Take this unusual summer and turn it into a fun and enlightening family adventure into the outdoors. We’re entering a summer like no other. Orange County businesses and venues have started re-opening, but things are still in a state of flux. Kids are done with the school year and families are likely feeling the pull […]
Solutions to Summer and Pandemic Learning Loss for Students
Though the pandemic, distance learning, and summer break may all contribute to more brain drain for students this year, there are simple things parents can do to help. The summer struggle is real. While summer vacation is typically a time for students to kick back at home, the extended break can also lead to regression […]
Special Needs Learning & The COVID-19 Pandemic
The recent disruption to our daily routines has created an opportunity for parents of children with special learning needs. The COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place has been hard on all of us, there is no doubt about that. Yet, there is a silver lining to this cloud. We’ve all had our routines disrupted, and for most […]
Coping with Stress, Uncertainty, and Anxiety During a Pandemic
Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash With re-openings underway, how do we mentally cope with a normal that is in transition? COVID-19 and recent societal stressors have created a deep uncertainty about our future. As a psychiatrist, I never hospitalized as many patients or seen this level of anxiety and depression in the community as […]
Safe Family Fun Activities During a Summer Pandemic
Develop new fun activities to spend quality time together as a family this summer. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed much about the way we live and relate to others. Social distancing is necessary. A lot of conventional summer family activities, like visiting the local pool or attending summer camp, are out of the question this […]
Baseball Dad
COVID-19 and stay-home orders have impacted all people and industries — including baseball. In time for Father’s Day, we spoke with Los Angeles Angels baseball outfielder Justin Upton to get a glimpse of a professional athlete and father living life in the age of coronavirus. Justin Upton Los Angeles Angels outfielder City: Newport Beach Family: […]
Gettin’ into the Groove
We are adapting. Though it feels like years, it was only a couple of months ago that our world was flipped upside-down. Things we’ve never experienced before happened in our world, country, state, county, city and home. It hasn’t been easy, but after recovering from the initial shock, society is working itself into a rhythm […]
The New Back-to-School Normal
The fall school year will be like no other. What can families expect from OC public schools for the 2020-21 school year? Back to school is typically a time of preparing and planning. This academic year was unexpectedly interrupted when COVID-19 pushed Southern California schools into distance learning indefinitely. Now educators and parents alike are […]
June 2020 Virtual Calendar
Your stay-in guide for virtual activities while sheltering-in-place. ENTERTAINMENT Virtual Shakespeare Aloud http://carpenterarts.org/artsforlife/shakespeare.html The Carpenter Center transports its popular free Shakespeare Aloud series to the Internet. Play readings will be done 1 pm-2:30 pm on designated Thursdays. Richard III will be read June 4 & 11, while the second play is still TBD. As with […]
Pet Therapy Goes Virtual
Even pet therapy groups are changing the way they do things in the COVID-19 world. We are all adapting to our new world of sheltering-in-place and social distancing in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. That includes therapy dog teams like those with Orange County Animal Allies, formerly known as Orange County SPCA. […]