Look up! You may be surprised at what you see

Posted on May 4, 2017 by

I like to people watch.  Let’s face it, people are interesting and you just never know what you will see. When you think you have seen it all, boom there it is and in a flash you are sucked into moment and shot back out.  Personally, I think it’s much more entertaining than “reality” TV.

I’m lucky to have a clear view of the bike path behind our house.  It’s a busy paved path that bustles with movement from runners, walkers, cyclists, skateboarders, and everything in-between.  Something strange has happened on the path over the past 20 years.  It’s not a new phenomenon to our community, sadly this shift has happened all over the world. Today when I look at the path many people are looking down, not up, or even at each other. Continue reading →

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How to make the dental chair fun!

Posted on April 25, 2017 by

Being a parent, I’m so relieved my children have had such positive experiences going to dental appointments. The kind smiling faces of the staff make them feel right at home. I have never said to them that this is the last place on earth that I would like to be.  I need to confess that growing up I was afraid of the dentist.  I was a regular rule following little girl and I would try my very best to sit still for the dentist, but I could not stop gagging.  Still to this day, I can barely chew spearmint gum because the taste and smell reminds me of visiting the dentist.  Keeping dental visits positive, I have managed not to pass on my fear of the dentist to my children.  I have managed to teach my children the importance of regular brushing and flossing which make these visits to the dentist even easier. There is nothing better than the feeling after you floss (or is that just me?)! LOL;) Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, kindergarten, Oral Health, Parenting, Preschool, School-aged Children, Teens, Toddlers, Tweens | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

7 tips for when your baby hates their car seat

Posted on April 13, 2017 by

My son hated car rides as a baby. For a while there, I was seriously questioning my wisdom in going out with him and my toddler ever. I know of parents who simply stopped car rides with their baby, and believe it or not, a friend of mine once showed up at my house with her little guy in his car seat looking like the picture on the left below. She sheepishly admitted that her son hates being buckled up and so in hope of having him cry less, she leaves the harness straps loose and chest clip way below armpit level.

2 pictures of babies in car seats. Picture on the left shows baby incorrectly harnessed with harness loose and chest clips too low. Picture on the right shows baby correctly harnessed.

Continue reading →

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That moment when we found out it was twins

Posted on March 30, 2017 by

A closeup shot of the feet of twin girl babies. Shot in the studio on a sheepskin rug.

You know that laugh? The laugh you get in situations that aren’t funny.  It’s a hysterical sort of inappropriate laugh when you’re nervous?  The laugh you just can’t control?  That’s what happened during my 18-week ultrasound when we found out I was growing twins! Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Parenting, Pregnancy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A lifetime of benefits for kids in the kitchen

Posted on March 22, 2017 by

I didn’t appreciate being in the kitchen until I was married.  I’m the baby, the third of three girls and was often tasked with well… let’s call them “less complex” jobs.  Honestly, my mom had more willing and capable help when it came to working in the kitchen. Truthfully, I was a bit impatient and guilty of snacking on carefully measured ingredients like the chocolate chips!

Once I got married, it struck me that knowing how to cook more than grilled cheese might be helpful. When my first baby arrived, a dose of domestic panic hit me and in a blurry eyed state I signed up for a cooking course!  Although I didn’t graduate as a professional chef, I gained some needed confidence in the kitchen. Continue reading →

Posted in Parenting, preschoolers, reading, School-aged Children, Teens | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

3 “weird but true” things about newborns

Posted on March 8, 2017 by

You drove 30 km/hr home from the hospital and discovered a new world of crazy drivers…

You survived night 2 and 3 with a fussy newborn and seriously engorged breasts…

You’ve spent countless hours staring at your sweet baby in awe of the perfection…

You’ve been awake around the clock caring for your baby…

AND

You wouldn’t change a thing.

But now this crazy schedule has become your new norm and the questions are piling up.  No IKEA instructions with this little gem.  Ahhh, what to do?  Really, it’s going to be OK, take a deep breath we’ve got you covered!  Seriously, write down those middle of the night questions and get a hold of us here at HaltonParents (call, e-mail, or join us on twitter or facebook). Continue reading →

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“Mama needs a drink!” Is it time to rethink our drinking?

Posted on February 22, 2017 by

The Rethink Your Drinking campaign has me thinking. Thinking about standard drink sizes, the long and short term health effects of alcohol use and when zero alcohol is the limit. It also has me thinking about my kids.

When I reflect on alcohol use and parenting; I like to think I have it covered. I’ve had the talk; no drinking and driving, no drinking until legal age, I have a “call us, no questions asked” policy. Check, check, check.

But wait, there is so much more to consider.

happy cute brunette girl with a cup full of wine by matias delcarmine

My husband arrived home from a weekend across the border with candy for the kids and a bottle of rye for me. A bottle big enough to carry me and 20 friends through until his next year’s weekend away. I jokingly hugged it; which is what I generally do when I am given a gift (okay I will also rub it on my cheek, but I’m sure I didn’t do that this time).  Now, fast forward one month. We are at a shopping mall and there is a giant billboard with said bottle clearly displayed… cue my 5 year old (hollering from several feet away) “Hey, Mommy, look! It’s your favourite present!” Gulp. Floor. Swallow. Me. Up. NOW.

How many times have I joked with little ones nearby “Mama needs a drink”? How about the cooler for a day at a backyard picnic; filled to the brim with juice boxes nestled in next to “mommy’s cider” and ‘daddy’s beer”? Continue reading →

Posted in Mental Health, Parenting, Physical Health, Pregnancy, Preschool, Safety, stress, Teens, Tweens | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment