Parents Latina December/January 2020-21

Don’t Stop the Party NOTHING TAKES me back to my childhood quite like an old-school salsa tune. Whether we were doing our Saturday-morning cleanup as a family or digging into a birthday cake with other neighborhood kids, there was always music in the background. It poured out of the speakers and lined the shelves in our living room. Joe Arroyo, Celia Cruz, Oscar D’León—all part of my dad’s extensive vinyl collection—have the power to transport me to what now feels like a simpler time. But as I imagine myself as a little girl sitting on our plastic-covered green couch watching the grown-ups dance at one of our house parties, it occurs to me that my immigrant parents used music as a healing balm. No matter what hardships they endured—grueling jobs, discrimination, language…

MAMI IN THE MOMENT Put the “Feliz” Back Into Navidad! Globe-trotting mom and model Jenny Lopez may be staying home this Christmas season just like the rest of us, but she’s found plenty of ways to make it special while keeping her sanity intact. BY GRACE BASTIDAS Get Glam Even If You Have Nowhere to Go … I usually spend Christmas in Cartagena, Colombia, but this year we’ll stay home in Miami. I think dressing up will put me in the holiday spirit. The right outfit can really change your mindset! Lately, I’ve been wearing silk, cotton, and other comfy fabrics, but I love to glam up my style by adding accessories—like a sequined belt, a colorful scarf, layered necklaces. And I also use color to activate my senses. My wardrobe is a rainbow. Even…

KEEP CUDDLES COMING There’s no such thing as holding your baby too much … really! Prolonged skin-to-skin contact is beneficial for your infant’s emotional development and helps them feel safe, protected, and loved, says J. Kevin Nugent, Ph.D., a pediatric psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. “It strengthens your bond and builds a foundation for the future.” In fact, studies show that babies who experience kangaroo care or quiet cuddling cry less and are more responsive. So go on, pick up your amorcito! —ALEKSANDRA MENCEL PREGNANCY A Good Sign Experts can’t say for sure what causes morning sickness, but they believe that it’s the body’s reaction to the surge in the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). During the first ten weeks of pregnancy, your hCG levels double every two days. Although it might seem as…

1 Pick the Right Doc Looking for a pediatrician is less about finding the absolute best in the world and more about finding a good fit for your familia. For some, that might mean a doctor who is Latino and who, as a result, has more familiarity with health issues prevalent in the Latino community, such as asthma, and with whom it may be easier to build trust. Feeling comfortable is key to getting the best care, says Jane L. Delgado, Ph.D., president of The National Alliance for Hispanic Health. In fact, studies show that people who see a doctor of their same ethnic or racial background are more likely to open up at appointments. “If you don’t feel completely welcome when you are at a pediatrician’s office, then do not…

WHEN THE QUARANTINE first started, Yliana Vilella’s three kids, Christian, 8, Ysabella, 5, and Yasmine, 4, were thrilled they’d get to stay home from school together. “For weeks, all they did was play and plan these elaborate sleepovers in one another’s rooms,” recalls the Mexican–Puerto Rican mom who lives in Fort Myers, Florida. But as the pandemic stretched on and their time indoors grew, so did their fighting. “They’d had arguments before,” she says. “But things switched from ‘you’re taking my toys’ to ‘you’re all up in my face, and I need you to back up!’” Suddenly Vilella was spending a good chunk of her day negotiating truces and finding ways to give them “alone time,” only to be back at it again the next morning. “So many times, I turned…

1 Just Like Me Written and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton Families loved the vibrancy in this collection of 28 free-verse poems. The uplifting words alongside bright, textured portraits inspire girls of all colors to be changemakers. Ages 5 to 10 2 Federico and the Wolf Written by Rebecca J. Gomez, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri This Mexican-American spin on “Little Red Riding Hood” entertained kid reviewers with fun rhymes, sweet cultural touches, and a sprinkle of Spanish words. “My daughter was so happy that Federico saved his grandpa,” says Stephanie Acosta, of Newark, New Jersey. Ages 4 to 8 3 The Dream Weaver Written by Reina Luz Alegre When her Poppy’s beloved bowling alley is in danger of going bankrupt, Zoey, 12, hatches a plan to save it. “This book is so good because it shows the ups and…