Parents Guide of Las Vegas

Parents Guide of Las Vegas has the following recommendations for locals in Las Vegas looking to have some family fun without traveling 200 miles. In no particular order, here are seven great ideas for having fun with your family this summer.

7 Cashman Field – Las Vegas 51’s brings the experience of professional baseball. As the Triple A affiliate to a major league baseball team, your kids literally get to see the future stars of major league baseball every time you attend a 51’s game. Monday Night is family night w/ $1 Hot Dogs & Cracker Jacks. www.lv51.com

6 Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix – One of a kind outdoor go kart racing and amusement rides. Inside an arcade and pizza. Because they have courses for all ages, parents are guaranteed to love this place as much as the kids. Even if you’re not celebrating a birthday, it’s great to have a party at LVMGP. lvmgp.com

5 Springs Preserve – Get back to nature without leaving Las Vegas. Truly one of the most relaxing places to take the family. If your kids don’t have the benefit of a large back yard to explore, make it up to them by regularly visiting the Springs Preserve. New attractions always keep it interesting and annual memberships make it affordable. Springspreserve.org

4 Rave Motion Pictures – State of the art Movie Theater (actually 18 of them) in a standalone environment. No need to walk for miles through a smoke infested casino with your kids to see your favorite movie. So conveniently located at Town Square, you may not ever go to any other theater! RaveCinemas.com

3 The Putt Park – So what do you do if you own the entire parking lot of a large strip mall in Las Vegas? Why you turn part of it into a mini-golf course of course! One of the great things about mini-golf is the fact kids can compete against their parents on a level playing field. ThePuttPark.com

2 Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park – What can you say about a true Las Vegas original? Sky Zone was the first ever to scale the concept of connecting multiple indoor trampolines. With the help of UNLV athletic department, a visionary entrepreneur opened the first in the world trampoline park. Now there are dozens of them across the country. SkyZoneSports.com

1 The Smith Center – Who said getting a little culture isn’t fun? The newest landmark on Las Vegas’ skyline isn’t on the strip and it isn’t primarily targeted to tourists. Sharing world class dance, theater and music with your children in Las Vegas just became a reality. TheSmithCenter.com

Vegas is known as the adult playground and the entertainment capital of the world, but if you know where to look you will find some hidden family-friendly gems. Venture down to Harrah’s Las Vegas Tuesday-Saturday afternoons and you will find a man who, with a big “Howdy!” and a warm smile, has been entertaining audience members young and old alike for more than 12 years at The Mac King Comedy Magic Show.

King captivates audiences as he casts out a fishing line over their heads and catches a live goldfish out of mid-air, performs amazing sleights-of-hand, makes his head completely invisible, all while remaining unbelievably funny. Because of his quick wit and extensive audience interaction, no two shows are alike, making each show a unique experience. King’s dynamic performance has kept fans coming back again and again for years – a true testament to his talents on stage. King has also been recognized with numerous accolades including Las Vegas Review-Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” readers poll as “Best Bargain Show” for nine straight years (2003-2012) and “Best Family Attraction” in 2012.

Known for his uncanny affection for wearing plaid suits and an affinity for magicially making Fig Newtons appear throughout the show, King presents a family-friendly afternoon show that is not to be missed!

King takes the stage twice daily, Tuesday through Saturday, at Harrah’s Las Vegas at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Showroom Theatre. Tickets are $29.95 plus tax. For more info on The Mac King Comedy Magic Show log on to www.mackingshow.com .

By Stephen Fife, PhD and Tod Young

This column touches on a very sensitive subject for a parent-child magazine; however, when the experts state the average age of first-time pornography viewing is between the ages of 8 to 11, the subject matter is important enough to bring to every parent’s attention.

We approach the subject of pornography at the beginning of summer vacation to remind parents that kids surfing the Internet can quickly find themselves in very adult situations. Parents often ask, “how does this happen? I’ve safe guarded my computer.” The answer is simple; pornographers are smart. They use key kid-friendly words in their home pages or web addresses to bring their website up in the results page of the search. What is the attraction of your child to the pornographer? It is not child pornography. Instead, pornographers understand if your child can be lured in at a young age, your child will be hooked for life, and as your child enters into adulthood they will add additional revenue to an already over $100 Billion per year business.

Pornographers do not care about teaching children about healthy relationships or creating a loving sexual environment for adults—something we want for our children when the time is right. Instead, pornographers care about dollars, which in 2006 equated to $13.33 Billion in the US alone—more than the combined revenues of pro football, basketball, and baseball.

Safeguarding Your Home

Communication is your biggest defense. Often heard is, “My son would never look at pornography, he’s a good boy.” Yep, he is a good boy, and that’s why he’ll look – he’s being a boy, the male brain is wired for visual excitement. Think about it, could you spend 10 hours a day playing a video game? Here’s another one, “I won’t let my child use the Internet!” Kids use the Internet, they have to; one of my colleague’s middle school-aged daughters could only complete many of her assignments by turning it in through an Internet portal. And don’t forget the access to the Internet that many of our children have on their cell phones. The Internet is here to stay, and we need to learn to manage it so our children don’t become a statistic. Jerry Ropelato, a source considered to be an expert in the field of pornography addiction, states that 90-percent of children between the ages of 8-16 have been exposed to online pornography, most viewed it while doing homework.

Before summer starts, open up a dialogue about pornography usage in your home and set your standards. How do I start? Have your child read this article and go to lunch to discuss it. Remember, anger isn’t the recommended form of communication in this situation, education is. Think like a teacher teaching a biology principle, answer questions honestly and age appropriate. Additional security measures are to make sure the parental filters are working on all computers and keep your computers in a public family place — kitchen, family room, or living room. Perform a weekly search and if you find a problem discuss the problem in an active parenting style; always showing love, concern, and compassion.

Dr. Stephen Fife is an Associate Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at UNLV. Tod Young is a graduate student in the Program. E-mail Dr. Fife at stephen.fife@unlv.edu .

By Lexy Capp

One of the most challenging obstacles that I face every day as a single mom, business owner and mother of three sons is juggling a hectic work schedule and finding the time to have fun with my children. However, there comes a time for every parent, and this time came for me not too long ago, when you say to yourself “it is not fair to my kids to just give them half of my attention.” Sometimes I think I often overcompensate and have gone above and beyond for my sons. We love to take trips together, go to the movies, go to dinners, play golf, go bowling and most of all laugh together. My boys are my pride and joy and no matter what happens along this journey of parenting, we have a bond that is strong and solid. We have learned to move forward in life – no matter how challenging it can be, knowing that at the end of the day, we are there for one another.

There are times when we learn to put on our seatbelts and enjoy the ride! Sometimes life throws a curve ball and one doesn’t know how to respond to situations. We have learned to stick together and that it’s best to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. Ask yourself this question: are you having enough fun with your children? If you open yourself up to having more fun with your children then you will be able to lead a more balanced life at home and enjoy a more fulfilling relationship with your family. There is a saying that it’s best to avoid extremes and that balance is the key! Part of finding balance is making time for those things that matter most.

One of the first steps you can take to engaging in fun is by finding out what your children are interested in. For example, my youngest son loves to golf. He is always asking me to go with him to the driving range and hit some balls together. I used to golf more when I was younger and to see my child sharing a mutual passion of mine is very heart warming. Recently we went to the driving range and played nine holes together and it was one of the best afternoons we spent together in a long time. My middle son is a musician, a comedian, and is going to school in California to become a hairstylist. Even though we don’t see each other that often because he lives in another state, we love each other very much and always find fun things to do together when we’re around one another. It’s amazing how different all of my children are and how they each define fun in different ways. My eldest son is a filmmaker and when we spend time together we usually love going to the movies or bowling in our free time.

Find out from your children what they love. Embrace their individuality and unique spirit, out of the same womb they are all wired differently. You may surprise yourself how similar your interests really are. Even if your definitions of fun are not the same, it is important for us as parents to acclimate to what our children like to do so that we can become better parents and lead happier and stress free lives at home.

Lexy Capp is the Owner and Founder of Nannies & Housekeepers USA. She is the mother of three sons who all grew up in Las Vegas.

Nevada School of Dance, dance division of Nevada Arts Academy, cordially invites you to its 2012 Spring Recital, Saturday June 23, at Faith Lutheran High School Performing Center at 6 PM. Tickets are on sale now at the front desk at NAA, 6072 South Durango. General admission is $12 and children three years old and younger who will be sitting on laps are free.

This year’s recital will feature our talented students, ages four and up in all levels in classical ballet, contemporary, character dance, and hip hop. The audience will be treated to a delightful night of performances which will include parts of the ballets of Alice in Wonderland and the Sleeping Beauty, the energetic hip hop style, the dynamic movements of contemporary dance, and others like Christian dance and Zumba! We have also invited renowned choreographer Matt Rivera as our guest choreographer to work with some of our advanced students in a special dance piece title Mishima. In addition, students will present a preview of The Nutcracker, which is our major production in December.

For more information, visit nevadaschoolofdance.org or call “702‑248-1288.”:tel:+1-702‑248-1288