It's that time of year again when local swim clubs are re-opening their doors and friends and family who are blessed enough to have their own backyard pools are inviting you over for an afternoon dip. Two of my three children are solid swimmers. The third is not. Each of the older two learned how to swim in different ways but in the end they got the same result. They can both go off the diving board in the deep end, pass a swim test and go underwater for as long as they can hold their breath. My oldest had a water phobia. We tried group lessons at the Y in Ridgewood. She was that kid you feel…
Graduations are rapidly approaching for many students living in the borough and this week's topic is about how we celebrate those achievements. New Milford High School will celebrate its graduating class on June 21 at 7 p.m. at bergenPAC. Both borough elementary schools will also be holding ceremonies for their fifth grade students who will be moving up to the middle school. Even younger students, in kindergarten and local preschools, will also be enjoying graduation ceremonies. Patch has a few questions for you on the topic of graduations: Do you think graduations for younger children …
It's that time of year again--school is almost out and you are so glad to almost be done driving Mom's Taxi to every baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer game in the greater tri-state area. No more band concerts, major science projects due, Girl Scout or Boy Scout meetings to attend. Summer is almost here. But wait--with school ending, which occupies nearly six-and-a-half hours of their day, how will you keep them busy? How do you plan to stop them from whining, "I'm bored, there's nothing to do" despite the fact that you have a swing set, trampolines, bicycles and more amusements than …
Moms Talk is a weekly feature on New Milford Patch that is part of an initiative to reach out to moms and families. Moms Talk is the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation. Here's our discussion topic: Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and a Yale Law School professor, contends that most American moms are too soft on their children, acting as unwavering cheerleaders even when they don't perform at the level that parents expect. She also says her parenting methods are modeled in the …
Just a year old when the twin towers fell, my oldest didn’t understand what was happening. She ran around our house in San Francisco repeating “Oh my God. Oh my God.” She was mimicking us as we sat glued to the television that morning, having been awoken by a crying friend’s phone call alerting us to the attack. Since moving here, she’s seen the memorial plaques in the park, honoring the parents of kids she’s shared an auditorium with, parents who never got to see their children grow up and reach milestones. She’s seen documentaries in school about 9/11 with the children of the dead asking, “…
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: What Do You Do For Fun On a Girls' Night Out? So, the moon, the stars and the planets have all aligned and you are actually getting out of the house without kids or a significant other. We know it is a rare event so Patch wants to find out how you spend that time hanging with friends. Bunco has been quite popular among many groups of Bergen County moms for the past few years (I admit that I, …
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: What Do You Tell Your Kids About Stranger Danger? A couple of months ago, there were reports of a suspicious person attempting to lure children in Oradell and Woodcliff Lake. This was certainly not the first type of incident in the area and regrettably it will likely not be the last. So what do you say to your children about strangers who may approach them? Does your message differ depending on…
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: What Are You Doing With the Kids This Week? It's spring break and the kids have a whole week off from school. If you weren't able to take off on a family vacation, what have you been doing to keep busy? Are you staying local? Or have you taken day trips to keep them busy? There are some great local destinations that are only minutes away and full of great learning opportunities and family fun…
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: Are Your Kids Stressing About the NJASK? Students beginning in grade three must sit for this multi-day exam known as the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge or NJASK. They will continue to take the exam through the eighth grade. The purpose of the test is outlined on the Department of Education's website: With the enactment of the NCLB Act, New Jersey’s statewide assessment of …
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: How Do You Handle Inappropriate Text Messages? Recently, the New Jersey Assembly voted on a bill that would allow for more lenient punishments for teens caught "sexting." Sexting is the sending of nude, partially nude or sexually suggestive material via text. First time offenders would be offered entry into a diversionary program under the proposed law. Many teens don't realize that passing on …
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: What Do You Think of the New Car Seat Recommendations? Per the new guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should sit in rear facing car seats until they turn two or "until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat." Previously children were only recommended to sit rear-facing until age one or until they weighed 20 pounds. The guidelines also said …
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: Should Young Children Play in Competitive Travel Sports Leagues? Travel sports teams have emerged as a leading contender for how many local kids spend their free time. Some parents choose to have their children try-out for these teams so they can experience a greater competitive challenge. Other parents see it as a vehicle for taking a natural aptitude their child may have in a specific sport …
Welcome back to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you to grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: Video games rated "M" for "Mature": How do you handle it when a game is prohibited from being played in your house yet a friend allows their child to play it? The Entertainment Software Rating Board developed the rating system for games. "M" games are intended for those age 17 and older because they, "may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language." Call of …
Welcome to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in the borough. Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's conversation: The National SAFEKIDS Campaign recommends that children be 12 or older before being left at home alone, for any length of time. New Jersey law has no mention of an age that is appropriate…
Joan Carbone, the executive director of residence life at Rutgers University, announced this week that under certain circumstances students will be allowed to live with "gender neutral" roommates in three dorms on campus. Demarest Hall on the College Avenue campus, Rockoff Hall in New Brunswick and New Gibbons on the Douglass College campus will be part of the pilot program this fall. Students have to submit an application for "special interest" housing and then will have to select their opposite sex roommate--Rutgers will not place students of different genders who do not know each other in…
Welcome to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. New Milford Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in the borough. Moms, dads, grandparents and the families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and so much more. Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start this week's…
