Early last week, I came across this quote: “Be the adult you want your children to be.” While I know it is not a new quote, for whatever reason, in the past seven days, I have reflected on the quote again and again. I am comfortable with the idea that my children see a host of positive character traits and qualities in me and in my spouse that I wish for them as well (e.g., ethical, caring, hard working, kind, dependable, etc). However, I also am struck by a sinking feeling when I think about how they must perceive my husband and me in our daily lives, in which we often feel frenetic, time-starved, and stressed. Our routine daily pace is quite rapid, and it accelerates still further when we try to squeeze in things that are important to us, but which do not fall neatly into the family or work buckets (e.g., friends, music, nature hikes). We muster as much energy as possible to continue to move quickly and efficiently through never-ending and always growing to-do lists in the family and work spheres, multitasking as much as possible – rarely stopping to “just be” in the moment. Even when we are embracing our friends, having fun at an event or game, delighting in our children, happily engaging in community service, or appreciating our interesting work, we almost always feel under pressure, especially on the weekend (ironically) to hurry to the next deadline. It is rare that we find ourselves able just to experience the joy of a given event, without interruption; the next things on the calendar always seem to barge into the moment and unrelentingly demand attention from us.

I cannot help but think: Is this the kind of adult I want my children to be? Or, more pointedly, is the adult I want to continue to be? NO!

It appears that I am not alone in feeling rushed (although maybe others feel more at peace with the feverish pace than I), where a 2013 Pew Research Report recently reported that 40% of working mothers and 34% of working fathers say they “always feel rushed.” The report also noted that 56% of working mothers and 50% of working fathers feel that it is “difficult” to balance the responsibilities of work and family. In addition, the Huffington Post just reported that in a recent survey that 77% of Americans feel stressed “regularly.” The economic downturn, the widely publicized tragedies and violence of the recent days and years, the challenges of gaining and keeping full-time employment, the increase in elder care responsibilities, the availability of technology which enables us to work anywhere at any time, and the anxiety that children need to start and excel earlier to ensure college acceptance, only help to feed this sense of being rushed or stressed (is your heart rate up, yet?). Moreover, in my case, part of my family’s daily staccato rhythm is likely due to the basic fact that we are a family of five, with two working parents.

No matter what the reason for the rushing, I do not want my kids to model their adulthood on this part of my husband and my lives if they do not have to do so. Instead, I wish for them a life in which they can comfortably pursue and successfully engage in work and family, friends and hobbies, and nature and exercise — or even just those things that are important to them — all free from sleep deprivation, the ongoing assault by the clock, and generalized anxiety.

“Be the adult you want your children to be.” I will attempt the Sisyphean task of revamping the way in which we approach our daily lives, but I long for better tools and firmer ground than what I have in hand and underfoot. Ironically, what I need is time to brainstorm. Perhaps, we can do that together, and save us all some time. Thoughts?

By Julie Weber – Activity Rocket’s Work-Family Expert 

See Related Posts: Need Family Dinnertime?; Where Did the Fun Go in Kids Sports?, The Rocket Book Review; Co-Parenting & Still Stressed Out, Tips for Choosing the Perfect Activity, Meet Julie Weber – Activity Rocket’s Work-Family Expert

Many children start to show an interest in different cultures at a young age, whether through ethnic food, friends at school, unique clothes, or hearing a foreign language spoken for the first time. Here are 10 ways to encourage your child’s curiosity and teach them about a variety of cultures in fun and interactive ways.

1. Read bedtime stories that take place in another country or include some foreign words, so you can practice pronunciation.

2. Host an international au pair. You can use matching agencies like AuPairCare, which have au pairs from more than 40 countries.

3. Enroll your child in a cultural dance or martial arts class, such as Bollywood, Flamenco or Capoeira.

4. Enroll your child in foreign language classes for kids, such as Lango.

5. Plan art activities for your child based on different cultures such as Japanese calligraphy, Chinese paper cut outs, and Puerto Rican Ponce Carnival Masks.

6. Cook and try new foods inspired by other cultures with your children, or enroll them in cooking classes like Cooking Up Culture.

7. Plan a heritage party for your children and their friends, and encourage each child to bring food and games from their family’s heritage.

8. Watch family-friendly movies that take place in another country.

9. Listen to popular music from different cultures while in the car, or teach your kids a simple song in a foreign language.

10. Attend local festivals and parades that celebrate different cultures such as Cinco de Mayo, Carnival, Chinese New Year, and Bastille Day.

“Children are little sponges, taking in the world around them with eagle eyes and curious minds,” said Heidi Woehl, vice president of AuPairCare and a mother of five. “This curiosity is a great thing and should be cultivated through as many avenues as possible, in an effort to raise a globally and culturally aware next generation.”

Blog Post Sponsored by AuPairCare

Activity Rocket makes it easy to locate fun physical activity classes and camps in your area. But how can you incorporate more exercise into your kids current schedules? One mom has the answer:

A fun and easy way for kids to get more fresh air and exercise is to walk or bike to school.  Give it a try this Wednesday May 8 on International Bike to School Day, when kids all over the DC area will be rolling and walking.

Start now so your family is ready and relaxed when the big day comes:

1.  Brush up on your bike-to-school know-how on the  parent info page of the national Safe Routes to School program.

2.  Map a safe route with this free online tool.

3.  Talk to your child about safety. Watch this tried-and-true safe cycling video together.

4.  Give your child’s equipment a once-over.  Make sure:

• tires are full
• brakes work
• chains are tight
• helmet fits!

Kids younger than middle school age will need you to walk or bike with them. Or perhaps your child can jump in with a group of kids led by a parent guide such as this dad who started a “bike train” in Fairfax County. Often, kids with disabilities or live too far to walk or bike can also take part. It’s up to parents to decide whether their middle-schoolers are mature and confident enough to ride or bike on their own.

And remember, for those with older kids—walking and biking isn’t limited to pre-drivers. High schoolers can get fit and reduce traffic and air pollution around school if they walk and bike, too!

Read more here about how biking/walking to school is picking up speed in Vienna, VA!

This post is courtesy of The Durable Human – a blog by NoVA writer mom Jenifer Joy Madden.  Read more about how to raise active, durable kids in her just-released Durable Human Manifesto: Hooray for Humans! – a picture-filled quick-read “booklette” you can download here for free!.

Learn more about JJ on Google+. 

Dedicated sports fans are always game to try out new and exciting ways to show their teams how much they are loved. Getting the entire family involved is a special way of spending quality time with the kids and embracing the home team at the same time. Check out these ideas for sparking some new fire into rally time. 

Adopt a Player – Most people have specific players that they adore. Find out which players your kids admire most and “adopt” them. Help the kids make homemade cards to send to team members, and be sure to let the kids sign their own names. You never can tell if one of the players might just send a note back.

Hold Your Own Pep Rally – Time to call all the friends and relatives and invite them over for a pep rally! Remember the good old days of high school rallies before a big game? Recreate them at home to bring back that spark of excitement. Haul out the sports trivia games, decorate with the team colors and don’t forget the party favors! To get the kids involved, have them help make theme related snacks to serve throughout the rally.

Get Other Families Involved – If the sports team you happen to be rooting for is your kid’s local team, get other parents involved and show your children a united front of support. Come up with a special cheer or fight song to rally the kids on to success. Your child will be so excited to see the entire family and all of her friends showing support for her team that she’s sure to be psyched for the big game.

Create a Cheer Squad – The home town team may not have a cheerleading squad of its own, especially if you live in a particularly small community. Get the kids and a few friends together and create one to cheer the team on to victory. Crafty moms can even sew up cheerleading uniforms for your little cheerleaders, and the kids can help you put together pom-poms! Work with the kids to come up with some original cheers or borrow a few from your own school days.

Enroll the Kids in a Team-Sponsored Sports Clinic – Many professional teams will sponsor sports clinics for kids during the summer vacation. Kids will learn about the sport they love and get a chance to play with some of the team members. They may also have opportunities to get t-shirts, posters, autographs and other memorabilia. Just think of how exciting it will be for your kids to cheer on the players who helped them learn and love the sport.

Make a Sports Board – Grab a bulletin board and encourage the kids to cut out stories and pictures of their favorite teams. Be sure to discuss the additions to the board as a family, too. You can also keep track of the teams’ stats here, as well as stats for favorite individual players. Pretty soon you will have a complete sports collage!

Pick a Women’s Team to Follow – Female athletes are growing in popularity all the time. Following a women’s team in the sport your daughter enjoys is a wonderful way to support the team and your daughter, too. Girls need to know that they can aspire to make it in professional sports just like boys, and by supporting a female team you are sending a positive message to the girls in your household.

Attend Special Events Hosted By Your Favorite Team – From time to time, professional teams will sponsor special events. Sometimes they’re sports related, and sometimes it may be for charity or to support cause awareness. Taking the kids to such an event lets them know that the players do more than just play sports; it’s good for kids to see the players caring about and participating in the community.

Take the Kids to a College Game – Colleges often have several different sports programs, and each one has a team. Find out what your kids are interested in and take them to some of the college games in those sports. Some college student athletes can provide good, accessible role models for your kids. You can also discuss what it takes to be a collegiate athlete. Who knows, maybe your kid will want to pursue a path in college athletics as a result.

Go to a Game Together – Tickets to professional sporting events aren’t cheap, but the prohibitive price tag doesn’t have to keep your family from making an event of seeing the game! Lots of restaurants now have big screen TVs so you can watch the games with lots of other dedicated fans. Choose a place that caters to families and have a night out on the town. The kids will have loads of fun cheering along with all the other sports fans around them. This night out is sure to be one that will stick in their memories for a long time to come, and one of the really cool things is that you don’t have to clean up the mess!

For more great blog posts like this one visit summernanny.com.

Gaithersburg Book Festival

My almost three-year-old daughter recently has become the queen of the bedtime stall tactics.

“One more Strawberry Shortcake,” she’ll ask. More TV? No.

“I’m thirsty” or “I’m hungry” will be the next plea. I’ll give her a sip of water, but that’s it.

Then comes the kicker, the one she knows she’ll win. “I want you to read me the bunny book.” Or “… the monkeys book.” Or whatever she’s in the mood for that night.

Already, she knows I’ll never say no to reading… even if it is bedtime. It’s also why most Saturdays, after spending our morning at Barnes & Noble, we come home new book in hand, despite bookshelves that already are packed to capacity with her books.

I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. I can still name the book on which I learned to read: “Put Me in the Zoo” by Robert Lopshire.

So it’s no surprise to those who know me that I give away a lot of my free time to help plan, promote and run the Gaithersburg Book Festival. It may be a one-day affair to everyone who attends – with that one day being Saturday, May 18 this year – but for those of us who plan it, it’s a 365-day labor of love.

One of the best aspects of the festival is it’s truly a family affair. It doesn’t matter what you like to read – chick list, serious fiction, mysteries, non-fiction, current events, history, poetry, cookbooks, biographies and more – you’ll find at least one author to love at the book festival. And if you’re lucky, you’ll discover a year’s worth of exciting new authors and books to explore. (That’s what happens for me every year.)

And for parents? The Gaithersburg Book Festival Children’s Village is a gold mine of activities that will keep your kids (of all ages) busy all day. And this year’s festival has one of the best line-ups of authors for children and young adults we’ve ever featured, including Walter Dean Myers, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature; Jon Scieszka, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and founder of “Guys Read,” a literacy initiative for boys (He’s also well known for being the “stinky cheese guy.”); Adele Griffin, two-time National Book Award finalist; Maggie Stiefvater, 2012 Printz Honor; Sheila Turnage, 2013 Newbery Honor; Mac Barnett; Fred Bowen; and Julia Devillers.

In addition to author presentations, the festival’s Children’s Village features activities throughout the day, and the Imagination Station stage, where attendees can be treated to performances by storytellers, puppeteers, jugglers, authors and even a little magic. And if you have a budding author (ages 8-18) at home, he or she can learn more about the craft by taking in one of the free writing workshops presented by Writopia Labs.

At 3, my daughter is too young this year to enjoy the book festival, especially since I’ll be working all day. I look forward to the day that my parents can bring her to the festival for me. For now, she’ll have to settle for enjoying the festival vicariously through me, as our Author Q&A series on our blog helps me to rediscover some of my favorite childhood books (like “The Giant Jam Sandwich” by John Lord), which I’ve been purchasing for her. 

By Robin Ferrier, Chair, PR Committee, Gaithersburg Book Festival

The 2013 Gaithersburg Book Festival will take place Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall in Olde Towne Gaithersburg.Parents, this year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival is one event you really shouldn’t miss. It’s free, close to home and a place where you can spark your kids’ imaginations, foster their love of the written word and give them experiences to last a lifetime. For more information, visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@GburgBookFest). 

As this April draws to a close, so does this year’s Autism Awareness Month. Up your autism awareness with these key facts you may not have known about autism spectrum disorders.

• 1 in 88 children in the United States falls on the autism spectrum. 
• Boys are four times as likely as girls to have autism.
• Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, with a 10-17% annual growth rate.

Activity Rocket is a great resource for parents to connect with activity providers that accommodate or cater exclusively to children with special needs.

This year has been among my busiest ever making presentations to parent groups about Social Media. There has of course always been a casual interest by most, and an intense interest by some. As an outside observer without kids for some of those years of making presentations (and an insider now), I think social media was seen as an afterthought. Kind of like I view toothbrushing with my toddler. Should I do a better job of making sure he gets to all of his teeth? Yes. However, instead I stress out about exactly how many minutes of screen time he has had a day and how much his overall IQ has diminished as a result. Is that nonsensical? Yes, probably. However, I just don’t pay as much attention to tooth-brushing as I know I should. I think most parents have had that mindset about social media for the last decade. 

This year, however, there has been some existential zeitgeist in American culture. Perhaps world-wide culture, if including the use of media in the Arab Spring. But, I will stick to what I know: social media in suburban culture among tweens and teens. What I know is that parents have awoken, as if from a dreamy stupor, and realized that they have no idea what is happening in their kids’ social media lives. When I speak to other parents, there is no way I can give them control over what is happening. Instead, I am giving them the knowledge and the certainty that they do actually have the deciding vote. They do, like the 80s cartoon character He-man, have the power. 

A great example is when I explain to parents that the cell phone, the iPad, the Kindle Fire are all MOBILE devices. That means they move. Don’t spend hundreds of dollars a year on a fancy app or device that can automatically shut your kids’ devices off at a certain time to make sure they are sleeping at night. You’d be surprised how many parents spend hours combing the Internet for solutions for the fact that Apple won’t let any one app control any other app. The revolutionary idea I share with parents is that they can physically demand that a device be collected and stored in a set space every night at a certain time. The parent bought the device, the parent pays the bills, the parent is actually the owner of the device, not the child. The parent is completely within his or her own rights to collect the device. I would argue that it is their responsibility. 

The other way that most parents have abdicated their rights (unwittingly) is forgetting the power of the group. A concerned and insistent group of parents can together decide that their kids will not use a given application or Web site. A great example is Snapchat. If you and the parents that you know were aware of the fact that the primary use of Snapchat is to send naked images that then “self-destruct”….but not really…you could decide not to allow your children to use it. If everyone decides it’s not allowed for their kids then none of them can argue that “everyone can do it.” The power banding together as a group of informed parents is limitless.

So, how do you become an informed parent? And stay that way? I cannot tell a lie, it’s work. You must read the news. Some colleagues of mine have set up a wiki for parents called Digiparenting. This is a site with links to blogs, books, Web sites and more, all on the topic of raising digital kids. Common Sense Media is also a great resource. They post reviews of apps, movies, games and more. Finally, the very best resource is your child. Be a part of the conversation. Learn how to use Instagram. You might not find it very interesting, but your child does. Your very best source of information about what’s going on is your child. If they trust you and you have a dialogue open about the topic, you’re more likely to find out what’s happening online. All of this is to say that although the parents have more power than they might know, to quote another superhero, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

By Alecia Berman-Dry – Activity Rocket’s Internet Safety Expert. Read more from Alecia on her Blog. 

What do you think of when you hear the word “dyslexia”? Many people think of it as reversing letters and words, but actually that’s a common misconception. In very simple terms dyslexia occurs when a student has a hard time decoding or “sounding out” words. If you think of the word “stop,” for example, dyslexic students have difficulty separating the individual sounds of “S”, “T”, “O”, “P” and blending them together to form a word. Similarly, when they go to spell the word, they often have a hard time remembering the sequence of the sounds. Young students with mild forms of dyslexia often go unnoticed in early grades because they are great memorizers. So often, it appears that they can read, but they’ve really just memorized many words. Take a look at the sentences below to experience how reading may be for a dyslexic individual.

Thew ord sare n otsp aced cor rect ly. We spell wrds xactle ax tha snd to us. Sometimesallthelettersarepushedtogether.

Unfortunately, about 20% of all children have a very difficult time learning to read and, more often than not, parents aren’t really sure what the exact problem is.

Early signs of dyslexia include difficulty rhyming, a lack of interest in reading books but a desire to be read to, difficulty writing and learning letters and sounds. Children with dyslexia may also be poor spellers, struggle to complete tests and homework, and fear reading aloud. Most dyslexic students are perfectly bright and can comprehend stories – they just can’t read them, which explains why they enjoy having someone read to them. As children grow older, they often develop compensatory strategies to sound out big words, but one of the residual effects is slow reading speed. In middle and high school, this becomes a big issue because they have a hard time keeping up with the demands of their more challenging classes.

If recognized at an early age, dyslexia can be remediated. Assessment as early as kindergarten or first grade is helpful in predicting potential difficulties down the road. Remediation begins by assessing where the student is in the process of learning to read and then targeting phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Multi-sensory reading programs such as the Orton-Gilligham method and the Wilson Reading System are backed by research to remediate dyslexia. While these programs are implemented at some schools, the consistency and regularity they need to be effective are often best provided when a private teacher or tutor works with the student one-on-one or in small groups.

If dyslexia is not diagnosed until a later age, options become more limited (statistics state that 76% of students with reading problems never do catch up), but there is certainly still hope! Technology plays an integral part of helping older students. Programs such as Kurzweil 3000, which reads text aloud to students and allows them to highlight and take notes, and Inspiration, which helps students graphically organize their ideas in order to facilitate the writing process, can make reading and writing easier and more enjoyable.

Because reading is difficult for students with dyslexia, they can become disenchanted by education. However, with proper support and intervention, they can overcome their obstacles and learn to love to read.

By Educational Connections, Ann Dolin. See Related Posts: 3 Easy Tips to Increase your Child’s Effort at School

When was the last time you saw your kid with a book in his or her hands? If you answered, “uhm, can’t remember”, you may have a reluctant reader on your hands. This coming week (April 14-April 20) is National Library Week, so here are some fun ways to make even the most hesitant readers dive into books!

1. Pick the right read. According to author James Patterson, the number one reason kids say they don’t like reading is because they can’t find books they like. That’s where you as a parent can come in and help them choose a book that suited to their current likes, interests, and experiences. Take your kid to the library and do some browsing, or check out booklists online like ReadKiddoRead.com or Oprah’s kid reading list.

2. And look past “books”, too. Comic books, graphic novels, factbooks, and magazines are often dismissed as “not real reading”. However, these are still great sources of reading material. Encourage your child to read whatever he or she finds interest in.

2. Make time for reading.  Setting specific time aside to read sends the message that reading is an important activity, not just an afterthought, according to ReadingRockets, a national multimedia literacy initiative. Experts say kids should read for at least twenty minutes per day.

3. Offer incentives to encourage reading. Replace a chore or push bedtime back by twenty minutes to allow kids to spend more time with a book, suggests Education.com.

4. Make stories come to life. Find ways to connect what your kids read to the world around him or her. Take them to see the movie based upon the book they just finished or visit a museum or event centered on similar themes from the book. This way, kids will see how reading applies to the world beyond the page.

5. Be a reading role model. You know the rhyme, “monkey see, monkey do”, right? Well it applies to reading too! Set an example for your kids by allowing them to see you reading for pleasure, suggests Scholastic. This sends the message that reading isn’t work, and is something to be enjoyed.

Are your kids voracious or reluctant readers? How do you encourage your children to enjoy reading more? Comment below and tell us! The Rocket wishes you and your family happy reading!

I stumbled across this recipe awhile back and was immediately intrigued by the roasted cauliflower mash. I had been serving mashed cauliflower, as an alternative to potatoes, for quite some time but had never thought of roasting the vegetable, rather than steaming, prior to pureeing.

It seemed so obvious once I read about the technique. I’m a huge fan of roasted vegetables and have said on numerous occasions that I think roasted cardboard would taste delicious. While mashed, steamed cauliflower is still very good; mashed, roasted cauliflower is beyond scrumptious. 

This dish is easy enough to prepare on a weeknight, impressive enough to serve guests and interesting enough to create conversation. I am always trying new recipes but find myself coming back to this one often. I hope that’s endorsement enough. 

And by the way, anything would taste good over this cauliflower mash–roasted pork tenderloin, broiled salmon, grilled steak, seared tuna–so roast and mash away!

CLICK HERE for the recipe for Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Roasted Cauliflower Mash

Read more from Musings of a Sly Rooster – Life…with an Emphasis on Food& Fun

See Related Post: Leftover Magic