Kids VT, September 2020
Back to School Amid a Pandemic; Simple Self-Care for Parents; Picturebooks About Women’s Rights; New Curriculum From Clemmons Family Farm; Lessons From an Ill-Fated Camping Trip
Teaching Kids to Make Surrealist Art
Over my nine years of teaching visual art in schools, surrealism has been one of my favorite styles of art to explore with my classes and a consistent student favorite, as well. Surrealism originated as a cultural, literary and artistic movement in the early 1900s, and it aimed to reject the conventional — to break…
Children’s Books That Celebrate 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage
While much of history has been written by men, women have never sat by idly. One hundred years ago, ratification of the United States Constitution’s 19th Amendment — which granted women the right to vote — marked a major milestone for women’s rights. Enormously controversial, the amendment passed by a single vote after decades of…
What Are Routine Childhood Vaccines So Important During COVID-19?
Childhood diseases haven’t gone away simply because our attention is focused on COVID-19. Unfortunately though, the pandemic has reduced the number of children receiving routine immunizations, raising fears that Vermont could see a resurgence of vaccine-preventable illnesses. As Dr. Lewis First, chief of pediatrics at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, explains, keeping kids on…
Outdoor Educators Share Tips for Learning in Nature
A few weeks ago, as I was listening to a podcast about going back to school, my 12-year-old turned to me and said, “Wait. We’re still going to have to be social distancing in the fall? I thought it was going to be over!” Then he stomped out of the house. We are all preparing…
Simple, Inexpensive Self-Care for Parents
Taking care of kids stretches us to our limits under any circumstance. During a global pandemic — when childcare, support systems and so much else is unstable — it’s even more difficult. We have decision fatigue. We feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, it seems like there are no good choices. I’ve come across countless advertisements and emails…
Coronation Chicken for Parties & School Lunch
Three years ago, when the world was simpler and international travel was still possible, my mother brought my family on a whirlwind weeklong trip to the United Kingdom. We drove roughly 1,000 miles that week, from London to Edinburgh and back, with many stops at wonderful places along the way. One of the most memorable…
Mom Takes Notes, September 2020
Our daughter began preschool a few weeks ago. Prior to that, she was at home with me for three years. So, when the first day of school arrived, it was a huge leap — the end of an era and the beginning of something completely new for all of us. That first week, I did…
A Musician Dad on Parenting and Working During a Pandemic
What follows are selections from my recent conversation with Boston-based guitarist and educator Lyle Brewer. Brewer has been playing live in Burlington for many years, first as a member of the Ryan Montbleau Band and more recently in solo shows at the Light Club Lamp Shop, which he considers one of his musical homes. I…
How Dads Can Be Equal Teammates in Domestic Labor
I opened the refrigerator door and peered inside, immediately noticing the lack of leftovers. After a brief hesitation, I pulled out a pack of tortillas along with some SunButter and jelly. Coraline and Penelope — ages 4 and 22 months, respectively — would be getting rolled-up tortilla snacks for lunch. As I assembled the roll-ups,…
Lessons from an Ill-Fated Camping Trip
Worried about putting your kids in danger by sending them back to school this fall? Allow me to share a cautionary tale about a time I inadvertently put my own family at risk. The lessons I learned during our calamitous Labor Day camping trip last year are relevant to the COVID-19 crisis, as well. My…
Vermont Visionaries: Dr. Lydia Clemmons
What follows are distilled quotes from a conversation with Charlotte resident Dr. Lydia Clemmons. A medical anthropologist who spent 35 years working in Africa, Dr. Clemmons now does that job remotely with quarterly trips to Africa while also volunteering as president of Clemmons Family Farm. On moving back to Vermont eight years ago and becoming…
Yoga Pose of the Month: Waterfall
Waterfall is a great way to release stress and get our body ready to focus! Benefits: Relaxes the nervous system Changes perspective Stretches back side of body: legs, spine and neck Stimulates digestion Steps: Stand in mountain pose. Raise your arms up to the sun. Bring your arms out and down to your toes. Keep…
Kids VT’s Origin Story
In January of 1994, Kim Kropf and Tracey Shamberger founded Kids VT, Vermont’s free monthly parenting magazine. Susan Holson took over for Shamberger in 2007. In 2010, Kropf and Holson decided to sell this publication, which they called their “baby.” Ten years ago this summer, a broker approached the ownership team of Seven Days to…
Clemmons Family Farm Launches Multicultural Online Curriculum
Näri Penson and Kia’Rae Hanron sat across from each other on the 148-acre property of Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte, under the shade of mature trees surrounded by sweeping views of farmland and the Adirondacks in the distance. Though there are thousands of farms in Vermont, Clemmons is one of just 17 that is Black-owned,…
