Kids Off The Couch: The January Radar Screen

New Year's Resolutions

The Latest Mommy Wars played out in the Wall Street Journal

It's been hard not to get caught up in the latest parenting debate, sparked by a Wall Street Journal article "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior," author Amy Chau's provocative piece based on her new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. The Journal received over 5000 responses to the story, and countered with Ayelet Waldman's "In Defense of the Guilty, Ambivalent, Preoccupied Western Mom." Spend a few moments on these articles and you'll have conversation fodder for the rest of the month. Our New Year's resolution is to put a little more tiger into our Western tank of parenting... just as soon as we recover from another weekend of sports games and sleepovers!

PRE-SCHOOL AND EARLY ELEMENTARY -- The Little Mermaid at El Capitan and the reDiscover Center inSanta Monica: Disney's 1989 classic animated tale plays for two weeks at El Capitan in Hollywood, from January 21 - February 10, with a visit from Ariel herself at every show. The El Capitan Theatre will also host "Tiny Tot Tuesday" on Tuesday, January 25, at 10:45 AM only, allowing parents and small children to enjoy the movie with lights dimmed and sound levels reduced. For a fun DIY project, come to thereDiscover Center in Santa Monica on Saturday, January 29 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM with a bag of used clothes to participate in a crafty swap-o-rama.

ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL -- Julian Hoeber at the Hammer and Ben Franklin at the Bowers Museum:We love Julian Hoeber's stand-alone exhibit at the Hammer.Demon Hill is a tilted box made of plywood that sits on an outdoor patio and looks easy enough to climb into... except that once you do, you'll immediately feel like you have fallen down Alice's rabbit hole. Dizzying and mind-warping, boys and girls (who don't get seasick) will find this exploration of "gravitational mystery spots" really cool. The Hammer is also holding a FREE screening of The Goonies on Saturday,January 23 at 11:00 AM. And while you've got science on the brain, try an excursion to the Bowers Museum (in Santa Ana). Their new exhibit brings the inventions, humor and wisdom of one of our country's most original thinkers to life; Ben Franklin: In Search of a Better World until March 13. Before heading out, check out the exhibit's online resources (including a fun guessing game about Franklin's famous sayings). Younger kids will like the nearby Kidseum.

HIGH SCHOOL -- The West Wing: We re-discovered the snappy political savvy ofThe West Wing when our 12th grader devoured the first two seasons over the holidays at the suggestion of her US History teacher. Written by Aaron Sorkin (who just won a Golden Globe for The Social Network), and focused on a Democratic president and his staff, the show is compelling and informative.

PARENTS -- Get Arty: The Los Angeles Art Show takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center from January 19-23. Grab a day pass for a visual vacation, or attend Wednesday's Opening Night Premiere Party, which partially benefits the Getty's program to fund museum visits for disadvantaged kids. In fact, art aficionados can take advantage of free admission at many area museums during the Museum Free-For-All Weekend, January 29th-30th and find deals at over 30 local arts institutions through April 30th, part of Discover the Arts in LA.

Worth Pondering: Our most practical (and so far, successful) New Year's Resolution is to do our best not to waste food. Inspired by Jonathan Bloom's new book, American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of It's Food (and What We Can Do About It). Not only are we are tired of tossing left-overs, we're alarmed that food pantries are struggling to meet the needs of a hungry population. By cooking meals that take advantage of staples in the pantry, we wind up shopping more often for fresh veggies and meat. Yet, we are purchasing and preparing less food, and have actually saved money. Best of all, our refrigerator shelves are far less cluttered. Click here for a NYTimes article that summarizes an issue that touches on our health, our wallets and our natural resources.

Worth Clicking: If your New Year's Resolution has to do with keeping your kids safe in cyberspace, check out Common Sense Media's program to protect kids' online privacy. If your issues have more to do with keeping your household safe, you'll be interested to hear that Consumer Reports teamed up with the National PTA to create a School Safety Alert Program to help families stay abreast of the constantly changing status of items that are in the home.

Yum Yum: Our friends at Coolhaus, a rolling ice cream sandwich truck that was on the front edge of the food truck craze, have a new concept and product: Phydough -- a truck with home-baked treats for your four-legged friends. Follow them on Twitter.

Just for Fun: The Pacific Orchestra has placed 20 pianos in outdoor locations aroundOrange County for the next three weeks. Passers by are encouraged to sit down and play, as part of a promotion called "OC Can You Play;" the pianos are all painted by local artists and will be auctioned off at the organization's gala. So, if you're traveling south in the next few weeks (soccer or volleyball tournaments come to mind) consult this map to find where to pianos are located.

One resolution we can keep is to make our Radar Screen a vital part of your family's planning. To that end, we're dividing our suggestions into age categories to help you speed through our picks. If you have other ideas to help us improve, please send us a note.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com

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Kids Off The Couch: Female Role Models for 2011

True Grit & Newbery Award Winner "Moon Over Manifest"

We're full of New Year's Resolutions about leading a more intentional life in 2011, and have already been inspired by two new fictional heroines. Mattie Ross is the fourteen year-old heroine of Joel and Ethan Coen's True Grit, which is in the hunt for Oscar nominations even while it has outsold most modern Westerns after just twenty days in theaters. Abilene Tucker is the twelve year-old heroine of "Moon Over Manifest," a colorful work of historical fiction that won the 2011 Newbery Award this week. Both stories are set in the past and feature girls who set out on a quest, using their brains and bravery to overcome unlikely obstacles. The word pluck is out of vogue, but it might swing back into the lexicon as easily as Mattie swings herself up on her horse. The success of the movie and the book indicate to us that old fashioned storytelling can win modern hearts and minds, and that portends well for the New Year.

True Grit: Newcomer Hailee Sternfeld plays a fourteen year-old who's out to level justice against the man who killed her father and delivers her idiomatic lines of dialogue at a rapid pace, holding her own against formidable actors such as Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin. She hires crusty Marshal Cogburn, or "Rooster", (Bridges) to chase down the elusive Tom Chaney (Brolin), and her determination carries the film to an astonishingly emotional end. Along the way, a rogue Texas Ranger named LeBoeuf (Damon) accompanies them on their cold, dangerous journey into Indian country. With sumptuous scenery, cinematography by the great Roger Deakins, and a hilarious smattering of character actors, the film appeals to everyone in the family who is over the age of 11 (something we might not get to say about a Coen brothers film again). There's just a little cussin' alongside the stuff of a great Western: original characters riddled with conflict, and a plot shot through with bears, snakes and horses. True Grit works for boys and girls who can handle some strong images of violence -- Mattie witnesses a hanging, LeBoeuf's tooth is pulled out by Rooster, there are several gunfights and a horse dies -- though we can report that no violence is gratuitous. Joel and Ethan Coen also directed No Country for Old Men andFargo; the film is rated PG-13 for violence and runs 110 minutes. Film is still in theaters.

Moon Over Manifest: Just this past Monday, the American Library Association announced this year's Newbery Award winner, written by first-time novelist Clare Vanderpool. Abilene Tucker is only twelve when she gets off a train on her own in a town called Manifest, where she has been sent for safekeeping by her father. After she finds a hidden cache of items she thinks are her father's, a diviner uses each item as a talisman that helps Abilene see into the past. The story takes place in Depression-era Kansas but, through the seer's visions, Abilene is taken back to 1918 and World War One and is able to put together clues to solve a mystery that the residents of Manifest would rather forget. Abilene is a girl without a home, who makes new friends as she finds a place to settle, and the author explores rich historical events from coal mining to the Ku Klux Klan to immigration. We raced through the novel on our iPad (it is sold out already in local bookstores) so grab it from Amazonand prepare for a lively winter read. We recommend it for kids over ten -- and think it would make a great book to listen to on a long car ride.

Extra Credit: The Coen brothers adapted True Grit from a novel by Charles Portis and the 1969 film adaptation starred John Wayne, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster. In that version, Maddie Ross was played by a 22-year-old Kim Darby, who'd already had a baby at the time she played Mattie. Hailee Steinfeld turned fourteen in December and lives in Thousand Oaks, CA.

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Kids Off The Couch: Circus INcognitus at the Kirk Douglas Theatre - Ticket Giveaway!

Ticket Giveaway for January 15, 2010

Now that the holidays are winding down, it's time to think about keeping everyone entertained in the New Year. Young kids will love Circus INcognitus, featuring Jamie Adkins - known as a one-man circus. A veteran of both Cirque du Soleil and Montréal's Cirque Éloize, Adkins fuses clowning, juggling, balancing and acrobats into what the New York Times calls "infinitesimal acts of imperceptible genius." We have a family four pack of tickets to give away to the opening performance on Saturday morning, January 15 at 11:00 AM. Running for six performances only at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Circus INcognitus is pure fun and wonder - a perfect show for young audiences.

Enter to Win: Please send us a note if you're able to attend the Saturday, January 15 performance at 11:00 AM. Winner will be notified by January 10, so be sure to include your phone number so we can reach you if you are the winner.

Purchase Tickets: The show runs for six performances -- January 15 and 22 at 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM and January 16 and 23 at 3:00 PM -- tickets are only $20. Great for kids from 6-12. Click here or call 213.628.2772

Parking: The Kirk Douglas Theatre (9820 Washington Blvd, Culver City) offers FREE covered parking at Culver City's City Hall, after 6pm on weeknights and all day on weekends. (Enter on Duquesne Avenue.)

Where to Eat in Culver City: It's fun to explore Culver City, where plenty of restaurants abound. Click here for deals set up through the theater including a deal for the excellent pizza at LaRocco's.

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Kids Off The Couch: Snow Days, Teacher Gifts and a Date Night Idea

Ticket Giveaway for Holiday Sing-Along at Disney Hall and Great Expectationsat A Noise Within

It wasn't so easy to deck the halls while the temperature was in the 80s last week, but with our sweaters and boots back in rotation, we're feeling merry as we scramble about getting holiday tasks done. Once the kids get out of school, they'll be chiming for something to do. Here's what looks like fun to us:

Holiday Sing-Along Ticket Giveaway: LA Holiday Sing-Along at Walt Disney Concert Hall12/18, 11:30am (great seats available) and 2:30pm.

Tune up your vocal chords and get ready to make a joyful noise as you sing along to holiday classics. Lyric sheets are provided for all. We have a Family Four Pack for Saturday's matinee performance of the Holiday Sing-Along (December 18 at 2:30 PM). Click here for more information on The Holiday Sing-Along. Click here if you are free for this weekend's performance and please remember to leave us a telephone number; we'll notify the winner by Friday morning.

The LA Phil has tickets left for their three other holiday shows - LA Phil Presents Go Tell It on the Mountain: The Blind Boys of Alabama(12/20), LA Phil Presents Eileen Ivers: An Nollaig - An Irish Christmas (12/23), and LA Phil Presents New Year's Eve with Kristin Chenoweth (12/31).

Great Expectations at A Noise Within: It's the last weekend of a fabulous production of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations at A Noise Within in Glendale. Great Expectations is the story of Pip, orphaned as an infant and thrust into a childhood of cruel poverty, who clings to the hope of a brighter life. An anonymous benefactor anoints Pip heir to a tremendous fortune, setting into motion a life's journey ripe with wonder, heartbreak and finally triumph. A Noises Off provides a study guide which can help your middle school-ers comprehend all that this classic tale has to offer. We have four tickets to a Sunday matinee performance of this show (12/19 at 2:00 PM). Please click here and let us know your phone number so we can call if you are chosen.

Christmas Boat Parade: What's more festive (or more Californian) than spending an evening watching a parade of boats ablaze with holiday lights? The Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade motors off each evening between now and Sunday (12/19), leaving Bay Island at 6:30 PM and returning at the same site at approximately 9:00 PM. Click here for more details.

Snow Days at Kidspace Museum: Every year, it snows in Pasadena -- at least, it does at Kidspace where tons of snow is shipped in for kids to enjoy. Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 26 and Monday, December 27, 2010. Kidspace also hosts an adorable New Year's event at noon (not midnight!). Learn more about all three events here.

Downtown Arts Celebration: Don't miss the LA County Art Commission's 21st Annual Holiday Celebration, a raucous, creative (and free) bonanza of music and dance on Friday, December 24 from 3:00 PM -6:00 PM.

Visions of Sugarplums: Every child has to see a live performance of the Nutcracker at least once in his or her lifetime. The Los Angeles Ballet performs the Tchaikovsky classic at UCLA's Royce Hall this weekend, and at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center next week. We adore the animated version of the story, so check out our chapter on the KOTC website. Click here for a link.

Still Shopping for Teacher Gifts?: A subscriber raves about The Spiral Foundation,a non-profit humanitarian organization working in Nepal and Vietnam. Purchase unique crafts made from recycled materials, and support the medical and health needs of the people who created them. Please call to make an appointment before swinging by their Palisades shop. (310 459 6671).

Date Night -- India: We checked out the new show at LACMA, India's Fabled City: The Courtly Art of Lucknow, and determined that while it's not that intriguing for kids, it's the perfect launch pad for an evening with friends. Drop in to soak in the sumptuous art created at the height of Lucknow's artistic prowess, grab an Indian meal at one of several wonderful local restaurants (we love Bombay Cafe), then rent A Passage to India, David Lean's 1984 masterpiece about the final days of British rule in India... definitely an adult film!

New to the Zoo: If Asian animals interest you, and if a bit of controversy doesn't alarm you, there is a new elephant habitat open at the LA Zoo. Click here for arecent LA Times article about the troubles surrounding the opening of this exhibit.

New Program at the Getty Center: Check out the Getty Center's brand newFamily Art Stops program, which gives families an up close and personal experience with a single work of art in a half-hour, hands-on gallery experience. FromDecember 21 through December 31, this free activity is offered every day at 2:00 PM. and again at 2:30 PM. (Museum is closed Monday). Sign up at the Museum Information Desk 30 minutes before the program begins. Check out their new Art Scoops project, that provides the scoop on dozens of works of art from the collection, with an emphasis on fancy princesses, spooky sea monsters, kooky characters from history, and magical animals from mythology.

Advance Planning: If you have a moment between egg nogs, set your calendar up to catch a few of the big events in 2011. First off, the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World show at the Bowers Museum opens this weekend - we haven't been yet, but it looks fabulous and will definitely sell out. The exhibition presents the stories of Franklin's life through his personal belongings used during his early years in Boston as a rebellious teenager, during his life as a printer and during his years of service to the American colonies and the newly formed United States. A scientist, inventor, diplomat, humorist, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Franklin's dynamism comes to life further through interactive activities and animations geared toward a school-aged audience. Opening summer 2011, IRIS from Cirque du Soleil will take up residence exclusively at the world-renowned Kodak Theatre. Directed by French director/choreographer Philippe Découflé, and featuring music from Danny Elfman, IRIS brings together dance, acrobatics, live video, filmed sequences and animation, and takes spectators on a fantastic voyage through the world of cinema and its genres. Tickets on sale NOW or 1.877.943.IRIS.

Counter-programming in the Kitchen: Want to provide an alternative to turkey and mashed potatoes? Check out our new obsession: the fried chicken at Honey's Kettle Restaurant and Bar. We don't want to say that "it's finger licking good" but... it really is.

Enjoy the Season.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up!info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Kids Off The Couch - Date Night LA: Randy Newman's Harps and Angels

Ticket Giveaway for Wednesday, December 22

Take a break from the holiday madness on a date night getaway to the Mark Taper Forum. Two lucky subscribers will see the breezy musical adventure, Randy Newman's Harps and Angels, Wednesday, December 22 at 8:00 PM. Relax and enjoy yourselves on the last night of this play, which is directed by Broadway veteran Jerry Zaks and features an ensemble cast (including This is Spinal Tap'sMichael McKean) performing many of Randy Newman's hits. Surely, some of your faves are on this list: "Political Science," "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," "Short People," "Sail Away," "Feels Like Home," and of course, "I Love L.A.".

Enter to Win: Please send us a note if you're able to attend next Wednesday night's performance (12/22). Winner will be notified first thing Friday morning (12/17) so be sure to include your phone number so we can reach you if you are the winner.

Buy Your Own Tickets: The show is on stage at the Mark Taper Forum from now until December 22 (in case you want to dash away this weekend). Click here for ticketing options.

info@kidsoffthecouch.com

A Single Shard + Korean Brush Painting at LACMA = Kids Off The Couch

Pottery and Perspective
Driving around Los Angeles can be like taking a trip around the world, with signs in different languages, and even different alphabets. We love traveling around the world -- and back in time as well -- by reading books set in different cultures and time periods. Linda Sue Park's "A Single Shard" is a NewberyMedal-winning novel that transports us almost a thousand years back to old Korea, where we meet an orphan boy Tree Ear whose admiration for a master craftsman's celadon pottery takes him to the throne room of the Emperor himself. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a pavilion dedicated to Korean artwork and we dropped by the adjoining Boone Children's Gallery to learn how to do Korean brush painting. The Boone Children's Gallery is a spot where kids can always try their hand at an art project and occupy themselves with the excellent supplies provided. We could easily make a day of visiting LACMA, of course, and encourage families to add a few extras onto a Boone Gallery art excursion, such as dropping in on the brand new exhibit about India's fabled city of Lucknow, or checking out the cool fashion exhibit at the new Resnick Pavilion. Its really fun to cap off your adventure with lunch in nearby Koreatown. No airfare required! (Click here for discussion points for the novel, as well as details about visiting LACMA and where to get a delicious, authentic Korean meal nearby.)

Kids Off The Couch - Art and Movies Worth Your Family's Time

Three Don't-Miss Art Exhibits and KOTC Movie Picks

$50 Gift Certificate from Goldstar

How we spend our time defines who we are. As the year draws to a close, we know your time is especially precious. We've scoured the cultural landscape and foundwonderful art exhibits that your kids will be able to relate to, and offer our picks of new movies and DVDs for everyone to enjoy. We also extend an invitation to join Goldstar, a discounted ticketing community that will help you plan family time and save money in the New Year.

Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) at the Skirball Cultural Center: Walking through this jewel-like exhibit reminds us of visiting a favorite, creative aunt. You know... the type who sends the absolute best birthday gifts and has good treats in the frig. The exhibit not only examines the creative process of the artist, who is an ongoing fixture of NY's cultural landscape (she designs many New Yorker covers), but shows her work over many years. Kalman's highly personal, diary-like art inspired us to reflect back on 2010, as it slips into the rear-view mirror. So, we thought it was cool that we could create our own diary page in an adjoining exhibit called The 1,000 Journals Project. Take a few moments at Noah's Ark, an inspirational, educational and environmental family experience that visiting relatives always appreciate. Click here for more on the show and the Skirball Cultural Center.

Extreme Exposure at the Annenberg Center for Photography: One good image is all it takes to deliver a potent message. Think of the polar bear on a shrinking ice-cap or the boy with his hand up to the tank in Tiananmen Square. Viewers don't always realize what takes place behind the camera to produce such powerful images. In concise fashion, the latest documentary show at the Annenberg demonstrates how five photographers push the envelope of safety (and maybe sanity) to capture images that demonstrate how our planet is changing. Don't miss the video that tells about each photographer which plays in a loop at the center of the small gallery space - it really helps kids focus on the images. It's easy to drop by the Annenberg during a shopping excursion in Century City. Click here for more details on the photographers and gallery.

William Eggleston: Democratic Camera -- Photographs and Video 1961-2008 at LACMA: Color photography was not considered a true art form until Eggleston turned his camera onto the Southern landscape of his youth. You haven't seen color images until you're up close and personal with Eggleston's sumptuous dye-transfer prints, and his black and white documentary work from the 60s signals a talent in the making. Some might recognize photos from album covers of yesteryear alongside retro shots of his study of Elvis' Graceland. But head to BCAM (LACMA's big red building along Wilshire) soon; this show is up only until January 8, 2011. Click here for more information.

Movie Picks: For the Youngest -- Tangled turns out to be pretty great. We saw it overThanksgiving (with our cool 3D glasses) and everyone from 8-80 adored it. With a super-mean stepmother and a ruffian male lead, Disney's 50th animated feature has freshness without being too trendy. New on DVD: Don't forget to load up on these stocking stuffers -- Despicable Me, The Secret of Kells and How To Train Your Dragon.

For Tweens and Teens --Fans have most likely already seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at least once. Twilight fans will want to flock to Black Swan, a Natalie Portman starrer about a NYC ballerina who turns into an enchanted swan at night. But, beware the R rating before you say yes! New on DVD: Snap up one of the year's best titles, Toy Story 3.

For Adults -- The King's Speech, Winter's Bone and The Social Network are all must-sees if you want to be able to discuss the Oscar race at holiday parties. New on DVD:Inception, The Kids are All Right, and another version of Avatar with new footage for avid fans.

KOTC Invitation: Our friends at Goldstar invite KOTC subscribers to become members of their community, which offers up-to-the-minute show information and significant ticket discounts. Like KOTC, a Goldstar membership is free. Subscribers will receive a weekly roundup of what's in town, along with significant discounts on tickets to theater, sports and other activities. Many KOTC subscribers are already Goldstar members -- we know, because parents tell us that having both memberships helps them manage their finances and enjoy their time together. Click here to become a member of Goldstar. One you're a member, you can click here and be eligible to win a $50 Gift Certificate. (Only members of KOTC and Goldstar will be eligible to win the Gift Certificate).

One more Thing: NBC's The Sing-Off pits a cappella singing groups across the country against each other. Diverse groups, ranging from a talented group of high-school students, to old-timers from Oakland, CA to gospel singers from Alabama, sing without back up instrumentation. Two groups get voted off each night by celebrity judges (including Ben Folds) in a contest that runs for the next few weeks. If your family loves Glee, they'll love the rollicking, musical fun of The Sing-Off!

Our best wishes for a happy holiday season.

Illlustration by Maira Kalman, Dog Reads Book, 1999