Parenting NH November 2018

NOVEMBER • 2018

Children’s Museum of NH turns 35

Inside: ParentingNH’s 2018 Family Favorites award winners PA R

E NTI NG

FAM

COMPLIMENTARY

FAV O R

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Shorter wait times than the emergency department and now in three convenient locations! Bedford

25 Leavy Drive 9am - 8pm

Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge

185 Queen City Avenue 7am - 10pm

Londonderry

40 Buttrick Road 9am - 8pm

Open 7 Days a Week Please visit www.elliothospital.org/urgentcare for current wait times. Elliot Health System is a non-profit organization serving your healthcare needs since 1890.

CONTENTS NOVEMBER departments 3 From the

editor’s desk

4 The short list 6 I want that

features 8 The Children’s Museum of NH celebrates 35 years

17 ParentingNH’s 2018 Family Favorites winners

39 Dad on board

32 Under review: Restraints and seclusions in schools

40 Raising teens & tweens

41 House calls 42 Out & about 44 Time out

ON THE COVER: Molly Ward, 7, peeks through part of the Palace Pattern exhibit at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover. Cover and inside photos taken by Kate Brindley on Sept. 30, 2018. View more of her work at www.kate brindleyphotography.com.

keep in touch ParentingNH.com

facebook.com/ParentingNH www.parentingnh.com

| NOVEMBER 2018 1

Thank you New Hampshire

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER:

Sharron McCarthy, x5117 smccarthy@mcleancommunications.com EDITOR:

Melanie Hitchcock, x5157 editor@parentingnh.com GROUP ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR:

Kimberly Lencki, x5154 klencki@mcleancommunications.com

T EN

ING N H

CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR:

Jodie Hall, x5122 jhall@nhbr.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER:

RIT

Where heart A MI AV F L Y meets 8 1 0 2 distinction. O

“Parenting NH 2018 Family Favorite”

Favorite Hospital or Medical Center in the Greater Manchester Area

Nancy Tichanuk, x5116 ntichanuk@mcleancommunications.com SENIOR SALES REPRESENTATIVE:

Barbara Gallaher, x5156 bgallaher@parentingnh.com MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE:

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Heather Rood, x5110 hrood@mcleancommunications.com DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST:

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Favorite Urgent or Immediate Care Center in the Greater Manchester Area

Favorite Birthing Center or Hospital

150 Dow Street, Manchester, NH 03101 (603) 624-1442, fax (603) 624-1310 www.parentingnh.com SUBSCRIPTION: ONE YEAR (12 ISSUES) $15

in the Greater Manchester Area

©2018 MCLEAN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC Parenting New Hampshire Magazine® is published by McLean Communications, 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101, (603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. Statements/opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, McLean Communications, LLC.: Parenting New Hampshire Magazine disclaims all responsibility for omission and errors.

CatholicMedicalCenter.org

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from the editor’s desk WHAT WE NEED TO TEACH OUR SONS With the rise of the #MeToo movement, and recently with the accusations made against Brett Kavanaugh during his nomination process to be the next Supreme Court justice, sexual assault has been omnipresent in the news cycle and on social media. If there is something good that comes out of recent events, it’s that men and women are talking more about sexual assault. Conversations and debates between parents, friends and co-workers have become more common. And though their stories are painful, assault survivors are talking more openly about their experiences. Children and teens are not sheltered from the media coverage of this difficult topic. No matter how awkward you feel, now is the time to talk to your kids, especially boys, about sex and consent. From a young age, girls are often taught that they alone are responsible for protecting their bodies. It’s their job to stop people from touching them. We tell girls to be safe, what type of boys and men to stay away from, what situations to avoid. And God forbid if something happens, the questions start … what were you doing? What were you wearing? In other words, what did you do wrong that made someone do that to you? The shame becomes the burden of the victim. But what do we tell our sons? Oftentimes, nothing. We assume that a boy knows what is right and wrong and that they inherently know how to respect boundaries and understand what consent is. According to a study last year by the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, 32 percent of males and 17 percent of females in a national survey of 18- to 25-year-olds either agreed or were neutral about the view that, if “a woman does not physically fight back, it’s not sexual assault.” The only way to clear up misconceptions is to have ongoing discussions about sex and consent, to talk about complicated situations where consent may not be clear. Knowing what consent is should not be learned from friends or from television. From the article, “5 ways parents can help kids understand consent and prevent sexual assault” published in the Washington Post in October 2018, parents are advised to clearly define assault and provide concrete examples; talk about — and keep talking about — consent; give boys permission to talk about strong emotions; encourage young people to be allies and upstanders; and share the stories of survivors. We need to give all kids the information and tools to keep them from getting into a bad situation that could affect them for a lifetime. That starts at home with clear and honest communication.

contributors • NOVEMBER JACQUELINE TOURVILLE is a freelance writer, children’s book author and longtime contributor to ParentingNH. Her specialty is discovering and writing about fun activities and events for families in New Hampshire.

MELANIE PLENDA is an award-winning freelance journalist and mom based in Keene. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic.com, The Daily Beast, American Baby, and Parents.com among other media outlets.

TRACEY TUCKER, PNH’s Teens and Tweens columnist, is the executive director of New Heights: Adventures for Teens and a licensed mental health counselor at Tradeport Counseling Associates in Portsmouth.

BILL BURKE has been writing the awardwinning Dad on Board column since 2008, and is the author of the Mousejunkies book series. Bill is also the managing editor for custom publications for McLean Communications in Manchester.

MELANIE HITCHCOCK, EDITOR

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the short list

compiled by melanie Hitchcock

This month on www.parentingnh.com:

Get ready for the holidays The holiday season kicks into full gear this month with parades, holiday strolls and festivals across the Granite State. And don’t forget you need to figure out what delicious dishes you will be putting on your Thanksgiving table. We can help! Be sure to check out these web-exclusive lists on our website, where you will also find our daily event calendar. • Thanksgiving and fall recipes: www.parentingnh.com/thanksgiving • Holiday parades and holiday strolls in NH: www.parentingnh.com/ holidayparades • Festival of Trees celebrations: www.parentingnh.com/Festival-of-Trees

for even more fun ParentingNH.com

facebook.com/ParentingNH

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twitter.com/ParentingNH

Kathy Brodsky releases her first board book New Hampshire author Kathy Brodsky has released her first board book for young children that explores the universal questions, “Who am I? How do I fit in?” “Two Arms, Two Legs, Two Feet,” illustrated by Cameron Bennett, follows a newborn baby on a quest to find his or her family, meet new friends and learn more about the outside world along the way. “Throughout our lives, all of us have to figure out ‘where do I fit in?’” Brodsky said. “It could be a new neighborhood, new school, new job or new family. This is a newborn’s first experience with this.” “Two Arms, Two Legs, Two Feet” is Brodsky’s first board book, joining her existing collection of award-winning children’s books, including “My Bent Tree,” “The Inside Story,” “Pursnikitty,” “The Winner Is…”, “High Wire Act” and more. For more information or to purchase, go to www.kathybrodsky.com.

NEW SEASON FOR POETRY OUT LOUD

National awards program seeking state’s top youth volunteers The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is looking for New Hampshire’s top youth volunteers of the year. Through Nov. 6, 2018, students in grades 5-12 are invited to apply for 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service within the past 12 months. The application is available at www.nassp.org/spirit. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), was created in 1995 to recognize the exemplary volunteer work of middle level and high school students. New Hampshire’s top youth volunteers of 2018 were Briana Demers, 18, of Salem, who helps provide television coverage of community meetings and events as a volunteer for public access TV stations in Salem and Londonderry, and teaches and mentors younger students in filmmaking as the leader of her school’s film club, and Isabel Povey, 14, of Hampstead, who has led more than 15 food drives over the past four years to help feed families in her state who don’t have enough to eat.

Binge drinking prevention campaign in New Hampshire receives national award In September, the New Hampshire youth bingedrinking prevention campaign, “Binge-Free 603: What’s Your Reason?,” won the Gold Berreth Award, sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC), in the Not-for-Profit Health Marketing category. The award was presented to JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., which created the campaign in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services. The “Binge-Free 603” campaign is an ongoing public health initiative aimed at lowering the high rates of young adult binge-drinking across the state. Young adulthood is when risky binge drinking behaviors often occur, and the number of young adults who binge-drink regularly is on the rise. Binge drinking is commonly described as having five or more drinks for a male and four or more drinks for a female in a few hours. The objectives of the campaign are to educate young adults on practical ways to avoid excessive drinking, to change the social norms around binge drinking, and to encourage young adults to take voluntary steps toward changing risky drinking behaviors.

Audible and Laurie Berkner create original series Best-selling children’s recording artist and preschool television favorite Laurie Berkner has a new Audible Original series, Laurie Berkner’s Song and Story Kitchen. It debuts Nov. 2. Laurie Berkner’s Song and Story Kitchen weaves Laurie’s stories, original music, and age-appropriate themes into her fun-filled kitchen where she whips up yummy food, songs, and stories along with her sidekick, Thelonius Pig (Josiah Gaffney). Each chapter in the multi-hour audio series revolves around a different food and story from the world of Juniper Fields. Laurie also adds in some of the greatest hits by The Laurie Berkner Band, brand-new recordings and story-based entertainment for age 3 to 8. Laurie Berkner’s Song and Story Kitchen will be available to Audible members for free during November. The November price for non-members will be $5.95 for the series. Did you miss ParentingNH’s interview with Laurie Berkner? Look for it online in the August 2018 issue.

New Hampshire students are gearing up for the 2019 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud program. Each year, up to 45 high schools and high school groups register to participate in the months-long program, giving approximately 10,000 students the opportunity not only to learn great poems by master poets, but also to sharpen their public speaking and presentation skills, making them stronger candidates for positions in higher education and the workforce. Competitions begin at the classroom level and advance to school championships, which are followed by four regional semi-finals in late winter and the state championship at the State House in March. National finals, with one competitor from each state, are held in Washington, D.C. Poetry Out Loud is organized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and led in New Hampshire by the N.H. State Council on the Arts. For more information, including how high schools and school groups can register, go to www. nh.gov/nharts.

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I want that

BY MELANIE HITCHCOCK

and Puzzle National Games 4. Here are -2 18 Week is Nov. from the next a few to choose y “I’m bored.” time your kids sa

Flipside Can you master the moves to beat the blocks? Flip to find the color and slide to match the lights. Take it anywhere, play it anytime; it is addictive fun for anyone. With four different game modes to choose, you can challenge yourself or challenge your friends in multi-player mode. AVAILABLE AT TARGET OR AMAZON; $19.99; AGE 8 AND OLDER

Not Parent Approved Parents now have permission to let kids behave inappropriately with the hilarious family card game, Not Parent Approved. While unexpected burps and farts can be considered bad manners, they do create laughter, hence the basis of this unconventional family night of fun. The 455 cards involve cultural references from Taylor Swift to wedgies. For four to 10 players. AVAILABLE AT AMAZON; $24.99; AGE 8 AND OLDER

Super Me

Rubik’s Race

Super Me! is an emotional intelligence game that includes kid-favorites like Memory and Matching. With easy set-up and matching situations to the emergency, it reinforces making good choices, helping others and having empathy. Just flip over an Emergency! card. Make a Super Me! match and be a superhero. For two to four players.

Shake it, slide it, solve it. Rubik’s Race is a fastpaced, competitive game for two players. Shake the mini cube, slide the Rubik’s tiles, and be the first player to match the pattern. It’s the ultimate head-to-head brain challenge.

AVAILABLE AT WWW.BICYCLECARDS. COM; $5.99; AGE 4 TO 6

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AVAILABLE AT AMAZON; $19.99; AGES 7 AND OLDER

The Game Plan Game The Game Plan Game is a fun and empowering way to teach children about personal safety, social skills and good manners. By playing the game, children expand their vocabulary, options and decision-making skills for uncomfortable or unsafe situations, while engaging in flexible thinking, problemsolving and other essential life skills. Designed to be played with an adult game leader. AVAILABLE AT AMAZON; $24.99; AGE 4 AND OLDER

Why Attend St. Christopher School? 5 Great Reasons: Families come from 15 different communities and are of 12 different faiths. Character development begins in PreKindergarten. Faith matters at St. Christopher School. Teachers are not constrained by Common Core requirements. Buddy Program connects students and develops leadership.

Attend Our Upcoming Open Houses! All School Open House: November 7 from 9:30 - 11:00 AM Early Childhood (PreK - 1) Open House: November 9 at 9:15 AM

ss op

he ri ChSCHOOL r 20 Cushing Ave. • Nashua, NH 03064 • 603-882-7442 StChrisSchoolNH.org • PreKindergarten to Grade 6

Amoskeag Fishways Eyes on Owls Nov. 10

Owl Nature Series Nov. 17

Village Along the Merrimack Nov. 9

Call today!

(603) 626-FISH • www.AmoskeagFishways.org www.facebook.com /AmoskeagFishways 4 Fletcher St. • Manchester, NH

Celebrate the Magic of the Merrimack

THE AMOSKEAG FISHWAYS PARTNERSHIP Central Rivers • NH Audubon • NH Fish & Game • US Fish & Wildlife

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Reimagining and The Children’s Museum of NH has undergone many changes over 35 years, BY JACQUELINE TOURVILLE

ooking back, 1983 was a banner year for ground-

breaking achievements. Astronaut Sally Ride became the first American female in space. Microsoft invented its first word processing program. McDonald’s introduced the world to the McNugget. And in New Hampshire, the first children’s museum in the state opened its doors. Now celebrating its 35th year, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is taking time in 2018 to honor its past and looking forward to its plans for engaging families in creative discovery for generations to come. BORN IN PORTSMOUTH

The museum opened in June 1983 as the Children’s Museum of Portsmouth, a three-story space in the old South Meeting House in the city’s South End.

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Molly Ward and Lila Cole engage in underwater exploration in the Yellow Submarine. KATE BRINDLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

reinventing

, and continues to evolve

DID YOU KNOW? • The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire originally opened in Portsmouth in July 1983.

• The original exhibits included the Yellow Submarine, built by Architect Christopher Clews, three Commodore 64 computers, a hospital room with equipment provided by the Portsmouth Regional Hospital, a factory assembly line where children could create leather bookmarks, a video room, and a small radio station dubbed WFUN.

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DID YOU KNOW? • The Yellow Submarine is the unofficial symbol of the Children’s Museum.

• In 1983, the Museum welcomed 27,000 visitors.

The Yellow Submarine exhibit remains a museum favorite for new and returning visitors. Pictured are Lila Cole, 7, and Deacon Ward, 6. KATE BRINDLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

In the early 1980s, children’s museums were few and far between. But as two local educators, Ona Barnet and Denise Doleac, began to chat about starting a special place for children to explore and play with their families, the idea of a children’s museum that would be the first of its kind in New Hampshire was born. “Over coffee we talked about what an outside-of-school environment designed to encourage a child’s natural love of investigation might look like…there were very few children’s museums … and those few were in large cities. So creating the Children’s Museum in a city of 24,000 people would be an interesting adventure indeed,” said Doleac. The adventure was a successful one. The grassroots organization relied on a team of volunteers to build the museum’s first exhibits, including the Yellow Subma-

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rine, built by architect Christopher Clews; a hospital room with equipment provided by the Portsmouth Regional Hospital; a factory assembly line where children could create leather bookmarks; a video room; and a small radio station dubbed WFUN.

MAKING A NEW HOME IN DOVER Over the next 25 years, exhibits evolved and changed, exhibits were added, membership grew, and a constant stream of innovative programming attracted larger and larger crowds to the museum. Over time, these accomplishments resulted in a few growing pains. “Although we loved the charm, history and location of our home in Portsmouth’s South Meeting House, we simply didn’t have enough space for exhibits, classrooms, visitor amenities or park-

All new for 2018: n Jumpin’ Jay’s Discovery Dock n Indoor Tide Pool Touch Tank observation tools n Working Underwater exhibit n After-hours programs for families n H2O Today from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (on exhibit through 11/19/19)

Open daily 10am-5pm 10am-4pm mid-February–October

November–mid-February

in Odiorne Point State Park Rye 603-436-8043

www.seacoastsciencecenter.org

Thank you for choosing us again! PA

R E NTI NG N H

FAM

Thank you for IL Y FAV O R naming us as a 2018 Family Favorite for the 5th year in a row!

www.mhcgm.org

www.bedfordcounseling.org

The Mental Health Center and our affiliated group practice, Bedford Counseling Associates, have been serving the behavioral health needs of the community for 59 years.

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| NOVEMBER 2018 11

Above: An expanded train table in the museum’s Dover location has meant more train fun for everyone. Right: Lila Cole plays a tune on a wall-to-wall Music Matrix. KATE BRINDLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

ing,” said Jane Bard, current president of the museum. Enter Dover. In 2008, the museum made a big leap to a new location in the former Butterfield Gymnasium in downtown Dover. To reflect its scope as a resource for all families in the state, the organization also changed its name to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. The museum’s bright and spacious new home was transformed into two floors of accessible, interactive, hands-on exhibits. Some old museum favorites, including an updated Yellow Submarine, and the Post Office, found a new home in Dover. “When we moved to Dover we had a lot more room for our exhibits, so we brought over what we thought worked really well, and just expanded them. The

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Train Table up in our Primary Place exhibit got bigger, as did the Dino Detective exhibit, which almost tripled in size. We now have a much larger Muse Studio, which is where we do a lot of our creative artistic explorations,” said Xanthi Gray, the museum’s education director. Other exhibits, like Make It, Fly It, an aerodynamics exhibit that lets kids build and test propellers from a 30-foot drop, were created just for the new building. The museum also took inspiration from the river flowing by outside with an interactive exhibition on the Cocheco River ecosystem and a kid-friendly Gundalow boat to explore.

THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE With annual visitors to the museum expected to exceed 100,000

this year, it might be easy for Children’s Museum of New Hampshire to rest on its laurels. But the exact opposite is happening, said Neva Cole, the museum’s communications director. “The museum is constantly changing. We are lucky to have an exhibits manager on staff who builds and repairs most of our exhibits right here in the museum’s basement. We try to refresh or completely rebuild at least one exhibit every year to keep kids excited and interested, and also to keep up with changing times.” Cole cites as an example of this constant change an area that used to exhibit masks from around the world, which over the summer turned into an international market where kids can shop for food, spices, clothing, masks and musical instruments

NH School of Ballet • Dance Center Performing Opportunities include: The Nutcracker Evening of Dance Holiday Special Competition Teams also available

Winter Session Starts January 2 Modern • Tap Ballet • Pointe Lyrical • Tumbling Jazz • Hip Hop 3 years through advanced

Concord Nutcracker December 21 Palace Theatre Nutcracker December 27 Jennifer Beauvais Rienert, Owner Director, DMA Certified

Hooksett, NH • 668-5330 • nhschoolofballet.com Family Owned & Operated for Over 50 Years

Country Village

MONTESSORI SCHOOL

It all adds up to a great education! 2 Overlook Drive • Amherst, NH • (603) 672-3882 Preschool through 6th Grade • www.countryvillagemontessori.com AMS full member

Come experience the difference!

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Above: Young paleontologists, Lila Cole, left, Deacon Ward and Molly Ward, at work in the Dino Dig exhibit. Top right: Weaving on a loom that mimics work done in the textile mills that once lined the Cocheco River. Right: The museum originally housed the Dover Armory and was later a city recreation gym. KATE BRINDLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

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from Indonesia, Mexico and India. “That market opens up into a ‘green screen exhibit’ which now lets kids join International Festivals from around the world [through projected video kids interact with]. And they can also go over to the One World Café to cook the food they ‘purchase’ in the market. It’s a really engaging series of spaces and we’re excited to see how kids utilize all the new pieces,” Cole added. The museum also offers a wide array of special programming, including museum hours for children on the autism spectrum, STEAM activities, character visits, and fun festivals like a New Year’s Eve party just for kids. And there’s even more in store. Over the next five years, the Museum will be developing an outdoor Play Patio that will provide a space for messy play with bubbles, water, and paint as well as sensory exploration and a picnic area.

COMING FULL CIRCLE In a newspaper article written about the museum’s opening in 1983, Anna Goldsmith, 9, one of the museum’s first visitors, offered the following observation: “I think this is really neat because there is already enough stuff for adults. Grown-ups already have bars and discos. But finally they’re creating something for the kids and I think that’s good.” In researching the museum’s history for its 35th anniversary celebration, Cole got

DID YOU KNOW? • In 2017, the Museum served nearly 93,000 visitors from 194 different New Hampshire cities and towns and welcomed travelers from 42 states, two U.S. territories and eight countries.

in touch with Anna through Facebook. Not only did Anna remember making this time capsule comment, but she was also happy to report that she and her son had made a recent visit and that the museum felt as every bit as impactful and inspiring now as it did back then. That may be because, while the interests of kids in 2018 are different from what they were in 1983, a big part of what makes the children’s museum so magical is pretty much the same. As Bard summed up, “When we opened, there was no internet, no cell phones, no constant connec-

tion with the greater world beyond our doors. We were a place where families could come to spend quality time together, to learn and grow, and we find that need is even greater today. We are still a place to connect with each other, the greater community and to experience the joy of learning.” Here’s to more connected, creative fun for years to come.

Imaginative play with masks in the museum’s new World Market.

• Over the next five years, the Museum will be investing in creating and updating its visitors’

KATE BRINDLEY

experiences through the

PHOTOGRAPHY

Play Expansion Project.

— Information and museum photos provided by the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

Jacqueline Tourville is a longtime contributor to ParentingNH.

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NEW ENGLAND’S BEST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

R E NTI NG N H

FAM

Voted the Best Candy Store north of Concord, by you, the readers of ParentingNH Magazine – We thank you for your support, it is truly an honor!

2675 White Mountain Hwy. in the Heart of North Conway Village

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VISIT

www.zebs.com

for current store hours

Welcome

to the Best Country Store in New England. From the old-fashioned candy counter that lures children off the street to the impressively grand collection of New England made specialty foods, those in search of a wide range of hard-to-find and nostalgic items will relive childhood memories while browsing the store and over 7,000 unique products.

• NH’S PEDIATRIC SEDATION EXPERTS • COSMETIC DENTISTRY • OROFACIAL MYOLOGY AND ORAL HABIT ELIMINATION

• OFFICE THERAPY DOG GIVES ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN BY REDUCING ANXIETY

Shop online for the holidays for ready-to-send and personalized, custom made gift baskets.

800-676-9294

We are here for the whole family!

Orthodontics • Pediatric • General Dentistry TI NG N H

REN

I LY

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4 Manchester Ave., Derry, NH (603) 434-1586 | www.HaasDentalNH.com

FAV O

2018

Now Accepting New Patients

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Family

rom July 1 to Aug. 15, ParentingNH asked readers to vote online in its eighth annual poll to help determine those things

that make New Hampshire a great state for families to live in. Readers cast their votes in more than 50 categories including family restaurant, pediatrician,

Favorites Winners

kid-friendly museum, and more. Take a look to see who won. Congratulations to this year’s Family Favorite winners! Adventure and Aerial Park

Amusement Park

Family Favorite: Gunstock Adventure Park 719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford 293-4341; www.gunstock.com

Family Favorite: Canobie Lake Park 85 North Policy St., Salem 893-3506; www.canobie.com

Bakery and Dessert Family Favorite: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe 436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack 262-5929; www.buckleysbakerycafe. com Greater Concord: Bread and Chocolate 29 South Main St., Concord 228-3330; Find on Facebook

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Multi-location: Frederick’s Pastries NH locations: Bedford and Amherst www.pastry.net

Our readers’ top picks for New Hampshire families.

Greater Nashua: Black Forest Cafe 212 Route 101, Amherst 672-0500; www.theblackforestcafe.com

FAV O

2018

Bike Shop Family Favorite: The Bike Barn 252 Willow St., Manchester 668-6555; www.bikebarnusa.com Greater Concord: S&W Sports 296 South Main St., Concord 228-1441; www.swsports.net Seacoast: Exeter Cycles 4 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter 778-2331; www.exetercycles.com

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| NOVEMBER 2018 17

Multi-location: Goodale’s Bike Shop Hooksett, Nashua, Concord www.goodalesbikeshop.com

Seacoast: Maternity at the Family Center at Exeter Hospital 5 Alumni Drive, Exeter 778-7311; www.exeterhospital.com

Lakes Region: Funspot 579 Endicott St. N., Laconia 366-4377; www.funspot.com

Birthing Center or Hospital

Bowling Alley

Candy Shop or Chocolatier

Family Favorite: Maternity Center at Elliot Hospital 1 Elliot Way, Manchester 669-5300; www.elliothospital.org

Family Favorite: Leda Lanes 340 Amherst St., Nashua 889-4884; www.ledalanes.com

Family Favorite: Granite State Candy Shoppe 13 Warren St., Concord 225-2591; www.granitestatecandyshoppe.com

Greater Concord: The Family Place at Concord Hospital 250 Pleasant St., Concord 225-2711; www.concordhospital.org

Greater Concord: Boutwell’s Bowling Center 152 North State St., Concord 224-0941; www.boutwellsbowl.com

Greater Manchester: Mom’s Place at Catholic Medical Center 100 McGregor St., Manchester 663-6667; www.catholicmedicalcenter.org

Greater Nashua: Merrimack Ten Pin Center 698 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack 429-0989; www.merrimacktenpin.com

Greater Manchester: Van Otis Chocolates 341 Elm St., Manchester 627-1611; www.vanotischocolates. com

Greater Nashua: The Birth Place at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center 8 Prospect St., Nashua 577-2560; www.sbirthplace.org

Greater Manchester: Spare Time 216 Maple St., Manchester 625-9656; www.sparetimeentertainment.com

Lakes Region: Kellerhaus 259 Endicott St., N. Laconia 366-4466; www.kellerhaus.com North: Zeb’s General Store 2675 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway 356-9294; www.zebs.com

Child Photographer Family Favorite: CLIX Portrait Studios 224 Main St., Salem 952-4141; www.clixne.com Greater Concord: Bellies & Babies 3 Partridge Road, Concord 223-4145; www.photographybynylora.com Seacoast: Eye Sugar Photography Somersworth 617-6119; www.eyesugarphotography.com

Children’s Local Book Store Family Favorite: Gibson’s Book Store 45 South Main St., Concord 224-0562; www.gibsonsbookstore. com Greater Manchester: The Bookery 848 Elm St., Manchester 836-6600; www.bookerymht.com

Celebrating a birthday?

Book your party with Altitude! Get $25 off M-F • Mention Parenting NH when booking 360 Daniel Webster Highway •Merrimack, NH 03054 • (603) 261-3673 • www.altitudemerrimack.com 18 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Greater Concord: Joe King’s Shoe Shop 45 North Main St., Concord 225-6012; www.joekings.com

N E W HA M

Children’s Toy Store

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Seacoast: Red’s Shoe Barn 35 Broadway, Dover 742-1893; www.redsshoebarn.com

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2018

Family Favorite: Whirlygigs Toy Shop 107 Water St., Exeter 772-4923; www.whirlygigstoyshop. com Monadnock Region: Toyland 321 Nashua St., Milford 672-1537; Find on Facebook North: The Toy Chest 2703 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway 356-7176; www.toychest.com

Seacoast: Water Street Bookstore 125 Water St., Exeter 778-9731; www.waterstreet.books. com

Seacoast: G.Willikers! Toy Shop 13 Market St., Portsmouth 436-7746; www.gwillikers.com

Multi-location: Toadstool Bookshops Keene, Milford and Peterborough locations www.toadbooks.com

Multi-location: Josh’s Toys and Games NH locations: Salem, Nashua, Manchester www.joshstoysandgames.com

Children’s Shoe Store

Chiropractor

Family Favorite: Alec’s Shoe Store 1617 Southwood Drive, Nashua 882-6811; www. alecs-shoes.com

Family Favorite (tie): Chiropractic Associates of Bedford 765 South Main St., Dartmouth Commons Manchester 626-3900; www.askachiro.net

Thank you readers of Parenting NH for voting us your Favorite Bakery! REN

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www.pastry.net

Amherst, NH • Bedford, NH N. Andover, MA

20 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Family Favorite (tie): Crossroads Chiropractic 556 Pembroke St., Pembroke 224-4281; www.crossroadschiropractic.com

Greater Nashua: M&C Clothing and Gifts 135 Route 101A, Amherst 886-6727; www.m-c-clothing-andgoods.myshopify.com

Greater Concord: Whole Health Chiropractic 6 Loudon Road, Concord 224-6633; www.whchiro.com

Greater Manchester: OutFITters Thrift Store 394 Second St., Manchester 641-6691; www.outfitters.org

Greater Manchester: Amoskeag Chiropractic 55 Amoskeag St., Manchester 624-8000; www.chiropractors.com

Seacoast: Children’s Orchard 105 Gosling Road, Newington 436-8704; www.childrensorchard.com

Greater Nashua: The Pain Relief Center 163 Amherst St., Nashua 886-4500; www.nashuachiropractor.com Lakes Region: Awakening Chiropractic 7A Grange Road, Tilton 729-0009; www.awakeningchiropractic.com Seacoast: Back To Health Chiropractic 18 Lafayette Road, North Hampton 964-1844; www.backtohealthchiros. com

Clothing Consignment Family Favorite: Lots For Tots 1525 South Willow St., Manchester 216-6238; www.lotsfortotsne.com

Cupcakery Family Favorite: Queen City Cupcakes 790 Elm St., Manchester 624-4999; www.qccupcakes.com Greater Nashua: Bite Me Kupcakez 4 Mound Court, Merrimack 674-4459; www.bitemekupcakez.com Lakes Region: Lakes Region Cupcakes 1002 Union Ave., Laconia 527-8286; www.lakesregioncupcakes.com North: White Mountain Cupcakery 2 Common Court, North Conway 730-5140; www.wmcupcakery.com Seacoast: Clyde’s Cupcakes 104 Epping Road, Exeter 583-4850; www.clydescupcakes.com

Summer Camp is back at Gymnastics Village wi half and full day options (9am-3pm)! Designed fo boys and girls from 6 to 14, kids will participate in gymnastics rotations, fitness activities, Ninja Challenge obstacle courses, games, crafts, party apparatus like our inflatables, zip-line and more. Registration for summer camps and recreational classes begins April 1st. Call 603.889.8092 or visit gymnasticsvillage.com.

Thank you for choosing us as a Seacoast Area Favorite for Hospital-Maternity and Family Pediatrician!

Core Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine

The Family Center at Exeter Hospital

Dedicated to providing high quality, compassionate care to infants, children and adolescents.

Care, education, wellness and support for childbirth and beyond.

Epping l Exeter l Plaistow

corephysicians.org

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exeterhospital.com .

Dance Studio

Greater Manchester: Audubon Massabesic Center 26 Audubon Way, Auburn 668-2045; www.audubon.org

Family Favorite: Dance Inspirations 248 Sheep Davis Road, Unit 6, Concord 856-8545; www.danceinspirations.com

Seacoast: Seacoast Science Center 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye 436-8043; www.seacoastsciencecenter.org

Greater Manchester: Dimensions in Dance 84 Myrtle St., Manchester 668-4196; www.dimensionsindance.com

Equestrian Center Lucky 7 Stables 154 Litchfield Road, Londonderry 432-3076; www.lucky7stables.com

Greater Salem: Happy Feet Dance School 25 Indian Rock Road, Windham 434-4437; www.happyfeetdanceschool.biz

Greater Manchester: Different Drummer Farm 55 South Road, Candia 483-2234; www.differentdrummerfarm.com

Environmental and Educational Center

Family Dentist

Family Favorite: Squam Lake Natural Science Center 23 Science Center Road, Holderness 968-7194; www.nature.org

Family Favorite: Lindner Dental Associates 72 South River Road, Bedford 624-3900; www.lindnerdental.com

Greater Concord: Grace Family Dentistry 143 Airport Road, Concord 225-6650; www.gracefamilydentistry.com

Seacoast: The Works Family Health and Fitness 23 Works Way, Somersworth 742-2163; www.theworkshealthclub.com

Greater Nashua: Nashua Family Dentistry 25 Riverside St., No. 201, Nashua 574-4394; www.nashuafamilydentistry. com

National chain: Planet Fitness 17 NH locations 627-5566; www.planetfitness.com

Family Fitness Club Family Favorite: Greater Nashua/Merrimack YMCA Merrimack and Nashua locations www.nmymca.org Greater Manchester: Goffstown Allard Center-YMCA 116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown 497-4663; www.graniteymca.org

Family Mental Health and Counseling Services Family Favorite: Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester 401 Cypress St., Manchester 668-4111; www.mhcgm.org Greater Nashua: The Counseling Center of Nashua 1 Main St., Nashua 883-0005; www.counselingcenter.com Greater Concord: Riverbend Community Mental Health 278 Pleasant St., Concord 228-1600; www.riverbendcmhc.org

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Thank you to all who voted Lindner Dental #1 Family Dentist, #1 Orthodontist & #1 Pediatric Dentist in ParentingNHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family Favorites!

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2018

Thank you for voting for us!

Three Convenient Locations:

# Pembroke # Epping # Meredith

A complete examination with any necessary x-rays is just $49 this month!

(603) 575-9080 www.CrossroadsChiropractic.com

22 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Greater Manchester: Bedford Family Therapy 10 Commerce Park North, Unit 1A, Bedford 606-1233; www.bedfordfamilytherapy.com Seacoast: Seacoast Mental Health 1145 Sagamore Ave., Portsmouth 431-6703; www.smhc-.org

Greater Concord: Concord Pediatrics 248 Pleasant St., Suite 1700, Concord 224-1929; www.concordpediatrics.com Greater Nashua: Foundation Pediatrics 280 Main St., Suite 111, Nashua 594-6030; www.shealth.org Greater Manchester: River Road Pediatrics 58 Hawthorne Drive, Bedford 622-8619; www.riverroadpediatrics.com Seacoast: Core Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 166 Plaistow Road, Plaistow 257-4000; www.corephysicians.org

Family Restaurant Family Pediatrician Family Favorite: Dartmouth Hitchcock Pediatrics 5 Washington Place, Bedford 695-2500; www.chadkids.org

Family Favorite: Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery 58 Route 27, Raymond 244-2431; www.thetuckaway.com Greater Manchester: Puritan Backroom 790 Elm St., Manchester 624-4999; www.qccupcakes.com Multi-location: T-Bones Great American Eatery Bedford, Derry, Hudson, Laconia, Salem locations www.t-bones.com

Family Ski Resort Family Favorite: Pats Peak Ski Area 686 Flanders Road, Henniker 428-3245; www.patspeak.com

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Family-friendly Bank

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2018

Family Favorite: TD Bank www.tdbank.com

Family-friendly Credit Union Family Favorite: Service Credit Union www. servicecu.org

24 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Gymnastics Family Favorite: Gym-Ken Gymnastics 184 Rockingham Road, Windham 434-9060; www.gymkengymnastics. com Greater Concord: Flipz Gymnastics 14 Chenell Drive, Concord 224-3223; www.flipzgymnastics.com Greater Manchester: Granite State Gymnastic Center 1316 Hooksett Road, Hooksett 935-9816; www.granitestategymnastics.com Seacoast: Gymnastics at Brentwood Common 112 Crawley Falls Road, Brentwood 642-7200; www.brentwoodcommons. com

Holistic Medicine and Health Services Practitioner Family Favorite: Whole Health Concord 91 North State St., Concord 369-4626; www.naturalmedicine.com Greater Nashua: Holistic Self Care Center of Nashua 12 Murphy Drive, Nashua 883-1490; www.thehsccenter.com Greater Manchester: Northeast Integrative Medicine 360 Route 101, Unit 7, Bedford 647-0600; www.northeastintegrative. com Seacoast: North Coast Family Health 875 Greenland Road, Unit A1, Portsmouth 427-6800; www.naturopathic-doctors. com

Hospital or Medical Center Family Favorite: Elliot Hospital 4 Elliot Way, Suite 401, Manchester 669-5300; www.elliothospital.org Greater Manchester: Catholic Medical Center 100 McGregor St., Manchester 668-3545; www.catholicmedicalcenter.org

Greater Concord: Concord Hospital 250 Pleasant St., Concord 225-2711; www.concordhospital.org Greater Nashua: Southern New Hampshire Medical Center 8 Prospect St., Nashua 577-2000; www.shealth.org North: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/CHaD 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon 650-KIDS; www.chadkids.org

Ice Cream Family Favorite: Haywardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ice Cream, 7 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua 888-4663; www.haywardsicecream.com Greater Concord: Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn 107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton 223-0828; www.beechhillfarm.com Greater Manchester: Puritan Backroom 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester 669-6890; www.puritanbackroom. com Greater Salem: Mooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place Homemade Ice Cream 27 Crystal Ave., Derry 425-0100; www.moosplace.com Seacoast: Memories Ice Cream 95 Exeter Road, Kingston 642-3737; www.memoriesicecream. com

Ice Skating or Hockey Facility Family Favorite: Tri-Town Ice Arena 311 West River Road, Hooksett 485-1100; www.tri-townicearena.com Greater Concord: Everett Arena 15 Loudon Road, Concord 228-2784; www.concord.gov Greater Nashua: Conway Arena 5 Stadium Drive, Nashua 595-2400; www.conwayarena.com Seacoast: The Rinks at Exeter 40 Industrial Drive, Exeter 775-7423; www.therinksatexeter.com

R E NTI NG

Thank you to the readers of Parenting NH for again voting us Favorite Pediatric Dentist in Greater Nashua.

FAM

WE THANK YOU!

I Y F AV O R

2 018

Both Dr. Jim McAveeney and Dr. Andrew Cheifetz are also NH Magazine 2018 TOP Dentists. If only the best will do for your child, consider the specialized services of Children’s Dental Center of NH. 2018 New Hampshire Magazine

We’re Always Accepting New Smiles!

To schedule an appointment, call us at 603-673-1000 7 Route 101A, Amherst NH | www.childrensdentalnh.com

T hank you, s! r e d a e r H N g n Parenti

Four seasons of real, fresh experiences. DON’T MISS THESE FAMILY FAVORITES...

. DECEMBER 1 Homestead Christmas . FEBRUARY 16 Ice Harvest & Winter Carnival

Discover Remick.

www.remickmuseum.org

603.323.7591 Mon–Sat 10AM–4PM #remickmuseum

. APRIL 20 Spring On The Farm . MAY 18 Dandelion Festival And more!

www.parentingnh.com

| NOVEMBER 2018 25

Kid-friendly Museum Family Favorite: SEE Science Center 200 Bedford St., Manchester 669-0400; www.see-sciencecenter. org Greater Concord: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center 2 Institute Drive, Concord 271-7827; www.starhop.com

Greater Manchester: Currier Museum of Art 150 Ash St., Manchester 669-6144; www.currier.org Lakes Region: Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm 58 Cleveland Hill Road, Tamworth Village 323-7591; www.remickmuseum.org

Family Favorite: Parker’s Maple Barn 1316 Brookline Road, Mason 878-2308; www.parkersmaplebarn. com

Greater Manchester: The Modern Man Barbershop & Shave Parlor 1134 Hooksett Road, Hooksett 782-8786; Find on Facebook

Seacoast: Karate International Martial Arts Center 137 Epping Road, Exeter 778-8475; www.kimac.com Multi-location: Tokyo Joe’s Studio Nashua and Milford locations www.tokyojoes.net

Mini Golf

Lakes Region: Barbery’s Kids Cuts (closed)

Family Favorite: Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield 424-2292; www.melsfunwaypark.com

National chain: Snip-its 317 Amherst St., Nashua 889-0000; www.snipits.com

Greater Manchester: Chucksters 9 Bailey Road, Chichester 798-3555; www.chucksters.com

Learning or Tutoring Service Family Favorite: Parker Academy 2 Fisk Road, Concord 228-4209; www.parkereducation.com National chain: Sylvan Learning Center Bedford, Hampton Falls, Rochester, Portsmouth, Salem locations www.sylvanlearning.com

Local Party Supplies Store Family Favorite: Donovan’s Party and Novelty 102 Fort Eddy Road, Concord 226-2225; www.donovansparty.com

26 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Greater Manchester: SNHU Arena 555 Elm St., Manchester 644-5000; www.snhuarena.com Lakes Region: Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion 72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford 293-4700; www.bankpavilion.com Seacoast: Prescott Park 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth 436-2848; www.prescottpark.org

Lakes Region: Funspot 579 Endicott St., N., Laconia 366-4377; www.funspot.com

Movie Theater Family Favorite: Cinemagic Hooksett, Merrimack, Portsmouth www.cinemagicmovies.com Greater Manchester: Regal Cinemas 100 Technology Drive, Hooksett www.regmovies.com Greater Nashua: Milford Drive In 531 Elm St., Milford 673-4090; www.milforddrivein.com Lakes Region: Smitty’s Cinema 630 West Main St. Tilton 286-4444; www.smittyscinema.com

Kids Favorite Breakfast Place

Family Favorite: Sweet Snips 105 Lafayette Road, Hampton Falls 601-7610; www.sweetsnips.com

Family Favorite: Palace Theatre 80 Hanover St., Manchester 668-5588; www.palacetheatre.org

W HA M P S

Seacoast: Children’s Museum of New Hampshire 6 Washington St., Dover 742-2002; www.childrens-museum.org

Kids Hair Cut

Lakes Region: Beyond the Belt Martial Arts Center 5 Trinity Road, Meredith 366-1044; www.btbmartialarts.com

Music or entertainment venue

Greater Nashua: Launch Trampoline Park 17 Tanguay Ave., Nashua 318-7600; www.launchnashua.com

Multi-location-Seacoast: Friendly Toast 113 Congress St., Portsmouth 430-2154; www.thefriendlytoast.com

Greater Nashua: Bedford Martial Arts Academy 292 Route 101 West, Bedford 626-9696; www.bedfordmartialartsacademy. com

Multi-location: Chunky’s Cinema NH locations: Manchester, Nashua, Pelham www.chunkys.com

RIT

Greater Concord: Krazy Kids 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke 228-PLAY;www.krazykids.com

Multi-location: Tucker’s 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett 206-5757; www.tuckers.com

Family Favorite: Manchester Karate Studio 371 South Willow St., Manchester 782-0010; www.manchesterkarate. com

Seacoast: O’Neil Cinemas 24 Calef Hwy., Epping 679-3529; www.oneilcinemas.com

Greater Manchester: Cowabunga’s! 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett 625-8008; www.mycowabungas.com

North: Polly’s Pancake Parlor 672 Route 117, Sugar Hill 823-5575; www.pollyspancakeparlor. com

Martial Arts Studio

TI N

Family Favorite: Funspot 579 Endicott St. N., Laconia 366-4377; www.funspot.com

Greater Manchester: Airport Diner 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester 623-5040; www.thecman.com

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Indoor Play Place

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A C C E P T I N G N E W PAT I E N T S

Concord Pediatrics is a child-focused practice meeting the needs of children from infancy through adolescence. • Immunizations • Weight Management & Counseling • Adolescent Gynecology

FAM

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• Newborn Care • Well-Child Care • Urine and Strep Throat testing in office • Same Day Sick Visits

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248 Pleasant St. Suite 1700 | Concord, NH (603) 224-1929 | www.concordpediatricsnh.com

Thank You New Hampshire F OR NAMING US YOUR

2018 FAMILY FAVORITE PLACE TO BUY A FAMILY VEHICLE.

www.parentingnh.com

| NOVEMBER 2018 27

Give them the gift of

hands-on

Family Favorite: Manchester Community Music School 2291 Elm St., Manchester 644-4548; www.mcmusicschool.org

Family Favorite: Lindner Dental Associates 72 So. River Road, Bedford 624-3900; www.lindnerdental.com

Greater Manchester: Bedford Youth Performing Company 155 Route 101, Bedford 472-3894; www.bypc.org

35 years with us!

6 WASHINGTON ST, DOVER, NH 03820

childrens-museum.org 603-742-2002

Pick up your free copy of this awardwinning publication at 500+ locations in New Hampshire. september • 2018

Greater Concord: Concord Obstetrics and Gynecology 250 Pleasant St., Concord 225-2711; www.concordhospital.org Greater Manchester: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Nurse Midwifery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock 5 Washington Place, Bedford 577-4300; www.dartmouth-hitchcock. org/obgyn.html Greater Nashua: Women’s Care of Nashua 10 Prospect St., Suite 303, Nashua 577-3100; www.shealth.org Seacoast: Partners for Women’s Health 3 Alumni Drive, Suite 401, Exeter 778-0557; www.womenshealthexeter. com

28 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Family Favorite: Alley Cat Pizzeria 486 Chestnut St., Manchester 669-4533; www.alleycatpizzeria.com Greater Concord: Constantly Pizza 39 South Main St., Concord 224-9366; www.constantlypizza.net

Seacoast: Portsmouth Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics 150 Griffin Rd, Suite #1, Portsmouth 436-2204; www.seacoastsmiles.com

Greater Nashua: Lui Lui 259 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua 888-2588; www.luilui.com

Greater Nashua: Elliott Orthodontics 27 Loop Road, Merrimack 424-1199; www.elliottorthodontics. com

Greater Manchester: Pizza Bella 178 Route 101, Bedford 472-8560; www.pizzabellabedford. com

Party Entertainment or Entertainer Family Favorite: Wildlife Encounters 923-1168; www.weecocenter.com Greater Manchester: Party Palace 286-4555; www.apartypalace. com Greater Salem: McDonny’s Traveling Farm 437-5172; www.mcdonnysfarm.com

Pediatric Dentist Family Favorite: Concord Pediatric Dentistry 16 Foundry St., Suite 101, Concord 224-3339; www.concord pediatricdentistry.com

I LY

Also available online at parentingnh.com.

Family Favorite: Bedford Commons OB/GYN Bedford and Derry locations; www.bcog.com

Pizza

Greater Manchester: Mehan & Johnson Orthodontics 113 Mammoth Road, Manchester 623-8003; www.orthodontics.com

Preschool: What parents need to know School bus driver tells all Fall family fun

OB/GYN

Greater Concord: Concord Pediatric Dentistry 248 Pleasant St., Suite 1700, Concord 224-1929; www.concordpediatrics. com

NE W HA M

P IR E

meet pnH’s essay contest winners

Multi-location: Let’s Play Music 132 Hampstead Road, Derry 425-7575; www.letsplaymusic.com

Greater Salem: Haas Dental Associates 4 Manchester Ave., Derry 434-1586; www.haasdental.com

A few of their favorite things

Seacoast: Seacoast Academy of Music 105 Post Road, North Hampton 964-3660; www.seacoastacademyofmusic.org

Greater Manchester: Lindner Dental Associates 72 South River Road, Bedford 624-3900; www.lindnerdental.com

Greater Concord: Concord Community Music School 23 Wall St., Concord 228-1196; www.ccmusicschool.org

Greater Nashua: Nashua Community Music School 5 Pine St. Ext., Nashua 881-7030; www.nashuacms.org

CELEBRATE

complimentary

Orthodontist

Greater Nashua: Children’s Dental Center of New Hampshire 7 Route 101A, Suite D, Amherst 673-1000; www.childrensdentalnh. com

explore learn create

Musical Instruction

play

PA R

Discovery

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2018

A Sincere Thank You to Everyone Who Voted Us Family Favorite Orthodontist!

REN

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Creating Generations of Beautiful Smiles!

I LY

FAV O

2018

TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

27 Loop Road in Merrimack ◆ 52 High Street in New Boston 603-424-1199 ◆ www.elliottorthodontics.com ◆ Complimentary Consultations

www.parentingnh.com

| NOVEMBER 2018 29

Regional chain: Sal’s Pizza 7 NH locations www.sals-pizza.com

Greater Nashua: Peters of Nashua 280-300 Amherst St., Nashua 889-1166; www.petersauto.com

Greater Manchester: Muse Paint Bar 42 Hanover St., Manchester 421-6500; www.musepaintbar.com Greater Nashua: Time to Clay 228 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua 888-0482; www.timetoclay.com

Place to Buy a Family Car Family Favorite: AutoFair Manchester, Nashua, Plaistow, Stratham locations www.autofair.com

Lakes Region: The Common Man Inn & Spa 21 Water St., Claremont 542-0647; www.thecmaninn.com

Restaurant for Date Night Family Favorite: Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery 58 Route 27, Raymond 244-2431; www.thetuckaway.com Greater Nashua: The Copper Door 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford 488-2677; www.greatrestaurants.com

en Op

. - 5:30p.m. 0a.m 7:0

Family Favorite: New Hampshire Fisher Cats www.nhfishercats.com

Swing Sets and Outdoor Play Systems Family Favorite: Swings and Things 16 Route 125, Kingston 642-4500; www.swingsthings.com

Scenic Outdoor Adventure

Urgent or Immediate Care Center

Family Favorite: Flume Gorge Franconia Notch State Park www.stateparks.org

Family Favorite: Elliot Urgent Care at River’s Edge 185 Queen City Ave., Manchester 663-3000; www.elliothospital.org

Halloween fun for everyone

BEDFORD•(603) 669-2811 LEARNINGADVENTURESNH.COM

30 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

Multi-location: ConvenientMD Urgent Care 10 NH locations www.convenientmd.com

Family Favorite: Water Country 2300 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth 427-1111; www.watercountry.com

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2018

october • 2018

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year ’rou nd

51 OLD BEDFORD RD

Nashua 577-2273; www.shealth.org

Water Park

Sporting Event for Families

Multi-location: The Common Man Eight NH locations www.thecman.com

NOW ENROLLING TODDLERS!

Greater Nashua: Immediate Care of Southern New Hampshire 112 Spit Brook Road,

855-902-0278; www.grappone.com

Greater Manchester: Chill Spa 1224 Hanover St., Manchester 622-3722; www.chillspa.com

Greater Manchester: Catholic Medical Center’s Urgent Care 100 McGregor St., Manchester 668-3545; www.catholicmedical center.org

Greater Manchester: Grappone Automotive Group 514-594 Route 3A, Bow

Family Favorite: Serendipity Day Spa 23 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke 229-0400; www.serendipitydayspa. com

Greater Nashua: Innovations The Salon & Spa 228 Naticook Road, Merrimack 880-7499; www.innovationsnh.com

Place for Arts and Crafts Family Favorite: You’re Fired Nashua, Bedford, Salem, Concord locations www.yourefirednh.com

Spa Day for Mom

Multi-location: 900 Degrees Epping and Manchester locations www.900degrees.com

Greater Concord: Banks Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC 137 Manchester St., Concord 866-413-9459; www.banksautos.com

Seacoast: La Festa 300 Central Ave., Dover 743-4100; www.lafestabrickandbrew.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final part of a two-part series that looks at the law that governs the use of restraints and seclusions in New Hampshire schools, the incident review process and potential alternatives to the practices of restraint and seclusion. If you missed the first part of the series, go to www.parentingnh.com.

Under review A look at the incident report review process and potential alternatives to restraints and seclusion BY MELANIE PLENDA

he law regulating the use of restraints and seclusions in New Hampshire schools is clear: Every school has to make and keep a report of each incident. Those incident reports are to be reviewed regularly by the Department of Education, which in turn submits a report to legislators about how restraints and seclusions are being used.

What is not as clear is whether the incident review process is in line with the spirit and intent of the law and administrative rules. Oversight was built into the restraints and seclusions law in 2010 and reaffirmed and strengthened by changes to the law in 2014. Accountability is necessary because these policies deal with incidents where children are either placed in a room alone as a result of potentially dangerous behavior or an adult puts their hands on

32 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

them, presumably to deter or stop potentially dangerous behavior. What’s more, these incidents most often occur with elementary-age children of vulnerable populations, especially those with special needs. What also makes oversight key is that the numbers of incidents are going up, not down. According to data provided by the state Department of Education the number of incidents of restraints and seclusions went from 1,470 in the 2013-14

school year to 2,782 in 2016-17. While some of the initial increase can be attributed to educators having to report the numbers for the first time, the numbers continue to increase. Many schools still report zero instances of using these practices in a year. Several schools — such as Symonds Elementary School in Keene — reported 348 instances of restraints and seclusions in the 2016-17 school year. They have a school population of 343 students. That same year, Manchester, the largest school

RESTRAINTS & SECLUSIONS IN NH BY THE NUMBERS NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL THAT RESPONDED TO THE SCHOOL SAFETY DATA COLLECTION:

SY 2014-15.........182,299 SY 2015-16.........180,954 SY 2016-17.........179,690 NUMBER OF RESTRAINT REPORTS GENERATED:

SY 2014-15.............1,693 SY 2015-16.............1,585 SY 2016-17.............1,660 NUMBER OF SECLUSION REPORTS GENERATED:

SY 2014-15................797 SY 2015-16.............1,127 SY 2016-17.............1,122 district in New Hampshire with 13,887 students, reported 116 instances of restraints and seclusions for the entire district.

THE LAW Neither restraints nor seclusions are illegal, but the law mandates they only be used in emergency situations where other methods have failed and there is imminent danger of injury. The law, as well as department administrative rules governing the state Department of Education, also lay out a framework for the way the reporting and review process is supposed to work.

Each instance of restraint or seclusion, as defined by the law, is supposed to be documented in a report at the school level that includes details about the circumstances surrounding the incident, the method and duration of restraint or seclusion and other methods attempted before using restraint or seclusion and any injuries to staff or students. According to RSA 126-U:8, the DOE has to review these records. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The state board of education shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to: (a) Periodic, regular review by the depart-

NUMBER OF RESTRAINTS RESULTING IN BODILY INJURY:

SY 2014-15..................17 SY 2015-16..................10 SY 2016-17....................5 Information from the state Dept. of Education technical advisory released December 2017

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ment of education of records maintained by schools relative to the use of seclusion and restraint.” The rest of that section also establishes that beginning Nov. 1, 2010, and every November after, the state board of education would provide an annual report to the heads of the education committees of the Senate and House of Representatives regarding the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. “The annual report shall be prepared from the periodic, regular review of such records,” the law reads. Further, DOE administrative rules also require the department to “review records maintained by schools relative to the use of seclusion and restraint at least every three years,” and in some cases more often than that for schools that have unfounded complaints or one founded complaint.

THE REVIEW PROCESS Diana Fenton, an attorney with the Department of Education, is in charge of gathering the data on restraints and seclusions from schools and reporting yearly to legislators. ParentingNH requested an interview with Fenton. She declined a phone interview, but agreed to an email interview. She was asked about who reviewed the school incident reports, how often and what analysis was conducted on them and by whom. She said the Department of Education asks each school official to submit the numbers of incident reports, including any injuries, in an online School Safety Survey. These numbers are then reported to the legislators. She added that, “Specific incident reports of violations of the restraint and seclusion laws are investigated.” As to whether she or her staff conducts any analysis of the incident reports, she said, “The incident report numbers reported on the annual School Safety Surveys are reviewed for unusual anomalies such as unusually high/low and increases/decreases in reported numbers. If anomalies are detected, myself or [DOE Investigator Richard] Farrell would reach out to the school to inquire as to the reason and follow-up as deemed necessary, including visiting or having conversations with a school.” ParentingNH sent follow-up questions to

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Fenton asking for an explanation as to how the process the DOE has adopted complies with the spirit and letter of the law. She did not respond. Michael K. Skibbie, policy director for the Disability Rights Center-NH, in a written statement to ParentingNH said, “We are unaware of any statutory or regulatory provision which authorizes the use of a survey for the NHDOE’s oversight of seclusion and restraint practices. There is no mention of such a practice in either the statute or the regulation.” But Drew Cline, chairman of the State Board of Education, said in a written statement to questions that the law doesn’t say the state can’t do it that way either. He said that the administrative rule saying that the department shall review the records no less than every three years was adopted in January 2016, and so, a review would have to be done by 2019. “But what does ‘review’ mean?” he writes, “I wasn’t on the board in 2016 and did not participate in those discussions. It seems to me that this is a term open to interpretation. Does ‘review’ mean that the department must read every individual report in full? Or does it mean that the department review a summary of the incidents. The rule doesn’t state clearly that the department must audit, investigate or even read every report. It states that the department must ‘review’ ‘records relative to the use of seclusion and restraint.’” Cline said he took that to mean that the department has some flexibility in how it would conduct its review, rather than have the board spell out precisely what a review would include. “When the State Board of Education received the 2017 restraints and seclusions report in our December, 2017, meeting, staff reported to the board that the department received the reports from the districts but did not individually audit every report,” Cline writes. “Individual board members had some concern about the report, primarily that there were so many schools that had zero reported incidents. The Board of Education accepted the report with no one expressing concern that the rule was not met.” Cline said when the report was accepted

four of the seven members on the board at the time had been around at the time the rules were passed in 2016, and so, he took that to mean the rules had been met. “It’s definitely something the board has an interest in adjusting if needed,” Cline writes. “I got the sense from the board that there was an interest in continuing to monitor these reports to see if we’re were getting enough information and requiring enough oversight of the school districts.”

WHAT DOES THE DOE INVESTIGATE? As for the complaints that come to Farrell’s office, he described his process in an interview with ParentingNH earlier this year. Farrell said he gets the incident report numbers from schools every year, and questions school officials when they are unusually high. “If you reach out to those schools with the 200 or 300 restraints, you will find that those schools are focused on children — for example — with autism,” he said. “Nashua for example, Broad Street School, if you don’t know, Broad Street School has a very, very good autism program. And kids from the whole district … go there because of their diagnosis. And you’ll see they have a higher number and the reason behind the number is that they have a larger population, because they have a program designed specifically for kids that have autism.” ParentingNH did not receive a response requesting comment for this story from Nashua Superintendent Jahmal Mosley. Farrell also said he checks in with small, rural schools that seem to have unusually high numbers. “…My job is to look at those numbers and invariably in those smaller districts where you say there’s 10 restraints in a very small place, you discover that almost all of the restraints are on the same student. So you got to do the background, because the numbers themselves would say, ‘oh my God these numbers are astounding.’” Further, he said, he will question principals when he sees injuries reported that didn’t come to his attention. “I’ll look at the safety report and lo and behold I don’t see a district or a school reporting five injuries. …So you contact the school but

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More on the DOE’s the five injuries reported aren’t kids, but staff, which does not go on the documentation [the School Safety Survey]. ParentingNH requested the incident and investigation reports from Farrell. He said these reports were not public, citing privacy. DOE Commissioner Frank Edelblut, however, said they likely were public after redaction of identifying information. Farrell said he used to get about 50 complaints to investigate per year, now it’s more like 25. To put that in perspective, the DOE is looking closely at 25 out of the 2,787 incidents reported last year, or 0.897 percent of the incidents.

WHY IT MATTERS The idea behind the law change in 2014 was to get a better sense of how restraints and seclusions were being used. Part of the reason for that was so that the state and local districts could offer more and better training and education in using different methods. “Restraint and seclusion are both dangerous and demonstrably harmful in some cases,” said Skibbie, in an interview earlier this year. “We have certainly represented parents whose children have had pretty

serious injuries as a result of restraint, particularly when it’s used by someone who isn’t trained.” Lucinda Nightingale, a licensed marriage and family therapist who is a clinical manager with Child and Family Services, a private, nonprofit social service agency, said anecdotally child clients of hers have described instances where seclusion has been used at school. Nightingale said many of the children she counsels have already experienced significant trauma in their lives, and so, being in a seclusion situation at school is highly detrimental. “This is extremely traumatizing to them,” she said. “It’s not a trauma-informed approach. A lot of them have been locked in rooms or abandoned when they are quote unquote acting out, so doing that in the schools is going to exacerbate the behavior and not correct it. It’s going to scare them and throw them into a reaction.” Nightingale said that when she brings this to the schools’ attention, more often than not they are receptive to her suggestions and opinion. “Schools typically have a very behavioral approach — if you do this, this is the consequence,” Nightingale

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Over a three-month time period, ParentingNH conducted several on-the-record, recorded (with permission) phone interviews and email interviews with Department of Education spokesman Anthony Schinella and Richard Farrell, the contract investigator with the state DOE, whose job it is to investigate allegations of misconduct for certified educators at public schools, charter schools, public academies and private schools. Farrell has the ability to take administrative action against a certified teacher or administrator in the state, meaning he can recommend that the person’s license be revoked or suspended. He said he is responsible for reviewing complaints about seclusions and restraints that come into the department from school officials, parents, DCYF and police.

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oversight of restraints and seclusions reports The incident reports generated by the schools, Farrell said earlier this year, are inspected by two contract employees who do this in conjunction with the regular review of a school or its charter. Farrell, who said he does not supervise this process, described how the two contractors reviewed what could be hundreds of incident reports — depending on the school — for anywhere from 300-350 of the state’s 900 schools per year. He said most of this work was done during the three-month summer break when school administrators were available for the inspections. In emails to Schinella seeking an interview with the contractors and their supervisor, Schinella said contractors were no longer reviewing these records. This had been replaced by schools directly inputting incident data electronically into the Input Based Accountability Survey. “Principals enter in all the seclusion and restraint data, as well as curriculum, into a secure system to

the department directly,” he wrote in an email. According to the DOE website, the Input Based Accountability System measures school adequacy. “The change was implemented last year,” Schinella continued, “as part of the department reorganization and the contract for the contractors handling these reports previously was not renewed.” He went on to say that the seclusion and restraint records and spaces were “physically checked whenever there is an incident investigation.” When asked about the contractors no longer reviewing the reports, DOE Commissioner Frank Edelblut sent a statement that included the language from the law and regulations that requires the DOE to review the information via email and added in part, “conducting a review of the restraint and seclusion reports was never part of the contractors’ purview. The decision to cancel those specific

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contracts was in no way related to the reporting requirements of the restraint and seclusion law because, as stated previously, that was never part of the underlying contract.” In a phone interview with ParentingNH, Edelblut described the process: All of the incident reports generated by the schools each year are sent to the Bureau of Governance led by attorney Diana Fenton, who Edelblut said is Farrell’s boss. Edelblut said, “that’s the organization that puts the information together.” That information is then synthesized into a yearly report that Edelblut said goes to legislators, as statutorily required. When asked who analyzed the reports and what that involved, Edelblut said, “I don’t know the extent of the analytics that they perform on that data, but I would believe there is a certain degree of analytics that are performed in terms of comparing it to the previous year, and just seeing if there

are operations in that data that may look unusual and that may require some type of follow-up.” As for the people who inspect the schools, that used to be done by contractors he said, but they were just doing adequacy audits. The person who does this now, a staffer in the Bureau of Data Analytics and Educator Resources, takes photos and measurements of seclusion rooms in schools and forwards that information to Fenton’s office to be included in the report supplied to legislators. Edelblut said he can’t comment on why there was a discrepancy between his version of the review process and Schinella and Farrell’s. Fenton, in an email interview with ParentingNH, also said that contractors never reviewed the incident reports. And though she acknowledged she is Farrell’s supervisor she wrote, “I cannot speculate as to what and why someone would say something or not. I apologize if you received any misinformation.”

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said. “And these children can’t do that because when they go into a reaction they don’t even know what they are doing a lot of the time. They are not engaged with the people around them. I have hoped that the schools would understand that.” Nightingale said there are alternatives to using restraints and seclusion, but it involves working with the child to understand what his or her triggers are, which she said takes time. She also said the child, who usually has a one-on-one aide, needs to be able to get to know the aide and have consistency, as opposed to some schools where the aides change every few hours. Jane Bergeron-Beaulieu, executive director of the New Hampshire Association of Special Education Administrators, said they support the changes in the law and think that it’s important for schools to have certain interventions in place so that situations don’t escalate to the point of needing to resort to restraint or seclusion. She said this should include multi-tier systems of support that include behavioral interventions

and more specialized interventions for kids with disabilities who might also have behavior plans that give specifics about the student’s needs. “I think many of the schools in New Hampshire are using multi-tier systems of support for kids so that there are lots of different interventions not just for kids with disabilities, but for all kids who might be struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges,” Bergeron-Beaulieu said. She also said she’s seeing more schools investing time and money in professional development and training for educators in things such as crisis prevention intervention or therapeutic crisis intervention. Bergeron-Beaulieu adds that the DOE is also offering several trainings and resources through its Bureau of Wellness in terms of mental health first aid. (A sentiment Farrell echoes, saying that he regularly conducts trainings in the use of seclusion and restraint throughout the state.) “They are really trying to support schools as they look at kids with pretty significant emotional and behavioral challenge,” Bergeron-Beaulieu

said, noting that this is increasing as a new generation of children affected by the opioid crisis enters the system. “I think we’re seeing in our schools a real rise in the number of kids with significant mental health issues,” Bergeron-Beaulieu said. Skibbie with the DRC said earlier this year that he thinks we can do better. “I think that it requires a change in culture in some schools and facilities that use them and a retraining of staff so that they are able to address student’s behaviors without needing to lay hands on them,” he said. “When schools set out to do that and bring in experts on addressing problem behavior of kids that they find that they can be quite successful in significantly reducing the use of all forms of discipline in terms of restraints. “I think that experts in the field will tell you that you may not be able to get to zero, but you can get a lot lower than we are now.” Melanie Plenda is a longtime contributor to ParentingNH.

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dad on board AS SEEN THROUGH OUR DOG’S EYES JUST CALL US CHEW TOY, BOSS AND BENI BY BILL BURKE

Around our house, I’m known by a few different names — Bill, Dad, and of course, Gene. Recently, however, I’ve added a new tag: Chew Toy. As my 16-year-old was playing with our incredibly smart/idiotic dog, Figgy, it struck us that we each have fairly defined roles in the dog’s life. She feeds him and takes him out most of the time, my wife handles the vet visits and pet store trips, and I stick my arm in his mouth until it hurts too much and significant wounding occurs. It actually sounds worse than it is. Figgy is a rescue dog — an odd terrier/science-experiment-gone-wrong who weighs about 12 pounds, so the amount of trauma he can inflict is somewhat limited. He doesn’t mean to cause damage; it’s just that he’s pointy and made up of teeth, mostly. So we all wondered — if he associates each of us with different roles and benefits, what does he call each of us in his head? I can’t imagine he has the internal dog vocabulary or the understanding of a family dynamic to come up with “Mom, Dad and Sibling,” but there has to be some correlating identifier. He’s smart enough to know what he gets from me: play time. He loves to play keep away with his stuffed toys. Actually, I’ll rephrase that — he loves to play ‘savage Dad’s arm while I try to take the stuffed toy away.’ He has a very strong play-drive, so as soon as someone says the phrase, “Ducky Momo,” the name of his favorite toy, he starts bouncing off the walls. My role in this daily routine then is to try to keep Ducky Momo away from Figgy, who employs every one of his gladiatorial skills to get it — usually resulting in various degrees of scarring. Obviously, I’m Chew Toy. Or The One That Bleeds. There’s no doubt that his dog brain references my wife as “Boss.” She speaks, the dog jumps. Or lays down. Or rolls over. Whatever she tells him to do, he does it. She is the alpha. It’s a bit harder to define what he’d call my daughter, though. In our family pack, the dog sees himself as pretty close to her in the pecking order. She is his primary caregiver. She takes him out early in the morning and late at night in any weather without ever questioning or complaining. She feeds him twice a day, and she gives him plenty of love. She taught him all his tricks (sit pretty, be gorgeous, levitate). Of course, she also has a quirky habit of telling everyone he’s fat (he’s not), and incredibly young (he’s not). There is a real sibling dynamic there. After great debate, we eventually settled on “Beni,” which means “sister” in Klingon — which is fitting, because that dog seems to love combat sports. I blame Ducky Momo. Bill Burke is the guy with all the scratches and abrasions on his forearms. He lives in southern New Hampshire with his wife, daughter and pointy dog. He is also Managing Editor of Custom Publications for McLean Communications.

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raising teens & tweens MAKING SLEEP A PRIORITY ADEQUATE SLEEP TIME IS CRITICAL FOR ADOLESCENTS BY TRACEY TUCKER

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I dropped my daughter off to college in September for the start of her freshman year. Before we left, the college facilitated a faculty panel for students and parents. Every one of the four professors on the panel highlighted the need for students to maintain a healthy sleep pattern. The professors said they could tell when a student was sleep deprived and found that this issue alone caused more emotional and academic struggles than anything else at college. This advice could not be more important, especially when transitioning to a new environment and living on your own for the first time. But sleep is not just important during this time. Sleep is one of the few things throughout life that is a constant. When we do not get enough sleep, we can get cranky, we perform less successfully and efficiently, and we can experience greater emotional struggles. Although sleep is critical for all stages of a child’s life, adolescents, in particular, require increased amounts of sleep, as their bodies and brains are growing at a rapid pace. Establishing healthy sleep patterns, as well as recognizing how decreased sleep impacts your child is a crucial component to parenting. When younger children are tired, they rarely recognize it. They may get more hyper or agitated when tired. For adolescents, we often see the impact of decreased sleep manifest in fluctuating moods, exaggerated emotional responses or a decrease in academic performance. Lack of sleep for adolescents can also affect organizational and decision-making skills, often leading to an increase in risk-taking behaviors. Some youth have increased amounts of depression or anxiety when they get off track with sleep, which can impact their ability to perform academically or engage socially. Being tired can increase stress, which can impact the ability to fall or stay asleep. This cycle can become debilitating for adolescents and one that should be addressed with a doctor. Adolescents are busy with school, extracurriculars and socializing with peers so that doesn’t leave a lot of extra time. Many adolescents don’t think about the consequences of pulling an “all-nighter” or skipping sleep to hang out with friends or do homework. Lots of kids will make up lost hours by sleeping during the day or after school. This often results in not being able to fall asleep at night, prompting a cycle that is very hard to change. Parents need to talk to their kids throughout childhood about sleep. Setting concrete bedtime routines and following those routines as consistently as possible help children to maintain schedules. Keeping electronics out of their bedrooms is also important. This becomes more challenging as children grow into teenagers, but maintaining a policy around TVs, phones and computers in their bedrooms will help them develop those skills on their own. In addition, as children grow, helping them recognize how they behave when they are really tired will allow them to notice internally what it feels like when they are not getting enough sleep. Tracey Tucker is the executive director of New Heights: Adventures for Teens and a licensed mental health counselor at Tradeport Counseling Associates in Portsmouth.

40 www.parentingnh.com | NOVEMBER 2018

house calls WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CO HOW TO PREVENT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING BY DEBRA SAMAHA, MPH, RN

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• Make sure your home has a carbon monoxide alarm on every level, especially near sleeping areas, and keep them at least 15 feet away from fuel burning appliances, like wood stoves. • If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Don’t leave a car, SUV or motorcycle engine running inside a garage, even if the garage doors are open. If you own a hybrid vehicle, and you keep it in the garage, double check that your car is definitely off. CO poisonings have occurred from hybrids that have the gasoline part of the engine turned on and fill the garage and home with CO. • Never use your stovetop to heat your home. • Don’t use a grill, generator or camping stove inside your home, garage or near a window. • On the outside of your home, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow and debris. • If your CO alarm sounds, immediately move outdoors or to an open window or door for fresh air, and be sure to account for everyone in your home. Call 911, or the fire department, and remain outside or by the open window until emergency personnel arrive to assist you.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that you cannot see, taste or smell. It is of special concern as the fall approaches because it can result from faulty heating appliances and cars left running in garages. Each year, over 180 children in the United States die due to carbon monoxide poisoning and more than 20,000 children visit the emergency room. The Injury Prevention Center at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth- Hitchcock (CHaD) in partnership with Safe Kids New Hampshire — a coalition led by Dartmouth-Hitchcock to keep kids safe — offers these tips to both prevent and identify carbon monoxide in your home.

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Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea and drowsiness. It’s important to know that children process carbon monoxide differently than adults; they can be more severely affected by it and may show signs of poisoning sooner. The CHaD Injury Prevention Center and Safe Kids New Hampshire want all families to be aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, especially for children and the elderly. As part of this effort, a group called the Carbon Monoxide Alliance has formed to address concerns in New Hampshire and Vermont. This alliance is working with partners such as the American Red Cross to get more carbon monoxide alarms in residential homes. For more information about the alliance, go to www.vtnhcoalliance.com. Debra Samaha, MPH, RN, is the Program Manager for the CHaD Injury Prevention Center, and a member of the Carbon Monoxide Alliance.