HaltonParents

Preparing for a New Sibling

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Andrea Scott RN

My second baby is due very soon and I’ve got a lot on my mind. I’m not so worried about loving the baby as much as my first – everyone has reassured me that the heart just grows to expand, and I can’t wait to fall in love all over again. What I am worried about is getting Pumpkin prepared and how she is going to handle this huge change in her life. She seems excited for the baby and points to my belly and says “my baby brother!” But how on earth could a two year old ever, really truly be prepared for the changes a baby brings?! (How many fully grown adults are truly prepared?!) Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Parenting, Parenting Your Baby, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Play, Growth & Development, Pregnancy, Preparing to Breastfeed, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged adjustment, baby, big brother, big sister, new baby, prepare, sibling, transition | 1 Comment

Frozen, fears and my morning coffee

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Paula D'Orazio

“Mommy, why is fear Elsa’s enemy? What’s she scared of?”

Pretty loaded question for a bleary-eyed Sunday morning, before the first coffee of the day, watching Frozen for the umpteenth time. I can recite the movie. Every word. Every song. It has infiltrated my brain. Every time someone says “Woo-hoo” or anything close to it, the words “big summer blow out” slice through my mind. Olaf the snowman shows up in my dreams. We don’t watch much TV in my house, but when we do, there’s a fair chance it’ll involve at least a portion of our favourite flick.

Continue reading →

Posted in Children & Tweens, Emotional Well-Being & Mental Health for Your Child/Tween, Parenting, Parenting Your Child/Tween | Tagged Children and fears, Elsa fears, Frozen, Frozen movie, Frozen movie lessons, Teachable moments from Frozen movie, What I learned from Frozen | Leave a comment

What immunizations are needed to attend school? It’s changing. Be in the know!

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Cynthia Lindsay RN

Even though speaking of vaccinations can stir a wide variety of talk, it really is simple: Vaccines prevent illnesses & the majority of parents do vaccinate their children. Well changes are coming… and if you’re like me you want to be an informed parent. What changes you ask? Well the ministry of education has made changes to WHAT vaccines will be required for your child to enter or attend school. So what do you need to know? Starting in September 2014 you will need to provide proof of immunization against meningococcal disease, chicken pox and whooping cough. This is in addition to the existing requirements against many other diseases. The main changes are:

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Posted in Children & Tweens, Keeping Your Child/Tween Safe, Keeping Your Toddler & Preschooler Safe, Parenting, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged amy purdy, changes, chicken pox, immunization, meningitis, Mental Health, needle, pertussis, Physical Health, school, school act, school act immunization, school health, Services, vaccine, vaccine preventable disease, varicella | 5 Comments

Talk to me – I’m just like you

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Paula D'Orazio

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
― Leo Buscaglia

In support of Canadian Mental Health Week and Children’s Mental Health Week, I wrote a poem with some folks in mind who mean the world to me. Perhaps this reminds you of someone you know…your own child, family member, friend or neighbour. Or maybe it’s someone else – someone you could know if you took a good look around. Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Children & Tweens, Depression & Anxiety After Birth, Depression & Anxiety During Pregnancy, 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, Pregnancy, Teens, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged Children's Mental Health, children's mental health poem, emotional health, emotional wellbeing, kindness, Mental Health, mental health poem, mental health stigma, mental health week, school health, special needs | 2 Comments

Party! Party! Paarttyyyy! Help I’ve got teens!

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Cynthia Lindsay RN

O.k. We all remember being a teenager and the quest for independence. But NOW we are on the other side of the coin. WE are the parents… (Deep breath… in & out). Now I can so relate to my own parents and what they went through! I chuckle in retrospect…

So YOUR teen wants to go to a party. “No”, “uh-uh”, “Never”! I am keeping my teens under MY watchful eye until they are full grown! …(As I shake my head from my moment of delusional daydreaming.) But seriously, I know too much! I work in public health and I know about THE TEEN BRAIN. The rational part of the brain is the last to develop… teens are often lead by their emotional thrill seeking brain. Oh boy! Help me!