ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gif ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/5 Summer Vacations Your Tween Won't Hatehttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/18/5-summer-vacations-your-tween-wont-hate/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/18/5-summer-vacations-your-tween-wont-hate/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/18/5-summer-vacations-your-tween-wont-hate/#commentsFiled under: ,

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What tween wants to go on a family vacation when she could stay home and text her pals? Not to mention, avoid the sheer humiliation of being seen with her parents in public.

But we asked travel experts to offer up trips that will guarantee even your hardest-to-please tween will crack a smile -- or two. We've got five options to consider when planning your next adventure.

1. Pick a theme, any theme. Tweens like to feel as if they have control over their own destiny, and letting them choose a vacation itinerary that appeals to them makes everyone happier.

Jeff Siegel, author of "RelationTrips," the true story of his quest to see every Major League baseball field in the country, along with his son, tells ParentDish choosing a theme for your trip that interests both you and your child can not only reduce the number of complaints you hear, but also will bring you closer together during this dicey phase of their lives.

"Brainstorm about common interests shared by family members," Siegel advises. "This can take a few hours or a few weeks. Consider surfing the Web for ideas or placing a suggestion box in the kitchen. Then hold a meeting to choose the official theme."

2. Get on your bike. Biking is experiencing something of a Renaissance these days, and, thanks to the Tour De France, your tween is certain to love the idea of a trip that not only taps into a popular sport but also allows for a lot of room to change your mind -- for which tweens are notorious.

"The days are designed for ease and flexibility, so each member of the family will enjoy the perfect amount of activity," Dede Sullivan of DuVine Adventures, a company that arranges bike tours abroad, tells ParentDish.

3. Take them on the grand tour. Gone are the days when parents used to send their children on a grand tour of every country in Europe, but, with planning, you can still take your kids abroad for a week or two.

Tweens are the perfect age to deal with the air travel required to get to the Continent, and they are also ripe to get the most out of their exposure to other cultures.

"In our experience, kids ages 7 to 16 are ideal for traveling on family adventures (abroad) that include everything from hiking and biking to river rafting and sea kayaking," Edward Piegza, president and co-founder of Classic Journeys, a tour company, tells ParentDish. "And right in the middle of that ideal age spread? The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately tweens."

Piegza says part of the equation for happy family travel is making sure the plan includes something for everyone -- even the grown-ups. After all, it's your vacation, too.

"As a parent, I personally can vouch for the joy of sharing hydrofoil rides and peering into a volcano alongside our tween sons on the Amalfi Coast," he tells ParentDish. "But that's not to say my wife and I don't welcome the chance to spend time with the other grown-ups on tour, whether it's lingering over a gourmet meal or wine tasting or taking long, leisurely walks that would only make the kids antsy."

4. Pitch a tent. There's just something special about sleeping under the stars. Going into the wild for family fun ensures that you have to unplug from all your phones and gadgets and actually talk to one another.

You don't have to limit your trip to a tent and a campfire, either. With a little research, you can plan a trip that includes plenty of outdoor adventures, from whitewater rafting to ziplines in the forest to rock climbing and hiking.

5. The last resort. When all else fails, even the grouchiest tween will have a hard time resisting the idea of an all-inclusive tropical resort. Pools, beaches and all the tropical mocktails you can drink make for a relaxing vacation for the whole family.

A resort vacation also lets tweens have plenty of alone time, without causing too much angst for their parents. Kids can wander the confines of the resort to their hearts' content without getting into trouble.

Some resorts, such as the Montage Laguna Beach in California, even offer structured fun for your tween -- sans parents. Activities including kayaking, snorkeling and extreme scavenger hunts make the days fly by -- and they let you relax poolside while someone else entertains your kid.

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]]>family vacationssummer vacationtween traveltween vacationstweensAmy HatchMon, 18 Jul 2011 11:00:00 ESTSurviving a Family Road Trip: Top 5 Tipshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/01/surviving-a-family-road-trip/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/01/surviving-a-family-road-trip/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/01/surviving-a-family-road-trip/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Walley World! Credit: Noel Hendrickson, Getty Images

Planning for a family road trip can feel like planning for a major military operation -- all that laundry and packing, plus all those lists and tasks, can make you long for a vacation from your vacation. Not to mention all those small voices whining, "Are we there yet?"

But there are ways to make getting away as a family a less daunting task. We asked parents and experts for their top tips for surviving a family road trip, and, with their help, you really can make getting there half the fun.

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Before you even leave the house, make sure you've made your lists and checked them twice -- or even three times. Amy Kossoff Smith, a mom of three boys, all younger than 14, says planning ahead is the best way to stave off any on-the-road hiccups.

"Do everything in advance," the Maryland resident tells ParentDish. "(Have a list) of your itinerary, your snacks, your activities, everything."

She writes everything out to the letter, and says she also includes a back-up plan for the inevitable times when things don't go exactly as planned. Additionally, Smith keeps a separate list of "don't forget" items.

"I'm queen of the Post-It note on the counter for the last-minute items," she says. "There are always things you need the night before but may forget in the morning, so make a list as you pack so you don't forget (like your) toothbrush, contact lens cleaner, etc."

2. It's about the journey. Everyone is eager to get to the final destination, especially when you're headed out for an exciting vacation. But you can make the journey, itself, almost as interesting, says Jill Parvin, a mom of two daughters, ages 18 and 4, from Vista, Calif.

"We did a 2,000-mile road trip last summer, and the most important thing I did was plan stops every three hours to explore," she tells ParentDish.

Parvin adds that she did her best not to drive for more than eight hours at a time, so she and her girls didn't get stir crazy.

Author and father Jeff Siegel agrees. His new book, "RelationTrips," was inspired by a 10-year quest to see every Major League Baseball stadium in the United States with his son, Spence.

"Take the opportunity to explore new destinations along the way," Siegel tells ParentDish. "Pick out two or three new places to stop while in transit, such as a new landmark or roadside restaurant."

3. Let the kids take control. Siegel also advises parents to turn the wheel over to the kids for a day or two. Choose one or two days during your trip, he says, and let the young ones decide how to spend them.

"Let your children research and plan all the activities. Encourage them to create an agenda that includes a theme and soundtrack for the day," he suggests.

Families with more than one child can either make it a joint effort, or assign each kid their own day or a portion of a day to plan.

4. Go for gadgets. When we were kids, entertainment on the road mean counting license plates and playing "I Spy." These days, there are plenty of gadgets to keep the wee ones quiet for at least a few hundred miles.

Parvin made packing her teen's mp3 player -- and a pair of headphones -- a top priority. She also packed a small electronic game for her younger daughter. Even the preschool set has access to hand-held gaming systems these days, along with headphones designed for even the littlest bodies.

If electronics aren't your thing, Coco Peate of Westlake Village, Calif., suggests making a run to the dollar store to get a grab bag of inexpensive toys to surprise your kids with.

"Consider packing a bag for each child where you can hide his surprise toys among his own toys from home, snacks, crayons, coloring books, etc.," she says. "They'll each have their very own goody bag with their own toys and treats, which will hopefully prevent fights and provide hours of fun."

5. Snack attack. Nothing soothes the savage beast like a good snack -- and it prevents meltdowns and unnecessary stops along the way.

"Take more food than you think you'll need," says Lisa Cottrell-Bentley, author of the "Wright on Time" series of children's chapter books about an RV-living, homeschooling family who travels the United States. "Food always gets eaten."

Cottrell-Bentley, a mom of of two from Sahuarita, Ariz., suggests packing non-perishable things such as nuts and fruit leather.

"The more food you take with you, the less you'll need to buy on the road," she tells ParentDish.

Just remember to choose healthy items. The occasional treat is fine, but you don't want to risk getting sick on your vacation by going too far astray from your usual good eating habits.

Cottrell-Bentley also suggests getting your kids to help with the selection.

"Have the kids help pick out the items," she says. "They're more likely to eat what they've helped to purchase."

How do you keep your kids entertained in the car? Join the discussion on Facebook!

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]]>family road triproad tripsroad trips with kidssurviving road tripsAmy HatchFri, 01 Jul 2011 10:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, That's All Folks! It's Not Goodbye, It's So Longhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/26/hatch-palucks-its-not-goodbye-its-so-l/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/26/hatch-palucks-its-not-goodbye-its-so-l/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/26/hatch-palucks-its-not-goodbye-its-so-l/#commentsFiled under:

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Can I admit that I'm a little verklempt?

It's the last time I'll be writing here about our Healthy Families Challenge. Yes, that's right -- it's been eight months of food, exercise and attitude rehab for our merry band of four, and now we have to say so long.

We are so grateful to the amazing professionals who helped us get off the couch, clean out our fridge and basically change our entire lifestyle.

This journey has been one we never could have anticipated. For me, my husband, Channing, and our two children, Emmeline and Henry, it really has been life-altering.

When we started the Challenge in October 2010, I was still 10 pounds over my goal weight of 130, and my closet was filled with clothes sized in the double-digits. Channing was fretting over his heart health (heart disease and early death run in his family) and I was concerned about diabetes and cancer, being at risk for both.

Our kids -- especially our oldest -- were couch potatoes who preferred sedentary pursuits and, as their parents, we did not set a good example. There was very little physical activity happening in our household, and our pantry was stocked with fatty convenience foods we could grab on the run as we pursued professional goals that compromised our schedules to the extreme.

But today?

Today, I am wearing size 8 jeans, and I've lost six of those 10 pounds, going from 142 to 136. I hit the treadmill three times a week at the Activities and Recreation Center at the University of Illinois, while Channing swims. He's lost 13 pounds since October, and he even suggested we take up yoga as a way to up the ante on our physical and mental well-being.

Who is this person? Do I even know him?

I've changed my entire thought-process, when it comes to food, especially. I've had a fraught relationship with eating over the years, but a long, hard look in the mirror helped me realize that my attitudes toward food were influencing not just the scale but also our kids, and, to some extent, my husband.

amy hatch family picture

We've come a long way, baby, but we still have a long way to go. Credit: Kathleen Nealon

I failed to look at cooking as a means to an end -- and that end was health. Instead, it was a chore for me, something I dreaded and associated very closely with failure. When our daughter, Emmie, started to exhibit signs of food neophobia (she panics when she has to try a new food and severely limits the number of foods she will eat), I took it as my own failure.

Internalizing that (and using it as an excuse), I stopped trying to feed our family healthy meals. Our hectic schedules didn't help. Soon, I was wearily heating up the same frozen menu items night after night.

Thanks to some "therapy" in the form of writing about Emmie's issues and some good advice and insights from our team at the Family Resiliency Center at the University of Illinois, we've taken great strides in helping Emmie overcome her fears.

We've taken a new tack, and we talk about foods and exercise only positively. While we can't say that is entirely responsible for Emmie's progress, we can say that she has tried several new menu items, including homemade whole-wheat bread, applesauce and potatoes that aren't in french-fried form.

This is a huge step in the right direction.

Emmie is also a lot more active and is now a four-sport athlete -- swimming, basketball, soccer and T-ball.

Henry is the same active little man he always was, and he is our happy herbivore, devouring fresh fruits and veggies by the pound. He has begun to exhibit some age-appropriate pickiness, but thanks to the lessons we learned about Emmie, we aren't catering to his culinary whims. Instead, he gets the same food we all eat and we don't make a fuss.

This all sounds like it can be wrapped up in a nice little bow, doesn't it? But I'm cynical enough to know how easy it would be to slowly slink off the wagon.

But while I don't think we'll ever go back to our old ways of snacking and waiting for a magic wand to make us healthy, I do think we'll do our best to stay on track, with a few detours here and there.

Today, just before I wrote this, we made a hefty financial commitment and renewed our gym membership for the next six months -- and we are also committed to using it.

And that is as happy an ending as I ever hoped for.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.


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]]>fitnesshealthy familiesweight lossAmy HatchThu, 26 May 2011 10:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 32: Just Say 'Om'http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/19/the-hatch-palucks-week-32-just-say-om/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/19/the-hatch-palucks-week-32-just-say-om/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/19/the-hatch-palucks-week-32-just-say-om/#commentsFiled under:

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This mess would make anyone need to meditate. Credit: Amy Hatch

When my husband suggested recently that we take yoga classes, I literally snorted.

In fact, I snorted so hard that I almost inhaled my laptop. We were working together in his office after our thrice-weekly workout at the Activities and Recreation Center at the University of Illinois when these amazing words fell from his lips.

"I need to find a place to do yoga," Channing said, as he got up from his desk to stretch. "I know you're going to think I'm crazy, but I think it will help me get centered."

I did, at first, think he was joking. My husband is a world champion scoffer, the kind of guy who thinks every meal should be served with two kinds of carbohydrates, preferably both potato-based. He is the least New Age-y person on the planet.

So, yeah, I was shocked to hear him suggest that we take up an exercise regime that includes meditation. He was, however, totally serious. It's a grand testament, indeed, to the Healthy Families Challenge that a man such as my spouse would even consider yoga.

I'm game, and I said as much -- but I'm a little skeptical. The idea of gentle, low-impact exercise is appealing to me (considering my arthritic knees and pelvis, which are complaining in the suddenly very humid weather here in Urbana, Illinois). I also love the idea of learning how to get centered, and to meditate.

Our lives are hectic, and will only get more so as I take on more and more freelance clients (I'm a self-employed writer and social media consultant), and as Channing gets further along in writing his dissertation at UIUC. We both chose professional lives that take us far off the beaten path, which is great for us, but our paths can be ones of stress and uncertainty.

We tend to be anxious people, anyways, my husband and I, and I know that our kids pick up on that. When our 6-year-old, Emmeline, was diagnosed with anxiety, it really came as no surprise to either of us. Emmie has come a long way recently, though, in taming her fears, and I'd really like to support her by doing the same myself.

How is the Hatch-Paluck family doing? Check in on their progress!


Vigorous exercise (like the treadmill for me and swimming for Channing) helps, but I'm curious to see how yoga could complement what we're achieving at the gym. I knew that fellow Challenger Victoria Michelle Quintana, took a yoga class, and so I asked her what she thought of her experience.

She told me that she had also been skeptical, wondering to herself, "How hard can this be?" She also had her doubts about what it could do for her body. But, she found that she went from zero flexibility to literally bending over backwards.

Thanks to that flexibility, she told me, "I am more balanced now, and can participate in higher-impact exercise." The benefits of yoga didn't end there, though, Michi says. She also learned some meditation techniques.

"The first two classes I tried really focused on meditating on (the) gods...(but the instructor) let me know that I could meditate on the god of my choice, which I appreciated," she says. "I always came out of class really relaxed and able to focus on what my body was letting me know it needed. We are taught that yoga means union of the body, mind and soul, and that our bodies speak to us if we would just listen."

That sounds like just what the doctor ordered for the Hatch-Paluck family, although I'm not entirely sure I want to hear what my body has to say -- I have to listen to enough complaints as the mother of two, thank you very much.

The first time I tried yoga was a bust: I threw out my back so badly that I was in bed for a week. That's one of the hazards of my arthritis -- my pelvis goes out of joint very easily, throwing my spine out of alignment and popping my disc.

But, I'm willing to give it another go, this time in private, one-on-one lessons with my husband. I hear that hot yoga is really, well, hot, and so maybe that will be our next date night!

In the meantime, I'll practice saying, "Om" with a straight face.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.


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]]>Amy HatchThu, 19 May 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 31: A Locavore's Dreamhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/12/the-hatch-palucks-week-31-a-locavores-dream/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/12/the-hatch-palucks-week-31-a-locavores-dream/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/12/the-hatch-palucks-week-31-a-locavores-dream/#commentsFiled under:

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We get fresh berries at least a month earlier in Illinois than we did back east, and we can barely get them home from the farmer's market without eating them all. Credit: Amy Hatch

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

And no, not Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year in Urbana, Illinois, is May, when the Market at the Square opens for the season.

I've always been a fan of the open-air market, and Rochester, N.Y., the city I was born in and left behind to relocate in Illinois, just happens to have the oldest public market in the nation. I loved walking through the aisles and aisles of vendors at the Rochester Public Market every weekend, and I knew I would miss it dearly when we settled here on the prairie.

Then, shortly after we moved into our house in August 2006, I discovered the Market at the Square and thus began a love affair that lasts from May to November, with a lot of unrequited longing happening during the months in between. For me these days, the Rochester Public Market, while still a beloved memory, pales in comparison.

We always tend to eat better in the warmer months to begin with, but the market makes it even easier for us to consume copious amounts of whole foods -- as opposed to the heavy, processed meals that we gravitate toward during the winter months (not to mention all the road food we consume when we're on our crazy holiday trip).

Urbana's Market at the Square is a locavore's dream. The fresh food sold there comes from within a 100-mile radius, and ranges from greens and lettuces to the most incredible goat cheese you've ever tasted. I have to make sure my son, Henry's, stroller is more than an arm's length away from the table belonging to one vendor who sells gorgeous, plump heirloom tomatoes -- more than once my child has grabbed one and helped himself to a great, big bite!


We visit the market every Saturday during the season and come home with bags bulging with berries, green beans picked that same morning and those tomatoes Henry finds so irresistible. While I still occasionally grumble about missing the northeast, my complaints are less likely to be heard during late May and early June, when I'm eating fresh blueberries and strawberries by the fistful while the my family back east waits for picking season to arrive in July.

This year, the market opened on May 7, and while a lot of produce isn't available yet due to the fickle spring weather here in Illinois, we are able to get some kale, which I've been wanting to try out. I hear that roasted kale chips make a great snack, and we're in dire need of something healthy to crunch on that also satisfies our Pringles craving.

We can also get great whole-grain breads and pastas made with whole-wheat flour, as well as Amish jams and jellies made without high-fructose corn syrup. I know there is a grand debate going on about the fact that HFCS may be exactly the same as cane sugar when it comes to our health, but the mom in me feels better about feeding my kids foods that don't come out of a machine.

We can even get treats for the kids that are healthier -- a vendor at the market sells plastic-bag cones of chewy candy bears, made with fruit juice instead of sugar. "Juicy Bears" are a highlight of our trip each week, and one bag (for just $1!) lasts the whole week.

Even without trying, I tend to shed at least three pounds every summer, between being more active outdoors and eating better, thanks to our grill and the Market at the Square. This summer?

I bet I double that.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.


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]]>Amy HatchThu, 12 May 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 30: A Bitter Pillhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/05/the-hatch-palucks-week-30-a-bitter-pill/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/05/the-hatch-palucks-week-30-a-bitter-pill/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/05/the-hatch-palucks-week-30-a-bitter-pill/#commentsFiled under:

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Emmie and Henry make our lives complete. Credit: Amy Hatch

My two children are the light of my life.

Both of them were wanted, although one was a surprise and one was planned (and no, I won't tell you which, I plead the fifth). When Henry was born in 2008, it felt very much like our little family was complete with the four of us.

No kidding: We're definitely done having kids.

Famous last words, I know, but as far as planned pregnancies go, there aren't any new babies on the horizon for us. I knew this for sure when a friend recently handed me her newborn daughter to hold when I visited her in the hospital, and I was more than happy to hand the baby back when she started to fuss.

I've never been a fan of the newborn stage -- I like sleeping too much -- and it's really nice to have two children I can communicate with. Not to mention that my pregnancy with Henry was rather perilous for us both. I had anemia so severe that my doctor administered an intravenous iron treatment. I went into allergic shock, requiring two shots of epinephrine at 36 weeks gestation, which caused both Channing and I to worry about him tremendously until he was born and we could see with our own eyes that he was OK.

Additionally, I had terrible gestational diabetes and had to inject myself with insulin twice a day and watch my carbohydrate intake like a hawk. When a pal saw me about six weeks after Henry was born, she remarked, "Wow! You look so good! Now I can tell how terrible you looked when you were pregnant!"

So, there you have it.

The last two years have been a bit of a struggle, though, when it comes to birth control. The pill is rendered ineffective by the medicine I've had to take on occasion for my psoriatic arthritis, and so I explored a number of other options -- including an IUD, which was a disaster due to a number of uterine fibroids I developed during pregnancy. See? Pregnancy is bad for my body.


Now, however, my arthritis is under control and the failure of the IUD has led me full circle back to the pill, because surgical options are too expensive and the pill is easy. I think it's a great invention, indeed, and I've been taking it on and off since the age of 18, to help keep ovarian cysts at bay. But the thing about the pill is that it makes me put on weight.

I'm not the only woman to ever voice this complaint. All my female friends who take the pill have shared that they gain between 5 and 10 pounds when they are taking it. My doctor admitted as much to me, without really telling me what makes the pounds pack on. My guess is that it's the hormones, which trick your body into thinking it's pregnant so it won't ovulate.

I'm concerned. It's been a long road to get where I am today, down to 138 pounds (I've gained back two pounds I lost when we had the flu), and I don't want to balloon up to 143. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is the difference, for me, between a size 8 and 10. Of course, given the choice between birth control and baby weight, I'm totally OK with that five pounds!

Still, they make a big difference in how I feel. I am so much more energetic when I'm lighter, and I have more self-esteem. I don't avoid the mirror as often as I would at a higher weight.

There isn't much of an alternative for me, though, beyond a surgical one. So, the pill it is.

The plus side is that it helps keep my periods under control, including cramps and PMS (and heaven knows that's healthier for the entire family). That means I'll more likely keep working out even when my lady time comes to visit. I'm also more resistant to my Little Debbie cravings.

My plan? To attack the treadmill with all the ferocity that bathing-suit season inspires in me. After coming this far in creating a healthy lifestyle for myself and our family, I'm determined not to let contraception derail me. Besides which, I just bought a whole closetful of skinny clothes and donated everything that didn't fit me to charity. I don't plan on scouring Goodwill for my fat pants.

The other good news is that now, I'm hooked on endorphins. I've made it to the gym three times a week for the last two weeks, and I know that's keeping my weight in check. I guess I'm just going to have to work that much harder on the treadmill to maintain or lose.

Like Charlie Sheen, I will be winning.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 05 May 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 29: Happiness Is a Hot Grillhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/28/the-hatch-palucks-week-29-happiness-is-a-hot-grill/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/28/the-hatch-palucks-week-29-happiness-is-a-hot-grill/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/28/the-hatch-palucks-week-29-happiness-is-a-hot-grill/#commentsFiled under:

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Springtime is hard to come by in the Midwest.

Here in Urbana, Ill., we get just a fleeting few weeks -- or days, even -- of the temperate weather one longs for during the winter months. You know, the kind of sunshine-y days that require just a light jacket, and during which you can blow bubbles in the backyard and ride bikes to the park.

We tend to go from frigid to furnace here on the prairie, so when we get that rare 65-degree afternoon, we make the most of it. Last weekend, we caught a case of spring fever so bad that we even spent the morning at a home-improvement store, eyeing tulips that were begging to be replanted in our flower beds, and finding a replacement model for our bird feeder.

I was on a mission, too -- I needed to replace the grate on our gas grill and get a new tank of propane. In our house, when it comes to cooking on an open flame, I'm the go-to girl.

We don't pay too much mind to traditional gender roles in our household. Channing, my husband, doesn't bat an eyelash when it comes to cleaning the toilet or changing diapers, and I'm not afraid to take out the garbage or cook a steak on the barbie.

The occasional slab of red meat aside, one of the best things about springtime (and summer, too) is that we naturally tend to eat lighter. I hate to make a mess in the kitchen -- it feels almost punitive to come home and make a meal and then have to clean it all up, too. Channing does the dishes most nights, but if we can keep washing up to the bare minimum, I'm all for it.

While I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to cooking meat on the stove or in the oven (although I do make a mean roast chicken), I'm pretty good at grilling out. We do a lot of grilled chicken, veggies and corn (we even have our own local hybrid variety of corn, Illini Sweet, developed at the University of Illinois) in the warmer months, and I try to keep cooking outside well into the fall -- while we're cursed with a short spring, we're also blessed here in Central Illinois with a protracted, mild autumn.

It's so much easier for us to eat healthfully when we can grill. Lean cuts of meat taste great cooked over the coals, and I'm an ace when it comes to making homemade barbecue sauce. I prefer to make my own so I know what's in it and I can keep the sugar to a minimum. Last year, I even tried out some Thai-style chicken satay with peanut sauce, and it was a hit.

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Getting the grill in shape is a sure sign of spring on the prairie. Credit: Amy Hatch

One of the best things about grilling is how easy it is to make more than one main dish at the same time. Often, I'll grill a turkey burger for Channing, a portabella mushroom with balsamic vinegar for myself and a hot dog for Henry, and everything is ready at the same time with minimal mess. I toss together a salad and it's a complete meal.

Spring and summer are generally more healthy for us -- and, I imagine, for plenty of other folks. The urge to get outside and run off that cabin fever leftover from wintertime helps burn off energy and calories, not to mention the extra padding we added during the cold season.

Spring also brings the opening of our farmer's market. We are blessed to have a truly fabulous open-air market here in Urbana, and soon we'll be carting home pounds of fresh, locally grown asparagus, berries and tomatoes. In the summer months, we buy nearly all of our produce there every Saturday, and it's not only delicious and local, it's also way cheaper than it would be at the supermarket.

Last weekend, when we fired up the barbecue for the first time (we had grilled chicken breasts, simple and yummy), I was more optimistic than ever. With all the lessons we've learned over the past several months of the Healthy Families Challenge, I'm certain that we're ripe to reach our goals as we get close to the finish line.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 28 Apr 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 28: My Endorphin-Fueled Epiphanyhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/21/the-hatch-palucks-week-28-my-endorphin-fueled-epiphany/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/21/the-hatch-palucks-week-28-my-endorphin-fueled-epiphany/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/21/the-hatch-palucks-week-28-my-endorphin-fueled-epiphany/#commentsFiled under:

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amy hatch fitness photo

I only walked 1.75 miles, but I came a long way in terms of understanding why people love to exercise. Credit: Amy Hatch

My husband, Channing, and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary last week.

We didn't have time to go out for a fancy dinner, because our daughter, Emmie, also had her very first soccer game that evening. We did, however, go to the gym.

For about a month, we were working out together every Monday and Wednesday at the Activities and Recreation Center on the University of Illinois campus. Channing was swimming for 30 to 45 minutes in the pool there, while I would hit the treadmill.

Our groove was disrupted by a series of events both personal and professional, and, long story short, we hadn't exercised together for more than four weeks. Channing was much more conscientious about getting back on the workout wagon than I was, mostly because it was increasingly difficult for me to carve out time during my truncated work days -- I basically am able to work only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which are the hours Emmie is in school.

The rest of my work gets shoved into the corners of my days, wherever it fits. It was creeping into the hours I had previously set aside for exercise.

Then, our wedding anniversary fell on a Wednesday (April 13 to be exact, and yes, some years it does fall on a Friday), one of our designated workout/lunch-date days. I reluctantly agreed to join Channing at the ARC that day, only because we would otherwise not have had a quiet moment together until after the kids went to bed.


It was with creaking knees that I began my walk on the treadmill. I started really slow, but at least this time I had better tunes to motivate me. I made it through Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" to Donna Summer's version of "McArthur Park" and by the time I got to Lily Allen's "LDN" I made a discovery.

I stumbled upon endorphins.

I started my walk worrying about a series of problems for which I had no creative solutions. I was feeling burnt out -- worn out, really -- from juggling all these different work projects and, then, coming home and resenting the way my kids swarmed me when I walked in the door.

There has been no breathing room for me, personally, over the last several weeks. I was running from meeting to phone call to job interview to media appearance and back again, and then I spent my remaining waking hours tending to my family.

Don't get me wrong -- being a wife and mother is very, very important to me. But when you're in the eye of the hurricane, sometimes it can look like there is no way through that wall of wind.

Suddenly, as I chewed on these thoughts, I found myself saying, "It will all be OK. This will all work out. It won't be like this forever, and I will find the right solution for me and my family."

Not normally a Little Miss Sunshine, I was astonished to find myself in such a sunny mental place. Then it dawned on me that I was sweating, my heart was pumping and I'd walked more than a mile at a 3.5-mph pace.

I was experiencing that Holy Grail of exercise.

Endorphins.

I kept going for about 15 more minutes after my epiphany, and it felt great. I get it now. I see why you'd rearrange your schedule to do this. I understand why people rise at 5 a.m. to go for a run (not that I'll be doing that).

What I will be doing, though, is chasing that amazing rush again, very, very soon.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 21 Apr 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 27: Brave New Girlhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/14/the-hatch-palucks-week-27-brave-new-girl/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/14/the-hatch-palucks-week-27-brave-new-girl/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/14/the-hatch-palucks-week-27-brave-new-girl/#commentsFiled under:

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Emmie Floats

Who knew Emmie could float? Credit: Channing Paluck

This past weekend, I saw something I never thought I would have the chance to see -- my daughter, Emmeline, put her whole face in the water at the swimming pool.

While this doesn't seem like a very big deal for some kids, for Emmie, it is a huge accomplishment.

For the past year, Channing has been taking her to the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center once a week or so. It started as a way for her and her father to spend some quality time alone together after Henry was born. Thanks to the Healthy Families Challenge, it morphed into a weekly family outing, with me and Henry in tow. We try to go every weekend to burn off some energy -- and calories -- and we've slowly been encouraging Emmie to do more actual swimming.

Our goals are twofold for Emmie when it comes to the water. One, we want her to stay active, and swimming is a really great, fun way for kids to exercise; and, two, we want to help her overcome her anxiety about trying new things.

Emmie's fear of food is related to her overall sense of anxiety. She genuinely fears taking risks, and her myriad phobias prevent her from taking part in so many of the pleasures of being a kid -- including swimming.

The UIAC pool is completely non-threatening. It's designed specifically for kids and has a zero-depth entry -- meaning that it has a sloped area at the front that gradually increases in depth from a half-inch up to the "deep end," which is a little over four-feet deep.

Part of the deep end has a roped-off area that is the exit for a big yellow water slide. The slide is one of those twisty jobs that shoots kids out like cannon balls.


Adults aren't allowed to go down the slide with their kids, and thus, Emmie won't even consider trying it.

Three weeks ago, I witnessed her cry from fear and frustration as Channing tried to convince her that it would be great fun for her take a ride down that yellow slide. It frustrates us, too, that she talks herself out of so many great experiences because she's scared.

Her fear is genuine, just as it is when she wants to try a new food, but panics when she has to eat it.

Recently, Channing and Emmie were at the pool during another child's private swimming lesson. A teacher himself, he knew a talented instructor when he saw one at work. He got the young woman's phone number and arranged for lessons for Emmie.

To say I was skeptical is an understatement.

But, what I got was a brand-new kid.

Her first lesson was a smashing success, and of course, I was pleased. But when we went to the pool as a family on Saturday afternoon, I was astonished.

Emmie asked me to come with her to the deep end so she could show me what she'd learned.

Emmie stood about a foot away from me, and put her entire face in the water. She popped up and, without even wiping her eyes, asked me to count to seven while she did it again -- this time while holding onto the pool wall and kicking.

I felt tears pricking at the back of my eyes as she beamed at me. This is the same child who, for months, cried every time I got water in her face while I washed her hair.

This is a huge breakthrough for her. She thrilled me further when she donned her father's swim goggles and trolled the bottom of the pool for left-behind treasures.

While I can't say that the Healthy Families Challenge is entirely responsible for Emmie's advance, it has played a huge part in getting us to think of creative ways to be active as a family.

Emmie's own efforts to overcome her fears cannot be discounted. She's a brave girl who met her challenge head-on. She inspires her father and I to do the same as we continue our quest to be the healthiest parents we can be -- physically and mentally.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 14 Apr 2011 09:00:00 ESTMore Girls Entering Puberty at a Very Young Agehttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/12/age-of-puberty/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/12/age-of-puberty/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/12/age-of-puberty/#commentsFiled under: ,



More and more parents are reaching for "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret" when choosing a bedtime story for their daughters, thanks to a rise in the number of girls entering puberty early.

According to CBS' The Early Show, a study published last year in the journal Pediatrics reveals that 15 percent of all Caucasian girls are developing breasts and other outward signs of maturity by age 7. The rate among African-American children is even higher: 23 percent of girls are entering puberty early. The study looked at 1,239 girls and the results are double that of a 1997 study.

Dr. Jennifer Ashton is a medical correspondent for CBS and she tells The Early Show that the effects of precocious puberty are not "cute."

"You have to remember, this is occurring at a time of childhood development where all girls and children want to do is fit in and look like the person sitting next to them," Ashton says. "It can generate a lot of fear. It's not cute. Adults can look at it and say, 'Oh, how cute.' It's really an adult body, a developing adult body in a child's age."

The emotional effects of entering puberty at such a young age are many and varied, she adds. Girls could suffer from depression, increased peer pressure and low self-esteem -- and early sexual activity.

"They are known to participate in sexual activity in an earlier age because of this," Ashton tells The Early Show. "Also, they can be shorter because we know that estrogen is one of the key hormones in puberty that closes off the growth plates and girls will not be as tall as if they went to puberty in a later age."

So, what's causing the shift? There are a number of factors to consider, but Ashton says childhood obesity could be one of the culprits. Body fat generates the female hormone estrogen -- and estrogen is one of the body's triggers for initiating puberty.

The effects of early puberty don't end when a girl is young. It can cause issues as they grow up, as well, including an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer.

Ashton recommends that parents who see the signs of early puberty in their daughters should seek the advice of their pediatrician.

"This could be a very frightening process for a child as well as a parent," Ashton tells The Early Show.

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]]>age of pubertypubertyAmy HatchTue, 12 Apr 2011 14:30:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 26: Cook Once, Eat Twicehttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/07/the-hatch-palucks-week-26-cook-once-eat-twice/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/07/the-hatch-palucks-week-26-cook-once-eat-twice/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/07/the-hatch-palucks-week-26-cook-once-eat-twice/#commentsFiled under:

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I'm learning to love my Crock Pot, and so is everyone else in my family. Credit: Amy Hatch

When I was pregnant with my son, Henry, I craved pot roast from morning to night -- when I wasn't upchucking my guts out from morning sickness, that is.

My craving for red meat wasn't so surprising when the doctor discovered that I was severely anemic.

Too bad I don't have that excuse anymore. Now, I just want pot roast because I like to stuff my face with saucy, delicious, slow-cooked meat. I indulged myself -- and the rest of my family -- with a great big pot of it last Sunday.

While it doesn't sound like the most healthy meal I could have chosen to make -- and, no, it wasn't -- there was a method behind my madness. When it comes to Sunday dinners, we throw caution (and healthy eating) to the wind. Once a week -- before spending the next six days minding our nutritional Ps and Qs -- we indulge our desires for a full-fat meal, complete with a homemade dessert.

That's where the pot roast came in.

I'm pressed for time every day of the week, whether it's a weekend or not, and I wanted to feed the troops something hearty and worthy of our Sunday dinner traditions. I spend a lot of time reading blogs for my work, and I came across a lovely woman named Rachel Matthews, who blogs about food and cooking at A Southern Fairytale, and offers recipes for those of us who aren't necessarily blessed with the skills of a trained chef.

Rachel and I have met on a few occasions, so I emailed her and asked if she had a pot roast recipe for the culinarily challenged. She sent me hers, which is made in a slow cooker.

I have to tell you, it was a raging success.

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This is a big deal because, you see, my husband, Channing, prefers not to eat food made in a Crock Pot. I don't know why, I have no clue about the origins of his slow-cooker phobia, and he won't spill just what it is that made him so averse to this cooking method.

I knew if I made Rachel's pot roast for him, he would change his mind. And if he changed his mind about slow-cooked food, that would make it so much easier for me to get homemade meals on our table more than once a week.

See? I told you I had a good reason for making pot roast!

The pot roast I made was so yummy that Channing even asked me to keep the leftovers, which I did, giving me a second homemade meal for the week.

Score!

I served it with the veggies made right in the pot with the roast, and Henry ate every single carrot I could put on his plate. I also put some fresh, raw veggies on the table with the rest of the food -- a rainbow of peppers and orange sweet tomatoes.

I spent the rest of the week perusing slow-cooker recipes and I found a whole bunch that look good, including several that are meatless and much lighter than pot roast. We practice no-meat Fridays during Lent, giving me the perfect excuse to put more plant-based meals on our menu, since we also dislike seafood.

Now I can put dinner together in the morning before I leave for work, and when I get home, it's almost ready to serve. All that's left to do is make a quick loaf of bread in our bread machine, and voila! We have a homemade meal on the table with minimal effort -- and almost no stress.

This is a revelation for me, considering how crazy it made me to try to pull together a meal at the most hectic time of our day -- and the guilt I felt about serving fast-food instead of homemade weighed on me even more than our extra poundage.

My Crock Pot triumph has left me feeling a great spirit of generosity -- and because of that, I'm going to share my pal Rachel's recipe with you. Enjoy!

Pot Roast

1 2- to 3-pound roast (chuck or shoulder)
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 -ounce can cream of celery soup
2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 head celery, chop off the tips and the ends, cut into 1- 1 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz full-bodied beer
1 small bag of baby carrots (or a bag of full-size carrots peeled and cut into pieces)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of paprika (optional)

Heat a skillet to high and sear the roast on all sides for about two minutes or until nicely browned. Combine ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 07 Apr 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 25: Little Debbie and Mehttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/the-hatch-palucks-week-25-playing-beat-the-clock/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/the-hatch-palucks-week-25-playing-beat-the-clock/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/the-hatch-palucks-week-25-playing-beat-the-clock/#commentsFiled under:

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When we first started the Healthy Families Challenge back in October, one of my biggest concerns was the time commitment.

We are, like so many of you, busy. My daughter Emmie, 6, has reached the age where her after-school and weekend activities are infringing on our already strapped schedules, and Henry, 2, has his own burgeoning career as an extra-curricular star. Between their classes at the Little Gym of Champaign (both on different days), soccer practice, playdates and birthday parties, these two have the kind of social calendar that requires a full-time secretary.

Channing has been buckling down at work, going into his office every weekend to write, and I went through some pretty heavy professional upheaval this past week, leaving me to bury my face in a box of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls, purchased on the sly so the kids wouldn't catch me with them.

It's been incredibly stressful. Just as we had a long-term plan mapped out, the topography changed drastically and we had to begin charting a new course.

little debbie swiss rolls picture

When the going gets tough, the tough binge on Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls. Credit: Amy Hatch

It isn't pretty, folks.

When I'm in crisis, I eat. And when I eat from stress, I tend to throw caution, er, I mean dinner, to the wind and declare: "Hey! It's been a terrible day! Who wants McDonald's?"

Including, maybe, a milkshake. Or two.

Channing is not that much different from me. One night found us on the sofa, matching bags of salty snacks in hand.

"Why am I so hungry?" he moaned.

"Because we're stressed out!" I yelled back.

As for exercising, that's taken a backseat to everything else as well. Channing and I had been meeting at least twice a week at the ARC here on the University of Illinois campus, and it really took the edge off for us both. We were more relaxed when we worked out, and it also gave us time together that we normally wouldn't have during the day.

Sadly, we haven't been to the ARC in two weeks.

I did get in at least 45 minutes on Saturday, when I took Henry to his Little Gym class. Because he's under the age of 3, he still needs an adult to accompany him while he plays. I ran in circles with him, which felt a lot like a metaphor for my life right now.

Oy.

It doesn't look like mine or Channing's schedule will be settling down anytime soon, so we're kind of at an impasse.

Here's where I turn the tables and ask you for help. How do you cram exercise into your daily routine, when that routine is stretched to its limit?

I really want to know. Because I have these last six pounds to lose, and it's almost bathing-suit-shopping season.

And Little Debbie does not look good in a bikini.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 31 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 24: Me? A Soccer Mom?http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/24/the-hatch-palucks-week-24-me-a-soccer-mom/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/24/the-hatch-palucks-week-24-me-a-soccer-mom/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/24/the-hatch-palucks-week-24-me-a-soccer-mom/#commentsFiled under:

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amy hatch emmie picture

Emmie was one of the top-scoring players at her soccer camp two years ago, but it was her BFF who convinced her to actually join a team. Credit: Kathleen Nealon

The moniker "soccer mom" has always grated on my nerves.

It conjures up a specific stereotype of the suburban mother, shuttling her kid from one activity to another, with the mini-van chock full of athletic gear, children and sports drinks.

And yet, in a few weeks, that will be me.

We signed Emmie up for her very first youth soccer league this week, and she is very, very excited. She's participated in park-district programs here in Urbana before, but she was so young that the "soccer" they played on Saturday mornings looked more like a bunch of atoms bouncing around and knocking each other over.

When she was 4 years old, she attended a program called Challenger British Soccer Camp, where top-notch soccer coaches from Europe come to cities around the U.S. for week-long sessions to work with young kids.

Emmie was the top goal-scorer in her group of players, but she was a reluctant participant. I think it had a lot to do with her age and the fact that the majority of the other kids were boys. But, nonetheless, she showed significant talent for the game of soccer.

After her stint at the Challenger British Soccer camp, she chose to do gymnastics and sports-skills at the Little Gym of Champaign, instead. But, last fall, her best friend here played in an Urbana Park District league for little kids -- and loved every minute of it.

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Emmie thinks her BFF is awesome, and so it was her pal who finally persuaded her to jump back on the soccer bandwagon.

Emmie will be playing in the Sharkey's Fall Soccer program, where the kids will play games as teams, learning the rules and actually taking the field in competition against one another. It will be a riot, and such a good learning experience for her.

I never played an organized sport, and I sometimes wish I had. My parents weren't the type to force anything on me, and I always chose to read or play games of imagination instead. Of course, back in those days, I was also what would now be called a "free-range" kid.

I roamed the neighborhood freely with a pack of other children, playing "kick the can" and "ghost in the graveyard" until well after the sun set. In the winter, we would sled and run around the yard unsupervised, making snowmen and having snowball fights.

I'd love to be able to allow Emmie and Henry that same freedom, but we live in a subdivision that isn't filled with children, and our house is on a busy road trafficked by drivers who speed and don't watch where they're going. Our yard is too small for a swingset and the neighborhood park has equipment suitable only for kids ages 10 to 12.

Channing and I talked recently about the fact that we need to get the kids outside more often, and we're planning to buy them both bikes this spring. We're not outdoorsy folks, he and I, but we can go to the gym to get in our 120 minutes a week.

The kids don't have that luxury. It's up to us to overcome our own hangups about playing outside so that Emmie and Henry get to move their bodies more. We can't just toss them in the yard and be done with it -- we have to be active participants in their outdoor play.

And, we have to sign them up for organized sports.

Thus, I will soon be a soccer mom.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 24 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTPeanut Allergy Protest a 'Misunderstanding,' Florida School District Sayshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/23/peanut-allergy-protest-a-misunderstanding-florida-school-dist/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/23/peanut-allergy-protest-a-misunderstanding-florida-school-dist/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/23/peanut-allergy-protest-a-misunderstanding-florida-school-dist/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Officials for a Florida school district are saying that parents protesting efforts to protect one student from a peanut allergy is -- in a nutshell -- all a big misunderstanding.

A student at Edgewater Elementary School, part of the Volusia County School District in DeLand, Fla., has such a severe food allergy that her first-grade classmates are asked to wash their hands before entering their classrooms in the morning and again at lunch.

They also were required to rinse their mouths after lunch, but district spokeswoman Nancy Wait tells ParentDish that requirement was recently changed to simply wiping their faces with a wet cloth -- a change made even before parents decided to protest the district's efforts to keep the unnamed female student safe.

"The same procedures were in place last year, and they have been in place all of this year," Wait says. "This is really a misunderstanding by some parents."

Some parents are saying the hand-washing is taking away from the children's instructional time, FoxNews.com reports, and some picketed the school last week, carrying signs that read, "Our Kids Have Rights Too."

"On average, it's probably taking a good 30 minutes out of the day. That's my child's education. Thirty minutes could be a whole subject," Carrie Starkey tells FoxNews.com. "We understand that they need to protect this girl, but these measures are just extreme. Procedures need to be set in place, but not procedures that will take away from our children's education."

But Wait says that simply isn't the case, adding that while she understands parents' concerns over the loss of instructional time, in general "washing hands is a good thing."

"It does take a little bit of time and there is a legitimate concern about cutting down instructional time," she tells ParentDish.

The teachers in the two classrooms affected have the process down to a science, Wait adds. Girls and boys line up at separate sinks and wash their hands and faces as efficiently as possible.

Parents also believed that peanut butter was banned from the school and that outside food was no longer welcome at holiday parties, all in service of one child's needs.

"Some people seem to believe that there aren't any peanut butter and jelly sandwiches being served in the cafeteria, but that isn't true," Wait says.

As for the parties, Wait tells ParentDish that it was a decision made by the teachers to focus the holiday celebrations around crafts instead of food, for general health and wellness reasons.

She adds that there was additional confusion over the fact that the first-graders are no longer being served a morning snack -- and that some parents even believed that teachers were washing their children's hands and faces with Clorox wipes.

Instead, Wait says, desks are wiped down with the cleaning cloths and snack time was nixed for scheduling reasons.

"There is no snack this year at the first-grade level, and some parents thought that was because of the peanut allergy," she tells ParentDish. "But it's because of where their lunch time falls. There's just no time to eat a snack beforehand."

Wait says district officials are taking one-on-one meetings with the upset parents to explain the rationale behind the preventative measures, and that there are four children at Edgewater Elementary who are sensitive to peanuts.

The little girl who sparked the controversy is the only student whose allergy is life-threatening -- and, under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the district is legally obliged to accommodate her medical needs.

Each student who falls under the purview of the ADA has a medical plan, developed in conjunction with his or her physicians, on file with the school. Wait says the school is required to comply with that plan.

This particular pupil's medical plan also called for a peanut-sniffing dog to search the school, looking for traces of the nut. Wait says that did, indeed, take place last week, while the students were on spring break.

The bottom line, Wait tells ParentDish, is that the district does whatever it can to balance the needs of one against the needs of many.

"We have moved so far beyond isolating children with disabilities," she says. "We are required to provide her with an education and to make accommodations for her disability."

David Bailey, the father of the unnamed student, could not be reached for comment. He did, however, tell FoxNews.com that he kept his daughter home on the day of the protests.

"They are against her," Bailey tells FoxNews.com. "This is all against her."

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]]>peanut allergiespeanut allergyPeanutAllergiesPeanutAllergyAmy HatchWed, 23 Mar 2011 10:30:00 ESTPlan the Perfect Playroom With These Tipshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/22/plan-the-perfect-playroom-with-these-tips/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/22/plan-the-perfect-playroom-with-these-tips/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/22/plan-the-perfect-playroom-with-these-tips/#commentsFiled under: , ,

planning perfect playrooms

Stock your playroom with dress-up clothes. Credit: Getty Images

Longing for the perfect playroom? You don't need to look much further than some creative toys and simple-but-effective storage systems.

Creating a great area for your kids has less to do with space and more to do with the kind of toys and games you stock it with, says Stacy Test, a Texas mom of three and creator of the website Kids Stuff World.

Adding toys that encourage creative play are the first step to creating your child's dream playroom -- without offending the grown-ups' design sensibilities.

"The toys in the perfect playroom encourage learning and imaginative play, but still look attractive enough to be left out on display," Test says. "When selecting toys, be sure to choose items you can think of at least three ways to play with. This way you get triple the use."

Triple the use also takes up one-third the space, she adds, pointing out that although the toys may look great on display, creating an organized space will help when it comes time to clean up. Storage bins that can be assembled into multiple configurations, depending on the size and shape of your room, are a good choice. Test recommends the Trofast System from IKEA or the kinds of colorful plastic bins and baskets that can be found at most big-box retailers.

Test shares another tip for families that may face space challenges: Change the toys out every week to keep your child interested in them, and also to increase their "shelf life." Do this by sorting the toys into groups -- animals, trains, cars -- and place them in clear locking storage bins.

"Rotate one or two toy bins into the room at a time," Test suggests.

Toy bins not in use can be stored in a hall closet, the basement or the garage, she adds.

If you do have a lot of space to work with, California-based interior designer Michelle Workman says parents should get creative. Paint a mural on the wall, use decorative wall stickers or drape fabric to spark your child's imagination. Use bold colors and fun accessories to complete the theme, and look to unusual sources for inspiration.

Kids love to role-play, and so Test recommends creating an extensive dress-up box for your child's playroom. Buy clearance-rack costumes after Halloween or give the kids your own discarded clothing, she says.

"Outfits that allow your children to act out life as an adult will work wonders for their changing personalities," Test says. "[Occupational] outfits such as firefighters or nurse's uniforms work as well as dresses for acting out fantasy roles."

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]]>designevergreeninterior-designplayroomstorageAmy HatchTue, 22 Mar 2011 17:30:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 23: Motivating Milestoneshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/17/the-hatch-palucks-week-23-motivating-milestones/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/17/the-hatch-palucks-week-23-motivating-milestones/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/17/the-hatch-palucks-week-23-motivating-milestones/#commentsFiled under:

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There's nothing quite like losing so much weight that you need to buy all new clothes. Like my red dress? Credit: Amy Hatch

I had to pull my belt in a notch this week.

And no, I'm not talking about a metaphorical belt-tightening. My pants were actually too big.

Channing and I have been pretty good about sticking to our fitness routine this month, and we both dropped some poundage. I'm down to 135, according to our scale -- which isn't a big drop, since I was 136 last time we checked in -- but my shape is changing.

I noticed that my pants were sagging in the butt and I was having to hike them up a lot. Then, one evening while changing into my PJs, I was able to slide my jeans over my hips -- while they were zipped and buttoned.

Channing is also a slimmer version of himself. He came downstairs for work a few days ago clad in a dark sweater and dark-gray pants, and I looked him over appreciatively.

"Wow" I said, circling him. "You look really skinny!"

"Do I?" he asked.

He really did. His face is thinner and he has a much sleeker look about him, in general.

The best part of these changes in our bodies is that we didn't have to starve ourselves to get here. We've made slow but steady changes in the way we eat, and those changes are paying big dividends.

One of the biggest changes we've made is cutting back on the number of times we eat fast food. More and more often, we eat at home, even if it means that we grab turkey sandwiches with a side of fruit instead of a four-course meal.

When we last met with our team at the Family Resiliency Center at the University of Illinois, one of the most crucial pieces of advice they gave us was to stop viewing dinner as such an event.

I felt so much pressure to cook a full meal, from soup to nuts, and most days it felt like such a burden. There wasn't enough time, I was too stressed, our schedules were in conflict ... it was always something.

And those nights always ended with burgers and fries. Our waistlines paid the price.

My new motto: Sometimes a frozen dinner or soup from a can is A-OK.

Even better, I now try to get a few meals prepared in advance on Sundays, even if cooking is something as simple as poaching chicken to add to a salad or some quesadillas later in the week. We plan on one frozen meal a week, usually a light pizza, and we always set Sunday evening aside for a hearty dinner -- the kind of home-cooked meal that sticks to your ribs, like beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes.

That way, we don't feel deprived.

We're more conscious of the fact that the kids are watching us, too, and so we model better choices in front of them. If we do indulge ourselves, we do it after they are in bed.

As in all things, moderation has turned out to be the key for us, as well as being more aware of what we're eating. I find myself craving fruit more and more -- and chocolate cake less and less.

While I've lost about seven pounds since we embarked on the Healthy Families Challenge in October, the shape of my body has changed dramatically.

My potbelly, which I've lugged around since after Emmie was born in 2004, is disappearing. Dresses that once showed my love-handles with cruel specificity now glide smoothly over my hips. And then there's that belt -- the one I had to pull in a notch.

I was asked to co-moderate the first mayoral debate here in Champaign next week, along with my business partner, and of course, the first thing I did was look in my closet to see what I might have to wear for this important event.

I tried on a bunch of professional clothes leftover from when I worked full-time in a corporate setting (as opposed to now, when I clock my hours in a campus coffee shop) -- and not one thing fit.

It was all too big. I had to go shopping, where I discovered I am two pant sizes smaller than I was in October.

Seeing that single digit on the tag inside my new pants?

That's all the motivation I need to keep going.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.


How is the Hatch-Paluck family doing? Check in on their progress!

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 17 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 22: Live-Blogging the Little Gymhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/10/the-hatch-palucks-week-22-live-blogging-the-little-gym/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/10/the-hatch-palucks-week-22-live-blogging-the-little-gym/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/10/the-hatch-palucks-week-22-live-blogging-the-little-gym/#commentsFiled under:

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Emmie played so hard at the Little Gym that her ponytail came loose from it's moorings. Credit: Amy Hatch

No one would ever accuse me and Channing of being athletic people.

I have the rare distinction of being perhaps the only living American to never have played an organized sport. And while Channing had a wild desire to play short stop, his professional baseball days were cut short in favor of playing in the marching band.

Emmie, our oldest, is the proverbial apple who doesn't fall far from the trees -- and the polar opposite of her brother. To combat her natural tendency towards couch potato, we signed her up for a "sports skills" class at the Little Gym of Champaign.

The skills taught include golf, soccer, hockey, baseball and gymnastics. This was her first week, and I decided to live-blog her class from the parents' waiting area.

3:35: Emmie is bouncing out of the car like there's a parade of ants in her pants, she's so excited.

3:45: Emmie chats up all the other parents as if she's never spoken to another adult before.

4:01: The kids kick off their workout with a spirited run around the gym, and then they do grasshopper hops. Emmie spends a lot of time doing prat falls and makes sure to get as close to the instructor, Mr. Giles, as possible. He is pretty cute.

4:10: Emmie feigns exhaustion.

4:15: The children are wielding foam noodles. I marvel at the patience of the instructors, and question the wisdom of arming 14 6-year-olds.

4:17: Emmie yawns.

4:25: Emmie attempts to use her noodle like a baton. Majorette not in her future.

4:30: They appear to be pretending to mop the floor. Note to self: Attempt this at home, using real mop.

4:32: Mr. Giles demonstrates how to putt, using a tiny golf club. This week's theme is "Harry Putter." Marvel again at the man's fearlessness when it comes to giving sticks to kindergartners.

4:33: Emmie yawns.

4:34: Emmie gets a birdie! I commence dreaming about the LPGA tour and what I will wear when she wins it.

4:35: Emmie putts and the ball goes ... behind her.

4:40: Emmie wanders around the "green" with a confused look on her face. Reconsider her LPGA chances.

4:41: Emmie visits me for a drink, and says, "We've done a lot of stuff, and I was tired after the grasshopper thing!"

4:42: Class divides into groups to work on their gymnastic skills, including climbing a wall made of play mats, and practicing forward rolls. Emmie walks the balance beam with aplomb. Fantasize about crying on camera as she wins an individual gold medal for the U.S. gymnastics team.

4:43: Her dismount is perfection! She sticks it!

4:44: Emmie attempts a forward roll, and ends up rolling sideways. Pinning all my hopes on the balance beam.

4:47: Getting weird looks from the other parents. Explain that I'm live-blogging. "Ummmm, okaaaaaaay."

4:48: Emmie yawns. Remind myself to take her flashlight (she reads under the covers) away tonight so the kid gets a decent night's rest!

4:49: Emmie emerges from the gym weeping. She injured herself attempting a backward roll. As I comfort her, she admits she feels bad that she can't do one, and that her forward rolls turn into log rolls. I remind her that gym class is supposed to be for fun, and that she's still learning. Dry her tears, and she's back at it. That's my girl.

4:52: It's time for "Hit the Cheese!" The kids launch themselves, as hard as they can, against giant, wedge-shaped play mats held by the teachers. Emmie's up first.

4:53: Emmie defeats the cheese! She high-fives the other kids, and I realize she's a head taller than all the boys. Like mother, like daughter!

4:55: Kind of wishing I could hit the cheese. Looks like a great way to get out your aggressions.

4:48: Mr. Giles tells me and the other parents about the skills the kids worked on today, especially focusing on their golf stroke. His Australian accent makes the whole thing sound ridiculously awesome.

5:00: Ask Emmie what she thought of her session today. Her reply: "It was OK, but I'm really tired."

Oh, my little apple.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.


How is the Hatch-Paluck family doing? Check in on their progress!

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 10 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 21: 120 Minuteshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/03/the-hatch-palucks-week-21-120-minutes/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/03/the-hatch-palucks-week-21-120-minutes/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/03/the-hatch-palucks-week-21-120-minutes/#commentsFiled under:


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Henry takes a rare break from his workout to watch the cupcakes bake. Credit: Amy Hatch

Psssssst.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a secret to share with you.

Looking to drop 15 pounds in the blink of an eye? Want to slim down without fad diets? Need more exercise in your life? Want to get in at least 120 minutes of activity every week?

Lean in close, so I can whisper in your ear.

You need a Henry.

Henry Paluck, age 2-and-a-half, is guaranteed to melt away those pounds. This child is an expert trainer. He will run you like a dog and he won't apologize.

Want to sit down? Forget it! He needs juice!

Taking a nap? No, sir! He's climbing the kitchen counter to grab a butcher knife to cut his Play-Doh with!

Henry has a fitness plan that will knock your socks -- and your belly fat -- right off. Seriously, when he was born, my mother warned me.

"Boys are different," she told me, a sly smile on her face.

Oh, pshaw! I thought to myself. Gender differences are a myth! Henry and I will cuddle on the sofa and watch What Not to Wear!

But, as so often is the case, my mother was right.

We don't need to enroll Henry in any formal exercise programs -- although I did cave in and sign him up for the aptly named "Beasts" class at our local branch of the Little Gym, after a colossal temper tantrum when we took his sister there recently. It's a group program for toddlers up to age 28 months, and parents participate, too.

For the most part, though, our Henry is his own best fitness coach.

So just how does my little man get his 120 minutes in every week, er, I mean, every day?

Like this:

Bed Jumping: Henry starts off his morning with a good 20 minutes of using our bed as a trampoline. True fact: He broke our box spring during an attempt to do a back-flip. Upside? We got a new mattress!

Stair Running: After jumping on the bed (and occasionally on a parent) Henry turns to the stairs for some cardio. He runs up and down the stairs about 30 times in an hour, sometimes adding weights to the mix, in the form of a giant storage case filled with die-cast metal cars. If he's feeling especially frisky, he'll attempt to mount the stairs by climbing over the banister. However, the Ref usually will step in at this point -- unauthorized mounts of the stairs are forbidden under house rules.

Eat-N-Run[TM]: This is Henry's secret weapon in the battle of the bulge. In fact, we're thinking of selling this concept to The Biggest Loser. When served a meal, do not sit in your chair. Instead, stand next to the table, while bouncing from one foot to the other. After each bite, sprint to the opposite side of the house, up the stairs and down again, and then back to the table for another bite. Repeat until your meal is complete, usually about 30 minutes. Calories burned? Twice the number consumed, for the win!

Sister-Baiting: This is the cousin to the Eat-N-Run, but for two partners. First, sit on your big sister and wrestle whatever object she happens to be playing with from her hands. Then, run like a madman in a circle around the family-room sofa while your sister chases you, screaming, "GIVE THAT BACK!" If you can still laugh while you're running, you're not working out hard enough.

Bookcase Scaling: No climbing wall in your house? No sweat! If you have a bookcase, you can work those leg muscles at home. Locate the tallest bookcase in your house, preferably one not secured in any real way to the wall. Scale the shelves slowly, until you reach the highest one, which also happens to hold a crystal canister containing jelly beans. Scream loudly for a jelly bean until someone gets you down. This should take you about 25 minutes.

See? You've gotten in your 120 minutes of exercise, and it's only 9:30 a.m. on Monday. Imagine what you can do in a week!

Now, who else needs a nap?

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.


How is the Hatch-Paluck family doing? Check in on their progress!

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 03 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTOpinion: Charlie Sheen's Meltdown Entertains Us Allhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/02/charlie-sheen-meltdown/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/02/charlie-sheen-meltdown/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/02/charlie-sheen-meltdown/#commentsFiled under: ,

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


There's nothing quite like watching a human drama unfold before your very eyes.

Charlie Sheen is a living, breathing tragedy right now, and, thanks to the 24-7 celebrity news cycle, we're able to watch it in real time.

He's on the Howard Stern show, ranting about his employer, CBS, for calling a halt to his hit TV sitcom, "Two and a Half Men."

He's on the "Today Show," telling the world that he's clean and sober, and, when asked how he did it, replying, "I closed my eyes and made it so."

You know what? Maybe he has. He certainly wouldn't be the first celebrity to kick the habit all on his own.

Sheen's public meltdown is replete with porn stars, trashed hotel rooms and hatred-fueled rants about the people who have helped him reach the peak of success from which he has had such a spectacular tumble.

But here's the real rub: We are watching.

We can't turn away.

And the media won't let us.

Do a quick Google search for our pal Charlie and you'll see hundreds of stories scrolling down your screen, under the misnomer of "news." He's sending anti-Semitic text messages. He's tweeting photos of himself holding a bottle of chocolate milk, arm slung around a boobalicious babe. He's declaring, when asked by "Today" about his current drug use, that "drug tests don't lie, the scoreboard doesn't lie."

He's losing his sons, when authorities remove them from his home.

Charlie Sheen is in trouble. And we love it. We're hanging on to every lascivious detail. We're not rooting for him to win his private battle -- we're rooting for him to keep going so we can enjoy every last morsel of his descent into whatever hell he's experiencing.

Because from where I stand, losing your kids after a string of publicly broadcast poor decisions fueled by drugs and alcohol is pretty much what hell must look like from the inside.

What must these tweets, videos and photographs look like to Sheen's loved ones? What does Martin Sheen, himself a recovering alcoholic who has helped his son with substance abuse in the past, think when his son's face looms on his television screen?

Imagine what it feels like when one of your children is hurting. Then, imagine what it would feel like if that pain was broadcast for the world to lap up like a bowl of milk.

What will it look like to his children, when they stumble upon an archive of their father's descent and watch themselves being taken from his care.

It will be so incredibly painful, and no one deserves that.

Substance abuse and the havoc it wreaks on someone's mind, body and actions should be private, no matter who is struggling with it. It is a car wreck on the side of the road, with bloody victims suffering inside the broken vehicle.

Whether we know it or not, we're watching Sheen slowly die in front of our eyes, tweet by tweet, gossip blog by gossip blog.

And we have to ask ourselves: What does that say about us?

It says that all the world is nothing but carrion.

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]]>charlie sheenCharlieSheenAmy HatchWed, 02 Mar 2011 15:00:00 ESTThe Hatch-Palucks, Week 20: Back on Trackhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/24/the-hatch-palucks-week-20-back-on-track/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/24/the-hatch-palucks-week-20-back-on-track/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/24/the-hatch-palucks-week-20-back-on-track/#commentsFiled under:



I haven't always been on speaking terms with domesticity.

As a young adult, my goal in life was to live in a big-city apartment and have a cool job as a magazine writer, with just a cat depending on me for sustenance.

Fast-forward 20 years, and now I'm cooking for a crowd. Not only am I an unskilled chef, I'm also a reluctant one. My idea of the perfect meal is pasta with tomato sauce and a salad, which I could eat for the rest of my natural life.

No muss, no fuss.

So, what did I do? I went and married a guy who loves meat with a side of meat. Then I birthed one child who fears food and another who could survive just fine on blackberries and red peppers.

I've chronicled my struggles with cooking here before, and how I like to do it up old-school, with plenty of butter. My star dish, the recipe I'm most well-known for, is homemade macaroni and cheese, which features two heaping cups of cheese and whole milk. Don't forget the crushed potato chips on top!

Cooking once for two meals makes dinnertime a lot easier in the long term, even if it's more work in the short term. Credit: Amy Hatch

Recently, however, my entire family came down with the flu, and we didn't eat anything but crackers and ginger ale for almost 10 days. In a way, it was kind of a palate cleanser -- now, anything that smacks of too much fat or too many carbs makes us feel queasy and over-full.

I took advantage of that when we went grocery shopping, and made some changes.

Sunday is our grocery-shopping day (we go in the morning, as a family, and it's actually one of the highlights of our week), and I decided to take the afternoon to cook for the week.

One thing I've been craving since we got sick is oranges. Several weeks ago, nutritionist Melissa Smith asked me if I liked fruit, and while the answer was yes, I often fail to eat it. I just don't think about it when it's time for snacking -- until now. Now, I could eat a vat of oranges (vitamin C deficiency, anyone?).

So, I loaded up on citrus fruits, and tossed some berries and apples into the cart for good measure. Channing requested grapes, and Emmie asked for bananas. I also bought lots of different colored peppers (we had to prevent Henry from eating them whole right there in the grocery store) and cucumbers.

When we got home, I spent several hours making homemade applesauce, hummus and some cookies. At least I know what's in them, and the ingredients I used did not include high-fructose corn syrup.

Another trick I learned from a friend is to peel, slice and chop all your fresh veggies right when you get home from shopping. That way, when you need a quick snack, your veggies are ready to eat. I sliced up three peppers (red, yellow and orange, yum!), washed the grapes and set them out in a bowl, and peeled and sliced three cucumbers.

I made pork tenderloin medallions with mashed potatoes for dinner, knowing that Sunday's meal would make plenty of leftovers for Monday. I planned to poach some chicken using a recipe I found in an old Cooking Light magazine, but was thwarted when Emmie came down with yet another fever early in the week.

I'm feeling optimistic, though, that we can build on the unexpected weight loss Channing and I had after the flu. He lost 12 pounds and I lost seven -- the scale says I'm 136 pounds now, just six pounds shy of my goal weight.

I feel like I have my feet under me in the kitchen, now that I've set Sundays aside for food shopping, meal planning and cooking for the week. Last Tuesday saw Channing and I back at the ARC, and, as I stepped on the treadmill, I was struck by the metaphor of it all.

So many times in life we're knocked on our behinds, by circumstances we can't control.

I've had plenty of setbacks in the last decade. I watched my father suffer through a terrible illness and, finally, pass away from cancer. I lost all my hair. I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. I had terrible gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Henry, and he and I almost died when I had an allergic reaction to a treatment for severe anemia when he was still in utero.

But every time, I got back up.

If I can get back up after all of that, I can absolutely get myself and my family back on track for a healthy lifestyle.

Who's the rest of the competition? Check out all the challengers' latest updates here.

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]]>Amy HatchThu, 24 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST