November 2016 BROOKLYN FREE Family Where Every Child Matters Fall fling Our calendar is chock full of fun Homework overload? The debate goes on Changing your child’s screen habits Part two of a series Find us online at www.NYParenting.com A CIRCUS SPECTACULAR BACK FOR THE HOLIDAYS BY POPULAR DEMAND! December 2 – January 1 FOR EVERYONE AGES 5+ “Exuberant, high-energy entertainment.” The New York Times THE NEW VICTORY ® THEATER #LoveOfTheater starts here NewVictory.org 646.223.3010 ® A NEWNEW 42ND STREETSTREET ® PROJECTPROJECT 209 W 42ND STREET, just west of Broadway THE NUTCRACKER, REIMAGINED DEC 10—18 ONLY The “FORMALLY DAZZLING UPROARIOUSLY FUNNY” SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Photo: Julieta Cervantes MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP Season Sponsor: BROOKLYN, NY BAM.org/TheHardNut TICKETS START AT $25 BAM & Mark Morris Dance Group present The Hard Nut | Based on the book by E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Featuring the MMDG Music Ensemble and The Hard Nut Singers | Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, Op. 71 Conducted by Colin Fowler | Choreography by Mark Morris November 2016 • BROOKLYN FAMILY 3 BROOKLYN Family November 2016 FEATURES COLUMNS 8 Changing screen 10 Just Write Mom habits BY DANIELLE SULLIVAN Is there life without electronics? 18 Healthy Living Part two of a series BY DANIELLE SULLIVAN BY MYRNA BETH HASKELL 22 Ask an Attorney 12 Uniquely Rosie BY ALISON ARDEN BESUNDER, ESQ. A mother of a special-needs son pens a series of books starring a 28 Dear Dr. Karyn pink hippo BY DR. KARYN GORDON BY SHNIEKA L. JOHNSON 30 Behavior & Beyond 16 The new debate over BY DR. MARCIE BEIGEL homework Many parents think their kids have 32 Family Health BY DR. PRAMOD NARULA, MD too much. Is the answer to have none at all? 34 Good Sense Eating BY TAmmY SCILEPPI BY CHRISTINE M. PALUmbO, RD 20 Good holiday 36 Divorce & Separation 16 ex-etiquette BY LEE CHABIN, ESQ. Ten tips to peaceful solutions BY DENISE YEARIAN 44 Tips for Feeding Kids BY DAWN LERMAN 23 Hunger in America When children have nothing to eat 46 New & Noteworthy BY ALEXA BIGWARFE BY LISA J. CURTIS 24 On becoming a SPECIAL SECTIONS ‘mother-by-love’ Because ‘mother-in-law’ is 14 Special Needs Providers antiquated! Directory BY CAROLYN WATERBURY-TIEMAN 33 Healthcare Providers 26 Educating boys We Like A psychologist on how the education system has failed 45 The Marketplace BY ALLISON PLITT CALENDAR 38 November Events 12 38 4 brooklyn FAMILY • November 2016 WE KNOW THE MOMENTS… ;OLVULZ[OH[KLÄUL\Z HUKNP]LTLHUPUN[VV\YSP]LZ ;OLTVTLU[Z[OH[THRL\ZIYLH[OLKLLWS` HUK[OLU[HRLV\YIYLH[OH^H`¯ [OLVULZ^OLUOH]PUNV\YOLHS[O THRLZL]LY`[OPUNWVZZPISL ;OPZPZ^OH[^L»YLTHKLVM ([-PKLSPZ*HYL^LWYV]PKLX\HSP[`HMMVYKHISL OLHS[OJV]LYHNLMVYJOPSKYLUHUKHK\S[ZVMHSS HNLZHUKH[HSSZ[HNLZVMSPML *VTWHZZPVU*VTTP[TLU[*VTT\UP[` (UKHTPZZPVU[VHS^H`ZJHYLMVY`V\ HUK[OLVULZ`V\SV]L¶ TVTLU[I`TVTLU[ Quality health coverage. It’s Our MiM sssioon. Estimate Costs: It only takes a minute to view product choices and estimate costs with the Fidelis (ɈVYKHISL*HYL(K]PZVYH[ÄKLSPZJHYLVYNLUYVSS Meet with a Representative: *HSS-0+,30:[VTLL[^P[OH9LWYLZLU[H[P]LVY]PZP[ÄKLSPZJHYLVYNVɉJLZ [VÄUKHJVTT\UP[`VɉJLJSVZL[V`V\ 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) TTY: 1-800-421-1220 ÄKLSPZJHYLVYN ;VSLHYUTVYLHIV\[HWWS`PUNMVYOLHS[OPUZ\YHUJLPUJS\KPUN*OPSK/LHS[O 7S\ZHUK4LKPJHPK[OYV\NO5@:[H[LVM/LHS[O!;OL6ɉJPHS/LHS[O7SHU 4HYRL[WSHJL]PZP[^^^U`Z[H[LVMOLHS[OU`NV]VYJHSS November 2016 • BROOKLYN FAMILY 5 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER day. This is as it should be. But she is a grown young woman now, yet still I am embarrassed for all the per- Politics and kids sonal smutty negativity she has had to hear in this election. Grown people behav- his election seems the inappropriateness of it all ing without cordiality and hurling insulting to have been going and ensuring their children’s personal slurs at each other is no intel- T on even longer than attention was elsewhere. ligent person’s idea of true campaigning. usual, or perhaps it’s the in- When I was a child I went This election has truly been a circus, not sane media coverage and the to the polls with my parents completely, but enough so to turn off a new circus-like atmosphere that and we voted “together.” They young voter and to have to close the ears accompanied a good deal of instilled in us a sense of voter or the media outlets so that very young it. One can only hope it hasn’t privilege and politics was a children didn’t get exposed. affected our children with hot topic around our dinner One can only hope that the the out- long-term negativity, because table, sometimes pleasantly, come of the election is respected and that participating in the electoral and sometimes not so pleas- we can move forward with some sense of process is an important part of our citi- antly. As we youngsters began to think dignity. Our country is dependent on this zenry, and one should be engaged and for ourselves, our opinions didn’t always and so are our children. The show needs proud to have the right to vote. coincide with the parental stance around to end and governing on behalf of our elec- Unlike any past election I can recall, the us, and great debates took place that could torate needs to commence. tone of this went beyond decency and pro- become quite passionate. Thanks for reading. fessionalism almost repeatedly. It seemed Taking my daughter to vote with me to grow quite ugly from the first, with vitriol over these past years has been a ritual usurping sensibility as the tabloids and that has really paid off. She is very vested other media practically salivated and rat- in the process and is one of many politi- ings skyrocketed. We were bombarded with cally engaged millennials. We talk about sexual innuendo and tasteless personal ref- politics and we discuss the candidates Susan Weiss-Voskidis, erences almost from the start, and I was left and the issues regularly, and I know she Publisher/Excutive Editor wondering how families were coping with will do the same with her children one [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 Tina Felicetti (718) 260-2523 SALES REPS: Alexis Benson, Erin Brof, Jay Pelc, Stephanie Stellacio ART DIRECTOR: Leah Mitch The acceptance of advertising by New York Join the conversation on Facebook. 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ASSISTANT EDITOR: Courtney Donahue New York Parenting can also be reached by COPY EDITORS: Lisa J. Curtis calling (718) 260-4554, emailing Family@ NYParenting.com or by visiting our website, CALENDAR EDITOR: Joanna Del Buono NYParenting.com. 6 brooklyn FAMILY • November 2016 COBBLE HILL, BROOKLYN LePort Montessori EXCEPTIONAL ew York Methodist has over 1,000 affiliated physicians. These experienced doctors, many Ntrained at the world’s most prestigious universities and medical centers, represent just about every medical specialty you might need. They provide the kind of exceptional treatment that makes New York Methodist Brooklyn’s finest hospital. HELPING BROOKLYN THRIVE PHYSICIAN REFERRAL SERVICE 718-499-CARE • NYM.ORG November 2016 • BROOKLYN FAMILY 7 Changing screen habits Is there life without electronics? Part two of a series BY MYRNA BETH HASKELL share your concerns and give them some Parental controls: ideas for constructive offline activities,” erhaps you’ve encouraged a variety Are you lost as to she says. of social activities and have found where to begin? Dr. Lisa Strohman, a clinical psycholo- P creative outlets for quality family Here are some additional re- gist, co-author of “Unplug: Raising Kids in a time, but you still find that your child is sources to find out more about con- Technology Addicted World,” and founder spending too much time with his face trolling what your child sees and of Technology Wellness Center (www.tech- glued to a screen. You would prefer that he participates in throughout cyber nologywellnesscenter.com) warns parents learns to control his own behavior, but you world: of the affect long periods of time using are finding that he is unable to do so. • Everything You Need to Know electronics can have on kids’ brains. It’s time that you monitor his tech time, about Parental Controls (Common “The longer kids are connected — and set specific guidelines and, if necessary, Sense Media): www.commonsen- studies now show over six hours a day — utilize parental controls so you can be cer- semedia.org/blog/everything-you- the more it’s affecting their brain develop- tain he is not spending all of his free time need-to-know-about-parental-con- ment.” with his smartphone, iPad, gaming device, trols She reports that MRI studies show that or other tech toy.