P&K Insider

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When I was 6, I killed my sea monkeys, by accident. I fed them too much. I remember standing in the bathroom in our Norton home as we said our final goodbyes before we flushed them to the afterlife. It was near Christmas and I was petrified that I’d made it on the naughty list.

In third grade, I was standing in line as our teacher was leading us to gym class. On either side of the hallway, there were first-graders sitting against the wall waiting for art class to begin. Their teacher was conducting a math quiz. I was smart. After all, I was a third-grader, so naturally when the teacher asked what 2 + 2 was I held up four fingers. My teacher was not impressed that I was showing off and supplying the answers. In fact, I got scolded. Again, this happened in December.

Speaking of cheating….

In kindergarten, I was stuck on the word pin. How do you spell it? Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye…there it was, P-I-N, neatly spelled out on Jenny’s paper. I copied it. Surprise…happened in December.

Why do these rare/unusual/atypical behavioral mishaps remain so vivid even into adulthood? They were a matter of life and death back then.

It makes me wonder, though. How committed am I to staying on the nice list now? I’d even propose that it’s harder to do as an adult.

There’s the stress of the holidays; the gift buying; the busy schedules that could make any sane person head straight to naughty-ville. Well, as my first act of niceness (today), I’m offering you some help:

In our Advice section, read some quick stressbuster tips to help you remain nice.

In on Features section, find a review of some fantastic toys that will delight your children and make shopping much less of a chore. An added bonus: All of the products are from local toy stores so you’ll be supporting your community.

In our Family Fun section, we’ll help you plan the ultimate family bonding experience. After all, the true essence of the season is spending time together.

Naughty or nice? You decide.

Happy holidays from all of us at P&K,

Heather

My husband wants to celebrate our nation’s freedom by sneaking across the state line to purchase $79.99 worth of fireworks. What is about the month of July that makes people a little crazy?

I have about 3 million things I could do with $79.99 and buying tiny and dangerous explosives wouldn’t be one of them.

“It’s a boyhood thing,” my husband explained. “We’re fascinated by them.” He even looked like a boy when he made this statement. Eyes all wild with excitement.

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A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend a presentation by Madison Lorenzen, a sixth grade student in Medway, on Parents and Kids magazine.

Madison, herself, has a long history with P&K. Her first cover appearance was when she was only 2-year-old (see the video) Her mom (publisher of P&K) said she was holding a cupcake because it was her 2nd birthday…and it was the only way to keep her toddler smiling.

Flash forward 10 years and we invited Madison to be a part of our 10th anniversary spread with other former P&K models.

Her presentation was excellent - her teacher agreed giving her a perfect score. I’ve already asked her to work at P&K when she graduates in another decade or so. Congratulations, Madison and thanks for being an ambassador for P&K!

There’s a game my family (minus me) likes to play. They call it Kung Fu and it’s played in its entirety on our queen-sized bed. My Husband assumes the role of attacker ducking and skirting around the bed frame. Our 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter are usually standing on the bed with their knees bent and hands in tiny little fist ready to block the “pretend” blows.

There is a lot of giggling and an occasional Kung Fu grunt as the three tangle and untangle themselves from each other with the fancy moves straight from the movies

Although this game originated nearly two years ago, I’ve only watched it in action a few times. As soon as its declared Kung Fu Panda time, I’m gone. There’s way too much danger for me to stomach. What if they fall off the bed or bump into each other? I much prefer to be on the couch downstairs and listen to the fun from afar. There’s only one master when it comes to that type of physical craziness and pretend play – it’s Dad.

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I don’t think I’d ever win a “Mom of the Year” award. Is there one? Just this past weekend, I “misplaced” my daughter at a crowded indoor water park. We found each other after two panicked moments. In the end, we were separated for 120 seconds but my guilt over it will likely last 120 years.

Oh, and let’s revisit my son’s first day of kindergarten. He asked me to pick him up from school and I promised him I would. I dutifully wrote a note to his teacher and showed up at dismissal time only to find him distraught. The note never got to the teacher and, as he put it, “was being forced onto the bus.”

So if moms get in trouble for a few blunders from time to time, we should at the very least be celebrated for some proud moments. We can take credit for those.

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Anyone who has ever boarded the pastel flumes at the Magic Kingdom for the “happiest cruise that ever sailed,” will already be singing this catchy, can’t-get-it-out-of-my-head tune. (Sorry.) It had been 20 years since I first enjoyed the doll-like figures celebrating international unity and last week I got a chance to do it all over again with my 4-year-old daughter.

She loved the “singing dolls” which included hula dancers, Mexican dancers, Thailand dancers and Irish ones too. And by design, the path of the flume winds around one large room, emphasizing its theme that the world is small and interconnected.

For a child, the world can be that simple.

Lucky for us, much of the word’s treasures, curiosities and traditions can be found in our own back yard. Greater Boston is rich with culture giving families a unique opportunity to immerse themselves into exploring and discovering the many cultures in our part of the world.

From festive Italian street fairs in the North End to colorful celebrations of the Chinese New Year at Boston Children’s Museum, the world can be as close as a few miles away. In this issue of P&K, we’re celebrating local & world culture with features stories on international patients, customs to welcome baby and games played by children in India and beyond.

Children are fascinated by the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Noticing how they are alike or different from other children helps them gain a sense of their own identity, as well as their identity as a member of global community that’s made up of different ethnic, racial, and religious groups.

It’s a small world, after all.

Heather

It’s a world of laughter,
A world of tears.
It’s a world of hopes,
And a world of fears.
There’s so much that we share,
That it’s time we’re aware,
It’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all.

(Repeat ad nauseam until it’s permanently etched into your neural synapses.)

Source: About.com

I’m a lucky one. My son still wants a kiss at the bus stop. I manage to cross the street and position us right next to the bus door, then I discreetly peck his cheek before he climbs the steps. If he had it his way he’d kiss me in full view of the entire bus. This re-positioning is my way of protecting him (and not give those other kids a reason to tease him).

Our goodbyes don’t stop there. As soon as he finds a seat by the window he peers over the top. I can barely see the rims of his glasses but every day, without question, he waves and blows me a kiss. I catch it in my hand and press against my cheek and watch his sweet smile drift from my sight.

I know this won’t last forever. I know it. He won’t kiss me when he’s 13. But one thing that won’t change and you know what that is – I’ll love that kid forever.

In my work, I’m often privileged to meet people who inspire me as a parent – especially those, who despite immense challenges, are deeply devoted to their children. Like Scott and Doreen Kelly of Foxboro. Their 11-year-old son Kevin has autism and is participating in a sports class at the Hockomock YMCA in Foxboro. His movements are sometimes jerky and I’m sure he’s anxious about the attention our cameras and questions bring. He lets his parents answer.

“We’re really enjoying this,” said Scott, as he smiled at Kevin. “We get to work as a team and soon we’ll be competing in a race when we have to run two miles. It’s been nice training as a family.”

Kevin’s parents are literally by his side – on the bikes, in the pool and on the track. That’s the idea behind the integration program at the Y. Allowing typically developing peers and/or family members to team up with children with special needs and together benefit from youth sports participation.

The story idea struck me when I was reading a national report that there are not enough sport opportunities for children with special needs. I’m happy to report that we’re bucking that trend locally as P&K Special Needs liason Wendy Bulawa reports in our cover story on youth sports.

Quite notably, it was a parent who inspired this Y program to begin with. No doubt, she was driven by love and a desire to help her child be strong, healthy and involved.

Here’s to all the parents who love deeply - Happy Valentine’s Day!

Heather Kempskie

Here is a great event P&K is sponsoring next week!

Class is now in session! Mom Corps University is an educational workshop series for women focusing on the current issues affecting both your career and your family. The first Boston event will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 9 to noon at the Boston Public Library. Get tips on job searching, identifying your best assets and more.

“Your Career and Coaching”

Wednesday, January 21, 2009
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Boston Public Library
Central Branch, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

“Your Career and Job Search”
Allison O’Kelly, CEO, Mom Corps offers proven strategies and techniques on finding the right employment options for you that will enable you to GENERATE INCOME and strike the right balance in your work and family life.

“Learn How Coaching is KEY to a Successful Job Search and Career”
A team of local area expert Life and Career coaches will introduce you to the practice of coaching and outline the most common barriers that people face when trying to make a change in their professional and personal lives and how coaching can help them address and overcome these challenges.

Experience coaching “live” in a small group session! Let our expert coaches reignite your career!

You’ll learn:
How to identify your best assets
How to easily overcome roadblocks
How to network successfully
And more!

Agenda
9:00 - 9:45 Allison O’Kelly, CEO, Mom Corps
9:45 - 10:30 Coaching Panel
10:30 - 10:45 Break up into smaller groups
10:45 - 11:45 Group Coaching with Expert Coaches
11:45 - 12:00 Networking Coffee

Linda Waters - Back to Business LLC, Career and Business Coach
Linda Platt - Executive Coach and Learning Consultant
Anne Sugar - Coaching/Consultant - Maximizing Breakthrough Performance
Cissie Klavens - KlavensAndCompany, Executive/Career Coach
Pam Jensen - HR Consultant/Career Coach

Don’t miss this opportunity to receive personalized, hands-on coaching to help tailor your career track or back-to-work plan!

Sign up before January 15th and SAVE $10! Regularly priced tickets - $45 - Click here to register!

Please feel free to tell your friends and co-workers!

It was tough but somebody had to do it. Part of my job is to check out toys. I know, you feel bad, right? All the toys that appeared on NECN’s Good Morning Live program this morning were kid-tested and parent approved. We held a parent review here at our Needham offices and last week hosted a kid review at the Metrowest Framingham Y. But what makes these toys so special is that they are sold at local toys stores in greater Boston.  These owners hand select all their inventory and have a vested interest in their communities. Shop local and help your community this holiday season.

So here I am on NECN - check it out.

While I’m on the toy topic, be sure to read the recent Trouble in Toyland report to find out what toys to avoid this season.

Every month I have the awesome responsibility of finding the perfect image for the cover of P&K.  Today, I’m working on finding one for our December cover. (Note today’s date: Oct. 16). I’m months ahead of the rest of the world as usual. I have to be as the editor of a monthly publication.  So, I’m thinking “Christmas” “Hannukah” “Kwanzza” and “New Year’s” while the rest of the general population is considering their Halloween costume options.

My ideal image for our December cover will relay the warmth of the season. Like this one from our December 2007 issue. It was captured by Portrait Simple with studios in Natick and Chestnut Hill.

Finding a child worthy of the cover spot is NEVER the problem - there is no child unworthy. Finding a cover that conveys the conent of the current issue, finding an image that depicts the current temparature, finding a horizontal shot, finding a an available photographer and/or model, that is where it gets tricky.

I’m off to my hunt but thought I’d share some of my other favorite covers:

April 2008 - this was the cover that launched the new and improved P&K. A candid moment between cousins captured by Kate Duval of Kate Duval Photography.

This one is from our July 2007 cover. The issue was a special edition for twins and multiples. I love this one! The mom literally has her hands full! It was also captured by Portrait Simple