I was recently invited to a roundtable chat about youth mental health presented by Kids Help Phone. Gathered around the table were mommy bloggers, a counsellor, researchers, a brave young woman who had used the helpline, and her mother. The young woman, ripe in her early teens, had struggled with depression and attempted suicide twice. She was in therapy as early as [...]
Long before I became a mom, I had plenty of practice with my nephews and nieces. My eldest niece, now in her 20s and in university, is at the age I was when she was born to forever rock our worlds! My oldest nephew, who turned 18 last year and started pursuing a business degree in university, is so tall, [...]
We’re getting to that place in time, the place we never thought we’d get to again, when both of our children are sleeping through the night. While it’s cause for celebration, it certainly doesn’t mean achieving it every night goes smoothly! My eldest daughter, who is almost four, still puts up a protest every single time it’s bedtime. In fact, [...]
My daughter recently spotted those candy necklaces we all loved as kids in a party supply store. It was bound to happen. I tried to avoid her questions, “Are those candy necklaces?” “Can you eat those candies?” I have to admit, the sight of the candy necklaces did trigger fond memories for me. The sweet comfort of knowing I could [...]
We pack A LOT into our little VW Golf! And, just when we think we couldn’t possibly move another inch in the space between two car seats, among all the grocery bags, diaper bag, laptop bag, toys, etc., that’s when my daughter will inevitably ask, “Can I have a snack?” This then prompts my husband to go on a scavenger [...]
Variety is the spice of life, right? Wrong, according to my three-year old. When I used this idiom in an effort to get her to understand that she should be more adventurous in trying new foods, she responds all smart-alecky with, “I don’t want varieties! I don’t like spices!” Yet, I persevere, jumping through hoops trying to get her to [...]
They warned me about sleepless nights, fussy eaters, the terrible twos. But, why didn’t anyone warn me that my laundry would grow in heaps and bounds when I had kids?! Seriously, right from the beginning with poopy-stained onesies to bibs that look like they’ve been tossed in a muddy river to toddler clothes perpetually marked with paint, crayon, marker, grass, [...]
I can hardly believe that my little one will be turning one just after the new year. In a lot of ways, Baby Z is just like her older sister, learning the very best and the very worst from her. Every day is a celebration of their similarities and differences, and one area where they differ greatly is their affinity [...]
When it comes to children making healthy food choices, I know that parents are primary role models for making this happen. This, however, does not apply to my three-year-old, who no matter how much mommy and daddy say a particular food is delicious or good for her, still refuses to eat what we’re eating. To her credit, she’s getting older [...]
I’m always looking for creative ways to convince my three-year old to eat more than just peanut butter sandwiches every day. Then, one day, it hit me. I was going about it the wrong way. I wasn’t the one who should have been “playing” around with her food, she was. Yes, my good people, it’s come down to this! When [...]
