FREE Kids’ Fishing Classes

For ages 5-15, these classes teach casting, knot-tying, fish identification, angler etiquette and fishing regulations.  No license or permit required and equipment is provided.  Children must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

Dates:
July 25 – Dolese Youth Park Pond, NW 50 and Meridian
June 20, Aug. 22 – Crystal Lake, 6625 SW 15
July 11, Aug. 8 – Metro Tech Springlake, NW 36 and Springlake Drive
July 18, Aug. 15 – Edwards Park Lake

FREE Swimming

City Pools are now open and admission is free all summer.  They include:
Northeast Pool, 1300 NE 33
Woodson Pool, 3405 S. May
Carson Pool, 8301 S. Villa
Minnis Lakeview Pool, 12518 NE 36.

Swim lessons are offered for kids and adults at all area pools for $20 per session.  For more information about lessons, or to get a free parks &  pools guide, call 297-2211.

Play in the Park

This annual program offers FREE supervised activities such as arts, crafts, games , reading and field trips for kids age 6 and older.  26 metro-wide locations have the program.  Click here for more information.

Father’s Day Downtown

On Sunday, June 21, Dad gets in free (with a paid family member) to:
Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno
OKC Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive
Oklahoma City National Memorial, 620 N. Harvey.

So take Dad out on his special day and enjoy all downtown has to offer.

For more information about OKC Parks & Recreation’s events, go to  http://www.okc.gov/Parks/index.html.

-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
esmith@opubco.com

While it provided a great opportunity to buy inexpensive books without leaving my house, I also felt somewhat guilty.

I assumed there will be other club flyers this year, so I only bought three books. I also assumed his mother would buy books.

However, would I be a bad parent if I didn’t buy at least one item from my son’s school fundraisers, including $1 books from the Scholastic Book Club? I’m a newbie at the whole public school thing.

Any help would be appreciated.

Write comments below to share with others, too.

Thanks!

— Brian Sargent
Click to send me an e-mail

When I was a kid, I was afraid of the dark — even if I was in my house.

Apparently, that fear has been passed to my 4-year-son, Cody.

During the past two months, Cody and I have gone to sleepovers at each of my two sister’s houses. Both times, Cody has awoken during the middle of night and told me, “Daddy, I’m scared.”

After a few minutes of sleeping in the same room with him, Cody falls asleep.

When Cody spends the night in my house, he sleeps soundly and for a full eight hours.

Do other parents have advice for me to help Cody with this fear?

I’d love to hear from you.

— Brian Sargent

bsargent@oklahoman.com

Not outside of course. It’s hot there! But in a tent in the middle of the living room.

My 5-year-old has been learning about camping at preschool, and so we thought it’d be fun to actually break out the tent stored in an unopened box in our attic.

Putting the thing together was fun for my husband because there were no directions. Bravely, he managed and we soon had a bigger-than-I-expected igloo-shaped domicile. My daughter collected an array of snacks for our “camping” trip and I turned on the Discovery Channel (the TV was right there) to find some scenery.

Despite the whirl of the ceiling fan, it was fun to imagine we were actually on a great adventure. Our dogs became “bears” prowling for snacks. We made fire-free S’mores with chocolate marshmallows and Ritz crackers.

But did we sleep there? Of course not, the floor is hard after all.

Next my daughter wants to go fishing. Maybe we’ll turn the bathtub into a “pond.” Do goldfish crackers float?

Susan”Scared of Mosquitoes” Simpson

This was coming from a guy who spent the last two years working a full-time job, taking organic chemistry, physics and other masochistic classes and drove me to the hospital to have a baby in his spare time. Last semester he had class three nights a week, worked during the day and studied for the MCAT the rest of the time. He still managed a trip or two to the zoo and the laundry. Yes the laundry. My husband does the laundry. He sprung up to Colorado Springs to help his mom out when she was sick. And since school got out in May, he’s kept our 1-year-old with him at home while he works and studies. He juggles babies willingly in restaurants and if a child needs a change he is the first to jump. And not that I’m-jumping-to-make-it-look-like-I’m-really-going-change-the-baby-but-know-that-you-will-anyway jump. It is a sincere, honey-you-eat-I’ll-take-this-one jump. He can make pigtails with hair pretties. He can remember to have fun when I’m totally irritated that our 3-year-old won’t listen or the baby is screaming because she is tired. He recently rolled three suitcases and carried one child on his back through two airports, while I carried my 3-year-old’s Dora backpack. And he is always goofey, onery him. No matter what we make him do, he always stays him. This week he climbed onto the roof to clean out our dryer vent thing, did laundry, picked our dog up from the vet, took our 3-year-old to swimming lessons a couple of times, and today he is taking the MCAT. The biggest test he’s taken in his whole life to date. And he says to me, “I’m sorry I can’t help with the girls this morning.”

So this morning honey, I guess I’ll let that go. I’ll get them ready by myself this morning. I think you’ve done your part.

Yep. That’s my husband.

- Lindsey Johnson

I thought the quiz was interesting enough to pass on:

1. Name two of your congressional leaders.

2. What is the weather forecast?

3. Who won last year’s Super Bowl?

4. What is the price of gas?

5. Name a national TV news anchor.

Now that you’ve answered those questions, try the following:

1. What is your child’s favorite food?

2. What is your child’s all-time favorite possession?

3. What is your child’s greatest fear?

4. Who is your child’s closest friend?

5. What is your child’s favorite TV show?

OK. Tally up your score and see how you did on the first set of questions as compared to the second set.

Be honest, dads.

If you know more of the first set than the latter set, you probably need to spend more time with your children.

So said Brett Fuller, a Virginia pastor who spoke at the fatherhood conference.

Pretty insightful quiz, huh? These are really simple questions but the answers can make all the difference to your children — in more ways than one.

Look for more on the “Championship Fathering” conference in this week’s Oklahoman

– Carla