Capital City Parent

Ahh, yes, family dinner. As we transition into the holiday season and continue to juggle a busy schedule of after-school activities, homework and sports and add in extra festive events, dinner routines can become difficult to maintain. Unfortunately, busy schedules, wiggly kiddos, picky palates and more can all contribute to dinnertime chaos. Despite the challenges […]

If you’ve got an endless day with littles ahead and are craving an easy project, look no further than your kitchen. And while baking and cooking are always an option, what about using your kitchen ingredients as crafting items to create something fun and different? Holiday kitchen crafts bring warmth and creativity to the winter […]

In the midst of a moms’ night out, a young mother shows off her new necklace – a beautiful oval with a white background and swirled with hues of blue, purple and gold. “That is gorgeous,” another mother comments, to which the young mother replies, “You won’t believe what it is made of – my […]

Play – what is it exactly? And how is it important?  In the world of dance lessons, soccer games, karate classes and baseball leagues, children are participating in structured play, which involves adult-directed activities and isimportant as it builds physical health. But in many families, structured play is overtaking the other important type of play […]

November Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair Fri., Nov. 13, 5-8pm and Sat., Nov. 14, 9am-2pm. Find unique gifts, beautiful art and amazing crafts by local artisans. Includes bake sale and live music by local artists throughout the day. Free. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Rd, Springfield, IL 62711, 217-585-9550. MomCo’s 2nd Annual Pots […]

AUGUST Rumble Fish Sat., Aug. 8, 7:30pm. This stage version of S.E. Hinton’s (author or The Outsiders) classic novel explores the themes of gang culture and the search for identity. It tells the story of two brothers, brought up in social deprivation by their alcoholic father. Directed by Mark Buckholz. Theatre in the Park, Lincoln’s […]

Jennifer Waters has devoted her life to helping children and families. A children’s author and sole proprietor of Novel Tea Publishing, she writes books designed to help children build both practical knowledge and confidence through everyday experiences. For example, she recently published a book designed around making the kitchen a safe learning environment for children. […]

Earlier this month, the Illinois State Board of Education released guidance on artificial intelligence for Illinois schools.  The guidelines are needlessly complicated, repetitive and lacking substance. In a bit of self-parody, ISBE readily admitted to using AI to construct the 409-page word salad. ​The phrase, “teaching and learning are shaped by human relationships and by […]

Back-to-school shopping lists traditionally have included fresh pencils, new notebooks and colored folders. However, recently parents have noticed tech accessories such as headphones and chargers showing up on their school supply lists.  As a necessity during the pandemic, many schools moved away from textbooks, worksheets and workbooks and toward using “1:1” devices such as laptops […]

Honesty. Integrity. Humility. Perseverance. Empathy. Nineteen middle school students from across Illinois spent June 21-26 in Springfield immersed in Abraham Lincoln’s five pillars of leadership as part of the LEAD: Spirit of Lincoln Youth Leadership Academy. Learning from Lincoln scholars and reenactors, mentors and each other – and through visits to historic Lincoln sites – […]

Southeast High School students filled the commons area during their lunch break on April 1.  The Southeast drum line kicked off the festive gathering; students ate their lunches, purchased T-shirts and snacks, and took part in face painting and other activities. It wasn’t an April Fool’s Day celebration but the kickoff of the Best Buddies […]

“Let kids be kids a little longer” is a motto of Wait Until 8th, an organization that encourages parents to delay giving their children smartphones until the end of eighth grade. With the advent of the iPhone in 2007 and the rise of YouTube and TikTok, our children have slowly become the “anxious generation,” a […]