Bad Behaviour: Taking the sting out of someone else’s response
As the parent of a child who has special needs, I have been in many situations where people have meant well in their response to something but rather, left me feeling like a mess.
Back to the building bricks
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto encourages children to turn off their screens and get back to the art of play
What’s your favourite
I’ve discovered over the years that one of the best ways to learn about someone is to ask after their influences.
All dolled up: playing in a doll universe
Nine-year-old Trinity Ann was an only child until last year, when her baby sister Tesla was born. It was Darcy and Audrey who kept her busy – she would bathe and feed them, sing and read to them.
Sleepover madness
It also just so happened that this year we had fewer family functions, so we’ve had a long, fairly relaxed, mostly uneventful vacation time. Until the sleepovers. The idea was a good one in theory.
Goals worth achieving
I want my children to know how to weigh the cost of a goal, to consider the sacrifice that it will require, and then to do the things that are really important to them.
First day of snow
I’m not sure why the first day of true snow is a disaster every year, but it is.
Believing the lie
One of my frustrations as a parent is when children convince themselves of an untruth so throughly that they act as though it’s true.
Taking responsibility
I got every parent’s favourite call yesterday – the one from the principal where you get asked to come by the office for a little chat about your kid – that call.
Don’t Do Your Homework
So I don’t make my kids do their homework. I confess that it causes ongoing, low-grade conflict with their teachers, but I have my reasons.
How to doggy-train your toddler
For many when they picture their “perfect” family, they envision a partner, children and the family dog, a loveable, happy-go-lucky four-legged family member who will be a best friend to the children.
Teachable Talents
When my daughter was in Grade 4, a proud tear sprang to my eye when her teacher, known to be a stern taskmaster, declared: “Rebecca has something that can’t be taught – motivation.”
Pros and cons of cursive writing
Various experts and educators have weighed in on the lasting benefits of cursive handwriting. Here are just a few of the benefits proponents of cursive writing point to
Being the big kid
My youngest sometimes feels a little left out and his frustration and jealousy at this situation often comes out in really practical ways.
Taking back-to-school in stride
As I was hanging out in the playground waiting for the bell to ring, I was interested to notice the extremes of parental reaction to the first day of school.
Parents are going back to school too
It’s not just kids who go back to school this month, it’s their parents as well, minus all the new stuff.
What could possibly go wrong
I grew up in a house of five boys in one of the safest cities on the planet in an era when helicopter parents (or drone parents, as I prefer to call them) would have been laughed off the playground.