Until recently, if you were a parent living on the plateau, you were in for a panic-stricken search for after hours emergency care if your child woke up in the middle of the night with severe abdominal pain. And you could spend many hours driving from the plateau to Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland or Overlake Hospital in Bellevue or even further for maternity care needs. Now plateau parents may spend much less time driving around the eastside for medical care. A welcome new resource for plateau families for medical and maternity care arrived when Swedish Issaquah opened its new campus in the …
With the recent batch of snow it probably has been easy to entertain your kids as long as there was a sled in the house. But soon the snow will melt away and the dark and rainy days of winter will return. Having some great family entertainment to look forward to until spring arrives may help you survive your family’s cabin fever. Here are some great options from splurge to save, that you might plan for your family to attend in the weeks ahead. Cavalia at Marymoor Park Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse, premiers Jan. 19 and will run through Feb. 12 at Marymoor Park. The show…
Before having her two kids, Andrew, 12 and Katy, five, healthcare executive Kim Dahlman and her husband were both working long hours. She says they would both would often “leave in the dark and come home in the dark” to their home in Sammamish. "It can be difficult to connect with neighbors, when many of them both work outside of the home and you don’t have kids yet,” Dalhman says. And when they started their family, none of their friends had infants. Suddenly, she says, “I felt like I was all alone with an infant and I needed support.” Many plateau parents can identify with Dahlman. They may…
If you have a middle school or high school student, chances are he or she is carrying an overloaded, heavy backpack. And some of the area’s schools offer no lockers, so your child may be dragging around a Sherpa size backpack all day, potentially causing pain and damage to his or her growing spine. Dr. Stefanie Haugen is a Redmond parent of two who trained at Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO. She has been in practice as a chiropractor for over a decade, and recently moved her practice from Sammamish to Fremont Spine and Wellness. Carrying a heavy backpack improperly over time …
Now that the holidays are winding to a close, many Sammamish parents find themselves buried in new stuff including toys and electronics. Elizabeth Lee is a parent of teenage boys and the owner of Seattle Organizing Works. Lee draws from years of professional experience and her life as a parent, to help families around the Puget Sound manage their clutter and restore order to their homes and offices. Lee says not getting overwhelmed by toy clutter starts with being willing to sort old toys and let things go. “I come from the school of thought that there should always be one toy in, one toy …
Have you considered private school for your child but realized that it isn't an option for your family's budget? Or have a child that would benefit from an accelerated learning program or smaller school community? Then keep in mind that the Lake Washington and Issaquah school districts offer a number of different options, including "choice school programs" and "enrichment and accelerated learning programs." Lake Washington School District Melissa Pendleton is a Sammamish parent of two sons, age nine and 12. Her 12-year-old son Nate attends the Environment and Adventures School (EAS) in …
Whether you have a toddler or a teen, you want to make some happy memories this holiday season. Here are some tips on how to create great future memories from well-planned “family adventures," survive those car trips and make going somewhere together fun, whether you have a toddler or a teen. Meagan Buckmaster Ross is an art instructor at the Orange Blossom Society in Redmond and the mom of four kids ranging in age from six to sixteen. She is also the author of a blog on parenting called An Adventure Every Day. She has extensive experience in creating great day trip “adventures" for her kids…
The weather turned colder this week and winter has definitely arrived. We've gathered tips from two local experts on what you can do to better prepare your family for the next natural disaster - be it snow, wind or an earthquake. Plan ahead for ice and snow with items for your car Lindsey Walimaki is a Corporate Communications Program Manager for Puget Sound Energy. She says living in Sammamish can create some additional challenges during winter storms that all plateau families should prepare for. “With many hills on the Eastside, it’s important to have chains and other preparedness items in…
I’m on the hunt for great books and non-electronic toys that encourage creative play and enhance problem solving skills to give as holiday gifts. In my quest for great gifts, I've enlisted the help of “gift gurus." This year my gift gurus include the staff of Raven’s Books in Gilman Village, Bellevue Art and Frame and the Toy Place in Bellevue and Planet Happy in Ravenna. Where to Buy Great Toys and Books for Holiday Gifts There are some great locally owned book and toy stores near the plateau. I like Tree Top Toys in Redmond. The store has a huge selection of creative play toys including …
Are you a plateau parent who longs to connect with other parents as you go through the challenges of raising a teenager on the plateau? Well you are in luck, because that group exists. The Sammamish Plateau Parent Networking Group offers support to all plateau parents, but especially to parents of so-called tweens—generally considered kids between the ages of 9 and 12—and teens. The group's next meeting is on Monday, Nov. 28, at the Sammamish Library from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The meeting is free and will be led by parenting coach Bill Dean, who works exclusively with families of adolescents. …
As the weather turns wet, cold and gray, I hunt for places nearby where my kids can be active and have some indoor fun with friends. I’ve found some great places where even when it is raining, they can climb, jump and even fly. You and your kids can skydive indoors at iFLY Lysa Adams is co-owner of iFLY Seattle in Tukwila, located less than 20 minutes south of the eastside via 405. iFLY offers an indoor skydiving experience in a vertical wind tunnel chamber to adults and kids as young as three (as long as they are potty trained). There are 23 iFLY franchises around the world and this …
My husband and I love Halloween as much as our kids do. He can still recall which of his family’s neighbors gave out the best Halloween loot when he was a child trick or treating many years ago. Halloween remains a wonderful time to make great memories with your children. In addition to having fun and making memories, you also want to keep your kids safe. And if you want to save some money this year, and who doesn’t, consider going “green for Halloween." Helping parents keep kids safe all year round is the mission of eastside mom Kim Estes of Savvy Parents, Safe Kids. Estes is a certified …
The world marked last week’s death of Apple’s Steve Jobs with sadness and gratitude for all the amazing technology he helped create that we use today. This week two eastside teachers, who are also parents, offer some tips on how we can enhance our children’s creativity, communication, team work and problem solving skills and perhaps raise the next Steve Jobs. Meagan Buckmaster Ross is an art instructor with an early childhood education background. She teaches art at the Orange Blossom Society in Redmond. She is also the mother of four children ranging in age from six to 16 and a certified …
Take a moment to remember the dreams you had for your family before you had kids. Many of us could use some practical tools to help us “reset” our current lives, so we can realize those dreams, and create stronger family connections, reduce the clutter of our homes and raise resilient, creative children with strong problem solving skills. Simplicity parenting and mindful parenting are two parenting approaches that offer the opportunity to “reset,” and there are several resources on the Eastside to support families who are ready to make some changes. Simplicity Parenting is a movement created…
If you’ve had a fourth grader in a local public school, then you've probably heard a great deal about the historic journey of Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea, their Native American interpreter. Here are three areas with a Lewis and Clark-related historic site or museum that you might want to visit, along with great places nearby to stay and fun things to do on a family vacation. Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center and the Tri-Cities My family recently visited the Tri-Cities, and the Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center. The Tri-Cities consist of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco, …
Many of us grew up with parents who spoke to us one time, if at all, about sex. It was known as “The Talk.” Most parents postponed it until we were in high school, and it was frequently full of warnings, not helpful information. This week, two Puget Sound-area experts share tips on how parents can have effective conversations with their kids about their bodies, sexuality and family values. They also offer resources to help you with one of the most challenging and important tasks of parenting. Starting Early And Using the Correct Words For Body Parts Can Help Keep Kids Safe From Sexual …
Getting a driver’s license represents a dream come true for most teens. But for many parents, it can be a nightmare. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. Despite the grim statistics, there are many things parents can do to help teens make better choices while learning to drive and after getting his or her license. Two Eastside police …
When classes start in Sammamish in the coming weeks, many kids will unfortunately go back with tooth decay. “Too many children experience tooth decay: In Washington state, nearly 40 percent of children start kindergarten with tooth decay. Yet, it’s a largely preventable disease,” said Dianne Riter, senior program officer at Washington Dental Service Foundation. But parents can take steps to reduce tooth decay that their kids have now. Regular visits to the dentist also can help prevent decay in the future. John Liu, a dentist who lives in Sammamish, has a pediatric dental practice in Issaquah…
The start of school is weeks away with the Issaquah School District starting on Tuesday, Aug. 30 and the Lake Washington School District starting Tuesday, Sept. 6. I’ve gathered some tips from Eastside teachers and tutors on what parents can be doing in the remaining weeks of summer, and the first days of school, to help kids succeed this coming school year. How to Prepare for A Successful Start at Preschool or Kindergarten Judy Holt is director of Redmond’s highly-regarded Community Preschool (425-883-9828). She has over 20 years of experience helping students prepare for their first days of…
Now that the sun has finally arrived, you might be in the mood for a family road trip. My family visited the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium recently to check out the adorable clouded leopard cubs. I was reminded of all the great attractions Tacoma has to offer, just less than an hour from our home on the Eastside. There was the zoo, several museums, great dining options and easy access to beaches on Puget Sound. Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium – Close up Animal Encounters and Conservation Education Make Visits Special My family loves the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, but most of the zoo’s …
