Learning to be a better parent
One of the curious side effects of fostering and adopting is that you usually end up with a whole lot more parenting instruction than if you have biological children. Whereas it’s possible to get pregnant on a whim (or even
Wedding Season and the mini-guests
It’s getting into the season where your weekend calendar will be filling up with weddings. And for parents some of these events welcome your littles to attend as mini-guests or to play an important role in the big day. The
Taking on turkey
By Christine Davis When Chef Shahir Massoud was tasked by Butterball to produce a show that would take him across the country, preparing traditional dishes from eight different families of various backgrounds, little did he know he’d learn a thing or
Intergenerational family travel blossoms in Ottawa
Story & Images by: Jacquie D. Durand When the warm weather arrives, everyone is a little ‘antsy’ to get outside again. My family’s solution was a road trip to Ottawa to see the annual Tulip Festival. Representing three generations: a mother
Other people’s kids
It seems I’ve hit a new stage as a work-from-home parent, one where my kids are old enough not to be around the house during the day so other parents see me as an ideal target to hit up for
Charitable teachers’ gifts
With the growing trend towards giving charitable gifts in lieu of material things, this year, consider giving your child’s teacher a donation in his or her name to First Book Canada. One in four Canadian households don’t have a single book
Healing books
Some conditions and diseases can be hard for children to understand. The experts at Hamilton Health Sciences Hospital have put together a list of books to make talking about certain health topics a little easier. Here is a sample of their
Recipe for a rainy day
By Chef Shai Mandel It’s raining, it’s pouring …. but no one will be snoring when you mix up your day with some cooking activities! Just because you are stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun in the kitchen.
Vaccinations
I generally keep away from politically touchy subjects in this column, not because I don’t have opinions on those subjects, but because I don’t think that public forums are a very effective place to raise difficult issues. People’s emotions usually
Learning to Succeed
My youngest son decided to grow a garden this year. He arrived at this decision while watching me turn soil for my garden, and then sow a bunch of kale, which is about the only thing hardy enough for me
Cringey Parenting
I’m lame, and I know it. ‘Cringey’, is the word my kids prefer, meaning that I’m embarrassing, uncool, and unhip. If you need proof, the very fact that I use words like ‘lame’ and ‘unhip’ is undeniable proof that I
Mom Stuff
By Christine Davis Heritage Visodate Tissot combines a nostalgic dial with a modern twist in this watch that will give mom an avant-garde style she can wear anywhere, any time. Available at tissotwatches.com. $495 Best Mom Ever Box Tell mom how you really feel
A Child’s Perspective
Part of being a child is having a deeply limited perspective. That’s not to say that our adult perspectives aren’t limited in many ways as well, of course, but for a child, with so very little experience of the world,
Play Dating
By Cheryl Maguire When I married my husband, I thought that I was done dating. It turns out I was wrong. I went on several dates with people I met at the library or the Internet. They were playdates for the
Fueling creativity
By Luke Hill Everyone needs to be creative. I’m not saying that everyone has the capacity to make great art or write great poetry or play great music. Some people definitely have more aptitude for these things than others, and there’s
Making New Traditions
Annual holidays have fallen into a fairly settled routine for my extended families. We haven’t really had any big adjustments since my wife and I and our siblings got married, moved out, and started having kids, so we’ve had about
Best baby skin care
By Sandra Gordon Skin care for babies is big business. On Amazon alone, there are more than 60,000 products in the baby skincare category. Before stocking up on bottom balm and lavender baby wash or skincare “essentials” for your baby registry, read
Who Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Adults are constantly asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. It’s the default conversation when an adult doesn’t know what else to say, just like talking about the weather with the person beside us at the
Dating Drama
I always knew that the day would come when I’d need to help my kids negotiate the emotions and drama of romantic relationships. I just didn’t think it would come so soon. Over the past few days, we’ve had one ex-girlfriend
TV host and mother does double duty
By Christine Davis Top Chef Canada host and co-founder and executive chef of DEX restaurant in New York City, Eden Grinshpan, is a native Torontonian who’s come home to shoot three separate seasons of what she describes as the most “prestigious
