The main tenet of a parent’s job description is that they take care of their child or children, they shield them from harm, keeping them as happy and healthy as possible. However, it’s not possible to cocoon your child in bubble wrap and a helmet every morning when they get out of bed. (Well, yes, WE did do that to our adorable cover model, 5-year-old Natalie Adcox, but that was in the name of cuteness!) So where does a parent draw the line between protection and paranoia?

Writer and new mother Heather McDonnell has asked herself this question many times, and spoke with other parents and local experts in an attempt to answer it for the article “Are you a paranoid parent?” for the September edition of Pikes Peak Parent magazines, available on newsstands and online at www.pikespeakparent.com.

One helpful piece of advice she gleaned:

Counselor Krista Johnson of the Center for Child Counseling says today’s parents may be more worried simply because we’ve become more aware of the dangers that exist around us. Kids experience more and are aware of more dangers, but the solution is absolutely not to panic.

“Panicking about everything is going to make a very scared environment and a fearful child,” Johnson says. And no parent wants that for their kids.

Other great articles this month include where to find local bargains on used kids’ gear, resources for single parents wanting to connect with others, a profile of one local mom who turned personal tragedy into healing art classes for others, and more. Of course, you’ll always find out regular features like Pikes Peak GRANDparent, Fresh Perspectives, pARTicipate and the region’s best family calendar.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, e-mail us at parent@gazette.com.

Happy September!

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ENTER TO WIN!

For those with little ones:
•    “Reading With Your Young Child”
•    “The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas & Grandpas”
•    “How to Talk to Your Child’s Doctor”
•    “The Marvelous Musical Adventures” DVD
•    “Baby Einstein: Wake-up and Goodnight” CD

HOW TO ENTER
•    Send your name, phone number and children’s ages to parent@gazette.com or mail to Lisa Carpenter, Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
•    Entry deadline: Sept. 30
•    Winner will be drawn and notified Oct. 1
Please note: Only one entry per person; only one prize per household in a six-month period.

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Back to school …

Most kids look toward the day with a mixture of nerves and disappointment. Most parents look forward to it as a return to routine, an end to choruses of “I’m bored” and (for working parents) no more fees for summer daycare or camps. And yes, perhaps a touch of sadness because the long-awaited family vacation was over too quickly and there’s (*sniff*) another first-day-of-school portrait to add to the album.

If on top of the relief and glumness, you’re also feeling a little bit stressed — over school supply lists, new shoes, new clothes or uniforms, different schools, different bedtimes, etc. — you’re definitely not alone.

That’s why every year, we put together a special back-to-school edition of Pikes Peak Parent magazine, usually our largest and more informative of the year. Over to the right on the cover are Andrew and Rebecca McLay, showing off some of the latest back-to-school fashions for kids’ bags and shoes — such concerns aren’t just for fashionistas, you know. According to Deanna DeLarge, marketing coordinator for the Promenade Shops at Briargate:

“Polka dots for girls. That’s for everything, not just backpacks. Also, animal prints and cool camouflage colors like bright blue or green for the boys.”

Showing off more back-to-school fashion to the left are other siblings Jacob and Alyssa McLay. Click here or on that picture to read the article.

This issue, we also discuss back-to-school pointers from teachers, interesting real-life classes offered at the high-school level, tech tools for student success, school lunches, educational Web sites, understanding new grading systems and more. And of course, there’s always our regular features like Pikes Peak GRANDparent, Fresh Perspectives, pARTicipate and the region’s best family calendar to enjoy, as well.

We hope all of our readers had a fabulous summer and will tackle the upcoming school year as yet another exciting adventure. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for our Pikes Peak Parent staff, shoot us an email to parent@gazette.com.

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ENTER TO WIN!

Goodies for study breaks:

“Montgomery the Moose Can Shake His Caboose”
“Charlie Hits It Big”
“Disney Music Block Party”
“Kidz Bop 12”
HeadToHead Interactive Soccer Game

HOW TO ENTER
Send your name, phone number and children’s ages to parent@gazette.com or mail to Lisa Carpenter, Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 by Aug. 31. Winner will be drawn and notified Sept. 2. Please note: Only one entry per person; only one prize per household in a six-month period.

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“Jynx (the family cat) was clearly the most scared animal when the baby arrived, but she was also the quickest to warm up and even become friends with Morgan,”  O’Brien says. “It was not uncommon to find her curled up at Morgan’s legs, sleeping with her during a nap in the Boppy pillow.”

For great advice from O’Brien, other families and Ann Davenport of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak region (who is currently preparing her home for their first baby — Congrats!), check out the entire article by clicking here.

Also in this month’s issue is information about dangerous and/or illegal pets, a profile of a local zookeeper whose home overflows with animals, new puppy pointers, advice on how to travel with pets and more. Don’t know what to do this summer? Check out our features on the U.S. Senior Open or the State Games. Plus, there’s always our great regular features like Pikes Peak GRANDparent, Fresh Perspectives and the region’s best family calendar. It’s all online at www.PikesPeakParent.com or on a newsstand near you. (Click here to find your nearest location.)

As always, feel free to contact us at parent@gazette.com with any comments, questions, concerns or story ideas. Happy reading! And just for kicks, here’s another picture of our little cover girl, taken from page 8 of the issue.

AWWW.

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Pick up a copy on newsstands or print out a digital version of the scavenger hunt by clicking here. Then once your child has completed the hunt, sent it to Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 by June 30.

While we may not have received too many, what we’ve gotten so far is oh-so-cute.

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For instance, 12-year-old Alicea says her favorite zoo animal is the lion, the scariest are the snakes, and she’d most like to take home the birds as pets.

Five-year-old Sarah, on the other hand, loves the Budgie Buddies, thinks the mountain lions are scary and find the reptile house the smelliest part of the zoo. (I’ve got a few other votes for other areas on that last one, all of them different.)

So print out your own copy of the hunt the next time you hit the zoo and enter to win. With the new Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit and the Mountaineer Skyride (pictured here), there’s always something new to discover at CMZ. (Their new Web site is pretty awesome, too, if you want to check it out.)

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This month, our cover story highlights a local teen lifeguard, who loves the fun and responsibility of his poolside position. That’s him, 18-year-old Austin Ord on the cover. In addition to the profile of Austin, the June issue includes plenty of options for parents looking for activities to fill the summer months. Readers will find details on Colorado College’s Summer Music Festival, information on goalball and other sports for visually impaired kids, a take-along scavenger hunt for fun at the zoo and, as always, the region’s best family activity calendar.

Of course there’s much, much more in this month’s magazine worth reading, but I’ll let you browse the Web site or pick up a copy to find out for yourself. Don’t know where to grab one? Click here to find out. As always, let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns by e-mailing parent at gazette.com.

Happy June, readers!

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This month’s contests

ENTER TO WIN

Don’t miss out on this month’s package of summer fun goodies:

• “The Paper Marbling Kit”
• “How Come? In the Neighborhood”
• “The New Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids”
• MISO Pretty stationery and envelopes
• A Rubik’s Cube and display stand

Send your name, phone number and children’s ages to parent@gazette.com or mail to Lisa Carpenter, Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

Entry deadline is June 30. Winner will be drawn and notified July 1. Please note: Only one entry per person; only one prize per household in a six-month period.

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BE A ZOO V.I.P

Planning an afternoon at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo? Tote along the scavenger hunt found in this month’s Pikes Peak Parent to keep the kids entertained.

Once the hunt is complete, send your child’s completed safari to Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 by June 30 for a chance to win for a chance to win a Rocky Mountain Wild plush animal, a Rocky Mountain Wild T-shirt and a Family Four-Pack Pass to the zoo.

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You know what this weekend is: the official beginning of summer and the official beginning of pool season for the kids. So in the spirit of the summer, we decided to spotlight a local teen lifeguard on the cover of June’s Pikes Peak Parent.

We were lucky enough to track down a perfect candidate in 18-year-old Austin Ord. He’s been with the City of Colorado Springs for more than a year and is being promoted to head guard this summer, after he graduates from Liberty High School.

“I really didn’t expect to like it so much,” he said about lifeguarding during the photo shoot. He’s earned some money at a job that gave him responsibility and respect, where he’s had lots of fun and made lots of friends. And being the big man with the whistle with all the little swimmers looking up to him wasn’t half bad, either.

Austin talked to us about his training, what he’s learned, how he stays alert, his top tips for poolgoers and more.

With several great photos by Carol Lawrence, this month’s cover story should be a great introduction to summer — and a sneak peak at a remarkable teenager who found his ideal teen job.

Copies hit newsstands the first week in June.

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In “A tale of two mommies,” we talk to a local mother from each group to talk about how they made that difficult choice, how they make it work, their joys and challenges, and their advice to other mothers. Fast fact: Did you know that 83 percent of mothers go back to work within a year of their child’s birth to the same employer?

Also in this issue are other great features about local organizations fighting childhood obesity, a writer’s experience with Big Brother and Big Sisters of the Pikes Peak region, and allowances and financial literacy. The last story has great advice for parents about teaching money-handling skills, including a great online game at www.Kablinga.com that might make saving money — GASP! — fun. Other great articles include our Pikes Peak GRANDparent, graduation party tips and a Mothers Day-themed Fresh Perspectives.

Of course there’s much, much more in this month’s magazine worth reading, but I’ll let you browse the Web site or pick up a copy to find out for yourself. Don’t know where to grab one? Click here to find out. As always, let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns by e-mailing parent@gazette.com.

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Enter to win!

Enter to win the Pikes Peak Parent Mother’s Day package:

- “50 Ways To Really Love Your Kids” by Dr. Tim Kimmell
- “Bad Baby Names” by Michael Sherrod & Matthew Rayback
- “The Joy of Pregnancy” by Tori Kropp
- “Baby of Mine” Mother’s Album by Tracey Clark
- “Rockabye Baby Lullaby Renditions of AC/DC” CD

HOW TO ENTER:

• Send your name, phone number and children’s ages to parent@gazette.com or mail to Lisa Carpenter, Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
• Entry deadline: May 31
• Winner will be drawn and notified June 2
• Please note: Only one entry per person; only one prize per household in a six-month period.

Post from: Pikes Peak Parent news

Such was the experience during the shoot for this month’s cover story, an article I’m writing tentatively titled “A tale of two mommies.”

For this piece, we set out to find local moms who would explain the motivation (or the circumstances) that led them to be either a stay-at-home or a working mother, and how their families make it work. After all, every mother faces this fork in the road, which can sometimes be a mine field of guilt, shame and tension.

And take a look at the great pictures we got from our lovely and intelligent volunteers: On the right, we have working mom Debra and her (almost) 8-year-old daughter, Kristen; on the left is stay-at-home mom Debra and daughters Keira, 3, and Keely, 2. And I must admit, it was a joy to have them mugging for the camera in our studio.

The full article will be available in the May edition of Pikes Peak Parent both in print and online.

But until then, let’s open up the forum. Take the below quiz, telling us which category of mom (or combination thereof) you fall into. And if you feel like it, comment!! What drove you to either stay at home or work? Do you feel there’s tension between working and stay-at-home mothers? What resources and support sources help you through the day?

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Post from: Pikes Peak Parent news

But there are several other great photos with other great kids accompanying this cover article — Wild Child: Kids and nature a classic combination — which discusses Nature Deficit Disorder, a term describing modern kids’ lack of exposure to the outdoors and the resulting behavioral, emotional and physical effects.

One great solution for Nature Deficit Disorder lies in the theme for this month’s Pikes Peak Parent magazine, which is our Ultimate Camp Guide. You can learn ways to prepare and soothe the first-time camper, see a profile of a special-need camper and local options for special-needs kids and adults, check out spiritual summer camp programs, learn how to tell great campfire stories and much, much more. And in addition to great, regular features like Pikes Peak GRANDParent, Fresh Perspectives and Cinematters, parents can peruse the 2008 Camp Guide, which includes information about more than 60 day and overnight summer camps. Browse the whole issue in PDF form at www.pikespeakparent.com, find it in today’s Gazette or pick it up at various locations around town. (Find the location nearest you by clicking here).

Enjoy! As always, if you have any comments, story ideas or questions, feel free to contact us at parent@gazette.com. Happy camping.

ENTER TO WIN!

Earth Day is April 22 and what better way to honor the planet and learn how to protect our natural resources than with an Earth Day themed package of goodies. One lucky winner will receive “It’s Earth Day” by Mercer Mayer; “If You Were My Baby: A Wildlife Lullaby” by Fran Hodgkins; “The Forever Forest” by Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini; “How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate” by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch; and the DVD “Franklin and the Turtle Treasure Lake.”

If you’d like to enter to win, send your name, phone number and children’s ages to parent@gazette.com. Or mail the information to Lisa Carpenter, Pikes Peak Parent, 30 S. Prospect St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Entries must be received by April 30. The winner will be drawn May 1 and notified by phone or e-mail. (Please note: Only one entry per person; only one prize per household in a six-month period.)

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Bill Sommer, Pikes Peak Parent photographer, snaps a photo as Nancy Bernard climbs into a shelter kids built in the woods around the nature center.

For the photos, we tromped off to Fountain Creek Nature Center, where interpretive specialist Nancy Bernard and local kids battled Nature Deficit Disorder by getting out and about in the woods, searching for bugs, learning about animals tracks and scat, building a fort and basically having a jolly good time in the process.

A group of children camp out inside the shelter and commune with Mother Nature.

Check out April’s Pikes Peak Parent to learn more about Nature Deficit Disorder. (I’ve seen the pictures that resulted from this photo shoot, and let me tell you, you’re going to OOOH and AHHH over these outdoorsy cutie pies.) Until then, take a look at the following video Pam captured at the photo shoot. Notice the deft way in which Bernard focuses the kids’ attention and how they react enthusiastically to the natural world around them.

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Of course, you don’t have to wait until April to participate in some of Fountain Creek and sister-site Bear Creek nature center’s great family programs. Visit the Fountain Creek Nature Center and the Bear Creek Nature Center online for a complete calendar of events and classes. Most events do require reservations. Call 520-6745 for more information.

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