It’s that time again. That amazing experience every couple of years when we long to see our flag hoisted to the rafters of some far-away arena and when our eyes fill with tears at the opening bars of O Canada ringing out for the world to hear. Ahhh…the Olympics. When we’re all as Canadian as maple syrup and as proud as peacocks when our peeps bring home the hardware.
This post is the first in our Year of the Family 2014 series, a celebration of families.
It was really my husband who came up with the idea to grow our family through adoption. There were so many little people waiting for a forever family that it simply made sense. After exploring adoption within Ontario, Canada and internationally, we set our eyes on an international adoption. Having no children at the time, I worried about the connection to an adopted child. Would I feel a strong bond to her and would she feel connected to me, even if we were not biologically related?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnkOl8iSY1k Continue reading
I often wonder with infant vaccinations, is it harder on the parent or on the baby? Do you find yourself getting so worked up, even stressed out for your baby’s vaccinations? No one likes the idea of inflicting pain on their small, helpless baby. But there’s good news: research has shown there really are ways to make vaccinations much less painful and even pain-free for babies.
Here’s how: Continue reading
So, tell me if this sounds familiar. As a working mom, I only get to spend a few hours with my kids each weekday and most of that time is consumed with homework, supper, baths, bedtime and dealing with the crisis du jour. It’s busy and stressful and sometimes it feels like every new day is a repeat of the last. Sounds pretty hectic, huh? But there is that special family time – that precious pocket of talking, playing, reading, snuggling and reconnecting time; it is golden and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Aside from the wonderful, warm and loving aspect of our snuggle time, until recently I’d never really viewed our evening togetherness (to be honest, we’ve never actually labelled it – we don’t tend to roll that way) as a literacy promoter. As luck would have it though, it is! BONUS! And, as it turns out, there are lots of other little things in my family’s daily life that (either inadvertently or purposely) promote literacy. Awesome!
The concrete stuff that parents can do to promote literacy in their family life (like reading, per se) is pretty well documented and readily available online, in schools and child care centres and at local libraries and EarlyON Child and Family Centres all over the place.
What don’t tend to be so obvious are the little things we can just naturally do in our own homes that also meet the same ends. Having crayons, markers and paper out and visible, making up, acting out and telling stories, singing, reading and just plain chatting and PLAYING together – all the little stuff we do goes a long way in building those young brain pathways!
Anyway, I know there isn’t gonna be a parenting awards ceremony any time soon to give us all the kudos we rightly deserve for all the great stuff we do with our kids. But, we can at least smile and take a little comfort or even give ourselves a wee pat on the back for the simple things; the natural things that we just do that are preparing our kids for lifelong learning. Here’s to early literacy!
Here are some books you can enjoy together while you snuggle up and read:
What little things does your family do that promote literacy?
About this blogger:
Paula D’Orazio RN is a public health nurse with the Early Years Health Program at the Halton Region Health Department. Wanna know more about her? Read her blogs! She’ll tell ya! (She kinda likes to talk.)
Here we go again. Another high-profile drug and alcohol scandal…however this time it’s not Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (not today anyway!). It’s our beloved young-hip-hop-totally-cool-locally-grown… Justin Bieber. The Biebs has got himself into some real trouble.
You may be dumbfounded by Justin’s downward spiral over the past year. It may be hard because you actually felt like you knew Justin. His posters may have been plastered all over your daughter’s walls OR your son may have been imitating his moves. Either way… a role model your kids admire has been arrested. Continue reading
Andrea Scott RN
Carolyn Wilkie, RN
Cynthia Lindsay RN
Halton guest blogger
HaltonRegion
Dr. Hamidah Meghani
Karen Hay, RN
Tamara Kraszewski, RN
Maureen Harris, RN
Nicole O'Donnell, RN
Sarah Flynn RN
Tanya Melykuty, RN, MSW
Heather Van Laare RN
HaltonParents 