HaltonParents

Every child should be proud to smile

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Halton Guest Blogger

I met 3 year old Daniel* at a Halton Region dental screening clinic. He was very shy and would not smile. He had big dark brown eyes, but would only look up when asked. Then he quickly looked down at the floor again. His mom had brought him to the clinic because she was concerned about his teeth, but could not afford to take him to the dentist. She mentioned that at day care he would not join in on group activities and hardly smiled. She said he didn’t talk much, although he can speak clearly when he needs to. Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Children & Tweens, Keeping Your Baby Safe, Keeping Your Child/Tween Safe, Keeping Your Teen Safe, Keeping Your Toddler & Preschooler Safe, Parenting, Parenting Your Baby, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Teen, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Teens, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged baby, baby teeth, cavities, child, children, dental coverage, dental health, dentist, early childhood tooth decay, oral health, Physical Health, school, school health, Services, teeth | Leave a comment

A Child’s Garden

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Halton Guest Blogger

Did you ever notice when children are outdoors they seem to be interested, happy and comfortable? Gardening with your child can be a very rewarding experience for both of you. Continue reading →

Posted in Children & Tweens, Healthy Eating for Toddlers & Preschoolers, Healthy Eating for Your Child/Tween, Parenting, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged activities, child, family, family garden, garden, gardening, involvement, nutrition, outside, parents, school, vegetable garden | 2 Comments

Celebrating Clean Air Day – With Barn Owls!

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Halton Guest Blogger

In celebration of Clean Air Day last Wednesday, June 8, Halton Region launched A Farewell to Featherwagons with a public reading by Jeanne Wilson, a teacher at Sedgewick Crescent Child Care Centre in Oakville. Jeanne read the story to a group of enthusiastic five and six-year olds, who each received their own autographed copy.

Written by Halton Region Environmental Health Specialist Beckie Jas and illustrated by freelance artist Brandon Koepke, (who both attended the launch), the story is about Biff, a Barn Owl who loves to go to the Great Lake with his brother Tyto and sister Alba-Alba. When their efforts to get there are spoiled by traffic, bad air, and bad storms, the owls begin to think about how their “featherwagon” contributes to air pollution and climate change. They quickly discover a better way to get to the Lake—using their wings to fly. Continue reading →

Posted in Children & Tweens, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged a farewell to featherwagons, air pollution, air quality, child, climate change, education, environment, family, Physical Health, school | 1 Comment

Dear 16-year old me…let’s be safe in the sun!

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Halton Guest Blogger

Dear sixteen year old me, who knew that melanoma is a young people’s disease and like the elephant, our skin never forgets. Dear sixteen year old me, I never told you that that our days of sunning by the backyard pool would lead to you getting melanoma and countless nights of worry. Dear sixteen year old me, I didn’t know back then that sun burns we got during our childhood years increased our chances of developing skin cancer later in life. Dear sixteen year old me, if I could have shared one piece of advice I would have told you to have Safe Fun in the Sun and protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays. Knowledge is power and prevention is the key.

Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Children & Tweens, Keeping Your Baby Safe, Keeping Your Child/Tween Safe, Keeping Your Teen Safe, Keeping Your Toddler & Preschooler Safe, Parenting, Parenting Your Baby, Parenting Your Child/Tween, Parenting Your Teen, Parenting Your Toddler & Preschooler, Teens, Toddlers & Preschoolers | Tagged babies, children, dear 16 year old me, melanoma, Physical Health, safe fun in the sun, school health, skin, skin cancer, sun, sunblock, sunburn, sunscreen, tan, tanning, teens | 1 Comment

Moving your child to a seatbelt… what’s the rush?

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Halton Guest Blogger

As a car seat technician, I meet many parents who are eager to move their child to the next stage. “When can I turn my child forward-facing?” “When can my child go into a booster seat?” “When can my child use a seat belt only?” As a parent myself, I get it that parents like to plan ahead, but it only takes a reminder that the car seats for each stage are made to best protect children according to their body size and strength to get the head nod that they understand. But do we really understand?

You may be surprised to know that in Ontario, where booster seats have been law since 2005, only 34% of children 5-9 years old are using a car seat or booster seat. Because of this, many experts believe that children aged 5-9 years old are now the most vulnerable people riding in a car! Continue reading →