Best Of The Web: May 4-May 10

Here’s our
weekly roundup of parenting articles that piqued our interest. Enjoy! —

The
Washington Post tackles how
to talk to your kids about Osama bin Laden’s death
. One good piece of
general advice: Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” (The Washington Post)

The Times
reviews Janny
Scott’s new biography on Obama’s mother
, A Singular Woman, calling it a “richly researched, unsentimental
book.” (New York Times)

Are
teens in our country addicted to the Internet?
The issue is complicated and
hard to define. Moreover, there’s little consistency among studies. (Los Angeles Times)

A
young boy from Kansas City has sold nearly 3,000 of his monster drawings
in
order to fund treatment for his leukemia. Sales have amounted to more than
$30,000—enough for his family to take their home off the market and no longer
require financial assistance. (Daily Mail)

The
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that women
who give birth during the fall and winter are two times as likely to suffer
from postpartum depression
as women who deliver in the springtime. (The Wall Street Journal)

Studies
show that parents
aren’t using car seats properly 75% of the time
. And a recent report shows
that an astonishing number of kids have unbuckled their own car seat! (USA Today)

As a
motherless daughter, poet Joan Gelfand recalls her
first Mother’s Day without a mom
. (Huffington
Post
)

524,000
young readers declared Rick Riordan author of the year
during voting for
the Children’s Choice Book Awards. Riordan is author of many best-selling
adventure books, including The Red Pyramid and The Lost Hero. (USA Today)

Federal
Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke makes a strong
argument for good early childhood care
—the value can be especially high for
disadvantaged children. (The Federal
Reserve
)

On April
30, Mariah
Carey and Nick Cannon welcomed a set of twins
! One boy and one girl arrived
for the musical couple. Names have not yet been released. (People magazine)

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

Speakitaly NYC

<p>SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.  Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress. </p> <p>Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge.</p> <p>Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City… Who doesn’t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history & in the arts?</p> <p>Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor’s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"</p>

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Summer Game Camp</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including –</p> <p dir="ltr">- Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch!</p> <p dir="ltr">- A digital campus!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Moderated chat hours!</p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more!</p> <p dir="ltr">Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm</p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons & Dragons</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons & Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons & Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons & Dragons workshop! </p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together!</p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Dungeons & Dragons Junior</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons & Dragons games. Our Dungeons & Dragons Jr. game provides a D&D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons & Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&D so they can eventually move onto the main game.</p>

Asphalt Green

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">Asphalt Green’s high-quality sports programs start at 4 months old. Two beautiful facilities in vibrant Manhattan neighborhoods provide the optimal space for children to learn the fundamentals, play for leisure, or compete at the highest level.<br />As the leading sports and fitness facility in Manhattan, Asphalt Green’s never-before- seen training methods focus on improving your mental and physical game. Whether participating in swim, soccer, flag football, martial arts, basketball, baseball, tennis, or volleyball, coaches instill values that set athletes up for success in life and bring out their full potential in sports.</span></p>