About our Children, May 2015

OurChildrenOurAbout

Supplement to The Jewish Standard May 2015

Happy Birthday, Baby!A Toast to Mothers Day

& Much More

Useful Information for the Next Generation of Jewish Families

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2 About our Ch i ldren MAY 2015

First breath. First smile. First steps. Treasured moments begin here.

The MotherBaby Center at Chilton Medical Center.

Whether you are planning to start a family or adding to one, Chilton Medical Center invites you to begin this exciting journey with us. Our MotherBaby Center encourages moms-to-be to personalizetheir birthing experience in a way that makes it memorable for the entire family. We offer private rooms with personalized visiting hours, hydrotherapy for labor, a celebratory gourmet dinner and a Moms spa. For special care, theres a Level II Nursery with board certified neonatologists and pediatricians available 24/7. And with caring nurses, expert medical staff, and our seamless connection to Morristown Medical Center, its no wonder why so many women choose to have their babies here with us, close to home.

For more information about parent education classes, please call 973-831-5475.

For a referral to a Chilton Obstetrician

or Certified Nurse Midwife,

call 1-888-4AH-DOCS

or visit atlantichealth.org/chilton

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May 2015

Winners of the April Contest!The winner of 4 tickets to see Berenstain Bears at bergenPAC is:

Dianne Cipris, River Vale

Thanks to all who entered, and congratulations to our winners!

Happy Birthday, Baby! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6From chess to trampolines, choices on how to celebrate junior

Let Them Eat Cake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Sweet and beautiful birthday confections

Birthday Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Places, spaces and more for the party

Gearing Up for Sleep-Away Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Getting your child and yourself ready

Putting the Kibosh on Anger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Cooling the temper with your children

Taming the Narcissist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Teaching your children what really matters

What You Say is What You Get . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13How to level praise, temper criticism

A Toast to Mom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Breakfast treats for her special day

The Eyes Have It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Protection your childs eye in summer

Simchas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Marking the milestones

Top Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Great picks for May

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Things to do this month

Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Celebrating our children in photos

3ABOUT OUR CH I LDREN MAY 2015

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OurChildrenOurChildrenAbout

ABOUT OUR CH I LDREN MAY 2015

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There is a picture that has become an iconic Mothers Day photo-graph.

My husband Jeff was the photographer, who snapped the im-age while we waited to be served our brunch at a nearby restaurant. I am seen with a big smile, holding 20-month-old Yehuda, who is mid-laugh, in my lap, while 2-month-old Shaina looks beati c, all pink hat and pink blanket, is sleeping beside us.

I am grateful for that document because its hard to remember the particulars of other Mothers Days. I do remember they are all very nice and follow a tradition that weve created: traveling to Long Island to gather with our family for bagels and lox, and exchanging owers or other small gifts as we catch up during the annual ritual. Hosted by my sister-in-law, it is attended by her parents, my 93-year-old mother-in-law (bless her!), and the kids. Its always a good time. One year has rolled into the next, the passage of time marked most dramatically by the chil-dren getting older. (I like to say, they get older; we get better!)

There is another Mothers Day Ill never forget.It was my mothers last one: May 12, 1985. It was a Sunday. On that

day, we also traveled to Long Island. This time we went to the cemetery to bury my mother, who died after battling cancer. She left three chil-dren, a husband, and a lifetime of accomplishment after surviving the Shoah, and essentially losing her own mother when she was younger than 10 years old.

The Mothers Day funeral was a painful and cruel association with a day marked by greeting cards, owers, and fancy restaurant meals. In the years that immediately followed her death, it felt tting to have that extra dose of grief to leaden the sadness of not having my mother around to receive a card, a bouquet of ow-ers, and dinner at a restaurant.

But the Mothers Days with my mother before she died were actually lovely and much simpler. She never wanted us to make a fuss. Since her birth-

day was just a week before, we cobbled together the gifts for both occa-sions. Her requests were simple, and ever practical.

I need some underwear, Heidi, she once told me.So I complied. Off I went to her favorite department store, Alexan-

ders, where I would nd the white briefs she favored, and wrap them up as if they were some precious trinket from Tiffanys. But she didnt want any small blue box. The more practical the gift, the better. What she did cherish were the homemade cards or the picture frames that we made in grade school, the ones decorated with dried shapes of pas-ta and then spray painted gold. All those items, the gifts for Mothers Day, were put in a drawer for safekeeping or out on display.

Its hard to imagine that this year marks 30 years since that last very sad Mothers Day. Its her 30-year yarhzeit and Ive lived longer without her here than with her.

But she lives with me. Not just the fact that my hair has gotten redder (hers, thanks to

Miss Clairol, mine, thanks to the genius of colorist Renee Patronik) or that my closet is cluttered with shoes just like hers, or that I share her love of retail therapy.

Or that our daughter, Shaina, is graced with her name. Trite, clich, but true. A mother is always with her child.I used to think that since shes been gone, she missed all the good

stuff, watching as we grew, got married, and had our own families.But then I wonder, did she really? Wishing all a very Happy Mothers Day.

musings from the editor

Dont Miss About Our Children in June Published on May 29, 2015

Natalie JayAdvertising Director

Peggy EliasGeorge KrollKaren NathansonJanice RosenBrenda SutcliffeAccount Executives

About Our Children is published 11 times a year by the New Jersey/Rockland Jewish Media Group, 1086 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666; telephone: 201-837-8818; fax: 201-833-4959.; e-mail: [email protected].

OurChildrenAbout

Rachel HarkhamSlovie Jungreis-WolffAdina SoclofDenise Morrison YearianContributing Writers

MissionStatementAbout Our Children is designed to help Jewish families in our area live healthy, positive lives that make the most of the resources available to them. By providing useful, current, accurate information, the publication aims to guide par-ents to essential information on faith, education, the arts, events, and child-raising in short, everything that todays Jewish family, babies to grandparents, needs to live life to the fullest in northern New Jersey and Rockland County.

James L. Janoff Publisher

Heidi Mae BrattEditor

Deborah HermanArt Director

AdvisoryBoardDr. Annette Berger, Psy.D.Psychologist, Teaneck

Michelle Brauntuch, MS,CCLSChild Life Specialist, Englewood Hospital, Englewood

Hope EliasofMarriage and Family Therapist, Midland Park

Howard Prager, DC, DACBSPHolistic Chiropractor, Oakland

Jane Calem RosenMarketing and Communications Specialist

Barry Weissman, MDPediatrician, Hackensack and Wyckoff

Cheryl Wylen Director of Adult Programs and Cultural Arts YM-YWHA of North Jersey, Wayne

OurChildrenAbout

5About our Ch i ldren MAY 2015

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Baby Maya, Bergenfield, NJ. One day old.

What ifa hospital, understanding that having a baby is no walk in the park, completely

transformed the experience for everyone? Introducing the new Family Birth Place

a state-of-the-art maternity center with the aesthetics and accommodations of a luxury

hotel to match our award-winning medical excellence.* At Englewood Hospital and

Medical Center we start each day questioning the status quo, asking What if

and then innovating to make it happen. Because we want to be

your hospital for life.

*Healthgrades Maternity Care Excellence Award for the10th Year in Row (2005-2014)

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Bounce, Skate, Act, Dance, Paint and More for Birthday Fun

H e i d i M a e B rat t

From breaking open the candied innards of a colorful piata at a Mexican-themed fiesta, to bouncing

on a trampoline in a nearly wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor gargantuan space, to dis-playing some swashbuckling fencing on or off stage, to checkmating your oppo-nent in a concentration-driven game of chess, choosing where to celebrate your childs birthday among myriad local op-tions can be about as much fun as the party itself.

Sure, parents can still low-key it with a gathering in the basement by just ordering the pizza, soda, chips, and setting up the tunes on the iPod. But if youre looking for more wow, or some-thing a bit little different to celebrate junior not to mention the just-show-up factor and the no-mess-to-clean-up-

afterwards check out these places and spaces that will happily do birthday bashes for your child.

BounceU of Paramus tagline is Where Birthdays Come to Life! The venue offers ginormous inflatables, party professionals who handle the de-tails and private bounce stations and party rooms. Voted a top spot for birth-day parties, BounceU also offers themed parties and glow-in-the-dark parties, and will accommodate any meal request, from ethnic to kosher to any other cater-ing preference. BounceU of Paramus is also a nut-free facility.

For working up a calorie-burn-ing jumpathon, Bounce! Trampoline Sports in Valley Cottage offers about 10,000-square-feet of wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor trampoline in its capacious facil-ity. Party packages include jump time where guests can somersault into a gi-

ant trampoline foam pit, play slam dunk basketball or trampoline dodge ball, and then after their workout, have pizza in a private room.

For birthday parties, theres noth-ing like this in the area, says owner Mi-chael Gross. Its a fun, good time, and an activity thats outside the box. The kids jump for an hour and half, are ex-hausted, and then have pizza and cake. Everyones happy.

Ice skating is nice skating at Ice Vault Arena in Wayne, which bills itself as the hot party at the coolest place around. Two-hour party packages include an hour of skate time during the public ses-sions on the NHL-regulation sized rink. Skating instructions are also available for an extra fee. Included is the skate rental and access to a private room, and on off-ice host who will escort and help the guests have a good time while

theyre eating and feting the birthday boy or girl. A customized Carvel cake is included as part of the goodies. The venue is so popular for birthday parties, says Jason Schwartz of Ice Vault Arena, the party rooms get booked up quite in advance.

At the Paintbrush Studio in May-wood partygoers get a painting lesson by an instructor and then have a pizza and soda break. The two-hour package starts with a step-by-step instruction by an art teacher who takes the young artists through how to paint their own picture, whether it is a cupcake, butter-fly, fish, owl or tiger or another image. Following the art lesson, they have their lunch in a relaxing atmosphere. For their goodie bag, the youngsters get to take home a painting they did with a sense of accomplishment.

The relatively new Kidville on the


Whats a birthday party without a cake? You can have nary a guest nor gift nor card. But a birthday

cake with a candle to make a wish upon and blow out is a sacrosanct ritual when it comes to celebrating a birthday.

Cakes have come a long way, baby. They have always been delicious in ice cream or butter cream, but the birthday cakes today are more akin to the art of what wedding cakes were like yesterday.

Krystina Gianaris, designer and own-

er of Teaneck-based Cake & Co., says that theme birthday cakes for young-sters remain strong with such requests

as Ninja Turtles (not just for boys), My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, and yes, still Fro-zen (while it is starting to melt, a bit). She creates these scrumptious confec-tions, which are usually vanilla with a filling caramel crme or whipped choco-late ganache. In addition to cakes, deco-rated cupcakes are also very popular for birthday parties. Ms. Gianaris creations are pareve and kosher certified.

Israeli-born Keren Avrahami, owner of Kerens Party Cakes in Tenafly, has been baking cakes for five years in Ber-gen County after learning her craft in her

Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

OurChildrenAbout

Kerens Party CakesKerens Party CakesKerens Party Cakes

Cake & Co.

Cake & Co.

Cake & Co.

native country. She says that for boys birthday parties, still going strong are requests for superheroes, especially Spider-Man, and Superman. Girls favor the aforementioned characters of Dis-ney and others. Ms. Avrahamis most requested cakes are those in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Avrahami bakes both dairy and pareve cakes. Her kosher certified cakes are made on re-quest and baked in an approved kitchen in Brooklyn.

Heidi Mae Bratt is the editor of About Our Children.


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block, located in Ridgewood, is a master at birthday party making, says owner Michael Pickholz, add-ing that it has also won accolades for party making. There are all-inclu-sive packages from which to choose and a smorgasbord of 18 different themes from princesses, knights, rock, pajama parties and more. In addition, custom-styled parties are available for the imagination. Each birthday party has an art and activ-ity component.

We take care of everything, says Mr. Pickholz. All the parents have to do is show up.

Krystina Gianaris, cake designer and owner of Cake & Co. in Teaneck, offers private custom decorating sessions for small groups of birth-day party celebrants at her cake boutique. Ready-made cupcakes or cookies are available for decorating, a treat that partygoers can either en-joy on the spot or take home.

One of the most memorable par-ties at Performing Arts in Cresskill, says owner Betsy Daly, was a paja-ma party for an 8-year-old girl ,who asked that in lieu of gifts, that her friends bring donations to a chil-drens food bank.

I thought that was pretty cool,

says Ms. Daly, who made sure that the girl did get a gift herself for her generous birthday effort.

Ms. Daly says that birthday par-ties run the gamut from dance to acting to theater games to Legos to fencing. Here, we can really do any-thing they want to do, she says.

It could get intense at Interna-tional Chess in Teaneck, says Diana Tulman, where chess fans come to celebrate their birthdays with a 45-minute lesson followed by a tournament.

If you and your friends are chess fans, then this is a great par-ty, says Ms. Tulman.

Its ole and lots of Mexican-fl avored fun for birthday parties celebrated at Blue Moon Mexican restaurant in Englewood. Jeanne Stevenson, the catering manager says that the restaurant has two pri-vate party rooms and can create a menu and provide outside entertain-ment for up to 50 youngsters. The south-of-the-border theme extends not only to the taco bar and Mexican victuals, but also there is a piata for and partygoers, who get a sombrero and colored maracas to really add to the fi esta feel.

For a more genteel birthday

party, the folks at Miss Pattis School of Dance in Midland Park offer a 90 minutes of dance and down time for food and cake and present pre-sentation. Darryl Vigon, owner, aka Mr. Patti, he quips, says that while ballet is most popular, other forms of dance can be taught at the party. A 40-minute dance lesson tops the agenda, followed by pizza, juice and cake in the party room, and then into the gift room for the opening of the presents ceremony.

The kids are very well be-haved, says Mr. Vignon.

At Bricks4Kidz in Cresskill co-owner Sharene Hattar, who along with Raida Merlo run the Lego-based education-play space, recalls a recent party in which a dragster fan birthday boy led the charge to make Lego racecars that were then fashioned with motors for a race to the end.

It was a lot of fun, says Ms. Hattar, who also recalls that another party created a moving carnival with Lego pieces.

The kids enjoy the activities and they also learn from them.

Heidi Mae Bratt is editor of About Our Children

OurChildrenAbout

Join us for Toddler Time every Tuesday from 11am Noon!Every Friday night we feature Jump n Glow!

Open Jump for All Ages Slam Dunk Basketball And Dodgeball Birthday Parties for All Ages Bounce! Jr. Zone for Ages 5 and Under

& Toddler Time! Group Events and Fundraisers Ask Us About our Special Needs Programs! Open Friday & Saturday Nights Until 11Pm!

The best place for a party in the tri-state area!

845-268-4000

1378 Queen Anne Rd. [email protected]

RCBC

RCBC

Custom Cakes

Cookies Cake Pops Cupcakes

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Turn your parTy inTo fiesTaaT your neighborhood blue moon

for party info

201-848-4088 www.bluemoonmexicancafe.com

Englewood BronxvilleWoodcliff Lake Wyckoff

About our Ch i ldren MAY 2015

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973-661-9368 Blue Moon Mexican Cafe23 E. Palisade Ave.Englewood, NJ201-541-0600www.bluemoonmexicancafe.comLots of fun for the little ones. Parties for youngsters to 1 to 16. Packages starting at $6.95 per person. Please see our ad on page 7.

Bounce! Trampoline Sports 612 Corporate Way, Valley Cottage, NY 10989 845-268-4000 www.bounceonit.com Bounce! is perfect for birthday par-ties for all ages from 2 to adults. Large main jump court, two dodge ball courts, two separate foam pit jumping areas, two slam-dunk bas-ketball lanes. Jr. Zone for ages 2 5. Parties start with 10 guests, birth-day child, free. Please see our ad on page 7.

Bounce U70 Eisenhower DriveParamus, NJ201-843-5880www.bounceu.comWith our amazing inflatable struc-tures, unbeatable customer service, and clean, climate-controlled envi-ronment, all you really have to do is show up and take pictures. Throw-ing a private party here couldnt be easier. Please see our ad on page 3.

Cake & Co. 1378 Queen Anne RoadTeaneck, NJ201-530-7555www.cakeandconj.comAmazing kosher custom creations for every occasion. Choose from cakes, pastries, cupcakes, cookies, cakepops, and more. RCBC. Please see our ad on page 7.

Cresskill Performing Arts300 Knickerbocker Road, Suite 1100Cresskill, NJ201-390-7513and 201-266-8830www.cresskillperformingarts.comAges: Toddlers-adults (studio)Come over from some fun and games: dance, acting, improv, yoga, fencing, arts & crafts, Legos, prin-cesses, fairies, pajama parties, amd more. We take care of everything to you can enjoy your party. We do all the set-up, serving, clean up, too. Our amazing teachers and assis-tants make your party smooth and fun. Our prices include water, paper goods, gifts from CPA for your good-ie bags, and a gift for the birthday child. Schedule your party today. Please see our ad on page 8.

International Chess Academy9-10 Saddle River Rd.Fair Lawn, NJ201-797-0330 185 Court St.Teaneck, NJ201-833-1741 [email protected] parties for the chess lover. Parties consist of a lesson followed by a tournament. Also included in packages, food, beverage, and cake. Call for pricing. Please see our ad on page 10.

Ice Vault Skating Arena10 Nevins DriveWayne, NJ973-623-1500www.icevault.comThe Ice Vault has various activities for kids of all ages. Public sessions, hockey clinics, hockey teams, figure skating, free-style, Learn to Skate programs. Birthday parties are also

available. Please check website for details on birthday party pack-ages which include skate rental and open skate time, followed by time in private party room. See our ad on page 3.

Joe Fischer, Magician973-661-9368www.joefischermagic.comJoe Fischer is able to create a show in any location. An intimate perfor-mance of cards and coins strolling guest to guest to a large scale stage production. A birthday party with friends in a living room to a library or community center for real fam-ily fun event. Please see our ad on page 8.

Matisse260 Grand Ave.Englewood, NJ201-568-228832 Orangetown CenterOrangeburg, NY845-365-0285www.getfreshchocolate.comGreat birthday parties that children will love for ages 5 and older. Make your own chocolate treats. All inclu-sive birthday party packages avail-able. Call or check out the website for more information.

Miss Pattis School of Dance 85 Godwin Ave.Midland Park, NJ 201-670-4422www.misspatti.comDance birthday parties for young-sters 5 and up. 1 hour includes Popular Childrens Dance, Pizza, Juice, Cake, and Goodie Bags Upon deposit invitations are given. Please see our ad on page 13.

OurChildrenAbout

ARTLessonsArt of Excellence Studio

Unlock your Creativity with Classes in Drawing and Watercolor

Structured Lessons - Relaxed AtmosphereFabulous Results!

Age 7 to Adult - All levels of abilityArt Portfolio Preparation Available

Artist, Rina Goldhagen 201-248-4779www.artofexcellencestudio.com

Build skills & confidence

Spring Soccer Training Beginner to Premier Weekday & weekend classes

Summer Soccer Camp 9:00-3:00pm Indoor fields & outdoor soccer tennis

Spectacular indoor arena with turf fieldsDetails and online registration: www.soccercoliseum.com

Our 18th season!

PLUS!Adult & Youth

Leagues

at the historic Teaneck Armory

Teaneck, NJ.201.445.1900

environmental day in rockland County

Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority presents its Annual Environmental Day on Sunday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event features more than 40 exhibitors and activities galore. Plant A Seed, kids yoga, face painting, Danna Banana and his band. Tour the Recycling and Environmental Education Cen-ter. See the live Raptor Show, win raffle prizes rain barrels, compost bins and more. Food and beverages available. The Annual Rockland Recycles Awards. Come rain or shine. A great family day. Torne Valley Road, Hill-burn, N.Y. www.rocklandrecycles.com.

300 Knickerbocker Rd Cresskill

Once Upon a Time Creative Legos

[email protected] www.cresskillperformingarts.com

201-390-7513 201-266-8830

Dan

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Act

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Mus

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ater

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CresskillPerforming Arts

SECOND PLACEDANCE SCHOOLS

READERSCHOICE

2014RegisteR Now

have youR paRty with us

SummerPerformingArtsCamp

FencingCampCreativeLegosWorkshops

Dancing,Acting/Improv,Arts&Crafts,Fencing,FeatherHairExtensions,&More.Callnowtoschedule.


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Get Your Child Off to Sleep-Away CampD E N I S E MO R R I S O N Y E A R I A N

Sleep-away camp is a wonderful, growth-fi lled experience. Parents, however, may underestimate the

benefi ts of residential camp and what it will do for their child. Some parents think their money is better spent elsewhere, particularly if they themselves did not attend sleep-away camp as a youngster, says Doron Krakow, national director of Young Judaea Camp. But it provides your child with invaluable life lessons, such as how to be independent, responsible and make diverse friendships.

So how do you go about fi nding the right sleep-away camp? First, talk it over with your child. What are his interests? Finding a camp with activities your child will enjoy is important. At the same time, encourage him to try new things. Just because your child likes soccer,

doesnt mean he might not like or be good at arts and crafts, says Krakow. Camp is a great place to try something different, because everyone is having new experiences.

Once your child has decided upon the type of camp he wants, explore the options. Find out about the various pro-grams each one offers and ask plenty of questions. According to Krakow, most parents fi nd out whether theres qual-ity instruction and enough time for their child to participate in the said activity, and stop there. But they should take a look at the big picture. Probe to learn about other segments of the program, he says.

What concepts or philosophy does the camp espouse? What will my child do through the course of a typical day? If the camp has a brochure, read it careful-ly. This way you can match your agenda

with that of the camps and provide the experience you want for your child.

Not sure if your child is developmen-tally ready for residential camp? Have a trial run. Send him to visit a relative for the weekend. How did he do away from home? Did he sleep well? Was he able to care for himself (brush his teeth, tak-ing a bath, change his clothes)? Did he adjust to new or different foods? These and other questions will help you decide if your child is ready for camp.

Even if your child did well on a trial run, spend a few minutes talking with the camp director. Tell him about your child how he interacts with other chil-dren, his level of participation in school, etc.

Above all, dont let your own appre-hensions keep you from sending your child away to camp. If you keep him home because of your anxiety about sep-

aration, youre short-changing him, says, Krakow. If your youngster is asking to go away to camp, chances are he is ready.

On the fi rst day of camp, help your child get settled, then leave. Dont stick around too long, says Krakow. If you drive your child to camp, he may cling to you on the way up. Remember, this is something new, and its natural, even for a veteran camper to be a little hesi-tant. Once there, however, many kids will shift from clingy to embarrassment in front of their friends, and parents are often slow to pick up on this.

Even before you send your child to camp, mail him a letter. This way hell have something to open when the mail arrives on the fi rst day. It doesnt have to be anything fancy a note saying youre thinking of him and hoping hes having a good time will do. If you do not have

OurChildrenAbout

Sleep-Away continued on page 10

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time to write every day, that is okay. Just try to write as often as you can.

If your child is a poor correspondent, dont take it personally. Camp is a full-time job for kids, says Krakow. Some may be inclined to share it all with their parents, others will get so caught up in the moment that promises to write are forgotten. A good rule of thumb is, No news is good news. In other words, if you dont hear from your child, it prob-ably means hes having a great time and enjoying his newfound freedom.

Whether your child goes to camp for one week or the whole summer, send a care package. Chances are, the other children will get one and you dont want your child to feel left out. The package doesnt have to be extravagant, just something to let him know youre think-ing of him. Items could include: a yo-yo, his favorite magazine, a pack of gum, candy, etc. Just be sure that if youre sending food items, you know what the rules are about food in cabins. Camps often dont allow food in the cabins be-cause they can attract bugs and outdoor creatures.

When preparing to send your child to camp, avoid purchasing new clothes un-less he really needs them. Chances are, theyll get soiled, stained, or mildewed before they get home if they even get

home! Economically speaking, youre bet-ter off rounding up old clothes and shoes (towels and wash clothes, too) and saving the new items for after camp.

Several weeks before your child at-tends camp, keep his schedule open and stress-free. This will allow him plenty of time to relax and prepare for the big event. If, for example, your family comes back from a vacation on Friday and you scoot your child off to camp on Sunday, he may experience some anxiety and tension. A better idea is to plan major summer events with a break in between.

On the last day of camp, arrive on time, and come prepared with a few extra plastic bags. You may need them, especially if your child has wet clothes or muddy shoes that need to be transported.

On the ride home, listen to your child. More than likely hell be eager to share his experiences with you who he met, what he did, and the funny things that happened. And if you look really close you may find hes grown a little. Not just in height, but in depth of character. Camp has a way of helping kids grow by boost-ing their self-esteem; increasing their sense of responsibility and helping them mature in their relationships with others.

Denise Yearian is the former editor of two parenting magazines and the mother of three children.

OurChildrenAboutSleep-Away continued from page 9

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Put the Kibosh on Anger Ad i nA S o c lo f

Nothing bothers parents more than losing it with their children. How can we control our tempers and

parent without anger? Here are four techniques that can help.

Its normal to get angryIn her book, Love and Anger, the Parental Dilemma, Nancy Samalin explains that we often are amazed at the angry feelings that are stirred up when raising our chil-dren. The most even-tempered people get angry emotions that come boiling to the surface when they have children.

Raising children is frustrating. Tem-per tantrums after you had a long day, refusing to listen, talking back, missing curfew, stealing money. Frustration that is part and parcel of being a parent can quickly escalate to outright anger. Sama-lin believes that the problem might be exacerbated by our unrealistic expecta-tions or beliefs about parenting. Many of us who grew up on the television Happy Days (Thank you, Mrs. Cunni-gham!) might think, Good parents just dont angry, therefore I must be a bad parent, which makes us feel inadequate and even more angry.

We need to realize that our anger is probably a result of the frustrations and annoyances that come along with raising children. It is normal and understand-able. We are not bad people because we get angry with our children. So stop get-ting angry with yourself for getting an-gry. That will get you one step closer to gaining control of your temper.

Lower your expectationsWe bring a lot of unrealistic expectations to parenting that contribute to feelings of inadequacy, which, in turn, increases the odds of getting angry. Some exam-ples of this distorted thinking are:

I should always feel happy when I parent

My kids should always look neat and clean

My kids should always behaveDinner needs to consist of the major

food groups and my children need to eat all of it. If you think that your children should always look neat and clean (you may not even be aware that you have this expectation) you will be fighting a lot of battles with your children. There will be lots of anger. If you think that your children should eat everything on their plate, dinnertime will be far from peaceful.

Ask yourself: Are any of my expec-tations of parenting too high and unat-tainable? Getting a better more realistic picture of what makes a good parent will go along way in helping you keep calm.

You are being hijacked

Its best not to say anything when youre angry. In the heat of the moment youve lost your ability to think straight. Ex-perts call this response the Amygdala Hijack. The amygdala is a part of your brain that protects you when it senses you are under attack or you are threat-ened. It moves you into flight or fight, or play dead mode by sending hormones to shut off the part of your brain that takes care of rational, logical thinking, the prefrontal cortex. We use the pre-frontal cortex to make judgments, con-sider the consequences of our actions and decisions and build relationships. So when youre angry, it feels like you cant think straight because your brain actually wont let you.

Thats why we should count to 10, breathe deeply or go into another room. Wait it out. This helps you move out of the flight or fight mode and helps the hormones to move back into your pre-frontal cortex. It is only then that you are truly better able to handle your anger.

Express your anger in a controlled mannerAccording to parenting expert Haim Ginott, author of Between Parent and Child, parents should talk about their feelings when they are getting mad.

When we are overwhelmed with irri-tation and resentment we should not let it fester. If we keep our anger inside and we have no way of letting off steam, we blow up, lose our cool and with it, our dignity and authority. But he had one caveat: parents could express their an-ger, but they could not insult, accuse or blame their child in the process.

He suggested using I statements. For example, when your child balks when asked to clean his room you can try saying: I am getting frustrated and upset. When I ask you to clean your room, I expect you to clean your room.

When a child is running around, in-stead of saying, You are so wild today. You are impossible! you can say: I am tired and I am getting angry. It is bedtime now and its time for you to get into bed!

When a child comes in late, past cur-few: I was worried and now I am angry. I expect you to call when you are going to be late.

An added bonus: when we practice these techniques we are modeling ap-propriate responses and thereby teach-ing our children ways to manage their own anger.

Adina Soclof is the director of Parent Outreach for A+ Solutions, facilitating How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk workshops as well as workshops based on Siblings Without Rivalry. You can reach her at www.parentingsimply.com.

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How We Can Stop Raising a Generation of Narcissists

S lov i e Ju ng r e i S -Wo l f f

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam stud-ied 565 kids and 705 parents over two years to understand what makes children narcissists.

They went beyond the presumption that smartphones and trophy giving for participation makes it easier to-day than ever to create a self-absorbed generation. Instead, they focused on the parenting style that pro-duces narcissist children, those who feel superior to others, fantasize about personal success, and believe that they deserve special treatment.

They found that parents who worship their chil-dren and teach their sons and daughters that they are extraordinary, special and unique encour-age overblown views of themselves. At the same time these children have been found to look less kindly at others. As they grow, so does their arrogance and self-love. The problem is that the world does not think of them the way that their parents do. Take 22 amazing youngsters and put them into a classroom, you will find 22 children who cant understand why their teacher does not find them amazing. Their inflated perception leads to a road of disappointment, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.

Youre so gifted!Parents who overvalue their children praise the small-est accomplishments, believe their children are enti-tled to extra special treatment, and overstate their kids accomplishments.

How often do we look at our childrens drawings and say Wow! Unbelievable! At little league games we call out You were amazing! I have heard parents tell their Lego building children that No one can do what you do! And after a ballet recital You were the best! A superstar!

Self-esteem is not developed through grandiose complimentsChildren lavished with overblown praise possess an in-flated sense of self and easily grow into arrogant kids. They have learned to expect compliments, require con-stant affirmation and find it difficult to accept criticism. The late Jeffrey Zaslow wrote an article titled, The Most Praised Generation Goes to Work for The Wall Street Journal. He recounts the difficulties bosses and spouses face as they live with those who have been uber-stroked since childhood. We hear of companies that give praise through Celebration Voice Mailboxes, accolades for simply showing up to work, and large corporations that hire consultants to teach managers how to compliment employees. Zaslow adds that as this generation that has been thought of as gifted by their parents grows up, bosses, professors and mates are feeling the need to lavish praise on young adults or else see them wither under an unfamiliar compliment deficit.

Some researchers suggest that we are turning our children into narcissistic praise-junkies. Inappropri-ate or constant accolades cause young adults to feel insecure if they are not receiving the constant compli-ments that made them feel special throughout their childhood. A psychotherapist and divorce attorney quoted in the article adds that young married people whove been very praised in their childhoods, particu-larly, need praise to both their child side and their adult side. When we live with people who require more ego stroking, relationships can be taxing.

And that leaves us to ponder: what is the right way to help our children achieve self-esteem?

The best parenting strategyThe researchers direct us to the path they feel is the best plan for raising well-adjusted kids. Combining parental warmth along with being realistic about chil-drens abilities can produce non-narcissistic kids. They add that the greatest prevention to this egocentric liv-ing lies in giving our children self-esteem. When they feel accepted by others in a positive light and do not feel forced to thrust their imposing images on others, there will be less feelings of anxiety and depression over time.

What is true self-esteem? We can derive an answer from the Talmud that asks why God created Adam, the first man, alone. Why didnt He create the world fully populated? Our sages teach us that we are to learn from

this that every one of us should look at the world and say, The world was created for me. Every individual is vital and has a unique mission that only I can fulfill.

Knowing that I count, that I make a difference that I have a significant spiritual fingerprint that can impact this world makes me feel pride and secure in whom I am. I do not require others to constantly tell me that I am special or amazing. My self-respect should never be dependent on other peoples words, or their lavish praise. Instead, each child should grow with the under-standing that there is a singular spirit that lies within. If I am able to help my child discover that uniqueness I will give my child the gift of self-esteem.

To help our children harness this singular spirit, parents can work towards generating a positive identi-ty. The ability to recognize that we each have the ability to impact the world and those in it will allow our chil-dren to feel good about themselves. This becomes the spiritual dimension of self-esteem; guiding our children to reveal their true self-worth.

How to create a positive self-imageOne of the ways we can create a positive self-image is to teach children the value of their actions. We can teach our children that they are unique because they have the ability to impact others through their kind-ness and good deeds, giving them a legacy to live by. Our children will feel pride that the world is a better place because they exist; this is true self-esteem. The talents they have been given are not an end to them-selves. Instead, they are a means through which they can touch people, even the youngest children. This be-comes empowering.

Here are some examples of ways that children can use their actions to impact others and feel good about themselves: A smile can brighten up a room. Music lifts a dark mood. A phone call to grandma elicits joy. A pic-ture makes someone feel remembered. A shared snack invites friendship. An invitation to join a ball game dis-pels loneliness. The possibilities to create blessing in this world is endless.Focus on efforts and accomplishments

Instead of lavish praise, we should focus on their efforts and real accomplishments. Too many parents thank or reward their children for tasks they are expect-ed to do. Children are left with the impression that they deserve praise for putting their plate in the dishwasher, picking up their laundry or doing their homework. Ulti-mately, these children grow to believe that the world re-volves around them and it takes no effort on their part. They must just show up and they receive accolades.

Giving children love, being realistic about their abil-ities, and helping them discover their self-worth is the path we forge as parents who strive to raise success-ful children. Not through over praising our children but through harnessing the unique spirit that lies within their souls.

Slovie Jungreis-Wolff is a parenting coach, teacher and writer. She is the author of Raising a Child With Soul (St. Martins Press).

Reprinted with permission of Aish.com

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OurChildrenAbout

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About our Ch i ldren MAY 2015 13

OurChildrenAbout

What You Say is What You GetSa ra h C h a na ra d C l i f f e

Warm fuzzies, also known in the 1960s as posi-tive strokes, is something that parents who want to raise emotionally healthy children

cannot do without.Warm fuzzies come in verbal and non-verbal forms.

Verbal warm fuzzies are words that feel good to chil-dren; non-verbal warm fuzzies are good-feeling actions.

As we saw previously, smiles, tender touches, gifts and friendly play are some of the non-verbal good stuff that children appreciate. The verbal fuzzies are praise, positive programming and emotional coaching.

PraisePraise is a most important parenting tool. Its better than punishment any day because it has more consis-tent, predictable positive results without any significant negative side effects. Punishment, on the other hand, sometimes works and sometimes doesnt and it almost always involves a heavy cost (which well examine in detail later).

Children love praise. They like to hear when theyre on track, doing the right thing. They like to know youre pleased and proud. Your praise keeps them coming back for more which is why they behave so much better when you reinforce their behavior with praise. What you praise is what you get.

Unfortunately, what you criticize is also what you get.The rule is whatever you attend to is what you get.

If you reinforce good behavior by giving praise and oth-er kinds of positive attention, children will deliver more good behavior. Find the good behavior and comment on it constantly. A typical morning conversation could sound like this:

Oh look how quickly youve gotten out of bed! Good for you! And I see youve got your clothes on already amazing! Nice job of making the bed today. Keep up the good work Ill see you in the kitchen in a few minutes . Whoah how did you get down here so fast? Youre really moving this morning! I bet youll be ready long before that bus comes! I see you got your bowl all ready ... here, let me help you with the milk.

Keep praise specific tell your child exactly what you like. Avoid global statements like youre a good boy/girl. These are not only useless (because they dont give the child enough information about what he/she needs to do) but they can also be dangerous, lead-ing the child to fear that mistakes and human failings equate with badness.

Keep praise pure dont mix it in with negative statements. Avoid using but as in: I like the way youre using a fork but I dont like the way youre eating with your mouth open.

The word but is an eraser, wiping out the praise part of your statement.

The word but is an eraser, wiping out the praise part of your statement. If absolutely necessary, make several separate statements, perhaps, I like the way youre using a fork. Thats the way to eat. If you also chew with your mouth closed, youll be Mr. Good Man-ners himself.

Remember our most powerful parenting tool is specific praise. Use it liberally. It doesnt cause swelled heads or any other infirmities. It does cause children to do more of what you want them to do.

Warning: Although you can use as much praise as

you want, always use an equal amount of unconditional positive attention. If the only positive attention a child receives is conditional (he earned it because of his good behavior), hell actually feel unloved.

Make sure at least half of his positive attention is given freely, no strings attached.

In other words, tell him and show him that you love him for no reason at all. Half of your hugs, kisses, gifts and kind words can be given because he deserves them (he did something right) and half of this stuff must be giv-en as he walks by or otherwise exists in your presence.

Positive ProgrammingWhen praising a child, we can go just one step further in order to exponentially increase our parenting power. That step is positive programming.

During your childrens first 10 or 15 years, they are extremely impressionable. Tell them theyre stupid and theyll think they are. Tell them theyre selfish, and theyll absorb it completely.

Whatever you say, goes deep down, where it will haunt your children for the rest of their lives.

Whatever you say goes. Deep into their little un-conscious minds. Deep, deep down, where it will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Of course, we can use our power to hypnotize in a positive way as well. We can help our children leave childhood believing that theyre clever, responsible, helpful, kind, courageous, considerate, prompt, strong, determined, patient, organized and otherwise wonder-ful. It all depends on what we say.

Make a list of the words youd like to be able to use to describe your child when shes grown. Now, be sure to use those words daily in the time that you are raising her. This is positive programming.

There is only one trick: the words must be attached to specific praise. Otherwise, they just arent believ-able. When attached to praise for a behavior, which the child knows he is doing, the character label becomes believable and therefore becomes absorbed into the childs self-concept. And positive self-concept leads to positive behavior.

Here are some examples:Thank you for taking out the garbage. That was

very helpful of you.Youre ready for school already? Youre really orga-

nized this morning!I see you gave your sister the doll. That was very

kind of you.You children have waited a long time for the doc-

tor this morning. Youve been very patient.I like the way you listened right away. That was

very cooperative.Once absorbed into the self-concept, positive pro-

gramming informs future behavior:Im a helpful person, so Ill help clear the table.Im a smart guy, so I can figure out this math

problem.Im an organized girl, so Ill be able to straighten

out this mess in no time.

Reprinted with permission of Aish.com

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14 ABOUT OUR CH I LDREN MAY 2015

Choco-nana Toastini cup chocolate spread2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese4 slices challah or brioche toast2 bananas, sliced

1. In a small bowl mix together chocolate spread and mas-carpone.

2. Spread chocolate thickly over each slice of toast. Top evenly with banana slices.

Heres to a Toast and Fancy Toppings

to Celebrate MomRAC H E L H A R K H AM

It was just a matter of time before the gluten-free backlash would begin. Af-ter all, life is about cycles; food and

eating is an important part of living and certainly not exempt from uctuating trends. In the past few months leading culinary outposts (popular foodie maga-zines and websites) proclaimed a pa-nivorous pivot by featuring a profusion of scrumptiously topped toasts on their pages.

And all this breadiness couldnt be happening at a better time: Post-Pass-over Mothers Day!

French toast is a likely Mothers Day dish, but tends towards the heavy and rich, due to the egg-soaked bread that is often fried. Take inspi-ration from the spring season with light and fresh bites. Top crunchy slices of un-French toast with bright fruit and veg-gies and avorful spreads. Begin Moth-ers Day breakfast-in-bed with a sweet-topped challah toastini and end it at the dinner table with a with a savory sour-dough toastini.

The version below pairs smooth and creamy avocado with thin slices of fresh,

crunchy, slightly sharp radish-es and nishes things off with a hit of spice and color thanks to a scattering of red pepper akes.

Spread a thick layer of herb-infused goat cheese on crunchy toast and then pile on a tangle of sweet-sour sauted

onions. Garnish with goat cheese crum-bles or fresh chopped herbs. And savor the contrasting and complementing a-vors and textures contained in each bite.

Egg challah, or brioche, smeared with vanilla bean butter and then toast-ed to a crispy golden brown is a superb

base for sweet toastinis. A thick cover of lemon curd, whose color is as bright and refreshing as its avor, becomes am-brosial when topped with slices of fresh springtime strawberries.

Dont worry, I havent forgotten the chocoholics. Chocolate-spread with a bit of mascarpone mixed in for a dreamy-creamy consistency is spoon-worthy on its own. And when densely covering va-nilla-butter challah toast it is more than enough to sink your teeth into. But when furthermore topped off with banana slic-es? It becomes a sweet composition for the taste buds. Ideal for a toasty Moth-ers Day.

Sourdough Toast4 1-inch thick slices sourdough bread2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilCoarse sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Sprinkle tops with sea salt.

2. Space slices out evenly on a baking tray, place in oven and bake for 14 minutes. Rotating tray mid-point. Remove from oven and let cool.

Challah Toast4 1-inch thick slices challah or brioche bread2 tablespoons butter, softened1 vanilla bean, scraped of seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl combine the soft-ened butter and vanilla.

2. Spread vanilla butter evenly over the top of challah slices. Space bread out evenly on a baking pan.

3. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and with a spatula fl ip over each slice. Return to oven and bake for another minute. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Onion Confit2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 tablespoon butter3 onions, cut into thin half-moon slices2 garlic cloves, minced3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar1 tablespoons brown sugar cup water or vegetable stockSalt, to taste

1. In a large skillet over medium heat melt together butter and olive oil. Add onions and garlic and stir regularly until onions become limp and translucent about 5 minutes.

2. Mix in apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Pour water/vegetable stock to onion mixture. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to cook and reduce for 20-25 minutes, stirring ever so often. Season with salt to taste.

Yields about 2 cups.

Lemon Curd cup fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)2/3 cup sugar3 large eggs6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

1. Whisk together juice, zest, sugar and eggs in medium sized saucepan.

2. Stir in butter and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently and rigorously so that the eggs dont set. Stir until curd is thickened and bubbling slightly (6 to 7 minutes).

3. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Yields approx. 1 cup

Avocado Radish Toastini4 slices sourdough toast1 ripe avocado, peeled, pit removed and mashed

8 radishes, sliced thinRed pepper fl akes, optional or freshly ground black pepper

Spread a quarter of the mashed avocado evenly over each toast. Top with rad-ish slices and sprinkle with red pepper fl akes or freshly ground pepper.

Goat Cheese Onion Confit Toastini4 slices sourdough toast5 ounces container of herb-infused spreadable goat cheese (such as boursin, alouette)

Onion confi tFresh chopped parsley (optional)

Spread approximately 2 table-spoons of goat cheese over each toast. Top with onion confi t and garnish with chopped pars-ley, if desired.

Lemon Strawberry Toastini4 slices challah or brioche toastlemon curd8 large strawberries, stemmed and sliced width-wise

Spread lemon curd thickly over each challah toast. Cover evenly with sliced strawberries.

Rachel Harkham is a recipe developer, food writer and cook-book author. Visit her at www. reciperachel.com.

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Protecting Your Childs Eyes During the Sunny Season


The sun is shining bright and ev-eryone is heading outdoors for spring. Having the chance to play

more sports, take more walks, or just to shake off the long and rough winter that has kept us inside is a great pleasure.

But the sun is not always a friend, and the new season means that you cant forget to take care of your chil-drens eyes. Childrens eyes are exposed more to the sun and to UV rays during the spring and summer season.

Experts recommend that to combat the UV rays and their harmful effect, chil-dren should wear protective eyewear. Even on cloudy days, UV rays still cause damage. When wearing UV-protected contact lenses, sunglasses should also be worn to protect the areas that are not covered by the lenses.

Purchase quality sunglasses (UVA/B Protected) for your children. Choose sunglasses that have protective lenses. Good sunglasses block out 99 to 100 per-cent of both UVA and UVB radiation in addition to blocking out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.

Pay attention to the lens color. Gray-colored lenses provide the best natural color vision. They reduce inten-sity of light without altering the color of objects.

Purchase glasses with large lenses. Glasses that fit close to the eyes and wrap slightly around the head offer the most protection against harmful rays.

Inspect your childrens glasses be-fore buying. Lenses should be perfectly matched in color and free from distor-tion and imperfection.

Teaching your children to wear sun-glasses at a young age is very important

for their vision. Recent studies have shown that the earlier children start wearing sunglasses while outdoors, the better their chances of avoiding major eye health problems later in life.

Not to get too nervous, but there are other injuries to be cautious about dur-ing the season.

Injuries to the eye in youngsters

begins to increase in May and June be-fore peaking in July. The overall leading cause of eye injuries in children 15 and younger is sports, especially swimming.

Pool chemicals, which can cause eye irritation, are a common cause of eye injuries. Ensuring that a pools pH level is within normal range is one way to re-duce these injuries. Googles and swim masks are another way by providing a barrier between the eyes and water. Oth-er causes of pool-related injuries include being hit by water toys or by elbows and feet.

Other ways to reduce eye injuries include having children of all ages wear eye protection when playing sports and keeping children away from spar-klers, firecrackers or any other types of fireworks.

Heidi Mae Bratt is the editor of About Our Children.

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Bnai mitzvah

STACY CORTEZStacy Cortez, daughter of Steven and Holli Cortez celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah March 28 at Temple Beth Sholom of Fair Lawn.

JONAH COWANJonah Cowan, son of Cory and Stephen Cowan celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah on April 18 at Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafl y. As a mitzvah project, Jonah volunteered weekly at a dog shelter in Cliffside Park.

KATIE FALEKKatie Falek daughter of Dena and Andrew Falek, and sister of Michael, celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah on March 7 at Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafl y. As a mitzvah project, she raised money for the Lymphoma Research Foundation by hosting a spin-ning class at Flywheel and created a website for additional donations.

JUSTIN GARLANDJustin Garland, son of Helene and Andrew Garland of Wyckoff, and brother of Rachel, 14, and Daniel, 9, celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah on March 28 at Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes.

ALEXANDRA GUSTAVEAlexandra Gustave, daughter of Sharyn and Jonathan Gustave, and sister of Luke, celebrated becoming a bat mitz-vah on March 14 at Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafl y. As a mitzvah project, she volunteered as a tutor at the Bergen Family Center.

SHAINA HEITZNERShaina Heitzner, daughter of Kari and Jeff Heitzner of Haworth, celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah on March 28 at Temple Beth El of Northern Valley in Closter

JORDAN KONEFSKYJordan Konefsky, daughter of Bonni and Steven Konefsky and sister of Jennifer, celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah on March 28 at Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafl y. As a mitzvah project, she volunteered for the Friendship Circle working with special needs children.

JESSICA LANINJessica Lanin, daughter of Lisa and Scott Lanin, and sister of Samantha, celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah on March 14 at Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafl y. As a mitzvah proj-ect, she organized a collection drive of new and gently used dance shoes and attire to donate to the Blossom Sisters Foundation, a performing dance and arts center in Hackensack for disadvantaged children.

HALEY NADLERHaley Nadler, daughter of Jodi Nadler of Randolph, and sister of Sydni, celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah on March 28 at Temple Bnai Or in Morristown. Her grandparents are Jan and Lew Weiss of Mahwah.

SimchasBirth

JULIE MICHELLE MARGULIESJulie Michelle Margulies was born on February 26 at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood to Eileen and Steven Margulies of Fair Lawn. She weighed six pounds, 12 ounc-

es, and was 19.5 inches long. Her maternal grandparents are Ira and Rochelle Blum of Jackson and the late Yaffa Blum. Her paternal grand-parents are Sylvia and Barry Margulies of Fair Lawn. Julie Michelle joins a brother, Eric, who is 4 years old.

H E I D I M A E B RAT T

Like a chain letter but softer, cud-dlier, and being tracked by social media, the Beary Sweet bear, which

just debuted to sprinkle the world with sweetness by its parent company, Del-ray Beach, Fla.-based Brandberry, is on the move.

The company, a brand licensing agency and creative house, has started to disseminate and give away 12 dozen bears to people they know and some to complete strangers. (One is headed for Paramus, NJ.)

The companys main request is that the recipients only keep the bears for three days. From there they should pass or mail them to someone they care about or to someone in need. They are refer-ring to this act as getting sprinkled.

Each of the 144 bears bears a num-ber, so that folks can follow the journey

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Bear Makes Its Sweet Way Cross Country, Webof the stuffed animal which bears a resemblance to a Teletubbie crossed with Hello Kitty. The bears travels are being posted on social media, the com-panys website and twitter. The only way

someone can stop the chain of travel is if someone really needs the bear, if they suffered a profound loss or are hospital-ized, they can keep the bear.

Company founder and creator of the

Beary Sweet bear, Ashley Mady, says that the traveling bear will help people so busy with their lives remember the little things that make it so beautiful.

Can you bear it?

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Imagine holding your breath for an hour and a half. Enduring temperatures above 300 degrees Fahrenheit and below -458 degrees Fahrenheit. Or seeming to cheat death by repeatedly cloning yourself. Life at the Limits: Stories of Amazing Species, now at the American Museum of Natural History, explores the diverse and jaw-dropping strategies animals and plants use to fi nd food, fend off predators, reproduce, and thrive in habitats many would fi nd inhospitable, even lethal. The exhibition introduces visitors to bizarre mating calls, extraordinary examples of parasitism and mimicry, and other amazing means of survival, using specimens, videos, interactive exhibits, and models, including a climbable Hercules beetle. The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th St, Manhattan. 212-769-5100, www.amnh.org

The Berenstain Bears Live, adapted from the classic childrens book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain, brings everyones favorite bear family to life at bergenPAC on May 3. As always, Bear Country is not without its complica-tions: Brother Bears grades are slipping, Sister Bear still has a few things to learn about making new friends, and Papa Bear just cant stop eating junk food. Thankfully, we can depend on Mama Bear and her patience to set things right. Mamas and papas of all ages welcome, especially if they bring along their cubs ages 2 to 10. Shows Sunday, May 3, 1 and 4 p.m. bergenPAC, 30 North Van Brunt St., Englewood. 201-227-1030, www.bergenpac.org, www.ticketmaster.com.

The Berenstain Bears Live at bergenPAC

Spring Fling Boutique at Kaplen JCC on the Palisades

COMP I L E D BY H E I D I M A E B RAT T

The founders of Israel had a dream. They imagined a vibrant, independent and Jewish state that would not only be a haven for Jews from all over the world, but also one that would incorporate the best characteristics of its citizens: brains and brawn, creativity, determination, fairness and imagination a state whose greatest natural resource is its people who could imagine that future one that would benefi t the world. Join the Celebrate Israel Parade on Fifth Ave. with this years theme: Israel Imagines in on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and cheer on or keep step with the more than 30,000 parade marchers. Celebrate Israel Parade, Sunday, May 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Fifth Avenue from 57 to 74 Streets, Manhattan.

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Have shopping to do for Mom or Dad or grad? The Early Childhood Department at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades could be your answer with its annual Spring Boutique on Sunday, May 3 and Monday, May 4. The boutique features a wide selection of jewelry, womens fashions, menswear, sunglasses, childrens clothing and accessories, decorative home furnish-ings and more. Each purchase will help support programs in the JCC Early Childhood Department. This is the right kind of retail: shopping for a good cause.

Sunday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, 411 E. Clinton Ave., Tenafl y. Felice Popper, 201-408-1435 or fpopperjccotp.org.

Israel Imagines Bigfor this Years Parade

Amazing SpeciesTake It to the LimitAmazing Amazing SpeciesSpecies

Israel Imagines Big

jewelry, womens fashions, menswear, sunglasses, childrens clothing and accessories, decorative home furnish-ings and more. Each purchase will help support programs in the JCC Early Childhood Department. This is the right kind of retail: shopping for a good cause.

To Our Readers: To Our Readers: This calendar is a day-by-day schedule of events. Although all information is as timely as we can make it, its a good idea to call to verify details before you go.

To Add Your Event to Our CalendarSend it to:Calendar EditorAbout Our ChildrenNew Jersey/Rockland Jewish Media Group1086 Teaneck RoadTeaneck, NJ 0766 AboutOCaol.comor fax it to: 201-833-4959

Deadline for June issue (published May 29): Tuesday, May 19

Friday, April 24Celebrate Shabbat in Wayne: The Shomrei Torah invites young children and their families to a Tot Shabbat at 5 p.m., 30 Hinchman Ave., Wayne.

Sunday, April 26Thurnauers Young Musician Concert: Be inspired by musicians 4 and older performing as soloists and in groups on a variety of instruments. 9:30 a.m., 10:45, noon. Free. JCC Thurnauer School of Music, Kaplen JCC, 411 E. Clinton Ave., Tenafl y. 201-408-1465.

Celebrate Israels Birthday: Kids In Action Club honors Israels birthday. Lunch on falafel, write a letter to an Israeli soldier and go bowling, too. 12:45 to 2:30 p.m. Chabad Center, 194 Ratzer Road, Wayne. Pickup will be at Holiday Bowling, 29 Spruce St., Oakland. 973-694-6274.

Camp Veritans Open House: Walking tours from 1 to 4 p.m. on the grounds at Camp Veritans, 225 Pompton Road, Haledon. You can also call to schedule your own personalized tour. Spaces for campers fi lling fast. Additional Open House days are scheduled for May 3, May 17 and May 31. For more information, 973-956-1220, www.campveritans.com

Friday, May 1Teen Leadership Conference: Media Exposed: Teen Leadership Conference for high school stu-dents grades 9-12. Exposing the medias negative and positive messaging. Keynote speaker: Jean Kilbourne. 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, 411 E. Clinton Ave., Tenafl y. 201-408-1470. www.jccontp.org.

Family Shabbat Services: Temple Emeth fam-ily Shabbat services start at 7:30 p.m. Temple Emeth, 1666 Windsor Road, Teaneck. 201-833-1322, www.emeth.org.

German Jewry Weekend at Temple Emanuel:

Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley holds a Shabbat/weekend devoted to the heritage of German Jewry beginning with a dinner on Friday night and featuring lectures on Shabbat and Sunday. For information, 201-391-0801. Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley, 87 Overlook Drive, Woodcliff Lake.

Saturday, May 2Healthy Kids Day at Wayne Y: From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Wayne YMCA will host its annual Healthy Kids Day, a free event to foster the well-being of children and their families. Swimming, group fi tness demonstrations, zumba and more. 1 Pike Drive, Wayne. 973-595-0100.

Temple Israel & JCC Tot Shabbat: Services at this Conservative egalitarian congregation start at 9 a.m. Singing, prayers and a Torah story, followed by a Kiddush. For families with children 5 and younger. Located at 475 Grove Street, Ridgewood. 201-444-9320.

Sunday, May 3The Berenstain Bears Live: Two performances at Bergen Performing Arts Center. Shows at 1 and 4 p.m. Purchase tickets to see the beloved childhood classic bears. www. ticketmaster.com, 201-227-1030. bergenPAC, 30 North Van Brunt St. Englewood.

Family Art Project: Ephemeral Creatures in Clay with visiting artist Roxanne Jackson to help visitors sculpt mythological creatures. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wave Hill House. W 249th St., Bronx, 718-549-3200. www.wavehill.org.

Thursday, May 5Cinco De Mayo at Bounce U: Come to the bounciest place for a spirited celebration of the Mexican fi esta day. Form 4:30 to 6:15 p.m. Children get a free sombrero. Bounce U, 70 Eisenhower Dr., Paramus. 201-843-5880. [email protected].

The Marshmallow Test: Free lecture on the brain and self-control by renowned Marshmallow Test psychologist Walter Mischel. His research also shows that self-control skills can be taught and enhanced with specifi c strategies. 6:30 to 8 p.m. , Langston Hughes Auditorium, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York.

The Shefa School Open House: The Shefa School is a pluralistic Jewish day school for chil-dren with language-based learning disabilities located on Upper West Side of Manhattan and currently serves children in grades 2-5, including youngsters from Bergen County. It will expand to

grades 2-6 next year and will ultimately enroll students in grades K-8. Open house at 8 p.m. in Teaneck. For more information, email offi [email protected].

Origins of Judaism: New course explores the topic as the origins and evolution of Jewish tradition unfolds in this six-week course. 8 to 9:30 p.m. Lubavitch on the Palisades, 11 Harold St., Tenafl y. 201-871-1152.

Wednesday, May 6Teen Adventures Travel and Volunteer Camp Open House: Learn about the exciting fi ve-week program that includes a trip to Orlando, Fla. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, 411 E. Clinton Ave., Tenafl y. 201-408-1470, www.jccotp.org.

Saturday, May 9Auditions for Dear Edwina, Jr.: Auditions from 11 a.m., to 1 p.m. for youngsters 5 to 13 for show. Performances will be July 18 and 19. No prepara-tion needed. Y, 1 Pike Drive, Wayne.

Sunday, May 10Mothers Day Bounce: Bounce U of Paramus is celebrating mom with a bounce from 3 to 4:45p.m. Bounce U, 70 Eisenhower Dr., Paramus. 201-843-5880. [email protected].

Sunday, May 10Worlds Worst Mom: Meet Lenore Skenazy, a columnist-turned-reality TV show host who will speak about how to raise free-range kids who are ready to fl y the coop before theyre 30. 2:30 p.m. Museum of Jewish Heritage, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Place, Manhattan. 646-437-4202, www.mjhnyc.org.

Monday, May 11Grandparents Class: The Valley Hospital Center for Family Education is offering a Grandparents Class from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Dorothy B. Kraft Center, 15 Essex Road, Paramus. 201-291-62151, www.ValleyHealth.com/FamilyEducation.

Friday, May 15Temple Israel & JCC Family Services: Family Service at 7 p.m. at this Conservative egalitarian congregation. Songs, stories and guitar playing for families with children 4 to 13 years old. Located at 475 Grove Street, Ridgewood. 201-444-9320.

Tot Shabbat in Franklin Lakes: Tot Shabbat and pizza dinner at Barnert Temple at 5:30 p.m. Our youngest ones (pre-readers) are invited to welcome in Shabbat with us at this family-friendly

service. Barnert, 747 Route 208 South, Franklin Lakes. 201-848-1027, www.barnerttemple.org.

Sunday, May 17Auditions for Tarzan the Musical for Teens: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. auditions will be held for teens 13 to 19 to audition for the summer theater show, Tarzan the Musical. Call Meryl at 973-595-0100 ext. 257 to reserve a timeslot. The Y is at 1 Pike Drive, Wayne.

Tuesday, May 19Teen Girls Health: The Valley Hospital hosts Just the Facts for Girls from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lucklow Pavilion, One Valley Health Plaza, Paramus. For girls 13 to 16, a talk, light dinner and yoga session. To register, 201-291-6118.

Wednesday, May 20Pets & Babies: The Valley Hospitals Center for Family Education is offering a Pets & Babies. Expecting a new baby? Dont forget about your four-legged fi rst baby, your cat or dog. There will be adjustments to make. The program will be from 7 to 9 p.m. This class will teach expectant parents tried and true methods to a happy home for all family members. A little preparation and training can ensure a smooth transition for your pet and baby. At the Dorothy B. Kraft Center, 15 Essex Road, Paramus. The fee is $50 per couple. To register online, please visit www.ValleyHealth.com/FamilyEducation. 201-291-6151.

Sunday, May 31Celebrate Israel Parade: Join the thousands along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan who will march to celebrate Israel in the annual parade. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Fifth Avenue from 57 to 74 Streets, Manhattan. www.celebrateisraelny.org.

DaybyDay

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M A YThe Good Life With Kids


See Wednesday, May 6.

See Sunday, May 10. See Wednesday, May 20.

19ABOUT OUR CH I LDREN MAY 2015

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1. The Performing Arts SchoolbergenPAC Dance Competition Team has won more than 35 Platinum, Extreme Gold, Gold & Silver awards at two dance competitions earlier this year Dance Xplosion in Sparta and United Tournament of Dance in Englewood. The Team will be competing at the Starpower National Talent Competition at the Meadowlands Exposition Center on April 24 and 25.

2. Gan Rina Nursery, working with The Teaneck Fire Department, hosted a Fire Safety program for parents and students as part of its holiday preparations.

3A & 3B. Three third graders at Yavneh Academy in Paramus took first place in American Friends of Leket Israels Second Annual (www.leket.org) Celebrate Israel Parade Float Design Contest. Pictured from left, winners Alexandra Greene, Sienna Dube, and Isabella Einhorn, whose design, also pictured, will grace the Leket float. The girls will ride on the float in the Celebrate Israel Parade on Sunday, May 31.

4. Students at Temple Emeth in Teanecks religious school made Israeli flags in anticipation of celebrating Israels birthday.

A NEWPARTNERSHIP IS BORN!Valley and Rosie Pope Team Up For Womens Wellness

Valley Health System is excited to announcea new partnership with parenting and maternityexpert Rosie Pope to promote pregnancy health and wellness.

Visit Valleys Center for Childbirths Facebook pageat www.Facebook.com/ValleyChildbirth to watch forRosies posts with tips on parenting and pregnancyhealth and wellness. And, look for Rosie at upcomingevents offered through Thrive!, Valleys free membership program for women.

Not aThrive!member yet? Join today to be sure you dont miss out on the fun!

www.ValleyHealth.com/Thrive

From Bravos Pregnant in Heels to the new book Mommy IQ: The Complete Guide to Pregnancy, Rosie Pope is a celebrated designer, educator and author.www.RosiePope.com

Rosie P_Thrive Ad_10x13_AboutOurChildren.qxp 3/9/15 1:45 PM Page 1

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About our Children, May 2015

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