Getting Back Into the Rhythm of School

fall 2013

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart families

activities

Extracurricular: A Balancing Act

health

The Meals, They Are A-Changing

life

Social Media: Yes or No for Your Teen?

family finance

Moms Are Making Stay-At-Home Work

Planner or Procrastinator? How to Get Your Kids Transitioned Back to School

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A better way of building for your today,and their tomorrow.

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6 contents

activities 8 Extracurricular Activities:

A Balancing Act 10 Listings

health 14 The Meals, They Are A-Changing 16 Listings

calendar 22 Events and Programming

learning 24 Creating a Path for an IT Career

from Elementary through College 25 Listings

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RESORTS mEDIACharlie Nutt, Publisher

life 26 Social Media: Yes or No

for Your Teen? 28 Listings

family finance 30 Moms are Making

Stay-at-Home Work

religion & spirituality 32 Spiritual Fitness: When Winning

Isn’t the Only Thing

media 34 Music and DVD Reviews 35 Book & App Reviews 36 Listings

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cover story 18 Getting Back Into the Rhythm of School

8

do when shuffling kids to various activities that, at such a young age, they might not appreciate just yet.”

“With our kids growing up, we only al-lowed them to play one sport per year,” says Donna Thornton, whose three children are grown and in their 20s now. “As they got older, they usually worked a part-time job after school and on weekends. All three were either valedictorian or salutatorian of their graduating class, which we’re very proud of. I’m glad they were more interested in working than playing sports as they got older. They’ve all turned out to be hard work-ing adults.”

“Rule of thumb: routines are meant to be just that — routine, without a speck of incon-sistency,” says Tara Helms. “Routines be-come habits. Habits can be broken. Balance is key. Always expect the unexpected.”

When it comes to advice on parenting, or life in general, that’s about as good as it gets.

Advice from the Pros (and Cons)Team sports, dance, drama, special in-

terest clubs and other pursuits can boost a kid’s self-esteem, fitness, social and cogni-tive skills. For older teens, active participa-tion also looks great on a college applica-tion. But take a moment to honestly assess: are you raising an anxious overachiever, a laid-back adapter or an undecided someone in the middle? Are these activities a way to discover and unlock your child’s true poten-tial, or simply a way to keep them busy?

No matter what activities your children pursue, beware of vicarious parenting and overscheduling. Kids of all ages (and their parents, for that matter) need unstructured time, too. The family budget and a manage-able schedule must be considered as well — these activities cost time and money, and often require a good deal of parental involvement and support. Just remember: the best activity depends on each individual child, and striking the perfect balance takes time.

A Parent’s Perspective“We allow one child to pick one thing a

year to concentrate on, or we do short-term sports that typically run six weeks or so,” says Judy Yacoviello, a local mom with four kids under the age of 10. “Our kids are still pretty young and don’t really know what their interests are yet. Our 5-year-old daugh-ter will say she wants to do gymnastics one day, and soccer the next.

“On the other hand, our daughter who is 9 thought she loved cheerleading, until she did it for six weeks,” says Yacoviello. “We feel it’s good to keep our kids active and learning, but there also has to be a balance of teaching and family time. That’s hard to

Extracurricular Activities: A Balancing ActA Guide to Choosing What’s Best for Your Child

By Allison Caldwell

Back to school season is here. Whether you’re jumping for joy or wishing summer could last forever — or maybe a little of both — the start of a new school year

typically marks the start of a delicate balancing act for most parents. From toddlers to teens, how best to manage various extracurricular activities seems to be a constant struggle. If you’re already feeling overwhelmed, take heart (and keep reading). There’s plenty of good guidance to go around.

Choosing the Right Activity for Your Child

So many choices, so little time. Before signing up for the same sports team or gymnastics class as everyone else, include your child in exploring a wider range of “free time” opportunities.

Volunteer. Animal shelters, nursing homes, libraries, museums and other nonprofit organizations rely on community support to survive, and volunteerism plays an important part. Many offer age-appro-priate opportunities that will help develop a sense of compassion and civic responsi-bility in young volunteers. Search the web for inspiring stories of kids who make posi-tive contributions to their communities.

Join a Community. Scout clubs, 4-H clubs, youth choirs or orchestras, and more — being part of a like-minded group connects kids to others, develops leader-ship skills and provides a sense of shared purpose. Check with your school, local library, other parents or just browse the web for ideas.

Get a Job. Don’t underestimate the po-tential of young entrepreneurs. It’s never too soon to start developing a strong work ethic by teaching your kids the value of a dollar. Brainstorm with them on how to make (and invest) money doing something they enjoy, and don’t forget to discuss charitable giving as well. Talk About Giving, an initiative of the Central Carolina Community Foundation, can help (TalkAboutGiving.org).

activities

9health

10 activities

All4Fun Party Rentalall4funbouncehouses.com

Rents bounce houses and slides.

Art Smart Academy732o Broad River Rd., 667-9912artsmartacademy.com

Walk-in pottery and painting, birth-day parties and more.

Bouncerific921 Longtown Rd., 865-7939bouncerific.com

No, Bouncerific isn’t a place to send your kid to learn to be a doorman; it’s an indoor party and play center for kids and families. Inflatable bouncers, slides, dress-up, games, more.

Capital Karatecapitalkaratesc.com

Develops character, discipline and focus as well as physical conditioning and skills.

Carolina Balletcarolinaballet.net

Pre-professional dance company founded in 1988 by South Carolina dance legend Ann Brodie.

Carolina CrossFit1804 Blanding St., carolinacrossfit.com

Offers kids’ Crossfit classes.

Chuck E. Cheese’s1775 Burning Tree Dr., 772-0435chuckecheese.com

The motto of the nationwide family entertainment center chain: Where a kid can be a kid. Often home to birthdays, play groups and school fundraising events, Chuck E. Cheese’s features games, rides, prizes, food and entertain-ment for all ages.

City of Columbia Parks & Recreationcolumbiasc.net/parksandrec

Family-friendly Columbia boasts 52 public parks where your wee ones can run and jump and skip and play, plus a host of community gardens, three swimming pools, one splash pad wa-ter park, and a public skate park. The city also offers a host of youth sports — baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, vol-leyball — and outdoor environmental programs.

Colonial Life Arena801 Lincoln St.coloniallifearena.com

When Disney princesses and the Sesame Street gang come to Columbia, this is where they play.

Columbia Arts Academy787-0931, columbiaartsacademy.com

The largest music school in the state of South Carolina, the Columbia Arts Academy boasts a large and quali-fied staff to train your kids in electric

and acoustic guitar, voice, piano, bass, drums and year-round rock band classes.

Columbia Blowfish254-3474, blowfishbaseball.com

Take ‘em out to the ballgame: During the summer months, Capital City Stadi-um hosts the Columbia Blowfish, which play in the Coastal Plain League, a col-legiate wood-bat summer league. And, yes: They sell peanuts and Crackerjack.

Columbia Children’s Theatre3400 Forest Dr, 691-4548 columbiachildrenstheatre.com

Professional theater company for young audiences and families.

Columbia Marionette Theatre401 Laurel St., 252-7366cmtpuppet.org

Founded in 1988 by famed puppe-teer Allie Scollon and her son John, the Columbia Marionette Theatre has es-tablished itself as a premiere children’s theater in South Carolina. Its mission is to entertain and educate children and adults through the long-standing tradi-tion and artistry of puppetry.

Columbia Museum of Art1515 Main St., 799-2810columbiamuseum.org

Offers plenty of fun programming for kids, from its Passport to Art semi-monthly open studio program to its weekly Wee Wednesday art exploration

With the myriad options for children’s programming on television these days, it’s tempting to plop your kid down in front of the flat-screen to keep him or her occupied. But kids like to be active,

and we know you dig that whole quality-time shebang. So we have put together a select list of places where you and junior can play … and play together.

sessions to its summer camps and school programs.

Columbia Tai Chicolumbiataichicenter.com

Located on Rosewood Drive, offers martial arts, fitness, health and medita-tion classes for all levels.

Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum301 Gervais St., 737-8095www.crr.sc.gov

For more than a century, the Con-federate Relic Room and Military Mu-seum’s has collected and preserved the military history of this state.

Congaree National Park776-4396, nps.gov/cong

This 22,000-acre park boasts the largest old-growth, floodplain forest on the continent. It’s also an International Biosphere Reserve, a Globally Important Bird Area and a National Natural Land-mark. Activities include hiking, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, nature walks and more. Located in Hop-kins, 20 miles southeast of Columbia.

Cottle Strawberry Farm2533 Trotter Rd., 695-1714cottlestrawberryfarm.com

This 30-plus-year-old strawberry farm tucked in southeast Columbia is open to the public every spring — usu-ally from April through May, and some-times into June. Mmm … freshly picked strawberries.

Cross Fit Vista1125 Lady St., 600-5134warriorfitnesssc.com

CrossFit Kids is a strength and con-ditioning program used by many athletic teams, martial arts schools and P.E. programs. A great way to address child-hood inactivity and obesity. Also has a location in Blythewood.

Dreher Island State Recreation Park3677 State Park Rd., 364-4152, southcarolinaparks.com

Located 30 miles northwest of Co-lumbia in Prosperity, the Dreher Island recreation area consists of three islands encompassing 12 miles of shoreline on Lake Murray. Especially popular for fishing and boating, Dreher Island also offers lakefront camping, cabin and villa rentals, water skiing and picnicking.

Drew Park Splash Pad2101 Walker Solomon Waydrewwellnesscenter.com

Sure, there’s a playground, a jogging track and a gazebo, but you’re coming here to get wet in the gigantic spray pad and lighted fountain. (Many of the city’s public parks offer smaller spray pools, too.)

EdVenture Children’s Museum211 Gervais St., 779-3100edventure.org

The South’s largest children’s muse-um, with more than 70,000 square feet of cool stuff to keep the kids occupied.

Columbia Marionette Theatre. Photo by Austin Price

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Frankie’s Fun Park140 Parkridge Dr., 781-2342frankiesfunpark.com

This Harbison-area entertainment center packs three go-kart tracks, three 18-hole mini-golf courses, bat-ting cages, bumper boats, an arcade, a 5,000-square foot multi-tiered laser tag arena and a super-tall drop zone that says “In your face, gravity!” into 14 acres filled with fun for all ages. What, do you hate fun or something?

Flying High Academyflyinghighacademysc.com

Dance, tumbling, gymnastics and cheerleading programs.

Girls on the Rungotrcolumbia.org

Inspires pre-teen girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through a fun cur-riculum that creatively integrates running.

Harbison State Forest896-8890state.sc.us/forest/refharb.htm

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never expect to find 2,177 acres of for-est along the sprawling mess that is Broad River Road. But there it is — one of the largest public green spaces inside the city limits of a metropolitan area in the eastern United States. Features more than 16 miles of roads and trails (popular for biking) and a canoe landing.

Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commissionicrc.net

The Irmo-Chapin Recreation Com-mission offers kids sports, programs and activities at Crooked Creek Park, Saluda Shoals Park and Seven Oaks Park.

Laugh N Leap647-960, laughnleap.com

Need to buy or rent an inflatable bounce house, water slide, dunk tank or obstacle course? Laugh N Leap has you covered.

Lexington County Recreation Commissionlcrac.com

Offers youth sports, programs and activities at parks, playgrounds and activity centers in Lexington County.

Lexington County Soccer Clublexingtoncountysoccerclub.org

Live in Lexington Country? Think your kid’s the next Ronaldo? Sign him or her up with this club team, which offers playing options from recreational to elite traveling squads.

Lexington School of Music711 E. Main St., 929-7867lexingtonschoolofmusic.com

Offers flexible schedules for lessons on guitar, voice, bass, piano and more.

activities

Did you know 95% of car seatsare not installed or used safely?Buckle Buddies provides education and community outreach on Child Passenger Safety. Learn how you can:

• Get your car seat checked by a nationally certifi ed technician

• Attend a general education class on child passenger safety

• Access new and safe car seats at a discounted price

Visit www.bucklebuddiessc.org to view our calendar of events and learn more about our programs!

bucklebuddiessc.org bucklebuddiessc@gmail.com 803.434.2955

Little Gym2005 N. Beltline Blvd., 738-1115thelittlegym.com

The Little Gym is an experiential learning and physical development center offering children’s physical ac-tivities centered on movement, music and learning.

Little Loggerheads Swim Schoollittleloggerheads.net

Offers morning, afternoon and eve-ning swim lessons for children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years.

The Mad Platter3101 Millwood Ave., 771-8080mymadplatter.com

Art, studies have shown, makes kids smarter. So take your tykes here, a paint-your-own pottery studio, where they can throw clay, paint plates and explore their creative sides.

Mad Sciencemidlands.madscience.org

Offers a wide variety of fun science programs at birthday parties, summer camps, pre-schools and more.

Monkey Joe’s171 Newland Rd., 788-1102monkeyjoes.com/columbia

For kids, Monkey Joe’s offers a place to monkey around, with wall-to-wall

inflatable slides, jumps, climbing walls and obstacle courses. And for parents, there’s comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, concessions and sports on large, flat-screen TVs.

My Gym110 Forum Dr., 788-1230, my-gym.com

A non-competitive gymnastics and play center keeping children healthy by making fitness fun.

Owens Field Skate ParkJim Hamilton Blvd.

The 14,500-square-foot custom concrete park, when it opened in 2010, replaced a small skate park many lo-cal skaters considered bogus. Ramps, bowls, rails, more.

Palmetto Children’s Musicpalmettochildrensmusic.com

Offers Music Together classes — Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for infants through five-year-olds and the grownups who love them.

Palmetto Falls Waterpark3381 Marion Ave., 751-3475fortjacksonmwr.com/waterpark/

Tucked just inside of Fort Jackson’s Gate 2 entrance, Palmetto Falls Water Park offers a 10,000-square foot family pool, two water slides, a 600-square foot splashdown pool, a 2,500-square

13

foot kiddie pool, a lazy river stretching 800 feet, and a snack bar. Open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays during the summer.

The Patch3807 Augusta Hwy., 359-3276

This Gilbert strawberry patch is open for picking during strawberry season, typically April through May.

Patchwork Playhouse1508 Columbia College Dr., 333-0372patchworkplayers-sc.com

A long-running children’s theater featuring child-sized puppets and ac-tors.

Plex Indoor Sportsplexindoorsports.com

There are two locations of this local indoor sports complex franchise: The Sandhills location, by the Village at Sand-hill, offers indoor soccer, basketball courts and a skate park; the Irmo location, off the Peak exit on I-26, features an ice rink, an indoor soccer field and an remote-controlled car track. Both locations offer summer camps, birthday party packages, after-school programs and youth sports.

Richland County Recreation Commissionrichlandcountyrecreation.com

Offers youth sports, programs and activities at parks, playgrounds and activity centers in Richland County.

Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens500 Wildlife Parkway779-8717, riverbanks.org

It’s a natural fact that kids love animals. And Riverbanks Zoo — one of the nation’s finest, according to Tri-pAdvisor — offers plenty of ‘em, from elephants to gorillas to ibexes to an aquarium and reptile complex stocked with fish, frogs, lizards are more. Riv-erbanks also offers myriad educational programs, day camps, overnight adven-tures and other fun kids’ events.

Saluda Shoals Park5605 Bush River Rd., 731-5208icrc.net

Situated on 270 acres downstream from the Lake Murray Dam, Saluda Shoals features a popular water park, an environmental education center, canoe trips, nature hikes, biking trails, fishing spots, picnic shelters, art exhib-its, summer camps, health and wellness programs, meeting facilities and more. Good trout fishing, too, if your wee ones are into that.

Samurai Karate Studiosamuraikaratestudio.net

Offers classes for children and adults, as well as conducting stranger-danger and anti-bully workshops.

activities

Trenholm Little Leagueeteamz.com/trenholmbaseball

Fun, intensive baseball league. Par-ents can choose clinics only or clinics and team play. Fall and spring seasons.

U.S. National Whitewater Center5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy., Charlotte, N.C., 704-391-3900, usnwc.org

OK, so the U.S. National Whitewater Center isn’t in Columbia; it’s a little more than an hour north in Charlotte. But it’s worth the trip up I-77: An official Olympic Training Site for whitewater slalom racing, the nonprofit U.S. National Whitewater Center is a huge outdoor adventure and environmental education center dedicated to promoting healthy and active lifestyles and developing environmental steward-ship. Offers whitewater rafting and kayak-ing, flatwater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, zip lines and more.

YMCAcolumbiaymca.org

The YMCA in downtown Colum-bia was one of the first 50 Ys in the United States. It now has five branches — including locations in Northeast Columbia, Lexington, Irmo and Orange-burg —with which to provide childcare, camps and after-school programs.

Sesquicentennial State Park9564 Two Notch Rd., 788-2706, www.southcarolinaparks.com

This 1,419-acre park features a 30-acre lake surrounded by trails, picnic areas and campsites. Also offers boat-ing, fishing, swimming, meeting facili-ties and trails. Trails include a 6.1-mile mountain bike trail, a 1.9-mile nature trail, and a 3.5-mile walking and jogging trail.

South Carolina State Museum301 Gervais St., 898-4921scmuseum.org.

The South Carolina State Museum, named one of the top three museums in the Southeast by readers of Southern Living, offers a wide variety of kids pro-gramming, such as camp-ins, birthday parties, summer camps and living his-tory re-enactments.

Talbot Swim School792-7298, talbotswimschool.com.

Before you can run, you gotta walk, right? Well, before you go to the pool, you gotta learn to swim, and Talbot Swim School offers private lessons year-round.

Topspin Racquet and Swim Clubtopspinsc.com

Clay tennis courts in Lexington offer-ing family clinics.

14 health

Adam Sandler’s lunch lady wouldn’t know what to do with herself in today’s school cafeteria. Sloppy joes, french

fries and sodas are out; baked entrees, fresh produce and flavored waters are in. Parents in South Carolina will see some big changes in school menus this fall including more vegetables, fruits, baked foods and local produce instead of industrial sizes of canned goods.

Next on the menu: Eliminating junk food in school vending machines. Championed by First Lady Michelle Obama, it’s all part of a nationwide effort to raise a healthier generation of children. In today’s fast-paced, fast-food world, some parents need all the help they can get.

Schooling Students on Health and Nutrition

“Only four of our schools still have deep fryers; everything is baked now,” says Todd A. Bedenbaugh, director of Student Nutrition for School District Five of Lexington and Richmond counties. “We’ve added more sal-ads, and menus will change again next year to include even more fruits and vegetables.”

“In some cases students aren’t eating as much of these healthier items just yet, but things will even out over time,”he says. “We’re educating younger kids and get-ting them to try new things. It won’t be long before these healthier menu items are the norm instead of something new.”

Bedenbaugh says his district — already in compliance with the 2012 federal regula-tions — has been progressive in the pursuit of higher nutritional standards and educa-tion for its students and is working to get

The Meals, They Are A-ChangingHealthier School Lunches, and Tips for Healthier Eating at Homeby Allison Caldwell

healthier vending machine items by 2014.“We’ve made a big push to buy more local

produce, and are working with our food dis-tributor to purchase locally grown squash, collards, peaches and more,” Bedenbaugh says. The district is also working with the Culinary Institute at USC to train cafeteria staff and has applied for a grant to start more school gardens.

Pleasing Picky Eaters — Don’t Give Up!

Now that schools are getting on board, how can parents reinforce healthy eating habits at home? If your child’s diet consists mainly of mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and things wrapped in cellophane, you definitely have your work cut out for you. But the effort, and the future long-term health of your family, is worth it.

Charlotte-area 100 Days of Real Food blogger and speaker Lisa Leake is proof it can be done. In 2010, she says she had never read an ingredient label, bought anything organic (at least not on purpose) or stepped foot in a farmers’ market — and had no idea she was doing anything wrong.

“After reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, I felt like our eating habits needed a serious overhaul,” says Leake. “At the time, I struggled to find resources to help me understand exactly how to apply Pollan’s principals to our everyday lives. Shortly thereafter, my real food blog was born. What better way to convince others to cut out processed food with us than to give them everything they need to successfully make it happen?”

Even if you’re only taking baby steps towards better family nutrition, Leake’s website (100DaysofRe-alFood.com) is a great source of recipes, meal plans and ideas, shopping lists, kitchen tools and more. There’s even a link dedicated to school lunches (http://goo.gl/eeHWo).

“Winning over your picky eater is no easy task, but it can be done!” says Leake, whose own children are 6 and 8. “It takes time for one’s palette to adjust to new tastes, so don’t be discouraged if you experience some failed attempts at first.”

“Start by switching out the refined and processed ingre-dients in meals they love for

Be a Healthy Role Model

When it comes to healthy eating, parents are the most important influ-ence on their children. Cook together, eat together and make mealtime a family time. Here are some tips for setting a good example:

Go food shopping together. Grocery shopping can teach kids about food and nutrition. Read labels together and let them make healthy choices.

Get creative in the kitchen. Cut food into fun and easy shapes with cookie cutters. Encourage kids to invent new healthy snacks.

Offer the same foods for everyone. Stop making different dishes to please picky eaters. It’s easier to plan family meals when everyone eats the same foods.

Reward with attention, not food. Show your love with hugs, kisses, and quality time instead of sweets.

focus on each other at the table. Talk about fun and happy things at mealtime. Turn off the TV and cell phones.

limit screen time. Allow no more than two hours a day of TV or com-puter games. Get up and move during commercials.

Encourage physical activity. Make physical activity fun for the whole family, and involve your kids in the planning.

Be a good role model. Try new foods yourself, and describe the taste, tex-ture and smell. Offer one new food at a time, and serve something your child likes along with the new food you want them to try.

Source: LetsMove.gov, USDA Toolkit for Parents.

healthier ones,” she says, “such as whole wheat macaroni and cheese, homemade chicken nuggets, whole wheat pizza, pan-cakes and more.”

“There’s a sweet spot between not giving up too easily and not pushing them too hard. It takes a lot of patience. I offered my young-est daughter green bell peppers two or three dozen times before one day she decided she liked them. Persistence is key, so don’t give up!”

16

Advanced Dentistry Columbia1701 St. Julian Place, 254-6763advanceddentistrycolumbia.com

Super-friendly, family owned practice led by Drs. Nicholas and George Gee.

Ballentine Pediatrics11134 Broad River Rd., 732-0920ballentinepediatrics.com

Ballentine Family Dentistry3533 Dreher Shoals Rd., 732-3001

Camden Family Care1017 Fair St.,424-1260camdenfamilycare.com

Capital Children’s Dental Center655 St. Andrews Rd., 252-7775

Carolina Children’s Dentistry7701 Trenholm Rd., 736-6000carolinachildrensdentistry.com

Carolina PediatricsDowntown: 2113 Adams Grove Rd.,

256-0531Irmo: 7033 St. Andrews Rd., 376-2838carolinapediatrics.com

Carolina Teen Healthcarolinateenhealth.org

Questions about sex and STDs an-swered in a teen-oriented format.

Child Care Serviceschildcare.sc.gov

An arm of the Department of Social Services, this childcare.sc.gov is an online

hub with information on everything from

child-care center licensing to Head Start programs. Also see related site scchild-care.org.

Chapin Family Practice1612 Chapin Rd., 345-3414

Children’s Choice Pediatrics6108 Garners Ferry Rd., 647-1265childrenschoicepeds.com

Chrysostom Family Dentistry3308 Platt Springs Rd., 350-9124drdeno.com

City of Columbia Community Gardenscolumbiasc.net/communitygardens

Five-by-12-foot publicly owned plots available for lease to residents and orga-

nizations. Cost is $20 per year.

Columbia’s Cooking!cpcp.sph.sc.edu/cooking, 576-5636

Healthy cooking classes for kids 9 and older and adults.

Colonial Family Practice3930 Devine St., 256-1511colonialfamilypractice.com

Part of a Sumter-based practice group.

Creative Cookingcreativecookingsc.com

Classes and camps for children ages 3 to 12.

Eat Smart Move More South Carolinaeatsmartmovemoresc.org

Offers events, live training and web training to assist local organizers in creat-ing, managing and maintaining obesity prevention programs.

Family Medicine Centers of South CarolinaDowntown: 1910 Gregg St., 931-0100Hardscrabble: 300 Rice Meadow Way,

227-7777Irmo: 7611 St. Andrews Rd., 724-1100Lexington: 3630 Sunset Blvd., 239-1600Northeast: 1721 Horseshoe Dr., 788-7884Southeast: 813 Leesburg Rd., 783-4433fmcofsc.com

Private family practice group.

Five Points Pediatric & Walk-in Care1228 Harden St., 748-7002, ecchc.org

Part of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers.

If your kid has a legitimate emergency, you take him or her to the emer-gency room. If your kid has a bad case of the sniffles, you go to an urgent care facility. But for check-ups, vaccines, boosters and general wellness,

you’ll need a family practitioner or pediatrician. Here’s a list to help get you started, along with a list of dentists, orthopedists and other health-related resources to keep your kids fit as fiddles.

Children’s Dental Group of South Carolina7210 K Broad River Rd., Irmo, 781-5141 childrensdentalgroupsc @gmail.com

Children’s Dental Group of South Carolina is the fastest growing children’s dental office in Columbia, offering oral conscious sedation for a more pleasant dental ex-perience. We gladly accept insurance and Medicaid for ages 1-21.

Hutchinson Family Dentistry209 W. Main St., 359-0566lexingtonscdentistry.com

Kids First Dental2700 Broad River Rd., 772-4949kidsfirstdentalsc.com

The Kids Group206 Medical Cir., 796-9200

thekidsgroup.com

Kool Smiles5422 Forest Dr., 753-8064

mykoolsmiles.com

Lake Murray Pediatric Dentistry740 Old Lexington Hwy., 345-2483

Lakeside Pediatrics811 W. Main St., Suite 205 (Lexington)lakesidepediatric.com

Led by Dr. Douglas Luberoff; part of the Lexington Medical Center network.

Lexington Family PracticeBallentine: 1846 Dutch Fork Rd.,

781-3843, lfp.lexmednetwork.orgIrmo: 7037 St. Andrews Rd., 732-0963Lake Murray: 2006 Augusta Hwy., 785-

4747, lfplakemurray.lexmednetwork.orgLake Ridge: 557 Columbia Ave.,

lakeridge.lexmednetwork.orgLexington: 122 Powell Dr., 957-0780Northeast: 76 Polo Rd., 699-7255,

lfpnortheast.lexmednetwork.orgSandhills: 811 W. Main St., 358-6420,

sfm.lexmednetwork.orgSpring Valley: 229 Longtown Rd.,

419-4949, svfp.lexmednetwork.orgWest Columbia: 3314 Platt Spring Rd.,

791-3494, lfpwestcolumbia.lexmed-network.org

White Knoll: 5535 Platt Spring Rd., 951-1880, lfpwhiteknoll.lexmednetwork.org

The Lexington Family Practice net-work is an umbrella group of the Lexing-ton Medical Center.

Lexington Medical Center2720 Sunset Blvd., 791-2000, lexmed.com

A frequent winner of Best Hospital in Free Times’ Best of Columbia poll.

Dr. Samuel J. Marsh Pediatric Dentistry2302 Bush River Rd., 798-8675wemakekidssmile.com

Medcare Urgent Care Center110 Medical Cir., 509-7316medcareurgentcare.com

Midlands Orthopedics1910 Blanding St., 256-4107midlandsortho.com

Milestones Pediatrics120 Wildewood Park Dr., 788-7882

Moore Orthopaedic ClinicColumbia: 14 Medical Park, 227-8000Columbia: 114 Gateway Corp., 227-8000Lexington: 104 Saluda Pointe Dr., 227-8000

SPONSORED

health

17health

Northeast Children’s Dentistry147 Summit Cir., 865-1421northeastchildrensdentistry.com

Palmetto Healthpalmettohealth.org

A frequent runner-up for Best Hospital in Free Times’ Best of Columbia poll.

Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital7 Richland Medical Park Dr.ch.palmettohealth.org

A state-of-the-art children’s hospital with comfortable family-centered spaces, age-appropriate play areas and therapeu-tic diversions to help reduce stress and encourage healing.

Palmetto Health Family Medicine PracticesHarbison: 190 Parkridge Dr., 407-3857Irmo: 190 Parkridge Dr., 749-0693Lakeview: 1316 N. Lake Dr., 358-1191Northeast: 115 Blarney Dr., 736-6262South Hampton: 5900 Garners Ferry Rd.,

695-5450Twelve Mile Creek: 4711 Sunset Blvd.,

356-3609University: 4311 Hardscrabble Rd.,

419-6334palmettohealth.org

Family practice wing of Palmetto Health.

Palmetto Pediatric & Adolescent ClinicDowntown: 140 Park Central, 779-4001Harbison: 16 Woodcross Dr., 732-0140Lexington: 1970 Augusta Hwy., 358-2370Northeast: 74 Polo Rd., 788-4886Rice Creek: 300 Rice Meadow Way, 788-6360

Affiliated with Richland, Baptist, Pal-metto Richland Children’s and Lexington Hospitals.

Palmetto Smiles139 Whiteford Way, 951-9100, palmetto-smiles.com

Pediatric After Hours Care114 Gateway Corporate Blvd., 865-4900

Open 6-10 p.m., Mon-Fri; 2-8 p.m., Sat-Sun.

Pediatric Dentistry8905 Two Notch Rd., 788-9353wecaredentalsc.com

Providence HospitalsDowntown: 2435 Forest Dr.Northeast: 120 Gateway Corporate Blvd.

Another of Columbia’s top-flight hos-pital systems.

Providence Northeast Family300 Long Pointe Ln., 462-7193providencehospitals.com

Rice Creek Family Dentistry101 Rice Bent Way, 788-2676,ricecreekdmd.com

Safe Kids Midlands7 Richland Medical Park Dr., Suite 7186safekidsmidlands.org

Dedicated to decreasing the number of injuries to children. Offers information on safe car-seat practices, product recalls, safety with household products and more.

Smile Columbia690A Columbiana Dr., 781-9090smilecolumbia.com

South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancyteenpregnancysc.org

Provides information and resources for teens, parents, educators and com-munity organizations.

South Carolina Dental Center2020 Laurel St., 254-4543southcarolinadentalcenter.com

South Lake Family Dental1223 S. Lake Dr., 520-5580southlakedmd.com

Sterling Sharpe Pediatric Center4605 Monticello Rd., 252-7001ecchc.org

Part of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers.

Teen Talkpalmettohealth.org/teentalk, 296-2273

Offers numerous resources for teens, including Teen Talk newsletter, peer-to-peer discussions and an ask-an-expert program.

USC Family Medicine Center3209 Colonial Blvd., 434-6113familymedicine.med.sc.edu

Offers complete care for children and adults with a focus on prevention.

USC Sports Medicine CenterTwo Medical Park, Suite 104, 434-6812uscsportsmedicine.com

Open to athletes at all levels — rec-reational to high school, college and professional.

Vista Smiles515 Richland St., 779-9666vistasmilesofcolumbia.com

Offers full range of family dental services with advancing technology in a welcoming environment.

Wellspring Family Medicine114 Gateway Corporate Blvd., 865-9655wellspringfmed.com

Wild Smiles203 N. Lake Dr., 356-1606, wildsmiles.net

Pregnant with your rst baby? Let us help.  

What is Nurse‐Family Partnership? Nurse‐Family Partnership is a free, voluntary program for rst‐�me 

moms. The program provides the enrolled moms with a nurse star�ng in pregnancy and con�nuing un�l the baby is 2 years old. 

 

Who is eligible? Any woman who is pregnant with her rst child, meets income         requirements and lives in Lexington or Richland coun�es. We           encourage moms to enroll as early in pregnancy as possible.  

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: (803) 576‐2746 

18

staying up a little later for a few months, enjoying time with family and friends, but you don’t want to send them to school tired, because it’s important to start the year by making a good impression.

But maybe you want to enjoy every last bit of summer, and can’t resist a few more after-dinner walks to the neighborhood ice cream shop for cones. At the very least, prep them a few days ahead, even if they only go to bed a half hour earlier. Let them know that they may have a tough transition week, but they’ll still need to perform at school. Once again, you will remind them that they need to accept responsibility for their own actions.

Tip: Make sure you can keep your kid’s room dark, which makes it easier to fall asleep. also, consider taking away all electronic toys after dinner, or at least an hour or two before bed.

FoodSummer meals may have been less

organized. When everyone wants to stay at the beach a while longer, dinner can be postponed. The beginning of the school year requires structure, including meal planning. Your meal times will be more regular and you may want to spend some time before school starts figuring out how lunches will be made. A few days before school, stock up on nutritious, bag-friendly foods. If your children are old enough, they can have a trial run, making their own lunches and learning to include the necessities. When is old enough? Some kids are packing their own lunches in fourth grade; others are still counting on mom to do it in 10th grade; that’s your call, but self-sufficiency can’t be a bad thing, can it?

And if you wait until the last minute? No, your child will not get the hottest new char-acter lunch box (but something else will be cool by October, so no worries there). And there’s nothing wrong with throwing togeth-er a last-minute lunch, including leftover pretzels from your pool bag, a late summer peach and a sandwich you picked up ready-made at the grocery store minutes before school. The worse the lunch, the sooner your kid will learn to make her own.

Tip: Spend some time talking nutrition with your kids and helping them construct balanced meals.

cover story

School SuppliesIf you’re a planner, you’ve already been

to the school’s website to download the list of necessary supplies for each child, or you

Getting Back Into the Rhythm of SchoolPlanner or Procrastinator? How to Get Your Kids Transitioned Back to SchoolBy Anne Postic

opened, read and saved the letter you got from your child’s teacher for the upcoming year. School supplies will be easy to find, because the shelves will be stocked. Make sure you remind your kids to thank you for helping them get organized.

If you’re a procrastinator, you’ll have to use your diplomatic skills to talk your

kids into what’s left. No, they won’t be able to have their favorite color

notebook, or the exact pencil case they wanted, but you’ll let them decorate their stuff with stickers to make up for

the loss. Do make sure you cover the basics, so they don’t

get in trouble on the first day of school. But feel free to remind them that they could have asked you to take them shop-ping earlier. They’re never too young to learn personal responsibility.

Tip: Office supply stores can be better for last minute shopping, because most people start

with bigger stores like Target.

BedtimeIdeally, kids will start

going to bed earlier a week or two before school starts, to get them used to the new schedule. They’ve been

A new school year is beginning and it’s time to start getting the kids — and yourself — ready. Or is it? Do you plan ahead or wait until the last minute? Rest assured,

there are pros and cons to both methods. What kind of parent are you, Peter Planner or Last-Minute Linda?

19

REAL ESTATE INCORPORATED

20 cover story

Getting Ready to Add Homework to Your Routine

Most parents admit that making kids do homework is one of their least favorite tasks. Here are few tips to make it easier.

n Set up a dedicated space in your home for school work. Make sure your child can be free of dis-tractions, including television and siblings.

n Have a summer routine that includes some reading time. Tak-ing a break to read is a great way to cool down and it will get them used to the idea of working each day.

n Follow your child’s progress, either by communicating directly with teachers or signing up to have your child’s assignments and grades emailed to you on a regu-lar basis. Most schools offer this service now.

n Don’t complain about your own work on a regular basis. Children copy what they see and hear.

n Let them take breaks. A lot of writers (this one included) make themselves write a certain number of words to earn a break. Figure out what works for your child.

n Help your child learn to budget his or her time by checking in with them about what’s due and when.

make a budget together and go shopping for school-appropriate clothing. One of the best life skills you can teach your kids is how to budget.

If you just aren’t ready to hit the stores, make sure you have a few outfits ready to get through the first week. After all, swim-wear isn’t really appropriate for the class-room. (Full disclosure: My own sons have worn swim trunks to school. But they looked like shorts. I swear!) Kids’ style can change based on what their peers are wearing. Af-ter a couple of weeks in school, they’ll know what they want and shopping will be easier. In the Southeast, the weather requires that we wear summer weight clothing well into fall, so there’s no rush. And you may even find some things on sale if you wait!

Tip: More than one child? Organize hand-me-downs by size and season.

HomeworkMany teachers are giving homework over

the summer these days, because it reduces the amount of informa-tion kids have to relearn ev-ery fall. At the very least, your child probably has a reading list. If you’re organized, you’ve asked him to work on it over the summer, a little bit at a time to reduce frustration. Maintaining a regular sched-ule of school work over the summer is a good way to ease the transition back into school

and the homework that comes with it.Even if you are a procrastinator, you need

to find out what work has to be done for the first week of school. A couple of weeks before the first day, check the school’s web-site and ask your child. Older children may have been given work they forgot about over the summer. (Chlorine and salt water have that effect.) No child wants to be stuck reading 10 books at the last minute, and no parent wants to suffer through enforcing that, so make sure you look at that reading list early enough to give your kid ample time to finish.

Tip: Create a dedicated space for homework, and make sure that space is safe from pets, siblings and other distractions.

Are you a planner or a procrastinator? If you work ahead, you’re doing a great job of teach-ing your children to be organized and prepared. They’ll know to approach every situation with the right tools and a fresh face.

But if you put things off until the last minute, never fear. As long as you actually

get it done, you’re teaching your children how to work with

what they have, impro-vise when necessary

and stop depending on others to do the

work for them. Either way,

you have a recipe for success!

WardrobeBack to school shopping conjures up

memories — both good and bad — for most of us. Assessing what your child needs by combing through the closet and getting rid of what doesn’t fit is a great way to declut-ter. Once you know what’s missing, you can

Actual patient of Vista Smiles of Columbia

22

ONGOINGBlooming ButterfliesEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgThrough Oct. 6. Explore the fascinating world of the butterfly.

Dino TalesColumbia Marionette Theatrecmtpuppet.orgThrough Sept. 14. Shows on Saturdays and third Mondays. Watch as a brother and sister parasaur first hatch and ven-ture away from their nest. They encoun-ter many creatures, big and small, and find friends in surprising places. But will they make it back to their nest safely?

EdVenture Family NightEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgSecond Tuesdays. $1 museum admis-sion between 5 and 8 p.m.

Family StorytimeRichland Libraryrichlandlibrary.comHeld on various days at all branches

ages 1 to 5 play freely throughout the museum with kids of their own size.

Wee WednesdaysColumbia Museum of Artcolumbiamuseum.orgWednesdays. Participants ages 2-5 and their adult companions explore art through the introduction of elementary art terms such as color, line, shape and texture.

AUGUSTAfternoon of PuppetsRichland Library, Main Branchrichlandlibrary.comaug. 7. Enjoy your favorite stories per-formed by the Children’s Room puppets.

Community Leader ReaderEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgaug. 12. Storytime with a local commu-nity leader, followed by arts and crafts and music and fun.

Countdown to KindergartenEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgaug. 9. EdVenture Children’s Museum and United Way invites all South Caro-lina rising kindergartners and their fami-lies to the tenth annual kindergarten countdown celebration.

Discovery Day: Keep It CoolRiverbanks Zoo & Gardenriverbanks.orgaug. 10 & 24. What do vultures, babiru-sas, elephants and reptiles do to keep cool in the summer heat? Find out some unusual ways these animals beat the summer sun!

Discovery Day: Animal Super HeroesRiverbanks Zoo & Gardenriverbanks.orgaug. 10 & 24. Who are the toughest, strongest, fastest, and smartest ani-mals in the world? Join us for a fun-filled class exploring world record-holding animals with super skills. Test out your abilities — and we might even get to meet an amazing animal superhero!

Disney’s Aladdin Jr.Columbia Children’s Theatrecolumbiachildrenstheatre.comaug. 2-11. All of your favorite charac-ters are here in Disney’s Aladdin Jr., a stage adaptation of the Disney hit film.

Family Gallery Tourcolumbiamuseum.orgaug. 11. A 45-minute guided and inter-active tour exploring the world of art in a way that can be enjoyed by all family members. Discover the museum and learn how to talk with your children about art.

First FriYAYsEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgaug. 2. Special kids summer concert series on the EdVenture Terrace.

Giggle Science/Messy PlayEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgaug. 8. Pre-school class series offers children ages 2-5 years and their care-givers an opportunity to let loose while doing simple science experiments, art projects and much more!

History for a DayRichland Library, Southeast Branchrichlandlibrary.comaug. 3. Experience the culture, live the journey through original artifacts, stories and more. This week: Hispanic-Americans.

History for a DayRichland Library, Southeast Branchrichlandlibrary.comaug. 10. Experience the culture, live the journey through original artifacts, stories and more. This week: African-Americans.

History for a DayRichland Library, Southeast Branchrichlandlibrary.comaug. 17. Experience the culture, live the journey through original artifacts, stories and more. This week: Native Americans.

of the Richland Library. Call your local branch for meeting times.

Football: The ExhibitionEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgThrough Sept. 22. Hut! Hut! Hike! Pop-ular traveling exhibit from the Museum of Discovery.

Parents’ Survival NightThe Little Gymthelittlegym.com/columbiascfridays. Parents call it a break from the kids. Kids call it a break from their parents. That sounds like a win-win situation.

Shake, Rattle and Read!EdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgWednesdays and Saturdays. Half an hour of storytelling, puppetry, music and movement activities, finger plays and more. For kids 12 months-5 years.

Toddler Take OverEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgfirst Monday of every month. Kids

Calendar

Treasures of the Nile Mini-Adventures takes place at the South Carolina State Museum Aug. 23. Courtesy photo

This is by no means a comprehensive list — institutions like the Columbia Museum of Art, EdVenture Children’s Museum, Riverbanks Zoo, Richland Library and the city and county parks departments offer

myriad events for kids on a daily basis. Check the What’s Happening section of Free Times for weekly listings or visit the websites of institutions offering children’s programs.

23

Treasures of the Nile Mini-AdventuresSouth Carolina State Museumscmuseum.orgaug. 23. This Egyptian-themed after-noon tea party for children (and the special adults in their life) will feature crafts, party games and an array of tea party food appealing to children.

SEPTEMBERDiscovery Day: African ExpeditionRiverbanks Zoo & Gardenriverbanks.orgSept. 11 & 14. Africa is home to some of the most well-known zoo animals. Put on your safari hats and learn about these incredible creatures. Children will learn about gorillas, elephants, giraffes, hyenas and more.

Discovery Day: Animal ArtistsRiverbanks Zoo & Gardenriverbanks.orgSept. 25 & 28. Learn all about the creative side of critters and which ones use color as a way to help them survive. Little ones will have the chance to get creative as we uncover the colorful world of wildlife.

Fall Heritage Festival & Pickin’ PartyS.C. State Museumscmuseum.orgSept. 21. Barbecue, folk art and activi-ties for all ages.

Family Picture Book ClubRichland Library, North Main Branchrichlandlibrary.comSept. 5. Come celebrate the picture book! Pizza and soft drinks are on the Library.

First FriYAYsEdVenture Children’s Museumedventure.orgSept. 6. Special kids summer concert series on the EdVenture Terrace.

Movers and ShakersRichland Library, Main Branchrichlandlibrary.comSept. 20. Get ready to move and shake, shake, shake while listening to stories, songs and more.

Pickin’ & Singin’ at Blythewood LibraryRichland Library, Blythewood Branchrichlandlibrary.comSept. 21. Enjoy live music and audience participation with family and friends.

Pirate DayRichland Library, Northeast Branchrichlandlibrary.comSept. 19. Visit the children’s area today for a pirate story and craft project.

Puppets in the MorningRichland Library, St. Andrews Branchrichlandlibrary.comSept. 18. It’s a puppet show! Come and enjoy a morning of puppets!

History for a DayRichland Library, Southeast Branchrichlandlibrary.comaug. 24. Experience the culture, live the journey through original artifacts, stories and more. This week: Asian-Americans.

Passport to Art: The Design of Colorful ShapesColumbia Museum of Artcolumbiamuseum.orgaug. 11. Make a collage inspired by the exhibition Picasso: Master Prints in this monthly drop-in studio program for families.

Southeastern Toy Soldier TourS.C. State Museumscmuseum.orgaug. 10. More than 30 exhibitors dis-play collections of toy soldiers, also known as military miniatures.

Summer Celebration of Watersummercelebrationofwater.comRiverfront Parkaug. 24. Fourth annual event with inflatable water slides, sprinklers, ca-noeing, kayaking, tubing and paddle boarding.

Teen Academy: Drawing 101Columbia Museum of Artcolumbiamuseum.orgaug. 5-9. Explore drawing in a variety of different mediums. Subjects include a clothed live model, building interiors and still lifes. For ages 13-18.

Richland Library Homeschool FairRichland Library, Main Branchrichlandlibrary.comSept. 9. Activities for all ages, tours of the new Teen Space and the Children’s Room, game time for students, and much, much more. Something for everyone!

OCTOBERAladdinColumbia Marionette Theatrecmtpuppet.orgOpens Sept. 21.

Boo at the ZooRiverbanks ZooOct. 18-30. Super-popular annual event geared toward children 12 and under. Features Frankenstein’s Foam Zone, a freaky dance party, a trick-or-treat trail with candy and more

Meet the ExplorersRichland Library, Main Branchrichlandlibrary.comOct. 13. Members of the Explorers Club share their experiences from all corners of the globe. Recommended for teens and adults.

Strings and StoriesRichland Library, Main Branchrichlandlibrary.comOct. 19. Classical guitarist Marina Alex-andra tells stories and presents a child-friendly performance.

Friday, August 9 ~ 5-8pmA Celebration for Rising Kindergarteners

and Their Families at EdVenture

Free Admission! Free Fun!Countdown to Kindergarten provides parents with an opportunity to connect with representatives

from school districts, state agencies and community organizations to learn about available educational,health and community resources. Let the countdown begin!

Learn How to Safely Board a School BusResources for Parents on Keeping Kids Safe and HealthyFree Dental Screenings | Games | Museum Exploration

211 Gervais Streetwww.edventure.org

Sponsored by

24

Creating a Path for an IT Career from Elementary School through CollegeBy Rodney Welch

While parents worry about their kids finding jobs after college, there are some industry segments where the

problem is finding kids to fill jobs after college.That was the situation that Lonnie

Emard, then a BlueCross BlueShield IT exec and now president of IT-oLogy, saw in the mid-2000s: Businesses large and small struggling to find qualified computer profes-sionals and a growing IT field without an adequate labor pool to fill it up.

The growth of IT from 2002 to 2007 was painful, he says. “Not enough young people were coming out of school. You couldn’t even find talent, really, anywhere across the coun-try. We were having to go to great lengths to grow our own and to do things that were just not very efficient or cost-effective.”

Columbia wasn’t the only city with grow-ing pains. The shortage, he says, was a “national epidemic.” BlueCross had the re-sources to meet their need, but they gained at the expense of other companies. “We cre-ated winners and losers,” Emard says. “And that was just not good for the community.”

Their response was to develop a program that instilled an interest in technology early in the educational process and would help develop professionals to fill future needs. En-ter IT-oLogy (it-ology.org), a Columbia-based nonprofit launched in 2009 as a resource center with programs, workshops, camps and conferences for students from elemen-tary school through college.

Starting with some powerful corporate partners like BlueCross, IBM, and the Uni-versity of South Carolina, IT-oLogy, with Emard at its helm, now partners in a variety of ways with 250 businesses and 80 educa-tional institutions. The businesses set up internships and provide job shadowing op-portunities, as well as offering input to help design curricula that meets occupational needs.

Over the last year, new branches have opened in Charlotte, N.C., Greenville, S.C. and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Early exposureFor Emard, exposing kids to IT at an early

level is fundamental. He sees a path that be-gins with increased enrollment in technical programs, which triggers more educational programs and leads to better internships, work experiences and job opportunities.

At the K-12 level, IT-oLogy hosts career fairs as well as several monthly events. There’s Cyber Saturday, a monthly event for all grade levels that gives students hands-on experience from professionals on a variety of IT-related topics. Check out columbiacy-bersaturday.eventbrite.com for information on future events.

Other events include the Create IT Camp (for middle school students), the Make It Hap-pen Camp (for high schoolers) and a Cybe-rIQ program, which teaches computer secu-rity and awareness to middle school girls and their parents. Check out colatechevents.com for a full list of upcoming programs.

At 16, Kevin Rabinovich is a seasoned IT-ology veteran with a budding web develop-ment business. He regularly attends IT-ology conferences and, with organization support, hosts the annual TEDx Youth Conference, which he initiated.

“It’s important for kids to know that it’s not always sitting at a cubicle all day, typing away with a blank stare on your face,” Kevin says. “You actually get to solve problems, you get to help people in the real world.”

Professional successFor college students majoring in computer

science, IT-oLogy can lead to business in-ternships and employment.

That was the case with Christine Tanner, a computer professional who took additional training at Midlands Tech after she was laid off by AT&T. Christine participated in a number of IT-oLogy programs and attended a Career Fair. That led to a paid internship with Colonial Life and job offers from major companies, including SCANA, where she now works as an application developer. That’s “not an easy job to get in the IT world, when you’re competing with so many people right out of college,” Tanner says.

learning

For Emard, the ideal young student who benefits from IT-oLogy is curious and cre-ative.

“The thing that we really want to make sure happens is that kids see opportunity,” he says, “that they see a chance to make a difference and they can do that with an open mind, knowing if they’re a good com-municator or if they’re very organized or they think about art and design, there’s a home for them in the IT profession. It really is this kind of whole brain thing.”

Top Jobs in IT’s futureThe need for IT staff will grow so

much in the future, according to Lon-nie Emard, president of IT-oLogy, that a good portion of the jobs will not be able to be filled in the U.S.

“That’s why things get sent off-shore. That’s why we import people from somewhere else in the world to come work in these jobs, and that is just flat out wrong. We have too many people in this country who are highly educated and they’re out of work, or they’re working at McDonald’s. We’ve really got to get this lined up.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer systems design and related services “account-ed for just over 20 percent of all jobs in computer occupations in 2010, but will generate more than half of all new computer jobs from 2010 to 2020.”

The top five computer professions in the near future, Emard says, will be:

Business application Developers write software to serve specific busi-ness needs. Informatics analysts bring business information requirements together with available technology/software to help companies make decisions. A role that requires good communica-tion skills. Security analysts have a combina-tion of integrated technical awareness and a targeted knowledge of up-to-date security techniques. Network Specialists are technicians with analytical and integration skills who can efficiently connect differing technologies. Project Managers coordinate all of the IT solutions from teams of people with diverse business and technical backgrounds. The job requires both technical awareness and good people skills. – Rodney Welch

“It’s important for kids to know that it’s not always sitting at a cubicle all day, typing away with a blank stare on your face. You actually get to solve problems, you get to help people in the real world.”– Kevin Rabinovich, 16

25

Head Start1400 St. Andrews Rd., 898-2550

A comprehensive school readiness program serving kids 0-5 that has a strong focus on ensuring that they start school ready to learn.

Lango South Carolinalangosouthcarolina.com

At Lango, your child will learn an-other language, make developmental strides, explore other cultures. At vari-ous Midlands locations.

The Language Buzz1921 Henderson St., 252-7002thelanguagebuzz.com

A unique foreign language learning center that promotes the early command of languages through language immersion, contextualized learning, and the learning and acceptance of different cultures.

Mathnasiummathnasium.com

Offers math help for students from grades 2 through 12.

Montessori Early Learning Centermelcsota.com

Founded in 1976, the Montessori Early Learning Center offers the full spectrum of the Montessori learning environment, as well as in-house dance, music, art, drama, gymnastics, com-puter and foreign language classes.

My Amigosmyamigosbec.org

Language immersion programs for ages 30 months to 5th grade.

Pearson Professional Centers107 Westpark Blvd., 798-3001

Offers GMAT testing.

Personal Pathways to Successscpathways.org

Provides educational and career planning resources.

Provost Academy South Carolinasc.provostacademy

A tuition-free, online-only public high school. Live online classrooms give students the ability to includes the ability to participate in discussions and ask questions.

REACHreachgroup.org

A support group for Columbia-area home schoolers; provides information and activities, offers information about academic résumés and transcripts.

Richland County First Stepsrcfirststeps.org

Works with kids, parents, schools and childcare providers to promote health, literacy and school readiness in young children.

Reading, writing, ‘rithmetic, sure — but what if your child has trouble with the three Rs? Or what if your child shows exemplary skill in them? Each

child learns differently, and each child has different interests — from math to science, from foreign lan-guages to outer space. To help your kid learn, check out the following.

Aim High Education4801 Hardscrabble Rd., 788-6894aimhigheducationsc.com

Customized after-school education programs and tutoring.

The Afterschool Zonetheafterschoozone.com

Offers afterschool pickup from Lexington/Richland 5 and Richland 1 schools. Students engage in physical and educational activities.

Bright Start720 Gracern Rd., 929-1112brightstartsc.com

Provides quality comprehensive services to all individuals with special needs and developmental delays.

Challenger Learning Center2600A Barhamville Rd.929-3951, thechallengercenter.net

The Challenger Learning Center of

Richland County School District One is an aeronautics- and space-themed learning program designed to provide interactive learning experiences, inte-grating science, technology, engineering and math curricula with 21st century life skills.

Discovery Program of South Carolina8807 Two Notch Rd., 419-0126discoveryprogramsc.org

Noted as a program of excel-lence with the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD), the Dis-covery Program helps those struggling to learn — whether via learning dis-abilities or other learning disorders — to become independent students.

Glenforest Schoolglenforest.org

Works with K-12 students who have not thrived in traditional learning envi-ronments, including students with dys-lexia, attention-deficit disorder or other developmental challenges.

learning

26

Social Media: Yes or No for Your Teen?Social media is everywhere, and it’s no longer just Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook, in fact, is on the outs with teens. A Pew Internet report released in May found that teens have “waning enthusiasm” for the site, turned off by the high number of adults there and, as one teen put it, all the drama.

Teens haven’t deleted their Facebook accounts, though — they’re just cutting down on the time they spend there as they head to such sites as Twitter, You-Tube, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Snap-chat and Vine.

So, before you can answer the ques-tion of whether to allow your child to use social media sites, it would be a good

idea to investigate what that actually means. How to do that? Talk to your kids about which sites they use. Talk to other parents — especially ones whose kids are older than yours — about which sites their kids use. And, by all means, check out the Pew Center’s research at pewinternet.org (look for “Teens, Social Media and Privacy”).

To explore the question of whether or not you should allow your teens to use social media, we offer the perspectives of two parents: Free Times editor Dan Cook and longtime Free Times contributor Kevin Oliver.

life

Yes: Trust, But VerifyBy Dan Cook

The question isn’t whether your teen is going to use social media — the question is under what circumstances. Because

no matter what you tell your child, he or she will use social media eventually. But whether the first time your child uses a so-cial media site is in the middle of the night at a sleepover or in your own home during daylight hours depends in large part on how you approach the issue.

As your child hits age 11, 12 or 13, social media will be on their mind. Facebook and Gmail have explicit age restrictions — 13 — while Twitter does not. But it’s up to you whether turning 13 means automatic access to social media.

As with any parent-child relationship, honesty and openness go a long way in dis-cussions about social media. Ask why they want a Twitter account. Share your concerns about what could go wrong: an embarrass-ing post they will later regret, unwanted contact from a stranger. Talk about how they would handle such situations — and how you would like them to handle such situa-tions.

It’s important to be informed about social media yourself and engaged with what your child is reading and posting — but it’s also important to have a sense of perspective not to be paranoid. If your 14-year-old child or one of their friends drops an F-bomb on Twitter, for example, that calls for a serious conversation. But be clear about what the issue is: It’s your child’s language, not social media — though social media can certainly amplify a mistake. You can’t watch your children every minute of the day — and if you are overbearing, you’re only likely to provoke a negative reaction.

Depending on how old your teen is, odds are good that he or she is already using so-cial media with or without your knowledge. So the time to have a social media conversa-tion is now.

If your child is not on social media yet, then you still have time to ask yourself some basic questions:

n at what age is it appropriate for my child to have his or her own social media accounts?

n What are the conditions for allowing my child to open an account?

n Under what circumstances would I insist that my child close his or her account?

n What kind of standards are other parents setting? are those too loose or too strict for my child?

n How many accounts — and which ones — is it appropriate for my child to have?

Be aware of what your child is up to. Make being connected with your child on social media a condition of your child hav-ing an account; be sure you know which accounts your child has and what their passwords are, and go over your child’s pri-vacy settings together.

Yes, social media presents a different world than the one you grew up in — but it doesn’t have to be a scary one.

No: Or, Not So FastBy Kevin Oliver

Having young children and being on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and a few other sites myself, I’m leery of allowing

them access at all, at least until they are older and can understand the consequences and issues surrounding the use and misuse of social media.

Facebook’s age of entry is officially 13, but I routinely get friend requests from my child’s peers who I know are younger. Are their parents allowing them to lie about their age to get an account? Not the best parental example there, I’d say.

Social media hasn’t changed the parent-child relationship so much as it has given it another avenue to either be good, or bad, depending on the level of trust involved. If you are clueless about social media, how can you expect to police your children on-line? Too many of the profiles of my friends’ children are open and public, inviting issues and problems from both strangers and un-welcome peers, and their parents don’t even know. Younger children are also sometimes unaware of the darker corners of the Internet and how easy it is to wander into inappro-priate sites and situations.

My biggest concern with allowing my children unfettered access to social media early on is the cyberbullying issue, which is more common than most realize or are will-ing to admit. With real-life bullying already a reality for us on more than one occasion in elementary school, giving it a chance to resurface online is more than I’m willing to chance, at least not yet.

There are more questions than answers for many parents when it comes to what to allow and what not to allow their children to do online, and at what age.

It is different for every family and every child, obviously, but for me there are three rules I won’t bend.

n No Internet activity outside of our liv-ing room, and our family computer is on full view in the same room.

n I have full access to any and all online accounts and passwords, period, with the expectation that I may use that ac-cess at any time to ‘check up’ on what’s going on behind the profile pages.

n No personally identifying information is shared online with anyone — phone num-ber, address, date of birth, for example.

It’s a different world with social media, but the issues are still the same ones we grew up with — for the kids, it’s ‘how much can I get away with to prove my independence and as-sert myself as an individual’ and for parents it comes down to what is the best way to keep your kids safe but allow them to test limits and spread their wings.

27life2011

2011

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aSY Counseling Services1825 St. Julian Pl., 254-1210asycounseling.com

Providing quality mental health services to children and families in the Columbia area.

Behavior Consulting Services3227 Sunset Blvd.behaviorconsultingservices.com

Serves children with a variety of special needs, including autism spectrum disorders, behavioral difficulties and academic difficulties.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbiabbbs.org

Oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. Serves children ages 6 through 18.

Boys & Girls Club of the Midlandsbgcmidland.org

Formed in 1959, operates 31 clubs, eight summer camps and a teen center serving youth and families from Fairfield, Lexington and Richland Counties.

Children’s Chance609 Sims Ave., 254-5996childrenschance.org

Children’s Chance’s mission is to improve the quality of life of children and families who are dealing with the trauma of pediatric cancer.

Children’s Trust of SC1634 Main St., 733-5430, scchildren.org

Aims to promote healthy, nurturing relationships between children and adults — because strengthening families is the best way to prevent abuse, neglect and unintentional injuries.

Christian Counseling Center1500 Lady St., 779-1995christiancounseling.ws

Offers counseling on a variety of topics; also offers spiritual and religious counseling. Offered by First Presbyterian Church.

Columbia Counseling Center900 St. Andrews Rd., 731-4708columbiacounseling.accountsupport.com

A Christian perspective on counseling.

Crossroads Counseling Center130 Whiteford Way, 808-1800solutionsforlife.org

Counseling for adults, adolescents, children and marriages.

family Connections of South Carolina2712 Middleburg Dr., 252-0914familyconnectionsc.org

Statewide organization of parents helping parents of children with disabili-ties, developmental delays, and chronic illnesses.

family Service Center of South Carolina2712 Middleburg Dr., 733-5450fsconline.org

A multi-service non-profit agency of-fering adoption services, consumer credit

counseling, child dental clinics, an eye care clinic and more.

Kennedy Drivers Training SchoolBox Turtle Court, 318-4264kennedydriverstraining.com

Started in 1998 after the company owner taught her own teenagers to drive.

lake Murray Counseling Center7511 St. Andrews Rd., 781-1003lakemurraycounseling.com

Offering counseling for children’s and adolescent issues.

leadership Institute at Columbia Collegecolumbiacollegesc.edu/leadership_inst/

Girls Empowered and LEAD residential programs.

lexington-Richland anti-Drug abuse CouncilLexington County: 1068 S. Lake Dr., 726-9400Richland County: 2711 Colonial Dr., 726-9300lradac.org

Alcohol and drug abuse authority offering a wide array of prevention, inter-vention and treatment programs, includ-ing child and adolescent programs.

Mental Health america of South Carolina1823 Gadsden St., 779-5363, mha-sc.org

NaMI Mid Carolinanamimidcarolina.org

Local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Palmetto Counseling associates1911 Gadsden St., 254-9767palmettocounseling.com

SC Childcarescchildcare.org, childcare.sc.gov

Clearinghouse of information on child-care licensing and childhood develop-ment programs.

South Carolina Youth advocate Program779-5500

Nonprofit child-placing agency offer-ing training, support and compensation to qualified families who provide a home to a foster child.

Three Rivers Behavioral HealthWest Columbia: 200 Ermine Rd., 791-9918West Columbia: 2900 Sunset Blvd., 796-

9911threeriversbehavioral.org

Provides comprehensive residential treatment for children and adolescents providing treatment for psychiatric and chemical dependency related illnesses.

University of South Carolina Speech and Hearing Research Center1601 St. Julian Pl., 77-2614, sph.sc.edu/shc/

Provides a variety of evaluation and treatment programs for individuals of all ages.

Life is full of tough questions. Is your 4-year-old ready for a sleepover? Should your 12-year-old be on Facebook? How do you talk to your 16-year-old about sexting? Teach your

children well, or so the song says — and here’s how you can help them learn how to live.

life

30

Moms are Making Stay-at-Home WorkHome-Based Businesses Help Balance Work and Family LifeBy Amanda Ladymon

Owning a home business is one way many working moms have found to contrib-ute to the household income while also

sharing quality time with their children. For adventurous types, a “cottage” business can alleviate the stress of working in an office while someone else raises your kids, and also allows for a more flexible schedule. It isn’t, however, an easy path to choose.

Speaking from personal experience as a new mom with a new at-home business, prioritizing, strong time management skills and self-discipline are key. You also have to consider frequent upkeep to your home’s appearance if clients are coming by on a regular basis. I am an artist as well as an art educator. I host workshops for children and adults in addition to having clients com-ing to view artwork, so there is a lot of traffic frequently in and out of our home. I love this dynamic, but it’s not for everyone. Many of my friends are entrepreneurs as well and agree that it’s a juggling act.

“I think the most obvious challenge for moms working at home is finding boundar-ies and giving ourselves a break,” says Sally Peek, owner and designer of Nana handbags (nanabysally.com). Peek has been making

handmade accessories since 2007, right around the time she had her first child. Her studio is in the center of her house, so con-stant interaction with her daughters while at the sewing machine is part of a normal day. Sometimes she even sews with her toddler on her lap.

Anne Postic, the Shop Tart, a popular blogger (theshoptart.com), deals with a similar situation in her home, insisting that sometimes you must find a designated work-space. “I am constantly surrounded by my work so I always feel compelled to be doing something in the studio or working on the computer,” she says. She prefers to keep her work time separate from family time, insist-ing on respected boundaries from her three sons while she writes her blog.

For all the moms interviewed, the flexibil-ity of making your own schedule is definitely one of the biggest perks.

Leslie Twining, owner of Carolina Cloth (carolinacloth.com), a cloth diaper business, says, “I can put in 10 hours a week or I can put in 50 hours. I can use my free time to do what I need to do, business-wise, so it doesn’t interfere with family life.”

While it may differ from business to busi-

ness, there can also be some financial ben-efits to working from home. Besides saving money on gas, office-appropriate clothing and eating out with friends at work, you can save on some of the essentials for your children.

“I saw cloth diapering as a way for me to contribute to our family,” Twining says. “Since I wasn’t bringing in a paycheck, at least I could do what I could to reduce spending.”

Postic sees an educational benefit for her children as well.

“I think it’s really great for kids to be aware of what their parents do outside of taking care of children,” she says. “It shows them that work is part of everyone’s life, and maybe even helps lead them to finding work they enjoy.”

Peek agrees: “They (her daughters) have been raised to watch me work and have learned a great deal of patience and abil-ity to be independent that way. I would not trade that for the world. Being able to stay home with them while working does not come without its challenges but I thank my lucky stars every day for my work and home life.”

family financeGetting Started

Ready to move ahead with a home-based business? Here are a few things to think about:

n Create a designated workspace and be disciplined about keeping it for work only.

n Talk to an expert like the SBDC (scs-bdc.com) or SCORE (scoremidlands.org) to find out how to legally set up your business and protect your personal as-sets as well.

n Research social media channels and set up business pages on Facebook and Twitter.

n Know your client base.

n Print business cards and have them on you at all times!

n If you sell a physical product, you need to a state tax license. Find out more at scbos.sc.gov.

n Make a to-do list for every day.

n Keep a calendar on your phone or small purse-sized planner for work; a separate one on the fridge for family stuff, and bathroom for house stuff.

n Learn the art of saying no. You don’t have to do everything.

n Dish out shared responsibility with your spouse and children on chores/housework.

n Always designate at least half a day for family time each week.

Sally Peek has made handbags and accessories since 2007.

31

PEACEFUL SPIRIT

One breath. One step. One moment. With a calm mind I am totally relaxed.

COLUMBIA TAI CHI CENTER 2910 Rosewood Drive, Columbia SC

ColumbiaTaiChiCenter.com

32

Winning is everything, at least that’s what the message seems to be from sports icons and the leagues they play in. On a community level, however, there’s more to sports than

the final score, and there are several programs in the Columbia area that incorporate faith-based teaching into athletics.

“What I tell my coaches is that winning is important — that’s our goal on the field and on the court,” Ben Lippen school’s Athletic Director Ben Porter says. “But that is not our purpose. We want to help our student ath-letes develop in their faith; if winning ever trumps that, we have problems.”

One of the most visible examples of faith-based sporting programs in the Midlands is the many Upward Sports leagues, including basketball, baseball, soccer, cheerleading and flag football. Cindy Woods, recreation minister at First Baptist Church in down-town Columbia, says the program attracts a wide range of participants, which feeds into the mission of the church.

In the Upward program, the message is introduced through devotionals during weekly practice, a scripture memorization with rewards for completion and a guest devotion at halftime of every game.

“The game-day devotion reaches the families that attend as well as the kids,” Woods says. “We believe that God is at work all around us, and sports are no differ-ent.” She stresses that they are both a sports league and a mission for the church, with no compromises made in the combination of the two.

“Everything we do is designed to exceed what a parent would expect; we ensure that everything is well organized and fun.”

Jesse Harmon of the Lexington-based Crossover Athletics is a former youth minis-ter who has put together a package of sports programs that incorporate spiritual fitness into exercise and sports, something Harmon considers a natural fit.

“We want the participants to enjoy their sports experience as much as possible but we also think that when we help them un-derstand the purpose God has for their lives, they will benefit in many ways other than just playing the sport.”

religion & spirituality

Spiritual Fitness: When Winning Isn’t the Only ThingBy Kevin Oliver

Pro Athletes’ Faith a Powerful Influence

According to Faith Magazine, two-thirds of Americans say they think pro athletes have more influence in American society today than profes-sional faith leaders.

Tim Tebow, former Florida Gators and Denver Broncos quarterback and now on the New England Patri-ots roster, is perhaps the highest-profile professional sports figure who openly professes his faith both on and off the field. His trademark post-scoring move of kneeling for a brief moment of prayer is now re-ferred to as “Tebowing.”

Sometimes it seems a bit of a stretch, as when Santonio Holmes of the Pittsburgh Steelers credited God with some pretty awesome playmaking. “It was all God’s will,” Holmes said. “You know, he placed the ball where it needed to be, and the play came through for us.”

More often, a player’s faith is pre-sented as part of their lives in and out of sports, which can make them good role models in a moral sense for youth involved in sports them-selves.

Boxer Roberto Guerrero is keenly aware of the example he sets with his faith, something he told the Christian Broadcasting Network in a recent interview. “You talk about the Lord, there are so many people out there waiting for you to fail, but I look at it as an opportunity to inspire them.” — Kevin Oliver

“We want the participants to enjoy their sports experience as much as possible but we also think that when we help them understand the purpose God has for their lives, they will benefit in many ways other than just playing the sport.”— Jessie Harmon, Crossover Athletics

A football coach prays with his players. Photo by Kevin Bray

religion directory

Crossover offers a flag foot-ball league, a basketball pro-gram, and a running program for boys, Run Hard. Each one approaches the spiritual study portion slightly differently.

“In our flag football league coaches use a playbook that consists of devotionals writ-ten by us and other sports and church leaders in the com-munity,” Harmon says. “Our basketball program uses more of a mentorship approach, with group discussions, prayer time, and sharing bible verses.”

Prayer and religion in public schools is a hot-button issue, but in a private Christian school setting such as Ben Lippen, it is part of the fabric of daily student life and instruction, an approach that extends to the athletic program, according to Porter.

“That’s part of it, but that’s not true integration of our faith,” Porter says. “We want our coaches to pray for our kids, we want them to set an example. If we want our athletes to model

lexington Baptist Church308 E. Main StreetLexington, SC 29072(803) 359-4146www.lexingtonbaptist.org

Large church in family-friendly Lexington with excellent, active children’s and student ministries. Four worship services in both contemporary and traditional styles.

our coaches, they better be top notch in how they live their life, period.” He says that their focus on faith shouldn’t be seen as a sign they are not fully com-mitted to being competitive, however.

“We’re not a youth group, we’re an athletic program,” he says. “It’s easy to say we don’t care as much about athletics, which isn’t true, but we do have a higher purpose.”

That higher purpose is echoed in the effectiveness of the Upward and Crossover pro-grams as well.

“We find the children are receptive to the gospel message through participation in our sports leagues,” Woods says.

“We are given the opportuni-ty to play sports for a short win-dow so we want to leverage that time to teach the participants important biblical values,” Har-mon says. “We know that every-one will outgrow their playing days, but none of us will outlive eternity.”

34

alastair MoockSinging Our Way Through: Songs for the World’s Bravest KidsSelf-released CD

Inspired by his own family’s experience with childhood leukemia, the new album

from Boston folk singer and award-winning family music artist Alastair Moock takes dif-ficult subjects and turns them on their heads — quite literally. Case in point: The upbeat, silly “When I Get Bald”, which addresses the hair loss often experienced by cancer patients receiving chemo treatments, and treats it as something interesting that just happens, rather than something to cause worry, embarrassment or distress.

Moock has enlisted an excellent cast of supporting musicians, including fellow chil-dren’s musicians Elizabeth Mitchell, Rani Arbo and The Okee Dokee Brothers. Notable fellow folkies Chris Smither (on a wonder-ful version of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” from the Toy Story movie franchise), Mark Erelli and Aoife O’Donovan also appear.

The songs are alternately joyous and comforting, two emotions that the tar-get audience undoubtedly need more of. O’Donovan’s “Home When I Hold You,” for example, reassures the listener through a parental-sounding lullaby duet with Moock that they are home wherever they are being held by the singer, presumably the parents.

Funds from a related crowdfunding campaign and sales of the album will sup-port its distribution as a free resource for patients and pediatric oncology programs around the country.

frances EnglandBlink of an EyeSelf-released CD

The indie-folk sound of Frances England has always seemed more like adult music

than made-for-children entertainment. In fact, she’s releasing her first adult-targeted album in September. But before that release, she has come up with another shimmering set of singularly precocious pieces of acous-tic folk-pop aimed at younger ears.

Like Lunch Money (whose singer Molly Ledford guests here), England’s tone is one of wonderment and playfulness. You hear it in the propulsive drive of “Little Wings” cel-ebrating the quickness of children’s move-ments and the parental reminiscing of “The Day You Were Born.” England’s wispy voice is a whisper, like she’s telling secrets and relating amazing stories that the listen-er just won’t believe are true. In addition to Ledford (“Bicycle Built for Two”), guests in-clude Elizabeth Mitch-ell, Caspar Babypants and Morgan Taylor (Gustafer Yellowgold), who blend into the surroundings enough that they’re more fel-low participants than spotlighted features.

This may be one of those albums that mom and dad might enjoy more than the littlest ears in the car, but the non-pandering yet still

childlike tone will appeal to older children, certainly, as they transition to the Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine al-bums that their parents play for themselves.

Roger DayMarsh Mud Madness’Self-released DVD

Roger Day is a nationally touring family musician whose songs are the kind of

simple, fun compositions that kids can im-mediately connect with and sing along to. This new DVD was filmed on location at the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island and live in concert at the Sa-vannah Music Festival, with Day covering lots of coastal conservation related topics through music and instructional vignettes.

As the intro says, “Is everybody ready for a show full of mud … marsh mud?” Day then talks about the infamous pluff mud of the Atlantic coast, where you might lose a limb down in the mud if you step in a deep enough patch of it. Kids and mud, now

there’s a great combination, right? Day takes advantage of children’s natural fascination with all things muddy by inject-ing silly songs about natural-ists, biologists, and the plants and animals they study into a tightly paced video that alter-nates between live concert foot-age and actual footage of the animals and critters he sings about.

It’s all grand fun, but also a great introduction to salt-water marsh ecology and the beaches and barrier islands that many children might take for granted or not notice on their mad dash for the water and prime sand castle terri-tory. Watch it with the whole family before your next trip to the coast.

Music & DVD ReviewsBy Kevin Oliver

media

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BooksA Little Book of Slothlucy Cooke (author)Margaret K. McElderry Books, 64 pages, $16.99

Ages: 5 and up

Quite possibly the cutest photo essay

ever produced, Lucy Cooke’s A Little Book of Sloth is an ode to the jungle’s most laid-back inhabitants. Cooke, a filmmaker, photographer and zoologist, introduces readers to the adorable residents of a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica where the official motto is ‘Just Chill’. At 64 pages, the text may be a bit long for preschoolers but children (and parents) of any age will enjoy flipping through the wonderful photographs and meeting the superstars of “Slothville”. Filled with fun facts (did you know sloths are Xenarthrans?) and page after page of squeal-inducing photos, this book is sure to please animal lovers of all ages. — Ellan Jenkinson, Richland Library Cooper

How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?Chris Butterworth (author) and lucia Gaggiotti (illustrator)Candlewick, 32 pages, $12.99

Ages: 5-8

Celebrate the many people that help grow, make and transport

our food by reading How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?. The journey begins with a lunchbox filled with a cheese sandwich, fruit, vegetables, a juice box and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Each item’s origin is explained in great detail. Readers will enjoy seeing the giant combine that cuts the wheat which gets turned into bread; the global trip that some cocoa beans take; and the heater that warms up the juice to kill any germs before it’s poured into the juice box. The illustrations also have some great surprises for families — just staring at the food-filled

endpapers will make your mouth water.

Without a doubt, this book is a feast for the eyes and mind. — Heather McCue, Richland Library

ViralsKathy & Brendan ReichsPuffin, 430 pages, $8.99

Ages: 13 and up

Tory is the head of a group of teenage “sci-philes” in

Charleston, S.C., who inves-tigate an island laboratory and wind up infected with an experimental virus. She and her friends, each bright in their own way, must get to the bottom of the virus’s origins as well as a decades-old murder mystery if they are going to save them-selves and bring the lab’s shady owners to justice. This story, by mystery author and creator of the TV series Bones Kathy Reichs and her son Brendan, is a fun blend of Southern-flavored mystery and science fiction, with the next two entries in the series, Seizure and Code, just as addictive to read. — Thomas Maluck, Richland Library

mediaroy or Fly High, Fly Low (my per-sonal favorite), his books charm readers with their thoughtful stories and wonderful illustrations. I am happy to say that The Chalk Box Story app lived up to my expectations. Like the book, it follows the story of a box of chalk and a piece of paper. The pieces of chalk want to make a picture and

this time your child gets to help. Narration and simple visual cues will guide readers through the story and, with each piece of chalk, your child will learn col-ors and teamwork. One of my favorite parts is the end of the story where readers can select characters to add — a seagull can fly through the palm trees or a crab can dance in the sand. Simple and inspiring like a box

of chalk, The Chalk Box Story app is sure to delight your fam-ily and, for just $2.99, it won’t break the bank.

— Heather McCue, Richland Library

myHomework Student Planner (Free)Ages: Teens

This handy app, available at myhomeworkapp.com, allows

students and teachers to orga-nize and prioritize assignments on any iPad, iPod, Android device, Kindle, or PC. Students can keep up with their class schedules, due dates and tests without any paper organizers to haul around. Better yet, stu-dents can sign in via Facebook. Another great feature is the teacher’s section where students can “join” classes and teachers can push out group notifications and assignments, including at-tachments and resources.

— Heather Green, Richland Library Wheatley

AppsThe Chalk Box Story ($2.99)Auryn (for iOS and Android)

Ages: 3-7

First let me begin by saying, I am a fan of Don Freeman.

Whether it’s Dandelion, Cordu-

C E N T E RD A N C E

EDUCATION

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Mimi Worrell Artistic Director

CDE and Carolina Ballet

I T B E G I N S H E R E8 0 3 - 7 7 1 - 6 3 0 3

AUDITIONS FOR CAROLINA BALLET’S

THE NUTCRACKERAUGUST 25 - REGISTRATION AT 1 PM

914 PULASKI ST, COLUMBIA, SC

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Barnes & NobleForest Acres: 3400 Forest Dr., 787-5600Harbison: 278-A Harbison Blvd., 749-9009barnesandnoble.com

The mega-chain bookstore stocks tons of reading material for kids, sure, but it hosts kid-friendly events — story-times, games, etc. — too.

The Book Dispensary710 Gracern Rd.,798-4739mybookdispensary.com

The best books, often, are ones that have been treasured and cared for, and Columbia’s oldest specializes in pre-loved books.’

Books-A-MillionForest Acres: 4840 Forest Dr., 782-4475Harbison: 275 Harbison Blvd., 749-9378Northeast: 164 Forum Dr., 788-4349booksamillion.com

The mega-chain bookstore stocks tons of reading material for kids, sure, but hosts kid-friendly events — story-times, games, etc. — too.

Books Revisited7366A Two Notch Rd., 865-9990booksrevisitedsc.com

A quality source for quality used books; also hosts storytimes, book clubs, writing workshops and more.

Ed’s Editions406 Meeting St., 791-8002edseditions.com

This quaint, family-owned bookstore is a nigh-yearly winner in the Free Times Best of Columbia awards.

GameStopgamestop.com

A recent study, ABC News reported, from the Education Development Cen-ter and the U.S. Congress-supported Ready To Learn Initiative found that a curriculum that involved digital media such as video games could improve early literacy skills when coupled with strong parental and teacher involve-ment. The key was having educational video games, but video games also improve hand-eye coordination, teach basic skills, improve multitasking and can promote exercise and social play. There are some 15 GameStop locations in Columbia, so buy Junior that Zelda title if he does well in school, OK?

Heroes and Dragons510 Bush River Rd., 731-4376

Like video games, comic books, too, provide benefits, stimulating the imagi-nation and creativity. So don’t toss your kids’ Avengers comics.

Lexington County Library Main Branch: 5440 Augusta Rd., 785-2600Batesburg-Leesville: 203 Armory St.,

532-9223Cayce-West Columbia: 1500 Augusta Rd.,

794-6791Chapin: 129 NW Columbia Ave., 345-5479Gaston: 214 S. Main St., 791-3208Gilbert-Summit: 405 Broad St., 785-5387

Irmo: 6251 St. Andrews Rd., 798-7880Pelion: 206 Pine St., 785-3272Swansea: 199 N. Lawrence Ave., 785-3519South Congaree: 200 Sunset Dr., 785-3050lex.lib.sc.us

Books are invaluable to a child’s development. The 10-branch Lexington County Library system stocks tons of books for kids, but will also help your child understand them, too. Offers classes, book clubs, homework help, kids’ events and much more.

Rainy Day Pal Books711 E. Main St., 951-2780

Located on the bottom floor of Lexington’s historic Old Mill, Rainy Day Pal Used Books is known for its wide selection, and it specializes in children’s books.

Richland County Public Library Main Branch: 1431 Assembly St., 799-9084Ballentine: 1321 Dutch Fork Rd., 781-5026Blythewood: 218 McNulty Rd., 691-9806.Cooper: 5317 N. Trenholm Rd., 787-3462Eastover: 608 Main St., 353-8584North Main: 5306 N. Main St., 754-7734Northeast: 7490 Parklane Rd., 736-6575Sandhills: 1 Summit Pkwy., 699-9230Southeast: 7421 Garners Ferry Rd.,

776-0855St. Andrews: 2916 Broad River Rd.,

772-6675Wheatley: 931 Woodrow St., 799-5873myrcpl.com.

For many years running, the Rich-land County Public Library won the Best Place to Expand Your Mind category in the Free Times Best of Columbia awards. Like the library system across the river, the 11-branch Richland County Public Library system stocks tons of books for kids, but will also help your child under-stand them, too. Offers classes, book clubs, homework help, kids’ events and much more.

Rolling Video Gamesrollingvideogamescolumbia.com

Rolling Video Games delivers what it promises: a mobile video game theater stocked with the latest titles available for birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, whatever.

Silver City Comics538 Knox Abbott Dr., 791-4021

Remember what we said about He-roes and Dragons? Ditto for Silver City.

South Carolina State Library 1430 Senate St.statelibrary.sc.gov

The South Carolina State Library is home to the South Carolina Center for the Book, which co-sponsor adult and adolescent literary events, such as the South Carolina Book Festival, the State Library Read-In, Letters About Litera-ture, and many workshops.

Thomas Lee Hall Library 4679 Lee Rd., 751-5589fortjacksonmwr.com/library

Military kids don’t have to go off-post to find a great library.

We know we just said, not three listings sections ago, that active kids are happy kids. But the mind and imagination are

to be nurtured, too, and here are a few places where you can do just that.

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FAMILY FUN AT THE CMA

Up! Down! Across! And Through!Ages 2-5Wednesday, September 410:00 – 11:00 a.m.Travel through the galleries learning all about color and create a woven masterpiece brimming with vibrant colors.

Monster Madness!Ages 2-5Wednesday, October 210:00 – 11:00 a.m.In the galleries, young artists will learn all about hidden animals and creatures and in the studios they will “shape” their very own monster.

My Favorite ThingsAges 2-5Wednesday, November 610:00 – 11:00 a.m.Enter the world of Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage and discover a few of the artist’s favorite things. In the studio, use your favorite color to create a work of art.

1515 Main Street in downtown Columbia, SC | 803.799.2810 | columbiamuseum.org

Join me, Gladys the grasshopper, to learn, play and create our way through the Museum! Listen to storytelling in the galleries, take a family safari through our collection or create a piece of original artwork — these are just a few of the entertaining activities the whole family can enjoy.

Spooktacular Night at the CMAAll AgesSaturday, October 19 | 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.As darkness falls, the Museum transforms into a Spooktacular place filled with ghosts, art, music and goodies. Explore the galleries by taking a ‘spooky’-themed tour and participating in a haunted gallery hunt, as well as creating Halloween art. Buy a burger for dinner from the Pawley’s food truck on the plaza. At the stroke of 7:00, enjoy a performance by Lunch Money followed by a trip to the Garden of Curiosities.

Gladys’ Gang Join us for an exciting new series! Participants and their adult companions explore art through the introduction of elementary art terms such as color, line, shape and texture. This FREE program includes story time and a creative studio activity related to the theme.

Your child care chooses to be an ABC quality program. Doesn’t it?

scchildcare.org

Look. Listen. Ask. Know before they go.

GET HELP FROM A GREAT PEDIATRICIAN.

Childhood is full of bangs,bumps and bacteria.

Parenthood may be fun, but it sure isn’t easy. That’s why the pediatric practices of Lexington Medical

Center make children’s health care fast and easy. Get

compassionate, comprehensive and acute pediatric

care from experienced physicians with convenient

office hours. And protect your children with the added

strength of Lexington Medical Center and our extensive

physician network of care.

109 Vista Oaks Drive, Suite C • Lexington, SC 29072

(803) 808-0523www.lakesidepediatric.com

A Lexington Medical Center Physician Practice

811 West Main St., Suite 205 • Lexington, SC 29072

(803) 359-8855 www.lexpediatricpractice.com

A Lexington Medical Center Physician Practice