What’s the key to smart parenting? There are so many ways we can model how to be a healthy human. Maintaining a regulated nervous system and co-regulating with loved ones. Establishing a healthy balance of work/play and giving/receiving in our adult partnerships. Fueling the body with wholesome foods. Practicing non-violent communication and living interdependently with (not despite or against) nature. Above all else, two key words come to mind: KINDNESS and FIRMNESS. We need to set and maintain boundaries for our children. We need to give them a little bit of what they want, and the right amount of what they need. We need to protect them from overstimulation and the attention-economy, including being intentional about where we put our attention. We need to stay weary of cutting parental corners with excess screen time, even if it’s a great babysitter and our kids beg. We need to let our children be who they are, not what we’d like them to be (and especially not what we hoped we had been).
In his book How to be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving psychotherapist David Richo speaks to how the five ingredients needed to maintain healthy, loving relationships are the same five things young children require to develop healthy self-esteem and ego. Calling them the ‘five A’s’ – Richo names attention, affection, appreciation, acceptance and allowing – as the essential ‘building blocks’ of healthy bonds. When my son turned 8 over the summer, I found that he was beginning to individuate from his Mom in a more pronounced way. I realized it was time to establish a new way of relating to him as an authority figure – less as a dictator and more as a gentle guide and co-creator. I realized that not only did I need to protect him from bad people and bad habits, I needed to intentionally create time together in which we can let loose, play and get outside of rigidity, routine and roles. A little less demands, a little more fun. Read on as I share a couple of my favorite fall hacks for urban caretakers!
Haunted Hues at Color Factory
Recently I took my son to visit Haunted Hues at the Color Factory in Hudson Square and we had such a blast! Overtaking a massive labyrinth-like space, a cohort of artists and creatives have come together to build immersive experiences which tell educational, interactive stories about color.
During the Halloween-inspired Haunted Hues, we moved through the Color Factory on an epic scavenger hunt. Upon entering we were greeted with a massive downfall of hanging paper in every color of the rainbow, an installation by the Tokyo-based French architect and designer Emmanuelle Moureaux. ‘No fright, just delight’ goes the lead in on the website promoting this limited-time family friendly museum experience! With spellbinding photo ops, seasonal treats, giveaways and multiple interactive stations – kids not only taste their way through a bohemeth of a museum filled with music, color and art – but engage in hands-on, sensorial learning activities along the way! Needless to say, we walked with mad prizes, noshed on il laboratorio del gelato ice cream and lurked for hours in the Color Factory’s signature Hues of Blue ball bit, inspired by the sparking sky that peeks through NYC’s many skyscrapers, complete with a wavy slide entrance.
Around every colorful corner we delighted in a new opportunity to engage – puzzling over hues, text and shapes, learning things as we played and danced through vibrant entryways in eager anticipation of what was to come. In artist Lakwena’s room-wide mural, large-scale blocks of color and text, what the artist calls “escape routes” and “Afrofuturistic portals to utopia,” are paired with playable instruments designed by London-based singer-songwriter Abimaro.
In a gilded disco which glitters from floor-to-ceiling, visitors are invited to ‘Dance like No One’s Listening’ to a groovy playlist by Brooklyn-based DJ Spinderella, former member of Salt-n-Pepa. Each guest gets their own personal pair of headphones and can dance for hours on golden tiles adjacent a massive mirror. In Christine Wong Yap’s installation, I sat facing my son in a drawing experience designed for pairs to undergo color experiments exploring belonging, interdependence and collaboration. We rolled our way through a confetti-filled park (the colors change seasonally), and walked inquisitively through New York Times book critic Molly Young’s SECRET COLORS – a cerebral map based on a series of questions which lead one to discovery their signature color.
With so many all-ages museums and instagram-ready experiences to choose from here in the city, Color Factory proves to be a uniquely aesthetic and jovial affair. Each entry ticket includes sweet treats like salt water taffy and fortune cookies throughout the exhibit, NYC-exclusive keepsakes and my absolute fave – unlimited free digital images from the hands-free photo booth stations. No personal lighting kit or selfie-stick needed! Because in the age of social media, if you don’t have good lighting and photos that make you look fab, did it really even happen?
Get tickets HERE
This Brain Fuel Makes Chocolate ‘Smart’
If you’re a parent like me, you understand that time allotted for self-care is not only precious and necessary, but competing with an endless to-do list, the physical and emotional needs of your kid(s), and of course, the demands of the household, school and extended community, family and friends. If you’re a caregiver of any kind, you know that ongoing emotional labor, while not necessarily valued monetarily, comes at the cost of much time and expense for those of us willing to prioritize a culture of care. For the urban parent on the perpetual move – Cognizin-enhanced functional foods, beverages, vitamins and supplements make wellness support and energy maintenance that much easier. Providing science-backed, tangible benefits for individuals seeking cognitive support – who knew the missing piece of your daily routine involves chocolate! What parent on Earth doesn’t pray for more alertness, focus and attention? Read on to learn about the clinically-proven benefits of Cognizin citicoline and the latest mind-enhancing snacks on the market.
With cognitive health a growing concern of consumers across the country, throngs are turning to Cognizin-enhanced protein bars, smart chocolates, gummies and even fortified water. Have you tried any of the delicious, functional snacks containing Cognizin® citicoline for enhanced focus, attention and memory?
Magic Mind Mental Performance Elixir is a nootropic-infused vitamin-packed shot with adaptogens for enhanced productivity and mental clarity. MOSH Bars are not only the first Cognizin-enhanced protein bar, but are based on a powerhouse blend of lion’s mane, ashwagandha and omega-3’s. Goli Matcha Mind Cognitive Gummies, perfect to ‘take anytime, anywhere’ are all chewy nostalgia, the ultimate treat where brain health meets Zen-like energy and focus. For the thirsty set, I recommend the Neutonic Productivity Drink for amping up creative flow. With zero sugar and zero calories, Cognizin for mental-clarity is paired with Panax Ginseng, Rhodiola Rosea, B Vitamins and natural caffeine in a lightly refreshing and bubbly elixir.
A pioneer in functional food, wellness experts are calling Cognizin citicoline a leading brain health ingredient. You’re probably thinking, how does it work exactly? And is it safe? An optimal, contemporary ‘brain food’ for the masses, the supplement itself is essentially a form of citicoline, a natural compound found in the brain which plays a critical role in neural communication. Nootropic nutrient citicoline is an organic molecule that is naturally produced within the body and can be found in all living cells. It plays several important roles in cellular function, stability and neurotransmission. Citicoline not only aids in DNA synthesis and repair, but optimizes the gut-brain axis and increases overall brain health. Cognizin citicoline’s major nootropic mechanisms support the health of mitochondria, the brain’s energy-producing factories—pivotal brain ‘fuel’ needed during cognitively demanding tasks— supplying ongoing energy to the brain. Amid its array of biological benefits, Cognizin provides an ingenious new way to support your brain health.
For nearly twenty years, the science of citicoline has revolved around key market studies conducted using its patented form known as Cognizin. Extensive scientific research demonstrates how Cognizin citicoline benefits include immune support, enhanced productivity, focus and attention as well as counterbalancing natural age-based cognitive decline. Studies have demonstrated that middle-aged adults experienced increased brain activity after just six weeks of taking 500mg of Cognizin, emphasizing its role in enhancing cellular synthesis, restoring brain energy and promoting healthy brain-aging. Clinical research has found that this premium nootropic has been found to increase brain energy (ATP) by 14% and speed up the formation of brain membranes by 26% in healthy adults. In a landmark study involving healthy elderly subjects with memory impairment (AAMI), participants showed significantly greater improvements in secondary outcomes of episodic memory.
With the search for natural, lifestyle-friendly ways to improve brain health on the rise the nootropic supplement market is forecasted to surge to $8.2 million by 2032. There are now over 200 products containing this helpful nutritional brain health ingredient supporting focus, concentration, attention, memory and mental energy levels. Tasty and packed with key cognitive benefits? Brain fuel never tasted so sweet.
Find it HERE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
How to be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Rich, Boulder, Colorado: Shambhala (2021)
“Aging Smart: Add This to Your Diet to Support Brain Health,” by Merilee Kern, MBA
