Our Favorite Parenting Stories Of The Week

For Mother’s Day, why not start a Mommy & Me journal? You and your little one can take turns writing—just like having a pen pal in the house. It’s a great way to be creative with your kids! (Blog Her)

The reality of parenting small children: You are not a terrible parent. Tracey Stewart, wife to John, weighs in on her own experiences with her daughter. (Huffington Post)

How did you transition your baby from breastfeeding? This mom tells her weaning story, from “pain!” to “no way!” to bittersweet victory. (NY Times)

Not everyone can afford fresh, farmers market kale or organic strawberries. On the heels of the Live Below the Line campaign, one woman recounts childhood memories of eating under the poverty level. (Blog Her)

According to new studies, sucking your baby’s pacifier can reduce the risk of allergy development. A parent’s saliva can apparently help strengthen the young immune system. (Time)

Childhood obesity has been a hot topic for years now and has been strongly associated with a lack of exercise. But new studies seem to indicate otherwise. (Babble)

Fans of New York Family have undoubtedly heard of the kid-musician Laurie Berkner, who is famous for hit singles like “Monster Boogie.” Learn about how Laurie is raising her daughter with her very own drum set. (For Kids Entertainment)

PS 244 is ahead of the curve! The Active Learning Elementary School in Queens is the first NYC public school to feature an all-vegetarian menu throughout the week. Falafel or veggie chili anyone? (nyc.gov)

Though the constant squabbles and occasional wrestling fights are tiresome, you’ll be happy to know that the extent to which rivalry exists in childhood has no correlation to how close your kids will be as adults. (Parents Connect)

The American Girl collection has changed dramatically over the past few years, from featuring characters with fascinating histories to bland dolls more focused on appearance. What gives? (The Atlantic)

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp 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 &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; 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 &amp; 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 &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; 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! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Cucu's PlayHouse

<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Interactive, live-streaming music and movement class in Spanish for babies, toddlers and preschoolers! Join us every day from Monday through Saturday at 1:30 pm EST to sing, dance and play together while learning Spanish from your home.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">This class is part of a Spanish Immersion Program where your child will be introduced to basic concepts like the animals, colors, numbers and letters. All of these through the universal language of Music. Each session is fun, interactive and engaging. A selection of Children Songs in Spanish guides the class from start to finish. Activities are related to the lyrics, in order to familiarize the children with the words and their meanings. Some of the songs encourage the children to dance. Nilda uses puppets, musical instruments, and props to teach children basic vocabulary through action and interaction, rather than through translation.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> The classes are streamed on Zoom's webinar platform. Participants (children, parents, nannies) are able to join the video from their homes and interact with us in real-time, it is a fun and engaging experience.</div>

British Swim School - Manhattan

The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.&nbsp; British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School&rsquo;s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!