Bend Nest

Bend Nest is a place to discuss, consider and laugh about all that parenting brings. A quarterly magazine produced by some of the finest writers, editors and photographers in Central Oregon, Bend Nest is smart and informed.
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Ramping Up After School Care

With school start times changing in Bend, local programs expand offerings to meet the need
Isaac Biehl & Nicole Vulcan

If you’re a parent who’s not yet aware of the child care crunch in Central Oregon, prepare for a rude awakening. And with changes to school start times ahead for the 2019-2020 school year, that problem has only gotten worse. Two local agencies, however, are ramping up to fill the need. In October, Bend-La Pine […]

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Back Off, Mama Bear

Why rescuing your kids might actually be harming them
Annette Benedetti

Our society celebrates the Mama Bear. You know, the mothers who ferociously protect and rescue their children from any and every difficulty that appears. And why shouldn’t these women be idealized? Isn’t a child’s welfare a parent’s top priority? Even before the children are born, homes are baby-proofed and every protection possible is put in […]

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Monkeying Around

How to turn up the volume on a backyard kid’s zone
Avatar photo K.M. Collins

When I was a girl, my dad heroically took play time to the next level. Having no backyard, he put a public park-style 10-foot steel slide in the living room of our Portland studio apartment. Though, how he obtained said play aid is strictly classified, I will never forget how much joy that recovered rubbish […]

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Nest News

Avatar photo Nicole Vulcan

March for Students Downtown Bend became a sea of red on May 8, as local families and Bend-La Pine Schools’ staff members — all wearing red —rallied together in support of appropriate state funding for public education. Participants marched together in camaraderie to the downtown Bend-La Pine Schools’ Education Center. The joyful rally of approximately […]

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Dadding and Chores

The Art of Teaching Kids Responsibility While Having Fun
Chris Miller

When I was young, my grandfather taught me just about everything: how to fish, play golf, shoot pool—and even how to catch a football, even though he had to throw underhanded because he had a bad shoulder. But all this fun came at a cost: I had to learn how to do chores to earn […]

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Things I’ve Learned

A Peek into the Life of Carrie Douglass
The Source Staff

Carrie has been a teacher, school & district leader, education philanthropist and national non-profit executive. She is currently opening The Haven, a coworking space and social hub “by women, for everyone.” Carrie was elected to the Bend-La Pine School Board in 2017 and is also the President of the Cascade Relays Foundation and the co-Event […]

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Vooks Online Streaming Service

Bend local entrepreneurs create fun concept for kids who love books
The Source Staff

Here’s something a little different for families who love books and story time, value reading together but appreciate the added convenience of online streaming. Choosing from a wide selection of children’s titles, Vooks subscribers can listen to books read aloud. Unlike books on tape, children will enjoy following along in the virtual book, flipping the […]

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A Lifetime Commitment

Friends of the Children Central Oregon is here to stay
Caitlin Richmond

There are many children in the world who are born into circumstances that do not benefit them. Maybe their parents cannot support the family, so they grow up hungry, or maybe they are left mostly on their own because their parents are working all the time. Parents may be abusive or pre-occupied with their own […]

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Editor’s Note

Avatar photo Angela Switzer

These days it’s pretty busy in Bend. We still rank in the top 10 fastest growing cities in the nation. With that in mind, you may be a brand-new family to Central Oregon, having just settled in to your new environment. Welcome! With school out (almost), there is ample time to get acquainted. Reading Bend […]

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