DON'T LOOK now, but the holidays are on their way. With that in mind, here are a couple of ideas whose time has come -- or soon will.
December brings its share of hassles; in families where one spouse is Christian and the other Jewish, these multiply. To help such couples through the holidays, Jewish Family Services is sponsoring a workshop, "December Dilemmas." It will focus on the meaning of Hanukkah and help couples cope with the tensions of Christmas and Hanukkah. The workshop is at 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Ave. Participants must register by tomorrow; phone Karen Klein at 466-9200, Ext. 278. There is a $3 fee for individuals, $5 for couples.
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The Carroll County YMCA in Westminster will be helping parents their holiday shopping by providing child care services on the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29. Parents can take children 6 months to 12 years to the YMCA on Longwell Avenue for a day of activities, while they work or shop. Care will be provided from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a $15 fee; registration is necessary. For more information, call 876-1194.
Tooth fairy letters
Even the tooth fairy has a gimmick today. In the old days, she grabbed your tooth from under your pillow and left a nickel, maybe a quarter. But today's kids can get thank-you letters sprinkled with fairy dust. The little letters are the creation of Tom Swantko, an engineer who wanted to make the most of his two daughters' make-believe years. Each packet includes 12 different letters, with one especially written for the loss of the first tooth. There's also a bag of fairy glitter dust and a bag for the child's tooth. The fairy letters are $10 and can be ordered from the Swantkos at (818) 345-7501.
Infant and child CPR
The Red Cross is helping parents be prepared by offering a course in infant and child CPR. It includes rescue breathing, choking procedures, injury protection and CPR for infants and children from birth to age 9. The next class is Nov. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Red Cross headquarters, 4700 Mt. Hope Dr. To register, call 764-4609.
Family Forum welcomes items of interest to families. Notices about events must be received two weeks in advance. Send them to: Mary Maushard, Family Forum, The Evening Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Box 1377, Baltimore 21278.