Author Archives: Paula D'Orazio

How to Grow an Astronaut – Chris Hadfield Style!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Paula D'Orazio

“Ground control to Major Tom”…I mean, Hadfield – you’ve really made the grade! Space has never really interested me too much. In fact, the use of astronauts as the unofficial benchmark for smarts and achievement (along with brain surgeons and … Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Children & Tweens, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Teen, Parenting, Parenting Your Baby, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Teen, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Teens, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged astronaut, Bullying, Chris Hadfield, cornerstones for success, developmental assets, education, Father's Day, guidance, Hadfield, International Space Station, Mental Health, opportunity, Physical Health, school, social determinants of health, Space Oddity, special needs, support | Leave a comment

Fun in the Sun and a Mom on the Run

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Paula D'Orazio

Okay – I don’t know about you but I have definitely heard enough warnings to make me rightly cautious when exposing my kids to the sun. Be it from my doctor, pharmacist, the media or my colleagues here at the Halton … Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Children & Tweens, Keeping Your Baby Safe, Keeping Your Child/Tween Safe, Keeping Your Teen Safe, Keeping Your Toddler & Preschooler Safe, Parenting, Parenting Your Baby, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Teen, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Teens, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged family, family fun, fun in the sun, health, melanoma, physical activity, Physical Health, school, skin cancer, summer, sun protection, sun safety, sun sense, sunburn, sunscreen | 3 Comments

Yeah, I used a child harness…that’s right – not a leash, a HARNESS!

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Paula D'Orazio

A nice, brisk, spring stroll along the lakeshore at Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park was just what the doctor ordered after a long winter of kids constantly sick with tonsillitis. My mood was as grey as the endless weeks of dreary … Continue reading →

Posted in Keeping Your Toddler & Preschooler Safe, Parenting, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Play, Growth & Development, Toddlers & Preschoolers, Toddlers & Preschoolers with Special Needs | Tagged active living, child harness, exercise, family, family fun, harness, outdoors, physical activity, Physical Health, report card, sedentary behaviour, stroller, temperament, walking | 10 Comments

The TV actually turns off?? COOL!

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Paula D'Orazio

I am not a perfect person. It follows then, that I am not a perfect mother. My children watch TV. Not as often or as much as some other kids I know (for some shallow reason I felt the need … Continue reading →

Posted in Children & Tweens, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Parenting, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Play, Growth & Development, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged child health, disease prevention, healthy-living, heart health, kids, physical activity, Physical Health, play, screen, screen time, sedentary, television, tv | 6 Comments

Reflections on innocence

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Paula D'Orazio

My heart sank deep in my chest and my eyes immediately filled with tears just now as I learned from a radio report that the remains of Tim Bosma had been found in a rural area in southwestern Ontario. Details … Continue reading →