Walking The Walk

croppedMy 16-year-old daughter is home this summer after years at sleepaway camp, which has led to unexpected parental pleasures like taking a walk together after dinner. We did this on Monday night, walking about 25 blocks in the pleasant, balmy night, much of which is taken up by a discussion of her favorite “Saturday Night Live” stars. [For those of you playing along at home, the rule is three men and three women; one round in which you’re not allowed to count Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, or Amy Poehler. One round with no restrictions.] Considering it quite likely that in two years she’ll be moving away for college, there’s a part of me that feels like these nights together are the beginning of the end of family life as we know it. On the other hand, my thoughts drift backward too.

Among my deepest parental joys when my children were very young was taking them outside after dinner, first in baby carriers, later just to toddle around the neighborhood. Why was this time so special to me? Not sure. I know I used to love when they were forward-facing in the carrier, and I’d steer them around by their feet while playing tour guide. I loved seeing them learn to walk up stoops with increasing confidence. I loved being outside with them. It was like another day had passed and this time together felt like dessert, one last bit of bonding before saying good night. I’m an urban wanderer and I’m sure part of my gratification is having a child with me without any conflict about where to go or what to do. It’s more about: “Let’s see!”

Sometimes there are soft agendas, like if our journey happens to take us to something else we want to do, then why not? We ended Monday night’s jaunt at the Buttercup Bake Shop on 2nd Avenue in the low 50s.

“This doesn’t feel like a coincidence,” Elena remarked, knowingly.

Eric Messinger is the editor of  New York Family. He can be reached at emessinger@manhattanmedia.com

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Steve & Kate's Camp

<p dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">When you trust kids, they trust themselves.</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-weight: bold; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Since 1980 Steve & Kate's Camp has trusted kids to choose their own activities and plan their own days in real-time. Whether campers are designing, building, coding, creating, baking, dancing, playing, eating, sewing, skipping—it's all on their own schedule. Because when you empower children to make their own choices and be their own bosses, the children discover new reserves of confidence, resiliency, and creativity–all while learning to make course corrections and trust themselves as they go.</span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Families can buy as many days as they’d like, and use them at any time. No weekly reservations or commitments required–just show up! If for any reason your plans change, they’ll automatically refund any unused Passes in full at summer’s end. </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;" /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Ages: 4–12 | </span><span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Lunch, snacks, and all hours (8am–6pm) included.</span></p>

Super Soccer Stars

<p>Soccer Stars is New York’s most popular youth educational soccer program! With 24 years of experience under our cleats, we have positively impacted over one million kids in our local community by putting the FUN in FUNdamentals in our weekly classes and camps.</p> <p>At Soccer Stars, we use the soccer ball as a vehicle to help children not only improve their soccer skills, but develop self-confidence and physical literacy, improve gross motor skills, build teamwork, and hone socialization skills. Our highly trained coaches and early childhood experts lead an age-specific curriculum with a low kid-to-coach ratio so every child gets individual attention and can grow at their own pace.</p> <p>Kids ages 1-12+ can join our seasonal programs, including Parent & Me, FUNdamentals, Development Training, and Travel Soccer. Join us at one of over 80 locations in neighborhoods across across Westchester County, Connecticut and New York, available 7 days-a-week:</p> <p><strong>Connecticut:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Cos Cob</li> <li>Greenwich</li> <li>Port Chester</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Westchester:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Briarcliff</li> <li>Eastchester</li> <li>Mt. Kisco</li> <li>New Rochelle</li> <li>Ridgefield</li> <li>Scarsdale</li> <li>White Plains</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>New York City:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bronx</li> <li>Inwood</li> <li>Upper West Side</li> <li>Upper East Side</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Can’t find a class or location that fits your schedule? Soccer Stars also offers private classes for small groups or individual training. Let our coaches come to you with a completely customizable program, anytime, anywhere. Birthday parties are also available! </p>

Kenwal Day Camp

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