Published Articles - While You Wait Magazine

We have had several articles published in While You Wait magazine. Be sure to pick up their next issue! They are available at your local supermarkets, nail salons, auto repair shops and more!
Check out http://www.wywmagazine.com/attachments/File/WYWspring09.pdf


A 6 Letter Word We Should All Know
By Jamie Imperati

The most important word we should all know and take pride in is F-A-M-I-L-Y. When I was a little girl, my parents would make family time very special for me and my sister. We would take rides upstate on Sunday mornings and my father would drive through different towns. We would either pack a lunch or stop and grab a burger. The day was so much fun. My sister and I would giggle in the backseat, acting very playful, while we enjoyed our adventure. My parents didn’t have the financial means to take us to shows, ball games or expensive outings, and that is why I say it is “quality not quantity” when it comes to family time. Now I have 2 small boys, and I try to instill in them the same family time values that my parents did for me.


Our local towns offer so many things you can do with your families and most of them don’t cost any money! You can picnic at a local farm and see some animals, take in an inexpensive minor league baseball game, walk on a trail, or visit a local park. These activities provide a great setting to communicate and talk about family time and the importance of it with your children. Spending time together with your family is the most important thing because you provide each other with love, respect, support and security. My family is my rock and support system.

Your children learn from you, and family time is a great way for them to acquire new skills i.e. I am very good with directions, and I attribute this to our Sunday rides and learning the back roads through towns from my Dad. To this day, he can still navigate his way around most places without getting lost.

It can be difficult to set aside family time because we have such busy schedules but it is imperative that we do this. Try to plan at least one special “family fun” event for your family each weekend as it will give your children something to look forward to and will become part of their weekly routine and yours. Not only will it be something they enjoy, but you will too!


Jamie Imperati is President of www.whatandwhen4kids.com, and online calendar of events and activities for children of all ages in Westchester, Putnam and the Hudson Valley.