Parkway Preschool Registration Begins Friday

Registration is Friday for Parkway’s 2012-13 preschool programs.

According to Parkway School District officials, children who will be at least 3 years old by Aug. 1 can be registered for Parkway’s 2012-13 preschool programs. Registration is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3, at the Parkway Early Childhood Center, 14605 Clayton Road, 63011. Parkway officials suggest Kids Morning Out and Fun Friday programs for children under 3 years of age.  For more details on Parkway’s Early Childhood classes and programs, parents can visit the latest parent newsletter. Parents can also visit the Parkway School District website or view the flyer in the PDF portion of this article. For more information, call (314) 415-6970.

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The Mom Memo

Take Time to Appreciate Parenting

A study linked parenthood to decreased happiness. Are we as parents really so unhappy?

When I had my first child, I attempted to savor and capture every moment. In my ears were the remarks of my mother: “Once they begin walking, time will go by so quickly.” I didn’t really believe her. I couldn’t believe her. Not at the time. Then my oldest was off and running, and, somehow, time ran away with him. My summer has come and gone. In two weeks, school begins again. Another year has somehow gone by. My solemnity, I believe, is shared by most parents. From the moment our children are born, we find ourselves awaiting the next big milestone. Grade levels are no different. In parenthood, time is on speed. While children find the school days lagging, parents find themselves at war with the clock. There is always the next thing to …

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Kurt Greenbaum

5:46 pm on Thursday, August 4, 2011

I remember doing this as well. It was a nightly ritual for my wife and me. Now, however, they're old enough that they stay up later than we do. Ugh! I wonder if they peek their heads in the door and check on us?   more ›

Want An Original Baby Name? Try Harper Seven

From Apple to Zuma, celebrities throw parental curveballs by thinking outside the baby name status quo. But for the rest of us, Isabella and Jacob reign supreme.

On July 10, David and Victoria Beckham welcomed their first baby girl, and the Internet was abuzz over the first female offspring of the power duo. Everyone was really talking about baby girl Beckham’s name. Like many celebrities, the Beckhams favor nonconformist monikers for their children. All three sons of the Beckhams bear hip first names—Romeo, Cruz and Brooklyn. The announcement that the Beckhams named their daughter Harper Seven sent many searching for the meaning behind the unusual middle name. The number seven is David Beckham’s jersey number, and the number also has spiritual meaning. For most parents, choosing the perfect baby name is an agonizing process. The name is, after all, forever. Unless you’re Prince. Or Destiny Hope …

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The Mom Memo

Learning after the Loss of Leiby Kletzky

The abduction and murder of Leiby Kletzky raised questions of balancing childhood independence with the need to protect our children.

As parents, we don’t need another reminder that the world isn’t safe. But to any parent who is still holding onto the belief that daylight hours and “safe” neighborhoods make any sort of difference in crime statistics, the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky served as yet another grim wake-up call. The murder shocked New York communities and the world. Beyond the shock, the fear, and the horror came the reverberating ramifications and the ever-burning question stuck on the tip of every parent’s tongue: “Is it ever safe to let a child walk alone?” Seven blocks stood between Leiby and his home. But he never made it. One wrong turn changed everything. The line between overprotection and allowing childhood independence is a gray …

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Rockwood's Summer School Keeps Students Involved and Learning

The district strives to address the changing needs of residents and students.

While summer programs and classes may change from year to year, Rockwood School District seeks to adapt to the needs of students and their families. “The programs we offer at Rockwood are designed to keep kids active, engaged and learning,” said Mike Seppi, director of Rockwood Community Education.   Four elementary and two middle schools offer Rockwood Summer Academy; schools hosting the summer academy rotate each year. This year the classes are at Bowles, Geggie, Green Pines and Westridge elementary schools and LaSalle Springs and Selvidge middle schools. The program focuses on improving students' language arts and math skills. Teachers and principals identify which students need assistance and notify their parents.  The district also …

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More Than a Game: Chargers Teach Baseball, Character

The Missouri Charger baseball program, which is playing at a national tournament this week, focuses on more than America's pastime.

Teaching the fundamentals of the game is a key value of many youth baseball programs, but the Chesterfield-based Missouri Charger baseball program goes much further. “The mission of our organization is to provide a fun and safe environment to develop baseball players,” Missouri Charger President and Founder Tom Mitchell said. “But we also want to develop things like character, growth and honor.” The Chargers have a 12-and-under team for 11 and 12-year-olds, a 10-and-under team for 9 and 10-year-olds, and a 9-and-under team for 8 and 9-year-olds. Mitchell said he hopes to develop players for high school baseball. “We want them to be able to hit for average, hit for power as well as run, field and throw,” he said. This week, the 12-and-under…

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Caught in Committee

Chesterfield Alliance Hopes to Help Youth

The Chesterfield Alliance for Positive Youth a variety of events each year advocating for kids' resistance to substance abuse and addiction.

The Chesterfield Alliance for Positive Youth sets out to help kids in the area make better choices regarding drug, alcohol and tobacco use. It also helps to instill kids with a positive outlook on the future, boost their confidence and help them to combat bullying. The alliance holds family forums in the fall to discuss topics including raising children responsibly, Internet safety, substance abuse and addiction, suicide and depression. It also celebrates Red Ribbon Week at the end of October, which supports drug-free lifestyles. On Earth Day, the group holds a drug take-back program, in which they accept all expired medications to dispose of them appropriately. Michelle Hresko, the alliance’s secretary, has been in the group for 12 years…

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Patch Picks: Celebrate Dad with a Fun-Filled Father's Day

Chesterfield offers a wide selection of restaurants and activities so you can treat dad to a day he will always remember.

Fathers stand by the sidelines cheering at every soccer game. They teach us how to ride a bike and how to drive a car, providing Band-Aids and hugs along the way. Once a year, the opportunity presents itself to honor dad for all of his hard work and commitment, so don’t settle for just a measly wrapped present. Chesterfield Patch has picked the top places in Chesterfield to spend a memorable day with dad. First Watch: 120 Hilltown Village Center Start off the day with breakfast at this classic and healthy daytime café, also open for brunch and lunch.  The restaurant will be celebrating Father’s Day by offering a complimentary Nike golf ball emblazoned with the First Watch logo. Father’s Day hours: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Butterfly House: …

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Viewfinder: Big Trucks with Loud Horns Thrill Kids

Children loved being behind the wheel honking the horns at Sunday's Big Truck Day at Kemp Auto Museum.

Each week, we'll be running snapshots of life in Chesterfield. We'll be at band concerts, story times, plays and other activities around town. This week, we were at Sunday's Big Trucks Day at Kemp Auto Museum. Kids came out to explore big and unique cars and trucks. Families were encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Operation Food Search, a St. Louis area food bank.  If you know of somewhere we should be next week, let us know in the comments or email editor Rachel Heaton at rachel.heaton@patch.com.

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The Mom Memo

In Parenting, Taking Advice Can Lead to Regrets

New parents are often bombarded by advice from others. But when it comes to parenting, there are no real experts.

When you become a parent for the first time, people seem to come out of the woodwork to dispense advice on how to properly rear a child. Your child. Parents, in-laws, friends, random ladies at the grocery store—everyone seems to have an opinion, a dish to spill, on how to properly parent. And that advice, those sweet little nuggets, gnaw at the gut in the form of the million-dollar question: “Am I doing the right thing?” For me, advice follies came as the result of an age-old parental problem: sleep, or lack thereof. My oldest son began sleeping through the night at only six weeks. Of course, as sleep-deprived new parents, we were elated. A few months later, everything changed. Our son started teething, and so began a yearlong battle of …

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