September Editor's Letter

Family dinners have always been a priority in our home. When the girls we younger, we only allowed one extracurricular activity per child at a time because we wanted to make sure we had enough time together. As the girls have gotten older and busier, family dinners where everyone is present are harder and harder to come by. These days, I have to schedule family dinners (I’m lucky if I can squeeze in two a week) and have worked to find other ways to spend time together as a family. As dinners became more difficult, we switched to Sunday brunch and ventured out to try a new restaurant each week for a relaxed meal. It was fun to change up the routine, and we enjoyed exploring new places. If you’re having trouble finding time for family dinners, check out Gina Klein’s article. She has some great alternative ideas for ways families can bond and spend time together.

Grandparents play an important role in a child’s life, and the relationship is a special one! I’m fortunate that my girls still have three grandparents living and am thankful for the times they spend together. I have several friends who no longer have grandparents living, so they’ve got surrogate grandparents for their kids—what a great idea! Each year in September on the second Sunday of the month, we honor these special folks with Grandparents Day! For a great read on why kids need grandparents, checkout here. And if you are looking for ideas on ways to celebrate, head here.

We officially enter fall this month, and that means apples and pumpkins and leaves and more! Our calendar is full of fall fun—and be sure  to check out our Pumpkin Patch Guide a little later this month at KCParent.com and next month in print!

Happy September, Kansas City!