Brooklyn Family NEW YORK November 2017 Parenting Where Every Child Matters
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November 2017 BROOKLYN FREE Family www.NYParenting.com Why can’t my child read? Special support for parents of special kids Do’s & don’ts for girls on social media 7 Brooklyn Family NEW YORK November 2017 Parenting Where every child matters FEATURES 6 A note of thanks Take special care when expressing gratitude BY CAROLYN WATERBURY-TIEMAN 12 Why can’t my child read? How to help overcome the struggle BY JAN PIERCE 14 A helping hand Online parent training gets A+ for convenience, results BY MIKE CIVELLO 16 Choosing your words carefully Taking a closer look at how we speak to our children 38 BY ALLISON PLITT 20 Truly happy COLUMNS To keep the holidays enjoyable, reinvent them 8 Behavior & Beyond BY MYRNA BETH HASKELL BY DR. MARCIE BEIGEL 24 Wolk this way 10 Healthy Living Mom has advice on raising girls in the BY DANIELLE SULLIVAN age of social media 18 Just Write Mom BY TAMMY ScILEppI BY DANIELLE SULLIVAN 32 Perfect puppy 20 Avoid heartbreak and find a dog to fit 22 Ask an Attorney BY ALISON ARDEN BESUNDER, ESQ. your family’s lifestyle BY KIMBERLY BLAKER 26 Good Sense Eating 34 Learning from disaster BY CHRISTINE M. PALUMBO, RD Bad news can be a teachable moment: 28 Family Health Show kids how to help BY DR. PRAMOD NARULA, MD BY SHNIEKA L. JOHNSON 30 Family Financial Planning CALENDAR BY ANTHONY N. CORRAO 36 FabuLYSS Finds 38 November Events BY LYSS STERN 37 The Book Worm SPECIAL SECTION BY TERRI ScHLICHENMEYER 45 The Marketplace 46 New & Noteworthy BY LISA J. CURTIS 32 November 2017 • BROOKLYN FAMILY 3 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER Share your holiday recipes Share with us your favorite I myself learned to cook us your first name, your borough and your holiday recipe!! by being in the kitchen with email address so we can contact you in As soon as late October my grandmother, mom and return. There will be prizes for the most I’m already thinking about uncles. Yes, there were men popular recipes. the Thanksgiving Day meal. in my family who were also I’m really looking forward to seeing I guess that’s what November cooks. It wasn’t just women’s what our readers send as well as trying means to many of us. It also turf, and in putting a feast to make some of them in my own kitchen. means the days having grown together, and exchanging Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a safe shorter, the school session recipes and styles, all were holiday in every way. Good appetite! back in full swing, and the brought closer. Thanks for reading. holiday season gearing up to- Next month we’re going to ward the new year. do a special focus on sharing food ideas It’s a rare family that doesn’t love for the holidays and I’m hoping that many Thanksgiving? It’s such a special oppor- of you are going to send us some of your tunity to share and enjoy the culinary favorite recipes. It can be a main course, a company and togetherness of friends and side dish or a dessert. Whatever you feel is family. It’s also an opportunity to bring the special and that kids can learn too! We’re kids into the kitchen and have the multi going to print our favorites. Susan Weiss-Voskidis, generational reality be instructional to the The best way to get it to us is to email Publisher/Excutive Editor younger family members. it to [email protected]. Please give [email protected] Community News Group Contact Information CEO: Les Goodstein ADVERTISING: WEB OR PRINT ADDRESS PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER: (718) 260-4554 New York Parenting Media/CNG Jennifer Goodstein [email protected] 1 Metrotech Center North 10th Floor CIRCULATION Brooklyn, NY 11201 New York Parenting (718) 260-8336 [email protected] PUBLISHER / EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Susan Weiss EDITORIAL www.NYParenting.com PUBLISHER / BUSINESS MANAGER: (718) 260-4554 Clifford Luster [email protected] OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE: CALENDAR NEW YORK Tina Felicetti (718) 260-2523 SALES REPS: Erin Brof, Mary Cassidy, Parenting Shelli Goldberg-Peck, Jay Pelc ART DIRECTOR: Leah Mitch The acceptance of advertising by New York Join the conversation on Facebook. Parenting does not constitute an endorse- New York Parenting has been recognized for WEB DESIGNER: Sylvan Migdal ment of the products, services or informa- editorial and design excellence by PMA. tion being advertised. 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Better have a good pediatrician. Call 866.247.5678 (TTY 711) AffinityPlan.org/CHP To learn more about applying for health insurance, including Child Health Plus and Medicaid through NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace, visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 855.355.5777. November 2017 • BROOKLYN FAMILY 5 A note of thanks Take special care when expressing gratitude BY CAROLYN WATERBURY-TIEMAN consumed with making a living at the with embracing an attitude of gratitude. expense of living a life. Individuals characterized as grateful re- fter months of helping sort Recent tragic events, that have oc- port being happier and less depressed. through my parents’ belongings, curred both nationally and internation- They are found to be more resilient, have A I vowed to simplify and downsize ally, vividly attest to the precarious na- higher self esteem, and more satisfying my accumulation of worldly possessions. ture of life. Attempts to make sense, for relationships. No drawer, cupboard, closet, and shelf our children, and even for ourselves, of Apparently, focusing on what we do was safe from being culled for items the inexplicable devastation, caused by have contributes to an increased sense of not used or worn in over a year. The both natural and human forces, seems contentment and gratefulness that trans- amount of stuff I was able to donate, and futile. lates into generosity toward others, cre- yet still have everything that is neces- But if there is any redeeming value in ating what has been described as a cycle sary, was embarrassing. It served as a tragedy, it is that it may force us to recog- of virtue. On the contrary, when we focus stark reminder of the economy of artifi- nize all we have been taking for granted. on what we don’t have, we are inclined to cial need that characterizes our society. Perhaps with the perspective gained, we become self absorbed and selfish. An economy that depends — indeed, can redirect our focus toward adopting We can engage our children in the thrives upon — a basic dissatisfaction gratitude as a lifestyle. Realizing we don’t experience and practice of expressing with one’s circumstances lending to a need more to be thankful for, we simply gratitude by: perpetual state of want, intentionally need to be more thankful, transforms the • Defining gratitude. Provide a defini- clouding the distinction between want seasonal practice of giving thanks during tion of gratitude that is age appropri- and need. Driven by the desire to ac- the holidays into a way of life. ate for the members of the family. Give quire more and more, we have become There are multiple benefits associated examples of when you have felt grateful, 6 BROOKLYN FAMILY • November 2017 how you have expressed gratitude, and is a good practitioner. Verbally express of when others have expressed gratitude Realizing we don’t need appreciation to your spouse and children. to you. Describe how you felt. Ask each Let them see you add thank-yous to your member of the family to do the same. more to be thankful for, gratitude container. Put notes of appre- Have each person share something they ciation in their lunch box, leave them on appreciate about the member of the fam- we simply need to be the bathroom mirror or their pillow. Let ily sitting next to them. Have each mem- them see you write and send thank-you ber share something they are thankful more thankful, transforms notes to others. Write thank-you notes for about the family as a whole. Talk the seasonal practice of to them from their room (“Thank you for about the benefits of being grateful and keeping me clean and organized.”), their the family expectations for demonstrat- giving thanks during the toys (“Thank you for playing with me, ing gratitude. keeping me picked up, and taking care of • Making gratitude tangible. Have holidays into a way of life. me.”), their pets (“Thank you for giving each family member find or create a me food and water and walking me.”), gratitude container to keep in their room. and from you (“Thank you for bringing so It might be a box, basket, jar, or sock that fire, impersonal e-mails or, better yet, much joy to my life.”).