Radon: Be aware of the dangers in your home

January has arrived! At this time of year, many of us are motivated to make positive changes for our families, improve our health and get off to a fresh start. In my home, there has been more activity in the kitchen, where we’ve been blending up some serious smoothies! Kale never tasted so good—okay maybe not that good! But today, I want to talk to parents about a health concern that may be silently affecting your family’s health and hiding in your home—in the very air you breathe.

What is radon?

If you haven’t heard about radon before, you’re not alone. Most Canadians are not aware of the dangers posed by this naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon is produced when the uranium found in soil and rocks breaks down.   When radon is released into the air outside, it quickly becomes diluted.   However, in an enclosed indoor space (such as a house), toxic concentrations of radon can build up. This is where the trouble can begin. Continue reading

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Are your kids on social media?

Social media is like a wildfire. Once it catches on, it keeps going and is very difficult to stop. I will admit, it has been a challenge trying to keep up with the technological prowess of my kids, let alone trying to be one step ahead of their social media use! Near impossible.

Right now I’m exploring  Instagram–a popular photo-sharing application. The application is a big hit with preteens and teens (which I find very interesting since most social media sites indicate 13 years old as a minimum age requirement… I digress).  The simple question to my son, “Are you on Instagram?”, changed my thinking about social media forever. He had not purposely kept it from me but by the time I discovered he was using Instagram, he had over 100 followers. Continue reading

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Babywearing a bundle of benefits

My first baby cried frequently. We spent many of our early days cuddling together on the couch. Actually, who am I kidding…it was more like pacing the halls, rocking in the glider until it squeaked, replacing batteries in the vibrating bouncy chair, you get the idea. During a tear-filled phone call with my sister, she suggested that babywearing might be a good solution. The promise of renewed independence and a happier baby was more than appealing.

After the first few weeks,  I started to wear my baby all the time. A funny thing happened: the more I wore him, the happier we were. At the time, I didn’t know about the many benefits of babywearing.   As a new mom, I was simply thrilled that my baby cried less, and my hands were free to get a few things done. Continue reading

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A New Year’s challenge to all parents: Hands-free parenting!

I hereby issue a New Year’s challenge –

“Parents everywhere: Put down your phones!”

Mom and daughter on phones Small

Nobody’s perfect. We all do things that aren’t going to win us any parenting awards. I believe that (and maybe this is my feeble attempt at making myself feel better) very few parents can say that they never, ever attend to their phones while enjoying their kids’ company. If you can honestly say that you turn off the cell when you are with your kids, then “Bravo!” I sincerely aspire to be more like you. In fact, I’ve been trying to be more like you for a while now. Continue reading

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Happy Holiday Wishes to you and your family

Holiday closure

Carolyn, Paula and I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for following HaltonParents. As both parents and public health nurses, we truly enjoy writing our parenting blogs with you in mind. Thank you for sharing all of  your wonderful stories with us in 2014. We look forward to hearing from you again in 2015!

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season and New Year.

Cynthia, Paula & Carolyn

For parenting information or to speak with a Public Health Nurse (every Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) simply dial 311 or 905-825-6000.

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