27 Great Patio Restaurants in Dallas Ft Worth

Great Places in DFW to Dine Alfresco

(Updated 2017)

My favorite thing about our amazing Texas weather is dining “alfresco”. Perhaps it is my Oregon roots, but I have always been a big fan of the patio dining experience.

A good patio must have a relaxed atmosphere, aesthetically appealing decor and reasonably priced good food and drinks. Since having kiddos 10 years ago, my list has now grown to include kid friendly patios.

This patio dining list is broad on purpose to include locations across the DFW Metroplex and to offer a variety of options depending on the kind of outdoor evening you are planning.  Enjoy!

Ft. Worth Zoo Welcomes New Baby Zebra

New Baby Zebra at Ft. Worth Zoo - North Texas Kids Magazine

Fort Worth Zoo announces birth of Grant’s zebra foal

The Fort Worth Zoo welcomed a male Grant’s zebra foal to the herd. At birth, the soon-to-be named foal weighed approximately 60 to 70 pounds and stood roughly 30 inches tall.  When fully grown, he will weigh up to 650 to 750 pounds and measure about 44 inches from shoulder to hoof. This is the first foal for mom Roxie and the first zebra birth at the Fort Worth Zoo since 1996.

Ways to Get Your Kids to Do Chores

boy doing dishes - kids and chores

Tips on How to Encourage Kids to do Chores

I was recently asked to share my thoughts on helping parents find practical solutions for involving their children in chores and responsibilities around their home.  Disclaimer to the parents reading this post: It takes effort, consistency and sometimes being the “bad guy” in your kid’s mind. The conversations I have regularly with parents asking for help in this area are numerous, and it has become evident to me that it is a continuing challenge for families.

Let’s talk about why having your child help around the home is so important. Over the last 20-30 years, it seems more and more parents are not requiring or teaching their children to do much around the home. Excuses for this are plenty: “the kids are too busy,” “it’s easier for me to do it myself then have the kids do it,” “they don’t do a good job,” “I just don’t like fighting with them to get them to do it,” and the list goes on.

Transitioning Tweens: The Leap to Middle School

Transition to Middle School

Helping your child transition to junior high school

Whether your school district transitions students from elementary to middle school in sixth grade or seventh, it can be a difficult time for kids, and parents, as well.  There are the obvious adjustments like a larger school building, use of lockers, loads of new faces, unfamiliar teachers and different rules. And the entrance into middle school usually  brings about new pressures to wear the right clothes, say the right things and fit in with certain groups. Many childhood experts see this as the most difficult time, socially, for most kids. I have heard it referred to as the time to “eat or be eaten.”

So what can a parent do to help alleviate the pressure their children may experience during this time of life? There is no magic bullet that will ensure your child goes from elementary school into middle school experiencing no stress. However, if handled well, many of these experiences can end up being beneficial life lessons in the long run. As a parenting coach I often recommend the following formula.

Helping Kids Heal: When Your Child Needs Psychotherapy

Therapy for Kids

Helping a Child who is Entering Psychotherapy

We prepare children for all sorts of things in life—a new babysitter, the first day of school, the arrival of a new sibling. Preparation is important because children, like adults, find comfort in knowing what to expect. The same sense of security is critical to helping a child who is entering psychotherapy.

Safety Tips for Kids who Commute to School

Bike to School : Safety Tips

Back to School Transportation Safety Tips

As families prepare to head back to school, it is important to familiarize parents and children with some potentially lifesaving safety tips. Buses and bicycles are two of the most commonly used forms of transportation amongst children commuting to and from school. Dr. David Arai, emergency medicine physician on the medical staff at Centennial Medical Center in Frisco, Texas, answers some questions about back-to-school bike and bus safety.

Q: What are some of the most common injuries seen in bike-related accidents?

We see a significant amount of internal injuries, like bleeding from the liver or other internal organs and ruptured spleens. Since children and teenagers have enlarged spleens in general, the risk of damage to this organ is greater. Head injuries and broken bones are common as well, and if a bone such as a rib is broken, children run the risk of puncturing a lung.

Q: What factors contribute to the severity of bike injuries?