My Discovery Destination!

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! December can be truly magical–colored lights and decorations, falling snow (if we’re lucky), and festive music. Kids are out of school for a few weeks, and for the most part, people are more giving and mindful of those in need. There are lots of cheery activities to occupy one’s time. It’s easy to get wrapped up (ha!) in the busy-ness of all the amazing events and lose sight of what’s really important...doing things together as a family, whatever your family looks like!  My Discovery Destination! is here to help. Every pursuit we have on our do-not-miss-this holiday list is specifically designed to bring your family together to celebrate the season. Do we recommend you fully engage in EACH and EVERY undertaking we have to offer? No, of course not. We do want you to be informed so you can make decisions as a family about which activities fit your family size, ages, and interest to provide the best quality time together...

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! I don’t know about you, but I am a little overwhelmed that we’re staring down the barrel at the 2021 Holiday season. I love everything about Thanksgiving...turkey dinner with all the trimmings, bringing family in from out-of-town (or traveling to see family on one of the coasts), even football. I don’t even mind all the work that goes into prep and cleanup. Okay, I’m not crazy about pumpkin pie. But, give me a piece of the pecan variety, and I’m good to go!  While this year seems a little more “normal” than last year did, I am afraid it won’t be “business as usual” for many families–mine included. My youngest daughter and son-in-law are a navy family and won’t make it this year. My parents and three siblings are spread over four different states. Like many of you, we will have to settle for a “virtual” Thanksgiving this year–AGAIN. It’s a good thing I have a backup plan. Allow me to share that with you. So, maybe you c...

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! In one of my favorite movies, a minor character delivered a major line about the written word. He said that as far as he was concerned, it was “mankind's greatest achievement.” If society is able to read, there is nothing that cannot be learned.  Reading has SO MANY benefits that I could go on and on about it, but I’m afraid I would never get to what I’d really like to share with you today if I did, so I won’t. (However, I DO invite you to learn more about reading together by checking out this Uplift Families article from earlier this year.) What I’d really like to do today is issue you a challenge. But first, a little information is in order.  On November 1, PBS Utah is hosting its 29th Annual Reading Marathon . PBS Utah is inviting you to become a “reading superhero” by reading (by yourself, with a child, or both) at least 20 minutes each day for a total of 600 minutes between November 1 and November 30. In doi...

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! While I am a warm-weather individual at heart, I do love autumn. The temperatures are no longer stifling (although it sure seems to cool off FAST in the Rocky Mountain West), fall sports return (L.O.V.E. to play volleyball and watch football!), and there are lots of activities to get families geared up for the end of the year (where did 2021 go?!?).  The list of fall activities and responsibilities can be quite overwhelming. The desire to bond as a family can get lost in the never-ending catalog of time-worthy pursuits. Active, concerned parents might ask themselves, “How do we make time for what is most important when we have so many good tasks tugging at our attention?”  What is the answer? In this case, the answer is ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. So, how about intentionally combining efforts? The “how” is even easier.  The Discovery Family Coalition is proud to bring you two virtual Discovery Hunts ...

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! There is a series of short radio commercials that I have come to love. They are about solidifying the family, and the slogan is, “Family–it’s about time.” The way I see it, it means that if you want to keep your family strong, you just need to give them your time. That makes it sound so easy, doesn’t it? And in reality, if you participate in the Discovery Family Adventures, it can be just that simple. Healthy, strong family relationships are foundational to young people’s growth, learning, and well-being. These relationships build strong social and emotional strengths that kids use throughout their lives. The Discovery Family Adventures use the research-based social development strategy (SDS) to help families achieve positive outcomes from the time spent together. Parents love the ideas, activities, and experiences to help build strong family relationships.  The Social Development Strategy (SDS) is an evidence-based f...

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! August can be a very exciting time of year. But before we delve into the reasons behind that, let’s look at the word “excited.”  “Excited” is synonymous with enthusiastic, animated and wildly happy. But, it also has a close meaning to these words: agitated, nervous, and emotional. Because of the very nature of the event, going back to school can cause all kinds of feelings. And, different children are going to have different reactions to the pending affair. What is a parent to do?  I think the key here might be one word: understanding. Remember what it was like when every fall you had to return to the grindstone with a new class, new teacher, and sometimes an entirely new school? While that might be long in your past, you can still empathize with what your child might be going through. Exercise patience, show a little mercy, and be compassionate with everyone involved, including yourself.  I was recently intr...