BC Parent News
Honesty is important in life, and it definitely matters to parents—surveys show that parents value honesty above all other character traits. But did you know that some common ways we teach children about lying actually encourage them to lie more? Let’s look at how our good intentions are getting in the way of raising truthful and trustworthy children, and then we can explore some ways to teach kids about honesty that really work. Here are 4 common myths about honesty that you must know about when parenting.
Bullying used to be upsetting but contained. A victim would most often be verbally or physically bullied but once away from the “bully”, the victim would have a reprieve until perhaps the next interaction. Technology has resulted in a far worse form of bullying, known as “cyberbullying” which results in the victim never being able to escape the abuse by leaving an environment. Instead, the victim is haunted wherever they go and for an indefinite period of time.
Financial literacy is an essential skill that helps children develop money management skills, promotes financial independence, and enables them to make informed financial decisions. It is important for children to learn about Financial concepts and principles at an early age to set them up for financial success as adults. The lack of financial education is a growing problem. It's time to change that for a better future.
We've all seen the happy child who leans into life, smiling all the way, seemingly without a care in the world. How does this happen? Are they born this way, or can we teach kids ways to optimize their emotional well being?
Indeed, some children are born happier. Temperament, driven partially by genetic makeup, can make for an easygoing child. However, genetics account for only 20 - 60% of the child's temperament (source). This is good news, because it means good parents can influence their children's happiness for the better.
There are countless articles about how to raise a happy child, but I've boiled it down to just those practices that are proven to drive long-term happiness.
As parents, it’s natural to want to help, but sometimes it is difficult to know how exactly to, or you’re short on time, or simply can’t find the right words to make math make sense. It can feel incredibly challenging to explain concepts from your child’s curriculum and at their level in an easy and approachable way.
Starting Dec. 1, 2022, parents in British Columbia will save as much as $550 more per month for each child they have in participating licensed child care facilities. This funding will lower fees for children kindergarten age and younger by up to $900 per month.
As parents, getting out the door in the morning with toddlers in tow can be a challenge on a good day - and much harder in the Winter. That’s because, despite cold temperatures, children shouldn’t be wearing puffy jackets in their car seats.
The recent Wren Eleanor discourse is centered on the ethics of posting children on social media. This discourse is primarily fueled by other TikTok content creators who posted stitches (videos directly commenting on the original Wren videos) and commentaries offering their views: predominately, that Wren’s videos were saved by people who were sexualizing children.
Life as a mom can be hectic, especially if you are juggling a career in addition to taking care of your kids. I personally think moms are very similar to cell phones because we’re always ‘on’ and play a critical role when it comes to communicating with loved ones and managing every aspect of our family’s life.
However, it’s important to remember that cell phone batteries run low and need some time to power up. They’re no good to us if we don’t allow them to recharge. Even the most expensive, glamorous, high-tech smartphones (aka, the moms who seem like they have everything together) need to be turned off and connected to a power source so the battery doesn’t die.
Conversing with your children can be hard at times. This is especially true for young children who may have only recently learned how to speak in full sentences. Thinking about meaningful questions to ask kids, is important for their development.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced parents to make a number of challenging decisions, and most recently, the predicament as to whether or not they should vaccinate their child. These decisions become more difficult still when it comes to parents who share the duties and responsibilities of raising their child though they are separated or divorced, and no longer live together.
An article from Priya Tronsgard, a proud parent of 2 neurodivergent children, and an author of an upcoming audiobook called Reframe: A Guide for Caregivers and Parents for Neurodivergent Children. From all my experience, I can tell you that parenting children who are autistic is unique, rewarding, and insightful.
We're excited to include Beverly Phan on this week's Parent Profile. Beverly makes Vancouver her home with her partner and 3 lovely children. She loves finding delicious food and fun adventures for her family to take part in. She believes "everything is better when experienced as a family" and we couldn't agree more. An empowering presence on Instagram, Beverly shares great eats and fun places to visit in the BC area. Looking at her page always makes me hungry!