APRIL 2014
Spring is in the air
Replace
TOXIC FRIENDS with a Supportive Sisterhood
Summer CAMP SPOTLIGHT
2401 Shadelands Dr. Walnut Creek, CA 94598 www.childrenshospitaloakland.org http://bitly.com/cho-wc
925-979-3434 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY’S ONLY OUTPATIENT MEDICAL CENTER JUST FOR KIDS
Diagnostic Imaging Hearing & Speech Center Motion Analysis & Sports Performance Lab Orthopaedics Outpatient Surgery Sleep Lab Specialty Care Clinics Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes
FREE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SCREENING Friday, Apr. 11, 2014 Friday, May 16, 2014 Appointments: 925-979-3440 Concerned about your pre-schooler’s communication skills? Our Walnut Creek Hearing & Speech Center is providing free speech and language screenings to determine if your child needs a complete speech and language evaluation.
Hearing & Speech Center Children’s Hospital Oakland Walnut Creek Campus 2401 Shadelands Dr., Suite 120 Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Why Choose Primrose ? ®
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Primrose parents rated their children above 90% in school readiness factors Primrose students show 1.3 times more yearly academic growth than their peers Dietician approved meals and snacks provided
Primrose School of Pleasanton is a private preschool that offers well-rounded early childhood education and nurturing child care services. Our Balanced Learning® curriculum blends teacherguided and child-initiated activities for Infants through Private Pre-K.
Primrose School of Pleasanton 7110 Koll Center Pkwy, Pleasanton, CA 94566 925.600.7746 | PrimrosePleasanton.com
Each Primrose School is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools and The Leader in Educational Child Care are trademarks of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2014 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved. License #013421388, #013421389
Volume 1 / Issue 3
[ FAMILY ]
[ HEALTH ]
[ FINANCE ]
Are you Drinking Rat Poison? The Secret of Forgiveness.
Ask a Children’s Hospital Oakland/Walnut Creek Expert
Replace Toxic Friends with a Supportive Sisterhood
10
8
28
6 Tips to Help Parents Put Down Their Phones, Now
Growing Fit
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
16
18
Camps Around the Bay
32
Antibiotics: Yes or No?
10 Tips for Avoiding the Land Mines of Perfect Parent World
46
21
[ STYLE ]
39
Spring is in the Air!
More than Mom’s Pot Roast: The Why and How of Family Dinner
12
[ HOME ]
22
ETSY Easter
Camp Spotlight
7 Tips to Organizing Your Life and Decreasing Stress
14
30
Products We Love
20
[ EVENTS ] April Calendar
24
Spring ‘Green-ing’
42 [ FOOD ] 5 Mood-Boosting Foods
44
12 4 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2014
30
44
IMAGINATION Inßpi®ed by St®atfo®d
[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
Join us for a tour and discover Stratford! Danville Sycamore Valley (925) 648-0500 Danville Blackhawk (925) 648-4900 Pleasanton (925) 737-0001 Fremont Boulevard Preschool & Kindergarten
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The Best Preparation for a Lifetime of Learning
Santa Clara Winchester
Our approach to education shares the values, aspirations, and high expectations that you have for your child.
Preschool & Kindergarten
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Visit www.StratfordSchools.com
Santa Clara Middle School (408) 247-4400 Sunnyvale DeAnza Park (408) 732-4424 Sunnyvale Washington Park (408) 737-1500
! n u F ® e m m Su ure An Advent gins g Be in Learnin 2014 June 23,
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Accrediting Commission for Schools
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Elementary
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Middle School
ASSOCIAT I
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Preschool AND CO
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Preschool State License Numbers: 073402482, 013417816, 013420588, 434404890, 434408056, 434407977, 434404336, 434406722, 434408877, 384001837, 434410807, 434410816, 073406680, 013420939.
Local Life & Style for the East Bay Area Publisher/Editor
Design/Production
Contributing Authors/Businesses
Tracie Vollgraf
Teresa Craft
Marketing Manager
Ad Design/Production
Oakland/Walnut Creek Children’s Hospital
Crystal Wigton
Lara Mays
Dr. Laura Markham Dr. Stephanie C. Chiang Dr. Karim Mansour Lani Allen Imagery Lenny Robinson Susan Stiffelman Graceful Offerings Rosalind Wiseman Dr. Susan Newman Michelle Perry Higgins Steven Adams Natalia Lazarus Katherine Brooking
Advertising Sales Manager Karen Ruskowski Maxine Fisher
Active Family is published by TAG Marketing Group Mailing Address | P.O. Box 5158, Pleasanton, CA 94566
Advertising Inquiries | 925.789.0709 Email Address | info@activefamilymag.com
Editor’s Note As a parent of four young children who is continuously multi-tasking, the ‘6 Tips to Help Parents Put Down Their Phones, Now’ article on page 18 profoundly resonated and provided much-needed food for thought. In an overly connected world, we need to be sure to stay present and give our children our undivided attention. Hard to do? Absolutely. No one will argue that parenting is an on-going discovery of trial and error. While we all hope to “get it right”, the ‘10 Tips for Avoiding the Land Mines of Perfect Parent World’ on page 21 from author Rosalind Wiseman will offer applicable advice for your daily parenting dilemmas.
Cover image by Lani Allen Photography www.laniallenimagery.com
Spring has always been a bit of a tease. While I love the season and the near 80 degree weather it brings, just when you pull out the shorts, lawn chairs and picnic baskets, a chilly day is upon us again! However, with Spring comes Easter, bright colors, beautiful flowers, fun fashion and the tantalizing idea that SUMMER is right around the corner! Oh, and did we mention Spring Cleaning? Yes, it’s that time of year, but hopefully you can find some inspiration in ‘7 Keys to Organizing Your Life and Decreasing Stress’ on page 7 and ‘Spring “Green-ing”’ on page 42. Our Spring fashion finds on pages 12 & 13 are sure to get you into the shopping mood! Whether attending church, brunch or a casual family get-together, these looks are sure to fit the bill! Also be sure to check out our ‘Etsy Easter’ on page 30 where you will find playful handmade Easter accessories. Happy Spring! Tracie Brown Vollgraf Editor tvollgraf@activefamilymag.com
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[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
IT’S EASY TO FIND DOCTOR RIGHT With Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation and Palo Alto Medical Foundation, you have easy access to top-quality care for your kids right in your neighborhood. Our team of dedicated health care providers is committed to providing your kids with excellent medical services at our care centers in Albany, Antioch, Berkeley, Brentwood, Castro Valley, Dublin, Fremont, Oakland, Orinda, and Richmond. It’s another way we plus you.
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Palo Alto Medical Foundation Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 7
[ HEALTH ]
ASK A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OAKLAND/WALNUT CREEK EXPERT: by Dr. Karim Mansour Q: “I always caution my kids to stay away from the stove, but what do I do if one of them gets a burn?” A: If your child gets a burn, follow these steps: Step 1: If the burned area is less than 3 inches in diameter, run it under cold water. Step 2: If there isn’t any blistering, give pain medication, such as Tylenol or Motrin, as needed. If there is blistering, this could be signs of a serious burn. Step 3: If the burned area is smaller than the child’s hand, do not pop the blister or apply any antibiotics or ointment or cream. Wrap it loosely in gauze and give pain medication as needed. Step 4: If the area is larger than the child’s hand or involves the face, palms, soles of feet, or genitalia, seek immediate medical attention. Q: What is the best way to avoid household burns? A: To prevent burns, you can take some simple precautions: • Keep hot food and drinks away from the edges of counters and tables. Dr. Karim Mansour is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician at the Emergency Department at Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland. He is also our Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Director, a program which trains medical graduates in Emergency Medicine.
• Don’t set hot plates on a tablecloth; children can pull them off. • Don’t hold your child while drinking hot coffee or tea. • Keep children away from the stove. • Turn pan handles in. • Cook on the rear burners when possible. • Don’t allow children to use the microwave without supervision. Some plastics, paper, and foil may catch on fire. • Children may not realize how hot the bottom of a container is after it is microwaved. • Steam burns to the face and hands are possible if popcorn, Hot Pockets® or other food containers are opened too soon. Cup Noodles® may spill onto the hands, scalding the child. • Burns to the mouth can occur due to unevenly heated food and from food that gets hot quickly, such as peanut butter. • Eggs cooked in the shell may explode. • Make sure your water heater is set to no higher than 120°F. Children can get scalded when they turn on the faucet: If the water is 140°F, they will have a scalding burn in less than 3 seconds. Watch the video from Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland: http://bitly.com/childburns
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[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
Everyone’s A Kid!
GENERAL ADMISSION
VALUE MEMBERSHIP /¡ ğį æ ĥįíçį + ßíğÃPÙį PŎ
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PĤŎį7PŎįPʼnPÃØPdØ įPIJį´ÃØğíō´Pğ æĥďíğµį ©2014 Gilroy Gardens, Inc. A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation Created & Built By Michael Bonfante.
APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 9
[ FAMILY ]
Are You Drinking Rat Poison? The Secret of Forgiveness. by Dr. Laura Markham
Dr. Laura Markham is the author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and has worked as a parenting coach with countless parents across the English-speaking world, both in person and via phone. You can find Dr. Laura online at AhaParenting.com, the website of Aha! Moments for parents of kids from birth through the teen years, where she offers a free daily inspiration email to parents.
“Families are definitely the training ground for forgiveness. At some point you forgive the people in your family for being stuck together in all this weirdness, and when you can do that, you can learn to forgive anyone…Not forgiving someone is like drinking rat poison and expecting the rats to die.” — Anne Lamott When your child pushes your buttons, you automatically move into “fight or flight.” It’s hard to love unconditionally. Of course, your child might need you to set a clear, kind limit, but you’ll do that better if you aren’t seeing him as the enemy while you’re doing it. Often, we think it’s our child’s fault that he’s pushing our buttons. But do you ever wonder when those buttons were built into your psyche? That’s right -during your own childhood. Those are your buttons, and life will keep pushing them until you heal them. It’s hard to love unconditionally when part of our heart is closed off behind the bars of anger or resentment. If you want to liberate your heart to access all the love there, you have to heal your old wounds. Most of us didn’t have perfect childhoods. Perhaps you got the message that you weren’t good enough somehow. Too needy, too angry, too selfish, too
10 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2014
[ FAMILY ] lazy, too careless…too childish? Our parents, however well-intentioned, were products of their time, and most of us didn’t get the message that we were wholly loved, human imperfections and all.
feeling strong and move on to Step Two. Now consider a different small child…The one who grew up to become your parent. Acknowledge what happened to that child. What wounded him? What hardened her heart?
Now – and this is the hard part – it’s time to let that anger go. Stay with me here. I’m not asking you to call whoever hurt you and “forgive” them. In fact, you never need to speak to them again. But as Anne Lamott says, drinking rat poison doesn’t hurt the rats. Carrying around resentment poisons our hearts and keeps us from feeling loved.
I’m not saying that justified their wounding you. I’m just asking you to notice: were their childhoods perfect? Your parents, or whoever hurt you, weren’t born looking to hurt. They were simply humans who were hurt themselves, and maybe they weren’t as courageous as you are about taking responsibility, so their pain spilled over onto you. (I know you’re courageous because you’re doing this work.) You have a right to be angry. But the adults who were your parents almost certainly wanted to love you. Even if they failed you in ways that most of us would consider unforgivable, they were wounded themselves. You don’t have to forgive them. But if you can see their woundedness, it’s easier to move on.
Worse yet, that anger keeps us from loving as we’d like to. It changes the way you relate to your child, even when you don’t know it. It keeps you from being the parent you want to be; the parent your child deserves. It’s easy to stay angry. They deserve it, after all. And even if we do want to forgive, most of us find it so difficult. The minute we begin, that wounded child inside us screams in pain. To fend off the pain, we stay angry. But that hurts us, and our kids, and whose life is it, anyway? Letting your childhood determine your happiness level is like letting the waiter eat your dinner. Here’s the secret about “forgiveness.” The way past the anger is not about “making up” with whoever wronged you. You don’t have to say a word to them. The secret is being willing to accept what happened (even when every part of you is screaming NO!) and feel the pain of what you suffered. To cry through it and comfort yourself. As Oprah says, “Forgiveness is giving up hope that the past could have been any different.” Once you offer yourself that healing, you won’t need to hang onto the anger. Or the rat poison. HERE’S HOW: 1. Start by finding that small child who was you, and acknowledging your wounds. “I felt unprotected… unappreciated…unloved…hurt.” Whatever is true for you. Allow yourself to feel that pain. Hug and love yourself, and breathe through it. Once you let yourself feel the pain -- in your own loving embrace – you won’t need to fend it off with your anger. Depending on the rawness of your wounds, you might need a loving “witness” with you to do this.
3. Express your willingness and intention to move toward healing. Say, “What you did was not ok. Every child deserves better. I deserved better. You deserved better, too. I ask for the grace to forgive. Please help us all to heal. Please help me to move on. Thank you.” Do you need to phrase it as asking for help? No, not at all. You might just be able to find that healing in your heart. But most of us need a little help from a deeper source of healing, whether you see that source as within you or without. And when we ask for help, somehow we make room for grace. Just too hard to let go of what happened? We’ve all been there. That’s a defense against the pain. Your anger keeps that pain away -- by walling it up inside your heart. Next issue, we’ll talk about how to heal those hurts so you can move on.
2. Once you’ve worked with Step One enough that your wounds feel less raw, find a time when you’re APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 11
[ STYLE ]
Springis in the air! Ivory Buttercup and Pink Watercolor Floral Sateen Dress, $328, W by Worth Linden Necklace, $138, Stella & Dot White and Aquamarine Tweed Cowl Neck Dress, $328, W by Worth Serenity Stone Drops in green, $49, Stella & Dot
Photography by www.laniallenimagery.com Shop: www.WbyWorth.com, www.shopdandelionkids.com, www.nordstorms. com, www.stelladot.com/courtneyc, www.shopflaunt.com, www.jcrew.com
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[ STYLE ]
Parsley Textured Cropped Jacket, $358, W by Worth White and Aquamarine Tweed Milly Short, $228, W by Worth Cream Thin Strap Tank, $78, W by Worth Fleurette Statement Necklace, $198, Stella & Dot
Blue Stretch Dress at Dandelion Color Crush Statement Necklace, $34, Stella & Dot
Khaki and Ivory Flower Print Dress, $278, W by Worth Ivory Grid Textured Knit Dress, $348, W by Worth Daliah Bib Necklace, $98, Stella & Dot
12th Street by Cynthia Vincent, $398, at Flaunt, Danville
Eyelet white and coral dress, $48, at Nordstrom Elodie Necklace, $89, Stella & Dot Pink tulle skirt, $45, Sweater $29.99, at J.Crew
Anthem of the Ants Blue Print Dress, $71, at Dandelion Plaid Shirt, $42, Cotton & Silk Striped Tie, $29.50, at Nordstrom
Photography by www.laniallenimagery.com Shop: www.WbyWorth.com, www.shopdandelionkids.com, www.nordstorms. com, www.stelladot.com/courtneyc, www.shopflaunt.com, www.jcrew.com
APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 13
[ FAMILY ]
7 Keys to Organizing Your Life and Decreasing Stress by Steve Adams Organizing our lives feels like a full time job—from paper, mail, and electronic information, to work, child and pet care. Our heads overflow with too much data. For those of us organizationally challenged, we find ourselves struggling to tread water, often overwhelmed and panicked. Steve Adams works as a personal organizer for clients throughout the SF/Bay Area as well as Oakland, Walnut Creek and Marin County. He specializes in home organizing, tackling overstuffed garages, closets, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining and living rooms that have lost their usability. Steve restores order, maximizes storage and beautifies spaces. He assesses a room’s needs and works in partnership with you to create the best possible solution, using the area effectively and creatively.
Here are 7 keys that can help you stay focused and on track and to manage life more effectively. 1. Plan Your Day—Everyday – By planning each day, focus on priority tasks that need completing while giving attention to your goals and outcomes. If you start by planning your week on Sunday, tracking the important tasks you need to complete, events to attend, relaxation/playtime, calls to make, and people to see, you create a map of the terrain you need to cover. Within that week, you can break down each day, the specifics to address and what time frame each task will take. Keep yourself accountable by committing harder-to-complete tasks by calling an Accountability Partner who will hold you to the things you said you’d do. You can “bookend” challenging tasks by calling someone before and after to ensure you get things done things you’ve avoided.
With over twenty years in the event floral design business and over ten years in the restaurant industry, Steve knows the value of an organized workspace. Tools of the trade are available and easy to find, while the surrounding environment has specific zones for each item thereby increasing productivity and maximizing work time. Steve has three art degrees that enhance his skills as an interior designer, assisting in color and furniture choices and layout, and loves mixing unique items and textures that speak to a client’s personality.
2. Get Support and Delegate – The era of living life as the Lone Ranger is gone. It’s now imperative to ask for help and support in whatever form you need. Hire a trainer at the gym, a business coach to advance your career, a cleaning person to keep your home tidy or an organizer to get your space in shape. There is no shortage of support to assist us. There is plenty of free support, including 12-step groups, local business centers with professional mentors, low cost assistance at community colleges to sliding scale therapy and bodywork.
He knows the effectiveness of time management and the value of planning each day to get the best use of his time and productive output.
3. Simplify Your Life – As an organizer, I see many clients with too many things and activities crowding their time and space. It’s no wonder it’s so challenging to focus. While we may love all of the things in which we are engaged, if there’s no time for ourselves, we placed ourselves at the bottom of the list. Buying and having more things, contrary to our consumptive society, is not going to contribute to our happiness and peace of mind. Many of us need less, not more stimulation.
Steve’s Mission is to educate and empower people to restore order and beauty to their home and work places. His Vision is empowering people to live in a world without clutter.
Remember: there are only 24 hours a day and we can only do so much. Set a Stop time for your day and leave remaining tasks for another day.
And whenever possible, delegate. If you calculated your hourly rate and what it’s costing you to do menial tasks, you are losing money. Hire the support you need, so you can get on with the more important tasks at hand.
We each process information and accomplish tasks differently. We need to find a pace that fits our speed so we complete our tasks without burnout. There are only so many hours each day and we need strategies to keep balanced and in sync with our internal harmony and rhythm.
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[ FAMILY ] Take time to go for a walk outside, turn off our electronic gadgetry and read a book, an interesting article, do a doodle, call a friend, or listen to soothing music. 4. Self Care/Take Time Out – We are ineffective to ourselves, our families, partners, our business and the world if we are stressed, sick and in pain. Self-care is paramount if we want to make it for the long haul. Daily exercise, proper nutrition, rest, sleep, drinking water, eating well, enjoying our work and making a contribution to others are essential. Daily meditation and a spiritual practice give us a connection to something beyond our limited sense of self. By connecting to an Energy that provides guidance, direction, support and insight, we tap into a greater source and support. To think there is nothing beyond our human self ,directing the cosmos, can cause us to feel futile in a world of challenges and change. As we care for ourselves, we have a well from which to give that is full and not depleted. We offer our gifts that support and empower others, generating greater good to the planet. 5. Get Your Key Places Organized – Order is the first law of the universe. Without it, we have chaos, stress, lack of focus, confusion, overwhelm, and we find ourselves doing daily battle with our home and work environments. Knowing what we have and where it lives is important to making systems function. Clearing away excess, especially clutter, is the first step. I continually find clients with too much paper, unopened mail, cardboard, plastic bags, product packaging, out dated clothes, electronic cords with no mate and more. Clearing out drawers, cupboards, cars, closets, and our garages are great places to start. Eliminate what you don’t need—recycle, donate, sell or discard. Move it out. Then contain what you have in containers/bins that work for the space. And get out of cardboard boxes. Find new homes for your things in places where they are used, and less utilized items can be placed further away and higher up. Label your containers and know what’s in them so you can find what you need when you need it. The key to effective organizing is getting systems in place so you use them and keep the order created. 6. Implement New Behaviors – This relates directly to #5. Only by implementing new behaviors can you hope to keep your home and work spaces organized. If
you habitually throw mail onto the dining room table, pile random papers on your desk and toss clothes on the floor, then clutter will ensue. You need to practice new behaviors that run contrary to what you’ve done so you can have a space in which you can live and function. I’ve heard it said, if you want different results, you have to change your behavior. Only by doing something differently, will you have different outcomes. It does no good to go to the gym for a month and stop or go only sporadically. And it’s the same if we want to have a space that functions—we have to instigate new behaviors so we can maintain the order we’ve created. We may need new behaviors regarding how we work, socialize, how much TV we watch, our food consumption, exercise regime and the like. As we actually change our behaviors, we can experience new and improved outcomes. 7. Follow Through and Show Up – Intention and Attention 90% of life’s success is showing up and following through on things that need our attention. Follow through is key for generating sales in business and generating trust among referrals, clients and fellow business people. In order to build our presence in any group, we need to show up, have repeated face time and recognition and to be top of mind when others are in need of our services. These two points require order in our schedules and good time management so we show up punctually and with consistency. One of the fastest ways to erode trust and goodwill with others is to be repeatedly late. When we have our time and schedules in order, we have a much greater chance of achieving these two points. These ideas are intricately intertwined by asking a key question, “what is my intention and where is my attention?” This helps clarify where we are now, what we intend to do and where our energy is focused. Many of us have no idea what our intention is and often our attention is scattered in many different directions. By honing our attention to the present moment, on the task at hand and then funneling that through a deliberate intention, we harness a power and energy that generates great success. Changing our behaviors and forming new habits is not an overnight occurrence. It takes patience and practice, one day at a time, to implement these new actions that will ensure greater order, peace of mind and focus. APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 15
[ ENTER TAINMENT ] HEALTH ]
Growing Fit by Lenny Robinson It’s a tough world to raise “fit” children in. Just a generation ago, kids played outside all afternoon, climbed trees, rode bikes and ran amuck in the creek or throughout the neighborhood. Today, children are allured by technology, devices and video games. Exercise comes from programming their afternoons and evenings with sports or classes on the court, field, dojo, studio or pool. Even in a healthy community like ours, children may not be getting the right kind or amount of fitness to grow strong and healthy. Here are a few tips to invigorate students and help them feel a love for health and fitness:
Lenny has a background in Special Education and Childcare as a Teacher and Director. She has worked with children in the San Ramon Valley for over 30 years in childcare, curriculum development, youth leadership and tutoring. She currently directs safety and curriculum planning for The Growing Room Education Council.
Choices – Every child is different and just because you love baseball, doesn’t mean that your child will love it too. Try something new! Try it together! With so many exercise options these days, why not try squash, ga-ga ball, lacrosse, boot camp, tai-chi or yoga? Exercising and good habits doesn’t have to come through organized sports either. Fitness is a lifestyle. Talk about it and make it a priority in your family so that everyone is focused on good health together. Challenges – Children love challenges. Set goals, challenge your children, give rewards. Students love challenges such as laps around the playground, speed in an obstacle course, push-up challenges, etc. In any group of children, there are always some willing to take on the challenge and try. For those who won’t try or are unmotivated, find the perfect reward! Don’t forget- fitness is a lifestyle, so the best challenges are long term. Make sure that you point out how it feels to complete the challenge, do hard things and see or feel the results of healthy choices. Examples – We want our children to be healthy, so we have to be an example. Adults need to show their children that health is a priority by exercising and eating right. Discuss healthy lifestyle choices, but most of all show them your healthy lifestyle. Your commitment to the gym or daily walk teaches them that it is important. Turn off the basketball game and go play! An Active Family is a healthy family! Disconnect – Is your child addicted to his or her devices? Guess what? You may be too. Turn it off and find an outdoor activity that satisfies everybody such as a game or a hike. The physical exertion and social interaction is good for the mind and body. Limit tablets and gaming to short sessions after homework is done or on weekends as a reward. Unstructured Play – Remember what it felt like to play as a child? In today’s competitive environment, we don’t leave much time for creative and unstructured free time. Children love to explore the world and that is hard to do in a carpool. Take a few minutes to go for a walk or bike ride between karate and tutors. Children in childcare need to have free time to run, jump and play and not just sit and watch a movie. A healthy lifestyle is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. With summer coming, set a goal to take advantage of the amazing weather and endless parks and trails, and plan activities that help your child grow fit.
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[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
The Growing Room Academy An innovative class-based before and after school learning center in the heart of San Ramon. Offering specialized courses such as art, technology, music, sports, science, dance, drama, foreign language and tutoring.
*Offer expires April 30, 2014 Enrollment offer applies to all New Memberships. Certain restrictions apply.
Transporation available to and from local elementary schools.
COMING SOON 925.302.6612
| thegrowingroom.org
2340 San Ramon Valley Blvd (near In-n-Out Burger)
Dr. Ozzie Jafarnia
DDS, Board Certified
Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
Dr. Noyan Aynechi DDS, Board Certified
Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
Nothing is more beautiful than your child’s smile!
Welcome to Danville Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics! ! Our office is committed to providing excellent preventative care for children in a warm, positive, and compassionate environment. We specialize in comprehensive dental care for children of all ages with an emphasis on prevention and health. As your child grows, we are able to provide comprehensive orthodontic care for children and teens. This is to help create and maintain a healthy smile into adulthood. We will do so by providing excellent treatment at the right time for the right reason with integrity, honesty and a caring heart.
Your child’s smile is our top priority. We are committed to making it the happiest, healthiest and straightest smile possible. After all, nothing is more beautiful than your child's smile! 4145 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Ste. 203, Danville
Dr. Reem Stephanos DDS, MS
925-837-7745 • drozzie.com
Specialist in Orthodontics
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[ FAMILY ]
6 Tips to Help Parents Put Down Their Phones, Now by Susan Stiffelman I am addicted to my phone. I find I am on it WAY too much and not only does that mean I miss out on stuff with my girls, but I am missing out on everything else. HELP!
Susan Stiffelman is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor, an Educational Therapist, Parent Educator and Professional Speaker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Developmental Psychology, a California K-9 Teaching Credential, a Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology, and a California Marriage and Family Therapist license since 1991. Visit her website www passionateparenting.net and be sure to sign up for her free Parenting Without Power Struggles newsletter!
Bravo for bravely admitting that your love affair with your cell phone may have gotten out of control. You are not alone in your ever-growing involvement with your device. According to Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’s Internet Trends report, the average smartphone user checks their device every six and a half minutes, which amounts to about 150 times a day. A recent HuffPost/YouGov poll even reported that 50 percent of people aged 18-29 say that they use their phone on the toilet. While I have never been a fan of guilt as a motivator, I do believe it can be a decent catalyst for change. Here are my thoughts about some things you may want to try to get a handle on going hands-free more of the time: 1. Take a 5-second pause before you pick up your phone. Ask yourself, Do I need to look at it right now? What will happen if I don’t? Listen for the answer. If your only reason for checking is because you feel like it, see what happens when you re-engage with what’s in your 3D world. 2. Notice how you feel when you resist the urge to check your phone. Be present with the sensations, whether it’s a flutter in your stomach, a tightness in your chest or a tension in your arms. If you simply allow the feelings to be there without doing anything to make them go away, they will pass. 3. Recognize what you’re up against, which is the rush of dopamine and feel-good chemicals that wash through your brain when it is stimulated. Acknowledge how hard it is to just say “no” when you hear that beep or ping, knowing that there’s nothing more important than connecting with your girls in this moment.
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[ FAMILY ] 4. Fake it till you make it. You may not be fascinated as your daughter shares the events of her day, but do your best to show that her experiences matter to you. So, when she says, “Today, Caitlyn didn’t give Marta a turn on the swing even when Marta had been waiting a long time and even though Caitlyn always hogs the swings and doesn’t let anyone else on unless it’s Sarah because Caitlyn really likes Sarah and is always nice to her even though Sarah is really mean to everybody else,” listen. Yes, it can be tempting to steal a glance at your phone in the midst of long deliveries of seemingly unimportant information. But if you want your 16-year-old to confide in you when she’s worried about how much she’s been drinking on the weekends, you’d best pay attention to her when she’s a 6-year old telling you about the dramas of her day. 5. Create a routine for checking your phone that diminishes your use when your children are around. Some parents switch off entirely once their kids get home from school, devoting the afternoon and evening to their children and getting back online after their bedtime, if necessary. Others set aside 10
or 15 minutes during family time to check in online—if legitimately needed—and work in a highly focused way, even setting a timer so that when that time is up, they keep their promise to their children and shut things off. 6. Apologize to your kids when you get sucked down the black hole of the digital world. “I’m sorry guys—I’m back.” Then, be with them, even if you have to quietly endure withdrawal symptoms from your device. When my now-23-year-old son was a baby, taking him for a walk in his stroller meant talking about the birds, the trees and the wind. It breaks my heart when I watch parents chatting on their phones, oblivious to their little one. Still, I understand the challenge -- I really do. Our phones offer tremendous stimulation. For parents who are with little ones for hours on end, they can seem like a lifeline. Still, I encourage you to let your girls know—by your behavior—that they don’t have to compete with your smartphone for your attention. While it may not be easy to wean yourself from staying tethered to your device, you’ll be glad you did.
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10 Tips for Avoiding the Land Mines of Perfect Parent World by Rosalind Wiseman
Rosalind Wiseman has had only one job since graduating from college—to help communities shift the way we think about children and teens’ emotional and physical wellbeing. As a teacher, thought leader, author, and media spokesperson on bullying, ethical leadership, and media literacy, she is in constant dialogue and collaboration with educators, parents, children, and teens. She is the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World—the groundbreaking, best-selling book that was the basis for the movie Mean Girls. Her latest books, Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World was published in September, 2013. In addition, she wrote a free companion e-book available, entitled The Guide: Managing Jerks, Recruiting Wingmen, and Attracting Who You Want.
1. Know your kids, but never assume. Just like adults, children often show different sides of themselves at school, home, and with their friends. Another parent, teacher, or child could have a valuable perspective on your son/daughter that might never occur to you. 2. Step up to the plate. Sports are not automatically “male territory,” and there’s no reason a bake sale should be regarded as “women’s work.” Let your children see you stepping up and outside your comfort zone every once in a while. 3. Be aware of your social filters when you speak or act. Class, religion, race, and economic status all affect the way we view the world around us. Remember that you are not the only one who works, cleans the house, feeds the kids, and still manages to survive Perfect Parent World. Empathy is crucial to being a better communicator. 4. You are not a failure as a parent if you don’t rescue your child from every misstep. In fact, you might be teaching him or her an essential lesson about integrity and values by not stepping in. 5. Teachers, coaches, and counselors deserve just as much respect for working with your children as you do for being the parent. No discussion will be productive if you walk into it thinking you know better than they do because you are the parent. 6. Your children will not become social misfits if you refuse to buy them the latest gadget “every other kid in school has.” It’s important to stick to your core principles on parenting even if that means going against the popular wave every now and then. Saying no to a cell phone will not scar your child for life. 7. Feeling like an outsider at PTA meetings does not excuse you from participation. You do a disservice to your children if you tell yourself “these parents are too difficult to deal with” or “I don’t fit in” to avoid taking part in key school functions. You also don’t have to commit your entire life in order to make a meaningful contribution. Participating in one volunteer activity a semester is great. 8. Know when to speak up. Caving into parental peer pressure when you don’t believe your peers are right or choosing to stay out of a conflict because you don’t want to deal with it often permits bullying parents to push their agenda through—and your child is the one who’ll have to live with that. 9. Be open to problems and solutions. This might seem obvious, but people are prone to see only their side of an issue, especially when it comes to their kids. A willingness to talk through all aspects of a problem, apologize (when necessary), and compromise gives children a model for how to handle their own challenges. 10. There is more than one “right” way to parent. Forget trying to become the perfect parent and be aware of the times when you hold other parents to this impossible standard. Parental judgment stops parents from being able to work together. APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 21
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More than Mom’s Pot Roast: The Why and How of Family Dinner by Dr. Susan Newman Picture Norman Rockwell, the classic American painter, alive today and commissioned to paint a scene of our generation’s family dinner. Would it be of paper-wrapped peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches strewn on an SUV’s backseat? Or of your young son or daughter trying to swallow a sandwich whole while running on to the soccer field for practice? Would it be of you standing in front of the freezer choosing from an overwhelming assortment of TV dinners? Or would it be of your husband, tired from a long day at work, eating leftovers or take-out alone under a single kitchen light? I think Rockwell would mourn the decreasing reliance on the family dinner ritual, once a sure way for family to connect and bond. Bill Doherty, University of Minnesota professor and founder of Putting Family First, notes, “the number of families eating together has declined by one-third since the mid 70’s.” It seems the privilege of sharing a daily home-cooked meal has become reserved for a narrow few…perhaps only those who turn off their telephones and televisions and schedule nothing for the early evening hours.
Social psychologist, Susan Newman, Ph.D., specializes in issues impacting parenting and family life. She blogs for Psychology Today Magazine about parenting and her 15 books guide parents and help improve family relationships. Among them: The Case for the Only Child: Your Essential Guide; Little Things Long Remembered: Making Your Children Feel Special Every Day; Under One Roof Again: All Grown Up and (Re)learning to Live Together Happily. Dr. Newman has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, 20/20, CNN as well as other television and radio shows throughout the country: NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, FOX News and NPR’s Market Watch, The Takeaway and Talk of the Nation. Her work has been featured in major newspapers in and out of the US including, China, England and Canada. To learn more, visit her at www.susannewmanphd.com
More than Mom’s Pot Roast The importance of gathering around the dinner table for a home-cooked meal (or even take-out on busier nights) is often underestimated. Sitting down for a family dinner is a habit you want to start early in your children’s lives because it gives you the opportunity to encourage and instill smart choices from childhood into adulthood. On the whole (and in the long-run), everyone’s diet is healthier with a home cooked meal; you control its nutritional value. You know the importance of Vitamin E and how to make broccoli taste delicious instead of like “The Nightmare.” Atkins experts believe the family dinner is one of the most essential factors associated with children having a nutritious diet. They learn to eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, and vitamin-rich foods. You’ll be giving your children the knowledge they need to make healthy eating choices a habit away from home and in the future. Not only is the dinner table a chance to encourage your children to make healthy food choices, but you also will be able to help them make healthy lifestyle choices. The dinner table is a remarkable forum for family talk and for discovering what is going on in your children’s lives. Having a block of time set aside to talk to your children allows you to stay updated on their school and social lives. Children’s vocabularies are broadened from exposure to grown-up conversation and when you include them in the conversation, children feel their parents are interested in them and value what they have to say. Making Family Dinners Fun Without question, families are finding it increasingly difficult to be together at dinnertime. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be. According to a USA
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[ FAMILY ] Today poll, 70 percent of working men are willing to give up some pay for time with their families. Making your family unit more cohesive doesn’t have to be out-ofreach. As dinners become a routine part of your family culture, young children begin to feel important because they are contributing and/or being treated as the special people they are. Here are some tested, fun ways to help make family dinner a priority on the whole family’s schedule. • Double Desserts – Once a month or if you happen to have enough, shock your children by announcing double dessert night. • Assistant to the Chef – You’ll see more of your child if you enlist his services to fill the breadbasket, carry dishes to the table, fill the salt and pepper shakers, or wash the lettuce. • Candlelight Dinner – Once every few weeks, put fresh flowers on the table, light dinner candles, and take a moment to express gratitude that you are a family. • Breakfast for Dinner – Unusual enough to be remembered and especially easy when time is short. Serve a dinner of waffles, pancakes, French toast or another typical morning meal such as bacon and eggs. • Tuesday—Ben’s Night – Assign each member of the family a night that he is “responsible” for dinner. Everybody helps with the preparation. Even a fouryear-old can take hot dogs out of the package, tear lettuce leaves for a salad or pour chocolate sauce on ice cream. • What’s Cooking? – Cook something with your child at least once a month—cookies, muffins, cupcakes. Simple recipes and prepared mixes are good choices for children who usually can’t wait to eat whatever they make. Note: Invest in a children’s cookbook to make cooking more interesting for your young chefs. • Pizza Party – Buy prepared pizza curst (Italian pizza bread) from your supermarket or only the dough from your local pizza parlor. The children punch down the dough and pull it into shape. Have them spread their favorite toppings and the pizza is ready to bake. • May I Take Your Order? – Transform the kitchen into a restaurant and assign everyone different roles-owner, chef, waiter, customers, cashier-and the kitchen becomes a learning environment. • Family AND Friends – Allow your child to invite a friend to dinner once a month. This allows you to form a better relationship with your children’s friends, and your child might be more comfortable discussing issues that arise outside the home if he or she has someone their own age present. This tradition can, and should,
be continued throughout adolescence when children are more likely to turn to friends for support than family members. • Best and Worst – Go around the table and have each person tell you what was the best and worst part of his day. Parents respond, too… • “Old fashioned” dinners along with “old fashioned” talk go a long way in connecting with children and bonding the family. Prolong the experience with the promise of a board game, more work on a puzzle, or turn on the radio and dance in the kitchen for a few minutes before or after everyone helps with clean up. Avoiding Dangers Down the Road By establishing family dinners as a tradition in your household, you are increasing your children’s likeliness of living healthy lives in the future. Recent studies out of the University of Minnesota and The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University indicate that teenagers who regularly eat dinner with their families have healthier body images, higher grades and are less likely to use drugs or alcohol. “Since society has so much influence on adolescents because of the high prevalence of obesity and the pressure to be skinny, many girls are turning to unhealthy ways of controlling their weight,” says Dianne NeumarkSztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., professor of epidemiology and primary author of the University of Minnesota study. “Prioritizing structured family meals that take place in a positive environment can protect girls from destructive eating habits that can lead to anorexia and bulimia.” Family dinners can also result in smarter life choices. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) reports that teens eat with their families five or more times per week are almost twice as likely to receive A’s in school. Out of the classroom, these same teens are nearly fifty percent more likely to stay away from alcohol and about thirty percent more likely to refrain from cigarette smoking. “The survey finds that the more often children have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs,” said Joseph A. Califano, chairman and president of CASA. While it may seem difficult, if not impossible, to rearrange the family’s schedule to fit in a solid hour for dinner every night, it is a step that is crucial to the healthy development of your child. So, spread the word that dinner is not optional in your house, and bring the family together on as many nights as you possibly can. APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 23
[ EVENTS ]
April Alameda County APRIL 6 Circus Prescott Oakland Zoo Free with regular Zoo Admission Show times: 12:00pm & 1:00pm www.oaklandzoo.org
APRIL 10 - 13 Strictly Sale Pacific Boat Show Jack London Square & Marina Oakland www.jacklondonsquare.com
NowRoz Festival Pleasanton Fairground 12:00pm – 10:00pm www.alamedacountyfair.com
APRIL 14 – 17 ZooCamp: Spring Break Zoo Camp Oakland Zoo www.oaklandzoo.org
APRIL 19
APRIL 11 & 18
Spring Eggstravaganza Emerald Glen Park Dublin Ages: 1 – 12 years 10:00am – 12:00pm www.ci.dublin.ca.us
Family Game Night James Kenney Recreation Center Berkeley 6:00pm – 7:30pm www.ci.berkeley.ca.us
Tap Dancing Easter Bunnies Fairyland Oakland 11:30am www.fairyland.org
APRIL 12 Jack of All Trades Market Jack London Square 11:00am – 5:00pm www.jacklondonsquare.com Berkeley Bay Festival Shorebird Park Nature Center Berkeley 11:00am – 4:00pm www.ci.berkeley.ca.us Kids and Crafts: Bugs & Butterflies Oakland Zoo 9:30am – 12:00pm www.oaklandzoo.org
APRIL 13 Youth Benefit Concert Shannon Community Center Dublin 2:00pm – 4:00pm www.ci.dublin.ca.us 2nd Pleasanton Annual Run for Education Alameda County Fairgrounds Register online www.ppierun.com
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Spring Egg Hunt Extravaganza Willard Park Berkeley 9:30am – 1:00pm www.ci.berkeley.ca.us Egg Hunt & Pancake Breakfast Camp Arroyo Arroyo Road in Livermore $15/family 8:30am – 11:30am www.ymcaeastbay.org
APRIL 19 & 20 Bunny Weekend Fairyland Oakland www.fairyland.org
APRIL 20 Happy Easter! Kids & Crafts: Teddy Bear Tea Oakland Zoo 9:30am www.oaklandzoo.org
APRIL 22 Happy Earth Day!
APRIL 26 Earth Day Shoreline Cleanup Shorebird Park Nature Center Berkeley 9:00am – 12:00pm www.ci.berkeley.ca.us Berkeley Emergency Prep Fair North Berkeley BART Station 10:00am – 2:00pm www.ci.berkeley.ca.us Zoovie Night Oakland Zoo 6:30pm – 9:30pm www.oaklandzoo.org April 27 Opening Day on the Bay Jack London Square 9:00am – 2:00pm www.jacklondonsquare.com
Contra Costa County: APRIL 1 - 3 Animal Habitats Mini Camp Spring Break Mini Camp Lindsay Wildlife Museum www.wildlife-museum.org
APRIL 2 – 30 Animal Life Cycles Lindsay Wildlife Museum www.wildlife-museum.org
APRIL 3 After the Burn: The Regeneration of Mt. Diablo Lindsay Wildlife Museum 7:00pm www.wildlife-museum.org
APRIL 4 Preschool Performance Series: Magic Dan Village Theatre Danville 10:00am – 11:00am www.danville.ca.gov
APRIL 4 – 5 A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum Village Theatre Danville 7:30pm – 9:30pm www.danville.ca.gov
[ EVENTS ]
April APRIL 5
APRIL 15
APRIL 26 & 27
Glee Club, Broadway Baby Presented by: Diablo Theatre Company Performing Arts Academy Lesher Center for the Arts Walnut Creek 2:00pm www.lesherartscenter.org
Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars come to Curiosity Corner! Arts & Science Discovery Center Lafayette Ages: Grades K – 5 6:30pm – 8:00pm www.lafayettelib.org
Mt. Diablo State Park Anniversary Celebration North Gate to Mt. Diablo State Park 10:00am – 4:00pm www.mdia.org
APRIL 17 – 20; 24 – 27
Spring Fling Danville Livery www.danvillelivery.com
The Real Housewives of Walnut Creek: The Musical Lesher Center for the Arts Walnut Creek www.lesherartscenter.org
Come Together: The Beatles Concert Experience Lesher Center for the Arts Walnut Creek 3:00pm www.lesherartscenter.org
“Cluck, Cluck, Cluck” Chicken Fun at the Lafayette Community Garden! Lafayette Community Garden Ages: Kids (5 – 11) 11:30am – 12:30pm www.lafayettelib.org
APRIL 11 HowellDevine Red Legged Frog Productions Lesher Center for the Arts Walnut Creek 8:15pm www.lesherartscenter.org Kristi Yamaguchi Speaking Lafayette Community Hall 6:30pm – 8:30pm www.lafayettelib.org
APRIL 12 Downtown History Walk Downtown Walnut Creek 9:30am www.walnutcreekhistory.info Civic Arts Ed Open House Shadelands Art Center 111 North Wiglet Lane Walnut Creek 10:00am – 1:00pm www.walnut-creek.org
APRIL 14 - 18 Camp ARF Spring Camp ARF Walnut Creek Ages: K – 5 Cost: $215 www.youth.arf.net
APRIL 18 Middle School Friday Night Out: Obstacle Night Diablo Vista Middle School Gymnasium 7:30pm – 9:00pm www.danville.ca.gov
APRIL 19 Town of Danville Earth Day Town Green, Front Street Danville 11:00am – 3:00pm www.danville.ca.gov Easter Speggtacular Pixieland Concord www.pixieland.com Eggstravaganza Heather Farm Park Walnut Creek 9:00am www.walnutcreek100.com
APRIL 20 Happy Easter!
APRIL 22 Happy Earth Day!
APRIL 27
Pacific Fine Arts Festival Downtown Walnut Creek 10:00am – 5:00pm www.walnutcreek100.com Earth Day Celebration Grace Co-Op Preschool 2100 Tice Valley Blvd Walnut Creek 10:30am www.gracecooperativepreschool.com
APRIL 28 22nd Annual Golf-4-Kids Charity Golf Tournament Boundary Oak Golf Course 3600 Valley Vista Rd Walnut Creek 11:00am www.kiwanisofwalnutcreek.org
APRIL 30 Lawrence Hall of Science – Electricity Festival! Community Hall Lafayette 6:00pm – 8:00pm www.lafayettelib.org For more events, subscribe to our weekly event email blasts!
APRIL 26 Pink Floyd Concert Experience: An Evening of Pink Floyd Staring House of Floyd Lesher Center for the Arts Walnut Creek 8:00pm www.lesherartscenter.org
APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 25
[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
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Saturday, April 19 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Together we’ll celebrate the natural beauty of our environment through art, music and connecting with nature.
The Corner Laughers Members $5; General $16 (Includes Museum admission) 11 a.m., Discovery Theatre
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APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 27
[ FINANCE ]
Replace Toxic Friends with a Supportive Sisterhood: The Second Step to Balance
by Michelle Perry Higgins I believe supportive friendships are a crucial part of living a balanced and fulfilling life. They add comfort, connection, wisdom, giggles, and a feeling of navigating through life’s twisted terrain with…well…friends! But unfortunately, all friendships are not created equal. In my book, Stocks, Bonds & Soccer Moms, I suggest that toxic friends are worse than nuclear waste. Let’s take a closer look.
As a financial planner and principal of California Financial Advisors in San Ramon, California, Michelle Perry Higgins specializes in wealth management. Over the past 17 years she has built a successful practice advising executive professionals into retirement, and her passion for finance has helped hundreds of individuals better understand the process of investing and fiscal planning. Ms. Higgins was featured as a 2012 and 2013 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, Diablo Magazine, and was also ranked in the Top 50 WomenOwned RIAs in 2013, Top 25 Women RIAs 2012 and Top 40 Under 40 by WealthManagement.com. She has been quoted in Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money and The Los Angeles Times, is a contributor to Examiner.com and is a Wall Street Journal Expert Panelist. Ms. Higgins is a frequent public speaker on retirement planning, investments, wealth management, college education funding, estate planning and insurance. She is also proud to mentor college students interested in entering the financial planning profession. Ms. Higgins graduated from St. Mary’s College, with a concentration in business administration and economics.
Clinical Psychologist Clinton W. McLemore, PhD, author of Toxic Relationships and How to Change Them: Health and Holiness and Everyday Life, states, “A toxic relationship is with someone who continually throws you surprises or curves, keeps you off balance, raises your anxiety for no apparent reason, and leaves you feeling badly about yourself.” We’re talking about all those Jealous Janes, Competitive Carolines, Vicious Vivs, Superior Susies, and the rest of the mean girl gang who never grew out of their high school cattiness—they merely learned to camouflage it under the guise of “just trying to be honest” and “you know I love you.” Here are some of this catty crowd’s tactics. Sound like anyone you know? • She tells you your goals are unrealistic. • She’s oh-so critical, but insists she must tell you the truth, for your own good. • She questions your carefully thought out and agonized-over decisions, leaving you thoroughly confused. • After spending time with her, you feel bad about yourself and your choices. By the time you part company, you feel emotionally drained, as if you’ve just been abused. (But “nice girl” that you are, you can’t admit it.) With friends like this, who needs enemies? Let’s face it; friendships are vital. They have an impact on our families, our health, our careers, and our well-being. In the past, I couldn’t see when they turned toxic. As the circle of women in my life took separate paths and began having children, those who worked and those who decided to stay at home took sides against each other without even realizing it. My highly valued “sisterhood” of women slowly but surely became corrupted by stereotypes, petty jealousies and insecurities. After all, if you aren’t happy or fulfilled with the choices you’ve made, it’s pretty hard to support “friends” who have made different ones. I was shocked, hurt, and saddened after my first daughter was born by remarks
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[ FINANCE ] like, “Don’t your children miss you while you’re at work?” or “My kids are my priority,” or even, “How nice for you that you can get out of the house and sit at a desk, instead of cleaning toilets and running kids around?” If you can believe it, I didn’t recognize it when women made awful, snide comments to me. All I knew was after I left their company, I felt lonely, guilty, and ashamed to be a working mom. Don’t think I’m just pointing the finger at stay-at-home moms; no, I’m an equal opportunity finger pointer! Career women are no less guilty of posing the same crappy remarks to stay-at-home moms, such as “I couldn’t live like that; don’t you feel bored?” or “Don’t you go crazy staying at home all day with your kids?” Meeeooww! Can we all please sheath the claws and get back to purring over our mutual accomplishments – whether they are behind the desk or behind the stove? The choices new mothers face are the most gutwrenching decisions they will ever make – choices that should be respected and supported at all costs. If someone asks you why you chose to leave your kids and return to work, a terrific answer might just be, “Why do you ask?” If the other person says, “Because I’m facing something similar and would love to hear your experience,” then you’re good to go for a deep and supportive conversation. But if the other person shrugs, doesn’t meet your eyes, and says something like, “Well, it’s just so odd to me; after all, you have the money to stay home,” I’d be very careful about engaging further. Surround yourself with truly supportive friends Once you clean out your “stable” (or should I say unstable?) of toxic people, your life will take on the kind of peace and balance you never thought possible.
The truth is, no one can treat you badly over and over again without your permission. That’s a very tough truth to face, and once faced, some difficult actions might have to come out of it. I’ve learned to separate the toxic naysayers from the true sisters. I quietly backed away from women who were more interested in tearing me down than building me up. I dropped out of mommy groups and girl gatherings with women who hurt me or criticized my choices. This made my balancing act so much easier. I was able to spend what little free time I had with women I loved being around. Isn’t it time to make some changes? Changes for the better? (Changes for the balance!) The next time someone makes a comment that makes you doubt or feel guilty about your decisions as a mom, gather yourself up and calmly but firmly say, “I’m happy with my decision to (fill in the blank), and I would appreciate it you stop making comments like that.” Make the choice to be part of a healthy sisterhood. This consists of women supporting one another, being non-judgmental listeners, and even loving one another’s children. And please, ladies, find it in your hearts to support their choices as mothers. From Stocks, Bonds & Soccer Moms, here are a few suggestions for eliminating toxic relationships: 1. Stop them at the door. If a so-called friend asks you for something, politely turn her down. If she offers something, say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
You’ll have to if you truly want to reap the many rewards of balance. Consider: • Surrounding yourself with supportive family members… • Spending time around women who’ll create true sisterhood… • Inviting loving friends and family into your life…
2. Express yourself. It won’t be easy and might include tears, but for your own sense of survival and well-being, you have to describe how you feel when whoever-sheis spreads her particular brand of poison. You might have to go over what you intend to say a few times, and whisper a prayer that all goes well, but this is your moment to be strong. And if none of these options work and all else fails... 3. Clean House. It may be time to cut this person out of your life for good. If you have expressed your feelings both politely and emphatically – with no results – it’s time to let that person go. You can do it by letter, by email, or to this person’s face, but do it.
And don’t be afraid to shut out those who, for whatever reason, are unwilling or incapable of being loving or supportive.
People might try to make you feel bad about ditching them, so be prepared. In the end, you’ll be a happier, healthier, much more balanced woman.
Can you learn to put your peace of mind and your health first?
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[ STYLE ]
ETSY Easter An ‘ETSY Easter’ celebrates expertly crafted, handmade, Easter clothing and accessories from the ever popular site ETSY.COM. These moms are on a mission to have fun with designing children’s clothing and accessories and bring you pieces that are not only high quality but also unique and exciting.
Couture for Kids www.etsy.com/shop/CoutureForKids Anne from Couture for Kids makes the cutest Handmade Baby Boy Bow Ties, Personalized Bodysuits, Baby Boy Neckwear and Birthday Shirts. This mother to three boys works from her home in Florida and gains inspiration on a daily basis for new ideas from 3 of her favorite little guys. Can’t get enough of these adorable outfits? Active Family readers can enjoy a 10% discount using the coupon code: ACTIVE10 for your entire purchase!
Babers on Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/BabersOnEtsy Carla, Owner and Designer of Babers is a stay-at- home mommy and full-time farm wife in the heart of farmland country. Living so far away from larger cities, she was having a hard time finding unique items for her family. So, she decided to go back to her 4-H sewing days and started designing and crafting items that fit her family’s unique tastes. Thus, in 2010 Babers On Etsy was born. Babers style is modern + vintage. While completely different these styles are complementary of each other creating a unique balance. Active Family readers get to celebrate these amazing pieces by using the coupon code: ACTIVE10 for 10% off your entire purchase!
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[ SYLE ]
Its a Bows Life www.etsy.com/shop/ItsaBowsLife It’s a Bows Life, a custom handmade boutique, brings a Mix of Traditional Fabrics & Modern-Whimsical Prints together to design one of a kind clothing for your little one. All designs are made with the finest of fabrics and sewn on a very small scale right by Owner and Designer, Tracy out of California since 2009. Be sure to check out her ‘Dress of the Month’ Club on Etsy!
Little Goodall www.etsy.com/shop/littlegoodall Little Goodall was created by artist and designer Molly Goodall in the fall of 2010. Molly holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons the New School for Design and has a background in children’s wear, toy design, and fine art. A stay at home mother at the time, Goodall was frustrated when her two year old son refused to wear the hoods on his coats. Searching for a creative solution, she designed and made the original Ferocious Felt Lion coat to inspire him to put his hood up in the cold. Friends and family began to notice this ingenious idea and…well… here she is, designing amazing clothes for children.
M’art Baby Accessories: www.etsy.com/shop/MartBabyAccessories Iveta’s business story is very similar to lots of other crafty moms, who turned their hobby into businesses. Creating baby shoes and accessories is her true passion, all items are 100% hand crafted and made with great care from selected fabrics and materials. The main M’art baby shoe features are - simple, but elegant design, practical and easy wear, with a comfortable fit. M’art baby shoes are the cutest gift for baby or mom-to-be!
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[ SEASONAL FUN ]
FIND A
CAMP PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION FOR ADULTS, CHILDREN AND TODDLERS. SUMMER CAMPS & HORSEMANSHIP CLINICS
.............................................
Coaching for the beginner and competitive show rider. CALL NOW FOR MORE INFO:
925.960.9696
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Samantha Lazone & Barbara EnDean •
5111 Dolan Rd, Livermore CA 94551
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t h a t FITS!
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
ATHLETIC CAMPS AGES 4-18 | QUESTIONS | CONTACT 925-631-4FUN
www.SMCGAELS.com
CAMP WITHOUT THE HASSLE!
Charmingly rustic, private cabins, optional schedule of activities and 3 delicious meals prepared for you each day.
“Unplug” and experience nature together as a family. of California’s most beautiful settings - South Lake Tahoe www.campconcord.org • (925) 671-2267 APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 33
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
Spanish Immersion Classes & Camps
The Growing Room Summer Camp Open Daily 6:30 AM - 6:30 PM 3-5 Day Weekly Camps Part Time Hourly Extended Day
JUNE 16–AUGUST 20 4 Convenient Elementary School Locations:
Engaging curriculum uses music, art & games
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN 925.837.4392
| thegrowingroom.org
Mention ACTIVE FAMILY and receive a FREE first time trial class!
www.vivaelespanol.org • 925-962-9177
Lafayette • Pleasanton • And schools all over the Bay Area
CHRISTIAN
E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L
creating great experiences
SAVE THE DATE! Weird AnimAls summer dAy CAmp is going to be a blast! God filled the world with a lot of crazy creatures...including you! When kids feel weird, different, or even lost in a crowd, nothing compares to the extraordinary love of Jesus. We’ll have a crazy, weird, fun time of discovering just how much He loves each one of us! CAmp sChedule | June 16 – August 8. Questions? Contact our Camp Director, Josh Harper, at jharper@valleychristianschools.org or (925) 560-6276.
Visit our website for information on our open houses and our upcoming infant/toddler program! Preschool - 12th Grade | 7500 Inspiration Drive | Dublin, CA 94568 | (925) 560-6262 | ValleyChristianschools.org
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r Join us fo g, in ll te y r s to a , g mes music, art F UN f & TONS o ñol! sp - in e a
wTassajara Hills wNeil Armstrong wLive Oak wHidden Hills Optional Summer Class Memberships in academic skill building, language studies, art, music, sports, cooking & fitness
Experienced, dynamic teachers Ages toddlers to teens Small class sizes
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
Enjoy adventures
adventures in nature
with live animals, science experiments, and crafts at
summer CAmp. Week-long themed
fun in the sun
S U M M E R S E S S I O N S | T E E N T R AV E L & L E A D E R S H I P WEEKEND PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES AND FAMILIES
Nestled on the doorstep of
Yosemite
1931 First Avenue WAlnut Creek (925) 935-1978
Lindsay-Camp2014-3.75x4.8125-ActiveFam.indd 1
National Park,
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you
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1925
sessions in July.
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friends, friends, friends
contact us today
O N T H E TUOLUMNE R I VER NEX T T O YOS EM I TE N AT ION A L P A R K
to learn more about Tawonga programs, financial options and community presentations in your area.
www.tawonga.org | 415.543.2267 | info@tawonga.org
3/15/14 3:20 PM
APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 35
[ SEASONAL FUN ] Visit our website for regular classes and summer program schedules!
Disney Vocal Camp
July 14 – 18, or July 28 –Aug 1, 1:00 – 3:00pm, $150
Piano Camp for Beginners
July 14 – 18, or July 28 –Aug 1, 1:00 – 3:00pm, $150
Honors Ensemble for Violin & Piano Weekly during the summer, $200
2340 Santa Rita Rd., Suite 7, Pleasanton, CA inspiremusicacademy.com 925-461-3266
m ag i n ativ I e Be
Let your imagination soar! ClubSport has a variety of activities and camps that allows a child’s playfulness and creativity to flourish. Whether they dream of being an artist, a world renown athlete, or a superhero, we’ll help kids create a world of endless possibilities.
Free Family Pass* GET STARTED TODAY! WWW.CLUBSPORTS.COM
Now enrolling for Spring and Summer Camps! Pleasanton 925/271-0562
Valley Vista 925/478-4716
Fremont 510/402-1508
Walnut Creek 925/478-4709
*Some restrictions apply. Must be a local resident, firsttime guest, 21 years or older to receive free guest pass. One per household. ID is required. Expires 4/30/14.
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Campsite At The Seven Hills School
Adventure Day Camp A traditional summer camp in Walnut Creek
Activities
• Swimming • Archery • Sailing • Kayaking • Climbing • Science • Horseback Riding • Skateboarding • Music
• Tennis • Art • Sports • Drama • Biking • Camping • Hiking • Canoeing • Dance
Ages 3 - 14
(925) 937-6500
Adventuredaycamp.com
Home Transportation
Serving Moraga, Orinda, Lafayette, Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, & the 680 Corridor from Martinez to San Ramon
Extended Care included
Open House
March 30th & April 27th @ 1:00 PM
Half and Full Day Program for Preschool age Swimming - Music - Crafts - Drama - Climbing - Sports - Hiking Horseback Riding - Dance - Story Telling - Games - Enrichment
Staffed by Preschool Teachers and operated exclusively at The Seven Hills School
Please use the coupon code ACTIVEKIDS and receive a $75 per child, per session discount untilAPRIL May 1, 2014 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 37
OUR CAMP CONFORMS TO KIDS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
OUR ENROLLMENT PL ANS GRANT PEACE OF MIND LIKE RAJA YOGA
Instead of a rigid structure, we give our campers choice. Instead of teaching kids the typical way, we help them become autodidacts, people who teach themselves. Kids choose from: stop motion animation, sports in a custom stadium, breadmaking, water slides, and much more.
You may buy any number of Day Passes, use them anytime, and get an automatic refund for unused Passes. If you need the whole summer, we've got a Membership for that too. All inclusive–lunch, all hours 7:30am to 6pm, and materials. Namaste.
NOW WITH SITES IN BERKELEY, WALNUT CREEK, DANVILLE, DUBLIN AND FREMONT.
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[ SUMMER CAMP SPOTLIGHT ]
Camp Spotlight VALLEY CHRISTIAN
GROWING ROOM There is so much to explore at The Growing Room’s weekly Summer Camp! The Growing Room features Academy Classes in specialized skills such as reading, writing, language studies, music, yoga, sports, fitness and tutoring. Camps run June 16 – August 20 with 3, 4 and 5 day camps available. Kids of all ages are welcome to join this unforgettable and fun summer camp located at 4 convenient elementary schools: Tassajara Hills, Neil Armstrong, Live Oak and Hidden Hills. Registration is now open! To register, visit: www.thegrowingroom.org 925.837.4392
Save the Date! Weird Animals Summer Day Camp at Valley Christian Schools in Dublin is going to be a blast! God filled the world with a lot of crazy creatures…including you! When kids feel weird, different or even lost in a crowd, nothing compares to the extraordinary love of Jesus. You will have a crazy, weird, fun time of discovering just how much He loves each everyone at the Valley Christian Schools Summer Day Camp! Camps run June 16 – August 8. To register: Email Camp Director, Josh Harper, jharper@valleychristianschools.org 925.560.6276
ADVENTURE DAY CAMP Adventure Day Camp is a traditional summer day camp that offers a welcoming, lively, safe, positive, and diverse environment where children (ages 3 – 14) gain confidence and build self-esteem while enjoying a fun-filled summer in the outdoors. Their summer camp program exposes campers to a variety of challenging and exciting activities that will strengthen their appreciation for teamwork and personal accomplishment. There are three different 3 week Summer Camp sessions available: June 9th – June 27th; June 30th – July 18th and July 21st – August 8th. Also available is a one week “Adventure Week” from August 11th – 15th. To register, visit: www.adventuredaycamp.com 925.937.6500 APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 39
[ SUMMER CAMP SPOTLIGHT ]
GAELS ATHLETIC CAMPS
CLUBSPORT
2014 marks the 46th year that Saint Mary’s College will be offering outstanding Athletic Camps to children between the ages 4 – 18. Their summer camps provide a convenient location, close to the East Bay in Moraga Valley or your children may have the opportunity to get away for a true camp experience as a resident camper and live like a college student with a roommate!
Let your imagination soar! ClubSport has a variety of activities and camps that allows a child’s playfulness and creativity to flourish. Whether they dream of being a pilot, a world renown athlete, or a superhero, we’ll help kids create a world of endless possibilities.
Various dates/times/locations are available for these summer camps from June – August. To register, visit: www.smcgaels.com 925.631.4FUN
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ClubSport offers sports and specialty camps for kids of all ages! Participants have fun-filled, active breaks as they receive instruction in a variety of sports, activities and projects. Pleasanton, Fremont, Walnut Creek and Valley Vista Club Sport locations are enrolling for Spring/Summer Camps now! To register visit: www.clubsports.com
Kids LoveShelby Us, J. Smith, DDS,Us MS, PC Parents Trust Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
Kids Love Us, Parents Trust Us Over the past 20 years, Dr. Shelby has developed the reputation for being one of the most successful dentists in treating fearful and special needs children. Her gentle and low-key approach has helped thousands of kids have a great experience. Working with their parents, Dr. Shelby and her staff have been successful treating many children who otherwise might have been sedated. In addition, Dr. Shelby has a degree in Orthodontics so as her patients grow, the transition into braces is more comfortable. Seeing the smiles on the faces of her patients as they grow from tiny tots to confident teens is one of the great joys of her life.
Call Today for your Appointment 925.755.5115 Meet Pollyanna... The World’s Smallest Dental Professional
2213 Buchanan Road, Suite 112 Antioch, California 94509 www.DrShelby.com APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 41
[ FAMILY ]
Spring “Green-ing” by Natalia Lazarus
Natalia Lazarus is a certified Eco-Maternity Consultant and Greenproofer and founder of Generation Pure. She is also a regular contributor to many health and wellness websites and has been featured on Healthy Child, Healthy World and Naturally Born. As a a mother of two and a holistic health advocate, Natalia has researched and successfully implemented a safer, healthier lifestyle for her family and many of her clients. She hopes to provide a resource for other families to make positive changes in their own lives. www.generationpure.org
The smell of spring is in the air and there are shades of green everywhere you look. We have come to know this time of year to be dedicated to cleaning out clutter, organizing our closets and scrubbing our floors until they shine. But before you reach for your cleaning supplies and start to spray your house from top to bottom, take note that many of the chemicals in your home could be making your family sick. According to Jane Houlihan, Environmental Working Group senior vice president and co-author of the EWG Cleaners Hall of Shame, “Cleaning your home can come at a high price--cancer-causing chemicals in the air, an asthma attack from fumes or serious skin burns from an accidental spill.” That is because many of the products that we rely on to keep our home clean contain dangerous toxins like VOC’s, anti-bacterials, fragrances and other chemicals. Spring cleaning is an opportunity to take inventory of what is healthy and safe for your family and clear out all of the clutter, junk and potentially harmful substances . So this spring, as we go through the therapeutic motions, let’s add a little color and get to work spring “green-ing.” Here are a few things to keep in mind to make our homes healthier, safer and greener in the process. 1. Reduce the clutter: For many us, the best part of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter. It brings a deep sense of satisfaction to know there is less of what we don’t need and more space and organization in our lives. As you take on your
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[ FAMILY ] own clutter projects, make a pile to donate, a pile to recycle and another for trash. Take inventory of any products in your home that may be harmful to your family like conventional cleaners, body care products that contain phthalates and parabens and laundry detergents that contain fragrances. Instead look for safer products that contain fewer ingredients (most of them you can read) and make sure to buy “fragrance free” because many toxic chemicals are hidden under the word “fragrance” in the label. 2. Open your windows: Let the fresh spring air circulate throughout your home. During the winter homes are sealed up tight allowing dust and vapors to become trapped inside. This exposes us to higher levels of toxins from cleaning products, furniture, carpets and just about every man made item in our home. Open your windows for a few minutes daily to allow fresh air into the home. 3. Take off your shoes: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, taking off your shoes before entering your home can reduce exposure of lead dust and other harmful chemicals by 60%. This may be the easiest way to cut down the amount of toxins in your home. Consider placing a basket for shoes at the door as helpful reminder for family and guests. 4. Freshen your air naturally: Why do we need to “freshen” our air anyways when there are flowers blooming just outside? These products are dangerous and are a major cause of indoor air pollution. The Natural Resources Defense Council tested 14 of the common air fresheners and 12 of them contained chemicals that cause birth defects and disrupt hormones. Instead consider a few inexpensive, easy options like fragrance from essential oils, fresh cut flowers or citrus fruits. 5. Ditch the Non-Stick: If all this spring cleaning is making you hungry for Easter brunch, move on over to the kitchen to make room for a new set of pans. Non-stick pans release chemicals into the air when they are heated up, thus releasing dangerous toxins into the air and your food. According to the CDC, “In laboratory animals given large amounts, PFOA can affect growth and development, reproduction, and injure the liver.” There are great options like stainless steel or ceramic that still creates the user friendly cooking experience without all of the toxic exposure.
6. Clean out the cans: As you are cleaning out your pantry, keep an eye out for canned food that contains hormone disrupting BPA. BPA can be very dangerous, especially in young children that are still developing. Next time you are at the grocery store tell the manufactures how you feel about BPA by purchasing glass jars of tomato sauce instead of caned and choose fresh or frozen vegetables. Our vote is cast every time we pull out our wallet, let’s demand safer products for our families. 7. Safer yard work: Spring season brings new life to our yards and gardens, and also some unwanted weeds. This year, skip the weed killers and dangerous pesticides. These are dangerous to your health and have been linked to diseases, infertility and cancers. Whether you take care of the yard, or a trusted gardener, consider adding mulch or rock to prevent weeds and reseeding your grass with an organic version. Kids and pets love to play on the lawn this time of year. Make sure it’s not treated with an herbicide; the risks are just not worth it. 8. Green your garage: Garages are notorious for being the best place to store the stuff you don’t or won’t ever need again. It can also be a place where old paints and house supplies pile up year after year. If your garage or storage area contains paints, sealants, caulking or other hazardous materials, these can contain dangerous VOC’s, mercury, lead and pesticides. Contact your local waste company for a household hazardous waste drop off facility. Disposing of them will be good for your family, and the environment and it may also free up some room in your garage. Year after year, spring brings new life. We watch as trees bloom and hillsides turn bright green. It’s time to create that same oasis in our homes and let nature back in. Getting rid of all of the harmful substances is half of the battle but deciding what to let back can be tough. Start small and simple. Clean with vinegar and baking soda, buy only what you need, eat more real food and open your windows to freshen the air. Being “green” doesn’t have to be tough or expensive, just find what works for you and your family. APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 43
[ FOOD ]
5 Mood-Boosting Foods by Katherine Brooking Can food lift your mood? We don’t mean the bliss that comes from chocolate cake or your favorite cheeseburger and fries! After all you are what you eat — and a poor diet can leave you feeling tired and cranky. With the days getting shorter, sometimes the blues can set in. Today we’re talking about foods that can help keep moody days at bay and give you a zest for life! We’ve highlighted 5 mood-boosting foods. Show different pics of the foods they are talking about with the appropriate text around it. I have used these images as examples:
Katherine Brooking is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition Education from Columbia University. She is dedicated to helping people achieve better health and richer lives through sound nutrition and healthy lifestyles. She has been a contributor to top-tier national morning shows including the TODAY show, Live with Regis & Kelly, The Early Show on CBS, Good Morning America Health as well as dozens of local affiliate stations across the country. As a writer covering health and wellness topics, Katherine has contributed to SELF Magazine, Prevention, Cooking Light and Woman’s Day and other leading news publications including The Washington Post, Huffington Post and New York Daily News. Katherine is the co-author of The Real Skinny: 101 Fat Habits & Slim Solutions. For more information go to www.appforhealth.com.
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Omega-3 Fats Multiple studies have shown a connection between omega-3 fatty acids and a lower risk of depressive disorders. Although the research is preliminary, omega-3 fatty acids are believed to influence mood. Certain inflammatory chemicals in the brain called cytokines can cause feelings of depression. Omega-3 fatty acids block the action of these cytokines. Recent clinical studies have found that patients with a variety of mental health disorders, from bipolar depression to anxiety, may benefit from omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Before starting any treatment however,always speak with your physician. Foods rich in omega-3 fats include: oily fish (salmon, mackerel and sardines), ground flaxseeds, canola oil, walnuts and omega-3 fortified eggs. Vitamin D You’ve probably heard about the benefits of vitamin D for bone
health. But recent research suggests that vitamin D might also help relieve mood disorders. Scientists have found that vitamin D can boost serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters responsible for mood. In particular, vitamin D seems to help the type of depression called “seasonal affective disorder (SAD),” also known as the winter blues. Vitamin D can be obtained from moderate sun exposure, depending on where you live and the time of year. But don’t overlook food sources of vitamin D: fat free and low-fat dairy, fortified soy milk, fatty fish and egg yolks. Because vitamin D-rich foods are limited, it may help to take a daily multivitamin which provides 600 IU (800 IU if you are over age 70). Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, along with other B vitamins, appears to play a role in mental health. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to some serious problems including anemia, nervous system disorders, as well as impaired mental function and depression. Observational studies have found that as many as 30% of patients hospitalized for depression are deficient in vitamin B12. Foods rich in vitamin B12: shellfish (clams, oysters, crab), wild salmon (fresh or canned), fortified wholegrain breakfast cereal, lean beef, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, milk (skim, skim plus, 1% reduced-fat) and eggs. Folate Another important B vitamin, folate, may help boost your mood and reduce fatigue. Scientists believe folate is used by the body to create
[ FOOD ] the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter, serotonin. As with vitamin B12, observational studies have shown that patients with depressive disorders are more likely to have folate deficiencies than those without depression. Foods rich in folate: leafy greens like kale, broccoli, and spinach – also fortified whole grains, beans and lentils, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and oranges.
something to feel good about! A solid breakfast should contain complex carbohydrates (from whole grain cereals like oats, wheat or bran) and protein (from foods like eggs, low fat dairy, and nuts). For a good start to your day, try some whole wheat waffles topped with non fat (or low fat) Greek yogurt, fresh berries, and walnuts or a veggie omelet with a side of whole grain toast.
Breakfast! At AppforHealth.com we LOVE breakfast. Not only does it give you energy to start the day, studies show that eating breakfast can lift your mood. People who eat breakfast report feeling less tired and irritable than those who don’t. A balanced breakfast has also been found to improve concentration, job performance, and even help manage weight. Now that’s definitely
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APRIL 2014 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 45
[ HEALTH ]
Antibiotics: Yes or No? by Dr. Stephanie C. Chiang Parents may often perceive antibiotics as a cure-all for every illness. But although antibiotics are a powerful tool for fighting bacterial infections, there are downsides to using them. Overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to the emergence of bacteria that are stronger and resistant to the current antibiotics we have available. In fact, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared antibiotic resistance as one of the world’s most urgent health problems. “When parents come in with their sick child, they want them to get better as quickly as possible and may assume an antibiotic prescription is the answer,” says Stephanie C. Chiang, M.D., MPH, a pediatrician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. “But they should only be prescribed when truly necessary.”
Stephanie C. Chiang, M.D., MPH is a pediatrician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s Fremont Center.
When to Use Antibiotics Antibiotics are only effective for bacterial infections and will not cure or shorten the length of viral infections such as the common cold, sore throats (except those caused by step, a bacterial infection), flu and infections that cause vomiting and diarrhea. Viral infections are much more common in children than bacterial infections. In fact, it’s normal for most children to get between seven to 10 viral infections a year. Antibiotics won’t stop the spread of viral infections or help someone with a viral infection feel better. Antibiotics: Do’s and Don’ts If your child has a bacterial infection (such as strep throat, pneumonia, an ear infection or urinary tract infection) and your doctor prescribes antibiotics, make sure you follow these important steps: • Always complete the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed by your child’s doctor, even if your child is feeling better. This will help ensure that the infection has been fully eliminated. • Discard any leftover medication once the course is completed. Call the California Poison Control System at (800) 222-1222 or check the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website for information regarding the safe disposal of medication. • Do not share your child’s antibiotic medication with other children. The dosage may not be correct as antibiotics for children are often prescribed based on weight. In addition, it may not be the right medication for the other child’s illness. Know that antibiotics can have side effects. The most common are allergic reactions and an upset stomach that might include nausea and loose stools. Beyond the Antibiotics: What Else You Can Do Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and fluids to help his or her body fight the infection. If your child’s condition has not improved once the course of antibiotics is completed, check in with your child’s doctor.
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Preschool
Education is a Lifelong Commitment
An academic preschool with full and half day schedules.
Education is in full bloom at Quarry Lane Preschool!
Open House Every Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
RSVP today at www.QuarryLane.org/Preschool
PLEASANTON WEST CAMPUS
PLEASANTON EAST CAMPUS
925.462.6300
925.846.9400
Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 4444B Black Ave., Pleasanton, CA
Infant through Pre-Kindergarten 3750 Boulder St., Pleasanton, CA
CA Licenses: 013411303, 013411304, 013411305, 013417681