Tacoma Kids

The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA), which is based in Seattle,  is now offering classes in the Tacoma area — this sounds like real fun!

In class students will learn to walk on a tight wire, balance on a rolling globe, juggle, and tumble. We have not actually tried this, but have a friend who has been wanting to get her daughter into this for the longest time. Hopefully this will take off and they will expand their schedule in the future. Definitely something different!

Classes take place on Wednesdays in the Safety First Protective Personal Strategies space at 8307 27th Street W, University Place, WA 98466. (more…)

I love the website Parentcenter.com. (Also found as Babycenter.com) I got it from a friend when I was pregnant and have been getting regular once-a-month updates e-mailed to me ever since. This is the site I go to first when I have questions about development or need some ideas about how to handle different behaviors.

This month’s article was one I particulalry wanted to share, as the taboo subject of child abuse does not come up often. Thankfully, this is not a subject we have any first-hand knowledge about! I do have a friend (far, far away from Tacoma) who pulled her child out of daycare after noticing repeated bruising on her son’s arms. The following article on Child Abuse has some good info on how to recognize signs of child abuse, and also how to get a dialogue started with your child so they can talk to you about it if something does happen. (more…)

Disenchanted with the thought of sending your 4 or 5-year old off to public school kindergarten programs emphasizing standardized testing, worksheets and HOMEWORK?

Then you will want to meet Kassi and Sandi, two women who are frustrated with what traditional schools have to offer and the prohibitive costs of private schools, and are looking to start their own cooperative school in North Tacoma.

They are hoping to get enough interested families to get a class of 16 children ages 4-6 going by Fall 2008, and are looking for people who want to be involved in their child’s education and are willing to work in the classroom and get involved in the planning and running of the school. (more…)

It’s Spring, my favorite time of year, and I am getting ready to roll up my sleeves and dive into the dirt. This year I plan to really get Reilly involved by growing a back yard vegetable garden. (more…)

Tacoma Art Museum is offering some cool sounding summer art camps for kids ages 9-14; the information from their press release is printed below. We love the museum and have braved it with Reilly for the Eric Carle exhibit and a few other short visits with lots of adults to help monitor “Mr. Touchy-Hands.” We look forward to Reilly being old enough to take part in more of these kinds of things — these camps look fun!

For a list of more family/kids events at the museum, visit the Families & Children link under the Events and Programs tab on the website.

Would love to hear some feedback from any who attend!  Press Release follows: (more…)

Here’s a great local resource that everyone should know about: the Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital Center for Childhood Safety.

You can have your child’s car seat fitted properly, buy a custom fitted bike or ski helmet for a pittance, borrow or buy a life jacket, and get a lot of other good safety information. (more…)

We’ve heard all of the following within the last 48 hours: “I don’t like chicken.” “I don’t like cheese.” “I’m not hungry.” “I don’t like ANYthing.”

So, if your child survives on snacks the way ours does these days , you will share our dismay that the only snack food we know of that makes spinach and kale palatable to kinder has been recalled.

Robert’s American Gourmet, the manufacturer:  http://www.robscape.com/files/prod-veggie-booty.php

and the FDA article, which notes that there have been 4 cases of salmonella poisoning in Washington state:

 http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01661.html

Being an early computer geek ( bought my first computer, an Apple IIe when I was about 14), and enjoying my fair share of video games, I can certainly relate to this article on Wired.

You Grew Up Playing Shoot’em-Up Games. Why Your Kids Can’t.

Although I guess I’ve been spared in a couple of ways; knowing how addictive computer games can be, I’ve not bought a gaming console. And since Ruth isn’t a video game player, it doesn’t make for good family time. But I see a day soon when we will have to make the decision of what game system to buy for the family, or else assume that Reilly will be spending more time at his friends houses. I’m hoping we can make gaming time family time, and choose titles that we can all enjoy.

A news article from the Chicago Tribune about studies using flu spray instead of shots for vaccinating children. A quote from the article,

” …found that children from 6 months to 5 years old got 55 percent fewer cases of flu when they were protected by the nasal spray vaccine rather than shots.”

I like the idea of not having to subject our son to more shots, ask Ruth about his first round after he was born and having to abandon the shopping cart in Metro Market.

Here’s the original link

Flu spray tops shots

Here’s a great story on NPR about why kids hate dressing up in the cold weather.

Why Kids Hate to Wear Coats

If you click on the “Listen” button, you can hear the audio version.

Ruth tends to be the typical mother wanting to bundle our son up, where as I’ll let him “experience” weather if he so chooses :).