HaltonParents

Grandparenting during COVID….

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Halton Guest Blogger

Mother and daughter visiting grandparents in window during a COVID-19 pandemic

As I wake up to another beautiful spring day, I am filled with joy. Birds are singing; the flowers are blooming; and I have time to enjoy a cup of Chai tea before heading to work. Yellow daffodil flowers in the ground

And yet…and yet. I hear the birds clearly, because my neighbourhood is now quiet. I keep checking on my daffodils through the window, because I no longer travel 30 kilometres to work….instead I walk a few steps to my new office in my home. And if I’m not careful, that cup of tea will be followed by another and another as I adjust to my new routine and try not to think about COVID-19.

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Teen, Parenting, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler | Tagged grandparents COVID-19 hope | 6 Comments

5 great ways to enjoy winter with the family!

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Tamara Kraszewski, RN

I remember getting my kids bundled up for winter outdoor activities. What a process! First figuring out what activity to do and then telling myself – maybe more than my kids, that going out into the cold weather would be fun. Then getting them ready to go outside by putting on snow pants, boots, coats, hats, scarves and mitts, while they squirmed and said that they were hot. By the time we were done, I’d already had a workout and needed to rest!

Little boys sliding on sled in winter with helmets

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Posted in 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 | Tagged family time, games, Sports, winter activities | Leave a comment

Do I really need to start talking to my tweens about vaping?

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Heather Van Laare RN

Last updated: December 12, 2024

I feel like I’m in a golden age of parenting. My kids are in their tween years (defined as being between the ages of 8 to 12 years). The exhausting days of early parenting are far behind me. My kids are doing more things on their own and often surprise me by what they can do. Yet they still need me and I have lots of input into their decisions. Sure, their brains are still developing which makes for regular emotional outbursts leaving me to wonder at times, who are these children? But for the most part, I love it!

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Posted in Children & Tweens, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Keeping Your Child/Tween Safe, Parenting, Parenting Your Child/Tween | Tagged vaping substance use risky behaviour children tweens | Leave a comment

Edible Cannabis: how to protect your kids from unintentional poisoning

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Tamara Kraszewski, RN

I’ll never forget the feeling of panic when I saw my 3 year-old holding a bottle of household cleaner. I left a cupboard door unlocked in the bathroom as I went to answer my phone. Fortunately, he only looked at it. At that time, edible cannabis was not on my list of potential safety concerns. If I were to have a young child now, that list would be different.

In Canada, the number of young children hospitalized after the ingestion of cannabis has increased since cannabis legislation. Between September and December 2018, sixteen cases of severe reactions were reported to the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program.

Girl's Hand Reaching For Cupcake On Kitchen Counter

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Posted in Babies, Children & Tweens, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Healthy Eating for Toddlers & Preschoolers, Healthy Eating for Your Child/Tween, Keeping Your Baby Safe, Keeping Your Child/Tween Safe, Parenting, Parenting Your Baby, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Play, Growth & Development, Play, Growth & Development for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged cannabis, cannabis edibles, edibles, infants, preschoolers, Safety, toddlers | 17 Comments

Supporting breastfeeding in public

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Halton Guest Blogger

On August 1 to 7, let’s celebrate World Breastfeeding Week!

Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed a child with major health benefits for parents and babies. Parents have the right to breastfeed anywhere, anytime – a right protected by the Human Rights Code in Ontario. However, we still have some work to do to help parents feel comfortable breastfeeding in public places. Continue reading →