Gemma Alexander

2 weeks ago | parentmap.com | Gemma Alexander

Photo: iStock Few things are as evocative of childhood delight as splashing in cold water on a hot day. Activities like playing Marco Polo in the pool or racing to a buoy in the lake are so joyful that it’s easy to forget how dangerous water can be. In Washington state, an estimated average of 17 children and teens drown every year.

1 month ago | seattletimes.com | Gemma Alexander

With 2025 marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, audiences can expect to see a lot of new adaptations of her novels this year. Adaptations of the classics are often self-conscious period pieces filled with historical costumes and stuffy accents, but not much life or laughter. Dacha Theatre doesn’t have that problem. Dacha presents “Emma” at 12th Avenue Arts on Capitol Hill through April 19.

1 month ago | parentmap.com | Gemma Alexander

Photo: Olivia Lippens and Ashley Hay. Photo: Will Austin After the horrific mass murder of children at Sandy Hook Elementary, schools across the country rushed to find ways to make their buildings safer. The Mercer Island School District commissioned an outside consultant to recommend a comprehensive safety plan.

1 month ago | parentmap.com | Gemma Alexander

Photo: iStock Editor’s note: This article was sponsored by the Western Washington Medical Group. Our workaholic culture has led to an epidemic of sleep deprivation. Feeling tired and worn out is almost a badge of honor for parents, and even kids complain of being tired all the time. But exhaustion isn’t something we can just shrug off.

1 month ago | parentmap.com | Gemma Alexander

Photo: iStock Money management makes almost everything we want to do possible, so it’s really a fundamental life skill. However, it is not always part of the educational curriculum.