e d i t o r ’ s n ot e
The years are short
I
for the long days and short years
don’t have a tween or teen. Yet. But with each birthday that passes, I feel it coming. I get the occasional eye roll from my 8-year-old daughter, Adela. And seeing as she is already pretty dramatic now, I’m not looking forward to what the teen years may bring. Of course, researching the ways COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of teens and tweens for the story Talk It Out, on page 10, didn’t do much to help with that particular worry. But the advice delivered by pediatric experts on how parents can keep the lines of communication open with their teenagers ultimately made me feel better. For now, I am trying to remember just how little my daughter and her 5-year-old brother still are. And as much as all this forced pandemic closeness has me struggling to maintain some semblance of personal space, I do know the days of her wanting to cuddle with me are numbered. So I snuggle her closer and deeply breathe in the scent of her hair. And I remember that irresistible, milky newborn smell that I swear was just there yesterday. But no, it’s been eight years since she made me a mom. I had clung to a falsely optimistic hope that by her birthday at the end of July, the pandemic would be under control and we’d actually be able to have a small party somewhat similar to the old days. But that didn’t happen. So I asked her what she wanted instead. She chose a birthday parade. I asked what theme she would have chosen if we’d had a normal party, and she said “Harry Potter.” So I went to work (and felt fortunate to be able to afford a celebration). I ordered a big sign for our front yard as a surprise (see page 20). I cleaned up some glass bottles BETSY PARKER for a “potions lab” display in our driveway and we made some uber-cool magic wands for friends to take home. “This might just be a good birthday after all,” she said as we were hot gluing plastic craft gems onto wooden dowels. Small-enough groups of friends dropped by over the course of an hour and a half that the kids could help make the potions bubble up by dropping bits of dry ice into the bottles filled with hot water, food coloring and a bit of dish soap. (Pro tip: You can buy dry ice at WinCo!) Everyone wore a mask. I tied helium balloons to wands and spread them around our lawn so kids could have plenty of room to pick a wand to take home. At the end of the day, she did confirm that it was indeed a good birthday despite the pandemic. And that was all I had hoped for.
PDX Parent
What’s the most tween thing your tween does?
P.O. Box 13660 Portland, OR 97213-0660 Phone: 503-460-2774 Publisher Rose Caudillo, 503-460-2774 publisher@pdxparent.com
“
My oldest daughter keeps trying to get away with things that I think are too grown-up. Like trying to leave the house with my heels on. And there is a lot of ‘Well, so-and-so’s mom lets them do …’
Editor Denise Castañon, 503-922-0893 denise.castanon@pdxparent.com Art Director Susan Bard Web Director Michelle Carew, 503-914-6151 michelle.carew@pdxparent.com Eastside Account Executive
Maggie is saying ‘IDK’ in response to questions as opposed to saying ‘I don’t know.’ I also think sometimes she does know.
Lauren Wylie, 503-331-8184 lauren.wylie@pdxparent.com Westside Account Executive Jill Weisensee, 503-309-8272 jill.weisensee@pdxparent.com Newsletter and Calendar Editor Melissa Light
Luke tells me ‘Mom — that is so cringe’ whenever I do something that embarrasses him, which is happening more often now.
melissa.light@pdxparent.com Business Manager Christie Kline, 503-810-9817 christie.kline@pdxparent.com President Jill Weisensee jill.weisensee@pdxparent.com
What I’ve noticed more with my 10-year-old tweens is how much sneakier they’re getting about screen time. And a general uptick with sassiness.
”
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PDX Parent is published monthly (except July) by Northwest Parent, LLC., and is copyright 2020 Northwest Parent, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PDX Parent is distributed free of charge throughout the Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA metropolitan area. PDX Parent reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. Distribution of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised herein. PDX Parent does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender expression, sex or sexual orientation.
On our cover: Local photographer and mom of three Nancy Minoui captured this gorgeous shot of 17-year-old Isabell at George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego. “I’ve been a photographer for five years now,” says Minoui. “Becoming a mother was what inspired me to become a photographer. Documenting love and life fills my heart with joy.” Find more of her work at nancyminouiphotography.com or on Instagram @nancyminoui. 4
September 2020
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