September brings a flurry of activity for parents in getting children ready for new beginnings: a daycare, school, teacher, and sometimes a change in work activities for parents. You can feel parents collectively holding their breath while waiting to see if the new relationship ‘takes’ between their child and their new caretaker or teacher. What can we do as parents to help our children get ready for the change? There are three things that are helpful for bridging these new beginnings and are based on developmental and attachment science.
Summertime! The park! The beach! The campground! Uh oh! The bee sting! The sunburn! The knee scrape! Summer brings lots of outdoor fun but also the possibility of outdoor injuries. No need to keep the kids inside, just follow these environmentally-friendly tips. Recommended products are available at Whole Foods Market.
We know your daughter is the next Emily Carr and your son is the next Picasso! Well even if they’re not, the art your child makes is still pretty spectacular and, most importantly, very special to you and to your little artist. Encouraging creativity gives children skills that go beyond art. Creative minds are the ones that can think outside the box and come up with the great new ideas that lead the world’s constant development. Now there’s a company, Art Cards by Kids, that creates individualized sets of greeting cards out of your child’s artwork, a great way to encourage that artist, build their confidence, share their vision and preserve their art for years to come.
Yields 4 servings.
Ingredients:
2 cups fettuccine noodles
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
½ cup sliced onions
½ cup chopped green bell peppers
½ cup chopped red bell peppers
1 ½ cups sliced button mushrooms
1 ½ cups quarter chopped artichoke hearts (canned)
¼ cup white wine
2 cups raw spinach
1 ½ cups Stock Up Vegetable Stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 fresh chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil
It’s time for back-to-school scrambling which usually includes shopping for brand new school supplies. But which school supplies are safe for your kids? Last year, a report was released by Environmental Defense and the US-Based Center for Health, Environment and Justice outlining guidelines for purchasing safe back-to-school products. Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC is found in many common school supplies and other children’s products and is of key concern in the report.
About 2-1/2 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child safety devices on the market today. Childproof your home and your life – it’s worth it.
As summer slips into crisp and busy autumn, we have always been taught to switch gears. When we were in school, this time of year meant new outfits and funky pencil cases. Time to learn. Time to re-aquaint with the friends who were at the cottage all summer. And then you got older. Don’t you remember pouring over the thickest Vogue of the year to master that year’s trends? Tweed? Chocolate brown?
Dairy Queen birthday parties are so 80s! A clown or magician? So last century! Bouncy castles? Well that’s just 2000-‘n-late! A birthday party at the Telus World of Science is timeless and will be a guaranteed highlight in your child’s memories. You and your child will be a hit with all your child’s friends–and their parents–as the children will not only enjoy mountains of fun but will also learn that science is a pretty darn cool thing! Science World, as most Vancouverites call it, excels in creating exciting games out of scientific principles. Just be prepared for when it’s time to leave because the kids will not be happy that it’s time to go!
We know that many of our readers prefer to go the natural route for as many of their birthing processes as possible. Sometimes inducing labour is necessary and is often conducted with the aid of drugs. But there is a simple, drug-free alternative when inducing labour is necessary: “stripping membranes” (also known as “sweeping membranes”). Sounds kind of scary, eh? So what does it entail?
Implantation pain – is it normal? Some women experience some cramping and pain when implantation of the fertilized egg into the lining in the uterine wall occurs (when you are officially pregnant).