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The New Normal
The New Normal By Jeanette Prather “These are the best of times!” announced Julie Horner, editor of the SLV Post. At first glance you might be thinking that Horner was referring to some obscure, off-the-cuff situation, but she was simply referencing the “here and now.” She was mentioning how good things have spawned from the bizarre year-plus our society is coming out of. And she’s not alone, especially among the parents locally who’ve become masters at thinking outside of the metaphoric parenting box. “Creative parenting,” we can call this. “Our weekends used to be really full of events, birthday parties, etc.,” said Felton mom, Sarah Marie Shane-Vasquez. “During the pandemic…
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Which Parent Are You
Which Parent Are You? by Chris Jackson One parent steps in and prevents the child from failure and negative outcomes. The other parent says, “I’m not doin’ that. Either (the child) does it, or it won’t get done.” Which one seems healthier? Are you surprised it’s the second parent? Healthier for the parent and for the child. “But, if I don’t help her register at the DMV, I’ll be the one driving her around.” No you won’t. Don’t do it. “But she’ll miss her classes and lose her job.” Yup. “But then I’ll have to pay more to support her.” Well, you could consider other options for that too.The term…
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Santa Cruz Seeds
Your Baby May Have a College Savings Account Whether You Know It or Not… By Suki Wessling You may have received the letter and tossed it, thinking it was junk mail. You may have gotten a flyer at your baby’s birth, but who can keep track of things when there’s a new baby in the house? But in any case, if your baby was born after December 31, 2020 and you are a resident of Santa Cruz County, they qualify for up to a $50 gift towards their higher education. It’s all thanks to Santa Cruz Seeds, a partnership between Santa Cruz Community Ventures, the County, the Office of Education,…
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Make Some Music
Family Fun Time Make Some Music by Jan Pierce Exposure to music of all kinds is one of the best gifts you can give to your children. Finding activities your whole family enjoys can be challenging. But you can’t go wrong with music. Listening to and making music are some of the most enjoyable parts of life. And the endless variety in music ensures you can find something for everyone in the clan. The benefits of enjoying music are many. In infancy and even in utero babies are calmed by music. Young children can focus attention and complete a task while listening to a song. They can wind down with…
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Pandemic Parenting
Pandemic Parenting And the Power of Perspective By Erin Beck Maver Sometimes, when I deliver life lessons to my kids I think I’m partly delivering that lesson to myself. Today was one of those days. Somewhere during the course of my life I was presented with this analogy, and it really stuck with me and made an impact. I’ll attempt to summarize: Imagine you’re sitting at a table with three other people, each occupying a space that corresponds to “North”, “East”, “South”, and “West”, on a compass rose. From your perspective, sitting in the “North” position, you see the number “3” written on a piece of paper. Sitting to your…
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The Future 2035
What Will Santa Cruz Look Like in 2035? If You Have a Baby Now, Here’s What Their Future Will Be by Jeanette Prather With all the question marks that came along with 2020 – and, let’s be honest, 2021 so far – it might be ambitious to try and tackle what the world has in store for the coming decades. But let’s indulge this topic for the sake of our future generations, anyway! What might the world look like in 2035, for instance, for a child born now?“We hope that the culture of our community in 2035 is a vibrant town square of open communication and critical thinking, fueled by…
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Kids, Politics, and the Pandemic
What to Tell Kids About Politics and Pandemic? Contributed First and foremost, experts agree that parents need to be open with kids about what is happening, while being conscious of what the child is capable of handling emotionally and intellectually. The dual stresses of political chaos and a prolonged pandemic challenge all of us. The complexity of guiding children through these difficult times can be overwhelming. But there are simple strategies that can help parents and caregivers help children — and themselves — appropriately discuss and understand current events while being mindful of their feelings. First and foremost, experts agree that parents need to be open with kids about what…
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Lovingkindness Meditation
Practicing loving kindness meditation ultimately changes how we relate to ourselves and others; we start to feel less isolated and more connected.
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Crazy Decisions
Crazy Decisions in a Crazy Time Can stressed parents also take care of themselves? By Jeanette Prather What’s overly emphasized during this pandemic is the in-person versus distance learning decisions that parents are faced with, especially as childcare facilities and private schools open (or have been open), and public schools remain closed. It’s been stated and seems to be the first, sometimes the only, topic of critical decision-making among parents, but what about everything else that we are giving up (i.e. loss of wages, personal time, orderly home, quality family time, etc.) to host not just distance learning but the continuing pandemic, SIP orders, and everything in between? “We make…
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Favorite Podcasts for Kids
Favorite Podcasts for Kids by Krista Tankoano I’ll admit we are a little late to the wonderful world of podcasts but during this time of staying home, we have discovered some amazing ones. The list below includes our family’s current favorite podcasts for kids.Aside from the story and educational side of the podcasts, they have also become something that we can do together or alone when we just need a little downtime. We listen to them in the morning before school, while building LEGO, at lunchtime, during bath time, and sometimes for bedtime when I am just a little too tired to read. Half of the time when we are…
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Giving Birth in a COVID World
Giving Birth ina COVID World By Jeanette Prather To avoid Covid-ravished American hospitals, multiple news outlets, medical professionals, and online databases have reported a surge in home births amid a questionable medical future, especially in the beginning of this pandemic. “Mostly the conversations [with expecting parents] have been limited to how to switch to home birth in order to avoid the hospital setting during Covid,” said one local furloughed doula, mother, and Childbirth Educator for Sutter Health, Kaili Reynolds. “They’re upset that doulas aren’t allowed at their births and they feel like more professionals can provide the continuous support they know they need in the home setting.” Reynolds, who mentioned…
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Empowering Our Kids
Empowering Our Kids When we’re having trouble empowering ourselves! By Suki Wessling These are tough times to be a human on earth. And parenting magnifies all of our challenges. Not only do we have to figure out how to get ourselves through pandemic, fire, and corrosive politics—we’ve got our kids to think of as well. If you’ve found yourself descending into despair for the future, you’re not alone. Santa Cruz County is a hard place to be right now if you aren’t the world’s most stubborn optimist. But parents have the responsibility to raise kids who will be ready to tackle the problems they’re faced with. And that means our…
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Left Behind
Think this Generation will be Left Behind? Think Again. By Suki Wessling I keep hearing the same thing over and over: Our kids are going to have “gaps.” They’re going to be “left behind.” Permanently scarred. Unable to have a “normal” college education. And it makes me wonder: are we really so entitled that we think a little pandemic can keep our kids down? Here’s a thought exercise:Remember the holocaust generation.Think about what it was like for Jewish kids in Europe. A few common experiences included being hounded by the police, hiding for months or years in basements and attics, being forced into concentration camps, fleeing in the trunks of…
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Home Learning
Make Your Home an Ideal Learning Environment by jan pierce You are your child’s first teacher and your home is your child’s first school. You spend a good bit of time every day setting the tone for behaviors, encouraging first steps, and pouncing on those teachable moments to mold your children into the happy and successful people you want them to be. But, are you missing some opportunities to support your child’s learning? Kids will thrive in a home that makes learning a priority and creates the proper balance between direct teaching and “give it a go on your own” kinds of involvement. Every child needs a different blend of…
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Which School
Private School? Homeschool? Public School? Let’s Look at the Options for 2020 By Suki Wessling At the time of this writing, one month before school starts, a lot of school parents are in limbo, not knowing what school will look like for their students. Some are considering alternatives to their neighborhood schools. So what are the options? Move to private school?Most local private schools have announced plans to reopen site-based instruction part- or full-time. If you’ve been thinking about trying private school anyway, this may be a good time to explore the options. Smaller schools do have more flexibility. However, all schools will have to change their plans if the…
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Staying at Home
Staying at Home Make Family Read-aloud Time the Highlight BY JAN PIERCE Watch out parents, having to stay at home with the family may force you to have quality time together. You may find that a family read aloud time becomes a family favorite. Reading good books together supports all kinds of learning—vocabulary building, communication and listening skills, expanding imagination, building logic and problem-solving skills, and the list goes on and on.Finding the just-right read for your family can be a bit of a trick, so here are some lists of quality chapter books designed to meet the needs of your clan. Remember that doling out the chapters is part…
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Fathers Story
When a Father Has to Let Go of His Son BY JASON GARNER Some friends come by for a visit with their 18-month-old. After a few minutes of peek-a-boo and smiles behind daddy, she’s running around the house. Laughing. Falling down. Crying. “Doggie!” She screams and my dog jumps. She runs and cries some more. “TV!” She wants to watch Elmo. I buy an episode. “Melmo!” She giggles, throws her arms up, and sways along. She’s adorable, a tornado, the Energizer Bunny with dimples and a diaper. The whole house is exhausted. “Does this stage last long?” Her mother asks earnestly. My son is moving out. He’s turned 20 and…
