ParentMap June 2023 Issue

Women and Family Wellness Studio

Jasmine McCarthy, LMHCA, provides counseling for kids ages 5 years and up, as well as adults of all ages, and family counseling. Jasmine offers her services online via telehealth throughout Washington state. Jasmine is also a yoga instructor and is available for one-on-one yoga therapy.

Appointments available immediately!

• Evidence-based parenting classes offered online in group settings or in family’s home

• Classes for parents with kids of all ages

Radhika, patient at Seattle Children’s

File under: Random musings about my father and cat(fishing) heaven

I grew up in a mountain town in Colorado, and my dad was about the outdoorsiest outdoorsman you can imagine. Chief among his favorite pastimes — gardening, hunting, horsemanship, wood splitting, to name a few — was fishing. He loved to fish. So, every Father’s Day, that’s what our family would do: Go fish! Father’s Day and fishing for trout were essentially synonymous in my mind when I was growing up.

Later in his life, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a surgery to remove a tumor in his throat. While the surgery and subsequent rounds of radiation were successful in the sense that the treatments prolonged his life by about six years, the procedure was radical enough that he was never able to swallow food or drink again.

Naturally, this was beyond hard to adapt to — my dear dad relished every meal and always celebrated the chef with great appreciation — but the situation did little to quell his appetite for fishing. No matter that my très petite mother was the only dining candidate left at home by that time. (And, a reality bite: You can really only eat trout so often — not sayin’, just sayin’ ...)

Years of avid angling went by, and the chest freezers (totaling three, no joke!) in my parents’ basement slowly, inexorably filled with the catch …

My father passed away in 1998, leaving my widowed mother alone in my childhood home with two beloved geriatric cats … and an abundance of rainbow trout. A few years later, she called me on the phone one day. When I picked up, she was laughing so hard on the other end of the line that she was literally snorting.

She proceeded to admit that for some undisclosed number of months she had been guiltily disposing of packages of my dad’s stash of frozen trout in the weekly garbage collection … and that morning, she discovered a surprising, forgotten family relic nestled in the mix. Wrapped in several thicknesses of garbage bags was one of my childhood cats. Smokey had died a couple of years before during the depths of a frigid Colorado winter, so my mom (*nutter* — who does this, honestly?!?!) had packaged her into the deep freezer with the intent of burying her in our “pet cemetery” at our family cabin in the summer.

Dear readers, I fully realize that this is perhaps an oddly disturbing family anecdote to share as Father’s Day inspo — I acknowledge that many might find it off-putting, a tale bordering on bucolic horror, Shirley Jackson–style. But, hold! Our love and appreciation for our favorite fathers is as unique as they are, right? How much I love reflecting on the joy and peace my father experienced every time he went fishing — particularly in those years when his quotient of life joy was so challenged, meager even. How much I love that my sweet mother preserved those fish — and that cat! — out of her own adoration for a beloved husband and pet.

And Smokey? Can any of us imagine a better heaven equation for one of God’s creatures than a cat entombed (temporarily) in a deep freezer stocked with an embarrassment of fishes? Think on it!

Wishing all of our dear daddies the happiness and relaxation of their favorite hobbies this Father’s Day.

— Patty Lindley, director of content + audience engagement

EDITORIAL

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT +

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Patty Lindley

OUT + ABOUT EDITOR

Nancy Chaney

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kari Hanson

CALENDAR EDITOR

Julie Dodobara

COPY EDITOR

Sunny Parsons

CONTRIBUTORS

Gemma Alexander, Nancy Chaney, Camille Gullickson, Kate Missine, Susan Newman, Ph.D., Kellie Schmitt, THIRA Health staff, Lindsay Zielinski

DIGITAL MARKETING

EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST

Devon Hammer

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

Emily Feely

ADVERTISING SALES +

PARTNERSHIPS

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPS + ADVERTISING SALES

Jessica Collet

SENIOR ADVERTISING AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER

Ida Wicklund

EVENTS + COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPS SPECIALIST

Brenna McCown

CLIENT SERVICES +

DESIGN COORDINATOR

Angela Goodwin

ADVERTISING CLIENT

SERVICES SPECIALIST

Mallory Dehbod

DIGITAL ADVERTISING +

MARKETING SPECIALIST

Taryn Weiner

ART + PRODUCTION

SENIOR DESIGNER

Amy Chinn

ADMINISTRATION

BUSINESS MANAGER

Carolyn Brendel

What is your favorite way to celebrate the fathers in your life?

Charred food items seem to do the trick

PARENTMAP EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Benjamin Danielson, M.D.

CLINICAL PROFESSOR, UW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PRACTICING PHYSICIAN, UW MEDICINE

Joan Duffell RETIRED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN

John Gottman, Ph.D. THE GOTTMAN INSTITUTE PROFESSOR EMERITUS, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Laura Kastner, Ph.D.

PSYCHIATRY + BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Bea Kelleigh VICE PRESIDENT, DOVETAILING, LLC

Yaffa Maritz, M.A. FOUNDER, LISTENING MOTHERS + COMMUNITY OF MINDFUL PARENTING

Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINDSIGHT INSTITUTE

A hearty brunch followed by Dad “me” time

We do a “Honey Roast,” with slightly sarcastic jokes about Dad

Quality time alone with their children or grandkids — #imagiver

The winning formula in our house? Tacos + margaritas!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Advertising information

206-709-9026 or advertising@parentmap.com

Fax 206-709-9031

Calendar submissions

calendar@parentmap.com

Editorial submissions

editor@parentmap.com

Distribution distribution@parentmap.com

Administration 206-709-9026, parentmap.com

Subscriptions

subscriptions@parentmap.com

Subscription rate 1 year: $12

PUBLISHER Alayne Sulkin

Wellness

Dispelling Mood Disorder Myths

Don’t allow these common misconceptions to prevent or delay treatment

Having a mood disorder can be difficult to navigate, especially when there is a lot of misinformation and myths surrounding it. The many misconceptions about borderline personality disorder (BPD), anxiety and depression treatment may make people question if they are the right candidate for an available treatment or if that treatment will work for them. Likewise, it can also be hard to find clear answers for how best to support a friend or loved one with BPD, anxiety or depression.

Bellevue-based THIRA Health (thirahealth.com) offers clinical care ranging from 24-hour residential for adolescents, partial hospitalization for ages 13 and older, and intensive outpatient services; it serves women, teen girls and gender-nonconforming individuals who are dealing with these mood and personality disorders. The THIRA team believes that quality treatment begins by busting myths and offering correct information. Following are some myths related to BPD, anxiety and depression treatment, along with information about available evidencebased options to help point you in the right direction.

Borderline personality disorder treatment myths

Myth 1: BPD behavior is just attentionseeking behavior and should be ignored.

BUSTED: The behaviors often associated with BPD (such as suicidal ideation, self-harming, impulsivity) are not attentionseeking behaviors — and ignoring them can be fatal. Myths like this perpetuate a negative stigma around an already widely misunderstood diagnosis. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-

based treatment that was specifically developed to treat BPD. It is effective in treating the underlying causes of these behaviors, and aims to teach emotionalregulation and distress-tolerance skills so that an individual with BPD can live a fulfilling life without daily interruptions caused by these behaviors.

Myth 2: BPD only affects women.

BUSTED: Because BPD is such a stigmatized diagnosis and is often misunderstood as someone being “difficult” or “emotional,” there is a trend of more females being diagnosed than males due to stereotypes and biases. The truth is that BPD can affect both males and females, and everyone needs access to quality treatment. It is important for people with borderline personality disorder to receive treatment from a licensed mental health professional.

Anxiety treatment myths

Myth 1: The best coping skills for anxiety are distraction techniques.

BUSTED: Some people believe that distraction techniques or self-medicating will make anxiety disappear. While it’s true that these tactics may help alleviate anxiety symptoms in the short term, in reality, they do nothing to help an anxiety sufferer chip away at the source of anxiety within them. Numbing oneself through alcohol, sleep, or a food or Netflix binge is not going to provide any long-term relief. Distraction coping skills are only helpful when paired with coping skills that allow the individual to process and practice a different outcome in the moment of stress.

Myth 2: Medications for anxiety are addictive, so you shouldn’t seek treatment.

BUSTED: While it’s true that anxiety med-

ications, namely benzodiazepines, are incredibly addictive, any medication can be abused, and it isn’t guaranteed that an anti-anxiety medication will end up being a part of a patient’s treatment plan.

Typically, anxiety treatment is most successful when medication management is combined with therapy and with the care of thoughtful and experienced medical professionals who are interested in creating a sustainable recovery plan for the patient, not just pushing pharmaceuticals. The most important part of treatment for patients is learning the skills available through DBT (i.e., mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness), and using those skills to build up a defense against anxiety.

Myth 3: If you have an anxiety disorder, it is important to avoid situations that make you feel “stressed.”

BUSTED: Anxiety that is managed and treated should not regularly interfere with daily life. Treatments such as DBT can help patients learn valuable coping skills for managing anxiety and for rethinking anxious thoughts so that the anxiety does not compromise their quality of life. Through distress tolerance skills, in particular, patients learn many in-themoment techniques for dealing with stress, and other DBT skills allow patients to find a measured approach to accept

and deal with the causes of their stress.

Depression treatment myths

Myth 1: Depression only happens when something bad happens in your life, such as a breakup or the death of a loved one.

BUSTED: Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health diagnoses in the United States in adults ages 18 and older. Often, there is no one event that directly leads to depression, which can contribute to the frustration of the diagnosis. Depression is more than the typical grief response someone has in response to a breakup or the death of a loved one — grief is a “normal” reaction for such circumstances. While people who are genetically predisposed to depression can be at risk for developing depression following a stressful life event, their grief response does not always qualify for a diagnosis or depression treatment.

Myth 2: Antidepressants will change your personality so you shouldn’t seek out depression treatment.

BUSTED: This is a widespread myth that often serves as a barrier to people receiving the depression treatment they need. First, medications are not always recommended when a patient is receiving quality intensive inpatient treatment. Second, studies reveal  that there are no links between antidepressants and personality alterations. Antidepressants target chemical imbalances in the brain that contribute to the symptoms of depression and have not been scientifically proven to alter personality traits.

It’s important to seek out trusted information when evaluating treatment options for mood and personality disorders such as BPD, anxiety and depression. By understanding the truth about these disorders and the available treatments, patients and their loved ones can discover the most effective and sustainable solutions to support a mood disorder diagnosis. ■

This article was first published on the THIRA Health website.

Sponsored by

The mission of THIRA Health is to support women and girls living with mood disorders by using comprehensive approaches that address the whole self, along with an emphasis on community support. This is made possible by a team of trained, certified experts skilled in using dialectical behavioral therapy, art and movement therapies, nutrition and more.

Benefits of Roughhousing With Your Children

Everyone misses out when parents don’t engage in physical play with their kids

By Susan Newman, Ph.D.

I don’t recall roughhousing with my children — and I am certain my parents didn’t roughhouse with me. When I try to come up with a list of parents who roughhouse with their children now, it’s painfully short. Whether that’s because children are often “overbooked” with activities and spend much, if not all, of their free time on devices, or that parents are too busy or worried about the safety of twirling their toddler or wrestling with an 8-year-old (or all of the above), everyone misses out.

continued from page

10

The concept of roughhousing makes some parents nervous. When we think of children’s roughhousing, we think of fighting or someone getting hurt. I used to send my kids outside to “cool off” when their inside interactions escalated and became too physical. But horseplay between a parent and child is an entirely different story, one with a wide range of proven benefits.

For decades, Peter Gray, Ph.D., a research psychology professor at Boston University and one of the foremost proponents of children’s play, has been telling parents that play is essential for children’s healthy development. His research demonstrates that “Free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers and become emotionally resilient,” as he explains in his book “Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.”

Although Gray posits activities that are not adult-driven or supervised, there is also enormous value in parent-child play. It, too, can “unleash” many of the same benefits associated with undirected and unmonitored peer play. Children are driven to play, Gray tells us, and it’s a good bet most children will sign on to having a parent’s full attention, even when the play is not fully free and unstructured.

Anthony DeBenedet, M.D., and play therapist Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., both fathers,

make the point that play not only brings parents and children closer, but also unlocks creativity and encourages confidence in children. In their book “Unplug and Play: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Roughhousing with Your Kids,” they offer instructions, with pictures, for a wide range of activities, broken down by age and type. An activity titled “Just Plain Wrestling” is recommended for children ages 2 and older. The degree of difficulty is listed as easy, with no actual grappling skills required.

In another one-on-one activity, the parent is the base, and the child, the flyer. You can also turn your child into a “Greek catapult,” by which you launch your child into the air (within reason) and onto a soft surface, such as a mattress or onto their feet. This is best for 5- to 8-year-olds; degree of difficulty, medium; essential skill, spotting. Each entry provides full directions that include safety precautions parents can take to prevent injury. Think of pillow fights, human cannonballs and magic carpet rides as some of the play you will want to jump into right away.

Roughhousing guidelines

Authors DeBenedet and Cohen offer detailed guidelines for successful roughhousing. Among them:

• Roughhousing has a natural arc — start calmly and escalate the intensity, always allowing for winding down before stopping.

• Avoid overstimulating your child. You can slow down by speaking softly, moving at a slower pace or taking breaks.

• Let your child win sometimes to build the confidence they need when not at home.

When I spoke to freelance writer and editor Michael Schroeder, a father of four, he said that physical play is something he grew up with — and that it has always played a role in how he interacts with his kids.

“Wrestling is a regular feature in our house,” says Schroeder. “It’s one more way we have fun together, and it’s easy to see how anxious energy dissipates and connection happens with physical play. It seems to loosen everybody up.”

Regular physical play, such as dancing in the living room or enjoying any other pastime together, can reinforce a positive family dynamic. I watched a friend dangle her 1-and-a-half-year-old by his feet and then set him upright on her shoulder. The little boy laughed the entire time. I think this mother has already established a sense of trust through their physical contact.

Surprising benefits of horseplay

Where better to start and encourage valuable skills than at home with the security of parents? You may want to stop leaving the roughhousing to the kids, their siblings or peers. You can quickly reap the benefits — yours and your children’s — that grow out of parent-child roughhousing. DeBenedet and Cohen offer potential pluses you wouldn’t expect to result from ditching the electronic devices and roughhousing with your children:

• Unlocking a child’s problem-solving skills

• Helping a child understand fair play

• Building a child’s confidence

• Instilling a lifetime bond as you become attuned to one another

Taking a few minutes to roughhouse — to become an elephant or elf, a bulldozer or

the bearer of a magic wand — with your child pays off in the sheer joy you both feel. And, as DeBenedet and Cohen point out, studies suggest that physical play with your kids “forestalls mental decline” in adults.

No matter how exhausted you feel, a quick romp revives you and adds to the family memory bank. I know this for a fact. Off and on, I became the “Kissing Monster” — chasing my kids around the house to give them a kiss was not only fun but also horseplay that they, now as adults, still talk about.

For children, play is learning, however you and they choose to do it. ■

Susan Newman, Ph.D., is a social psychologist and author. Read more of her articles on susannewmanphd.com. This article was first published on the Psychology Today website.

Taking a few minutes to roughhouse

to become an elephant or elf, a bulldozer or the bearer of a magic wand – with your child pays off in the sheer joy you both feel.

Arty Outings en Plein Air

10 ways to make and enjoy art outside as a family this summer

By Gemma Alexander

After cold, cloudy winters, folks in the Pacific Northwest like to take full advantage of our dry, sunny summers. Even if we love the arts, unless the mercury is really soaring, a darkened theater or the galleries of a hermetically sealed museum just aren’t as appealing in summertime. Fortunately, families don’t have to give up art for the summer. Use this list to spark your creative ideas for appreciating — and participating in — the arts en plein air. The ideas are arranged by age, but don’t feel compelled to color inside of the lines: Even the smallest children can surprise you with their artistic sophistication, and creativity brings out the kid in all of us.

All ages

Sidewalk chalk

When your little ones feel like making art, but you want them to go outside, you don’t have to spend the day chasing down windblown masterpieces. The whole world (more or less) can be their canvas with sidewalk chalk! Drawing on sidewalks, fences, and even exterior walls gets both bodies and creative juices moving. And it might even pull in the older kids with the opportunity to make large-scale graffiti without getting busted. Take pictures of the best stuff; the next time it rains (or you turn on the hose) the whole process can start over again.

Family Fun Calendar

continued from page 14

Summer at SAM (free!) • seattleartmuseum.org/summer

Every day in the summer is a good day to visit the Olympic Sculpture Park. But on Thursday evenings and all day on Saturday throughout the summer, Seattle Art Museum’s Summer at SAM program hosts a rotating extravaganza of all-ages art events. Kids might be less interested in yoga and Zumba (they are welcome, anyway), but live music, guided beach combing and collaborative art projects have wide appeal for all age groups.

Outdoor story time (free!) • popupstorywalk.org

Outdoor story times enable families to enjoy the sunshine and stop the summer slide at the same time. PopUp Storywalk installs pages from children’s books at intervals along the trail at the Brightwater Education and Community Center in Woodinville. Your child has to follow the entire trail to finish the story, which changes every month or two.

King County Library System hosts outdoor story times and outdoor summer reading program events at various branches all summer. Unfortunately, their online calendar doesn’t have a filter for outdoor events, but scroll through story time search results for the ones with “outdoor” in the title. If your toddler is more interested in the crafts than the story, West Seattle’s Art Nest (westseattleartnest.com) offers crafty multiweek toddler play date sessions in an outdoor tent (not free).

Elementary artists

Make a mess (free!) • parentmap.com/messy

The great thing about summer is that you can take the messy art projects outside. Kids can blow paint bubbles, free their inner Jackson Pollock without destroying furniture and tie-dye clothes in tubs outside instead of staining the sink. You can involve nature by using mud and other natural materials as the tools or the medium. Blend art, nature and exercise by going on family nature walks that allow kids to forage for art supplies to use in natural material sculptures and leaf rubbings. Just make sure you have permission to pick the flowers and set some ground rules in advance about what is not okay to pick up. Unless you want this to be the summer your kid finally takes up taxidermy ...

Outdoor music • parentmap.com/music-fests

If you think music festivals are just for the Coachella crowd, think

again. Our region is blessed with a variety of music festivals that are fun for all ages. Okay, unless your toddler is the type who can nap anywhere, you might hold off for a few years. But for families with school-age kids, there are small fests that specialize in one genre, and big ones with something to suit every taste. Some, like Bumbershoot, add visual and other performing arts to the musical mix as well. Music festivals can be pricey, but cities throughout the area host free concerts and other all-ages art events in the parks during summer. You might even discover Pianos in the Park (pianosinthepark.com), where your family can scare the birds with a rousing rendition of “Chopsticks.”

Summer camp

Unless your child enrolls in a highly specialized academic or sports camp, nearly every summer camp (parentmap.com/ camps-and-classes) blends art and the outdoors to some extent, and quite a few of them specialize in it. It’s true that a lot of camps were already filling up back in January, but there are always some with last-minute openings.

For less commitment, look into drop-in workshops and free activities, such as the ones held at Bellevue Arts Museum’s Arts Fair (bellevuearts.org/artsfair), July 28–30. There will be a dedicated stage for kids with music and shows kids can enjoy while they dance, blow bubbles and make crafts. Don’t forget to check the events page at your local parks department — weekend art workshops don’t usually get added to the calendar until summer vacation starts.

Teen arts scene

Outdoor art supplies

Your art-minded teen might be happy to spend all summer holed up in their room drawing. Nagging isn’t likely to drive them outside, but art supplies might. Give them a flower press. Make a pilgrimage to the art supply store and let them pick out a plein air easel, or dig up a Super 8 camera on eBay. Yes, they can probably make a better film using an app on their phone. But a vintage camera begs to film “on location,” while a cell phone begs for Instagram doomscrolling. (Handing a camera to a younger child automatically unleashes their inner Ansel Adams, turning any event or outing, no matter how boring, into an occasion for art.)

Photo courtesy of popupstorywalk.org

Photo courtesy of seattlecenter.com

Itinerant art aficionados (free!)

Prep your teen for their broke-student phase with some life lessons in finding free stuff. You might be surprised how much art you can discover exploring your neighborhood. But you can also plan a walking tour around (or practice driving to reach) public art or the area’s best graffiti art. You could spend all summer mapping the works of prolific muralist Henry, or just focus on his earlier pieces for a day of Henry hunting.

Outdoor screens and stages • parentmap.com/drive-in

During our northern summers, sunset is too late for many younger kids to enjoy outdoor movies, but the late start is perfect for a (free) night on the town for teens who might celebrate a new driver’s license by taking the family out for a night at the drive-in. Budget for fun concessions and food-truck treats or bring snacks from home to keep costs at zero.

Reading the plays in class probably won’t convince your teen that Shakespeare is lively and funny (and bawdy), but watching the plays live in the park might. GreenStage (greenstage.org) performs Shakespeare in the Park throughout the area each summer, launching the season with a weekend festival at Volunteer Park in early July. Burien Actors Theatre (battheatre.org) is performing “Good Morning,

Bill” at parks in South King County in July and August. These performances are free, but if you’re willing to buy tickets, check out Kitsap Forest Theater’s productions (foresttheater.com) of “The Sound of Music” and “Seussical, The Musical,” or Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater’s (foresttheater.org) summer season, TBA.

Fun-for-all bonus: Fourth of July fireworks

Whether you appreciate fireworks as art or not, they definitely serve as inspiration to childish imagination. Bellevue’s fireworks are accompanied by Bellevue Youth Symphony. If you can brave the Seafair crowds at Gas Works Park or Lake Union Park, there are all kinds of all-American performances and games to inspire next-day creative writing sessions. KEXP usually simulcasts a musical playlist to match the fireworks. The radio broadcast is handy if you live in the neighborhood or find a less crowded spot with a view, too. You could also challenge your child to prepare their own playlist for the family to enjoy together while watching the pyrotechnics from your preferred viewpoint. ■

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.

Out + About Oh, Canada!

By Camille Gullickson

Why fabulous Vancouver, B.C., should be on every family’s vacation bucket list

In recent years, our family hasn’t spent much time traveling to cities, although we’ve missed everything our urban areas offer. What better city, then, for our first post-pandemic international trip than Vancouver, B.C., where nature and city meet?

Many Seattleites venture up to beautiful Vancouver at one point or another, because the short trip by car transports you to a thriving multicultural city that offers so much to see and do. We recently devoted five days to exploring Vancouver and would have loved even more time.

Things to do in Vancouver with kids

Explore UBC’s campus, museums and nearby Pacific Spirit Regional Park.

We made the University of British Columbia (UBC; ubc.ca) our first stop because our high schooler was excited to visit a college campus — and because I hoped to see cherry blossoms! We found it to be a beautiful campus with lots to enjoy for all ages. Less than a 30-minute drive from downtown, it reminded me of my alma mater, the University of Washington, with its great views, gardens and museums.

While exploring the campus, check out Canada’s largest blue whale skeleton and the free outdoor “Walk Through Time” exhibit at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (beatymuseum.ubc.ca). The well-

continued from page 19

regarded Museum of Anthropology (moa.ubc.ca) is temporarily closed until late 2023 for seismic upgrades, but consider adding it to your list for future visits.

Another great perk of venturing out to the west of downtown is Pacific Spirit Regional Park (visit.ubc.ca), a beautiful rainforest oasis surrounding the UBC campus that has a rich abundance of free multiuse nature trails for all to enjoy. This park also makes a great rainy-day outing because many trails are under the tree canopy. Dogs are allowed on some but not all trails.

into a year-round nonprofit arts organization committed to transforming the way art is expressed in the city. Mark your calendars for Aug. 4–13, 2023!

Our older kids enjoyed visiting Alley Oop (also known as “Pink Alley” and “Instagram Alley”; pps.org) between Seymour and Granville streets downtown, and we all loved seeing the “Giants” on Granville Island (a 360-degree mural spray-painted on 70-foot-tall concrete silos). A few other fun art discoveries included the 18-foot Vancouver Convention Centre Globe, the “Digital Orca” sculpture (also next to the Convention Centre) and the “LightShed” sculpture in the Coal Harbour neighborhood.

Tip: We didn’t have a walking tour planned out ahead of time, but you can download a free mural map or app at vanmuralfest.ca/ map.

ability, and guides and interactive exhibits help reinforce the values of environmental conservation.

Tips: On our drive in, we discovered La Win Supermarket (1702 West Broadway), Vancouver’s newest Chinese market, where we picked up affordable picnic items. Be sure to check the schedule of specific museums ahead of time because they are not open on all days.

Explore on foot and discover unique outdoor public art at every turn.

We love to explore a new city on foot and make spontaneous discoveries, and we enjoyed spotting interesting murals and outdoor sculptures all over downtown. I learned that the city is well known for its vibrant public art scene, and it holds a big Vancouver Mural Festival (vanmuralfest.ca) in August. The event has evolved from a grassroots summer festival

Test your fear of heights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. Does Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (capbridge.com) appear on all “must-do” Vancouver lists? Yes. Did I question how expensive it was and whether it would be worth it? Also, yes. But when my teenager, who was anxious to cross the bridge, rated it a “15 out of 10” after getting up the nerve, I must say that I agreed it was worth it as our one experiential splurge.

The 450-foot Capilano Suspension Bridge, the main attraction at the park, has a long history. The first version of the bridge was suspended in 1889 and later rebuilt, and in more recent years, new experiences have been added, including the awardwinning Treetops Adventure and Cliffwalk. The park is dedicated to environmental stewardship and sustain-

Tip: The bridge is not stroller- or wheelchairfriendly, and although dogs are allowed, be sure your pup is up to the task first. The park can also be quite crowded during peak months, so consider taking the free shuttle service from downtown. Check with your hotel concierge for entrance coupons if you are staying in a hotel.

Photo courtesy of vanmuralfest.ca

“Giants” on Granville Island

Photo by Vancouver Biennale/Roaming-the-Planet

Photo by Camile Gullickson

Learn about the life cycle of salmon at the Capilano River Hatchery and explore Capilano River Regional Park. Take a short drive north of the suspension bridge to the Capilano River Hatchery, built in 1971 to help restore the depleted salmon stocks after the Cleveland Dam was constructed. Here, learn more about the life cycle of our iconic Pacific Northwest fish on a free selfguided tour. The hatchery is located in a beautiful park, Capilano River Regional Park, which affords plenty of short, family-friendly trails and picnic spots in the lush coastal rainforest.

Tip: Dogs are allowed on the trails (with leash-required and leash-optional trails marked), but they are not allowed inside the salmon hatchery building.

Hike among giant old-growth Douglas fir trees to beautiful city views at Lighthouse Park.

Wonderful Lighthouse Park, a 185-acre park located along the shores of West Vancouver about 30 minutes by car from downtown, has something for everyone. Choose from many family-friendly trails to hike among giant old-growth trees, eventually making your way to the shore for a peek at the Point Atkinson Lighthouse, designated as a National Historic Site, and spectacular water views. The land surrounding Point Atkinson’s first lighthouse was set aside to provide a dark background and a fuel source for the foghorn. Learn more about the park’s interesting history and preservation from the Lighthouse Park Preservation Society.

Tip: This very popular park is located off Marine Drive at the south end of Beacon Lane and is open 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. Parking is limited, so you might consider taking public transit from downtown Vancouver.

Hop on an Aquabus and explore Granville Island and the Granville Island Water Park.

A trip to Granville Island (granvilleisland.com) is another must in Vancouver, and we enjoyed rolling in on an oh so Instagram-worthy (and pet-friendly) rainbowcolored Aquabus (theaquabus.com) via False Creek.

When you travel on these cute little ferries, you’ll enjoy great city views and unexpected sights (such as the “Giants” mural). Once an industrial wasteland, Granville Island is now a bustling mixed-use waterfront oasis reminiscent of Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

Jump into Summer at Suncadia

Photo courtesy of theaquabus.com

continued from page 21

The main draw for us was exploring the indoor Granville Island Public Market and grabbing lunch from one of the bountiful dining options. We enjoyed our lunch outdoors along the water and then walked around. We discovered a fun hammock store, Hamuhk (hamuhk.com), and then the kids enjoyed the play structures and serene little pond near the Kids Market (kidsmarket.ca). We also spotted the wonderful no-admission Granville Island Water Park.

Tip: There are many ways to get to Granville Island, including by bus, car, bike or boat, but we took the Aquabus from the Plaza of Nations and back via the Hornby Route. This allowed us to see a lot of downtown Vancouver by sea and on foot. Well-man-

scenic drive instead, making stops along the way to get out and explore.

Our first stop was a return trip to the First Nations Brockton Point totem poles, where we explored the neighboring trails. Next, we visited Prospect Point Lookout, the highest point in the park, offering beautiful views of the ocean and Lion’s Gate Bridge. We also toured Brockton Point Lighthouse, a 1914 lighthouse that you can walk through; and Hollow Tree, an ancient western red cedar and one of the park’s most popular attractions.

Tip: Download a free printable map to plan your visit ahead of time (vancouver.ca). Also, don’t let having small kiddos (or a dog) stop you from exploring by bike — local rental shops rent bike trailers for both!

and boatbuilding community. Learn more about the diverse residents who lived there, visit the last surviving Chinese bunkhouse on the West Coast (built in 1915) and tour the restored home of the Japanese Canadian Murakami family, which lived there from 1929 to 1942, when its members were interned during World War II.

If you go …

Getting there:

Most travelers from Seattle prefer to drive, since it’s a quick (2.5-hour) drive up Interstate 5 via the Peace Arch border crossing, but other options include the Victoria Clipper ferry (clippervacations.com), the scenic Amtrak Cascades train (amtrak.com) or even a budget-conscious bus such as FlixBus (flixbus.com).

Where to stay:

We splurged and stayed downtown at the Fairmont Waterfront (fairmont-waterfront.com), which features sweeping views, a fabulous heated rooftop pool and dog-friendly amenities. In the past, we had a pleasant stay at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront (pinnacleharbourfronthotel.com), located close to the Seawall, which is a great spot for kids to watch seaplanes.

Where to eat:

nered dogs are allowed on Granville Island and on the Aquabus, but are not allowed inside the market.

Take a scenic drive around Stanley Park. Most people reading this are familiar with Stanley Park (stanleyparkvan.com), Vancouver’s impressive 1,001-acre urban park, which serves as a lush oasis near downtown. You can easily spend a day or many days exploring the park, and every time we’ve traveled to Vancouver, we’ve been sure to visit.

In the past, we loved exploring by bike, pedaling on the Seawall around the periphery of the park. This time, we were traveling with our large dog, so we opted to take a

See history come to life at the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. We would have loved to spend more time exploring Richmond (visitrichmondbc.com), a city south of downtown Vancouver that is known for its Asian influences and night market. If you only have a brief time to visit, you should definitely prioritize a stop at the fascinating Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site (stevestonheritage.ca).

History comes to life at this beautiful 8-acre living museum, set along the waterfront minutes from popular Steveston Village, where the main Britannia Shipyard building (1889) serves as a focal point of the historic multi-ethnic canning, fishing

We enjoyed dinners at Dinesty Dumpling House (West End; dinesty.ca), Guu Toramasa (West End; guu-izakaya.com), Swad Indian Kitchen (West Vancouver; swadindiankitchen.ca) and Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie (Chinatown; bao-bei.ca). Our favorite go-to for a treat or coffee downtown was Mink Chocolates (minkchocolates.com). ■

Camille Gullickson was born in Seattle, raised on Whidbey Island, and has been living in Oregon since 2007. Follow her adventures at tournesoladventures.com and on Instagram @tournesoladv.

Illustrations © Jenna Riggs • jennariggs.com

Illustrations © Jenna Riggs • jennariggs.com

Wellness

How to Stay Insured as Apple Health’s Pandemic Protections Expire

Even those who still qualify must respond to info requests

By Kellie Schmitt

As pandemic-era protections expire, millions of Americans could lose Medicaid coverage in the coming months.

Those estimates include about 5 million children nationwide, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), conducted with Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families.

While some people might lose coverage because they no longer qualify, others are at risk of losing coverage for simply not responding to administrative requests confirming eligibility. In Washington state, everyone using Apple Health will need to reapply for benefits (insurance.wa.gov). People who no longer qualify will need to seek an alternative option, such as finding a plan on the state’s health insurance marketplace (wahealthplanfinder.org).

The bottom line, according to health policy experts? Prepare to do the paperwork.

“Keeping up with the paperwork and next steps might seem like a hassle, but if you don’t actively respond, it could result in coverage lapses,” cautions

J. Mark Maddox, M.D., chief medical officer at

Coordinated Care (coordinatedcarehealth.com), one of Apple Health’s managed care plans.

Why is this happening?

As the pandemic intensified in March 2020, the federal government enacted provisions that protected enrollment in Medicaid, the government insurance plan that’s called Apple Health in Washington. That meant renewals and redetermination were put on hold for nearly three years.

During the past three years, Medicaid enrollment nationwide has soared by 30 percent. In Washington state, the program swelled about 25 percent as people stayed on, despite no longer meeting the qualifications. Now that the protections have expired, though, states can begin the process of disenrolling people who no longer qualify. Health experts also fear that eligible people could also lose coverage if they are unable to complete the paperwork involved in the renewal process.

In Washington state, the pandemic’s health insurance protections expired on March 31, which means the first round of people will have lost their coverage at the end of the grace period in late May. The disenrollment process will last about a year.

Facing renewal, exploring options

There is some cause for optimism for Apple Health members. Washington is one of the eight states with the most policies and procedures designed to promote continued coverage, even as the pandemic protections disappear, according to a KFF survey conducted in May. Those will prove vital tools in helping the estimated 2 million people who will now face the renewal process.

That includes policies such as a 90-day grace period for eligible Apple Health members who miss the renewal cutoff. If these members complete their documentation during that window and are eligible, they can maintain continuous coverage. Those who are no longer eligible will also have a 60-day window from their “term date,” or the date that coverage expires, to find an alternative coverage plan.

Sponsored by

Coordinated Care provides free and low-cost health insurance to Medicaid, foster care, Marketplace and Medicare members in Washington. With a commitment to improving the health of the community one person at a time, Coordinated Care believes in treating the whole person by breaking down barriers to accessing care, walking members through their benefits and connecting them to the care they need.

The state’s health insurance marketplace, called Washington Healthplanfinder, offers many low-cost options that can still make health-care coverage affordable for people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but don’t have a lot of income to spare. For example, there is a premium tax credit for people who earn 100–400 percent of the federal poverty level. Other options include enrolling in employer-sponsored insurance plans.

Navigating the complexity

To ensure qualified members maintain coverage, it’s important to closely follow these upcoming policy changes, health advocates say.

WELLNESS

continued from page 27

“Maintaining continuous health insurance coverage is crucial to ensure families can access and afford vital health-care services,” says Maddox. “There’s a peace of mind that comes from knowing that you and your family are protected against the high costs of unexpected medical emergencies.”

As members navigate the weeks ahead, here are a few commonly asked questions:

What factors could influence whether I still qualify for Apple Health?

Income level and family size are two key factors that could impact eligibility.

If nothing has changed with my income or family size, do I have to do anything?

Yes. You should receive communications in the mail a few months before your Apple Health anniversary detailing instructions on how to verify your eligibility.

Can I reenroll early?

If you aren’t within a 45-day window of your anniversary, there’s not a lot you can do other than ensure your mailing address on file is accurate. You can update information and check eligibility at wahealthplanfinder.org or through the WAPlanfinder mobile app (wahbexchange.org/mobile).

What if I can’t find the letter or am unsure about my renewal date?

Along with visiting wahealthplanfinder.org, you can also call Apple Health at 1-800-562-3022.

What happens if I no longer qualify for Apple Health but I can’t afford health insurance for my family?

There are multiple low-cost options available at the state’s online health insurance marketplace, where 4 out of 5 consumers can find a plan for less than $10 a month, the state says. Coordinated Care, for example, offers low-cost options such as Ambetter, Maddox notes. You can also check to see if you or your spouse has an insurance option through an employersponsored plan.

I don’t have Apple Health but I’m interested in it — how do I see if I qualify?

Households earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level may qualify for free coverage through Medicaid/Apple Health (hca.wa.gov). ■

Kellie Schmitt is an award-winning health and science writer.

Stop What You’re Doing and Start Supporting Your Child’s School Library

A librarian shares her connection to school libraries, and how fellow parents can advocate for them in a time of need

By Lindsay Zielinski

I grew up in a family where there were some things that just weren’t discussed. I was always a voracious reader, always ready to get lost in the next story, and, luckily for me, the answers to my most personal and embarrassing questions were often answered. “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret” by Judy Blume found me right when I needed it, and I devoured it in two days, hungry for the story of someone who was going through what I was … or would be soon. It dawned on me then — if this book could help answer questions I had, there had to be other books out there, too.

The next day I wandered the isles of my school library, too embarrassed to ask a simple question — “Where

GO FISHING & WIN PRIZES! RAINBOW

continued from page 29

are the books about puberty?” — to my librarian. Fortunately for me, school librarians are understanding and quite clever, and our school’s nonfiction section had clear labels, pointing students in the direction of books they might find helpful.

Computers, religion, sports, earth science … better keep going. Onto fossils, health, human physiology … personal health … I was on the right track. After a few minutes of searching, there it was, shining like a bright beacon of hope on the shelf. I looked over each shoulder to make sure no one was looking and plucked “The Care and Keeping of You,” from the publishers at American Girl, off the shelf. I hurried to the counter to check it out, and although I can’t remember her name, I’ll never forget how easy my school librarian made the whole transaction. No judgment, no questions. She took the book from my hands, scanned it and handed it back. She didn’t rush me as I hurried, sweating and red-faced, trying to unzip my backpack and hide my contraband.

That experience is a core memory for me. It was the moment I realized what a library could be, and I knew, no matter what, that I would always be able to independently find answers to the questions I had. The world has changed since then, yet it is the same as it ever was. There are still children everywhere look-

ing for answers to questions but don’t know whom to ask — or are too embarrassed to ask. However, there is one major difference: Now, more than 25 years later, there is our friend the internet.

We have the world at our fingertips through academic databases and encyclopedias, but do our children know how to find what they need — and want — to learn more about? Although the landscape is different, the concept is the same: the right and ease of access to education. Students today are faced with ever-changing technology and are expected to know how to identify misinformation. The internet and social media are landmines of biased sources, artificial intelligence and questionable data. It is a school librarian who can support students as they navigate the unknowable future of the internet and research.

A school librarian is an advanced educational expert with specific training in locating and synthesizing information. They help students find unbiased, educationally sound resources to support their learning, all while covering multiple literacies (visual literacy, information and media literacy, and technology literacy, just to name a few). School librarians are invaluable to classroom teachers, helping support them by finding specific resources and supplementing classroom libraries. Librarians also benefit school communities by hosting events for students and parents, from

PrimaryCare fortheWholeFamily

7SnohomishCountylocations

Locally Owned

continued from page 31

literacy nights and game nights to curriculum nights. They might also lead workshops for parents, run book clubs for students and parents, and host students in the library for recess. School librarians are experts in children’s literature, able to make specific recommendations based on a student’s reading level or their likes and dislikes. Their position of neutrality in a school makes them a safe harbor for students looking to be understood.

wwmedgroup.com/parent-map

OL REIGN YOUTH SOCCER CAMP

School libraries are more than four walls with shelves and books. They are launching points for self-driven inquiry and research. School libraries are hubs of learning, the heart of their school, the center of media and all educational resources, from books and beyond. More important than the resources, however, is the person who can show you how to best use them: the school librarian.

Although school librarians should be treated as indispensable, those who make decisions for schools may not realize their impact. From book banning to defamation lawsuits to eliminating librarians entirely, school libraries are questioned, criticized and defunded every day. As a parent who is also an educator and librarian, and for my younger self who needed a safe space to find information, here are three things I wish parents would do to advocate for school libraries.

1. Get to know your school’s library.

Introduce yourself to your school’s librarian and get to know the space. You might find information on a school library’s website or library newsletter, but I recommend emailing or even coming in to say hello in person. Librarians are usually pretty friendly! Some things to think about during your inquiry:

• Do they have assistants? Multiple librarians?

• Do they have volunteers? Would they like to have more volunteers? What would they like help with?

Providing compassionate healthcare to Pacific NW families for 30 years and counting.

School libraries are more than four walls with shelves and books. They are launching points for self-driven inquiry and research.

• When do they see students?

• What are some topics they cover in their classes?

• How do they decide what books to purchase for the school?

• What is their favorite book to share with students?

By knowing a bit about how the library functions and by getting to know your librarian, you’ll be better prepared to advocate for them. Ask your child for their perspective on their school library, too! What do they like about the library? What don’t they like? Do they find cool things to read about? What would they like to see more of?

2. Organize your information.

Take what you learn from your school’s librarian and compare it to other schools in the district or area. If you are in a public school, familiarize yourself with district policies around libraries. Data on school libraries and student achievement are easy to find, and there are many websites that make finding information about school libraries easy. Check out the American Library Association (ala.org) and Washington Library Association

(wla.org) for example letters, studies and ideas for advocacy.

3. Take action.

If you think there could be improvements made to your school library, speak up! This will look different depending on the school, but from public to private school, conversations with other parents can get the ball rolling. Consider meeting with your parent association or other similar group and share what you’ve found. You might meet with your school’s administrators to ask how they use their school library to support literacy, or how they view the library fitting into their school or district mission statement. You might even decide to write to your school’s administration, write an op-ed for a local paper or even run for your school board. Even better, you might decide to start a parent committee with the sole purpose of supporting your school’s library. There is power in numbers, especially when it comes to groups of parents who are advocating for their child’s education. ■

Lindsay is a mom, wife, and writer living in Tacoma. As an international teacher and librarian she knows that stories have the power to connect us all. Lindsay spends most of her time in libraries where she is always looking for her next favorite picture book. Find her on social media as @lindsandthelibrary.

When you purchase a Keep Kids Safe license plate, you help keep children of all ages healthy and safe.

June Play List

Summer ahoy!

By Nancy Chaney

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

Hello, June! Please launch us tout de suite into real summer! While many local kids have school all of the way to the very end of the month, we’ve got the goods to get a jump on summer family fun. Cultural festivals, dinosaurs, Father’s Day and Juneteenth events will fill your days with summer-style activities and joy. Let’s get to it!

� Celebrate the Eastside’s agricultural past and present at Duvall Days, kicking off with a fun run on Friday evening and culminating in the Grand Parade, kids’ zone, music, a car show and fireworks on Saturday. Join the festivities Friday–Saturday, June 2–3. Festival activities are free except for the fun run. parentmap.com/duvall-days

� Head for the hills on National Trails Day! Explore on your own or join an organized hike. National Trails Day encourages families to spend time in nature, help preserve green spaces and ensure access for all to the outdoors. Saturday, June 3. parentmap.com/trails-day

� Visit Seattle Center for the annual Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, which celebrates the culture and traditions practiced among our region’s strong Filipino community. Enjoy music, dance and crafts from the Philippines while gobbling up delicious lumpia and other tasty eats, Saturday–Sunday, June 3–4. Free; food for purchase. parentmap.com/ philippine-fest

� Head to a local beach on extra-low-tide days to inspect all kinds of marine critters that normally live undercover of seawater. Walk and touch gently, and learn more about what you see from beach naturalists. Programs take place

Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival

Photo by Saddleburn Media

Highlighted Events for June June 6 | Tuesday

ParentEd Talks welcomes Lenore Skenazy

Online parentmap.com/live

at beaches up and down Puget Sound, June 3–7 and 16–19. Free. parentmap.com/beach-walk

� Join ParentMap on Tuesday, June 6, 1–2 p.m., for key insights into anxious parents and anxious kids from author Lenore Skenazy. Called the “World’s Worst Mom” for letting her son ride the NYC subway alone, Skenazy will make you think seriously about prevailing parenting ideas of today — and laugh until you cry. Free; preregister. parentmap.com/live

� Holy stegosaurus, dino fans! You do not want to miss this dino-tastic live arena show stomping into town and playing at two venues. The Jurassic World Live Tour features 24 life-size animatronic dinosaurs, human actors and a thrilling storyline. Wowza! Snag your tix for shows at the Accesso

June 10–25 |

Weekends

Baby Animals & Berries Festival

Swan’s Trail Farms parentmap.com/strawberries

June 17–18 and 24–25

Bicycle Weekends

Lake Washington Boulevard, Seattle parentmap.com/bicycle

� Will we get early summer weather or will we experience the dreaded June-uary? Either way, our fabulous Washington state parks welcome families for a frolic on three fee-free days. On June 10, 11 and 19, visitors to our state parks can park their car without a Discover Pass. Get out and play! parentmap.com/free-day

ShoWare Center, Friday–Sunday, June 9–11, and at Climate Pledge Arena, Friday–Sunday, June 16–18. Tickets cost $30 and up; tots ages 1 and younger enter free.

parentmap.com/jurassic

� Honor Seattle’s original inhabitants and their descendants still living here today at Seattle Center’s Indigenous People Festival. Celebrate through art, dance and food, and learn about the Indigenous knowledge that keeps individ-

uals and communities healthy. Saturday, June 10; free entry. parentmap.com/indigenous

� Go fish! Free Fishing Weekend is the perfect time to teach the next generation how to catch a fish. During the weekend of Saturday–Sunday, June 10–11, adults can fish without a fishing license (youths ages 14 and younger can always fish without a license), though some rules still apply. Gear up and reel one in at a lake near you! parentmap.com/free-fish

� What could be a sweeter combo for kids than baby animals and berries? Swan’s Trail Farms, in Snohomish, celebrates the beginning of summer by welcoming families to meet young farm critters and pick strawberries from the berry fields (pay by the pound for berries you pick). June 10–11, 17–18 and 24–25. Book tickets in advance, $18 per person, ages 3 and older; tots ages 2 and younger enter free. parentmap.com/strawberries

� Slide down the pole and scamper over to Fire Day at MOHAI! Meet Seattle Fire Department firefighters, try on firefighter gear and learn about fire safety, Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Fire Day activities

Indigenous People Festival. Photo by Saddleburn Media

continued from page 35

are free; regular MOHAI (Museum of History & Industry) admission is not included or required. parentmap.com/fire-day

� This is a good bet for celebrating your favorite dad! Dust off your families’ bikes (or scooters), gather up your helmets and roll out on a pleasant bike ride along the lake. You could even pack a picnic to enjoy at the park. June Bicycle Weekends, when a section of Lake Washington Boulevard is closed off to cars, take place Saturday–Sunday, June 17–18 and 24–25. Free. parentmap.com/bicycle

� While Juneteenth is a newer holiday, a full understanding of this important day is critical to getting a more complete picture of U.S. history. Round up the kids and join one of many family celebrations, ceremonies and events taking place around the region. Most events are free and take place Saturday–Monday, June 17–19. parentmap.com/juneteenth

� Lots of dads and grandpas love cars. For a special Father’s Day outing that will suit dads of all generations, cruise on over to Fenders on Front Street in Issaquah.

Admire classic cars, trucks and motorcycles, and partake in kids’ activities and food-truck fare. Sunday, June 18, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Free. parentmap.com/fenders

� Celebrate all types of families and all manner of love at Seattle signature community Pride celebrations, Saturday–Sunday, June 24–25. On Saturday, join PrideFest Capitol Hill, and on Sunday, watch the Pride Parade and party at PrideFest Seattle Center. The parade winds from Fourth Avenue and Pike Street toward Seattle Center. Free. parentmap.com/pride ■

Nancy Chaney is ParentMap’s Out + About editor.

June 20

Skate Like a Girl

Pier 62’s skate park is back! Roll over for free skate, or come early for skateboarding clinics, courtesy of Skate Like a Girl. Ages 7 and older. 3–6 p.m. waterfrontparkseattle.org

Out + About

Destination: Staycation

Insider picks for three unique itineraries in downtown Bellevue

By Kate Missine

Summer vacay plans without the hassle and expense of faraway travels? Yes, please! Right in our own backyard, the Eastside city of Bellevue shines with superb staycation potential. From family-friendly hotels to world-class eats and plentiful playtime attractions, this urban gem is ripe for a close-to-home weekend getaway.

We got the scoop from some of the city’s savviest insiders for the best places to stay, eat and play. Whether you’re looking for a change of scenery with the fam, a much-needed couples respite or a moms’ weekend out on the town with the girls, this is your ultimate insiders’ guide to a downtown Bellevue stay-cay.

Family fun time

Head to Bellevue for a play-filled adventure, bound to delight kids and grown-ups alike.

Play

Swing, climb and splash at the awesome Inspiration Playground; picnic in Downtown Park (don’t forget to stop in for a cone at Ben & Jerry’s!); or take a stroll through the magical Bellevue Botanical Garden. “The Botanical Garden is a must-visit for families that love walking in nature — plus it has free admission,” says Hyatt Regency Bellevue concierge Trung Ha.

Din Tai Fung are an all-ages favorite.

Time for two

Let’s face it: Sometimes parents need some grown-up time to themselves! Make plans for a romantic weekend away just for the two of you.

Stay

Weather not cooperating? Explore the exhibits at KidsQuest Children’s Museum; discover the art on view at Bellevue Arts Museum; or go for a round of bowling at Lucky Strike Lanes or mini golf at Forum Social House.

Eat

Stay

Front and center to all the action, Hyatt Regency Bellevue is your home base for the entire fam — Fido included! Order room service and watch movies on the 60-inch TV; or make a splash in the indoor pool. Insider tip: If it’s available, ask for a spacious corner room!

Start off the morning right with breakfast at the award-winning Eques. Concierge Trung suggests the smoked salmon Benedict and green smoothie for a nutrient-packed boost (kids’ portions are available for most items, including a full stack of pancakes). Pop by Beecher’s or Midnight Cookie Co. for a midday pick-me-up.

And when it comes to dinner plans, the xiao long bao soup dumplings at renowned

Located right across from Bellevue Square, four-star hotel The Westin Bellevue has it all for the ultimate couple’s escape. From luxurious rooms, complete with crisp down-duvet-covered beds, to an indoor

pool, Jacuzzi and fitness studio featuring Peloton bikes, The Westin Bellevue is the perfect setting to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy your time together.

Hyatt Regency Bellevue

Lucky Strike Lanes

Din Tai Fung

The Westin Bellevue

Play

What better way to start off the day than with some pampering? James Bell, concierge at The Westin Bellevue, recommends a morning spa treatment to restore the body and mind. Try the signature couples massage at The Westin’s TRUCE Spa. Then treat yourself to a matinee or evening showing at the 21+ Cinemark Reserve theater in Lincoln Square South, complete with seat-side service to order your favorite sips and bites.

Eat

When it comes to date night, there’s nothing quite like dinner at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi for the ambience and top-notch flavor experiences — not to mention the views! Another must-try is Water Grill —a new favorite date-night spot recommended by Concierge Trung — which features the freshest sea-to-table seafood in town. Wrap up the night with a glass of vino by the fireplace at Cypress Lounge & Wine Bar.

Girls’ getaway

Grab your best gal pals and make it a girls’ weekend getaway!

Stay

From the funky colorful décor to the bold

modern rooms, everything about the hip W Bellevue screams girls’ weekend fun. Sweat it out at the stylish fitness studio or enjoy the city views from the comfy window seats. Looking to celebrate a special occasion with real “wow” factor? Get the party going at the amazing and aptly named Extreme Wow Suite.

Room Bar, where nature and urban design beautifully collide.

Eat

Get your morning caffeine fix at Dote Coffee Bar with a handcrafted coffee paired with a tasty pastry. Concierge James’ insider tip: Download the app to preorder and beat the line; or enjoy a farmhouse brunch at The Lakehouse. Explore adventurous Indian flavors and creative cocktails at Farzi Café, and finish up with a nightcap at swanky Civility & Unrest.

Bell’s insider tip: Be sure to sit in the “Unrest” section and try the Kiss of a Dragon!

Your epic staycation is waiting, so pack up that weekender bag and hit up one of many hotspots at The Bellevue Collection to experience a summer adventure to remember — no passport required. ■

Kate Missine is a lifestyle writer, food lover and a girly girl raising two little boys. She lived up and down the West Coast before settling in beautiful Sammamish with her family.

Sponsored by

Play

What goes best with girl time? Retail therapy, of course! Luckily, there’s plenty to be found in downtown Bellevue’s core at The Bellevue Collection, ground zero for hours of shopping and girl talk. When you’re ready for some late-night party vibes, hit the dance floor at W Bellevue’s Living

The Bellevue Collection features more than 200 shops, 50 restaurants and multiple entertainment options in The Dining District, as well as three luxury hotels and free parking, all in one place — it is the region’s largest shopping, dining, nightlife and entertainment destination. bellevuecollection.com

Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi

W Bellevue

Civility & Unrest

Ages + Stages

Ready, Set, (Environmental) Action!

Earth Day is every day — discover eco-actions for kids of all ages

By Gemma Alexander

If you and your kids participated in one of the local Earth Day activities this year, you might be fired up about doing something to benefit the environment. And if you didn’t do anything for Earth Day at all, you might be feeling a little guilty about it. Whichever scenario you find yourself in, Earth Day is every day, and there’s no better time than right now to teach your kids that they don’t have to grow up before they can make a difference. No one is too young to connect with nature and learn that their actions have an impact.

continued from page 41

Eco-actions for preschoolers

For the littlest kids, animals and food are great places to start. Take your toddler or preschooler to the zoo and while you’re there, explain how animals lose their homes when people generate too much waste and pollution. When you get back to your home, teach them which things to put in the garbage, and which go into recycling so that their waste won’t end up in animal habitats.

Spend time in the garden with your child, or if you don’t have a garden, plant some vegetables and flowers in pots. If they are old enough, let them have a few pots or a small patch of their own to garden. If not, encourage your child to help you plant and water (the drudgery of weeding may be counterproductive).

While you are outside together, help them notice the birds, bugs and other animals that share your neighborhood with you. Use these examples to explain habitats and food webs. Then, remind them that when you grow plants without using chemicals, you are helping to make that whole community possible. Bonus: Giving kids a hand in growing vegetables also makes them more likely to eat them. Not only are they healthier, but homegrown vegetables have a much smaller environmental footprint than any snack that comes in a package.

Actions speak louder than words, but it is good to narrate your sustainable choices. Let your child know that you’re walking to the playground to avoid polluting fuels and packing lunch in reusable containers to eliminate waste.

Eco-actions for kids in elementary and middle school

Once kids reach school age, they can start to understand more complex environmental topics and how humans impact ecological systems. Older kids can learn how to calculate their family’s carbon footprint (earthgenwa.org). When they do, let them lead your family in choosing and implementing the steps to shrink your environmental footprint.

LOCAL RESOURCES / SCHOOLS, PRESCHOOLS + NWAIS

Kids can also continue their backyard environmental learning with hands-on projects. By now, connecting with wilder environments on family hikes and camping trips is more practical, too. And you can turn screen time into environmental action with age-appropriate apps such as Earth Rangers (earthrangers.com), which is designed to empower environmental leadership through educational and practical environmental challenges.

At this age, kids and tweens can also start to get involved in the wider environmental movement and

continued from page 43

begin to encourage others to make more sustainable choices. If your child’s school has a Green Team or environmental club, encourage them to join it. Support them in taking action with groups such as Fridays for Future (fridaysforfuture.org) and other youthled and family-oriented climate action organizations.

Eco-actions for high schoolers

Teens are old enough to be aware of all of the existential threats society faces today, and having an action plan is important for their mental health. Many people still think that the environment and social justice are competing priorities, but poor and marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by pollution

and climate change. If your teen is passionate about social justice issues, leverage that interest to engage them with the environmental justice movement.

Teenagers’ growing independence also gives them more choices about sustainable living. Support your child’s decision to become vegetarian or vegan — meat production has a huge environmental footprint. Driving generates more carbon emissions than any other activity they participate in. Encourage your teen to bike, walk or take public transportation whenever possible. Another lifestyle area in which young people can have an impact is fashion. Fast fashion has made the textile industry one of the most polluting in the world, and it is responsible for child labor violations and

Required reading

At any age, books can help people connect with nature and understand their role in it better. Here are some titles to get your child’s eco-education started.

Picture books

“Heart to Heart: A Conversation on Love and Hope for Our Precious Planet” (by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Patrick McDonnell), an illustrated conversation between the Dalai Lama and his panda pal, is simple enough for little kids to understand but deep enough to read for a lifetime.

“From Seed to Plant” by Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation and germination.

“Linh’s Rooftop Garden” by JaNay Brown-Wood guides young readers in close observation of the unique characteristics of the blueberries that grow in Linh’s rooftop garden.

“The Lonely Polar Bear” by Khoa Le gently introduces young children to the concept of climate change and its impact on animal habitat through the story of a polar bear.

Middle-grade reads

“Linnea’s Windowsill Garden” by Cristina Bjork provides hands-on activities to help kids get involved with plants and gardening, even if they live in an apartment.

“Planet Earth: Finding Balance on the Blue Marble with Environmental Science Activities for Kids” by Kathleen M. Reilly teaches the history and ecology of the planet through hands-on science experiments and everyday actions families can take to be more sustainable in their habits.

“Our World Out of Balance: Understanding Climate Change and What We Can Do” by Andrea Minoglio is an encouraging illustrated guide to climate change offering clear facts and positive solutions to address air pollution, rising sea levels, plastic pollution and wildfires.

“Old Enough to Save the Planet” by Loll Kirby profiles 12 young activists from around the world who are speaking out and taking action against climate change.

Young adult titles

“Dry” by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman introduces teens to climate fiction, imagining a world where drought has reached catastrophic proportions and life has become a desperate search for water.

“Fashion Conscious” by Sarah Klymkiw explores the impact of clothing choices on people and the planet, encouraging youths to demand answers and empowering them to take action.

“No Planet B: The Teen Vogue Guide to the Climate Crisis” by Lucy Diavolo collects timely stories from the climate justice movement, providing accessible, concise explanations of climate change and what it means to take an intersectional approach to environmental justice.

“How to Change Everything: The Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other” by award-winning journalist Naomi Klein offers young readers a comprehensive look at the state of the climate while providing tools to join the fight to protect the planet they will inherit.

dangerous sweatshop conditions for workers. Learning to thrift, mend and creatively style a smaller wardrobe can help Gen Z break the fast-fashion habit.

Even if they can’t vote yet, teens can make an impact through civic engagement. Organizations such as Our Climate (ourclimate.us) and Schools for Climate Action (schoolsforclimateaction.weebly.com) provide resources to help teens and their families advocate for climate action at multiple levels of government, from Congress to the local school board. Teens can and do make a difference through nonprofit leadership, protests and volunteering on projects from beach cleanups to salmon restoration. ■

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.

Photo courtesty of ourclimate.us

How to Go From ‘Cake? No!’ to Cake Pro

By Julia Murphy

Cake decorating doesn’t have to be intimidating. With a few simple tools, some patience and some practice, anyone can make a beautiful birthday treat that is a delicious feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The following expert tips can help you nail the basics.

How to make cake layers even

Most cake rounds finish baking with a domed center. There are two very simple at-home techniques to use that will even the playing field.

• After allowing the cake rounds to cool completely (place them in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes), use a long, serrated blade — think bread knife — to slowly and evenly slice back and forth across the top of the cake. Toss the dome to the ankle biters to keep them at bay while you continue on to decorating.

• Immediately upon taking the cake from the oven, place a damp tea towel or paper towel directly on the cake top and ever so gently press the dome down. Don’t press exactly in the center, but around the center. Remove the cake rounds from their pans

after a 10-minute cooling period. Caution: Wear oven mitts for this method, since the steam released is alarmingly hot.

Get to know your buttercream basics

• To create uniform buttercream or other kinds of filling between the layers of cake, use an ice cream scoop to portion out the frosting. It doesn’t matter how much the scoop holds, just use the same number of scoops between the layers.

• Kick up store-bought frosting a notch by scooping it into a bowl and using an electric hand mixer to whip it together with 1–2 cups of powdered sugar. This will make the frosting stiff enough to pipe. Stiff buttercream between layers better supports the cake structure, filling and decorations.

• Thin the buttercream with milk or cream when crumb-coating the outside of the cake. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting — think of it as a delicious primer — that seals in stray crumbs before the second layer of frosting is added. This step is worth the effort, as it

prevents little bits of cake from showing through. After completing the crumb coat, refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before continuing with the second layer of frosting.

Flaunt your frosting finesse

• Cakes are exponentially easier to decorate if you use a turntable. Don’t have a fancy cake-decorating spinner? A lazy Susan also does the trick, or maybe try placing a baking sheet or pizza pan on an overturned round cake pan. Get creative — the point is to move the cake and not the baker.

• Time for some smooth moves. I love the look of a very smooth buttercream and to achieve it, I use my offset spatula almost exclusively to frost the outside of the cake over the crumb coat. Once the cake has its initial coat, let the spatula sit under hot running water for a moment, quickly wipe away the water from the contact edge (you don’t want to add water to the buttercream) and then get to work. The heated blade helps impart smoothness to the buttercream.

How to decorate like a boss

• Once the top of the cake is smooth, pop it into the fridge for about 10 minutes. Using a toothpick or something similar, write out your birthday message on top of the cake. If a mistake is made, it’s no big deal.

Simply use a warm offset spatula to “erase” the error and begin again. When you’re happy with the outline, pipe over it with the frosting.

• Invest in a large open star piping tip to eliminate many headaches. “Large” is the keyword; my go-to piping tip is Wilton’s 1M. This tip is quite forgiving; a smaller open star tip is quick to highlight flaws.

• Detailed decoration work can be accomplished by putting the frosting in a freezer bag and making a small snip in the corner of the bag. Or, invest in a small round tip, about the size of an ink-pen opening, and a supply of disposable piping bags.

• When making swirls, treat the top of the cake like a clockface. Make a swirl at 12, 3, 6 and 9. Then go back and fill in between the marks.

• Fancy buttercream roses aren’t necessary. Cake decorating at home should be as creative as the situation allows, so use fun-size candy bars, animal crackers, lollipops, fresh fruit, nuts, caramel sauce, etc.

Find more tips for throwing an epic birthday bash at parentmap.com/birthdays. ■

Julia Murphy, aka The Sugary Shrink, is a therapist who explores cupcake fun and the art of sifting through life’s journey.