America’s largest urban forest is located right in Portland families’ back yard, and it is a gorgeous place to be through the autumn months. Located in the heart of the city, Forest Park is brimming with colorful hikes for local families to explore. With almost 100 miles of trails within the park, your crew can hit a different trail each week throughout the fall months. Read on to find our pick of the best Forest Park hikes for families.

Shea R. via Flickr

1. NW Skyline Blvd to BPA Road (2 miles)
This relatively effortless, two mile Forest Park hike is easy to access from NW Skyline Blvd. from BPA Road. Here, look for the signs for Firelane 13 to reach the flat, lookout area with picnic tables. Don't forget to pack in your lunch to enjoy from the overlook! On a clear day, you can even spot Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens.

Ages: Appropriate for all ages (you can even take baby in a backpack carrier)

2. Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion (5.3 miles)
The hike to Pittock Mansion from Lower Macleay Park is a bit of a climb (an elevation gain of nearly a thousand feet), and is more difficult in nature at 5.3 miles round trip—but this hike has it all! You'll find street parking near the park entrance on NW 29th and Upshur, plus the park has picnic tables and restrooms. The hike itself is parallel to a lovely gurgling river bank, and the trail is paved. A highlight is the mysterious Stone House, for a fun photo op, where you can either opt to return on the Wildwood Trail or soldier on. If you opt to continue, you'll ultimate reach Pittock Mansion, with stunning views of the city that are sure to impress along this Forest Park hike.

Ages: 6 years and up

3. Lower Maple Trail Loop (3 mile loop)
From Hwy 30, turn on to Saltzman Road, and follow the winding residential road up to the top. Now, follow the Saltzman Road trail head to the Maple Trail, then go right on the Leif Erikson Trail. Return to the beginning via Maple, and you'll have taken one healthy, three mile loop. While the directions may sound complicated, it's a fun quest and sign exploration game for older children to participate in, plus they'll love the forested paths with birds, slugs and bugs. (Don't forget your bug spray!)

Ages: All ages

Emily U via Yelp

4. The Big Stump (2 miles or 6 miles)
Turn on to Old Springville Rd. from Skyline Rd. to reach the parking area and Wildwood trail head. There, you'll follow Fire Lane 7 to the the Hardesty Trail, reaching The Big Stump (which is exactly what it sounds like—kids love it!). To return, either follow your inbound route, or if you're feeling very ambitious, opt to loop to the Wildwood Trail, then Ridge Trail, back to Fire Lane 7. Depending on your course, this will take you either two miles and less than two hours, or a few more hours to do the six mile loop.

Ages: 2 mile loop is appropriate for all ages. 6 mile loop is best for 7 years and up.

5. Audubon Society Hikes (1-5 miles)
If you have a novice avian expert in your family, check out the Audubon Society of Portland at 5151 NW Cornell Rd. From here, you can take an easy, 1.3 mile stroll from the Founders Trail to the North Collins Trail to hear and view wild woodpeckers and over 40 species of other birds. The 150 acre nature preserve surrounding the Audubon Society has four miles of hiking paths, plus onsite restrooms and a store to pick up a birding guide. 

Ages: All ages

6. The Wildwood–Newton Loop (1 mile)
Last but not least, your little tree hugger will love the Wildwood Trail! This round-trip loop is about a mile and easy enough for smaller legs. From Skyline Blvd, turn on to NW Newton Road and park. Then walk right on the first path, to the Wildwood Trail. From here, head south on Wildwood. To return, take a right onto Fire Lane 10. Along the Wildwood Trail, you'll find a hollowed-out tree that little ones will love to tuck inside for a fun photo.

Ages: All Ages

 

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During the years surrounding my son’s autism diagnosis, I could barely say the word “autism” out loud. I thought I would just break down every single time and, frankly, I didn’t have time for that. To be clear, this had nothing to do with shame. Not one day has gone by that I am not immensely proud of this boy.

It was about fear, worry, the unknown, and all the other bumps along the road to acceptance. All a parent could ever want is for their child to be okay.  Autism has a way of tricking your brain into questioning if that will be the case.  There is so much to learn and understand before some of that uncontrollable worry begins to fade.

I threw myself into research. We got on waitlists. I began on the path to truly knowing this boy.

And I wrote. I got it all out. Everything that was too hard to talk about at the time. Processing this kind of information is not easy, and it can be very lonely. This is a big reason why I am here, sharing our story. I never want other families to feel the same confusion and loneliness that we felt at the beginning of this journey.

It has meant so much to me to connect with other autism families, some who are going through the steps to a diagnosis or have a child that was recently diagnosed, and other parents of children of all different ages and abilities.

The main message I want to convey to all these parents is that there will be many times that you will feel alone in this, but you do not have to be. I constantly must remind myself of this.

I cannot tell you how many situations there have been where my knee-jerk reaction was that no one knows how this feels. The same battles, day in and day out, the medical incident reports, medical and educational decisions, the moment I saw AUTISM written on paper in an evaluation about my boy.

I’ll tell you there is not one thing I could tell my fellow parents of children with autism about our life that would shock them. Seriously. The fears, the frustrations, the meltdowns, and all the “inappropriate” behaviors we’ve faced. They get it. They also get how big some of the simple, small victories truly are as well.

Things can still be hard for me to process a lot of the time. Sometimes it seems easier to sit alone with the tough stuff. If you do this, please don’t stay there long. Let someone sit with you.

Find your own way to work through your thoughts and feelings. They are real and should not be ignored.

Talk to someone. You might find this safe person in a waiting room at therapy or the pediatrician’s office, on the playground, or online. If all of this sounds impossible and overwhelming because you can’t even say “autism” out loud yet, that is okay too! It will get easier to talk about and then you will be ready to lean on others.

The best way for your friends and family to learn about autism and support you as a parent raising a child with autism is to tell them. Tell them about your child. Tell them about your struggles, your child’s struggles, strengths, passions, victories, and all the things.

They might not understand exactly how you feel, but they don’t have to. Sometimes talking through things just leaves you feeling better. I promise your people want to support you and celebrate with you and your child, you just have to let them.

I’m not saying you have to wave your autism awareness flag as loudly as I do. We all do this life differently. Find a place that makes you feel supported.

I am so much stronger today than the day I walked out of that psychiatrist’s office with my son’s diagnosis in hand. My whole family is. If you would have told me this back then, I may have not believed you.

My boy is always growing and evolving and most days it feels like autism is always one step ahead of me. It’s like trying to catch and examine the wind. There is still so much unknown to wrestle with.

While I may never understand everything going on inside of this complicated boy, what I do know is that I will never stop trying, and there are so many people here rooting for him.

This post originally appeared on wilsonsclimb.com.

Lauren is a proud mom of two adorable kids, her son Wilson and daughter Charlie. She is constantly learning from her children and loves to share their adventures from the world of autism on wilsonsclimb.com.  Lauren shares her son's journey as one small piece in helping to spread autism awareness around the world.  

Betty Crocker just made baking a fave Easter treat easier. If you want to step up your sweet treat game, the new Cookie Cups kits make it easy to whip a batch of this IG-worthy dessert.

What exactly is a Betty Crocker Cookie Cup? Like the name says, it’s a cup-like cookie. Think of a cookie-cupcake combo and you’ve got the idea!

While these boxed mixes aren’t Easter-only treats, they’re certainly perfect for your bunny day bake-off. Each kit comes complete with the mix you need for the cookie cups, frosting/filling, sprinkles/toppings and paper baking cups.

You won’t need to shop several stores to pick up each part of your cookie cup recipe or worry about complicated baking processes. These kits are super-simple and perfect for bakers of every level.

The mixes are available in a variety of fun flavors, including Rainbow Candy, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip Fudge, Chocolate Fudge, Salted Caramel Pretzel and Peanut Butter Fudge. Find the boxed kits in grocery retailers nationwide, such as Walmart and other fave stores.

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of Betty Crocker

 

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Walmart is launching a new membership program that brings together in-store and online benefits to save customers money and time. Walmart+ will make life easier for busy families. Members will receive unlimited free delivery from stores, fuel discounts and access to tools that make shopping faster for families. 

Walmart+

Membership will be available to all customers on Sept. 15 and  will cost $98 a year or $12.95 a month and includes a 15-day free trial period.

“We are a company committed to meeting our customers’ needs,” said Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer, Walmart. “Customers know they can trust us and depend on us, and we’ve designed this program as the ultimate life hack for them. Walmart+ will bring together a comprehensive set of benefits where we see the greatest needs from our customers and where our scale can bring solutions at an unprecedented value.”

The initial list of Walmart+ benefits are below. The list of benefits will continue to grow over time.

  • Unlimited free delivery: In-store prices as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from tech and toys to household essentials and groceries. This service was previously known as Delivery Unlimited – a subscription service that allows customers to place an unlimited number of deliveries for a low, flat yearly or monthly fee. Current subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members.
  • Scan & Go: Unlock Scan & Go in the Walmart app — a fast way to shop in-store. Using the Walmart app, customers can scan their items as they shop and pay using Walmart Pay for a quick, easy, touch-free payment experience.
  • Fuel discounts: Fill up and save up to 5 cents a gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express fuel stations. Sam’s Club fuel stations will soon be added to this lineup.

These benefits come in addition to the retailer’s existing customer offerings like Walmart’s free curbside pickup, NextDay delivery and two-day delivery. Walmart will continue to have delivery options with a per-delivery transaction fee so customers can choose the service that’s best for them. 

“Life feels more complicated than ever. Walmart+ is designed to make it easier – giving customers an option to not have to sacrifice on cost or convenience,” added Whiteside. “We know shopping should fit customers’ needs, not the other way around. We have always been a champion for the right item at the right price, but now it’s more than that. We have the right shopping solutions at the right time, too.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Walmart

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Staying at home for months on end means we’re all online, and shopping online, a lot more. Our New York City Editor Mimi O’Connor feels us. Brooklyn mom to an energetic eight-year-old (who had a #quarantinebirthday in June) we asked Mimi for her top 12 products that have gotten her through the pandemic, the summer and beyond. Read on to hear more from Mimi.

Like many spots in the country, things went sideways pretty quickly here in New York. Almost literally, in March, one minute we were debating attending a birthday party at a local movie theater, the next we were locked down, celebrating by watching E.T. “together” via Zoom. (It was actually pretty fun.) My initial pandemic parenting strategy (read: fantasy) was pretty ambitious, with weekly themes explored from a 360-degree perspective; i.e. “France”, with virtual visits to the Louvre, making crepes, building a LEGO Eiffel Tower, etc. In the end, my daughter had a short-lived love affair with Duolingo and I bought some flash cards. And while the subsequent months featured more screaming than s’il vous plaît we still have had our share victories, fun, and yeah, a lot of Minecraft. Here’s what’s helped us get through the spring, summer and likely beyond..

Mead Composition Books

Even though my immersive learning program didn’t work out, we still made use of these fun Mead composition books, which we labeled for each of my daughter’s subjects during remote learning. 

Get yours here, $19.99

Oxford First Flashcards

Amazon

I haven’t given up on the French yet; these are the flashcards we bought, which while in use, were great. 

Get yours here, $9.67 

Crayola Washable Sidewalk Chalk Set

 When it was time to “Chalk the Walk”, I realized our chalk inventory was next to nil. We invested in this giant collection of chalk from Crayola, which has shades well beyond the basic. 

Get yours here, $39.97

SunPrint Paper Kit

My 70s childhood inspired this, one of my first pandemic buys, which enlists the help of the sun’s rays to make solar art prints. (Copyright 1975 from UC Berkeley, baby!)

Get yours here, $17.99

Sapadilla Rosemary + Peppermint Biodegradeable Liquid Hand Soap

I’ve been trying to concentrate on little luxuries to stay sane in these times, and a nice hand soap to go with all of that hand washing seemed fair. This one is plant-based and biodegradable and the rosemary mint scent is refreshing but not overpowering.

Get yours here, $16.99 for three

Corsair HS35 - Stereo Gaming Headset

Did I mention the Minecraft? (Or the watching of videos of people playing Minecraft…?) Some headphones became a must for the child as gaming, and remote learning kicked into high gear. These are comfortable, have good sound, and a removable mic. 

Get yours here, $39.99 

Toodour Solar String Lights

I am a big proponent of tiny lights, both indoors and out. We have a small outdoor space and these lights are the bomb, making it a bit more magical and cozy. Not quite fairy lights, they’re a bit larger and a string is 200 bulbs, 72 feet-long, with eight different “modes” like flashing, etc. (I use “steady.”) Pick a sunny spot for the charging panel, string your lights and enjoy as they turn on every night at dusk. 

Get yours here, $18.99

Intex Swim Center Family Inflatable Pool

Like many (most?) families who could, we bought an inflatable pool to weather summer in the city. It’s not like NYC’s free Olympic size-pools, but it gets the job done. 

Get yours here, $97.99

H2OGO! Double Water Slide

It turns out that our small front yard also happens to be the exact length of a slip and slide. Ours served as the focal point of a socially-distanced June birthday party and was a huge hit. (P.S. Literally our least expensive birthday ever!) 

Get yours here, $37.53

Jumbo Slow Rising Kawaii Squishies

Out of all the presents my daughter received for her birthday, this relatively inexpensive set of slow rise squishies (they "bounce back" at a slower rate than others) might have brought the most joy. And while this is not representative of her general state, she even used them for an informal mediation class during breathing exercises, which she dubbed, "squishie breathing." 

Get yours here, $12.99

MaxUSee 70mm Refractor Telescope with Tripod & Finder Scope

Another birthday present, this was inspired by recent stargazing activity, and bought with the hope of using it when we head upstate for a bit later in the summer. (We use the free app SkyView Lite for help finding constellations in the city.) It's a nice combo of not too complicated, but with enough features to be a level up from basic. 

Get yours here, $61.99

Craftzilla Colored Duct Tape - 6 Color Multi Pack

Our daughter attends a Percy Jackson-inspired camp, for which kids make their own (safe) swords and shields out of cardboard and duct tape, and she in fact enrolled in an online camp for that very purpose this summer. Having a full arsenal of colors on hand is great for personalization, and our duct tape stash has come in handy for reenforcing forts, etc. 

Get yours here, $14.99

Outschool

Like many families, we’ve been exploring online classes to engage our kid during this time. Our daughter has taken the Outschool class "Girl Power! Graphic Novels written by Women about Strong Girls” with Dr. Danielle Rhodes and has really enjoyed it. (We’ve already signed up for the second session, and Rhodes has now added a third installment.) The class meets once a week to discuss graphic novels from female authors with strong girl protagonists, some familiar, some less so. 

Get a few of our favorites here, here and here, $7.44-$9.11

The Babysitter's Club

Netflix

Yes, it's a television show (i.e. screen time), but this Netflix adaptation of the popular YA series (now also in graphic novel form) is charming, smart and features a fun and diverse cast. It also doesn't shy away from complicated or nuanced situations, such as friend politics, divorce, health issues, etc. Recommend! 

Online: netflix.com

Unless noted, all images from Amazon/retailers; main image, Amazon

—Mimi O’Connor

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You’ll do just about anything for your kids: spend hours assembling their complicated new toy, listen to the same song over and over again or even relearn math! Because you love them, you’ll also do anything to keep them safe. With The Right Car Seat tool from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, protecting them with the correct car seat restraint is easier than ever! Find out how to use it below.

Check that your child is in The Right Seat at NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat

 

Dating can be a fun and exhilarating experience. Dating when you have children can make things a little bit more complicated. Dating.com conducted a study of members who reported to be single parents and uncovered why they were hesitant about beginning to date again.

Couple in restaurant

Among the parents surveyed, the biggest impediment to dating again were concerns over how their kids will react. 68% of parents do not reveal they have children on their dating profiles. Some parents are reluctant due to their uncertainty entering the dating scene again. It may have been years since they have been out on a date, so they simply don’t know what to expect.

Dating.com offered some tips to make the transition into the dating world less intimidating.

1. Make sure you are feeling your best. Being absent from the dating scene for an extended period of time might have you feeling out of touch, insignificant or flat out old. Nothing is sexier than confidence, so make sure you take the time to refresh your wardrobe, practice yoga or workout, take new pictures for your online dating profiles and do whatever it takes to boost your self-esteem.

2. Get online. See what the internet has to offer. There are lots of different platforms that cater to different preferences, find what interests you and create a profile.

3. Take things slow. Jumping straight back into dating after a long break may be weird at first. Test the waters by starting conversations with multiple people. Once you feel you have gotten back into the swing of things, you can take the next step and meet for coffee or dinner.

4. Talk to your kids and friends. Talking to your kids and friends or younger friends you feel comfortable talking to about dating, get their input. You’ll be surprised what kind of advice they have to give. You may notice that dating culture today is much more different than what you’re used to and these loved ones can be great resources and confidence boosters.

Once you finally connect with someone that you can see having a long-term relationship with, it will come time to introduce your kids to your new partner. Have a conversation ahead of time and be honest with your children regarding your relationship status. Gauge their reaction so you can avoid any surprises when they finally meet.

Keep the first ineteartion between your new partner and your children low-key and short. It is usually recommended to have the meeting take place at a location your kids enjoy, like a restaurant or ice cream parlor. Most importantly, don’t rush the relationship. Give your kids time to develop a bond with your new partner on their own.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Christin Hume on Unsplash

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Coming up with a unique way to take monthly milestone pictures of your baby can be a challenge. Some parents use letter boards or adorable throws. One Maryland mother came up with a creative and incredibly cheesy way to keep track of her baby’s growth and it went viral. 

Dani Giannandrea, a Maryland-area wedding photographer, took the social media world by storm when she posted Lorenzo’s (Enzo) first year calendar pictures. Instead of posing Enzo next to a sign depicting his age, she used slices of pizza to mark his growth. 

As each month passed, Giannandrea added one more slice. When asked why she chose pizza, she said, “When brainstorming with my mom, Lorenzo’s Grammy, she said that I really should do something Italian as an ode to his name. I had tossed around a few ideas but ultimately decided if we were going to do this right, we may as well also get dinner out of it each month.”

When Enzo turned two, it was only fitting that they mark his birthday with pizza. Giannandrea jokes that she’s glad Enzo isn’t lactose intolerant since they plan to keep up the photo shoots every year. She said, “It will be cute for a few more years, then awkward, and then hysterical. Already contemplating the purchase of a drone to get him with 18 pizzas.”

Pizza Baby

Giannadrea adds that Instagram makes motherhood look easy, but she acknowledges how hard it really is. She loves seeing other moms post photos of their completed baby photos projects, from pizza babies to burger babies. One mom even used a dozen eggs!

Pizza Baby

She said, “ I know the commitment it takes to stick to a project and how complicated it is to get a wiggly baby to sit still for 30 seconds to get just one photo. So it is heartwarming to see moms who stuck it out and now have their own baby next to their favorite food.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher  

Photos courtesy of Dani Leigh Photography 

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Photo: Shutterstock

I am thinking about Valentine’s Day a little early this year, in part because I heard an excellent story on NPR’s Morning Edition with poet and children’s fiction writer Kwame Alexander this week about how to celebrate the holiday with children. He prompted teachers to ask their students to finish the sentence: What is love?

Since I’m a big believer in taking every possible opportunity to teach children about showing others how important they are to us, this holiday provides the perfect venue for such displays. I’m not talking about candy and flowers here, but small, simple gestures of kindness and love.

As I often say, children rather than responding to lectures about being nice are more motivated by the behavior they see around them. It is easy to forget when your child is displaying oppositional behavior, but mostly, young children naturally want to be like us.

So what are some of the ways that you can celebrate this day with them? I would start by making a valentine for them, it can be as easy as a little note with a heart on it, or if you have the time and are feeling creative, it can be more elaborate. Then you can propose making valentines for others, a suggestion that I have never seen a child resist. Again, it can be as simple or as complicated as you have the time and energy for. The product, after all, is not the important part of this activity, it is the process of thinking of others and showing them that we care.

Read a children’s book with your child that reinforces the theme. Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell with its universal message that everyone and everything is better with a hug, comes to mind.

A favorite activity that I used to do with my nursery school class was making a “Valentine for the birds”. Children would slather a piece of bread with sun butter or peanut butter and cover it with bird seed, then place in a shrub in their yard or on a window sill. Waiting for the bird’s to discover it was half the fun!

Kindness for others can include family and friends, as well as our friends in nature.

Because of course, that is the real answer to the question, “What is love?”

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

How does one match expectations for grandparents with their adult children about frequency and duration of visits with their grandchildren?

Like all relationships, the dynamic between generations is complicated and only becomes more so as new members are added, i.e., sons-in-law, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. However, complicated doesn’t have to mean negative, but communication and healthy boundaries are a must. 

How much is the right amount will vary tremendously from family to family, but again communication is the key. Since couples rarely discuss how they intend to divide their time with extended families before the arrival of children they may find themselves in uncharted territory when this conflict arises. But when the time comes, parents need to have honest conversations with each other about extended family visits and what works best for them. Then, even more challenging at times, they must have frank discussions with in-laws about the conclusions reached after those conversations.

Next, and here comes the really hard part, they need to be willing to compromise so that everyone’s voice is heard and some attempt is made to share experiences throughout the year. Figuring out a happy medium will be the goal in all of these situations.

Knowing grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins is a great gift to children. Parents have a responsibility to their parents as well as an obligation to their children to work to foster healthy relationships with their extended family – if time, money and distance allow.

Finally, I would encourage grandparents to put their emphasis on the quality of time that is spent with their grandchildren rather than the quantity. With my own granddaughter, who lives for part of the year in Italy, I try to appreciate the times when we are together and be grateful for modern technology which allows us to connect regularly on Facetime when there is a great geographic distance between us. I also try not to get stuck on a vision of spending certain days of the year (holidays) together, but instead look forward to and enjoy the times we can be together.

As my mother used to say to me, “We are always together in spirit.”

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.