HaltonParents

How to talk about disabilities with kids

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Andrea Scott RN

Just before turning one, I lost my hearing and don’t remember being any other way. My life (to me, anyway) is normal. There are plenty of modifications that I need and use. I wear a hearing aid in one ear and am completely deaf in the other. As a student, my teachers wore an FM microphone that transmitted sound directly to my hearing aid, and I now use it for meetings at work. I use closed captioning on my television and at the movie theatres. I often will ask someone to be my ears for me too. My husband is the one who listens for the kids at night when I’m not wearing my hearing aid. 🙂 Continue reading →

Spring into action in Halton!

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Cynthia Lindsay RN

Spring is in the air. The weather is warming, the sun is shining and the crisp breeze gently presses against my face as I take a long, deep breath and feel inspired. Inspired to get outside with the family. But my kids say “we’ve already done that!” or “that’s boring!”. As for me, I’m looking for low budget activities that will keep the family active and entertained. It has become so expensive now that we often have to pay adult prices for our teens.

So my goal was to find something local that doesn’t break the bank and that we can do outside! I’m not originally from Halton, and I was amazed by how many great activities I discovered! Here are my top staycation ideas! Continue reading →

Posted in Children & Tweens, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Teen, Parenting, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Teen, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Play, Growth & Development, Teens, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged active, explore, family, family activity, farmers markets, farms, halton region, Mental Health, physical activity, Physical Health, preschoolers, special needs, things to do, time together, tweens, volunteer, walk | Leave a comment

The Master Negotiator: My three year old

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Andrea Scott RN

When my daughter was three she became a master negotiator.

I was back to work after maternity leave with my son, struggling to adjust to the new routine. I was exhausted and missed my kids. When it was “Mommy’s turn” to put my daughter to bed, I was hopeful to have quality time with my little girl, but I didn’t have the energy to parent after a long day. Continue reading →

Posted in Parenting, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Play, Growth & Development, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged bedtime, bedtime routine, child, negotiate, negotiating, persistent, preschooler, preschoolers, refusing to go to bed, stubborn, toddler | 3 Comments

6 reasons why breastfeeding a toddler is pretty awesome

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Andrea Scott RN

I got all warm and fuzzy inside when I read about Sophie Grégoire Trudeau running late for an interview because she was nursing her two-year-old. I know not everyone gets to have the opportunity to nurse their toddler, but if you do, you know it can be one of the sweetest times of toddler-hood. Breastfeeding a toddler looks different for every mom and tot, and it’s a world of difference from breastfeeding an infant! Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Breastfeeding Your Baby, Breastfeeding Your Child, Parenting, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged benefits, breastfeed, Breastfeeding Your Baby, breastmilk, extended, immunity, nursing, older baby, Physical Health, preschoolers, toddler | 9 Comments

How to teach your child to problem-solve in 5 easy steps!

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Karen Hay, RN

Problem-solving is an essential skill that helps children become more independent, get along with others, succeed in school and be more resilient. And these are just a few of the benefits of being a good problem-solver!

As adults we problem-solve automatically. If you open the fridge door in the morning and discover you are out of milk for breakfast you immediately switch to making eggs or toast. Not much thought involved, you just do it. You don’t necessarily even recognize it as a problem. Continue reading →