Saturdays Getting Stronger, in Body and Mind

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Saturdays Getting Stronger, in Body and Mind

I recently joined the Meeting House team after ten years as a teacher at a New York City high school, where I was also the girls cross country and track coach. Every season, a good number of girls would join the team with no running experience at all. In September, competing in a three-mile race seemed impossible to these girls, but over the course of the season, with dedication to their goal and the support of their teammates, they built up not only their physical strength and endurance, but also their belief in themselves.

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The Joy of Life Coming Full Circle in a Family Moment

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The Joy of Life Coming Full Circle in a Family Moment

Last week, my daughter entered a new school, and I had the pleasure of participating in an orientation for new students and parents. As we settled in, I noticed some students wore bright blue shirts with the words “How Can I Help You?,” printed across the back. These were the school’s “student ambassadors” -- returning students responsible for welcoming and guiding the many new faces.

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What Do the Summer Olympics & The Meeting House Have in Common?

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What Do the Summer Olympics & The Meeting House Have in Common?

Do you know anyone who swims? Plays soccer? Rides horseback? Takes gymnastics? Maybe it’s even you! If you do, then you may know someone who is a future Olympian and for sure, you are sharing in exactly the same activities as the international athletes competing in the Olympics this summer. Tucked away in early August, between summer fun and current events, this year’s summer 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro August 5 to 22.

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7 Tips for Parents When Talking to Kids During Times of Stress

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7 Tips for Parents When Talking to Kids During Times of Stress

Recent headline news has been very challenging. It is hard to open up the newspaper or watch the news without being confronted by either the divisive and heated political discussions or headlines of violence here at home and around the world. We recently sat down with our advisory board member Dr. Fadi Haddad, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist and a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU School of Medicine to talk about how parents should be communicating with their children about these subjects and what guidelines they should use when talking about stressful and challenging topics. 

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10 Tips For Getting The Most Out of Your Summer Travel!

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10 Tips For Getting The Most Out of Your Summer Travel!

Last month, my husband and I took our 6-year-old daughter on a dream vacation to Iceland and Switzerland. It was a big deal for many reasons but mostly because it was her first trip outside of the United States. Even though she was totally excited and prepared for the trip, we were still a bit nervous about how she was going to handle the long plane ride, the huge time difference and being in a foreign country. The good news is that she had the time of her life and we created memories of a lifetime as a family. I also learned a lot about my kid and that if we could do this European trip, we will be able to go anywhere with her. Additionally, I’d like to share the top 10 things I learned about traveling abroad with a young child:

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Teens at Smorgasburg — The open air “food flea market”!

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This past Saturday, Meeting House Teens had the good fortune of enjoying the first sunny day after a week full of rain and clouds. Union Square was our meeting location, and the teens plotted their course and checked for their necessary items: MTA cards, wallets, watches, and phones for some. Up next, transit card balances were checked and the group hopped on the L Train which took us under the East River and across to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. During the subway trip, we made particular notice of the MTA “Courtesy Counts” campaign, and made sure we were following the humorous and helpful advice!


The destination of the day was Smorgasburg, a unique open air “food flea market” which includes food and drinks from over 100 local vendors. In order to help navigate between so many options, we first sat down and reviewed the extensive menus using phones and each selected their top choices. Additionally, since the area was quite crowded, we made sure to create a plan to stick together but also identify a ‘meet-up’ spot in order to be extra careful. Thankfully, our plan went on without a hitch, and we all managed to find fantastic culinary options, including: Barbeque, specialty hot dogs, fish and chips. A few also indulged their sweet tooth with ice cream and fresh coconut milk!

Smorgasburg is held each weekend in East River State Park, which stretches along the water’s edge in Williamsburg and provided our group a chance to take in the sights of Manhattan as we ate. Once finished with our meals, the group moved on to exploring the playground equipment, and we even discovered a small sandy beach along the edge of the park. In addition, we found original cobblestone paths and walls from the site’s original purpose, a dock and railway terminal first established in 1870. What a wonderful way to explore the history of New York City while enjoying a modern (and delicious) event! Many in the group noted that they wanted to return to Smorgasburg in the future, and bring back their friends and family to share in the experience.

As always, the time flew by and our group prepared to return back to Manhattan- recalling the amount of time it took to arrive, and double checking for any updates on the MTA website. With the all-clear, we shuffled back on to the L Train and rode the few stops back to Union Square, right on time to meet back with our waiting families!

4 Tips for Boosting Your Kid's Holistic Health

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4 Tips for Boosting Your Kid's Holistic Health

At the Meeting House, we believe that a healthy brain is connected to an overall healthy lifestyle. We sat down with one of our advisory board members, Dr. Laura Tagliareni, pediatric neuropsychologist at Pediatric Assessment Learning & Support (PALS), and discussed some of the best, holistic ways to create a brain-healthy environment for your child. Here’s what she recommends: 

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Juniors Update: Inferencing Fun through "Connections'!

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Hello all!
We had a busy afternoon with our juniors group today. We have continued doing inferencing games and started "Grandma's Trunk", a fun inferencing game.  During meeting we reviewed the schedule and introduced the new end of year project we'll be starting next week!  The children seem very excited to make the mobiles!  Some of them began planning on where they'd put it in their rooms!

We continued making "connections" while we played Connect Four and built small connectors. We learned some strategies and planning to use while playing Connect Four.  Stella got very creative with the connectors! Some of us continued working on our buildings to connect our city.

We also worked on some of the little projects we'll be using for our end of year project. Today we made tissue paper collages and used water droppers and markers to create coffee filter art. This was a great way to make connections because the colors ran and we could use our coffee filters to share colors with a peer.

It was a great day with many connections made!

 

 

Spring Break Is Here! 5 Activities for an NYC Staycation

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Spring Break Is Here! 5 Activities for an NYC Staycation

Spring is in the air! It’s only mid-March but early summertime temperatures are already hitting New York City! With the success of our new teen program at The Meeting House, and spring break right around the corner, I wanted to write about some of the great things you can do with your kids during their time off from school. Over the past few years, more and more people are opting to stay and play “tourist” in their own city. Spring happens to be one of the most beautiful times in the city (and there is so much to do here) so why not stay?

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