APRIL 2016
SPRING
HIKES AROUND THE BAY
5 MISTAKES
That Will Cause Your Pursuit Of Happiness To Backfire
Mommy Makeover Giveaway
Kids LoveShelby Us, J. Smith, DDS,Us MS, PC Parents Trust Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
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2 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
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Volume 3 / Issue 27
[ PARENTING ]
[ CHILDREN’S HEALTH ]
[ EVENTS ]
20 Ways Not to Talk to your Teenage Daughter - Then How to Fix Things
Ask a UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Expert
April Events
16
10 Hope for the Angry Child
12 Discover Your Work-Family Balance Secrets TODAY! —Part 2
18 Spending Time Outdoors Makes Kids Smarter: 3 Facts, 1 Conclusion
44
24 [ SEASONAL FUN ]
[ WOMEN & RELATIONSHIPS ]
Spring Hikes Around The Bay
5 Mistakes That Will Cause Your Pursuit of Happiness to Backfire
28
8
[ WOMEN’S HEALTH ]
Are You Setting the Right Goals?
20
4 Habits to Nix Morning Stress
30 [ SUMMER CAMP ]
[ FASHION ] Mommy Makeover Giveaway!
26
Summer Camp Guide
32 Summer Camp Spotlight
42
24 4 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
28
44
SPORTS MEDICINE CENTER FOR YOUNG ATHLETES Free 2016 Lectures & Hands-On Workshops
FREE AND OPEN TO:
RSVP:
• • • •
Walnut Creek 925-979-3420
Athletes age 9 to 25 and parents Youth sports coaches Athletic trainers Athletic directors
Oakland 510-428-3558
Walnut Creek Campus, 2401 Shadelands Dr., Walnut Creek Oakland Campus, 744 52nd St., Oakland
Attend in person or watch live online. Baseball
Tuesday, January 26, 7-8 p.m. Oakland Campus
Dance Medicine
Tuesday, February 23, 7-8 p.m. Oakland Campus
Running Clinic
Tuesday, March 22, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/running032216
Gymnastics
Tuesday, April 26, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/gymnastics042616
Nutrition
Tuesday, May 24, 7-8 p.m. Oakland Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/nutrition052416
Swimming: Stretches & Exercises Tuesday, June 28, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/swimming062816
Volleyball
Tuesday, July 26, 7-8 p.m. Oakland Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/volleyball072616
Concussion
Tuesday, August 23, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/concussion082316
Strength in the Young Athlete
Tuesday, October 25, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/strength102516
Basketball
Tuesday, November 15, 7-8 p.m. Oakland Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/basketball111516
Wrestling
Tuesday, December 13, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/wrestling121316
ACL Prevention
Tuesday, September 27, 7-8 p.m. Walnut Creek Campus Watch live online: bitly.com/ACL092716
Oakland 510-428-3558
San Francisco 415-353-2808
San Ramon 925-979-3450
744 52nd St. Oakland, CA 94609
1500 Owens Street San Francisco, CA 94158
2303 Camino Ramon, Suite 175 San Ramon, CA 94583
Walnut Creek Center: 925-979-3430 Motion Lab: 925-979-3420 2401 Shadelands Dr. Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Local Life & Style for the East Bay Area Publisher/Editor
Marketing Assistant Interns
Contributing Authors
Tracie Brown Vollgraf
Jaida Sinclair Alexis Faria
Amy Morin Ann Woods Dr. Christine Carter Dr. Darria Long Gillespie Dr. Petra Steinbuchel Jamee Tenzer Laurie Hollman, Ph.D. Rachel Macy Stafford
Advertising Sales Director Kathy Brillheart kbrillheart@activefamilymag.com
Advertising Sales Managers
Fashion Editor Rachel Fawkes www.fawkeshunter.com
April Gentry agentry@activefamilymag.com
Design/Production
Mary Oakes moakes@activefamilymag.com
Ad Design/Production
Teresa Agnew Craft Lara Mays
Sherry Maas smaas@activefamilymag.com
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 Spring has sprung and the next few months will fly by in a flurry. Time to start thinking about how to keep the kids occupied this summer. We definitely have some great ideas in this issue with our Summer Camp Guide found on page 32. Adventure Camp? Science Camp? STEM Camp? Horseback Riding Camp? Overnight Camp? We have listed the best of the Bay Area for any budget or activity preference. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and it is time to take care of YOU! We are very excited to launch our annual Mommy Makeover Giveaway. For more details, skip to page 27 and send us your ‘before’ picture and tell us why you deserve this makeover. Would you like to nominate someone? Even better! Our lucky winners will receive a spa pamper package, a shopping spree, a new look (hair and makeup), a gym membership, a date night with babysitting services and more! Enter to win today! Wishing you a wonderful April! Tracie Brown Vollgraf Editor info@activefamilymag.com
6 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
Sunday, April 17, 2016 Register online at
www.ppierun.com GREAT EXPO AWAITS YOU Enjoy the Family Fitness Expo at the finish line to help you celebrate and recover from a successful run. We will have lots of goodies, giveaways and activities to inspire your children to engage in a healthy lifestyle.
NOT A RUNNER OR A MORNING PERSON? That’s ok! You can make an online Snooze for Schools donation and sleep tight knowing your contribution will keep us on the right course. Every dollar is greatly appreciated! Visit www.ppierun.com to provide support.
Starts & Finishes at the Alameda County Fairgrounds Free parking!
Presented by CLubSport to benefit PPIE
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 7
[ WOMEN & RELATIONSHIPS ]
Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, psychology instructor, and speaker. Her book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do is on sale now. She’s frequently quoted in national media outlets. She also writes for Forbes and About.com. For more visit AmyMorinLCSW.com *This article originally appeared in forbes.com.
5 Mistakes That Will Cause Your Pursuit Of Happiness To Backfire by Amy Morin There are a lot of advantages to being a happy person. Studies consistently show happy people enjoy benefits ranging from better relationships and improved health to enhanced creativity and better problem-solving skills. It seems as though people are trying harder than ever to be happy these days. Yet, the pursuit of happiness doesn’t always have a happy ending. If you’re making any of these mistakes, your efforts to increase your happiness could backfire: 1. Comparing Yourself to Other People It can be tempting to compare your life to the lives of those around you – and one of the most common ways people draw social comparisons on social media. But, social media comparisons aren’t a good yardstick for measuring happiness. Comparing your life to someone else’s highlight reel will undermine your wellbeing.
8 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ WOMEN & RELATIONSHIPS ] Scrolling through Facebook to view other people’s
are successful people happy?
vacation photos, doctored selfies, and proclamations of success can cause you to think your life doesn’t measure
Research shows that happy people are more likely
up. Studies even show that envying your friends on
to become successful. But being successful doesn’t
Facebook can actually lead to depression. So rather
necessarily make you happy. Unfortunately, people often
than turn your quest for happiness into a competition,
confuse the order and inadvertently make themselves
stay focused on your own journey to a better life.
miserable.
2. Placing Too Much Emphasis on Being Happy
The pursuit of success leads people to accept longer
A 2011 study concluded, “Valuing happiness may lead
commutes, work more hours, and refrain from social
people to be less happy just when happiness is within
activity. But earning more money or gaining a promotion
reach.” If you expect that you ‘should’ be happy, you
won’t automatically make you happier. In fact, the
may grow discouraged when your emotions don’t match
steps you may need to take to pursue high levels of
your expectations. Self-defeating thoughts like, “I’ve got
achievements are exactly the types of things that can
a good marriage, great kids, and a nice job – I should be
zap your happiness the fastest.
happier,” will cause you to feel worse. Balance your pursuit of success and your pursuit of Avoid judging yourself for not being happy enough.
happiness in a way that aligns with your values.
Focus on enjoying the moment. When you stop creating emotional expectations, you’ll experience more
5. Thinking You’re Alone
contentment.
Social support is one of the keys to happiness. But being surrounded by people – even kind and loving friends and
3. Putting a Timeline on When You’ll be Happy
family – won’t guarantee happiness. In fact, research
It’s likely everyone has thought a specific event or
shows your perception of your relationships is what
change in circumstances would ignite their happiness.
matters most.
While one person may say, “I’ll be happy when I lose weight,” another might assume, “I’ll be happy
People who think things like, “No one likes me,” are
when I’m retired.” But waiting for – and planning on –
more susceptible to negative moods. Those who feel
external events to make you happy will only lead to
supported – even when it may not be true – are more
disappointment.
likely to feel happy. So worry less about filling your social calendar with superficial social engagements, and focus
Research shows that everyone has some sort of
more on forming deeper connections with those that
happiness baseline. So while a new chapter in your
matter.
life may provide an initial boost to your happiness, the positive effect will eventually wear off. So don’t wait until
Choose Happiness
you get married, have a better job, move to a new city,
The good news is, everyone has the ability to make
or have kids to be happy – seize the moment and enjoy
choices that foster happiness. Create a meaningful life,
today.
filled with positive social relationship, and you’ll be on your way to a happier life. Practice gratitude for the
4. Confusing Success with Happiness
good things you have, and proactively build resilience
Success and happiness can raise some ‘chicken or the
to help you deal with hardship, and you’ll enjoy more life
egg’ type questions. Are happy people successful? Or
satisfaction. APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 9
[ PARENTING ]
Laurie Hollman, Ph.D. is a psychoanalyst with specialized clinical training in infant-parent, child, adolescent, and adult psychotherapy. She has been on the faculties of New York University and the Society for Psychoanalytic Study and Research, among others. She has written extensively on parenting for various publications, including the Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, The International Journal of Infant Observation, The Inner World of the Mother, Newsday’s Parents & Children Magazine, Long Island Parent. She writes her popular column, PARENTAL INTELLIGENCE, at Moms Magazine and blogs for Huffington Post. Her new book is Unlocking Parental Intelligence: Finding Meaning in Your Child’s Behavior.
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20 Ways Not to Talk to Your Teenage Daughter – Then How to Fix Things by Laurie Hollman, Ph.D. Oh Our Teenage Daughters!! Teenage girls are sensitive to the way people in authority talk to them, especially their mothers. They are easily wounded, feel criticized, and vulnerable when they sense or get outright disapproval. However, even the most devoted mothers are only trying to shape them up to be young women and don’t understand their sensitive narcissism. 20 Sentences to Avoid When Mothers Talk to Their Daughters 1. “You are such a disappointment.” 2. “Don’t you ever listen?” 3. “Fix your hair.” 4. “Are you really going to wear that?” 5. “Who were you on the phone with?” 6. “When are you going to talk to that teacher?” 7. “Get it together.” 8. “That’s a terrible habit. Stop biting your nails.”
[ PARENTING ] 9. “Give it up. Just apologize!” 10. “You’re too sensitive.” 11. “Mothers are people, too.” 12. “Clean your room.” 13. “Finish your college essays.” 14. “Let me read your college essays.” 15. “Watch what you eat.” 16. “Play with your brother.” 17. “Keep your hands off your face.” 18. “Don’t you ever think?” 19. “Now you’ve done it.” 20. “It’s really for your own good.” Why Your Daughter Keeps Her Distance The likelihood that your daughter keeps her distance when she hears such remarks on a scale of 1-10 is sadly 10. She’s sure you don’t understand her, don’t really care, think only how you want her to look for your friends, think she’s not a good enough of a person, and deep down disapprove of her in general, nevertheless, as a growing young woman. Hopefully, not all of that—but probably some of that. What’s a caring mother to do? On the other hand, to your surprise, if she could spell it out, she loves you deeply, wants desperately to be liked and loved by you, wants your approval above everyone else’s and needs you to know her as she really is as of right now in her tumultuous life. Rules and restrictions that are intended to keep her safe only make her feel alienated and judged like she doesn’t have a decent mind of her own, can’t make sensible judgments, and is a basic loser. Punishments make her avoid you, escalate not listening to you because you just become a misinterpreting authority who doesn’t get it.
a pattern. This outward calm may have a good effect because your daughter doesn’t feel judged because you’re not judging her. You’re just paying attention quietly. How can you judge what you don’t understand yet? 2. Self-Reflect which means monitor your own feelings and reactions. Look inward to your own mind instead of just focusing on your daughter. Are you scared, worried, angry, confused? If you are there’s a good chance, your daughter is too. Does she remind you of yourself when you were her age? Does she or do you remind you of your mother? Just think this through. Remember—no reacting yet. 3. Understand Your Daughter’s Mind by beginning to listen carefully without judgment to whatever she mentions. You might hear her criticize a friend, admit to a lowered grade, tell you about a secret boyfriend, come in past curfew. Hang out and listen, listen, listen without punishments or criticisms. Be a sounding board, not a know-it-all. You are becoming a “Meaning-Maker.” Her behaviors are turning into words and they are starting to mean something. In fact, you’ve shifted your focus from her external actions to her internal world. Bravo! Now you’re the mother she can trust and confide in. 4. Understand Your Daughter’s Development by realizing how much she’s changed in a year or a month! Notice if she’s moody or has settled down. Don’t comment, just be sensitive. 5. Problem Solve the real problems, not the external stuff like messy rooms and curfews and homework. By now,
Why? Because deep down she has at least one if not all of the following three big fears: • being seen as failure • being rejected • being abandoned and unloved
you’ve gotten to know the real girl who used to avoid
The Remedy—Use Parental Intelligence 1. Step Back when you see a behavior that is puzzling, disarming, and distressing. That means pause, wait, don’t react, even say nothing and just observe. See how often it occurs and keep track in your mind if you see
Each teenage girl is actually different. They all go
you and feel all alone. She’s your girl again. The one who used to talk to you when she was ten. She no longer feels judged so she can tell you the overarching problems like her self-esteem, her fears of rejection, her need to be loved and maybe even held once in a while.
through stages in their own specific and unique ways and need to know you know that. Being different is good. Who needs ordinary and acceptable? Don’t you wish somebody knew that when you were a teen? APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 11
[ PARENTING ]
Rachel Macy Stafford is a certified special education teacher with a Master’s Degree in education and ten years of experience working with parents and children. In December 2010, this life-long writer felt compelled to share her journey to let go of distraction and grasp what really matters by creating the blog “Hands Free Mama.” Using her skills as a writer, teacher, and encourager, Rachel provides readers with simple, non-intimidating, and motivating methods to let go of distraction and connect with their loved ones. Rachel’s work has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Global News, USA Today, TIME.com, MSN.com, The Huffington Post, and Reader’s Digest. Her blog currently averages one million visitors a month. Rachel’s new book, HANDS FREE MAMA, is a New York Times Bestseller.
Hope for the Angry Child by Rachel Macy Stafford “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.” -Emily Dickinson I haven’t spoken of this experience for over fifteen years; I have definitely never written about it. Yet, when the memories of this time came rushing back, I had to pull off the highway and find a gas station where I could scribble my notes. It’s taken four weeks to transform my notes into readable form, but I have no doubt the timing of this message is perfect for someone reading today. This is my story … and Vince’s* story… *Name has been changed I had just one year of teaching under my belt and was taking classes towards
12 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ PARENTING ] my master’s degree in special education. Though barely qualified to teach students with challenging behavior disorders, I quickly assessed that academic training wasn’t going to make me a successful teacher–it had more to do with the connections I made with my students. The way this particular school set up its special education program for behaviorally challenged students allowed me to form lasting bonds with my students. Rather than having a self-contained classroom, I had one-onone time with each of my sixteen students throughout the school day. By providing direct support to the children and their teachers, the school district believed these exceptional students could be successfully mainstreamed into a traditional classroom. Furthermore, it was not unusual for me to work with a particular student for multiple years. Such was the case with Vince*. Vince had compliance and anger issues but we had made significant strides in our first year together. Vince was an adorable child who looked forward to our one-on-one lessons and my frequent check-ins to his regular classroom. On this particular evening, a typical event for a new school year was taking place. It was “Meet the Teacher” night. All the teachers were lined up, preparing to walk across the stage as we were introduced. As we waited for the principal to take the podium, I noticed Vince’s mother making her way through the crowded gymnasium. She was coming straight toward me in breathless haste. When she spoke, I thought I did not hear her correctly – there was no way I could have heard her right. As the blood drained from my face, I leaned closer praying I had misheard. Vince’s mother repeated the words that seemed incomprehensible, unbearable, and repulsive to my ears. Vince killed his kitten that afternoon. As his mother rambled on, I heard nothing. I forced myself to stay composed although all I wanted to do was fall to my knees and sob. Somehow – I don’t remember how – I made my way across the stage when my name was called. I struggled
to hold my sweaty, shaking hands together thinking only of the tiny kitten, praying it did not suffer. You see, before I became a mother, my pets were my babies. In fact, I loved all animals from a young age and would do anything to save one even if it meant putting myself in harm’s way. I was the child who was known to stand my ground at the trunk of a tree until the dog went home and the terrified cat could get down safely. I was the teenager who was reprimanded by my driver’s ed instructor for swerving to avoid a dog. In front of my peers, the teacher yelled, “Next time, there is no choice! You must hit the animal to save yourself!” But despite his scary and humiliating rant, I did not cower. I looked him right in the eye and told him I would always save an animal if I could. Now here I was seven years later wondering what to do with this—the intentional harm of a helpless animal by a child that I cared for deeply. As distressing as it was to think about the kitten, I had taken enough psychology courses to know this was a deeply troubling sign for Vince. That night, I did not sleep. I cried for the kitten. I cried for the boy whose heart did not enable him to love and care for an animal. I cried for myself because I still had a school year ahead of me to teach this child. How could I get past this? The next morning I walked into school with swollen eyes and a conflicted heart. An older and more experienced staff member who had heard what happened stopped me and asked, “What are you going to do? There’s not much hope for that one now is there?” Those standing around regrettably surmised where this boy would be in about fifteen years; the outlook was not good. I kept my fears and uncertainties to myself and made my way to my small classroom. Vince was my first student. He always needed my boost of encouragement to start his day. I typically went to his classroom and escorted him to mine. Normally, I would be all smiles, offering him my hand and pepping him up for a day of positive choices APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 13
[ PARENTING ] and hard work. But on that day, my feet were as heavy as my heart. I felt like I was on the verge of throwing up. I walked to Vince’s classroom door. There he stood waiting for me. Immediately I noticed something was different. He was unusually reserved—almost shy. He did not say a word as we walked down the hall to my classroom and took our usual spots at the round table. Normally, there would be a lesson waiting there, or dolls to use in role play, or a behavior skills game to play. But not today. Today the table was empty. “I killed my cat,” Vince unexpectedly blurted out, bursting the heavy silence that filled the room. He then looked down sheepishly. My mouth went dry. Barely moving my lips, I whispered my response. “I know. Your mother told me.” He looked at me with anxious eyes as if waiting for more—as if waiting to hear what his beloved teacher thought and felt about his actions. “My heart is broken by what you did,” I said my voice quivering. Vince looked ashamed. His cheeks flushed a vivid red hue. He looked as if he was preparing for the worst – as if I might tell him that I could no longer work with him. But then I said something I wasn’t expecting to come out of my mouth. “But I still believe in you.”
darkened his pupils subsided. What remained was a glimmer of something unfamiliar, yet warm and promising. Vince was merely a child, but he wisely understood that what I had just offered him was a piece of my heart. Vince reacted just as one could only hope when trusted with such a precious gift. He solemnly vowed, “I promise, Miss Macy. I won’t do it again.” Although I wanted to ask why he did it – among a hundred other questions – I knew that was territory I must not tread. Thankfully, Vince would be receiving help from someone skilled in this area so I vowed to do what I did best – connect, encourage, believe, and see the good in this child. I prayed that Vince could feel small measures of success each day and eventually defy the odds. Vince and I worked together for four years until he attended a new school. Despite my eventual move out-of-state, we kept in touch for about five years. Periodically, I would receive a letter from Vince or his mother. The common theme of each letter was that he wanted to come visit me someday. Vince and his family experienced their share of challenges and set backs, but they always had hope. Ten years later – when the naysayers had speculated the worse would unfold – Vince found me through the magic of social media. He informed me that he had earned his high school diploma and was taking college courses. He was writing a book and was was doing great things with a community youth group.
Vince’s head snapped up in disbelief. “But you love cats!” the small boy emphatically cried out pointing to the picture of my fat Calico cat prominently displayed on my desk (which coincidentally sat next to my “365 Days of Cats” calendar).
Vince had defied the odds.
And then because I needed to hear them again just as much as he did, I repeated the same words—this time with more conviction. “But I still believe in you.”
The day Vince admitted his tragic wrongdoing will be engrained in my mind forever. It would have been easy to go where so many went that day – believing there was no hope. I very well could have written Vince off forever because of his grave mistake.
And suddenly the anger, fear, and uncertainty that
Instead, I offered these six words: “But I still believe in
14 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
And to me he said this: “Thank you for being the teacher who believed in me. School was never the same after you, but you stayed in my heart and always will.”
[ PARENTING ] you.”
young man that I have this message to give:
For years I have wondered why those words. At what point did I decide I would not give up on him? It was the morning I walked into school and the staff member asked what I was going to do. In that moment, I saw a back turn on Vince. I knew it would be the first of many that would turn their backs on this child. There would be many who would give up and walk away.
Our children will make mistakes.
Although I couldn’t forgive him for taking that kitten’s life, it didn’t mean his life should be thrown away too.
Be the one who doesn’t turn and walk away.
I once stood under a tree protecting a living being until danger was gone … I once swerved my car to avoid taking a life … Why would I do anything different now?
These mistakes will likely grow in severity as they get older. But a mistake doesn’t warrant abandonment, condemnation, or disownment.
Be the one that stays and says, “I don’t condone what you did, but I still believe in you.” Then foster the goodness that resides deep within that troubled heart – even if you have to dig to find it. Believe it is there – even if you are the only one who does.
Vince’s life was worth saving. I would not turn my back on him. Friends, I am simply the messenger on this “Hands Free” journey, and it is by the grace of God and a remarkable
Dr. Ozzie Jafarnia
DDS, Board Certified
Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
Dr. Noyan Aynechi DDS, Board Certified
Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
Because one day that child will grow into a young adult who has choices that can either harm or contribute to society. And when that time comes, there you will be – a flutter in his heart, reminding him he was once worthy of saving and still is.
Nothing is more beautiful than your child’s smile!
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925-837-7745 • drozzie.com
Specialist in Orthodontics
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 15
[ CHILDREN’S HEALTH ]
Ask a UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Expert Dr. Petra Steinbuchel; Director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Medical Director, Mental Health & Child Development, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
by Dr. Petra Steinbuchel Does your daughter quietly sit in the classroom and “space out?” Or, is your boisterous son throwing pencils, blurting out answers, and running around like the Energizer Bunny? Although the behaviors of these two children sound different, both exhibit symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. There is no specific blood test or brain scan that is used to diagnose ADHD. Rather, it is a clinical diagnosis based on careful evaluation by a primary care or mental health provider. Symptoms must be present in more than one setting—e.g., both at home and at school—so it is important that the evaluation involve gathering information from parents or guardians and from other adults involved in the child’s life, like teachers or coaches. Children with ADHD have a hard time focusing or controlling their behavior because they lack the right balance of neurotransmitters, or chemicals, in their
16 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ CHILDREN’S HEALTH ] brains that help them focus and inhibit impulses. Because kids with ADHD are often unaware of their behavior, they may become defiant and claim, “I didn’t do it!” Having a diagnosis of ADHD requires adequate treatment, much like asthma, diabetes or other medical illnesses. And it often runs in families. Many disorders can look a lot like ADHD—including depression, anxiety, visual or hearing difficulties, learning disorders and even sleep apnea (a condition that involves disordered breathing). These other disorders sometimes exist along with ADHD and also need to be treated. Treatment usually involves education with a mental health provider about the disorder, as well as therapy to help parents and children learn how to cope with the symptoms and problem-solve regarding school, sports, and family functioning. School systems should accommodate symptoms according to the child’s needs. Parents may ask for a 504 or Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) evaluation from the principal after a diagnosis of ADHD is made if the child’s symptoms are severe enough to interfere with adequate school
functioning. Medication is often very helpful in reducing the symptoms and helping the child learn and succeed academically to their full potential. The most commonly used and most effective medications are stimulants, but there are non-stimulant options as well. Children with ADHD who are treated do not become addicted to the medication and are actually at less risk of using other illegal drugs in adolescence, presumably because they do better in school and generally feel better about themselves. Recent studies have shown that certain parts of the brains of kids with ADHD that are treated develop at the same rate as the brains of kids without ADHD, while untreated kids’ brains mature more slowly. ADHD is a common disorder that many children live and thrive with, but it is important as a parent to remain supportive: Remember that children with ADHD aren’t “trying to be bad;” they just have a hard time controlling their behavior.
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APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 17
[ PARENTING ]
Discover Your Work-Family Balance Secrets TODAY! Jamee Tenzer is an Executive Coach, Trainer and Mentor. For the past 15 years she has been privileged to coach breadwinner moms and executives and to work internationally as a coach mentor and trainer. She has worked with leaders in many industries including; entertainment, non-profit and technology. In addition to serving as a Supervisor, Mentor and Trainer for the International Coach Academy from 2006 to 2015, she is also a trained mediator and the co-creator of three ICF Accredited courses for coaches; Deeper Conversations Coaching, Mentor Coach Certification and Real Coaching Sessions Unplugged. Jamee is a member of the International Coach Federation, Producers Guild of America and Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She holds a CPC from the International Coach Academy, a PCC from the International Coach Federation and a BCC from the Center for Credentialing and Education. She is a committed im-perfectionist - her husband and three children can attest to this!
Part 2 – What are YOUR Work-Family Balance Secrets? by Jamee Tenzer I can hear you now. “I don’t have any secrets, that’s why I am reading this article!” But here’s the truth: You actually have every answer you need to create Work–Family Balance in your life. How do I know this? I have worked with hundreds of women just like you, on this topic. I have marveled at the ways in which working moms are able to shift into a balance that truly works for them as long as they let go of comparisons to other working mothers and commit to trusting their intuition. As moms we can sometimes find ourselves comparing ourselves to our friends and colleagues. We are all attempting a life that we need to create as we go. There are no degrees and no real template. Even if our mother did everything “right,” we know that her secrets and strategies will not truly work for our lives. One woman might work at a job that requires travel or long days at the office, while another woman might have a business she is running from home. How old are your children? If you have a 2 year old, your challenges are physical – in other words, you are running after that child 24/7. If you have a high school student, your challenges may be of the mind – how do we keep them happy and healthy during the teen years? And then, they go off to start their new lives! How do we take care of ourselves during that time? To identify YOUR secrets, you will want to take some time to do a bit of self reflection. My job is to assist you in finding your secrets, and I can’t wait! So let’s get started.
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[ SEASONAL FUN ]
[ PARENTING ]
Last month in part one of the work-family balance series we talked about doing more Thinking, Moving and Connecting in order to gain more self-awareness.
Self Awareness is the key to creating balance and I am willing to bet you have experienced moments of balance in your life.
Once we expand our ability to be self aware, we can identify our secrets.
Take some time to think about when that balance has been present. • What does it mean to you? • Does balance allow you to integrate all aspects of your life throughout the day? • Or, do you feel more balance if you are able to be fully present during the day at work and then leave it behind when you walk through your front door in the evening? • Is it somewhere in between?
So, how did you do? Thinking: Identify a time in the past week when you chose to take a few extra minutes for yourself. What did you notice? If you didn’t find an opportunity, when could you commit to finding an opportunity this coming week? Example: I found a moment in the car this afternoon. Instead of turning off the engine as soon as I got home to run inside and start dinner, I stayed in the car for a moment and waited for my favorite song to end. It seems simple, but it was a moment that I wouldn’t have had if I had not been committed to taking a bit more time to think. Moving: Were you able to move more? How did that feel? Did you choose to walk upstairs instead of take the elevator? Did you park a bit further from your destination in order to walk the last couple of blocks? What did you notice? Example: I noticed I need to move MORE and the way to do that is to give myself more time. I commit to giving myself a few more minutes in between meetings and appointments. I will let you know how I do next week! Connecting: You may already be a natural connector but, were you able to go above and beyond last week? Where did you stretch in this area? Where would you like to expand your connections more this coming week? Example: I actually started a conversation with a woman sitting at a nearby table at lunch today. That is a big step. I am usually a “nose in book” girl. I will celebrate by doing more connecting. Remember that there is no “right” way to create more self awareness – this is about finding what works for you. What do you think you did in the past week that created just a bit more self awareness? What can you do in the coming month to “up the ante” and gain more self awareness?
1. Take a moment and identify times in your life that you experienced Work-Family Balance – if even for a moment, and write them down. 2. Once you have identified moments of balance, ask yourself what components of the situation helped you to experience balance? * Maybe it was the way you were being in the moment? * Perhaps you were getting the kind of help you need? * Were you spending more time at work or at home? * Was it a matter of feeling appreciated? Take the time to find your answer: Why did that situation feel like work-family balance? Once you identify it, write it down. Here’s just one more idea for today. Look at the answers you wrote above. Find one element that you can identify, that helps you feel that balance you are committed to creating. When I began to work on this topic, I noticed that one element always present was my ability to get enough sleep each night. I saw that when I got enough sleep, my ability to create balance and maintain self awareness improved dramatically. What is one small discovery that you can make by reading your answers? This is just the beginning. You don’t need to have all the answers – today is about finding your first hint. And stay tuned for next month and Part three of the Work-Family Balance Series where we will identify what balance is WORTH to you. APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 19
[ PARENTING ]
Christine Carter, Ph.D.*, is a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. She is the author of “RAISING HAPPINESS: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents.” She teaches online happiness classes that help parents bring more joy into their own lives and the lives of their children, and she writes an award-winning blog for *Greater Good* (www.greatergoodparents.org).
Are You Setting the Right Goals? by Dr. Christine Carter Could you be setting better ones? I’ve always found the idea of setting goals appealing. But—and I hate to admit this—it has been years since I set real goals for myself, personally or professionally. And by “years,” I mean decades. Why set goals? Hundreds of studies have shown that goal setting is a way to improve performance as well as happiness and well-being. A memorable survey of graduates from Harvard’s MBA program found that 10 years after graduation, those who set goals for themselves were earning, on average, twice as much as their classmates who didn’t set goals. Even more astounding: The 3 percent of graduates who had written out clear goals were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the rest of their class. How to set goals that work While it’s easy to spit out a goal or two, it is much harder to settle on goals that will actually help us become lastingly happier and more successful. I teach my clients what I call the “WAPPER” method. This type of goal-setting is based on my reading
20 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ SEASONAL FUN ] of related research (particularly related to motivation, with a little organizational theory thrown in), but it adds a twist to the common goal-setting method I was taught in the business world. WAPPER stands for: Wants & wishes Actions & circumstances Problems & obstacles Plans Evaluation & measurement Remind & revise Here’s how to use this goal-setting method to get what you really want W: Know what you WANT to feel. This first step is the most important one—and it is the step that we most often skip. Before you start to formulate your goals, ask yourself NOT what you want to achieve, but what, in your heart of hearts, you WANT TO FEEL. Shooting for the feeling-state that you want more of (maybe you want more happiness? confidence? significance?) will take you down a different path than setting your sights on a particular achievement. Emotions are more motivating—and far more fulfilling—than an achievement goal in the long run. Here’s an example. A coaching client of mine (let’s call her Sam) wanted to grow her online business, and she asked me for help setting some goals to do that. Instead of starting with revenue growth objectives (or more traditional business-y goals), we started with how she wanted to feel when she’d successfully grown her business. Her response was that she wanted to feel more influential and more confident about the work she was offering the world, and she wanted to feel a greater sense of significance in the coming year. A: Identify the actions that most often lead you to feel what you want to feel. Sam reported that she feels most influential, confident, and significant when she is teaching others in person. (An interesting observation, given that her online business tends to prevent her from teaching in person.) P: Identify the PROBLEMS that are likely to prevent you from feeling what you want to feel.
[ PARENTING ] For Sam, a major conflict revealed itself: She feels most influential, confident, and significant when she is teaching . . . but she was thinking of spending less time teaching in order to grow her online business. So her biggest problem or obstacle to how she wants to feel is that she might not have enough time to teach in the coming year. Conflicts like these don’t always arise, of course, but here we can see what might have happened if Sam had just set a traditional goal aiming to grow her online business (e.g.,“Grow the product sales division of my online business by 15 percent by January 1st.”). Instead of making her feel more successful—given that success to Sam is defined by feelings of confidence, significance, and influence—such a goal would likely make her feel more stressed. Some of the greatest disappointments of my life have come from reaching an achievement goal, only to wake up the next day with the sinking feeling that I’d been pursuing the wrong thing all along. Sam’s situation aside, most obstacles are more straightforward. When my daughter, Molly, was setting goals for the coming school year, for example, one thing that she wanted to feel was organized; a behavior that leads her to feel more organized is to clean out her binder every Friday after school. A predictable obstacle to this behavior? When she has a friend over after school on Fridays, she never wants to take the time to clean out the binder. Another common problem is that we don’t yet have the right skills or habits to easily get what we want. Molly also wants to feel “engaged and confident when studying and doing homework,” but she was lacking some basic study skills, like knowing how to plan out what homework to do when, or how to study for a 7th grade humanities test. Those things also went on the “problems” list. If you are a particularly optimistic person, you might be tempted to skip this step, preferring instead to think positively and “reach for the stars” while seeing the glass as “half full.” (I should know; I used to have a blog with that title.) Positive thinking has its benefits, but when it comes to setting goals, fantasizing about your success can trick your brain into feeling like you have already achieved the goal—which tends, ironically, to make us less motivated. All of this is to say: Understanding the obstacles and APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 21
[ PARENTING ] problems you are likely to face—something researchers who study motivation call “mental contrasting”—is critical for achieving your goals. P: Make PLANS for overcoming your problems and obstacles. Look at your list of problems. For each straightforward obstacle, make a specific “if X, then Y” plan for each. For example, Molly’s plan for her Friday afternoon obstacle was this: “IF I have a friend over on a Friday afternoon, THEN I will set an alarm on my phone to remind me to clean out my binder on Saturday morning.”
rather than specific achievements. E: Decide how you will EVALUATE your success. You thought this was going to be all touchy-feely and emotional, but the old adage is true: What we measure we improve. So develop a method to track the action steps and behaviors that will lead to how you want to feel. For example, Molly tracks things like “Cleaned out my binder this week.” Apps such as “Way of Life—The Ultimate Habit Maker & Breaker” and “TracknShare” make setting up an evaluation system easy.
More complicated problems, like Sam’s, require making plans around the specific behaviors that lead to the emotions that we want to feel. Sam made specific plans to take on more students in the coming year—to teach more instead of less.
R: Devise a way to REMIND yourself what you really want to feel, and REVISE your plans—and the behaviors you are tracking—when they are no longer leading to the feelings you desire.
And don’t forget to make specific plans for acquiring the new skills or habits you might need. Molly made plans to work with a very organized and studious college student after school several days a week to develop new study skills. Studies in many different fields suggest that we tend to be more successful when we focus on “learning goals”
Find the Wrapper Worksheet at www.christinecarter. com/community/blog/page/5 Happy planning!
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[ ACTIVE FAMILY ] Adventures in Learning Early Childhood Center
Serving students 2 - 6 years Full and part time programs 3200 Hopyard Road | Pleasanton web. www.ailpleasanton.com tel. 925.462.7123
Tough on Dirt, Not the Planet ALL CLEANING PRODUCTS ECO-SCALE® RATED THIRD-PARTY VERIFIED • ALL INGREDIENTS LISTED
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 23
[ EVENTS ]
April Alameda County APRIL 2 Eggster Hunt and Learning Festival UC Berkeley Berkeley 10:00am – 3:00pm www.eggster.berkeley.edu Junior Solar Sprint Challenge Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley 10:00am – 3:00pm www.lawrencehallofscience.org Movie Matinee: Kiki’s Delivery Service UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive Berkeley 3:30pm www.bampfa.org Laurie Berkner Solo! The You and Me Tour Bankhead Theater Livermore Times Vary www.livermoreperformingarts.org
APRIL 3 Free First Sunday Oakland Museum of California Oakland 10:00am – 6:00pm www.museumca.org Wake Up the Farm Ardenwood Historic Farm Fremont 10:30am – 11:00am www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood SFCO Family Concert Oakland Asian Cultural Center Oakland 12:00pm – 1:00pm www.thesfco.org/events/family
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Family Fun Hour Coyote Hills Regional Park Fremont 2:00pm – 3:00pm www.ebparks.org
APRIL 3, 6, 7, 8, & 9 Spring Science Days 2016 Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley 10:00am – 5:00pm www.lawrencehallofscience.org
APRIL 5 - 6
APRIL 13 M.O.M.’s Reading Time Museum on Main Street Pleasanton 10:00am – 11:00am www.museumonmain.org
APRIL 15 & 22 Night Hikes Chabot Space & Science Center Oakland Times Vary www.chabotspace.org/events.htm
LEGO Store Monthly Mini Model Build The Lego Store Pleasanton 5:00pm – 6:00pm www.stores.lego.com
APRIL 15
APRIL 6
Zoovie Night Oakland Zoo Oakland 6:30pm – 9:30pm www.oaklandzoo.org
Oakland Earth Expo Frank Ogawa Plaza Oakland 10:00am – 2:00pm www.oaklandearthexpo.com
APRIL 9 & 16 Galaxy Explorers Information Session Chabot Space & Science Center Oakland 1:00pm – 3:00pm www.chabotspace.org/events.htm
APRIL 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 & 30 Elephant and Piggies We are in a Play Bay Area Children’s Theatre Berkeley Times Vary www.bactheatre.org/shows/ElephantPiggie
APRIL 10 Wake Up The Farm Ardenwood Fremont 10:30am – 11:00am www.apm.activecommunities.com/ ebparks
Tilden Traverse Tilden Regional Park Berkeley 9:00am – 3:00pm www.ebparks.org
APRIL 16 Super Saturdays Valley Children’s Museum Dublin 11:00am – 3:00pm www.valleychildrensmuseum.org $5 Fridays After 5pm Chabot Space & Science Center Oakland 5:00pm – 10:00pm www.chabotspace.org/events.htm Cal Day for Kids UC Berkeley Berkeley 9:00am – 5:00pm www.calday.berkeley.edu Cal Day at the Hall Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley 10:00am – 5:00pm www.lawrencehallofscience.org/ visit/events/cal_day_at_the_hall
[ EVENTS ]
April APRIL 17
APRIL 2
Banana Slug Strings Band Rhythmix Cultural Works Alameda 11:00am www.rhythmix.org
Mini Motorland Martinez Waterfront Amphitheater Martinez 10:00am – 12:00pm www.cityofmartinez.org
Teddy Bear Tea with Friends Oakland Zoo Oakland 9:30am – 12:00pm www.oaklandzoo.org
APRIL 3
APRIL 23
Dads Day Bounce Farm Martinez 11:00am – 2:00pm www.bouncefarmfun.com
APRIL 2 & 30
Brickyard Run Alhambra High School Martinez 8:30am www.cityofmartinez.org
APRIL 15 Free Friday! Lindsay Wildlife Experience Walnut Creek 10:00am – 5:00pm www.lindsaywildlife.org
APRIL 24 Kids Belay Diablo Rock Gym Concord 11:30am – 3:30pm www.touchstoneclimbing.com/ diablorock
I’m A Performer! Malcolm X Elementary Berkeley 10:00am & 11:30am www.berkeleysymphony.org/concerts/im-a-performer-2
Ghost Golf Ghost Golf Concord 11:30am – 8:00pm www.ghostgolfconcord.com
APRIL 24
APRIL 6
APRIL 30
Walnut Creek First Wednesdays Walnut Creek Downtown Walnut Creek 5:00pm – 8:00pm www.walnutcreekdowntown.com
Spring Fling Danville Livery Danville 11:00am – 3:00pm www.danvillelivery.com/events
Chinchilla Roost Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley 1:00pm – 4:00pm www.lawrencehallofscience.org
APRIL 30 2016 Berkeley Emergency Preparedness Fair Civic Center Park Berkeley 10:00am- 2:00pm www.cityofberkeley.info
Contra Costa County APRIL 1 Preschool Performance Series – Comedy Magician Village Theatre Danville 10:00am www.villagetheatreshows.com Cars & Coffee Blackhawk Plaza Danville 8:00am – 10:00am www.shopblackhawkplaza.com/ event
APRIL 7 Free Screening: The Elixir of Love for Families Walnut Creek Library Walnut Creek 4:00pm – 6:00pm www.sfopera.com/ familymovies#sthash.d2j2Ur9T. dpuf
APRIL 9 Textile Makerspace Walnut Creek Library Walnut Creek 2:00pm – 4:45pm www.ccclib.org
Insects & Amphibians Studio Grow Danville Times Vary www.shopblackhawkplaza.com/ event
Out of Area
Email info@activefamilymag.com to subscribe to our weekly email blast for more events!
APRIL 2 Monster Energy Supercross Levi’s Stadium San Jose 6:30pm www.levisstadium.com/events/ event/monster-energy-supercross-2016
APRIL 10 Family Day Sienna Ranch Lafayette 12:00pm – 4:00pm www.siennaranch.net
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 25
[ ACTIVE FAMILY ]
Facetime
with Mother Nature.
The wildlife experience. Up close and personal.
hospital
education
events
encounters
lindsaywildlife.org | walnut creek, ca
Become a Member! First Day Free Exclusive Member Discounts Free Members-Only Events 50% Off Local Attractions And a Great Deal More!
26 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ FASHION ]
MOMMY MAKEOVER GIVEAWAY! Feeling a little run- down? Have you been taking care of everyone but yourself? Time to take care of Mom! In honor of Motherʼs Day in May, ENTER to WIN an amazing makeover & pamper package including:
• Gym & Yoga Membership • Spa Pamper Package • Tanning Services • Hair & Makeup A whole New You! • Shopping Spree • Photo Shoot • Date Night & more! Giveaway launches April 1, 2016 and ends May 31, 2016.
Enter to WIN an amazing makeover at www.activefamilymag.com or www.facebook.com/activefamilymag Winner will be announced in June.
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
Spr i ng Hi kes Bishop Ranch Regional Preserve 2761 Morgan Dr San Ramon, CA 94583 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4505 www.ebparks.org
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness 18012 Bollinger Canyon Rd San Ramon, CA 94583 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4537 www.ebparks.org
Visit Bishop Ranch and see the changing of the seasons. This is a great park to visit when you only have a short time to hike. The black oaks and big leaf maples burst with color during the fall. Climb to the ridge’s top to get a great vista of the San Ramon Valley. This park offers quiet and solitude on 444 acres, just a short distance from San Ramon Valley subdivisions. Watch for animals such as deer, red- tailed hawks and turkey vultures. The climb is steep in the beginning, but the view is well worth it. It is perfect for an early evening nature walk.
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness offers 5,342 acres of wilderness and an expanded trail system that allows hikers and horseback riders to enjoy its remote and rugged areas. The park’s size and terrain allow visitors a feeling of privacy and escape from urban hustle and bustle. Carry plenty of drinking water for yourself, your dog(s), and your horse(s) when visiting the park. No parking fee or dog fee! coyotes, squirrels, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and, if you are lucky, other more reclusive creatures. Briones is an ideal park for hiking, running, and horseback riding over the park’s scenic trails. Parking fee: $3 per vehicle. Dog fee: $2 per dog; Guide/ Service dogs free. Lake Chabot Regional Park 17600 Lake Chabot Road Castro Valley, CA 94546 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4536 www.ebparks.org
Briones Regional Park Alhambra Staging Area 2537 Reliez Valley Road Martinez, CA (888) 327-2757 Option 3, ext. 4508 www.ebparks.org With its rolling, grassy hills and secluded, shady canyons, Briones is a secret wilderness surrounded by the towns of central Contra Costa County. Briones’ 6,255 acres are home to many animals and birds, which forage on the grasslands or find shelter among the oaks and bays. You may see black-tailed deer,
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Lake Chabot offers over 20 miles of hiking trails, which connect to the additional 70 miles of trails in adjoining Anthony Chabot Regional Park. The paved, 3.52-mile West Shore and East Shore trails provide access to the south and east shores of the lake (no equestrians on the East or West Shore Trail). The Lake Chabot bicycle loop covers 12.42 miles via the Live Oak Trail, and 14.41 miles via the Honker Bay Trail. Various trails in Lake Chabot Regional Park provide access to the Skyline National Trail north of the lake in Anthony Chabot Regional Park. All fire roads in the park are open to mountain bikes unless otherwise posted.
Mount Diablo State Park S. Gate Road and Mount Diablo Scenic Blvd Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (925) 837-2525 www.parks.ca.gov With an elevation of 3,849 feet, Mount Diablo is the East Bay’s highest peak. It is surrounded by low, rolling hills and broad, flat valleys; making the view from the Summit remarkable. When conditions are best, you can see almost 200 miles. There are over 150 miles of hiking trails and fire roads within Mount Diablo State Park. Hiking is a great way to explore the park’s backcountry. All visitors are encouraged to bring plenty of water and other fluids as summer temperatures can often exceed 90. Dogs allowed only in developed areas.
[ SEASONAL FUN ] Point Pinole Regional Shoreline 5551 Giant Highway Richmond, CA 94806 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4551 www.ebparks.org The journey is as scenic as the destination at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, a 2,315-acre parkland right next to densely populated Pinole, Richmond, and San Pablo. Trails lead through breezy meadows with wildflowers in season, through aromatic eucalyptus woods, or along bluffs and beaches on San Pablo Bay. Visitors can bird watch, hike, ride their bicycles or horses, or take the park’s shuttle bus for a mile and a half to reach Point Pinole’s 1,250-foot fishing pier. There is a small fee to ride on the shuttle bus. Please note that dogs are not allowed on the shuttle or on the pier. Parking fee: $3. Dog fee: $2 per dog; 3 dogs per person.
Meadow staging area. Parking fee: $5 per vehicle. Dog fee: $2 per dog; no fee charged for guide/service dogs. Sunol Regional Wilderness 1895 Geary Road Sunol, CA 94586 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4559 www.ebparks.org
A hidden redwood forest lies off Redwood Road just a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland. The forest’s peaceful groves give little evidence of the park’s bustling past – in the mid-1800s the area was the scene of extensive logging to supply building materials for the San Francisco Bay Area. The logging era has long since passed, and a stately forest of 150-foot coast redwoods has replaced those cut down. Redwood offers four reservable picnic sites for groups ranging in size from 50 to 150. There is a children’s play structure about one-quarter mile down Stream Trail from the Canyon
have become a happy tradition for generations of East Bay youngsters. From a carousel ride and a picnic to a swim at Lake Anza and a stroll through the Botanic Garden, Tilden has variety to delight everyone. Yet there are plenty of quiet places in Tilden’s 2,079 acres to shelter the wildlife and preserve natural beauty. The park is reached via Canon
If you like to explore, this is the park for you! Alameda Creek, Alameda County’s largest stream, harbors an inviting creekside community of alder, willow and sycamore. Spring brings wildflowers, including California poppies, mustard, goldfields and lupines, which carpet vast areas in yellow, orange and blue. As many as 20 to 40 bird species are often seen in a single morning. This 6,859-acre park offers camping, picnicking, hiking, back-packing and equestrian trail rides attract thousands of park visitors a year. Visitors should bring drinking water because there is no drinking water in the park. Sycamore Grove Park 1051 Wetmore Rd Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 960-2400 www.larpd.org
Redwood Regional Park 7867 Redwood Road Oakland, CA 94619 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4553 www.ebparks.org
system, and its recreational activities
Sycamore Grove has one of the largest stands of native sycamore trees in California. This particular trail leads to the back part of the park. It follows the original wine harvest road that was used to access a gravitation fed grape crusher by the Smith family more than a hundred years ago. You will pass by foundations of the second home site for the Smith family and then climb to the highest point in the park for an expansive view of the valley from Livermore to Mt. Diablo to Danville. The park is home to a variety of wildlife. So, be sure to bring your camera! Parking fee: $7 per vehicle.
Drive, Shasta Road, or South Park Drive, all off Grizzly Peak Boulevard in Berkeley. No parking or dog fee.
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park 5755 McBryde Ave Richmond, CA 94806 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4567 www.ebparks.org Wildcat Canyon Regional Park encompasses 2,427 acres along the Wildcat Creek watershed and the surrounding hills and ridges. The park extends from the Tilden Nature Area above the Berkeley hills in the south to historic Alvarado Park at the north end in Richmond. Wildcat Canyon has 25 miles of trails (mostly fire roads), including 2.5 miles of paved trail on Nimitz Way, and 6 miles of single-track trails in the Tilden Nature Area. There is a children’s playground
Tilden Regional Park 2501 Grizzly Peak Blvd Berkeley, CA 94708 (888) 327-2757 Option 3 extension 4562 www.ebparks.org
in the park, and numerous reserveable
One of the District’s three oldest parks, Tilden has been called the jewel of the
No parking fee. Dogs are allowed only on
and first-come, first-served picnic and barbeque facilities. A walk along Nimitz Way is popular with hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians, and affords spectacular views from the crest of the East Bay hills. select trails and spaces
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 29
[ WOMEN’S HEALTH ]
Darria Long Gillespie, MD MBA, FACEP, is Sharecare’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Strategy, an Emergency Department physician at Northside Hospital, and national spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians. As a board certified emergency physician, Dr. Long Gillespie is a frequent health expert on national TV and has appeared on CNN, CNBC, FoxNews Network, and The Dr. Oz show. In addition, she is a featured blogger on The Huffington Post for “The Busy Woman’s Guide to Health… and Sanity”, DoctorOz.com, and hosts Sharecare Radio on iHeart Radio’s RadioMD, an hourly live radio show and podcast. She also oversees the development of content for Sharecare’s awardwinning app, AskMD, and leads Sharecare’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Council. Dr. Long Gillespie earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, her residency in emergency medicine from Yale University School of Medicine, and her MBA from Harvard Business School. After residency she joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School, where she worked in the ER at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. Dr. Long Gillespie has authored a chapter in the preeminent text of Emergency Medicine, and published and presented research in disciplines including plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery and hospital strategic/financial business development.
30 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
4 Habits To Nix Morning Stress by Dr. Darria Long Gillespie Do your mornings suck? If mornings at your house resemble Filene’s Running of the Brides or Black Friday morning, then it’s time to get a handle on it. The best news is that you can. No matter how crazy our mornings, we can all instill a little sanity -- and create a positive feedback loop for the entire day. Try these tips to make them less madcap: • Smooth the transition. It’s 5:59 a.m. and you’re asleep, your brain bathed in relaxing melatonin, lost in a dream about Adam Levine. Suddenly it’s 6:00 a.m. and GAH! It’s an air raid! It’s your toddler! It’s an air raid of toddlers! Nope, it’s your blaring alarm clock, triggering cortisol to be released and shooting up your heart rate and blood pressure. Try a calmer transition with a lighted wake-up clock (that slowly brightens until it’s time to wake up), an app that awakens you at your lightest sleep, within your set wake-up window, or even a less “alarming” alarm tone. Sadly, none of those bring back Adam Levine. • Decrease the amount you have to think. Make a morning routine that you and your family (with a little luck?) use every day. The brain loves routines. They
[ WOMEN’S HEALTH ] make mundane daily activities less stressful and free us to focus on more important things. Put items you use every morning in the same spot. Make lists for children’s daily “must-do’s.” Prep lunch and gym bags the night before so they’re grab-and-go. The fewer spontaneous decisions you have to make to get out the door, the better. • Get up 10 minutes early for a morning ritual. This is one of the best ways to control the tone of your own day. Go for a quick walk/run. Do yoga. Take five minutes for some self-affirmations such as “When xxx (something concerning you that day) happens, I will be able to handle it with yyy (a successful response).” • Stay out of cell-phone response spiral. You get up. You check email on your phone, see five requests and spend the next 15 minutes responding. Now you’re both late and worried. Try to avoid checking before you get to the office. If you must, respond only to “emergencies.” You’ll save yourself time in the morning and have a better response anyway, once your brain is awake.
925-866-3020 25% discount off Pl acement fees for Active Family readers!
After School Childcare Because after school care isn’t an after thought. Your child’s day isn’t over when the school bell rings. Our after school nannies are active role models for active children. We’ll fit your family’s schedule, interests and lifestyle.
DANVILLE | LAMORINDA
phone 925.550.6738 web collegenannies.com/danvilleca APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 31
[ SUMMER CAMP ]
2016
ZOOCAMP ZooCamp is an exciting week of animal adventure, nature discovery, and fun for children (pre-K through high school)
FIND A
CAMP
Camps run mid-June through mid-August
Registration Opens Mid-March! w w w.o ak l an dzo o.org
All-Outdoor Summer Day Camp Located at the Beautiful Lafayette Reservoir Ages 4-16 • Free Transportation
celebrating
roughingit.com 32 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
44 YEARS
t h a t FITS!
[ SUMMER CAMP GUIDE ]
OUR CAMP CONFORMS TO KIDS. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
“GO WITH THE FLOW” IS OUR MIDDLE NAME. JUST KIDDING, IT’S “AND.”
Instead of a rigid structure, we give our campers choice. Instead of teaching kids the typical way, we give them tools and gentle guidance to help them become autodidacts, people who teach themselves. Kids choose from: stop motion animation, coding, sports in a custom stadium, bread-making, waterslides and much more.
Our policy is as flexible as you need it to be. You can buy a whole summer membership or you can purchase as many day passes as you want. Use the passes whenever. Didn’t use them? No sweat. We’ll give you a full refund for unused passes. And best of all, you don’t even have to tell us when you’re coming. Ta-da. Camp just got easier.
CODING STUDIO
PRE-K THROUGH 7TH
40+ LOCATIONS
STEVEANDKATE.COM
[ SUMMER CAMP ]
Summer Alameda County ALAMEDA Alameda School of Music 1307 High St. 510.769.0195 www.alamusic.org
Camp Bladium 800 West Tower Ave 510.814.4999 www.bladiumalameda.com/ youth-kids/kids-camps
Monkey Business Camp 2880A Sacramento St. 510.540.6025
City of Dublin 100 Civic Plaza 925.833.6650
www.monkeybusinesscamp.com
www.ci.dublin.ca.us
Sticky Art Lab 1682 University Ave. 510.981.1148
Edge Gymnastics Training Center 6780 Sierra Court St. K 925.479.9904
www.stickyartlab.com
www.edge-gymnastics.com
Young Writers Camp Berkeley 510.642.0971 www.bawpwritingcamp.org
Kidz Kraftz 7690 Quail Creek Cir. 925.271.0015 www.kidzkraftz.com/camps
Green Stuff Summer Camp UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens 510.643.4832 www.botanicalgarden.berkeley. edu
Lawrence Hall of Science UC Berkeley 510.642.5134 www.lawrencehallofscience.org
BERKELEY Music Discovery Workshop Crowden Music Center 1475 Rose St. 510.528.1725 www.sfems.org
St. John’s Camp Elmwood 2727 College Ave. 510.845.6830 www.stjohnsberkeley.org/ campelmwood
Camp Kee Tov 1301 Oxford St. 510.848.2372 www.campkeetov.org
Habitot 2065 Kittredge St. 510.647.1111 ext. 14 www.habitot.org/museum/activities_camps.html
Berkeley/Echo Lake Berkeley Echo Lake Camp Lot #7 Echo Lakes Rd 510.981.5140 www.cityofberkeley.info/camps
CASTRO VALLEY Skye Valley Training Camp 10250 Crow Canyon Rd 925.858.8825 www.psi.lunariffic.com/~skyev0/
Sarah’s Science This Land Is Your Land Summer Day Camp 21525 Knoll Way 510.581.3739 www.sarahscience.com
DUBLIN East Bay SPCA Animal Camp 4651 Gleason Dr. 925.230.1301 www.eastbayspca.org/camp
34 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
Tri-Valley YMCA 6693 Sierra Ln 925.263.4444 www.trivalley.ymcaeastbay.org
Extended Day Child Care 7243 Tamarack Dr. 925.833.0127 & 5301 Hibernia Dr. 925.803.4154 & 3300 Antone Way 925.826.5538 www.extendeddaychildcare.com
Quarry Lane School 6363 Tassajara Rd. 925.829.8000 www.quarrylane.org
FREMONT City Beach Kids’ Camp 4020 Technology Pl. 510.651.2500
HAYWARD Hayward Area Recreation Park District (H.A.R.D.) Day Camps 510.881.6700 www.haywardrec.org
LIVERMORE Horizons East Equestrian Center 5111 Doolan Rd. 925.960.9696 www.showstables.com
Camp Arroyo Taylor Family Foundation 5535 Arroyo Rd. 925.371.8401 www.ebparks.org/activities/daycamps/parks_camp_arroyo
Saddle to Ride Topline Training, Inc. 4180 Greenville Rd. 925.858.3933 www.saddle2ride.com
Xtreme Force Dance Company 847 Rincon Ave. 925.455.6054 www.xtremeforcedanceco.com
Double Diamond Sports Academy 2272 Research Dr. 925.830.9765 www.doublediamondsportsacademy.com
www.citybeach.com
Learning Bee Summer Camp 39977 Mission Blvd. 510.226.8408 www.learningbeeusa.com
Ohlone for Kids 43600 Mission Blvd. 510.659.6000 www.ohlone.edu/org/ohloneforkids
Valley Montessori 1273 N. Livermore Ave. 925.455.8021 www.valleymontessorischool.com
OAKLAND Lakeshore Children’s Center 3534 Lakeshore Ave. 510.893.4048 www.lakeshorechildrenscenter. org
[ SUMMER CAMP ]
Camps Urban Adventure Camp 5701 Cabot Dr. 510.339.0676
Extended Day Child Care 5199 Black Ave. 925.846.5519
Contra Costa County
www.urbanadventurecamps.com
www.extendeddaychildcare.com
East Bay SPCA Animal Camp 8323 Baldwin St. 510.569.0702
Quarry Lane School - East 3750 Boulder St. 925.846.9400
Color Bundles 220 A Alamo Plaza 925.727.3137
www.eastbayspca.org/camp
www.quarrylane.org
California Shakespeare Theater Summer Conservatory 4660 Harbord Dr. 510.809.3293 www.calshakes.org/v4/educ/summer_conservatories.html
Oakland Summer ZooCamp 9777 Golf Links Rd. 510.632.9525
Quarry Lane School - West 4444B Black Ave. 925.462.6300 www.quarrylane.org
Yang Fan Academy 4160 Hacienda Dr. St. 100 925.699.4664 www.yfacademy.org
www.oaklandzoo.org
Lake Merritt Boating Center Youth Boating Camps 568 Bellevue Ave. 510.238.2196
City of Pleasanton Summer Programs 200 Old Bernal Ave. 925.931.3436 www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us
www.sailoakland.com
Raskob Learning Institute 3520 Mountain Blvd. 510.436.1275
Expressions Dance & Art 3015 Hopyard Rd. Ste. I 925.200.9908 www.expressions-dance-arts.com/
www.raskobinstitute.org
Kids N’ Dance 3840 Macarthur Blvd. 510.531.4400
Young Ivy Academy 5460 Sunol Blvd (#3) 925.548.0188 www.youngivyacademy.com
www.kidsndance.com
MOCHA Summer Camp 1625 Clay St. 510.465.8770
Inspire Music Academy 2340 Santa Rita Rd. Ste. 7 925.461.3266 www.inspiremusicacademy.com
www.mocha.org
PLEASANTON Gingerbread Preschool 4333 Black Ave. 925.931.3430 www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/services/ recreation/gb/gbhome.html
Play-Well TEKnologies 5737 Valley Ave. 925.484.1547 www.play-well.org
ALAMO
CONCORD City of Concord Parks and Recreation 925.671.3404 www.cityofconcord.org/recreation/ summercamps
www.colorbundles.com
Camp Concord in South Lake Tahoe 1000 Mt. Tallac Trailhead Rd South Lake Tahoe 530.541.1203
ANTIOCH City of Antioch Parks and Recreation 213 “F” St 925.776.7070 www.ci.antioch.ca.us/Recreation
www.ci.concord.ca.us/recreation/ camp
Four Stars Gymnastics Academy 1799 Vineyard Dr. 925.778.8650
Backyard Explorers Corner of Babel Ln & Cowell Rd. 925.671.3404
www.fourstarsgym.com
www.cityofconcord.org/recreation/ summercamps/backyardexp.htm
BRENTWOOD Twin Tigers Martial Arts 700 Harvest Park Drive, Ste. H 925.308.5679 www.twintigersacademy.com
We Care Summer Autism Camp 1925 Risdon Road 925.671.0777 ext. 214 www.wecarechildren.org
City of Brentwood Parks and Recreation 35 Oak Street 925.516.5444
DANVILLE
www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/department/pr/cob_par/parks/home.cfm
Black Diamond Kids Center 2015 Elkins Way 925.516.6619
City of Danville Camps 420 Front St. 925.314.3400 www.danville.ca.gov/Recreation/ Camps
Vision Tech Camps 117 Town & Country Dr. St. B 925.699.9602
www.bdgym.com
www.visiontechcamps.com
The Little Gym 3850 Balfour Rd, Ste. K 925.634.0034 www.thelittlegym.com/BrentwoodCA/Pages/default.aspx
Devil Mountain Summer Camp at Athenian School 2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd 925.837.5375 www.athenian.org
Delta Valley Athletic Club 120 Guthrie Lane 925.240.2990 www.deltavac.com
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 35
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
Summer MORAGA Gaels Summer Camp 1928 St Mary’s Rd. 925.631.4FUN
City of San Ramon Camps 2226 Camino Ramon 925.973.2500 www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us
www.smcgaels.com
Camp Saklan 1678 School St. 925.376.7900 www.saklan.org/about-us/campsaklan
OAKLEY
LAFAYETTE California Shakespeare Theater Summer Conservatory 1000 Upper Happy Valley Rd 510.809.3293 www.calshakes.org/v4/educ/ summer_conservatories.html
Kids N’ Dance 3369 Mt. Diablo 925.284.7388 www.kidsndance.com
Roughing It Day Camp 1010 Oak Hill Rd. 925.283.3795 www.roughingit.com
Sienna Ranch 3232 Deer Hill Rd. 925.283.6311 www.siennaranch.net
Sherman Swim School 1075 Carol Ln. 925.283.2100 www.shermanswim.com
French For Fun 3381 Mt. Diablo Blvd 925.283.9822 www.frenchforfun.com
Lafayette Tennis Club 3125 Camino Diablo 925.937.2582
Merriewood Children’s Center 561 Merriewood Dr. 925.284.2121 www.merriewood.org
Husky House for Kids 3855 Happy Valley Rd. 925.283.7100
Martinez John Muir Mountain Day Camp John Muir National Historic Site 925.229.3857
www.huskyhouseforkids.org/ summer-camp-programs
www.johnmuirassociation.org/ muircamp/index.php
Lafayette Community Center Camps 500 Saint Mary’s Rd. 925.284.2232
Rancho Saguaro 1050 Pereira Rd. 925.372.5867
www.lafayettetennis.com
www.ranchosaguaro.com
www.lafayetterec.org
City of Oakley Parks and Recreation 3231 Main St. 925.625.7044 www.ci.oakley.ca.us
Diamond Hills Sports Club 1510 Neroly Rd. 925.420.4575
www.clubsportsr.com
Quest Therapeutic Camps Stone Valley Middle School 2355 San Ramon Valley Blvd 925.743.2900 www.questcamps.com
WALNUT CREEK Adventure Day Camp Seven Hills School 975 North San Carlos Dr. 925.937.6500 www.adventuredaycamp.com
www.sparetimeclubs.com
ORINDA BandWorks Summer Camp 28 Orinda Way 925.254.2445 www.bandworks.com/summer_ orinda.php
Orinda Academy 19 Altarinda Rd. 925.478.4504 www.orindaacademy.org
PLEASANT HILL City of Pleasant Hill Camps 147 Gregory Ln 925.682.0896 www.pleasanthillrec.com
PITTSBURG City of Pittsburg Parks and Recreation 300 Presido Ln. 925.252.4842 www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us
SAN RAMON Adventure Day Camp One Annabel Lane Doris Eaton School 925.937.6500 www.adventuredaycamp.com
36 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
ClubSport San Ramon 350 Bollinger Canyon Lane 925.735.8500
Lindsay Wildlife Museum Summer Science Camp 1931 First Ave. 925.935.1978 www.wildlife-museum.org
Camp ARF for Kids 2890 Mitchell Dr. 925.256.1273 www.youth.arf.net
Gino’s Summer Soccer Camp 2374 Westcliffe Ln. 925.937.4466 www.ginossocceracademy.com
City of Walnut Creek Summer Camps 1666 North Main St. 925.943.5899 www.walnut-creek.org
Multiple Locations The Growing Room Academy Various locations around the Bay Offers: 3,4 and 5 Day Camps 925.837.4392 www.thegrowingroom.org
[ SEASONAL FUN ]
Camps Camp Rocks: Girl Scouts of Northern California Offered at 5 locations: San Rafael (Camp Bothin), Santa Cruz (Skylark Ranch), San Jose (Camp Metro Day Camp), North Lake Tahoe (Deer Lake), and the Sierra Nevada Mountains (Sugar Pine) 800.447.4475 ext. 2091 www.camprocks.org
Mad Science Camp Offered at several local Recreation sites and Community Centers 925.687.1900 www.mtdiablo.madscience.org
Steve and Kate’s Camp Danville, Dublin, Fremont, Oakland, Walnut Creek and Berkeley 415.389.5437 www.steveandkatescamp.com
Camp Galileo Alameda, Danville, Berkeley, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Fremont, Oakland and Lafayette 510.595.7293
Stratford School Summer Sports Camp & Enrichment Danville, Fremont, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill and Pleasanton 925.737.0001 www.stratfordschools.com
Sky hawk’s Sports Camp Various locations around the Bay Area 800.804.3509 www.skyhawks.com
Lango Language Summer Camps Serving Alamo, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Briones, Canyon, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, Walnut Creek and surrounding regions 888.445.2646 www.langokids.com/parent/kidslanguage-summer-camps
Club Sport Fremont, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and San Jose 925.938.8700
www.galileo-learning.com
www.clubsports.com
KinderCare Walnut Creek, Concord, Danville, Martinez and Clayton 888.523.6765
Camp Edmo Alameda, Fremont, and Oakland 415.282.6673
www.kindercare.com/summercamp
www.campedmo.org
Viva el Espanol! Lafayette, Piedmont & San Anselmo 925.962.9177 www.vivaelespanol.org/summerprograms.php
Kids’ Carpentry Berkeley, Lafayette, Alameda, Oakland, Alamo & Walnut Creek 510.524.9232 www.kidscarpentry.com
TechKnowHow Kids Dublin, Berkeley, Fremont, Livermore, Oakland & Pleasanton 650.638.0500 www.techknowhowkids.com
Out of Area Golden Arrow Camps 644 Pollasky Avenue, Ste. 100 Clovis, 93612 800.554.CAMP
Almaden Equestrian Center 20100 Almaden Rd. San Jose 408.927.0232
www.goldarrowcamp.com
www.almadenequestriancenter.net
Coppercreek Camp 1887 Williams Valley Rd. Greenville, 95947 800.350.0006
Silver Creek Sportsplex 800 Embedded Way San Jose 408.224.8774
www.coppercreek.com
www.gotoplex.com
Camp Unalayee 3921 East Bayshore Rd. Palo Alto 650.969.6313
College For Kids 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd. San Mateo 650.574.6149
www.unalayee-summer-camp.com
www.collegeforkids-smccd.com
CYO Summer Camp 2136 Bohemian Hwy Occidental, 95465 707.874.0200
School of Rock Summer Camp 711 South B St. San Mateo, San Jose & Palo Alto 650.347.3474
www.camp.cccyo.org
Mountain Camp Woodside 302 Portola Rd. Portola Valley 650.576.2267 www.mountaincampwoodside.com
Kennolyn Camps 8205 Glen Haven Rd. Soquel 831.479.6714 www.kennolyncamps.com
Camp Tawonga 131 Steuart Ste. 460 San Francisco 415.543.2267 www.tawonga.org
SF Zoo Camp Sloat Blvd. & the Great Highway San Francisco 415.753.7080 www.sfzoo.org
www.schoolofrock.com
Bay Area Discovery Museum Fort Baker 557 McReynolds Road Sausalito, CA 94965 415.339-3900 www.baykidsmuseum.org
Young Actors Theatre Camp 855.462.9282 www.campyatc.com
APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 37
[ SUMMER CAMP GUIDE ]
A traditional summer camp experience
925.937.6500
38 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
•
Adventuredaycamp.com
[ SUMMER CAMP ]
SUMMER
DISCOVERY CAMPS
Spanish Immersion Classes & Camps
May 31 – August 26
Engaging curriculum uses
With themes like Fort Building, Art Attack and Outdoor Explorers, children ages 3 – 10 will love spending the summer at our weeklong Discovery Camps. We even have a Junior Counselor program for ages 9 – 16!
music, art & games
Experienced, dynamic teachers Ages toddlers to teens Small class sizes
r Join us fo g, in story tell mes a g , music, art F UN f & TONS o l! año p s e - in 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
Registration begins February 16 BayKidsMuseum.org/camps
Adventure and Learning Await!
June 13 – August 10
SUMMER CAMP 2016 at The Growing Room
Learn all summer long with weekly themes, special events, competitions and enrichment classes such as Robotics, 3D Printing, Sports, Fitness, Chess, and Art!
Grades K-5
Register Early
thegrowingroom.org/camps Weekly Adventure field trips include destinations such as: CA Academy of Sciences, Lost Worlds Adventures, Movies & Bowling, City Beach, CuriOdyssey, Oakland A's Game, Cafe Art & Chili's, Rockin' Jump and the Community Pools and Parks
Academy | Live Oak| Tassajara Hills | Hidden Hills | Neil Armstrong APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 39
[ SUMMER CAMP ]
SPEND SUMMER BOLD WITH 12+ INSPIRING MAJORS ENTERING 5TH – 8TH GRADES
Dive deep into something that inspires you. From go-kart building to mod design to photography, every week is a new opportunity to make something amazing.
SPEND SUMMER FEARLESS WITH HANDS-ON INNOVATION PRE-K – ENTERING 5TH GRADES
Audacious art, science and outdoor activities. Lasting innovation skills. All wrapped in four fresh, whimsical weekly themes designed to ignite imaginations.
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE $50
Use Promo code 2016ACTIVEMAG GALILEO-CAMPS.COM OR 1-800-854-3684
40 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
INNOVATION CAMPS FOR KIDS
[ SUMMER CAMP ]
Camp Spotlight to give children a unique opportunity to learn or improve their Spanish language skills. They consist of oneweek sessions. During each week, students participate in interactive games, music and movement activities, and arts & crafts projects that center around a specific theme.
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 13th – August 10th 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: www.thegrowingroom.org 925.820.5808
VIVA EL ESPANOL Summer 2016 we will be offering age-appropriate Spanish immersion programs for: Elementary school students and teens. Spanish immersion day camps are designed 42 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
To register: www.vivaelespanol.org 925.962.9177
BAY AREA DISCOVERY MUSEUM Discovery Camps provide childdirected, inquiry driven learning through project-based, hands-on activities designed to intentionally boost creativity, STEM skills and critical thinking. Children come away with the skills and tools to support lifelong discoveries. To register: www.baykidsmuseum.org 415.339.3931
ADVENTURE DAY CAMP Adventure Day Camp is a traditional summer day camp that offers a welcoming, lively, safe, positive, and diverse environment where children gain confidence and build self-esteem while enjoying a funfilled 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. To register: www.adventuredaycamp.com 925.937.6500
HORIZONS EAST EQUESTRIAN CENTER Campers at Horizons East will enjoy riding lessons, lectures, crafts, and demonstrations each day. If you have a “horse-crazy” child at home beginner or expert, this is the place for them! To register: www.showstables.com 925.960. 9696
[ SUMMER 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
............................................. Ask for:
Samantha Lazone & Barbara EnDean •
5111 Dolan Rd, Livermore CA 94551
www.showstables.com
“Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.” –Linus Pauling CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS Still Enrolling All Grades! Call us today to schedule a Campus Tour! Preschool - 12th Grade | 7500 Inspiration Drive | Dublin, CA 94568 | ValleyChristianSchools.org Contact Daly Johnson | Director of Admissions | (925) 560-6262 or dmjohnson@valleychristianschools.org APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 43
[ PARENTING ]
Ann Woods, Owner and Director of Roughing It Day Camp since 1972. Ann founded Roughing It in 1972 with her husband, Hobie and together they serve as Camp Directors. Roughing It celebrates its 44th year this summer and offers camp programs for children from 4-16 years old. Roughing It is an all outdoor tranditional Summer Day Camp located at the Lafayette Reservoir. Each summer continues a proud tradition of helping children grow in wonderful ways. Roughing It offers free transportation to and from camp each day with 36 bus stops across the Tri Valley, Contra Costa, East Bay and San Francisco communities. For more information go to www.roughingit.com
Spending Time Outdoors Makes Kids Smarter: 3 Facts, 1 Conclusion
by Ann Woods, Roughing It Day Camp Every parent wishes for their child to succeed in school and this “success” for many families is heavily influenced by academics first. Doing well in school, getting good grades, enrolling in advanced courses, continually acquiring more knowledge and being “smart” is often top priority for parents and therefore the focus for their children. What if we told you that giving your children a break from academics and allowing them time outdoors would actually make them smarter? “A growing body of research suggests that outdoor play offers such a positive bump in brain power, it should perhaps be a priority.” Physical Health Improves Mental Health and “Working Memory” Children typically get most of their physical activity through playing outdoors.
44 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
[ PARENTING ] We know physical activity improves physical health but we are also learning more about how physical activity improves mental health as well. Researchers have shared a number of studies showing physical activity results in improved mood, increased self esteem, improved vision and motor development, and many other benefits. Physical activity also has a connection to improved sleep and a positive impact on “working memory and increase cognitive processing and performace.” The American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of recess and other physical activity for kids: “Recess serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated, academic challenges in the classroom… safe and well-supervised recess offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits.” The Academy points out that exercise actually aids learning and academic success. Daily periods of outdoor play and exercise enables kids to improve their concentration in the classroom and be more productive. Active Play Improves Critical Thinking Active play and unstructured physical activity that takes place in nature gives children more choices for creative play and problem solving. Whether playing alone or with other children, outdoor play also introduces opportunities to problem solve, resolve conflicts and enhance critical thinking. Dr. Barrett Fromme, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago, states: “The business world repeatedly lauds the corporate culture of companies like Google who offer opportunities for play and community collaboration, and suggests that
we do see research to support this observation. In this technologically inclined generation, emphasis and
such culture is the reason for the success and happiness
interest in nature has greatly diminished from times past.
of its employees. Yet, we do not encourage the same
Laurel Latham, a local author and writer at frogmom.
culture in our children who are at a far more critical
com may have said it best when she said “Today’s kids
developmental period.” Playing outdoor games and
are much more at ease in front of an iPad than in front of
team games has obvious social benefits.
a pile of sticks and we know that connecting to nature is important – it’s been studied enough… Playing outside
Playing Outdoors Increases Attention Span
is good for our kids’ health but it’s also good for our kids’
Experts encourage playing outdoors to improve focus
brains.”
and attention in children noting one school of thought that highlights this affect, “the attention restoration
Traditional outdoor summer camps can be the ideal
theory: If you want to gain strength by lifting weights, you
opportunity for children to unplug from technology, take
need to take a break between sessions for your muscles
a step away from school academics and capitalize on
to recover; nature provides a similar break in attention
the benefits nature and active unstructured play can
for your brain.” Parents and experts alike often claim that
have on their brains and long term education and future
children behave and perform better after exercise and
success. APRIL 2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 45
[ ACTIVE FAMILY ] NOW SERVING BRUNCH
Sat. & Sun 9:00am - 2:30 pm
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Great for a casual “Date Night”
· · · · · ·
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46 ACTIVE FAMIL Y | APRIL 2016
Call Today 925-819-0266
centurylandscape55@hotmail.com
®
Preschool
Education is a Lifelong Commitment
®
Discover Quarry Lane
OPEN HOUSE
Every Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Learn more and Register at: www.QuarryLane.org/Preschool Toddler, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Academic-Based Curriculum Nurturing, Safe Learning Environment Passionate, Experienced Educators PLEASANTON WEST CAMPUS Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten 4444B Black Ave., Pleasanton, CA
925.462.6300
Full and Half Day Schedules Handwriting Without Tears Computer, Spanish, Music, P.E., and Library Two Preschool Campuses in Pleasanton
PLEASANTON EAST CAMPUS Infant through Pre-Kindergarten 3750 Boulder St., Pleasanton, CA
925.846.9400
CA Licenses: 013411303, 013411304, 013411305, 013417681 APRIL
2016 | ACTIVE FAMIL Y 47
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Offices in San Jose, San Ramon and San Francisco to serve you.