Author: Michael Rushbrook

Here’s your chance to tell us your Family Favorites…those people, places, restaurants, schools and spots for family fun that make our city such a unique place to live. Cast your vote for those places and people you think deserve recognition for a job well done, focusing on places that are family friendly. CLICK HERE TO VOTE TODAY! This article appears in the July 2017 issue of Augusta Family Magazine. Did you like what you read here?...

By Renee Williams Several research studies show that creative arts and athletics are two of the top interests that kids identify with. Activities such as hiking in nature, learning a subject matter like science or history, helping or serving others, taking on leadership roles, engaging in spirituality and advocating for animal welfare also made the list but arts and sports were top. Search Institute, founded in 1958 by Merton P. Strommen, Ph.D., pioneered in using social science research to understand the lives, beliefs and values of young people. Strommen introduced a framework of the interests and passions that motivate youth...

By Meredith Flory “Babywearing”, the activity of carrying a child with the assistance of a fabric carrier, has historically been used in many cultures, and many indigenous populations have culturally specific ways to wear their children.  However, it is only recently becoming popular again in the United States, and you may have noticed more and more people forgoing strollers and carrying their children in wraps or backpack-like carriers. Erin Ritter is an artist and mother of two, including a daughter that she “wrapped every day for the first two years of her life”.  While Ritter no longer lives in Augusta,...

By Layla Khoury-Hanold “It’s a thing,” Allissa Bates enthuses. She’s talking about Augusta  Rocks, a 17,000-member strong Facebook group that she founded when she moved here from Tacoma, Washington, where she ran a similar group with over 36,000 members. The premise is simple: paint rocks, coat them with sealant and hide them for others to find. But it is also a movement with a deeper purpose and meaning. Part of the appeal is that painting rocks is a fun and family-friendly arts and crafts activity. Though Bates has always considered herself an artist (she credits her dad for passing on...