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Why I am Celebrating Finishing the Pandemic School Year
Kudos to all the university, college and high school kids who finished this challenging pandemic school year. Here’s why I am celebrating that achievement. Pandemic learning was a huge challenge this year as was school in general. Socially, I feel like we haven’t given our kids enough credit for getting through the volatile and discombobulating pandemic school year they just had. Imagine being a teen or even an elementary child adapting to all of the stress and change that’s been thrown at them this year. If anything, I am surprised so many kept going to the very end of June. What I am Celebrating Last month, my oldest daughter finished…
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I am Not Invisible – FASD at School and How to Help
This FASD at School post is by my daughter, Ainsley Schuck. September 9th is FASD (International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Day, so we thought we’d share it now as school resumes. I have an invisible disability, but I am not invisible. I kind of want my IEP (individual education plan) to say that. I’m not invisible and I am trying, but I need help. It’s a double standard in the schools and in life that some with visible disabilities are treated differently than others whose disabilities are not so easy to see. Clearly, most people with any disability struggle with perceptions and support in society. But I am also here…
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How to Recognize and Handle Children’s Holiday Anxiety Now
Kids love Christmas, but they too feel stress and holiday anxiety at this time of year, especially if parents are stressed. If parents are stressed at Christmas, their children will most certainly pick up those feelings of holiday anxiety. So how do you make sure they are not overwhelmed by the season? These holiday stress management tips will help both parents and children recognize holiday anxiety and feel less stress, because helping kids cope is the best way to enjoy Christmas! How Do You Recognize Holiday Anxiety? Holiday Stress Management Tips for Kids and Parents Kid’s behaviours sometimes seem to come out of nowhere. One day they are riding a…
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Raising Anxious Kids in Anxious Times
If parenting was a ride at the amusement park it would be the biggest of all Behemoth coasters. One that catapults you from bed, hurls you out the door and plummets you 7 stories down before your eyes are even open. Daily. But it would also throw in some 3 D effects, just enough to rip your heart out, before it stops and you wobble away, stomach trailing five stories behind. And it would yell SAVAGE and probably blare Musical.ly videos at you too. In my daughter’s room I have a framed picture of her on her first birthday. Her hair is KOOKY, so Kooky it makes me laugh still,…
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The Colour Changing Vividay Oil Diffuser – A Fun Way to Use Essential Oils
About six months ago my neighbour introduced us to the idea of essential oils. I had, until that point, really resisted the concept. Essential oils can be expensive. So can the gadgets you need to dispense them. So I held off awhile but the girls kept visiting the neighbour’s house and singing the praises of essential oils. So we bought a trial package of DoTerra Oils and gave them a shot. Then we bought a diffuser. And then because one child had one we got another diffuser to be even steven. Last week the Vividay Oil Diffuser arrived and I knew the girls wanted to try it out so we…
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My Favourite Children’s Mental Health Posts #BellLetsTalk Day
I have been writing stories about children’s mental health for many years. That started even before I had kids whose symptoms made me realize they needed help handling anxiety. Today on Bell Let’s Talk Day I am reminded how important it is to keep talking. 1 in 5 struggle with mental health issues. That’s 1 in 5 kids too. In our family I know way more about anxiety than I ever wanted, or intended to learn. My older daughter has an anxiety disorder. My mother had one too. My daughter’s journey to understand her own anxiety has been challenging, but she is now in high school and doing so much…
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7 Steps – Preparing Your Child to be a High School Freshman
So it;s time to prepare your child to become a high school freshman!! Wait, what. How did that happen? Oh believe me I know all too well how slippery time is. Wasn’t she just literally hopping on the bus for that first day of kindergarten. Is it possible that kids can grow this fast? How on earth can my older daughter be ready for high school? Well, she isn’t quite yet. But she’s going to be with these 7 Steps to Preparing Your Child to be a High School Freshman. Okay so just yesterday you walked your son or daughter to the area school and dropped them off for their…
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Perplexing Childhood Anxiety Symptoms – Part 2 of a Series
For years we struggled trying to figure out why my daughter worried so much. And why she had so many stomach aches and headaches too. Then, when it became such a big factor that it interfered with her getting to school, we had to take action. Childhood anxiety is a challenge but it can be manageable with support and sometimes medications too. Here’s part 2 in my childhood anxiety series – on Childhood Anxiety Symptoms. A Bit About Our Daughter We have a daughter with Generalized anxiety disorder. I started talking about her anxiety disorder several years ago when I wrote a piece for Today’s Parent. You can read…
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Why We Believe in Martial Arts for Girls #WordlessWednesday
Ainsley graded on the weekend again. Now she is a fifth level junior black belt. She started martial arts at the age of four. Two years ago she became a junior black belt. I am always impressed at how athletic this kid is. Martial arts gives her such a great outlet for her energy. She excels at sports and martial arts and swimming and everything sporty that she has ever tried, with a small exception of soccer league play which never worked because, hello wide open field and she has always just wanted to run. Some of you know both of my girls do martial arts. They also mentor at…
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Five Things I Know About Childhood Anxiety – Part 1 of a New Series
In 2014 we spent a huge amount of time investing in educating our family about childhood anxiety. We took part in a weekly youth group therapy session to help parents and children understand and manage anxiety. It was gruelling and exhausting and, I hope, worth it. Every single Tuesday for several months my daughter and I drove to the children’s hospital in town and we learned how to successfully manage her childhood anxiety. We split into two groups every session. There was a parents group and a youth group. Eventually we all came together to discuss things together but the first part of each session was divided into parents and…
