Let’s be honest: Parenting under optimal conditions is challenging. And the last year has been anything but, thanks to COVID-19. I’ve been pushed beyond what I thought were my limits countless times, only to be pushed further and further as COVID-19 drags on. I’m tired and I’m struggling.
Continue reading “Parenting during the pandemic”
Originally published in mom and caregiver magazine, December 2019
It’s been said that play is the work of childhood. (The quote is so prolific, it’s hard to even trace its origins online – Was it Jean Piaget? Maria Montessori? Fred Rogers?) Children throughout time and across cultures engage in play. Play is the primary way that children learn, engage with those around them and come to understand their world.
Continue reading “The Value of Play”
Originally published in mom and caregiver magazine, October 2019
In June 2019, the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) updated its guidelines for screen time use in school-aged children and youth, noting that three-quarters of Canadians are concerned about their children’s media use.i While the CPS continues to recommend limiting screen time for children under the age of fiveii , its updated guidelines for older children present a shift from looking strictly at the amount, to a more qualitative, individual approach to setting limits. This is an important shift, as technology, screens and media use become more and more ingrained into our daily way of life.
Continue reading “The Screen Time Dilemma”