Monkeying Around
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…
Nest News
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…
Dadding and Chores
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…
Things I’ve Learned
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…
Excessive Screen Time? Summer Boredom?
Snopocalypse 2019 had you praying to the gods of summer. You swore upon your children’s own lives that you would never again complain about the heat if the snow would just stop. While being faced with walls of snow for an extended period was tough, staring down the barrel of months of keeping the kiddos…
Vooks Online Streaming Service
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…
A Lifetime Commitment
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…
Editor’s Note
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…
Reading Fitness
Kids who read during the summer months tend to improve their vocabulary and literary competancy, while those who never crack a book may lose skills learned during the school year. Fostering a love of reading is an easy task with so many exciting, fun books to explore. Help your child learn while cuddling up with…
Q&A
QSunscreen options have really expanded and gotten expensive in recent years. What are the differences between the cheap stuff, the pricier options and the ones marketed as kid’s sunscreen? ASunscreens essentially come with three varieties of “UV filters”: chemical, mineral, or chemical + mineral. Sun products marketed for babies or children tend (key word) to…
100 Years of Fun Since Day One!
There’s only one spot in Central Oregon where funnel cakes, 4H, free concerts and ferris wheels all come together each year: The Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo. This year, the fair will be celebrating its 100th year of operation, so expect some extra special things to check out when you go, says Ross Rogers, Fair…
Little Feet on the Street
We asked these 3rd graders from Miller Elementary, “What do you think your dad would consider to be a perfect Father’s Day?” Ethan: Taking him out to Spork and getting him new bike stuff because he loves to bike. Faye: Not having to go to work and having a few presents by his bed when…
Calendar
Every Weekday June 24-August 16 Days Of Play PLAY – Days Of Play run all summer long and are a great way for kids to get out and have fun! From crafts, sports, water play and more, every day will bring something new and fun to the table. Check out the Bend Parks and Rec…
Sleep in the Deep
Why on Earth would I give up a night in a comfy king-size bed in a gorgeous beach house to sleep on a cold hard floor? The only logical reason is for the love of my child, of course. I said goodbye to our spring break rental (complete with wine) and toted my son, Cole,…
Healthy Teen Dating
The idea of your baby one day being old enough to date can be a bitter pill to swallow. But, as adolescence approaches, visions of young men with flowers and innocent pecks on the cheek goodnight at the door, make the whole courtship scenario a bit more palatable. Unfortunately, statistics don’t support this pleasant picture.…
Death By Children
I said it. I invoked Karma as a threat, as an epithet, as a balm for my dignity, wounded by glares and stares and unsolicited advice, whispered indignantly over crossed arms as an entire airport observed my children in full fury. As newbie parents we’d made a critical error. Thinking our family vacation flight would be…
