Queens Family August 2019 by Schneps Media Digital Editions

August 2019

newyorkfamily.com

LaTonya Yvette

shares her take on mothering, personal style, and how color for her is a whole experience

50 Things To Do in NYC this Summer with Kids

the best Ice Cream Shops Our First Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Book Club!

Back-to-School

Backpacks

contents

August 2019

NewYorkFamily.com

pg. 18

pg. 28

FEATURES 10 | School Admissions Tips for elementary, middle, junior high and high school admissions 14 | Preschool Helpful advice to get you started 28 | Incredible LaTonya Yvette LaTonya Yvette gives us her take on mothering, personal style, and how color for her is a whole experience. 30 | 50 Things To Do in NYC this Summer with Kids Our awesome list of kid-friendly activities in the city this summer

pg. 24

Stories/columns 4 | Editor’s Note Summer in the city

pg. 20

24 | Mom Hacks Browse our top ten picks for backpacks for back to school

6 | Ask the Expert Having the conversation with your tweens about puberty

26 | Parent’s Book Club Welcome to our first book club! This month we have the perfect beach read in Idra Novey’s Those Who Knew

8 | Mom Stories How to be a New Yorker. One mom’s words of wisdom to her daughter

38 | We Asked Parents share what they cherish about the last days of summer

16 | Family Health Eight breathing exercises for kids to help go from chaos to calm 18 | Smart Parenting More families are using family safe words, here is how to choose them 20 | Family Day Out Get the latest scoop on the best ice cream shops in NYC and must-try flavors!

Family fun 34 | Calendar Great kid-friendly August events in Queens and not-to-be-missed events around the city

on the Cover Photo: Yumi Matsuo | yumimatsuostudio.com Hair & Makeup: Buffy Hernandez | buffysaintmarie.com Jumpsuit: Apiece Apart | apieceapart.com

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

Editor’s Note

NewYorkFamily.com Publisher: Cliff Luster Publisher: Susan Weiss Associate Publisher: Mary Ann Oklesson Creative Director-At-Large: Hester Aba Executive Editor: Donna Duarte-Ladd Digital Editor: Katarina Avendaño Partnership Managers: Erik Bliss, Erin Brof, Mary Cassidy, Shelli Goldberg-Peck Marketing Assistant: Charlotte Sauvagnat Art Director: Leah Mitch Web Developer: Sylvan Migdal Nina Gallo Photography

Summer in the City

love New York. One moment you are cursing the train schedule, the next, a kind stranger helps you carry a bulky stroller up those never-ending stairs. If you are from here or a transplant, you know that this city is like no other and becomes part of the fabric of your being. This is why How to be a New Yorker (page 8) is a must-read and genuinely inspiring. Speaking of inspiration, our cover story on lifestyle blogger and stylist LaTonya Yvette, Incredible LaTonya (page 28) filled us with gratitude for mothers who share their stories with others. This Brooklyn mom is

honest and frank when it comes to life in general and mothering. Summer in the city is also hot, so while you’re out, you are going to want to research our story on The Best Ice Cream Shops in NYC (page 20). Try them all, it’s Summer (and research)! Lastly, we know you are always looking for things to do with the kids, so we have you covered with 50 Things To Do In NYC this Summer with Kids (page 30). Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! Donna Ladd

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get in touch Share your feedback and ideas about family life in the city! Email us at editorial@newyorkfamily.com and tag us at #newyorkfamily

Queens Family | August 2019

Happy. Healthy. Loved. These are the dreams we have for our children. �o we cherish the moments when little �i��les �ll the room� ima�inations ta�e us on �reat adventures� and when it seems our hearts could �urst with �ride and love. �ere and now� we�d sto� time if we could. �ecause when �ids are �ein� �ids� we all feel �etter.

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August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

ASK THE EXPERT

THE TALK Softening the conversation with your tweens about puberty When our kids start asking questions about their bodies and the changes that are happening, then it’s time to have the puberty talk BY SAMANTHA HUGGINS

literally don’t remember talking to my mom about bodies or sex. I think it’s because it wasn’t a single sit-down conversation. Instead, the conversation as woven into the many years of my young life. We had a pretty open home. It was just my mom and me and we had no issues around bodies and didn’t hide ourselves. I watched her shave her legs in the shower. I knew where the tampons and pads were. I knew my mom had a couple of boyfriends over the years. I even accidentally landed on one of them once in my mom’s bed as I sailed through the air during a storm. I woke during a particularly loud and scary clap of thunder and with a running start, I jumped from her doorway so that there would be enough breadth between my jumping point and my mom’s bed. This way the murderous thunder creatures hiding underneath her bed couldn’t grab my ankles. I think we all almost died of fright that night. I do, however, remember taking sex ed at school and wondering why this was happening. I grew up in a conservative state in the southwest, so sex education was more about teaching the girls and boys separately about bodies and periods and, at least in my class, how girls could still go to ballet and go to school even if we felt crampy. The girls were taken into a separate room and we all plunked down on the brown thinly carpeted floor to watch the clunky tube tv that sat on a tall tower so no one would just be looking at the back of someone else’s head. I remember

Queens Family | August 2019

a ballerina and a swimmer on the video. I remember their shame and embarrassment as they discovered with quiet, awkward horror that they too hadn’t escaped from the fate of most women. They were bleeding from their vaginas. And it was HORRIBLE. We learned about how to discretely tell the school nurse or our mothers when we had cramps. We learned that we couldn’t use tampons until we were older because it would hurt our hymens. We were taught discretionary techniques like how to sneak a pad into a bathroom tucked into the long sleeve of our shirt or how to bury that barbie bed deep in our shallow pockets that were only good for holding a sticker or a single house key. At all costs, we were not to make the boys in our lives uncomfortable about our bodies. And then, of course, we learned about cis-gendered bodies and heteronormative, missionary, penetrative sex that led to pregnancy. Flash forward! Here we are. Parents ourselves. Liberated! Inclusive! Appalled by the talks we had with our parents and the education we received in school. We have come so far! And then your 6-year-old starts asking questions about how babies get in bellies, your four-year-old notices that their sister doesn’t have a penis and they both want to know what tampons are for and where they disappear to when you’re sitting on the toilet. Ugh. While we thought “the talk” might happen with a broody tween, the conversation actually starts WAY before you were ready for it. In fact, it really starts as soon as you start talking with your infant. I often get asked about what’s normal, what’s too much, when is it too early or too late. The answer is, it’s different for everyone. I propose that we move away from “the talk” being delivered as a singular and rattling conversation and that we move towards delivering information organically, as it comes up. Like weaving little threads of awareness into the fabric of their young lives. Below I offer a few tips and tricks on how to integrate some of the foundations about human bodies, how they work, their relationships to themselves, responsibilities that come with the bodies they have and sexuality into the home. Let the kids lead: I think the quickest and easiest start is to meet your kids wherever they are. A great gauge is to just let your kids lead. Then take it from there. Pace yourself. Consider asking your kids about why they are asking a question without

I propose that we move away from “the talk” being delivered as a singular and rattling conversation and that we move towards delivering information organically, as it comes up. judgment and what they want to know before you start rattling off the facts. Be real: Please use the correct names for genitalia. The reason that we cringe at the word penis or vulva is probably Pavlovian. Chances are we were taught to whisper those words at home, were told to call them something cuter. Who-ha, wee wee, etc. And most kids were, and still are, punished for using those words at school. This is damaging to how we relate with the bodies we have and the ones that the people we interact with. In fact, most adults don’t even actually know where the vagina is. Spoiler alert – it’s the orifice in the middle of the vulva that’s protected by the labia. Nor can most adults name the various, and important, parts of a vulva. If this is you, no shade, you are far from alone and also, google! Consider using the correct terms in your home with your kids. Plain-faced. With the same tone as you would if you were talking about an eyeball or a knee. No taboos: If you have a household with a person who menstruates, or even if you don’t but just have friends who might, consider owning and not hiding supportive period products from anyone. Tampons, pads, cups, period underwear, etc can all be kept in reachable and accessible places. Maybe next to the toilet paper under the sink or in a drawer next to a hairbrush if you don’t like clutter. In our home, the tampons go right on the counter in a cute jar. When they are being unpacked from the shopping

bags, your kids can put them away. A healthy family is a community effort! Just like you know in the deepest part of you who you are, for the most part, your kids will too. But while they are really figuring that out, let the questions come organically. I remember rushing one morning to fit a shower in before work when one of my kids drifting into the bathroom and with the tiniest, cutest, most innocent voice, asked – “Mama, what’s sex?”. In my mind, I thought this conversation would come in about five more years and on a sun-drenched day when the house was well organized, we would have hours to talk and my partner would at least be home. I took a breath, opened the shower curtain and said, “There are so many ways that I can answer that question. Right now, I have to get ready for work and I really want to take time answering this for you. Can we talk about it when we have time?” They agreed. And then when everyone was ready to sit down and talk, I started by asking what they wanted to know about it. It turned out, at the age of 7, all they really wanted to know was why some people kissed for long times and other people didn’t. And that was as far as the conversation went that day. Since this question - we have built on this topic with more indepth answers and conversations coupled with a few great books and online resources. Depending on the age of your child or where you are in the conversation, you can look at these resources together or separately. Here are some of my favorite online and book resources: • plannedparenthood.com • talkwithyourkids.org • What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girls by Lynda Madaras and Martin Anderson • Celebrate Your Body (and Its Changes, Too!) by Sonya Renee Taylor

Samantha Huggins is a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, doula trainer, CBC, parent and curriculum builder. As a founding member of Carriage House Birth, Samantha works vigilantly to redefine doula work and contemporary parenting. She oversees CHB Education focusing primarily on curriculum building, elevating doula professionalism, and training doulas. Samantha is deeply committed to this work and creating a model of care that is sustainable and works for all people. Samantha is the mother of two, wife to one and friend to many. August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

MoM StorieS

How to Be a New Yorker One mom’s words of wisdom to her daughter By Cris Pearlstein

eing a born-and-bred New Yorker has always been a point of pride for me. In my mind, I’m strong, tough, and savvy, thanks to where I’m from. I’m special and so are the almost 9 million people that also call this city home. But life has an interesting way of working out...in 2015, my husband (also a born-andbred New Yorker) and I picked up our mini doxie and one-bedroom-apartment amount of stuff and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. We were two 30-somethings who never imagined we’d ever live anywhere else, but when a job opportunity called, we answered, eager to take on the new adventure. How bad could it be? Talk about culture shock. Everything felt unfamiliar, and I felt different from everyone I met. It seemed I talked faster, walked faster, and thought faster than anyone I came in contact with. Was this how people felt when they moved from their quaint little towns to the Big Apple? I suddenly felt empathy for all those transplants. It took some time, but we eventually learned to appreciate the slower pace of the southwest, its more relaxed lifestyle, and the drastically cheaper cost of living. And then, having been unable to get pregnant in New York, we threw ourselves into trying to have a baby. The money we were saving in rent went instead to our fertility specialist. For almost four years, I was poked, prodded, and put under, my body a veritable pin cushion and my emotional state as fickle as the fashion trends that sauntered in and out of season. But after four IVF cycles the greater purpose of our stint in the desert was revealed when I finally gave birth to our beautiful daughter, Francesca Maggie—who we affectionately call Frankie. We’ve been back home in New York City for the past year, but here we are again, with another move around the corner,

Queens Family | August 2019

this time to San Francisco and this time with a clear mandate: to make sure our daughter (no matter where we live) is a New Yorker through and through. Dear Frankie, New York is already part of your roots but I want to make sure you grow up to embody the mindset, values, and grit of the place your father and I call home. You might not have been born in New York, but here are some rules, tips, and advice on how to live your life as if you were. 1. Never drive when you can walk. Walking will cause your heart rate to go up and your carbon footprint to go down—good for your health and the planet, a true win-win situation. When you walk, do it at a brisk pace, in a straight line, and with a sense of purpose, but all the while, be aware of your surroundings, look both ways, and if you bump into someone, just keep going. If you need to stop to smell the roses—or read a

text, or plot your route on Google Maps, or to literally smell some beautiful flowers— that’s fine, but please do us all a favor and pull over, preferably to the right. Oh and never look up. What are you a tourist? 2. The best food in the world is pizza. And the best pizza in the world is in New York. That is all. 3. Don’t be afraid of hard work. Hard work will get you places, it will get you noticed, and it will get you closer to your goal. One of the best things about New Yorkers is their work ethic, which I will do everything in my power to instill in you. In the age of influencers and Instagram, VIPs and podcasts, you have to be extra careful, sweet girl. I wouldn’t blame you for thinking all it takes to be successful in this world is some luck, some followers, and some well-edited content, but trust me when I say that is far from the truth. Don’t ever forget about what goes on behind the scenes, about the hundreds of photos it takes to get one winner. But any goal worth having

is worth taking a hundred pics for, so put in the work. You’ll be happier for it, even if there’s no guarantee you’ll get the winning shot every single time. 4. Having a washer/dryer in your apartment is an absolute luxury, and don’t let anyone tell you differently. So be grateful every single time you do a load of laundry. 5. You must develop a thick skin. Frank Sinatra once sang “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” and he was right, but not because New Yorkers don’t face hardships. He was right because we bounce back from them. Hardships are inevitable, so be resilient, sweet girl. When you get knocked down be sure to always stand up and try again. This is how you’ll become tough, this is how you’ll become bold, this is how you’ll work up the endurance to withstand whatever life throws at you. 6. Always carry a small umbrella in your purse. You never know when it’s going to rain, and frankly, neither do the meteorologists. 7. Sweet girl, always remember differences

are beautiful. New York is filled with many different types of people and that’s what makes it the greatest city in the world. No matter where you live down the road if you meet someone who is different than you, talk to them, connect with them, and try to find your common ground—and I promise there almost always is a common ground. Because one of the most important lessons I can teach you is that people are actually more similar than

they are different. Good people come in many forms, and they won’t always look like you or act like you—it doesn’t matter what language they speak, what culture they are from, how much money they make, or who they love. Good people are good people, no matter what. 8. Rush hour is not an hour. It’s four hours. Refer back to number 1. 9. Don’t fawn over celebrities when you see them in public. Ultimately they are just regular people, and they love this city because everyone here treats them as such. You might see them at the coffee shop, on the street trying to hail a cab, or on the yoga mat next to you but no matter what, be cool. Don’t be that person. 10. New Yorkers are strong, tough, and savvy, yes, but don’t forget that above all New Yorkers are nice. They will give you directions, help you get on the right train, hold a door open for you, give up their seat on the subway, and return a wallet to its rightful owner. Just don’t ever walk slowly in front of one. Love, Your mama, forever a New Yorker

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Spotlight: education

School Admissions in New York Tips and guidelines from local experts By Tammy Scileppi, Jean Sheff

“Y

ou’re accepted!” These are the sweet words that all city parents are eager to hear. Securing a seat for your child in the New York City school of your choice – public or private – can be a daunting process. With this in mind we asked local experts in the educational field for tips that can help you navigate the sometimes-stormy waters of the school admissions process. “Bringing up my daughter in Manhattan has been a great adventure,” says Dana Haddad, CEO, and founder New York Admissions, LLC, a school admissions consulting firm for families looking for schools in New York City, the tri-state area as well as worldwide. She says finding the right school for your child is one of the most important jobs that a parent has. “While selecting a school for my daughter, I had to think about who she is as a learner and what environment she would best excel in. It was not about me, but all about her!” Important things to know Educational consultant Roxana Reid, M.S.W., the founder and director of Smart City Kids, Inc. an educational consulting firm that helps families in New York City identify public and private school options for their children, advises parents to be always be an active listener. “Recognize that schools evolve and change over the years so if you have a friend or colleague who attended decades ago, they may not have up-to-date insights on the program,” she says. Retaining all the information you are going to uncover is important. Reid says, “It helps to stay very organized by tracking appointments, impressions and interactions in a spreadsheet.” Haddad advises parents to keep the focus on your child. “Know your child. Know their strengths and weaknesses and the type of environment that they will thrive in.” Yet, you can also consider the bigger picture, “Not every school is the same. Know the type of community that your family will be comfortable in,” she says.

Queens Family | August 2019

Public vs private Many parents struggle when deciding whether to choose a public or private school for their child. “Trust your gut and think about what environment aligns with your child’s profile and your family’s values,” advises Reid. “It is about understanding your options and your child’s educational profile.” Asking others for help with the decision process can be critical. “Seek guidance and feedback from their preschool director and lead teacher, as they know your child in a school environment and will be able to offer meaningful insights into who they are as a learner.” Specialized high schools If a public high school is a good fit for your

child and family you may want to consider a specialized high school. “A specialized high school is a public school operated by the Department of Education that screens applicants via a test or audition/portfolio submission, the SHSAT,” explains Reid. In New York City there are many specialized high schools, they are: • Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Arts and Performing Arts • The Bronx High School of Science • The Brooklyn Latin School • Brooklyn Technical High School • High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College of New York • High School of American Studies at Lehman College • Queens High School for the Sciences at

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SUMMER NOW ACCEPTING SUMMER PROGRAM APPLICATIONS PROGRAM FOR FALL SEMESTER

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August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

York College • Staten Island Technical High School • Stuyvesant High School How admissions work If you’ve decided on an independent or private school it’s important to understand how the admissions process works. “The vast majority of independent schools are members of ISAAGNY (Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York), which means they adhere to agreed upon timelines and principles of good practice,” says Reid. Here’s where you cuddle up to your laptop. “Look to each school’s website for a fuller understanding of their process,” she adds. “Typically it will involve a tour and parent interview and a child visit which consists of activities with a teacher either in a group or one-to-one.”

“Know your child. Know their strengths and weaknesses and the type of environment that they will thrive in.”

The application and interview Once you’ve decided where to apply there are several things to keep in mind. “Make sure that the information that you provide

is accurate,” advises Haddad. Inaccurate information will slow down the process and can be off-putting. She also suggests that you, “Make sure that your essays are detailed, giving a clear picture of why your child is right for the school and why the school is right for your family.” Reid acknowledges that timing and accuracy are important. “Plan to submit applications well before the deadline; strive for authenticity when describing your child and

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We’re so Social 12

Queens Family | August 2019

family; be thoughtful and measured in your interactions with each school; and if you have a preschool director, confer with them on your list of programs and tap into their expertise to help you navigate the process.” Don’t let anxiety take over when it comes time for the interview. If you are relaxed you’ll serve as a role model for your child as they may be feeling anxious as well. “Everyone should stay calm. Answer the questions openly and honestly, says Haddad. “Remember that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you, as it has to be the right fit for both sides.” Share this point of view with your child and they may feel less scrutinized. In the end it’s not all about ‘getting in’. Having the best interests of your child is paramount. “I have learned first-hand that children are who they are and should be celebrated,” says Haddad. She advises parents to stay centered during the admissions process and trust that you will find the right school. Haddad is encouraging; “There is a perfect fit for each child.”

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Spotlight: education

5 Tips for Getting on the Preschool Track By Donna Ladd

s we start to wind down in August and a new school year is around the corner, you may be ready to start thinking of a preschool for your little one. After a summer of enjoying the parks and socializing with other children, it makes perfect sense to want to continue the momentum of your child reaching his/her milestones. Deciding on a preschool can feel a bit overwhelming. You want a perfect fit for your child, where they will be happy and thrive. Here are 5 tips to help you get on the preschool track! Location, location, location Where a preschool is located is usually a significant factor. Some parents prefer a school that is near home while others look for one near their work. If dropping off more then one child at different schools, which happens when there is a bit of an age gap, look for one that is easy to walk to or has a rather calm mass transportation route. What type of school are you looking for? Pick a school that is academically aligned on how you want your children to learn. If you need more in-depth answers on a school’s teaching philosophy — attending a school tour will help answer your questions. Timing is everything The hours of operation of a preschool usually factor pretty high in a parent’s list of school needs. Whether you need only half days, early drop-offs or late pick-ups, the school you choose should have a schedule that works for your family.

Queens Family | August 2019

Environment A school tour will help you in deciding if the climate of the school is a good fit for your child. There are no right or wrong answers. The school administrators are happy to open up the classrooms to you on tour and will introduce you to the teachers. You know what works for your child, so do not shy away from checking out the classrooms and school facility. The right fit You can visit every school in your city; however, what matters most is how your child will fit in the preschool.

Will he/she be happy? Do you see the teachers pairing well with your child’s personality? Is the daycare able to fit the needs of your child regardless of how big these needs are? Preschools to check out! Kuei Luck Early Childhood Center Rego Park 718-679-9909 klpreschool.com info@klpreschool.com A Reggio-Inspired and Mandarin Immersion Nursey and Preschool,

the school’s play-based curriculum welcomes all types of learners to explore and play. The school believes that children learn best in an environment that supports and builds upon their interests and curiosity. Through the process of inquiry, children begin to ask questions about their world. Nurturing teachers act as facilitators to encourage and support children in their learning. Schedule a tour today to see the stateof-the-art facility and submit your child’s application for the 2019-2020 school year.

Metrokids Preschool Multiple locations in Queens Check the website for a complete listing metrokidspreschool.com admin@metrokidspreschool.com These dynamic schools provide the highest quality preschool education with professional services for a warm, nurturing and responsive environment. There is a deep focus on early literacy as well as promoting an understanding of science technology, engineering and mathematics for their students. Strategy-based learning, scientific

method, STEM, advanced language development, and student-inspired thematic learning guide in their impressive curriculum.

NY Preschool 4545 Center Blvd., Long Island City, NY 347-813-4999 nypre.com longislandcity@nypre.com The NY Preschool classroom, a warm and welcoming home base for learning through stories, songs and art, is paired with a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility. Their unique learning environment sparks physical growth and discovery while the creative curriculum, which combines the traditional and the progressive, supports each student’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth.

Sunnyside-UP Sunnyside 718-784-6173 ext. 410 prek@scsny.org scsny.org A program offered by Sunnyside

Community Services, Sunnyside-UP provides education for children in an environment focused on exploration and discovery. The curriculum and program use the Department of Education units of study that align with the Common Core standard. Free pre-K is available for students who are four years old. Also serving 3-yearolds, subject to availability. The school and staff reflect the diversity of the Pre-k students and their families and is multi-lingual, ready to prepare students regardless of their first language. The school provides learning experiences few other programs can — including the ability for children to participate in movement, music, and art exercises with seniors in our Adult Day Services Program. Pre-k students at Sunnyside Up get priority enrollment in free afterschool programs at PS 199, 150, or 343, if they attend. As the children grow, there are programs for after-school, college and career readiness. Sunnyside Community Services provides an entire slate of activities and programs for all ages.

Looking for free, full-day pre-K? Discover Sunnyside Community Services’

SUNNYSIDE UP We offer free pre-K for 4-year-olds as well as a low cost program for 3-year-olds. For more information, email prek@scsny.org, or

call 718-784-6173 ext. 410.

Sunnyside UP is located at 39-01 Queens Boulevard

“I can’t say enough great things. I recommend Sunnyside UP to everyone!” - Maureen, local parent.

Sunnyside UP is funded by the NYC Department of Education and partially funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development.

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

family health

Breathing Calm into Chaos Eight simple exercises that can relax both rambunctious children, and harried adults By Pramod Narula, md

I often help in my daughter’s fourth grade classroom. It is a crowded classroom with many kids, and it does not take much for the room to spin out of control. Her teacher and I are usually able refocus their seemingly endless energy, but we need some additional support— the levee is about to break!

he energy of children is a wonder to behold and tricky to regulate. It is normal for kids to be excited and playful, but school is a place for education and it is important to try to maintain an environment conducive to learning. Deep breathing exercises are a great way to calm down and help refocus. Listed below are a variety of exercises to try with your daughter’s classmates. They are simple enough for them to follow, yet engaging enough for them to enjoy. Wishing you the best of luck — it sounds like you may be able to benefit from these exercises as well! Elephant breathing Stand with your feet wide apart and your arms dangling in front of your body like an elephant’s trunk. As you breathe in deeply through your nose, raise your arms up high above your head. Then slowly swing your arms down again as you breathe out through your mouth. Bubble breathing Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Begin by imagining you are holding a bubble wand. Breathe in deeply and then, as you breathe out slowly and gently, imagine you are blowing bubbles into the room. Imagine the bubbles are filled with peace or love or happiness and that you are filling the whole room with a peaceful, happy feeling. As you keep breathing slowly and blowing your imaginary bubbles, feel your body become calm and relaxed. Back to back breathing Find a partner and sit on the floor back to back. Sit tall and close your eyes if you want to. Decide who will start — that person begins by inhaling deeply and then exhaling

Queens Family | August 2019

slowly, and then continues to breathe slowly and deeply. Their partner should feel the expansion in their partner’s back each time they breathe in and then try to sync their own breathing so that both partners are breathing in time together. Tummy breathing Lie on the floor and place a small stuffed animal on your stomach. Breathe in deeply though your nose and feel the stuffed animal rise, and then feel it lower as you slowly exhale through your mouth. Rock the stuffed animal to sleep using the rise and fall of your stomach. Shoulder roll breathing Choose a comfortable sitting position. As you take a slow deep breath in through your nose raise your shoulders up towards your ears. Breathe slowly out through your mouth, lowering your shoulders as you exhale. Repeat slowly, rolling your shoulders up and down in time with your breath. Take 5 breathing Sit comfortably, resting one hand in front of you with fingers outstretched like a star and the pointer finger of your other hand ready to trace your hand. Starting at the base of your thumb on the outside of your hand, breathe

in slowly through your nose as you slide your pointer finger up to the top of your thumb. Breathe out slowly and slide your pointer finger down the inside of your thumb. Breathe in as you slide your finger up the next finger and out as you slide down. Continue breathing in and out as you trace your whole hand. Balloon breathing Sitting in a comfortable position, place your hands around your mouth as if you were about to blow up a balloon. Take a deep breath in through the nose and, as your slowly exhale through your mouth, start to spread your hands out as if you are blowing up a great big balloon. Hold your hand position as you inhale again and then spread your hands further as you exhale. Once your balloon is as big as it can be, gently sway from side to side as you release your balloon up into the sky. Bumblebee breathing Sitting comfortably, gently place the tips of your pointer fingers in your ears and close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose and then hum quietly as you slowly breathe out. Pramod Narula, MD is the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at NewYorkPresbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

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August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

smart parenting

Family Safe Words More parents are using a code word when it comes to family safety. Here is why I use this safety measure By Donna LaDD

e have a family safe word. In our family, we always discuss the importance of his safety with our oldest child. From an early age, he was jumping on strangers’ laps at the park and giving out hugs. When he was at this young age, I wanted him to be more cautious. As most parents know — not so easy when they are toddlers. Frankly, I hate as a parent that we have to have ‘the safety conversation.’ This feels like the beginning of when the world of rainbows and sunshine starts to fade a bit when, as parents, we have to share that there are not good people out there. How my husband and I describe unsafe situations is that anyone who wants to harm them will go to great lengths to do this. We have also stressed, and as a parent, I feel this part is vital to share with your children, that the ‘boogie man’ can look just like us. They also can be someone the kid ‘kind of’ knows. What is a family safe word? A family safe word is a code term that you, as a family, decide and use as a safety measure.

Queens Family | August 2019

The point of the family safe word is that it is for the immediate family only and is there to help keep our children stay safe. How does a family safe word work? Every family is unique on how they use the family safe word. How you use the family safe word is according to your family guidelines. Some families use the word for their child as their child’s way of communicating if they are uncomfortable or in a threatening situation. For example, if child X is at a family gathering and someone related or non-related has made child X uncomfortable, then child X uses this word as a code word. This allows your child to feel they can communicate with their parents if they are in some type of profoundly uncomfortable situation. Other families save it for more narrow situations. This can be strictly when out in public places such as amusement parks or museums. It is best not to abuse the word. This is an emergency only word and should be treated as such. How to choose a family safe word For starters, the family safe word should

not be a word your family uses daily. The word doesn’t have to be super complicated but should not be a word easy to find out via social media. Not your pet turtle’s name, not a nickname. Be creative and think out of the box and repeat the word for the first few weeks in private. During dinner is a great time. Some websites list the common safe words that you can pick for your family. However, now that these words are listed out in the world, how are they safe? An example of a safe word? Bacteria. Yup, it’s a bit weird, but it’s not that hard to remember a word like bacteria. My suggestion is to choose a word that someone outside of the family would never guess is your safe word. Word rules It is a good idea to go over the ground rules with your children on the terms of how you use this word. Once you share the word (for whatever reason, it’s life-situations happen), then a new word needs to be picked. It is important to remember that a family safe word is a step in overall safety for your family. A family safe word is not a green light for your child to take off with a stranger if they have miraculously guessed the word. Explaining how overall safety looks for your family is key. There is no right or wrong. This is how safety looks for my family. How your family implements safety is for your comfort level and your parenting prerogative.

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August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

Family day out

Taiyaki NYC

taiyaki’s fish-shaped ice cream cones are super-instagrammable

The Best Ice Cream Shops in NYC Get the latest scoop on which ice cream shops to check out this summer! By Jana Beauchamp

t New York Family we always pride ourselves on having the inside scoop, and if there’s one kind of scoop we’re kind of experts on, it’s ice cream scoops! We’re rounding up the best of the best ice cream shops in NYC that will be sure to please kiddos and adults alike. Plus we’re dishing on the must-order items on their menus for Summer 2019! Dominique Ansel 189 Spring St. 137 Seventh Ave.

Dominique Ansel always shakes up the pastry world with innovation and creativity like the legendary cronut. This summer Dominique Ansel has some really fun soft serve at Dominique Ansel Kitchen where they

Queens Family | August 2019

open up their soft serve ice cream window (located at the Dutch door on the side of their shop) and serve made-from-scratch ice creams. Summer Sensation: A favorite that they’ll have all summer long is their What-aMelon Soft Serve, made with a slice of juicy ripe watermelon (complete with tiny dark chocolate “seeds”), filled to order with our homemade watermelon soft serve. They’re also transforming the entire pastry case into a dessert tribute to NYC! The New York Collection features nine brand new pastries inspired by all the things we love about NYC. Think: a Bodega Coffee Tiramisu (a nod to those iconic blue coffee cups), an “Everything Bagel & Schmear” Pavlova, a New York Slice that’s actually a strawberry tart, a Haute Dog made of raspberry cremeux and lady’s fingers “buns,” a Pretzel cake inspired by street cart

soft pretzels, and more. Ample Hills Creamery 600 11th Ave. 73 Gansevoort St. 141 8th Ave. Brooklyn locations: Pier 5 421 Van Brunt St. 305 Nevins St. 445 Albee Square West 623 Vanderbilt Ave. Queens location: 16702 Rockaway Beach Ave. 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd. 34-02 30th Ave.

Ample Hills Creamery is the beloved Brooklyn-based, family-owned ice cream company always scooping cult-favorite flavors in their creative and playful style, like

Salted Crack Caramel, Ooey Gooey, and The Munchies. We adore that Ample Hills bakes their own magnificent mix-ins and each location has a signature flavor. Summer Sensation: Their Big Summer Collaboration launches July 1st and is a one of a kind ice cream collection. There’s a Black Tap Collaboration with a custom ice cream flavor that will turn into a Crazy Shake at Black Tap locations and a Crazy Sundae at Ample Hills locations. Also plan to take the Tour de Hills, a Summer challenge to embark on a journey to 10 out of the 14 ice cream scoop shops to become a Hillionaire and earn sweet prizes! Melt Bakery 132 Orchard St. Brooklyn location: 111 Front St.

Melt Bakery knows how to rock your taste buds with their delectable homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches with the best seasonal ingredients and flavor combinations. From the first bite into a decadent cookie to the cool ice cream inside (courtesy of seasoned pastry chef Julian Plyter), you will literally melt with happiness. We are in love with the Lovelet (it tastes like a yummy cupcake), and the Classic (Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies + Vanilla Ice Cream). Summer Sensation: New this season is The Evil Twin, featuring chocolate chip cookies and chocolate ice cream! It is the perfect combination! Plus, Melt is everywhere you are this summer from The Spur to Citifield for baseball games. Taiyaki 119 Baxter St. Brooklyn location: 294 Bedford Ave. Queen location: 136-17 39th Ave.

Taiyaki in NYC is synonymous with their super-instagrammable fish-shaped ice cream cones. This signature ice cream creation has a Taiyaki (fish shaped pastry at festivals and weddings representing wealth and happiness) waffle cone filled with matcha and black sesame ice cream, a wafer stick, mini mochi rice cakes, and red bean paste or custard fillings. Summer Sensation: The kid-friendly summer favorite is the Unicorn Taiyaki ice cream. The most popular flavors of the ice cream are the classic vanilla and matcha ice cream. We love the unique and bold flavor

OddFellows makes both classic and quirky flavors in their Brooklyn kitchen. combinations but kids will swoon over the unicorn presentation. Max & Mina’s Ice Cream Queens location: 7126 Main St.

Max & Mina’s Ice Cream is always creating new, cutting-edge flavors and combinations with seasonal fruits and ingredients and our favorite cereals! Favorite flavors include Cookie Monster, Captain Crunch, Cookies and Cream, and their best-selling, Fruity Pebbles. For strawberry season there’s a sensational Strawberry Fruity Pebbles. There are also rotating daily specials like lemon lime pie. Summer Sensation: As we write, they just made a batch of Aloha Coconut Praline, a coconut based flavor with praline, caramel, and coconut flakes. There is also a five blend cereal flavor in honor of getting out of school for summer. Eddie’s Sweet Shop Queens location: 105-29 Metropolitan Ave.

Eddie’s Sweet Shop is a NYC institution, having been in the family for five generations. It’s like walking into the past when you go in the shop and it’s surreal to see how all traditions and tastes have been passed down over time (like the amazing hot fudge made in copper kettle!). We love all the old school ice cream dishes. The most popular for kids are the classic chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry with mint chocolate chip and coffee coming in close after. Summer Sensation: Don’t miss the blueberry and peaches ice cream, two of their spectacular summer flavors.

OddFellows 75 East 4th St. 55 East Houston St. Brooklyn location: 175 Kent Ave. 60 Water St.

OddFellows creates their delectable ice cream right in their Brooklyn kitchen. Everyone loves both their classic and unconventional flavors. We learned that the biggest kid favorite flavors are Sprinkles, Strawberry Jam, and Pink Lemonade sorbet. They are all on rotation for the summer. Summer Sensation: OddFellows will be the first ice cream shop with a summer happy hour in their Dumbo location! Kids can get scoops, adults can get scoops and a glass of wine or craft beer. Kids of all ages are sure to enjoy the scoops, sips, and views. Sugar Hill Creamery 184 Lenox Ave.

Sugar Hill Creamery is devoted to local collaborations and the best ingredients, serving handmade, small batch ice cream and non-dairy frozen desserts. Many of the available flavors are inspired by their Caribbean and Midwestern cultures, as well as Harlem, their neighborhood of close to 15 years. The summer scoops that are especially popular with the kiddos include Andy Griffith (Vanilla), Unfinished Business (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Strawberry Basil with Lemon Curd and Shortbread, and Gone til November (Soursop)* (non-dairy). We love that they host a New Mom’s Group for Moms and babies to come together for a relaxed conversation about the ups and down of parenting. Summer Sensation: They are hosting August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

family day out

Doggy Socials in collaboration with The Bark Shoppe, a Harlem-based pet care facility, where dogs can enjoy $3 pup scoops while their humans chat. This event is also great for kids who love dogs. Kids can also visit the shop with their summer camps for a 45-minute demonstration/activity on ice cream making. The Sugar Factory 835 Washington St. 700 8th Ave. 1991 Broadway

The Sugar Factory has the most epic ice cream creations for special celebrations, birthdays, and any regular day when you want to scream for ice cream. They have traditional sundaes, insane shakes, and larger than life sundaes. They really do make the world a sweet place. Summer Sensation: Don’t miss the World Famous Sugar Factory King Kong Sundae for any group gathering. It has 24 Scoops of Ice Cream covered with Hot Fudge, Caramel and Strawberry Sauce, Sliced Bananas, Toasted Marshmallows, Reese’s® Pieces, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Crushed Waffle Cones, Gummi Bears, White Chocolate Strawberry Shavings and Toasted Walnuts with Whipped Cream, Giant Lollipops and Sparklers on top! It’s the ultimate sweet, summer splurge!

Matt Harbicht, The Food Network

The Sugar Factory’s enormous King Kong Sundae is a maximalist group splurge. Eggloo 60 Mulberry St.

Eggloo desserts combine eclectic Asian Fusion flavors with quality ingredients to bring you something that may taste new but nostalgic, foreign but native, and that are Instagram-worthy. The hugely popular Eggloo Roses and Cones come in regular and vegan options and both pretty and special in its own! Summer Sensation: Eggloo will have a special limited Ice Cream Float collaboration with Brooklyn Crafted in late July/early August!

Sweet Moment 106 Mott St.

Sweet Moment is known for their mountain high Bingsoos (Shaved Ice) with many different flavors, cute and tasty Bottle Cakes, in-house made Pastries and Cookies made by their own pâtissier. Everyone is sure to have a sweet moment or two! Summer Sensation: Try the new Matcha & Strawberry Bingsoo! La Newyorkina 240 Sullivan St.

La Newyorkina is a Mexican sweets company specializing in all natural, handmade paletas, ice cream, baked goods, and confections. We love that it is a woman owned business and all the fantastic flavors in every bite. There are always fresh and seasonal flavors based on what’s at the market but the tres leches is an absolute must and summer essential! Summer Sensation: Get excited for their cherries and cream flavor starting soon as well as roasted strawberry ice cream.

Queens Family | August 2019

The Original Lower East Side Ice Cream Factory 88 Essex St.

The Original Lower East Side Ice Cream Factory comes from the family who brings you The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory & The Original Flushing Ice Cream Factory and are now serving us at the new Essex Street Market. Summer Sensation: Kid-friendly favorites for summertime are taro, pandan, green tea oreo, and anything with rainbow mochi toppings. Alphabet Scoop 543 East 11th St.

For those always looking to make a difference and influence change in a positive way, there is no better excuse than to indulge at Alphabet Scoop. This artisanal ice cream shop gives teenagers classroom instruction and mentoring partnerships all while training and employing them with real job and life skills in what we all scream for…ice cream!

And if this alone isn’t enough to win you over, the premium, homemade ice cream served by these youth will be your bonus payment. Summer Sensation: They have all the new seasonal flavors in stock and you’re doing good while eating ice cream at every visit! Ice & Vice 221 E. Broadway Times Square, 43rd St. Brooklyn location: 55 Water St. Queens location: 27-20 Jackson Ave

Ice & Vice is an experimental ice cream shop, handcrafting ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt in small, customized batches. It’s always edgy and always ultra-premium, and they serve up quality and vice with every scoop. Ice & Vice has a direct relationship with its local dairy farm, and all dairy is delivered direct to the kitchen. All of our products are infused, assembled, churned, and deep frozen in our production kitchen, which is a licensed dairy plant. Summer Sensation: All shops now have summer hours with the sweet summer seasonals. Check out the same same old same same old seasonal favorites like Pokey (prickly pear, candied cactus meringue), Milk Money (toasted milk, sea salt chocolate ganache), and more! With these unique NYC ice cream scoop shops your family can cool off from the summer heat in the sweetest way! Jana Beauchamp is a Manhattan writer and mom of two.

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Back-to-School

Backpacks

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

mom hacks

10 Backpacks for Back to School Our top picks for your little ones are not only stylish, but comfortable, safe, and accessible By Mia SalaS

1. State Mini Kane Backpack, Jungle Cats The Mini Kane Stae Backpack in Jungle Cats print lights up any room with its pop of rainbow colors and beautiful design. The Mini Kane is the perfect size for kids with its padded and adjustable straps. $65, statebags.com

2. Parkland Rodeo

The Rodeo is great if your little one needs the perfect lunch kit to go along with their back-toschool backpack. In addition, the insulated interior makes cleaning easy, and the front pocket makes snacks readily accessible. $24.99, parklandmfg.com

3. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Owlâ&#x20AC;? Pack Backpack

This multi-compartment, padded, and water-resistant backpack deviates in shape from the classic, rounded backpack, because the patented horizontal design carries weight at waist level, making the backpack super comfortable and safe for kids. $29.99, bixbee.com

4. Pottery Barn Teen Gold Marble Metallic Backpack This water-resistant backpack has reinforced stitching, and durable zippers, which helps as the bags are carried throughout the day. With plenty of room for all their books, there is also an interior padded laptop sleeve. $89.50$99.50, pbteen.com

5. Skip Hop Zoo - Llama Backpack

5 24

Queens Family | August 2019

This llama designed backpack is colorful and cute, with a spacious exterior compartment for holding a pencil case, and the adjustable shoulder straps allow you to find the perfect size. $20, skiphop.com

6. Parkland Franco Made of ultra lightweight material with padded straps, the Parkland Franco backpack will be light on your kids’ shoulders, even with all of the school binders and books! This backpack repurposes nine plastic water bottles and features the Nebula Electric print, fulfilling Parkland’s dedication to style and sustainability. $29.99, parklandmfg.com

7. Cat & Jack Toddler Boys’ 3D Shark Backpack Target’s Toddler Boys’ 3D Shark Backpack, by Cat & Jack, has a decorative shark design. There are also bright yellow, adjustable straps, two compartments, and it’s reasonably priced. Parents love the practicality, and kids feel confident with their shark-style backpack! $12.99, target.com

8. Skip Hop Zoo - Bat Backpack The friendly face of this bat with 3D wings and moon decor for zippers is tailored to young kids. Skip Hop designed the world’s first diaper bag that converts to a stroller bag, which highlights their commitment to innovation and practicality, seen in their backpacks. $20, skiphop.com

9. Fenrici Preschool/Kindergarten Green Dinosaur Backpack The Fenrici Preschool/Kindergarten Green Dinosaur Backpack is made of both durable and waterproof 900-denier polyester with built-in, soft cushioning. The colorful, dinosaur design is a favorite for little ones, and the mesh side pockets with two, zipped compartments provide plenty of space for school supplies. $45 original, $22.99 sale, fenrici.com

10. Pottery Barn Teen Gear-Up Rainbow Cloud Backpack

This unique print will stand out in the sea of superheroes and villains. There is plenty of room for all the books they will be carrying, as well as room for the laptop and a port for headphones. Moms will love the bungee cord at the front of the bag that holds a coat, meaning fewer trips to the lost and found! $59.50-$79.50, pbteen.com August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

Parent’s Book CluB

Discover New Stories with Us!

Idra novey

AugusT Theme:

Beach Read By Mia SalaS

hat exactly is a “Beach Read”? We love Edan Lepucki’s, author of Woman No. 17 and California description: “It means my novel has the power to engage a reader who is sitting before an enormous, stunning body of water, and still decides to look down at a piece of paper with a bunch of words.”

Those Who Knew Idra Novey

A young woman, Lena, suspects that the powerful senator who she was involved

Queens Family | August 2019

with is behind the death of another young woman due to her previous violent incident with him that ended their relationship. Why didn’t Lena speak up then? Those Who Knew explores the cost of staying silent and the mixed rewards of speaking up in a divided country. Idra Novey is the author of Those Who Knew, a Best Book of 2018 with NPR, Esquire, BBC, Kirkus Review, O Magazine, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Her first novel Ways to Disappear, received the 2017 Sami Rohr Prize and the 2016 Brooklyn Public Library Prize, and was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize for First Fiction.

Welcome to New York Family’s Parent’s Book Club! Every month, we feature a different Monthly Pick novel in accordance with a theme. All of our Monthly Pick novels have several copies available in the New York Public Library. We encourage you to start your own book club with friends, loved ones, and neighbors, using our Monthly Pick as your book of the month. Host meetings to discuss the novel with our discussion questions, and enrich your perspective of the book with our author interview on NewYorkFamily.com. We hope to connect NYC families, introduce subjects in tune with today’s society, and encourage more “me time” for parents.

She teaches creative writing at Princeton University. To read our interview with Idra Novey, visit NewYorkFamily.com! Idra Novey shares her motivation for writing Those Who Knew and what she hopes that readers take away: “From the first draft, the driving question in this novel was about consequences, who gets them and who doesn’t. I didn’t know,

parent’s Book CluB

Discussion Questions You read the book, now we have the discussion questions here to guide your book club meeting! We hope that these questions will spark thought-provoking, intellectual, and even controversial discussions about the novel.

initially, how the untried crime that connects the characters in the book would impact the kind of parents they become, but I knew they would all end up raising children and the silence around this crime would continue to haunt them. “It has been really powerful hearing at book events from readers about their experiences resigning themselves to silence for similar reasons that Lena does. But this book has led to many joyful, invigorating conversations, too, about collective action and the fun of wearing fake beards and imagining revolutions with a true and lasting friend. When Lena finally convinces herself to speak up, she returns to her memory of nursing her son in her friend’s bookstore, how uninhibited and joyful she felt there. I hope readers will finish this novel with a renewed sense of hope of what a few friends brainstorming together in a bookstore might someday achieve in their country.”

We hope that you enjoyed reading and discussing Idra Novey’s Those Who Knew. Get ready for New York Family’s Parent’s Book Club’s Monthly Pick in September, which was an instant New York Times Bestseller, published in June. Here’s a hint: it’s everything you could want in a novel!

1. “Precisely a week after the death of Maria P. was declared an accident, a woman reached into her tote bag and found a sweater inside that didn’t belong to her” (pg. 3): Why do you think Novey begins the story this way? Why refer to Lena as “a woman” instead of using her name? 2. Much of the story takes place on an unnamed island. What was the effect of this island being unnamed for you and why do you think Novey chose not to name it? 3. How does the title, Those Who Knew, relate to your understanding of the novel? 4. Although the “Me Too” movement is increasingly prevalent and impactful in society, it is still difficult to speak up after a traumatic event, seen through Lena’s struggle. In your opinion, what is the importance of speaking up about sexual assault and harassment? 5. Who was your favorite character in the novel, and why? 6. The structure resists a traditional, chronological form. What forms of narration are present in the novel? What was the effect of this structure in your reading of the novel? 7. Do you think that Lena should have told Oscar earlier about Cosmo? 8. There’s a running theme of escape in this novel – escaping family, history, relationships, and immoral acts. Yet the novel also asserts the past’s role in the present. How do the characters each handle their past, such as Lena’s relationship with her family or Oscar’s past with Lena? How do we use the past as an effective tool in our present? 9. Consider the depictions of friendship in this novel. What is the dynamic of each of these friendships, and how do they move the novel forward? 10. In many ways, Lena and Freddy’s struggle of whether to speak up about Victor is quite similar. Do you have sympathy for both of their motivations

in staying quiet for so long? 11. Some people in today’s society argue that the “Me Too” movement has gone too far. According to these people, wrongful accusations destroy careers. How does Those Who Knew speak to the “Me Too” movement? 12. Consider the power balance in the various relationships between characters. How do characters gain power over each other? How does gender factor into power? Think about places in the novel when the original power dynamics shift. 13. There are several signs or objects of reference to Maria. What do you think is the purpose of these signs? Do you think that the sweater and bra really belonged to Maria, or does Lena imagine this? 14. There are references to the feeling of not existing, of being silenced, in this novel. Why do Lena and Cristina feel as if they don’t exist at times? What does it mean to exist? 15. What role does food play in Lena and Oscar’s relationship? 16. Compare the narration told through Freddy’s play to the standard form of narration. What do you get from a play that you don’t from narration and vice versa? 17. Pick a passage from the novel that stood out to you. Share why you chose your passage! 18. Reread the last chapter. Why do you think Novey decided to end the novel here, with Lena and Cristina? What did you think of this ending image, of Cosmo and Edgar emerging back into sight? 19. How would the ending of the novel have been different if Novey stopped at “over the land” (pg. 248), and didn’t include that last bit: “of the island where they were born” (pg. 248)? What is the significance of that final phrase? 20. How did Those Who Knew change, confirm, or challenge your perspective, beliefs, and opinions?

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

Incredible LaTonya

Brooklyn-based author and blogger LaTonya Yvette gives us her take on mothering, personal style, and how color for her is a whole experience. By Donna LaDD

aTonya Yvette is a woman of words; she is also a native Brooklynite. A mother of two beautiful humans, River age 8 and Oak 5- many of us have followed LaTonya since the beginning of her inspirational namesake blog. And she’s here, the city we live in. She is getting her kids ready for school, writing about the missteps and successes that come with raising city kids, improving her home, working on her writing, connecting with people and her community, and sharing along the way. And we need this as busy city moms. We like this energy. We have our babies and seek out stories that help us to connect, to feel whole again. We search for other women’s stories and truths. And now LaTonya has written a book, Woman of Color. LaTonya’s book is about empowering yourself as a woman, motherhood, wellbeing, hair, and style. Stories from “Birthing a Body, Growing a Woman” to “Five Rules for Being Bold in Life” can be found in this relatable book that connects all women. The stories are part reflection and bio with woven stories of strong black women that empower all to feel they can get through anything. Our Editor, Donna Duarte-Ladd, caught up with LaTonya to talk about Woman of Color, turning 30 and raising kids in NYC. I identify so much with your stories you have told through Woman of Color: the conflicts you had with your name when you were younger and people thinking you are the nanny when you’re out with your kids. How do you try to nurture a healthy sense of self in your kids?

Queens Family | August 2019

I believe that moving through motherhood with an identity that does not conflict with my role as a mother is important. Part of it is, I think, being a young mother, and not having a sense of self that could be either discarded or hold fast with the birth of a child. I had to mold myself, my work, and my life as a mother, around and with my children. And to me, I never was comfortable with giving up my sense of self. Part of my mothering experience is teaching my kids, mostly by example, that self is essential. I believe in instilling a sense of autonomy in everyday ways. For example, I don’t make their beds. They sleep in their beds, and they can make them as best as they can. I believe by doing this, I am teaching them responsibility in regards to themselves and their immediate community. It’s layered, but also simple; when I take care of myself and take responsibility for myself, it shows them and teaches them, that this is what they have to do in this world. Right now, this is very important to me. I want them to have fun, be silly, be children, but as one of my good friends would say, “I am raising adults”. In your book, you share what color means to you as not only a black woman, but also in how you dress. Can you share with our readers more about what color means to you? For me, color is an entire experience. It isn’t just what I wear, it’s how I see the world. I am inherently attracted to color, people, colorful people. Dynamic characters. Spaces and events. This is a really important aspect of my work right now. Woman Of Color is an exploration (with kids in tow) of color: theirs, mine, what we wear, the world we live in, and all of my colorful (good, bad, and in between)

experiences. Color isn’t just a style experience, and it’s why my book goes back and forth between style, spaces, and experiences. Color isn’t one-dimensional. It is really important for people to understand that, even when we are speaking about the Black experience, that we all have many unique stories. You write about many transitions in parenting and relationships, do you have any advice to share on this topic? All I will ever say about marriage, parenting, single parenting, co-parenting, or whatever your situation, YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WITH LOVE. It seems hard. SO hard, but in the long run, anything you do out of love, feels SO MUCH BETTER. Whatever your situation is, or where you are, this is one of my biggest parenting tips. You have great advice regarding personal style. Can you share with us any tips on us on some core pieces a mother should have in her wardrobe? You know, I think it’s essential that women just dress for their current bodies. I think we are always told to lose the baby weight, as if this day will turn up tomorrow. Therefore, many women do not end up getting dressed for who they are now. Have fun and make time for where you are now style-wise. I think as far as style, sizing, color, patterns, and prints, you can’t go wrong with a onesie or jumper. There are many options and different prices. If you have something that allows you to be comfortable, but also speaks to all of the above, you’re good as gold. LaTonya’s book, Woman of Color, is available at amazon.com and you can get your daily dose of her lifestyle vibe at latonyayvette.com.

Favorite place to grab a bite to eat with the kids? Dino at 222 Dekalb Ave. in Brooklyn. But also any German beer garden, because they have fries. And when it comes to eating out with kids, as long as there are french fries, it feels like the best outing possible. Also, Speedy Romeo on Classon, because they know the kids and me and put a glass of rosé down when we sit down. It’s our local spot. And Habana Outpost on Fulton, because I’ve been going for years and as a Brooklynite, it sort of feels like mine, even though it isn’t!

Favorite park? Prospect Park for sure!

Favorite summer activity with the kids? Ferry rides! We’ve been taking them from one area of Brooklyn to the next, park-hopping and hair blowing since River, my youngest, was a newborn. The East River Ferry was opening, and I worked in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I’m super nostalgic for those days. Oof.

Favorite family TV show/movie? We cannot agree right now. Honestly. Oak (my 5-year-old) is obsessed with Home Alone (which he watched for the first time at Christmas), and I find it a bit fishy. And he also loves the Polar Express, but I am really against Christmas movies playing outside of Christmas time. River has no specifics. She’s almost 9 and mostly wants to be left alone. But with that said, we will watch oldschool Muppet movies together and Mary Poppins.

Favorite holiday destination?

Photo by Yumi Matsuo Hair & Makeup by Buffy Hernandez Jumpsuit by Apiece Apart Shoes by Loeffler Randall

New York! You know, I think the magical thing about New York around the holiday season is that everyone leaves. Not New Yorkers (unless it’s Time Square or Rockefeller Center... don’t go there!).

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

Things to Do in NYC this Summer with Kids

New York has just what you need to have a fun summer. Check out these kid-friendly activities before school starts up again! By Danielle Sullivan

ummer is life, and we want to make those sweet moments with our kiddos count (as well as filling those looooong ten weeks!). Living in NYC makes that easy. Whether you will be taking a vacation or staying in the city, there are countless opportunities for summer fun. Check out 50 things to do with your kids this summer right in our own backyard!

1. Zip line the day away at the Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure Climb & Zipline. Climb through obstacle courses and zip line over a river!

6. Make and fly a kite, code an app, and learn about slime at STEM Kids NYC on Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Island in ongoing weekend sessions. 7. Cool off at the American Museum of Natural History

and catch one last viewing of Unseen Oceans. This exhibit shows you the secret world of the ocean and its mysterious animals that inhabit it, and it closes August 18th. 8. Walk, explore, and learn about the natural world in the drop-off program, Science in the Woods at Alley Pond Park. Or walk through Little Bay Park and search for small animal life using nets in Science in the Bay.

2. Grab your roller skates (or rent a pair) and head

down to Pier 2 Roller Rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park for daily roller skating, lively music, and special events throughout the summer.

9. Pack a blanket and treat your kids to a movie under the city stars at various NYC parks. Popular screenings include Bohemian Rhapsody at Bushwick Inlet Park and Aquaman at Willowbrook Park in Staten Island.

3. Take a break from the scorching summer heat by

cooling off at the newly renovated Chelsea Waterside Play Area, which features a one-of-a-kind, Robinia wood pipefish and limestone cattle head sculptures alongside the sprinklers.

10. No experience necessary to plan an adventure in the NYC waters and do some kayaking and canoeing for free at the LIC Community Boathouse. 11. Discover your Chinese Zodiac sign and make a puppet

4. No summer is complete without a visit (or 10) to

Coney Island! Enjoy the beach and the rides in Luna Park, walk along the 1,000-foot long Steeplechase Park Pier and get amazing views of the ocean.

in Zodiac Shadow Puppets at Socrates Sculpture Park.

5. Bring your music lover to enjoy an outdoor

12. Hop on one of 14 animals at the Bryant Park Carousel and enjoy some French Cabaret tunes while riding around under a beautiful leafy awning of London Place trees.

concert at Central Park Summerstage or Prospect Park Bandshell, including The National,Father John Misty,the Met Opera Recital Series, and the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.

13. Learn about science and do some bird watching at Central Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Belvedere Castle. Discovery kits, telescopes, and microscopes are on hand to deepen

Queens Family | August 2019

the experience.

features 88 water jets with plenty of room for kids of all ages to splash and play in the fountain area.

14. Take in a gorgeous view on the East River while

settling down for a picnic in Astoria Park. Have supper on a blanket in the grass or take in a bench view and then let the kids frolic in Charybdis Playground, or take a stroll to the nearby skate park.

16. Go horseback riding with Kensington Stables right

15. Head over to Domino Park in Williamsburg and

17. Enjoy 18 holes of mini-golf at Flushing Meadows

play in the water fountain and steps. This fountain

alongside some spectacular landscaping, including

in Brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prospect Park along a 3.5-mile path and see all the sights of the park. Pony rides available outside the barns for the younger crowd.

Big Bounce America, the largest bounce house in the world, comes to Brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aviator Sports and Events Center this month.

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

trail, visit the aviary to see exotic birds, and witness the sea lion pool up close and personal. 23. Cool down from the sweltering heat with water inflatables, bounce houses, face painting, snacks and lots of fun water play at the Water Festival at Seaside Playground in Far Rockaway. 24. Get captivated by Shakespeare in the Park in the 1,800

seat Delacorte Theater and check out the Disney songs and Broadway shows for kids on Labor Day weekend. 25. Board the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum on

one designated night each month on free Fridays and check out performances, film screenings, exhibits, and take a stroll along the flight deck. 26. Take a dip in any (or all!) of the NYC pools in every

borough. It’s always free! 27. Bring the family (and your sleeping bags!) outside

for the night and sleep under the stars at Free Family Camping with the Urban Park Rangers. 28. Climb your way to the top … of the Observatory

Deck at the Empire State Building and see the city from a whole new view! 29. Build a spaceship and launch in to space in “3-2-1

Blast Off!” at the Lego Store at Rockefeller Center throughout June.

Central Park’s Belvedere Castle, a great spot for birdwatching, has recently reopened after a major face lift.

streams and waterfalls. As an added bonus, the course is fully lit for night play. 18. Bounce up and down in the largest bounce house in the world (we’re not kidding —it holds the Guinness World Record!) when it comes to Aviator Sports in July. The 20,000 square foot trampoline park also has an obstacle course, basketball courts, and a huge ball pit.

30. Take in a good old-fashioned baseball game and watch the Brooklyn Cyclones play under the lights of Steeplechase Park at MCU Park. 31. Check out lion dance performances, Chinese crafts

and children’s activities at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. 32. Watch the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating

19. Young chefs or food aficionados can relish in

Smorgasburg, where a plethora of tasty treats from 100 restaurants are served up every Saturday in East River State Park in Williamsburg and Sunday in Prospect Park. Smaller versions can be found at World Trade Center on Fridays and Hudson Yards on Tues-Wed. 20. Glide down New York City’s longest slide at Slide Hill at Governor’s Island. One of the four slides measures 57-feet and is a winding path of squealing fun and amazing views. 21. Spend a day a Victorian Gardens amusement park and enjoy bumper cars, magic shows, a mini roller coaster, slide and more right in Central Park.

Contest and spend the Fourth of July day at the beach. 33. Bike, roller blade or just stroll down the Summer Streets when 7 miles of city streets are closed to cars for three Saturdays in August and catch musical performances, a water slide, and a climbing wall along the way. 34. Visit the Jim Henson Exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image and see how Henson created his treasured characters up close and personal, and get a peek at some favorite puppets! 35. Celebrate Harlem Week with a film screening, dance party, an auto show and many other festivities, including a 5K run.

22. Delight in a bevy of animals and attractions at the

Queens Zoo! Check out bison and deer on the animal

Queens Family | August 2019

36. Build a big sandcastle, climb ropes, or splash in a

wading pool at Imagination Playground at the South Street Seaport.

44. Be part of the International Coastal Cleanup in the Rockaways and help reduce trash along the city shores.

37. Enjoy an art farm, chess, bubble garden, yoga story time, and musical performances at Citi Summer in the Square.

45. Invent your own plant and enjoy hands-on science

38. Take an NYC ferry ride and see the city from the water’s view along various routes: East River, Rockaway, South Brooklyn, Astoria, Staten Island, and more.

46. Don’t just take your child to see a Broadway show, let them become part of one in Pip’s Island, a creative interactive, performance art experience where the children are immersed in the adventure.

39. Make your way to the fascinating Hudson Yards public landmark, temporarily known as Vessel, and delight in this architectural feat.

experiments in the children’s adventure garden at the New York Botanical Garden.

Young foodies will find lots to taste at Smorgasburg, serving at four different city locations.

47. Who needs horses when you can hop aboard a SeaGlass Carousel in Battery Park City and see what it’s like to gracefully float in water?

40. Rent a bike at Wheel Fun Rentals in Marine Park

and do laps around the park in a chopper, quad sport, tandem bike, or surrey.

48. Get moving and learn how to dance or watch a musical performance in Let’s Dance at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

41. Keep your math skills sharp and avoid summer

brain drain by playing math focused games at MoMath National Museum of Mathematics.

49. Chill out with a delicious frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3, or indulge in a “Can’t Say No Sundae”.

42. Volunteer to help dogs and care for them at an animal rescue shelter.

50. Sing and dance to Suzi Shelton, Justin Roberts and

43. Learn about rare birds, go bird watching, and enjoy nature programs at the Audubon Center.

Danielle Sullivan is a writer and mom of three living in New York City. Follow her on Instagram @Deewrite.

the Not –it’s at Madison Square Kids Concerts.

August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

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10 MUSEUMS

MUSIC

THEATER

Great Kid-Friendly August Events in Queens By Mia Salas

HANDS ON HISTORY: PLAY 19TH CENTURY HISTORIC GAMES August 3 Monopoly, tic-tac-toe and four square are great, but do you ever wonder where all of the games we have today come from? Or maybe your kids are getting tired of the typical games and need something new to play. If so, then come learn how to play the games from the 19th century. Play the same games that King John and his brothers played on King Manor’s lawn. Free, 1-4 pm. King Manor Museum in Rufus King Park, Queens, NY 11432, nycgovparks.org

JAMS JAMAICA ARTS & MUSIC SUMMER FESTIVAL ATTRACTIONS

FOOD

August 3 Kick off the first weekend in August with this JAMS Festival. Enjoy multi-cultural family fun, shopping, community resources and entertainment. Come to this well-known festival for plenty of kid-friendly activities and great music! Free, 11 am-7 pm. 10 blocks of Jamaica Avenue from Parsons Boulevard to 170th Streets, Queens, NY, jamaicajams.nyc

Outdoors

HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL August 3-4 Bring your family to the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival for a full day of arts and crafts, food, and Dragon Boat racing. Over 200 Dragon Boat teams all across North America will race in their custom made, colorful boats with a Dragon head at the front and a Dragon tail at the back. There will also be martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese food, an International food court, Chinese musical and dance performances, and folk arts and crafts. This celebration and sporting event is the largest multicultural festival in New York, so you don’t want to miss out! Free, 9 am-5 pm. Flushing Meadows Park, 111th Street to Van Wyck Expressway, Queens, NY 11355, hkdbf-ny.org

HIP TO HOP THEATER CO. PRESENTS: FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS- THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD III August 4 Hip to Hop Theater Company believes in the power of theater, and they invite all families to come watch The Tragedy of King Richard III. Bring your children, ages 4 to 12, to the The Kids & The Classics Education Program before the show for a 30 minute workshop. They will relate Shakespeare plays to their own lives through reading, theater games and previews of characters. Then grab your seat and get ready for the performance! Free, 4:30-5 pm The kids & The Classics Education Program, 5-6:30 pm The Tragedy of King Richard III. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens, NY 11106, nycgovparks.org

MAD SCIENCE: SPIN, POP...BOOM!

Young tennis fans will delight at the annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day that precedes the US Open on August 24.

Queens Family | August 2019

August 6 School may not be in session, but that doesn’t mean that your family can’t have an educational (and fun) summer. Skip the chemical equations and head right to the exciting part of chemistry: the experiments! Watch what happens when chemicals combine and see some amazing

reactions. Free, 11 am-12 pm. Unisphere, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368, nycgovparks.org

HUDSON VAGABOND PUPPETS PRESENTS CAPS FOR SALE/THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF August 7 Enjoy this theatrical, puppet show in the park of two well-known stories: Caps for Sale and Three Billy Goats Gruff. Your kids will love watching the puppets in action! Spend the early evening at the performance and then grab dinner somewhere near the park. Free, 6-7 pm. Highland Park, Jamaica Avenue and Elton Street, Queens, NY 11207, nycgovparks.org

PRIDE NIGHT AT CITI FIELD WITH THE NY METS August 10 Join other baseball fans, LGBT activists and families looking for a fun and educational evening at Citi Field, where the NY Mets take on the Washington Nationals. Come support the LGBT Network’s anti-bullying programs in Long Island and NYC Schools at the 4th Annual Pride Night, and enjoy an exciting ballgame at the same time! $45-$78 depending on seat, 7:10-10 pm. Citi Field, 123-01 Roosevelt Ave, Queens, NY 11368, lgbtnetwork.org

ROCKAWAY CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL August 17 Immerse your family into Caribbean culture at this carnival! Learn about Caribbean traditions, engage in arts and crafts, listen to Caribbean music and watch Caribbean dancing. Spend the

day outside and enjoy a family day in the park. Free, 11 am-8 pm. Bayswater Park, Bay 32nd Street and Beach Channel Drive, Far Rockaway, NY 11691, nycgovparks.org

ARTHUR ASHE KIDS’ DAY

Flushing Meadows Park plays host to the spectacular Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival on August 3 and 4.

August 24 Come experience the largest grassroots tennis and entertainment event in the world. Past performers include Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and The Jonas Brothers, paired with past tennis players, including Serena Williams and Andy Murray. Celebrities have even made appearances, such as Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres! There will also be face paint, balloon artists, storytelling, hair beading and braiding and more. Proceeds will go to USTA Foundation, which free or low-cost tennis, education, and life-skills programming to children. Festival events and workshops free, stadium show $25, 9:30 am-4 pm. Arthur Ashe Stadium, 124-02 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing, NY 11368, arthurashekidsday.com

LEARN TO RIDE August 25 Are your kids just itching to remove their training wheels, but you’re nervous about taking that step? Well at Learn to Ride, you’ll be surrounded by other families going through the same transition. Teach your kids how to ride a bike in a safe, encouraging environment. Strap on their helmet, and get ready to bike! Free, first session: 11 am-12:30 pm, Second Session: 12:45-2 pm. Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Park in Tudor Park, Asphalt Softball Field, 133rd Avenue, North Conduit Avenue, Between 80th and 88th Street, Queens, NY 11417, nycgovparks.org August 2019 | NewYorkFamily.com

family fun

Featured event

Events Around the City By Mia Salas

SUMMER STREETS 2019 August 3, 10, and 17 You have three chances to participate in Summer Streets 2019 on three Saturdays in August! Almost seven miles of New York City’s streets are open for kids to run, bike, and play. There are also several activities, such as bubbles, yoga, zip line, obstacle courses, workshops for kids, fitness exercises, and street games, so bring your family for a fun and safe day outside. Hosted by the New York City Department of Transportation, the purpose of Summer Streets is to encourage environmentallyfriendly modes of transportation and create a space for recreation. Free, 7 am-1 pm. Open streets extend from Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets, nyc.gov

SUMMER ON THE HUDSON: SUPER SOCCER STARS August 8, 15, 22 and 29 Does your little one love kicking around the soccer ball outside? Then head to Riverside Park this August for a morning of soccer, teamwork, and fun! Enjoy a recreational experience in a non-competitive environment with other kids, all ages 5 and under. The program focuses on soccer skills as well as confidence building. Free, 9:30-10:30 am. Riverside Park, 72nd Track and Lawn, New York, NY 10023, nycgovparks.org

POTIONS AND PLANTING TEA PARTY August 10 and 24 This isn’t your average tea party — it’s in a rooftop garden! Enjoy a traditional British, high tea platter and pink lemonade. There will be mini seats for

Queens Family | August 2019

NYCRUNS Brooklyn Ice Cream Social 5K & 10K August 24 Whether your family wants to run this 5K or 10K competitively or just walk with maybe some jogging, this run in the park is for you! Enjoy water and fresh fruit during the run and ice cream afterwards, so use the ice cream as your motivation. You’ll also get a t-shirt, and of

stuffed animals or dolls — kids even get to bring a plus one. Bring your little ones, ages 5 to 10, to learn how to make potions and plant. Leave with planted seeds in a pot that you can watch grow when you bring it home. $25, 10 am. Gallow Green Garden at McKittrick Hotel, 542 West 27th St., New York, NY 10001, mckittrickhotel.com

38TH ANNUAL BATTERY DANCE FESTIVAL August 11-16 Head to New York City’s longest-running public dance festival this August! Hosted by Battery Dance, this festival features international and local dance groups for a full week of music, dance, and singing. There will also be several dance workshops for an interactive experience. This lively festival attracts over 12,000 people each year, so bring your family to join in on the exciting and educational experience. Free, 7-9 pm. Robert F.

course, that amazing feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line. $30 register before 6/18, $35 register before 8/13, $40 until online registration closes, $50 register at race day, 8:00 am 10k, 8:15 am 5k. Center Drive, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY 11225, nycruns. com

Wagner Jr. Park, 20 Battery Place, New York, NY 10280 batterydance.org

MOVIES ON THE WATERFRONT SERIES: THE INCREDIBLES 2 August 12 Enjoy a waterfront view as you watch the second movie in the classic The Incredibles series. Join their family as they take on a new mission with a shift in family roles. This action-packed, comedic movie will have you on the edge of your seat, and it’s the perfect, kid-friendly film for a late summer night. Free, 8:15-10:15 pm. Astoria Park Lawn, Shore Boulevard between the Hell Gate Bridge and the pool, Queens, NY 11105, nycgovparks.org

PATTY CAKE THEATER PRESENTS DONKEY JOTE August 14 Patty Cake Theater takes the classic

story of Don Quixote and brings it to life on stage in a bilingual adaptation. Your kids will love watching the adventures of Don Quixote from the perspective of his donkey in this family-friendly, comical show. Free, 6-7 pm. Highland Park, Elton Street and Jamaica Avenue, Queens, NY 11208, nycgovparks.org

14th ANNUAL JAZZ AGE LAWN PARTY August 24-25 Selected by New York Times as one of the year’s most memorable events, time travel back to the Jazz Age at this exciting, annual lawn party! There will be a Children’s Parade, High Court of Pie Contest, Croquet Tournament, Kidland with carnival games, gourmet food trucks, vintage clothing, dance contests and lessons, a magic show, a motorcycle exhibition and jazz music to last the entire day. $45 general admission for adults, Free for children 12 and under, 12-6 pm. Colonel’s Row on Governors Island, Hay Road, Brooklyn, NY 11231, jazzagelawnparty.com

SUMMER BRUNCH & SHOPSEAFOOD EDITION August 25 Come with an empty stomach to this event and choose from over 150 vendors with oysters, lobster rolls, paella, grilled octopus, fish tacos and so much more. After you enjoy the food, browse the array of shops from local artisans and independent dealers. Free attendance,

Governor’s Island swings at the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on August 24 and 25. prices of vendors and shops vary, 10 am-5:30 pm. Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 West 77th St., New York, NY 10024, grandbazaarnyc.org

QUEENS LIBRARY ANNUAL TALENT SHOW August 29 Watch your kids go up on stage and

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show off their special talent at this event. All talents are welcome, from hula-hoop skills to tap dance to even taekwondo. Bring the whole family to cheer on your kids and enjoy watching the assortment of talent in Queens! Free, 4-6 pm. Queens Library, 54-22 Skillman Ave, Woodside, NY 11377, queenslibrary.org

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We asked

What Do You Cherish About the Last Days of Summer? I’ll forever cherish the fluidity of the summer months and our time spent (often in the ocean) together, as a family. as our rhythms change, I hope that my kids will always remember the ease and lightness of days spent inside waves and the importance of play and spontaneity.

@marinobambinos

saying “yes” to staying at the beach after 5 pm and packing up slowly, going for the last minute pool run before dinner or saying “ok” to an after-dinner ice cream run. The smile and laugh from my kids when a special request has been granted is so much fun. and then taking a minute actually to enjoy it is even better. even if that means everyone goes to sleep late and I’m covered in ice cream and probably tears too.

Monica Marino @marinobambinos

@sarah_bean_brooklyn

I cherish our end of summer traditions — last minute road trips and days at the beach. every summer I realize just how fast the kids are growing up which I think is why I find myself trying to squeeze in so much into our last days of summer. @nyctechmommy august makes me think nature is looking out for us. The sun literally melts away the little daily tensions and the too-shortness of the season offers us permission to find ease and lightness so we can fully enjoy our family before we go into Fall. @motheruntitled 38

Queens Family | August 2019

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