Parental Paparazzi
The most popular people on Facebook and Instagram aren’t celebrities and athletes—they’re kids. Photos and videos of children dominate social media feeds as proud parents show the world their cute babies with just a few clicks. Mac & Mia surveyed 2,000 new
How to handle your child’s first crush
By Sandra Gordon “Oh, how cute.” That’s what crossed my mind when a boy from summer camp asked my oldest daughter, who was in Grade 4 at the time, to go to the movies. (She said “No!” then ran from the
What Not To Say
As an adoptive parent, I some times hear some pretty insensitive things. It’s not that people are intending to be rude (not usually, anyway). It’s just that they haven’t really thought through what it might be like to be in
I was scared to tell you
Almost two months ago, a friend came over to play and lost his phone. We searched everywhere for it, but couldn’t find a trace. The kid was sure he’d brought it. My kids were sure they’d seen it. Even I
Parenting differently
I love all my kids just as much. I don’t love them all the same, because different people need to be loved differently, but I love them all just as much. It’s not something that I need to work particularly
Finding birth parents
We just yesterday got in contact with my youngest son’s birth parents, a process that has taken us something like six years. We started looking almost immediately, using the official channels of Family and Children’s Services. In theory they’ve had the
Bad Parents Anonymous
There’s something that needs to be said about parenting that too few people are willing to say – “It’s normal to feel bad at this.” It’s normal to be unsure about how to deal with a particular situation. It’s normal to
Rewriting the Christmas list
By Kinjal Dagli-Shah Lee-Ann Satari and her husband Ali made a meaningful change to their Christmas tradition last year. The family decided to quit buying gifts for each other and told their children that Santa isn’t real but his spirit is.
How to Talk to Girls
As a father of three sons, one of the things I worry about is teaching them to treat women with respect. Now, when I say this to people (especially to men), I often get a sort of wide-eyed, all-too-naive response. “Don’t
Survival Guide to Parent-Teacher Interviews
It’s getting to be about that time when schools schedule their parent-teacher interviews, which can sometimes be an unpleasant experience (on both sides of the desk, I assure you). As a parent, especially if your kids have special needs, or
The secrets to sleep and safety
By Christine Davis When I had newborn babies at home one of the first things people always asked me was: “Is the baby sleeping through the night yet?” Before becoming a parent I had no idea that getting a baby to sleep
Mitigating the Emotional Toll of Dyslexia
By Don M. Winn One constant in the universe is that human beings don’t like doing things we’re not good at. When we put forth our very best effort and still struggle or fail, many of us will be reluctant to
Not Too Old To Cuddle
I get it that kids become less dependant on physical affection from their parents as they grow older. They move from babies who constantly need to be picked up, rocked, and held, to children who only need hugs when they’re
Going to the dance
Ah, grade school dances – kids standing around awkwardly in homogeneously gendered groups, eating snacks, sneaking lots of glances across the room, but doing precious little dancing. Those currently “in a relationship” venturing out at last, trying not to look
Calling names
My middle son tried out for a rep soccer team the other day. It wasn’t the team he’s been playing with the last few years, but one in a town close by where the coaching had been highly recommended to
Bed time
I don’t know if other parents experience this, but bedtime misbehaviour seems to come in waves around our house. We’ll go for months with relatively few problems, all the kids getting through their bedtime routine and heading off to sleep
What parents need to know about streaming video
By Melissa Henson The temptation for parents of young children to make the switch from terrestrial broadcast and cable television to streaming video is powerful. I know. I’ve been there. Frustrated by the non-stop efforts to market junk food, video games, cheap
What to consider before using GPS to track your kid
By Carolyn Jabs Sooner or later, most parents lose a kid—usually for only a few minutes. A toddler figures out how to open an unlatched door. A kindergartener heads off to investigate something in another grocery aisle. A school age child gets
The Great Flood of 2017
This time last year I wrote a post about how I don’t have the same emotions about kids going back to school that many parents seem to have. I don’t get all weepy about my kids getting all grown up
Homework: Prepare for academic success at home
By Laura Lyles Reagan, MS Back to school preparations go beyond school clothes purchases and new backpacks filled with pencils and spiral notebooks. Creating and supporting the habits of life-long learning is the best investment you can make in your child’s