On The Blogroll: Dim Sum Debutante

The NYMetroParents blogroll features the best blogs in the parenting world, from New York and beyond. Here’s a closer look at why we love these mom bloggers and dad bloggers and how they’re shaping the web for parenting today.

Blogging From: Queens, New York

Stay-at-home mom Katy Osborne Chiu shares the hectic, emotional, and rewarding journey of her life on her blog Dim Sum Deubtante. A former teacher and Tennessee native, Katy dutifully chronicles the happenings in her life—from her marriage to her Chinese-American husband “B” and their move to Queens, to her battle with intense morning sickness and the birth of her little girl, (no epidural in sight!) whom she affectionately refers to as “The Nut.” She also gives readers a glimpse into biracial family life with her “very generous, very opinionated, and very Chinese” in-laws.

Katy’s stories are funny, and she has a natural talent for finding humor in even the more serious moments in her life, as she relays in a quick, witty voice. You can sense the enormous amount of love she has for her husband and little girl in each and every entry.

Katy includes a “Reviews” section on her blog, where she gives her (and The Nut’s) take on toys, food, and clothing. Many of her personal posts can double as educational reading, as she tackles issues such as getting her daughter to sleep through the night on her own. Katy never presumes she knows the answers to parenting; she simply tells her own stories, and leaves the rest up to you. — Kimberly Mollo

Speakitaly NYC

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.&nbsp; Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress.&nbsp; 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. 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&hellip; Who doesn&rsquo;t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history &amp; in the arts? Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor&rsquo;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!"

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.

Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp

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.