New York Family September, 2013 by New York Family

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SEPTEMBER 2013

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In the City for Children

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Show DeSign Committee ChairS: Ellie Cullman and Mario Buatta

T h u r s d a y, O C TO b E R 10 s u n d a y, O C TO b E R 13, 2013

C O L L E C T

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D E C O R A T E

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Pa r k a v e n u e a r m o r y 6 4 3 PA R k Av E N u E , AT 67 Th S T R E E T N Ew Y O R k C iT Y For complete show information, events and schedules, call 646.442.1627 or visit www.avenueshows.com

A D O R N

contents

SEPTEMBER newyorkfamily.com pg.37

pg.16 pg.24

pg.42

Features 42 | Bethenny’s New Reality A devoted mom and successful lifestyle entrepreneur, Bethenny Frankel returns to television this fall with style and substance as host of her own daytime talk show 49 | Head Of The Class Our guide to the coolest early-learning and extracurricular classes in the city is designed to help children of all ages discover their bliss 71 | iSmarts The experts weigh in on the best ways to raise a savvy kid in the digital age 76 | G&T & Me The exclusive scoop on raising an accelerated learner in the city 80 | Studying Up A list of the best local education resources for parents (nursery through high school)

Family Fun Guide 16 | Ten Great Events For September 92Y Street Festival, Wave Hill’s Honey Weekend, the Queens County Fair, “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp,” and more

New York Family | September 2013

Home & away

pg.36

82 | Quality Time Started by two NYC moms, KidzVuz gives tweens a chance to share their opinions on just about anything in a safe and respectful community of their peers 84 | Travel Our travel editor hits the road to prove that there’s no better locale than New England to enjoy the unique charms of the autumnal season

Columns 12 | Editor’s Note September surprises 14 | Events & Offers An apple seeds full semester giveaway, nominate your child’s school or principal for a Blackboard Award, the official “birth announcement” for our new publication, and an invitation to a posh party expo 20 | It’s My Party Birthday celebrations at Super Soccer Stars, the American Girl Store, and the Intrepid Museum 22 | Scoop A doodle book by a local dad, mysterious birthday fun, a new app for parents, and more

pg.28

24 | Lysst Kick off the season with super cool clothing and accessories for back-toschool 28 | Treats Take a step in the right direction with our roundup of fab fall footwear for kids 30 | Growing Up The founder of socialskz:-) offers seven tips on how social and emotional skills can help children succeed in school—as well as in life 34 | A Special Place One of the city’s leading basketball programs for kids, Fastbreak Sports, prepares to open a stunning new flagship facility 36 | A Good Idea Coming up on nearly a decade in business, the owners of Kidville share their journey and give us the scoop on what’s new at the popular franchise 88 | The Last Word Our blogger Lani Serota offers a sweet apology to her older daughter for all of her first-time mom blunders over the years Cover Photo by Warner Bros./ Telepictures Productions, “bethenny”

www.newyorkfamily.com

WE’VE GoT

SHoW AND TELL

CoVERED

It’s back-to-school time again. Get ready for the class trips, homework, PTA meetings, bake sales and hoping your child makes new friends. Some things you can help make happen and some you can’t. At Bideawee, we understand you want the best for your child, and we want to help you make their memories the best possible. So while you are making time for all that comes with the school year, take the time to visit Bideawee and adopt a pet for your child. You’ll not only be giving your child a best friend for years to come, you’ll also have Show and Tell covered.

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for families SEPTEMBER 2013 EDITOR AND CO-PUBLISHER Eric Messinger emessinger@ manhattanmedia.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Whitney C. Harris wharris@ manhattanmedia.com SENIOR EDITOR Christine Wei cwei @ manhattanmedia.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mia Weber mweber@ manhattanmedia.com ART DIRECTOR George W. Widmer gwidmer@ manhattanmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel S. Burnstein, Heidi Green,

webop imagine

Thaddeus Harden, Michael Jurick CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leah Black, Natalie Diaz,

a world that swings.

Stacey Gawronski, Alissa Katz, Gavriella Mahpour,

ENROLL TODAY

PUBLISHER John Hurley

ABC’s of Jazz Sep 24–Nov 17

FOR INFORMATION ON THE BABY SHOW

Nadia Ramlakhan, Amy Renolds, Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen, Pearl Shin, Samantha Simon, Anna Sims

212.268.3086, jhurley@ manhattanmedia.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Mary Ann Oklesson maoklesson @ manhattanmedia.com SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR Alex Schweitzer aschweitzer@ manhattanmedia.com SALES ASSISTANT Erik Bliss

Photo by Frank Stewart

ebliss@ manhattanmedia.com CIRCULATION Aaron Pollard apollard @ manhattanmedia.com BUSINESS MANAGER Shawn Scott sscott@ manhattanmedia.com ACCOUNTS MANAGER Kathy Pollyea kpollyea @ manhattanmedia.com

Manhattan Media CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Richard Burns CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Joanne Harras DIRECETOR OF DIGITAL Dennis Rodriguez

Official Media Partner

jalc.org INTERACTIVE JAZZ CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND KIDS. AGES EIGHT MONTHS TO FIVE YEARS.

New York Family | September 2013

New York Family is a division of Manhattan Media, publishers of AVENUE magazine, Mitzvah magazine, and The Blackboard Awards. © 2013 Manhattan Media, LLC | 72 Madison Avenue, 11th Floor New York, NY 10016 | t: 212.268.8600 | f: 212.268.0577 www.manhattanmedia.com

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September

SurpriSE

Whatever age your child is, I’m sure you can look back at the previous years (or months) and find the signs, so obvious in retrospect, of the people they are now. At the same time, as a parent, I feel like I owe it to my children to not be overly presumptuous about their strengths and weaknesses, who they are, and who they might become. Childhood is one long act of self-discovery, and it’s so easy for opinionated parents to get in the way of their children’s journeys, and to assume that their life lessons are the right ones or the only ones. I have a pretty good relationship with my children, who are now 9 and 13, but if I could make some gentle course corrections as we head into fall, it would be to spend less time worrying about them, correcting them, challenging them, and generally trying to enhance them (as bizarre as that sounds)— and to spend more time simply enjoying them and to leave room for more surprise and serendipity in our lives as a family. How I wish I could promise that this magazine will help us all to accomplish these goals, but a more realistic expectation is that if you spend some focused time with this month’s magazine, you’ll come away with

New York Family | September 2013

a bunch of good ideas for parenting and family fun as autumn descends. There will be tangible items like back-to-school clothes and shoes (pages 24 and 28, respectively) and more cerebral inspirations, like the wonderful insights on parenting first children sprinkled throughout our Last Word essay (page 88). Likewise, I think Our executive editor, Whitney Harris, is off to greener many of you will pastures. We wish her well. find something to relate to in the wit and candor of this month’s cover mom, Bethenny Frankel; some savvy suggestions for raising kids in the digital age (page 71); and plenty of temptation in our story about fall family travel in New England (page 84). And, of course, there’s our guide to fall classes for children of all ages (page 49). As the fall begins, I hope a few of our ideas end up in your to-do lists and plans, especially the ones that involve enjoying time with your kids. Have a happy September, Eric Messinger Editor, emessinger@manhattanmedia.com

www.newyorkfamily.com

Sam Camens

editor’s note

Swimming or science. Tennis or technology. Basketball or Beethoven ... At Dwight, students are encouraged to explore their passions and to become their most knowledgeable, confident, best self. We call this “igniting the spark of genius” in every child. It’s personal. It’s your child.

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events & offers Win A semester-long APPle seeds ClAss For YoUr Child We’re giving away a 16-week songs for seeds class to one lucky winner! Named Best Music Class by New York Magazine, this rockin’ apple seeds class encourages kids to sing, dance, and play instruments—from drums and guitars to pianos and accordions—with a live band. The band also helps little ones ages 0-5 practice numbers and verbal skills with magic tricks and animal games. The winning family will be able to choose one of three class options: One 16-week semester at apple seeds’ Chelsea location, one 16-week semester at their Upper West Side location, or two 8-week sessions at Oval Kids. Giveaway deadline is Friday, September 27. To enter, visit newyorkfamily.com and click on the Contests & Giveaways link.

New York FamilY BABY to PUBlish this FAll The next edition of New York Family Baby will publish this fall. The first edition of the bi-annual magazine was released this spring at the New York Baby Show (newyorkbabyshow.com). If you’re an expectant or new parent, be sure to sign up for the New York Family Baby newsletter for updates and information on the magazine’s next issue. Meanwhile, for a sneak peek of what to expect in New York Family Baby, visit our baby blog at newyorkfamilybaby.com.

helP YoUr sChool or PrinCiPAl Win A BlACkBoArd AWArd The prestigious Blackboard Awards honors local schools, principals, and teachers of excellence from every educational sector—public, private, charter, and parochial—and from nursery through high school. We’re currently accepting nominations for the Awards for schools and principals. If you love your child’s school or principal, please submit a nomination at blackboardawards.com.

Join Us At the event PlAnner exPo Have a birthday party, sweet sixteen, bar/bat mitzvah, or other family bash on the horizon? Join New York Family at the Event Planner Expo and meet representatives from more than 150 venues and party services to help organize your special day. Whether you’re thinking of bigtime kid fun, classy affair, or anything in between, you’ll be able to find lots of great leads. For tickets and more info, visit theeventplannerexpo.com.

New York Family | September 2013

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MUSEUMS

MUSIC

THEATER

ATTRACTIONS

FOOD

Great Events for September Clockwise from left: Honey Weekend (Wave Hill), World Maker Faire (NYSCI), 92Y Street Fest (Upper East Side)

By Amy Reynolds

ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP

Through December 22 [Ages 3 & Up] At Puppetworks’s latest production, “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp,” little marionette appreciators can experience awesomely special effects like a flying carpet and a vanishing castle. Come see how Aladdin, tricked by a wicked Wazzir, must use the magic lamp and the help of a genie to become a prince and woo the princess. Children $8, adults $9; 12:30pm and 2:30pm Sat & Sun. 338 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-965-3391, puppetworks.org

FESTIVAL FUN SepTember 8 & 15 [All Ages] With street dance performances, arts

New York Family | September 2013

and crafts, games, and giveaways, the Autumn Moon Festival and Parade in Chinatown is sure to be a blast for everyone in the family. There will also be a kicking shuttlecock (traditional Chinese game) demonstration for children to enjoy, when they’re not busy getting in touch with their crafty sides and making their own lanterns. Don’t forget to march around the park in the lantern parade! Free; 12-5pm. Eighth Avenue between 65th and 67th Streets, betterchinatown.com

SUNDAY STREET FEST SepTember 15 [All Ages] Make snacklaces, paint pottery, watch gymnasts perform, or even try the Tiny Tumblers Toddler Obstacle Course at 92Y’s Street Fest ’13. Not quite ready for gymnastics? There will also be

kid-friendly performances and art classes, with special age-appropriate activities for kids 5 and under. In the meantime, moms and dads can receive free advice from doctors and ask them their burning questions on children’s health issues. Free; 12-5pm. Lexington Ave. between 79th and 94th Streets, 212-413-8841, 92y.org

MAKERS OF ALL KINDS SepTember 21 & 22 [All Ages] Get your creative gears turning at the World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science, where the entire family can meet “makers” of all kinds. Whether your kid is the next big hobbyist, crafter, engineer, or author, he or she is sure to meet someone who wants to continued on page 18

www.newyorkfamily.com

Green your family with a HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP Exclusive Discounts:

Customized birthday parties live ladybugs, venus flytraps, and vegetable container gardens the kids can take home!

School garden design and education that can be brought to YOUR school or classroom! DIY workshops terrarium making, floral arranging, cooking classes, and more! Special family events including Healthy Families Series events below

Upcoming Healthy Family Series events:

J OIN TODA Y

Luncheon & Lecture September 24, 2013 2ND ANNUAL

Green Bean Bash a day of family fun! February 22, 2014

Private Urban Farm Tour for Children June 2014

Healthy families make a healthy city VISIT THEHORT.ORG CALL 212-757-0915 TO LEARN MORE

THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

10 Great events

family fun continued from page 16

share his or her wisdom. These do-ityourselfers will be sharing all of their accomplishments through demonstrations and performances. $10-65; 10am-7pm (6pm Sun). 47-01 111th Street, Queens, 718-699-0005, makerfaire.com

FAIR FUN IN QUEENS September 21 & 22 [All Ages] Experience everything you love about a county fair—hayrides, pig racing, arts and crafts, and more—at the Queens County Fair at the Queens County Museum. It’s a traditional fair with blue ribbon competitions in livestock, fresh produce, and pie-eating contests, but you’ll find other special activities like corn-husking competitions as well. Don’t forget to check out the three-acre Amazing Maize Maze, featuring a new design each fall, while you’re there. Free; 11am-6pm. 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY, 718-0347-3276, queensfarm.org

Queens County Fair (Queens County Farm Museum)

extraordinaire. Register by 9/18. $100; 12pm. 212-757-0915, check online for location. thehort.org

MUSEUM MADNESS

GO GREEN

HONEY, HONEY!

September 24 [Adults] Learn how your family can go green at a special luncheon hosted by The Horticultural Society, a nonprofit that’s been serving the urban environment with container vegetable production, rooftop gardening, and more for over a century. The event will feature guest speaker Alexandra Zissu, local blogger and eco-lifestyle

September 28-29 [All Ages] Learn all about the life of a bee at Honey Weekend at Wave Hill. Kids will be able to extract their own honey, taste

New York Family | September 2013

events

From September 21 [Ages 6 & Under] Can we build it? Yes, we can! Join Bob—everyone’s favorite cartoon builder—at the Liberty Science Center to fix, plant, build, and improve using a team effort. Not only will kids get to climb on large construction machines, but they’ll also get to plant flowers in Wendy’s garden, fix leaky sinks, and assemble a garage—all in a kid-friendly, safe environment. Free with general admission; 9am-5:30pm. 222 Jersey Blvd., Jersey City, 201-200-1000, lsc.org

September 28 [All Ages] Head out to one of your favorite museums for free admission on September 28—just be sure to bring your Museum Day Live! ticket for free admission for you and one guest. The event is hosted by the Smithsonian magazine, as a nod to the institution’s museums that offer free entrance every day. Some participating kidfriendly NYC museums include the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the New York City Fire Museum, the Skyscraper Museum, and more. Free; times vary. Check website for participating museums. smithsonianmag.com

A BLAST WITH BOB THE BUILDER

different varieties of honey, and make their own candles. They’ll even be able to be a bee by dressing in wings and antennae and buzzing with their very own kazoo. And once they’re all dolled up, they can join a bee parade and dance in a cardboard hive. Free with admission (candle making $15); 10am-4pm. 675 West 252nd Street, Bronx, 718-549-3200, nycgovparks.org

GET MUDDY AND RUN September 29 [Ages 4 & Up] Getting muddy is more fun when you do it on purpose—and you can get as dirty as you want at the Down and Dirty Mud Run at Pelham Bay Park at Orchard Beach. Kids ages 4-6 can run the Matchbox Adventure Race, which is a 100-yard dash followed by a series of fun, age-appropriate obstacles and a gooey crawl-through mud pit! And kids ages 7-13 run a timed version of the race with a one-mile run followed by more challenging obstacles and their own mud pit belly crawl. $20-30; 12:15pm and 12:30pm for kids. Pelham Bridge Road, Bronx, downanddirtymudrun.com

For more event picks for families, check out our Family Calendar at newyorkfamily.com/events www.newyorkfamily.com

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Kids at Art

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birthdays

IT’S MY PARTY

Ivor braka celebrates his 4th birthday with Super Soccer Stars. 1. A soccer-themed birthday celebration takes to Central Park, where the boy of the hour shows off mad dribbling skills. 2. Ivor shares a big hug with his sister Robin—too sweet! 3. All ready to tackle the ever-classic piñata. Photos by Heidi Green Photography (heidigreen.com)

Zoe Jewels celebrates her 4th birthday at the American girl Store. 1. It’s an all-girls gathering with decadent snacks—talk about a pinkalicious party. 2. Zoe flashes a million-dollar smile, flanked by her proud family. 3. You know the birthday girl is all grown-up when you see how great she is at sharing! Photos by Heidi Green Photography (heidigreen.com)

Marco Michelangelo celebrates his 7th birthday at the Intrepid Sea, Air, And Space Museum. 1. This astronomical party gets an exciting blast-off with a super secret space mission. 2. A private 3D light show to celebrate your special day? Yes, please! 3. Marco strikes an oh-so-cool pose with Mom and Dad. Photos by Heidi Green Photography (heidigreen.com)

LookIng foR A PIcTuRe-PeRfecT bIRThdAY venue? vISIT newYoRkfAMILY.coM/bIRThdAY-PARTIeS 20

New York Family | September 2013

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scoop

KEEPING PARENTS IN THE KNOW

APP mOmmY POPPINS The team that brought you Mommy Poppins, the online guide for kids’ activities in NYC, is making urban parents’ lives easier with a new smartphone app. After a year of development, the Mommy Poppins Kids On The Go app is complete and has everything you need to seek out city fun—including lists of places to eat, shop, and play. Features include filters like cost or neighborhood. Simply search to find activities that suit your needs and open the app’s map to make a plan. The iOS app is free in the iTunes store and will soon be available for Android. mommypoppins.com

BIRTHDAYS mYSTERY & mAYHEm Mystery & Mayhem offers incredible improvisational and age-appropriate dress up mystery parties in which guests ages 7-18 become suspects in a horrendous crime. “Like Clue, but better!” is the way one youngster described the event, with five mysterious, riveting, and hilarious dramas to choose from. Guests receive gifts of crystals or semi-precious stones in pouches. mysteryandmayhem.com

BOOK A SKETcHY cITY Kids growing up in New York City have a great cultural advantage, what with so many parks, museums, and attractions at their fingertips. Tapping into the city’s sense of grandeur and pride, local author Bill Zimmerman published City Doodles New York, an interactive notebook in which families can explore the city on paper and fill in the blanks with their own illustrations. From subterranean subway scenes to butterflies at the Botanical Garden, City Doodles New York is an unfinished visual adventure around different parts of the city that a crayon or pencil can help complete—fill in the blanks with your family and add even more magic to the metropolis. billztreasurechest.com

ScHOOL

SPORTS NEW YORK SLUGGERS If you have a child who loves to play baseball, put the New York Sluggers on your radar. Started by a great local coach with a professional baseball background, Fabricio Benitez, and a New York Mets pitcher, Frank Francisco, the Sluggers opened one of the city’s best indoor batting cages (and pitching tunnels) last January. The space offers baseball training to individual players as well as to school teams. And now the Sluggers are expanding to include youth travel baseball teams of their own—with a home base on Randall’s Island for children ages 9 and up. (Contact their travel director, Brett Brown, for the scoop on the new teams at bhb425@me.com.) nysluggers.com

New York Family | September 2013

THE mONTESSORI AT FLATIRON The Montessori at Flatiron, opening this fall at 5 West 22nd Street, is a preschool for children ages 2-5 that promises to embrace creativity, build self-awareness, and help kids develop early academic skills. The school will feature gardenlevel views, skylights, and grassy indoor play spaces—with reading, writing, math, and sensory exploration stations in each classroom. These stations each will be split into areas for 2-year-olds and for ages 3-5, with two teachers per classroom. Opening on September 16, The Montessori at Flatiron currently has room for 100 youngsters—and are still accepting students for fall as of press time—but has expansion plans for about 70 more seats by next summer. themontessorischools.org. FOR mORE TIPS ON LOcAL RESOURcES FOR FAmILIES, cHEcK OUT NEWYORKFAmILY.cOm

www.newyorkfamily.com

Come visit Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shoes to see the latest collection of Clarks kids shoes. SpeCial event Sunday, SeptembeR 22, 2013 11am to 4pm

your

free gi ft Receive a set of colorful chunky pencils and coloring pages when you purchase a pair of Clarks kids shoes* *While supplies last.

enjoy a day of fun with the Clarks rep and receive a special treat just for trying on a pair of Clarks kids shoes. 2315 Broadway, New York, NY 10024 (212) 874-2034

lysst

DRESS CODES Send your students back to the classroom in fine fashion!

GIRLS

By Lyss Stern

1 2

4 5 7 8 6 1. Lime Light It’s easy to go green and keep cool with an edgy ensemble from Diesel Kids. Try a verdant cable knit sweater and denim skirt with tulle ruffles for an eye-catching yet age-appropriate look. Sweater, $69; skirt, $89; diesel.com

classic cardigan look with Mini Boden’s fancy Fun Cardigan in the Ink Poodle design. The perfect compliment to dressier school ensembles, this sweet sweater is sure to rank best-in-show from the playground to the classroom. $54, bodenusa.com

5. Think Pink Infuse your daughter’s wardrobe with some zesty zigzags by snapping up Missoni’s reversible pink puffer vest available at Alex and Alexa. With a patterned side and a solid side, you can double up on the amount of mix-and-match possibilities! $547, alexandalexa.com

2. Animal Instinct Girls will roar with excitement over Cherokee’s faux fur vest, leopard print corduroys, and denim shirt— all available at Target. Vest, $22.99; shirt, $16.99; pants, $16.99; target.com

4. Mad for Plaid Nothing quite encompasses the spirit of autumnal aesthetics like a classic plaid print. FORE!! Axel & Hudon’s Double Plaid reversible dress lets your girlie girl put a twist on the preppy print. $29-30, foreaxelandhudson.com

6. Jumper for Joy The combination of corduroy and rickrack was practically made for dressing little girls for their first days of elementary school. Mimivail’s signature green jumper serves a classic look rendered in super-soft German cotton. $130, mimivail.com

3. Poodle Prep Add a sassy twist to the

New York Family | September 2013

7. Pack it Up Lands’ End’s comfy, eyecatching FeatherLight backpack lets girls get personal with a monogramming option. $44, landsend.com 8. Wild Child Let your budding rock star show off some street-wise style with a hip getup from Lester’s, consisting of the Rock Candy Zip Heart Hi Lo top, Les Tout Petits patterned leggings, and Amiana Hi Top sneaker with buckles. Top, $40; leggings $49; sneakers $69; lesters.com continued on page 26 www.newyorkfamily.com

What does

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BOYS

16 13

15 14

9. Academic in Argyle Brooks Brothers’ argyle V-neck sweater is a surefire way to send your little one straight to the head of the class. Pair this style standard with a beige blazer and ox’s blood-hued trousers for extra credit points! Sweater, $100; Corduroy Sport Coat, $148; brooksbrothers.com 10. Canine Couture With Mini Boden’s playful patterned sweater in Grey Marl Sprout, your stylish little students can extend the dog days of summer well into the school year. The pooch graphic is sure to make kids

smile, while the snuggly knit will keep them warm as temps start to drop. $48, bodenusa.com 11. Crazy for Khakis Say goodbye to plain old khakis —GapKids has great pairs in a variety of bright shades, including vibrant orange for an autumnal take on the colored pants trend. $29.95, gap.com 12. Sharp Shirt Keep your littlest hipster looking smart this fall with Little Marc Jacobs’ Oxford shirt. The playful piping and excellent design add some edge to a school-day staple. $119, marcjacobs.com

New York Family | September 2013

13. Blaze of Glory Trends come and go, but a basic blazer is always in fashion for scholars of any age. Soft Clothing’s Prep School blazer, made from organic cotton with crisp white piping for contrast, is an essential for your son’s academic wardrobe. $56, softclothing.net 14. Fashionably Flannel Why settle for one plaid pattern when you can have four? Crew Cuts by J.Crew’s boys cotton flannel shirt in Colorblock Plaid is a cheeky take on the always-beloved fall flannel. $55, jcrew.com

15. Packed to the Max A great, durable backpack, like this one by Ralph Lauren is a necessity for your stylish young scholar to tote his books in. $75, ralphlauren.com 16. An Edgy Education Your little rebel can get totally cool for school with trendy essentials from Lester’s—like Lucky’s Distressed vegan leather jacket, Buffalo Kids’ N-Ikos long sleeve hooded tee-shirt, and Levi’s 510 super-skinny jeans. Jacket, $75; shirt, $40; jeans, $48; lesters.com

LYSS STERN, AN UPPER EAST SIDE MOM OF TWO, IS THE FOUNDER OF DIVALYSSCIOUSMOMS [DIVAMOMS.COM]

www.newyorkfamily.com

treats

A step In The rIght DIrectIon The top trends in fall footwear for kids By Samantha Simon

It’s that tIme of the year agaIn—the time to get ready for back-to-school shoe shopping. Having the hottest new footwear is a must, so get set to check out some of the most noteworthy trends for your little ones’ feet. Prepare to see plenty of deep purples, glittery prints, and jewel-covered accents in stores come fall. This season, it’s all about rocking retro fashions, old-school sneaker styles, and experimenting with new hues. Plus, plenty of floral details and a mix of winter-inspired textures round out the most popular must-have looks to start the school year off on the right foot! 28

New York Family | September 2013

www.newyorkfamily.com

1. Young fashionistas will be right on trend this fall with Pediped’s purple Gina boot. From the monochromatic hue to the simple floral detail, this shoe is a must-have for those crisp autumn days. $68, pediped.com 2. The red Claralie flats from Primigi are an exciting update to the traditional Mary Jane style. The rich autumn color gets an extra pop thanks to a bit of sparkle that glamour girls are sure to love. $74, ibizakidz.com 3. Nothing screams “flower power” like the Karmen boot from Stride Rite. Each step will be bright and cheerful with the bold colors and pompom trim of this beyond garden-variety girls’ boot. $42-49, striderite.com 10

4. Naturino’s Chucker Desert Boot is sparkly yet casual enough for everyday wear. Available at Greenstones in silver, blue glitter, and rosy pink, this mini boot can jazz up almost any outfit without being over-the-top. $82, naturino.com 5. Clarks’ Crazy Cake high-tops for girls are perfect for preschool superstars looking to start the year off right. The star details, neon pink laces, and faux fur trim make for one superbly sartorial toddler. $55, clarks.com 6. Little ladies can kick off the school year in style with Keds’ adorable raspberry-hued Champion K sneakers. The colorful shoe is classically simple yet totally trendy as it features charm accents on the laces. $35, keds.com

7. Boys, get ready to blast off into back-to-school style! The dark shade of Pediped’s Jupiter sneaker features bright orange details on the laces and sole in this sporty take on the fun color pop trend. $58, pediped.com 8. This mini work boot from Clarks will make any boy’s outfit infinitely cooler. From the metal accents to the inside zipper for easy and quick on-and-off transitions, this shoe is an understated style success. $70, clarks.com 9. The all-weather work boot from Rugged Gear Footwear features a capped colored toe and matching star detail in this funky fall shoe. It’s available in pink, yellow, and silver, so any fashion-forward kid can rock this look in the classroom. Price varies, shooflynyc.com

10. Little boys can head to recess in style wearing the Camden Mini Shoez from Robeez. The casual navy, green, and white color scheme is a fresh look for fall yet still reminiscent of those warm summer days. $17, myrobeez.com 11. Step right up into fall style with See Kai Run’s adorable Remy shoes in a swimmingly sweet aqua hue. This fun floral-adorned shoe is available at Harry’s Shoes for Kids and makes for a great, colorful addition to any little girl’s school day ensemble. $56, harrys-shoes.com 12. The perfectly cool shade of Florsheim’s No String Wing Oxford for boys certainly makes a grown-up statement. The seemingly neutral shoe is a chic take on the classic wing-tipped style that will have any little man looking like a million bucks this school year. $59, lesters.com

www.newyorkfamily.com

13. Steve Madden’s Troopa boot for girls is the quintessential shoe for back-toschool cool. The mature and edgy look available at Tip Top Kids Shoes is sure to turn a few heads in the halls with its combat lace-up style and luxe black leather exterior. $ $49.95, tiptopshoes.com

September 2013 | New York Family

growing up

a big smile and a firm handshake are key when making new friends.

Beyond The Backpack 7 Tips On How Social And Emotional Skills Can Help Children Succeed In School— And In Life By Faye de Muyshondt It’s that time of the year again: back-to-school season. You probably have your child’s first-day outfit neatly arranged, not to mention a brand new pair of shoes and a backpack full of new notebooks and pencils. I can still recall a few of my first-day outfits: dark wash Jordache jeans, Crayola backpack, and sparkling white Keds (red Reebok high tops another year). But beyond the tangibles lies an even more important aspect of returning to school—namely the social and emotional skills that are increasingly vital in our very digital world. With less and less face-to-face interaction happening, it’s more important than ever that we teach these skills proactively. As Dr. Barbara Howard, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine assistant professor and behavior and development expert, emphasizes: “Social skills are necessary for school success.” These vital functions help children get along with peers, interact with teachers, make new friends, and—as I see firsthand in the classroom at socialsklz:-),

New York Family | September 2013

a program that helps equip children with these skills— they also build self-confidence and self-esteem. In fact, good social skills will not only help your children stand out in school but are also invaluable to their futures. According to a University of Loyola Chicago study, social and emotional learning (SEL) “promotes young people’s academic success, health, and well-being at the same time that it prevents a variety of problems, such as alcohol and drug use, violence, truancy, and bullying.” Besides doing better on standardized tests, students who received SEL instruction were better communicators and more concerned members of the community—and they ended up standing out in ways that will help them achieve goals and tackle challenges in the future. As your children head back to school, here are a few ways in which you can prepare them for social and emotional success: 1. We’ll each make a first impression thousands of times during a lifetime, yet most of us never get a lesson on how to meet and greet. So prepare children to go back to school with the ability to make a great first impression on their teachers as well as on their classmates. At home, ask your child how they would like to come across to others. I’ve never had a student say “nervous, shy, or unhappy,” yet children often unknowingly come across that way. Show kids how continued on page 33

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5. “Bullying” is a word that kids hear over and over, and oftentimes they tune out when it’s brought up. Instead, try talking about thoughtfulness and empathy, which are key aspects to making and keeping friends. Every child who I’ve encountered agrees: Kids want to have friends! So share a few examples of how to be that type of friend and ask kids how they think they can be thoughtful. Additionally, it’s just as important to talk about how to handle sticky situations, like when other people aren’t acting thoughtful or empathetic (for example: leaving someone out, making fun of someone, and other mean behavior). Come up with a strategy so that your children know what to do if faced with a difficult encounter. What’s the polite way to ask for your friend on the phone?

to execute a firm handshake with the right hand—no “dead fish”—make good eye contact, smile, and show proper body language. (Of course, you’ll also want to review the more casual encounters that they will face with their peers.) 2. Unbeknownst to many students, a major classroom faux-pas is never addressing a teacher by his or her name. It might not seem like a big deal, but saying someone’s name is respectful and makes people feel good. Make sure your child knows the proper title—a Mr., Ms., or Mrs.?—and how to pronounce the teacher’s last name aloud. Explain the difference between Mrs., Miss, and Ms. (with a “zzzzz” sound). A teacher should never be addressed by his or her first name or a nickname, unless they specify otherwise. 3. Lunchroom behavior can leave a lasting impression. Even though the cafeteria is a far more casual setting than the dinner table, advise your children not to talk with their mouths full, chew loudly, or dissect food like a science project. Model your very own “school lunch” at home to get kids in cafeteria mode. Prepare an example lunch in brown paper bags for kids and review the dos and don’ts of the lunch table. 4. The playground is the perfect place to make friends, so teach your kids how to approach a new classmate with a friendly, interested smile and a fun, appropriate conversation starter. Have your kids prepare at least three questions to ask their classmates before school starts. Have fun with the exercise and role play as if you were the new classmate, and point out that one word answers don’t make for a great conversation! Sample conversation starters can include: What did you do over the summer? How was your weekend? What’s your favorite class? www.newyorkfamily.com

6. Adopting an appreciative attitude and expressing gratitude not only helps us make and keep friends, but doing so also make us happier people. Kids have the natural tendency to expect things and take things for granted, so it’s important to help them incorporate gratitude into everyday life. Recognizing others’ efforts and conveying thanks makes other people feel special, which in turn makes us feel good. Instead of the “please” and “thank you” that children are programmed to say, encourage your child to be more specific—for example, if a classmate helps them out with homework, your child can say, “Thank you for the help, I was having a hard time with that math problem.” At home, find time to share the things you appreciated during your day, or spread the positive attitude with “acts of kindness” like hiding surprise thank you notes in backpacks or lunch boxes. 7. Self-awareness is an essential skill for school and life—this is what enables a child to accurately judge their own performance and behavior and to respond appropriately to different social situations. It also helps them address their own feelings and how to manage feelings. Teach your child to monitor and to describe his or her own behavior, to observe him or herself, and to observe the effect their actions have on the world around them. If your child gets into a fight with a friend, for example, help him or her walk through what happened and discuss his or her role in the conflict. On the flipside, if your child does something nice for someone, you can say, “Look how happy you made your new friend by playing with her.” FAye de MUyShondT is the founder of socialsklz:-), whose Back2School Bootcamps are currently running through the end of the month, and the author of the new book socialsklz:-) for SUCCESS:-), which Parents magazine described as “a cutting edge, must-read manual for raising polite and safe kids in the digital world.” September 2013 | New York Family

Daniel S. Burnstein Photography

a special place

Game on!

AheAd of the field The Popular Fastbreak Sports Opens A Flagship Facility On The Upper East Side By Samantha Brand

The transformation of an old United Artists movie theater into a top-tier sports center for children may not be all that surprising in a city where meat-packing slaughterhouses have been converted into chic retail stores. But like many of the movies that used to play at the UA on First Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets, the arrival of the multimillion dollar state-ofthe-art sports facility, known as Fastbreak Sports for its emphasis on basketball, is a tale of a dream come true. The dreamer in question is a friendly, energetic lifelong New Yorker named Lonny Levine, who grew up rooting for those great Knicks teams of the late

New York Family | September 2013

60s and early 70s, played high school basketball and baseball at Columbia Grammar and Prep on the Upper West Side, and was even a soda vendor at Knicks games. About eight years ago, Levine decided to transition out of a successful career in the Garment District in order to launch Fastbreak. Since then he’s turned a simple idea—quality basketball instruction for kids—into one of the most popular basketball programs in the city. Fastbreak officially launched in 2006 with 35 kids practicing their basketball skills on the weekends. Now there are more than 1,000 children participating in Fastbreak’s basketball programs (including classes, leagues, travel teams, one-on-one training, and private group sessions) as well as in its flag football leagues (Fastbreak’s other main sport). To grow Fastbreak, Levine used his ample logistics and dealmaking skills for the task of renting and organizing court time at school gyms and other facilities around the city that have basketball courts in addition to running flag football in public and private fields. When Fastbreak Sports opens its own flagship facility on November 11, it’ll be a very public testament to how far the program has come and where Levine and his founding partners—Stanley Shopkorn, Jack Irushalmi, and Jason Rabin—hope to take it. “I think it’s an advantage that I grew up in New York City. I’m also a parent of two children who have grown up in New York City too. My son has helped me understand the needs of kids today, but I also understand the needs of parents,” Levine says. “My past sports experiences—playing high school ball and coaching after high school—have brought the whole thing together for me.” www.newyorkfamily.com

Jennifer Goodman Levine imparting courtside wisdom

The idea for Fastbreak originally came to Levine when he took his son, then 8, to a local basketball program and noticed that the children were practicing on a basket that was mounted too high. When his criticism was brushed aside, Levine started thinking about how this could be done better and how he’d love to do it. “It’s scary, but it’s the best thing I ever did,” Levine said about leaving the Garment District to start Fastbreak. “I work 24/7, but I don’t feel like I work.” Lately, much of that 24/7 has been dedicated to developing the new facility. Working with Frank Denner Architects, Levine has equipped Fastbreak’s new space—a sleek 7,000-plus-square-foot gym— with a full-size basketball court, seven baskets, glass backboards, flatscreen televisions, a professionallevel basketball court (just under regulation size), a parents’ viewing balcony, and, with a nod to the bursting-with-kids neighborhood of the venue, a room for birthday parties. Levine expects Fastbreak to grow in its wonderful new home in two key ways: For the first time, the organization will offer age-appropriate sports classes for toddlers and preschoolers; at the same time, it’ll also broaden its menu of classes and expert coaching and training for kids ages five and up. The classes for younger kids will begin in January, with multi-sport classes in the mornings and early www.newyorkfamily.com

afternoons for toddlers and preschoolers ages 1.5- 5 as well as two-hour separation classes for preschoolers 2.5 and up. For its grade-schoolers on up to through its teenagers, Fastbreak’s plan is to have their players continue to practice together and play games at rented spaces around the city, but they’ll also be able to come to the new home for afterschool classes and evening training. There will be classes and training available for all ages on the weekend as well. To staff up, Levine has hired eight full-time coaches and over 20 part-timers, whereas in the past he could only afford to enlist part-time coaches for 10 hours a week. “I am now able to do more education, to basically bring up the level of coaching and teaching for our kids,” he says. “Between the cuttingedge equipment and education process, we’re now going to offer everything kids need to take them to the next level.” At the same time, parents with children already involved with Fastbreak will immediately tell you that they love about the program (and about Levine) as much for the life lessons their kids learn as for the emphasis on skills and development. As Fastbreak parent David Steinfeld attests, athletes like his 9-yearold son Drew have learned a lot about character from his Fastbreak coaches. “Drew thinks he’s LeBron, even though he’s a nice little Jewish kid,” Steinfeld says. “One time he walked onto the court like a hot shot with the laces of his expensive sneakers untied. The coach blew the whistle on him. They stopped the whole game so Drew could tie his laces in front of everybody. It embedded in him that this was the real deal and that you have to respect yourself and everyone else. He wouldn’t listen to me. He [listens] to them.” Levine himself describes Fastbreak’s overall view of working with kids this way: “Our goal is to build self-esteem. If you can build self-esteem in the child, they’re going to want to play more. As they play more, they are going to start to get better. Certain kids just need to be pushed further and certain kids need a positive, nurturing environment. We try and find that happy balance.” Levine may seem like a natural, but he goes the extra yard to continue to improve as a coach and manager. Over the years, he has visited with and established ongoing relationships with program directors at elite basketball clinics around the country. “The rewarding part is when we actually bring these ideas back to the kids and we see their progress and enjoyment in their development,” he says. As he looks ahead to starting this new phase of Fastbreak, Levine says that if all goes as planned, he hopes to start other centers around the city. Meanwhile, every day he manages Fastbreak, he tries to follow the same advice he gives his kids on the court. “It’s a lot of trial and error, and it comes organically,” Levine says. “Get into the gym, find your goals, and find your own way. Starting a new business is like starting a new sport. You never know until you try.” September 2013 | New York Family

Andrew Schwartz

a good idea

Kidville owners Rammy Harwood, Shari Misher Stenzler, and Andy Stenzler

Here, THere,

& everywHere By Helping Little Kids Make Wiggles, Giggles, And Big Muscles, Kidville Is Spreading All Over The City, The Country, And The World By Eric Messinger Before interviewing the owners of Kidville—married couple Andy Stenzler and Shari Misher Stenzler, and Rammy Harwood—we all chatted as parents. I shared my worry of the moment: my daughter’s obsession with Instagram. “Don’t get me started on selfies,” I lamented. “Oh, yeah, Selfie Sundays,” Andy nodded. “You know about that?” I asked, surprised. “Sure, I’ve got a 10-year-old,” he replied with a knowing smile. Then I realized why I was surprised. I knew that the original idea for Kidville was inspired by Shari’s experiences as a new mom schlepping her baby

New York Family | September 2013

to kids’ classes in the neighborhood. But I hadn’t realized how much time had passed since then. If their oldest is now 10, that meant that Kidville too is closing in on a decade—and that New York Family and Kidville had a lot of catching up to do. For the record, the first Kidville opened on the Upper East Side in January of 2005 and the second one followed on the Upper West Side in May of 2006. How close is the Kidville of today to the original vision you had for it? How has it evolved? Andy: Kidville has always been about putting all kinds of great kids’ classes under one roof, adding in additional services like a playground, a salon, retail stores, and birthday parties—and making it clean, safe, and secure. That core is still what we do today. Our offerings have evolved, of course, but what’s great is that it means thousands of lesson plans have evolved over the years from parent feedback and teacher feedback from all the Kidvilles, not only in New York, but from around the world. Kid-wise, who is your core audience? Andy: We’ve always had a core market of ages 0-5, with the biggest market being kids before they’ve continued on page 38

www.newyorkfamily.com

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continued from page 36

started nursery school or kindergarten. So basically it’s little people who start with us when they’re 6 months old and often go on with us till they’re 5 years old—and who may soon use Kidville products. Kidville products? Are we breaking news here? Are you going to be in stores? Andy: I think the best way to describe what we’re going to do is that Kidville has a relationship with parents all around the globe, and those parents have a lot of recommendations that they’d like share with other parents who don’t live around a Kidville. So we’re going to give those moms a forum in which to curate everything from clothing to toys to events, and more. For instance, a mom in California might make recommendations to a mom in Minnesota about what a 4-year-old might wear to a nursery school graduation. Last year, you put a lot of energy into debuting your Rockin’ Railroad classes. What is that class all about, and how’s it going? Rammy: Rockin’ Railroad is our signature music program and certainly one of our biggest initiatives from a content standpoint. Shari: We believe that the Rockin’ Railroad CDs will be a product people will be interested in too. It will be something that we kind of launch separately on its own merit. Did we just break more news? For parents who aren’t familiar, how would you describe the class— and the CD—in a nutshell? Shari: The class introduces new genres of music to kids every single week, and now it’s evolved into an all-original music CD. Is it your most popular class? Andy: There are the big three. We’ve got the Big Muscle series, the Run Wiggle Paint and Giggle series, and the Rockin’ Railroad series. The only reason art is not as big a category as music and gym is because kids put crayons in their mouth when they’re 12 months old. So we start art at 18 months when they realize that crayons don’t taste so good. Shari: The key to all this is that there’s a developmental progression within a semester of classes that then carries through as a child is old enough to take the next level class in the series. So kids in We Wiggle graduate to Run Wiggle and often eventually end up in KVU—Kidville University—our 2s and 3s program that introduces children to a real nursery school environment. Andy: We’ve also recently expanded our sports and dance titles—and all that takes off from ages 3 to 5

New York Family | September 2013

when kids really have the dexterity to enjoy those activities. Earlier you alluded to getting parent feedback from all over the world. When did you get in the business of franchising? Andy: From the start we built Kidville to be a franchise company because we thought it would work best as a network of owners that were local to their marketplaces. We built the initial locations—the Upper East Side and Upper West Side—and then in 2009 we started franchising. We are the teachers, the instructors, the friends. We are the support for every franchise location worldwide, from Park Slope to Los Angeles to China to India. Rammy: The really fun part is that we have a lot of franchisees who were originally members of one of our Kidvilles in the city. They drank the Kool Aid, loved it, and wanted to move it home with them. How many franchises are there to date? Rammy: Fifty locations, 14 of which are opening this year. In New York City, there are 11, with three of those opening this year in the Financial District, Tribeca/SoHo, and Williamsburg. To sum up, here’s a 10th anniversary type of question even though we’re only coming up on your ninth: After doing this for almost a decade, what’s the joy? What do you love best about owning and running Kidville? Rammy: The biggest joys for me are seeing the families, literally. Do they know you? Rammy: No, I don’t think so. And that’s okay. I was out in the Kidville in Summit, New Jersey, last week, and this mom saw me in a class and asked me who I was and then talked my ear off for ten minutes about how much she loves this teacher in this class. And I just kept saying “thank you.” And she said, “Did you hire her?” And I said, “No, I didn’t. I’m just here to enjoy the class.” But hearing about the joyful impact that one teacher had made on this family’s life is my absolute biggest joy. Knowing that every day we are making an impact on these families’ lives—that’s the privilege. Andy: The only thing I would add is that I don’t think we expected to be in eight or nine countries by now, and that’s been super fun. Does that mean you’re on the road a lot? Andy: Not really. Technology allows us to communicate with our franchisees daily. You turn a $100 camera around in the Kidville in Qatar and you can see what’s going on there. www.newyorkfamily.com

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Power The Purnell School Offers A World Of Opportunity, Just An Hour Outside The City

he Purnell School—an all-girls boarding and day school (and former dairy farm) set against the scenic backdrop of Pottersville, New Jersey—offers students a uniquely supportive learning environment. Being only an hour’s drive from Manhattan, Purnell is winning over city families who not only prize its educational approach and bucolic setting, but also value its proximity. “For the families coming from New York City, the first thing that usually strikes them about Purnell is the location. Many girls from the city enjoy going to school in a rural, country setting while they’re here—then when they’re home they go back to city life,” says Nicole Moon, Purnell’s Director of Admissions who also speaks from experience as an alum. To deepen the connection between the pastoral campus and the bustling city, Purnell will run a weekend shuttle service for the first time this fall. “Students can learn in our safe, nurturing community while still being able to have the culture and activities that Manhattan offers,” says Ayanna Hill-Gill, who is entering her seventh year as Purnell’s Head of School. With a college prep curriculum that emphasizes students’ individual strengths, Purnell, which runs from

grades 9-12, attracts girls who love making the school their home away from home. Its capacity is 115 students, almost all of whom are five-day or seven-day boarders. A seven-day boarder has the option of going home a few times a month, but they typically enjoy the opposite—that is, relaxing with friends at school, and focusing on academics. Five-day boarders go home almost every weekend and have flexibility to stay during inclement weather. All boarders can avail themselves of the school’s new shuttle service— and both reap boundless benefits from the school’s small student population. “At Purnell you’re really noticed and you’ll get opportunities. You won’t fall through the cracks,” Moon explains. “I think there’s a real sense of community here.” The same could be said for its educational approach. Purnell prides itself on offering Differentiated Instruction, which focuses on students’ academic strengths. All the students work on the same project within a given subject, but the instruction is based around finding how each student can contribute in a way that is natural and stimulating for them. “Purnell’s DNA is about meeting each girl where she is as a learner, helping her discover her passions and strengths, and challenging her to become a confident, successful young woman who will lead in any area of focus,” Hill-Gill says. To maximize the potential of differentiated learning, Purnell requires students to take part in their strengthsbased GEMS (Guiding, Engaging, and Magnifying Strengths) program. In grades 9 and 10, the focus is on self-discovery and teamwork. In grades 11 and 12, girls are guided toward projects that deepen their knowledge to prepare them for college. In the same spirit of self-discovery, extracurriculars are abundant on Purnell’s 83-acre campus. The school offers verdant fields for soccer and softball, state-of-the-art tennis courts, and a full-size gym including a dance studio. There’s even an equestrian program a few miles off-campus. But the real cultural hub is the Carney Center, Purnell’s performing arts center. “If Purnell had to be known for something other than academics, it would be the arts overall,” Moon says. “And it doesn’t mean that everyone comes here and does art…But inevitably it happens that we require students to take [both] a performing art and a studio art class.” On the physical education front, Purnell doesn’t require a traditional gym class, but does insist that students participate in at least one sport. The competitive offerings include soccer, basketball, softball, and dance, while yoga and weight training round out the individual selections. The top-tier classes, activities, and facilities at Purnell speak for themselves but there’s an even better way to understand the value of a Purnell education: “When [graduates] share their successes—not only what they are doing in life but more importantly who they are as women— that is when we know we have successfully executed our mission,” says Hill-Gill.

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t’s midsummer in the city at a trendy Tribeca coffee shop, and Bethenny Frankel is preparing for a girls’ trip to San Tropez. Decked out in form-fitting exercise gear for her morning workout—a red tank top and black spandex pants, with big sunglasses at-the-ready—she takes a healthy swig of a bottled green concoction of kale, celery, cucumber, lemon, ginger, mint, and spirulina. “Thanks for the seventy-dollar juice,” she quips. Incredulous at the price of pressed fruits and veggies, the successful entrepreneur is not one to suffer fools gladly. Sure, she’ll answer the clarion call to drink pricey pulverized produce, but she won’t do it quietly. “There’s one for six bucks that’s not even organic!” It’s an unsurprising response (even from a woman who’s made millions in beverages) because it’s as spontaneous as it is honest—the cutting combo that Frankel came to be known for during her tenure as the sharp-tongued bachelorette on BRAVO’s “The Real Housewives of New York City.” Her barbed remark notwithstanding, the Manhattan mom is actually in a place of relative calm and quiet in the heat-waved month before filming her new talk show, which debuts this fall. The 42-year-old celebrity personality and entrepreneur returns to TV at a time when her branded Skinnygirl lifestyle line is also a full-tilt success with a full bar of ready-to-serve cocktails, a collection of New York Times bestselling books, shapewear for women, snacks, and nutritional supplements. After a six-week test run last summer and the support of equally quick-witted but much sweetertongued talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, “bethenny” was given the green light to develop as a nationally syndicated daytime talk show. Now, people across the country who live, drink, eat, read, and wear Frankel’s fare can catch her playful yet keen perspective on everything from food and fashion to romance and relationships via television screens on weekday mornings. “It’s like girls’ night out, talking about what we talk about when men aren’t around,” says Frankel, who’s currently in the midst of a divorce after a nearly three-year marriage to pharmaceutical sales rep Jason Hoppy. The collective, girl-gab format will be a breath of fresh air for the reality show-spawned-celebrity because, for once, it’s not all about her. “It’s not everyone watching me and how I’m living my life. It’s a two-way street now,” Frankel says. “It’s kind of like I’m running a group therapy session,” she continues. “It’s always a discussion.” And so we discussed. Have you always been the type of person to give good advice once you figure something out? I’ve always been this way. And now that I have this platform, it’s almost like a responsibility. That’s why I was chomping at the bit for the talk show. It’s what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s my home. It’s my center, career-wise.

continued on page 44

New York Family | September 2013

www.newyorkfamily.com

BETHENNY’S

NEW

REALITY

Warner Bros./Telepictures Productions, “bethenny”

Now A Devoted Mom And Successful Lifestyle Entrepreneur, The Candid And Quick-Witted Bethenny Frankel Returns To Television This Fall With Style And Substance As Host Of Her Own Daytime Talk Show By Whitney C. Harris

www.newyorkfamily.com

September 2013 | New York Family

continued from page 43

How is “bethenny” different than “ellen” or “Oprah”? I’ve never seen a talk show bell to bell, so I don’t know what goes on. But as far as the people and my reception, I’m different from Ellen because she’s an entertainer and she’s really funny and her show is a laugh-out-loud variety show that makes people feel better about their day. If something terrible has happened, she’ll mention it and acknowledge it, but she wants to make people feel better about it—not dig in the mire and go through it with them. Her role is to make people smile. I want to go in it. I want to talk about sex; I want to talk about your miscarriage; I want to talk about the infidelity in your marriage; I want to talk about mothers who lost their kids in Sandy Hook Elementary School. And I also want to talk about silly things…you know, beauty.

“Being a mom is the only thing that keeps you centered, and you know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing and how you’re supposed to be doing it and that you’re doing the right thing.” Who’s been your favorite guest so far? I have three: Justin Bieber was my favorite guest because…it was like interviewing Michael Jackson in his time as “Michael Jackson.” I interviewed him at his most famous [point] in his life. I took it seriously, and he was comfortable and happy… Coco, Ice-T’s wife, was fun because she has this famous ass, and I ended up making a whole big theatrical, dramatic moment out of putting a blingedout coaster and a glass with ice and then drinking a Skinnygirl cocktail off of her ass. It showed the highs and lows of the show. I loved having Denis Leary on because I used to cook for him, so that was full-circle. It’s like, look at where I’ve come from. I used to be in a trailer cooking for him, and now he’s on my talk show. Who’s your dream guest? Mark Zuckerberg is my dream guest. Seth MacFarlane is my new cute-crush-dream-guest. Also P!nk and Amanda Bynes, who is going through something. I know that she would feel safe with me. I have a decent shot at having a real conversation with her, because she’s read my book, she’s tweeted me, she’s aware of me. Are there certain topics you’re particularly excited to tackle with viewers? I’m excited to talk about marriage, divorce, infidelity, motherhood, how to start a business, dating, and tips. You don’t always have to be the prettiest woman in the room, but you want to be the most interesting woman in the room.

New York Family | September 2013

You definitely talk a lot about career. You’re a big advocate of women promoting themselves in the workplace. Have you read Lean In? I’m reading it to get through it. I don’t like that we come out of the gate with all of these statistics that if we keep going this way, women are not at all going to be in the workplace. [Sheryl Sandberg] acknowledges that women have kids and that despite that, we can still be these mavericks in the workplace. I know that there’s a good percentage of people who went to Harvard and decided just to be moms—and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I think they went to Harvard because that was the best school and they were overachievers and this is the trajectory that they were on. And then they had kids and didn’t want to work that hard. Some people just don’t want to work that hard. It’s exhausting. Part of me doesn’t want to work this hard… But, I think it’s fifty-fifty. Fifty percent of women probably want that identity at the playground, but I don’t ultimately know that that makes them happy. Some people do want to be moms and do other things later. And it doesn’t have to be such a big deal. And it’s such a personal decision. There are few, if any, hard and fast rules that can be applied to everyone’s work-life balance. I haven’t finished the book, but I don’t really get how Sandberg says it’s so rewarding. She never really addresses how thrilled she is with her career and that she loves her life. She’s always talking about working 18 hours, being away from her kids, her husband cutting her slack. And she makes a nice living, but sometimes she would feel bad and cry because she hadn’t seen her kid. I would not be able to deal with that, and I’m a pretty successful businesswoman, but I see my kid all the time. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do any of this. She’s kind of just scaring us into needing to get back into the workplace and break the ceiling, because otherwise it’s going to be all about the men. And I get that, but I didn’t see anything very compelling. She can help other women who don’t have a voice or who don’t feel like they can speak up to their superiors. I didn’t have that problem. I don’t like this whole gender conversation in general… It’s too much to have a conversation about what we’re not getting; just go get it. I’m not into the “woe is me.” But I could not do this if I didn’t have this flexible schedule. I could not be working in some office on Fifth Avenue from nine in the morning to six o’clock at night with a kid. I could not mentally handle that. So, find your way through it, whatever that is. Did you have any mentors who showed you the way? I feel like I should make somebody up, but no. Nobody. No one has it figured out. I don’t even know what anyone else is doing. I don’t look at anybody else.

continued on page 46

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What inspired you to write your new book, Skinnygirl Solutions: Your Straight-Up Guide to Home, Health, Family, Career, Style, and Sex? It’s, coincidentally, a blueprint for the talk show. We’re all trying to figure out how to navigate a day without being bogged down with so much information, so we need a crystallized, mental toolbox… The book is really user-friendly and I don’t want it to feel overwhelming. It talks about things like purging your closet, your kids’ toys—and how over-sensitized [kids] are because it all accumulates. Every time a parent wants to get their kid to stop crying or feel better about themselves as a parent, they buy their kid a ten-dollar stuffed animal. Then there are 7,000 stuffed animals, all these toys, all this crap in your house. They end up having stuff from when their kid, who is now 8, was 3 years old. So the book is just saying: Take it from a different perspective.

may not be able to have another child…just wanting to maximize every minute. The one consistent thing that everybody says is that it goes by quickly. So you really just want to enjoy every part of it. So what have been some of your life’s biggest lessons? Never assume anyone is smarter than you. The Skinnygirl Margarita was the greatest concept. I knew it was a good idea, and all the big guns didn’t want to do it. So I did it on my own. And all those people ended up wanting to buy me or copy me. So play your own game. In relationships, go with your gut, not with your head or your heart.

“You don’t always have to be the prettiest woman in the room, but you want to be the most interesting woman in the room.”

On the very first page of the book, you say, “I thought fame would be fun, but it changed me a little.” Can you tell us more? I used to talk to everybody on planes, in restaurants, and I don’t anymore because everyone gossips and everything I say gets out. You have to be more guarded, especially when you’re in the heat of the press. Before I was famous, I was always the person who was like, “What’d you order? How is that?” It’s not like I don’t talk to people—I do—but in general I’m not the first to be jumping into conversations with people I don’t know. Some days you’re out with your daughter and you just want to walk into a park, but there are all of these cameras following you and you feel self-conscious. You feel like it’s weird to go and start talking to some other mom, because some camera is going to start following you and take pictures of all of you. So you stay to yourself and you retreat a little. So you tend to hang out with people you’ve known for a long time, who you feel comfortable with.

Speaking of your heart, are you interested in dating? Would you ever date someone who’s in the public eye? I don’t know if I’m ready to date someone. I can’t imagine meeting someone that I don’t know and starting over. Then again, I meet people all the time and I like people. I’m sort of not looking for it in the next couple of years…who knows. I don’t know if someone really private would understand this life, but I don’t know if I want someone as chaotic as me. I like a businessperson, a person who is achieved, accomplished, passionate, who’s striving to make a difference. I think I underestimated that in the past.

When we first interviewed you three years ago, you were pregnant with your daughter, Bryn. You said you wanted to be a “calm mother who is communicative.” Have you been able to achieve that? Definitely. I don’t have much noise about being a parent. I just love to be with my child all the time... We have a great connection and a lot of fun. That’s one area that I’m pretty calm about.

Do you think you’ll be a lifelong New Yorker? Is New York where your heart is? It is now where my heart is. New York gave me so many things. My child, my career, my success… Right now, I’m feeling really good about New York, planting roots here, so I think I’m going to be here.

What are the joys and challenges of being a parent for you? The joys are just purity—you never get to see something so pure and simple. It simplifies things, because I have so many decisions to make and so many obligations, being pulled in so many directions. Being a mom is the only thing that keeps you centered and you know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing and how you’re supposed to be doing it, and that you’re doing the right thing. And everything else becomes a little quiet. My challenges are…knowing my age and that I

New York Family | September 2013

Someone more like you? They don’t have to be more like me, but maybe fundamentally so—they’re interested in making change and creative ideas.

What are some of your favorite things to do around the city? I just found the John Jay Park on [the Upper East Side]. Tribeca has a water park in it. I like the carousel in Central Park; getting tea at Eloise at the Plaza, Alice’s Tea Cup, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Sugar and Plumm. I like the children’s museums—both in Soho and the Upper West Side. Do you have any advice for separated or divorced parents who are raising young children? Have your own quality time with your child. Realize that this is just a moment in time… You [may be] beatwww.newyorkfamily.com

Bethenny’s “Ultimate Mom” Tips Don’t be a helicopter parent. Kids will develop more confidence in their own problem-solving abilities if they get a chance to figure things out themselves. Don’t negotiate with terrorists. It’s okay for a child to be frustrated, but it’s not okay for a parent to give in every time a child shows the slightest displeasure about something. Teach good hygiene. Every child should learn to wash her hands after playing or being out in the world and to touch her own face as little as possible. Keep a regular schedule. Kids thrive on regularity, and if the days are usually the same then it’s extra fun when something special happens.

Touchstone, a Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Never obsess about food. It’s insane and it teaches kids to overeat and panic and fear sharing and get emotional about food. Parent on a budget. Too many toys are over-stimulating, and kids won’t appreciate them. Even if you do have a lot of toys, put most of them away and rotate them out…so old toys feel like new toys. Schedule activities. Sign them up for things that interest them or that you think they would like, and get them outside as much as possible. Kids can’t get too much fresh air and sunshine. But don’t overschedule. Kids need time to be creative and make up their own activities without defaulting to the easy way out, which is staring at an electronic device. Never miss a meaningful moment. I’m a person who is always in a hurry, so this has been a big change for me, but I recognize how important it is to take those moments and cherish them. I know these moments with my daughter are fleeting, so I celebrate everything we do together.

ing yourself up more than [you should]. This moment reflects such a small percentage of their whole life. Where do you turn to for parenting advice? I’ve never read any parenting books. I don’t really give unsolicited advice and I don’t really take it. I mean, if it’s a medical thing, then you go to the doctor or you look online; if it’s a logistical thing like a camp or a school or a class, then that’s something you ask another mom when you’re picking up your kid at school. What’s funny is that I’ve had a lot of people come up to me, freaked out about so many things—potty training and sleeping—and they seem so anxiety ridden and they just want the right answer. It doesn’t have to be that complicated. As women, we’re instinctive creatures; we should go with our gut. Not with your head, not with your heart, but with your gut. You know the right thing to do. “BETHENNY” WILL AIR STARTING MONDAY, SEPT 9 AT 11AM ON FOX 5. FOR MORE OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH BETHENNY, VISIT NEWYORKFAMILY.COM www.newyorkfamily.com

September 2013 | New York Family

Fall Classes Begin th September 9 Sign up TODAY for a class in Music, Art, Gymnastics, Cooking or Early Preschool Enrichment Register by September 8th and SAVE $50 per Class! Call us today at 212.737.2989 or visit us at www.74magic.com

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September 2013 | New York Family

s the leaves turn and the temperatures start to drop, every kid (and parent) knows that it’s time to hit the books again. But autumn doesn’t have to be all about seat-time. From sports and fitness to music and art to mommy & me programs, the city is bursting with fantastic offerings to help kids engage, learn, and explore their passions.

14th Street Y Through circuits, dynamic drills, and exciting games, PopFit Kids Jr. hits on the Fab Five: cardio, balance, flexibility, strength, and endurance. Fitness fundamentals are developed as children work toward muscle coordination, motor planning skills, and in body awareness. 14streety.org 74th St. MAGIC A MAGIC favorite, Double Time is one of 74th St. MAGIC’s classes for ages 1826 months and 2.3-3 years. Children experience 45 minutes of Tumblin’ Tots in MAGIC’s state-of-the-art gym and 45 minutes of early preschool enrichment in a fully equipped classroom to help smoothly transition children to preschool. 74magic.com 92nd Street Y Cultivate the natural artist and mover in your child with 92Y’s unique Wonderdance. Designed to help young children to build strong, flexible bodies, and minds, the program lets kids create dances, embody their imaginations, learn to communicate, and explore concepts like body shape, space, and rhythm. 92y.org ABC Do-Re-ME! Musical Playdate provides a perfect balance between laughing and learning. The eclectic mix of music at this 45-minute drop-in class for ages kids ages 0-5 and their parents or caregivers keeps kids hopping and smiling while guitarplaying instructors offer fun teachable moments. abcdoreme.com Advantage Tennis Clubs The QuickStart program for ages 10 and under makes learning tennis fun. Advantage uses USTA-approved foam

balls, mini-nets, and ageappropriate drills. Kids will improve their eye-hand coordination, footwork, and basic stroke movements. advantagetennisclubs.com American Museum of Natural History Give your kids the chance to fly their very own spaceship and handle rocks from outer space! In the Moon, Meteors, and Mars workshop for kids in grades 1-2, little ones will explore space by studying the museum’s meteorite collection, flying in the Hayden Planetarium, and more. amnh.org Applause NYC Get out the bling, lace up the kicks, and transform into a hip hop superstar at Applause NYC’s Intermediate Hip Hop class for kids in grades 4-6! With cutting edge choreography, students dance the latest moves and perform on a stage in front of 500 people. applauseny.com apple seeds Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toes is apple seeds’ ballet class for ages 18-24 months as well as the ballet and tap class for ages 2-2.5/3 years and ages 3-4 years. Plie, twirl, and turn in this exciting dance class. Children develop balance and coordination while dancing, playing. appleseedsplay.com Art Farm in the City Italian on the Farm is Art Farm in the City’s engaging, fun, and playful Italian language class, in partnership with the Italian American Committee of Education. Children learn counting, shapes, colors, and animals in Italian through play, movement, art, and interaction with live animals. theartfarms.org ArtXplorers ArtXplorers’ programs

New York Family | September 2013

are designed not only to entertain, but also to engage children as they learn about art. They offer a unique approach to art education that brings together videos, audio series, museums and gallery tours, and creative projects. artxplorers.com Asphalt Green Head to Asphalt Green on the UES and Battery Park City for super-fun fitness and sports classes. All ages can sign up for gymnastics, flag football, martial arts, soccer, and more. There’s also a Speed, Agility, Quickness (SAQ) Academy for ages 7-14. asphaltgreen.org Atlantic Acting School The Creators class is a must for any young performer looking for an afterschool outlet for creative expression. Students work with their director to create an original short play featuring a character of their own imagination. Elements of acting and performance are introduced, and students fully memorize lines. atlanticactingschool.org Baby Fingers Baby Fingers promotes family communication while enhancing motivation to speak, increasing IQ, improving vocabulary and literacy skills, decreasing frustration, and refining motor coordination and spatial reasoning skills. They offer a combination of American Sign Language, games, stories, and dramatic play for all ages. mybabyfingers.com Ballet Academy East The much-loved Mother & Child program for 2-yearolds is now known as the Petit Dancers Division, now including special classes for 18-month-olds. As always, children and their parents or caregivers can share the joys of dance and music through song and movement. baenyc.com The Ballet Club The Ballet Club’s Performing Arts Pre-Professional Division for ages 7 and up provides students with an outstanding opportunity to begin to excel and become fluent in ballet, with an emphasis on technique,

creativity, choreography, and performance. Performance opportunities include The Nutcracker Project, and the Spring Concert. theballetclub.com Ballet Hispanico The Bilingual Adventures in Dance program invites young children into a world of creative dance and Latino culture. Children’s self-expression will flourish as they form friendships in a fun and educational atmosphere. ballethispanico.org Ballet School NY/New York Theatre Ballet Fun, intimate, and intelligent classes at Ballet School NY increase your child’s discipline, focus, poise, and confidence. The New York Theatre Ballet’s professionals teach classical ballet, theater dance, jazz, and modern dance. Students are then selected for NYTB performances, including “The Nutcracker.” nytb.org Bilingual Birdies Have a blast learning Spanish in Bilingual Birdies’ live music language classes! Think: guitar, native Argentine singer, and bubble dance party, all ready to rock your toddler’s world. Their curriculum is an effective and fun way to learn Spanish. Join in the cultural fun! bilingualbirdies.com Bilingual Buds Bilingual Buds’ Mandarin afterschool classes provide an interactive and project-oriented approach to learning language for children ages 5-12. They group students by level in a full-immersion learning environment. Classes meet Tuesdays and Thursdays. bilingualbuds.com Book Nook NYC Book Nook is a specific skill building enrichment program with a whole-child approach. They build key predictive skills, including oral language, alphabetic code, and print awareness. Classes are age-divided and start at the most crucial developmental years. booknooknyc.com continued on page 52

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Advantage QuickStart is a jump start into real tennis! Our QuickStart Tennis program is designed exclusively for boys and girls ages 4 to 10 – no equipment or experience needed! Children play with age and size-appropriate racquets on smaller courts using special slow-bouncing balls. They learn from experienced professionals through noncompetitive drills, games and instruction in tennis basics and fundamentals.

TENNIS

Here’s what kids love: • “Real tennis” sized for kids • Learn to rally faster • No frustration of waiting in lines for a chance to hit the ball • Tennis is fun from day one! Here’s what parents like: • Expert instruction • Structured program • Popular, customized teaching method • Many convenient locations • Choice of ways to save

CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION – AND YOUR SAVINGS! Roosevelt Island Sports Park Gym Starts September 17 Tuesday or Thursday from 4-5 or 5-6pm and Sunday from 10:30-11:30am or 11:30am-12:30pm; Gym immediately adjacent to Roosevelt Island Racquet Club Lower rates for Sunday classes

Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club

Starts September 16 Monday or Friday from 3-4pm, 4-5pm or 5-6pm; 450 W. 43rd St. New York, NY 10036

Columbia Prep School Gym

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Starts September 21 Saturday and Sunday from 10-11am, 11am-Noon, Noon-1pm, 1-2 or 2-3pm 4 W. 93rd St., New York, NY 10025 Lower rates for classes after 12pm

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Starts October 12 Monday through Friday from 4-5pm and Saturday from 12-1pm 3081 Harding Ave., Bronx, NY 10465

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continued from page 50

• Handwriting • Reading • Phonics • Separation • Fine-Motor • Kindergarten Readiness • Confidence Building

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Clockwise L-R: Applause NYC, TADA! Youth Theater, Karma Kids Yoga, Jodi’s Gym Bounce & Flip Bounce and Flip, a 3,000-square-foot gymnastics facility for children ages 2-17, opens in November on 52nd Street and 10th Avenue. With a variety of exciting, engaging programs, the goal of every class is to foster success through tumbling and gymnastics while promoting the philosophy that gymnastics is fun and healthy. bounceandflip.com Bright Kids NYC The Bright Kids NYC Gifted and Talented Bootcamp is a budget-friendly package of tutoring and books to prepare your child for the NYC gifted and talented exam—you’ll be impressed with the innovative style of their classes as well as their stellar exam pass rate. brightkidsnyc.com Broadway Dance Center The Children & Teen Program offers dancers ages 3-18 elite training with today’s leading teachers and choreographers. The 32week program delivers the finest dance experience for your child by offering a wide variety of high-quality class options that only New York City and BDC can provide. broadwaydancecenter.org

New York Family | September 2013

Chabad Preschool at Beekman Place In the Baby Loves Shabbat program, youngsters can experience Jewish songs, traditions, and music in a Shabbat party for little learners! Accompanied by a guitarist, kids and their caregivers enjoy Shabbat songs, parachute play, candle lighting, and Challah baking. The gentle class brings the joy of Jewish traditions alive while focusing on children’s social and motor development. beekmanjewishpreschool. com Chelsea Piers CP-After-3 is the Field House at Chelsea Piers’ afterschool program designed to provide reliable, safe, and engaging child care while also offering top-tier sports and arts curriculums. Experienced teachers pick up children in grades K-3 from school and bring them to the Field House for snacks and homework assistance before sports class, games, art projects, and more. chelseapiers.com/fh continued on page 55

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Become the dancer you’re meant to be. Register Now! Classes Begin September 21 Ages: 3-18 We proudly oﬀer classes in

Creative Movement, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, Latin Jazz, Contemporary, Jumps & Turns, and Lyrical.

BROADWAYDANCECENTER.COM

322 W 45th St, NYC 10036 • 212.582.9304 • info@bwydance.com

TriBeCa

Learn through custom music and games

BALLET

Ballet classes for little dancers 18 months to 4 years

Dance, Sing, Laugh & Play!

FREE Trial Classes offered 9/3 - 9/13 *Trial class includes access to indoor Playground

212-965-9717 or info@playgardennyc.com to reserve 95 Franklin Street s www.playgardennyc.com

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Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA) Explore printmaking techniques through historical and contemporary examples in Printmaking Through the Ages. Kids will create colorful monotypes, relief prints, Islamic tile patterns, and Andy Warhol-inspired silk screen prints. While kids build skills in printmaking, they’ll also gain knowledge of art history. cmany.org

Collina Italiana Giardino dei Bambini is a morning drop-off playgroup at Collina Italiana for kids ages 2-5. Children can join in on the fun every Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 12pm on an asneeded basis. The program offers language learning through games, activities, songs, dance, theater, and hands-on art projects. collinaitaliana.com

Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) You and your tot can get ready for preschool together with CMOM’s Preschool Prep classes, which allow children and their caregivers to gradually separate at their own pace. Children gain self-confidence and independence in a safe, stimulating environment while developing the skills needed for preschool. cmom.org

Columbus Gym In Tiny Tot Fitness classes for ages 1-3, children have fun and build motor skills while exploring tumbling circuits. They also build confidence and coordination as they cross balance beams, bounce on the trampoline, sing, dance, blow bubbles, and socialize with peers! Classes involve caregiver participation and are led by certified coaches. columbusgymnyc.com

Church Street School for Music and Art Preschoolers ages 2-4 explore, learn, and grow at in Arts Express, an innovative music and art immersion drop-off program. This program incorporates Dalcroze eurhythmics, visual art, free play, story time, and snack. Morning, afternoon, and full-day options are offered two to three days per week, as are four-day pre-K options. churchstreetschool.org

The Craft Studio Every Monday 3:30-4:30pm, kids ages 4-14 can check out the Rockin’ Craft Class. Students create cutting edge projects in the studio with music and awesome energy to inspire. Projects are chosen based on the kids in attendance, so artists of all levels are creatively challenged with the help of the friendly staff. craftstudionyc.com

Citibabes The Planes, Trains and Automobiles class is perfect for little transportation lovers! Children will explore all aspects of transportation from cars to trains to boats. Each week, children dive into the different types of transportation through specialized art activities, as well as experiments like obstacle courses and races. citibabes.com Chic City Mom Chic City Mom is a private group of unique mommy & me learning playgroups for mothers and their babies. You can begin the group with your newborn and continue until your little one is as old as 18 months. In Chic City Mom’s groups, you will gain access to amazing resources, support, and tips. chiccitymom.com www.newyorkfamily.com

Creative Play for Kids In the Busy Babies class from Creative Play for Kids, little ones ages 7-12 months explore age-appropriate music materials on their own, with the support of their caregiver or parent. This class offers both interactive movement and songs and gives babies plenty of time to bounce around. creativeplayforkids.com The Diller-Quaile School of Music Play the Instrument, a weekly Diller-Quaile class for ages 4-5, is ideal for children who want to learn to play an instrument but are unsure of which instrument to choose. Children play percussion instruments, violin, cello, piano, and recorder, learning the basics of each instrument. diller-quaile.org continued on page 56

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE TRIAL CLASS!

The Diller-Quaile School of Music 24 E. 95th St. w New York, NY 10128 w 212-369-1484

Visit www.diller-quaile.org for a complete listing of Early Childhood, Instrumental & Vocal, Adult, and Community Programs for 2013-2014. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community & Precollegiate Arts Schools

September 2013 | New York Family

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musical theater

classes T.O.T.S. (Theater on Their Scale) Mondays Ages 2-3

Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance JR. Mondays Ages 4-5 Saturdays Ages 3-4

Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!

Mondays Ages 6-8 Tuesdays Ages 6-8, 9-14 Saturdays Ages 5-6, 7-9, 10-14

september 23-december 14 when school is ou

1-day camps Want to learn more about TADA! free classes and camps? Attend a open house on September 2nd!

t...TADA! is in!

Ages 6-11, 9:00a m-5:30pm Oct. 14 Nov. 5 Nov. Dec. 23 Dec. 27 11

open House

15 WEST 28TH ST. NYC 212.252.1619X4 WWW.TADATHEATER.COM

Discovery Programs In Discovery Programs’ Free Baby Social at their spacious gymnasium, little ones 6 weeks to 8 months can play with toys and relax to a live guitarist in an unstructured environment. The Baby Social is the perfect way for new parents to meet and share advice about raising children. discoveryprograms.com The Early Ear A variety of music classes are designed to introduce musical concepts to young children. Classes are grouped by age (4-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, and 4-5 years) and range from sing-alongs to musical instrument introductions. Classes help students decide which musical instrument they may want to study later on. theearlyear.com East Side Tae Kwon Do & East Side Yoga East Side Yoga offers a unique option in NYC: a yoga class for parents and caregivers in one room, with kid-friendly classes offered in another. Start your weekend off in a relaxing way while your children have fun at their own class. eastsidetaekwondo.com; eastsideyoganyc.com Eastside Westside Music Together Children ages 0-4 thrive and grow in Eastside Westside Music Together’s mixedage classes. They immerse families in a rich, creative, and musical environment in which little ones can explore, play, and learn to become confident music makers. Fall classes begin September 16th. eswsmusictogether.com EBL Coaching Students in grades pre-K to 6 can enrich their reading, writing, and math skills using engaging, multisensory techniques in the Fall After School and Weekend Skills Building programs, held at EBL’s Upper East Side location. Students use tools like magnetic tiles, whiteboards, and colored sand to enhance core learning skills. eblcoaching.com Fastbreak Kids The Fastbreak Kids

New York Family | September 2013

Basketball Academy will be holding After School Development Basketball programs this fall. Kids will learn fundamental basketball skills and develop learning and competition skills through Fastbreak’s games approach to teaching and coaching. fastbreakkids.com French Institute Alliance Francaise Introduce your little one to French language and culture with FIAF’s popular à petits pas: French for Toddlers program, designed especially for kids ages 1-5. With exciting new activities, children dive into a world of discoveries in this inspiring and creative French immersion program. fiaf.org The Gaga Center A favorite space for the big kids, the Gaga Center now offers private group classes for the younger set too. Fouryear-olds and pre-K-aged children learn to play gaga and master early athletic skills like jumping, catching, and hand-eye coordination. gagacenter.com Gymboree Play & Music Join Gymboree Play & Music this fall for School Skills, their very own preschool alternative program. Class will focus on key social skills that will help prepare your child for school and life. Songs, games, and play are all explored to help children master key concepts for successful school-age learning. gymboreeclasses.com Gymtime An introduction to the fundamentals of gymnastics, the Gymtime’s Gym’Ny Crickets program—for kids 3-4.11— uses all of the equipment in the gym to create a fun and engaging experience. The class is designed to develop motor skills, strength, flexibility, coordination, and body awareness. gymtime.net Hands On! Using a special instrumentbased curriculum, this music studio (in four Manhattan locations) introduces infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to popular folk tunes, nursery rhymes, and lullabies. These Hands On! Musical Experience continued on page 59

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three little birds music is now

T L B

Schedule your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

musi c cl asse s ar t cl asse s dr ama cl asse s i ndoor pl ayspace bi r thday par ti e s

CMY

266 east 78th st

www.tlbmusic.com

212 744 0404

Come Play Yoga at Karma Kids Yoga! Yoga for Babies Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Families Community Yoga Circus Yoga Prenatal Yoga Prenatal Pilates Free Story Time Yoga Yoga Birthday Parties Special Events Teacher Training Rock the boat!

Bring the zen home with our new CD, Come Play Yoga!, Mom’s Choice Awards Winner, available at CDbaby.com, Amazon, selected tracks on iTunes and now playing on Pandora. Visit our website to learn about the benefits of yoga for children, our Class Descriptions, Special Events, other locations around NYC and Brooklyn, Children’s Yoga Teacher Training, and Yoga Birthday Party information.

102 WEST 14TH STREET & 104 WEST 14TH STREET, NYC | KARMAKIDSYOGA.COM | (646)638-1444

Voted “Best Kids Yoga” by TimeOut NY Kids and New York Magazine.

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Since 1993

Scott McDermott

Manhattan’s longest running early childhood music program.

Clockwise L-R: 74th St. MAGIC, Chelsea Piers, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The JCC in Manhattan classes feature stories with puppets, music, instrument exploration, and movement. handsonformusic.com HiArt! Since Scholastic published HiArt!’s fabulous guide to drawing manga, From Zero to Hero, this creative program has been home to some of the artsiest and most well-trained young cartoonists on the planet. With a multitude of manga classes every week, animeloving kids 6-15 will get infinite technique tips and infinite fun. hiartkids.com ¡HOLA! A Playgroup in Spanish In addition to its normal schedule in venues throughout the city, ¡HOLA! A Playgroup in Spanish will be adding a class at the new apple seeds Upper West Side location. ¡HOLA! for Toddler through Two’s will take place on Friday mornings. The weekly fall/winter session starts in September. holaplaygroup.com I’m Bilingual! Spanish and Puppets is www.newyorkfamily.com

a full Spanish immersion class from I’m Bilingual for ages 2.5-4. Children learn Spanish vocabulary through fun arts-based activities, including creative art projects, memory games, interactive multimedia, live music, and Spanish stories. imbilingual.com Jazz at Lincoln Center Raise your voices and lift your hearts with the interactive Jazz for Young People family concert, “Jazz Meets Gospel,” at JALC’s Rose Theater, in which pianist and conductor Damien Sneed explores the connections between two iconic genres. kids and parents participate in activities that teach key musical concepts and illuminate the subject. jalc.org/learn The JCC in Manhattan This class uses the JCC and East Side Tae Kwon Do’s proprietary curriculum to teach kids basic kicking and striking techniques in a continued on page 60

September 2013 | New York Family

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MUSeUM QUALITY By Nadia Ramlakhan There’s so much more to the city’s many museums than meets the eye. For educational family fun without the commitment of a semester-long class, check out some of the great programming available this fall. BrooKLYn MUSeUM The Brooklyn Museum offers gallery and studio courses for children of all ages, ranging from sound and movement for the youngest artists to special effects and modern art for the older crowd. Join professional artists in the youth and family programs for free film screenings and performances. brooklynmuseum.org GUGGenheIM MUSeUMS AnD FoUnDATIon The Guggenheim’s afterschool program offers it all, from painting to drawing to sculpture to collage. Kiddos 8-11 can also take in the museum’s permanent collection and current exhibitions. guggenheim.org MeTropoLITAn MUSeUM oF ArT Museum members can choose from classes for ages 3-15 that are all about exploring and investigating artistic concepts, including painting, sculpting, and drawing. For non-members, the museum also offers free teen programs for ages 11-18. metmuseum.org MUSeUM oF ChIneSe In AMerICA (MoCA) Lead by trained guides, MoCA’s tours take you outside of the museum and into the streets of Chinatown, where you’ll learn all about the city’s past and present. Each trip encompasses 8-10 different sites, landmarks, and historic streets. mocanyc.org MUSeUM oF MoDern ArT (MoMA) You and your family can participate in gallery talks, where lively discussions are encouraged throughout the galleries. At the Art Labs, families can play, experiment, and create as they find connections between works of art. Lessons on techniques in modern and contemporary art are also offered during workshops. moma.org MUSeUM oF The MoVInG IMAGe The afterschool program here is divided into two parts: animation and video game design. Tasks include creating hand drawn flipbooks, making Claymation videos, and producing computer animations. movingimage.us rUBIn MUSeUM oF ArT This museum of Himalayan art has programming for all ages, from a morning program for tots that’s full of storytelling and community building to Saturday art labs with a specific theme, all including a hands-on project. rmanyc.org WhITneY MUSeUM The family programs at the Whitney offer interactive tours, workshops, and special events for four different age groups, ages 0-12. Special stroller tours for parents with babies are even available. whitney.org

developmentally appropriate fashion. Kids have fun while learning how to function in a well-structured group setting. Martial arts will teach kids focus and discipline while greatly enhancing selfesteem. jccmanhattan.org Jodi’s Gym Double the fun! For the child who loves to both move and groove, Jodi’s Gym’s 75-minute Rockin’ Rollers classes combine all the fun of their Mighty Muscle Movers gym class with an incredible additional 30-minute long jammin’ music session. jodisgym.com Joffrey Ballet School Kids who sign up for ballet with the Joffrey Ballet

School in the West Village are trained in classical and contemporary ballet, as well as in other forms of dance, including modern, jazz, and hip hop. A Children’s Program—for ages 2-9—also offers Dance with Me (for little ones and their caregivers). joffreyballetschool.com Karma Kids Yoga At Family Yoga class—for kids 4-6 and 7 and older with their parents—partner poses are emphasized for bonding time. Families play yoga games, practice partner acrobatics, and try flying partner yoga, all while building confidence and selfesteem and healthy bodies. karmakidsyoga.com

New York Family | September 2013

Kate Tempesta’s Urban Golf Academy As an extension of their parks- and school-based programs, UGA is now offering programs at Randall’s Island Golf Center (RIGC). By incorporating their unique curriculum with the RIGC’s driving range, putting green, and miniature golf course, both advanced and new students will improve their skills. kturbangolfacademy.com Kids at Art Kids at Art is very excited to offer their first Mixed Age Life Drawing session for children ages 5 and up. Every Saturday morning beginning this fall, there will be a live model or still

life class. Beginning with a simple contour, students will use line to discover a variety of shapes and learn how to draw from life. kidsatartnyc.com Kids at Work Kids at Work in Chelsea has added a new Friday to its drop-in schedule: Cooking with KAW owner Julie! A truly age-appropriate and sensory-based class for ages 2-3, this class will focus less on step-by-step directions and more on texture, taste, and tactile exploration of ingredients. Plus, sitting still is not required. kidsatworknyc.com Kids in Sports Kids in Sports will be offering a unique separation program highlighting imagination and athletic skills this fall. Their twohour drop-off Creative Athlete class combines a multi-sport class with an additional focus on arts and crafts, story time, socialization skills, and much more. kidsinsports.com Kidville KVU Prep prepares toddlers for Kidville University (KVU), Kidville’s signature preschool alternative program this fall. Focusing on social, emotional, physical, and artistic development, KVU Prep features art and sensory exploration, visits from a Kidville musician, structured gym activities, and more. kidville.com La Scuola Di’Italia The Scuola Marterna Preschool program is designed for the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten years. It focuses on the development of the child from an intellectual, cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical standpoint—all with bilingual Italian/English Instruction. lascuoladitalia. org The Language Workshop for Children Give your child the richest language-building experience possible with The Language Workshop for Children’s 2.5-hour long French, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese Immersion continued on page 62

www.newyorkfamily.com

Co umbus ym

Gymnastics

CLASSES AGES 12 MONTHS TO 12 YEARS

Established in 1988, Columbus Gym is the largest and longest running gym program on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Our state-of-the-art 3000 square foot gymnasium features every piece of equipment imaginable for superb classes and birthday parties. Columbus Gym classes keep the spirit of fun while teaching children 12 months to 12 years. The Tiny Tot Fitness Program concentrates on balance, coordination, and fine motor skills along with sports, props, and circle time. Mini gym/super gym classes provide an introduction to basic skills using all pieces of apparatus (vault, balance beam, bars, floor, and trampoline). All classes are non-competitive and child-friendly.

FABULOUS GYMNASTICS BIRTHDAY PARTIES!

212-721-0090 • 606 Columbus Avenue (89th & 90th Sts.) • www.columbusgymnyc.com

CALLING ALL YOUNG ARTISTS!

LET’S GOGH ART NYC is now located downtown and on the upper east side!

ART CLASSES • BIRTHDAY PARTIES STORY ART • AND MORE BOOK YOUR CLASS OR EVENT NOW, Fall Registration is Open!

www.nyletsgoghart.com

We bring the art to you!

or call: 917-704-0102

EXPLORE. INSPIRE. CREATE.

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Bilingual Buds

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON KIDS CLASSES By Eric Messinger

immersion school for children

A few good ideas from New York Family’s editor:

An independent school at the forefront of immersion education

• Almost all venues and groups offering enrichments and activities for children have gone digital with websites and e-newsletters. Get on the mailing lists of the places you like or are interested in. They often offer early bird discounts and other incentives to fill their classes. • Sign up for New York Family’s free weekly e-newsletters at newyorkfamily.com. Many of the venues and groups featured in this story often reach out to families through our newsletters and website with special offers.

√ Ages 2 to Fifth Grade

• Go to a few open houses and trial classes. Not only will they give you a feel for the program, but you may also hear about special incentives to enroll in the classes.

√ Rigorous Mandarin/English curriculum √ Warm, caring teachers √ Individualized attention and support

• Monitor the digital discount sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. They’re not the hive of discounted classes that they used to be, but you can still discover big bargains there on occasion.

After School Info Session Sept. 10 & 12 - 5:30 PM Day School Open House Sept. 28 - 9:30 AM Please RSVP to 212-787-8088

bilingualbuds.com | (212) 787-8088 175 Riverside Blvd., New York, NY 10069

Enroll today!

Photos by E. Patino

Dance classes for ages 2-18

Training the dancers of tomorrow The School at Steps is a division of Steps on Broadway

2121 Broadway, NYC 10023  212.874.3678  StepsNYC.com/school

Preschool programs for ages 2.1-4. Enroll for the full year or session by session. languagework shopforchildren.com Launch Math & Science Centers Budding scientists will have a blast at Launch Math & Science Centers’ fall workshops, which teach Rocket Science and Robotics in a fun, hands-on way. Kids ages 6-8 learn about the forces of flight and robot building while making their very own projects to take home! launchmath.com Let’s Gogh Art It’s never too early to introduce kids to great masters of art. In the Munchkins & Masterpieces class from Let’s Gogh Art, students will be inspired by kid-friendly works of art to create their own masterpieces! Think Picasso faces, Van Gogh digital art, Monet crayon resists, and Matisse designs. nyletsgoghart.com Lil Yogi’s This fall, Lil Yogi’s NYC will be bringing Yoga Hip Hop to both the UWS and the UES. Classes will include yoga stretches, body isolations, and dance routines. Children will learn both silly and challenging dance moves to the newest hit songs in this new hit class. lilyogisnyc.com

New York Family | September 2013

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The Little Gym The Little Gym’s gymnastics program for preschoolers and kindergarteners has been designed to help children reach developmental milestones. Independent from parents, kids learn gymnastics fundamentals and have plenty of fun. Try the Funny Bugs class for children ages 3-4. thelittlegym.com Little Maestros Little Maestros is an award-winning, early childhood educatorapproved music program for infants and toddlers. Featuring Broadway-quality entertainers and worldclass original music, little ones will love the weekly language development segment, musical story time, puppet shows, dance party, and more. littlemaestros.com Loop of the Loom Let little ones spin a yarn of pure fun with Loop of the Loom’s regular kids’ classes, which begin the second week of September. Creative and fun weaving classes will be offered Tuesday through Friday this fall in nine-session packages. loopoftheloom.com continued on page 65

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212.792.7590 10 west 25th st. (6th & bway)

www.appleseedsplay.com

212.792.7591 200 west end avenue (69th & 70th)

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P ppyseed Pre-Nursery

Enrich Your Child’s day with Music, Art, Gym & Play! “Mommy & Me” Age Appropriate Classes For Babies, Toddlers & 2’s Call for a Sample Class.

424 West End Ave. @ 81st • 212-877-7614 poppyseedprenursery.com

NOW REGISTERING FOR FALL 2013-2014

Clockwise L-R: Asphalt Green, Art Farm In The City, TLB Music, 92Y, The Craft Studio, My Gym UWS

Mathnasium The Mathnasium Enrichment Program is offered yearround for qualifying students in grade 2 through Algebra 1, with eight instruction hours per month. Each instructor works with one to three students in a semiprivate setting, combining individualized instruction with independent work www.newyorkfamily.com

in a fun environment. mathnasium.com Moey’s Music Party Every day’s a party at Moey’s Music Party! Children explore instruments, song, dances, phonics, and musical story time based on weekly party themes that follow the seasons and perennial kid-favorites like pirates, cowboys, and princesses. They’re creative, educational, and as much fun for grownups as for the kids. moeysmusicparty.com Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals is geared toward ages 6 months to 5 years, incorporating a wide variety of musical activities like singing, dancing, musical story telling, instrumental jams, and musical puppet continued on page 66

BALLET ACADEMY EAST

Pre-Professional Ballet Division Ages 7-18 New Boys’ Scholarship Program Check audition schedule online

Pre-Ballet, Tap and Modern Ages 3-6

Petit Dancers

Ages 18 months - 2 years

Adult Open Classes All Levels - Start Anytime Ballet, Tap, Zumba, Jazz Modern, Pilates and Yoga

Rosalie O’Connor

Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center In the Musical Theater Workshop, kids ages 8-12 sing, improvise, play theater games, and develop basic acting skills in the fall months. Then during the winter/ spring, they develop and perform original musicals that they’ll present in the concert hall. The emphasis is on concentration, teamwork, and creativity. kaufmanmusiccenter.com

1651 Third Avenue New York, NY 10128 212-410-9140 • info@baenyc.com www.baenyc.com September 2013 | New York Family

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WHO SAID SCIENTISTS DON’T HAVE FUN? OUR KIDS HAVE A BLAST AT

SCITECH KIDS

AFTER SCHOOL & WEEKEND PROGRAM

Fall is a great time for kids to explore the wonders of science. SciTech Kids sparks a child’s innate curiosity and creativity about science through rich, hands-on, captivating experiences.

BUDDING SCIENTISTS ENJOY THEMES INCLUDING:

• Human body • Earth & Space • Energy & Motion • Living Organisms • How Stuff Works • Light & Sound

Whether an Explorer (3-5) Adventurer (ages 6-8) or Investigator (ages 9-12) SciTech Kids inspires kids to think like scientists.

• Air & Water • Electronics

Heidi Green

AND MORE

To register call (212) 804-7055 or sci-techkids.com OPEN HOUSE Monday, September 16th, 6pm @ New York Junior League 130 East 80th Street (Park & Lexington)

A Mesmerizing Story Told Through Music, Dance & Technology

Top to bottom: The Diller-Quaile School of Music, Let’s Gogh Art, Gymtime Rhythm & Glues, Joffrey Ballet School play. The original material used in class celebrates the lives of children growing up in an urban environment. musicforaardvarks.com

“Amazing, Electrifying, “Best New Act Fantastic, WOW!” in America!” Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen

Piers Morgan, America’s Got Talent

New World Stages 340 W. 50th St. (btw. 8th & 9th Ave.)

Telecharge.com 212-239-6200 iLuminate.com 66

New York Family | September 2013

My Gym UES Cardio Kids combines a cardio workout with strength and flexibility exercises for children ages 6-9 who may be surrounded by the sedentary distractions of TV, the Internet, and video games. Endurance and motor skills are increased through a series of exciting and dynamic activities. mygym.com My Gym UWS At My Gym UWS’s Gymsters program for ages 2.5-3.25, children have a blast as they sing, dance, swing, play

games, watch puppet shows, take turns on special rides, and have “Surprise Time!” Gymsters feel great about themselves in a constantly changing program with fresh ingredients and new equipment setups each week. mygym.com NY City Explorers Preschool 101 is an educational enrichment program that provides children ages 22 months to 4 years with an opportunity to experience a classroom setting and social learning environment. Classes are facilitated by enthusiastic teachers who provide engaging activities that foster creativity, independence, and self-discovery. brooklynlearninggarden.com www.newyorkfamily.com

NY Kids Club Advanced Gymnastics Club is a skill-based recreational gymnastics program tailored to gymnasts 8-12 years old committed to rapidly developing advanced skills. The program is the next step to the Gym Club Prep and Gym Club programs offered at NY Kids Club locations, including their new space in Park Slope. nykidsclub.com Peridance Capezio Center The School at the Peridance Capezio Center’s Core Training Program is designed for aspiring dancers ages 8-17 interested in advancing their ballet technique. Along with training, students have the opportunity to perform throughout the year, enhancing stage presence and performance qualities. Auditions required. peridance.com Planet Han Your child will have tons of fun in Planet Han’s Science Class while also learning Mandarin. This innovative Chinese immersion class is designed to foster a love of basic science and to teach children about the world around them, including life, nature, matter, and the Earth. Plus, it will include hands-on experiments. planethanchinese.com Playgarden Children ages 18 months to 6 years learn to passe and pirouette at the PlayBallet class! Rhythm, muscle control, balletic terms, and etiquette are introduced through songs and choreography. All ages become superstars on the stage in the end-of-year recital. Mommy & me and drop-off classes are also available. playgardennyc.com Poppyseed Pre-Nursery At Boogying Babes, tots and babies boogie and bond with a parent or caregiver in cheerful song. Drum the beat, rock in rhythm, and sway with scarves to the strum of a guitar playing “Twinkle Little Star” all together in harmony! It’s as easy as ABC at Poppyseed Pre-Nursery. poppyseedprenursery.com The Prenatal Yoga Center Expecting a new addition

to your family and worried about how your oldest child will adjust? You won’t want to miss the Sibling Preparation: Big Kid to be a Big Sib workshop from the Prenatal Yoga Center, which will guide you through strategies to ease siblings-to-be into their new family role. prenatalyogacenter.com

A BOUTIQUE TOY STORE, PARTY SPACE & ART STUDIO ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE visit us online for a full list of walk-in art, workshops, classes, special events & so much more

The School at Steps The School at Steps’ Young Dancers program—for ages 2-6—is a creative, nurturing, and fun-filled dance experience that focuses on the development of social and rhythmic skills. Classes introduce creative movement exercises that foster body coordination, musicality, and imagination. stepsnyc.com/school SciTech Kids Working with scientists, children ages 3-15 engage in experiments and projects that teach them to think and problem solve. The program offers age-based classes integrating numerous branches of science-based activities. Preschool and afterschool programs are both offered. sci-techkids. com socialsklz:-) The back2school bootcamp is a fun, two-day workshop that helps kids transition from summertime to the more rigorous academic schedule. The class covers topics like making good first impressions, striking up a conversation, attitude, participation, lunchroom dos and don’ts, and managing sticky social situations. socialsklz.com SocRoc SocRoc will be holding soccer class in Central Park for kids ages 2-3 on Mondays, taught by SocRoc owner, and former pro soccer player, James Christie. SocRoc will teach goal scoring, dribbling, kicking, balance, coordination, and flexibility—with an emphasis on fun! jcsocroc.com SPORTIME Randall’s Island Junior Tennis Kinetics is SPORTIME’s trademarked junior development program dedicated to meeting the

212.831.6626

www.craftstudionyc.com 1657 third avenue * new york, ny 10128 N R EG OW I ST E FOR R I NG F C LA A LL SSES !

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(birthdays, sleepovers, camp reunions, school events, and mitzvahs, in a restaurant, in your home, or in a location of your choosing!)

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www.newyorkfamily.com

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New & Notable Every season brings some exciting additions to the landscape of children’s enrichments and activities in the city. Here’s the latest: asphalt Green: After years of planning and expectation, Asphalt Green has opened up its second major facility in the city. Based in Battery Park City, the new location offers their trademark menu of classes for kids in swimming, sports, fitness, cultural arts and more. asphaltgreen.org book Nook NYC: Within their comfortable and welcoming ambiance, this early childhood literacy enrichment program offers classes in everything related to literacy, from reading and phonics to handwriting and kindergarten readiness. booknooknyc.com Fastbreak Sports: The popular children’s sports program (primarily focused on basketball and flag football) opens its first home, transforming an old movie theater into gorgeous facility that will offers classes for little kids and serious training and coaching for older athletics. (See story on page 34.) fastbreakkids.com Kidville: Kidville has plans to bring their big popular menu of classes and birthday parties for little kids to three new sites this year, in the Financial District, Tribeca/Soho, and Williamsburg. (See profile on page 36.) kidville.com let’s Gogh art: The new mobile art program for kids 18 months to 5 years brings a variety of art-based education and enrichment programs—not to mention birthday parties—to schools, daycare centers, private homes, parks, and stores around the city. nyletsgoghart.com New York Kids Club: They’re on a roll. The children’s activity and enrichment centers opened new locations in Tribeca a few months ago and in Park Slope in August; a new site in Williamsburg is scheduled to opening in January 2014 and a Long Island City location will follow in September 2014. nykidsclub.com Prenatal Yoga Center: Starting in September, the Prenatal Yoga Center will be offering their beloved prenatal classes at a new satellite location, the Jennifer Brilliant Yoga Studio, in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. prenatalyogacenter.com 92Y: This fall marks the inauguration of 92Y’s new, state-of-the art Gymnastics Studio in the Sky. Skylights in the expansive new studio provide an open, airy atmosphere for a new slate of gymnastics programming for kids of all ages, whether they’re beginners or aspiring gymnasts. There are also programs for children with special needs. 92Y.org

needs of their Junior Tennis and Sports Members. JTK offers a tennis program for juniors in a safe and enriching environment. Every SPORTIME tennis facility has a JTK Master Professional to supervise. sportimeny.com Super Soccer Stars Through their age-specific curriculum, SSS uses soccer to nurture, build selfconfidence, and develop teamwork. Kick & Play, their parent-child presoccer program, is perfect for ages 12-24 months, while advanced soccer players can check out Super Soccer Stars Premier classes and the NY Stars Premier competitive travel teams. supersoccerstars. com; kickandplay.com; starspremier.com

SwimJim SwimJim believes children learn best in a friendly environment where they feel at ease, which enables young swimmers to learn basic and advanced skills. Classes for all ages are offered at five NYC locations. swimjim.com taDa! Youth theater For the youngest of thespians, Theater on Their Scale (TOTS) develops language and coordination through musical movement, using cooperative play, singing, dancing, and creative exploration—perfect for toddlers and their caregivers! Classes for ages 2-3 are on Mondays 10:4011:30am. tadatheater.com take two Film academy Lights, Camera, Action! Get

New York Family | September 2013

into the act with Take Two Film Academy’s filmmaking and acting workshops this fall. Students learn the entire filmmaking process from screenwriting to storyboarding, as well as directing, acting, and editing. Professional equipment and software are included. taketwofilmacademy.com tennis Innovators The QuickStart program for ages 3-10 helps kids develop the coordination and balance needed to create optimal swing patterns and mobility for tennis. Nets and courts are scaled down, and equipment is designed for a high success rate and interaction between players. Classes are offered at various Manhattan locations. tennisinnovators.com

tlb Music TLB’s newest Hip Hop 101 class, led by renowned rapper and DJ Princess Superstar, is an innovative fusion of hip hop dance, music, and culture. Students learn about hip hop’s origins, write original lyrics, practice rapping, dance, and freestyle, and create beats with percussion instruments. tlbmusic.com west Side taekwondo West Side Taekwondo offers classes for ages 4-5 and older in which they promote the ideals of discipline, respect, and confidence through activities that are designed to increase aerobic capacity, sharpen motor skills, and increase focus. Try a trial class in September. westsidetkd.com YMCa New for kids ages 5-12 is the Vanderbilt YMCA’s GROOVEKIDS class. This is a fun, creative class with simple dance movements that encourages kids to explore, play, and move in their own unique way—in a playful and safe space for kids to build confidence, develop self awareness, and exercise. ymcanyc.org/ vanderbilt Yogi beans Yoga practiced among siblings instills communication and respect and can be an effective means to mitigate rivalries. In Siblings Yoga classes—Saturday mornings this fall, for siblings ages 3-9—emphasis is placed on teamwork and collaboration through playful partner poses and games. yogibeans.com ZGt ZGT Kids is a Mandarin language class designed for kids ages 1-5. The cognitive advantages of learning Chinese, especially for young children, are the driving forces behind what makes this class so special. Children will learn elements of mathematics in Mandarin, character writing, and much more! zgtnewyork.com www.newyorkfamily.com

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How To Raise A Savvy Digital Kid By Amy Reynolds

n today’s wired world, being knowledgeable of— and comfortable with—digital technology is just as vital to academic and professional success as being able to read, write, and do arithmetic. In fact, both educators and tech experts now refer to technological know-how as a “new type of literacy.” And it’s not hard to understand why, considering large portions of children’s everyday lives have gone digital, be it at school with a SmartBoard or laptop or during leisure time with a tablet (and other devices) for entertainment. “[Kids] are learning the tools that everyone’s using in today’s market,” says David Baszucki, CEO and founder of ROBLOX, a user-generated gaming website popular among school-age children. “In the old days, you needed to know cursive writing and how to add long numbers. Today you need to know Twitter, Instagram, and tablet computing.” As technology is woven into their education and social life, it’s extremely prudent—and many would argue absolutely essential—that children be raised with at least the basic skills needed to use personal computers, smartphones, and, of course, the internet in general. The challenge for parents is in helping cultivate a passion for digital learning while also making their children mindful of the risk factors at play and helping them to self-monitor their digital consumption habits. “It’s so important for a child to have the interest in, and appreciation for, how technology plays into our daily lives,” says Michael Zigman, co-founder of i2 Camp, a growing network of STEM enrichment programs for middle school students. www.newyorkfamily.com

GettinG educated Just like with reading and math, there are certain technological skills that most children should master by certain ages, though of course it varies from child to child. The first milestone: Around age 5, children should know the basics of using a computer—how to turn it on and off, how to use a mouse, and how to type on a standard keyboard, says Mike Fischthal, CEO of The Pixel Academy, a Brooklyn-based digital learning center for kids that teaches videogame design, computer programming, app development, and more. But once children start to venture online, parents need to be clear about privacy and cyber safety. “At age 5, 6, or 7, what it means to be ‘savvy’ is [knowing] how to be safe,” says Rebecca Levey, co-founder of KidzVuz, a website where kids can make and share videos with their peers (see page TK for story). “[Children] need to know not to give out their real name and not to share passwords with their friends.” In many schools, students begin to do online research for class by grades 4 or 5, so it’s important that they be comfortable using the internet by that point, Levey adds. By age 10 or so, children should have regular internet access at home, though it’s a good idea for parents to communicate with teachers about reliable research sites. The middle school years are typically a time for kids to become more and more literate with typing, online research, and even some website creation continued on page 72

September 2013 | New York Family

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of their own. Beyond social and safety concerns, parents don’t need to limit what their child can do technologically, especially if they turn out to have a knack for areas like web design or programming. While coding may remain a mystery to many parents, it’s not out of the realm of possible skills for an 11-year-old to acquire. “If they start around age 7 or 8, they [could] create web pages, create apps, and have an idea in their brain of how the coding world works,” Fischthal says. By the time high school rolls around, most kids should be comfortable handling almost all types of basic technology, whether it be a tablet, video game console, or the ins and outs of the internet, says Warren Buckleitner, editor and founder of the Children’s Technology Review. While there’s no “right” age for kids to own personal gadgets, experts agree that ownership, modified by parental rules and oversight, facilitates learning and control. “To have their own computer opens up a lot of doors that a many parents aren’t comfortable with, but having something that’s theirs, something that they can mess around with and install things on, and even break, is the best way to learn,” Fischthal points out. “If you keep them away from the internet, then you’re only going to encourage them to sneak on it by themselves—and odds are they’ll find their way to something you don’t like.”

Keep abreast of what your kids are doing online—without breathing down their necks—by simply joining the same social sites they do and following them openly. While it’s quite common for parents to allow toddlers to play with age-appropriate apps on smartphones and tablets, then a few years later permit them to have hand-held gaming consoles like the Nintendo DS, for many families a big crossroads in digital ownership is when to buy your child a cell phone. In NYC, that often happens around age 10, according to Levey, when students begin walking home from school without adult supervision. Many families will have shared computers around this age, but by the time your children are in the thick of middle school, Buckleitner says, they’re going to want their own laptop. By high school, he says, students have the cognitive skills to more fully understand what kinds of material are inappropriate to post on the web—though, of course, that doesn’t mean they’re always going to use good judgment.

Staying Safe

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internet contains great things and horrible things and everything in between—and these things can have life-long consequences,” Fischthal notes. Plus, it can be hard to take a measured view of issues like cyberbullying and child predators, because, as Levey points out, all the media attention on these issues makes those threats seem more prevalent than they are. At the same time, the threats do exist—and they’re often exacerbated by the power of social media. “Social media rapidly amplifies the impact, and consequences of, bad or immature behavior,” Levey says. “A photo, email, or video can be shared at the click of a button, making it easier than ever for a kid to be embarrassed on a large scale.” Buckleitner can reference many tragic stories about how a friendly prank or a photo from a sleepover can go viral and cause a child to have to change schools—or even prevent someone from getting a job as far as ten years into the future. “No matter how young [children] are, and no matter how far away job prospects may seem, parents should still sit down and have these conversations with children,” he says. The fact that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have minimum age restrictions probably spares many young kids a lot of embarrassment, but scores of underage users lie about their age (often

For all the ways that technology helps our children, there’s no denying that it presents risks, too. “The

continued on page 74

www.newyorkfamily.com

New York Family | September 2013

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with their parents’ permission and help). And the reality is that many children will have been members of popular social sites for pre-teens like Club Penguin and Webkinz long before they turn 13, which experts actually argue isn’t such a bad thing. “It’s so important that they’re connected to their peers,” Buckleitner says. Building friendships is a large part of any child’s social development and identity. And as Fischthal also points out, the earlier kids start having contact with each other in a digital environment, the earlier they can learn from both their positive experiences and from their mistakes. One common viewpoint rings true for most parents, experts, and educators alike: Supervision is essential from the moment your child has access to a computer or cell phone, be it their own device or a shared one. Levey recommends that parents always know the passwords to their children’s devices and check in on which apps their child is using. Buckleitner not only agrees but he also encourages parents to insist that their children inform them of their passwords as a prerequisite for internet use. “You might make a rule that stipulates: ‘I’ll let you have a Facebook account, but you have to let me keep your passwords—not as a cop, but to manage your information and to help in case you forget it.’”

With older children, limiting screen time gets trickier because it’s so easy for them to alternate between homework and the internet’s infinite outlets for entertainment and socializing on their computers. Buckleitner’s proposal might sound like a bit much to parents struggling to find a comfortable line between encouraging safe, responsible behavior online and granting their kids more independence and privacy, but most parents and kids can find a common ground that works for everyone. One suggestion that Levey has for keeping abreast of what your kids are doing online without breathing down their necks is simply to join the same social sites they do and follow them openly. In addition, Baszucki recommends keeping computers, personal or shared, in a common space at home, which makes it easier for children to understand that their online activities aren’t ever really private and can be viewed by anyone. As in dealing with many other issues that arise as children grow up, parents concerned about online behavior should try to establish sensible rules and consequences without seeming too judgmental. The reality is that your children will end up clicking links you’d rather they not see or potentially end up getting a message you’d rather they didn’t. “It’s a part of growing up,” says Fischthal. “But don’t

New York Family | September 2013

get mad, because then the next time it happens, they may try and hide it—and that’s when it gets dangerous.” He suggests an open door policy where kids can talk about their digital activity or things they’ve encountered online (whether intentionally or not) without worrying that they’ll be punished or restricted in the future. And while parents should encourage children to report inappropriate behavior that they see, like bullying, they also should have conversations about not mistreating others. “A screen [can] make something feel anonymous,” Levey says, “but if they wouldn’t say something to someone’s face, they shouldn’t be emboldened to say it online.”

Striking A BAlAnce When it comes to technology and children, an important question for parents to consider is how much is too much. “You need a healthy balance of sitting in front of a computer and going outside and playing,” says Fischthal. “The key is in finding awesome activities that the kids will want to do off the computer.” Better yet, he adds, use that computer as a research tool for what to do in “the real world.” When it comes to screen time, it’s helpful to have concrete guidelines in place to encourage a healthy balance. For Levey, the rules of thumb are: “Definitely no gadgets at meal time.” Levey says. “Don’t have your kids take their phones to bed with them either.” With younger children, the biggest challenge in limiting their digital fun is facing their tantrums when you cut them off. With older children, the screen time question gets trickier because it’s so easy for them to alternate between homework and the internet’s infinite outlets for entertainment and socializing on their computers. While there are various tech devices and software programs you can use to monitor and ultimately limit device usage, a more productive path is to have a conversation about homework time and personal goals. Believe it or not, your children may even be grateful for your tips on organizing their study time and leisure time. While insisting that their children embrace a healthy balance of time with their gadgets and time in the 3D world, parents would be wise to consider striking a certain kind of balance themselves. Call it a matter of perspective. As a child gets older, it’s so easy to get caught up in what’s worrisome about digital technology that you can lose sight of all the things that are wonderful about it. Buckleitner offers a great tip: There are almost always ways, beginning with a Google search, for parents to show children how technology can be used as a helpful tool to dig deeper into their existing interests. If they love music, they can use their smartphone to create a music library; if they love horses, they can watch training videos on YouTube. Show them how technology can enhance, not take over, their real life passions—and while you’re at it, find a few projects that you can pursue together. www.newyorkfamily.com

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G&T &Me Having One Child With Lots Of Gifted & Talented Experience And One Child With None, Our Editor Shares His Thoughts On How The City Schools Its “Smartest” Kids By Eric Messinger

his is going to be a bit of a ramble, but hopefully one that will help other parents become more familiar with the city’s offerings for Gifted & Talented students. I share my perspectives as a journalist having covered the subject for eight years, and as a parent with two children in public school. One of my children has attended two top G&T schools (Lower Lab and NEST) and is now at a third (Hunter); my other child currently attends a solid neighborhood school. I’ve read in a number of places, including Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s book NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children, that even the authors of intelligence tests don’t believe the tests are reliable predictors of academic success for very young children. My own anecdotal experience is that this is true to a point. There are certainly students in gifted programs who don’t end up being academic

New York Family | September 2013

stars. At the same time, evaluated as a group, the students at gifted programs typically perform better on standardized tests than the kids at strong neighborhood schools. So it seems that the IQ admissions tests do have the net effect of amassing groups of really bright kids, but in a case by case basis, the tests’ ability to identify a strong learner is not a foregone conclusion. In the case of my second child, the one in our neighborhood school, the results were especially confusing because one test showed him to be gifted and another didn’t. I was told this is not uncommon. I’ve been told by journalists and parents familiar with the history of the city’s G&T programs that a number of school districts originally seeded the programs in struggling schools to help attract city continued on page 78 www.newyorkfamily.com

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families who might have otherwise sought better education options in the suburbs. I myself have seen this happen at P.S. 198 on Third Avenue and East 96th Street. When the school introduced a G&T program a few years ago, it immediately started attracting greater numbers of affluent and involved families who helped to bulk up its PTA and enrichment programs. There are two main criticisms of the way the city handles gifted education. Both are focused on whether the programs actually serve the truly exceptional and why they attract relatively few African American and Hispanic students. Though the makers of IQ tests contend that their tests measure innate abilities that cannot be prepped for, that just hasn’t been the experience of many families I know. Lots of city children are now being tutored for the tests the city uses to evaluate G&T applicants, and, as one might expect, these students have a distinct advantage over students whose families cannot afford extra tutoring. Not only are they familiar with the kinds of questions on the test, they’re also equipped with the test-taking strategies needed to solve them. The result is we end up seeming like a city that’s spawning thousands of geniuses every year, when what we really have is a lot of smart kids who are well-prepared. NYC has five elite citywide G&T schools that begin in kindergarten. There’s always a surplus of kids who score in the qualifying percentiles for a seat at these schools. The district-wide G&T schools have a lower bar for entry and also have many more qualifying students than seats for them. Another controversial twist is that students who qualify for G&T programs are not ranked by their numerical score; rather there is a lottery for the available seats based on percentiles. In other words, if two children who both score in the 99th percentile are vying for seats at Andersen, one of the citywide G&T schools, they’ll have an equal shot at the lottery even if one child has a higher numerical score than the other. One common suggestion is for the city to do away with all but a few G&T programs, creating more of an elite academic grouping. But despite all the problems I outlined above, I don’t think we should shrink the numbers. To me, the G&T schools and programs add to the number of good options out there—and probably do play a role in keeping committed families in the city. Moreover, they have a positive influence on their communities with little negative impact, because their numbers aren’t large enough to deplete the supply of families committed to their good neighborhood schools. On the flipside, should we add more G&Ts? I’d say yes, but very sparingly and strategically—and only in cases where they could help anchor a middling school and help stabilize the family base in a neighborhood.

New York Family | September 2013

gifted symposium For Parents Our friends at PAL (Parents Of Accelerated Learners) NYC are hosting a big symposium for just about everything an interested parent would want to know about raising and educating an accelerated learner. It’s in NYC on Saturday, October 26. For more info and tickets, visit nycgt.org.

But in neighborhoods and school districts where there already are a sizeable number of good schools, what is really needed instead is more construction, more seats for everyone at good schools, not just for G&T students. At the most elite level (the citywide G&T schools), I’d support the case for a few more schools—as long as the DOE ditched the lottery system and gave priority to the kids who scored highest on the tests. There should also be more opportunities for kids to test into a G&T school beyond the kindergarten entry point, especially at the middle school level. This seems only fair given the questionable value of testing kids at age 4. For years now, the city has been searching for ways to end up with a higher percentage of minority students in its G&T programs. That was the impetus behind a new and supposedly tutor-proof test introduced this year. I agree with the goal, but I worry that it’s a waste of time and money to try to re-invent the G&T admissions process every few years—when what basically follows is that savvy families, with the means to hire tutors, make the necessary adjustments to prepare their kids, while families who aren’t as fortunate simply can’t afford to support their kids in the same way. In the end, rather than trying to make the G&T bureaucracy fairer, it may be more helpful to low income families to re-double the efforts to create more high quality, well-run public and charter schools in their neighborhoods. I’d leave well enough alone on the G&T front for a few years. Back to more immediate matters: Are there tangible advantages to being in a G&T program? Of course. Can a strong neighborhood school provide a comparable education for a gifted child? Yes— but you’d need teachers who are willing to be true partners in the effort. If you want more info on the city’s G&T programs, visit the DOE website at schools.nyc.gov and note the application procedures and deadlines. The one high-profile school for the gifted that has its own admissions rules is Hunter, which is administered by Hunter College. Visit hces.hunter.cuny.edu for those rules and deadlines. Eric MEssingEr is the editor of New York Family. www.newyorkfamily.com

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STUDYING UP A Guide To The Best Education Resources In NYC For Parents To ensure that a child growing up in the city gets a good education, parents really do have to turn themselves into educated consumers—to learn what their options are and how to best assess them. Here’s a list of resources to help you make the best choices for your child. NEW YORK FAMILY RESOURCES Weekly Scoop Newsletter: New York Family’s education coverage is a feast of local issues, trends, and tips to help parents help their children. Our free Weekly Scoop e-newsletter tips followers off to new content on our daily website. Sign up at newyorkfamily.com. Newyorkfamily.com: More on our website—it’s a one-stop destination for timely, informative education-related content. Updated daily, our blogs provide a range of practical tips to navigating NYC school systems to more general ideas about how to help your kids make the most of their learning. The Blackboard Awards: The prestigious Blackboard Awards honor excellence in education throughout the city and in every educational sector, celebrating wonderful schools, principals, and teachers. By dint of their mission, the Awards are also a resource for parents as they seek out the best education for their children. Learn more at blackboardawards.com. The Ultimate Guide To Education: We publish our annual Ultimate Guide to Education in the City in November, covering important education issues and trends, admissions advice at every level,

New York Family | September 2013

and the role of the parent in a child’s education. Find current and past issues at newyorkfamily.com.

For Charter School

INFO ON NYC SCHOOL SYSTEMS

DOE (see left) New York City Charter School Center nyccharterschools.org

For Nursery School And Pre-K

For Parochial School

The Parents League of New York parentsleague.org The Independent School Admission Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY) isaagny.org The New York City Department of Education (DOE) schools.nyc.gov Victoria Goldman’s The Manhattan Directory of Private Nursery Schools victoriagoldman.net

Archdiocese of New York archny.org

Many neighborhood enrichment centers offer preschool alternatives. For Public School Clara Hemphill’s various guides to NYC public schools clarahemphill.net Class Size Matters classsizematters.org DOE (see above) Gotham Schools gothamschools.org Insideschools insideschools.org NYC Public School Parents nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com For Private School (Independent) ISAAGNY (see above) NYC Private Schools Blog nycprivateschoolsblog.com The NYC Private School Admissions Handbook nypeas.com The Parents League Of New York (see above) Victoria Goldman’s The Manhattan Family Guide to Private Schools and Selective Public Schools victoriagoldman.net

For other faith-based schools, contact local organizations affiliated with your religion. SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CONSULTANTS Education First nycedu1st.com Private Education Advisory Service (PEAS) nypeas.com The Rymac Group therymacgroup.com School Choice International schoolchoiceintl.com School Search NYC schoolsearchnyc.com Smart City Kids smartcitykids.com TUTORS Aristotle Circle peers. aristotlecircle.com Big City Tutoring bigcitytutoring.com Bright Kids NYC brightkidsnyc.com Brownstone Tutors brownstonetutors.com EBL Coaching eblcoaching.com Dolphin Academic Prep dolphinacademicprep.com Launch Math Achievement Centers launchmath.com

Kumon kumon.com Mathnasium mathnasium.com Next Level Learning nyclearn.com The Princeton Review princetonreview.com www.newyorkfamily.com

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quality time

What tWeeNs thiNK about eVeRythiNg KidzVuz founders Nancy Friedman and Rebecca Levey

Started By Two NYC Moms, KidzVuz Gives Children A Chance To Share Their Opinions About Books, Pets, Pop Stars, And Anything Else In A Safe And Respectiful Community Of Peers By Samantha Simon You’re 10 years old. You love the idea of putting your thoughts and opinions out there for the world to see—but perhaps you aren’t quite ready for megatrafficked social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Age restrictions set by these sites aside, you may not being thinking all that much about the consequences of revealing personal information or the risks of connecting with strangers. But, naturally, interacting with friends and being social is a big part of your tween and teen years. What do you do? That’s the question that KidzVuz, founded in 2010 by NYC moms Nancy Friedman and Rebecca Levey, is trying to answer. The website is essentially a space in which kids between the ages of 7 and 12 can post

New York Family | September 2013

videos with their thoughts on everything from taking care of pets to their favorite pop hits. The key difference: all posts are reviewed by trained moderators. Like many other parents, Friedman and Levey are wary of the vast—and sometimes cruel, if not dangerous—online world. As the age at which children start using the internet continues to drop, the need for kidfriendly, monitored online environments has grown, especially with the threat of encountering cyberbullies and child predators. But the idea for the site actually blossomed when Friedman and Levey, each a stay-at-home mom of twins, decided that, as adults, they may not be the best people to review all the children’s products they were constantly being sent because they were successful bloggers. They wondered, why not get the opinions of kids themselves? Why not let them have a voice in all this? ”YouTube is the number one site for kids 8-12, but they can’t have an account. So they’re watching these things, but they don’t [make] them,” Levey says. “Well, with KidzVuz, what’s been shocking is just how good they are at making them.” The co-founders refer to KidzVuz as “YouTube meets Yelp—for kids,” a label that serves to illustrate the combination of learning and self-expression embodied by the website. Creativity and individual voice are encouraged, alongside a sense of empowerment. “Kids have the power through KidzVuz to upend the traditional machine of recommendations, just like Yelp has,” says Levey. “It’s no longer going to be okay for www.newyorkfamily.com

Andrew Schwartz

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adults or giant retailers to dictate what kids want.” Not that adults aren’t without any influence; as with most kid-oriented websites, participation is dependent on parent approval. KidzVuz sends parents a follow-up email to confirm their approval before youngsters are free to opinionate. Plus, moms and dads can rest assured that every video and every comment passes a moderator’s screening for content, language, and general negativity or unkindness before it can be shared with others on the site. So while healthy debates are encouraged in the comments, disparaging messages are simply not tolerated. And personal safety is assured; the site doesn’t allow any kind of personal information to be disclosed—real names, addresses, or even school affiliations—so kids can freely express their views without being harassed (or worse) in real life. From sound bites on the latest trends to informational tutorials, KidzVuz truly covers it all. But while mainstays like pets, fashion, music, tech toys, and food are all regularly review, one topic that shocked the co-founders with its popularity was none other than books! In fact, they are, as parents might be tickled to discover, the most-discussed topic of all. KidzVuz takes the educational theme offline, too. Around the country, teachers are using the site to encourage reading and writing in a fun and high-tech way. “Some kids are very intimidated to write, but talking may be very natural to them,” Levey points out. “It’s definitely been a great combination of using video to inspire writing.” Another exciting feature of the site is its Star Reviewer program, in which “kid reporters” get a taste of the real world on the red carpet, in studios, and at other relevant events. Just last month, a video of kid reporter Faith King interviewing Ryan Reynolds went viral, making national headlines for its “pint-sized reporter” and her confident questioning. Another KidzVuz reporter got to interview some of her favorite Broadway stars at this year’s Tony’s, including the show’s host Neil Patrick Harris. For every video posted on the site, roughly eight videos are watched, and with thousands of videos posted to date, users can develop a real following. As Friedman and Levey describe the process, a lot of the kids are hesitant and awkward when they first start posting but get better at it with practice—then soon enough enjoy the positive affirmation of having followers who want to hear and value what they have to say. “Our most active kids are also our most popular kids. So, that’s the best lesson that they can learn— just to be a productive member of the community and they’ll reap the reward,” Levey says. Friedman added, “They’re really excited to share what they love with other kids—and know they won’t get views if they’re being negative.” A final consideration that adults can appreciate: Unlike social media giants that archive user posts, KidzVuz will leave no digital footprints behind. “If you loved Justin Bieber when you’re 11, no one can search your name when you’re 14 and embarrass you,” Friedman says with a laugh. www.newyorkfamily.com

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September 2013 | New York Family

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TRAVEL

top: seven hills inn (l) and Mass MoCA (r) in the Berkshires

New England In The Fall: A Feast Of Family Fun By Christine Wei New England offers an incredibly diverse menu of experiences for families within a small, easy-to-navigate radius that simply can’t be found anywhere else in the country. We know families look to the south in the cooler seasons, but we’re making a case for fall exploration in some of our favorite spots in the northeast. The tourists are gone. The weather is mild. The leaves are ablaze. What’s not to love?

Culture And Cuisine in the Berkshires Between a two- and three-hour drive from the city, the Berkshires are a cultural mecca thanks to institutions like Tanglewood—the legendary outdoor classic music venue that has attracted such musical greats as Yo-Yo Ma and John Williams—and a host of other well-regarded performance festivals like Jacob’s Pillow and Williamstown Theater. But for your next artsy fix, first make your way up to North Adams, a former industrial town that’ll add just the right touch of edge to your trip. The main attraction there is undoubtedly Mass MoCA, a factory-turned-contemporary museum with a cool factor that all ages can appreciate. This month, don’t miss the two 90- and 100-foot-long phoenixes

New York Family | September 2013

sailing in Camden, Me

that rise from construction site scraps—or the ethereal two-floor water fountain trickling from trompe l’oeil “stone” slabs made of Styrofoam. The best part: Kids can mimic the original techniques used by the artists featured in the museum’s Kidspace studio. After immersing your children in the avant-garde, it’s only fair to feed them some straight-up delights, like at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge where an exhibit about the creation of the Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” complements the expansive main collection of Rockwell works. Along the way down to the Lenox/Pittsfield/Stockbridge hub, take a five-minute detour off of the 7 freeway for pumpkin slingshots, 40-foot slides, and mini-mazes at Ioka Valley Farm. Then fuel up at the cozy Nudel Restaurant with casual but incredibly seasonal Berkshires fare upon arrival. Here, American dishes like pasta and ribs go gourmet (but remain recognizable) thanks to elements like sweet corn ratatouille, bone marrow, and maple sweet and sour sauce. www.newyorkfamily.com

Where to stay? New York Family editor and longtime Berkshires visitor Eric Messinger details a splendidly updated inn (at great value) at the right.

Extreme Leaf Peeping In Vermont The modest height of Vermont’s diverse trees is exactly what makes the state a prime foliage destination, yielding a rainbow of brilliant colors and unobstructed views on elevated trails. But winding drives and occasional hikes aren’t the only way to soak in fire-red maples, golden mountain ashes, and rich purple pin cherries—the ski capital of America offers plenty of active thrills in the fall, too. On the legendary slopes of Stowe and Sugarbush, families can literally dive right into the forests via gravity-defying bungee tampolines and zipline, whether on a canopy tour with naturalist experts or a solo adrenalinepumping ride Families not wanting to rough it completely will discover plenty of rustic comforts in Manchester. Though often noted for high-end outlet shopping, the town offers two wonderful stabs at animal fun: falconry at at the Equinox Resort’s British School and horseback riding lessons at Mountain View Ranch. Nearby, the 30-acre hilltop Wilburton Inn certainly has kids in mind, with apple turnover baking workshops, sculpture gardens to run around in, and even occasional concerts by NYC family favorite Moey’s Music Party. The mansion boasts two- to 14-bedroom houses all dressed with working fireplaces, Jacuzzis, and decks—perfect for multi-generational travelers.

Simple Pleasures On Cape Cod While Cape Cod is often characterized by the stereotypically swanky scenes of Nantucket and the cheekily bohemian culture of Provincetown, it’s the mid-Cape town of Brewster, nestled on a laidback stretch of Route 6A, that beckons to city dwellers looking for true respite. The water may now be too cold to dive right into, but experiencing town life is easy thanks to the attractions scattered along Main Street. Stop first by Hopkins House—which boasts an idyllic garden blooming with handsome daisies and cheery pastel birdhouses—to fuel up on warm pastries and browse coastal furnishings. At Brewster Scoops, the ice creamthemed décor is almost as fun as the flavors. Families searching for souvenirs can enjoy their cones next door to the Brewster General Store, filled with vintage curios, nautical knick-knacks, and rustic-chic homeware. Find the ultimate home base at the Ocean Edge Resort, a family-owned estate where no less than five pools, 11 tennis courts, and a Nicklaus golf course make it easy to lose yourself in leisure. Budget time to properly enjoy the resort’s real pièce de résistance: the private beach whose low tide allows guests to walk as far as a mile into the ocean, which still might be warm enough to graze in September and October. You’ll want to while a few hours away with simple joys like chasing hermit crabs by day and gathering ‘round

Seven Hills Inn

Edit o Pickr ’s

By Eric Messinger

Come along with me on a brief tour of history and hospitality, and by the end you’ll be rewarded with the scoop on one of the best values in the Berkshires. One of the summer hotspots for second homes among the gilded wealthy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the Berkshires, whose gorgeous green vistas and lakes had special appeal to those who preferred a more natural and bucolic setting to Newport’s posh waterfront. With all due understatement, the inlanders called their opulent mansions and gardens “The Berkshire Cottages.” For over 20 years, Robin Gerson Wong and Dennis Wong have been decamping from their busy lives—she ran a children’s New Jersey musical theater center; he was a hedge fund CFO—to spend part of their summers in the Berkshires. About six years ago, they decided to go all in and purchase the Seven Hills Inn, a one-time Berkshire Cottage in Lenox that is now a family-friendly resort for all—including, in a few rooms, pets! My wife and I were guests at the Seven Hills Inn for a summer weekend, and while “makeover” is probably too strong a word, let’s say the Wongs have done a magnificent job of updating the Inn’s traditional aesthetics with lots of lively color and light and plenty of modern touches. Not to mention that you couldn’t ask for more gracious and helpful proprietors. There are three guest options at the Inn: the Manor House, the Carriage House, and the Terrace Country Motel. All options are reasonably priced compared with the Berkshire’s other high-end properties, but the “motel” option is certainly the best value I know of in the area. Despite the name, it’s anything but generic, with all the physical loveliness the Wongs have poured into their other accommodation options, the views of (and access to) the sumptuous grounds, and the same gourmet breakfast that every guest begins the day with in the Manor House. One more thing: One the Berkshire’s great cultural treats, Edith Wharton’s the Mount, is literally next door. My wife and I simply walked over there and loved learning more about her. Turns out that when she wasn’t chronicling her rich tribe, Wharton cared passionately about décor and landscaping—and it shows. Just like at Seven Hills.

a toasty fire pit for s’mores by night. (For easy access, book updated, spacious rooms at the newly renovated Mansion side of the resort.)

Indy Nature Along Mid-Coast Maine Wedged between hipster Portland and the sprawling Acadia National Park, the towns of mid-coast Maine are a magical, off-the-beaten path combination of nature, art, and locavore life that are worth braving the seven-hour drive.

www.newyorkfamily.com

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Is your child aged 13 - 17 diagnosed with ADHD? You may be eligible to participate in a research study of an investigational medication. Symptoms of ADHD include difficulty remembering information, difficulty concentrating, trouble organizing or completing tasks, and procrastination. Qualified participants may receive studyrelated psychological evaluation(s) and may also receive compensation for time and travel. Beach fun on Cape Cod

Kick things off in the town of Belfast, where you can wander the harborfront streets for whimsical art—think: faces carved into old pilings and surfboards reincarnated as benches. A half hour south, schooner tours that breeze past picturesque islands, bell buoys, and lighthouses make the case for a stop in the tourist-friendly town of Camden. After the long drive, recharge with a stay at Samoset Resort, where a brilliant floor plan grants every one of the spacious guestrooms sparkling sea views—though all sorts of sports from tennis to shuffleboard to badminton, not to mention wildlife and arts programs, entice families to leave the balcony. Another cool experience for older kids: Trekking to the Breakwater Lighthouse, perched at the end of a mile-long granite path in the middle of the Penobscot Bay. While it’s a tough distinction to make, the town that arguably best captures the mid-coast spirit is Rockland, a former industrial town undergoing an artsy, foodie renaissance. For a dose of local culture, the Farnsworth Museum showcases the works of Maine’s great artists—while gallery window hopping promises to be a short, quirky adventure for the younger set. Then ride along with Jack Lobster Boat Adventures as lobstermen haul in their catch. A real must for foodie families is dinner at Primo, whose James Beard award-winning chef crafts fresh menus with the bounty from the on-site farm: micro-greens, edible flowers, honey, and house-cured meats. It doesn’t get more local than that. Finally, wind your way to Bath and its Maine Maritime Museum, which houses a brilliant blend of the traditional photos and models one might expect with cool, openly displayed artifacts like operating lighthouse lights and harpoons. The opportunity to tour the shipyard where the world’s largest wooden ship was built and to see real boats taking shape at the Boat Shop make Bath a treasure trove of seaworthy adventures.

New York Family | September 2013

For more information, please call Dr. Jeffrey Newcorn at 212-241-8012 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230 New York, New York 10029

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Exhibitor images: (Clockwise) CRAWFORD, Bridges Over Time, Macklowe Gallery, Mark Helliar, Arcadia Contemporary

T H U R S D A Y, O CTO B E R 10 – S U N D A Y, O CTO B E R 13, 2013

C O L L E C T

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A D O R N

the last word

MoMMa CuLPa a new York City Mother Has a Few apologies to share With Her older Daughter

Dear First Born, i am so sorry. as a mother, like most mothers, i mess up often—and i mess up worse with you than with your sister. You are my guinea pig, subject to the errors of my trials. the mommy guilt is strong in me, and though i know it doesn’t serve either of us, i want to get these apologies off my chest. i am sorry that i mistook my babysitting experience for understanding babies. i am sorry that it took me almost two weeks to figure out that my postpartum daily burrito indulgence was giving you epic gas. i am sorry that i waited so long to give you a bottle that every subsequent bottle was a struggle for you— and Daddy and auntie and Bubbie. i am sorry that i tried every possible method to get you to sleep through the night, from co-sleeping to Ferberizing and everything in between. i am sorry i left Daddy to let you cry it out, even though it only took 30 minutes for you to fall asleep for the night and you went to sleep easily forevermore. i am sorry that i worried too much about milestones. i am sorry for all those Baby einstein videos i made you watch in the name of education for you and showers for me. i am sorry that despite my best efforts to keep you safe, your sippy cups had BPa in them and you sat in a Bumbo seat that got recalled. i am sorry that after under-preparing you to take the G&t test (on which you did well, for the record), you told me, “that was the worst idea ever.” i am sorry that i over-prepared you for the erB with workbooks galore, and, after all that, didn’t have you take the test. and i am reaLLY sorry that we live in a city where 4-year-olds take tests and must interview to get into school! i am sorry that i had to tell you about the Holocaust and 9/11, but am thankful that i had 88

New York Family | September 2013

the chance to tell you before anyone else did. i am sorry that the older kids on the bus told you about newtown before i worked up the courage to tell you myself. i am sorry for all of my hypocrisy. You get upset with me because i limit your screen time while i text and check Facebook like mad. You have a point. i am sorry that we both have to gag down the fish that i insist you eat because it’s “brain food.” and i am sorry that i will let you drink alcohol before i allow you to indulge in my greatest vice, Diet Coke, or, as you once called it, “mama juice.” i am sorry that i baby your younger sister more than i did—or do—you. i kept her in diapers, in a stroller, and in school for a shorter day, all for longer than i did with you. i suppose i realized that each stage passes so quickly, and i am trying to hold on a little longer. i am sorry if you will be embarrassed, but you’ll be the first child i put on a bus to overnight camp, and i’ll be the mother clinging to the bumper. You’ll be the first child i send to the college, and i will be the mother climbing the ivy (God willing) to peer in to your dorm room. Most of all, i am sorry for how fast it all goes. i am sorry i cannot slow down time. i try to savor every minute, but when i cannot, i savor my memories and write about you. Do not mistake my apologies for regret, or my wistfulness for sadness. all of these mistakes have helped make you who are you and our relationship what it is in the past eight years—for which i am unapologetically thrilled. Love, Mommy Lani Serota is a city mom madly in love with her two daughters, her husband, and new York City www.newyorkfamily.com

Illustration by Justin Winslow

By Lani Serota

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my world view

Creativity matters.

—JULIA, pianist, writer, global citizen

how do you develop a child’s world view? You give them a place in the world. Léman Manhattan Preparatory School pairs an international experience with custom-tailored learning that ensures each child not only understands the world, but realizes their unique potential within it.

Limited number of placements available for Pre-K through 12th grade. For a private tour, call 212.232.0266 or visit lemanmanhattan.org/worldview

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