March marks World Meteorologist Day, and I would like to ask a Meteorologist, “Should I be concerned about the changes in weather as foreshadowing natural disasters here in Canada in the future for ourselves and our children?” What is really happening to our ‘normal’ Canadian weather and does the forecast look bleaker in the coming years? Or, more importantly, is the weather really changing, or does it just appear that way according to the media?
Things to Consider When Adopting a Family Pooch
March 23rd marks National Puppy Day. As you probably know, there are millions of unwanted puppies that sit alone in the shelter each and every day, just waiting, and waiting some more, to be adopted into a forever home – and to have a forever family.
Is that forever family your family? Are you considering a new and adopted doggie for your home? If so, you are among the four in ten (37%) Canadians who have adopted from an animal shelter in the past.
It is truly admirable that your family wants to make a difference in the lives of orphaned pets, as there are millions of homeless animals in Canada longing for a forever home. However, adopting a pet is a big decision to make, and I encourage you to consider a few things when adopting a puppy for your family.
Red Velvet Pancakes for Your Special Valentine
Since we celebrate Valentine’s Day (of which I recently heard someone call “Single’s Awareness Day”!) on February 14th and Pancake Day on February 17th this year, I thought it would seem logical to have a recipe that is relative to both of these commemorations.
Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day both have their roots in demonstrations of love, and the idea that we must show another the love that is in our hearts. So, this recipe is well suited.
These red velvet pancakes are surprisingly simple, super festive, and I have added a special ingredient which makes them extraordinarily fluffy!
Looking for Fun Activities in the Guelph Region this Family Day?
Nothing in the world could make human life happier than to greatly increase the number of strong families.
~ David R. Mace
Family Day celebrates the importance of families. Why not make this Family Day count? Here are a few activities, intended to strengthen the family bond, in the Guelph Area.
Lana Kelly, Editor momstown Guelph
Focusing Too Much on Your Child’s Weight Can Be Harmful
Everywhere we turn, there are commercials, poster ads, and social media images which shame us, as parents, into believing that we are solely to blame for the fact that our child is overweight. It can even start as early as birth, when you have that first ‘well-baby check-up’, only to be advised that you are feeding your baby too much (on demand, imagine that!) and that he or she is above the average weight percentile. And, when our child gets older, we are constantly comparing him to his thin peers, and wondering where we went wrong, since he does not seem ‘a-typical’. In a sense, we are being brain- washed by the societal demands placed upon us as parents. We are conned into thinking that just because our child does not fit the ‘norm’, he is going to be ostracized because of it, and we tend to develop extremist attitudes that force us to do anything in our power to prevent the bullying that he will, no doubt endure, because of his ‘abnormal’ bodily appearance. Studies show, however, that focusing too much on our child’s weight can be harmful to their health – both physically and emotionally.
Lana Kelly
Editor, momstown Guelph
Marriage: Is Yours Happy or Pleasurable?
Is it just me, or every time you turn a corner do you hear of a married couple, famous or not, announcing that they have decided to go their separate ways? It seems that the number one reason is that one, or both of the people involved are saying, “I am just not happy anymore.” Reasons for the rise in the divorce rate, are not entirely clear, but, it would seem that the factors suggest that an increased divorce rate may be an indication that expectations about the quality of marriage have risen, and that many people prefer a divorce to an unhappy marriage. (statistical reference below) There’s that word again with ‘un’ at the beginning. Let’s suggest that we take a closer look at the word ‘happiness’, and see why we, as married couples of today’s society, find it difficult to find pleasure and contentment in our marriages.
Lana Kelly
Editor, momstown Guelph
Am I Trying to Buy My Child’s Love?
If you’re a parent, you have been there. The little, scratchy fingers that tug at your coat, the whining, the crying, and sometimes, the all-out temper tantrum while you try to calm your child, and gently explain that he or she cannot have this toy that they sooooooooooo desperately desire. You feel like hiding behind the toy shelves, and pretending that your child (or is it your child?) belongs to someone else. You wonder if you (or other family members who lavishly spoil your child) have done something wrong. How did your child come to expect or feel he deserves these expensive items? How did you manage to spoil him to this extent, and not notice that you were turning him into an aggressive monster who punched and kicked and screamed when he didn’t get something he wanted? How did this happen?
Lana Kelly,
Editor, momstown Guelph
Preventing Prejudice in our Children
We live in a highly diverse population of people, and, as much as we would like to ignore the fact that biases still exist in our society, we can’t. As parents, we have a necessary and challenging role to play in our children’s lives, as a teacher who models appropriate strategies when faced with situations of discrimination or prejudice. As an Early Childhood Educator, I have been taught the anti-bias approach for the education of young children. You see, although multicultural education has been a focus in our classrooms for over a decade, the idea of diversity (including all prejudices, such as issues of racism and sexism, ageism, et cetera) is becoming more complex, and needs to be taught to young children as a basis for an anti-bias value system. Did you know that preventing prejudice in your young child, and in our future generation actually begins with you? No pressure there, right? Wrong! You can have a hand in creating the possibility of a gradually emerging anti-bias society – a society in which all people, regardless of race, culture, ability, gender, are accepted, valued, respected, and included. This Black History Month, I encourage you to accept the challenge of preventing prejudice in your own children, and paving the way to an inclusive society.
Lana Kelly
Editor, momstown Belleville
momstown Hosts Sleep Themed Baby Basics in partnership with Walmart
Let’s face it. As a new mom, you feel overwhelmed. Your once peaceful world is now filled with anxiety, chaos, dirty diapers, feeding on demand, and the big one – sleepless nights. These sleepless nights take a wear and tear on our bodies (especially on our faces!) and are accompanied by suitcases ( a step up from ‘bags’) under the eyes. The old cliché still stands: We need our ‘beauty sleep’ to truly be at our best. This is why our momstown pass holders and new moms all over the Guelph area would not have wanted to miss the Walmart ‘ Every Little Step’ Sleep-themed Session!
Host a Kids’ Mini Pizza Party: Real and Alphabet-Play-Style
There might be no food that kids love more than pizza. But there is a way to make it a little more fun: Let each of your children make his own mini pizza. Momstown, in Guelph, hosted, what looked like, its’ very own pizza party during their Alphabet Play Program last week. The children learned about all of the alphabet sounds, while making a craft depicting a real pizza with pepperoni-type letters. This is a craft that parents can easily do at home, in order to teach letter sounds in a fun way, by making something that all children love. PIZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAA! The mere word makes my stomach growl and my mouth water! The facilitator was able to see which toppings were most popular (it looks like pepperoni won out!). This Alphabet Play reminded me of the fun we had at home hosting several of our kids’ homemade pizza parties. The idea of learning letter sounds with this pizza-type alphabet craft, plus, making a child’s own mini pizza would, I think, be a great way to celebrate a birthday or any celebration, or play-date activity. Read on to find out how you can host your very own Kids’ Mini-Pizza Party (both real and Alphabet Play style!).
Lana Kelly
Editor, momstown Guelph
