Parents Latina

editor’s letter

All Dressed Up EVERY YEAR on Christmas Eve, my dad arrives at my house bearing a couple of oversize gift boxes. Inside? Two sparkly dresses with enough lace, tulle, and taffeta between them to outfit a not-so-understated bride. Having picked out the dresses himself, he watches with anticipation as his granddaughters pull out reams of tissue paper before unveiling their new duds. I imagine that the scene reminds him of my sister and me unwrapping our own holiday dresses as kids. I can still remember seeing that big red box emblazoned with the Macy’s logo and feeling pretty fancy at the promise of this garment. While my Sunday best was reserved for only special occasions when I was a child, my daughters’ dresses are on regular rotation. They come out for birthdays, dinners…

howie dorough is back (all right!)

CELEB PAPI What inspired the recent release of your family album, Which One Am I? Music was such a big deal to me when I was little. But I had a hard time connecting to the kids’ songs out there with my sons, James, 10, and Holden, 6. Then one night, as I was looking out at the audience at a Backstreet Boys concert, it hit me. A lot of our fans had grown up and were now bringing their children to our shows. I thought, “Why not make music that families can enjoy together?” I wanted the record to be lighthearted but also take on relevant issues I faced as a kid—growing up multiracial, and dealing with sibling rivalry and anxiety. Did you worry a lot as a kid? I was a child…

ages + stages

ALL AGES THE AWESOME POWER OF SPIRITUALITY The secret to living a long life? It might have something to do with spirituality. Researchers looked at centenarians and seniors from Loma Linda, California—an area where people tend to live healthier and longer than the average American. Even though many of the elderly residents experienced some hardships in childhood (because they grew up during the Depression or WWII or in regions with violence), several key habits established at a young age and continued throughout life, such as regular church attendance and engaging in family worship activities, helped them be resilient. Also on the list? Having a positive mindset, practicing selflessness, and volunteering. “As we grow older, our bodies experience an increase in inflammation,” explains study author Rhonda Spencer-Hwang, Dr.P.H., associate professor at Loma Linda…

paging dr. mom!

1 MAKE HONEY YOUR HONEY The sticky-sweet goo is a must for a sore throat or a cough. Of all the remedies the doctor-moms we talked to use with their kids, this one seemed to come up most frequently. Cristina R. Fernández, M.D., a pediatrician in New Rochelle, New York, uses her Panamanian mom’s remedy of miel con limon. Dr. Fernández gives her kids a tablespoon of honey with several drops of lemon on top. “Honey, especially raw, has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, predominantly from its high sugar content and low water content, high acid level, and the presence of hydrogen peroxide,” she says. “A spoonful can both soothe and attempt to kill off bacteria or viral microbes. The lemon adds vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, to the mix, which helps…

toys, toys, toys!

SHAKE YOUR BOOTY Everyone will love boogying along as Zuru Pets Alive Boppi the Booty Shakin’ Llama dances to three different songs. Ages 2+, $20; walmart.com GOOOOAAAAL! The Game Zone Action Soccer net moves up to 3 feet from side to side, so your little Megan Rapinoe–in-training can work on her scoring skills. Ages 4+, $35; fatbraintoys.com ROCK, RATTLE, AND ROLL The LeapFrog Learn & Groove Shakin’ Colors Maracas light up as they count every shake in English or Spanish. 6 months+, $15; amazon.com WHAT A DOLL Your family will want to keep the collectible Mattel Barbie Dia de Muertos doll—with her beautiful embroidered dress, face paint, butterfly embellishments, and crown of marigolds—on display all year long. All ages, $75; barbie.mattel.com GUAC OUT Spin the avocado pit on the Skip Hop Farmstand Rock-A-Mole Guitar to create different riffs, and…

the inside story

IN MY FAMILY, the world stops for books. My 6-year-old daughter, Artie, wakes me up bright and early on Saturdays to get ready for a trip to the library. And I could be in the middle of cooking dinner and my 2-year-old son, Cami, will tap me on the leg and ask me to make funny gallo sounds from his favorite bilingual book, Animals: Animales. Not that I mind. I moved to the U.S. from Cuba when I was 8. Books helped me master English and navigate a new world as an immigrant. They weren’t just entertainment. They made me believe that anything was possible. I want my kids to have the same passion for reading, to experience the pure joy of getting lost in a good tale and reap the…