NWsource | Lisa Jaffe Hubbell

Host a child's summer birthday party without breaking the bank

Lisa Jaffe Hubbell — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:45:00 -0700

In 11 years of summer birthday parties for my son, I've tried it all. I've hosted June swim parties at Angelfish Swimming in Kirkland, and we've gone to a Mariners' game at Safeco Field, complete with birthday wishes on the scoreboard.

Get your kids in the swim for summer

Lisa Jaffe Hubbell — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:52:21 -0700

Last fall, my son asked how long he would have to take swim lessons. My answer? Until he mastered the basic strokes and his teacher felt he was safe in the water.

That can take different amounts of time for different kids. It's been six years of lessons for my son, the last three at Angelfish Swimming in Kirkland, which is owned and operated by Connie Chapin, who gained some fame last year as a recipient of a new house and pool from ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover."

What's a kid to do if he's not a team player?

Lisa Jaffe Hubbell — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:11:10 -0700

One of the first signs of spring in the suburbs: the flyers that kids bring home from school promoting baseball leagues. But not every child jumps for joy at the thought of playing Little League, or in other seasons, basketball, football or soccer.

Take my son. I'll never be a soccer mom because he just isn't interested in participating in team sports -- unless being a color commentator for professional ball games counts. But being active is an important life lesson I want to teach him.

Five shops that prove you're a cool parent

Lisa Jaffe Hubbell — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:01:34 -0700

'Round about the time your daughter gets her first crush and your son's answers shrink from whole sentences to single words and grunts, you stop being the coolest person on the planet. But I have five secret weapons that are destined to keep me hip in my son's eyes way into his teen years.

Visit one of the Northwest's family-friendly museums

Lisa Jaffe Hubbell — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:48:30 -0800

My husband and I have been taking our son to museums since he was born. The trips haven't always been successful; there was a period when he was a toddler when his ability to appreciate art didn't match ours.

But now he's so museum-savvy that he plans relatives' visits here and schedules trips to museums in other cities we visit. Indeed, he often suggests random cities based on their museums: "Let's go to Spokane -- they have a culture museum there, and we don't have culture here." And that's a real quote.

Help your kids cook up an interest in food

Lisa Jaffe Hubbell — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:20:28 -0800

I open the door to a back room at the West Seattle PCC, and the sounds of happy toddlers erupt. The 2- and 3-year-olds have just gotten an introduction to cooking in a course that had them making fruit salad, cookies and the savory equivalent of gingerbread houses using whole-grain crackers, hummus and vegetables.

More than one of the participating moms has been here before with other, older children -- a testament to the notion that such small children can learn some basic skills in the kitchen.