Smartphones are causing negative health effects. We even have a medical diagnosis for smartphone addiction (it’s Nomophobia, by the way). Look for yourself-you don’t have to dig very deep to find it. We have developed difficulties with sleeping, anxiety, compulsive web surfing, loneliness, depression, even vision and balance disturbances.
When we first began hearing about Covid in early 2020, it barely registered. Like many parents, having my kids at home, working full time and trying to keep sane has been a lot to handle. But I’m proud of how we’ve managed and, when I reflect on these past months, I realize we’ve found the…
Excerpt from: "What Young Children Need You to Know: How to see them so you know what to do for them" (May 4, 2020) - Please Don’t Worry So Much About Me
Summer has almost officially started in BC and working from home has become the new norm. Balancing work with kids can be tricky, but you can always fit parenting and online work from your home together. With only a handful of in-person summer camps available, how do you manage your day to actually be able…
Join a free, introductory Digital Parenting webinar Thursday, June 25, at 1:30pm ET! It will focus on parents of children between 5 and 11 years old and will discuss questions such as how closely should we watch our kids when they are online, how can we help them stay safe when using the internet, and…
As we have been spending more time cooped up inside lately, many of us are finding ourselves in front of screens to pass the time. Whether it’s the computer, smart-phone or television, this increase in screen time means an increase in our exposure to advertisements.
As our children’s school shut down due to the Covid-19, and our work schedule changed to zoom meetings, we’re left with the reality of working from home while balancing homeschooling our three children for the remainder of the school year. As the world, and our family’s world, turned upside down, I knew I had to…
Let’s begin with an acknowledgment - these are strange times. Schools have been closed since mid-March, and it seems ever more likely that they won’t fully open again until fall. What form school will take in the Autumn remains to be seen. Having your kids at home for such a long time comes with its…
The Socratic method is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions. It is employed to bring out definitions implicit in the interlocutors' beliefs or to help them further their understanding. Laura Sandefer, co-founder of Acton Academy, has…
When talking online with a 5th-grade boy recently, he said: “My friends and I thought that being off school would be really fun. Actually, it’s not.” I validated his reality and then mentioned that a lot of parents were feeling the same way. While we know that a sick member of the family needs to be…
Last week, I wrote a six-step script for How to Handle the Big “What If’s?”, to address the Coronavirus anxiety in kids which is quickly increasing as Canada becomes more impacted, and there are more visible signs, such as people on the streets and in shops wearing masks. Here are some additional tips to help…
Do you have a child with a learning disability or ADD/ADHD? Is it putting an enormous financial burden on you? If yes, then this article is a must-read, because there is hope and relief for you in the form of the Disability Tax Credit! For over 30 years, the Disability Tax Credit has helped disabled…
The thought of post-secondary education can be terrifying for parents. The idea of their children leaving the nest and becoming adults, coupled with the fear of the, potentially, enormous education bill makes any parent concerned. As we all know, the cost of post-secondary education increases annually. If your child is currently five, the cost of…
I love that my children are so creative and enjoy drawing and painting and crafting. What I don't love so much is the clutter that comes from those amazing pieces after the children have lost interest! We aren't one of those households that has a wall dedicated to our children's art. We have a few…
Most parents have, on occasion, wondered why their kids act like jerks. Whether they slap a friend for seemingly no reason, yell an angry retort at a teacher in response to a request, or lie about pulling the cat’s tail, this rude behavior often shocks unsuspecting parents who make every attempt to raise considerate kids.…
One of the biggest challenges for parents is deciding when (not if just when) a child or teenager will have access to technology such as a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. And there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Famously, industry leaders from the computer and technology industry are reported to prevent their kids from…
Greta Thunberg is all over the news lately, from being named Time's 2019 Person of the Year to her low-carbon-footprint sail across the Atlantic to speak at the UN COP25 climate change conference. As grown-ups, teens, and kids all buzz about Greta's inspiring story, we wanted to share a book perfect for children about Greta…
This post was brought to you by Reading Eggs, but the opinions are my own. Reading is an important skill. It’s something we always encouraged our children to do by reading them bedtime stories or doing reading activities on a rainy day. In the past, I never actively taught my children to read. I have…
For some reason, getting kids to eat vegetables can be a challenge. Maybe it's because we want them to do it so badly. I know many parents have come up with ways to sneak the veggies in. Here is a great recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins from Vancouver-based Registered Dietician and mother, Lindsay Pleskot.…
Some people think of pen-pals as an expired tradition, like black-and-white movies and 8-track tapes, but a lot of Circle of Moms members say writing and corresponding by hand via snail mail is still a necessary life skill. They're searching every day for old-fashioned pen-pals for their kids, and the surprising part is that the majority are searching…
Experts now agree: It’s never too early (or too late) to teach kids about money. Money is an excellent teaching tool — and kids will learn about money whether you take an active role in that education, or not. The great news is that the daily routine of managing budgets, paying bills and finding that…
Here’s a question: if you were to be paid for every job you do as a stay-at-home parent, just how much would you be earning? Though we believe the price of a parents’ job is priceless, to find out, Funky Pigeon has created a calculator to tell you exactly what you could be earning. They’ve…
For many of us here in British Columbia, summer means getting out and enjoying all that beautiful sunshine and the great outdoors. Summer is a great time to be laid back, travel more, and have lots of fun. It is sometimes those carefree summer days however with missed naps and later bedtimes that can quickly…
Friendship Breakup… this one hurts. It’s hard to talk about, it’s one of those raw things that as women we don’t talk about…at least not openly. Friendship breakup is when 2 people are really good friends, best friends even and then for one reason or another the friendship ends. Sometimes mutually but often it’s one-sided.…
