Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in new orleans, LA

Family Home Theater

by Kelly Leahy

May 25, 2009

There will soon come the day when it is even too hot to go outside after the sun goes down here in New Orleans. When the dreaded day arrives and summer is in full swing, one way to have fun as a family is to create a weekly movie night.

What to watch: You won't have a hard time finding DVDs to rent this summer. Recent new DVD realeses include Bolt, The Tale of Despereaux, and Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler. For those of you who were big Lea Thompson fans back in the day, you might be pleased to know that Howard the Duck was also just released on DVD.

What to eat: I have recently discovered the joys on homemade popcorn -- not the kind that comes in a bag and goes into the microwave. Popping corn on the stovetop allowes me to control what goes in and eliminate the preservatives and much of the fat that's in the bagged stuff. To liven things up, you can add some dried fruit or nuts. Of course, don't let me stop you from adding M&M's or Reeses Pieces. For tips on homemade popcorn, check out this recipe from Good Eats.

Don't forget that Walgreens sells theater style boxed candies in their candy aisle for significantly less than what the cineplexes charge.

Other tips: Make movie night a weekly event and scatter bean bags and overstuffed pillows on the floor for seating. You may also want to clean up ahead of time so you are not focused on the clutter when the lights are dimmed. Have fun!

 

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Tough Stuff

by Kelly Leahy

May 04, 2009

Just about everything was easier before having kids. I only had my own welfare and psyche to look out for. Now I have three (four including my husband). Though I hope not to see the inside of a hospital again for a very long time or end up in family therapy for yelling at my kids around 5 pm every day, I am glad that there are resources in New Orleans to give families a hand.

It may seem like the city is chronically broken but the good news is that family services are doing pretty well. Here are some local references for when the going gets tough.

COUNSELING

• If your marriage needs some tweaking or you think that the entire family would benefit from some counseling, check out Family Service of Greater New Orleans (FSGNO). Funded in part by the United Way, FSGNO offers counseling  on a sliding scale to make the therapy less cost prohibitive.
• For children or adolescents with severe emotional or behavioral disorders, there is Milestones Mental Health Agency Uptown.

EMERGENCY and URGENT MEDICAL CARE

• As far as I'm concerned, the only place suited for emergency medical treatment for children in this city is Children's Hospital. I've visited the ER twice and had x-rays taken during a third visit. The staff is accommodating, the care is excellent and they exist solely to provide the best medical services for your kid.
• If you find yourself seeking a doctor after the pediatrician's office closes but the ailment doesn't warrant a trip to the ER, try New Orleans Urgent Care on Magazine Street.They have extended offices hours, don't require and appointment and can treat children from the age of 4 months and up.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

• If there's one thing that we know about here in New Orleans, it's emergency preparedness. Pick up a weather radio at Walgreens that will alert you to any tornado warnings or watches in your area.
• Ready America suggests making an emergency kit as well as a plan. Chances are you are well aware of this already.

OTHER HELPFUL NUMBERS & LINKS

National Domestic Violence Hotline .......... 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224

New Orleans Legal Assistance .......... (504) 529-1000

Child Protection Hotline .......... (504) 680-9000

Women, Infants & Children (WIC) .......... 1-800-251-BABY

 

 

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Happy MLK Day

by Kelly Leahy

January 19, 2009

Tonight my husband will pull out a collection of speeches that we have on disc, slide it into the stereo and we'll listen to the Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech on the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. He does this every year. Now that our children are getting older, I have no doubt that they will be included in this tradition. It's impossible to listen to King's speech and not think of the  Read more...

A rave for Hales Pediatrics

by Kelly Leahy

September 25, 2008

Everyone loves their pediatrician, at least everyone I've talked to. And why shouldn't they? These docs are directing us on how to care for those we hold dearest. We've sought them out on the basis that their ideas on health care jive with our own. We have to love them in order to watch them stick our kids with needles and poke at their bellies. We have to trust them in order to tell them that  Read more...

A bit on siblings

by Kelly Leahy

September 10, 2008

My girls are 25 months apart. I had no idea just how difficult it would be to have two children under the roof, together, twenty-four hours a day. I went a little crazy in the beginning but I think that I am slowly getting a handle on things. The other day I watched as my three-year-old, Adelaide, and eleven-month-old, Marguerite, amused themselves completely. Adelaide was perched on a chair  Read more...