ParentMap March 2022 Issue

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Waste Not, Want Not Evergreen waste-reduction strategies that will make your life better

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Beachy Keen 10 best things to do with kids in Cannon Beach, Oregon

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PNW INSIDE + OUT

FREE

ParentEd Talk DR. DAN SIEGEL IS BACK! Becoming Aware: Reducing Anxiety and Cultivating Calm P. 23

Her Story Brilliant books to celebrate Women’s History Month 7/

L FE OUTDOORS

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C ONTENTS

March

2022

PARENTMAP.COM In Every Issue Dear Reader Play List

4 24

Parenting

Feature

FAMILY MANAGEMENT

Her Story 7 A booklist celebrating tales of women and girls who have accomplished amazing and unexpected things

Waste Not, Want Not 14 Evergreen waste-reduction strategies that will make your life better Dollars and Sense 35 An age-by-age guide to building financial literacy in kids BIRTHDAYS

Everyone Loves a Party, Right? Wrong!

17 6 tips for throwing an awesome bash for your introverted kid

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Local Resources Camps: Arts + Activities 6 Birthdays 16 Montessori Schools 26 Schools + Preschools 36

Celebrate Women’s History Month with inspiring stories of women and girls who crashed through gender barriers to live the life they were meant to.

Family Fun OUT + ABOUT

March Play List 24 15 ways to spring into spring Beachy Keen 10 best things to do with kids in Cannon Beach

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EDUCATION

Voices in Education 18 An expert shares pointers for talking to your child about autism

27 The Montessori Mind How mindful learning promotes greater confidence and natural self-motivation

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Super-summer-fragilisticexplore-alidocious!

Discover dozens of cool camps and classes for kids of all ages

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Fun, Ahoy!

Your A–Z directory to top local resources — all in one place

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PNW INSIDE + OUT

may not always understand autism, but the world is changing. You’re there to help. If a flower isn’t growing well, you don’t change the flower, you change the environment.” p. 18

Ready … Set …

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DE AR R E ADER

March is simply marchelous Look, I’m no authority (on any matter, admittedly), but I am personally convinced that March is the best month of the year. Let me persuade you this is true with five testimonies.

1. For starters, I think March favoritism largely “springs” from its adjacency to sadsack February. As short as it is (and you can thank Numa, the second king of Rome, for that), February feels like the whinge-iest feet-dragger of the winter months — such an awkward, despondent, truculent teen of a month. (I feel I can say this because I was born in February and I was in my own youth its social-emotional poster child. Plus, what up with the unnecessarily complicated spelling? Feb-boo-ary is more like it.) So, when March 1 rolls around, it feels like a seasonal deliverance, the metaphorical equivalent of getting the headgear+braces off. Ta-da, c’est moi!

2. March always feels like a new beginning. Its energy is as imperative as its verbal connotation. Emerging from the dormancy of February, this energizing month seems to magically ignite get’er-done agency on so many levels. If a tiny crocus can push its way up to the sun, then why can’t I … Make overly optimistic to-do lists! Start training for a marathon! Deep-clean embarrassingly grubby things! W00t!

3. March is Women’s History Month. If you read nothing else in this month’s issue, please peruse Jenna Vandenberg’s totally inspiring roundup of books celebrating the feats and accomplishments of amazing women and girls, both historical and imagined (p. 7).

4. One of my personal heroes famously opined that it isn’t easy being green. With all deference to my main frog Kermit, there are so many easy ways to be green in March: a. March is the best month to dig in the dirt! My mom used to say that pulling weeds in March prevents wrinkles in December — just sayin’. b. Everyone can love being green on St. Patrick’s Day (see March Play List, p. 24). c. As this festering pandemic stretches into year three, we’re all beyond exhausted. Beloved ParentMap contributor Gemma Alexander shares dead-simple, yet high-impact, ways your family can be greener in 2022 on p. 14.

5. Not only is March National Craft Month, it calendars some of the sweetest and silliest observance days of the year: National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day (March 1); Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2); The Day of “The Dude” [Lebowski, that is] (March 6); Flapjack Day (March 7); Get Over It Day (March 9); Pi Day (March 14; aka Pie Day at my house); Absolutely Incredible Kid Day (March 21); and — altogether now: Aww …

— National Puppy Day (March 23).

Ultimately, March is a spring thing. I make this same hokey statement every year: Hope springs eternal, but spring is eternally hopeful.

— Patty Lindley, managing editor

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MARCH 2022, VOL. 19, NO. 3

What habit are you committed to prioritizing this year to help your household run more efficiently?

PUBLISHER

Alayne Sulkin EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Patty Lindley OUT + ABOUT EDITOR Nancy Chaney

Next-level composting

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Vicky McDonald OUT + ABOUT EDITORIAL SPECIALIST Dora Heideman COPY EDITOR Sunny Parsons CONTRIBUTORS Gemma Alexander, Nancy Chaney, Tiffany Doerr Guerzon, Camille Gullickson, Malia Jacobson, Vicky McDonald, Jenna Vandenberg, Sara Woods, Ph.D.

DIGITAL MARKETING

Get better at recycling and tackle the garage this year

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Lindsey Carter EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST Devon Hammer DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR Taryn Weiner INTERIM SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Emily Feely

ADVERTISING SALES + PARTNERSHIPS

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SENIOR ADVERTISING AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Ida Wicklund ADVERTISING CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER Jessica Collet ADVERTISING CLIENT SERVICES ASSISTANT Angela Goodwin CLIENT SERVICES PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Mallory Dehbod

Accountability, free of shame or guilt

SALES + OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Rachel Howard

EVENTS EVENT OPERATIONS Brenna McCown

ART + PRODUCTION SENIOR DESIGNER Amy Chinn

Making progress on our action plan around financial goals

ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER Carolyn Brendel

PARENTMAP EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

CONTACT INFORMATION

Benjamin Danielson, M.D. CLINICAL PROFESSOR, UW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PRACTICING PHYSICIAN, UW MEDICINE

Advertising information 206-709-9026 or advertising@parentmap.com Fax 206-709-9031

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FE ATUR E

Brilliant Books to Celebrate Women’s History Month

By Jenna Vandenberg

March is Women’s History Month, a perfect time to pick up recently published books about women and girls accomplishing amazing and unexpected things.

This list features females from around the globe who train eagles and horses, dream up infamous monsters, kayak the Amazon, fight for reproductive rights, protect water and learn to not be perfect.

Some of the books are about fictional females, such as Akissi, a fast-talking mischief-maker from the Ivory Coast.

Others feature historical figures, such as Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War physician who wore what she wanted. Still other titles walk the line between fact and fiction, such as a darkly illustrated book in verse about Mary Shelley or the reimaging of a Muslim woman from a Lord Byron poem. Nearly all tell the story of how women and girls have crashed through gender barriers to live the life they were meant to.

PICTURE BOOKS

“Around America to Win the Vote: Two Suffragists, a Kitten, and 10,000 Miles” by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Hadley Hooper With their yellow car, their tiny cat and their trunk of very useful things, two smiling women set out from New York City to tour the country and spread the message that women deserve the right to vote. Alice and Nell attended parties, got stuck in icy streams, went to all-yellow lunches and got lost in Arizona. They returned home with a full-grown cat to a warm welcome.

Featuring delightful illustrations, this book is a joyful adventure tale. It’s a fun book to read out loud to little ones, who will enjoy finding the cat on each page. Several pages of back matter will help answer questions about the funny-looking car, the strange idea that women shouldn’t vote and queries about how the book was researched.

“Mamie on the Mound: A Woman in Baseball’s Negro Leagues” by Leah Henderson, illustrated by George Doutsiopoulos Mamie Johnson always loved playing baseball, and when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, she hoped to play, too. However, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League wasn’t ready to give African American players like her an opportunity.

But Mamie chased her dream anyway. At age 19, the 5-foot-4-inch pitcher earned a spot playing in the mostly male Negro Leagues.

With the Indianapolis Clowns, she struck out batters at Comiskey Park and Yankee Stadium.

After three seasons on the field, Mamie, the first female pitcher in professional baseball history, returned home. She raised a son, had a successful nursing career, and continued playing and coaching baseball for the rest of her life.

“Mary Wears What She Wants” by Keith Negley The imaginative pink-and-blue art is the real star of this short and sweet book about Mary Edwards Walker. Although there is a blurb about the Civil War surgeon at the end of the book, the story is set in Mary’s childhood, when she decides to wear pants to school.

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Although crowds questioned her and picket signs taunted her, Mary defended herself and her decision, saying, “I don’t wear men’s clothes, I wear my own clothes.”

“The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown” by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Sarah Jacoby The important thing about Margaret Wise Brown is that she wrote books — even though her books (including “The Runaway Bunny” and “Goodnight Moon”) were not recommended by the children’s librarian at the New York Public Library. But Margaret also fell in love with a woman called Michael and a man named Pebble. She spent her first fortune on flowers, skinned her rabbits and swam naked in cold water. “There are people who will say a story like this doesn’t belong in a children’s book,” writes author Barnett, “but it happened.”

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This picture book is an anthem for women and girls who want to live their own weird, beautiful lives, doing all the nonsensical and important things that might just make them happy.

“We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade “In Ojibwe culture, women are the protectors of the water and men are the protectors of the fire,” author Carole Lindstrom explains in her author’s note. In her lyrical tale, a young girl rallies her people together to stand up against the black snake (drawn as an oil pipeline with a snake head) to protect the water, land and Earth. The final scene is of people gathered in protest, complete with “No DAPL” and “Stand with Standing Rock” signs.

Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal award, this book is gorgeously illustrated. Each page is luscious and vibrant, celebrating the Earth with color, just as the text celebrates it with words.

MIDDLE-GRADE BOOKS

“Wild Girl: How to Have Incredible Outdoor Adventures”

by Helen Skelton, illustrated by Liz Kay In her illustrated memoir, Helen Skelton recounts her wild adventures around the world. She’s biked across the South Pole, run an ultramarathon across the Namib Desert, kayaked down the Amazon and walked along a high wire between the two towers of Battersea Power Station.

For each adventure, Skelton describes her training and adventure with illustrated gear lists, maps, pho-

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tographs and her first-person account of how she felt on each stage of the journey. She concludes each chapter by suggesting “wild adventure” activities for readers, such as slacklining, hill running, paddleboarding or organizing epic snowball fights.

“Akissi: Tales of Mischief” by Marguerite Abouet, illustrated by Mathieu Sapin The first in a trio of tales about Akissi, this book is about a spunky girl who lives on the Ivory Coast with her monkey, Boubou, knowit-all brother Fofana and the rest of her family. In this comic-style graphic novel, Akissi kicks footballs over walls, gets bitten by a

snake in the cassava fields (don’t worry — Grandma Nan saves her), hosts movie nights at her house when she thinks Dad is at work, and does her best to avoid teachers and dentists.

The stories and settings from modern-day Africa are refreshingly different from most books on the market, which tend to be set in the United States or Europe. Akissi’s relatable humor and the sticky situations she finds herself in will have kids howling with laughter.

“I Can Make This Promise” by Christine Day Edie has always known her mother was adopted, but when she

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finds a mysterious box containing letters from her biological grandmother, she is desperate to learn the whole story. Between trips to Golden Gardens, the Tulalip Reservation, Pike Place Market and Indianola, Edie learns the story of her family and the importance of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, legislation enacted too late to help her family.

Pulling from her own family’s experiences, author Christine Day writes beautifully about universal woes of adolescence — getting braces, losing best friends — alongside the complexities of grasping hold of a heritage that so many have tried to erase.

“Stand on the Sky” by Erin Bow Only men train eagles in Aisulu’s Kazakh community. But when her brother is rushed to an expensive hospital in Ulaanbaatar, 12-year-old Aisulu eyes the prize money at the Eagle Festival. She sets her sights on winning in order to save her brother and keep her family from having to abandon their nomadic life and the mountains where they’ve always lived.

Sometimes defying gender norms and sometimes existing within them, Aisulu trains her baby eagle, learns to live with her extended family, and carves out new places for herself and the women who will come after her.

“The Night Ride” by J. Anderson Coats J. Anderson Coats often writes about girls who slip around gender norms to make a better life for themselves. Her latest, “The Night Ride,” is no exception. Set in a nebulous past in the fictional kingdom of Mael Dunn, the story begins when Sonnia finagles

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a job caring for horses at the racetrack. Although she’s a poor girl from the lanes, she dreams of saving up to buy Ricochet, the horse she’s loved for years.

But life at the racetrack is full of hard lessons and choices. Rent is more than expected, girls are shut out of the jockey house, and her family back home needs money. Participating in the dangerous and illegal night ride might be Sonnia’s only shot at earning enough money to help her family and buy Ricochet.

YOUNG ADULT

“Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Right for Reproductive Rights” by Karen Blumenthal Students are often desperate to debate abortion and contraception in high school, but many teachers shy away from, or outright ban, such subjects in the classroom, fearing community pushback. This book is a perfect resource for teens interested in the legal

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Fittingly, this is no conventional biography. Lita Judge tells Shelley’s story in free verse over the top of dark, gorgeous and angsty illustrations. Grief, anger, pain, passion, art and literary genius adorn every page.

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“Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein” by Lita Judge Mary Shelley’s storied life defies conventional biographies. The acclaimed 19th-century author left home as a pregnant teenager. She had family and romantic relationships that define the word “complicated.” And she created one of the most iconic and disturbing monsters in modern history.

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and social twists that the fight for reproductive rights has taken.

Written by Karen Blumenthal, a financial journalist turned YA author, the book takes a deep and fascinating look at the historical causes and conflicts of reproductive rights from multiple angles. While the author clearly supports abortion rights, opposing viewpoints are not vilified. This is an important and necessary book that will likely become increasingly relevant in the months and years to come.

“I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”

by Erika L. Sánchez Julia’s story begins at her sister’s funeral. Even in death, her sister Olga is unstylish.

Olga had always been the perfect Mexican daughter: She sat at home with her parents, cooked, cleaned and attended prayer groups with Amá. Julia, to the eternal consternation of her parents, is the opposite.

As Julia navigates her grief and depression, balances family pressures and contemplates her future, she is confronted with a mystery. Olga had been hiding something from everyone. Between stealthy trips to Olga’s room, a much-needed respite in Mexico and bus rides to Evanston, Julia digs through Olga’s past and learns that nobody is as perfect as they seem.

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“Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo Scooping up all the big literary awards this past year (National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Stonewall Medal Award, a Printz Honor), “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” very much earns the

hype. The 17-year-old Lily falls in love with Kath and discovers the lesbian nightlife scene that is beginning to thrive in San Francisco. But it’s the height of the Red Scare, Lily’s family is Chinese, and her father’s loyalties are in question. Coming out seems impossible.

The writing is gorgeous, layering foggy San Francisco scenes, Chinese customs and historical details into the plot. The slowly burning romance is beautifully written. Know that sexuality and sensuality are major themes in the novel.

“Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know” by Samira Ahmed On her yearly summer holiday in Paris, 17-year-old Khayyam is on two missions. The budding art historian’s first task is to investigate

the mysterious Leila in Lord Byron’s epic poem. The other is to detangle her own love life, navigating interactions with her possibleex-boyfriend at home and the charming Alexandre in Paris.

Intertwined with this contemporary tale is Leila’s 19th-century story. In her author’s note, Samira Ahmed points out, “When we say history is written by the victors, we mean history is written by the patriarchy.” Unlike Lord Byron, both Ahmed and her fictional Khayyam give the historical Leila a voice.

Want more? Check out Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0–18 (risefeministbooks.wordpress.com). Part of the Feminist Task Force and the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association, the website presents an annual booklist of the best feminist books for young readers.

■

Jenna Vandenberg is a mom of two girls who teaches history at a public high school north of Seattle. She recently served on the Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Review Committee.

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FAM I LY MANAGEMENT

These Waste-Reduction Strategies Will Make Your Life Better

By Gemma Alexander

This winter, heavy snow and labor strikes resulted in multiple missed trash pickups.

And when that happened, a lot of us were horrified to see how the garbage bags piled up at home. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans throw away almost 5 pounds of garbage per person per day. Realizing just how much waste we generate makes us want to do something about it. But as the pandemic stretches into year three, we’re also beyond exhausted. Fortunately, some changes that only require a little bit of effort can translate into big benefits for the planet, for your wallet — and even for your community.

Food waste We can argue the relative impact of supply chain issues, inflation and shopping habits such as falling back on pricey conveniences and comfort foods to explain high grocery bills. But it’s a fact that even during normal times, the average American wastes 400 pounds of food every year.

That’s something we can’t afford — financially or ecologically.

There are plenty of ways to cut down on food waste, from avoiding spoilage through proper food storage to getting creative with leftovers. But the single most effective strategy for most of us is planning ahead.

Yes, it takes some effort up front to analyze your schedule for the week, plan what you’ll make with the time you have each day and prep a grocery list around those meals. But shopping from a list based on a meal plan eliminates impulse buying, aspirational shopping (do you actually have time to make scratch lasagna this week?) and accidental duplicate purchases.

Consider ordering your groceries online for delivery or pickup — this practice not only saves time, it can be a more sustainable way to shop, especially if the store allows you to return the bags. Try it for a couple of weeks and you might be surprised by

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how much money you save and how much less food you throw away. Not to mention how much stress you avoid by eliminating the “What am I going to make for dinner?” conundrum from your daily routine.

Plastic waste If you dump out your garbage bin and spread out its contents (maybe a raccoon has done it for you?), it’s immediately obvious that a lot of it is plastic. Plastics make up 12 percent of the waste stream, and that’s not even counting the 8 million tons of plastic that wash into the oceans every year. Plastic contains harmful chemicals that can leach from food containers, teethers and toys; and microplastics are entering the food chain from the environment. These exposures are linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, and developmental and reproductive effects. Yikes!

Plastic is so ubiquitous that living plastic-free is impossible for most people, especially if you have small children. But there are some easy ways to use less of it.

Most people already have reusable shopping bags scattered around the house, but if you

don’t, start collecting them. Find a convenient storage place for them so you remember to take them with you when you go shopping.

Keep spares in your car, just in case.

Assign everyone in the family their own refillable water bottle (and coffee to-go mug for parents) to eliminate disposable beverage containers. Take a proper lunch box to work; there are lots of very grown-up options these days, and many are designed to eliminate the need for disposable utensils and zip-close baggies.

If yours is a simple container, you can still pack real utensils and reusable containers.

(Just make sure they are dishwasher safe; nobody has time to handwash lunch box components.)

Many of us were doing these things until the pandemic broke the habit. Now, businesses are starting to accept reusable bags, bottles and mugs again. Cutting down on plastic is an iterative process; look for reusable and recyclable alternatives, one product at a time, as your energy and resources allow. Cutting down on plastic waste takes real effort, but the environmental and health benefits are worth it.

done some “growing” themselves during the pandemic can hold a free swap meet with friends. Everyone places clothes they don’t want (or that don’t fit) on tables in the backyard and browses each other’s offerings.

For the clothes you do buy, establish a circular clothing economy. If you grew up resenting your sibling’s hand-me-downs, expand the circle. Getting a pile of clothes from an older cousin or the cool big kid down the block has a completely different vibe. When my kids were little, we got together with another family for clothing exchanges. Many of my oldest child’s clothes came back to my youngest five years later, covered in a patina of nostalgia and no worse for being worn by the other family’s two kids. Parents who may have

The hand-me-down chain is an effective strategy for toys, too. In my experience, kids are a lot more likely to relinquish a formerly beloved toy if they know it’s going to a good home instead of the trash. If your friend group or neighborhood doesn’t include other kids of corresponding sizes and ages to yours, you can use your school’s Facebook page to post offerings and requests. Platforms like Freecycle (freecycle.org) and even the often-toxic Nextdoor (nextdoor.com) can also be used for neighborly exchanges to lengthen the lifespan of outgrown objects.

Bigger stuff If Marie Kondo is right that clutter causes stress, we would all breathe a little easier by owning less stuff. We know we shouldn’t buy things we don’t need, but what about things we need once or infrequently? Does every house really need its own pressure washer? How about a circular saw? A lot of

Textiles and toys Fast fashion and cheap toys have a tremendous ecological footprint at every stage of life, with 85 percent of textiles and 80 percent of toys winding up in a landfill.

That knowledge may make it easy to abandon your inner mall rat, but growing kids give a whole new meaning to the “fast” in fashion. That’s okay, you can still cut down on textile and toy waste.

Does your middle schooler ignore their well-curated wardrobe and wear the same sweatshirt every day? Call it a win for the planet. You have permission to stop buying your kids clothes until they actually need them — that is, their old clothes are worn out or nothing fits. Letting kids love their clothes to death saves money, requires no effort on your part and is gentle on the environment.

PA R E N T M A P / M A R C H 2 0 2 2 / 1 5

LO CAL R ES O UR CES / BIRT H DAYS FAM I LY MANAG EM EN T

Fun in your inbox

continued from page 15

people buy these items because it’s just as expensive to rent them. But consider a third option: borrowing them.

Stay up to date with the latest family news, stories and adventures around Puget Sound — straight to your inbox.

ParentMap.com/eNews

!

N E P O NOW

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Tool libraries, like the one operated by Phinney Neighborhood Association (phinneycenter.org), are always cheaper than a trip to the hardware store. You can look online for one near you (localtools.org), but much less formal arrangements can help you get the job done while building community. Neighbors used to borrow a cup of sugar — why not expand the concept to share Instant Pots and bread-makers?

Every neighbor on a street doesn’t need to own a snow shovel in a town that only gets snow once or twice a year. Lots of people would be happy to share their lawnmower with a borrower who sometimes mows both lawns. On my street, an email distribution list originally formed to organize the annual block watch party helps neighbors share seldom-used items, such as shovels and ladders. You could even use Google Sheets to set up a shared spreadsheet on which neighbors list items available for loaning. Saving money when you borrow your neighbor’s carpet cleaner feels almost as good as being able to help out by loaning them your weed wacker.

After a couple of years of pandemic isolation, the best benefit of the sharing economy might actually be the emotional boost felt from helping each other out.

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• Kids Track for Ages 6-10 • Fast Go-Karts for Ages 11-18 • Complete Party Packages Available • Drop-In Racing Available

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Seattle-based freelance writer Gemma Alexander focuses on the intersection of parenting and the arts.

When she’s not writing for ParentMap, she blogs at gemmadeealexander.com and tweets @gemmadeetweet.

7/31/21 11:48 AM

LO CAL R ES O UR C ES / BI RT HDAYS

How to Throw an Awesome Birthday Party for Your Introverted Kid

By Tiffany Doerr Guerzon Every kid loves a birthday party, right?

Wrong! For a shy or introverted child, big, noisy parties are often occasions to be dreaded instead of celebrated. So, how can parents mark these important milestones in a way that makes everyone happy?

First of all, you know your child best.

Careful listening and discussion will reveal what your birthday boy or girl needs and wants for their celebration.

The home-field advantage Some kids will feel most comfortable in their own home, celebrating with a few relatives and friends. Hold a small dinner party with the birthday child’s favorite meal as the main dish. You can still make an intimate gathering special with decorations, a fun game or two, plus a birthday cake.

Keep it small Introverted kids often would prefer to have one or two close friends instead of a gaggle of playmates. A simple after-school playdate with a couple of friends at home could be the perfect birthday celebration.

‘Don’t look at me!’

Opening presents and listening to the “Happy Birthday” song can be excruciating experiences for kids who hate having all eyes on them. An easy solution is simply to have the child open the gifts later, after the guests have gone home.

Presenting the cake, singing and blowing out the candles pose a more difficult problem, because this practice is so expected. One way to deflect unwanted attention is to make

a dramatic entrance carrying the cake into the room as the guests sing, so that all eyes are on the cake instead of on the birthday girl or boy. Or dispense with the ceremonial singing altogether and just hand out precut slices of cake or cupcakes.

Games or no games?

Planning with your child is crucial to a happy birthday. Let them choose what activities they would like. Sometimes just free play in the backyard is plenty, and it won’t put anyone in the spotlight. On the other hand, a busy schedule of games and activities can be helpful to a kid who would prefer less pressure to interact with his or her peers.

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Get out of the house An introverted kid may prefer not to have a lot of people invade their home turf. Sometimes, it’s easier when all of the partygoers are engaged in an organized activity outside of the home. Try an art-making party at a ceramics or painting studio. Bowling, bounce houses, a science museum or a laser-tag space are other options for those kids who don’t mind a noisy atmosphere. An outing to the movies is always a fun birthday treat.

Manage your own expectations Lastly, remember whom the party is for. It can be hard for an extroverted parent who is looking forward to throwing a birthday blowout to scale down their expectations.

Through your careful listening and planning, your shy child can still have a celebration to remember that makes everyone happy.

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Tiffany Doerr Guerzon is a freelance writer and mother of three.

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Voices in Education

12 Tips for Talking to Your Child About Autism

By Sara Woods, Ph.D.

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TikTok. Playground chatter. Outdated books.

Or, heaven forbid, hushed adult conversations about fear of the future. As a psychologist, I hear about the many ways kids first learn about their autism. For parents, it’s hard to know where to start, but it’s easy to want to be the one to talk about it. You love your kid and you want what’s best for them.

I once led a focus group with autistic young men on this topic of learning about a diagnosis of autism. They didn’t agree on everything, but they all emphatically agreed on a few don’ts:

• Don’t act like it is terrible news.

• Don’t make it a big deal.

• Definitely don’t make it a deep, dark secret.

Research backs them up. When autistic children aren’t told why they’re different, they tend to come up with their own negative reasons. Trying to hide the truth about an autism diagnosis tends to backfire, leading to depression and anxiety for the child. You have the power to make a difference in your child’s identity.

So, where to start? What to say? Each

child is different, so you will need to decide your own way to go about it. But here are some tips:

1. Start with yourself. Learning that your child is autistic can open the gates to a flood of feelings.

Relief, happiness, fear, guilt, sadness — there’s no one right way to feel. Your experience will depend on your child’s age, developmental level and how much you already know.

It might help to get some support by talking to friends and family members or by joining a support group (e.g., through The Arc of Washington State; arcwa.org).

Take some time to learn about autism on your own.

Embrace the idea of neurodiversity; having different types of brains is a natural and valuable part of our world. Consider reading positive books about autism, such as “Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People on the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity,” edited by Emily Paige Ballou, and “Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism” by Barry Prizant, Ph.D. Check out websites featuring the voices and perspectives of autistic adults who speak from a lifetime of experience, such as Neuroclastic (neuroclastic.com) and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (autisticadvocacy.org).

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2. Embrace gratitude. It may be helpful to start by exploring ways in which your child’s diagnosis or the characteristics of their autism help you feel grateful.

Do you enjoy your child’s unique perspective? Their passionately pursued interests? Did the diagnosis open a new way of understanding your child and how you can help them thrive? This can be part of a formal gratitude practice (mindful.org) or it can just be an informal way to think about things. Some people celebrate the chance to be part of a new vibrant, supportive and dynamic community. Some people celebrate autism is other ways. Consider doing something tangible. You could bake a cake. Buy your child a gold infinity necklace. Purchase T-shirts for your family.

This is a new beginning.

3. Be creative. Is your child into science? A lot of scientists are autistic! Some of them even research autism. Is your child more into dinosaurs or My Little Pony or hip-hop? Wouldn’t it be boring if all of the characters, animals and dinosaurs were the same?

You can explain that your child is unique, just as they are. Use music, art or memes to support your point.

For many autistic children, their special interests are

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PA R E N T M A P / M A R C H 2 0 2 2 / 1 9

VOIC ES I N ED UCAT IO N

continued from page 19

their world. Have fun embracing ways to explore them!

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cussion as early as possible. If you’re the first one to talk about it, you get to frame it positively. Make autism a part of everyday conversations — both casual and frequent. Not heavy. An ongoing theme can be an understanding and celebrating of different types of brains (neurodiversity).

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For young kids, there are lots of storybooks to get you started. These are two of my favorites: • “Ada Twist, Scientist” by Andrea Beaty is a story about a misunderstood scientist whose challenging characteristics turn out to be her greatest strengths. There’s also an animated Netflix series based on the book.

• “Wiggles, Stomps and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down” by Lindsey Rowe Parker offers a positive take on stimming, or repetitive behaviors.

Older kids and teens might respond better to these titles: • “Welcome to the Autistic Community” by the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network • “The Guide to the Autistic Mind” is free and comes in two formats: simple and more complex.

• “The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens” is a helpful resource written by two autistic authors, Yenn Purkis and Tanya Masterman.

• Find more booklists of inclusive children’s books about autism and neurodiversity on the websites Not an Autism Mom (notanautismmom.com) and Raising Luminaries (booksforlittles.com).

4. Ask them what they know. Your children may know more than you do about certain experiences! But there are also a lot of myths out there. Debunk them supportively. Let them know that learning about their particular experience of autism will be an ongoing adventure that you will navigate together. Check in regularly to find out what is new in their journey of understanding themselves as autistic people.

Here's the link to print her poster for a quick reminder in those tough moments:

but they usually have some things in common. Here are some examples of how you can tailor this message for your child:

https://mailchi.mp/ ahaparenting.com/ parent-map

Autistic people have different ways of interacting: • Autistic people often like to connect by sharing their interests and may talk a lot about them. This

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5. Explain that no two autistic people are the same,

is sometimes referred to as “infodumping.”

• Autistic people sometimes connect better with other autistic people. Nonautistic people sometimes have trouble understanding an autistic person’s way of interacting, but communication barriers can be overcome (kids.frontiersin.org).

• Autistic people might miss some ordinary social cues, but they may have their own creative ways of expressing themselves.

• Some autistic people don’t use spoken language, but they can communicate in other ways. Just because someone doesn’t speak, doesn’t mean they aren’t smart.

• Sometimes autistic people are less likely to go along with what everyone else is doing.

And that can be a good thing!

Autistic people have different habits and interests: • Stimming is the term for how some autistic people move their bodies in different ways to help them feel better.

• Autistic people see, hear and feel things around them in different ways than other people.

This can make certain clothing or sounds unbearable, but it can also lead to intense joy from certain types of sights, sounds and sensations. This sensitivity can also

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8. Seek out autistic role models. Get to know some real-life role models in your community! The best way to do that right now is online.

• Sign your child up for an Outschool class called “What Is Autism?” with Gabrielle Hughes. (outschool.com) • Join Facebook groups such as Autism Inclusivity and That Au-Some Book Club.

• Participate in trainings at The Arc led by autistic people. You can watch previous trainings and learn about new ones online at arcofkingcounty.org and the University of Washington Autism Center’s website (depts.washington.edu/uwautism).

• Listen to autistic people’s stories and learn about famous autistic people, such as Grant Blasko, Michael McCreary, Hannah Gadsby and Eric Garcia.

continued from page 21

make autistic people more creative.

• Autistic people might be super passionate about their interests, which is a huge strength, but it can sometimes be a challenge if they need to think about something else.

• Some autistic people like to follow schedules and have particular habits.

This characteristic might make it harder for them to adjust to change, but it makes it easier for them to stick to a plan.

6. Validate the difficulties that they have.

Your autistic child probably has noticed that certain tasks are harder for them than for others. Or they might like to do tasks in a different way. That’s okay. Explain that other people who have struggled with some of the same issues have learned ways to make life easier. We can all learn from books and websites, and from autistic people who have written about their experiences and scientists who have done research on autism (including autistic scientists!). Your child’s opinions count — they know what works for them and what doesn’t. Value their feedback.

7. Talk about strengths. There are lots of good things about being autistic. Here are a few examples. Autistic people: • are less likely to give in to peer pressure.

• have an ability to stick to a plan and thrive on routine.

• possess a deep passion for their

interests. (Older kids might want to learn about a fancy concept called monotropism.)

• demonstrate a strong sense of justice.

• are independent.

• pick up on cues that other people miss.

• are great at organizing certain types of information.

• are honest and direct communicators.

• demonstrate cognitive strengths in visual perception, spatial awareness and mechanical inclination.

9. Explain bias. The world has been designed for people who are not autistic, so certain aspects of life may be harder for your autistic child. Other people may not always understand autism, but the world is changing. Your child might need to help people “get it.” You’re there to help. If a flower isn’t growing well, you don’t change the flower, you change the environment. A couple of resources: • “Winnie and Wilbur” by Valerie Thomas tells the story of a witch who tries to change her cat’s color to better suit her. Eventually she gives in and changes the environment. It is a fun way for children to learn about the

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social model of disability.

• Religion. For example, are you a

• The Neuroclastic website also has

Christian? Maybe you can read 1 Corinthians 12:14–17 and discuss how we need many different parts for a whole body to work. Or you can follow people such as The Autism Pastor (autismpastor.com) on social media or read his book “Disability and the Church.” Is your family Jewish? Some people incorporate symbols of neurodiversity into the Seder plate. If that is consistent with your beliefs, it might be a great option!

• Gender identity. Autistic children are also more likely to be gender-diverse.

Finn Gratton, LMHC, a nonbinary autistic therapist, provides helpful links, a book and consultation on this topic (grattonpsychotherapy.com).

some great articles on this topic. Older children might be interested in reading about biases in research and then attempting to spot some of the biases in other places.

10. Incorporate your child’s culture. What other aspects of your child’s identity should you consider?

• Race. Is your child Black? Find Black autistic role models and read about their experiences (e.g., Facebook pages such as Fidgets and Fries and The Black Autist; podcasts such as Autism in Black; and websites such as Neuroclastic’s Black Autistic Lives Matter). Locally, Open Doors for Multicultural Families (multiculturalfamilies.org) has lots of resources for families of all different cultures.

11. Give your child control. Let your autistic child know that even though autism is nothing to be ashamed of, they can decide

FREE!

how to describe themselves and when. It is usually important for teachers, doctors and therapists to know when someone is autistic, but children can have more control over who else to tell and the timing.

12. Encourage your child to ask questions.

Encourage them to raise their questions as new situations arise. If you don’t know an answer, just admit, “I don’t know, but I will help you find out.” Then, do the research together. Ask autistic adults, read and talk to clinicians.

Enjoy the journey and always be ready to learn something new!

■

Sara Woods, Ph.D., is a psychologist at the University of Washington Autism Center and in private practice. She wishes to thank Dr Lucas Harrington and Dr. Annette Estes for their contributions to this article.

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PA R E N T M A P / M A R C H 2 0 2 2 / 2 3

FAM I LY F UN

March Play List 15 ways to spring into spring

By Nancy Chaney

Check out many more happenings online at parentmap.com/calendar.

Hearty little crocuses have been busting through the chill for weeks, so we know that spring is nigh! Activities are resembling something close to normal, and we are masked up and on board.

Let’s go! Frolicking outside, seeing a play, going to the drive-in and reading to a pooch — these activities and more are on offer this month as we march forth toward lighter, brighter days.

Important note: Some events now require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result to attend.

� Tune in anytime this month for Marsh Madness virtual story time, featuring your favorite swampy critters: turtles, ducks, frogs and other wetland dwellers. Join in their adventures and learn about living the pond life. From the University of Washington’s Elisabeth C. Miller Library, available March 1–31. parentmap.com/TK

p.m. Free. For a time slot email teamleadRWR@outlook.com. parentmap.com/rover

� With summer just around the corner, ParentMap invites all Puget Sound–area families to attend our free 2022 Camp Fair,

� Don’t delay booking your admission to Kirkland’s winter drive-in movie series at Juanita Beach Park. The feature for Saturday, March 5 is the kid favorite “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” $20 per car. Gates open at 6 p.m., screening begins at bedtime-friendly 7 p.m. parentmap.com/drive-in

� Some sweet and patient pooches would like to hear a story, and they need young readers to read aloud to them.

Reading with Rover dogs are taking Zoom appointments from elementary-school-age kids who’d like to practice their reading. Wednesdays, 7–8 Reading with Rover

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a virtual event offering the opportunity to connect with more than 50 camp providers. Participants can also tune in for an inspiring talk by Citizen University cofounder and CEO Eric Liu. Preregister to join us Saturday, March 5, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. parentmap.com/campfair

Highlighted Events for March

March 5 | Saturday

March 16–28

March 22

ParentMap’s free virtual Camp Fair

Shamrock Stroll

ParentMap Live: Peaceful Parenting talk

Online parentmap.com/campfair

Lake Sammamish State Park parentmap.com/shamrock

and blessings in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. March 16–28.

Discover Pass required to park. parentmap.com/shamrock

� Clear your calendar and book your tix ASAP. The character, the legend, the cuddly cub is coming to town. That’s right, Daniel Tiger and his neighborhood pals play The Paramount Theatre on Saturday, March 19.

It’s a shoe-in for the preschool event of the year. Tickets $16 and up. parentmap.com/daniel Celebrate Holi at KidsQuest Children’s Museum by making rangoli using colored powders and stencils.

� Go wild in our state’s most beautiful natural places on two dates this month when you won’t need a Discover Pass to park in state parks, Wednesday, March 9 and Saturday, March 19. Commune with some close-to-town nature at state parks such as Bridle Trails, Saint Edward, Dash Point and others. parentmap.com/free-day � Celebrate the joyful, colorful holiday of Holi with KidsQuest Children’s Museum. Sign up for a spot in one of two childwith-adult workshops to create rangoli using colored powder to decorate a canvas. Friday, March 11. $60 per child and accompanying adult. parentmap.com/holi � Join Lacey’s Cultural Celebration (formerly called Ethnic Fest) in person at St. Martin’s University or online.

This community gathering

highlights and honors wide-ranging cultural traditions through music, art, dance and more. In-person event, Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; online event through April 4. Free. parentmap.com/lacey

� Get your green going by enjoying Seattle’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, back in person and happening on Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m. The annual Irish Festival Seattle, which runs March 12–13, celebrates the cultural traditions and heritage of Ireland. Stay tuned for an announcement on whether Irish Fest will take place virtually or in person at Seattle Center this year. Free. parentmap.com/calendar � Add a dash of magic to your walk in the park by following Lake Sammamish State Park’s Shamrock Stroll route. Discover the secrets of leprechauns and learn some Irish words

� Mask up to enjoy live family-friendly theater again. The marvelous StoryBook Theater applies its unique and interactive treatment to the story of “Winnie the Pooh.” What will Pooh and his friends discover about friendships? Find out in this kid-focused musical that’s a treat for all ages, playing in Kirkland and Renton, March 19– May 8. Tickets $15. parentmap.com/winnie

| Tuesday

Online parentmap.com/live

� It’s the workshop every parent needs during the pandemic. Save an hour on Tuesday, March 22 at 2 p.m. to join ParentMap and child development expert Laura Markham, Ph.D., for “Peaceful Parenting: Solutions for Your Toughest Behavior Challenges.”

Sliding-scale fee of $0–$15; preregister. parentmap.com/live � It’s hard to describe the inimitable storytelling of Kevin Kling, but we can promise you’ll be on the edge of your seat and LOL-ing like crazy during his one-man show “The Best Summer Ever!” at Seattle Children’s Theatre, running March 22–April 17. Tickets $20 and up. Best for ages 8 and older. parentmap.com/kling � Don’t be late for this very important date: International Ballet Theatre presents “Alice in Wonderland,” a ballet for children, at Meydenbauer Theatre in Bellevue. Saturday–Sunday, March 26–27. Tickets $27–$55. parentmap.com/alice � Visit Seattle’s Burke Museum to inspect what’s going on in just 1 cubic foot of earth or ocean, from your backyard to the South Pacific. The exhibit “Life in One Cubic Foot” showcases the awesome diversity of natural life to be found in just one hunk of the planet. Ongoing exhibit, included with Burke admission or membership. parentmap.com/biocubes

■

Grab the kids and head to Seattle’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 13.

Nancy Chaney is ParentMap’s Out + About editor.

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LO CAL R ES O UR CES / M O NT ES S O RI S CH O O L S

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Education ferences and producing research aimed at helping children become more focused, motivated and intentional in the classroom.

Just what is mindfulness, exactly, and why does it matter? Mindful Schools paints mindfulness as deep, in-the-moment focus, characterized by self-awareness and internal motivation. In a world filled with chaotic distraction, advocates of mindfulness say it can be a salve for the conflict, impulsiveness and stress plaguing modern students and schools.

Steven J. Hughes, Ph.D., a pediatric neuropsychologist specializing in attention, concentration, planning and organizing — a set of cognitive traits known as executive functions — defines mindfulness as “sustained positive engagement.”

Other scientists refer to a “flow” state of prolonged, energized work that produces both calm satisfaction and profound joy in learning.

The Montessori Mind How this educational approach promotes mindful learning

By Malia Jacobson Young children aren’t usually known for their intense concentration. On the contrary, kids are expected to bounce from one activity to another with the attention span of a gnat. That’s why parents may be surprised by what they see when they tour a Montessori school: Children as young as 3 happily engaged in independent, focused work for long stretches. This ability to focus at a young age is a hallmark of Montessori education, but it’s revolutionary to parents who haven’t seen a Montessori classroom in action.

Montessori learning is hardly novel — Maria Montessori’s first school opened its doors in 1907. But a trend toward mindfulness in education has sparked new and sustained interest in this century-old style of education, and science has shown how this type of learning benefits today’s young minds.

Mastering mindfulness Over the past couple of decades, organizations like the Association for Mindfulness in Education (mindfuleducation.org) and Mindful Schools (mindfulschools.org) have sprung up, training teachers, hosting con-

Whole body, whole mind Maria Montessori didn’t coin the term mindfulness, but she was an early advocate of sustained focus and internal motivation. Her methods deliberately encourage intense concentration as the best context for early learning.

Montessori’s approach to motor development actually stimulates cognitive development and deep concentration, according to Hughes. When children begin Montessori education at age 3 or 4, they work on motor-skills activities, such as sweeping, polishing silverware and pouring.

These aptly named “practical life” activities prepare kids for greater independence and self-reliance in daily tasks, but there’s something bigger going on: the development of higher cognitive functions essential to concentration and attention.

Montessori tasks like wiping a table and

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continued from page 27

90 minutes — of uninterrupted work time.

washing dishes develop fine motor control, but they also activate areas of the prefrontal cortex essential to executive function, which paves the way for greater concentration and focus, Hughes says. Montessori wrote about the close relationship between cognitive development and motor development in 1949; 50 years later, scientists made the same connection.

During a Montessori work cycle, children can take their work through its beginning, middle and end stages. Working through this natural sequence promotes competence and mastery; children can repeat the activity as many times as they wish, without being told to hurry up and move on to something else.

Numerous studies show that this wholebody approach is part of the reason Montessori-educated children have an academic edge over children educated in traditional classrooms.

Happy work: Environment, schedule and shared focus One way in which Montessori promotes focus is through a carefully prepared environment, a key component of Montessori learning. In Montessori classrooms, specially designed materials — from child-sized brooms to lacing cards to counting beads — are prepared to be aesthetically appealing and accessible to young children; simplicity, beauty and order are paramount. Montessori environments also invite and allow children to make a choice.

This important act of choosing one’s own activity encourages sustained engagement. Montessori-taught children choose their own work from a palette of de-

velopmentally appropriate options that grow progressively more complex and challenging. Montessori schools incorporate concrete learning goals into a child’s educational plan, but children are free to choose when and how to complete their work within a specified time frame. And that act of choosing an activity that is motivated by their own interests is what allows a child to concentrate deeply and make a wholehearted commitment to their work.

The Montessori approach also strengthens deep concentration and focus by giving students more uninterrupted time to work. Unlike a traditional classroom, where students cycle in and out of various subjects every 40–50 minutes, children are given longer periods — generally

Mindful together Although the terms “focus” and “concentration” conjure up images of a child working alone, mindfulness is not always a solo pursuit. Montessori-style learning helps kids learn the fine art of shared concentration by encouraging them to engage in tasks with a classmate or two — a critical skill in the age of teamwork. Working in twos and threes promotes mentoring and knowledge transfer; children share their enthusiasm for a task.

How does this Montessori-style mindfulness ultimately benefit children? Greater confidence, longer attention spans and natural self-motivation are just a few of the rich rewards Montessori proponents point to. But mindfulness isn’t something teachers can achieve for students — like every other outcome in Montessori learning, students have to work toward it themselves.

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Malia Jacobson is an award-winning journalist and mom of three.

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Montessori-Inspired Toys for Preschoolers We all know that young kids learn best through play, so we have picked out some excellent educational toys that will help littles dabble with letter recognition, early reading, math skills, fine motor skills, spatial reasoning and more.

Keeping track of time Tracking the days, the weather and the seasons is important and comforting for kids. Pidoko Kids’ All About Today Calendar Board is a cute interactive toy that helps kids learn about the concepts of time in a playful way while encouraging communication and logical thinking.

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Cutting and pasting Cutting and pasting are important skills for preschoolers to master in their pursuit of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Highlights’ Learn on the Go Cutting and Pasting Practice Pad contains fun matching exercises and puzzles that will keep your little preschooler entertained for a good while.

Scooping up the fun Learning Resources’ Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set includes little tweezers, scoopers and droppers that actually help strengthen hand muscles. Add the utensils to a sensory bin or have your kid scoop and match colored beads or pasta shapes.

Reading blocks Once your kiddo becomes familiar with letters and the basic concepts of phonics, they will be eager to start reading words. Instead of a boring worksheet, present a set of adorable wooden reading blocks by Young Hands, which lets kids meditatively interact with words.

Matching letters Little Treasures’ nifty Matching Letter game helps kids develop memory skills, word recognition and strategic thinking. The game comes with a word tray, letter cubes, picture cards and word cards.

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— Vicky McDonald

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Out + About

Beachy Keen 10 best things to do with kids in Cannon Beach Story and photos by Camille Gullickson

As a resident of Oregon for almost 15 years, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the popular towns along the coast with my family, including our favorite: Cannon Beach. We’ve spent two fun-filled spring breaks and a summer vacation there. Whenever we go, we are blown away by the area and can’t wait to return.

Cannon Beach, a manageable drive from Seattle, is a small city on Oregon’s north

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coast that features a long sandy beach with tide pools, sweeping views, a charming downtown, fun historical excursions and hikes through the mossy rain forest.

Read on for 10 fun activities to do with kids in and nearby this gem of a beach town.

1. Explore tide pools near iconic

Haystack Rock.

This activity is likely to pop up on all “mustdo” lists because Haystack Rock is one of

Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks. Yet, in addition to providing great photo opportunities, the area around Haystack Rock also features some easily accessible tide pools and provides critical habitat for nesting seabirds. Depending on when you visit, volunteers with the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (ci.cannon-beach.or.us/hrap) may be on-site to answer questions, host interpretive programs and steward the ecosystem.

2. Build a sandcastle or fly a kite at Tolovana Beach State

Recreation Site.

Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site (stateparks.oregon.gov) is located at the south end of Cannon Beach and boasts nice views of Haystack Rock (about a mile north) and a long sandy beach to enjoy. While some beaches on the Oregon coast can be windy, we’ve found this beach to be pleasant year around, and it’s a great destination for beachcombing, playing in the sand or surf, or flying your kite. If the beach isn’t enough of a playground for the younger kids, the site also has a play structure located on the north side of the parking lot.

3. Explore the caves, waterfall and stagecoach road at Hug Point

State Recreation Site.

During our most recent trip to Cannon Beach, in the summer of 2021, we visited Hug Point State Recreation Site for the first time, and we wished we had heard of it sooner. We had a great time

exploring the pretty little sandy beach, including visiting the small waterfall and the caves, and following the path along the point.

But I didn’t realize until I got back home and did some research that the path we took was an old stagecoach road that was the only way you could traverse this stretch of coastline until the early 1900s. If you time your tides correctly, you can walk the old stagecoach road with the Pacific Ocean crashing below, or walk around the point to explore more beaches. It’s also a good spot for peering into tide pools, depending on the timing of your visit.

4. Hike through the rain forest and try boogie boarding at Oswald

West State Park.

If you want a quintessential Oregon Coast experience, bring or rent a boogie board and head to Oswald West State Park. Take the park’s Short Sand Beach Trail (1.2 miles round trip) through the mossy coastal rain forest to spend the day catching the waves. (If, like me, you prefer to stay on dry land, there is a nice secluded beach at the end of the trail affording great views of the ocean.)

Along the trail, you’ll have a great opportunity to introduce budding naturalists to the diversity of plants native to the temperate coastal rain forest ecosystem, including ferns, salmonberry, red cedar, western hemlock, Sitka spruce and others. Oswald West State Park also features miles of trails along the coastline if you’d like a more vigorous hike.

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5. Take a hike to enjoy spectac-

ular views at Ecola State Park.

Ecola State Park, another favorite in the Cannon Beach area, is just a short drive from the northern part of downtown and offers a lush network of trails through mature Sitka spruce forest to stunning panoramic views of the ocean and Haystack Rock. It’s always a good idea to check trail conditions ahead of time, because depending on the weather, there may be closures due to downed trees caused by windstorms or mudslides. When we visited, one of the short view trails was fully accessible, and we enjoyed a sunny stroll to take in unbelievable views.

Editor’s note: At press time, the park was closed until further notice due to a sinkhole and fissure on Ecola Park Road, the entrance road to the park.

The park can still be accessed via the Tillamook Head Trail.

6. Pay your respects to the

Peter Iredale shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park.

The wreck of the Peter Iredale (oregonlive.com), easily accessible within Fort Stevens State Park, near Astoria, is well worth the short (32-minute) drive

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from downtown Cannon Beach to experience. Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel ship that wrecked along the “Graveyard of the Pacific” in 1906 near the mouth of the Columbia River. We timed our visit to take in the sunset and also enjoyed exploring the nearby sand dunes. Fort Stevens State Park is vast — 4,300 acres — with a large campground, lake and sandy beaches. I’d love to return to explore more of this wonderful state park.

Getting there Cannon Beach is located fairly close to several Pacific Northwest cities: it is about a three-hourand-40-minute drive from Seattle; a three-hour drive from Eugene; and a one-hour-and-20minute drive from Portland. While it is fun to visit year around, we prefer to go in spring, when it is a little more relaxed.

Where to stay Our favorite lodging so far has been the family- and dogfriendly Inn at Cannon Beach (innatcannonbeach.com), but we’ve also loved our stays at the Hallmark Resort in Newport and plan to try its sister property Hallmark Resort & Spa – Cannon Beach (hallmarkinns.com) next time we are in the area.

Where to eat A few family-style restaurants we’ve enjoyed recently in Cannon Beach include: Ecola Seafood Restaurant & Market (ecolaseafoods.com; 208 N. Spruce St.) has good options for kids as well as adults. I loved the halibut and chips, and my son got a hamburger from the children’s menu.

Photo by Esther Streisfeld

7. Try zip-lining at High Life Adventures.

We have not been to High Life Adventures (highlife-adventures.com) yet, but a good friend went recently with her older children (a tween and a teen) and had a great time.

This park is also located north of Cannon Beach, closer to Astoria, about half an hour from downtown. The experience includes access to more than a mile of zip lines — through trees, over ponds, and around and over a lake — and one of the lines even lets you take a dip in the water!

It’s fun for the whole family; tour length depends on participants, but is usually between one and two and a half hours.

Public Coast Brewing Co. (publiccoastbrewing.com; 264 E. Third St.) has a nice, dog-friendly outdoor patio and options that will please the whole family.

Surfcrest Market & Pizza (surfcrestmarketandpizza.com; 3140 S. Hemlock St.), located right near Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site, is a great casual, budget option.

The pizza was so generously sized that we had plenty of leftovers for lunch the following day, and the salads were very good, too.

Sea Level Bakery + Coffee (sealevelbakery.com; 3116 S. Hemlock St.), also near Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site, serves up scrumptious bakedfrom-scratch goodies and excellent coffee, and is a good place to stop for a pick-me-up while you are exploring Tolovana or nearby Hug Point.

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8. Learn about America’s famous explorers at the

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Fort Clatsop replica.

History comes alive at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (nps.gov), where you can explore a replica of Fort Clatsop similar to the 1805–1806 winter encampment of the Corps of Discovery expedition. The park, located in Astoria, has a fabulous interpretive center, ranger-led programs (including Junior Ranger), trails and nice picnic areas, and even educational demonstrations at the fort during peak visitation times. Pets are also welcome in the park and on the trails, which is nice if you are traveling with your canine companion.

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9. Grab dinner and enjoy the beach town vibe in downtown Cannon Beach.

We love downtown Cannon Beach for its welcoming small seaside village vibe and because it is easy to explore on foot while popping into interesting galleries, shops and eateries. Many of the restaurants are dog-friendly, too, making it a great destination for a family trip with Fido.

During our last visit, after strolling through town, we also enjoyed stopping at the little public park, where a pickup soccer game was happening and the local children were playing at the playground. There were even some food trucks on-site serving yummy food, too.

10. Savor the sunset at Whale Park near downtown

Cannon Beach.

After a day of adventuring, as you are wandering around downtown, make sure you visit the bronze whale sculpture at Whale Park and (hopefully) catch a sunset. (I’m not sure what it is about this little stretch of public beach, located in the northwest corner of downtown near Ecola Creek, but I’ve experienced some of the best sunsets of my life there.) The sculpture represents a whale that Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery reportedly investigated in 1806 after it was beached. For a longer self-guided public art walking tour, visit cannonbeach.org, where you will find details about other accessible sculptures, including a seal by Northwest sculptor Georgia Gerber.

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■

Camille Gullickson was born in Seattle, raised on Whidbey Island, and has been living in Oregon since 2007. After many years spent working in the nonprofit sector, she is currently focused on freelance writing and blogging, raising her family, and exploring the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Follow her adventures at tournesoladventures.com.

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Ages + Stages

Dollars and Sense: A Guide to Building Financial Literacy in Kids What kids need to know at every age

By Malia Jacobson

American parents are talking to their kids about money, but kids may not be getting the message. While 68 percent of parents report talking to their young children about financial concepts, such as budgeting and debt, many adults report feeling uncomfortable and uninformed when having those conversations. Postponing the money talk puts U.S. teens behind the curve, financially speaking. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that nearly one-quarter of American 15-year-olds score below proficiency level on a financial literacy test, behind 15-year-olds in China, Australia and Belgium.

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Talking with kids about money can’t start too early, according to Stacey Black, lead financial educator at BECU, Washington state’s largest credit union. She counsels families to introduce kids to the four “pillars” of financial health — saving, spending, borrowing and planning — before they are even old enough to join the conversation.

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“It’s never too early to start,” says Black. “I like to tell people to think about ways to weave financial concepts into everyday conversations and start activities as early as possible.” These early conversations are as important for parents as they are for kids — consider them practice sessions that pave the way for richer, more meaningful money talks later on.

Ready to get started? Here’s how to foster financial literacy, from toddlerhood through the teen years.

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Early years (0–5) Of course, preverbal tots can’t converse about saving, investing or charitable giving. However, talking openly about these concepts creates an important family norm and sends the message that talking about money is not just okay, but encouraged, notes Black. “You can open a savings account or college fund for your baby, and when they get old enough, you can start talking about why you’re saving and update them on savings progress.”

By age 5, kids are often ready to set a savings target or contribute to a family savings goal. “When kids have a toy that they want, or if there’s a family vacation coming up, you can make that a savings goal,” says Black. Allowing kids to handle, sort, and stash coins and bills in a piggy bank or jar helps them begin to understand the value of money.

As kids learn about savings, they also might show interest in spending. “Playing ‘store’ at home is a great

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31-Acre

Learning Lab

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way to introduce the topic of spending,” says Black.

Preschool e through 8th-grade d students engaged in STEAM

Tots can start learning about giving to charity at a young age, according to Jump$tart’s National Standards for Personal Finance Education, a guide that sets benchmarks for financial literacy by age. Before kids reach kindergarten, parents can talk to them about their own charitable giving and explain how giving to a cause is different from sharing toys with a sibling or friend.

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Elementary-school years (6–12) School-age kids have watched adults around them earn, spend and save for years, so they’re ready to tackle bigger topics. “Families might be surprised by the financial savvy of a fourth-grader,” says Black.

“You can definitely start talking to a fourth-grader about concepts like borrowing, debt and interest. It’s not going to be the same conversation you’d have with a teenager, but you can introduce them in a simple way.” When your child or preteen wants to buy something but doesn’t have enough money to cover the cost, you can offer to buy it as long as the child agrees to repay the “loan” — with interest. “Set a deadline for when the money is due, and if it’s not made on time, add interest each week that it is late. This is a great lesson to learn before your child takes out a loan in the future,” says Black.

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Aim to spark conversation and reflection about financial choices, wants versus needs and the long-term implications of purchases. Build a habit of thinking before spending by establishing a waiting period of 24 hours before making a purchase over a certain amount, and talk to kids about the difference between shopping — or evaluating and comparing potential options — and buying.

To internalize these lessons, kids need to have some money to spend, says Black. “Whether or not parents believe in giving out allowance, it’s important that kids have money to make mistakes and learn,” she notes.

If families don’t want to dole out allowance or pay kids for chores, they can allow kids to buy some of their own school supplies, help shop for family holiday gifts or choose souvenirs from a gift shop while on vacation — all within a certain budget or amount.

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As kids grow, conversations about saving for the future can grow, too. “Some families introduce investing around this age,” says Black. “I’ve even seen families have a family 401(k) and make decisions about how to invest together, so it becomes a family activity in addition to a learning tool.”

Teens and young adults (13 and older) For teens, the conversation about borrowing takes on greater importance. Managing debt is a strong theme in “Your Guide to the Next Big Talk: The Money Talk,” BECU’s guide to meaningful money conversations with kids. “For me, credit is the most important topic for teens,” says Black. When teens begin eyeing bigger purchases, from gaming systems to cars, parents should highlight the cost of using credit by using online calculators to show how long — and how much — their teens will spend on interest and fees.

to pay attention to those over anything an adult tells them,” says Black.

The key to keeping teens engaged in money talks is staying out of lecture mode. Instead, make financial literacy topical and fun — think TikTok meets teachable moment. “I’ve found some great videos on social media that I use in my classes with high school students, and BECU has Instagram Reels that break down money topics. Teens are going

Financial lessons can be found everywhere, from streaming channels to family game night.

Watching young couples on television as they grapple with the decision about whether to invest in a home or spend thousands on a wedding, or playing the classic board game The Game of Life, can get teens thinking and talking about financial choices.

Giving teens more control over their spending on clothes, gifts and entertainment provides more opportunities to practice budgeting, prioritizing and making mistakes while the stakes are relatively low. Many financial institutions allow parents to open a youth spending account

linked to a debit card for kids ages 13 and older, allowing teens more freedom while parents can transfer funds and keep an eye on spending.

Don’t worry if you’re still learning about financial literacy yourself, notes Black. “I tell parents that it’s okay not to know everything. Don’t think you need to be a money expert to talk to your kids about this, because that’s what holds a lot of parents back.”

Financial literacy involves lifelong learning, and showing teens how to find information is one of the most valuable lessons parents can teach them, says Black. “It’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know — let’s look it up!’”

■

Malia Jacobson is an award-winning journalist and mom of three.

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