Kids

Memories of Halloween Costumes Past

October 2011
Harry Potter

Were you one of those gung-ho Halloween kids? The ones who bravely pushed their way up past the spider webs and creepy music strung on the front porches, despite the fact that some overhyped dad in a zombie costume was going to jump out from a dark corner?

Or maybe you were more like me – the girl in the …

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Are Our Kids Too Dependent?

October 2011
Are parents, trying to be helpful, making their children fragile? (Photo: ##http://istockphoto.com/diane555##istockphoto.com/diane555##)

At parents’ night at my son’s school, I could have sworn that when the principal got to the part in her speech about not doing your children’s homework for them and allowing them to make their mistakes, her eyes fastened on me.

All parents wonder at times whether they are doing enough – or too much – for their children. …

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Buzz Kidz by Remi Clonts, age 7

October 2011
Aspiring writer Remi Clonts poses with her big sister, Elle, who received an Expert Award in sharpshooting while at camp.

Sister Act

My name is Rebecca Clonts, but everyone calls me Remi. I am 7 years old, and I am a second grader at the Shlenker School, and my teacher is Ms. Davis. One of my favorite things to do is write stories and articles, so I decided to write about my sister becoming an expert sharpshooter.

My sister Elle …

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Buzz Kidz by Callie West, age 18

September 2011
Callie West will play softball at the collegiate level at West Point.

An athlete and cadet

My junior year at Bellaire High School, I discovered that the United States Military Academy at West Point participates in softball at the Division 1 level. This is when it hit me – I could play softball at the highest level, obtain a college degree, serve my country by becoming an Army officer and prepare myself …

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Kids in Service

September 2011
Rachel Houston poses with a friend during her mission trip to the Parish of Santisimo Sacramento in Piura, Peru.

Last year, my son and I were introduced to the concept of required community-service hours. He had to do 12 hours of them to pass the sixth grade.

You will, perhaps, not be surprised to learn that we forgot all about those hours until a week before they were due.

During our last-minute search, we discovered many opportunities for kids …

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Is College Worth It?

September 2011
Evan Mintz, pictured at Rice University, wonders if law school was the right choice. The $240,000 price tag represents the amount Evan paid for his education.

PayPal cofounder and venture capitalist Peter Thiel recently made headlines for critiquing the “education bubble,” the newest ridicule-worthy institution since the housing bubble popped.

Higher education is overvalued, underwhelming and elitist, according to Stanford-educated Thiel. That’s why he created the “20 Under 20” Fellowship. He selected 20 young “visionaries” to drop out of college and receive $100,000 to pursue an …

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Buzz Kidz by Gabriela Hanrahan, 16

August 2011
After experiencing a hearing impairment, Gabriela Hanrahan was determined to help others understand what it is like to be deaf.

Spreading the word about hearing impairment

I was born deaf, but since then have learned signed language and received a cochlear implant that allows me to hear almost like a hearing person. After experiencing both hearing impairment and post-implant hearing, I have come to realize how hard it is for a hearing person to truly understand what it is like …

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Retro Fashion

August 2011
Kirby Sinclair’s dress was made by her great-grandmother for her great-aunt and later worn by Kirby to her own graduation. Michael Levine’s retro styles, including shoes, are often obtained from Value Village. (Photo: ##http://www.scottkohn.com##www.scottkohn.com##)

What’s Old is New Again

I recall my parents shaking their heads at some of my fashion choices when I was a teen, critiquing them as “so old fashioned.”

Now my daughter is hunting through my closet. Too bad for her that I am not much of a pack rat.

It appears I’m not the only one whose yesteryear items …

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Back Porch – Children’s Bedtime Routines

August 2011
Joe Sutton and his daughter, Megan Sutton-Reed, get a kick out of passing down their favorite bedtime story, Wanda and the Oblahlahs, to Megan's son Brady.

August is so strange. It’s still 100 degrees outside and sunny well into the evening hours. But somehow we’re supposed to turn our minds to new semesters, school clothes and earlier bedtimes. Even if we don’t have school-aged children, all ads focus on fall, and workweeks get a bit more pumped up.

In my family, our most profound adjustment is …

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Academic Redshirting

August 2011
St. John's School graduate Cameron Steele went to T. H. Rogers School for the sixth grade and then repeated the grade when he entered St. John's the following year. Although he was resistant at first, ultimately he was pleased with the consequences.

They are two of life’s certainties – children grow up, and parents worry if they’re making the right decisions about their education. Some pending moms and dads feel compelled to make critical school choices as soon as they learn their child’s due date. The result of this planning is a growing number of older kids in class who have received …

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The Summer of Busy Kids: Last Minute Escapes

August 2011
Six-year-old Asher Golub floats happily in Hamilton Pool.

This is the third in a three-part series on out-of-the-box ways to keep kids busy and happy this summer.

Summer’s winding down, and there’s a big question looming – how are we going to make the last few weeks count? If you’ve already breezed through your summer wish list and vacations are memories in a scrapbook (or if you’re like …

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Buzz Kidz by Collin Speich, age 18

July 2011
Inspired by a family legacy, Collin Speich joined the U.S. Army.

Giving back to my country

I’ve been blessed with an amazing family that has taught me about paying back the great honor of freedom this country has bestowed upon me. So, in early March – as soon as I could convince my parents to let me – I swore into the U.S. Army as a 19th Delta cavalry scout. I’ll …

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The Summer of Busy Kids: Exploring Nature

July 2011
Robin Berry took this photo of her frog-hunting children, (from left) Aaron, Willa and Peter, for a story on kids and nature that appeared in The Buzz Magazines July issue.

Think of an idyllic childhood, and you’re likely to conjure images of kids playing outdoors, making forts out of trees and bushes, maybe even befriending a bug or two. While those of us braving the Houston summer heat…

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The Summer of Busy Kids – Art Adventures

June 2011
Phyllis Selber and her granddaughters Whitney, 3 (left), and Holly, 6 (right), get ready to make a masterpiece using the myriad art supplies Phyllis keeps on hand for the girls' visits. (Photo: ##http://www.hartphoto.com##www.hartphoto.com##)

This is the first in a three-part series on ways to keep kids busy and happy this summer.

Houston is full of art. From the sophisticated (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) to the trendy (galleries at 4411 Montrose) to the quirky (Beer Can House), from life-sized cows dotting lawns to modern sculpture on downtown corners.

Kids are natural artists – …

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Buzz Kidz by Dever Lorenz, age 16

June 2011
On a mission trip help the poor, Dever Lorenz became the one in need.

Trip teaches humility

When I signed up for a mission trip to Costa Rica, I had a vision in my mind of how the experience would unfold. I, a middle-class American, would spend five days working to improve the lives of less-fortunate children in San José, and then I would spend two days shopping and relaxing on the beach at …

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