We peeked throughout the house to make sure we hadn’t missed any of our belongings.

I glanced into each room quickly, my daughter and wife’s eyes lingered a little bit longer.

They wanted to make certain we weren’t leaving anything behind.

As we stood by the front door, ready to leave our old place for the final time my wife looked sad

and my daughter began sobbing. Moving day had been hard physically and now it was becoming

difficult emotionally. To the naked eye, the house looked completely empty. Everything we owned

was either packed up or gone, but at the moment what we saw was a home that was full of our

fondest memories.

As tears streamed down Marissa’s cheeks, she reminded us that our beloved Golden Retriever and

her had romped around in the back yard many times. I recalled our big dog trying to share a small

plastic sled with my daughter in the wintertime and how the two of them loved running through the

sprinkler during the hottest days of summer.

She mentioned the sleepovers she had with friends and for a moment I even missed the sound of

teen girls giggling at one A.M.   She pointed to the spots where her and some of her closest friends

gathered before middle school dances and Senior prom to take pictures next to our fireplace and on our

front porch. Marissa had her “Sweet Sixteen” and “Graduation Party” here as well as some others.

My daughter and her friends had a painting party when she redecorated her bedroom.

We loved celebrating special occasions in our dining room and I thought of the times my wife and I

would fix a nice meal, share a bottle of our favorite wine and talk for hours about all kinds of things

( something that we still love to do). I was just hitting the tip of the memory iceberg and it was tough.

I thought of the times Marissa mentioned and then I remembered some additional ones and suddenly

I was sad too.

I realized that my daughter had spent her “wonder years” and lived half her life here, so of course

she was sad to leave the place. Ironically, she has an apartment of her own and was just there that day

to help us move out.

As tough as it was for each of us to leave, we couldn’t be standing there in the

foyer when the new owners arrived, that would have been awkward for everybody. I took a deep breath

and tried being logical. I reminded myself that the house had gotten older, a little ragged around the

edges and more difficult to take care of…kind of like me. It was time to downsize and upgrade to

a newer place. I sighed and turned the key to the old front door one last time and made sure it was

locked.  I hid the key under a rock for the new owners, then we climbed into our SUV and pulled away

from the place we had called home for over thirteen years.  My daughter was crying again and I can’t

say I blamed her. Moving is a part of life but that doesn’t mean moving is easy. In fact, moving is

difficult! It’s difficult because you have to pack up all of your important stuff, you try giving away your

leftover stuff and you have to throw away all of your unnecessary stuff.

As it turns out, that’s the easy part of moving.

The most difficult part of moving is figuring out what to do with all of the moments you shared and the

memories you made at your home.  When you leave a special place, you feel like you’re leaving the

memories you made behind.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems impossible to store every memory of home and of growing up in your

mind or heart. That explains my daughter’s tears and why Moving Day took a toll on her!

As we drove toward our new house my pep talk began. I reminded my daughter and wife that we were

moving to a beautiful new home and we would be starting an exciting new chapter of our lives. I told

them that we had a chance to make lots of new memories. I also reminded my daughter she was

welcome to visit as often as she wanted ( Our new memories won’t be nearly as great without her)!

The post Moving Day appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

The Train rides are a perfect family outing for tons of family fun at Carillon Historical Park Museum this spring and summer! Held on Saturdays (and the occasional Sunday) from April–December, Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society miniature train rides are fun for the whole family.

Established in 1984, CPRSS operates a 7.5 gauge (1/8th full-scale) miniature railroad at Carillon Historical Park. Rides are $1 per person, per ride, and the funds directly support the Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society- there is a separate park entrance fee. (below) Ride passes are also available.

Held each June, the CPRSS’s main event is Carillon Historical Park’s Rail Festival—a two-day family fun event featuring free miniature train rides, live steam engines, model train displays, historical displays, train merchandise, rail vendors, and much more.

2019 Train Schedule: 

April 6 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
April 20 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
May 4 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
May 26 | 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (Heritage Day)
June 22 | 9:30 am – 5:00 pm (Rail Festival)
June 23 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm (Rail Festival)
July 6 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
July 20 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
August 3 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
August 17 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
September 7 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
September 15 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm (Concours d’Elegance)
October 5 | | 9:30 am – 5:00 pm (Mini Maker Faire)
October 19 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

For more information about the Carillon Park Rail & Steam Society, please visit cprss.org or contact the Education Scheduling Desk at (937) 293-2841 Ext. 127 and [email protected]

Hours of Operation*: Monday – Saturday: 9:30am-5:00pm, Sunday: 12:00pm-5:00pm
(*Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day)

Park Admission: $8 per adult (ages 18-59), $7 per senior, $5 per child (3 –17), Children under 3 and Dayton History members are FREE

Address: 1000 Carillon Boulevard, Dayton, OH 45409

Please note that park admission is required separately and does not include Train Fares. All funds from ticket sales and donations are used to buy fuel, maintain the locomotives, cars, track, grounds, maintenance equipment, and train facilities.  The entire railroad is maintained and operated by the all-volunteer members of the Carillon Park Rail and Steam Society (CPR&SS) club which is a separate entity from the Dayton Historical Park.  With your support, through ticket sales and donations, we can continue providing train rides.

The post Family Fun at Carillon Historical Park Museum appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

It seems I’m officially out of the loop and may now be considered an older dignified parent.

I never received the memo that a hot new song was sweeping our nation.

My wife and I were watching people dance at a wedding when the Dee-Jay surprised the crowd

with a catchy little tune called “The Baby Shark Song”…….wait what!?

We looked on in disbelief as all the young kids in the hall went crazy over this song.

They imitated little sharks and began chiming out each chorus. They were happy as clams!

Much to my surprise, I could see all of the their parents doing the same thing.

I almost stood up and yelled “Grow Up…You’re not Sharks & you look silly!” but I couldn’t since I was

now considered to be a member of the older dignified parent group…..yikes!

Before I was an older, dignified parent, I would happily sing along with a Purple Dinosaur.

I talked nonsense to a yellow and red TeleTubby and I used to “Jump Around” with Mary Kate & Ashley.

As parents, we all make sacrifices when it comes to our kids. In fact, we often sacrifice our dignity!

If you don’t believe me, think of the time you spent a Saturday afternoon at Chuck E Cheese singing

Happy Birthday with a giant gray rat and his five piece animatronic band.

The funny thing is that when you see your kids smile, you don’t feel like it’s a sacrifice at all.

The parents singing “The Baby Shark Song” were grinning from ear to ear. They laughed the whole

time as they pretended to chomp invisible fish. They liked “The Baby Shark Song” because their kids

were laughing. Nothing beats the sound of a child laughing (especially when it’s your own).

If I’m being honest, I kind of liked the “Baby Shark Song”….Lord knows It’s still stuck in my head.

The “Baby Shark” song, reminded me of being at a Jimmy Buffett Concert.

At his concerts, a bunch of crazy adults drink margaritas while singing “Fins to the Left and Fins to

the Right” and we act like land sharks. We wear loud shirts, ridiculous hats, sing loudly and dance

barefoot without much regard for rhythm. It’s just one of the things us older dignified parents do!

The post Baby Shark Bite appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

The post Surprise Father’s Day Gift appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

We’ll have the latest on organic foods. Are they worth the extra money?

What about gluten-free packaged foods?

Flavored Yogurt?

Puffed Veggie chips?

Are these wise choices or a waste of money?

The answer to these questions and more at the next Ages and Stages parent workshop, 9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus, 7777 Yankee Road, 45044.

The FREE monthly workshop is designed to empower parents with information on raising children in today’s times.

This workshop features a team of Cincinnati Children’s nutrition and health experts with a ton of tips for keeping your family fit, including healthy snacks that your kids will want to eat and exercise that the whole family will enjoy. Be ready for interactive demonstrations and take away tips that you can start right away.

For more information and to register for the FREE Ages and Stages parenting workshop (click here). Childcare and a light breakfast are provided at no charge. By attending Ages and Stages you are automatically registered to win a gift certificate from the Liberty Center Mall. Must be present to win.

The post A PARENT’S GUIDE: Nutrition, Health and Fitness for your family appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

I get a monthly business magazine called Success.

It features people who are driven, creative and leaders in their respective fields.

The magazine puts an emphasis into what makes business leaders successful and what is important to them. I have received the magazine for three years now and I’ve noticed a trend. No matter how successful, hard working or high achieving these people are they still value family and appreciate life’s simple moments.

A few weeks ago, I gained a new understanding of what this means. I was dropping something off to my daughter at college. I arrived at her apartment and sent a text to her that I had arrived. She replied to let me know the door was open. I walked in and didn’t see her at first. Then I heard a voice calling: “I’m back in my bedroom!”.

I walked back and caught a glimpse of my daughter working on a lesson plan for her major (Early Childhood Education)

She sat legs crossed Indian style at her computer desk. She was dressed casually with a pony tail in her hair and an inquisitive look on her face. I took a snap shot in my mind and a hundred thoughts popped into my head at once.

I thought of how grown up and intelligent she looked and how I wished I could look that smart. I thought how quickly twenty-two years had passed and how it didn’t seem fair that her childhood was gone. I recalled the days when I looked at her and she was smiling up at me in her crib and now I saw her smile because her college homework was almost completed.

She looked so studious, put together and ready to tackle the future challenge of becoming a teacher.

I thought of how proud I was as a parent that she has gone through college successfully and that she has kept focused. She’s never strayed from the path of wanting to help children and be a teacher.

When she said hello and thanked me I noted the love and compassion in her voice and I thought of how lucky I was to have a daughter who has always cared about others.

I thought of so many things in the short time I was there and I won’t bore you with it all. Mostly, I thought of how much I love her and how grateful I am that my daughter has turned into such a great kid or I should say young adult.

Sometimes when you step back and take a close look at your kid you realize what real success is about. Real success is being the best parent you can be and getting a chance to enjoy the end result (A great kid). Real success is seeing that your kid will have a positive impact on young children’s lives. Real success is seeing that the baby you created twenty two years ago has become everything you hoped she would be (A tremendous person). It turns out I don’t need a magazine to tell me what success is about after all! It also turns out that the business leaders in Success magazine are right, you should value family (especially your children) and you should appreciate life’s simple moments.

The post Simple Success appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

The Winter Olympics will take place this upcoming February in South Korea.

One of the premiere events in those Olympics is women’s figure skating and one of America’s best hopes for a medal in that event may not get to compete.

Her name is Gracie Gold (what a great name for an Olympian) and her current personal struggle reflects a new normal for many young women throughout the USA.

Gracie Gold is 22, the same age as my daughter Marissa (A college student herself). Gold recently dropped out of an important world competition called the Grand Prix Games because she is in treatment for depression, anxiety and an eating disorder. She originally withdrew from the event for what she called “personal reasons”. Later she decided to let the world know what she was facing in hopes that it would encourage other girls her age to tackle similar struggles they might be facing. All too often high school and college age girls ignore or suppress depression and anxiety. They almost always deny or dismiss the fact that they have an eating disorder. It is rare for them to bring that struggle out into the open!

This makes Gracie Gold’s decision to go public with her problem even more courageous according to Claire Mysko the CEO of the National Eating Disorder Association. She hopes that Gold’s honesty will have a positive impact on girls that feel the shame of having an eating disorder.

Gold also admitted she’s been seeing a psychologist since this past January because of depression, anxiety and the overwhelming feeling that she’s not good enough. Not just as a world class athlete but as an everyday normal person. Gold constantly feels the need to eliminate many self perceived physical and emotional flaws. Those feelings are all too common with females that are ages 16 to 22.

In 2011 a study by the American College Health Association showed that over half of 200,000 College aged girls indicated they dealt with overwhelming anxiety on a regular basis during a 12 month period. Society has created a higher level of pressure on young women and it is growing worse due to both the main stream and social media.

Gold said that all the demands of being an Olympic Athlete became overwhelming when some days she would just struggle to get out of bed and live normal life. Luckily she had the sense and wherewithal to put a stop to it and get herself the kind of help that will make her capable of having a bright and healthy future.

With a rise in teen and college student suicides (up 8-11% in last 10 yrs.), it is important that a public figure brings this topic out in the open. Hopefully, this will trigger discussions between parents and their daughters. The issues and pressures that college girls face are real and we must applaud all girls who open up about them. As parents we must consistently let our daughters know that we are there to help them find the help they need if they are facing depression, anxiety, an eating disorder or any other problem. No matter what happens in her future Gracie Gold is already a winner in my book for her inner strength and for the courage to share her personal struggles!

The post Life’s Not Always Golden appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Throughout life parenting is about a push in one form or another.

Life can’t even begin without a big push from a child’s mother.

That first push may be the most important, but it is only one of many. As your child grows up you find yourself pushing them many times as a parent.

You push your child in a stroller, so that they can see a little more of the world.

You push your child on a swing, so they can have fun and you can hear their laughter.

You push doors open for them until they learn to do it on their own.

You push the right foods towards them so they will learn to eat properly.

You push things away from them that are dangerous or harmful.

You may have to push them gently into the classroom when they begin their first day of school.

You might push them into a sport or activity that makes sense for them, just make sure it does.

With each step in childhood you give your kid a push here and a push there. Some pushes are little and others bigger. Some kids require more pushes than others, but the goal for each parent is the same. Keep pushing your child forward in the path of life.

As your child gets older and nears adulthood the pushing gets a bit trickier. You have the responsibility to push your child in the direction of what is right and away from what’s wrong. This is happening while they are starting to push away. They want to discover the world and they feel a need to form their own opinion on things. This is the time to push carefully and you must sometimes push gently and subtly. During this time if you push too hard you may end up pushing them into a bad decision. It’s the time when they think they know it all and their attitude may end up pushing your buttons. If this happens, don’t push the panic button. Instead, remember what you went through as a teen and even as a young adult. You can always ask for advice from other parents who have been there before or read books on parenting advice (there are plenty of them out there).

Once your child becomes an adult, gets married and has a life of their own you have to be the most careful about pushing. This is a time when you still want to push but you need to back away a bit and just be there for them. You’ll try to push your thoughts about making them a better person, push ideas on how they can live their life or you’ll even try to push your adult child into a guilt trip or two. Once your child hits adulthood you need to stop pushing them so much and you need to start pushing yourself into becoming a better, wiser and perhaps more caring person. It’s the time when you have to recognize the difference between a push that’s a loving nudge and a push that’s a frustrated shove.

Parenting is about pushing in the early years. You hope to do your best and that you push your child in the right direction. Once your child is an adult, parenting is less about the push and more about the embrace. Embrace the time your child shares with you, embrace their uniqueness and embrace the positive gifts they share with you and the world. Embrace the decisions they’ve made (they have learned from them), embrace their spouse (they love them) and embrace their children (they raise & adore your grandkids). Embrace each of your children equally and love them all unconditionally. Once they’ve grown up and you’ve grown older embrace your kids more and stop pushing, because every one knows if you push something too hard you just end up pushing it away!

The post When Push Comes to Shove appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.