Parenting Archives - The Culture Mom

19Aug

Netflix’s “Atypical” Will Help a Parent of a Child on the Spectrum Feel Less Alone

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Being atypical isn't easy. Trust me, I know from personal experience. Very personal experience, too personal to get too much into details here. So, when Netflix announced their new show Atypical, created by Robia Rashid (The Goldbergs, How I Met Your Mother) and Seth Gordon (also The Goldbergs, as well as the recent Baywatch movie), I was intrigued and eagerly awaited its arrival. As a mom with few outlets and connections to a world that is very personal and quite complicated, as well as incredibly lonely, I was eager to see how TV would portray a boy Read More

05Dec

Parenting: Knowing What’s Important

Posted by The Culture Mom 1 Comment

If you're following me closely, you know I just spent several weeks abroad. I combined my work with a bit of a personal exploration of Eastern Europe that you'll be reading about in various places, including right here on the blog. It ended up being very intense, as I delved into Jewish history and brought home very valuable lessons that tie in with our recent election and where we are as a country. I was gone a long time: 18 days. I'd never been away for that long. I left my family to fend for themselves. But please know my kids are older now - 12 Read More

30Nov

Guest Post: An Interactive and Engaging Pip’s Island at NYC’s Skylight Modern

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

This a guest post written by writer Lisa Gerstel-Zach, a diverse and seasoned executive who has spent her career in Children’s and Family Entertainment via Publishing, Live Events and Broadcast before stepping back to take a much earned reprieve from the Corporate world in order to reinvent herself and remember why she moved to New York. She lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her husband and daughter. Pip’s Island is a wonderful introduction as to what immersive theater can be. My four year old and her best friend, each daughters of avid Read More

14Jun

State of America’s Fathers 2016

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Men say they can do more. They want to do more. But they can't do it alone. In the latest State of America's Fathers report, produced by MenCare and Promundo US, research breaks down what it takes to support caring, involved dads.The hope is that the report will increase the visibility and value of care work in the United States at the national level with never-before-analyzed data and bold policy recommendations. It seeks to influence and improve policies and programming for parents, particularly for the most vulnerable families and fathers. The report Read More

17Mar

A Chat with the Cast of HOME and a Giveaway

Posted by The Culture Mom 63 Comments

When I was invited to view the film HOME and attend a press junket with the creatives involved that included Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin & Director Tim Johnson, I was thrilled. Such talent - such creativity - such legends. First I had to see the film to see for myself. So, on a late Monday afternoon, I ventured into the city for a screening of the film. The film is about Oh, a misfit from another planet who lands on earth and finds himself on the run from his own people. He forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who Read More

04Mar

Becoming a Shot@Life Champion

Posted by The Culture Mom 2 Comments

If you've read my blog before, you know of my passionate and fervent interest to help others. Using it and other streams over the years, I've raised large amounts of money for St. Jude Hospital and the Haitian Amputee Mothers Alliance. I've raised awareness for Every Mother Counts, Mothers 2 Mothers, Save the Children, Dress for Success and ONE. I write over at The Broad Side and BlogHer when given the opportunity and really try to raise the bar on issues I care about, most pertaining to women and children. Yet I am not known for this work. I'm the Read More

21Jan

Advocating for Children’s Health is a Global Effort #MDGmomentum

Posted by The Culture Mom 1 Comment

I can’t believe that I had my first daughter 11-1/2 years ago. It feels like yesterday, and for some reason, the images are more vivid than when I had my second child a few years later. It was an induced pregnancy, so we went in to the hospital rather leisurely on a week night. I laid on a table and was given medication to send my soon-to-be child a signal that it was time to come into the world. After nine months of carrying her around in my belly and readying the house and my life to include a new child, my husband and I were more than ready to Read More

08Nov

Helping Kids Explore Friendship with Netflix

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Growing up, I learned a lot about friendship from movies. From The Breakfast Club to Pretty in Pink and later to Thelma and Louise and Career Girls, I learned a lot about life and love. Watching movies that celebrate seemingly unlikely friends helped me understand and figure out relationships and connections. They provide insight to bullying, cliques, feeling judged, self esteem issues and patterns of behavior. Just think about Mean Girls, Freaky Friday and Clueless. They give kids a chance to talk about what's going at school on the playground and on Read More

08Oct

Jennifer Garner, My New Kindred Spirit

Posted by The Culture Mom 8 Comments

My heroine of the week is Jennifer Garner. She's the first celebrity I've ever seen admit that her belly grew after pregnancy and never returned to its normal size. I'm literally in awe of her for admitting that people are RUDE to ask her about it and tabloids have even posted headlines underneath her photo declaring her upcoming 4th child with Ben Affleck is on its way. It's just goes to show you: Don't believe what you read! Ellen DeGeneres put the question out there on the table recently on her show and Jennifer said this: "I get congratulated Read More

12Sep

LiveHealth Online: A New App that Helps Simplify Parents’ Lives

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Last week my daughter and I got treated to a very special "health" day by the wonderful women at Cool Mom Picks. She was treated to a cooking class; I was treated to an afternoon sipping mimosas and learning about a new app, LiveHealth Online, that can, quite simply, create healthier, safer lives. With the click of a button, you can have access to a physician who can advise, prescribe medication and help you save time and worry. The event was held at Havens Kitchen in New York City, a beautiful space dedicated to the preparation and enjoyment of yummy, Read More