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SEPTEMBER 2014
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Tiffany Arnold, Anna Joyce Anna Joyce Karen Finucan Clarkson Katherine Heerbrandt Arlene Karidis Kate McDermott Dennis Wilston Anna Joyce Ellen Pankake Ashby Rice
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Our Children is produced by The Gazette’s Special Sections and Advertising departments. It does not involve The Gazette’s newsrooms. Contact us at specialsections@gazette.net. ON THE COVER: ISTOCKPHOTO/ WOJCIECH_GAJDA 1934716
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Our Children | September 2014
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DULY NOTED
DANCING: ISTOCKPHOTO/JAY BRYSON; MENTAL DISORDERS: ISTOCKPHOTO/MRPANTS; TEEN DRIVERS: CREATAS/THINKSTOCK; BABY TV: ISTOCKPHOTO/KOLOSM; ALARM: BURKE/TRIOLO PRODUCTIONS/STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK; BABY SLEEPING: ISTOCKPHOTO/LOSTINBIDS SOURCES: MENTAL DISORDERS & VACCINES: CDC; TV & SLEEP MACHINES: AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS; TEEN DRIVERS, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER; BIRTH WEIGHT & SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME: MEDLINEPLUS
Dance Party! Dance has many benefits, especially for children—both girls and boys—as they grow in body, mind and spirit. “The most obvious benefit of dance, as itt relates to health, is exercise, which promotes strong, flexible muscles and good posthose] to the maturing ture. But dance has many benefits beyond [those] irector at Metropolitan child,” said Elizabeth Odell Catlett, artistic director Ballet Theatre & Academy in Gaithersburg. “Dancers are trained to be respectful, timely and team players as they often share the same stage and work together,” Catlett said. Marcia Howard, senior faculty of dance education at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, also sees dance as a catalyst for creative thinking and learning, as well as a way to reach out to others. “It is a way to express ideas, tell stories, deepen social bonds and make spiritual con-nections,” she said. hilHoward encourages parents to get their chilol and dren involved in dance both as a learning tool to nurture the parent-child relationship. She urges parents to turn on the music and start dancing with their kids. eading, math and sci“Dance can be a fun, new approach to reading, ence taught in school,” she said. “And it is a great way to bond with your children.” - ARLENE KARIDIS
As many as 1 out of 5 children experiences a mental disorder in any given year, and an estimated $247 billion is spent on treatment and management. Sevenand-a-half percent of youths between 6 and 17 used prescribed medication during the past 6 months for emotional or behavioral difficulties.
Vaccination coverage increased or remained stable for all routinely recommended childhood vaccines in 2013. The percentage of children who received no vaccines remained low, at less than 1 percent.
Teen drivers appear to be more distracted by loud conversations and horseplay than by mobile phones.
Good nights
A low birth weight is less than 5.5 pounds. A high birth weight is more than 8.8 pounds. Shaken baby syndrome can occur in as few as 5 seconds of shaking. Injuries usually happen in children younger than 2, but may be seen in those up to age 5.
A National Sleep Foundation poll found 59 percent of sixth through eighth graders and 87 percent of high school students in the U.S. were getting less than the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep on school nights. While there are multiple and complex reasons for youth sleep deprivation, the American Academy of Pediatrics said evidence strongly suggests that a too-early start to the school day is a critical contributor. The biological sleep rhythms of adolescents begin to shift up to two hours later at the start of puberty, so getting enough sleep each night can be difficult for teens whose natural sleep cycles make it difficult for them to nod off before 11 p.m. In a policy statement last month, the academy recommended middle and high schools delay the start of class until at least 8:30 a.m.
Is TV Making Your Baby Cranky? Infants and toddlers whom parents characterized as most fussy and having other self-regulation difficulties also had the most media exposure, according to a recent study. It was unclear whether the children’s use of media developed in response to their fussiness, or if media contributed to the self-regulation difficulties, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Sleep machines used to mask noise and provide ambient sound to soothe an infant during sleep can also contribute to babies’ hearing loss. A study published in the journal “Pediatrics” determined that regular exposure to white noise through an infant sleep machine on a nightly basis can affect hearing, speech and language development. To protect an infant’s hearing, the machine should be at least 6 1/2 feet from the child, experts said.
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THE LIST
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PLACES TO BUY KIDS’ CLOTHES & TOYS ON CONSIGNMENT BY ARLENE KARIDIS
AS
FAST AS CHILDREN GROW into their clothes, they
grow out of them. Even toys and books are age appropriate for a short time. If you’re on a budget and also want quality, almost-new toys, clothes and gear for your little ones, you’ll find what you’re looking for at many local kids’ consignment and thrift shops.
1. The Growing Years
10303 Kensington Parkway Kensington 301-933-1152 www.growing-years.net
2. Kensington Caboose
THIS SHOP CARRIES next-to-new-looking clothes from infant sizes through a children’s size 10, as well as maternity clothes. It often has a selection of higher-end brands such as Mini Boden and Lilly Pulitzer. But you will also find quality names in basic lines including the Gap, Old Navy and Gymboree. Kensington Caboose also carries unique handcrafted items, including toys, painted book shelves and clothing trees. “Shopping in consignment stores is a great way to go because you get a broad range of styles in what you would
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THIS CHILDREN’S CONSIGNMENT boutique specializes in gently worn clothing for infants through preteens. The store also carries maternity wear, as well as merchandise other than clothes. Shoppers will find good old-fashioned names in everyday wear, like Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh and Gap. But The Growing Years also carries unique and dressy designer lines, including a fair selection of smock dresses from Europe. You are also likely to find toddler beds, high chairs, car seats, stationary play centers and jogging strollers, as well as children’s books, CDs and DVDs. Brand new items include hair accessories, American Girl outfits and unique gift ideas, such as seasonal holiday items and charm bracelets. Shoppers can also buy gift cards. “Consignment shops have gotten so popular that they are actually considered cool now,” said Growing Years owner Sandra Lucas. “Kids don’t seem to mind that the clothes and toys are not brand new, and parents love that they can buy used items in good condition for much less than new.”
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Kensington Caboose
10508 Connecticut Ave. Kensington 301-929-0178 kensingtoncaboose.com
3. Kid to Kid
THIS STORE , WHICH SPANS more than 5,000-square-feet, carries a diverse selection of children’s shoes, toys and equipment for newborns to 14-year-olds. The selection includes play and dress clothes, children’s toy furniture, as well as bicycles, computer games and traditional board games. Owner Leily Kiani encourages people to come in to both buy and sell and offers plenty of advice. “For sellers, don’t wait too long to sell your kids’ things. We only buy items that were new within the last four to five years,” she said. “Popular merchandise, especially at Kid to Kid, are large items like play kitchens and outdoor toys.” Kiani said shopping at resale or consignment stores has benefits beyond monetary savings. “... It’s also a very green way of living. And it brings styles from so many different designers and stores to one place,” she said. Product safety should always be considered by consumers, including when
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they buy used items. While she herself tries to stay on top of recalled items, she suggests parents do their diligence as well by checking www.cpsc.gov for recalled items and other product safety information.
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find in department stores, boutiques and other crafty, unique shops,” said Joyce Casso, owner of Kensington Caboose. She advises shoppers to come in with an open mind rather than set on a very specific item. “You might have a hard time finding a size 5 red top with a purple giraffe on it. But if you sift through our racks, then you might find something else that works for you—maybe a red cotton tunic with a glittery heart and ruffles around the collar and cuffs,” said Casso.
Olney Village Center • 18312 Village Center Drive
301-774-4995
11711 C Parklawn Drive Rockville 240-242-3345 kidtokid.com/Rockville
4. Wiggle Room
A MATERNITY AND CHILDREN’S consignment boutique, Wiggle Room has a large selection of brand names, with the children’s items in newborn sizes to size 14/16. The shop also sells strollers, baby carriers, bouncy seats, high chairs and nursery accessories, as well as quality, durable toys. “My advice is, if it has had a good round with another child or children, and has lasted, it is likely something we would sell,” said Nicole Adenauer, co-owner of Wiggle Room. “I also tell people that shopping in a consignment or resale store is the best way they can recycle,” she said. Wiggle Room’s largest and most diverse clothing selection is in sizes from newborn to 9 months and includes basics like onesies and layette outfits. See CONSIGNMENT, 19
TOUR DAY: Wed. 9:30 am “The greatest testament to a school is that your child wakes up and CAN’T WAIT to get there” -Parent of an 8th grader
1300 FOREST GLEN ROAD SILVER SPRING, MD 20901
301-244-3600
Serving bright college bound students with language-based learning differences in grades 4-12. 1932745
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Our Children | September 2014
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Baby’s sounds usually turn into recognizable [if not accurate] words between 7 and 12 months.
LITTLE ONES
Speak
to your babies and they’ll speak back BY KATHERINE HEERBRANDT
W
hen your children are teenagers, it’s difficult to remember the days when their first words were cause for celebration. But along with taking first steps, parents rank learning to talk sky-high on the child achievement scale and anxiously await that magical day when their progeny gurgle out “mama” or “dada.” Children begin babbling and repeating sounds like “ba-ba” or “da-da” at around 6 months, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Those sounds turn into recognizable words between 7 and 12 months, and by age 2, children are forming two- to four-word sentences. At this stage, according to language development research, most children know between 75 and 225 words. At minimum, even late talkers should understand about 25 words, according to researchers at the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College in Pa. The institute even published a list of 25 words all toddlers should know that are most useful in their language development process. Some of the basic words include: baby, mommy, milk, juice, nose, shoe and cookie. Parents can improve their toddler’s progress and vocabulary by beginning when the child is still in the womb. “Singing songs before the baby is born is important to language development; babies can hear things in utero, like your heartbeat and other sounds, and get used to your voice” said Tamara Halle, with research firm Child Trends in Bethesda.
Halle is a senior research scientist and co-director of early childhood development. Singing, she said, is a rhythmic and repetitive way to introduce speech. Language and music have “developmental windows of opportunity,” particularly in the early years, according to Gail Multop, an early childhood development instructor for Northern Virginia Community College, who earned an undergraduate degree in music. “During the babble stage for language, the music babble stage is also happening. You can hear babies experimenting with tonal patterns,” she said. Apparently, a nightly dose of pregnant karaoke will entice your child into forming words sooner than the infant who floats around in an amniotic bubble of peace and quiet. From birth, babies begin forming the building blocks of communication and language by experimenting with sounds and expressions, Halle said, and parents need to be responsive to those experimentations. For example, when the baby is babbling away and hits on something that resembles a real word, parents can teach the child by repeating the word and pointing out an example or depiction. As part of their daily routine, parents should verbally label everything they see in their environment and narrate what they are doing, said Lisa Bull, a speech pathologist for nearly 15 years. Bull now works at Achieve Beyond in Fairfax, Va., which offers pediatric therapy services. When encouraging speech, parents should also be face-to-face with their little ones whenever possible. “Getting
down on your toddler’s level to make eye ye contact lets the child know you ou are interested in what they have ave to say and helps them see your ur mouth and lips move,” Bull said. d. Kneeling ling down to interact face-to-face face also serves to extend the time me parents and children spend together. Making time for listening ening and speaking will make a difference in how quickly your child learns to talk. Part of that critical exchange ge involves asking your child hild questions about what’s happening ni around d him. hi “When you ask, make sure you wait for him to respond,” Bull said. “Taking turns facilitates conversation.” Multop recommended a Reading Rockets podcast, From Babbling to Books, but agreed with Bull that the single most important thing parents can do to help children talk is to talk to them—about anything and everything. So what about that annoying baby talk voice some of us inadvertently lapse into when speaking with a child? Does that bother the kid as much as it does grown-ups within earshot? According to Bull, speaking with a singsongy intonation is an “extremely” effective way to inspire talking. Just be sure to use the correct pronunciation of words. Imitating the sounds babies make is also helpful in pulling them into a conversation, she said.
By age 2, most kids know between 75 and 225 words. Even late talkers should understand about 25. Some of the basics:
• Baby • Mommy • Milk • Juice • Nose • Shoe • Cookie
See SPEECH, 18 SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GAZETTE
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THE WONDER YEARS
Give How to Teach Kids to
BY KATE MCDERMOTT
IN
a day and age when young people are bombarded with selfies, social media bullying and images of celebrities spending millions of dollars on luxuries that range from sunglasses to plastic surgery, how can parents instill in their children the importance of being charitable and helping those less fortunate? The old adage said that children learn what they live. And there is no shortage of evidence that reveals that children who live in homes where philanthropy is a family value are much more likely to be charitable adults. A 2013 study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy found that focused, intentional teaching by talking to children about charity works. Experts in the field of philanthropy point out that children can be taught to give at a very early age. “I think even young kids have something to give, even if that is shoveling the driveway for a neighbor,” said Hope Burness Gleicher, director of Nonprofit Montgomery, an organization that serves as an information resource and advocate for Montgomery County’s nonprofit sector. “It just needs to be developmentally appropriate. It’s really about practicing what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.” That means a child as young as 4 or 5 can help their parents pick out a box of cereal at the grocery store to donate to the local food bank. Children in elementary and middle school can
begin to identify with causes that speak to them, whether that be volunteering at the local animal shelter or raising money for a sick classmate. And in spite of the self-absorption that is a hallmark of adolescence, high schoolers often begin to look at the bigger picture of the world they live in, which can mean greater involvement in efforts such as campaigns to end hunger or mission trips to less-developed nations. But as any member of the more than 5,500 nonprofits in Montgomery County can attest, children don’t have to search far to find people in need—chances someone in their own school or on their soccer team could use a helping hand. “Kids today are growing up with geographic, cultural and economic gaps that can really leave them isolated—even in their own communities,” said C. Marie Henderson, director of the Community Foundation for Montgomery County. Henderson said parents should be really persistent at helping children learn to appreciate others. One of the ways the Community Foundation helps do that is through youth giving circles. Small groups of children meet with foundation staff to learn more about the needs in the community and what opportunities there may be for them to help. Their parents then make tax-deductible contributions to the giving circle fund that the children will eventually be responsible for allocating. “Giving circles really teach kids to give outside of themselves,” Henderson said. Mary Pat Alcus of Potomac couldn’t agree more. She had her first exposure
to the concept when she participated in a mother-daughter giving circle when her now-teenage daughter was in the sixth grade. “They don’t talk to the parents. They talk to the kids—in a kid-friendly way—to educate them about the needs in the community. Then they ask the kids what they are passionate about,” she said. “Even as children, they are as able to identify the key issues as adults [would]. They might do it in their own words, but they are not blind to the needs of their neighbors. They are aware that people are hurting.” After discussing the kinds of issues that resonate with them, Community Foundation staff arranges site visits to nonprofits around the county that work in those areas. During these visits, the kids not only get a closer look at these organizations, but they also get to interact with the people who benefit from their services. Alcus recalls her son’s site visit to an early childhood learning center and the opportunity he later had to bring a check from his giving circle to the staff there. “They asked him if he’d
• Encourage charity while your children are young. Studies show that those who do not give philanthropically as youngsters are less likely to do so as they age.
• Help your children find ways to contrib-
ute their time, talents and resources by discussing causes that interest them (e.g., animals, the environment, hunger)
• Encourage them to invite friends to join them to make the effort a social and fun undertaking.
• Remember that those who contribute
money are often the same people who volunteer.
See GIVE, 18
“Even young kids have something to give, even if that is shoveling the driveway for a neighbor.”
• Whenever possible, reinforce their generosity by letting them see its impact on real people or places.
• Include charitable giving as part of the
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equation when talking about allowances, savings and other forms of income.
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extra credit
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Our Children | September 2014
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ISTOCKPHOTO/ EVA-KATALIN
“They can be too focused on computers or the TV ... .Kids might need help if they have trouble blocking things out.”
TWEENS & TEENS
Pepper tree
Tutors
Children’s Center *Where Every Child Shines!*
Educating Montgomery County Children Since 1982 • Infant & Toddler Program
How to know when a student needs help, and how to get it
• Two Year Old Program • Full Day Preschool Program • Universal Preschool Program
BY SCOTT HARRIS
IT
was clear Evelyn Voorhees needed some extra help. Her grades were solid but showing signs of decline. Her mother, Melissa Voorhees, noticed her daughter might need more assistance. “Her reading and writing scores were slowing slipping,” said Voorhees, a Kensington resident, of her then-9-year-old daughter. “She showed little interest in reading books on her own and really disliked writing exercises. Her spelling was so poor that at times it was difficult to understand what she had written.” Before the problem could get any worse, Voorhees enlisted the help of a tutor. After a year, her daughter Evelyn had experienced a big turnaround. “Her reading and writing skills have improved considerably,” Voorhees said over the summer. “She has become a voracious reader and is much more confident academically. She still has work to do, particularly as she prepares to enter middle school this fall, but with the help of tutoring, she now has a much stronger foundation for success.” Tutors and tutoring are common in all states and school districts, and there are many options, including private tutors and tutoring agencies. How can parents know when it might be time to engage a tutor? Grades are the clear bellwether of a child’s learning levels, but there can be other signs. “If a kid seems to be distracted by everything, that can be a problem,” said Ellen Cleaves, tutoring supervisor at The Treatment and Learning Centers, a tutoring agency based in Rockville. “They can be too focused on computers or the TV and not enough on their work. Kids might need help if they have trouble blocking things out.”
As a first step, consider consulting a doctor to determine whether the child might have a learning disability or other condition, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, affecting his or her ability to learn or focus. If tutoring still appears to be a viable option, it becomes a parent’s turn to do some homework. “You have to make sure all the personalities mesh,” said Kristen Bryant, a teacher and part-time tutor in Fairfax, Va. “So part of it is just shopping around.” Talking with teachers is another essential part of the process. In addition to offering feedback on the student, they may be able to recommend tutors or point parents toward helpful resources. They can also help parents identify root causes of any academic challenges, which in turn can inform decisions on the kind of tutor to select. “Parents should figure out first what they’re looking for,” Cleaves said. “Is it homework support, or do you need to figure out a larger strategy?” Websites and message boards can be helpful during the research phase. Fairfax and Montgomery counties both have online lists of accredited local tutors. After identifying potential candidates, check references and credentials, and contact the tutor to learn more. Older students can get involved in the interview process, as well, if they wish. The goal should be to discuss not only the tutor’s credentials or approach
• Before and After School Program (Serves McAullife, Waters Landing, Lake Seneca, and McNair Elementary Schools)
12900 Middlebrook Road Germantown, MD
301-540-1170 1932186
See TUTORS, 19
As a starting point, visit montgomeryschoolsmd. org and search “tutor.”
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to sha re or not to sha re?
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“Most parents don’t disclose their personal sexual history to a child ... . You do not have to tell everything about your past.”
TEENS
Having the [Other]
Talk
What to tell teens about your own youthful alcohol and drug use
‘‘
BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
It’s a natural question,” said Beth Kane Davidson, director of Suburban Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center in Rockville. “Kids are curious and they’re going to ask, ‘What did you do when you were a teen?” Parents who drank or got high in their youth may struggle with their responses, particularly given that recent findings published in the journal Human Communication Research suggest that sharing details about one’s past usage makes kids less inclined to adopt an antidrug stance. It is the mixed message parents might inadvertently send when talking about prior substance use that is problematic. “If mom or dad drank or did weed and is now successful, with a nice house and everything, what will the child think?” said Robert Roth, coordinator of adolescent services at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney. “Unless parents can put a negative spin on their experience, it will probably work against them.” Parents should be open, but “that does not necessarily mean they need to disclose their own use,” said Elizabeth Hinkle, program manager of clinical programs at Inova Kellar Center in Fairfax, Va. “The focus should be on the child, not the parent …. This is not a time to share, be a friend, or confide.” Keeping details of past indiscretions private is not without precedent. “Most parents don’t disclose their personal sexual history to a child …. As a marriage and family therapist, I think boundaries are important. You do not have to tell everything about your past,” she said.
SO, SHOULD PARENTS LIE? Many experts, as well as the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, recommend against it. That said, parents can be honest without going into detail. “Honesty is overrated,” said Marc Emden, a Rockville trial lawyer who has represented teens in cases involving drugs and alcohol. He is also a parent of two, including a high school student. That’s not to say Emden would lie. “If pushed, I would answer truthfully, but I’m not getting into how often and what it was like …. What I’d say is, ‘I’m glad you brought this up,’” and move the conversation in a more productive direction. “I recommend limited information,” said Davidson. “Acknowledge it, and then say, ‘This is what I would do differently given what I know now and why I am going to do everything I can to help you navigate the social scene …. Then move into educating them about how things are different today.” “TODAY’S MARIJUANA IS NOT your mother’s marijuana,” said Roth. “If you smoked in the ’60s or ’70s, the potency was around 3 or 4 percent. Now it’s up to 90 percent potency.” That’s not to excuse a parent’s previous drug use but to highlight how much more intoxicating weed is today. It’s important for parents to bone up on current research and laws pertaining to underage drinking and illegal
“The focus should be on the child, not the parent ... .This is not a time to share, be a friend or confide.”
“If you smoked [marijuana] in the ’60s or ’70s, the potency was around 3 or 4 percent. Now it’s up to 90 percent potency.”
drug use, experts agreed. “The more fluent parents are with the facts and dangers of alcohol and drug use, the more comfortable they will be with their stance,” said Davidson. “It’s hard to hold steady if you’re really not sure of the direct consequences and impacts.” When it comes to consequences—at least the legal sort—“chances are your kid is up on this stuff,” said Emden. Parents who aren’t risk losing credibility. He points to legislation, recently signed by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, that makes possession of 10 grams or fewer of marijuana a civil, rather than a criminal, offense beginning Oct. 1. In anticipation of this decriminalization, cases are being dropped in exchange for payment of a $100 fine, he said. When it comes to the physical consequences of drug and alcohol use, the knowledge base continues to grow, said Davidson. When today’s parents were teens, scientists thought the brain reached maturity around age 18. It turns out that the brain continues to develop into early adulthood or one’s mid-20s, making it more vulnerable to permanent damage from alcohol and drugs. Sharing these legal and biological consequences with children is not a one-shot deal, experts said. “A lot of parents take the approach that it is a single conversation, like explaining sex,” said Hinkle. “Ideally, you have open communication with your child or teen on a regular basis.” A MISTAKE SOME PARENTS MAKE is waiting until high school to broach the topic of alcohol and drug use. “Put your money
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See THE TALK, 18 September 2014 | Our
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preser ved for poster ity
After uploading her photos to Shutterfly, a digital image publishing service, AnnMarie O’Connor uses the website’s tools to create scrapbook pages. This page, documenting her eldest daughter’s fifth birthday, was part of a book devoted to the summer of 2011.
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YOU
Scrap It!
Hobby provides a creative outlet, plus a way to chronicle memories STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
IT
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See SCRAPBOOK, 16
“My kids love to look at them. It’s the most fun thing in the world.”
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was a trip to Ireland that piqued AnnMarie O’Connor’s interest in scrapbooking in 2010. “I wanted to capture the whole event in one book,” said the Bethesda mother of three. “All of my pictures were digital, and I had already uploaded them [to a website], so doing it online made sense.” Today, 10 scrapbooks with different themes or a chronological series of events have a place of honor on O’Connor’s bookshelf, where the longest scrapbook is 60 pages. “I like to tell the story in a way so that I can read the photo book to my kids,” who range in age from 2 to 8, she said. A combination of aesthetics, photography, journaling, collecting and genealogy, scrapbooking not only preserves memories but also serves as a creative outlet and source of enjoyment for millions of Americans. The hobby has been popular in the U.S. since the mid-1800s when scrapbooks became commercially available, including one patented by Mark Twain in 1873, whose pages came coated with adhesive. “My kids love to look at them. It’s the most fun thing in the world,” said Tanja Hubacker, a Bethesda scrapbooker who creates her books by hand. “The older kids go back and look at the photos and quotes and really enjoy what I created. We can share the experience, laughing at the pictures and memories.” Hubacker has been creating scrapbooks since the eldest of her three children was born 15 years ago.
While pictures and quotes tend to dominate most scrapbooks, some include newspaper clippings and memorabilia. “I’ll save tickets and programs from a play, postcards from a trip, a bill from a restaurant that’s interesting, even a chocolate wrapper if there’s a story behind it,” said Annie Rose, who has been scrapbooking since her college days in the late 1980s. Having started with the traditional method of hand-cropping photos and manually designing pages, Rose—the Bethesda mother of a 13- and 10-year-old—now creates her scrapbooks online. There are things Rose said she misses about traditional scrapbooking, chief among them socialization. Scrapbook coffees, parties and weekends were common in the late 1990s and early 2000s. “I did a few weekends when Creative Memories was still around,” she said. “They’d rent out the ballroom of a hotel, and we’d set up and work as long as we could Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday up until about 2 p.m.” Rose enjoyed the camaraderie and the ideas she picked up at those events. Such events still take place, but with far less frequency. One of the few occurring locally—the It’s a “Diva” Crop!—is scheduled for Nov. 22–23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rockville.
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SCRAPBOOK, from 15 Each page in her handmade scrapbooks takes about 30 minutes on average to complete, said Hubacker. That doesn’t count the advance work, such as purchasing supplies—albums, papers, markers and stickers—and organizing photos and quotes. “I pull pictures together and any other items I find that seem related, and put them in an envelope. When it comes to quotes, I keep a running list of things the kids say, lyrics from a song, or something else that strikes me as relevant,” she said. Hubacker’s scrapbooks are neither chronological nor thematic. “They’re a hodgepodge,” she said. “Each book is in the order of when I made the page.” A scrapbook is a labor of love, Hubacker said. Among her favorites are scrapbooks created for her grandparents’ 90th birthdays. Those scrapbooks contained quotes, photos, memorabilia and notes from family. “When they passed away, the books came back to me. What I love is that my kids can learn about my grandparents’ lives and, as importantly, how other people felt about them.” While classes, offered on occasion at stores such as A.C. Moore and Michaels, can be helpful, they aren’t necessary, according to Hubacker. “It’s easy to get started. And, if you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, go online to a site like Pinterest,” she said. Novices represent 56 percent of the nation’s 4.5 million scrapbookers, who are overwhelmingly female, according to a 2012 market study by scrapbooking.com, an online magazine devoted to the hobby. They spend about five hours monthly and $150 annually on the craft. Intermediate and expert scrapbookers invest 10 hours and 20 hours a month and $750 and $1,600 a year, respectively. While numerous websites facilitate the creation of scrapbooks, both O’Connor and Rose favor Shutterfly. “It’s easy to cut and paste, and to move and shift things around,” said O’Connor, who begins by selecting a theme. “There are hundreds of choices, each with its own color palate and embellishments to match.” Shutterfly has two options: a simple path where pictures are prearranged, and a custom path that allows for a more personalized and creative approach. “I like the artistic aspect of scrapbooking and knowing that my photos
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LEFT:
Using a variety of materials–special papers, markers, string and labels, including the unique ‘VACATION’ bottle cap–Tanja Hubacker crops her photos and lays out the pages in her scrapbook by hand. BELOW:
Scrapbooks, such as those created online by AnnMarie O’Connor, are often thematic or chronological in nature. The books, which can range from $20 to upward of $200, come in a variety of dimensions and include cover options such as cloth, linen, crushed silk and genuine leather.
aren’t just sitting on a hard drive but in a wonderful book,” said Rose, who spends Friday nights, especially in winter when her kids go skiing, creating pages. “What I’m not particularly fond of is the journaling. You have to be careful as it can sound contrived or corny. But I do wish, as I look back, that I’d done a little more writing.” While there is no cost to design a scrapbook on sites such as Shutterfly, the price for printing a book ranges from about $20 to $200, depending on the book’s SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GAZETTE
dimensions, number of pages and type of cover, which includes cloth, linen, crushed silk or genuine leather, with or without a die-cut window. “You can order as many copies of each book as you want and share them with family and friends,” said O’Connor. “And, you can make them different for each recipient. I had one book that included the kids’ birthdays and Christmas. My mom didn’t want the birthdays. So, I was able to edit the pages and send her a Christmas album.”
Best of all, the albums can be replaced, according to O’Connor, who no longer has the baby album her mom created for her. “My parents’ house was struck by an airplane,” she said. “When my mom called, I asked her where the plane hit. She told me the wall in the master bedroom. I said, ‘Mom, that’s where all our pictures are.’ That’s when she lost it.” The sense of achievement and fulfillment is enormous. “I love when the pages come together,” said Hubacker, “preserving a memory, an event, or just a moment in our lives—the things we cherish.”
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”-Albert Einstein. This sentiment is the reason why Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union (MAFCU) is proud to sponsor The Gazette’s My Favorite Teacher Contest.
Nominate your favorite teacher and you could
“The teachers of Montgomery County assist in building the backbone to our communities’ future leaders. They help develop, instill qualities of character, challenge and educate all students in a positive manner. MidAtlantic Federal Credit Union wants to help recognize all teachers for their commitment to our students.” – MAFCU VP of Retail Delivery/Chief Lending Officer, Scott Ritter.
Win a Kindle Fire HDX! • Have your child go to favoriteteacher.net by October 6 to tell us why his or her favorite teacher is special.
Similar to the dedication teachers have for their students, Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union is dedicated to make Montgomery County a better place to live and work. We achieve this by supporting local causes, offering innovative financing solutions to our neighbors and sponsoring free educational programs for both consumers and businesses.
• Every student who nominates a teacher may enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Kindle Fire HDX.* • The contest is open to all students in K-12 who attend public or private school. • After all nominations are in, The Gazette will select the finalists at the elementary, middle and high school levels and then the whole community will vote for the winners!
Visit favoriteteacher.net today!
2013 My Favorite Teacher Elementary School
*No purchase necessary to enter or win contest or sweepstakes. Void where prohibited. For full contest details and for official sweepstakes rules, visit favoriteteacher.net/rules.
Beall Elementary School
Winner:
DEBORAH LEE
Based in Germantown, Md., Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union (MAFCU) is a not-for-profit institution managed for the sole benefit of its members, and offers many financial services at better rates and fees. Profits are returned to MAFCU members in the form of higher savings rates, lower loan rates, and lower fees. MAFCU currently has over 25,000 members and over $270 million in assets. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Montgomery Country, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.mafcu.org, email mafcu@mafcu.org or call: (301) 944-1800.
Adventist Behavioral Health is proud to sponsor The Gazette’s “Favorite Teacher” campaign. Teachers play such an integral part in our children’s lives. As educators, they are responsible for shaping young minds and helping students flourish to their full potential. Teachers can also help identify children who need additional educational or behavioral support. At Adventist Behavioral Health’s Outpatient Wellness Clinic, we provide a broad range of behavioral health services for children, adolescents and adults. We offer expert care for individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, ADHD and other behavioral health disorders. For more information, visit www.AdventistBehavioralHealth.com or call 301-8384912 to schedule an appointment.
Germantown Dental Group is proud to sponsor the My Favorite Teacher Contest. We believe the values and skills learned in the classroom are vital building blocks for life, and teachers are a major factor in passing on these skills to our children. When children take a greater interest in learning, they continue to make better and smarter life choices. At Germantown Dental Group, we support our local teachers who are teaching children values and positive behaviors, not to mention helping kids explore their unique talents so that they can reach their potential. That makes for confident kids today and contributing and engaged adults tomorrow.
Deck Helmet could not be more pleased to participate in this year’s My Favorite Teacher contest. We realize from being involved in the community how important our children and their teachers are to our futures. Teachers play a vital role our children’s learning, development, and maturity. And because of them, Montgomery County has one of the best school systems in the country. Their accomplishments are often overlooked and under appreciated and we welcome the opportunity to support recognition of their valuable contribution to the community. Based in Bethesda, MD Deck Helmet is locally owned and operated. Deck Helmets resurfacing system transforms your old worn out deck to a beautiful low maintenance composite deck at 1/2 the cost of deck replacement ! Deck Helmet eliminates cracks, splinters and yearly maintenance permanently protecting your deck with a 10 year warrantee! Call 1-888-533-2543 for a free estimate or schedule online at deckhelmet.com
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THE TALK, from 13 in the bank early; don’t wait until your child is 15 or 16,” said Roth. “You definitely want to be having regular conversations by the time your child is in middle school.” And keep the lines of communication open. “I would continue talking about it all the way through college.” Conversations should be ongoing and reinforce family values. “Tell your child, ‘Here’s what we believe in our home and here are our expectations,’” said Davidson. “Establish rules, curfews and consequences and enforce them consistently. That’s hard. But our kids’ lives are fast-paced and full of pressure and they need us to be their safety rails.” To get the most out of a conversation with your teen, avoid putting him on the defensive. Rely on current events to jump-start discussion. “Use things you hear about in the news or from school. That’s a more natural way to start a conversation,” Hinkle said. “My conversations with my son are done very casually,” said attorney Emden. They are “slow, with … pauses that enable him to fill the gap. He doesn’t want to hear a lecture.” As part of the discussion, parents should try to ascertain whether their children are experimenting with or regularly using alcohol or drugs. “One of the best ways is to ask them,” said Hinkle. “People assume teens will automatically lie about it, but that’s not always true.” Some kids want to talk about it, especially if they are experiencing peer pressure. Another tack is “to ask them if they have friends that drink or use other drugs,” said Davidson. “If a teen has a friend or friends using alcohol, the risk that he is using increases.” If your child confides that his peers are drinking or using drugs, it’s important to
be as nonjudgmental as possible toward the other children, according to Hinkle. “You’ll shut down the conversation if you label them as bad kids and tell him not to hang out with them. Judge behaviors, not people,” she said. Parents should be prepared to hear things that they will find disconcerting. If you discover your child is experimenting, stay calm and take the opportunity to follow up. “What have you tried? How was it for you? What do you think about it?” said Hinkle. “One thing we see here at the Kellar Center is that parents wait too long to get their kids into treatment. They try to normalize or rationalize things. They think all teens experiment. But that’s not true.” AS IMPORTANT AS THESE conversations are, they often ring hollow when parents fail to model the desired behaviors. “You’d be surprised how many kids tell us they come home to find mom passed out on the couch or that they get their weed from dad,” said Roth. “Parents need to be aware of appropriate role modeling and know that their sons and daughters are watching,” said Davidson. For those parents who drink on occasion, moderation is imperative. “It’s important to help kids understand and accept that there are differences between what adults and adolescents are allowed to do.” While parents are not able to control everything to which their child is exposed, when it comes to alcohol and drug use, they can walk the walk and talk the talk. And, as the Human Communication Research article makes clear, parents who regularly deliver a strong antidrug message and avoid disclosing their own drug use stand a greater chance of instilling an antidrug attitude in their children.
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GIVE, from 9 like to see some of the kids he spent time with on his initial visit,” she said. Seeing the children who would be helped by the funds and the gratitude of the staff was an experience his mom said was “completely imprinted on his heart.” Giving circles help children understand that volunteering is always a key component of charity, but they also drive home the point that organizations also need money. “The level of conversation these kids have at their allocation meeting is amazing,” Alcus said. “They learn that they don’t need to have a lot of money to make an impact, but when they do have money, being intentional about how it will be used makes it much more meaningful for them,” she said. Once they become vested in these organizations by supporting them monetarily, it’s no surprise that many of the young people in giving circles end up fulfilling their Student Service Learning (SSL) requirements for graduation from Montgomery County Public Schools (as well as many private schools). Henderson said they have young people who, as a result of their giving circle experiences, have ended up volunteering for the same organizations for several years. “A lot of kids are reaching out to organizations that speak to them,” said Lauren Gonzalez, SSL coordinator at Montgomery
SPEECH, from 7 Between 9 and 12 months, babies understand simple words and can point and use sounds to indicate they understand the communication. Halle recommended playing games that connect actions with words, like “patty-cake,” and asking questions, like “Who’s that?” and “Where’s the dog?” Even if they cannot verbalize, babies can understand what is being spoken to them. As a speech pathologist, Bull said her primary teaching methods include singing and reading books with her students. As children get older—about 2 or 3—they need parents to play with them so they can learn about give and take in communications, experts said, including acting out stories and role playing. For parents worried that their child is not responding in a developmentally appropriate way, Bull suggested looking for red flags such as not understanding simple directions, not following directions, not speaking at least 10 words by age 2,
Blair High School in Silver Spring. “So it ends up being something they enjoy doing.” During her senior year at Northwest High School in Germantown, Kelly Reed took it upon herself to raise money for Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg by selling T-shirts she created with help from her older sister. Having already earned her SSL hours, she did because it she wanted to. “My parents do things for charity so part of it comes from what they taught me, but I also do it because it makes me feel good,” said Reed, who’s now a freshman at Catholic University. Alcus, who is chairwoman of the Community Foundation board, said even kids who may not have come from homes where philanthropy is practiced can be transformed by interacting with kids who are involved in charitable endeavors. “They can watch and learn,” she said. “And I think the more they do it, the more it starts to infiltrate their thinking.” Gleicher said although philanthropy is often a value that is engendered in the home, it is a habit that can also be acquired with practice and evolves as children age. “I actually feel optimistic about the young people in front of us because they have grown up with community service requirements, and I think they understand that the community will always have more needs than resources,” Gleicher said.
or not yet stringing a few words together into sentences. If a baby of 3 to 6 months is not yet babbling or making sounds, that could be an indication of delayed speech, too, Bull said. Any concerns about a child’s development should be addressed first with the child’s doctor. Children who learn the fastest and have plenty of words at their disposal early on have parents with a rich and varied vocabulary themselves, Halle said. “Parents should speak to a child in as rich and varied and authentic [a] way as possible,” she said. If a parent is not confident about his own speaking abilities and vocabulary, Halle cautions him not to turn to television, but to find live role models to interact with his children. Story time at the public library is one option. “Research indicates television doesn’t help children learn to speak,” Halle said. “Even children’s programming is not as effective as direct contact with human beings, and it does not provide the same input.”
TUTORS, from 11 to instruction, but also to get a feel for whether the tutor’s personality would be compatible with the student’s. Both parents and students should keep in mind that no decision is cast in stone. “If your child isn’t comfortable with the tutor, they won’t want to spend the time working with them. The tutor needs to be able to relate to your child, make them feel comfortable while simultaneously encouraging them to put in the effort,” Voorhees said. “You can try them out, and don’t be afraid to try someone else if you don’t think the fit is right.” Costs can vary widely, with hourly charges ranging from $10 to $75. However, scholarships and financial aid are sometimes available. Because of the No Child Left Behind Act, tutoring services are sometimes available free to low-income families if the student is attending a school that has been designated for improvement by the federal government. Once a tutor has been selected, the work should continue for at least a semester, according to Cleaves. Monitor the progress and the tutor’s approach to teaching, and stay active in the child’s learning. “There should be a continuous assessment of problems and challenges,” Cleaves said. “They should always be uncovering new ways for the student to improve.” Even in the best scenario, though, overnight miracles are not the norm. As such, Bryant said, patience is key. “They may not see a change right away, no matter how good the tutor is,” she said. “It takes a while for the student to pick everything up and to change. And not everything should fall on the tutor. It has to do with the child’s engagement, and there are lots of people playing a role in that.”
Wiggle Room
CONSIGNMENT, from 5 Wiggle Room also carries separates for ages 12 months to 18 months. The store specializes in formal smocks with pleated fronts, which may be available for all ages depending on inventory. Older kids’ clothes include play clothes separates, formal wear, button-down shirts and blazers and suits. Occasionally, you will find tuxedos. Two sports sections offer used soccer pleats, some tap shoes, ballet shoes and leotards. 4924 Del Ray Ave. Bethesda 301-656-5995 wiggleroom.biz
Other thrift stores and or consignment shops that carry some kids’ items:
5. Goodwill, Gaithersburg 619 S. Frederick Ave.
Gaithersburg 301-527-0970
6. Goodwill, Rockville
9. Tina’s Consignment
Shop
289 Muddy Branch Road Gaithersburg 301-921-9220
4816 Boiling Brook Parkway Rockville 301-881-0744
7. Harwood House
Thrift Shop
Corner of Woodfield Road and Main Street Damascus 301-253-0025
8. The Bargain Box 398 Hungerford Drive
10. Unique Thrift Store 10141 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring 301-431-7450
11. Upscale Resale
Thrift Shop
15130 Frederick Road Rockville
Rockville
301-738-7723
301-762-2242
upscaleresalethriftshop.org
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SAN JOSE TAIKO
“...a superb, exhibiton of taiko drumming, movement and dance” Friday, October 17th, 7:30pm Children/Family Performance Saturday, October 18th, 11am
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