The 2013 Tots-2-Teens Expo is educational, entertaining and fun for the entire family. This is your opportunity to experience and compare services from hundreds of area vendors whose focus is on providing solutions for families in the DC Metro area. In addition to Live Entertainment and many special guests, the Expo will feature aspiring area models in our Tot-lers and Tiaras Fashion Show. The Fashion Show will be featured on our grand stage and is open to both boys and girls.

We're excited to partner with Southwest Airlines as our Official Sponsor for the Tots-2-Teens Science Fair. The winning entry will have more than bragging rights to boast about. Southwest Airlines will provide tickets for the winners immediate family to any of the 78 domestic airports where Southwest flies. For details and registration information, check out our Science Fair page, register to receive our newsletter (at the bottom of this page) or contact us.

There will be plenty for everyone to see and do, including everything from Face Painting and Kids Zumba Classes to a special Living Healthy and Eating Right stage featuring area chefs, restaurants and nutritionists. And, because we know that being a parent includes looking out for the safety and well being of our children, we're hosting Special Workshops on Cyber Bullying, Teen Safe Driving and CPR Training and Certification. You'll also be able to participate in our special Kid's Spa Retreat, Free Dental Exams, Free Eye Exams and opportunities to meet with some of the area's leading schools and educators.

Washington DC's Walter E. Washington Convention Center is one of the region's largest facilities of its kind and we're filling more than 128,000 square feet of exhibitor space (room for more than 600 exhibitors) with interactive events and services that are sure to please the entire family. Face Painting, Clowns, Magicians, Musical Performances, a Moon-bounce and Free Samples from our exhibitors, make this event one that you will not want to miss.

Whether they're still in strollers or old enough to seriously investigate their college choices, the 2013 Tots-2-Teens Expo promises to provide the right combination of fun and learning to make all agree that it was a day well spent. Our Science Fair, Fashion Show and Live From the Expo Special Reports (featuring area teen reporters) mean that your tottlers and teens can be active participants — not just attendees. To register and receive additional information, use our registration from below or contact us.

Did you know that in 2011, parenting.com listed Washington, DC as the best city for families. If you're thinking that there seems to be an incredible amount of families in this market, that's because there are: 66% of parents in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area have children under 6 years of age and 32% have children between the ages of 13 - 18.

Investing in our children is a long-term proposition. In fact, the most recent U.S. Census estimates that parents spend an average of $249,000 to raise a single child to age 18. Most is spent on education and entertainment. Parents aren't the only ones spending their money. Many teens work and, in the past five years, spending by teens in the U.S. has jumped from $122 billion a year to $170 billion a year.

Increasingly, families are spending their money on activities that they can do together. This includes activities that are not only fun but also healthy. Our Living Healthy and Eating Right Workshop, Kid's Zumba and Yoga are wonderful opportunities for you to learn about and embrace important exercise and eating habits that you can share with the entire family. We're also featuring a panel of Kidpreneurs that have proven that kids can teach many adults a few things about what it takes to be successful in business.

Access to technologies that empower our children to experience the world across the oceans as well as the neighborhood next door mean that we have to be ever more vigilant when it comes to ensuring their safety and well being. We also want to make sure that our children understand the importance of community and that responsibility for improving our communities is something that we all share.

The Tots-2-Teens Expo has partnered with several organizations to create special workshops on:

• Teen Safe Driving - Just 14% of teens say they talk daily with friends on a landline, down from 30% in 2009. And 31% of teens say they never talk on a landline with friends. Similarly, 26% of teens say they talk daily with friends on their cell phone, down from 38% of teens in 2009, according to the Pew Research Center. Unfortunately, too much of the conversation takes place while these teens are behind the wheel or a vehicle or lead to driver distractions that cause preventable accidents, injuries and deaths.
• Cyber Bullying - Cyberbullying is different from traditional bullying. Cyberbullying happens when kids bully each other through electronic technology. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. It's important to know what it is, what you can do to prevent it, and how you can report it when it happens. This workshop will help you to learn how your family can work together to recognize cyberbullying and explore safe ways to use technology.
• CPR Training and Certification - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training is important because CPR saves lives of adults, children and infants. As we continue to live longer, the life saved through competent CPR training could be our own or that of a close family member. Class size is limited, and pre-registration is encouraged. For more information please contact us.

When many of us think about health issues, we think about the kinds of things that are treatable, curable, or not likely to happen to us. However, many of the ailments that our families live with on a daily basis were (and are) preventable. Healthy choices play a large role in health outcomes but so does early discovery and diagnosis. That's why the Tots-2-Teens Expo is excited to offer Family Health Screenings to Expo attendees. Free Dental Screenings and Free Eye Exams combine with our many other health-focused activities, events, workshops and presentations to help make it possible for your family to be healthier - and wiser - after you leave the Expo than you were when you arrived.

Our health partners will provide Free Screenings the entire day. So, bring the entire family, your friends, neighbors and a healthy attitude. You can also register to receive updates and announcements as new activities become available. Just scroll down to the bottom of this page and enter your email address to subscribe to receive our newsletters and announcements.

We're looking for children and teens, ages 7 to 17, to be special guest reporters for the Tots-2-Teens Expo. Auditions will be held in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Winners will be selected and notified prior to the event and training will be provided. This your chance to gain exposure, experience and have some fun at the same time.

Audition dates, times and locations will be announced. Use our Contact Us form to request additional details.

This is an open call for child models to participate in the Tot-lers to Tiaras Pageant. To enter your child for consideration, send a current photo of your child along with his or her name and age to us via email to: info@thebetterfamily.com. Please be sure to include your contact information (name, address, your email address, a valid phone number and the best time of day to reach you). No video submissions will be accepted at this stage of the competition. The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2013. Categories include: Formal Wear, Casual Wear, and Q & A

Pageant Requirements and Criteria:

• The competition is open to girls and boys ages 3 to 9
• All toddlers must be potty trained
• No make-up please, except lip gloss or lip balm
• No belly exposure or inappropriate attire
• Age appropriate attire only!

Southwest Airlines is pleased to provide a family with complimentary round-trip airline tickets to travel to any of the 78 airports in its network of domestic destinations. The tickets have no blackout dates or restrictions and are valid for one year. They are also transferable. Students from Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia can compete in the Science Fair to win. Rules and restrictions apply. Click here for more information.