If you love going out to eat with your family, Foodie Card is a must-have! You can use it at over 135 Westchester restaurants and save 10% on the bill every time you visit! Plus, you earn rewards for every dollar you save. Some Foodie Card restaurant partners include Fortina Pizza, Donjito, Croton Tapsmith, TCBY, Fratelli’s Trattoria, IHOP and Sambal.

Want to find more participating restaurants are near you? Click here.
 
Foodie Card was made popular on Long Island, branched out within NYC, and now has officially launched in Westchester! Whenever you travel, even for a staycation, Foodie Card is great to have on hand. There are more than 1300 restaurants in the Tri-State area that honor the 10% off member discount! ​
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The best part about Foodie Card isn’t just the savings, for every membership purchase or renewal, a day of meals get donated to people in need! So far, they have provided over 50,000 meals to people experiencing food insecurity. As part of their launch in Westchester, Foodie Card is now an official partner of the local food bank, Feeding Westchester. 
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10% off the bill, rewards for every dollar saved, and giving back to the community all sounds great right?

​Treat yourself to a full YEAR of Foodie Card membership with this exclusive offer for Westchester NY Moms readers- use code FEEDINGWNYM12 or click here to get your first 12-months of Foodie Card for FREE!

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Are you ready for some holiday shopping? 

White Plains annual Holiday Market will be back this year for  a 15-day shopping experience that will run from December 5th through December 19th. 

The Market will be located on Court Street between Main Street and Martine Avenue and will be open from 11 AM to 7 PM every day. It will feature 62 artisanal vendors from around the Westchester County region.  A plethora of uniquely designed and crafted products will be available including: ornaments, hand painted glass, jewelry, pottery, and other art, knits, African and Tibetan products, bath products, oils, vinegars, home accessories, aboriginal towels and silks, nesting dolls, scarves, natural skin care products including soaps and creams, apparel, baby clothing, dog treats, baked goods, sangria, prepackaged craft beers, hard cider, a Christmas tree lot, and much more.  ​

“The White Plains Market is the closest thing you can get to the Holiday Market at Bryant Park in NYC in Westchester County, albeit without the long commute and holiday traffic in NYC.” according to Melissa Tomlin, President of 914PopUps, and manager of the White Plains Holiday Market.

The White Plains Holiday Market is made possible by the generous support of local and regional businesses including the Market’s Platinum sponsor, the Galleria at White Plains. Gold sponsors include Silverman Realty Group, A&A Elevated Facility Solutions, Continuum 57, Minskoff Grant Realty & Management Corp., Lincoln White Plains of The Premier Collection, Saber Real Estate North LLC., and White Plains Hospital.  Silver sponsors include the Cappelli Organization, Caspi Development Company, The Gino Bello Homes, Real Estate Team, Co-Communications, Sonesta White Plains, Aggreko Event Services, Upsilon Entertainment Group, United Rentals, and Van Houten Farms.
 
For more information, visit https://wpbid.com/holidaymarket.

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Covid-19 vaccines for children 5 – 11 years old are likely to launch as early as the first week of November – pending final CDC recommendations.  Authorization will open eligibility to an estimated 28 million children in the U.S.

The vaccine regimen for children from 5 – 11 is two shots, each one-third the dose given to adults and teens and administered three weeks apart. No cases of myocarditis, or heart inflammation, were reported in the Pfizer trial.

Lindsay Neptune, a nurse practitioner and Director of Clinical Services at Open Door Family Medical Center’s Nita Lowey Center for Health in Schools, answers some commonly asked questions. 

How anxious are parents of younger children to have a vaccine for them? 
I have many parents who have been asking me when the vaccine will be available for their child under 12. I do believe that many of the parents of my patients are eager to have their younger children vaccinated. I think they see it as a step forward in preventing many of the situations that occurred as a result of large scale outbreaks, including online learning and reduction in school programs, sports, other extracurricular activities outside of school, and care for children outside of school hours.

I also think that they don't want to go backwards in a way that causes children to have to be home for extended periods of time and suffer with the struggles they've experienced with online learning. I also think that many of our parents will feel safer when their entire families are vaccinated to do things like travel and see other family members and friends who they may not have been able to see throughout these challenging months.


Which children between the ages of 5 and 12 should not get vaccinated? 
Current guidance suggests that the contraindications to vaccination include a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after a previous dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or to any of its components, and immediate allergic reaction of any severity to a previous dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or any of its components, and immediate allergic reaction of any severity to polysorbate (as found in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine).

If parents have any questions about their specific child and their ability to receive a vaccine, I would encourage them to speak with their child's healthcare provider.


Once these children are vaccinated, should this relax mask wearing in schools? 
I would continue to watch the guidance from the CDC as we start to move forward with pediatric vaccinations and increasing the percentage of the population that is vaccinated. However, I believe that until a large percentage of the population of the school and the community is fully vaccinated (received both doses of the vaccine and passed the two-week post-vaccination period), mask wearing should continue in schools.

​We have to remember that mask wearing helps to prevent individuals not only from getting sick but also from spreading the virus to others.  Wearing masks has proven to keep our students and schools safe. According to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, schools that have had masks in place were 3 1/2 times less likely to have school outbreaks requiring school closures. As we head into the winter weather months, we need to remain vigilant in protecting our school students and communities.


Are you seeing much in the way of children getting sick from Covid?
Not at present. Both the Ossining and Port Chester school districts where we are located are requiring mask wearing in schools this year as well as encouraging vaccination in all groups who are currently approved to receive the vaccine.  This seems to be very helpful in preventing infections in our school students. The school districts all follow protocols for quarantine and testing recommendations that are worked out with guidance from the NYS Department of Health and they continue to do some surveillance testing as well.


Have you seen much in the way of adverse reactions to the vaccine among children? 
In children ages 12 and older (the age range the COVID vaccine has been approved for so far) I have not seen any adverse reactions so far. I have had patients who have complained of some of the common side effects including pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain. Very similar to side effects experienced by children following other routine vaccines, such as the flu vaccine. Typically, these symptoms improve in 1-3 days and can be symptomatically managed with over the counter medication for pain or fever. 


The Nita M. Lowey Center for Health in Schools provides primary health care services for 4600 students in elementary, middle and high schools in Port Chester and Ossining. Services are available regardless of a family’s ability to pay and there are no out-of-pocket costs.

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Let’s set the scene: your kids come home from a long day of school and activities, drop their bags at the door and *run* to the kitchen, couch, or computer for some down time. You organize dinner and before you know it, it’s 8pm and someone (let’s be honest, depending on the day, it might be you or the kids) starts freaking out about HOMEWORK. And well, I’m sure you know how the rest of the evening goes….
 
How can we help our kids learn to love homework? We probably can’t, but we can definitely make the experience more manageable and, dare I say it, even enjoyable for all. Here are my tried and true homework tips:

Organize time and space.
Kids, even the big ones, need a routine. Choose a routine that works for your family and lay out the expectations in the morning. My go-to routine is come home, have a snack (or dinner), and get started on homework. Homework gets finished before it’s time to wind down. If kids have activities in the early evening hours, try and finish homework before the activity starts.
 
In terms of space, ideally your kids have a dedicated “homework station”. This can be a desk in a shared space in your home, the dining table, or kitchen island. Use a drawer or small bin to keep necessary school supplies handy. Unless the computer is needed for HW, all tech should be away and the TV should be off. (Too quiet? Here’s my favorite research-based mind music on Spotify to listen to while doing homework!) Having kids in a space that is not their bedroom, where you can see them and limit distractions, is key to homework success. 
 

Have a system. 
Do you have visual learners in your house? Use checklists or timers for homework tasks. This supports executive functions and gives kids a sense of urgency and feelings of satisfaction. To motivate your child to do their homework, consider creating a rewards system. Keep it small to start - each task completed equals 5 minutes of screen time. As they get older, maybe a week of completed tasks means an extended curfew on Saturday night. These tools fit perfectly into your routine and will be an added motivator to help homework time go smoothly.
 

“Do the worst first.” 
I love this little saying, especially for the reluctant homework-doer. To put it to use, have your child choose whichever assignment they might find the most challenging and do it first. This way you can manage how much time they spend on it and they don’t end their evening on a sour note. 
 

Be interested, but put down the pen! 
​Kids will do better and have a sustained effort in their homework if you’re interested in it. So, talk to your kids about their homework, let them explain it to you or teach it to you. Let them ask you questions. This is a great bonding time and a way to encourage learning. But, whatever you do, don’t pick up your pen and write for them. You can answer questions, show them an example, and help them organize their work. Doing the work for them takes away their opportunity to learn and their teacher’s ability to understand exactly what they need as a learner.
 
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Stay positive, listen, and redirect. 
If you have teenagers at home, I’m sure you’ve experienced this. Your child sits down to do homework and starts venting about how much they dislike a subject or task. To ensure that our learners will remain successful throughout their educational career, we need to validate their feelings with empathy. Coming from a place of understanding and acknowledging that sometimes chemistry is really hard is great. The next step is to redirect and help them get back on track. Saying something like, “I am so proud of how hard you’re working and I know you can do this task” will help motivate them to continue and will increase their resilience and perseverance.
 

Communicate and encourage self-advocacy. 
Communication is key, right? When it comes to homework, we need to communicate with our kids about our expectations and routine. We also need to communicate with their teacher about what we’re noticing at home. 
 
Maybe one activity took your second grader 40 minutes to complete or your sixth grader was frustrated throughout their entire writing assignment. Email your child’s teacher and let them know this happened so the teacher can follow up with and support your child. If your high schooler is doing over two hours of homework a night, it’s a good idea to help them advocate for themselves by emailing the teacher and asking for help.
 
And if your child communicates with you that they’re worn out, very frustrated, or stressed by the amount of work they have, it’s a clue they need your help with time management and working on coping skills.

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Never skip a Friday! 
I think my favorite (and hardest to achieve) of all the tips is to never skip a Friday. Yes it’s the start of the weekend and we’re so excited to relax, but if you can hang on to that routine for an extra hour or two, I promise your Sunday night self will thank you!

Written by Catherine Montera with WhizKidz Tutoring. Learn more about what WhizKidz Tutoring offers at Whizkidztutoring.com.

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The dreaded transition from daylight savings is upon us (the clocks fall back on Sunday, Nov 7, 2021)!  It often feels like we just recovered from one time change, and another is approaching.  “Falling back” can be particularly challenging for parents of young children. While folks without young kids are excited about an extra hour of sleep, those of us with wee ones actually have to get up earlier; our adorable, sleeping baby who used to rise at 6:30 am now wakes at 5:30 am (and yes, they’re slightly less adorable at that hour!).  So what can we do to help our kids adjust to this change (and keep our sanity!)?

In an ideal world, we could to begin to shift our children’s schedules a week ahead of time. Every few days we’d move their sleep and mealtimes later by 15 minutes, so that when the time change hits, they’ve already adjusted.  Despite this being the “official recommendation” for a smooth transition from daylight savings, I’ve yet to meet one person to actually do it (myself included with my own kids!).  The world outside our homes doesn’t accommodate such a gentle shift; school starts when school starts and you need to get to work on time, not 15-45 minutes late. 

Never fear! Here are some tips to help your children adjust to the new time.

Expose your children to lots of sunlight during the day.  Our circadian rhythms align with the sun, so exposure to natural light helps our bodies adjust to the appropriate time.

Be sensitive to your child’s needs and mood. The clock now reads 8 pm for your child’s regular 7 pm bedtime.  If you were used to protests at bedtime, you may have an easier transition, as your children should be more tired at the “new” 7 pm.  On the flip side, you run the risk of having an overtired child if you insist on bedtime being according to the clock. Accept that bedtime may be influx for a few days and that’s ok. It generally takes about a week for our internal clocks to shift, so know that any schedule change should be temporary.  To prevent an overtired child from unraveling, about 30 min prior to bedtime, dim the lights to help the body relax and transition to nighttime.  Room darkening shades can really help with this, too.  Keep the environment calm, and quiet before bed to help children unwind and ready to sleep. 

Stick with your bedtime routine.  If you don’t have a bedtime routine already, now is a great time to start. Children thrive on routines, so having one can be incredibly helpful to give structure to the time before bed.  A quiet routine is calming to them and helps them relax and ease into bedtime. It can be as simple as pajamas on, brush teeth, read a book/sing a song, lights out.  Don’t make it overly complex. You want this to be replicable daily, and easily done by a babysitter in your absence.  

Minimize exposure to electronics at least an hour prior to bedtime. This is true all year round, but especially now when we’re trying to help kids adjust to a time change. Electronic screens emit a blue light that mimics a bright, sunny sky and tricks the body into thinking it is daytime.  The result of this is that melatonin, the hormone that helps induce sleep, is suppressed, making it more challenging to fall asleep.

If all else fails, find a big mug and fill it with coffee. I’m sure you’ll be in good company!

Lauren Lappen is a Certified Sleep Consultant and co-founder of Wee Sleep Solutions.  As a mom of daughter Ellie and twins Rebecca and Kira, Lauren recognized the importance of self-care and sought to instill healthy sleep habits in her children so that she could ensure her own rest and be at her best as a parent, wife and friend.   
 
Lauren studied under Deborah Pedrick, a pioneer in the field and founder of the Family Sleep Institute (FSI) and International Association of Child Sleep Consultants. She is thrilled to be able to educate families on the importance of sleep and to empower parents with the knowledge and ability to teach their kids to love sleep as much as her girls do!