Valley Parent Magazine

11/27/2025

11/19/2025

Let’s be honest for a minute. Truthfully, it started off gloriously, didn’t it? We came home from the hospital one blissful day, on the highest high, with the most perfect bundle of pure joy in our arms, and life was nothing but shimmering magic.

Fast-forward a few years, and maybe you feel that, while your precious little one is worth every second of it, life has become more mundane and less magical. From school schedules to bedtime routines filled with five stories, three bathroom trips and one last hug, the days can blur into monotony. The sweet coos that once felt like music now echo as shouts from the bathroom for someone to come wipe their bum, and you find yourself looking around, wondering how you got here.

Read more here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent/15

11/18/2025

Can you solve our fun page?

11/12/2025

So many fun crafts with pumpkins!

Pumpkin Succulent Centerpieces
For this project, you will need a flat topped pumpkin,
moss, scissors, hot glue and a variety of succulents. Apply
hot glue to the top of the pumpkin and add moss in batches.
Continue until the whole top is covered. Next, trim stems
off succulents, leaving only about a 1/4”. Hot glue them
down to the moss, going around the top of the pumpkin.
Once a week, mist with water and it will last 2-3 months.

See more here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent/13

10/23/2025

Start a New Tradition
HOST A KID FRIENDSGIVING PARTY

Thanksgiving has always been an adult holiday to me. There are no gifts to open, no special characters to represent the holiday like Christmas or Easter and the whole holiday is focused around one large meal. To make matters worse, most of the time the kids have their own table sans china and fancy tablecloths and are too far away to hear the “good stories” at the adult table.

A Friendsgiving is a casual, kid-friendly Thanksgiving celebration hosted either before or after the actual holiday. This simple party can be hosted on the patio (if the weather allows) or a kid friendly space indoors. Our version is a creative spin on the traditional parts of the holiday where everyone wants to sit at the kids’ table.

Read more here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent/7

10/22/2025

There’s still a week left to enter to win!

Do you want a chance to win tickets to Steeplechase at Callaway?

Enter here: https://valleyparent.com/steeplechaseatcallaway/

10/21/2025

A.C.H.I.E.V.E. Academically
Simple Steps Every Parent Can Take

This time of year, I often get questions about academic performance. Grades are now accessible in real-time, and while this immediacy can be helpful, it can also cause anxiety—especially when grades fluctuate due to delays in submission, online glitches or teacher input.

As students try to raise their grades before report cards are finalized, I spend a lot of time discussing academic strategies with my patients—specifically, teens and preteens. One approach I often recommend is summarized in the mnemonic
A.C.H.I.E.V.E. It’s a simple way to help your child succeed.

Read more here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent/9

10/16/2025

Do you want a chance to win tickets to Steeplechase at Callaway?

Enter here: https://valleyparent.com/steeplechaseatcallaway/

10/14/2025

Columbus Witches Ride: October 26
Good Witches for a Good Cause

ANNUAL COLUMBUS WITCHES’ RIDE RAISES FUNDS FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

With its depictions of flying around on broomsticks, casting spells, black cats lurking in the shadows, warts and spooky fashion sense, history and pop culture have rarely been kind to witches. But a new—and far better dressed—coven of ladies is restoring the good to a once wicked reputation.
Since they first took flight in 2023, the Columbus Witches Ride has raised more than $28,000 for the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital, which, fittingly, opened just before Halloween in 2024.
“It was a tremendous jump from the first year to the second, both in participation and the funds we raised,” said organizer Molly Wallace. “So, there was no doubt we were going to do it again this year to keep that momentum going.”

Read more here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent/10

10/09/2025

October means spooky book recs! See what our resident columnist and bookshop owner Khristina compiled for us this fall season 🍂

Read it here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent/6

10/07/2025

Look at all the family friendly events happening soon! Be sure to check them out!

10/02/2025

NEW ISSUE ALERT 🎉

October/November Valley Parent out now!

On the cover: Caleigh Rae Harris, age 2, had a blast discovering new plants at Mercy Med Farm. She is the daughter of Rayniceia and Christopher Harris of Columbus.

📸: Eliza Daffin Photography

Read our digital issue here: https://issuu.com/columbusandthevalley.com/docs/october_november_2025_valley_parent