Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Jim Schmotzer

•   No Travel Spring Break in Bellingham
  

  Spring break is near. Concerns about time away from work, cost, lack of energy, or other family issues may keep you at home this year. And that's at home with restless kids. Here are some ideas for special activities in Bellingham that will keep your children entertained, both at home and around town, during the week of Spring Break.

•   Day Trips Outside Whatcom County
  

  While some Whatcom County families plan to leave town for Spring Break, others may need to stay close to home due to work, financial restraints, or other reasons. For a flexible Spring Break experience, consider taking the family on a day trip. A day trip allows for a balance of getting away without an overscheduled agenda, the expense of a hotel, or a wasted day of driving.

•   From Bellingham to the Oregon Coast
  

  As the recession drags on, many families are resorting to creative options for recreation. Spring Break is the next big vacation time for families, and summer will soon follow. If you want to get away to something different, consider a road trip along the Oregon coast. A reasonable drive from Bellingham (five to seven hours), the North Oregon Coast offers an opportunity to stay in the Northwest and see some new sights.

•   Bellingham History Walk: Old Town District
  

  What's an inexpensive activity that the whole family can enjoy? How about a walk through Bellingham's Old Town District? On your journey, you and your family will appreciate our community's history, natural beauty, and various artistic and architectural achievements. In the heart of the Old Town District, you'll find Maritime Heritage Park on Holly Street. A good place to start is near "Convergence," a 2001 fountain sculpture installation.

•   Four Great Reasons to Take a Parenting Class
  

  Every parent wants their child to grow and mature in positive ways. Each family seeks to build a deep sense of connection that will continue throughout the years. Parenting classes can help. We all need a little help along the way in life. In some cases, we need focused efforts in problem solving; at times, direct intervention may be necessary. Parenting classes, offered in a variety of settings in Bellingham, are structured to meet those diverse needs.

•   The Big D: Kids and Divorce
  

  Divorce is part of our society. Many adults today endured the divorce of parents during their childhood and carry those experiences into their own families. Few of us enter marriage thinking that it will end in divorce, but this can still become a reality for many couples. With the understanding that we live in a culture of divorcing parents, we must ask how we can help children best navigate the associated complexities.

•   Helping Kids Cope with Death
  

  We live in a society that often avoids, if not denies, death. But it is a fact of life for all of us, including children. Death isn’t an easy reality for any of us. Children deserve special consideration and care when death visits. When well-supported children can avoid being overwhelmed, they can move toward growth and maturity in adulthood. How can parents best help children prepare for and deal with the reality of death?

•   Making the Most of Thanksgiving
  

  In 1863, the United States was in the depths of the struggle of the Civil War. Still, on October 3rd, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, establishing the holiday we still celebrate today. Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to look beyond the pressures of daily life and to focus on the many blessings that we enjoy. Following are some of the traditions and activities for Thanksgiving that our family has enjoyed in the past.

•   Get Involved with Adoption and Foster Care
  

  When my oldest niece was about five years old, she cried to her mom, "How come I couldn't be adopted like the other kids?" At that time, there were six cousins on that side of our family; four of them had joined the family through adoption. We laughed at the story, but also found a sense of gratification in seeing our families grow in unusual ways. During National Adoption Month, consider how your family can support children in need.

•   Considering Family Counseling
  

  Every family needs help. Sometimes all you need is a friend to talk with over coffee; at other times, a crisis that shakes the foundational essence of all that defines family requires professional attention. Time with a counselor can meet deep needs or help to avoid certain problems at times, providing assistance to regain balance in your family. If you’ve thought about counseling for your family, here are some questions that might have crossed your mind.

•   Making Memories for Your Children
  

  Shared memories define a family. Stories that produce laughter or tug at the heart can draw families together over the years and across distances. This summer, my wife and I went on our annual camping trip to Orcas Island, and our youngest son and his family joined us for one night. It was gratifying to see how important it was to share "our" tradition with his family as they begin to build their own memories.

•   So Many Activities, Not Enough Time
  

  School is coming, bringing a radical change in schedules for most families. An optimal goal is to help your child experience a full, yet balanced life. Hobbies, sports, clubs, arts, and enrichment opportunities all add depth and vitality to a person’s life. In today’s world of multiple choices, the problem is that our kids can go at breakneck speed from one event to the next with little time for rest or reflection.

•   Parental Reality Check
  

  Bob Dylan was right, as usual, when he sang, “The times, they are a changin’.” These words may have dynamic significance for parenting in today’s situation. The current economic realities may heighten the need to reassess the values and practices that guided parenting decisions and family directions in recent years. I think that there are cautions that today’s parents can take to help prepare their children for a future world that is very difficult to predict.

•   Making Home Brew (Root Beer, That Is)
  

  Making root beer is a great family activity any time of year. It begins as a shared project, teaches a bit of patience and ends in celebration. I have made batches with my kids, grandkids and other friends. Everybody enjoys the sense of shared effort and a gift to share at the end. A good start is a trip to North Corner Brewing Supply, which has all the supplies you will need, whether you decide to begin with extract or from scratch.

•   "We Are the Ship" Shares Baseball History
  

  Baseball is an American rite of spring, but it can be much more than that. Baseball can contribute to building a sense of family. Many families share memories around the game; a first trip to the park, softball at a family reunion, street ball in the neighborhood, collecting cards and catch games between parents and children. I love to tell others about base ball’s (it used to be two words) story and one of the most important parts of that story is the history of the Negro Leagues.

•   Santa, Family Traditions, and Responsibilities
  

  As soon as Halloween is over, Christmas bleeds through the world of marketing and the complaints soon arise. But, it seems to be our annual ritual. While parents may have little hope of changing the trends of media and marketplace, they might be wise to focus their attention on something they have a bit more of a probability of impacting: helping kids understand the value and truth about Santa.

•   Practical Tips to Help Kids Reach Goals
  

  In "Goal Setting: Good for the Whole Family," I presented a background to encourage parents to join with their kid(s) in using goal setting and the variety of benefits it can provide for family and individual growth. This piece will build upon that work by offering tips to remember in developing a goal setting strategy with and for your children. Some foundational questions should be addressed by each family member before creating a plan.

•   Goal Setting: Good for the Whole Family
  

  Goal setting can be an important aspect of defining a family and setting a course for growing children. Kids’ ability to develop and meet goals is important on a variety of levels. The following information will help parents clarify hopes and expectations related to goal setting with kids. Before jumping into the activity of goal setting with your kid(s), reflect on the following foundational supports.

•   Helping Kids in Changing Economic Times
  

  The daily news of high gas prices, lay-offs, unstable housing markets and other factors continue to remind us that we are in new economic territory. Beyond these big scale shifts, many families deal with illness, death and divorce in personal ways that can drastically alter family life style. These changes impact everybody, including children. How does a family deal with financial shifts and in some cases crises?

•   Getting a Great Start at School
  

  With the beginning of school parents are hopeful that their children will have a successful year, but children are individuals and each school year brings new challenges and concerns. While parents cannot control all that happens during a school year, they can take active steps to encourage a positive experience for all. Following are some practical suggestions to help parents get their children off to a good start.

•   Family Tent Camping Season
  

  We began tent camping when our sons were preschoolers. Through trial and error, a variety of family rituals were established. Now that our sons are grown, those traditions are the basis of cherished memories. For others, camping may be a new and welcome option as gas prices continue to rise and vacation budgets are impacted. Following are some of the ways camping became a central part of our family experience.

•   Building Lifelong Relationships
  

  Our two sons are now in their mid-twenties and settling into their adult lives. We find ourselves enjoying the new adventures of grandparenting. We are finding great joy in walking alongside our sons during this new life phase. Even when they were children, one of our long-term parenting goals was to establish and enjoy healthy and lifelong relationships with our sons that would continue in their adulthood.

•   Creating a Kid-Friendly Office
  

  The days of “kids should be seen and not heard” have long-since transitioned to a new, healthier world where children are more frequently included in most areas of daily life. In an effort to be accessible to those you serve, and in consideration of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, ask yourself, “Is my office a place where kids feel welcome and comfortable?” If not, here are some ideas for items that will make your daily work space more "kid-friendly."

•   What Every Child Needs
  

  “What is it my child really needs?” Parents might ask themselves this question on a daily basis. Above all else, children need provisions that money can’t buy. The time, attention, and efforts you devote to your child are priceless and can have a tremendous impact on their emotional well-being. Jim Schmotzer offers a list of the most important gifts parents can give a child to help them develop into a mature and loving adult.

•   Game Time Strengthens Family Bonds
  

  As rainy days and windy weather keeps us indoors, families are provided with wonderful opportunities to strength relationships. One way to make the most of this winter season is through family game times. Whether you call them table games, board games or something else – spending time together playing games can enhance family relationships and provide fun opportunities for learning. To help family game time be a success, each family should create their own “house rules.”

•   Reducing the Stress of Sibling Rivalry
  

  All it takes to establish sibling rivalry is to have more than one child. Almost every child wants to feel special, be first, get the most and generally have their own way. The tension this creates can lead to harsh words, attempts at one-up-man-ship, arguments and, in some situations, physical fighting, leaving most parents desperately seeking a "cease-fire" on the home front. To ease some of this sibling drama, I suggest a tool that can help parents in the quest for family peace.