When Talia Vogel was getting ready to celebrate her bat mitzvah she knew she wanted to do a service project. Many area synagogues require bar/bat mitzvah students to find a social action endeavor, often known as “mitzvah projects,” as part of their preparations. Talia decided to collect art supplies—a passion of hers—and donate them to kids at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital who “might not have access to a lot of activities,” she explains.

Talia and her family also decided to open the cause beyond those invited to her bat mitzvah. They put flyers in all the neighbors’ mailboxes and her mom, Susan, posted the information on social media, noting that people could drop off supplies on the porch of their Phoenix home, donate money via Venmo, or bring the goods to Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation the night of Talia’s Havdalah service. Susan couldn’t believe how many people—most not Jewish—participated, often leaving notes for Talia telling her how happy they were to contribute.

“A bat mitzvah is about becoming a Jewish adult and it’s important that you do things that show you are part of the Jewish community,” says Talia, who is in eighth grade. “Doing a service project can give you a start of how you want to make a difference.”

Starting kids young on projects they care about, like Talia’s, is key to raising service-minded kids, says Nakeia Jones, executive director of Baltimore’s Philanthropy Tank, a nonprofit that, through grants and mentorships, empowers young people to find service-driven solutions to problems affecting their own communities.

“You need to find something kids are interested in and find a way they can volunteer in that area,” says Jones. She notes that it’s okay to start small. That can mean anything from reading to the dogs at the SPCA to serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Bea Gaddy Family Center. Jones says it’s also important for parents to demonstrate that volunteering is a regular occurrence in their lives.

“Kids emulate what they see,” says Jones. “Be a good example.”

That sounds a lot like the unofficial model of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), says Sam DiStefeno, the marketing and communications executive for the BSA’s Baltimore Area Council. “Service is one of the main pillars of Scouting,” he explains. And by implementing that into the entire Scouts program, “it’s teaching these really important values for the rest of their lives,” says DiStefeno. That often includes everything from collecting items for neighborhood food banks to huge Eagle Scout service projects that can impact an entire community.

“I am always inspired by how compassionate and conservation-minded our youth naturally are,” says Kristen Engelke, Scoutmaster for Troop 328 in Timonium. “Membership in a group that encourages service, compassion, and environmental stewardship during their formative years can help young people grow into adults who are conscientious of the world around them and generous with their time and talents.”

A few weeks after her bat mitzvah service, Talia and her mom headed to Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital—their car packed full of every imaginable art supply. For Talia, it’s still one of her favorite memories from her bat mitzvah and one that’s had a lasting impact on her.

Says Talia, “Doing something like that can make people really happy and it made me feel good.”

Is your kid’s idea of fun brushing a baby goat? Or do they really dig dinosaurs? Perhaps they prefer practicing kickflips or traversing hiking trails. Whether your child is into Picasso or planets, skipping rocks or riding roller coasters, there is something for every interest, every age, and every family in the Baltimore area.

For Rachel Zillig, a mom of two in Baltimore County, the pandemic had a huge impact on her family’s activities. With libraries, museums, and just about every other kid-friendly place shut down, “We had to seek out other stuff or we’d have gone insane just sitting in the house,” says Zillig, whose Instagram account, @BaltimoreFamilyFun, details their adventures in the area. Now that most places have opened back up, she’s looking forward to visiting old favorites like Port Discovery and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, but she’s not giving up the local parks and outdoor activities they enjoyed during COVID-19. “Just walking around the Inner Harbor during the day is a fun activity for my kids. They love looking at the boats.”

If your family has a particular place you love to visit again and again, consider purchasing a membership. The pandemic had a devastating impact on the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, with nearly 60 percent of museums forced to cut back on education, programming, and other public services, according to Artnet News.

But things are looking up, with plenty of Baltimore regional destinations open and ready to safely do business. Check out our guide to find out what’s happening at new and old family favorites throughout the region this summer.

PORT DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
35 Market Pl., Baltimore, MD 21202.
Three floors of interactive exhibits and settings for imaginative play will keep toddlers and preschoolers entertained for hours. Kids ages 5-12 can build confidence and motor skills as they scale the multi-story SkyClimber. This always-changing museum is “huge but never seems crowded,” says Zillig, whose family’s favorites include the replica Royal Farms, a delightfully realistic pretend diner, and a water playroom. (Pro tip: bring a change of clothes!)

THE NATIONAL AQUARIUM
501 E Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202.
No matter how many times you visit the Aquarium, there’s always something new to see. You could spend an entire day searching for the sloths in the tropical rainforest or being mesmerized by all the different kinds of jellyfish. With more than 20,000 aquatic creatures, an enormous shark tank, and hands-on exhibits, kids will be educated and entertained every time. Note: strollers are not permitted.

MARYLAND SCIENCE CENTER
601 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21230.
Come for the dinosaurs, stay for the interactive science exhibits. Kids can create their own inventions, lie on a bed of nails, learn about the human body, and experience the electromagnetic spectrum through light and prisms. Don’t miss the planetarium, rooftop observatory, and IMAX theater, too.

THE MARYLAND ZOO
1 Safari Pl., Baltimore, MD 21217.
From the perky prairie dogs to the gentle giraffes to the cheeky chimpanzees, this world-class zoo is home to more than 1,500 amazing animals—including the largest African penguin breeding colony in North America. Your wild things can run amok along the shady paved paths and ride the new zero emissions electric shuttles back to the free parking lot when they’re tired.

BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART
10 Art Museum Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218.
There’s more to the BMA than the Cone Collection’s Matisses and Monets. Kids who like dollhouses will adore the Cheney Miniatures Gallery, and the museum’s African art collection features 2,500
masks, textiles, and other works from more than 200 cultures. Indoor voices are not required to explore the outdoor sculpture garden. Currently, reservations are required for free admission. Strollers and front baby carriers are permitted in the museum.

LAKE ROLAND PARK & NATURE CENTER
1000 Lakeside Dr., Baltimore, MD, 21210.
The Lake Roland Dam is the focal point of this 500-acre sanctuary in the middle of Baltimore. Popular among pet owners for its fenced-in Paw Point dog park (membership required), Lake Roland features a unique playground, a new nature center, various hiking and biking trails, and a boardwalk from the Falls Road Light Rail station. Stop by Tropicool Italian Ice afterward for a sweet treat.

OREGON RIDGE PARK & NATURE CENTER
13555 Beaver Dam Rd., Cockeysville, MD 21030.
This 1000-plus-acre park is a great place to burn off energy. It features several playgrounds, picnic areas, plenty of trails ranging from easy to challenging, and a quarry where you can skip rocks and watch the ducks. Several animal enclosures house bunnies, geese, chickens and more, and the nature center hosts educational events and storytimes.

LADEW TOPIARY GARDENS
3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111.
Unicorn-shaped shrubs, windows carved into hedges, koi ponds, an enchanting teahouse, butterfly house, and gift shop are just some of the delights you’ll find here, along with 22 acres of space to run wild and enjoy nature. Admission required; children under two are free.

RASH FIELD PARK
300 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230.
Baltimore’s newest park opened last November in the heart of the Inner Harbor. Kids can clamber up a pair of 35-foot wooden towers in the Adventure Park, slip down a giant slide, soar on the swings, dig in the sand pit, or bring their board and drop into the skate park.

THE GO-KART TRACK
10907 Pulaski Hwy., White Marsh, MD 21162.
Feel the need for speed? With three different go-kart tracks, a mini-golf course (half price on weekdays), and all the classic arcade games, there’s something for everyone here. Kids aged 3 and up can join a driver age 16+ on the Family Track, and speed demons at least 52” tall can drop the pedal to the medal on the Drift Track.

SKATEPARK OF BALTIMORE
1121 W 36th St., Baltimore, MD 21211.
Got a budding skateboarder or trick scooter rider? Strap on your pads and helmet and hit this Hampden hotspot. It’s free and open daily from dawn to dusk. If you need some new grip tape, Vu Skate Shop is just around the corner on Falls Road.

EASTERN WATERSPORTS
4001 Bay Dr., 7200 Graces Quarters Rd., and 7400 Graces Quarters Rd., Middle River, MD 21220.
You don’t have to drive to Annapolis or Ocean City to get a taste of salt life. With three locations, two within Gunpowder Falls State Park and two with legitimate sandy beaches, this seasonal shop rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and canoes by the hour. Children under 10 can accompany a parent or guardian on a tandem kayak or paddleboard. Kids 10 and up can rent their own with a renting adult.

SPLASH PADS
Multiple locations.
Looking to cool down and get wet on a hot day, no pool membership required? Baltimore City is home to several splash pads, including at West Shore Park in the Inner Harbor, Mt. Vernon Children’s Park, and The Rotunda. Visit BaltimoreFamilies.org/pools for locations.

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY “STORYVILLE”
There’s more to the library than storytime. Storyville, located at Baltimore County Public Library’s Rosedale and Woodlawn branches, is a play-and-learn center designed to promote early literacy and school-readiness skills in children ages 0-5. This enchanting child-sized village features books, toys, and activities for tots and their parents or caregivers.

DUTCH WONDERLAND
2249 Lincoln Hwy. E, Lancaster, PA 17602.
This amusement park in Amish country is extremely popular with young families for a reason. The 48-acre layout is accessible, not overwhelming, and the rides are geared toward little kids. Duke’s Lagoon is a water park within the park that’s worth a visit all on its own.

HERSHEYPARK
100 Hersheypark Dr., Hershey, PA 17033.
Thrillseekers throng to this family theme park, created by the famous chocolatier Milton S. Hershey, which features tons of rides, including 15 roller coasters. There are plenty of attractions for the littler set, too. The one-price admission includes all the rides, the water park, and ZooAmerica.

SIX FLAGS AMERICA
13710 Central Ave., Bowie, MD 20721.
Six Flags is home to some of the fastest, tallest, wildest rides in the country, including Firebird, billed as “America’s only floorless roller coaster.” Younger kids can enjoy at least a dozen rides all by themselves. Admission includes access to the Hurricane Harbor waterpark, featuring an 800,000-gallon wave pool and 25 water slides.

KINGS DOMINION
16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, VA 23047.
Got tweens and teens? Take a three-hour drive to this amusement park near Richmond. Already home to 13 roller coasters, the park will introduce Tumbili, a brand-new, 4D spin coaster, as part of its new-in-2022 immersive Jungle X-pedition. For the little ones, there’s Planet Snoopy. Admission includes access to the Soak City waterpark.

GROWN UP DINING, KID APPROVED

Dining out with kids doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful if you choose one of these family-friendly eateries, offering everything from pizza to medieval feasts.

R. HOUSE
301 W. 29th St., Baltimore, MD 21211.
Food courts and food halls, like this one located in Remington, are great options for dining with kids for a few reasons. First, there’s something for even the pickiest eater. Choose from 10 stalls offering a variety of fare, from pizza and fried chicken sandwiches to poké bowls and Korean BBQ. Second, the kids can be as loud as they like, and there’s room to stretch your legs when sitting at a table gets tiresome.

BELVEDERE SQUARE MARKET
529 E Belvedere Ave., Baltimore, MD 21212.
More than a food market, this North Baltimore hotspot near The Senator Theatre is a great place to dine indoors or out at any time of day. Food vendors include Atwater’s, Ejji Ramen, Plantbar, and The Pizza Trust. The Square hosts a Friday night concert series during the summer months.

STONE MILL BAKERY & CAFE
10751 Falls Rd. Suite 123, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093.
If you’re shopping at Greenspring Station or have a kids’ sporting event across the street at Meadowood Regional Park, pop into this bustling cafe for refreshments. Choose from salads, soups, sandwiches, and unparalleled sugar cookies. If the weather’s nice, sit outside by a babbling brook and let the kids climb on the stone turtles.

JASON’S DELI
8874 McGaw Rd., Columbia, MD 21045.
With menus for kids, vegetarians, and gluten-sensitive diners, this reasonably priced chain has long been a favorite for families. (The free ice cream doesn’t hurt!) Sadly, the Timonium location closed during COVID, but the Columbia restaurant is open for business.

MEDIEVAL TIMES
7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD 21076.
If you dread family dinners or just want something different, there’s nothing like a meal and a show set in a medieval Spanish “castle.” Feast on turkey legs–or a surprisingly tasty vegetarian option–as you watch knights on horseback jousting for a fair maiden’s hand. Yes, it’s a bit sexist and over-the-top, but the spectacle is part of the fun. If you’re looking to get your kids off screens and into a real-life adventure, this is it.

Working mom Jennifer Nolley loved to paint when she was growing up, and she wanted art and creativity to be part of her children’s lives, as well. But the logistics of it all—finding the right supplies, getting prepared, cleaning up—were both challenging and stress-inducing. They took a lot of the fun out of it.

Unhappy with products already on the market, Nolley came up with a solution. She started Tiny Easel, a company that provides art in a box for budding artists—and the busy parents who want to encourage them. The goal, she says, is to make art fun and approachable for children, without being stressful for anyone else.

“I wanted activities that would hold their interest,” Nolley says. “Things that they could enjoy and that I could enjoy without hovering or worrying about the mess.”

Nolley, 37, launched the company this month, both online and with a pop-up shop at Whitehall Mill in Hampden. Its motto is: “For little hands with big ideas.”

Tiny Easel sells art activity kits that contain everything families need to make watercolor paintings, drawings, and sketches. (Think 36-color palettes, brushes, sponges, spill-proof cups, coloring pages, activity guides, and, of course, a tiny easel.) All they need to add is water.

Nolley said she chose watercolors over acrylics because they’re easy to work with and clean up. She added watercolor crayons and pencils to give a variety of mediums.

“Watercolors are amazing for kids,” she said. “They’re washable and non-toxic. Acrylics can dry out, but watercolors last forever.”

Watercolor painting also reminds her of her childhood: “One of the things I remember as a child is doing watercolors with my mom when we would go on vacation,” she says. “She would bring a little set of watercolors and we would paint together.”

That led to other arts-related interests.

“I have always been taking art classes at MICA on the weekends,” she says. “I went to film school. Everything I’ve done has been art-based. I wanted to be a film production designer for years, working on sets. I did en plein air classes. I think everything in my life just keeps coming back to that moment with my mom doing watercolors.”

This is the first retail venture for Nolley, a Baltimore native who graduated from Friends School and got a masters degree in interior architecture from the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington, D.C.

She started Tiny Easel in addition to her full time job as Developer and Designer for Terra Nova Ventures, a real estate company that was started by her father, David Tufaro, and specializes in the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, including Whitehall Mill and Mill No. 1 in the Jones Falls Valley.

She’s married to Dawson Nolley, a real estate agent with Cummings & Co. Realtors. They live in Ruxton and are raising three children: Elizabeth, 7, Kathryn, 4 and George, 1. She volunteers at Riderwood Elementary School in its Smart Art program, which introduces kindergarteners and first graders to art.

Nolley said she’s had the idea for Tiny Easel for some time, but really started working on it while on maternity leave with her third child last summer. She spent more time developing it while the family was in quarantine during the pandemic. “Being stuck inside with the kids was helpful,” she says, “because it gave us time to try out more things.”

Many of the line drawings in the coloring books grew out of trips she and her children took to the National Aquarium, the Maryland Zoo, and Cylburn Arboretum.

“I’ve been going around Lake Roland a lot during the quarantine, so a lot is also inspired by nature,” she says, flipping through the watercolor book. “This drawing is inspired by my daughter, who always wants more sprinkles on her ice cream. This is inspired by Hilton Carter. He’s a big plant guy. This is a still life. This is a drawing that I created to teach my kids than when you overlap colors, you can get new colors. Jumping in puddles is a big thing for my kids.”

Even the rocket ship on the box, she said, is “inspired by the Maryland Science Center and elements of outer space.”

The target audience for Tiny Easel is children aged 3 to 10, although there’s nothing to prevent older children and adults from buying the boxes, too. The instructions are general enough that users can go in any number of directions. And while Nolley doesn’t promise that Tiny Easel will turn every kid into the next Picasso, she says the idea is simply to introduce kids to painting and let them take it from there.

“My hope is that kids just enjoy painting at an early age and take that into whatever aspect of life they want to,” she says. “Maybe it’s becoming an architect or an interior designer or a graphic designer. Maybe it’s not even specific to design. My hope is that they develop some creative skills from what they’ve learned at an early age, and have fun with it.”

Earlier this month, the Nolleys celebrated Tiny Easel’s debut by turning a merchant space at Whitehall Mill into a pop-up shop for the day.

Andrea Griffin, a real estate agent, bought six Tiny Easel Painter Boxes as gifts for clients and friends. Rachel Tranter bought a box to use herself. Lauren Prendeville said she bought two travel kits for her daughter, Madison, because they were going on a car trip.

Prendeville said she likes Tiny Easel because the paints are watercolor, and that’s different from the usual acrylic or tempera paints.

“It’s something that parents don’t even think of,” Prendeville said. “We buy chunky Crayola paint because we think that’s all kids can handle. This actually teaches them watercolor, which is a more sophisticated form of art.”

Nolley plans to eventually sell each item in the kit separately, so it’s easy to get refills. She said most of the sales will be online, but she’d like to do more pop-up events to spread the word.

In many ways, Nolley said, Tiny Easel represents everything she loves in life and is good at—kids, painting, drawing, design, sparking creativity. If it’s a success, she said, she’d like to devote full time to it. “That would be my dream.”

Most years, my mother, Leslie, and I go all out in planning a birthday extravaganza for my daughters Blair, 8, and Harper, 6. Growing up, “Nana,” as the girls call her, never missed a beat, and she’s still in a perfect rhythm now. In the early ’90s when most of my birthday parties took place, there was no expense spared. I often find myself questioning where she found the time and energy as a single mother to plan it all. In my eight-plus years of motherhood—baby showers included—I’ve subconsciously competed with that early-’90s version of my mother.

This year’s challenge, when my daughter, Harper, turned 6 on May 16, was merely finding the energy to get out of bed to shower after a week’s worth of intense distance-learning, work-related calls, and not nearly enough wine amidst the COVID-19 lockdown.

We kept it simple, but I did miss all the fuss. (Don’t tell my mom.) The overachiever and arts organizer in me wanted to phone in a last-minute call to shut down a full city block in celebration of Harper’s sixth birthday.

But, this year, I’ve lived vicariously through badass creative moms like Rebecca Teaff, founder and chief creative officer of Baltimore-based marketing firm Redstart Creative, and Raina Tyson Smallwood, co-founder of Cedar and Cotton in Southwest Baltimore—who have both gotten creative in making their little ones’ special days memorable despite the restrictions of the pandemic.

Teaff’s son, Liam, who is an only child aside from his furry brother, Edward, recently turned 8. Smallwood’s son, Noah, turned 10 this year and is one of three boys alongside his brother, Jonah, and their family’s newest addition, Maximus—who was born just days after Governor Hogan declared a State of Emergency in mid-March.

“We were a little nervous about how everything was going to be with the lockdown starting up,” Smallwood says about giving birth shortly after stay-home orders went into effect. “We got to St. Joseph’s Hospital and my partner, George, jokingly says, ‘They can take me to jail, I’m coming with you.’”

These powerhouse Balti-moms have found time to work from home while planning epic birthday parties, parades, and puppet shows. They’re tenacious, just like my mom in her early-’90s birthday party planning prime. Here are four valuable lessons I learned from speaking with them about making kids feel special on their solar return under these circumstances:

Go Big, But Stay Home

Invite your family or friends to a socially distanced fête, but add your own tried-and-true traditions for added nostalgia.

“The idea of family and friends gathering was always a big thing for me—I like to keep that up for Liam,” Teaff says. “My mom would always put the china out. We have a family tradition where you get to eat what you want on your birthday. Over the years, I picked things like steak or tacos, which I’m sure at a younger age was pizza.”

Smallwood remembers similar traditions on her special day—all of which can be recreated at a small celebration at home.

“I remember turning four and getting a rainbow-bright birthday cake and some friends coming over,” she remembers. “We did birthday gifts. We’d play pin the tail on the donkey. There weren’t a lot of decorations, but just cake, candles, and everyone singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ that sort of thing. I loved it. Each birthday reminds me that I’m gifted with another year, another lesson, and another chance. That’s the true gift.”

Party Favors or Bust

Use your favorite online sites to deck your home out with your favorite streamers and party favors. Decorate like it’s Christmas in July (or any other month leading up to the winter holidays). You may have to come up with something crafty to occupy the kids while you set up, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

“This year, pre-coronavirus, my husband, Rob, goes, ‘Let’s have him do like a fun, bouncy house,’” Teaff shares. “We had it all booked and we were really excited. Then we realized a lot of disappointments were going to come in pretty quick succession. We thought, ‘How can we make this an amazing weekend for Liam?’ So I ordered a bunch of swag and we threw up decorations in every room. For Liam, it was like coming down on Christmas morning. I made a Facebook post about how different this b-day would be for him and asked that folks send cards. We got cards from current friends, my old college friends, family, Liam’s sports teams, and he had a lot of stuff to open during the day.”

Go With the Flow

If you’re not feeling a big party this year (I know I wasn’t) that’s more than okay. If you’re expecting or just brought a new child into the world, like Smallwood, err on the side of caution using video conferencing for visits and celebrations.

“I gave birth two and a half weeks before Noah’s birthday,” Smallwood shares. “And my follow-ups with the doctor after delivery have been virtual, which is interesting—most of the baby’s visits are him being held up to the phone. My mom has taken some time off of work to be isolated and has since been able to visit, as well as my partner’s mom, and my best friend, of course.”

Gather From a Safe Distance

Virtual ideas are your friend! Zoom calls and drive-by’s are fun ways to celebrate with loved ones without physically being in the same room.

“Initially we told Noah that everything was closed, so there wasn’t going to be a birthday party,” Smallwood shares. “We told him that maybe in the summertime he could celebrate his birthday with his brother. Noah did not like that! He was really upset. I felt a little bit bad, but it paid off in the end because we snuck around and got gifts and cupcakes. George and I told him that we had a meeting so we sent them all upstairs so that we could bring out the gifts and set up a Zoom. And then once we had everything set up, we called him down. He was so surprised it was totally worth it. We had everyone he knows on the Zoom call waiting for him!”

Teaff went the parade route for Liam: “A friend of ours organized the whole thing for Liam and all we had to do is get him outside,” she says. “But he wanted to play in the backyard and didn’t want to come out. After a few minutes we started to hear the horn-honking from the parade. Liam was saying, ‘What’s happening?!’ He legit had no idea. It was adorable. It was a bunch of school friends, family, his indoor soccer team, and the coach.”

What’s more? Teaff’s father-in-law, an amateur ventriloquist, put on a private puppet show for Liam via Zoom. “You just want your kid to be excited and happy even though it’s kind of crazy circumstances right now,” she says. “So if you can do that, I say mission accomplished.”

Maryland photographer Mary Brunst first heard about #TheFrontStepsProject through a friend who shared an article on Facebook. Two photographers in Massachusetts had started taking portraits of families—literally on their front steps—as a way to celebrate family, life, and community during this surreal Coronavirus quarantine.

“I thought it was a wonderful way to focus our attention on the good things still happening, as well as support those in our community,” says Brunst. “I wanted to be a part of that here locally.”

Since starting her local initiative, Brunst has photographed more than 30 families. She’s been asking for a voluntary $50 donation (but any amount is acceptable) per session to donate to Micah Clark, a two-and-a-half year old with a rare genetic disease and impaired immune system, a scary diagnosis during the pandemic.

“The Front Steps Project has been an incredibly fun and heartwarming to be a part of,” Brunst says. “It’s wonderful to see the community coming together to help Micah and others immunocompromised like him, while documenting this unusual season of our lives. We’ve never lived through something like this before, and while I’m not at all making light of current circumstances or the seriousness of the issues at hand, I think it’s also important to hold space for the good things happening.”

Specifically, Brunst says she’s been trying to focus on some of the positive of sheltering in place. It helps when the panic comes creeping in.

“It’s not all fear, uncertainty, sickness, and pandemic,” she says. “We are taking quality time to spend with our families, neighbors are helping neighbors, we are learning new hobbies, reading new books, we have the technology to virtually spend time with our friends, we are reaching out and checking in on those we care about—and maybe haven’t talked to in a while—and creating new habits.”

She’s been trying to capture all that on her camera—while communicating and posing people from 20 feet away.

“I’m practicing safe and significant social distancing—and I don’t believe that what I’m doing is any different than going out to walk my dog,” says Brunst, who unfortunately thinks her project will now be on hold, post Governor Larry Hogan’s stay-at-home order.

Heather Smertycha Bailey had Brunst come photograph her family last week.

“When I saw The Front Steps Project Instagram post, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Bailey says. “Mary brought huge laughs and smiles to our faces during this time of uncertainty and isolation. This time in quarantine has been a reconnection in many ways. It’s reminded my family to slow down, get back to the basics and enjoy one other.”

Maria Linz O’Brien, a family and wedding photographer, has also been using this unprecedented time to shoot families on their porches and stoops.

“Every one of us is doing our part to keep our families and neighbors safe, but social distancing can be stressful and isolating,” O’Brien says. “We’ve had some beautiful days these last couple of weeks, so I wanted to get outside and do what I love.”

For O’Brien, it’s all about bringing joy to her neighbors. She is also looking forward to providing photos for them to look back on in years to come.

“Social distancing is hard, but one of the benefits is the extra time many of us are getting to spend with family,” she says. “A lot of families, including almost 40 I have photographed in the last week, are happy to get to document this time, and have some nice family photos too.”

Like Brunst, she’s been trying to focus on the silver lining.

“I’m glad I’ve been able to bring a little relief from the stress,” she says. “There are ways we can all make this time a little more bearable for everyone and safely continue doing the things we love.”

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This has been hard. We survived a week of adjustments and togetherness (so much togetherness) and that sinking feeling, for this extrovert, of deleting her entire color-coded Google calendar for the foreseeable future.

After an intense family vote, we’ve officially named our homeschool, “The Diamond Nature School of America.” My nine-year-old, Zeke, created a logo and I promised we would make tee shirts at some point. The name is fitting, as we’ve done most of our “schooling” this past week outdoors.

While properly practicing social distancing, we visited the Daniels Area at Patapsco Valley State Park, NCR Trail, Gunpowder Falls South Trail, Beverly Triton Beach Park, Cromwell Valley Park, and Historic Jerusalem Mill Village. Even on the rainy days I make my kids put on their raincoats and take a walk around the block. (“Don’t go near anyone. Don’t touch anything,” I reiterate to them.) Fresh air cures all, for them and for me. A walk in the woods is my Xanax.

But I know there also needs to be some semblance of school. “This isn’t a vacation,” I keep reminding my oldest. (And myself.) But I’m struggling. Four kids, three grades, and one family laptop. (I may have had my 13-year-old write a persuasive essay last week about why he needed Xbox Live.)

So, I reached out to two friends—Jennifer Solomon and Miranda Altschuler—who homeschool by choice to see if they could offer some suggestions to those of us who are homeschooling by being thrown off a cliff.

Solomon and Altschuler both homeschool a gaggle of girls. Solomon’s are 4, 7, and 10, and Altschuler, in addition to a brand-new baby, has an 11, 8, and 5 year old.

“We began homeschooling a few years ago and have never looked back,” Solomon says. “During one particularly enthusiastic moment, I may have even said that homeschooling is just so wonderful, everyone should do it—but I didn’t actually mean it, you guys,” she jokes.

Altschuler adds that, as longtime homeschoolers, her family’s adjustment hasn’t been quite so drastic. But for parents who are finding themselves suddenly homeschooling, she hopes that the following tips help “provide a bit of clarity amidst the chaos.”

1. Our “best” is going to look different every day, and that is just fine.

JS: Some days, everything will fall into place beautifully and your little angels will engage and learn and you’ll Instagram it all (#coronavirusschooling!) and wonder why you haven’t been doing this all along. Other days will be a struggle. They’ll bicker and you’ll snap, and you’ll find yourself rationalizing any and everything as a learning opportunity just so you can be over-and-done-with-it for the day. So we’re just going to try to get through this the best we can.

2. Go easy on yourself!

JS: Lower your self-expectations and demands. You’ve been thrown into a situation that is new and somewhat scary. That friend of yours posting an hour-by-hour recap of “Mommy-Camp Homeschool” may be well-intentioned, but posts like those can really trigger feelings of inadequacy. Right now we are all feeling vulnerable and, frankly, pretty clueless. None of us knows what we’re doing because, well, none of us has ever faced a GLOBAL PANDEMIC before. Now isn’t the time for competitive parenting.

3. Don’t worry about academic regression.

JS: Your kids are not going to fall behind. I repeat: your kids are not going to fall behind. As a global community, we are all in the same boat—albeit a really terrible, careening, lurching boat (definitely getting a one-star Yelp review from me)—together right now. Your child’s emotional and mental health is more important than their academic progress during this time.

4. Don’t try to recreate school at home.

MA: Schooling at home is less formal and takes less time because there are fewer students. Homeschooling should be made to meet the needs and preferences of your family and individual children. Have your students’ list of goals in front of you while you determine how lesson time should be allocated in your home during this unusual stretch of time.

5. You can be flexible with your schooling when that’s what the mood dictates.

JS: Did your kid read a comic book today? BOOM. Reading. Right there. Did you bake a double batch of cookies together to stress-eat later? Nice! Measuring equals math skills. Play a board game? Logic and reasoning! Spend all day outside? Recess! Nature! Tackle chores and laundry? Life skills. Your kids aren’t going to fall behind; they’re just going to learn a little differently for a while.

6. Consider the whole child.

MA: What are your child’s physical, emotional, and academic needs? Younger students need plenty of free play and new math and phonics skills reinforced. Older students may need to study for the SATs and develop life skills they’ll take with them to college. Every child needs responsibilities around the house and time outside.

7. Don’t try to do ALL the things.

JS: One silver lining to this awful situation has been the outpouring of online resources to help teach and occupy our kids. From art tutorials to virtual field trips to read-alouds to yoga classes, we have an unprecedented wealth of resources at our fingertips. Authors, educators, artists, and musicians are showing their true colors and offering countless activities and videos. And that is amazing, and helpful, and generous, but it is also A LOT.

You don’t have to do all the things. You don’t even have to do five of the things. If you happen to do ONE of the things and your kids enjoy it, that’s great, but there is no pressure to do all the fun things, all the time. It’s exhausting.

8. Seek out great materials and resources.

MA: Explore book lists provided by teachers or found online. Take a look at your own bookshelf. Check out ebooks and audiobooks available through your library. Find books that will naturally pique your child’s interest through engaging narratives, not just text books.

9. Involve your children in the planning.

JS: Kids respond really well when we give them a sense of ownership and treat them as though they are actually our fellow human beings (a difficult concept to grasp sometimes, I know). When children and teens feel respected and included, they are less likely to push back. With ownership comes accountability.

10. Follow through, but ease in.

MA: We don’t want to recreate school at home, but we also don’t want a disorienting free-for-all. For the first few days of your plan, just do skill work. Then, every day or two, add a subject. Do one thing well, then try another. These are not normal times, so take it slow and be gentle with yourselves and each other.

11. Prioritize relationships.

MA: Children need structure and freedom, expectations and acceptance. Whether we homeschool or not, our children rely on us to cultivate an atmosphere where they can learn and grow, secure in our commitment to who they are and who they can become. Perhaps this awful situation is also an opportunity, and our families can come out the other side of this experience even stronger.

12. Remember we are in the middle of a public health crisis. We are not in the middle of an academic crisis.

JS: Be gentle with your children and yourself. Stressed adults cannot teach stressed kids. When things get frustrating, walk away. As parents, we are the heart of our family. We set the tone—we’re the family thermostat, if you will. Our kids look to us for safety, security, and love. No one knows how things are going to play out during these uncertain times. As parents, it is our job to cultivate beauty where we can and provide a calm, stable home. A haven. But make no mistake, in the coming months, there will be bickering. Eye rolling. Opposition. Tantrums. Meltdowns. (And that’s just the parents!)

This has been the longest—checks calendar—three days, said every parent everywhere.

As we all adjust to our new normal (working from home and homeschooling), it’s okay if we are not thriving at both. It takes time.

Thanks to social media, I have seen everything from a friend who has created a virtual school in her home (with a school motto, strict schedule, and desk) to those who are like, “how do I log onto Schoology?” I’m somewhere in the middle.

I know in my gut this “Coronoa-cation” will stretch beyond the two weeks, so I’ve allowed my kids a slow ease into this new mindset. As a friend reminded me, this is a loss and adjustment for them, too.

Sure, the thought of unlimited video games (we’re not quite there yet) and late bedtimes (we are there) sounds appealing, but I know they are missing their friends, routines, teachers, and classes.

It’s okay to feel sad for them even though we know it’s for the greater good. It’s okay to be angry that the school play is probably canceled, as well as the spring concerts (which I had won front row tickets for at a school fundraiser!) and the annual amazing art show, and the pool party for fifth grade graduation. They might sound insignificant, but they create a childhood, a memory block.

I woke up this morning realizing my daughter’s IEP evaluation, pre-middle school, which we carefully orchestrated, isn’t happening. Twelfth graders won’t get to go to prom or be named valedictorian. Life is canceled.

For my kids, that means no soccer, lacrosse, Lego club, and green team. Just last week, as my other kids roller-skated around our elementary school, my son, Zeke, was giving me the rundown on what every third grader does at recess. So and so always plays soccer. These kids always go on the slides. Zeke named the friends that “run a sushi restaurant.” “I’m the manager,” he told me. And just like that…there’s no more school. No more play dates. No more playgrounds.

So what are we doing to stay sane? Well, here are a few resources I have found helpful as I navigate this new world with my four kids.

Make a Schedule That Works for You

If you want a daily schedule, make one. Zeke insisted on writing one up yesterday. (I talked him down from two hours of math.) Dismissal is from “3:33 p.m. until the next morning.” His twin, Gideon was like, “Nah. I don’t need a schedule.” Do what works best for your family. So far we’ve been doing a little bit of schoolwork in the morning and then a family hike/walk in the afternoon.

Get Outside

Right now we are able to leave our homes, so we have been taking long walks. Some favorites: Lake Roland, Double Rock Park Trail, NCR Trail (great for biking, too), hikes around Oregon Ridge Nature Center, and Cascade Falls Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park. Yesterday we ended up in Daniels, Maryland, straddling the Patapsco River.

There are some abandoned (read: haunted) buildings and a beautiful waterfall. The main lot was filled, so I ended up at a secondary lot, which in retrospect was probably not the secondary lot I was looking for. We ended up walking on train tracks for a mile or two before finding the area we were looking for. We used saw animal bones on the track, found old railroad nails, and conquered a few fears. It felt lesson-ish.

Take Advantage of Virtual Resources

The Internet is your friend. I have seen and saved countless posts, from virtual field trips to “15 Broadway Plays and Musicals You Can Watch On Stage From Home” to #OperationStoryTime, in which beloved children’s authors are reading stories and posting to Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. And thanks to Cool Progeny—another amazing resource—I heard about Mo Willems offering a daily Lunch Doodle, in conjunction with the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, through the end of the month.

Locally, Ashley Battersby, a math resource teacher in Baltimore County (and full-disclosure, a favorite babysitter of ours) has been posting videos of her reading math picture books, sharing a math game, or teaching math strategy on her YouTube channel. Additionally, Trevor Twist, artist and owner of Mitchell School of Fine Arts in Mt. Washington’s Coppermine Fieldhouse, is offering his youth art classes via virtual Zoom meetings for the time being.

Also, local libraries are offering digital options such as e-books for kids, movies, and e-magazines. (If you don’t have a library card you can sign up for an e-card in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.)

I have a few friends that home school and they have also been posting resources. This is one of the best ones I’ve seen. It’s literally hundreds of free educational resources including space stuff, math and reading games, SAT prep, foreign language lessons, and even Carmen Sandiego (glad to see she is still around) stories and videos.

Ask a Teacher

Our wonderful teachers have all made themselves available over our classroom app and email to answer questions and offer resources. I have also seen countless teacher friends posting that they are accessible for Facebook questions or guidance offline. It lists their area of expertise and areas they can help. (And can we just take a minute to acknowledge how amazing teachers are.)

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. We are all doing the best we can. (Completely unrelated: Are liquor stores still open?)

For the generation of kids raised in the 1980s, the term “fine dining” often meant crawling though tubes and diving into ball pits at a McDonald’s Play Place. Now parents with kids themselves, they want better options for dining out with their own tykes, and local restaurateurs have heard their clarion call.

In and around Baltimore, there are dozens of restaurants that cater to kids—and their parents—in myriad ways: from offering free childcare to gourmet kiddie fare and enticing toys. “The culture has definitely changed from the ‘children-should-be- seen-and-not-heard’ attitude,” says Jason Daniloski, chef and co-owner of Silver Queen Cafe in Hamilton. “The food doesn’t have to be secondary anymore.”

Child’s Play

It’s always play time at these area restaurants.

WOODBERRY KITCHEN
Woodberry Kitchen pro- vides every pint-sized pa- tron with a tin of play dough made on the premises and, in keeping with its farm-to- table aesthetic, seats them in rustic, wooden high chairs with leather belts.

SILVER QUEEN CAFE
The mini kitchen is the most popular toy at Silver Queen Cafe’s cozy nook, where little ones can cook “dinner” while Daniloski preps the real thing nearby. Plastic dinosaurs, dolls, and a Star Wars Millennium Falcon also keep kids occupied so parents can enjoy a relaxing meal.

IRON ROOSTER
Parents often request booths along the back wall of Iron Rooster in Hunt Valley
so their little ones have easy access to the enclosed, pirate-themed play set out- side before or after the meal.

MISS SHIRLEY’S CAFÉ
Miss Shirley’s Café has some of the most kid-friendly fare around, and their stack of breakfast-themed children’s books like Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast and Green Eggs and Ham help pass the wait times for tables. Once seated, kids can channel their inner Picasso with mini Etch A Sketches.

R. HOUSE
Children love
to sit and eat at (and also climb) the tiny tables and chairs at Remington’s R House. And with a bar at one end and 10 stalls selling every- thing from beef bulgogi to baba ghanoush, there’s plenty of options for parents to have fun, too.

MAHAFFEY’S PUB
Mahaffey’s Pub co-owner Alice Kistner (who has
a 4-year-old son) converts a corner of her Canton pub’s upstairs dining room into a kids’ play area on Sun- days and Mondays. One of the three TVs is tuned to cartoons, while the other two show sports, so everyone gets to watch what they want.

Haute Kids’ Cuisine

Goodbye chicken nuggets, hello benne seed fried chicken—these area restaurants feed the kiddies with air.

Avocado Roll with a side of tots at
Sticky Rice ($10)

Vegan Pepperoni French Bread Pizza at GreatSage ($6)

Hopi Cake with crème fraîche and pine nuts at Golden West Café ($6)

Benne Seed Fried Chickenat Miss Shirley’s Café ($8.88)

Petite Steak with Frites at Gunther & Co. ($10)

Virgin mojitos at Little Havana ($4)

The Babysitter’s Club

Several times a year, The Point in Towson hosts “Family Craft Nights,” hiring extra staff to watch, feed, and entertain kids. Moppet minders help the kids make spooky spiders at Halloween and ornaments at Christmas.

➜ Clothes

THE PIED PIPER. Thanks to high- end brands like Ella Moss, Lilly Pulitzer, and Polo, tiny fashionistas ock to this one-stop shop in the Village at Cross Keys. The store offers a wide variety of styles, with sizes for children ages infant through 14. Village Square, 410-435-2676

WEE CHIC. If you are looking for the latest designs and gear for your toddler or tween, consider taking
a drive to Green Spring Station to check out the goods at Wee Chic. With clothing, candy, bags, books, and toys, there’s something for every age and size kid in this store. 2360 West Joppa Road, Lutherville-Timonium, 410-878-7400

BELLE BAMBINI. Serving the Baltimore community for more than 10 years, Belle Bambini Children’s Boutique has everything from suits and occasion wear to pajamas and onesies for your mini-me. The store carries sizes from infant to teen
and is even developing a section for moms. The experienced and friendly staff will make sure you never leave empty-handed. 1330 Reisterstown Road, 410-653-5437

THE LILY PAD OF TOWSON. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on clothes your children will quickly grow out of—or if you have a closet full of stuff that doesn’t t any of your kids—the Lily Pad of Towson is the place for you. Whether you’re looking to consign or to shop, this store specializes in gently used and affordable kid’s clothing and furniture. 6907 York Road, Towson, 410-377-0025

AWW BABY ORGANICS BOUTIQUE. With a mission to sell only the best eco-friendly products, Aww Baby Organics Boutique does all the work for you when it comes to finding quality items that are environmentally safe for your growing family. 8600 Foundry Street, Savage, 443-540-8377

TINY TOES. Tiny Toes is a one-of-a-kind children’s store situated among the quaint boutiques on Bel Air’s Main Street, offering clothes, swimwear, and accessories. Considered a Harford Country treasure, the shop focuses its efforts on providing the community with only the highest-quality merch for kids. 4 North Main Street, Bel Air, 410-420-6727

BABY PEA. Baby Pea Clothing specializes in pint-sized outfits for all occasions, from family photos to baby showers, weddings, and more. But the best part? If you don’t see an ideal design for your baby pea, they will create a fresh one for you! Based out of Damascus, Baby Pea Clothing is not exclusive to babies, with designs for teens and even adults.

➜ Toys

SMART KIDS TOYS. Great for teachers and conscientious parents, Smart Kids Toys is dedicated to the learning development of children. In addition to timeless favorites, the store has educational activity books and placemats, as well as remote-control cars and outdoor activity sets. Run by the former owner of Learning How, it’s the place for unique and high-quality toys. 11121 York Road, Cockeysville, 443-286-4975

AMUSE TOYS. With a carefully curated selection of cool stuff to play with, aMuse Toys is a go-to store for kids. But these toys are more than just fun distractions. Offering award-winning, smart toys from around the world, aMuse encourages creativity and innovative thinking for children aged newborn to 10-plus. 1623 Thames Street, 410-342-5000

➜ Bookstores

THE CHILDREN’S BOOKSTORE. Recognized as one of the top 50 indie bookstores in America by The Huffington Post, this Lauraville bookstore carries children’s chapter books and illustrated books of various genres for a range of ages. A hub for young readers, The Children’s Bookstore also partners with local schools for book fairs and author book signings. 4717 Harford Road, 410-532-2000

OLD FOX BOOKS. Seeking that rare quiet afternoon with the kids? Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse is where you’ll want
to go. Little ones are able to browse books while you grab an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up. When the weather is nice, settle out on the back patio for a magical garden view and relax with a good read. 35 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis, 410-626-2020

For kids (and adventurous adults) snow in the forecast means partaking in the best part of winter: sledding! While it can be tempting to hide under a heated blanket until springtime, the snowy hills of Baltimore are the perfect excuse to venture out of your cozy home.

From big slopes to mild ones, there are tons of hills to hit. And you really should. Not only because hot cocoa always tastes better after a day of sledding, but Instagram is practically made for adorable pics of your winter riders.

Baltimore County Board of Education (aka Greenwood)
This super steep hill is a favorite sledding spot whenever the snow comes to town. Whether it’s a couple of inches or a blizzard, it doesn’t matter. The massive hill will send kids soaring, either way. Just beware of the big ditch at the bottom that’s surely been the cause of more than a few ice cold wipeouts. 6901 Charles Street Towson, next to Loyola Blakefield

Herring Run Park
The beloved park that sits between Harford and Argonne roads, near Lake Montebello, is known for its beautiful scenic views all year long. Come winter, it’s also a top sledding spot! Hills are of varied elevations for kids of all ages to enjoy. Little ones can stay on the small slopes while the big kids might get adventurous on the steeper hills that they can pick up speed on. Harford and Argonne Roads

Baltimore Country Club (aka “Suicide Hill”):
This sketchy hill can be seen as you drive along Falls Road. But beware, it’s extremely steep and a bit dangerous. There have been plenty of injuries on this insane slope, so it’s not for the faint of heart, but rumor has it, it’s still pretty thrilling. Another reason this spot is only for the bravest of the brave? It’s not exactly legal, per say, so trespassers beware, and maybe have a lawyer handy. 4712 Club Road

Dumbarton Middle School
Rodgers Forgers have been hitting up the pint-sized hills surrounding the fields between Dumbarton Middle and Rodgers Forge Elementary schools for eons. It’s a short ride down one of these small slopes which are great for small riders. Older neighborhood kids have been known to get clever, building ramps and finding creative ways to make their sleds soar. 300 Dumbarton Road

Patterson Park (near the Pagoda)
You’ll find every age group present and accounted for here—from kids and families, 20-somethings, and even furry friends. There are tons of little hills where folks are known to get creative, using trash can lids and other makeshift sleds. Hey, whatever keeps your butt dry. Patterson Park Avenue and Pratt Street

Federal Hill Park
Since this neighborhood is a total mix of families and 20-somethings, you’ll find just about everyone hitting up these super steep hills. But, look out, because there’s a few that might lead you astray . . . like, right into Key Highway. Another thing to look out for? There’s almost always a snowball fight brewing, so don’t turn your back for too long. Warren Avenue

Oregon Ridge Park
This massive hill is actually former ski slope, so while it looks very long and steep, it’s actually pretty safe! That’s a big perk for families with little ones, who can ride safely (but if they get scared, there are more shallow ones, too). The main hill lands into a long, flat field and then drops off into another flat area. Sometimes, you’ll still see cross-country skiers and snowboarders here, as well, shredding down the “mountain.” 13401 Beaver Dam Road

Towson University’s Smith Hall
Of course, this is a popular site for students on a snow day, located on school grounds, at the spot right next to the English building. While some riders choose sleds or skis, other settle for riding in last night’s pizza box (probably while sipping on last night’s leftover Natty Lights, too). Glen Drive, Towson

Leakin Park
The hill at Leakin Park refers to the dip behind Crimea Mansion on Eagle Drive. It’s another well-known favorite inside the city lines, only this one never gets terribly crowded—a perk for the neighborhood kids. This hill is of medium difficulty, but still long and steep for an epic day of sledding. Eagle Drive

Wyman Park
It’s no wonder the 16-acre public park, between Charles Village and Remington has been a beloved sledding spot for more than 100 years. The park is known for its steep slopes, after all. On a snowy day, you can find friends of all ages there, from little ones to college kids from JHU, zipping down hills so sharp they’ll make even the strongest stomachs drop. North Charles and 29th Streets

New Year’s Eve is historically a night to class it up, toast champagne, and hopefully snag a kiss at midnight. And, while there’s certainly no shortage of adults-only events in this town, kids always love to get in on the festive fun, too.

This year, you can do it all because there’s tons of daytime action happening that your littles will gladly toot their noise-makers for. So, save the sparkly dresses and hors d’oeuvre for later and check out one of these kid-friendly events on NYE.

Midnight Noon at Maryland Science Center
At this annual New Year’s Eve celebration at the Maryland Science Center, kids can watch the ball drop long before bedtime. The ball drops at 12 noon, but there’s tons of celebrations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., like a live concert by the kid’s band Milkshake and tons of science-based play to be had. Plus, all the NYE activities are completely free with your admission, too, so you don’t have to worry about spending a ton to ring the new year in with the kids.

Kiddie Scoop Ball Drop at The Charmery

It’s a Baltimore holiday tradition to celebrate New Year’s at The Charmery. This year, the festivities take place at the ice cream factory’s newest location at Union Collective. The ball drops at 8 p.m. and it wouldn’t be complete without ice cream, shakes, beers, and the tunes of Bon Jovi by cover band Heart n Dagger. Doors open at 6:30, so come, eat, drink, and dance. But most importantly? Get those kids to bed before 2019.

Noontime New Year’s Eve at Port Discovery
The kid-fun is always endless at Port Discovery and New Year’s Eve is no different. Come December 31, there will be tons of celebrating happening all over the museum. With cool crafts, special performances, juggling, live animals, and more, it’s the perfect way for children to ring in the new year. Play and explore all day, but don’t miss the confetti-filled ball drop at noon, complete with a special snack of juice and cookies. It’s also a chance for kids to say goodbye to the KidWorks climbing structures that will soon be replaced in 2019.

Day of Family Bowling at Bowlero

If you’re looking for a little friendly competition, purchase a family bowling package at Bowlero. With two hours of unlimited bowling, champagne for the adults and cider for the kids, knocking down pins is the perfect way to spend a day together—not to mention, it’s both active and affordable. Try to stay out of the gutter and enjoy some quality time together both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (packages are available for both).

Skate Late at Pandora Ice Rink
While it’s not on the early side, older kids and parents alike will love to have a late skate at the Inner Harbor rink, which is open until 12:30 a.m. Aside from the skating fun at the gorgeous ice rink, the totally amazing view of the downtown fireworks display is a site to be seen and a pretty good reason to rent some skates (even if you hug the wall the entire time). If you’ve yet to practice your crossovers at the Inner Harbor, the NYE late skate is the perfect opportunity.

Read Your Way Into 2019 at Baltimore County Public Libraries
On New Year’s Eve, little bookworms can visit any one of the Baltimore County Public Library locations to ring in the new year at noon. Count down with some friends and check out some great titles. Because, really, what better way is there to head into a new year than with a whole bag of new books, aka, new adventures?

Our kids are now 3 and 1, which means one of them has a slight idea about what’s happening on Christmas morning and the other will just be excited to watch her brother rip at wrapping paper and wonder why we’re all so busy so early. The holidays are only starting to be a big deal at our house (especially after years of not having kids or any sense of Christmas spirit), so I’m trying to get a head start on preparation.

I’m also committing to only buying gifts locally this year (and no, Amazon’s Dundalk fulfillment center doesn’t count), so each of the suggestions below are here in Baltimore. So go! Shop! Be festive! And do your best to spend your money right here in town.

Amuse Toys

My love affair with this store began immediately after our son was born and has only grown over the years. The toys are beautiful and require imagination, and the shopping experience is fun and well-informed. And, because kids love nothing more than playing with toys they’re 100-percent sure you didn’t spend money on, the Amuse Toys Quarry Lake location offers open play a few mornings a week. Grab a coffee, let them go nuts, and take a slight break from the holiday madness.

The Book Thing of Baltimore

My kids develop deep, emotional obsessions with books and just when they’ve broken my spirit and I’ve consigned myself to a life of reading nothing but Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day, they lose total interest and find something else. Capitalize on this irrational behavior by clearing out your shelves while simultaneously choosing new-to-them, free books to give to your family.

Baltimore Chef Shop

Edie and Lou are still in the stage of life where food is optional at best and, when properly mashed, table art at worst. But if you’ve survived the early childhood years (good for you!) then perhaps an afternoon spent at the Baltimore Chef Shop would make a lovely gift for your kid who loves The Great British Baking Show. (And if your kid loves that show, again, good for you!) BCS is a beautiful kitchen in Hampden offering classes for 8-17 year olds and their parents on making donuts, dim sum, pasta, cookies, and other important food groups. There are also summer camps available if you’re the kind of long-term planning gift giver tweens love so much.

SIDESHOW at AVAM

Is there a more incredible gift shop in the world? Every inch of the shop is filled with fascinating, beautiful, useless, important, and affordable stuff. On a recent trip, I found cool rings and laser-cut wood earrings for $2; beautiful art coffee table books for under $20; a tiny drawer filled with plastic babies for 50 cents a pop; and a t-shirt offering an apology for the president in 14 languages. I highly suggest taking an hour (sans kids, if you can swing it) to wander through. You’ll check off most people on your list and walk out with the ultimate stocking stuffers.

Worthy Threads

Over the last few years, locally owned Worthy Threads has been popping up in Baltimore’s social media and retail worlds. Our friends gave us a sushi-printed pinafore dress (Sushi! On a dress! For an infant!) for Edie when she was born and it was so wonderful that I eventually cut the elastic in the waistband to eke out a few more weeks of wear. These clothes aren’t cheap, but they’re the kind that you treasure and begrudgingly-but-lovingly hand down to your favorite friend’s little one.

Shananigan’s Toy Shop

Similarly to the SIDESHOW gift shop, this is a store that will put your head on a swivel. It’s filled floor to ceiling with toys and games for all ages just as you start to get overwhelmed by decision fatigue, their knowledgeable staff swoops in and leads you right where you need to be.

The end of summer used to come with some crushing disappointments (so long, beach waves). But for those of us with children in the house, it feels like a good time to breathe a sigh of relief because back to school season is before us (so long, kids). The glory of back to school means you don’t have to balance as much when it comes to work and parenting, or shell out hundreds of dollars for camps, or worry with just how the heck to keep your rambunctious mess-makers occupied all day, every day. My, how you’ve aged.

No matter what the beginning of the school year means for you—more time to work or more time for keeping up with the day to day tasks of running a family home—it’s totally okay to relish the start of school. Maybe even celebrate it a little. Here are things you should definitely do to embrace the kids being back in school:

Grab a drink by the water at Boathouse Canton.
If there were ever a reason to sit by the water with a drink in your hand until you tip over (just kidding!), back to school week is it. Boathouse in Canton is much loved for its beautiful views, outdoor patio, tasty bites, and solid drink choices, making it the perfect place to celebrate, whether noon or night. While the restaurant is open year round, the smaller, down-to-earth dock bar is only open through October. So, if you’re planning to hit up a happy hour, complete with live music, fruity crushes, and beautiful outdoor weather, back to school season is the perfect time of year. Sans kids, of course.

Try a new workout at The Movement Lab.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or a couple of wild children, more than likely), you’ve probably heard about the amazing workout classes happening at The Movement Lab in Remington. With so many options like kickboxing, jazz dance, various kinds of yoga, and antigravity suspension classes, it will be tough to pick just one. No worries, though: You can utilize the $99 Fall Reset Special for new students and try them all.

Get some work done at Zeke’s.
The much-loved coffee joint, which expanded to a larger spot on Harford Road in Hamilton last year, is still the home of Baltimore’s best cup of joe. Go for the coffee, stay for the pastries and laptop-friendly atmosphere. And while you’re at it, take home a refillable cold brew growler. Whether you just need a quick coffee, a place to hang out, a spot to schedule a meeting, or to spend the day typing away, Zeke’s has everything you need for all those not-so-lonesome, kid-free school days.

Enjoy a cut and a color at Tease Salon.
The start of a new school year means new clothes, shoes, and hair cuts for the kids. But what about for you? If you haven’t gotten your tresses chopped by the amazing hair-artists at Tease Salon on York Road in Cockeysville yet, now is the perfect time to book your first appointment. Owner Jenny Newberger is a master stylist, who will make your hair do all the right things. But the artists at the shop don’t shy away from funky cuts and all kinds of color, either. So, if you want some red hot streaks to start the school year off right, don’t be afraid to ask.

Meet a friend at The Handlebar Cafe.
Baltimoreans love their bikes. But they also love a great local spot to grab a bite with a pal, complete with quality brews, The Handlebar Cafe in Fells Point, with it’s cool, bike-savvy vibe, has it all. With a built-in bike shop, a badass bar, and a delicious menu filled with tons of healthy options and a dozen wood-fired pizza options to choose from, there’s something for everyone (and no training wheels necessary).

Embrace self-care with Zeel.
If you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to finally get that massage you’ve been dreaming of for months, wait no more. Zeel, a new massage-on-demand app that caters to the Baltimore area, lets you book an at-home massage with just a couple of swipes. The price, including tip, is quite reasonable and you can even book a same day massage, so it truly is “on-demand.” You massuer will bring their own table and when you’re massage is done, they’ll be out the door in minutes. We can think of no better way to ring in the new school year.

I am a worrier. A serious, anxious, sky-is-falling, doomsday scenario level worrier. Worrying is probably an important, biological emotion for parents to help save small children from themselves, but being a worrier in 2018 is pretty brutal. If you have an internet connection and access to social media or a news site (and I know you do, because this column only runs online), you run the risk of reading horrible, seemingly impossible stories about ways kids can get hurt.

Because of the World Wide Web, I know things that can’t be unlearned, like that toddlers can crawl into front-loading washing machines, close the door, and get stuck inside. Or that babies can fall head first into the toilet and not be able to pull themselves out. Or that button batteries are shiny harbingers of death, and the only way to combat them if swallowed is to feed spoonfuls of honey to your child while you race them to the hospital—but in your haste don’t forget that babies under 12 months can’t have honey because of botulism, so just don’t ever, ever let your eyes wander away from your kid.

It’s exhausting.

The mild irony to all of this is that I was not nearly as worried with my first kid. Lou is a pretty low-key guy, and as a young toddler he didn’t get into much trouble. We had a two-month spat of Lou falling directly onto the same spot on his forehead multiple times (resulting in a little divot he still has to this day), but otherwise we slapped a few plastic locks on particularly dangerous cabinets in the house and moved on.

Our daughter, however, is a nut. She’s fully walking at ten months, into everything, and has more energy than her three other family members combined. She’s illuminated household dangers we never considered during Lou’s babyhood. Our gas fireplace is filled with small rocks about the size of a toddler’s windpipe and we didn’t notice this until last week when she started pulling them out. I threw a blanket over them, making a mental note to remove it in December, but Edie outsmarted my complex solution by dragging the blanket out and returning to her rock gathering.

We also weren’t aware that the heavy, bulky stool in our kitchen might be a danger until she used it to pull herself to standing (at six months) and cracked her cheekbone as she and the stool fell in tandem. It’s very subtle, but you might notice the shiner in the picture below. As her doctor was leaving the exam we heard him say to the nurses, “Did you see the black eye on that kid?”

This child has forced my abstract fears into actionable items. We’ve done the obvious things like remove as many tiny toys as we can find and install a fenced-in area for the times we have to do things like cook meals or pour a fortifying glass of wine, but there’s more work to be done. Here’s a small list of items that will help protect your kid and ease your weary hearts, at least until the next story breaks about how baby-proofing will turn your child into a serial killer or guarantee low ACT scores.

Corner protectors
Protect your furniture and your kid’s eyeballs. We’ve stuck these on every right angle in the house and they’ve already downgraded multiple injuries from “Hospital Trip” to “Here’s A Popsicle You’re Fine”.

Toilet Paper Roll
Not only is this an easily obtained toy for babies, it’s also a free metric of toy safety. If your kid is playing with something that can fit inside of a roll, take it away because it means they can choke on it.

Portable Play Yard
As previously mentioned, sometimes you need a moment to yourself. The Summer Infant play yard is super light weight and can be pulled out or closed and shoved back into the corner in seconds.

Masking tape
This one isn’t super safety-related, but it’s another weird household item trick so I’m including it. Take a piece and roll it sticky side out, then stick it to your kid’s foot. If you’re lucky, they’ll find themselves in a fully-immersive ten minute crash course on how adhesives and chubby fingers interact, and you can tidy up or solve world hunger or do whatever it was you did before you had kids.

Play Mat
Ikea has a reasonably-priced version (and this fancy mat promises to not poison your child with unpronounceable chemical horrors if you care about that kind of thing). Play mats are squishy but firm and perfect for babies who are learning to crawl and walk. If your home has wood or tile floors, you might also consider interlocking foam tiles.

Door jams
Save tiny fingers from tiny splints.

OutSmart Locks
What I appreciate about these is the decoy button specifically designed to make your kid think they have a shot in hell at breaking into the cabinet and going to town on your Tide Pod stash. Take that, babies.

When it comes to beach “vacationing” with kids, it’s really a relative term. While we’d like to imagine it will be fun and relaxing, it’s hard to enjoy your Rum Runner and that beautiful bay view while bouncing a toddler on your knee and shoveling a crab cake sandwich in your mouth at the same time.

Luckily, Ocean City isn’t short on kid-friendly establishments with outdoor playgrounds so you can use your hands to eat and drink (which is really what they should be doing while you’re on vacay anyway). When you’re headed downey ocean with the kids, make sure you visit these family-centric spots:

Brass Balls Saloon
Situated between 11th and 12th on the boardwalk, this OC landmark offers a picturesque view of the ocean and a multitude of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—even for the picky eaters in the family. Kids meals come in a bucket with a shovel for them to use at the beach later. On the second floor, you’ll find a game room with Ping Pong, a pool table, and a photo booth. 410-289-0069

Dead Freddies Island Grill
This pirate-themed restaurant located on 64th Street and Ocean Highway is the perfect bayside dinner spot for the whole family. Not only is there an outdoor playground, complete with a fun pirate ship to climb on and slide down, it’s easy to find a spot close to the action. Sitting right alongside the playground means you can enjoy your dinner by the bay and keep an eye on your mini-mateys at the same time. Kids will love the chicken nugget “planks” and rockfish bite appetizers. Dinner options include salads, burgers, wraps, and little pirate favorites. Bonus points: Kids’ meals come with complimentary eye-patches. 410-524-3733

Ropewalk
O.C.’s Ropewalk on 82nd is another great spot for parents and kids alike. With its spacious atmosphere and playground out in the sand, parents don’t have to rush through their meal or skimp on that gorgeous sunset view (which is reason enough to hit up this bayfront spot). Enjoy budget happy hour bites like the Bada-Bing shrimp, which is always a winner. Kids meals are served on a souvenir frisbee, too. With an outdoor bar, fire pits and tons of room to roam, there won’t be much to whine about when you take the family to Ropewalk. 443-754-7097

De Lazy Lizard
You can’t talk about kid-friendly beach restaurants without mentioning De Lazy Lizard, located on 1st and the bay. Not only does it have the most epic playground on the water with multiple slides and play-structures right on the dock, but it’s fenced in, too. So you can enjoy your meal while knowing your kids are playing safe. There are also indoor arcade games for when the weather is amiss, cozy booths, tasty grub, and a newly renovated open-air tiki bar on the water. All of those perks means you’ll never want to leave. Chances are, your kids won’t either. 410-289-1122

Fish Tales
Not only a fisherman’s favorite, the 21st Street spot is always crowded with patrons of all ages from summer’s start to end. With an awesome playground where kids run free and face-painters sometimes visit, tables right in the sand, and those amazing dock views, it’s no wonder this O.C. spot fills up fast. Get there early to grab a spot by the action or grab a hammock in the shade. Also, be sure to check out the game room next to the playground—a little-known spot that kids will also love. With a dock-bar, restaurant, arcade and spacious playground space all in one, really, there isn’t much more you need to have a great family meal. 410-289-0990

Tailchasers
Located on the bayside of 122nd Street, Tailchasers Restaurant & Dock Bar is a sister-spot with Off the Hook’s restaurant group. The food is a step above standard bar food with appetizer options like calamari, smoked fish dip, and Chesapeake baked oysters. Dinner options include fish tacos, poke bowls, and blackened mahi mahi. But what makes this place an O.C. standby is the laid-back, family-friendly vibe. Tables surround the outdoor playground so you can enjoy your drinks in the sand while the kids play close by (but not in your lap). 443-664-7075

With rising childcare costs, plenty of moms and dads are making the switch to a work-at-home lifestyle. But it’s not just a financial decision—working from home means earning a paycheck and being able to be present for your kids at the same time, and pulling double-duty is not without its challenges. Ask any parent who’s ever tried to meet a deadline while rocking a fussy baby or calming a demanding toddler and they’ll tell you: Being a work-at-home-parent is not all fun and games. You can’t just sit home all day, unless you plan on heavily utilizing your Netflix subscription to turn on Wild Kratts while making a new snack plate every time a 22-minute episode comes to an end. You have to get out.

We’re still crying that Play Cafe shut its doors, since it was an ideal spot for both wee ones and our work ethic. But there are still some great spots in town to hit up when you’re all out of snack ideas, patience, and low-maintenance crafts. If you need to steal an hour, check out some of these spots that will help you keep your job and your sanity.

Red Canoe
The much-loved Hamilton coffee shop and kid’s bookstore has so much to offer its patrons. From Zeke’s Coffee and delicious breakfast sandwiches to cozy nooks around every corner, it’s easy to settle in with your laptop and your giant, free-refill mug for an entire day. If you’re coming with kids, don’t expect any angry glares, either. There are toys, books, and games in the back to cater to little ones, tons of space and couches to move around, and even a fenced-in area outback for squirmy bodies.

Batch Bake Shop
Just a hop and a skip up Harford Road is the new delicious and adorable Batch Bake Shop. It might not be littered with toys and games, but it’s got the goodies, that’s for sure. Plop your kid at one of the convenient low tables that are perfect for playing or coloring, or distract them with a sweet treat so you can get down to business.

The Cube
This new spot, located on York Road next to the Lily Pad, is not a coffee shop, but a co-working space for parents to utilize. It’s a small office for parent’s to use kids play in the supervised play space. There are various monthly packages parents can buy, based on their individual needs. But a place to drop the kids and work undistracted… where do I sign?

Local YMCAs
You know how the song goes. But while it might be fun to play at the YMCA, it’s also fun to work there. The Baltimore area has multiple YMCA locations complete with Stay n’ Play areas for kids to hang out in and free WiFi for the adults. Kids can stay for 90 minutes, which you can use to work or workout, or both. The bottom line is: the kids are occupied. If you’re signing up for a family membership (which you need to do in order to utilize childcare), the $91 a month is totally worth it. Just think of it as earning it back every time you use it as your work space.

R. House
If you’ve ever been to R. House in Remington, you’ll notice that while there’s not exactly a kid’s play area. But one seems to have formed on its own. There are always kids jumping over the box seats lining the windows and tons of playmates no matter what time of day. The food hall is not lacking on space which makes it a kid-friendly spot to grab a coffee and an hour of work time.

The Evergreen Cafe
This Roland Park hang is one of the coziest coffee shops in town, which both studying college students and work-at-home folks frequent. And while they have delicious breakfast and lunch options and plenty of working space where you can post up, they are also pretty kid-friendly. There are comfy couches in the front where kids can relax, color or play games. Plus, there’s always chatter and soft tunes playing. With that kind of easy-going vibe, you won’t feel like your kids are burning the place down if they make a bit of noise. So grab them a gelato or a fresh-baked pastry, and get to work.

Having a family doesn’t have to mean kissing your love of live music goodbye—at least not during Baltimore’s sunny seasons. Concert-hopping can totally be tougher with kids in tow, but this time of year the city is packed with outdoor, kid-friendly events parents can actually relax and enjoy. An atmosphere that puts parents at ease while catering to young ones means concert fun for all. This year, there’s plenty to choose from and few reasons to stay home.  

WTMD First Thursdays
The much-loved First Thursday concerts are back at Canton Waterfront Park starting May 3. Two stages, food vendors, drinks by The Brewer’s Art, and even a kid’s zone are sure to keep the whole family entertained. Artists like Jessica Lea Mayfield and Lake Street Drive will bring big crowds, so come early and post-up until those little yawns set in.

Summer Concerts at Oregon Ridge
This local park is known for its nature center and beautiful trails. But Oregon Ridge has music-lover appeal, too. From KarmaFest to Music in the Woods, and the always eagerly anticipated Hot August Music, the venue holds several day-long events perfect for every age. Kids can take listen to tunes, head over to the playground, and maybe snag a hug from the Oriole Bird, too (who tends to make an appearance at Hot August.

Belvedere Square Summer Sounds
If you’re in the market (Belvedere Market, that is) for a laid-back, post-work-week hang, Summer Sounds is just what the family ordered. Every Friday evening from May 25 until September 7, the square comes alive with music by local artists, and plenty of family dancing. Delicious food and slurpable drinks are available from Grand Cru and the market shops. Kids come for the face-painting, kid-zone games, and general running amuck with neighborhood friends. Parents stay for the music and sweet sangria. Equally sweet is the adult interaction and relaxed vibes the concerts never fails to bring.

MECU Pavilion (formerly Pier Six)
Not all concert venues are family-friendly, but MECU has a few perks that make bringing the kids a sinch. With lots of lawn space to roam, you won’t have to worry about tots getting lost in the shuffle or those little ear drums, either. Kids of all ages are welcome and those under two get in free. A few of this summer’s shows include Primus, LSD (Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam), and The Barenaked Ladies. And if you’re really in it for the kids, don’t miss KidzBop Live on August 10.

Summer Socials on the Waterfront
Waterfront Partnership makes West Shore Park another great spot to gather and get down. Every second Friday from May through August, food trucks line the streets while Dooby’s provides drinks for thirsty concert-goers. This year, performers like Kelly Bell Band, The New Romance, What’s Next, and The Loose Ties take the stage. Kids surely aren’t forgotten at this summer standby either, with creative kid-zone fun, like giant building blocks.

Shop and Eat to the Beat on the Avenue
Live music begins at White Marsh on May 25 and continues every Friday and Saturday through Labor Day. The first band of the year is Nelly’s Echo. Other performers include the Cajun and zydeco sounds of The Crawdaddies and reggae from Jah Works. Food can be purchased from any of the avenues eateries and beer, wine, and crushes are available in the event area. With plenty of retail stores to hit up nearby, there are tons of reasons to check out the family-centric weekly events.

Feet on the Street in Towson
Bands, bouncy castles, face-painting, and more make this Towson mainstay an event local families look forward to every year. On Friday evenings from May 18 through September 28, local bands like Jury, Crushing Day, and Kitty Black will perform. Families can relax, eat, drink, and get their feet moving over on Allegheny Avenue.

Summer Concerts at Merriweather Post Pavilion
While you might not want to take your kids to the Vans Warped Tour on Sunday, July 27 just yet (though the event is all ages—and they might just enjoy the mohawks and crowd-surfing!), Merriweather has plenty of day-long events that are perfect for the whole family. From the Capital Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 3 to the Summer Spirit Festival on August 4 and 5, there are more than a few concerts to choose from. The kid-friendly site has a spacious lawn with plenty of room for the kids to wiggle, cruise the vendors or just rock out.

Attending a baseball game with little kids is no easy feat—there is packing up the stroller and diaper bag, shelling out copious amount of money for tickets and snacks, and trying (to no avail) to command their attention for all nine innings.

Now the Orioles have now made at least one of those things a whole lot easier. In an unprecedented initiative for Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles created the Kids Cheer Free initiative, in which all kids ages 9 and younger can attend an Orioles game for free this upcoming season.

“The Orioles are committed to sustaining the access for families from all walks of life to our great game,” says Orioles executive vice president John Angelos. “[Our] mission is to cast a broad community outreach and that effort starts with thoughtfully expanding our initiatives benefiting kids and families.”

With the exception of opening day, every adult who purchases a regularly priced individual game ticket in the upper deck will be invited to bring up to two children, 9 and under, to the ballpark compliments of the Orioles.

“We try to go to at least five games a year, but we’ll be able to go to a whole lot more now,” says Ebony Lloyd, of Cherry Hill, who has two 11-year-old twins and a 5-year-old daughter. “Someone like me, who was multiple children, won’t have to worry about picking and choosing weekends because we don’t have the funds.”
 

Another boost for the organization is simply getting butts in the seats. Attendance at Camden Yards last season (2,028,424) was the lowest it has been since 2011, before the team was in playoff contention.

“For us, money is always a huge consideration for an outing with the whole family, especially if we can only stay for part of the game,” says Dan McGrain, of Glendale, who has kids ages 4, 3, and 1. “Plus, as a baseball fan, I love anything that will fill up the stadium more.”

The Orioles also announced some new kid-friendly perks inside Camden Yards this year, including a new interactive jungle gym at the playground outside Gate C, additional food and drink specials, and enhanced video entertainment.

“We have always loved all the family-friendly options at the park, like running the bases,” Lloyd says. “Orioles games feels more catered to families, where a Ravens game is more for adults. I try to get all my nieces, nephews, and godkids to experience a game at least once.”

While the Orioles offer special days throughout the year for families, like Kids Opening Day, those specified games tend to get a little crowded, so parents are happier that Kids Cheer Free can spread out the family crowds throughout the year.

“We love going to those special days, bu when we go to the bounce house or pitching area, those things are way too crowded,” says Robin Lien, who lives in Bel Air with her three kids, ages, 9, 6, and 2. “This sounds a lot nicer because there won’t be a zillion people waiting to go down the slide.”

Bringing more kids into the stadium is a smart long-term goal for the Orioles, who are creating life-long fans at a young age.  

“I have so many memories of going to Orioles games as a kid,” McGrain says. “Getting those memories into smaller fans will be invaluable later.”

Lien agrees, saying that it was great that her when her kids were babies and could get in for free, but they didn’t really understand or fully appreciate the game at that young of an age.

“My son has started playing baseball now and wears his Orioles shirt to school,” she says. “What’s neat is seeing the evolution of my kids as fans, and this will make things easier. I already want to get the schedule out and put some dates on my calendar.”

“When I’m out to dinner, the last thing I want to hear is a screaming kid.”

– Kelly Manly, mortgage loan closer

“I don’t mind a
well-behaved child . . . as long as the parent doesn’t mind the
possibility of adult conversations around their child.”

– Annie Zeiler, hairstylist at FX Studios

“More importantly, what about the [people] that get drunk and talk so unbelievably loud that you can hear them across the room?”

– Erik Sizemore, self-employed

“If they act appropriately, it’s fine. You should not know they are there.”

– Stacy Thayer, customer pickup coordinator

“If you can afford a nice restaurant, you can afford a babysitter.”

– Rob Brock, commercial/industrial sales

“Only if they’re sedated.”

– Shane Gabriszeski, pharmacy buyer

It’s Friday morning rush hour at The Park School of Baltimore, as sunlight—and students—stream into the lower-school lobby. With the school day about to begin, the mood is something akin to “rope drop” (or opening hour) at Disney World, as an eager crowd of students waits for the clock to strike 8:10 a.m., the time they are first allowed down the hallway into their classrooms. To bide time, two students play a game of one-handed catch; another student helps second-grade teacher Deborah Silverman fill bags for the monthly Viva House food donations; still other students inch down the hallway while Patti Steinberg, administrative assistant and ad hoc keeper of the gate, holds the crowd at bay. “I always have my crew of kids who ask, ‘How much longer?’” laughs Steinberg.

Third-grader Leo Meltzer has the morning shift down to a science. “We get excited about the day,” he explains, smiling. “We are supposed to walk down the halls, but sometimes we run. I usually fast walk to get to my class.”

From her room, third-grade teacher Ann Starer, has witnessed the early morning stampede for her past 13 years at the Brooklandville school nestled on 100 acres just off Old Court Road. “Some people try to hold them back,” says Starer, “but I see it as beautiful. They are literally racing and bursting into the rooms. They can’t wait to get there.”

Kids who love school so much they need to be contained from rushing to class? That’s one for the books, and somewhere, Hans Froelicher Sr.—who co-founded the school 100 years ago—is surely smiling.

From the outset, The Park School took a revolutionary approach to education, distinguishing itself from other area independent schools with an emphasis not only on reading, writing, and arithmetic, but on a style of joyful learning that’s still tangible in the school’s storied halls.
“Former headmaster Parvin Sharpless likes to tell a story about a father who came to talk to him, [concerned] about his son,” says upper-school principal Kevin Coll. “The student was having a great experience, so Parvin tried to get at what the problem was. The father said, ‘I just have to tell you, I’m suspicious. Every day my child is eager to go to school.’”

By contrast, a century ago, the traditional approach to education emphasized that “children needed to be made to learn,” writes Jean Thompson Sharpless, author of The Park School of Baltimore: The First Seventy-Five Years (and Sharpless’s wife). But The Park School took a page from a burgeoning Progressive Movement of education—where, in the words of school archivist Michelle Feller-Kopman, “Learning was not forced, but a happy process.”

When it first opened on September 30, 1912—then located in a private mansion across the street from Druid Hill Park (hence the name)—The Park School was one of just a few progressive schools in the country. It was built as a reaction to political corruption (then-Mayor James Preston favored the spoils system) and a lowering of educational standards in the Baltimore public schools, as well as the anti-Semitism prevalent at the time.

“Park was founded because of exclusionary practices in Baltimore,” explains Feller-Kopman. “Jews and Gentile parents were unhappy with the school system, and they started to look elsewhere, but the Jewish parents didn’t have [many] alternatives in Baltimore.”

The school was formed by raising $100,000 in 10 days from stock certificates and through a meeting held at the all-Jewish private club for men, The Phoenix Club. It was there that they ironed out the final details of the mission of Park School, “a co-educational institution . . . which will absolutely ignore religion, leaving that strictly to the home training,” according to a March 26, 1912 article in The Baltimore Sun.
“We were pushing social barriers,” says director of upper-school admissions Ruthie Sachs Kalvar, who graduated from Park in 1985. “For Jews and Gentiles to be educated together was a really progressive notion for Baltimore back then.”

Decades later, in June of 1954, Park made Baltimore history again: Under mounting pressure from the student body, the board voted to “receive application from any family suitable in interest or ambition,” making Park the first independent school in Baltimore to admit African-American students as well. (Though Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation in public schools in May 1954, the law did not apply to private schools.)

Veteran Park history teacher and lacrosse coach Stephen “Lucky” Mallonee, who attended Park’s kindergarten in 1949 and graduated in 1962, reminisces about those tumultuous times. “I don’t recall the students having any problem here,” says Mallonee. “But I do remember a bunch of Park students eating at [The White Coffee Pot] with Wilhelma Garner, one of the first African-American students on campus. The story goes that the waitress came over and said, ‘We don’t serve black people,’ and she said, ‘I’m not black, I’m Hawaiian.’ At the end of the meal, the waitress came over and said, ‘You’re the first Hawaiian we’ve ever served.’ And Willie said, ‘There will be more.’”

Pick a random day of the week to visit, and it’s hard not to notice that, true to Park’s roots, the school is still breaking new ground. It’s visible in the surrounding woods, where the school became one of the first in the country to include a student-designed Outward Bound–style challenge course; in the parking lot, where students in an automotive physics class drive a moped they’ve refurbished; and the hallways, where students seem to spill out and do everything from study plant life in the Arctic for an upcoming school trip to play the guitar.
Indeed, it’s in the classes and hallways of Park that the school’s educational ideals truly flourish.

“It is not untrue that you will find kids lying in the hallways when you walk by,” says Pete Hilsee, director of communications. “But they’re not talking about SpongeBob. They’re talking politics, science, and math. They’re collaborating, they’re speaking in groups, and looking at primary sources.” Upper-school English teacher Howard Berkowitz puts it another way: “We’ve given these kids freedom . . . If you put limits on kids then they hit those limits and that’s it. They own their education here. It’s not imposed [on them].”

Dan Paradis became headmaster at Park in 2008, in part, he says, because “Park is known as an academic powerhouse.” He used to bristle at the widely-held notion that students “run the school.” After all, that’s his job. But now he’s proud students play such a strong role. “Student voices matter at Park.,” he says.

Senior Abi Colbert-Sangree concurs. “I feel like I can have an impact at Park,” she says. Case in point: When Colbert-Sangree attended a student diversity conference last January, she learned about gender diversity, which inspired her (and others) to create a gender-neutral bathroom. “A population of kids at Park do not feel safe, due to their gender identity,” says Colbert-Sangree. “We thought that a simple way to improve their school life would be to convert a bathroom at Park to an ‘anybody’s bathroom.’” Colbert-Sangree and her cohorts met with teachers, wrote petitions and letters, and attended school faculty meetings to help make their plan a reality. The result: a men’s bathroom was converted to a gender-neutral bathroom this summer.

Senior Hannah Block echoes Colbert-Sangree’s sentiments. “I switched from Owings Mills High School my junior year,” says Block, “because I wasn’t getting the education I wanted. I love how involved we get at Park, I love that our teachers ask us what homework seems appropriate at the end of a class, I love that we are asked what we think.”

Alix Spiegel (Class of ’89), an award-winning NPR science reporter and founding producer of This American Life, is one of many in a long list of accomplished Park graduates (among them: Tom Rothman, CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, theoretical physicist Edward Witten, who invented superstring theory, and Manfred Guttmacher, the first forensic psychiatrist in the country and key witness at the Jack Ruby trial).

Spiegel says she remains indebted to the school she attended for 13 years. “They value critical thinking and individuality and that’s what has carried with me,” she says. “The intellectual curiosity that Park encouraged has helped me in my current job. They cultivated the sense that we live in this really interesting world that is full of possibility, and that has stuck with me to this day.”

Still, despite its roster of famous graduates, not all students are so anxious to get out there and make their mark on the world: “At Park, I’m excited to go to class and for all the things we do,” says Block. “I’ve asked my mom if I can fail this year so I can stay for another year! I’m not sure they’d like that, but I know I would.”se

On December 2, 2009, and after 21 years as anchor at WMAR-TV, Mary Beth Marsden signed off for one final time at the end of the 6 p.m. newscast.

It was a bittersweet moment for the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, who, after months of stressful negotiations, had taken a buyout from the ABC affiliate.

While her three children (Jack, now 14, George, now 12, and Tess, now 10) and her husband, Mark McGrath, watched from the wings, she intoned, “Twenty-one years. Fifteen hairstyles—one for every news director,” during a three-minute montage that began with her first story at the station on changes at the Towson Library and ended with her final farewell.

Nearly two years to that day, Marsden sits on a brown velvet sofa in the living room of her storybook Cape Cod-style home in Ruxton and reflects on the end of an era.

“It was a great run,” she says, “but I think you can be someplace too long, and you need to have a change for yourself. I didn’t seek it—it just came down the pike, but it was the right time for me. After the newscast, we all went out to dinner, and I was free as a bird.”

But she was hardly retired. With her newfound freedom, Marsden developed a renewed passion for painting, exhibiting her work at art shows held at L’Hirondelle and Elkridge Country Clubs and even winning an award for her flower paintings at the Maryland State Fair. And in September of 2011, she was hired by WBAL radio to host the Maryland’s News Now With Mary Beth Marsden.

But one mission has been particularly near and dear to Marsden’s heart: In 2002, her daughter, Tess, was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental delay, not otherwise specified)—a type of autism-spectrum disorder.

“I really didn’t fully accept the name of the diagnosis for years,” says Marsden.

Now, with her time away from the daily grind—and the unyielding spotlight of TV—Marsden was finally determined to do something proactive for her daughter and other kids like her.

When Tess was first diagnosed, Marsden knew very little about autism.

“We knew something was off,” she explains. “At two, she didn’t have two-word sentences, and she would sometimes act out, but autism was way off my chart.”

Marsden and McGrath took Tess for testing at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She remembers observing Tess’s session through a window with Rebecca Landa, the director for the Center of Autism and Related Disorders.

“She said, ‘I believe that Tess is unequivocally on the autism spectrum,'” Marsden says. “And then she went, ‘Blah, blah, blah,’ because I didn’t hear anything else she said. I was reeling. It was one of those moments where the whole world spins off its axis.”

Once she accepted the diagnosis—and she admits it took a long time—she set out to become something of an autism expert. Using the same kind of doggedness that made her a successful journalist, she voraciously read about the condition and consulted with educators, other parents, and experts in the field.

About a year and a half into Marsden’s “retirement,” she came up with an idea for a possible television show. “I knew I wanted to do something with autism,” she says. “My idea was doing a reality show called On the Spec, as in spectrum. I wove in aspects of [Dr. Seuss’s] Horton Hears a Who—it was all the people on the spec in Horton who were all screaming to be heard—so it was a play on that. I had envisioned a whole SuperNanny type of thing for autism. We would take a situation such as a parent trying to potty train his autistic 8-year-old, and try to solve it.”

While the powers that be at a national cable network showed some interest, ultimately autism was deemed a downer as far as programming was concerned.

“It got as far as a producers meeting [at the network], but they said it was ‘too depressing,'” says Marsden. “They love hoarders,” she cracks, demonstrating her trademark humor. “I was like, ‘What if I find an autistic hoarder?'”

And she bristles at the idea that her pitch was depressing.

“‘Really?'” she recalls saying. “‘Yes, there are moments that are depressing, but, by and large, the people I know in this world are the funniest, most creative, empathetic, warm, and loving people; I find it uplifting. If you are seeing it as depressing, the world is seeing it as depressing, and we need to break out of that.'”

So Marsden decided to take matters into her own hands, forging ahead and using her own funds (to date, approximately $15,000) to produce a library of video vignettes for her website, Real Look Autism, (reallookautism.com), a resource for anyone touched by or interested in autism.

Her goal? To focus on concrete strategies and pragmatic solutions—from dealing with messy table manners to awkward social skills and compulsive behaviors—that have worked with children who have autism spectrum disorders.

“Research is great,” says Marsden. “But we need to help people who are in it now.”

Though Marsden had misgivings about the idea of putting Tess—now a fourth grader in a special-education program at The Chatsworth School in Reisterstown—and her anxiety about school in the spotlight, she ultimately felt it was an important thing to do.

“I realized that if I was going to ask other people to tell their stories, I would have to tell mine, too,” she says.

In Tess’s video, she is shown with helpful teachers who offer strategies—reinforcing positive behavior and giving Tess “preferred breaks” like video-game time—that help her deal with her anxiety about school.

“People have told me they have shown the video of Tess as part of an IEP [individualized education plan] meeting at school. I’m like, ‘Wow. We helped someone.’ That makes me feel so good,” Marsden says.

All of the videos on the Real Look Autism site (eight to date), feature Baltimore-area families and are filmed and edited by Marsden’s former WMAR co-worker, videographer John Anglim.

“I thought it was a fantastic idea,” says Anglim, “and it was filling such a need that no one else was. It fit like a key in a lock. And from personal experience, there are members of my family on the spectrum, so it hit home.”

The videos have been a huge hit not only in America, but also in Australia and the UK.

“She throws herself at it,” marvels Marsden’s husband, Mark McGrath, a financial adviser for Stifel Nicolaus. “I thought this might be just a ‘Mary Beth project.’ I had no idea it would reach a global audience.”

Almost obsessively, Marsden tracks how many people have viewed her videos both on the Real Look Autism website and on YouTube.

“Fifty-thousand,” she says, scanning her website on the laptop in her kitchen. “That’s not enough. I want to get to one million. I could talk about autism forever,” she adds with emphasis. “You either find your thing, or it finds you. And this is my thing.”

As a child, Marsden, the oldest of three, was never afraid to go after what she wanted. And what she wanted in her teen years was to leave the family fold and get out and explore the world on her own.

“I was bossy and driven and independent,” says the Washington, D.C., native. “I couldn’t wait to get out of the house to work in Ocean City in the summers at the Longhorn Steakhouse. I wore a tight polyester uniform and spent the tips as fast as we made them.”

In 1979, Marsden headed off to Towson University to major in fine art. In drama class one day, the assignment was to perform one’s own obituary. Marsden performed hers as a newscaster.

“My friends told me I was a natural, so I think I had the bug at that point,” recalls Marsden.

By 1981, Marsden, then an education major, transferred to University of Maryland, College Park, to pursue journalism. Once there, she landed an internship at D.C.’s WJLA, writing news copy for anchor Rene Poussaint. (“If she stumbled on a word during a broadcast, you figured you’d written something wrong,” she laughs, “but she was really encouraging—in a standoffish way.”)

At that point, Marsden felt she had found her calling. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Period.”

Her rise was fairly rapid, though there were some dues to pay. After graduating in 1983 with a B.A. in radio, television, and film, Marsden joined the news team at WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, VA.

“In the TV world, you have maybe 220 markets,” she says. “This was about 187.”

Within eight months, Marsden made the leap to a much larger market in Scranton, PA, at WNEP-TV.

“I shot and edited my own video while driving around in my Ford Bronco,” Marsden recalls. “I anchored and produced the show and ran my own prompter.”

It was during this initiation by fire in Scranton, while covering everything from township meetings to strip mining, that Marsden really hit her stride.

By 1988, Marsden’s former WNEP news director, Paul Steuber, hired her for a second time to work with him at his new station, WMAR-TV in Baltimore.

“I loved it,” says Marsden, “because I am a questioner, and I am curious. It also satisfied a creative side of me—you are putting together a story with video and audio and you are piecing it together in an entertaining fashion.”

And obviously Marsden and WMAR were a good match. She stayed at the job for more than 20 years.

On a sunny winter afternoon, Marsden sits at her desk on the third floor of WBAL-AM and gets ready to host Maryland’s News Now With Mary Beth Marsden.

Dressed casually in a Relentless 7 concert T-shirt and a pair of corduroy jeans, she’s got an hour or so to prepare before she goes on the air at 2 p.m. Of course, she’s already put in a full-day’s work on the domestic front: waking up at 6:30 a.m., riding the exercise bike for 30 minutes, getting three kids ready for school, driving Tess half-way across town to Chatsworth in Reisterstown, speaking at length with her children’s pediatrician, and checking comments from fans of the Real Look Autism Facebook page.

When Marsden was offered the job of weekday afternoon drive-time host, she was initially hesitant. “I had two days where I was in a deep depression,” she says. “But once I did two shows, I was like, ‘Okay, I can do this.'”

Her WBAL colleagues had no such reservations.

“She is a great addition to our team,” says sportscaster Brett Hollander. “She has always been incredibly well respected as a broadcaster and a journalist. Good broadcasters, I have always felt, can be chameleons in this field and can adapt to anything and move from TV to radio. Mary Beth has been able to do that with total ease.”

As she reads the show’s rundown, edits copy, talks to producer Jared Ruderman, and takes occasional sips of water out of Tess’s SpongeBob Squarepants water bottle, the pixie-sized powerhouse is the picture of cool and collected.

As for her laid-back duds? She went casual from day one. “I didn’t want to set the bar too high,” she cracks.

During the show, Marsden is a total pro, juggling everything from breaking news to live interviews, and incorporating up-to-the-minute information into her script with mere minutes to broadcast. On today’s docket, an interview with WBAL-TV reporter Jayne Miller about former Governor Robert Ehrlich campaign manager Paul E. Schurick’s “Robo-calls” trial.

“Listen to this,” she says to no one in particular in the studio as she scans an article from
The Baltimore Sun about the charges of election fraud meant to suppress the African-American voter turnout during the 2010 Gubernatorial election. [“Schurick’s attorney Dwight Pettit] called the whole thing a ‘faux pas.'”

She scribbles a few notes, and minutes later, she goes live with Miller. “Do you want to talk about what the defense said first?'” she asks Miller. “I love that Dwight Pettit called it a ‘faux pas.'”

So far, Marsden says she’s loving the gig. She really appreciates the fact that “WBAL has a lot of connections,” she says. “So you get to talk to Raven’s coach John Harbaugh or a Supreme Court Justice or Cal Ripken comes in. I almost have this little kid excitement about it. I get jazzed. I am never bored, and I don’t have to put my energies into making sure I covered a zit up!”

That being said, Marsden does have some designs on getting back on TV—just not how you might think.

“My parents had a big antenna put on the roof of their house in Montgomery County so they could get Baltimore stations, and now that I’m not on TV, my mother will say, ‘Do you think [WBAL-TV] will call you to ask you to fill in?'” she chuckles.

But Marsden has other ideas for sister station WBAL-TV.

“I want to mainstream the Real Look Autism videos,” she says with a glimmer in her eye, “and I am going to be pushing WBAL-TV in April during Autism Awareness Month to be running them. I have no hesitation about [a conflict of interest]. I’m like, ‘Screw it.’ If you have a venue, who is going to fault you? Journalism feeds my mind and keeps me sharp, but this feeds my soul.”

When WJZ meteorologist Bernadette Woods and her husband found out they was pregnant with twins, it wasn’t that surprising. “We did in vitro, so it wasn’t a total shock,” she says. But going into pre-term labor at 26 weeks certainly was unexpected. Her twins, Thomas and Daniel, were born 11 weeks premature on August 28, the same day as Hurricane Irene, fitting for a meteorologist. “The fact that they’re preemies adds a whole new set of challenges—a cold could hospitalize them,” she says. “But they already have personalities. Thomas is more particular, and Daniel is squirmy and active.” Woods is now back at work and credits her co-workers for being supportive. “Denise [Koch] has teenage twins, so she’s given me great advice,” she says.

LaDawn Black

Already having a 10-year-old son, 92Q host and author LaDawn Black and her husband were stunned to hear they were having twins. “When the doctor said, ‘Baby A,’ we couldn’t believe it!” she says. Black said her pregnancy was great, but, by the end, the babies were 6 and 7 pounds. “I looked normal from behind, but when I turned to the side, I was really big,” she says. On August 17, she had a C-section at Mercy Medical Center and little Ava and Bella were born. Black says the biggest challenges have been splitting attention between the two babies and also getting into “work mode” for her radio show. “I host a show about sex and relationships,” she says. “It’s hard to feel seductive when you smell like milk and haven’t used make-up for days.” But Black says she’s learned to be patient, have fun with it, and accept the unique aspect of twins. “When we take them out, people lose their brains,” she says. “People love twins.”

Megan Pringle

There were mixed reactions when WMAR anchor Megan Pringle and her husband found out they were having twins. “I was excited, and I think he was freaked out,” she says. “His first words were, ‘Shut up!'” Pringle says her pregnancy was really smooth up until week 37 when she went in for a routine test and they did an emergency C-section that day. Her twin girls, Jordan and Nola, were born on November 8. “It’s crazy because you’re sleep deprived and up to your elbows in poop,” she says. “But it’s such a joy.” Pringle’s been dealing with the mommy guilt of not being able to tend to both of them at once. She says Nola is cuddly, while Jordan is loud and assertive. Pringle went back to the morning show and says she’s lucky because of her schedule. “We have someone help through the night and then I have all day with them,” she says. “I may never sleep again, but it’s worth it.”

There we were—the hubby and me—in the sonogram room at our obstetrician’s office waiting to see that little eight-week-old blob that would be our baby in 32 short weeks. The tech kept looking at the screen and moving the wand around my goopy belly. Finally, she uttered the words you never want to hear—especially from your sonographer—”How are you with surprises?”

Let’s take a pregnant pause for a little bit of background. Not too long ago, my husband Ron and I, happily married for six years, were the parents of two kids under the age of four, one big dog, and living in a cozy row house in the city. We had talked about maybe one day, down the road, possibly (if the stars aligned and we won the lottery), having a third baby. But weeks earlier, an anniversary trip to the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., plus a forgotten birth control pill, had resulted in a missed period. Four days, a few glasses of wine, and a whole lot of denial later, I took a pregnancy test. Then I waited another eight hours to tell my husband.

For the next few weeks we let it sink in—yes, we were going to have another baby and we would make it work.

And then the bombshell. The tech turned the screen to face us and pointed out two little embryos. “Twins.” As in, not one more baby but two. As in, not a family of five but six. As in, our SUV wasn’t even going to cut it anymore.

My husband looked lovingly at me and then—never one to mince words—turned back to the tech and said, “Are you shitting me?” She was not. I went to the bathroom and stared into the mirror—my face a mix of elation and sheer terror.

The staff at the obstetric office was ecstatic. “We love twins around here,” one of the nurses told me. “What a miracle!” said another. Ron and I exchanged another look. Glad they were so excited about it.

The car ride home was a mix of hysterical laughter and blame. And then we didn’t speak about it for a few weeks.

Ron and I moved from D.C. into a two-bedroom row home in Canton in 2004, the fall after we got married. We figured we’d enjoy life as a childless couple for a while in an exciting new city. So much for our best laid plans. A little over a year later—the week I started my job as lifestyle editor of Baltimore magazine, coincidentally—I found out I was pregnant.

Our second bedroom, at the time an office/guest room, was promptly converted to a nursery, and Milo arrived in October 2006. In January 2009, Willa joined the family. When she was six months old, we moved Milo into a toddler bed, she got the crib, and the room sharing began. No big deal. Sure, our family room had slowly lost the good (i.e., hazardous) objects—no more glass coffee table with deathtrap edges, trinkets, and a big bowl of matchbooks—and we had to buy things like outlet covers and gates for our stairs. And yes, our rooms were taken over with their stuff—bins of toys, a baby swing, a high chair, and a playmat. Still, manageable.

But four kids in a two-bedroom row house sounded like the makings of a reality show. (My working titles? Janelle & Ron Lose Their Minds. Or Diamonds in the Rough. Not as catchy as Jon & Kate Plus Eight—but hopefully a happier ending.)

“Who has four kids anymore?” Ron kept asking me. I would mention a friend of a friend. “They have three kids,” he retorted. Right.

It got better once we told family, although we did it in a sneaky way. We put Willa in a “Big Sister” T-shirt at the beach and waited to see who noticed.

“Wait, what is Willa wearing?” my sister finally asked.

“A baby?” squealed my aunt.

Actually, two.

We sent out an e-mail to friends in mid-August: Well, we have some news. We are expecting a baby this winter. And another one. Yes, TWINS. Yes, we’re still in shock-and-awe mode. Yes, we realize we need a minivan. Yes, we are aware we’ll never eat out again. We just started our second trimester. We saw both babes last week—and two good heartbeats. Holy crap.

The responses flooded in with lots of exclamation points and all caps. Friends without kids would squeal, “TWINS!!!!!!! WOWOWOW. So cool.” Friends with kids would say, “Oh, wow. Are you okay?” We became an urban legend: Trying for one more baby? First, let me tell you about my friend Janelle. . . .

The weeks started to fly by. Soon it was fall. My belly was growing. At 20 weeks, Baby A and Baby B became two boys. I felt great. I’ve always had easy pregnancies. This one was only slightly different. I was hungry constantly the first trimester, felt great the second trimester, and started to expand greatly the third. We saw the boys every four weeks via sonogram to make sure they were growing at the same rate (they were) and that my body was happy (it was). During one of the appointments, the boys were head to head—already plotting against us. I was constantly being kicked and punched by eight limbs. We put our house on the market, with no success (if anyone is interested in a well-loved two bedroom in Canton, call me), and made lists of what we needed.

At what ended up being my last doctor’s appointment before I delivered, I was measuring roughly 16 weeks “bigger” than what I actually was. Sleeping became a chore—between my girth and heartburn, I was up constantly. My last pregnant week, I had my spring fashion photoshoot for the magazine. I had circled that date in my calendar, telling myself I just wanted to make it to that shoot. And I did. The following Saturday morning, my husband went into work and I was home with the kids. Around 8:30, I started getting some pain in my lower belly. I sat in my glider with my two-year-old on my lap (well, what was left of it), and slowly rocked. I knew what was happening, but was in denial. Was I ready? It was January 22—one day short of 36 weeks.

Just before 2 p.m., Zeke Gray entered the world weighing a respectable 5 pounds, 14 ounces. And a minute later, his little brother Gideon Levi, two ounces lighter. They were healthy and perfect. Zeke looked just like his brother Milo had—a shock of black hair, little almond shaped eyes, and a look that said he wasn’t entirely happy with the situation. Gideon looked like Willa—a sweet face, a decent amount of hair, happy and content.

It’s been eight weeks since we became a family of six. We’ve all had several good cries. I’m exhausted—it’s hard to remember what sleeping more than a three-hour block feels like. I can now feed two babies at once, burp two babies at once, hold two babies at once, and apparently type while nursing and simultaneously rocking the other baby with my foot.

We’re in what can best be described as survival mode. We say yes to anyone who offers us anything—food, a sleepover for Milo, taking over carpools, holding babies, dog sitting. At times, I’ve been almost overwhelmed by all the generosity.

My big kids have adjusted amazingly. Milo likes to hold his brothers (briefly) and promises them his toys because “when they are bigger, I’ll be in college.” My daughter is now surrounded by three brothers (poor girl will probably never be able to date). She likes to show them her princess dresses. “Look, baby, look,” she’ll say, spinning. She thinks of them as her own personal dolls, pointing to one baby and saying, “Mommy, I want to hold that.” And she thinks they are both named Gideon.

Going out of the house with twins is hilarious. We’re like some sort of novelty act. You would think people would be used to twins (they’re not that rare), but no matter where we go—the supermarket, the mall, the park—they flock to our stretch-limo sized stroller. And so many questions. Are they twins? (Umm, yes.) Fraternal or identical? (Most definitely fraternal.) And are they from fertility treatments? (Not that it’s your business, but no.)

People keep calling me a super mom. But truthfully, I’m not sure what the alternative would be. To fall apart? Never leave the house? This is our new normal. It helps that I already had kids. I already knew how to feed a baby, change a diaper—it’s just learning to do it two at a time. Now it’s about the small victories—showering, surviving a night by myself with all four kids, making the house look like a minor bomb hasn’t gone off.

The babies now have little personalities. Zeke is the loudest baby I’ve ever encountered. He sleeps loud, eats loud, breathes loud. It’s like he has a microphone attached to his onesie. He has the most beautiful smile—already flashing it liberally at Mommy and Daddy—and his Great Grandma Stella’s gorgeous lips. Gideon is our well-mannered runt. Slightly smaller than his brother, he only cries when hungry or wet. He likes to mimic some of the noises his brother makes and has a beautiful face including fat little cheeks.

The other night, everyone was asleep. Milo and Willa in their room, Gideon in our room, Zeke and my husband on the couch. I should have crawled into bed to get some sleep before their 1 a.m. feeding, but instead I watched TV and ate a bowl of ice cream, relishing the quiet. It’ll be years before I have more than a few minutes of peace—so I may have to schedule some. Along with my husband’s springtime vasectomy.

What do you want from a child-care center? It’s probably a long list: You’re looking for a home away from home, a place that’s warm and relaxed, but orderly and efficient; nurturing and fun, but unfailingly devoted to molding little minds and preparing youngsters for the rigors of kindergarten and beyond. Of course, it must be secure—locked entries and vigilant staffers are the word of the day—safe, and clean. But not so much so that it feels institutional. It helps if there’s a highly educated and trained staff that’s been on board forever. And if it proves to be a place your child delights in attending—if he or she is bolting into the classroom, rather than clinging to your pant’s leg with a wimper—you’ll probably do a little jig as you walk out the door each morning.

Fortunately, as tall an order as it is, finding the perfect child-care center is not impossible. In fact, there’s no shortage of centers in the greater Baltimore area that offer just such an environment.

We scoured the area and turned up a host of fabulous providers, then narrowed our list to 12 we believe provide the very best in care. Read on to learn why they caught our eye.

Knowledge Beginnings

Where: Laurel Web: knowledgebeginnings.com Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., after-school care and part-time care offered. Ages: Six weeks to 12 years. Fees: $269-$288 per week. Highlights: Offers staffers a tuition-assistance program; many staffers are working toward a CDA (child development associate) certification or degree. All staffers are also trained in CPR and first aid and the center is NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accredited. Breakfast, lunch, and two snacks are included in the tuition.

Looks aren’t everything, of course, but it’s hard not to be impressed when you walk into the gleaming Knowledge Beginnings child-care center in Laurel, with its smartly polished hardwood flooring and its tastefully painted walls.

Classrooms circle a large central area that houses dedicated space for special subjects like art, science, and language and literacy instruction. It’s a clever setup that not only gives kids a nice time out of their classroom each day but also ensures that each of the main classrooms boasts plenty of natural light and direct access to the outdoors.

Other nice touches include infant, toddler, and two-year-olds’ rooms with two-way glass so parents can take a sneak peek at their little ones, plus a closed-circuit TV system that can serve a similar purpose. Inside the infant rooms, laminated pictures of the children adorn the floor, where tiny crawlers are most likely to see them. Food is labeled and color-coded to avoid any mix-ups and daily written reports to parents include more than just a recitation of diaper changes and feeding times.

The curriculum is play-based but preschoolers and pre-K students have some access to computers for educational use and can take advantage of optional “enrichment” programs in phonics, math, music, Spanish, science, and cooking.

Celebree Learning Centers

Where: Bel Air (plus 17 other locations in MD) Web: celebree.com Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Fees: $80-$230 a week. Ages: Six weeks to 12 years (for before- and after-school care), part-time care is available. Highlights: Most teachers hold bachelor’s degrees and all lead teachers have CPR and first aid training. Celebree also offers teachers financial assistance for career development. (In turn, it boasts a turnover of just 7 percent.)

It’s a gorgeous spring morning but all’s quiet in the infant room. Two staffers sit in padded gliders, each rocking a baby in her arms. (One has another infant bobbing lightly in a bouncer at her feet.) Nearby, two more little ones are fast asleep in their cribs.

 Elsewhere, the action is at full throttle. The toddlers have sunscreen on and are ready to conquer the playground, while their older peers gear up to tackle the playground equipment. In the preschool rooms, the three-, four- and five-year olds are in various stages of play.

Regardless of what they’re doing, each of the students—or “friends” as they’re called here—is almost certainly in the midst of a learning experience, says center director Shelby Logue, and that’s by design. In addition to using something called the Conscious Discipline program to teach social skills, Celebree uses another program, the Creative Curriculum, which centers on “purposeful play.”

Padonia Park Child Centers

Where: Cockeysville Web: padoniaparkclub.com Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon. to Fri. Fees: From $939 per month for full-time care for four- and five-year-olds to $1,150 per month for infants. Ages: Six weeks to 12 years (for before- and after-school care for Pinewood Elementary students); part-time care is offered. Highlights: Preschool and pre-K staffers have bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education or family studies. The four-year-old and pre-kindergarten programs are accredited through MSDE. All staff are first-aid and CPR-qualified, exceeding the state mandate of one staffer for every 20 children.

When six-year-old Erica Gartland headed off to kindergarten earlier this year, she fell into the routine without missing a beat, says her mother, Kristen Gartland. “She entered kindergarten reading. She was prepared—she knew all the rules that you have in a structured program.”

And Erica knew one other valuable thing that many kindergartners don’t: “She’s an excellent swimmer,” says her mom. That’s mostly thanks to Padonia Park’s summer program, which includes eight weeks of daily swim lessons for all of its students over the age of three.

Located on the grounds of Padonia Park swim club, the child-care center not only has access to the pools, but also to three playgrounds and 30 leafy acres—perfect for nature walks and science activities.

So what goes on inside? Padonia has just started offering an infant program, although slots are filling up fast. For the older children, the focus, says director Cindy Carter, is on teaching independence, social skills, self-help skills, physical fitness, dealing with stress, and “academics.” Classrooms are run by experienced teachers and filled with opportunities for creative play. The result: children who are ready for school, and make a splash getting there.

College of Notre Dame of Maryland: A Child’s Place

Where: North Baltimore Web: ndm.edu/about/achildsplace Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mon. through Fri. Ages: Three to six. Fees: From $920-$985 per month. Highlights: MSDE-accredited and seeking a Middle States accreditation. All teachers have college degrees in education or a related field.

Ask around about child care in northern Baltimore City and chances are you’ll be directed to A Child’s Place, which has an enduring word-of-mouth reputation as a high-quality early education center.

Turnover at the center, which is tucked away in the center of the College of Notre Dame’s campus, is low and the staff highly experienced. “Half the people here are grandparents, although we don’t look it,” says director Leslie Hinebaugh. But there’s also an infusion of youth, thanks to a work-study program that brings Notre Dame students in to help out. Notre Dame and Loyola University both use A Child’s Place as an observation and training site.

While there is plenty of play going on each day, the curriculum, which includes instruction in English language arts, social studies, science, math, Spanish, music, and art, is not play-based. Instead, as Hinebaugh says, “our program is a combination of academics and love.” That translates to lots of hands-on, one-on-one instruction.

Downtown Baltimore Child Care

Where: Downtown Baltimore (Its Park Avenue location will close in August, although its University Center location will remain open.) Web: dbcckids.org Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (beginning Aug. 30, currently 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.), part-time care available for all but infants. Ages: 12 weeks through pre-K. Fees: $1,049-$1,671 per month. Highlights: All staffers have taken infant and child CPR and first aid and are slated to take medication administration training this summer; many have or are working toward degrees.

You don’t really expect to hear the squeals of delight or the chatter of little voices here, in a space nudged up against the University of Maryland at Baltimore’s downtown campus. But behind the brown wooden fence on Arch Street, DBCC has carved out a little oasis of fun for the wee ones and built itself a strong reputation for high-quality care—so much so that it’s an approved trainer for the child care community.

How do they do it? First off, high child-to-staff ratios—in the infant rooms, for example, it’s 2.25:1, compared to a state mandated 3:1. And the facility itself is thoughtfully designed to spur imaginations and engage even the tiniest tykes. DBCC’s 8,000-square-foot playground—divided into a grassy clearing for picnicking and story time, an infant/toddler yard, and a preschool area—offers plenty of time for active play.

But what really defines DBCC may be its philosophy, which is heavy on learning-through-play. The center shies away from rote memorization, as well as screen time. “We have a TV and VCR, although I think it is circa 1982,” jokes executive director Margo Sipes.

Bryn Mawr Little School

Where: North Baltimore Web: brynmawrschool.org Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mon. through Fri. Fees: Full-time for ages three to five is $16,000 for 10 months; limited part-time hours available. Ages: eight weeks to six years. Highlights: Lunch and snacks included in tuition. Great staff-to-child ratios, beautiful facility on a leafy, private-school campus; most teachers have a bachelor’s degree in education (several have graduate degrees). MSDE and AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland Schools) accredited.

When the three teachers in Bryn Mawr Little School’s four-year-old group wanted to reinforce their pupils’ understanding of the alphabet, they could have passed out photocopies and let the drilling begin. Instead, they had the 24 children lie on the floor in groups of three or four and curl their bodies into the shape of each letter. In the end, the class had an inventive series of letter-shaped photos to display in the Little School’s annual art show. “They had such fun with it. And it’s more experiential and meaningful to them,” says director Pat Wells Sheridan. “They all remember exactly which letters they were.”

It’s a good example of the Little School’s hands-on approach, which offers plenty of “planned experiences in all areas of development and learning,” says Sheridan. Of course, there’s also lots of free time, which can take place outside on two roomy, shaded playgrounds or inside, in a first-rate facility that boasts sunny rooms and educational materials strategically placed where children can reach them with little adult intervention.

Being on the K-12 campus also has its benefits: Little School students interact with the big kids and Bryn Mawr’s cafeteria provides a hot lunch for Little School students and teachers, who dine together, family-style.

Play and Learn

Where: Hunt Valley (and other locations) Web: playandlearnmaryland.org Hours: 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; part-time care available for all but infants. Fees: $194-$226 per week. Ages: Six weeks through kindergarten. Highlights: Not-for-profit, working toward MSDE accreditation; all teachers participate in the MSDE credentialing program.  

It’s go time in the infant room at Play and Learn Hunt Valley. On the floor, one determined baby is working on his crawling skills. Nearby, two infants in cribs are just emerging from sleep and are showing signs that they’re ready to be picked up. And, separated by a small gate, an older infant is sitting in a chair nibbling some lettuce.

In the children’s rooms, there’s plenty to love, too. The curriculum is based on learning through play, and the daily journals follow the children through their years at Play and Learn. “It will go in their personal portfolio when they graduate from the program,” says program director Marina Eleni Maier. Not only do the journals help teachers and parents track progress, but “it’s a great gift to give to each of the parents as a keepsake,” she says.

Temple Oheb Shalom’s Learning Ladder

Where: Pikesville Web: templeohebshalom.org/lladder.htm Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon. through Fri. Fees: From $886 per month for full-time care for three- and four-year-olds to $1,380 per month for full-time care for non-member infants; part-time care available for older children. Ages: 10 weeks to five years. Highlights: Working toward MSDE accreditation; participates in MSDE’s teacher credentialing program.

If you hear music coming from inside Oheb Shalom’s Learning Ladder, then it must be Wednesday morning. In the spacious multi-purpose room, music teacher Becky Gordon is strumming a guitar while she and eight three-year-olds sing “Boker Tov.” (That’s Hebrew for “good morning.”)

Like the rest of the center, the room is decked out in primary colors and looks thoroughly pre-school, but the real focus here is on learning, which is done in a play-based, non-academic environment. And while not all of its children are Jewish, if you’re interested in having your kiddo learn about Jewish culture and possibly pick up a little Hebrew, you’ll find ample opportunity here.

La Petite Academy 

Where: Towson Web: lapetite.com Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ages: Six weeks through five years. Fees: $185-$230 per week. Highlights: In the process of obtaining National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA). Breakfast, snack, and lunch are included.

For anyone eager to take an active role in shaping their child’s day-care environment, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing parents’ suggestions embraced by those in charge. At La Petite, “they want parents to bring their creativity to the table,” says Lori Hardesty, whose nine-month-old and three-year-old attend La Petite. “And they give us great support to make it happen.”

Case in point: A fellow parent’s suggestion that the center institute a “Special Person” day, in which students can invite an adult friend or relative to spend time in the classroom. Shortly after the idea was presented to the parent board, center director Emily Sweet was hard at work bringing the plan to life.

In fact, thanks to Sweet and others at the center, La Petite, which is located on the campus of GBMC, manages to create a tight-knit community of families “where everyone seems to know everybody and the teachers and staff know all the kids, even if they’re not the primary teacher,” says Hardesty.

As a parent—Sweet’s own two-year-old is a student here—”just watching my child in her classroom, I really see the teachers incorporating our philosophy, which is learning through play.”

The Learning Tree Preschool & Child Development Center

Where: Annapolis Web: learningtreecdc.net Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fees: From $189/week for three- and four-year-olds to $300/week for infants. Ages: Six weeks to four-and-a-half years. Highlights: All staffers have CPR and first aid training; 50 percent of the staff has medication-administration training; the center is accredited by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and has a MSDE-approved preschool. All staffers take part in the MSDE credentialing program and many either have or are pursuing a degree.

When Lee and Cecelia Pfeffer left the world of public school education in 1984, they didn’t stray too far. Instead, they combined their learning know-how—he had 13 years of teaching experience; she had 17—and opened the Learning Tree, first in their home and

later in an Burtonsville office park. Sixteen years later, they’ve expanded from an original capacity of 17 children to 88, and added a second location in Annapolis that is run by two of their children, both of whom have degrees in early education.

For the older kids, there are formal(ish) school hours from 8:30 a.m. to noon and then 3 to 4:30 p.m. But The Learning Tree follows a play-based philosophy, so what you won’t find here are three- and four-year-olds sitting at desks and tackling endless worksheets. What you will find: a child-first environment and a focus on continual improvement.

“You know that old saying about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks?” asks Learning Tree vice president Lee Pfeffer. At Learning Tree, the pressure’s on the old dogs to learn those new tricks.

By August 2011, for example, all child-care centers must comply with new regulations requiring at least one staffer per center to take medication-administration training. “We already have 10,” notes Pfeffer. “And we started two years ago.”

Step-by-Step Children’s Learning Center

Where: Sparks Web: stepbystepclc.com Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fees: Full-time care ranges from $230 per week for four- and five-year-olds to $310 per week for infants; part-time care is available. Ages: Six weeks to six years, plus before- and after-school care for kindergarteners (with bus service to Sparks Elementary). Highlights: The director has a master’s degree in early education, several teachers have degrees (one also went to Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, which surely comes in handy with the six-and-under set), and others are pursuing degrees. All staffers have first aid and CPR training; infant teachers are certified in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) training. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks included in tuition.

If it’s 2 p.m. on a weekday afternoon, it’s most likely quiet at Step-by-Step, save for some gentle music floating through each of the center’s rooms. Nap time! But while the kiddies rest, the center’s teachers are in high gear, cleaning up—with eco-friendly products—and returning their rooms to order, ready for an afternoon of learning through play.

Whether they’re outside on the spacious playground or indoors in one of the center’s eight classrooms, kids here have no shortage of ways to keep busy. Learning is both structured and free-form and includes language, art, music, math, phonics, Spanish, computer classes, Rebounders (for gymnastics), cooking, and science. The curriculum is “constantly refreshed to reflect the latest trends in teaching techniques,” says center director Gabrielle Frizzera-Flowers, who opened Step-by-Step 10 years ago and whose two children attend.

The business has grown beyond Frizzera-Flowers’s expectations—her original “great room” is now a classroom for five-year-olds. That’s a good sign, but also means there’s usually a waiting list—six months or more for older children; a year for younger children.

St. Paul’s Plus

Where: Brooklandville Web: stpaulsplus.org Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fees: From $915 a month for part-time infant care to $13,950 annually for four-year-olds. Ages: Six weeks to five years. Highlights: All lead teachers have a bachelor’s degree, while assistants have at least 90 hours’ training, plus experience. Infant and toddler staff have an additional 45 hours of training.

It’s 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday and a tiny army of infants are strapped into their triple strollers. On another day, they might just sit contentedly while their teachers take them for a stroll on St. Paul’s gorgeous campus. (The center, which is co-ed, is owned and operated by St. Paul’s School for Girls.) But today they’re headed for the girls’ school’s playing fields, where they’ll roll around on a blanket or crawl on the grass. Later, they’ll head back for a snack and maybe a nap and some tummy time on a soft rug. Not a bad way to spend a day.

 And their slightly older peers have it pretty good, too. The center’s physical surroundings are first-rate, with a setup that’s orderly and well-planned and boasts lots of natural light and room to move. There’s also a robust curriculum that is “hands-on and experiential,” says director Isabel Nussbaumer. To help develop social skills, teachers use the same Conscious Discipline program employed by Celebree. And the regular school day includes time with teachers in French, Spanish, science, music, and the library, as well as visits from instructors in Abrakadoodle (for art) and Rebounders (for gymnastics). For an extra fee, parents can enroll children in afternoon activities like soccer, computers, and dance. There is a kitchen for cooking projects, a multipurpose room for indoor play, and a library.

On a far-from-tropical January day, Kristen Vanneman-Gooding sits
under a poster of a palm tree in the waiting room of her obstetrician’s
office at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC). It is exactly a
week to the day before her scheduled cesarean section, and she is
filled with anticipation. This delivery, she suspects—and hopes—will be
entirely different from her last one.

Five years ago, a pregnant
Vanneman-Gooding came for a routine visit to this very office.
Vanneman-Gooding had stopped in for a checkup of her as-yet-unborn
identical twin boys—conceived through in-vitro fertilization—from Dr.
Claire Weitz, head of GBMC’s Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine.

The
pregnancy was a troubled one from the start. At 18 weeks, an
ultrasound had shown that the twins were together in an amniotic sac
without a dividing membrane, a condition that is often fatal for one or
both fetuses. “Claire said there was a 50-50 chance that either one or
both would not make it,” says Vanneman-Gooding.

But in the weeks
to come, she and her husband, Ira Gooding, breathed a sigh of relief
when a follow-up ultrasound showed that there were, in fact, two sacs.
Several
weeks later, there was more cause for concern: The twins were
suffering from a “growth discordance,” in which one fetus was
significantly larger than the other. So—as is standard for most twin
pregnancies—Weitz put Vanneman-Gooding under “house arrest” to ensure a
healthy delivery for both fetuses. (“I watched a lot of L.A. Law
reruns,” she recalls.)

Months later, during another ultrasound,
there was more worrisome news: the black-and-white images showed that
one of the fetuses was sluggish. Asked to return the next day to verify
the findings, Vanneman-Gooding did; when the results were the same,
Vanneman-Gooding remembers Dr. Weitz saying, “We’re going to take them
today.”

“We didn’t even have a camera,” Vanneman-Gooding says. “It
was a whirlwind—it was just a matter of fifteen minutes between being
in Claire’s office on the fourth floor, walking down the hall, and
being in the operating room for the C-section.”

Today, those
twins—Duncan and Finnigan, both born the same size—are healthy, happy
preschoolers. And although she suffered a miscarriage several months
before her current pregnancy, Vanneman-Gooding—an assistant teacher at
Lutherville’s Havenwood Preschool Center and part-time office manager
at State Farm Insurance—is relieved that this pregnancy has been so
simple.

“I’ve been able to enjoy this pregnancy more than I did with
the boys,” says Vanneman-Gooding—who herself was born at GBMC 32 years
ago. “I’m so much more relaxed, and knowing what to expect at delivery
time is a load off my mind—I’m not nervous about the surgery. I’m more
concerned about what to pack in my hospital bag.”

It’s hard to believe that as recently as 1930, delivering a child was
the single most dangerous event in a woman’s life: One out of 150
pregnancies ended in the death of the mother (most births occurred at
home).

In the 21st century, standardization of practice—from the
presence of fetal heart monitors (100 percent of the time at GBMC) to
advances in anesthesiology (used by about 85 percent of maternity
patients at GBMC) to the prevalence of pitocin (a synthetic hormone
used to speed up labor) and intravenous fluids—has made giving birth
very safe. In 2003, there were 12.1 deaths per 100,000 live births in
the U.S.; that’s about the same mortality rate as that of women with
lung cancer.

“In terms of the safety of the mother, this is probably
the best it has ever been,” says anesthesiologist Jonathan Hamburger, a
partner of Physician’s Anesthesia Associates, whose group provides all
anesthesia services to GBMC. The constant screening of
Vanneman-Gooding’s first pregnancy is just one example of how
improvements help both mothers and infants.

More babies are
delivered at GBMC than any other hospital in Central Maryland: some
4,500 newborns begin their lives at the hospital each year. (In 2006,
Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Maryland Medical Center
delivered 3,290 babies combined.)
In the past five years alone,
GBMC has delivered more than 22,200 bundles of joy. The hospital has
been the delivery destination of people from all walks of life in the
region, including former First Lady Kendel Ehrlich. Some satisfied
customers even commute from other states—Kensy Boulware, wife of former
Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware, traveled from Tallahassee, Florida
to deliver the couple’s third child at GBMC last fall.

Ever since
its founding in September of 1965, GBMC (which merged with The Hospital
for The Women of Maryland in Baltimore City and The Presbyterian Eye,
Ear and Throat Charity Hospital) has been known for its outstanding
obstetrical department. In recent years, GBMC has become known around
town as “The Baby Hospital” or “The Baby Factory” for good reason.
Despite the fact that there are numerous other prestigious area
hospitals delivering plenty of babies, GBMC—in the wooded, tony suburbs
of Baltimore—has become a leader for women’s healthcare.

The
physical plant of the 106-acre hospital campus perches atop a swell of
land off of Charles Street; the tranquil campus is often called “The
Hilton on the Hill.” And if the hospital as a whole is the Hilton, the
second floor primarily dedicated to maternal and newborn services, is
the concierge level. In the obstetrics lobby and admitting area, a
hospital volunteer tickles the ivories on a Yamaha piano to soothe the
nerves of anxious family members. The 17 state-of-the-art labor,
delivery, and recovery rooms, known as LDRs, are currently under
renovation—they’ll be redone in a tasteful green and beige palette, and
will feature bamboo flooring.

They’re also thoroughly modern rooms.
There will be wireless internet service (some mothers have been known
to log on to their e-mail servers or check their BlackBerries while
dilating); handy desks to set up and recharge cell phones, laptops, and
other gadgets; and plasma HDTVs. The 48-bed postpartum unit, with
private rooms and a dedicated 11-bed high-risk obstetrics unit, is
adorned in soft soothing colors and floral fabrics.

Since 2000, GBMC
has invested approximately $9.9 million in labor and delivery room
renovations, neo-natal intensive care units, and state-of-the-art
equipment. Cracks Dr. Weitz, who has two grown children: “When I took
the first tour, I said, ‘Gee, it’s almost enough to make me have
another baby.’ I’ve been to other hospitals, and this is about as good
as it gets.”

And the amenities don’t stop there. The Lactation
Station retail store is the only one of its kind on a hospital campus
in Baltimore, and sells everything from fashionable nursing shirts to
breast pumps and nursing pillows. Lactation experts have also set up a
breastfeeding information “Warm Line,” open seven days a week from 6
a.m. to 10 p.m. The Warm Line is headed up by lactation consultant
Marla Newmark, who nursed 12 of her own children (she has 11 surviving
kids).

Additional maternity services through GBMC Boutique include
an on-staff aesthetician who visits the maternity ward to provide
things like hair cuts, manicures, pedicures, and facials; parent
education classes; and doula (or birthing coach) services.

The
official acceptance of doulas—women who provide emotional and physical
support to expectant mothers—by a staid, suburban hospital like GBMC was
a big step for both sides.

“GBMC is known as a traditional
hospital,” says Lanny Dowell, doula coordinator. “It has been
interesting to introduce an age-old concept to new and modern medicine.
A lot of doulas were worried about how the staff at GBMC was going to
take it. Did they think we were going to be dressed in old field garb
and doing voodoo?”

Far from it. “We are known as the Ann Taylor and
Talbot’s doulas,” says Dowell, looking very much the part in a pair of
classic winter-white trousers, black mules, and tasteful top. “We are
trying to merge the two images. We are not this cloaky person in labor
and delivery with heavy incense. Our goal has been to soften and change
the idea of the doula.” The list of doula services—from acupressure to
massage—sounds more like a luxe spa’s offerings than tasks handled by a
birthing coach. GBMC doulas also offer postpartum services, from meal
preparation to infant care to light housekeeping—and even carpooling
older kids to school, should the need arise.

In short, sums up
Victor Khouzami, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, “At GBMC,
there is a dedication to obstetrics at every level. This is a maternity
hospital within a general hospital.”

Says Susan Bowen, Clinical
Director of Labor and Delivery, “I joke with Dr. Khouzami that we
should secede from the Union and build our own hospital.”
In some
ways, that’s what’s happened: GBMC’s decision to pour resources into
becoming a major obstetrics center has paid off. Year after year, GBMC
has racked up awards, including a coveted ranking in U.S. News &
World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” in 1997 and 2001 for
gynecology, “Best Maternity Hospital” by the readers of Maryland Family
Magazine every year from 2002 through 2006, number one in Obstetrics in
the Central Maryland Region by Maryland Hospital Association every year
between 1995 and 2002, and one of the top 10 maternity hospitals in
the U.S. by Child Magazine (1995). GBMC also has many other claims to
fame, including the first birthing rooms in the state (1978), the first
peri-natal center in Baltimore County (1985), the establishment of the
first Lactation Department in the Baltimore area (1989), and the first
robot-assisted gynecologic surgery at a community hospital in the
mid-Atlantic (2006).

All those awards are not exactly what Ira Gooding is thinking about
as he sits on a blue plastic chair in the hallway outside Delivery Room
1 on the second floor of GBMC.

It’s one week after Kristen
Vanneman-Gooding’s visit to Weitz’s office, and Ira Gooding is dressed
head to toe in disposable navy blue scrubs, and clutches a camera.

“I’m
more relaxed this time,” says Gooding, an Open Courseware Coordinator
at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, “but I want to get in
there and for everything to go well.”

Minutes later, Ira is perched
on a leather stool within a foot of his wife’s head and several feet
away from where his daughter is about to be born. At 66 degrees, the
inside of the operating room feels as cold as the January day outside
(it’s kept cool to prevent germs and bacteria from flourishing).
Vanneman-Gooding is draped in warming blankets, and wears a surgical
cap that brings out the blue in her eyes. Weitz; her first assisting
physician, Dr. Margaret Cyzeski; and a scrub technician congregate
around Vanneman-Gooding’s midsection.

The anesthesiologist, Dr.
Stanislav Malov, tends to the monitors near her head. A circulating
nurse and neo-natal intensive care unit team are on standby.
The
540-watt prism halogen surgical lights flood the room, intensifying the
green of the doctors’ gowns, the silver steel storage cabinets, and
the ruby red blood that blossoms on Vanneman-Gooding’s skin as Weitz
makes her first incision through the skin with a number-10 scalpel.

Obstetrical devices have come a long way, both scientifically and
culturally. In the 17th century, when obstetrical forceps were invented
by Peter Chamberlen, the innovative instrument was such a closely
guarded secret that it was used only when a laboring woman was
blindfolded.

Other primitive practices in the 1940’s through 60’s
included putting women in a “twilight sleep” through a potent cocktail
of morphine and a powerful amnesia-inducing drug called scopolamine.
Freed of their inhibitions—but not their pain—thrashing women were
often strapped to gurneys to keep from hurting themselves. “It was such
a powerful amnesiac, some patients would wake up the next day and not
even know if they had a boy or a girl,” says Hamburger.
“Patients
would run down the hallway stark naked,” recalls Khouzami, who joined
the GBMC staff in 1981 as head of the Division of Maternal Female
Medicine.

Modern obstetrics was still in its infancy (so to speak)
when GBMC opened its doors in September 1965. In the 60’s and 70’s,
recalls Khouzami, “We had labor rooms, delivery rooms, and recovery
rooms. The woman delivered in the labor room with no family or support
services, and she pushed the baby out for hours, and then the baby was
taken to the nursery, and [the mother] was taken to the recovery room
where maybe someone would visit. It was very, very [impersonal].”

“The
husband dropped you off at the door of the labor room,” recalls Bonnie
Lauryssens, a retired nurse practitioner who worked labor and delivery
at GBMC from early 1966 through 2005. “Ashtrays were all in the labor
rooms, doctors would walk in smoking, and women smoked while they
labored. You had to pull bars up the bed because the anesthesia made
them thrash and try to climb out of bed. It all seemed so normal—this
was what we knew.”

Women had no say in the birthing process either.
“There was [a] paternalistic attitude,” recalls Khouzami. “The attitude
was ‘You do it because I know what’s best for you.'”

By the
mid-70’s, as more Americans began to question the status quo on much
conventional wisdom, “Families started to demand to share and have
greater participation in the delivery,” remembers Khouzami. “They said,
‘Don’t shut us out,'” and GBMC was the first hospital in Maryland to
respond to these needs. “We opened the first birthing rooms in the
state of Maryland in 1978, and we included fathers in the process.”

By
the early 80’s, birthing centers—where women delivered through the
help of a midwife and in the absence of a doctor—had sprung up around
Baltimore. GBMC added them and tried to provide families with both the
warm, nurturing feeling they would get in a birthing center and the
technology and backup staff found in a hospital setting. “That’s how we
started changing our thinking to, ‘pregnancy as a natural process,'”
says Khouzami, “and we shouldn’t be intrusive, but we should be there,
should an emergency arise.”

Another trend in the mid-70’s was a
shortened length of stay for mother and child. “It got to the point
where the woman had a baby, took a shower, and went home,” says
Khouzami. “The length of stay kept dwindling.” By the 1990’s, the
average length of stay was 1.7 days.

“There was pressure put on me,”
Khouzami says, “because we thought we were going to go down to 12
hours [from admission to release]. I said ‘Over my dead body. It’s
going to swing back.'”

It did, in 1995: Maryland was one of the
first states to mandate a 48-hour length of stay before the practice
became a federal law under President Clinton.
And then there was the
liberal open-door policy for visiting family members in the LDR. “We
went from having no one in the room in the 70’s, to having to put a
limitation on how many people could get into the room,” says Khouzami.
“By the 90’s, it started to get crowded—I remember one delivery in
which there were twelve people in the room.”

Recalls Lauryssens,
“There were mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, brothers, sisters,
sisters-in-law, and friends. It got to be a joke that pretty soon they
were going to let the family dog in.” (Now the policy is five visitors
for a traditional delivery, two for a C-section.)

A drape hung near her chest prevents Vanneman-Gooding from seeing the
C-section occur. On the other side of the drape, Weitz is the model of
calm and confidence, and she cuts side to side along the turgid
abdomen, then cuts through the fascia covering the abdominal muscles,
through the peritoneum en route to the thick, muscular uterus. Using
numerous white gauze pads, the team of three stanches the deluge of
blood that pools and pours from Vanneman-Gooding’s body.

Even
though it is possible for Ira to avert his eyes, he watches as Weitz
pulls and probes inside the deep exposed cavity in his wife’s abdomen
and then, using a suction device, eases the crown of the baby’s head out
of the womb.
“Ira, get your camera ready,” calls out the
circulating nurse—and then, baby Wren arrives, about 12 minutes after
the first incision.

“It’s a girl,” says Weitz. “I thought you told me it was a boy—I was all set to say, ‘Three boys, you’re screwed.'”

The
baby is weighed (7 pounds, 6.2 ounces) and evaluated (an APGAR score
of 9—nearly perfect). APGAR—an acronym for activity, pulse, grimace,
appearance, respiration—is a 10-point scale used to provide an
immediate, if rough, status report of a newborn’s health.

While
that’s going on, Weitz cuts and ties Vanneman-Gooding’s fallopian tubes
(a procedure Kristen and Ira had decided to undergo after their third
child), before closing the C-section incision with sutures.

The
circulating nurse methodically counts the instruments—the bladder
blade, the retractors, the sutures, the scissors, the scalpel, the
clamps—three times to ensure that nothing gets left behind in the
patient’s body. Ira snaps a digital photo of their new daughter, and
hands the camera to his wife, which lets her study her beautiful baby
girl for the first time.

On January 22, 2007, Wren Dorothianne
Gooding is logged in the hospital’s official record book at 10:57 a.m.
She’s the 278th baby to be born at GBMC this year; Kristen will return
home four days later.

Anesthesiologist Malov offers a little comic
relief. “How soon before there are no more [natural] deliveries?” he
asks, only half joking. “In the next century, babies will probably be
genetically engineered, and there will just be this zipper across
here,” he says, pointing to his abdomen.

Malov’s quip is not entirely in jest. Cesarean section on demand has
become de rigueuramong professional women in modern, industrialized
nations like Japan where, according to Khouzami, the C-section rate is
90 percent. In the U.S., nearly 25 percent of births today are by
cesarean (in 1970, it was only 5 percent).

C-sections offer benefits
(greater control over time of delivery and the removal of some risks
from the childbirth process) with a bit of risk (it is surgery, after
all, and long-term effects may include more postpartum pain and
infertility issues).
“We knew this was coming to the American
workplace sooner or later,” says Khouzami. “We knew the day would come
when women would start asking for it. We are simply coming to a time
when women are saying, ‘This is how I want to deliver,’ but the East
Coast is very slow to change. We’ve had maybe a handful of C-sections
on demand in which women have said, ‘I don’t want to labor. Get me a
date.’ But the trend is not here yet.”

Dr. Weitz seconds the notion.
“There will be an increasing demand for elective primary C-sections,”
says Weitz, who jokes that for some women, natural childbirth means
delivering without makeup. “We are the old prudes,” she says, “the last
to jump on the bandwagon. We are taking it cautiously, but I do
foresee a tremendous increase in patient requests for elective
C-sections. When you really look at it, women can get nose jobs, breast
implants, tummy tucks. Why does society say that we must make them
deliver vaginally? It’s your body and your decision. We respect the
woman’s autonomy.”

To date, the C-section rate at GBMC is about 22
percent—higher than the national average, but misleadingly high because
of GBMC’s high-risk patient population. These include mothers with
multiple births (many of whom medically must deliver through
C-section), older mothers, and repeat patients (at higher risk), and
the fact that the local Catholic hospitals will not perform tubal
ligations (often done in conjunction with C-sections), so many
expectant women choose GBMC to have their C-sections so they can also
get their tubes tied.

So are we professionalizing childbirth—turning
it from an arcane, vague, mysterious process into a regulated,
structured, guesswork-free procedure? 

Susan Bowen, clinical director of
labor and delivery, believes we’re well on our way. “I joke that one
day we are going to get our hours down to nine to five, Monday through
Friday,” she says. “I think the sad part of it is that our whole lives
are planned from the minute we step out of bed in the morning until the
minute we get back in bed at night. And this should be a wonderful
experience for a woman. I worked nights for nine years, and the thing I
enjoyed most was that natural labor that came through the door and you
could be so supportive and really help the woman and her family.”

However
women deliver these days, what’s clear is that they are having a much
greater say in the process. “We try to do what the woman wants us to
do,” says Bowen, “as long as it’s okay with the doctor and within the
policy of the hospital.”
“Years ago, if someone told me they wanted
to breastfeed for two days,” says lactation consultant Marla Newmark,
“I would tell them ‘It’s not worth the work.’ Today, if they tell me
they want to breastfeed for two days, I give them the same amount of
attention as if they planned to do it for a year. We are out to please
the consumer. What the patient wants is what we do.”

Something else has changed too: the patient and the doctor now look a
lot more alike. The influx of women entering obstetrics has caused
sweeping changes in a formerly male-dominated field. At GBMC, there are
57 OB-GYNs: Nearly half are women. “We used to have the token female,”
says Khouzami laughing. “Now we have the token male.” Susan Bowen
agrees. “Women have made a big difference in the field because they have
experienced labor. This is not a disease—it’s a natural process so we
have a lot of influence when it comes to how we want to give birth.
Women are more assertive. You don’t have the little housewife who comes
toddling through the door saying, ‘I’m here. Take me.’ It’s not that
anymore. We have a lot of career women who know what they want, we have a
very educated client base—everyone’s doing research on the internet,
the women take classes, they want what’s best for their baby.”

Claire
Weitz was the only female resident in obstetrics when she did her
training at Johns Hopkins Medical School in the mid-70’s. “When we would
show up [to put on scrubs for the OR], the locker rooms would say,
‘Doctors’ or ‘Nurses.’ I would go into the ‘Doctors’ room, and it would
be the men’s room. We are the majority now. Women have brought a new
perspective. Things become a little more personalized [for the patients]
because they’re often dealing with someone who has experienced
pregnancy—been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt—but it doesn’t
mean that the men are unsympathetic to pregnant women. Some of the
kindest, most sympathetic men I’ve ever known have been obstetricians,
and that’s a loss for the field because men are not being encouraged to
go into it anymore.”

“When technology first came in, nurses felt
put out,” says Bonnie Lauryssens. “They let technology take care of
their patients—they would go in a room, look at numbers, and write them
down on a chart. Now, it has evolved. The nurses are even more into
the deliveries and are incredibly encouraging. Half the nurses probably
have hemorrhoids from pushing with the patients.”

Khouzami couldn’t
agree more. “I remember as a student, I had a teacher from Virginia
who was a real gentleman,” says Khouzami. “He was part philosopher,
part obstetrician, and he said that a delivery should be ‘by art, not
by force.’ It’s art, not science. Yes, some part of OB is science, but
if you make it purely science, you take all the emotion out of it. You
have to have a solid foundation in science, you have to have
technology, but it has to be tempered by humanity.
“Obstetrics is
more humane than ever. The technology is better than ever. As we move
ahead, we have found this wonderful balance.”