Vote for art for kids in Beacon NY

An artist's rendering of Scenic Hudson's red barn at Long Dock in Beacon, NY, where Mill Street Loft will offer arts programming to the community.

Mill Street Loft needs your vote on their project to establish a multi-arts community education center to be housed in a red barn renovated by Scenic Hudson at its Long Dock Park in Beacon, NY.

Mill Street Loft has applied for a Pepsi grant and will be in the October voting cycle at refresheverything.com. By voting for this idea every day in October you will help Mill Street secure the $50,000 grant that will make it possible for them to reach thousands of children and adults through the arts. 

The voting period is October 1-31, and we need YOUR vote every day. The average winner of the Pepsi grant needs 3,000 votes per day! YOU can make the difference.

Spread the word. Encourage others to join the Mill Street Loft facebook page (Riverside Arts: Beacon) and to join the email list at www.millstreetloft.org for updates and news.

Please register to vote at www.refresheverything.com.

Have you ever discriminated against your own child?

There is a great new show that I started watching on the Style Network called Too Fat for Fifteen. It’s a reality show following a group of overweight students at the Wellspring Academy in North Carolina and the struggles they face on their weight loss journeys. The show is filled with a lot of insight on what it is like to be overweight and a teenager. The family dynamics are especially interesting. The parents featured on the show seem to be nothing more than supportive of their children. However, I read an article today that said even parents of overweight children occasionally discriminate against them. For example, they may be less likely to help pay for their college education or a new car. What are your thoughts?

Take a chance and you could win!

It seems that every month we have exciting contests at Hudson Valley Parent. Whether big or small, we have prizes and giveaways for everyone. One big prize that we gave away to a  family this summer was a free vacation to 1000 Acres Ranch Resort  in Stony Creek. The winner was Terri Sammons from Port Ewen. The family had a great time and shared some pictures with us. Check out hvparent.com/contests for more details on what fun contests we are currently running. There are always great giveaways on our Facebook page too. So take a chance and sign up for a contest, you may be our next winner!

Dad rages on bullies

How many times has your child come home upset about something that happened at school, but wouldn’t talk to you about it? If you found out it was because they were being bullied, what would you do? Well, one father took justice into his own hands. According to a report on the Today Show a man in Florida boarded his daughter’s school bus to defend her from middle-schoolers who were allegedly “taunting, hitting, and even throwing condoms at her”. The 11-year-old girl has cerebral palsy and the father’s lawyer says she is now under suicide watch. Even if you don’t condone the father’s behavior, you can see where he is coming from. Who wouldn’t fight for their child?

What do you think?

Stop slouching! Now!

I have a habit of slouching. It’s not good and I don’t endorse it. I always try to remember to stand tall, with my shoulders back, because if I don’t I hear my mom’s voice in my head, “Don’t slouch over!” It’s such a knee jerk reaction. I think that this habit is hard to break, but just as my mom knew it should be taught when children are younger. A recent article in the Washington Post agrees and also says to make learning about having good posture fun. The article has great tips for parents and kids on how to maintain a strong core. Soon no one will have to hear “stop slouching!” anymore.

Is this cause for suspension?

Teens often do wacky things in order to express their individuality. This can come in the form of dyed blue hair, changing up their wardrobe, or piercings. However, what happens when these things go against your child’s school dress code. Ariana Iacono is a 14-year-old from North Carolina and has a small stud nose piercing. This piercing which was put in for “religious purposes” has caused her to be suspended from her school. Ariana says she belongs to the Church of Body Modification. You can barely see the piercing in the picture included in this article from the TODAY Show. Is this piercing worth being suspended over?

Catch those zzz’s

We all know that getting an appropriate amount of  sleep is important for the health of your child. But, what you may not know is how many health conditions are tied to sleep. A new report this week found that lack of sleep may be linked to childhood obesity. “The researchers  found that daytime naps are not an adequate substitute for lost nighttime sleep in terms of preventing obesity. The study included 1,930 U.S. children, ages 1 month to 13 years, who were divided into two groups — younger (ages 1 month to 59 months) and older (ages 5 to 13 years). Data on the children was collected at the start of the study (baseline) in 1997 and again in 2002 (follow-up).” How many hours of sleep do your children average a night?

Sunday is Grandparent’s Day

GRANDPARENTS ARE PROVIDING
$370.7 BILLION IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, ACCORDING TO METLIFE MATURE MARKET INSTITUTE  SURVEY

Economic Downturn Has Spurred Giving

Almost two-thirds of America’s grandparents have provided financial support to their grandchildren during the last five years, 40% for general purposes and 26% for education, according to the MetLife Mature Market Institute’s QuickPOLL, Grandparents: Generous with Money, Not with Advice. The average amount provided was $8,661, or about $370.7 billion total in the last five years. One-quarter (25%) say the economic downturn has caused them to increase the help they give to their grandchildren.

The 2009 Grandparents Poll revealed that grandparents prefer to help their children and grandchildren while they are alive, rather than leaving a lump sum in a will, an interesting phenomenon.
In addition, the data indicates that those with less income and net worth are giving a

Walk to School Day in Kingston

 

 Children who walk or bike to school are healthier, more alert and are more adept at making friends, which all add up to being more successful in school. Studies have shown that youth who are active in the morning and afternoon perform better in school. So, get your kid off on the right foot and encourage walking and biking to school!

 The Safe Routes to Schools and Parks committee of the Healthy Kingston for Kids partnership is encouraging parents and school employees in Kingston to band together this fall to celebrate a International Walk and Bike to School Day event on October 6,  which aims to bolster youth fitness through active living. Activities such as walking and biking to school promote the notion that a “healthier kid is a smarter kid.” Schools worldwide will be participating.

 On September 21, 2010 there will be a workshop for parents, teachers and school officials interested in holding a walk and bike to school event at their school. Contact Kristen Wilson at (845) 340-3990 or kew67@cornell.edu for times and locations.

 From the perspective of a parent, the preference for walking is clear. “What motivates me most about having my community walk to school is

No more peanuts and Cracker Jacks but we have the memories

While working at Hudson Valley Parent, I’ve been given the opportunity to learn about a lot of great organizations in the Valley. One such organization is the Hudson Valley Renegades. The Renegades have been around for as long as I can remember and have become a summer activity that you can’t miss. We recently held a contest in conjunction with the Renegades where a family could throw out the first pitch and that lucky family were the Malley’s of Montgomery. They shared some pictures with us of their special day, that we wanted to share with you. We hope the Malley’s had a blast and remember we always have great contests featured weekly in our newsletter! You could be the next winner.  

Dad helps prepare his son for the first pitch!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We think he's got it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids received autographs as well. Very cool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was nice day for a game.