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A resource for families in Santa Cruz County | |
Summertime and the Living is.... | |
What could be more fun than seeing your favorite kid movie with a few hundred other kids while eating popcorn and drinking a soda!? "Welcome! Enjoy the movie and when it's over, bring your trash to the back of the theater. See you next time!" | |
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What also could be fun? Going to camp, free-ranging in the neighborhood, the beaches, the forest, the parks. Reading in a hammock, a treehouse, under the covers with a flashlight or in a reading tent in the yard. Visiting a friend, having friends over, eating snacks like popsicles...
The connection between smart phone addiction and teen mental health has become a roar. Pew Research's latest polling offers informative questions and answers.
Could this summer be a good time to connect with other parents to revise, re-evaluate (again!) the smart phone protocols in our families? We found a very practical family "how to decrease time on smart phones article." Please read the writing and Ted-X talks by Jon Haidt and Catherine Price and share with friends.↓↓↓ The articles are full of ideas to help us.
Happy Solstice and have a great summer weekend, Parmalee
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A Parents Guide to Understanding the Harms of the Phone-Based Childhood, Along With Ten Tips for Rolling It Back | |
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"Introducing Catherine Price,
who writes books on fun and on phones, and offers ten tips
for helping you and your children scroll less and live more." -Jon Haidt
"I first discovered Catherine Price because a friend told me that I needed to have more fun. He recommended that I watch a TED talk titled Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life. It is extraordinary, and it fits so well with the themes of The Anxious Generation and Let Grow. True fun happens, says Catherine, when we have three things at once: playfulness, connection, and flow. (Please join 5 million other people and watch the talk.)
A few months later, I happened to attend the TED conference where Catherine was offering a workshop on how to have more fun. I signed up for it and loved it so much that I altered the Flourishing course that I teach at NYU-Stern to devote a whole week to play and beauty, in which we use some of Catherine’s workshop materials.
Two of Catherine’s books happen to be about the two halves of the story in The Anxious Generation: one is on the problem of phone-based life, the other on the joys of a fun-based life: How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun.
She writes a Substack titled How to Feel Alive. Catherine is one of the few public intellectuals who really gets both halves of the story: kids, and all of us, need more fun, less phone. So I already had my eye on Catherine as somebody I wanted to work with, someone to draw in to the movement to Free the Anxious Generation.
And then, last month, she gave one of the best talks I’ve seen on the problem of the phone-based childhood. It is powerful, brilliant, and clear. It’s a talk that every parent should watch. I have posted a few videos of talks I gave to education audiences, but Catherine’s talk is better than mine as a talk for parents. This is the video you should share with the parents of your kids’ friends, to get you all on the same page: motivated, informed, ready to engage in collective action to roll back the phone-based childhood and replace it with a joyous, fun, play-based childhood.
And now, here’s Catherine. -Jon > > >
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Microschools
Conversations with the innovators creating education options
for parents and learners outside the conventional classroom.
It’s a given. We parents want the best educational environment for our children. In Santa Cruz County we have a variety of choices: public neighborhood schools, public charter schools, private schools, parochial schools, homeschools, homeschools associated with public or private support, small learning pods. Steadily growing is the current, entrepreneurial microschool movement. Curious? Kerry McDonald has visited microschools all around the country.
Visit her website and read her reports to learn more.
Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and host of the weekly LiberatED podcast.
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Create a Beautiful Painting | |
Forest Nights – Watercolor Painting
Sunday, July 14, 2- 4pm
Paint a stunning midnight sky and a golden moon, buttressed with redwood tree silhouettes. Local artist Sarah Orre will walk you through every step of the process using watercolor and acrylic metallic paint to achieve stunning results. You will learn how to build color with a layered ombre watercolor wash and how to paint trees with a fan brush. Metallic paint will give a glowing finish to your painting. Limited space. Register Now
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Get ready for summer fun with CineLux Summer Kid’s Series! June 19 & 20, Minions: The Rise of Gru, $5 includes Movie and Junior Popcorn & Soda, Check out the schedule. Wednesdays & Thursdays, through August 8, See the lineup, Watsonville ~ Scotts Valley
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Music in the Plaza Concert Series, 1st & 3rd Fridays, beginning June 21, 6-8pm, Join us at our summer outdoor Music in the Plaza concert series! Come and enjoy an evening of music outdoors. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics, then sit back and relax to the sounds of summer. Details
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Midtown Summer Block Party, Fridays, 5-8:30pm, June 21st: The Cruzers – Opener: Ripatti & Rose, Food by Watsonville Munchies, Cracked Cookies, J & M Baking Bagels, and Scott Dawg-z Hot Dogs and more! Live bands every week. Details
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Free Movies on the Boardwalk Beach, Friday 9pm, June 21 Book of Life, There’s nothing like watching your favorite movies right on the beach with the the smell of kettle corn, corn dogs and saltwater taffy filling the air! Bring the family and your blanket or low-back chair and join us! Details
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On Kids Day, Kids Take Over Downtown, Saturday, June 22, 12-4pm, Kids’ Day exhibitors will be lined up in downtown Santa Cruz on Cooper Street and Pacific Ave with performances and demonstrations in Abbott Square. Many Downtown businesses will be offering discounts and specials just for kids. Details
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Cascada de Flores- El Abuelo The Tree & The Donkey Who Loved to Sing, Thursday, June 20, Join Cascada de Flores for a bilingual and participatory story, The Donkey Who Loved to Sing, exploding with the song, ancient musical instruments, poly-rhythms and sweet characters of Mexican music and dance. Families are invited to sing, dance and play with beautiful traditional songs and dances.
Boulder Creek 1:30-2:30pm Details ~ Live Oak 4:30-5:30pm Details
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Crow’s Nest Thursday Beach Barbeques, Thursdays, May 23 – August 8, 5:30-8:30pm, Jive Machine & Locomotive Breath, Join the Crow’s Nest Summer Beach Party series with fun and funky live entertainment, right on the beach. The party starts at 5:30 pm each week and goes until sunset. Families are welcome, and there is no admission charge!
After the sun sets the fun begins upstairs with dancing to the best of local live bands with only a $5 cover charge. Details
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Fratello Marionettes’ Carnival of the Animals, Saturday, June 22, 11am-12pm, Join Fratello Marionettes for a musical retelling of three classic fairytales woven together and set to a fanciful score by Saint-Saens: “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Tortoise and the Hare,” and “The Ugly Duckling.” Details
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NorCalBats at Libraries, Saturday, June 22, Join us at the library to meet the bats, learn about these these animals and their role in insect control, and learn how you can help save these important mammals with education and rescue! Downtown 11am-12pm, Details, Scotts Valley 1-2pm, Details
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Watsonville Taiko, Saturday, June 22, 2:30-3:30pm, Enjoy traditional Japanese taiko art form at the library. The Japanese word “Taiko” means “big drum,” and performance dates as far back as the 5th century. Sponsored by the Friends of the Felton Library. Details
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Liberation Paddleout, Saturday, June 22, 12-4pm, Black Surf Santa Cruz is hosting our fourth annual Liberation Paddle Out at Cowell Beach in celebration of Juneteenth. Come join us! Details
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West Cliff Summer Fun Outdoor Market, Sunday, June 23, 10am-6pm, Join our unique artisans and food trucks while taking in the spectacular view of the ocean. This one of a kind market will be held at the Lighthouse on West Cliff Drive, always a popular spot for locals and tourists, as it over looks the famous Steamers Lane surf spot. We will also be giving away free tokens, an be used towards any vendor of your choice, every hour to random shoppers. This event is dog friendly. Details
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Parenting Workshops, These parent workshops offer outstanding skills, tips and support in our parenting path. We are fortunate to have these resources. Even if everything is going well, it's good to know what's available! June
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Teen Public Safety Academy, M-F, July 22 – 26, 8am-4pm, Learn the process that a Police Cadet or Fire Cadet go through when entering a training Academy. Daily Physical Fitness, Basic Self DefenseTactics, Arrest and Control Techniques, Basic Investigative Techniques, including Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence Processing. Instruction on Fire Department Operations, Basic Firefighting Principals, Emergency Medical Treatment, such as First Aid. Details
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Summer Reading Program at Watsonville Main and Freedom Library, June 3 – July 26, Adventure begins at your library this summer at the Watsonville Public Library Summer Reading Program. Track your reading to earn prizes and participate in a variety of fun events and programs for the entire family throughout the summer. The fun begins on Monday, June 3rd. Detail
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Calling All Youth Teen Volunteers! The YouthSERVE Summer Institute's 2nd week kicks off on June 24, Powered by the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, this free 4-week program helps youth ages 11+ gain new skills, make new friends, earn community service hours, all while learning to use their superpowers to transform our community through volunteering! Times and locations vary. Details
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