Our Favorite Parenting Stories Of The Week

In a city with an endless amount of extracurricular options it’s easy to fill every moment of your children’s day, but what about down-time? The knowledge and social skills children gain from enrichment activities are invaluable, but they also need time to decompress and just hang-out. (The New York Times)

Don’t let pregnancy put a damper on your Halloween celebration. Check out these creative couples’ costumes for expectant mothers and dads-to-be! (The Huffington Post)

Think chickenpox is a harmless rite of passage? One mom thinks otherwise and speaks out in favor of vaccinating little ones against this often-underestimated ailment. (Mommyish)

NYC style and business maven (oh, and daughter-of-the-Donald) Ivanka Trump and her husband welcomed a healthy baby boy this week. Congrats to the happy family. (Elizabeth Street)

Research shows that kids are not receptive to tutors on television. The screen is not the issue, but rather, the unreliability of the speaker. Children need connectedness to learn. They know when someone is speaking to them or when they’re hearing pre-recorded material. (Baby Center)

Planning a baby shower? Get inspired by Jennifer Love Hewitt’s gender-neutral shower, which was planned by celebrity party planner Mindy Weiss. At the Hotel Bel-Air this past weekend in Los Angeles, Hewitt’s guests got to create their own fragrance and enjoy baby themed cupcakes! (Parents)

Kids in Virginia are rebelling against healthier food. A school district’s transition from serving 27-ingredient “meat” burgers to serving all beef burgers was not well received by its students. (The Washington Post)

Many parents strive to teach their children empathy, but these 8-year-old boys are coming out ahead of the curve. This band of North Dakota kids headed to the salon to have their hair dyed hot pink in support of breast cancer awareness. (CBS)

Pumpkin carving is a fun fall activity, but when kids are involved, it’s typically not a safe one! These playful no-carve pumpkins are a great knife-free alternative for little ones. (Mommyish)

Worried about incurring the wrath of safety-conscious parents, the US Postal Service puts a stop to the “Just Move” campaign’s stamp designs. Why? Depictions of seemingly dangerous activities and helmet-free headstands. What do you think? (Motherload)

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

Broadway Dance Center Children and Teens

<p dir="ltr">With more than 35 years of experience, Broadway Dance Center Children & Teens provides young movers ages 3-18 with exceptional training. BDC delivers the finest all-around dance experience for students by offering a wide variety of styles and levels, performance opportunities, and the highest caliber dance instruction that only New York City and BDC Children & Teens can provide.</p> <p dir="ltr">This studio is so much more than a training course for young dancers; it is a diverse, family-friendly community for budding creatives. It has an exemplary faculty who follow the vision to not only develop a dancer’s love and ability in dance, but to do so in a nurturing and supportive way.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-16583089-7fff-d8a9-61c2-8f689f7348b2"></span></p>

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School’s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.</span></p>

Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp

<p>Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp offers five daily rotating activities such as swimming, ice skating gymnastics, rock climbing, parkour, indoor/outdoor turf, and courts plus more in its ample 175,000 sq. ft. facility and 35-acre outdoor area. Aviator Summer Camp also offers off-site and on-site field trips such as a day at Green Meadows Farm, Launch Trampoline Park, and a Brooklyn Cyclones game. The summer camp runs from 9 am-5 pm with early drop off and late stay available. Bus transportation is also available throughout Brooklyn. Lunch and an afternoon snack are included. Sign up by February 28th to receive up to $300 off camp with early bird discounts.</p>