Family Matters

A reverse lunch, more recess breaks and no try-outs for school sports. We are taking a look at some of the changes happening in the education system hoping to help improve student performance.  We unpack the reverse lunch that sees students go out for recess before sitting down to eat. Plus, we update a rural Alberta school where they are stretching out recess. The elementary school has four recess breaks in its day. And, is a no-cuts policy at the junior level of a junior high school still happening? We check in and debate team cuts.

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The kids table was invented for a reason, to keep the mess and the bad manners far away from the adults trying to enjoy their meal. But when is it time to stop ignoring bad table behavior? Now, according to Jeannie Vaage. She is the owner of VIP Protocol, an Edmonton company that specializes in etiquette training. She joins us with her dos and don’ts for table manners.  You can find out more about Jeannie by clicking here.

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Born as “Dear Diary” confessionals the mom blog has transformed into lucrative businesses for many Canadian women. Even basic posts with product reviews or sponsorships can earn these content creators $10,000+ a month. Two of Canada’s top mom bloggers Marielle Altenor of Ladymarielle and Joanna Venditti of Nesting Story, offer some insight into their journey and how they are making it work.

And what’s next for the mom blog? Kathryn Jezer-Morton is a PhD candidate at Concordia University and is writing her thesis on mompreneurship. She makes her predictions on the future of the mamasphere plus talks about how the blogs have allowed moms to talk discuss once taboo topics.

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As parents, we are our children’s first model of what a relationship looks like. So what happens when the example is one of abuse? According to domestic violence survivor Chantel Sparklingeyes, the cycle of violence continues. She joins us to talk about her journey and also explains why she wants schools to bring the tough topic into the classroom. We also hear from Farrah Khan, a sexual violence educator and support worker. She believes a robust relationship health education can prevent domestic violence from happening, now and in the future. But what would that curriculum look like? Khan offers her suggestions.

This is episode is part of a special Global News series Broken: Canada’s ongoing failure to end violence against woman.  Reporter Meghan Collie is part of a team of journalists working on it. She took a look at what kids in Canada are taught in sex education and joins us to look at how it varies between provinces.  

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Less toys, more joy. That’s the case parenting author Kim John Payne is making this holiday season. He is behind Simplicity Parenting and believes if you want to raise children who are more grateful and less entitled, then surround them with less stuff. His pitch is supported by years of research showing fewer toys lead to more play in young children. Payne joins us to share some alternatives to presents and advice for getting the extended family on board. We are also looking for ways to tackle our current toy count. Organizational coach Sarah Renner shares her de-cluttering tips. Renner is a consultant with Organized with Kids.

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After shelling out hundreds of dollars in extracurricular activities, the last thing you want to hear from your child mid-season is “I quit”. Many of us will forge ahead often negotiating, bribing or even forcing our little athlete to finish. But is that the right answer? And at what point should we let them pull the plug?  Katherine Tamminen is a sports psychology researcher at the University of Toronto and has been tracking youth experiences in sport. She joins us to offer some scenarios and advice parents can try-out in their own home.

Plus – we’ve been told our kids need to play more than one sport so why are parents still struggling to make the multi-sport athlete a reality? We hear form Richard Monette. He’s the head of Active for Live and behind the new campaign “Change it Up”. To find out more about it, click here.

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You know when a soother or baby toy falls on the ground and parents joke about the five-second rule, “Well it’s good for them! It will build their immune system!” On this episode, we are wondering if there is truth to that? Is it healthy for babies, toddlers and young kids to ingest dirt and germs to build up their immune system, or can it be harmful? We turn to expert known as the “Germ Guy”, Jason Tetro. He is a microbiologist, research, educator and host of the Super Awesome Science Show. To find out more about Jason or to subscribe to his podcast click here.

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Canada will ban harmful single-use plastics as early as 2021 in a bid to reduce ocean waste. Some families aren't waiting until then. Edmonton mom Christine Hutchinson has reduced plastic use in her home by 60 per cent. How? She takes her own containers to the meat counter, picks produce that isn’t in plastic and the plastic she does buy must be re-used multiple times. You can find out more about Christie’s journey by following her on Instagram by clicking here.  We also hear from Allyson Shaw. She’s the associate editor and digital producer at National Geographic Kids and offers up some REAL LIFE ways we can do our part cutting down on the non-recyclable/non-biodegradable product polluting the planet.

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No mistakes. Embrace failure as a way to learn. Love the struggle. It’s all part of a growth mindset: the idea that talent is a starting point and abilities can improve dramatically with hard work, persistence and determination. Renee Jain is the founder of GoZen!, a resilience program for children. She joins us to talk about adopting this mindset and how we can practice it with our own children to help set them up for success.

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These days, the word "friend" is often associated with someone who "likes" your social media posts and photos. And surprisingly that’s enough for some Canadian girls to define online friends as close friends. Girl Guides of Canada recently took a look at the state of friendships, surveying more than 1,000 girls who confessed they had more friends online than in real life. We look at the numbers. We also have some advice from educator and research Linda Stade who talks about the role parents play in fostering friendships. You can find out more about Linda by clicking here.

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