Mendo Lake Family Life April 2020

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April 2020

Supers’ Letters Focus on kids

Home Learning A child psych-mom’s advice

Camp Karma Teen draumedy Shop Local Stay safe

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April 2020

Every Issue

10 Features 10 Educating Hearts and Minds A message from Lake County’s Super.

12 When Parents Become Teachers The Mendocino County Super offers practical tips.

14 Homeschooling During a Crisis A child psych-mom says: Keep expectations low.

16 Indoor Playgrounds Creative, easy ways to entertain kids.

18 Buy Local—from a Safe Distance There are still ways to support local businesses.

20 30 Campers, One Big Rat It was a set up for the perfect “traudrama.”

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Dear Reader

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Bits and Pieces Free “Grab-and-Go” School Lunches Get Your Sci-Fi Fix, Gratis Fill Someone’s Cupboard

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A Monster Goes Viral Crafts Are the Answer The Motherlode of Live Animal Cams Learn Language through Theatrical Play

22 Cooking with Kids Go Granola!

24 Humor Break Not Our Finest Hour

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April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

Dear Reader

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ow. What happened?

Just like that, the world is topsy-turvy.

The kids are at home. You are now not only Sharon Gowan breadwinner and Publisher/Editor Sharon@family-life.us parent but teacher.

And you don’t know when the craziness is going to end.

Parenting is hard. Parenting—and educating—in a pandemic? Well, let’s just say: None of us has ever really done this before.

That means you have the permission to go easy on yourself and your kids.

That’s the message of Superintendents Falkenberg and Hutchins, who, in “Educating Hearts and Minds” (page 10) and “When Parents Become Teachers” (page 12), say to be patient and first focus on kids’ emotional well-being before tending to academics.

Child-psychologist and mom Lynn Adams agrees. In her “Homeschooling During a Crisis” (page 14), she advises parents to keep their expectations low, and let children decompress from the stress of this great change.

Office Manager

And let yourself adjust, too, says mom-blogger and humorist Melissa Gibson in “Not Our Finest Hour” (page 24). You’re a parent who is trying to plan dinner, remember how to multiply fractions, and maintain your “professional voice” while on a conference call in the kitchen. It’s OK if you don’t get it all right.

Patricia Ramos patty@family-life.us

Business Marketing Renee Nutcher renee@family-life.us Warren Kaufman warren@family-life.us

Take a deep breath.

You are doing a great job. And Family Life is here to help you keep doing it.

Features Editor Melissa Chianta melissa@family-life.us

Production Manager Donna Bogener production@family-life.us

Contributing Writers Lynn Adams Brock Falkenberg Melissa Gibson Michelle Hutchins Jennifer Tyler Lee Janeen Lewis Anisha I. Patel Dolores Smyth

Good attendance, good behavior and academic success can be used to identify kids who are more likely to graduate from high school.

Getting your kids to school can make all the difference.

KEEP YOUR KIDS IN SCHOOL. 6 MendoLakeFamilyLife

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April 2020 C

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Bits & Pieces

Get Your Sci-Fi Fix, Gratis

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ithout a free school lunch, some children would not eat at all. It’s a harsh reality that Mendocino and Lake Counties know well. And it is why during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place period many local schools are still providing lunches. Meals may be picked up at participating schools or at designated bus stops. For details, go to districts’ Facebook pages and websites. Here’s a partial list to get you started:

Mendocino County

Fort Bragg Unified School District facebook.com/fortbraggschool Mendocino Unified School District facebook.com/mendocinousd

Ukiah Unified School District facebook.com/ukiahunifiedschooldistrict Willits Unified School District facebook.com/ willits-unified-school-district-224452334593374

Lake County

Kelseyville Unified School District facebook.com/kelseyvilleunifiedschooldistrict Konocti Unified School District facebook.com/konoctiusd Lakeport Unified School District facebook.com/lakeportusd Middletown Unified School District facebook.com/middletownschools

Fill Someone’s Cupboard

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ith so many people out of work due to the statewide COVID-19 shutdown, more families are experiencing food insecurity. And that means that food banks are in greater need of donations. For those who have extra to share, both the Community Food Bank (888 North State St., Ukiah; fordstreet.org) and the Fort Bragg Food Bank (910 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg; fortbraggfoodbank.org) are accepting nonperishable items. ¶

Upper Lake Unified School District ulusd.org/ulhs (look under “Announcements” for meal delivery schedule) ¶ 8 MendoLakeFamilyLife

Rights 19 CBS Interactive , Inc. All /CBS ©20 James Dimmock

Free “Grab-and-Go” School Lunches

he Picard series has created quite a stir in Trekkie land.

The television show features Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic Star Trek role as Jean Luc Picard. But not everyone can afford to subscribe to CBS All Access to see it. So during the pandemic, the network has made all 10 episodes of the first season available for free until April 23. To see it, log on to bit.ly/PicardGift and enter the code GIFT. ¶

Reserved

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April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

eserved

A Monster Goes Viral

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ou can’t deny the potency of star power, especially when the celebrity is blue and fuzzy. Aaron Barnes was just a humble YouTube storyteller until the day he decided to put the spotlight on Grover, the puppet, and read The Monster at the End of This Book. Then he and the friendly monster went viral. See what all of the fuss is about at tinyurl. com/uca5xlg. ¶

Crafts Are the Answer

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rafts are a bit of a savior for kids and parents stuck at home.

Kids get to make stuff; parents get a little quiet.

Bluprint knows this and so is making their entire selection of online tutorials free until April 16. Kids can learn about drawing, baking, pizza-making, embroidery, fashion, and other skills. Check out the selection at shop.mybluprint.com. ¶

The Motherlode of Live Animal Cams

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nimal cams can be fascinating, but they can also record a lot of dead air. Like during naptime. Enter Explore.org’s page dedicated to a collection of live animal cams from all over the world. Kids can see a whole host of animals—zebras, pandas, bald eagles, falcons, alligators, giraffes, and more—hanging out. And if one specimen is busy getting some Zzzzs, there will be others in different time zones, ready to entertain. Check it out at explore.org/ livecams/currently-live. ¶

Learn Language through Theatrical Play

Teaching Artist Ericka Conaway

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uring the summer, Transcendence Theater produces outdoor musical entertainment on the stage of Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen.

But the company doesn’t just do theater. It also brings an arts-integrated English Development Program to schools. And now, due to COVID-19, the six-week course is available for free online. Led by professional Teaching Artists, the program, called Learn @ Home, features four new instructional videos and an accompanying lesson packet each week. The first video teaches students about fables, pantomime, and story mapping. Following that is a video on making comic books. Interested?

Check it out at tinyurl.com/v7y4snx or see transcendencetheatre.org. ¶ www.mendolakefamilylife.com

April 2020

MendoLakeFamilyLife 9

bustle of a typical workweek. Turn off the TV and other devices and talk.

Resources such as the family version of Table Topics (tabletopics.com) can help start conversations, and sites like jumpstart.com offer activities for preschool to elementary school-age children.

Educating Hearts and Minds Supporting Kids Learning at Home

By Brock Falkenberg

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om and Dad: Cut yourself some slack. This is a stressful time. While the shelter-in-place is necessary to protect everyone’s health and to “flatten the curve,” it heightens anxiety. On top of that we still have to juggle work, financial, parenting, and health concerns. Plus, we now have the responsibility to oversee our children’s education.

I want you to know you are not alone.

Numerous organizations, including the Lake County Office of Education (LCOE) and your local school district, are here to provide support and resources. LCOE sponsors Healthy Start and AmeriCorps, both of which are currently actively engaged with support for families.

Spend quality time with your children.

It is important to offer emotional as 10 MendoLakeFamilyLife

well as academic support. Children learn when they feel safe and connected.

Following are some tips from LCOE experts on how to make the most of this time at home with your children— both academically and emotionally.

Connect Staying at home can be seen as an opportunity to spend time with your family without the hustle and

Read Don’t think you have to stick to traditional books; audio books and graphic novels are also good

Even everyday activities, such as going through a recipe, offer a chance to read together. choices. Even everyday activities, such as going through a recipe, offer chances to read together.

Read to your kids. It is OK to read aloud books that are several levels above a child’s reading level. It supports the development of their reading comprehension skills and provides discussion opportunities.

Check out Storyline Online, which features celebrated actors reading storybooks and includes discussion questions and resources for activities as well.

Create Support your child’s creativity. Set them up with an online drawing tutorial, bake with them, or help them learn a new skill. Learning a new skill with your child is a wonderful bonding experience and models a learning and growth mindset.

Most importantly, slow down and enjoy your time together. If your

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

children feel connected and cared for, they may remember this unusual time as a positive one.

Now that everyone is feeling calm and cared for, let’s focus on the academics.

1. Create a designated learning space.

Plan for where the academic work will take place. If everyone is using the kitchen table, remove any distracting clutter. Create a space and/or a bin for each child to keep materials and supplies organized.

The TV and other devices that aren’t necessary for the assignment should be turned off. Avoid social media during this time and consider moving pets to another room or the yard if they are distracting.

2. Stay in communication with the teacher.

Connect regarding the expectations for what education will look like during this time. Learn what resources are available to students.

Help your children review and understand assignments. Do they understand the task, have all the necessary materials, know when the assignment is due, and how they need to submit it? If there are any questions, reach out to the teacher for clarification.

It is important to offer emotional as well as academic support.

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students may appreciate having their own calendars to keep track of their assignment due dates. Break down the larger assignments into smaller tasks and calendar those, too.

4. Create a family schedule.

Structure and routine help children to feel safe and secure. It’s still important to have a regular bedtime and a time to get up in the morning.

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Learning materials can be cleared away when the school day is done, or it’s time for a meal.

It might be helpful to create a family calendar. This is also a way for young children to track important events and begin to get a sense of time. Older

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Children learn when they feel safe and connected.

3. Calendar the due date.

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Balance work time with breaks for movement and healthy snacks. Take stretch breaks, go on a walk, or have dance parties to help children get exercise and burn off extra energy.

Remember to be flexible and open to what children need during any given day. Some days will go smoothly and children will be able to focus well on academics. Other days, they may need more of your time. These are uncharted waters, and you are doing your best to help your children navigate them as smoothly as possible. A few bumps along the way are to be expected and are part of the learning process.

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For more information and resources, visit lakecoe.org.

Brock Falkenberg is the Lake County Superintendent of Schools.

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MendoLakeFamilyLife 11

Create a Daily Plan Share the day’s plan in the morning so children know what to expect. Based on your children’s academic requirements, create a schedule that incorporates both work and relaxation time.

Consider the following: academics, non-screen creative time, exercise, snacks/meals, outdoor time, chores,

When Parents Become Teachers

How to Cope with COVID-19 School Closures

By Michelle Hutchins

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t is a tough time for parents, students, and teachers. All of us have been thrust into an unfamiliar experience—helping students keep up with academics via remote learning, managing other work and family responsibilities, and trying not to overreact to the anxiety-provoking news about this public health crisis.

Many teachers are balancing the need to care for their own children with providing educational materials to their classes. Telecommuting parents are juggling their children’s needs with their family’s economic realities. And students are trying to adjust to a new landscape full of uncertainty.

Here are some tips for managing the educational and emotional challenges of home study during times like these.

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Keep Routines in Place Experts agree that one of the best ways to reduce children’s stress is to reduce uncertainty by maintaining familiar routines. Create consistent wake-up and bedtime routines. Eat breakfast together at the same time each morning. Have children brush teeth, get dressed, and be ready to work at the same time each day.

It’s best to tell your children the truth but not to overshare. free time, and more. Intersperse sitting activities with moving activities.

In addition to using the materials teachers provide, you can also visit the California Department of Education’s page “Free Educational Resources for Distance Learning” at cde.ca.gov/ci/ cr/cf/distancelearnresources.asp for all sorts of great resources.

Excerise! One of the best ways to reduce stress is to move. Get kids up and active. Walk around the block or race them to a visible landmark and back home. Do an indoor scavenger hunt if the weather is poor. It’s hard to overstate the importance of exercise during a time like this.

Do New and Tried-and-True Activities Being at home together affords you the opportunity to try new things and go back to old favorites.

Bake cookies together. Pull out the board games. Play cards. Find the Legos. Sometimes it can be fun to revisit old activities. For a list of fun ideas, visit www.mcoe.us, click on the red banner that says “School Closure & Coronavirus Information” at the top of the page, then, once

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

on the “Coronavirus Information for Schools and Families” page, scroll to the bottom, look under “Resources for Schools, Families, and the Community,” and click on “Chatter Pack: A list of free, online boredom-busting resources.”

Connect Virtually with Friends and Family If you have access to a phone or the Internet, connect with friends and extended family. Schedule a time for children to talk to their grandparents or an elderly neighbor about the best thing that happened to them that day or what they’re looking forward to tomorrow.

Manage Your Own Anxiety How we manage our own anxiety has a big impact on our children.

Children take their cues from us, and

they are perceptive enough to notice body language and other non-verbal communication. Depending on the age of your children, keep your adult concerns private and limit your children’s access to newscasts and social media. If you’re upset, take

It’s hard to overstate the importance of exercise during a time like this. slow, deep breaths. It’s best to tell your children the truth but not to overshare.

Accentuate the Positive During tough times, the human capacity for kindness and compassion is often on display in extraordinary ways. Find examples

Be Patient and Kind This is a tough time for children and parents alike. Try to be patient with yourself, your children, your partner, your colleagues, and your children’s teachers. Most folks are doing the best they can. If you feel yourself getting annoyed, focus on something you’re grateful for.

Practicing gratitude and helping your children practice gratitude is a great way to reduce stress and increase joy in your life. ¶ Michelle Hutchins is the Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools.

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MendoLakeFamilyLife 13

slide. One thing to push: school has a consistent time and place. One thing to let slide: anything “extra.”

3. My friend Jen, a public health official, said something really important the other day: “I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with that right now.” Keep in mind that your child, though not in charge of public welfare,

Homeschooling changed my son so dramatically.

Homeschooling During a Crisis A Child Psychologist-Mom Weighs In

By Lynn Adams

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ithin obstacles there can be opportunity. Yours may be figuring out how learning at home works for your child.

Last year when I decided to home school my now 13-year-old son, who has autism, it was crisis time. So, being the psychologist that I am, I removed every bit of removable stress or stimulation from James’s environment that I could. Metaphorically speaking, his life went from living in an apartment in Manhattan to a cabin in the Vermont woods.

Now kids all over the country— including my 11-year-old daughter—are homeschooling, because it’s national (well, global) crisis time.

Full disclosure: I don’t teach either of my children. I hired a private teacher for my son, and my daughter has a 14 MendoLakeFamilyLife

well-organized online program that she is following pretty independently.

But still, I’ve learned a thing or two about homeschooling.

Here are some of my observations: 1. You might notice that your kids take a lot less time to finish their work than you would expect. That’s fine. Homeschooling removes all the “noise” of the regular school day. So kids actually complete schoolwork faster.

2. Those who need the most help resist that help the most. So the parents’ job is to decide what they need to push, and what they can let

has less bandwidth than usual right now, too. And she or he probably won’t be as polite as Jen when letting you know.

4. When dealing with low bandwith, start with low expectations and, if kids can’t independently meet them, go even lower.

5. Don’t limit things like screen time that help your children decompress, that is until they show signs of experiencing lower levels of stress/ stimulation. Here are some of those signs: independently getting out of bed; easily doing boring morning activities (tooth brushing, dressing); expressing a happy mood and higher energy levels; helping out voluntarily, in any way; remembering to do chores usually forgotten; engaging in creative acts, such as drawing, singing, telling stories.

6. Despite what you’ve probably read on the Internet, this is not your chance to become a star homeschooler and expose your child to all sorts of new ideas. (See step 2.) Even though there is an array of free online activities available right now, it doesn’t mean you should take advantage of them, unless your

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

kids want you to. (It’s not what my kids want, for the record.)

7. This is your chance to see how your child does with less stimulation in the learning environment. Think of all the things that have been removed: locating and unlocking a locker, walking from class to class, finding needed materials, remembering the PE uniform and other equipment, engaging in social innuendo, enduring the sheer length of the school day, and participating

in after-school activities and face-to-face interactions with multiple teachers.

If I had had the opportunity you have now, I would have taken James out of school much earlier.

Homeschooling changed him so dramatically.

Before: He feared and dreaded school, refused every step of his morning routine, needed my maximum help getting ready, and to be walked to his locker every day.

After: Even if I’m not home, he can wake up with an alarm, eat breakfast, take his medicine, and get himself totally ready.

So, though life feels overwhelming right now, you have a chance to see how learning at home may work for your child. That’s not to say the pressure is on. But it is to say you may be in for a few (welcome) surprises. ¶ Lynn Adams is a child psychologist turned at-home parent. Find more of her work at lynnadamsphd.com.

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April 2020

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You can kick off the indoor “Olympic games” with an opening ceremony during which each child gets to parade onto the course to a theme song of his or her choice. Depending on their

Enjoy the glow of a campground “fire” made with paper towel tubes, tissue paper, and LED candles.

Indoor Playgrounds

Kids Can Still Play & Keep COVID-19 at Bay

By Dolores Smyth 1. Set up an indoor campground. Bring out the sleeping bags and tents and turn your family room into an indoor campground. No sleeping bags or tents? No problem. Arrange chairs in rows of two and then drape a bedsheet over them. Pile pillows and blankets underneath and—viola!—you have a DIY tent.

You can make your indoor campground as elaborate as you’d like. String Christmas lights across the top of the tent to create a starry night scene. Enjoy the glow of a campground “fire” made with paper towel tubes, tissue paper, and LED candles. Set up lawn chairs outside 16 MendoLakeFamilyLife

the tent and serve hot dogs, chips, and trail mix; play cards and board games; or do an easy “camping” craft like making beaded necklaces.

To add to the camping aura, make indoor s’mores (see tinyurl.com/ qnposbl for more info on how.)

Last, if your kids are old enough to appreciate spooky tales, lower the lights, switch on a flashlight, and tell ghost stories.

2. Host indoor Olympic games.

If you look in your kids’ toy boxes and closets, you’ll probably find enough games and activities that, if arranged back-to-back, can be made into a challenging obstacle course.

ages, your children may want to grab a favorite teddy bear to serve as their Olympic mascot. Little Olympians then can compete in events such as: • a ring or beanbag toss • a mini golf course competition (use a broom, a ping-pong ball, and a plastic cup) • a ball-throwing competition (in which balls are thrown into boxes of decreasing size) • a sack race or a boiled-egg-and-spoon race • a Hula-Hoop competition • a pyramid cup-stacking race • a physical endurance competition (how many jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups can be done in three 30-second intervals) • a mad dash crabwalk to the final finish line 3. Send the kids off on a scavenger hunt. See mykidstime. com for free, printable indoor scavenger hunt checklists that feature everyday household items.

4. Throw a costume party. Let your kids raid your closet for hats, scarves, and costume jewelry. Add

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

snacks and a tea set to make it a tea party–themed ball! Clear a space for a catwalk and let your mini models parade their fashion choices for you.

5. Put on an airshow with popsicle-stick airplanes. All you’ll need for this craft are Popsicle sticks, a cutting tool, craft glue or a hot glue gun, and, if you’re not already using colored sticks, paint.

Find age-appropriate tutorials online. Just search YouTube for “popsicle stick airplanes.” For added fun, create a runway with cardboard or sheets of construction paper taped together.

6. Hold an art show. Grab smocks for your kids and spread out crayons, paper, and other art supplies. Hang the finished masterpieces in an art

www.mendolakefamilylife.com

show complete with glasses of apple juice “champagne” and hors d’oeuvres.

7. Make Play-Doh come to life.

Just search YouTube for “Play-Doh” to find how-to videos.

Set up a toppings bar and make homemade pizza or your own ice cream sundaes.

8. Bring out your child’s inner chef. Set up a toppings bar and make homemade pizza (find recipes at tinyurl.com/wbqr55k) or your own ice cream sundaes.

9. Expand your child’s knowledge with easy science

April 2020

experiments. Click on the “Experiments” section of sciencebob. com to learn how to make ice cream in a plastic bag, build a soap-powered model boat, and make a static-powered dancing ghost.

10. Relax with low-key, family-bonding activities.

Start a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, make a scrapbook or smash book (see the realisticmama.com/ smash-book), play Mad Libs, build a Lego village together, or play tried-and-true board games, such as Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Chutes and Ladders, or Candyland. ¶ Dolores Smyth is a parenting writer and mother of three. Follow more of her work on Twitter @ LolaWordSmyth.

MendoLakeFamilyLife 17

stops face-to-face contact, but still allows customers to shop and small businesses to sell their wares.

Purchase online gift cards.

Purchasing virtual gift cards is an easy way to support a small business. Buy them now, and use them later when storefronts reopen.

Buy Local–from aCreativeSafe Distance Ways to Support Small Businesses

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By Janeen Lewis

ocal businesses often make up the heart of communities, giving customers individualized attention and unique products. Delivery, curbside pick-up, Face Time orders, and virtual classes are a few of the ways local businesses are getting creative during this unprecedented time of social distancing.

Here are some ways you can support the small businesses you love.

Buy from the Mom-and-Pops.

If you need something, think twice before you start clicking away on big box store websites. These companies will weather the financial storm of social distancing better than smaller shops. Give your business to a local store that you would visit during more normal times.

Order carry out or curbside pick-up. Many restaurants are open for takeout or delivery. Other stores have quickly switched to curbside pick-up.

Order merchandise online, if the local store gets the sale.

Buy online from local businesses.

However, if the local store is part of

Take advantage of delivery.

Some stores are taking orders and payment over the phone, and then delivering to your doorstep. This

18 MendoLakeFamilyLife

a bigger chain, make sure the local proprietor gets the sale. If they don’t, find another way to purchase items, such as curbside pick-up.

Use social media and electronic formats to check out merchandise. If a store is offering virtual tours via social media and Face Time, take advantage of that service. Call in

Many restaurants are open for takeout or delivery. or email your order and then use curbside pick-up or delivery, or pick up the item when the storefront has reopened.

Reach out and request. Business owners are getting really creative right now, so reach out to them. You may have a request or a suggestion that they can accommodate.

Take a virtual class. Does your child’s favorite music instructor or sports coach offer virtual classes? Sign up for one now. Are there any virtual subscription services you can order that will support a small business? Try them out!

Most small businesses were blindsided by the economic impact of the statewide shutdown and social distancing. Support them now so they will be a viable part of the community later.

Janeen Lewis is a nationally published freelance writer.

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

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13-year-old girls descend upon a cabin?

You can count on Camp Karma showing up with some major drama.

Ours came in the form of every camper shrieking and crying on the front lawn at two in the morning. No longer satisfied creeping around the counselors’ room, the rat appeared on the shelving near the top of the ceiling in the girls’ room. And this was not a little mouse—“squeak, squeak.” It was a monster rat with a body several inches long and a spindly tail. Probably

30 Campers, One Big Rat Camp Karma Stirs Up Major Drama

By Janeen Lewis

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s a parent, I know how scary it can be (deep breath) to send kids to sleep-away camp for the first time. As I contemplate my daughter, 10-year-old Gracie, going to overnight camp, I’ve had my own share of brown-bag hyperventilating moments. One thing that calms my nerves is remembering some of my own camp experiences, specifically the college break I worked as a camp counselor and shared a cabin with a group of middle school girls.

That summer I learned first-hand how resilient kids are when they’re away from home—thanks to a large rat named Lucifer.

The Big Reveal Right before the campers arrived, the counselors had inklings we weren’t alone. We found suspicious droppings in our closet and heard something gnawing on our extension cord one 20 MendoLakeFamilyLife

night, but we had never seen the wretched thing. It was on our list to buy a trap, but we were busy and exhausted with camp preparations.

So what happens when you don’t find the culprit before 30 unsuspecting

Kids solve unexpected problems in ways that you and I can’t imagine, and they are the better for it. terrified at that point, the rat raced around all four sides of the room’s high shelving so that every girl could see it. I assumed that they would all be traumatized for life.

Traudrama Emotions that run that high are what I call a perfect blend of trauma and drama—“traudrama.”

It felt like hours before the campers were calm again.

“He looked right at me with his beady, red eyes,” one hysterical camper told me.

The camp chaplain shared soothing words. The adults dutifully said, “He’s more scared of you than you are of him.” But I perceived the girls’ uneasiness as they climbed back into their bunks to get some shuteye.

The next day, the trap snapped in one of the counselor’s rooms, and a triumphant caretaker hauled away

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

the carcass while the girls were at their morning activities. I wondered if the campers would bounce back.

their hands against the ceiling, and received a standing ovation

Ratsilience I’ll admit, at first the girls didn’t want to turn out the lights—ever. But if I learned anything that summer it was to never underestimate kids. Soon, the girls bonded over their experience with the rat. They consoled one another and even cracked jokes.

No matter what challenges kids meet at camp, they usually face their fears, overcome obstacles, and leave with a new confidence.

It was a camp tradition to sing during meals. Anyone could start a song and bang on the mess hall’s low ceilings during the singing. One night at dinner, our campers sang their own ditty called “Lucifer,” the moniker they gave the deceased varmint. They sang, slapping

for their clever creativity. They had developed what I fondly call “ratsilience.”

Fears Faced I haven’t told this tale to worry you. Don’t think if you send your child to overnight camp he or she is going to bunk with questionable vermin. The point is this: No

matter what challenges kids meet at camp, they usually face their fears, overcome obstacles, and leave with new confidence. That’s the magic of camp: Kids solve unexpected problems in ways that you and I can’t imagine, and they are the better for it.

I’ll never forget my summer with Lucifer, a pest who became our unofficial cabin mascot. He helped me learn that campers, and the parents who send them to sleep-away camp, are (deep breath) stronger than we may think. ¶ Janeen Lewis is a writer and teacher with degrees in journalism and elementary education. Her work has been published in several parenting magazines across the country.

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MendoLakeFamilyLife 21

Cooking with Kids

Go Granola!

Make Your Own Low-Sugar Cereal

By Jennifer Tyler Lee & Anisha I. Patel

Excerpted from Half the Sugar, All the Love

by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH. Photographs by Erin Scott. Workman Publishing ©2019.

Jennifer Tyler Lee is an award-winning author and healthy food advocate who earned her Nutrition and Healthy Living certificate from Cornell University. She shares recipes each week at 52newfoods.com.

Anisha I. Patel, MD, MSPH, is an associate professor in the Division of General Pediatrics at Stanford University and an affiliate faculty member at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Healthy Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco.

22 MendoLakeFamilyLife

Erin Scott

P

ackaged granolas, which seem like a healthy choice, can have more than 2 teaspoons of added sugar per 1/3 cup serving. This remastered recipe has just a fraction of that amount.

Dried fruit, nuts, spices, and just a touch of maple syrup add loads of flavor without the need for a lot of sugar. To get those yummy chunks of granola that you’re used to, firmly press the mixture into the pan before baking. It’s best to make a big batch on a day when you have time to cook, then store it for those days when you need a quick breakfast or snack.

Fruit and Nut Granola Ingredients 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats 1 cup whole raw almonds, roughly chopped 1/2 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 4 1/2 ounces dried apricots (about 1 cup), chopped Makes 7 cups Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.

2. Whisk together the maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oats, almonds,

walnuts, ground flaxseed, and coconut and stir until evenly coated.

3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula or the bottom of a glass, firmly press down on the granola to form an even, compact layer about an inch thick.

The granola may not cover the entire surface of the baking sheet.

4. Bake the granola for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking until golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Let the granola cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.

5. Gently break the granola into large clumps. Stir in the dried apricots. The granola will continue to break apart into smaller pieces as you stir. Transfer the granola to an airtight container.

Variation: Substitute 2 ounces unsweetened dried cherries (about 1/3 cup), chopped, for 2 ounces of the dried apricots.

What Kids Can Do Kids can measure and mix the ingredients. They’ll also enjoy breaking up the granola into chunks.

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

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April 2020

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Find critical COVID-19 info plus lots of free kid-friendly activities.

MendoLakeFamilyLife 23

Humor Break

Melissa Gibson

with your computer. I see you trying to sort out the dinner routine while you’re on a conference call. There you are, on the carpet of your bedroom surrounded by Shrinky Dinks and crushed up goldfish. Or hey, you could be crying in the shower, your first in three days. To you I say: It’s OK if your child has too much iPad time right now. And it’s even perfectly fine if he isn’t playing some educational game.

Not Our Finest Hour

It’s OK to Just Get By

By Melissa Gibson

Y

es, it’s true. These next several days, weeks, months (?) probably aren’t going to reflect your best parenting moments. And you know what? That’s OK. In fact, I expect that.

I am hoping my family expects that out of me, too.

Because quite honestly, I can’t give this my everything some days. And what I mean by “some days” is all days.

I’m too frazzled. Aren’t you? Every time I turn on the TV, there it is. If I hop on social media, there it is.

IT IS ALWAYS COVID-19.

So here’s the deal: Whatever situation life has thrown at you? Let’s bring that down a notch or seven.

If you’re now a stay-at-home parent quickly turned homeschool teacher?

24 MendoLakeFamilyLife

You are allowed to just get by. We all have permission to not do those Pinterest-worthy crafts or science experiments or amazing outdoor activities. This is hard enough as it is. Let’s not let social media tell us what we should be doing. I mean, am I really going to use up all of my patience putting on puppet shows and fancy tea parties?

That’s a hard no.

Maybe your office has closed and you’re now a work-from-home parent who is also trying to homeschool.

Plus, there’s a good chance you don’t even have a designated workspace at home because, well, it was too hard to get your office desk in the back of your Honda. I see you standing at your kitchen counter

Life keeps throwing all of us the fastest and curviest curveballs ever.

We are certainly going to swing and miss some of them. Heck, I’ve missed nearly all of them in the last week. The idea, however, is to not stop swinging.

Do your best today. Wait, no. Your “best” might be too exhausting. Do what you can today. Then wake up tomorrow and do it again.

Also, can we set the bar a bit lower on activities for our little darlings?

Almost all of us simply can’t keep up.

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a long-time homeschooler, a dad who has been forced to work at the kitchen counter (or the linen closet), or suddenly an out-of-work parent, it is OK to just get by right now.

This is not our finest hour.

And remember this: While it’s OK if your child is spending a lot of time of the iPad, don’t give her access to Pinterest. She might start pinning like mad, and we don’t need that drama in our lives. ¶ Published on scarymommy.com.

Find Melissa Gibson’s writing and photographs at freckledmommy.com.

April 2020 www.mendolakefamilylife.com

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MendoLakeFamilyLife 25

Made for more love

We were all made for more. More love. More hope.

More connection. And now more than ever, it’s important for us to stay connected. In times of uncertainty we pull together as a community, and together we can overcome anything.

To learn more about staying healthy, active and connected, visit AdventistHealth.org