Capital City Parent

Don’t let exercise be the first thing you eliminate when you are feeling the crunch because it might be what you need to maintain your balance and sanity. – Carson Tate When we parents travel on planes, we are reminded to put our oxygen masks on first. As a health and fitness coach, I trot […]

Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com The start of a new school year signals the start of a footrace for busy families with work, school, sports, music lessons and more. To make sure homework, healthful meals, adequate rest and family time get their due, get organized before the first day of school. Jane Blickhan, retired teacher, and Susan […]

Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com Jennifer Tirey has a goal each time she fixes dinner for her family – make a colorful plate. “I’m lucky, my daughter, age 10, loves snap peas and sweet peppers, and my son, age 11, loves any kind of fruit,” says Tirey, executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association. “Adding color […]

A painful arch can cause a child to avoid sports. Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com We treat a lot of children in our practice. Parents want their children to be as fit as possible, and this includes optimizing their foot and ankle health. Many parents are concerned that their kids have flat feet and they don’t want […]

Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com Wednesday, July 6, was a down day for me. I have those in the summer when I’m not connected to social media and the news of the world. In fact, I have spent much of the summer healing from a damaging school year that helped me see people better than I wanted […]

The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting by Shefali Tsabary, PhD. Viking, 338 pages. One could say Dr. Shefali Tsabary is onto something. The New York clinical psychologist got the attention and respect of Oprah Winfrey with her first book, 2010’s The Conscious Parent, which Winfrey (not a parent, for the record) describes as “one […]

Dr. Gregory Bennett, SIU School of Medicine associate professor of pediatrics and the director of outpatient pediatric clinics, with Claire Ketchum. Stylish new gym shoes, notebooks with the most popular superhero or princess and the oh-so-important back-to-school outfit top the to-do list for most kids heading back to school. But for parents, some health-related items […]

Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony (SVYS) is gearing up for an exceptional orchestra season and is looking for new additions to the ensemble. Established in 1976, Sangamon Valley Youth Symphony has provided orchestral experiences and education to Springfield and surrounding communities for 40 years. SVYS is home to six youth orchestras for musicians in grades 3-12, […]

Today 23 percent of American families have just one child. Photo from metrocreativeconnection.com I am an only child. There are certain stereotypes that people associate with us. At a previous job, for example, my boss noted the surgical efficiency with which I removed the crusts from my sandwich and said, “I’m going to go out […]

PHOTO metrocreativeconnection.com Ever since Alternative Celebrations launched its radical (as in root), gift giving approach in the 1970s, thoughtful authors have offered tips, craft instructions and recipes to make holidays in general, and gift giving in particular, less materialistic and more meaningful. I welcome their voices on the subject. The kind act of expressing affection […]

Christie and Levi DeFrates enjoy Funshop. PHOTO BY DIANNE CROWN In January 1976, visionary child-and-family advocate Dr. Georgia Davis opened the doors to Funshop in a Springfield church. It was designed to be a safe haven where overscheduled parents and children could enjoy the rare gift of time to talk and play together, just for […]

PHOTO metrocreativeconnection.com Children are naturally curious, and have a strong desire to emulate the grown-ups in their life. For the young child, time spent in the kitchen provides a wealth of opportunities to learn, discover and fine-tune motor skills. Aside from increasing exposure to different foods and flavors, the responsibilities and satisfaction that come along […]