LeapFrog your kids back to school
The start of the school year brings many anxieties for both children and parents. Unlike my own start to school (about a hundred years ago) many children are concerned about the social and advantageous benefits of having the "rig
Listen up
You can’t feel it but it really does hurt. Listening to loud music through a portable music player is putting the listeners’ hearing at risk. The Canadian Hearing Association recommends some possible risks and preventative measures that
Watch for these new shows
September means back to school, and lots of new shows hitting the TV airwaves. Here’s some of the best new shows — most of them Canadian — your crew might want to watch.
Ten lessons to ensure school success
Author and psychologist Dr. Ann Dunnewold offers the following helpful tips for parents, their kids and teachers. You might want to post these and refer to them throughout the school year
Music Education Can Open the Door to Success
(MS) — There is a wealth of evidence that indicates that music lessons offer children intellectual benefits that put them ahead of others who do not participate in music education. These advantages include higher grades and IQ scores, a l
Keeping it clean
It might be unfair, or an over exaggeration but boys are not often thought of as eager to jump into the bath tub or to take care of their skin. As your son grows and matures it is natural to
Back to school sanity savers
I’m always relieved when my kids are finally home for the summer, yet equally relieved when the school year starts up again. My relief at sending them back is often eclipsed by the insanity that the back to school season
Teen voices heard in stories of personal discovery
Capturing in print the sound and sensibilities of today’s teenagers is not easy. Some writers have a wonderful ear for the edgy, irreverent and often shockingly perceptive way teens think and talk. Here are a few who strike exactly the
Pirate Festival (Fort York)
If you’ve seen all you can at the CNE and Ontario Place, the new August waterfront event to check out is Fort York’s Pirate Festival. Last year’s was the first, and things went off well and clearly it’s now going
Sun safe baby sling
Keeping your baby safe from harmful UV and UVB rays has been made easier with the development of a baby sling made from UV-blocking Solarveil® fabric. The Canadian company cxd baby, manufactures stylish baby carriers including the Splasher
Buskerfest (St. Lawrence Market)
In many other parts of the world, busking is an art form that garners respect and demands top skill. In that tradition, the eighth annual Buskerfest showcases more than 40 acts, few of which will remind you of those dudes
Dog days of summer
Animals – pets – are big business in North America. According to the ASPCA, Americans spent an estimated $38.4 billion on their pets in 2006. While it’s good news that we’re generally taking such good care of our furry friends,
Kids
(MS) — Many children look forward to sports. A chance to play with their friends, sports also represent an opportunity for children to learn many of life’s lessons, from working with others to dealing with loss to accepting authority fi
A Midsummer Night
For its 25th anniversary of outdoor Shakespeare in High Park, CanStage brings back this most accessible of the Bard’s work, with a production that is gloriously colourful, physical, and ribald
Summer boredom solutions
Nowadays, teaching your kids how to enjoy simple, old-fashioned fun is not easy. Nevertheless, it is worth your time. You won’t be trapped on the "I need a new toy every week" spending treadmill and your kids will be able
Math fun with dice and cards
Looking for ways to keep your kids engaged on rainy days or long car rides and fight off "summer learning loss?" (39 separate studies have shown student can loose up to 2.6 months of learning over the summer.) It's easy!
Summer amnesia
Every child knows the feeling, and what adult can forget it? When the textbooks are turned in and the classroom doors closed for the summer, there’s a sweet sense of freedom. But those weeks of fun can have real consequences
Give Me a “C”…..
Researchers at Tufts University have identified five personality traits that increase a teen's odds of navigating the journey between childhood and early adulthood with relative ease
Art tools for toddlers
Crayola outgrew its crayon stage years ago, coming up with countless products that appeal to the imagination and creativity of children. Just so kids don’t have to wait to grow into all that Crayola has to offer, a new line
Toddler on board
This shouldn't be news to any parent who has ever driven under the influence of a screaming toddler: having a passenger on board increases your odds of being involved in an automobile accident
