· Home   · School News   · Features   · Columns   · Forums   · Calendar of Events   · Recipe Exchange   · Photos   · Parent Pages

September calendar of events
Posted on Thu, September 1st, 2011
1 Thursday • FETCH! Lab: Go Fly a Kite Also held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Build an indoor kite and learn what makes it fly, 3-4:30 p.m. Free with museum admission: $5-$7.50. Schenectady Museum... More

Those terrible twos, threes, fours ...
Posted on Fri, July 22nd, 2011
I was told early on, when I got into this whole fatherhood racket, to watch out for those “Terrible Twos,” a period that doctors and child psychologists say is indicated by “aggressive, defiant,... More

The waiting is the hardest part
Posted on Tue, July 5th, 2011
When Andy and I got married, we wanted one child. We figured one would be relatively easy, and we were definitely wrong.  But still I marvel at parents who raise several kids, let alone when some or... More

Keep your cool co-parenting this summer
Posted on Thu, June 23rd, 2011
School will be out soon and the children couldn’t be happier. Summer schedules, however, present many challenges for divorced or separated parents who now have children home 24/7 and need to... More

Pop Shots: This column just sort of fell into place
Posted on Thu, May 19th, 2011
From: devoew@spotlightnews.com Date: April 15, 2011 8:06:29 PM EDT To: robertsk@cdparentpages.com Subject: RE: Your column is late --------------------------------------------- Begin reply... More

Café NOLA brings southern flair to Schenectady
Posted on Fri, April 22nd, 2011
Café NOLA 617 Union St.., Schenectady • Food – 3 C’s (out of 5) • Service – 3 C’s • Family friendliness – 3 C’s Laissez les bons temps rouler! We were in a celebratory mood on a recent... More

Pop Shots: Feeling like an April fool
Posted on Tue, March 29th, 2011
Life has played an April Fool’s joke on me, and it was the month of March. Never mind the approximately 16 feet of snow we received early on, the hours spent shoveling out and brushing off cars just... More

Will you eat them here or there?
Posted on Tue, March 8th, 2011
In the spirit of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, officially celebrated in March, and in honor of the little, green leprechauns who make an appearance this month, why not add a little fun to the table and try... More

Pop Shots: He's checking a list and making it twice
Posted on Mon, December 13th, 2010
My oldest son’s birthday is dangerously close to Christmas. This enables his grandmothers, whose normal spending habits – as they apply to grandchildren – can only be described as extremely... More

Restaurant satisfies a family's varied tastes
Posted on Thu, December 2nd, 2010
PASTA PANE 18 Park Ave., Clifton Park • Food – 4 C’s (out of 5) • Service – 4 C’s • Family friendliness – 3 C’s Between school projects, sports, work demands and general “busy-ness,” we are a... More

Pop Shots: When the lights go out, all help breaks loose
Posted on Thu, October 7th, 2010
Every once in a while your kids slip up and you catch them doing something good. The other night, my wife and I put Kevin and Nathan down for bed and settled into our nightly routine of letting... More

Magic moments will come in their own time
Posted on Thu, March 11th, 2010
“Mom, Ellie needs to have a 10-word vocabulary for her 18-month checkup. It’s only three months away, and she doesn’t even know four words yet. In three, she needs to know 10?” As grandparents,... More

You're never too young to help in the kitchen
Posted on Fri, March 5th, 2010
Often when I am out doing programs and appearances for the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club, I have parents ask me about when to start their children in the kitchen. Although there are variables that... More

Let's Cook! Quick and easy Valentine’s Day treats
Posted on Fri, January 29th, 2010
How many times over the years have you signed up for the school holiday parties in September, and then when the holiday rolls around, suddenly the schedule is a little more to juggle than you had... More

Take care to nurture your blossoming child
Posted on Fri, January 29th, 2010
February is upon us, and Mr. Groundhog’s appearance predicates six more weeks of winter or an early spring. As we all know, Northeast winters rarely end early and spring is but a distant dream.... More

Let's Cook! Moon Rock Soup is out of this world
Posted on Fri, January 8th, 2010
Not only is it cold outside, but most of the time when we ask our kids to eat spinach they either give us the cold shoulder or an icy stare. Brrrr! I say thaw them out with Moon Rock Soup. That’s... More

Time together is the greatest gift of all
Posted on Wed, December 23rd, 2009
By Carol Smith, Joyce Thomas and Felicia Bordick It’s the time of year when our hearts should be filled with peace, joy, and love, but sometimes, it feels more like pressure than peace, more like... More

Let's Cook! Old recipe gets a new twist
Posted on Wed, November 25th, 2009
Baked apples are a warm fall treat that have been around for ages. When I was young, we used to simply bake the apples with cinnamon and marshmallows in the middle. Of course, I thought they were a... More

Make the most of parent-teacher talk
Posted on Thu, November 5th, 2009
By Carol Smith, Joyce Thomas and Felicia Bordick When it’s time to meet with your child’s teacher, there may be so many questions, so little time. Here are some tips for parents, especially... More

Let's Cook! Halloween treats are all about illusion
Posted on Thu, October 1st, 2009
Kids just love all of the fun treats associated with Halloween. This recipe is great for an alternative snack, a morning classroom activity or for breakfast. You don’t have to follow the recipe;... More

On the Bookshelf: Some new releases and a soon-to-be classic
Posted on Tue, September 15th, 2009
'Horrid Henry' series by Fracesca Simon Perfect for young readers who are ready to make the leap from picture books, the Horrid Henry books feature the antihero who lives in a normal house in a... More

Let's Cook! Apples for after school or anytime
Posted on Thu, September 10th, 2009
I’m always looking for after-school snacks to serve that provide a healthy alternative to the kids running right into the pantry and grabbing the chips, which, of course, they still do when I’m not... More

A little planning and praise go a long way
Posted on Tue, September 1st, 2009
By Carol Smith, Joyce Thomas and Felicia Bordick “Here comes the school bus! Hurry up, you’re going to be late! Let’s go, you’re going to make me late, and I have to get to work! Just put this... More

On the Book Shelf: Summer reading picks
Posted on Tue, August 18th, 2009
'Horrid Henry' series by Fracesca Simon Perfect for young readers who are ready to make the leap from picture books, the Horrid Henry books feature the antihero who lives in a normal house in a... More

Let's Cook! Movie night is all about the snacks
Posted on Tue, August 4th, 2009
Looking for some summer fun and a reason to get some friends together? Have a movie night! It’s been a long-standing tradition in our household, passed down from child to child, complete with a... More

Summertime makes its own magic
Posted on Fri, July 10th, 2009
By Carol Smith, Joyce Thomas and Felicia Bordick Do you have a favorite memory of those carefree summer days of your childhood? We’re not talking about the big vacations or grand events, but... More

Let’s Cook! Blueberry tacos are pancakes with a twist
Posted on Thu, July 2nd, 2009
I love cooking with seasonal flavors, and in July it’s all about the blueberries. Not that you can’t cook with them all year long, but I find that my family tends to add more of various fruits and... More

House buying and home wrecking
Posted on Tue, June 23rd, 2009
My wife is cheating on me. I suspect it started late last year, when we put in a bid on our first home. The process was a long, stressful one, and quite frankly, my wife and I became somewhat... More

Click to connect with other parents
Posted on Fri, June 12th, 2009
It's not much of a stretch to say that the Internet has changed the way many of us parent. Homework help and entertainment for kids is a click away, and even though our pediatricians warn us not to... More

Let’s Cook! Make the most of strawberry season
Posted on Fri, June 5th, 2009
June is one of my favorite months with strawberries peaking in season. My family has spent many years frequenting the local strawberry farms near our home, and although my oldest no longer wants to... More

Happy Mother’s Day from the heart
Posted on Mon, May 11th, 2009
If you’re a mother, I know you go to bed at night with a longer to-do list than what you woke up with that morning! Too often, “eat right,” “exercise” and “take care of yourself’ just isn’t a... More

Let’s Cook! Simple solutions for Mother’s Day breakfast
Posted on Fri, May 1st, 2009
It comes with Mother’s Day that kids will want to treat their moms to breakfast in bed, but sometimes they don’t know where to begin, especially with the safety rules we’ve all set in the... More

On the Book Shelf: Camp classics and spring reads
Posted on Thu, April 9th, 2009
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Tracy Dockray Ralph the mouse tires of his overprotective mother and sharing his beloved toy motorcycle with his unappreciative cousins, and he... More

Summer camp, allergies and your child
Posted on Thu, April 2nd, 2009
Sending your child to summer camp is a time of excitement and celebration, but also it contains a touch of anxiety for parents of children with special medical needs. Those parents of children... More

You can go home again, but leave the car running
Posted on Tue, March 31st, 2009
Despite what they say, you can go home again. If you have parents like mine, however, you may not survive the experience. In the course of purchasing what will be our first home, my family had to... More

Calling for reinforcements
Posted on Tue, March 10th, 2009
Hiring help can be a blessing for busy families No one said being a new mother was easy, those first few days or even weeks home from the hospital can be overwhelming, not to mention exhausting.... More

Waging the war on obesity
Posted on Tue, February 3rd, 2009
In his “State of the State” speech on Wednesday, Jan. 7, Gov. David Paterson announced that under the leadership of the First Lady of New York, Michele Paige Paterson, the state would wage a “war on... More

Even Little Ones Need a Flu Shot
Posted on Fri, January 23rd, 2009
Flu season is a time of year that many parents dread. It can be inconvenient and costly to take time off of work to care for a sick child and maintain a germ-free home during flu outbreaks in your... More

Extra Helpings lends helping hand to budgets
Posted on Fri, December 26th, 2008
Times are tight and every penny counts, for some more than others. When you are looking to make the most of your food-buying dollar you may want to consider a program by the Regional Food Bank of... More

New program empowers kids to make heathy choices
Posted on Fri, December 26th, 2008
If you’re looking for ways to get your ‘tween more active, start in one of their favorite places: online. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation – a joint initiative of the American Heart... More

Holiday Entertaining: Making the 'kids' table' just plain FUN!
Posted on Wed, December 3rd, 2008
When the whole familiy is over for the holiday dinner, for many the tradition is for adults to sit at the 'big table' and the youngsters to have a spot at the “kid's table,” a place usually known for... More

Tips for staying healthy during flu season
Posted on Wed, October 29th, 2008
Each year, as many as 20 percent of Americans get the flu. Because the flu is contagious, prevention is the best medicine, and a few simple steps can help keep families healthy this winter. CVS... More

It’s hard not to read between the lines
Posted on Tue, September 30th, 2008
Children’s stories are downright creepy. I tend to look at things very cynically. My wife gets angry with me because I lack the ability to suspend my skepticism in even the stories that I read to my... More

Looking for jeans with flair, but not flare
Posted on Tue, September 9th, 2008
In early August I was helping my daughter pack for a camp overnight in Lake George. The kids would be spending the day at The Great Escape, having a barbecue dinner, walking around in Lake George... More

With kids, you’re always on the clock
Posted on Thu, September 4th, 2008
Sometimes you just want to mow the lawn. But when you have kids, you can no longer “just” do anything. You no longer “just” go out to dinner. You no longer “just” run right down to the store. Things... More

Do you see what I see?
Posted on Thu, August 21st, 2008
One of the many joys of parenting is learning to see the world through our child’s eyes. Their curiosity and wonder of the world that surrounds them awakens us to sounds, smells and sights that run... More

Check out these services for back-to-school
Posted on Wed, August 6th, 2008
A New England Nanny Serving the Capital District Call 348-0400 or visit www.ANewEnglandNanny.com Achievements Early intervention and preschool Call 782-1178 or... More

Hosting the perfect summer-savvy picnic
Posted on Wed, August 6th, 2008
Summer is the perfect time to bring together family and friends to enjoy the outdoors. Dust off the grill, lay out a fresh blanket and enjoy delicious food while soaking up the sun with the ones you... More

Fun and easy birthday parties
Posted on Tue, June 17th, 2008
Let’s face it – birthday parties can be a lot of work for parents. From the cake to the party games, to keeping a hoard of rambunctious kids entertained for an hour – parents are always looking for a... More

ONGOING CALENDAR
Posted on Wed, April 30th, 2008
Childbirth, New Baby and New Parent Programs Preparing for Pregnancy Staff members from Seton Health speak with prospective parents about getting body, mind and spirit ready for pregnancy and... More

The Joys of Art and Music
Posted on Fri, April 25th, 2008
There are a number of summer camp programs across the Capital District that have found a great way to incorporate music and arts in summer camps. Many of these camps are available to parents for... More

Super Summer Camps!
Posted on Tue, March 25th, 2008
It is hard to believe that summer camp sign-ups are already here. Around the Capital District many organizations, schools, and clubs are announcing their summer line ups that include a wide variety... More

Camp is for every child
Posted on Tue, March 25th, 2008
Watching my son after he returned from summer camp was the first hint that remarkable growth was underway. He was engaged, giving, and confident. Viewing the camp experience as a respite from the... More

Giving back: Consider volunteering as a family
Posted on Tue, March 25th, 2008
With their hectic schedules, today’s busy families often find it difficult to make community service a priority. However, giving back together can be a fulfilling family activity. Susan Crites... More

Olympic hopefuls: JMJC athletes try to join their coach in Beijing
Posted on Mon, March 24th, 2008
When Jason Morris takes his United States Olympic judo team to China this summer, he may be bringing some of his Jason Morris Judo Center students with him. Fourteen JMJC members are ranked... More

Looking for a great local summer camp? Check out these finds!
Posted on Mon, March 24th, 2008
Albany Montessori School (Previously Pine Hills Montessori) Summer Program for Preschool to Kindergarten Children 715 Morris St., Albany Call 458-2851 or www.albanymontessori.org Bethlehem... More

Sleep safety secrets for baby
Posted on Mon, March 3rd, 2008
You adore your new baby. If you’re like millions of sleep-deprived new parents, you love him even more when he’s sound asleep. But even when their little one is in dreamland, there’s no resting easy... More

Electronic Health Records: The key to quality medical care is as close as a click away
Posted on Mon, March 3rd, 2008
Nothing matters more to a parent than the well being of their child. It is often the parent who coordinates school attendance, trips to daycare, and all aspects of their child’s health. Now,... More

Lead paint: Signs parents must know
Posted on Wed, February 6th, 2008
There have been a number of children’s toys recalled because the Consumer Product Safety Commission has found high levels of lead in these toys. From Spongebob Squarepants journals to Elmo toys... More

Dip into healthy food
Posted on Sat, February 2nd, 2008
Moms can get excited about many things that come with going back to school including the increased structure in their kids’ lives and the numerous art projects that come home as gifts. However,... More

The new fire safety web site your child needs to see
Posted on Fri, February 1st, 2008
If a fire started in your home, would your child know what to do? Every parent wants to make sure the answer is "Yes" and now there's a place they can turn for help getting the job done. The Home... More

Keep SAFE on snowmobiles and ATVs
Posted on Wed, January 16th, 2008
Winter is here; tune up the snowmobile and wheel out the ATV. But while you’re zipping through the winter wonderland on your sport vehicle, don’t forget the importance of safety. Each year, more... More

Change your batteries at daylight savings time
Posted on Thu, October 25th, 2007
Twenty years ago, the people from Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) came up with an idea that likely has saved thousands of homes and perhaps as many children. The... More

5 great vacations
Posted on Wed, June 13th, 2007
The temptation to abandon healthy eating habits is especially strong during vacations, when we are diverted from our normal routines. Away from home and on the go, it’s so easy to grab a candy bar... More

Beat the winter blues
Posted on Tue, February 27th, 2007
Winter conjures up picturesque images of pure white snow, hot cocoa and comfort foods. But as the long Northeast winter continues on, your love of all things winter may be waning. This year, beat... More