Kids VT, August 2020
Parents Face Tough Choices; The Benefits of Learning Outside; Songs to Inspire Conversations About Race; Helping Dads Connect and Share
A Special Package, from Vermont to Finland
“I haven’t sent the package yet. I still want to add a few things,” I told my 9-year-old niece in Finland during a recent video call. “Let’s see if it arrives by Christmas,” I continued, smiling. “Or by my birthday,” my niece added dryly, referring to next February. Although we said these things lightheartedly, both…
Songs to Facilitate Parent-Child Conversations About Race
In a society filled with racial tension and violent images, it’s so important that we talk honestly with our kids to help them understand the complex world in which they’re growing up. And yet, as parents, it’s often difficult to know how to start conversations with our kids about topics such as racism and the…
Learning Lessons from Monarch Butterflies
“How many more months until my birthday?” That’s my 7-year-old daughter Ruby’s favorite question these days. I quickly do the math and give her an approximate answer. My response is always met with a whine, followed by her huffing out of the room. I try to reassure her that, even though her birthday is far…
A Conversation With Swim Instructor Annie Cooper
What follows are distilled quotes from a conversation with Essex Junction resident Annie Cooper, a longtime swim instructor for children and adults with a passionate local following. Cooper moved to Vermont in 1996 and has owned Swim With Annie since 2009. She stopped offering swim lessons during the pandemic and is now dipping her toes…
Why Dads Need Social Connections
One evening in May, I slouched against the kitchen island and started sobbing. Two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself drained. Raising two children, one 18 months old and the other a few weeks shy of her 4th birthday, while my partner and I both tried to work was having a hugely negative…
Finding Peace in Nature
As the school year draws nearer and the pandemic continues to rage in many parts of the country, I find the words of a Wendell Berry poem, “The Peace of Wild Things” swirling in my head. It begins: When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least…
Exploring Kehinde Wiley’s Art With Kids
During the past few months, many of us have isolated ourselves due to the coronavirus — working remotely and engaging with friends and family through Zoom instead of in-person visits. As a result, we have felt our worlds shrink. With so much art and literature accessible online, though, opportunities still exist for children and caregivers…
Children’s Author Kalmar Releases ‘Stealing Mt. Rushmore’
In August of 1974, when my family moved from Colorado to New Hampshire, the first thing my father unpacked was our black-and-white television. President Richard Nixon resigned that day, and my father wanted to see the news coverage. I still remember how deeply my dad — no Nixon fan — cared about the president’s resignation.…
Vermont Schools Embrace Learning Outside
In 2010, my oldest son moved his family to Norway, abandoning a senior-level position with the federal government to live in a cottage on the edge of a fjord. My two granddaughters had spent their early childhoods in a progressive, nature-based day school in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, and the eldest had one year of…
Lake Champlain Waldorf School Builds Six Outdoor Classrooms
Parents and students arrived at Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne on a steamy Saturday morning in July ready to get their hands dirty. Wearing sneakers, shorts, sun hats and cloth facial coverings, the volunteers gathered to help build six outdoor classrooms that will be used in the coming school year. Four of the spaces…
Creating a Basement Playroom on a Budget
Spending extended time at home can feel less confining and more safe and serene if your space is comfortable and thoughtfully arranged. One Shelburne family finished a fortuitous basement remodel just weeks before the coronavirus pandemic prompted stay-at-home orders. It gave them a dynamic, multiuse playroom, organized storage space and streamlined laundry facilities. The timing…
Caribbean-Inspired Salad for a Hot Summer Day
Considering the state of our world right now, tropical vacations likely won’t be happening for the foreseeable future. For now, food is a great way to transport your family to far-flung destinations. This light, flavorful salad is the perfect dish for the steamy summer months. I’ve never visited the Caribbean myself, but my parents traveled…
Families Face Tough Decisions About School, Childcare and Jobs
For many parents, facing down the rapidly approaching school year has forced them to confront a reality with few good options. The thought of sending kids back to school, where they will potentially be exposed to hundreds of other children in an era when physical distancing is advisable, has prompted some parents to file paperwork…
