In the Magazine: December 2016

Check out our December 2016 issue, which includes articles about etiquette schools for kids, delicious hot cocoa recipes, staycations around the New York metro area, and how to avoid spoiling your children around the holidays. Plus a behind-the-scenes look at The Nutcracker, where to cut your own Christmas tree, and your child’s strangest behaviors and habits. 

Celebrating Volunteers: Tell Us How Your Kids Serve the Community! Winners Receive $500

 

December Feature Articles

Upholding the Holiday Tradition of The Nutcracker

the nutcracker

A behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to plan, choreograph, and perform The Nutcracker, a beloved holiday show.

 

Why Etiquette Schools are Thriving Today

alice austen house etiquette class

Though it may seem quaint, etiquette schools are thriving today—here’s why.

 

Make Your Own Hot Chocolate

hot cocoa recipes

Four recipes—using favorite flavor combinations—to make your own hot chocolate at home.

 

Why Kids Do Weird Things

baby eating toilet paper

Some of your child’s strangest behaviors and habits, explained by experts.

 

7 Staycation Itineraries for the Holidays in the NY Metro Area

new york hall of science gingerbread lane

Check out these seven ideas for a week’s worth of staycations in the New York metro area during the holidays.

 

Indulge in Gift-Giving Instincts Without Spoiling Your Kids

child receiving gift from mom

How to make your kids happy without spoiling them, teach kids about giving back, and how to keep the charitable feeling year-round, not just during the holidays.

 

Fun and Activities

Family Activities Calendar

lego kidsfest batman

Find tons of fun things to do in your area in December by searching our comprehensive calendar of kid and family events.

 

Virtual Stocking Stuffers: 10 Apps for Kids, Tweens, and Teens that Cost

sago mini planes app

Our picks for 10 apps that make great stocking stuffers for kids, tweens, and teens.

 

DIY: Christmas Crackers

christmas crackers craft 

How to make your own Christmas crackers this holiday season.

 

Vanderbilt Museum: Family Outing

vanderbilt museum

Vanderbilt Museum—a mansion, marine and natural history museum, and planetarium—is a great family-friendly museum to spend the day at with kids in Centerport.

 

Where to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree in the NYC Area

three children with dog christmas trees

Find local Christmas tree farms in the New York metro area and head out to cut your own Christmas tree this holiday season.

 

Connections

Quotables

city girls nyc nilsa

We’ve browsed the Internet, read the books, and checked our Twitter and Instagram feeds for the best quotes, tweets, and images from parents about raising kids.

 

What it’s Like to Be the Wife of a Police Officer

police car

The intense, mixed emotions of being the wife of a police officer.

 

What Does a Midwife Do? Interview with Risa Klein

risa klein

Risa Klein is a certified nurse midwife with an office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She was the “birth consultant” for the feature films Baby Mama and Maze

RELATED: Get our top picks for weekend events!