• bridge_in_summer_lined_with_red_flower_planters_and_a_teen_standing_nearby_looking_at_water
    Health

    How to Handle FASD and Running

    November 4, 2025 - By 

    From the moment my youngest child started moving, they were a runner. The kid ran everywhere. in fact, we used to joke that this child ran before they walked, which was pretty accurate and slightly comical, until they started running away. For them, FASD, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and running went hand in hand. What is Elopement? Elopement is basically when kids with some neurological conditions leave or run away from wherever they currently are. That can be school, home, the mall, the park or any other spot. For some reason their fight or flight reaction is activated and flight…

  • glasses
    Health

    What to Do if Your Child Needs Glasses

    May 23, 2024 - By 

    Though today’s modern digital age has its perks, it’s also posing unprecedented risks to our eyesight. On average, Canadians spend 3.2 hours a day looking at screens. During this time, they blink less, reducing moisture and causing dry eye syndrome. Though this is easily fixed by using artificial tears, taking screen breaks, and blinking more, the impacts of device use are more apparent among kids than adults. Looking at gadgets up close forces the eye to accommodate close-up vision, elongating the eyeballs and causing myopia (nearsightedness).  Eyesight Changes Kids usually adjust to eyesight changes and may not tell you about them, so…

  • gratitude jar
    family - Parenting

    Eight Ways to Teach Gratitude and a Gratitude Jar Craft

    June 7, 2021 - By 

    Gratitude is a funny thing. It’s hard to teach at times, but such an important value to hold close for life. Without gratitude life can ring hollow. For me, gratitude ties in closely with mindfulness. That’s why I like this gratitude jar kids’ craft idea for families. I’ve talked about self esteem before and self esteem crafts that help kids to grow more self esteem, but what about gratitude? How do you build a sense of gratitude from a young age that permeates a lifespan? Eight Ways to Show Gratitude Here are several ways to help build gratitude in kids…

  • airline_attendant_demonstrating_oxygen_mask
    family

    My Oxygen Mask and Life During a Pandemic

    March 9, 2021 - By 

    Huddle up real close. I have something to say regarding life this past year. But wait just a moment, my oxygen mask is askew. Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First You know on airplanes before takeoff when the flight attendants give you that safety demonstration? Oh, I know you are supposed to be listening, but honestly a lot of us have zero interest in the safety demo when we just want to get to where we are going. Right? Lately, I have been reflecting on that simple statement – please put your own oxygen mask on before securing others.…

  • Valentine's Day with kids
    family

    Fun Things to Do for Valentine’s Day with Kids + Valentine’s Cards Printable

    January 21, 2021 - By 

    This Valentine’s Day has potential to be a downer. Pandemic holidays are a bit of a challenge that way. But, it could also just as easily be memorable depending on how you spin it with the kids this season. And depending on your own outlook. So, here are a few fun things to do this Valentine’s Day with kids. Oh and stick to the very end of the post for some sweet free Valentine’s cards that you can download easily now. Six Fun Ways to Enjoy Valentine’s Day with Kids this Year Baking or Cooking Together Make some scrumptious and…

  • Parenting

    Twenty-one Things I Am Proud of in 2020

    January 2, 2021 - By 

    So what are you proud of in 2020? What was your greatest accomplishment? What are you proud of in 2020? People keep asking this question. Part of me wants to be a total smart ass when I read the question – I mean 2020 accomplishments at the end of the year were dramatically different than our expectations at the start. Let’s be clear. I got up, got out of bed and kept going in a year full of anxiety and stress. That was enough many days. My 2020 Moments Instead of making it a negative or griping or dismissing the…

  • kids_daily_planner
    Parenting

    Five Ways to Organize Your Child’s Day + Printable Planner

    December 28, 2020 - By 

    What does your child’s day look like right now? Is it a bit like a battle getting them out of bed to start? This post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. I receive a small commission via purchases from qualifying links. For Some Organizing and Planning Can Be Hard When my daughter was small she needed a lot of help getting organized. She still does actually. But, she can, for the most part, organize using strategies that we have used over the years. So, the difference now versus when she was in elementary school is that she now…

  • fasd_teen
    Parenting

    My Daughter Has FASD – My CBC Parents Post

    November 16, 2020 - By 

    My youngest daughter has FASD. I have occasionally written a bit about that here, but I am adding a bit more content about this invisible disability and publishing in major national outlets to grow awareness. My CBC Parents Content Over the last two years I have been writing a lot of consistent content on CBC Parents. I am happy to be able to reach a wider audience and frankly freelance, of course, is where I began years ago when I started writing. A few of my posts have centred on our journey parenting kids with special needs, or mental health…

  • parenting_teens
    Parenting

    Affirmation Cards for Teens to Build Positive Self Image

    November 11, 2020 - By 

    Raising teens is all at once the hardest thing I have ever done and also the most rewarding. As hard as it can be for me to parent them, sometimes I fully recognize that it is even harder to be them right now, especially during a pandemic. Teens need all the mental health tools they can find. These Affirmation Cards for teens are a positive way to encourage mental health and self esteem. I printed these out for my oldest daughter and she was thrilled with them. You never know how these things will be accepted. But, she said OMG…

  • cherish_your_family
    Parenting

    10 Ways You Can Cherish Your Children While They Are Still Growing Up

    November 3, 2020 - By 

    The relationship between a child and parent is priceless. Children mean the world to their parents and time is short when they are small. I don’t know any parents who don’t worry about about their child, at every age and stage. Parents worry endlessly about the day to day activities and whether kids are getting enough attention, nutrition and stimulation. There are so many things that you want to teach your children while they are growing up. Sometimes it feels like a race against the clock. But often you need to remind yourself that there are numerous chances to teach…