Hot and Bothered: What No One Tells You About Menopause and How to Feel Like Yourself Again by Jancee Dunn Reviewed by ACG Staff Everyone else has reviewed this book so perhaps no one needs my review, but, then again, I almost missed it so let’s get this out there. This book is really helpful. Despite having “Menopause” on the cover, I would say it is more about “Perimenopause.” The part of this book that really hit me the hardest was stories of women searching for answers. Women everywhere are going from doctor to doctor afraid they have cancer or some rare disease and not getting any answer ..read more

Tips for Making Travel While Pregnant Easier When you’re expecting a little bundle, carrying a big bundle of stuff onto an airplane is never a good idea. Neither is drinking too much water when you’re about to board the plane because no matter how fast that line moves, you’re going to need to pee. AGAIN. But don’t despair. There are things you can do to lessen the load, pardon the pun, of traveling while pregnant. Book an aisle seat Once on the plane, you’re likely going to have to run to the lavatory several times, even on a short flight. Make it easier on yourself by booking the aisle. You ..read more

Janie Barnett reflects on raising her daughter in Park Slope and how to encourage the most meaningful experiences for our children in this community of abundant options. _______ When my 5-year-old daughter, Adrienne, walked into her first class at Jennifer Kliegel’s Dance Studio of Park Slope, she became a member of the best girls’ club in the city.  Adrienne said yes to any class we could give her.  From that very first tumbling class, to the jazz/tap/ballet combo class, to the diversified classes for the older students, my daughter was in a kind of bliss for over ten years.  I ..read more

The holidays bring lots of days off from school and this can add to the stress of the season. We are here to help. Here are some of our old favorite holiday camps as well as a few new ones. Good luck finding a good fit and having some time to clean the house in peace! __________________________ One World Project: GLOBAL ARTIST WORKSHOP Feb 19-23; 9:30 to 12:30/ (or) 3:00/ (or) 5:00 Please join OWP’s Global Artist Workshop, a week-long camp over February break (February 19 to February 23). Throughout the week, we will be learning about an incredible line up of visual artists from near and far ..read more

This recommendation list is from an old contributor to A Child Grows. Some of the books on this list are not new anymore but they are also not what we see every day. New ideas are always welcome! _____________ When I was a full-time employee at Barnes and Noble (for far too long at the age of 21 and 22 years), I invested my paycheck in books. I didn’t just buy art books or fiction books, but children’s’ books. I have a grand collection of children’s books from that time. After all, I did work in the children’s department when I got kicked out of the adult section for reorganizing the tattoo bo ..read more

Candy Corn: love it or hate it, and you’ll only be right if you hate it. Just kidding. Even though I don’t personally like this seasonal treat, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for it after digging into its history–as the First Halloween Candy ever created. It’s story is tied with the evolution of modern Halloween celebrations, which are not as old as you may think. Candy Corn on Halloween Halloween became popular holiday in America around the turn of the 20th century. It was celebrated at home with a festive theme party, with spooky decorations and refreshments. The occasion could be f ..read more

It’s hard to believe, but we know many of you are already thinking about that big transition from the cozy preschool world into the “big kid” realm of elementary school. It can be a lot to digest for a parent, but we have you covered with some great tips from Brooklyn mom, Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick. We’ve been talking about the elementary school application process for the past couple of weeks, both how to choose a school, and how to survive the acceptance process. We’re going to round out this series by talking about the transition that happens when school actually starts in the fal ..read more

As the summer winds down, and with September almost upon us, parents (myself included) can’t help but feel both scared and excited for back-to-school days. The prospect of getting back into a routine — and the promise of planning out that first week, from outfits to lunches — almost made our first day of preschool stress-free. Once that day comes, you may experience the same fears that I did — worries that your child might cling to you like the last Cheerio left in the bowl, or that your child might hate everything about preschool. Parents, if you find yourself sobbing, “It’s my baby’s first d ..read more

It’s 2023 and people are still very concerned about the learning loss that took place when schools were virtual during the height of the pandemic.  People are still talking about it, but not questioning it. It is accepted now that kids are all behind and still not catching up. How true is this really? Emily Olster leads a grant-funded pandemic learning loss research project, the COVID-19 School Data Hub. Their 2022 New York State report said that student English Language Arts (ELA) and math proficiency fell 3.7 percentage points from the 2019 average. The states are all different and lear ..read more

It’s that time of year—back to school! I know it’s an exciting and overwhelming time for every parent, but for a parent of a child with multiple severe food allergies, this transition can be particularly anxiety inducing. My son is among the (exponentially) growing number of children that has severe food allergies. He just started Pre-K at a new school, and while I know the school (and other parents) are getting used to accommodating food allergies, it can get really complicated to manage—even for us—and the idea of trusting so many strangers to keep my son’s allergies in mind when they plan t ..read more