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Mothering & Daughtering Workshop July 19 - 21, 2013

Details: Parent Category: About PSP; Category: Events

Build a Lifetime Mother-Daughter Bond

July 19-21 @ BAX, 421 5th Avenue, in Park Slope

Through ritual, storytelling, art, and exercises in communication, this special workshop will help:

+ Gain tools that build bridges and keep those bridges strong through the teen years.

+ Address issues of motherhood, mentoring, trusting your intuition, and developing your emotional intelligence.

+ See your daughters learn to share their vision and express their feelings.

DETAILS:

Friday, July 19^th (7pm- 9pm)

Saturday July 20^th (9:15 am-12:30pm; 2:30-5pm)

Sunday July 21^st (9: 15am-12:30pm)

Registration: $550 per mother-daughter (ages 9-12) team. Registration closes June 15th and spaces are limited. Register via PayPal : http://www.motheringanddaughtering.com/workshops.php

TOP 10 Things to Think About When Moving

Details: Parent Category: Home Life; Category: Moving

Moving can be a stressful time. But if you take steps to familiarize yourself with the way it is regulated and what rights and responsibilities you have, you'll likely have a much smoother move. Here are some things to think about as you prepare for your move.

Join us for the Spring Fling on May 4

Details: Category: News

Show your love for the Old Stone House & Washington Park! We’re celebrating the first anniversary of the playground and gardens with a Spring Fling. There will be music, face painting, a cake walk raffle, a mask making workshop and the lovely Puppeteers Cooperative Rites of Spring performance and parade. From 5:30 – 10 pm join us for a DANCE PARTY fundraiser on the turf field with DJ Chowtime – $10 for big fun all around.

Celebrate Neighbor Day on April 27!

Details: Parent Category: About PSP; Category: Events

image via Good's Neighbor Day website

When: April 27, 2013

Where: EVERYWHERE

We here at PSP LOVE this idea! Our community is great, wonderful and fabulous, but knowing the people who live above, below beside us and down the street makes it even better. Maybe take them some cookies, quinoa, or just say HI.

From Good:

"It’s crazy how few of us know our neighbors: their names, their phone numbers, what they’re about. The explosion of online "social" networking has only made it easier to avoid face-to-face contact in the real world. What might we be missing? Collaborators, friends, emergency contacts, sugar? What does this mean for society? As Harvey Milk said, "If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild our neighborhoods." So, let's do something about it. On April 27, we invite you to celebrate Neighborday. Whether it's as simple as summoning the courage to ask the guy in apartment 3B what is name is…again, or as ambitious as coordinating a full-fledged block party replete with a mariachi band, bouncy castle, and street hockey tournament… Click "DO IT," and we'll give you everything you need to make it happen. For more Neighboring inspiration, follow along at good.is/neighboring."

Together Tuesdays: Valentine's Day: Love Yourself

Details: Parent Category: PSP Blog; Category: Uncategorized

Today is Valentine's Day-- the day that we express our undying love to our partners and let people know they are important. While it's ALWAYS important to say you care, I really want to focus on LOVING YOURSELF and not losing your whole self in someone (or something) else. This is especially true when we become parents (and, okay, mothers in particular) because our identity becomes so attached to this wonderful little creature that depends on us for survival and love.

Think of the you that you were 5, 10, 15 years ago. How were you different? How was that former you more fun? What made that former you tick? When we become a mother/ father and partner/spouse what comes with it are brand new roles, expectations, pressures and responsibilities. You can think of it as wearing a new "hat" ( cue Dog Go's famous, "Do you like my hat?" sequence). For some (okay, many) of us, the role of being a parent takes over and dominates, with some of the other hats we used to wear collecting dust in the corner. We may still feel those other hats tugging at us to wear them, but the more dominant hats prevail. So the "loves to paint," "loves to listen to sappy music," "loves to go to the batting cages" gets pushed behind sick kids, preschool/middle school applications, getting that project for work done, etc. By being happier with yourself, the residual effect is that you're a better parent and spouse.

So do the Valentine's Day thing today--show your love and get some chocolate (some for you and some for them). Then, as you wake up tomorrow, though, think about the YOU outside of being a parent or spouse. Figure out if you may be forgetting parts of you that excite and invigorate your soul. What you love about you. I love the (arguably) sappy music of Josh Groban who has a new album out. My Valentine's Day present to myself is buying it, playing it when no one is around, and fully enjoying it as ME!

Coming full circle to the "together" part of "Together Tuesdays", if you are still looking for a great Valentine's Day present, ignite your partner's dusty passions by giving them the freedom to do something that was important to their old self. Buy two tickets to a ____ (concert, game, play, golf course, etc.) that you don't necessarily want to go to but you know your partner will. Have them bring a friend so they won't be thinking, "I know s/he isn't that into this." Give him/her the freedom, for just a while, to escape the confines of their current responsibilities (their hats) and just BE.

"You Raise Me Up" (yep, back to Josh) is a great song and in my mind a CALL TO ACTION. Figure out what you can do to help your partner love themselves. And raise yourself up while you're at it.

Susan Fox, Ph. D.

Founder, Park Slope Parents

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo

for Getty/iHeart Radio

SMALL BUSINESS SHMOOZEFEST 2013

Details: Parent Category: About PSP; Category: Events

Calling all small business owners and people starting entrepreneurial endeavors.

Come to a networking night at The Old Stone House. Talk about your business and collaborative needs, new business ventures and ideas, and share resources that will help you work smarter and be more successful.

When: Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM

Where: The Old Stone House

336 3rd Street Brooklyn (at 5th Ave), NY 11215
http://theoldstonehouse.org/
Brooklyn, NY 11215

HERE IS HOW THINGS WILL WORK:

When you come in you'll be given a number.
At 6:45PM, ONE-minute introductions will begin. (We'll need to be brief as these will be timed. Go over too long and you will be dinged!)
After everyone's finished (around 7:25), we can spend the next hour making connections, giving out cards to folks we want to meet with and requesting cards of people we'd like to work with in the future.

And, most importantly - NETWORKING. We will have until 8:30 (and for the rest of eternity) to schmooze, peruse, cruise, and choose.

Real quotes from real people about the PSP CAN Shmoozefests:

"The Shmoozefest was my FAVORITE - I'd love to attend another one!"
"I CONNECTED with a graphic designer at the fall shmoozefest who hooked me up with an editor, and I got an assignment from that editor"
"I ENJOYED the networking event at [the Old Stone House] as a great way to meet people in the neighborhood and make connections."
"The networking events are GREAT."

END RESULT? PRICELESS. A set of business cards of people who can help you pursue job possibilities, collaborations, and partnerships.

COST: $15 for members (open to non-members $20!)

Is my son being abused. What YOU Should Do

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Parenting - General; Category: Safety

Is my son being abused. What YOU Should Do

Hey All,

Last week someone wrote about suspected abuse possibly occurring at a local daycare. I have talked to many of you who were worried for the children but also wondering, "What IS the right answer about what to do?" We've checked with our team of professionals (thanks to Safe Horizons, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Gold) and here is their advice...

COMMUNITY REMINDERS: FLU

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Parenting - General; Category: Health Tips

You've all probably heard the warnings about the flu going around.We had questions about getting vaccines this week on our list. As a community we can do a lot to keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy so we're posting these neighborly reminders!

COMMUNITY REMINDERS