Dear Santa
There’s something special about the hand-written wish list and its accompanying envelope addressed to Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO that
On-course, off-course, or lost
In September’s column we examined how your child could LEAP ahead this year through the creation of a Learning & Academic Action Plan (L.E.A.P.)—using the
Bring peace to the season
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, the holidays are supposed to be a time of peace, joy and happiness. Yet for many families, the overriding feeling is stress.
Just ask Christine Campion. The 38-year-
How to write a family newsletter
We’ve all received them — those dreaded holiday newsletters that either drone on about Aunt Sue and Uncle George’s summer vacation in Tucson or brag about how Shane (the preschooler) is reading at the second-grade level and Billy got
Sticker charts revisited
Let word of your toddler's new-found fascination with his potty make the rounds at the next family get-together and you're bound to find yourself on the receiving end of a lot of potty-centric trivia and advice: which members of the
Why isn’t my child listening?
At some point in every parent’s life the question is asked "Why isn’t my child listening?" While caught up in the emotion, it is difficult to remember the stages of development your child goes through
Kids with undesirable friends
Q I can’t stand the kids my teen is hanging out with. They are rude and disrespectful. What do you recommend?
A It’s very difficult for parents to admit they don’t like their teen’s friends. When I do my
Kick junk food habits
Question: Now that the New Year has arrived, I started making a New Year resolution list for our family. At the top of my list was around eating junk food
Sweet support
To help serve breakfast to needy kids across Canada the National Bank of Canada is spreading Gouash around this holiday season. Proceeds from the exclusive sales of Gouash fruit spreads at the bank will go to Breakfast Clubs of Canada,
Confronting body image
Question: My daughter and I were talking this week about how she wants 2007 to be different for her. Immediately she started talking negatively about her body. She just turned 13. What can I do as her mother to help
Keeping baby safe
When you were growing up, you always swore that your parents had eyes on the backs of their head. And now that you’re a brand new parent, you know why: an accident can happen in the blink of an eye,
How to pick a skating program
You decide to put your child in ice skating lessons, but aren’t sure how to begin or where to look.
Developing a parenting action plan
Competing priorities. Trying to balance work and home. Never enough time or money.
Sure you want to be the best parent you can. However, competing priorities in your busy life can cause us to lose focus or make poor choices
Help your baby breathe easier
What a relief it is when your toddler learns to blow his or her nose. Before this skill is mastered, babies and toddlers suffer with a plugged nose and all of the accompanying discomforts. Recent warnings about the possible fatal
Gripping suspense grabs onto kids
Adventure stories for boys come in many guises, but all have one thing in common: at one point in the story, if not more, the action becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful. Just what boys love
Arts and Entertainment
Soli & Rob in Concert…with Alistair Ant & Friends (Berkeley Heritage Event Venue) –- If you have a child under the age of 6 and you don’t know Soli and Rob, or their purple friend Alistair, then you a
What motivates your child
Why does getting your child to do something for you one day seem so simple, yet another day seem almost impossible? The good news is that educational researchers from around the world have also wondered the same thing, and have
Green your Halloween
According to a web site devoted to Halloween, the Chinese celebrate the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts. Ostensibly, the souls of the dead wander the earth in search of affection. They are known as “hungry” ghosts because they seek recogniti
Put on a painted face
It’s that time of year when ordinary children want to transform into extraordinary characters. Face painting is the safest way to create a new visage. Masks are cumbersome and limit vision. Face painting can be a family art project
