discussing stranger safety issues with your...
TRANSCRIPT
September 2011
Discussing Stranger Safety Issues with Your Childrenmore local bars. My father always instructed me to run into the local bar if I needed help, assuring me that the men there would absolutely come to my aid!• Memorize your address and phone number. Lots of people don’t memorize numbers anymore, we hit a “contact button” but it’s something every parent can and should teach their child. My mother used to slip her info into my pocket when I was little. I sometimes did that too if we are heading someplace really hectic like a boardwalk and the kids were too young to remember their address and my phone number.• Trust your gut. It’s your second brain. If you have a funny feel-ing in your belly, find a way out. Polite maybe at first... make an excuse to go find mom or say your father is looking for you and GO! If in real danger...trust your gut and SCREAM. “I don’t know you”!! Or as my mother taught me...yell “FIRE”” (exit strategies are handy now with teens too when dealing with peer pressure. I tell them to pretend I just called them to come home).• You have permission to do whatever you need to do to get out of a situation, especially if you are cornered or in someone’s car. Kids feel they need to be polite to grown-ups. I list everything they have permission to do .... strategic kicks, eye poking, grab the keys, break the window...whatever.• One hint for the parents - let them practice their independence skills when you know they are safe, it builds up their confidence and skills (and your comfort level too).I love living in a city and my kids are city kids too! Mine are getting
to the age where they are off on their own to the mall or the movies and it can make me nervous. But we started these conversations very young and I think (hope) they have enough common sense and street smarts to keep them out of trouble
Irene Sobolov is Hoboken mom of three. She is currently serving on the Hoboken Board of Education. Irene is a co-founder of the Hoboken Family Alliance, active in the school PTOs and a high school volunteer.
by Irene SobolovThere are occasionally events so tragic they can shock a nation
and bring together communities. The recent tragedy of Leiby Kletzky in Brooklyn is one of those incidences. As a mother of three boys, I can’t even imagine the agony and I know all parents hugged their babies a little tighter as they watched the story unfold. Although such sad, horrific incidences are thankfully very, very rare, they do remind us of the importance of ongoing conversations about safety with our children.
I have often heard people refer to it as the “Stranger Danger” conversation. Personally, I don’t like to call it that as I don’t think strangers are dangerous. For me, it was very important that my kids not be afraid of new people. Especially in Hoboken, my children see me talking to “strangers” all the time, so it is good for them to know that not all new people are bad, that “bad” people don’t have a certain look or a label on them, to trust their gut and to have exit strategies. My goal is to raise their confidence and awareness, not their fear level.
Personally, I love chatting and so do my kids. I believe if you chat regularly with your neighbors, local merchants or crossing guards everyday, your children will recognize them and feel more comfort-able knowing who to go to for help. I love living in a place where there are so many different kinds of people to get to know. I like a lot of people around and feel very uncomfortable in places where there are fewer “strangers” walking around.
Below is my list of things to discuss with your children about strangers, culled from various places. Rather than have a “Stranger Danger” conversation, I brought up this topic at various different times when my children were growing up:
• No grown up EVER needs anything from a kid. Ever! Not direc-tions, change, time of day, help with a puppy...ANYTHING. Ever.• If a car stops to ask you something....head immediately in the other direction.• If you get lost or feel uncomfortable....look for a mom. I don’t even like telling them to ask a cop. When kids are really little they don’t always know a cop from a security guard or any other uni-form. Funny, when I was growing up in Hoboken, all bars were
HFA September 20112
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An Abundance of Kid ClassesHave you discovered all the children’s classes and programs Hoboken has to offer?
Here is a selection of classes appropriate for babies, toddlers and school-age children. For description or more information, please visit hobokenfamily.com.
Art• Art Nest, 720 Monroe Street, Hoboken, (646) 688-5478 • Urban Arts, 720 Monroe Street, Hoboken, (201) 222-5400, www.urbanartsnj.com
Dance• Bailemos Lets Dance, Creative Groove Studio, 1200 Park Avenue, Hoboken, (917) 922-1061, http://creativegroovestudio.com• Garden Street School of the Performing Arts, 1018 Washington St, Hoboken. (201) 683-7078, http://gardenstreetmusic.com• Every Little Movement Academy of the Arts, 301 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, (917) 945-4064, www.everylittlemovement.com• Hudson Dance and Movement, 70 Hudson Street, Hoboken, (201) 683-4350, www.hudsondanceandmovement.com• Monroe Street Movement Space, 720 Monroe Street, C-504, Hoboken, (201) 222-8033, www.movementspace.com
Gymnastics• The Little Gym, Old Colony Square, 420 Grand Street, Jersey City, (201) 433-1711, www.thelittlegym.com/JerseyCityNJ/Pages/default.aspx• Traveling Tumblers, classes held at 124 Grand Street and 301 Garden Street, Hoboken, (732) 302-5850, www.travelintumblers.com• Work It Out, 603 Willow Avenue, Hoboken, (201) 222-0802, www.workitoutgym.com
Language• Creative Groove Studio (Spanish), 1200 Park Avenue, Hoboken, (917) 922-1061, http://creativegroovestudio.com• Be Smarter Be Lingual (Chinese, French, Spanish, Hindi), BAMA Galleries, 946 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, (201) 656-4089, www.besmarterbelingual.com• Mandarin Together Fun (Chinese), Hoboken and Jersey City, (201) 876-0131, www.mandarintogetherfun.org• Let’s Play in Italian, 720 Monroe Street, C-504, Hoboken (732) 558-4781, http://letsplayinitalian.com• KINDER-German, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington Street, Hoboken, http://dw4u.com• German Language Autobahn, (646) 327-5414, www.germanlanguageautobahn.com• Hoboken Language Art (French, Italian and Chinese), 720 Monroe Street, Studio C414, Hoboken, www.HobokenLanguageArt.com
Martial Arts• Tiger Shulmann’s, Karate 84 Washington Street, Hoboken, (201) 792-5425• Padilla Sport Taekwondo, 603 Adams Street, Hoboken, (201) 656-0990 or [email protected]• KungFu class for children with Shifu Rosado, World Champion, 601 Park Avenue, Hoboken, (201) 876-0131 or www.MandarinTogetherFun.org
HFA September 20113
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Music Classes for Babies and Toddlers• Creative Groove Studio 1200 Park Avenue, Hoboken, (917) 922-1061, http://creativegroovestudio.com• Guitar Bar Jr., 203 11th Street, Hoboken, (201) 222-0877, www.guitarbarjr.com• Kindermusik, 720 Monroe Street, Hoboken, (917) 975-4580, http://atmissyvonnes.com• Kid’z Musik Local Barre, 1125 Maxwell Lane, Hoboken, [email protected].• Musicology, 946 Bloomfield Street and 503 Third Street, Hoboken, (201) 344-6119, www.musicology4kids.com• Music for Aardvarks, various locations in Hoboken and Jersey City, (917) 400-4524 or [email protected]• Music Together, various locations in Hoboken and Jersey City, (201) 869-4704, http://musicplaystudios.com• Preschool of Rock, 503 Third Street, Hoboken or 233 9th Street, Jersey City, (732) 690-2220, www.preschoolofrock.org
Toddler Playspace/ Movement• The Jersey Beans, 201 9th St. Jersey City, (201) 839-6808, http://thejerseybeans.com• Kidville, 1202 Shipyard Lane, (201) 377-5495, www.kidville.com• Romparoo, 537 Park Avenue, Hoboken. (201) 653-3232, www.romparoo.com• Wild at Play, 125 River Drive, Jersey City, (201) 333-4244, http://wildatplay.com
Puppet Shows• Mister Kipley, BAMA Galleries, 946 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, (646) 245-3121, www.misterkipley.com• Puppetonia Land of Music and Puppets, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington Street, Hoboken, (201) 805-1739, www.puppetonia.com
Soccer• Soccer Learning Center, various locations in Jersey City, (201) 656-1156, www.soccerlearningcenter.com• Super Soccer Stars, various locations in Hoboken, (212) 877-7171, www.super-soccerstars.com
Swimming• Stevens Aquatics, Castle point on Hudson, Hoboken (201)-216-5590, www.ste-vensaquatics.com• Sky Club, 125 Marshall Street, 7th Fl, Hoboken, (201) 222-2582, www.skyclubfit-ness.com
Yoga• Devotion Yoga, 79 Hudson Street, Hoboken, (201) 610-9642. Itsy Bitsy Yoga & Kids Yoga (ages 3-11), www.devotionyoga.com• MIMI Kids Yoga, 1001 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, (201) 222-1814, www.mimikidsyoga.com
Miscellaneous/Free• Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson Street, Hoboken, (201) 656-2240• Hoboken Library Children’s Programs, 500 Park Avenue, Hoboken, (201) 420-2348, http://hoboken.bccls.org
DISCLAIMER: The above is for information only and should not be considered recommenda-tions. All information is deemed accurate, but is subject to change.
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HFA September 20114
Why I Started Indian Music Classes for KidsBy Kavita Bafana
Although we choose to live in a melting pot that is the New York area, parents of any ethnicity face a difficult task of raising children that will accept, appreciate and embrace their culture. As determined parents, we may try many things like consistently speaking our native language, dancing to traditional music or serving children ethnic foods. These and other activities are beneficial, but we still lack the ability to speak to them at their level and to make them feel that they are part of a larger community – that all the things they are doing at home are not just unique to them, but rather are followed by many other children like themselves. Music can be an amazing medium to captivate and connect our children to each other and their rich background right from birth.
I was fortunate to have parents that introduced me to the wonders of Indian classical music through Kathak, a North Indian classical dance. I learned language, culture and values that are core to our rich Indian traditions. Growing up in New York, the opportu-
nity to excel in Indian classical dance allowed me to connect to my Indian community and be unique among my classmates. This hobby has shaped me into who I am today and I am excited to pass it along to my children.
After having twins, I wanted them to have the same upbring-ing I was lucky to have, but I found my options limited. I want-ed to immerse them in sound patterns and melodies that chil-dren do not experience at school or at home. Fortunately, I was
able to work with a friend and we created a curriculum for children designed to teach Indian classical music through play and dance. The curriculum was designed to encour-age children and parents to discover and appreciate the world of Indian classical music through rhythmic tunes, rich vocals, mini instruments like the sitar and tabla, and vibrant visuals. I saw my twins build their Hindi vocabulary, develop familiarity with unique Indian instruments and train their ears to actively listen. As they have grown up, I can see the benefits: this early and sustained exposure has piqued their interest in pursuing different aspects of this art—primarily playing tabla and singing and dancing.
Another benefit of pursuing our traditional classical music for children is to train ourselves as parents. For those of us that have not been exposed to Indian classical music, we have the opportunity to learn what is a raag, what is a sargam and how to count teen taal. For those of us that have been immersed in the art, it provides a time to focus on transferring that experience to our children. In our busy schedule as parents or grandparents, we need organized time where we are completely there with our chil-dren, and Indian classical music can be a medium to provide that focused time to bond, learn and communicate.
For me, it is not a question of whether Indian classical music is better than Western classical music. It is about speaking to children in a language they understand—music— while reaping the multiple other benefits to immerse them in their rich heritage.
Kavita Bafana is the co-founder and Director at Little Ustaads (www.littleustaads.com). Little Ustaads offers play-based Indian musical education classes for children ages 0-5 in Jersey City, Hoboken and in Mumbai, India.
HFA September 20115
Finding the Closest Public Restroomby Dalia Tole
Traveling with my young child, whether he was in diapers or newly potty-trained, always worried me. Will my kid have a potty related “accident” (or two) on the go? I was less stressed when I was prepared and knew where the closest clean public restroom was.
Places that routinely have public restrooms include bookstores, shopping malls, sit-down restaurants and many coffee shops. My trick is to avoid those that are frequently used (e.g. fast food restaurants in tourist hotspots) and go for the less frequented, which are usually cleaner. These include doctors’ offices (avoid the infectious disease specialties) and department stores. Many high-rise residential buildings, hotels and office buildings also have a clean restroom in the lobby.
In the Mile Square, public restrooms are never far. Almost all restaurants (and other establishments) on Washington Street have restrooms. Of these, I avoid City Hall, because that is where most tourists in line at Carlo’s frequent. Restrooms off Washington Street include Citibank downtown, Lackawanna train station (equipped with changing stations), Hoboken Public Library, Shoprite, Sky Club etc. The W Hotel’s restrooms (beyond the bar, near the elevators) are supposedly one of New Jersey’s best public bathrooms. In Newport Mall, I head to the bigger stores like Kohl’s or Macy’s instead of the food court.
When I am farther from home, my best bet is to be prepared and know the restrooms along the travel route. There are several ways to locate bathrooms in New York City. I downloaded NYC Way, an award-winning free application that lets users search (amongst 50 plus other things) the closest restroom based on their location on my smartphone. Besides the address, it also says if the restroom is free. www.thebath-roomdiaries.com is probably the most comprehensive global list of bathrooms available on the Internet. Their New York entries are extensive and rated by their cleanliness. Another website www.sitorsquat.com also maps restrooms and has a mobile app. If I am worried about accessing the Internet on the go, I take a printout of restrooms along the planned travel route.
So pack some antibacterial and toilet wipes, a change of clothes, and let the adven-ture begin!
If your kid is starting to potty train, here are some books that my child found amusing and inspiring.
• A Potty for Me by Karen Katz• Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi• Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel• Potty by Leslie Patricelli• Princess Potty/Pirate Potty by Samantha Berger• Time to Pee! by Mo Willems• Too Big for Diapers by Sesame Street• Where’s the Poop? by Julie Markes
Upcoming EventsSpaghetti Dinner Block Party: September 1, Sinatra Drive between 1st and 2nd
street, 5 to 8 pm. Tickets can be purchased at City Hall, Cultural Affairs Office. For more information, visit www.hobokennj.org
Hoboken Italian Festival: September 8 to 11. Fireworks on September 10. For schedule and more information visit www.hobokenitalianfestival.com
Fall Arts & Music Festival: September 25, 11 am to 6 pm, Washington Street between Observer Hwy & 7th Street. 300 artists, crafters, photographers and food vendors will display and sell. 3 stages of music and a special kid’s area. For more information, visit www.hobokennj.org
HFA September 20116
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Serve Veggies FIRSTby Dina R. Rose
Want a quick and easy way to increase your child’s vegetable consumption? Serve vegetable soup as the first course. Seem like too much of a headache to prepare soup? Don’t think your child will eat vegetable soup? Serve carrots—or any vegetable— as the first course instead.
Two recent studies show that vegetable appetizers can dramatically increase veg-etable consumption among preschoolers. This is BIG news. Fewer than half of all American children meet their daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. In both studies children aged 3-5 years old were given vegetables before a main meal of macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli, unsweetened applesauce and milk.
The kids were given:• Tomato soup in one study.• Raw carrots and dip in the other study.
In the tomato soup study, vegetable con-sumption jumped from 1/6 of a serving without the soup to almost a full serving with the soup.
In the carrot study, the children’s vegetable consumption increased from 1/3 of a serving to 1 full serving.
How did this happen? It’s worth spelling out that the kids didn’t eat less broccoli during the main meal because they had eaten veggies during the first course. In fact, kids in the soup study ate slightly less pasta when they had eaten soup, but they ate the same amount of broccoli either way.
Serving vegetables as a first course takes advantage of your child’s hunger. It also removes the influence of competing foods.
Serve a meal with pasta and broccoli and your kids are going to gravitate towards the pasta (their preferred food) until, and probably only when, they finally respond to your parental pressure to eat a few “trees!”
But serve your little darlin’ vegetables when there’s nothing else to eat…and presto! I can hear the protests now: But my child will simply hold out until the main course.
It could happen, but if it does, you’re in the land of control struggles. The way out is to offer the appetizer without comment, without pressure to eat it, and to make serving a first course your habit. But most kids will eat the appetizer because they like it. Or at least they like it enough to eat it if there’s nothing better sitting on the table.
• 90% of the children in the tomato soup study rated the soup as “yummy” or “okay.” In other words, the soup was acceptable. • 91% of the children rated the carrots and dip as “yummy” or “okay.”
Serving kids vegetables before the main meal will also teach your kids the right habits. Vegetables appetizers can:
• Get kids used to snacking on vegetables. • Make kids open to trying new foods. • Think sophisticated. Think European. Think multiple courses!• And let the first course do for vegetables what dessert can do for fruit.
Hoboken mom Dina R. Rose has a PhD in sociology from Duke University and more than 15 years of experience in research and teaching. She has helped hundreds of parents teach their children to eat right through her blog www.itsnotaboutnutrition.com, workshops and individual coaching.
Above image courtesy: “winnond” / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
HFA September 20117
Library Card Sign-up Month by Lois Rubin Gross
It’s September and, while the leaves haven’t fallen yet and the temperatures are still high, one sign of fall is certain: now is the time to get your child a library card. As we have before, kids who get cards in September at the Hoboken Library will receive a small prize with their sign-up. All you need to get your child a card is your picture I.D. (like a driver’s license) that proves that you live in Hoboken. If you are a non-resident but your child attends school in Hoboken, you will need to get a letter from the school’s principal stating that your child is a student. In some cases, you will need a card from your home library with which you can get a courtesy barcode. Check with the library as to which districts are involved under BCCLS rules.
Meanwhile, with a library card, your child has a magic key to books, DVDs, and programs. Remember that story times, in particular, because of the high demand are restricted to Hoboken card holders so even our youngest patrons (6 months and older) will need a card to attend “Mommy and Me.”
When you receive your child’s card, you will also get some handouts about library behavior, book and DVD borrowing terms (one week for DVDs and one month for books), safety in the library, and stroller safety. I urge you to read this information because it will help you use the library to everyone’s benefit.
So, back to school, back to programming, and back to the library! We’re waiting for you to check us out.
Donate Your Leftover Birthday Supplies Each month, HFA sponsors a birth-
day party at the Jubilee Center, which is an after-school program located at 6th and Jackson Streets serving Hoboken’s children in public housing. We believe that no child should be left uncelebrated, so during each highly anticipated party, Jubilee Center chil-dren with a birthday that month are honored. The two and a half hour themed party includes a craft project, party games, such as wacky relay races, pizza, juice and homemade decorated cupcakes. HFA donates a Target gift card to each child celebrating a birthday that month. Last year, HFA contributed over $3000 to The Jubilee Center Birthday Party Project.
To continue to keep the parties special, the Jubilee Center is in need of the items listed below. Donations are needed on a monthly basis.
• Large paper party plates, bowls, cups and napkins• 10 plastic or paper tablecloths• Juice boxes • Craft supplies
The next birthday parties at the Jubilee Center will be held on• Friday, Sep 23, 2011• Friday, Oct 21, 2011
• Friday, Nov 11, 2011• Friday, Dec 9, 2011
If you have leftover supplies or decorations from your own child’s last birthday, please donate them to HFA’s Jubilee Birthday Party Project. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Cindy Altberger at [email protected]. For more informa-tion on the Jubilee Center, please visit JubileeCenterHoboken.org.
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HOBOKEN FAMILY ALLIANCEP.O. Box 1194Hoboken, NJ 07030
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Hoboken Family Alliance Contacts
www.hobokenfamily.com
Newsletter Director and Editor
Dalia Tole, [email protected]
Community Affairs Director
Francoise Vielot, [email protected]
Director for Special Needs Children
Theresa Howard, [email protected]
Finance Director
Rachel Matthai, [email protected]
Marketing Director
Shana Lee, [email protected]
Membership Director
Cindy Altberger, [email protected]
Philanthropy Director
Michele Hulsman, [email protected]
Special Events Director
Lexi Coen, [email protected]
Web site Director
Steve Walkowiak, [email protected]
The purpose of the Hoboken Family Alliance is to improve the Hoboken Community and its way of life through the efforts of individual and family volunteers.
The HFA focuses its efforts on education and parenting issues, philanthropy, children’s resources and events.
HFA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. For membership, upcoming events, and parenting resources please visit
www.hobokenfamily.com.
If you have stories or story ideas for upcoming issues please email [email protected]. Submissions become the property of HFA and are subject to copyright rules.
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Hoboken 2s - 8th grade
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For more information:
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Newport 201.626.4020
SAVE THE DATEHFA All Schools Open House
October 4, 2011Location and Details TBA