BC Parent News
BC Parent News
BC Parent News
Reading Time: 7 minutes Music education has numerous benefits for students, including establishing stronger social skills, increased confidence, and improved academics due to involved brain function. With all of these benefits and more stemming from music, there is no doubt that you should include music education within your child’s online studies. Here are some easy ways to be sure to keep music education incorporated in virtual learning.
Reading Time: 3 minutes This week's "BC Parent Profile" is with Rebecca Coleman, a Vancouver-Based food blogger, author, teacher, and mother. She loves nothing more than baking for her friends and family. “Baking is my love language,” she jokes. “But more and more of my friends and family are identifying food allergies, or choosing a more plant-based diet.” Her second book, Vegan Baking Made Easy, 60 Foolproof, Plant-Based Recipes, is being published by Rockridge Press August 10, 2021 and is available for pre-order now.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Summer gets really busy for many families with lots of activities like day-camps, time at the pool or beach, and road trips. These activities leave kids especially hungry and asking for extra snacks, and it can be hard to keep up with their appetites! Here are some healthier snack ideas.
Reading Time: 3 minutes Playland has always been a summer must-do. It's a fun afternoon or evening for everyone. There are many rides for kids and families to enjoy together, like Tea Cups, Honeybee Express, Bug Whirled, and Balloon Explorers. But this year, guests can also find some new and updated attractions.
Reading Time: 6 minutes It all started with a cup of coffee. Well, actually a box of coffee. Like wine, the box is cool.
As a second time mom, I knew how important it was for me to establish mom friends. My sister Carolyn and I had always imagined we would have children but never imagined we would be on maternity leave at the same time. With a five year gap between my first and second it felt a little like being a “new mom” all over, except I knew from experience that one day I would sleep again.
Reading Time: 3 minutes This weeks BC Parent is Jenn Messina from North Vancouver. Jenn is a local dietician and believes that healthy eating should be the easiest choice. With two young children, she understands the need to meal plan and cook in batches where possible, but without ever comprising on quality. Her goal is to help her clients make realistic lifestyle changes that will bring the enjoyment and fun back into eating and give more time out of the kitchen!
Reading Time: 5 minutes Through play, you become an active role model for your toddler. If you are not the world’s greatest crafter, scientist, and so on, it is still worth taking the time to do some projects with your kids, teaching them that you are willing to give it go. You are showing them it is okay to try something new, and potentially even fail. Play is one of the most important aspects of a child’s life, play is how they learn.
Reading Time: 3 minutes We're excited to get to know another BC Parent. Elaine Tam Comeau is from Coquitlam, BC. She is a Mom, Speaker, CEO @easydaysies, Dragons’ Den Winner, Author, and Foodie. She's an all-around busy woman that has a lot to be proud of. Read below to learn a little more about her.
Reading Time: 4 minutes Yoga for children and teens is similar to yoga for adults in that it is a personal and collective experience offering us an opportunity to go within, and encourages us to find deeper connection within ourselves for more fulfilling connection with others. The word yoga means ‘to unite.’
Reading Time: 2 minutes We're excited to be interviewing a BC dad this week. James Smith is a busy Dad in North Vancouver, BC. On top of his day job as a Social Media Strategist, he's a Dad Blogger at SocialDad.ca, photographer, and lover of the outdoors. Originally from England, he moved to Canada in 2013 and adores his time either in the forest or the mountains. If you're looking for some great insight and a couple of tips like what to get Dad for Father's Day check out his blog and follow him on Instagram!
Reading Time: 4 minutes The International Baccalaureate Diploma programme, designed for students in grades 11 and 12, is growing in popularity in high schools around the world, but the IB also offers programmes for younger students, the Middle Years Programme. The International Baccalaureate first introduced the Middle Years Programme in 1994 and has since been adopted by more than 1,300 schools around the world in more than 100 countries, and we have a new one coming to Richmond, BC!
Reading Time: 5 minutes Let’s face it: our children have a way of bringing out emotions in us that we may not have known we had before becoming
parents! We may find ourselves having a temper tantrum or digging in our heels with a big “No!”, or trying to retreat away from handling the situation. It is in these moments that we are being offered a mirror. And if we have the courage to look, with compassion towards ourselves, we are being given the unique opportunity to grow up and benefit our children in the process.
Reading Time: 4 minutes At some point all children will ingest refined sugar, but putting it off for as long as possible should be every parent’s goal. In fact, a recent study by the USDA suggests that refined sugars are so harmful to the development of children, they should be completely avoided before the age of two. Some doctors and scientists argue that children’s developing bodies are much more vulnerable to the dangers of sugar in comparison to adults leaving them more exposed to a number of lifelong health conditions. In addition, research shows that the more we consume sugar, the more we crave it, and children are no exception. One of the problems of modern society is that refined sugars are often hidden in our foods and masked with healthy nicknames, making it difficult for parents to really know how much sugar they’re giving their kids. From honey to agave nectar, here are some of the most notable sugar monikers lurking in your pantry.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Most people will agree that the summer slide is real, and something that all parents and caregivers should try to avoid. This year is no different; in fact, this summer it is even more important than ever to ensure children retain the skills they learned throughout the school year, as the worries associated with COVID-19 may have been a distraction.
Continuing educational activities over the summer months is one way to combat the “COVID Slide” and ensure your children are fully prepared for the school year in September. Here are 5 ways to continue your child’s learning over the summer while keeping it fun.
Reading Time: 5 minutes According to statistics from the Canadian Pediatric Society, 33,000 school-age children (5-18 years old) in Canada have Type 1 Diabetes, and there are several thousands under the age of 5. How can you identify diabetes? What can you do to support your children?
Reading Time: 7 minutes Risky play can be defined as a thrilling and exciting activity that involves a risk of physical injury, and play that provides opportunities for challenge, testing limits, exploring boundaries and learning about injury risk (Sandseter (2007; Little & Wyver, 2008).” But, and I want to be really clear here, it is not about encouraging or promoting injury nor is it about neglect or negligence. In fact, the whole idea is to develop strong, resilient adults that are capable of making safe and confident choices in life.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Children live within a world predominantly defined by their ability to access the digital community within seconds. Thanks to the rise of portable devices such as smartphones and virtually ubiquitous Internet connectivity, this generation of children can enjoy freedoms which would have been impossible to imagine 20 years ago.