• Parenting

    Stupid Tears and Being a Special Needs Parent

    January 31, 2018 - By 

    I’ve become a spectacle. The crazy Mom sitting in the grocery store parking lot crying stupid tears in a minivan. You don’t want to know her. She’s pathetic and cliche. But too many times lately she’s me crying in the parking lot at Sobey’s, No Frills or Food Basics. Look away. I am not a Weeper Perhaps you are new here and you don’t know me, but I am not a cryer. In fact crying is something I typically do once or twice a year maybe. Like a thing I allow myself very rarely in controlled situations at home. Nobody…

  • family - parenting

    Alone at Home Overnight – When is it Okay for Teens to Man the Fort

    September 6, 2017 - By 

    Alone at home. The ultimate test for a teenager. Mom and dad are gone overnight. The house is theirs. How will they handle it? Will mom and dad come back to a home just as they left it. Will they discover a beer bottle under the couch from the wild party that 16 year old Jessie had. Or will they simply return to discover too many dishes in the sink from too many hours on the PS4? These questions and more go through all of our minds when the day finally comes to leave the kids alone at home. But when…

  • family - Giveaways - parenting

    University Student Care Package Essentials #ChurchandDwight #Giveaway

    August 20, 2017 - By 

    With one daughter well into high school it won’t be long before we are preparing to launch her to university or college. Like many parents we want the best for our kids. And no matter how old your kids get, you never stop being their mom or dad. So naturally, when that bittersweet milestone finally becomes a reality we will be sure to equip her with several essentials and a student care package to help everyone here sleep better at night. After all it takes more than books and money to succeed as a young adult living independently. There are…

  • water_safety
    family - Health - parenting

    Water Safety – Keeping Kids Safe While They Have Fun

    August 8, 2017 - By 

    Water safety is something that should be in the forefront of every parent’s mind. Whether you have a pool, love the water park, visit the beach, or go swimming in your local lake or river, being safe on and near the water is crucial. All it takes is a few seconds for a tragedy to happen. Parents and caregivers can keep kids safe by making sure we practice proper water safety at all times. Why Water Safety is so Important Our kids were babies when we began swimming lessons through the Red Cross Canada program. Swimming is a lifeskill that…

  • summer_mantra
    family - parenting

    Stop Telling Me How To Do Summer – My Summer Mantra

    July 10, 2017 - By 

    I have a summer mantra this year. It’s a little bit like this You do you and I’ll do me. It’s definitely not new. It’s mine, and I don’t really care to hear anyone else’s opinion about how I do summer. YOU DO YOU. See, I wish I actually didn’t need to say this out loud. But get your hands off my summer. You do you. My summer mantra. YOU do your summer and I’ll do mine. This past two weeks since school ended, I’ve heard a zillion experts and read dozens of posts about people taking back their summer. Usually…

  • motion_sickness
    active family travel - Health

    Motion Sickness – Tricks to Getting Through It When Traveling With Family

    June 28, 2017 - By 

    Motion sickness is no fun. If you suffer from it, you can look forward to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, and generally feeling awful. All those symptoms are compounded if you’re wrangling kids at the same time. I’ve put together some tips for combating motion sickness when you are traveling with family. The Lowdown on Motion Sickness Also called sea sickness or car sickness, this annoying and sickening problem actually has nothing to do with your mode of transportation. It’s an inner ear disturbance. The motion of a vehicle or boat causes an imbalance within the inner ear, which in turn disrupts our…

  • Two kids in colourful jackets looking out at the fall horizon
    parenting

    Raising Anxious Kids in Anxious Times

    June 26, 2017 - By 

    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. Looking Back In my daughter’s room I have a framed picture of her on her first…

  • fathers_day_trivia_facts
    family

    Father’s Day Trivia – 6 Facts You Didn’t Know

    May 26, 2017 - By 

    Father’s Day is pretty common to almost every household in North America, and has been for as long as most of us can remember. But where did it come from? How did it happen? Who started this Dad love in? Have fathers always been celebrated in June since the beginning of time or a little later than that? Amazingly Father’s Day has been around for a time. But it’s only relatively recently that is has become entrenched and celebrated. Well, I figured you’d like to know some interesting Father’s Day trivia in honor of this June holiday. So here’s a bit…

  • scared_to_fly
    active family travel - family - parenting - Travel

    Scared to Fly – 5 Ways to Help Your Nervous Child

    May 23, 2017 - By 

    Scared to fly? Maybe your child has never travelled before. Maybe they are naturally anxious in most things. Fear of flying is not uncommon for any age. Adults – most of them, at least – can simply psyche themselves into preparing for the flight, or they can try exposure, repeatedly flying until they conquer their fears. Children are a bit different that way. You may need to give a child who is scared to fly more help. Helping a Child How is Scared to Fly There are some things that we as parents and guardians can do to help out kiddos…

  • handling_disappointment
    family

    Handling Disappointment – Seven Ways to Help Children Feel Okay About Losing

    April 26, 2017 - By 

    No trophies today? That’s okay. This past weekend our kids were in a massive martial arts tournament. They came away with a good attitude, great memories and no trophies. Why am I talking about that then? Well, I was super proud at how grownup the girls were after losing. Handling disappointment is a part of growing up and it’s a skill I feel like they are finally doing well. So, I am celebrating losing. Past Examples of Not Handling Disappointment Well Trust me, this has not always been the case. In the past, my youngest would have cried or had a full…