Good to Know

Finding the Right School for Your Child From the publishers of PRIVATE SCHOOLS 2022/2023 EAST BAY GUIDE TO

PSG Cover 2022.02.indd 1 9/22/22 3:29 PM Finding the Best Start for Your Child From the publishers of PRESCHOOLS & Early Child Education EAST BAY GUIDE TO 2022/2023

East Bay Private School Guide and the East Bay Preschool Guide are Now Available!

The 2022/23 edition of The East Bay Private School Guide and The East Bay Guide to Preschools are fresh off the press and our available on our website.

Both give great advice on how to choose a private school or preschool, relative to their subject. Find out when to start your search, criteria to consider, what to look for in a school and a handy timeline for your search so you stay on track with those application deadlines. Available online at www.ParentsPress.com – just click on “Our Magazines” tab.

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That’s the number in pounds of the average turkey purchased for a Thanksgiving meal. Turkey’s average weight has doubled since the 1950s. And, more than 224,000 turkeys are sold for family celebrations each year, down from the height of 273,000 in 2007. Yet, still adds up to a whole lot of leftovers to consume on Black Friday and beyond. Gobble, gobble!

DID YOU KNOW

that every year in

November there is a very special day to celebrate learning? Learning in subjects like science, technology, engineering, art, and math? It’s National STEAM Day on November 8th.

Why choose November 8th for a day that celebrates creativity, learning, and innovation? Because it can be abbreviated NOV 8, i.e., innovate :) So let’s all go innovate on November 8th.

WORD WISE

November is National Adoption Month! Have you ever considered where the phrase “put up for adoption” is derived? It comes from the orphan train movement in the United States from 1854 to 1929. During this time orphans were put on trains headed for the Midwest and West. At each stop the children would be “put up” on a train platform in hopes of finding a family to adopt them.

Fall Respiratory Issues

During the fall and winter months emergency departments often see an increase in children presenting with respiratory disorders. Some of the common respiratory illnesses seen in children are asthma, bronchiolitis, croup and pneumonia. While it can be heartbreaking and frightening for a parent to see their child not feeling well, an infant or young toddler with a respiratory illness can be extra worrisome for parents since children this age can’t tell you what is wrong.

For some children with asthma, the return of cooler weather or catching a cold can make their symptoms more difficult to control. Bronchiolitis is caused by viruses and usually affects infants and toddlers. Bronchiolitis can develop into coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing.

If your child has a harsh For some children with asthma, the return of cooler voice, barky cough and noisy breathing he or she may have weather or catching a cold can make their symptoms croup. Croup is also caused more difficult to control. by viruses and affects young children. If your child is diagnosed with pneumonia antibiotics will be prescribed if the infection is caused by bacteria.

Your child should see their pediatrician for any concerning respiratory symptoms, but here are some of the reasons to seek care immediately:

• If you can see your child’s ribs or if the chest or stomach is being pulled in while breathing • If there are any abnormal noises, such as grunting, while breathing • If there is a blue or gray color around your child’s lips or on their face or finger nails • If they are drooling more than normal • If they are not able to swallow

A child that has been diagnosed with a respiratory infection may require more fluids than usual to prevent dehydration if they have a fever or are breathing faster than normal. If your child is diagnosed with a bacterial infection, he or she will be prescribed antibiotics. Be sure to give your child their medication as directed, for the prescribed amount of time. Avoid over the counter cough/cold medications as these are not safe for children.

Your child may not be acting like his or her normal self while they are sick, but with a little time and supportive care they will be back on their feet and running around!

The Art of Gratitude

Agratitude journal is a great way to teach kids how to appreciate and focus on the positives in life. Each day your child can write or draw pictures of the people, places or things in their life that are important and appreciated. Focusing on the positives each day is tremendously up lifting emotionally. This positive way to start or end the day will create an emotion that will carry throughout the day. Kid focused gratitude journals can be bought or handmade, be word or art focused. Even using magazine photo cutouts, pasted into the journal works. The key is to spend a few moments each day and think about what is important to happiness. Be grateful! Y

National Indian Pudding Day

It was in the seventeenth century that English colonists brought hasty pudding to North America and completely transformed it. Although it was initially made with wheat, they substituted cornmeal due to a shortage of the grain at the time. The colonists had learned how to cultivate maize (corn) from the indigenous peoples. Indian pudding was derived from their name for cornmeal, Indian meal. Milk was substituted for water, and they added either molasses or maple syrup along with cinnamon, ground ginger, butter, eggs, raisins, and nuts. Indian pudding is then slowly baked for several hours, transforming its texture from the original porridge-like quality of hasty pudding to a much smoother texture which is more typical of custard.

Best Gifts for the Holidays

By Elena Epstein, Director of the National Parenting Product Awards

Bunny Hopkins Swing Collection

A unique handmade wooden disc swing for indoor or outdoor play. Created with sustainable materials sourced American maple wood. Vibrant natural and color stains create amazing underlying wooden grains patterns. $59-$99, ages 2-8, www.bunnyhopkinstoys.com

LeapFrog Magic Adventures Microscope

Young biologists can zoom in on flowers, animals, food, minerals and more using eight double-sided smart slides Discover answers to curious questions like: How do leaves changes colors? What do plant cells look like? What is sand made of anyway? $89.99, ages 5+, www.leapfrog.com

Explorer X

Perfect for aiding your child to transfer smoothly into riding a bike. Safety features include a frame pad, safe footrests and an adjustable seat that grows with your child. $99.99, ages 4-6, www.mobocruiser.com

Switcheroo Coding Crew

Embark on challenge-solving rescue missions using a codable robot with three shells that transform into a police car, fire truck and construction vehicle. Race around the town’s puzzle piece board to learn coding concepts, logic, problem solving and critical thinking. $59.99, ages 4+, www.amazon.com

Koosh Flix Stix

Plays like lacrosse -- easy to flick, catch and hard to put down. Perfect for hours of outdoor fun, families can test their skills and go head-to-head. Each set comes with 2 Flix Stix and 1 Koosh Ball. $24.99, ages 6+, www.playmonster.com

Critter Creator Fossil Kit

Build, paint and fossilize ten different little critters with air-dry clay. The kit includes molds to create dragonflies, spiders, hornets, scorpions, lady bugs and more. $24.99, ages 7+, www.crayola.com

Called It!

An easy to learn game that is fast and fun for the whole family. Players must turn over their topmost card in the center at the same time and be the first to call out the biggest animal. Great for travel. $12.97, ages 5+, www.amazon.com

Superspace

A life-sized modular magnetic play space set that connects like magic. Kids can create almost any structure they dream up and then play in their innovations. Packs away into a small footprint. $299, ages 2-10, www.getsuperspace.com

Moody Moody Cars

In this unique and charming picture book, classic cars express a range of feelings, from excited to angry, to help kids learn about emotions. Enjoy the photos of cool cars or dive deeper into the engine of emotional understanding. $16.99, ages 4-8, www.eileenkennedymoore.com

Springfree Large Oval Trampoline

With the springless design, flexible net, soft edge mat and hidden frame, this trampoline is safe and perfect for large families and kids of all ages, who love fitness and activities. $1,799, 6+, www.springfreetrampoline.com

Spidey & His Amazing Friends Web Spinning Hauler

Join Spidey, Ghost-Spider and Miles Morales as they chase down villains inside this fun car. As Spidey takes the wheel and Ghost and Miles operate two Web Dart Launchers, users can spin the dial on the Hauler’s rear to the correct symbol, emerging characters from the roof. $27.99, ages 3+, www.target.com

BFF by Cry Babies

The collectible fashion dolls from Cry Babies. Six characters that come dressed in trendy outfits and strike various poses. Unbox the doll and discover seven surprise accessories. $19.99, ages 5-8, www.amazon.com