have one kid use a rolling pin to roll out dough on a floured surface to roughly form a rectangle, almost thin enough to see through. Help them roll the rectangle into a log starting from a short end. You may also need to put them on flour duty, sprinkling a little to prevent the dough from sticking. 5. Slice the short end of log into fettuccine-like noodles (another job for an adult). Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Add noodles to pot and boil until they float, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and enjoy with pasta sauce. Recipe adapted from The Dynamite Shop; for full recipe instructions, go to parents.com/handmadepasta.

WHEN THE FLOUR S TA R T S F LY I N G ( A S I T S U R E LY W I L L ) , S C O O T THE KIDS OUTDOORS

C L E A N U P T I M E ! If you’re doing this project in the kitchen, a rubber dough scraper, about $3, will remove gooey flour from countertops easily, Gillingham says. “We’re also big proponents of the side towel—just a dish towel tucked into apron strings,” which encourages kids to wipe hands and spills as they go.

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PRONTO AND LET THEM H AV E AT I T.

ON GIRL: DRESS, CAT + JACK. ON BOY: SHIRT AND PANTS, ZARA.

M A K E PASTA NOODLES

*Germs that cause bad breath and early gum disease. Use as directed. ©Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2021

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SQUISH SH AVING CRE A M From page 22

Diving into a fluffy cloud of foam is a great way to experience a fun, new texture, says Grogan, who educates families on sensory issues and picky eating on the blog Your Kids Table. “Make the objects they’re searching for somewhat visible so they don’t have to dig far for them,” she says. “Once they’re used to the texture, you can bury the toys.” MESS KIT

An assortment of small, waterproof toys (think Matchbox cars, dinosaur figurines, letters, or plastic dolls) A plastic bin, baby pool, or water table Two cans of foamy shaving cream or children’s foam soap 1. Place the toys in the bin, and squirt the contents of the cans of shaving cream on top. 2. Send your kid on a searchand-rescue mission. If using letters, have them fish around until they pull out their name. Or ask them to find a red car or the T. rex. “Often, kids will start to enjoy the texture and get silly and want to sit in the shaving cream or spread it over their bodies,” Grogan says. “That’s the whole point here. Encourage it!”

Not only will kids have fun making paper by hand, they’ll learn a bit of botany with these seed-studded wildflower cards, says molecular biologist Liz Heinecke, whose experiments with her own children led her to create her blog, Kitchen Pantry Scientist, and eight science books for children, including STEAM Lab for Kids. As an added experiment, “use different seeds in different papers and see which grows faster,” Heinecke says. MESS KIT

Construction paper Water

Large bowl Blender Packet of wildflower seeds An old or inexpensive window screen Cookie cutters (any shape or size) Flower petals 1. Let your kid go to town tearing a bunch of the papers into bits. Once you get about 4 cups, add paper pieces to a large bowl; cover with water and soak for an hour. 2. Dump wet paper into blender with a little extra water, and blend, adding more water as needed to form a damp, not runny, sludge (an adult should handle this step).

3. Pour back into the bowl and stir in most of the seeds, setting a few aside for decorating.

4. Lay screen on the ground (if indoors, layer a tarp beneath). Place a few cookie cutters on top. Let your kid grab a handful of paper slop and press it into each cutter until it’s about ¼ in. thick. 5. Have your kid sprinkle reserved seeds and the petals on top of each shape. Let dry on screen, then pop out dried pulp from each cutter; shapes will be paper flowers that can sprout real flowers—just plant each paper in soil, and water.

C L E A N U P T I M E ! “Washing the blender is another opportunity for learning,” Heinecke says. “To teach your kids about a chemical reaction, add 1 cup white vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda to the blender and put on the lid. The explosion of carbon dioxide bubbles will help lift out the gunk.” (Just watch out for overflow!)

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CLEANUP TIME! Keep the game going. “Bust out the hose and have your kid give the dolls a shower, or set up a car wash with a bucket and towels,” Grogan suggests.

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K I D S Ñ H e a lt h Ne w s

PAG I N G D R . M O M

My child wears headphones for school and on long car rides. Can this hurt their hearing?

NEWS TO SMILE ABOUT

A new baby brought more hope than stress during the pandemic. Despite current challenges, new parents say welcoming a little one gave them optimism, changed their outlook on life, and allowed them to experience more milestones together, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Carter’s.

How Climate Change Affects Allergies As the planet warms, the growing seasons for allergenic plants have lengthened, resulting in longer allergy seasons, explains Parents advisor Aaron Bernstein, M.D., M.P.H. An increase in carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels is also providing more carbon dioxide for plants to absorb, causing them to produce 20 percent more pollen than in 1990. But there are actions you can take to protect your child’s health. PLANT SMARTER.

“Make sure you’re not growing allergenic plants such as oak, juniper, and birch trees,” says Dr. Bernstein, interim director of Harvard’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment. Growing hypoallergenic plants like coral bells and smooth hydrangeas can help reduce pollen exposure. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (aaaai.org) has guides for selecting plants. RE MOVE PROB LE M PL ANTS .

It can also help to get together with neighbors to eliminate allergenic plants in your yards and neighborhood. Allergenic trees and shrubs can be simple to tackle in one go. Ragweed is also a major pollen producer. (Careful: It looks a lot like goldenrod, which is nonallergenic and worth keeping.) It tends to be widespread and harder to

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manage, but even taking out some can make playtime more comfortable. Instead of using harmful herbicides, Dr. Bernstein suggests pulling up allergenic plants before they flower. M A K E YO U R H O M E A N OA S I S .

Pollen isn’t the only irritant your child may be fighting. “As parents, we may not be able to reduce some air pollution because it’s coming from nearby roadways, power plants, or factories, but we can focus on indoor pollutants,” Dr. Bernstein says. Air fresheners, scented cleaning products, and incense can all upset little lungs. C U LT I VAT E C H A N G E . Let your representatives and city council members know that urban green spaces and other eco-forward measures are important to you. Our kids’ health is a great motivation to advocate for healthier communities.

Y E S . Prolonged headphone

use can be risky because kids tend to turn up the volume to drown out background noise. Listening at too high a volume for too long can cause permanent hearing damage. What is “too loud” can vary based on a child’s ear size, type of headphones, and length of listening time. The general rule: If you can hear what your child is listening to while they’re wearing headphones, the volume is too loud. If you worry your child is turning up the volume without your noticing, buy headphones with volume limits. However, headphones are better for kids than earbuds. These are often not made for a child’s smaller ears, so kids need to turn the volume up even higher in order to compensate for the poor fit. The best option may be to have your child listen without headphones, period. Just keep in mind that external speakers can also be a hearing hazard if they’re too loud or too close to your kid. Source: Lisa Vaughan, Au.D., former president of the American Academy of Audiology and audiology program manager at Cook’s Children’s Healthcare System, in Fort Worth.

by R E B E C C A R A KO W I T Z

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COLEEN HODGES/OFFSET; TWOMEOWS/GETTY; MLADEN ZIVKOVIC/GETTY.

Safety gear may not be as scary to kids as we thought, even in hospital settings. Children undergoing surgery were not afraid of hospital staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), found a new study from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, in Liverpool, England. In fact, most children said that the PPE made them feel “happy” or “safe.”

PLAYTIME TURNING YOUR KIDDO INTO AN ALLERGY MONSTER? ®

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Icebox Cakes to the Rescue!

Your little cookie monsters are going to go wild for these easy treats—layers upon layers of wafers and whipped cream. They’ll love helping to make them too. And because these cakes are no-bake, no one will have to break a sweat. by J E S S I E S H E E H A N / photographs by J E N C AU S E Y

Lemon Icebox Cake For recipe, see page 34.

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Chocolate-Chip Cookie Icebox Pie Active Time 25 minutes Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes, including 6 hours of refrigeration Makes 10 servings INGREDIENTS 21/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup packed plus 1 Tbs. light-brown sugar 11/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 18.2-oz. pkg. chocolate-chip cookies (such as Chips Ahoy! Family Size) 1/4 cup mini semisweetchocolate chips MAKE IT

1. Beat cream, brown sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until starting to thicken, about 1 minute. Raise mixer speed to mediumhigh; beat until medium-to-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. 2. Spread about 11/2 cups of the whipped-cream mixture on the bottom of a 9-in. pie plate. Top evenly with a single layer of cookies (all facing up), breaking cookies as needed to fill any gaps and create a solid layer. Repeat layers of whippedcream mixture and cookies 2 additional times (for 3 layers total of each).

All that whipped cream can get messy. For the nicest slices, use a large chef’s knife—but be sure to have a bowl of hot water nearby for dipping the knife between cuts.

3. Spread top of pie with remaining whipped-cream mixture, using the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to swirl. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours. 4. Just before serving, remove plastic wrap and sprinkle chocolate chips around pie’s perimeter. Pie may be wrapped lightly in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Strawberry Icebox Shortcake Active Time 20 minutes Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes, including 6 hours of refrigeration Makes 12 servings I N G R E DI E N T S 3 cups hulled and roughly chopped fresh strawberries (from 1 lb. strawberries), plus hulled and sliced fresh strawberries, for decorating 1/2 cup granulated sugar Nonstick cooking spray 4 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 21/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 5 cups shortbread cookies (such as Lorna Doone) from two 10-oz. pkgs. MAKE IT

2. Coat a 9x13-in. baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until starting to thicken, about 1 minute. Raise mixer speed to medium-high; beat until medium-to-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pulsed strawberry mixture; beat on medium speed until just combined, about 10 seconds. 3. Spread a third (about 3 cups) of the whipped-cream mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the cookies in a single layer (all facing up) on top of cream, breaking cookies as needed to fill any gaps and create a solid layer. Repeat layers with one third of the whipped-cream mixture and remaining cookies. Spread top with remaining whipped-cream mixture. Wrap baking dish in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours. 4. Unwrap baking dish. Decorate cake with sliced strawberries. Cake may be lightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FOOD STYLING BY CHELSEA ZIMMER. PROP STYLING BY CLAIRE SPOLLEN. PREVIOUS SPREAD: SCALLOP-EDGED NAPKINS, MERI MERI.

Heart-shaped strawberry slices make an extra-cute topping.

1. Pulse chopped strawberries and granulated sugar in a blender or a food processor until berries are finely chopped but still chunky, about 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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Use a springform pan to replicate the classic party-cake shape.

Birthday Icebox Cake Active Time 30 minutes Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes, including 6 hours of refrigeration Makes 14 servings I N G R E DI E N T S Nonstick cooking spray (or butter, at room temperature) 41/2 cups heavy whipping cream 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa 11/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract 6 cups vanilla wafers (such as Nilla) from two 11-oz. pkgs.

Rainbow nonpareils or sprinkles, for decorating MAKE IT

1. Take the base out of a 9-in. round springform cake pan and lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of it. Cut around the base to trim excess. Replace base in springform pan and line with the plastic round. Coat sides of pan with cooking spray. Cut a 3x281/4-in. strip of parchment paper to line pan’s sides. 2. Beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and vanilla in the

bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until starting to thicken, about 1 minute. Raise mixer speed to medium-high; beat until medium-to-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. 3. Spread about 2 cups of the chocolate whipped-cream mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Top with a layer of cookies (all facing down), breaking them as needed to fill gaps. Repeat with whipped-cream mixture and cookies 4 additional times (for 5 layers total of each).

4. Spread top with remaining chocolate whipped-cream mixture. Wrap pan in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours. 5. Unwrap pan. Remove sides of pan, and peel away parchmentpaper strip. Place a platter on top of cake, and flip over to invert cake onto platter. Carefully remove bottom of pan and peel away plastic wrap. Decorate cake with nonpareil sprinkles. Cake may be lightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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6. Fold plastic wrap overhang over cake to cover. Refrigerate until cake is set and cookies have softened, at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours. 7. Remove plastic wrap on cake. Place a platter over cake, and flip bowl over to invert cake onto platter. Remove bowl; carefully peel off plastic wrap from cake. Smooth any wrinkles in whipped cream with the back of a spoon, making sure not to get any on the cookies. Cake may be lightly wrapped in plastic and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days. F R O M PAG E 3 0

Lemon Icebox Cake Active Time 30 minutes Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes, including 6 hours of refrigeration Makes 8 servings I N G R E DI E N T S 3 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 3 Tbs. grated lemon zest plus 5 Tbs. fresh juice (from 3 lemons) 9 whole graham-cracker sheets (from one 14-oz. pkg.) 1 whole lemon, or candied lemon peel, for decorating (optional) MAKE IT

Classic Icebox Cake Active Time 30 minutes Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes, including 6 hours of refrigeration Makes 8 servings I N G R E DI E N T S 21/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar 11/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 9-oz. pkg. thin chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous) MAKE IT

1. Beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until starting to thicken, about 1 minute. Raise mixer speed to medium-high; beat until medium-to-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. 2. Line a 6-cup glass bowl with 2 long, overlapping pieces of plastic wrap. Place 1 cookie in the bottom of the bowl. Press 6 cookies onto plastic wrap in a circle around bottom cookie,

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1. Line an 81/2-x41/2-in. loaf pan with 2 large pieces of plastic wrap, leaving a 3-in. overhang on the short sides. leaving about 1/2 in. between bottom cookie and cookie circle. 3. Using the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula, spread about 1 cup whipped-cream mixture into the bottom of the bowl (the cream will secure the cookie circle in the bowl); smooth top. Top with a single layer of cookies to make a horizontal “cake layer,” breaking cookies as needed to fill any gaps and create a solid layer. Repeat layering process with whipped-cream mixture and cookies until you are about 2 in. from the top of the bowl. 4. Break 4 cookies in half, and press the 8 halves onto plastic wrap around the upper edge of the bowl, about 1 in. apart, placing broken cookie sides flush with the bowl’s rim; cookies should be standing up vertically. 5. Resume layering with the whipped-cream mixture and the unbroken cookies until you reach the top of the bowl; finish with a layer of whipped-cream mixture.

LET THE KIDS HELP! Assembling an icebox cake has small person written all over it. They can:

2. Beat cream, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until starting to thicken, about 1 minute. Raise mixer speed to medium-high; beat until medium-to-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. 3. Fill loaf pan with whippedcream mixture, stopping 1/2 in. from top of pan (you’ll have about 2 cups remaining). Transfer 1 cup of the remaining whipped-cream mixture to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to decorate. Reserve remaining whippedcream mixture in mixer bowl. 4. Wedge 11/2 cracker sheets into whipped-cream mixture in loaf pan, with crackers placed upright on their long side running parallel to the long edge of the pan, and positioned about 1/2 in. from pan’s long edge; this will create 1 “cake layer” in pan. Push wedged crackers deep enough into whipped-cream mixture so that they are mostly covered. Repeat process with remaining cracker sheets, making 6 cake layers total, each spaced about 1/2 in. apart.

Swirl whipped cream using the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula.

5. Spread cake top with reserved whipped-cream mixture in mixer bowl. Wrap loaf pan in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.

Arrange cookies on the cream, breaking them when necessary, and then fitting them together like a puzzle.

6. Unwrap pan. Place a rectangular platter on top of pan, and flip over to invert cake onto platter. Remove pan, and carefully peel off plastic wrap. Spread reserved refrigerated 1 cup whipped-cream mixture over top and sides of cake. To decorate, grate zest from whole lemon over top, or garnish with candied lemon peel, if using. Cake may be lightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Sprinkle nonpareils or lemon zest, or strategically place berries or chocolate chips on top.

CALLING ALL COOKIE LOVERS! NOW WITH 20% MORE COOKIE PIECES

Try other favorites! SNICKERS is a trademark of Mars or Afﬁliates. Used under license. REESE’S trademark and trade dress and the REESE’S Orange Color and Crown Design are used under license. HEATH trademark and trade dress are used under license.

K I D SÑR e a d i n g

SUMMER EDITION

THE BOOK NOOK Your monthly guide to making the most of storytime and raising forever readers

Get Them Hooked on a Series

Written by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Bring on the

Wanna-be architects, scientists, and even presidents will find delightful role models in this STEAM-focused picture-book series. While each book focuses on a different character, all have rhyming couplets and spirited illustrations that show the fun process of problemsolving and the importance of trial and error: “Your brilliant first flop was a raging success! / Come on, let’s get busy and on to the next!” Heads-up for older kids; there are fun chapter-book spin-offs. Four books, ages 4 to 8

giggles!

Book series are pure magic: If your kid falls for the first volume, they’ll race to the next. Get rolling with these entertaining gems nominated by teachers and librarians. (Flashlight for reading under the covers not included.)

The Carver Chronicles

Written by Karen English, illustrated by Laura Freeman

In this joyful, reassuring series, a second-grader solves typical kid problems like getting separated from her parents when they’re shopping, and spilling on her clothes. Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan, integrates the country’s customs into the plots. Full-color illustrations throughout make this series even more engaging, says Parents advisor Jennifer Serravallo, author of The Reading Strategies Book. 12 books, ages 5 to 8

Dory Fantasmagory

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The Witch Boy

Written and illustrated by Molly Knox Ostertag

Spunky

Written and illustrated by Abby Hanlon A modern Junie B. Jones, the 6-year-old title character charms young readers with the adventures of her make-believe friends and her relentless pursuit to get her older siblings to want to play with her, says Parents advisor and fifth-grade teacher Colby Sharp, cofounder of the Nerdy Book Club. Pencil illustrations, some with speech bubbles, draw in readers. Five books, ages 6 to 8

Yasmin

Written by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly

The clever concept—each book is warmly told from the point of view of a different student at Carver Elementary School—exposes readers to a variety of family circumstances. “The series tackles serious issues like prejudice and bullying with thought and care,” says children’s librarian Betsy Bird, who blogs at A Fuse #8 Production. But its relatable references to soccer, video games, and other common kid activities keep it from feeling like a downer. Six books, ages 6 to 9 2

The Questioneers

problem-solver 4

In the main character’s family, boys are raised to be shapeshifters while girls become witches. But 13-year-old Aster challenges those gender constructs, striking a chord with nonconformists. Deep themes, social issues, and symbolism are embedded throughout but are not difficult to grasp, says Serravallo. Colorful, easy-to-follow panels make this series a good pick for comic newbies. Three books, ages 8 to 12

RAISING THE FUTURE

6 6

BOOK CLUB

Redwall

The Infamous Ratsos 9

Written by Brian Jacques, illustrated by Gary Chalk

Written by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Matt Myers

With a Netflix show in the works, it’s prime time for kids to dive into this British fantasy series that kicked off a decade before Harry Potter. Set in a medieval world, woodland creatures go on quests that pit good against evil. The stories are also famous for their mouthwatering feasts that readers can practically taste through Jacques’s magnificent descriptions. 22 books, ages 8 to 12

The Gumazing Gum Girl! 7

ALL BOOKS COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHERS. JACKIE AZÚA KRAMER: COURTESY OF THE SUBJECT.

Written and illustrated by Rhode Montijo You’ve got company, Violet Beauregarde! Gumchewers everywhere have a hilarious new heroine in Gabby Gomez, who pops a bubble so big that it gives her the superpower to stretch really far. Short chapters, zany plots, and vibrant graphicnovel-style illustrations make this series a shoo-in for your little bookworms. Five books, ages 6 to 8 8

Solid science

Zoey and Sassafras

Written by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay A pinch of magic helps the science go down. A spunky heroine with a cat sidekick discovers that wondrous creatures (merhorses and dragons, oh my!) arrive at her barn when they need help. To solve problems, like how to get the mold off a monster’s fur, Zoey puts on her Thinking Goggles, makes a hypotheses, and conducts experiments—all in a truly engaging way. The result: “A fantastically imaginative experience that’s slyly educational,” says Amber Ankowski, Ph.D., coauthor of Bringing Up Bookmonsters. Eight books, ages 6 to 10

Disgusting Critters

Written and illustrated by Elise Gravel This gem of a nonfiction early-reader series piques kids’ interest with humor, fun lettering, and narration by the critters themselves, says Amy Sears, a children’s librarian in Teaneck, New Jersey. Sure, kids will soak up the wacky facts—spiders carry their eggs in a silk purse! a toad eats its own skin!—but the overall vibe is entertaining, not gross. Ten books, ages 5 to 8

It’s rare for an early chapterbook series to be laugh-outloud funny and also include uplifting, powerful messages about family and friendship, yet this series delivers on both fronts, says Liv Hanson, youth content curator at the Chicago Public Library. In the first book, two rat brothers pull pranks to show their dad, a forklift driver, that they’re as fearless as he is, but their plans backfire and they end up helping people instead. A heart-to-heart with their father helps them realize that kindness is what makes people stronger, a theme continued throughout the series. In Dad’s wise words, “Life is tough enough. We might as well try to make it easier for one another whenever we can.” Five books, ages 5 to 8

W H E N A PA R E N T IS DEPORTED

A former school counselor and the daughter of an immigrant father, Jackie Azúa Kramer tackles the aftermath of deportation in the powerful picture book I Wish You Knew. When Estrella’s father tells her that he must go back to his native country, she’s very upset. Estrella’s teacher creates a sharing circle where students feel safe talking about the challenges in all of their lives. Azúa Kramer will read the book and answer questions on @Parents Instagram Live on June 15 at 4 p.m. (ET). For more details, visit parents.com/ BookClub. Ages 5+

K I D S Ñ Pe t s

Animal House!

Twins Graham (left) and Philip (right), 9, with their cat, Strawberry, 10 photograph by P R I S C I L L A G R A G G PHILIP:

I came up with the name Strawberry, and then we all agreed on it.

GRAHAM:

He loves coffee. He licks the side of my mom’s coffee cup. PHILIP:

He even licks the inside of it!

GRAHAM:

“I WONDER IF STR AWB E RRY WOULD LIKE WHIPPED CREAM AND STR AWBERRIES?”

—Philip

His nickname is Strawbs.

PHILIP:

When we first got him, he scratched me! GRAHAM:

We gave him lots of time and let him trust us. Now he loves to have his belly rubbed.

PHILIP:

Our chores are to feed Strawberry and give him salon sessions. The food is stinky, so I brush him. Strawberry likes to be brushed.

GRAHAM:

After we brought him home, he wouldn’t leave the bathroom sink. PHILIP:

He likes to sleep in the bathtub. PA R E N T S

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Hair Removal Questions, Answered If you’ve let your body hair grow and you’re good with it, more power to you! But if you’re wanting to get back to a removal routine, read on for tools that will make the job easier, plus tips from dermatologists, ju st in time for the mother of all hairless hassles: beach season. by AY R E N J A C K S O N CA N N A DY

photograph by N A D YA W A S Y L K O

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What Are the Latest Innovations?

2 1

Use this to trim, go bare, or be somewhere in between.

A THOROUGH SCRUB

Exfoliating is helpful before any hair removal method. It scrubs away the dry dead skin cells that would otherwise prevent a smooth finish. Sugar crystals in (1) Tree Hut Tropic Glow Firming Sugar Scrub ($9; ulta.com) do the job nicely, while the sweet almond and sandalwood scent conjures up a beach escape. T H E U LT I M AT E B I K I N I - L I N E T O O L

This (2) Fur Trimmer ($89; furyou.com) is the Tesla of trimmers: It has multiple blades, four guide lengths, and an LED spotlight. And because it’s waterproof, you can take it into the shower, then store it on its charging base until next time. Dermaplaning, a spa treatment that removes peach fuzz or stray brow, lip, or chin hairs while exfoliating the top layer of skin, is easy to do at home with the (3) Versed Instant Gratification At-Home Dermaplaning Tool ($20; versedskin.com). Glide the single-edge blade along the contours of your face at a 45-degree angle to safely lift away hair for glowier skin. T H E A L L- I N - O N E WA S H

(4) Gillette Venus 2-in-1 Cleanser + Shave Gel ($15; drugstores) doubles as body wash and shaving cream and, unlike some washes, is gentle enough for lady bits because it’s fragrance-free and pH-balanced.

This nifty razor gets rid of unwanted hair on your face.

THIS DREAM CREAM

The stinky, burning depilatory creams you remember from years past have undergone a welcome upgrade. Smooth a thick layer of (5) Nair Bladeless Shave Whipped Crème ($9; drugstores) onto legs, arms, pits, and/or bikini line and you’ll be met with a lavender scent. Leave it on for up to ten minutes, then wipe hair away for nick- and razor-burn-free results that last a few days longer than shaving. E A SY R A Z O R - B U M P P R E V E N T I O N

If your legs tend to be plagued by red, burning bumps whenever you shave, switch to a fresh blade; then, post-shave, swipe on an alpha- and beta-hydroxy-acid-infused pad, like (6) European Wax Center Ingrown Hair Wipes ($28.50; shopwaxcenter.com). The exfoliating acids help to gently remove old skin cells that can cause hairs to grow inward and lead to inflammation.

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THIS PAGE: JEFFREY WESTBROOK. OPPOSITE, WOMAN: CATHERINE SERVEL/TRUNK ARCHIVE. CREAM: JEFFREY WESTBROOK. RAZOR: COURTESY OF THE BRAND.

A N AT- H O M E P E AC H - F U Z Z S O L U T I O N

daughter doesn’t ignore when she’s old enough to get her own razor (pink or not). Here are some tips I’ve learned: Choose a single-blade razor, like Oui the People The Single Sensitive Skin Razor ($75; ouithepeople.com), shown below. This lightly weighted razor adds pressure to help glide across the body and cut hair for a close—but not under-the-skin—shave, sans ingrown hairs or irritation. Always apply a moisturizing shaving cream, like Elina Organics Lavender Shave Butter ($25; elinaorganics.com), shown below. “Dry shaving can traumatize the skin’s surface, causing it to react with red bumps and a burning sensation,” Dr. Clay explains. Once or twice a week, use a gentle exfoliator with glycolic or salicylic acid, such as Skinfix Resurface+ Glycolic Renewing Body Scrub ($30; sephora .com) to clear clogged or blocked pores that may trap hairs underneath.

Any Advice for Black Women? Mom of two Jackson-Cannady recalls the shaving lesson she learned the hard way and asks Black dermatologists to share their best suggestions. THE MOMENT

my mother handed me the pink razor and the can of shaving cream, I was on top of the world. At 12 years old, I’d finally grown enough leg hair to shave it all off (the irony). Her one warning? “Never shave on dry skin.” A few months later, those tailored words of wisdom flew right out the window when one of my white friends on the swim team grabbed her razor and dry-shaved her body in the locker room before a meet, encouraging me to do the same. “It’s fine,” she said, noticing my hesitation. “I do it all the time.” I followed suit and we won the relay, but a few days later, as my hair began to grow back, I didn’t feel like much of a winner. The smooth shave—that I’m convinced helped us garner gold—was replaced with dozens

of itchy, red bumps. I checked on my teammate. “I’m cool,” she said. That day, I got what my mom was trying to teach me: For Black women, prep is the most important step in shaving. Shaving cream acts as a buffer between skin and razor, which typically needs to pass over curly hair more than once to remove it. Multiple-blade razors (and methods like waxing and sugaring) can be problematic as well because they remove the hair from below the surface of the skin. “If that hair is curly, coily, or coarse, it can have trouble finding its way through the pore and instead curl under the skin,” says Tiffany Clay, M.D., a dermatologist in Atlanta. The result: ingrown hairs, inflammation of the pore due to the piercing of the curled hair into the skin, and, ultimately, scarring and hyperpigmentation. The angry razor bumps from my dry-shave experiment eventually went away, and I’ve never tried it again—even when my own kids try to drag me to the pool with stubbly legs. I don’t rush; either I take the time to shave the right way or I confidently flaunt my fuzz poolside. It’s a lesson I hope my own

In the bikini area, where ingrown hairs are most common, shave in the direction of growth to prevent cutting hair too close to the skin, says Heather C. WooleryLloyd, M.D., director of the Skin of Color Division for the University of Miami Department of Dermatology. You can also consider an electric razor. Immediately after shaving, pat the skin dry and smooth on a facial moisturizer, like Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion ($15; drugstores). Even after shaving, your underarms may appear darker because of rashes, chronic irritation, or shadowing from hair under the skin. A tone-correcting deodorant, such as Secret Derma+ Even Tone 48 Hr. Invisible Gel Antiperspirant ($10, target.com), which contains vitamin C to brighten skin, may help a bit. “A condition called acanthosis nigricans can cause underarm skin to darken as well,” Dr. Clay says. “But most commonly, this is simply a normal variation of our melanin, similar to color variations in our genital area, knees, and elbows.”

Single-blade razors paired with a shave cream are best for sensitive skin.

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Should I Spring for Laser Hair Removal? The price tag is hefty (the average for a full course of treatments is $975, although that varies greatly depending on the area you’re treating), but laser removal is quicker, far less painful, and safe for many more skin tones and hair colors than it used to be. Some buyers like to factor in the time and effort saved by dispensing with ongoing hair removal and the bonus of no longer having to deal with the likes of scars, discoloration, and ingrowns. Typically, laser hair removal requires a series of six laser treatments with six weeks between each to remove most of the treated hair permanently. The latest devices make the

Have Hair, Don’t Care We asked a few moms who decided to stop removing their body hair to share their insights.

“Recently, I’ve made a conscious habit to keep my armpit hair, because it’s natural. It’s my stand against beauty standards,” says Chaneen Saliee, a mom of two and an influencer in London whose Instagram Reel on the subject went viral. “My daughter said, ‘I want hair, too,’ so I drew fake hair on her armpits. It’s important to me that my children know that what grows on their body is normal and acceptable and that they don’t have to change themselves for any reason.”

“Pre-pandemic, I got Brazilian waxes every six weeks and had my eyebrows threaded monthly; being hairy felt like the bane of my existence,” says Atena Hosseini Moore, a mom of two in Annandale, Virginia. “But then the pandemic happened. It’s given me no other choice but to embrace the hair growth.”

“I’m a middleof-the-roader. I don’t shave unless I feel like it,” says Rebecca Scritchfield, a mom of two in Washington, D.C. “My hair is thin and light, so even when I post a brag pic of my pit hair, it’s nothing special. I just don’t care about the gaze of others.”

EDITORS’ PICK

Once you’ve landed on embracing body hair, remember that it benefits from a little hydration. Smooth one pump of the hempseed- and lavender-based Noto Botanics Agender Oil ($44; notobotanics.com) anywhere you have hair to soften it.

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FROM LEFT: NADYA WASYLKO; COURTESY OF THE BRAND.

process comfortable with advanced features that gently suction the skin, cool it with compressed air, or use multiple wavelengths simultaneously at lower outputs to reduce pain and treatment time, says Christian Karavolas, founder of Romeo & Juliette Laser Hair Removal, in New York City. Treating an upper-lip area can take five minutes, while full legs can be done in 30 minutes. Although laser hair removal still won’t work on white and blond hair (neither has enough pigment for the laser to target), the technology has come a long way in being able to treat women of color. “A laser called the Nd:YAG bypasses the pigment in your skin and instead targets just the pigment of your hair follicle,” Dr. Clay says. “Because of that, it doesn’t burn, scar, or cause pigmentation issues in dark skin.”

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As a Today news anchor, Craig Melvin can expertly alternate between the serious events of the day and jokey banter with his cohosts. That easy sense of flow also serves him well off duty, when he and his wife, sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak, take time to tackle hard topics while holding on to their optimism—and humor. by C AT H E R I N E H O N G / photographs by M E I TA O

THERE ARE

many things Today news anchor Craig Melvin shares with his son. He and 7-year-old Delano have the same winning smile. They both love shrimp and grits, which Melvin grew up eating in Columbia, South Carolina. And they have a similar bedtime—in theory, 8 p.m. for Del and 9:30 p.m. for Melvin. Real life being what it is, however, Del and his 4-year-old sister, Sybil, sometimes outlast Dad. “They’ve put me to bed,” says Melvin, who these days wakes in his Connecticut home by 4:30 a.m. to make his call time at NBC’s New York City studios. He’s also a host of Dateline, and back home he anchors

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MSNBC Live from his basement. Oh, and he’s covered two Olympic Games, three presidential inaugurations, six Super Bowls, and so much more. In short, he’s a hardworking reporter. But he’s also a softie who once cried on camera while talking about how much America’s children love their teachers. Dad’s hours are just one of the quirks of the Czarniak-Melvin family, where a life-size cardboard cutout of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes casually hangs out in the family room. Mom is Fox Sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak, who covers the NFL and NASCAR and has a podcast,

The Artist and the Athlete With Lindsay Czarniak. As her Instagram followers know, she’s also a sharer of unabashedly cornball riddles. (Think, “What did one sock say to the other sock in the dryer? ‘See ya the next time around!’ ”) The jokes, which she handwrites on cue cards and posts, have been a hit with families. “We have stacks of those cards all over,” says Melvin, in mock exasperation. “They were very helpful in teaching Del to read this year,” Czarniak points out. “True—now he’s reading everything under the sun,” says Melvin, sounding every ounce the proud dad.

PERFECTING THE GROUP H U G WITH SYB I L AND DELANO

Fatherhood is rarely far from Melvin’s mind. He spotlights inspirational dads for a Today series, Dads Got This! And he’s just published his first book, Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father (out June 15), which explores fatherhood through the lens of his relationship with his own father, Lawrence, who struggled with alcoholism throughout Craig’s childhood. Lawrence is sober now and uses FaceTime to talk to his grandkids, a gratifying turn for Melvin. “I’m proud knowing where he was with his struggles and where he is now,” Melvin says. It’s a testament, he adds, to never giving up on someone you love. “Having kids changed how I thought about my dad and about fatherhood,” he says. “I’m surprised at the kind of dad I’ve become. I’m not very strict. It’s easier to manipulate me than I would have expected. I’m quite mushy.” He wrote the book, he says, because “men don’t often talk about what we do as fathers, but dads need to be celebrated.” Del just turned 7. What did you do for his birthday? L I N D S AY: Thank goodness this year we could do something. We had an outdoor football party for about 15 friends. With masks, of course. C R A I G : We did a combine where the kids got weighed and measured and did drills—and then they got drafted onto two flag football teams. It was magical. Del is a huge sports fan: football, basketball, baseball. Watching sports is something he and I bond over. What about Sibby? L I N D S AY: Sibby is more into princesses and make-believe. C R A I G : She also likes the news. She actually will say, “I want to watch the news.” She especially likes the weather. What have you learned as parents during the pandemic? C R A I G : Not to sweat the small stuff. The washable marker really does come out of most things. That we both need

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forever. Just the other day, while Del was watching TV, he suddenly said, “Oh, Dad, I have black skin. I’m Black! And Sibby is white, just like Mom.” L I N D S AY: I replied, “Actually, you’re both Black!” But then I realized Del was just pointing out what he saw with his own eyes, which is that Sibby’s complexion is closer to mine. C R A I G : The reality is that society is going to view them both as Black. It’s complicated.

Parents’ Lightning Round With Craig Melvin

What do you say to the old notion that we should raise “color-blind” kids? C R A I G : I don’t think it’s possible. I mean, growing up, my mother went out of her way to make sure that we didn’t look at the color of someone’s skin first. She wanted her kids to assimilate, and that helped me in my life. But I also learned that when you get out in the world, you realize that most people don’t have the same view.

B E S T PA R T O F T H E D AY

When I get home and both kids and Lindsay are there and I get the “Daddy!” and the leg grab or the hug and the kiss. It never gets old. O U R 4 -Y E A R - O L D I S LE ARNING TO ...

Question everything, which will serve her well if she becomes a journalist later. It’s not serving her so well right now in our house. O U R 7 -Y E A R - O L D I S I N T O . . .

Kidz Bop and Alexa, mainly instructing Alexa to play Kidz Bop. I’D LIKE TO RE MIND DADS ...

We’re all doing the very best we can, and most of the things we obsess about aren’t even the things our kids will remember.

some “alone time” to recharge. And we love our children, but we learned that we really like them too. They’re funny. It’s also been a year of anguish over racism. What has challenged you as parents of biracial kids? C R A I G : The kids don’t have a lot of questions yet. But I’m not naive enough to think it’s going to stay that way

Craig, your book doesn’t hold back from discussing the pain your dad caused by his absence in your life. That must have been daunting. C R A I G : Definitely. But writing this book was cheaper than therapy. I spent hours interviewing my dad, which was deeply cathartic. His response to the book was my chief concern, and he said that it was accurate. He blessed it. What will this summer look like? L I N D S AY: Craig will be covering the Olympics, so he’ll take a trip to Tokyo. C R A I G : But we’ll work out some fun day trips. We love the beach. And last year, we became a family of hikers. Hiking is even better with a dog. Have you been tempted to get a pandemic puppy? C R A I G : Wait, did someone tell you we were getting a dog? We have enough to take care of these days. L I N D S AY: It’s not happening. Though Sibby has already picked out a name. She’s upstairs pretending she’s a dog right now.

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YO U Ñ C o v e r S t o r y

“ H AV I N G K I D S C H A N G E D HOW I THOUGHT ABOUT MY D A D ,” M E LV I N S AY S . “ A N D A B O U T F AT H E R H O O D .”

YO U Ñ C o v e r S t o r y

JOIN US AS WE CELEBR ATE KINDNESS!

Today; dad to Delano, 7, and Sybil, 4 FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO:

If the siblings are engaged in an act that’s not so nice, we’ll say, “Del, are you being kind to Sibby?” Or “Sibby, are you being kind to Del?” If Del is trying to one-up his sister or diminish something she’s done, I’ll say, “Son, don’t steal your sister’s sunshine.” So those are two popular sayings in our house. FAVORITE CAUSE: The Colorectal Cancer Alliance, because my older brother lost his battle with the disease in December. I promised him that I would make it part of my life’s work to be sure other young Black men, especially, didn’t die prematurely of colon cancer.

SHEINELLE JONES

KRISTEN BELL

Today; mom to Kayin, 11, and twins Clara and Uche, 8

Actor and coauthor of The World Needs More Purple People; mom to Lincoln, 7, and Delta, 6

FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO:

I emphasize that kindness starts at home. It starts when you wake up and say “good morning” to each other and are kind to your siblings. FAVORITE CAUSE: My kids love donating clothes and books; we’ve done so through a neighborhood church and Goodwill. They also do a “service day” each spring where they pick a project like volunteering at a senior center. It’s heartwarming.

We have a print hanging in our hall that reads, “Work hard and be nice to people.” We believe adhering to that combination of values is a guaranteed way to raise self-esteem and rest easy at night. FAVORITE CAUSE: Many! I was named a Global Advocate for the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, and I support No Kid Hungry, which gets meals to schoolkids.

AL ROKER

BENJAMIN HART

Today; dad to Courtney, 33, Leila, 22, and Nick, 18

Designer and coauthor of The World Needs More Purple People; dad to Stella, 12, and Truman, 9

FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO:

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FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO:

Listen to one another. And try to know when you need to say “sorry.” FAVORITE CAUSE: Citymeals on Wheels, because what is more basic than helping someone get a hot meal and have human interaction? We also support ADAPT Community Network for the way it provides programs and services for folks with disabilities.

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible,” attributed to the Dalai Lama. I wrote the book Radical Kindness about seeing with your heart versus your eyes. There’s power in empathy, understanding, and leaning in. FAVORITE CAUSE: Make-aWish Foundation of America, granting wishes to kids who are battling a critical illness.

FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO:

Today; mom to Calvin, 4, and Oliver, 1

PA R E N T S

Creator of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood; mom to Hope, 20, and Ella, 17 FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO:

DY L A N D R E Y E R

We’re building foundations of kindness: “please” and “thank you,” looking someone in the eye when you say hello. Every time Calvin does this, we say his “kindness spot” is growing, and he’s so proud of himself. FAVORITE CAUSE: The Challenged Athletes Foundation, because my brother is an amputee and I’ve seen firsthand how being active has helped him both physically and mentally. Children with physical challenges need to see that they can actively participate in sports and in life.

ANGELA C. SANTOMERO

FAMILY KINDNESS MOTTO: My

wife and I tell our kids, “Learn as many names and stories as you can, and that will make your world bigger and better.” True kindness is not just being polite. It’s rooted in empathy. FAVORITE CAUSE: I support PATH L.A., which works to end homelessness for individuals, families, and communities.

There’s Still Time to Enter Our Cover Contest! Tell us in 300 words or less about the kindest family you know. Or nominate yours! Include a photo (and a short video if you’d like). One winning family will receive $10,000 and appear on a Parents cover. Three runner-up families will win $1,000 each and be featured inside the magazine. For details, visit parents .com/kindcontest, or hover your phone’s camera over the smart code below. We’re accepting entries through May 31, 2021. Contest rules are on page 103. Special thanks to Tyson, the presenting partner of the America’s Kindest Families Contest.

HEADSHOTS: COURTESY OF THE SUBJECTS. MEREDITH CORPORATION IS THE SOLE SPONSOR OF THE CONTEST. THE TODAY SHOW AND NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, LLC, ARE NOT SPONSORS OF THE CONTEST AND ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONTEST IN ANY WAY. ENTRANTS ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION TO MEREDITH CORPORATION AND NOT TO THE TODAY SHOW OR NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, LLC.

C R A I G M E LV I N

Here at Parents, we’re so inspired by families who have stepped up to care for others that we’re holding a contest to feature one such family on our cover. Meet our panel of guest judges (yep, including cover parent Craig Melvin), who are all outspoken advocates for doing good and helping others. We’re especially thrilled that we’ll be teaming up with NBC News’s Today show this fall to reveal the winning family’s cover.

They look ferocious, but inside they’re just chicken raised with no antibiotics ever.

YO U — H a p p y Fa m i ly

Black Parenting Joy Seven writers on the delights of seeing their kids embrace their culture —and grow up strong, proud, and happy illustrations by J O E L L E AV E L I N O

The Cheering Section Taylor Harris has taught her son and daughters that Black excellence isn’t just inspiring but a reminder that they, too, possess the ability to be extraordinary. M Y 4 -Y E A R - O L D

daughter, rapt, points at the TV: “This is the first time we’ve heard Nia Dennis speak!” The UCLA gymnast, whose January floor routine

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celebrating Black culture went viral, is being interviewed. We’d watched the routine several times as a family. My three young children don’t know the music of Missy Elliot or Tupac Shakur; they couldn’t name the dances Nia did if asked. Yet watching her spin through the air and nail landings with conviction, witnessing how she flipped her long ponytail with purposeful sass, lifted their mouths into smiles, pulled gasps and giggles of delight

from their stomachs. Nia was flying through space. In his series Infinite Essence, artist Mikael Owunna presents Black bodies as celestial. Dazzling in fluorescent paint, these bodies, shot by his camera, cannot be unjustly destroyed. They are protected, part of the cosmos. Looking at his art feels a bit like peeking in on the beginning, on a time before racism. I’m no photographer, but as a Black mother, I innately understand the need

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to remember that our bodies are gorgeous constellations, no matter what the world may say. It’s this “no matter” that my kids have already begun to grasp, doing so long before I did when I was young. After Amanda Gorman stepped up to the podium at the inauguration, radiant in yellow, her hair a mark of royalty, my 10-year-old daughter feverishly researched her for days. “She has a speech impediment like me!” and “She likes Hamilton too!” I am watching my baby witness beauty, discover likeness. “I hear Oprah gave her some type of bird ring?” she told me, enthralled. I tell my children about memoir and legacy, and how those who no longer live among us, live among us. It seems to make an impression. My son, 8 years old and slender with glasses and bronze-colored cheeks, climbs atop our couch one morning in April. He’s cut out words, written in Crayola, and now he tapes them high on the wall, near the ceiling. “Happy Birthday Maya Angelou!” they read. A child more drawn to numbers than letters, he has searched for the dates she was born and died and invites us all to celebrate her. I still worry. My 4-year-old hasn’t forgotten the time a classmate criticized her hair. But when I’m two-strand twisting it, when her sister says, “We can do anything with our hair!” I’m reassured. My children haven’t forgotten the glory in their Blackness. Taylor Harris’s memoir, This Boy We Made, will be published next year. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Untroubled Waters When LaTonya Yvette’s children are in the pool, they laugh, frolic, play—and unknowingly upend decades of fraught history between Black people and bodies of water. C H I LD R E N F I R S T

become comfortable underwater by learning how to hold their breath, so when my children, River and Oak, began to learn how

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to swim in the summer of 2018, it was the first thing their teacher taught them. Inhale, purse your lips, and push bubbles out as you go. They had won the swim classes in a city lottery that year and loved the experience. In 2020, before we sheltered in place, the kids had their second round of swimming lessons at the local YMCA. Now the lesson was to allow the water to support them. They crouched, poised to jump in, their little toes curled around the edge of the pool, knees pressed against their pouty, shivering lips, arms stretched out wide, calling on some kind of power I think only children know. Their teacher

guided them as they jumped, then hoisted their wet-suit-heavy bodies halfway out of the cold water. “Try again?” she said. Again and again they jumped, until their old fears were former ones. During quarantine, evening baths were our only connection to water, a way to pass the hours, days, and months. I’m a born-and-bred New Yorker, and so are my kids. We made the most of what our city offered us in a trying time. But this past summer, given the opportunity to stay at a friend’s COVID-19-safe home with a pool, I watched my kids literally jump back in. They remembered what they knew, as easily as my son’s toes wagged in the

water, my daughter’s skinny limbs swayed from side to side, their curls soaked and woven into their long eyelashes, nested beside their wide and joyful mouths. This image, my Black children happy in the water, is part of a bigger account of being Black—and of being a Black city kid. Accessibility to kids’ swimming classes, in New York City and across the country, has historically been tied to wealth and class, effectively perpetuating racism and classism. I have countless photos of prior summers in which my children run through splash pads with their bare, chunky feet, smiling and laughing. But this particular joy in the pool, of their full bodies connecting with the water, how they allowed themselves to trust it so easily, despite everything they had experienced that spring, was one of the most powerful sights I have beheld as a mother and a woman. It wasn’t just the happy faces of kids in a pool or only their remembered comfort with the water. It was a boundless freedom, something tangible and beautiful that they learned they had a right to access, and that they could. Because I’m lucky enough to be their mother, I can too. LaTonya Yvette is the founder of the lifestyle blog LY and author of the book Woman of Color and is currently working on a memoir and a children’s book. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Home Is Where the Joy Is

Traci Baxley, Ph.D., a mother of five, feels that creating a safe place is essential to raising kids who are strong, confident, and secure. I F I N D M YS E L F

thinking often of what home should mean to my five children (one girl, four boys). I try to create a space that affirms their Blackness, that tells them positive things about who they are and what they have to offer. It’s vital that they feel strong and confident when they go into the world, and to do that, they need a place where they feel protected, where they

THEY NEED A PL ACE WH E RE TH E Y FE E L PROTECTE D, WH E RE TH E Y CA N TA K E O F F TH E

A R M O R A N D B R E AT H E . A S AC R E D P L AC E T O REFUEL AND RECHARGE .

can take off the armor and breathe. A place that allows them to process feelings, inhabit their identity, feel that their voice is supported, and build a sense of belonging. A sacred place to refuel and recharge. The two principles in our home: “You are your brother’s keeper” and “Practice the Platinum Rule” (treat others the way they want to be treated). As a Black mom, I continuously pour back into them, building a strong racial identity and sense of cultural pride. My family started an ancestral search a few summers ago. As we dig into our African history, we talk about the sacrifices made for my children to have opportunities and freedoms that were stripped from the generations that came before. I see my Black children, so grand and majestic, standing on the shoulders of these resilient people. I remind them to take pride in being the chosen ones, the generation that gets to live out our ancestors’ dreams. And I cannot explain my delight in watching, teaching, and raising Black boys who refuse to fit into anyone’s box of who they’re supposed to be. We have open and candid conversations about race, social justice, and defying and redefining the narrative of being Black and male. I constantly remind them: “You are more than how others define you.” They question, push back—not in defiance but against

inequities and injustices. Raising Black boys who believe the world owes them answers and respect is both my responsibility and my greatest pleasure. Filling my children with radical self-love and unwavering support is essential to their doing good things. And so I build this home for them, where they know they are heard and where they hear counterarguments to the things the world tells them. I won’t let outside messaging become louder than my voice—the one telling my kids they are beautiful, brilliant, and deserving of happiness. Dr. Traci Baxley is a Parents advisor and the founder of Social Justice Parenting. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

Girls Power

For Khama Ennis, M.D., M.P.H., watching her two daughters make their way confidently through life is a thrill—and a departure from how she herself grew up. M Y FA M I LY

immigrated to the United States from Jamaica when I was a toddler, leaving an island where Black people occupied all levels of society, and became minorities overnight. I can only imagine how it felt for my parents to raise two young daughters while navigating their own educations and jobs and experiencing the impact of race on both. It’s not a coincidence that my sister and I were raised to be cautious, stepping carefully through the world with the knowledge that our place in it was precarious. Decades later, in 2008, I whispered to my sleeping then husband, “It’s a girl, and her name is Violet.” After countless negative tests, I was finally pregnant, I had seen the magical result that would change our lives forever—and even if science didn’t know it yet, I knew I was carrying a girl. I now have two daughters, and the gift of watching them grow up is priceless. Raising Black girls is a special honor—particularly when you have daughters who don’t proceed with the kind of caution I was raised with. They’re only 12 and 9, but my children

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occupy space both humbly and unapologetically. I asked them recently why they carry themselves as they do, and their response was that they haven’t been raised to be small, to fit a particular expectation of girlhood. They are self-possessed in a way that belies their ages, and in a way I don’t think I could have been. And they greet difference with curiosity, with questions and insights that bring me true joy. Some of these differences exist at home. The three of us have very different hair: Mine is black and thick with tight pencil-width curls, some of which kink; my older daughter’s head overflows with voluminous walnut-colored corkscrew curls; my younger daughter’s delicate curls change color with the seasons, displaying every shade of maple syrup. Their father is white, with straight hair that was blond when he was a child. My children are Black biracial girls in a world struggling to find its way toward equity. They are keenly aware of this. But they intend to do their part to push society forward. Recently, while discussing the need for a Black female president, they strategized ways to make sure it comes to pass. In the end, they devised a brilliant solution: Run against each other. Dr. Khama Ennis is a Parents advisor and associate chief of emergency medicine and medical staff president at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, in Northampton, Massachusetts.

attended a predominately white school, he never forgot who he was or where he’d come from. Once, during pickup time, a mom excitedly came up to me and said, “That Chase is a real talent.” He showed me the certificate he’d gotten that day. “Wow!” I said, “You won the dance contest!” He said to me, comically deadpan, “Yeah, at this school.” Ha! So many times like this he’s made my heart swell with Black joy. Once, back in his preschool days, he sighed and said, “I wish I was dark like everyone else.” Such sweet words coming from my melanin-challenged boy. Or a few years later, when he expressed his utter exasperation that not one of his fellow first-graders knew who Stevie Wonder was. Chase simply couldn’t believe it. After all, this was the kid who, as we listened to the soul radio station in the car, once called out from his booster seat, “Is that Prince?” My husband and I were stunned. “Good guess!” we said. “That’s Morris Day and The Time—Prince wrote and played on this song.” (How many little ones can discern the Minneapolis sound?!) Now that Chase is in his senior year at New York University, he’s earning his degree in Black culture, Black art, and Black performance. I know he feels the joy of who we are. And I’ll say it loud: I could not be more proud. Barbara Brandon-Croft is the research director at Parents.

Proud of His Pride Barbara Brandon-Croft marvels at her son’s lifelong love for Blackness. MY CHILDREN ARE I ’ V E A LWAYS relished my duty-bound

task to nurture in my only child the pride, the joy—and, solemnly, the reality—of being Black. Chase grew up knowing and singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem, which seamlessly followed the Pledge of Allegiance as part of his largely Black preschool’s daily routine. (Honestly, I don’t think he could say the pledge today without immediately launching into the hymn.) When he later

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B L AC K B IR AC IAL G IRL S

IN A WO RLD THAT I S S T R U G G L I N G T O WA R D E Q U I T Y. T H E Y INTEND TO DO THEIR

PA R T T O P U S H S O C IET Y FO RWARD.

All the World’s a Mirror For Jamilah Lemieux, one of life’s greatest delights is seeing her daughter celebrate—and emulate—the many Black women she admires. I N 2 0 1 7,

my then 4-year-old daughter, Naima, took a long look at the painting on the cover of Eve L. Ewing’s Electric Arches, a beautiful book of prose and poetry, and asked excitedly, “Is that me?” The image, which is from Trinidadian artist Brianna McCarthy’s Vetiver Night Women series, features a little girl, maybe 9 or 10, whose sweet, angular face is the blue-black of a night sky lit up by stars. Naima, like me, is on the more beige side of brown and was then still a chubby-cheeked post-toddler. I don’t think it was any physical similarity between herself and the artwork that prompted her question; rather, it was the profound sense of love and connection she has to Black girls and Black-girl iconography. When she sees Black girls, she sees herself, and she sees something that she loves. Naima gushes over pictures of my friends’ daughters, and constantly sings the praises of Black girls both in media and in her personal life. Though she takes her individuality very seriously, she also delights in channeling other Black girls and women. She wants to act “just like” Descendants actress China Anne McClain, whom she follows obsessively online; will instruct me to help her pose like Beyoncé when I’m taking her picture; and has borrowed catchphrases from at least one of my girlfriends (her auntie Ternicia always says, “Caller, are you there?” if she feels she’s being ignored) and from Black-ish matriarch Grandma Ruby (played by Jenifer Lewis), who taught her the phrase, “Help me, Black Jesus.” (We’re not Christian, by the way.) We’ve worked to surround Naima with imagery and information that emphasize the beauty of her sense of self, history, and potential as a Black girl-child, which was the standard set by my own upbringing. There is certainly a lot more to discuss today, in the form of media and public events, that helps us explore what it means to interact with a world that is inherently hostile to our identities. While there

SHE SEEMS TO K N O W A L R E A DY T H AT T H AT S H E I S O F S O M E T H I N G I N F I N I T E LY M O R E VA LUA B L E

THAN THE WORLD IS WILLIN G TO AD M IT.

The Antidote How do you shore up your child’s defenses against a not-alwayswelcoming world? Adrienne Farr looks for every opportunity to celebrate Black excellence. I TAKE D E LI G HT

are more affirming images of Black girls and women than ever before, the sheer volume of content and news available also means that there is more harmful imagery before us as well. Yet we don’t have to search as hard as my parents did for examples of Black girls flourishing. Naima has been accumulating precious Black-girl slang, mannerisms, and histories her whole life. I’m doing my part to make sure that she knows what, why, and how we do some of the things our sisters do

while making clear that she is her own person with her own needs, feelings, and choices. She seems to know already that she is of something infinitely more valuable than the world is willing to admit. My girl is in love with Blackness, period, and the very specific way that she loves Black girls (and women) feels like she’s saying “I love you” to herself. Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and podcast host, and a parenting columnist for Slate.com. She lives in Los Angeles.

in hearing my daughter talk about how she loves her skin color. Or when she says, “She’s beautiful,” when she sees a Black woman on television. While these may seem like small things, to me they’re huge, because I didn’t always feel that way when I was growing up. Then again, many things have changed since I was a kid. My daughter has Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris in her world and is living amid their excellence, not just reading a book about past heroes and wondering what they must have been like. I’m able to show her films and read her books that center on Black characters; there’s a wealth of them. I keep pictures in our home of strong Black figures. And I do all of this in hopes that when my daughter encounters racism, which she will, her knowledge that Black is beautiful, strong, and accomplished will help her call that bigotry what it is and keep it from sinking in, changing how she feels about herself. I have tremendous faith that she can rise above that, because even at age 4, she’s already so sound and secure in her Blackness. Adrienne Farr is the executive operations coordinator at Parents.

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Protect Your Mom Vision

Things not as clear as they used to be? Here, five surprising insights about eye health in the parenthood years, and advice from experts on navigating the most common problems. by K I E R A C A R T E R

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is an easy thing for busy parents to neglect, but vision changes do happen in your 30s and beyond. Momhood even plays a role. In pregnancy, hormonal changes can cause blurry eyesight. And many parents find themselves dealing with dry eyes and digital strain as they sacrifice sleep and juggle remote work and Zoom school, says Mina Massaro-Giordano, M.D., professor of clinical ophthalmology at Penn Medicine. Loss of near vision can also kick in at this age. Eye issues often warrant a doctor’s appointment, yet visits to ophthalmologists plummeted by approximately 80 percent at the start of the pandemic, according to JAMA Ophthalmology. If you’ve been using over-the-counter artificial tears as a temporary fix for discomfort, see your doctor if you “still experience pain or blurry vision,” advises Soroosh Behshad, M.D., chief of ophthalmology at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital and assistant professor of ophthalmology at Emory Eye Center, in Atlanta. And if you’re wondering more about day-to-day strain, use this guide to focus on some typical culprits.

ANNA MARTENSSON/THE LICENSING PROJECT.

EYESIGHT

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2. BLUE-LIGHT GLASSES MAY OFFER SOME RELIEF The idea: Blue light “comes from the sun, indoor lighting, and screens, and can prevent you from producing the sleep hormone melatonin,” says Melissa Contreras, O.D., assistant professor of optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University, in Fullerton, California. Like coffee, it’s clutch in the morning for energizing but less than ideal at night. Blue-light glasses filter out this wavelength, potentially limiting sleep-disrupting effects. When to wear them: When you’re on a screen and at the end of the day, Dr. Contreras says. But don’t wear them outside; they don’t offer UV protection.

1. PARENTHOOD CAN MAKE YOUR EYES HURT

FROM LEFT: OHLAMOUR STUDIO/STOCKSY; MICHELA RAVASIO/STOCKSY.

But don’t worry; the issues are easy to troubleshoot.

Your vision is worsening. It’s inevitable. In your late 30s or early 40s, your eyes’ lenses get stiffer, which makes it harder for them to change shape quickly when you go from looking at something far away to something up close. This strain throughout the day can make your eyes feel sore or tired. THE FIX: See your ophthalmologist once a year. “An eye doctor can dilate your eyes to check if they’re straining and if you might benefit from a prescription for computer glasses,” Dr. MassaroGiordano advises. Some cheapo reading glasses can also help. Choose a pair with the lowest correction.

Your screen time is off the charts. Hunching over a computer isn’t just bad for your back. “You blink less when you stare at a screen, and blinking lubricates your eyes,” says Alice Lorch, M.D., a comprehensive ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, in Boston. Nearly 16 million Americans have dry eye, according to the National Eye Institute. It’s not just uncomfortable; dryness ups your risk of infection and can make tasks like driving harder. Plus, people with dry eye report lower productivity than those with lesser symptoms, said a study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. THE FIX: Step away from your work (or phone) for ten minutes every hour, Dr. Lorch says. To lubricate your eyes, all of our experts suggest using preservativefree drops as many times as you need to throughout the day. (Preservatives can damage cells and make the problem worse over time.) Dr. Massaro-Giordano also says your computer should be no

What to look for: Not a lot of research exists yet on how beneficial blue-light glasses are or how much they should filter out, but most lenses available block about 40 percent. Glasses by Felix Gray (prescription, nonprescription, and readers) filter 50 percent of all blue light ($95 and up; felixgray.com). You might also consider a screen protector, like one from EyeJust ($20 and up; eyejust.com).

3. PREGNANCY MIGHT TRIP UP YOUR VISION You can blame fluid retention. It puts pressure on the cornea and lens, which changes their shape and can lead to a fuzzy view starting at the second trimester, says Jessica Shepherd, M.D., an ob-gyn at the Baylor University Medical Center, in Dallas. Each pregnancy is different, so this can happen with your second or third, even if it didn’t with your first. But it’s temporary and should clear up within nine months postpartum. Just mention any big shifts to your doctor to rule out gestational diabetes or hypertension.

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You’re sleep-deprived. Another reason to get more rest: “There’s less fluid evaporation when your eyelids are closed,” Dr. Massaro-Giordano explains, which is why dry eye tends to be worse when you skimp on sleep. THE FIX: Keep those eye drops on your nightstand so you can use them during the night if you wake up, Dr. MassaroGiordano says. And if you wear contacts, always take them out before bed. Lenses can interfere with the way tears are distributed across the cornea and can limit the eye’s access to oxygen, both of which make dry eye worse, Dr. Lorch says. You could also develop an infection from wearing them for too long. Your baby’s teeny (but sharp!) nails can do damage. Baby-induced eye injuries are more common than you think, Dr. MassaroGiordano says, and those sweet little hands pack some power. “Fingernails are like little knives,” she says. “They can injure the cornea.” If a scratch doesn’t heal correctly, it can leave long-term pain at the scene of the crime. THE FIX: Apply cold preservative-free drops immediately, and keep track of your symptoms. “If the lid swells or you become more sensitive to light, see an ophthalmologist,” Dr. Massaro-Giordano says, “especially if things don’t get better within a day.” Oh, and don’t forget to trim those claws. You could develop an allergy. Itchy eyes might not be from pollen floating in the air but from new soap, laundry detergent, or eye makeup. “Your eyes might look okay from the outside, but a doctor could see little bumps under the lids from a low-level allergy caused by any of these products,” Dr. Lorch says. THE FIX: Remove your makeup every single night. Dr. Lorch says even using baby wash on your face and eyes works wonders. Still irritated? Take a break from any suspected allergens for two weeks, and then slowly reintroduce each one back into your routine until you’ve identified the cause.

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4. YOU CAN GET YOUR GLASSES DELIVERED A whole host of companies now send fashion-forward, functional frames straight to your door. Find the ideal ones for you.

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No-slip temple grips and scratch-resistant lenses are suitable for athletes or, you know, moms who coach soccer on the weekends or love to run. $195; roka.com

Frames start at $7 (not kidding) and come in selfie-friendly styles, like floral and polka dots, so you can easily switch up your specs on a budget. $7 and up; zennioptical.com

Whether you go for a trendy or a classic shape, these lightweight, durable specs stand up to whatever’s thrown at you. Literally. $95 and up; warbyparker.com

5. THIS COULD BE YOUR YEAR TO GET LASIK It’s the most popular type of refractive eye surgery—refractive, as in the way the light bends in your eye. During the procedure, a surgeon uses a laser to reshape the cornea, which corrects vision. LASIK is a more common treatment for those who are nearsighted and have astigmatism. (Your doctor can also discuss a technique called monovision, which addresses farsightedness and nearsightedness.) The pandemic may even have inspired a LASIK boom: “More people want to be free from glasses since wearing a mask causes lenses to fog up,” Dr. Soroosh Behshad says. “It’s also appealing to parents who wake up in the middle of the night unable to see or have kids who grab at their glasses.” Here’s what to expect. To be a good candidate, you should have had the same prescription for the past year or two. You’ll want to save up for it: Insurance typically doesn’t cover the procedure, which runs around $2,000 to $3,000 per eye, BEFORE:

but you can likely use an HSA or an FSA to help with the cost. You will be awake, but your eyes will be numb, and you shouldn’t experience any pain. The actual surgery takes only a few minutes. The rest of the time (about one to two hours from start to finish) involves taking calming meds, answering questions, and waiting until you’re able to leave. DURING:

You can’t drive, so bring someone with you or prepare to Uber. Your sight will be blurry with some light sensitivity and dryness for about a day; you’ll be fully recovered within a week. Until then, you’ll wear goggles at night to prevent yourself from touching your eyes. After that, your vision will be corrected and your eyesight won’t change, aside from age-related shifts that would happen anyway, Dr. Behshad says. So yes, you could still need reading glasses in the future. AFTER:

COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.

higher than eye level. “Looking up opens the lid and exposes more of the eyeball to the environment, causing dryness.”

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Real Talk About the COVID-19 Vaccine The vaccine has finally landed, and that’s a big win (thank you, scientists). For anyone on the fence because it’s new, and for those who have lingering questions about post-vaccine life, we asked health experts to answer some frequent queries. by J E N N Y C H E N

I’m nervous about the vaccine. It’s still brand-new, and there could be side effects. Won’t I be better off waiting longer to get it? Bottom line: Being vaccinated is far safer than not being vaccinated. Healthy adults of all ages have become severely ill after being infected with COVID-19, and it’s impossible to predict how anyone will react to the virus. “Getting the vaccine is so important,” says Gigi Gronvall, Ph.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. It’s not only for any one person’s sake, she says, but because “it protects the people around you.” If we’ve learned one thing in the past year, it’s that COVID is bigger than any one individual. Getting vaccinated nudges everyone closer to herd immunity—the point at which the virus runs out of human hosts to infect and, as a result, ceases to be active. And it may be reassuring to note that you are far from the first: About 150 million people in the United States have had at least one dose. To the question of side effects: While some people have flulike symptoms post-vaccination, such as aches, chills, fatigue, or fever, experts say this is a small price to pay for

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If the adults involved are all vaccinated, family gatherings should become easier, experts say.

lowering your risk of serious illness. You may also be among those who don’t experience any side effects at all—about half of all those vaccinated. As to reports of more serious effects such as blood clots, which can be alarming, it’s helpful to put them in context. In April, use of

the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused after six recipients developed blood clots in the brain. By then, 6.8 million people had received that vaccine, meaning 0.000088 percent of them, or less than one in 1 million, were affected. According to Dr. Gronvall, one thing that carries a far

higher risk for blood clots in the brain is having COVID (a 0.0039 percent risk, or a 39 in 1 million chance). Finally, “it’s heartening that there are multiple systems in place to pick up on any safety problems,” Dr. Gronvall says, adding that the FDA has acted quickly as questions have arisen.

OPPOSITE: DAN SAELINGER/TRUNK ARCHIVE. THIS PAGE, TOP: ALEXSECRET/GETTY. BOTTOM: ADDICTIVE CREATIVES/STOCKSY.

Once I’ve gotten the vaccine, can I be around people again? Although the vaccines are very effective, we don’t know for certain that those who have been vaccinated can’t still carry asymptomatic COVID and potentially pass it to people who haven’t been vaccinated. So for the time being, according to the latest from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you still shouldn’t attend medium or large gatherings, and you shouldn’t visit (indoors, without a mask) with people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID. But if you and your hangout partners have all had your vaccinations, “there is no reason why family gatherings shouldn’t become easier,” says Yvette Conyers, D.N.P., assistant professor in community health and population nursing at St. John Fisher College, and the president of the Rochester

I’m ready. How do I get an appointment? 1. Sign up for emails from your local public-health agency and follow it on social media. These agencies sometimes announce online when new appointments open up or extra vaccines are available. 2. Sign up for electronic patient portals (such as MyChart, Healow, or athenaCommunicator) at any hospitals where you’ve received care. Most hospitals deliver vaccine rollout news through the patient portal and allow patients to sign up. You’ll get the information a lot faster this way rather than waiting to call to set up an appointment. You can also google “vaccine bot” and your state or city to find a Twitter handle that will give you up-to-date info.

Black Nurses Association. The CDC now says that fully vaccinated people can visit indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID disease without wearing masks or practicing social distancing. In other words, yes, your (healthy) child can safely snuggle with their (vaccinated) grandparents again, which we’re sure is welcome news.

But it’s important not to jump the gun: Social gatherings should still wait until two weeks after everyone has received their final injection, the point when the CDC says people are “fully vaccinated.” And, of course, when you’re out and about in the world near strangers who may or may not be vaccinated, continue wearing a mask, since you don’t know if you could be an asymptomatic carrier.

Does being vaccinated protect me against all variants? The current vaccines may offer protection against the variants of COVID that originated in South Africa, the U.K., and Brazil, and all three pharmaceutical companies are developing booster shots (and considering altering current vaccine formulas) to provide more protection. Because clinical trials for the booster shots are underway, we should know more in the months to come. But that doesn’t mean you should wait to get vaccinated. These variants exist because COVID has spread unchecked, mutating as it infected more and more people. Halting the spread will also help to halt further mutations.

What about trips? Can my family travel once the adults have been vaccinated? The CDC says that fully vaccinated people can travel safely within the U.S. (Looking for a destination? Check out our Family Travel Awards, page 76.) However, since children cannot yet be vaccinated, it’s wise to stick to driving instead of flying and to be vigilant about wearing masks and washing your hands while on the road. And unless your trip is essential, you should definitely avoid traveling outside the country. Per the CDC, even if you’re vaccinated, international travel could potentially put you in the path of new COVID variants that you could spread upon your return to the States. In addition, the vaccine may not be as widely available in the country you’re visiting, and its health-care systems may be more strained, says Jessica Malaty Rivera, an infectious disease epidemiologist and the science communication lead at The COVID Tracking Project. “It’s an equity issue,” she says, reminding would-be travelers that controlling COVID is a worldwide effort: “If one person is unwell, we’re all unwell.” Traveling locally (by car) is the safest choice, says Emily Landon, M.D., associate professor of medicine and executive medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine. You may feel comfortable driving somewhere within your state and renting an Airbnb with good cleaning protocols—it’s a low-risk way to get a muchneeded change of scenery.

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Now if only you could get your partner’s snoring under control ...

A PRENATAL TEST MADE EASIER

Try a Gentler Alarm Clock

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PEOPLEIMAGES/GETTY; THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY; COURTESY OF THE BRANDS (3).

If being jarred awake isn’t your jam, these quiet rise-and-shiners may be just the thing. “Your first thoughts and experiences when waking up can set your mood for the entire day,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., an internist and author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! “Soft tones create a more relaxed and positive environment than something that sets your adrenaline into overdrive.” (Like, say, the incessant buzz of your group text going off at 5 a.m.)

T H E S U N R I S E S I M U L AT O R

T H E A R O M AT I C O P T I O N

T H E M OV E R A N D S H A K E R

A good option for dark rooms, the Philips SmartSleep WakeUp Light gradually increases its yellowy glow 30 minutes before your alarm is set to ring. It’s a lot like waking up with the sun—except you get to decide when that is. Once the light reaches full brightness, a natural sound will signal that it really is time to get up. $50; philips.com

The SoundSpa Slumber Scents is a triple combo: alarm clock, sound machine, and aromatherapy diffuser that you can fill with any essential oil. The sound and scent will activate when it’s time to wake. Might we suggest a crackling campfire or the whoosh of the ocean paired with citrus to really stir the senses? $99; homedics.com

If sound, light, and even yummy scents can’t get you up, there’s The Sonic Bomb—technically, a “noisy alarm clock,” but you can set it to vibrate only. It connects to a disk set under your mattress or pillow that shakes to get you to wake—sort of like your kid might, minus the “Mom! Mom!” $57; sonicalert.com

Imagine not having to chug that dreaded queasy-making syrup on an empty stomach before the gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening. A new study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that not fasting for the test may be just as effective as fasting. The study compared the tests of nearly 24,000 women and found no differences in major health outcomes between the two screening groups. In fact, twice as many women in the fasting group were diagnosed with GDM, leaving health experts to consider if doctors have been overdiagnosing the condition. “You can be assured your results will be reliable if the test is done without fasting,” says Teresa Hillier, M.D., lead author of the study and an endocrinologist at Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s Center for Health Research. Ask your doctor for the no-fast method. By avoiding a possible “false” GDM diagnosis, you can dodge constant glucoselevel checks and a change in diet.

SWAP I N S O M E P O M EG R ANATE J U I C E You know it as a cocktail mixer, but this ruby-red drink also has health benefits. The high antioxidant content of 100 percent pomegranate juice may have a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health, help balance cholesterol levels, and decrease blood pressure, and its polyphenols can fight the effects of stress. Drink it straight, blend it in a smoothie, or mix it with white balsamic vinegar to drizzle on a salad. Source: Parents advisor Maya Feller, R.D., a nutritionist in Brooklyn, New York.

by E M I LY E LV E R U

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NEW MINERAL FOAM SUNSCREEN. KIDS LOVE THE SCENTED, COLORFUL FOAM. MOMS LOVE THE NO-MISSEDSPOTS PROTECTION THAT RUBS IN CLEAR. BANANA BOAT SUNSCREEN LASTS AS LONG AS THE FUN DOES. Reapply as directed on product label.

LIFE.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY TOGETHER U P TH E R E O N TH E LI ST O F FU N PAR E NTI N G M O M E NT S : E XPE R I E N C I N G THE SHORE THROUGH YO U R KI D S ’ E Y E S

Prep yourself for the sea air—and sand everywhere.

Beach Season, for Real Pre-kids, a perfect beach day had about five ingredients: sunscreen, sunglasses, a towel, water, and a book. Post-kids … well, it’s tempting to pack up the whole house. Here’s how to simplify the trip, from beach snacks to toys and swim gear, plus smart ways to haul it all. by AY N - M O N I Q U E K L A H R E photographs by PRISCILL A GR AGG

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5 FREE BEACH TOYS

Hydrate first. Plan on about two liters of water per grown-up and one liter per kid, says Parents advisor Sally Kuzemchak, R.D., a mom of two who blogs at Real Mom Nutrition. Better to have too much than too little. “Kids can get busy playing and not pay attention to thirst, so encourage sips throughout the day.” If your kid doesn’t love plain water, Kuzemchak suggests adding the pit of a rinsed mango (pack the rest of the fruit for a snack) to a jug of water for added flavor. And if your kid just loves juice, Kuzemchak recommends filling a water bottle with half a cup of juice (your young kid’s daily limit, no matter what the bottle size), topping it with half a cup of water, and filling the rest with ice.

Sticks Use a long one to draw on surf-smooth sand. Shells Count, sort, save. Use them as accents for sand drawings or sculptures, such as eyes in a face. Rocks If you’re at a bay or a lake and your kids are schoolage, they’re probably ready to learn to skip stones. Seaweed It’s a little gross, but it’s great for throwing or mixing into “potions.” Water Jump the waves, or stand and watch how your feet slowly sink in while water laps at them on the shoreline.

SECRETS OF MAKING SAND SCULPTURES

Add snacks that can take the sun. Sneak in extra hydration through water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, carrots, grapes, and berries. At lunchtime, Kuzemchak recommends yogurt tubes that have been frozen, easier-to-eat wraps instead of sandwiches, and salty popcorn or pretzels to help replenish sodium lost through sweat. “I double up on cold packs in the cooler to be safe,” Kuzemchak says. “Perishable foods shouldn’t be eaten if they’re left out for more than four hours, but that drops to one to two hours if they’re in the sun and heat.”

Contain the mess. Portion food into individualserving containers so siblings aren’t dipping sandy fingers into one communal package. That way, it’s not the end of the world if one gets dumped into the sand. Take bags (one for garbage, one for recycling) so you leave no trace of trash.

Know before you go. Social-distancing restrictions differ, so it’s worth an Internet search to read up on rules, mask guidelines, crowd capacity, and parking. Make sure to look at lifeguard hours too. Day-of, check the tides and riptide warnings.

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THE BEACH, WITH ALL OF ITS SAND, W AT E R , A N D S U N S H I N E , I S N AT U R E ’ S G R E AT P L AYG R O U N D .

Turns out, it’s all about wet sand—and carving. Ed “Sandy Feat” Moore, of Raleigh, North Carolina, famous for his creations, has these tips. LOAD UP O N WATE R .

Practice safe sun. Cover your wiggle worms with sunscreen before you walk out the door. “It takes chemical sunscreen about 15 minutes to absorb and work optimally,” says Parents advisor and dermatologist Jody Alpert Levine, M.D. If you leave it until you reach the beach, you have to persuade kids to stand in the shade and wait (good luck!). Dr. Levine suggests a broad-spectrum sunblock rated SPF 50+ with a physical blocking ingredient such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Lotion kids up before you put them in their suits. To distract them, you might try singing “The Hokey Pokey” so they’ll hand you each arm and turn around. Dr. Levine says, “My son likes to apply sunscreen on me, and then he allows me to spread it on him.” Pack sunscreen to reapply every two hours or more often, as many are water-resistant for only 80 minutes. Outfit each family member with a hat and

a rash guard. “We like full-body wet suits,” says Vicki Routs, a mom of two in Topanga, California. “They’re good for chilly water and sun protection.”

You’ve arrived! Form a train. “As a mama of three, it’s tough to manage the gear and insanely excited kids. I make everyone hold hands and walk together,” says Shakira Patterson, who blogs at Occasions by Shakira and whose military family makes time for annual trips to Kure Beach, North Carolina. “It’s a caravan of beach babies, Mama, and the big cooler. It feels like chaos, but it works.”

Accept the sand. “It does get everywhere,” Patterson concedes. “Facing that reality allowed me to go with the flow a bit more.” Keep baby powder in the car and shake it over legs and feet before you climb back in. Most of the sand will rub off. Some will make it inside. Consider it a little souvenir.

Fill the bucket full of water first, then add about half a bucket’s worth of sand. Scoop the extra-wet sand from the bottom and plop it onto the beach as your base. MAKE A PILE . Next, build a

hill of sand on your base with an indentation in the middle (like a big donut), then dump a bucket of water over it. You’ll have super-wet sand—which holds up better than dry—to start your creation. US E A SCULP TIN G TOOL .

Hand your kid a shell, a stick, or a plastic spoon. CARVE INTO THE WET SAND. Carving offers more

creativity and control than the usual bucket mold. Instead of the classic castle, try sculpting a turtle or a fish. DIG A M OAT TO FR AME YOUR C RE ATIO N . Scrape

around the sculpture with hands or a shell. B E NIC E! Respect the

sand art of others. If you didn’t make it, don’t break it.

LIGHTWEIGHT MOISTURE

FOR FINE CURLS.

UNCAP THE LOVE

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L I F E ÑTo ge t h e r T i m e

I TOOK IT TO THE BEACH

N E W - WAV E B E AC H G E A R

Hide valuables like keys in the secret compartment of the B IN D LE B OT TLE and you won’t sweat stolen goods—or dehydration. $39; bindlebottle.com

The classic L . L . B E AN S U N B U STE R B L AN KET is

weighted to stay on the sand and folds into its own tiny tote. $50; llbean.com

Simplify sun protection for toddlers with the coolest rainbow O N E- PIEC E R AS H G UARD .

$28; primary.com

“I said yes to my kids’ pleas to bring the Barbie camper, a cumbersome, 2-foot-long toy. Of course, when we were leaving, no one wanted to carry it. I persuaded the kids to take turns, and it took 15 minutes, with many stops to pick up Barbie dolls that kept falling out of the doors. People were lined up behind our slow trek, but we made it. I had tears running down my cheeks from laughing.” —KELLE HAMPTON, NAPLES, FL

Wear your towel instead of carrying it! The quick-drying G O G O TOWE L is a cover-up too. Comes in kids’ and adults’ sizes. $40; gogotowel.com

Carry meals and drinks hands-free with a S E E H O N O R C O O LE R BAC KPAC K , which holds the equivalent of 30 liters. $28; amazon.com

Stash your phone and other items that need to stay clean and dry in the reusable RE N SARE WATE RPRO O F BAG . $3; ikea-usa.com

“Taking a kite last year was so fun. It was adorable watching my giant husband helping our little girls get it in the air. No devices, just a kite on a string, and the salty air.”

For a snack-bar run or a bathroom break, carry essentials in this large retro yellow-flowers-on-white S O C IET Y6 FAN NY PAC K . $39; society6.com

The UPF 50+ W YAT T SWIM PRINTE D B U C KET HAT protects

your kid’s scalp and ears while shading their eyes. $29; coolibar.com

Throws like a football but floats on the waves! The H O G WILD WIN G BALL is a cool new option for a game of catch. Ages 8+, $15; amazon.com

“We had this one crazy tent that folded into a circle. I thought, ‘That’s brilliant, it just pops open!’ But at the end of the day, we were struggling to get the dang thing back into a circle. Everyone around us was staring. We carried the open tent between us back to the car.” —PRISCILLA VEGA , LOS ANGELES, CA

For help with hauling, fill the lightweight and collapsible MAC S P O RTS T WO -TO N E WAG O N . It will come in handy

on trips to sports fields too. $89; macsports.com

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The E KO B O B IO B U AN IM O SAN D PL AY S ET , made from bamboo fiber, can help kids get a sandy sculpture started. $19; amazon.com

Go ahead and stuff this C LOU D BAG , which weighs practically nothing, zips closed, and has an inner zippered pocket. $56; baggu.com

“When our son was a toddler, we took a small inflatable pool to the ocean beach, filled it up with buckets of salt water, and let him play in it in the shade of our tent. It was great!” — L AUR A FENTON, QUEENS, NY

BACKPACK COOLER: JEFFREY WESTBROOK. ALL OTHER PRODUCTS: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.

— S H A K I R A PAT T E R S O N , KURE B E ACH, NC

BYE, BRASS. COOLER COLOR, LONGER.

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Pick Your Next Vacation!

On your family’s first trip after a long year of being stuck at home, you may still need to socially distance. But that shouldn’t be a problem if you choose one of the 20 outdoorsy getaways selected by the judges of Parents’ annual travel awards. Dust off the duffel bags and get ready to go! by K A R E N C I C E R O

FAMILY TRAVEL AWARDS 2021 Bond and row: Your crew can rent stand-up paddleboards at Kingsmill Resort.

ADVENTURE RESORTS Best Resort for Kids of All Ages Smugglers’ Notch, Jeffersonville, Vermont

The huge array of outdoor activities for toddlers to teens swayed the vote for this retreat affectionately known as Smuggs. “Our favorite was

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the hand-guided llama trek, where we explored the wooded trails with these cute creatures by our sides,” says judge Erin Gifford, founder of Kidventurous, who also suggests zip-lining and disc golf. Nestled in the Green Mountains, the resort’s condos fit families of all sizes. Starts at $250 per night.

Best Resort for Decompressing Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, Virginia

Even though it’s just a few miles from Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg, this resort with one- to three-bedroom condos feels secluded. You can visit the attractions and retreat here

afterward or make the resort your bubble. Trails lead to the marina on the James River, where you can enjoy water sports. A small beach is perfect for the toddler crowd to dip their toes in and collect shells and pebbles. Wooded bike paths and two playgrounds add to the fresh-air fun. Starts at $249 per night.

Best All-Inclusive Resort

Hawks Cay Resort

Quisisana Resort, Center Lovell, Maine

OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF KINGSMILL RESORT. THIS PAGE, TOP: COURTESY OF HAWKS CAY RESORT. BOTTOM: LUCIANO LEJTMAN/GETTY.

The name of this peaceful getaway means “place of healing,” and judges couldn’t think of a better year to test that promise. By day, families at this 56-acre resort that opened in 1917 build castles at the beach or partake in water sports, and then at night, Broadway-style musical performances (now held outdoors) entertain all. Repeat guests—there are many—rave about three included meals a day. You’ll stay in one of 40 wooded or lakeside cottages, all with AC, a private porch, and up to three bedrooms. Starts at $225 per person, per night, including meals and most activities.

Best Resort for the Whole Family Nemacolin, Farmington, Pennsylvania

Even though this remote 2,000-plus-acre resort in the Laurel Highlands area is widely known as the location for last season’s episodes of The Bachelor, there’s as much to do for kids as for adults. Your little animal lovers will adore both the resort’s vintage carousel and the pony rides. Playgrounds, a kid-size zip line, a climbing wall, and mini golf are all part of the adventure. Two-bedroom townhomes have full kitchens and mod decor. Starts at $599 per night (for townhomes).

Best Multigenerational Resort Hawks Cay Resort, Duck Key, Florida

A canal runs through its Harbor Village, where two- to four-bedroom townhomes with gourmet kitchens and grocery-shopping service

Nelson, a Nashville-based family travel influencer who blogs at Those Crazy Nelsons.

Best Beach Town on the Gulf Coast Seaside, Florida

make it easy for extended families to cook some of their meals. That’s what judges Ric and Saj Garcia, Miami-based Instagram travel influencers (@ric.saj_adventures), did when they visited with their boys and Ric’s parents, who wanted to avoid restaurants. Their crew saw the outdoor pirate show and hung out on the grassy area with ocean views. “The resort’s enclosed beach gives you a sense of security, and it was steps away from the pool,” Saj says. Starts at $400 per night (for townhomes).

BEACH TOWNS Best Beach Town on the East Coast Cape May, New Jersey

Time-warped in the best way possible, the southernmost shore point in the state attracts families with its Victorian cottage rentals, red and green trolleys, and saltwater taffy shops. (The entire town is a National Historic Landmark.) But the 16 beaches are the true gems. Congress Beach, across from Congress Hall resort, is wide, has sand perfect for castle building, and holds an oldtimey carnival for families. Tides at Sunset Beach bring in colorful quartz crystals—“Cape May Diamonds”—nature’s souvenirs.

Best Beach Town on the West Coast Laguna Beach, California

SoCal vibes are strong in this seaside spot that’s as synonymous for its kidfriendly cove beaches as for its art scene. Across the 7 miles of coastline, Shaw’s Cove beach is a local fave because of its gentle waves and tide pools teeming with marine life, while Victoria Beach’s 1926 pirate tower provides the ultimate backdrop for kids to pretend they’re swashbucklers. The heritage of Laguna Beach, founded as an arts colony, is evident all around town. At Bluebird Park, kids can climb on a 9-foot mosaic tortoise. Along Pacific Coast Highway, Robert Wyland’s Whaling Wall mural of a gray whale and her calf may be the town’s most famous artsy landmark. “It was magnificent to see it in person,” says judge Samantha

Laguna Beach

Stroll down the brick streets past pastel-colored cottage rentals, each more gorgeous than the last, until you reach the white-sand beaches and emerald Gulf water. That’s how life goes down in this community in the state’s panhandle that was designed so families could walk or bike everywhere. The row of vintage Airstreams serve up all kinds of deliciousness, the amphitheater offers music and children’s shows, and the indie bookstore features a lovely children’s selection. Paradise found.

Best Island Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Active families will be in their element. With 100-plus miles of leisure paths and bike trails, “Hilton Head is one of the most bike-friendly places we’ve visited. My family even cycled on the hard-packed beach,” says Gifford, the author of the forthcoming Hiking With Kids Virginia: 52 Great Hikes for Families. Water-sport rentals abound: Kayakers

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are often treated to manta ray sightings, while easy-tooperate catamarans are a fun way to explore marshlands.

Sandy Pines Campground

Best Beach Town on a Lake Grand Haven, Michigan

CAMPING TRIPS Best Treehouse Stays Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, Golden Valley, North Carolina

The charming treetop cabins at this resort near the Blue Ridge Mountains, restored from its days as a rustic lodging for the Girl Scouts, provide a perfect perch for bird-watching and stargazing along with some comforts of home (think AC and a smart TV). They sleep up to four, and some are just down the road from the lake where families can fish, rent pedal boats, and zip-line. There’s a pool and a splash pad too. Starts at $98 per night.

Best Glamping Tents Sandy Pines Campground, Kennebunkport, Maine

The flexibility for families drew judges to this seaside retreat that’s bordered by a salt marsh. Up to two kids can sleep in either daybeds or trundles inside the luxe family tent or get their own

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smaller tent adjacent to yours, with two twins and a space to play. With either pick, your family scores its own fire pit and mini fridge. Before or after a trip to the nearby beach, kids can play games on the wideopen lawn or enjoy a socially distanced craft session. Starts at $269 per night.

Best Cabins West Glacier KOA Resort, Montana

Near the west entrance to Glacier National Park, deluxe cabins hold universal family appeal. Some sleep up to nine and include large covered porches and bunk beds. You can sit on the patio and enjoy astonishing views of the Rockies before you head out for a long day of exploring the park. Then when you return to the campground, take the kids for a nighttime swim. Starts at $200 per night.

Best Beachfront Camping Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina

Location, location, location. Campsites with beach-access

paths that’ll put your crew just steps from the water dot the northern end of this alluring wildlife-packed park. RVers have access to electric and water hookups, while tent campers will appreciate that the bathhouse has been newly renovated. Walk a mile along the palm-treelined shore to the historic lighthouse, which you can climb with a reservation. Starts at $40 per night.

Best Creative Camping Zion Wildflower Resort, Virgin, Utah

Camping in a wagon that looks like it’s from the Wild West has become a thing, and this glamping resort, which opened last summer near Zion National Park, makes it supercomfortable and even more fun than it sounds. Sleeping up to six and equipped with AC and heat, the wagons hold a king bed plus one or two sets of bunk beds. You’ll get a s’mores kit to use at the fire pits and Wi-Fi so you can post on TikTok. Starts at $299 per night.

NATIONAL PARKS Best Adventure White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Sledding down hills of rippling sand as far as the eye can see, kids revel in the magic of the surreal landscape at this newish national park in the southern part of the state. Drive past the dunes near the pueblo-style visitors’ center (where you can buy sleds) to the larger, uncrowded ones in the back of the park, suggests judge Meg Brunson, founder of the blog Family Road Ventures, who visited last year with her four kids. Besides sledding for hours, she says, “my kids threw themselves onto the ground to make sand angels and loved watching the breeze erase them moments later.”

Best for Spying Animals Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wherever you go in Grand Teton, animals are close by. “One evening, on the park’s Gros Ventre/Antelope Flats Loop, we saw bull moose near the river and herds of bison

DOUGLAS MERRIAM.

Located on Lake Michigan, this charming small town is the beach mecca of the Midwest. Thanks to a revitalization project, its state-park beach doubled in size last summer. The playground at the 7-acre waterfront North Beach Park makes it a local family fave. The town’s Musical Fountain, which has a 25-minute light show nightly at dusk, has been wowing kids since the 1960s.

and pronghorn feeding out on the flats against the spectacular backdrop of the Teton range,” says judge Julie Gillum Lue, a former park ranger. “We even pulled over to listen to the grunting bison and watch the sun set.” Other animal stomping grounds include Willow Flats and Oxbow Bend, where Lue’s crew spotted ducks, geese, ospreys, and bald eagles.

Best for Science in Action Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

TOP: KENT PHILLIPS/DISNEY. BOTTOM: LAURA OLIVAS/GETTY.

Old Faithful is just the beginning. Erupting geysers, bubbling mud pots, hot springs, and steam vents galore create an otherworldly landscape. Resembling a cave turned inside out, “the mineral terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs were far and away a favorite area of the park for us to explore,” says judge Amanda Riley, who took an epic seven-week nationalpark road trip with her family in 2019. They were lucky enough to catch an eruption of Steamboat Geyser, the tallest active geyser in the world. Grand Prismatic Spring, bigger than a football field, also stuns with its deep blue waters encircled by bands of green, yellow, and orange.

Best for Family Hikes Redwood National and State Parks, California

Surrounded by towering trees, little ones feel as if they’re in a fairy tale while hiking the many kid-friendly trails. “On the 4-mile Hiouchi Trail, our kids pretended they were having an adventure in the Ewok forest from Return of the Jedi, which was reportedly filmed nearby,” says judge Jeremy Puglisi, author of Where Should We Camp Next? In the southern part of the park, the stroller-friendly 2 1/2 -mile Prairie Creek/ Foothills Trail Loop takes tots past babbling streams, giant old-growth Redwoods, and restrooms (thank you!).

Best for Water Fun Olympic National Park, Washington

The beaches here thrill tiny explorers. At Ruby Beach, kids can play on driftwood and splash around in an inlet with warmer water. The nearby Kalaloch Beach 4 is a tide pooler’s dream. Take older kids kayaking or canoeing on the teal waters of Lake Crescent, which was formed by a glacier. “It was windy and the water was chilly when we visited,” Puglisi says. “But the Olympic Mountains views were spectacular, and our kids swam at the end anyway.”

White Sands National Park

WE CAN’T WAIT TO VISIT THESE NEW DESTINATIONS!

Put these theme parks and resorts on your radar for when the time is right. LEGOLAND New York Resort, Goshen Everything looks awesome at this theme park catering to 12-andunders. It’ll be the world’s first resort to have the LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, which transforms some lucky riders into Minifigure versions of themselves. Opening in summer.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia The country’s newest national park has 100 miles of hiking trails (many for beginners) and white-water rafting options with mild waves gentle enough for little kids. Stay in a cabin at nearby Adventures on the Gorge. Open now.

Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay, Chula Vista, California Overlooking San Diego Bay, the epic RV resort wows with a pool and cabanas, a splash pad, and a cafe and bar. No RV? Book one of their one- or two-

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Orlando A complete

bedroom vacation rentals, which look like they belong on HGTV. Open now.

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, Mexico Kids will lose their mind at this all-inclusive resort, complete with sliming sessions, character meetups, and themed water play. The groundlevel rooms feature direct access to the resort’s main pool. Opening in July.

Turtle Bay Resort, Hawaii Its 5 miles of shoreline on Oahu’s North Shore were always dreamy (with sea turtle sightings and banyan trees). After a major reno and the addition of 42 ocean bungalows that sleep up to four, its inside space is just as tranquil now. Reopening in July.

redo of the guest rooms give off Moana vibes (though they’re not themed per se). Lots of outdoor spaces, including the kids’ splash area, are getting spruced up as well. Reopening in late July.

Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Universal Orlando Resort For thrill seekers: This megafast coaster with an 80-degree drop and two epic launches will take you on a highspeed chase alongside a pack of ferocious velociraptors. Opening June 10.

Under Canvas Known for its family glamping tents in awesome locations, this chain adds two destinations to 2021’s roster: Lake Powell–Grand Staircase, in Big Water, Utah; and Acadia National Park, in Surry, Maine. Opening in April and May, respectively.

HOW WE PICKED THE WINNERS Parents staff and family travel judges nominated more than 150 places within the U.S. that offer lots of outdoor activities, plenty of space to socially distance, and enhanced safety protocols for COVID-19. Many destinations also require temp checks and have implemented contactless check-in as well as a reservation system to avoid crowding in public areas like the pool. Staff and judges voted on the nominations, with an eye on value and wow factor for kids. At press time, the CDC has advised that only fully vaccinated people travel. Check cdc.gov/travel for the latest info.

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Crush the Cookout! Ace the backyard barbecue with burgers and dogs that do double duty. Keep one version basic—for Team Plain—and pile on allll the fixings for everyone else. It’s choose your own adventure, grilling-style. recipes by S A R A H WA L D M A N / photographs by J E N C A U S E Y

CUSTOMIZE IT The Basic: Place 1 burger patty on a bun, and top it with ketchup and lettuce.

Diner Smash Burgers With Special Sauce For recipe, see page 90.

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The Works: Stack 2 burger patties on a bun, and top them with 1 Tbs. special sauce, lettuce, onion, and pickles.

CUSTOMIZE IT The Basic: Place a grilled hot dog on a bun, and sprinkle it with 2 Tbs. each cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and 1/4 of the avocado. The Works: Assemble The Basic as described above, and add 1 Tbs. each sour cream, onion, and cilantro leaves. Top with pickled jalapeños, and drizzle with hot sauce.

Nacho Dogs For recipe, see page 90.

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Turkey Club Dogs Active Time 20 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Makes 4 servings

MAKE IT

1. Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). 2. Place turkey dogs on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, turning occasionally, until heated through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, add buns to toast on grill.

CUSTOMIZE IT The Basic: Spread 1 Tbs. mayonnaise on a bun, and layer on slices of tomato and some of the shredded lettuce. Add a turkey dog. The Works: Add 1 slice bacon to The Basic; top with 1/4 cup crushed potato chips.

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FOOD STYLING BY CHELSEA ZIMMER. PROP STYLING BY KAY CLARKE. NAPKIN, MERI MERI.

I N G R E DI E N T S 4 turkey hot dogs 4 split hot-dog buns 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sliced tomatoes (from 1 medium tomato) 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce 4 cooked bacon slices 1 cup (about 1 oz.) crushed potato chips

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PA R T N E R PLUS TIP:

For easy cleanup and to prevent sticking, line the grill grates with two crisscrossed layers of foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Brought to you by Reynolds Wrap®

BBQ Chicken Sliders For recipe, see page 90.

CUSTOMIZE IT The Basic: Serve a slider on a toasted bun with the cabbage slaw on the side. The Works: Top a slider on a toasted bun with 2 Tbs. cabbage slaw and additional barbecue sauce. Serve the remaining slaw on the side.

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EASY PREP. EASY COOK. EASY CLEAN. Tough and durable to prevent rips and tears. It’s dinner made easy.

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Ginger-Soy Pork Burgers For recipe, see page 90.

CUSTOMIZE IT

The Works: Top each cut side of a bun with 1 Tbs. peanut satay sauce. Add a burger, a few cucumber slices, shredded carrots, and cilantro leaves.

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NAPKINS, MERI MERI.

The Basic: Serve a burger on a toasted crusty roll with cucumbers and carrots on the side.

SCAN TO BUY

L I F E Ñ Fo o d

Easy Foil-Pack Grilling Simply hover your phone’s camera over the smart code to discover more summer barbecue recipes.

Italian Sausage Dogs Active Time 20 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Makes 4 servings I N G R E DI E N T S 2 Tbs. unsalted butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 4 sweet Italian sausages 4 crusty sub rolls, split 1/4 cup store-bought basil pesto 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced 1 cup sliced tomato MAKE IT

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Melt butter in a small skillet over low; add garlic. Let garlic simmer in butter over low while sausages grill. 2. Place sausages on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, turning often, until sausages are thoroughly cooked with a crisp casing. Remove sausages from heat. Brush inside and outside of sub rolls with garlic butter; place on grill until golden and toasted, about 1 minute.

CUSTOMIZE IT The Basic: Place a grilled sweet Italian sausage on a garlic-butter roll, and drizzle with 1 Tbs. pesto. Mix up your hot-dog repertoire by adding a different type of sausage.

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The Works: Line a garlic-butter roll with 2 oz. mozzarella and some tomato slices; add a grilled sausage, and drizzle with 1 Tbs. pesto.

NEW

CRACKER

BARREL

SHREDDED

CHEESE

M AY

I N H I B IT YOU R AB ILIT Y TO ENJOY OTH E R CH E ES ES . SPRINKLE CAUTIOUSLY.

Cracker Barrel Shredded Cheese is not for the faint of tongue. Known side effects include shocks of deliciousness, grateful taste buds, and an elevated sense of sophistication. SOME HAVE NOTED THAT CRACKER BARREL SHREDDED CHEESE LOOKS PHOTOSHOPPED. Some are wrong. Each shred is as long and thick as it appears here. While this shredded cheese is richer, creamier, and more decadent than other cheeses, it’s still cheese, so USE CARE WHEN HOT. Cracker Barrel Shredded Cheese is thick-cut and therefore heavy. DO NOT LIFT WITH YOUR BACK. Remember, not all cheese is created equal.

L I F E Ñ Fo o d

I N G R E DI E N T S For the peanut satay sauce: 3 Tbs. peanut butter 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) 1 tsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 2 to 3 Tbs. warm water

F R O M PA G E 8 1

Nacho Dogs Active Time 20 minutes Total Time 20 minutes Makes 4 servings I N G R E DI E N T S 4 all-beef hot dogs 4 split hot-dog buns 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce 1/2 cup chopped tomato 1 avocado, sliced or smashed 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 2 Tbs. chopped pickled jalapeños 4 tsp. hot sauce

F R O M PA G E 8 0

Diner Smash Burgers With Special Sauce Active Time 30 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Makes 8 single burgers or 4 double burgers I N G R E DI E N T S For the special sauce: 2 Tbs. ketchup 2 Tbs. mayonnaise 1 Tbs. minced dill pickles 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/8 tsp. black pepper

2021

1 tsp. celery seeds

1. Split hot dogs lengthwise without cutting through. Preheat a grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F).

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2. Place hot dogs on oiled grates. Grill, uncovered, flipping occasionally, to create a golden, crisp split dog, about 2 minutes on each side. During last minute of cooking, add buns to toast on grill.

For the sliders: 1 lb. ground chicken 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 1/4 tsp. kosher salt Nonstick cooking spray 8 slider buns MAKE IT

1. Prepare the cabbage slaw: Stir together slaw mix, parsley, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery seeds, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.

1. Prepare the special sauce: Stir together ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

90 J U N E

2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

MAKE IT

PA R E N T S

2 Tbs. apple-cider vinegar

MAKE IT

For the burgers: 3/4 tsp. kosher salt 11/2 lbs. ground beef 1 tsp. vegetable or canola oil 8 American cheese slices 4 to 8 sesame-seed hamburger buns, split, lightly toasted Ketchup, iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced onion, pickles

2. Prepare the burgers: Sprinkle salt over ground beef; divide into 8 equal portions, rolling each into a ball. Heat a 12-in. cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add oil to hot skillet, and place 4 balls of beef in skillet. Using a spatula, press beef down into thin patties. Cook patties until browned and crisp, about 2 minutes; flip and crisp the other side. Top each patty with a cheese slice during last 30 seconds of cooking. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with remaining beef and cheese.

1/4 cup mayonnaise

F R O M PA G E 8 4

BBQ Chicken Sliders Active Time 25 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Makes 4 servings I N G R E DI E N T S For the cabbage slaw: 1 14-oz. bag prepared slaw mix (purple cabbage, green cabbage, and carrots) 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2. Prepare the sliders: Preheat a grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Use hands to mix chicken, barbecue sauce, onion, and salt in a bowl. Shape 1/4 cupfuls into 8 small patties, about 21/2 in. in diameter and 1/2 in. thick. Place aluminum foil on one side of grill, and coat foil with cooking spray. Place patties on foil, and grill, uncovered, until firm enough to flip, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer patties to oiled grates, and cook until grill marks appear and a thermometer inserted in center registers 165°F, 1 to 2 minutes per side. During last minute of cooking, add buns to grill, cut sides down; toast lightly. F R O M PA G E 8 6

Ginger-Soy Pork Burgers Active Time 25 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Makes 4 servings

For the burgers: 1 lb. ground pork 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 crusty rolls, split Thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, cilantro leaves MAKE IT

1. Prepare the peanut satay sauce: Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili-garlic sauce, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in water, 1 Tbs. at a time, until spreadable but still thick. 2. Prepare the burgers: Preheat a grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Use hands to mix pork, breadcrumbs, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl until blended; shape into 4 patties, about 4 in. in diameter and 1/2 in. thick. Place burgers on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, until well browned and a thermometer inserted in center of a burger registers 160°F, about 5 minutes per side. During last minute of cooking, add rolls to grill, cut sides down; toast lightly.

L I F EÑD é c o r

SET THE STAGE Create zones. “Think

about what you want to do in your space and how often you want to be there,” says Blythe Yost, cofounder of Tilly, in Pearl River, New York. Doing so can help make even smaller lots feel big. Melissa Michaels, of the blog The Inspired Room, thinks in terms of four sweet spots: grow (a plot for a garden), rest (a lounge in either the sun or the shade, depending on what you like), eat (a paved, wood, or gravel area for dining and/or cooking), and play (a free space for kids to run wild). Decide how much real estate, if any, you’ll want to dedicate to each. Be smart about grilling.

Even if you have a vacation plan hatched, your yard is the spot where you and your kids will be chilling most of the summer. Luckily, there are simple ways to transform your outdoor space into a place you’ll look forward to spending loads of time. Try a few of these yard improvements and let the laid-back vibes commence— this is a family staycation at its best. by S T E P H A N I E G R A N A D A

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Work with what you’ve got. Make life easier by

arranging the dining area beneath existing trees to avoid the need for an umbrella or other shade structures. If the lawn is patchy in one spot, maybe that’s the perfect place to plop the kids’ playhouse.

JASON SCHMIDT/TRUNK ARCHIVE.

Blissing Out the Backyard

Situating an outdoor kitchen next to the house makes food prep more convenient. For safety’s sake, position the barbecue 10 feet from the house. Keeping kids out of the way is another matter. “Never leave a hot grill unattended, turn off the propane before walking away, and make sure the lid stays closed as much as possible and barbecue utensils are out of reach,” Yost says. If you have a curious little chef, you may need to install a baby gate or other barricade around the grill.

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L I F EÑD é c o r

MAX OUT YOUR GREENERY Invite wildlife. Start with

pollinator-friendly plants native to your area (a local nursery can make good suggestions). “They’re accustomed to the weather, so it’s easier for them to thrive in your yard,” says Chris Lambton, of HGTV’s Yard Crashers and Discovery+’s Clipped. Kids will love how they’ll attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. One great pollinator for newbies is the sunflower. “My daughter and I plant sunflowers by seed. The results are fun to watch grow,” Lambton says. Put foliage to work. Plants

Go low-maintenance.

Kids will adore playing on a patch of grass, but consider other natural lawns that require minimal mowing like fescue, ornamental grasses, or moss; they may mean less yard work, says Scott Mulholland, of Creo Landscape Architecture, in San Francisco. They’re soft for running and rolling in and are meant to look unkempt.

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BRING THE INDOORS OUT

Make it cushy. “The key

to enjoying time outdoors is including all of the creature comforts of indoor living,” Saleem says. For her own deck, she leaned on colorful patterned pillows as well as floor cushions to layer in character and coziness. Consider hanging canvas curtains along a deck or a porch for shady privacy that gives off resort vibes.

Add color underfoot.

A rug pretties up a patio and zones off the yard’s “rooms.” There are indoor-outdoor options at various prices, so finding a stylish one that can be hosed after an ice-pop meltdown is easy. Saleem prefers a turf rug, which is a combo of sophisticated and fun: “The grass texture is perfect for kids who love to hang on the deck barefoot.”

Choose sturdy materials.

Stick to weatherproof chairs and tables (made of powdercoated steel, aluminum, teak, acacia, resin, or plastic) and treated textiles from brands such as Sunbrella and Revolution Fabrics. If you aren’t able to reupholster or buy new, spray textiles with Scotchgard to keep them safe from spills and muddy handprints, Saleem adds.

ROBYN BREEN SHINN.

can serve as stunning camouflage. Vines and shrubs block ugly AC units, and clumping bamboo (make sure it’s not an invasive type) is an excellent screen between neighbors. Even a prefab shed can look gorgeous when draped in flowering vines, a trick that designer and mother of one Jenna LeBlanc, of Jenna Sue Design Co., pulled off at her Tampa home. Think of container gardens as lush dividers. Baltimorebased designer Saudah Saleem uses colorful ceramic planters to flank walkways or delineate seating areas.

BRIGHTEN THINGS UP

MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL

TOP: DESIGN BY EMILY HENDERSON DESIGN. PHOTO BY SARA LIGORRIA-TRAMP. BOTTOM: COURTESY OF THE TINY CANAL COTTAGE BY WHITNEY LEIGH MORRIS.

Embrace the do-it-all bar cart. Use one to keep

essentials within reach so you don’t need to repeatedly run inside to fetch the burger flipper and then the Uno cards. The cart can carry utensils, dishes, and drinks or wheel out ice-cream sandwiches and lawn-game supplies. Stock it with bug spray and sunscreen and position it near the back door to encourage everyone to layer on protection before venturing out, or park it next to the grill as a prep table. While you’re at it, place a planter of fresh herbs on it so you can tear off a sprig or two as you cook. Invest in space savers.

Furniture that can do double-duty will save precious real estate. Try a bench with built-in storage for stashing toys or tools, or a stool that can act as a side table, an ottoman, or spare seating, as Mulholland did for a San Francisco family home. Provide relief from the hot sun. A patio umbrella is,

of course, the classic choice for offering some muchneeded shade. But think about other solutions like an awning, a wooden pergola, or a shade sail, which is a strung-up swath of fabric, often in a bright color, that can cover a lot of ground (or even part of a pool) for less money than an umbrella.

Install some magical illumination and the party can rage on after dark (or at least until bedtime). If you have a tree with sturdy limbs, that’s a good place for downward-facing LED fixtures. Yost says, “Mount a few in the canopy so that they are angled to shine down over the space. We call this moonlighting.” For less of a lift and a little twinkle, Saleem likes affordable, waterproof solar lights that automatically turn on at dusk using energy collected during the day. “They give off a warm glow,” she says. Then add a fire pit for gathering around to make s’mores—you can DIY a rustic one by stacking curved paving stones in a circle.

L I F EÑD é c o r

RAISE THE JOY FACTOR Let the kids entertain themselves. Ask anyone

under 10 and they’ll tell you that a giant wooden playset complete with swings and a slide is the backyard holy grail. But you may want to take into account that your kids could outgrow it before you know it. Save some money and buy from a family looking to unload one. You can check local socialmedia marketplaces to find a used set and refinish it, Yost points out. Build in secret nooks.

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Projector, $200; amazon .com) and a taut white sheet or blank white wall are all you need for a memorable summer night with family and friends.

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Keep It Tidy Get the whole fam involved in the upkeep, as Saleem does: “We assign age-appropriate duties using two chore wheels.” Younger children spin the one with tasks such as sweeping the deck, refilling the bird feeder, and brushing leaves off pillows and chairs. The older kids’ wheel features jobs like mowing or watering the lawn, light pruning, and cleaning the grill. “This way, everyone takes ownership in making sure our space stays in order.”

DAVID TSAY.

Kids will love to hang out in their own special alcove. Simply tuck a chair or a hammock among shady trees or tall plants to create a mini reading retreat that they can hide out in. Laying down stepping-stones (Yost prefers sturdy pavers, at least 2 by 2 feet) creates charming pathways that little ones can hop along and explore. Add some flex fun. Lawn games such as cornhole, croquet, and jumbo-size Jenga don’t take up much space, are safe for young ones, and can easily be stored away in the garage when not in use. Saleem, whose kids range in age from 6 to 19, has found that outdoor movies are the ultimate unifier. “The novelty of watching movies under the stars never wears off,” she says. A projector (try the Kodak Luma 150 Ultra Mini Pocket Pico

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L I F EÑD é c o r

APPROVED

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2021

Achieve your outdoor oasis with weatherproof wonders and double-duty furniture.

1. ALL TIED UP

Welcome lazy summer afternoons with this bright, handwoven Signature Hammock made from durable waterproof yarn. Spring for the family size, which supports up to 550 pounds and a whole lot of group cuddles. $299; yellowleafhammocks.com

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An all-weather bar cart with removable trays is genius for entertaining or schlepping almost anything. The Alfresco II Grey Cart With Casters is made from a UV-treated faux wood and has locking wheels. $499; crateandbarrel.com 3. HOT POT

Spruce up the patio by popping a new plant baby into a sculptural earthenware Bishop Pedestal Planter. Starting at $100; westelm.com

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4. GOLDEN HOUR

No need to plug in: Glow Solar String Lights soak up rays during the day. Weave them through your trees or along a doorframe for a no-fuss twinkly atmosphere when the sun sets. $49; brightech.com Solar lights FTW !

5. S U RFAC E ARE A

Every yard needs a multipurpose item like the Noble House Lassen 21-in. Matte Teal Round Metal Outdoor Side Table. Use it as a seat, for propping up your feet, or for resting your book on (that is, if you ever get the chance to sit down). $65; homedepot.com

6 . TA B L E I T

With expandable drop leaves on the table, a roomy bench, and two matching chairs, the Äpplarö set caters to all your summer dining needs—and it’ll withstand everything that’s eventually spilled on it. $344; ikea.com

7. S I T T I N G P R E T T Y

8. FLOOR FLAIR

Once you’ve got your seating down, throw a large floor pillow or two into the mix. Kids will love sprawling out on the Eden Outdoor Floor Cushion. $85; society6.com —Cassie Hurwitz

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7 8

COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.

Bring bistro vibes to the backyard with the Bee & Willow Home Nantucket Wicker Stacking Chairs, which can sidle up to any style of table or act as theater seats for your kids’ impromptu talent show. $60 each; bedbathandbeyond.com

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Ages + Stages ADVICE AS YOUR CHILD GROWS

P R E G N A N CY

HOW TO

Include Your Partner by J E A N N E T T E M O N I N G E R

while you look for the best stroller, crib sheets, and postpartum mama items (and then share what you’ve found with each other). If your partner enjoys building things, you can put them in charge of assembling the crib and other baby furniture. Sharing responsibilities is a great way to show you trust each other’s judgment. Remember to work together when you’re figuring out how to use the car seat and stroller—because you’ll both need to know. Have a date night.

Learn together.

As your pregnancy progresses, one way for the two of you to bond is through prenatal classes. Although not all may be in person yet, online options are available. It’s ideal to attend as many prenatal classes as possible, so search online or ask your ob-gyn. You can also download pregnancy apps to get ready for breastfeeding and prepare for newborn care. In addition, the two of you can listen to the Parents podcast That New Mom Life, which explores the first few months of parenting, and discuss what you’ve learned. Since your unborn child can hear, it’s never too early to start reading, singing, and talking to your child! Research suggests that infants remember the rhythms of both parents’ voices after they’re born. You can also work together to compile a list of questions to ask at each of your doctor’s appointments. Divide and conquer.

There are so many decisions to be made that it’s often helpful to split them up. For example, when planning your baby registry, your partner can spend hours researching the best crib and car seat,

You might be short on time and energy, but life certainly won’t calm down after your little one arrives. Ask your partner to plan some special quality time for the two of you. Although it probably won’t be an exotic babymoon, consider a romantic dinner together. Order takeout from that cool new restaurant, and snuggle up while streaming a new film or your favorite Netflix series. This might be a perfect, low-key time to bounce around baby names as well as to share your worries, hopes, and dreams for your new family. Sources: Joyce Gottesfeld, M.D., an ob-gyn at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, in Denver; Parents advisor David L. Hill, M.D., author of Dad to Dad: Parenting Like a Pro.

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Try out a few.

Although there are tons of baby cups to choose from—hard- and soft-spout sippies, and those with a straw—some experts recommend spoutless sippy cups because the others may hinder feeding development. If possible, buy several types; your child may have a preference. First, offer an empty cup and let your baby explore and play with it. Do this for several days so they’ll be familiar with the cup before you put liquid in it. Teach them to sip.

Make sure your child is seated before giving them a cup with water, breast milk, or formula (never juice at this age). Hold it up to their mouth and tilt it slowly so a little liquid dribbles in. Give your child time to swallow before offering more. If you put breast milk or formula (or even a smear of pureed baby food) at the tip of a baby cup that has a short straw, your baby will taste it and probably suck the straw to get more. Be careful.

0 –12 MONTHS

HOW TO

Introduce a Cup

Once your baby likes the cup, they may want it all the time—but don’t let them carry it around during the day, use it as a pacifier, or sleep with it. Constantly bathing their teeth in sugar from drinks (even breast milk!) increases the risk of tooth decay. Supervise when your baby drinks from a cup while seated. If they walk or run with a cup and fall, it could lead to mouth injuries.

by TA M E K I A R E E C E

Have patience.

Start early.

Get More Age-Specific Tips

cognitive experiences when they’re first eating, so it may be best to wait a week or two before adding the cup.

Your baby probably won’t be able to hold a cup or drink solo without spilling until after age 1, but let them start practicing. The ideal time to introduce a sippy cup, whether with a straw, spouted, or spoutless, is typically around 6 months old, when they start solids. They will be having a lot of new sensory, motor, and

Some babies still prefer a bottle, but keep trying. Experts recommend that babies be weaned off bottles at around 12 months so your kid has time to get the hang of it. You can show them that it’s fun: Take a sip from a small cup and say, “Mmm, yummy!” Your baby may just want some too. Sources: Jaime Friedman, M.D., a pediatrician at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group, in San Diego; Melanie Potock, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, feeding specialist, and coauthor of Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater.

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A G E S + S TA G E S

1 –2 Y E A R S

HOW TO

Stay Safe at the Playground by R E B E C C A F E L S E N T H A L S T E WA R T

home: If another kid is doing something your child doesn’t like, they can practice using a firm voice and telling the other kid to stop. Tell your child to come to you if the problem persists. This will help them develop the confidence to navigate the playground independently by the time they head to preschool. Sources: Cheryl Erwin, coauthor of the Positive Discipline series; Seth Scholer, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Karen Sheehan, M.D., medical director of the Injury Prevention and Research Center at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Find the right area.

Playgrounds typically have structures designed for children ages 2 to 5 and ages 5 to 12. However, they aren’t always grouped together by age category or separated by a gate. If your child starts playing in an area that’s too advanced for them, gently guide them to where they belong. If they try to go back again, say, “We can either play here or go home. What would you like to do?” Before letting your child use an apparatus, shake it to see that it doesn’t rattle, inspect it for broken parts, check the wood for splinters, and look for knobs that could trap clothing. More than 200,000 kids are treated in the E.R. for playground injuries every year, and a faulty structure is often the culprit. Take it slow.

Even little-kid equipment may not be suitable for a 1-year-old. Avoid jungle gyms that are taller than 4 feet; your kid can use a mini version that has low steps and guardrails. They don’t yet have the upper-body strength to hang from things, so skip the monkey bars. Look for a small slide that has a gentle slope, and hold your toddler’s torso as they go down. Don’t slide down with them on your lap, which increases the risk of a leg fracture. Stick to toddlerfriendly bucket swings until your child approaches age 3. Your child may be curious about the sandbox, but its contents can be pretty nasty, and animals might be using it as a litter box. Empower your toddler.

A playground will likely be full of older kids who may shove their way to get down the slide first. Try role-playing at

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3–4 YEARS

HOW TO

Handle Sleep Regressions by K AT E R O C K W O O D

Recognize that it’s normal.

Helping your child learn to fall asleep independently and stay asleep through the night isn’t a once-and-done endeavor (we wish!). Sleep patterns naturally shift as kids mature, and when those shifts overlap with other changes—say, potty training, a preschool transition, or a major developmental milestone—it can kick up a lot of turbulence at bedtime. Whatever the cause, the important thing is to figure out how to fix it.

to play while they brush their teeth. Giving them a say in small areas can help tamp down bigger battles. Get inventive.

Your kid’s cognitive and language development is exploding, but that can mean they have a runaway imagination or a need to rehash the day’s events at bedtime. If their creative mind has them nervous about monsters, try spritzing their bed with “anti-monster” spray or telling them the sleep fairy will bring them a sticker if they stay in bed. If your little one is a giant chatterbox, start the routine with ten minutes of “talk time.” It may help them wind down so they can fall asleep more easily. Know when to get help.

Snoring, wheezing, or breathing with difficulty at night could be signs of an underlying health condition and might warrant a call to your pediatrician. If your child has frequent sleep terrors or is sleepwalking, ask about a referral to a pediatric sleep specialist. But don’t hesitate to talk to the pediatrician about smaller issues like bedtime tantrums, daytime sleepiness, or evening worries. Sleep is crucial for your child’s development. Sources: Erin S. Leichman, Ph.D., a senior research psychologist at Saint Joseph’s University, in Philadelphia; Parents advisor Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

5–6 YEARS

Refine the routine.

When your preschooler was a baby, their powers of persuasion were pretty limited. Now you might be up against a strong-willed 4-year-old who doesn’t hesitate to share the laundry list of reasons they should go to bed later, “just this once.” But a predictable, consistent routine matters at this age. If yours has gone off the rails a bit, make a visual chart that details the steps (bath, pj’s, toothbrushing, books, bed), and hang it where your kid can follow along. If bedtime feels like a battle of wills, pick one or two areas where you can give your kid control. That might mean letting them pick the books you read or the song

HOW TO

Make Sense of Tattling by R E B E C C A R A KO W I T Z

Understand their reasoning.

When kids this age tattle, they’re not being malicious. In fact, they think they are doing the right thing. While your child may have first tattled around age 3 (when their language skills were

becoming more sophisticated), they now have a stronger sense of fairness. Kids ages 5 and 6 love to do things for others and are internalizing the importance of rules. When they tell on a friend, it’s usually not because they want that friend to get in trouble. They believe they’ll be praised for righting a wrong. Resist a reprimand.

It’s important not to shame your child (even if their sibling calls them a tattletale). Letting them know their concerns have been heard will build their trust in adults and prevent them from feeling they need to keep secrets. Thank them for alerting you, and reinforce that telling is a good thing to do. While you may not want your child to get in the habit of tattling, it’s important that they know when to talk to an adult. Also, try to help your kid learn to differentiate between serious and minor offenses. For example, it might seem wrong when a classmate cuts ahead of them in line, but your kid doesn’t need to tell an adult as long as everyone is safe. However, your child should always tell a grown-up if a situation is unsafe or a person’s body is being touched or hurt. So if their friends are pushing each other or their sibling is climbing on furniture, they should quickly tell an adult because someone could get injured. Give them other tools.

In the future, when your child comes to you with a complaint, ask them to consider whether this seems like telling or tattling. You can also teach them what else they might do in a situation in which they’re tempted to enlist an adult’s help but don’t really need to. For example, if a friend calls them a mean name, your child can say, in their I-mean-business voice, “Don’t say that to me. That’s not nice.” Then they should decide whether they want to continue playing with that friend or go color with another classmate. Not only can this reduce minor complaints, but it encourages your kid to problem-solve. Sources: Jamie Howard, Ph.D., senior clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute’s Anxiety Disorders Center, in New York City; Parents advisor Silvia Pereira-Smith, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston.

7+ Y E A R S

HOW TO

Teach Kids About Money by S TA C E Y C O L I N O

Give them an allowance.

By the time kids reach second grade, they aren’t just eager consumers; they’re also curious about how much toys, games, movies, and even cars cost. Yet most 7- and 8-year-olds’ idea of fiscal resourcefulness is to ask (or beg!) you for money. The best way to teach the value of money is to give your kid some of their own. Just how much is a personal matter, based on your financial circumstances and the going rate where you live. One approach: Start with a weekly allowance that’s equivalent to half your child’s age; for example, $3.50 for a 7-year-old and $4 for an 8-year-old. Many experts believe that an allowance shouldn’t be contingent upon your kid’s meeting their routine expectations, such as unloading the dishwasher. It’s important to teach them that doing chores is an expectation for everyone in the family. If you want to give your child the opportunity to earn extra money—by raking leaves or washing the car—consider making it a separate transaction. Offer freedom.

Help your child set goals for their money rather than just handing out cash. Does your kid have their eye on an iPad? Get out the calculator and explore various saving scenarios together. Some kids are naturally thrifty, while others are the spendy type. Giving your child their own money will also encourage independence, and it’s best for an allowance to have relatively few strings attached to it. Even if you think they’re frittering away money on scented pencils, explain why you don’t think that’s a good idea, and then let it go. Buyer’s remorse can be a useful lesson. But you can still set limits. If something is against your rules or beliefs,

don’t accept the “it’s my money” retort. Unlimited snacks or a hard-to-care-for pet are examples of perfectly acceptable places to draw the line. Share the money trail.

Your child is watching how you handle money-related issues. Whether you make impulse purchases or debate, discuss, and comparison shop before buying anything, the way you deal with your finances affects their attitude about money. If you want your kid to save and invest, they need to see you do it. Many online transactions are abstract now. When you charge something, remind your kid that you’re spending real dollars, and consider showing them relevant parts of your monthly statement so they can see the charges for the last big trip to the supermarket. The more familiar they are with what’s going on behind the scenes, the less vague the entire process will be. Sources: Lawrence Balter, Ph.D., a child psychologist in New York City; Janet Bodnar, author of Raising Money Smart Kids; Elisabeth Donati, CEO of Creative Wealth International; Mary Gresham, Ph.D., a psychologist who specializes in financial issues in Atlanta.

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While we were driving to school, my son let out a big sigh and said, “I’m 6½, but I feel like 8½.”

Sylvan Lake — Custer State Park

Moments are the greatest souvenirs. Collect them in South Dakota. You’ll always treasure memories of wild buffalo and endless skies, of lake days and American icons carved into mountainsides. And your kids? They’ll love it even more. Live the moment. Go great places in South Dakota.

You’re invited to safely explore South Dakota, where distance comes naturally. When the time is right for you, plan an adventure in the great wide open at TravelSouthDakota.com

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