Travel can seem overwhelming for Alberta families that have children with Autism. As awareness increases, there are more and more resources that can help you plan a wonderful vacation. As a Certified Autism Travel Planner, I will help you find these incredible resources and work with you to plan a trip perfectly suited to the needs of your family.
By Corinna Meckelborg, Friendly Pantry Consulting Inc.
Maybe you have a friend who has a child with food allergies, or maybe you’ve just heard that 1 in 13 kids have food allergies (that’s about 2 for every classroom!). Whatever it is, you’re reading this post which means you want to support the food allergy parents in your life, and I want you to know how grateful we are that you’re here!
Food allergy moms don’t expect people to make adjustments, but when you have a child with a life-threatening allergy to something most people take for granted, we are forever grateful.
SkirtsAfire Festival in Edmonton is self-described as “diverse, inclusive and daring”, guaranteeing there’s something for everyone at their 10th anniversary festival, running March 3-13 in Old Strathcona. With the ever-changing pandemic climate we’re all navigating, there is one thing for certain – SkirtsAfire will offer 10 days of engaging and entertaining performances and experiences!
We have taken in their MainStage Productions since 2017 as well as Opening Night Parties, and of course, the fantastic SkirtsAfire Skirt Design Competition. Featuring the work of women and non-binary folks in the arts in Edmonton – MARCH 3-13, 2022. Check out SkirtsAfire, experiencing theatre, visual art, design, music, comedy, and more.
Do you feel like it’s the same old thing every year? Quickly after the beauty of fall fades, the next season creeps in. A season that makes even some of the world’s most resilient animals say… yeah, no, gonna sleep through this one.
I’m talking about winter.
Winter makes us feel the need to bury ourselves under every blanket in the house, turn on the fireplace, and debate whether letting our kids watch TV for the next 5 months straight is reasonable. Anyone with me? I haven’t always been the biggest fan of winter and my fiance is even less impressed with this particular season.
Unfortunately (but also, fortunately), our 5-year-old child tends to set the stage for our daily activities, so… OUTSIDE WE GO! He has truly helped warm my relationship with winter. Greatly. I’ve come to actually love it! So I’m going to spend the next little while trying to convince you, while winter isn’t the easiest season to tolerate, it can be one of the most fun! Believe me?
Safety first!
First, let’s quickly touch on safety. Safety in the outdoors is always important, but I would say it’s the most critical in the winter with all the ice, snow, and darkness (I know… I’m selling it. Please keep reading!). I’ll keep it short. I strongly suggest you check the forecast and overpack with many layers and backups if you’re heading out. If your kiddo is typically unimpressed with the cold weather, bringing hand and foot warmers can help keep them toasty and you happy!
Even though we’re eight months into dealing with a global pandemic, we’re still navigating many firsts and that includes Halloween. A few weeks ago, Dr. Hinshaw announced that Halloween is not cancelled but we still have to do our part to ensure a safe experience for all.
First things first, regardless of your current Halloween plans if you are isolating or feeling sick stay home, and do not hand out candy!
The great thing about face masks is that there are many different styles available that can complement or even be the focus of your Halloween costume. From plain colours, fun prints, skeletons to animals, monsters to unicorns and more, the options are endless.
Regardless of if your costume incorporates a mask or not when social distancing is not possible your costume should allow for a mask to be worn safely and comfortably if needed.
This year we’ll be packing some quick snacks and of course hand sanitizer!
Generally, when we’re out trick or treating I’ll sneak myself and the kids a mini chocolate bar or two… but this year will look a lot different. To avoid the inevitable hangry, pack a granola bar or something equally easily accessible.
While it’s suggested that you avoid ringing doorbells and touching hard surfaces if it does happen the hand sanitizer will come in clutch.
And of course, once you get home before you dig into your candy, you’ll either need to disinfect it right away or leave it sitting for a few days…Who am I kidding? Go buy some Clorox wipes now.
If you’re skipping the trick or treating this year but still want to celebrate at home, there are still some great ways to celebrate Halloween which include:
Worried about having too much but still want your favourites? Visit the bulk areas of your local grocery or bulk barn to grab smaller amounts. This way you can still enjoy your favourites but won’t overindulge.
It’s suggested that anyone handing out candy should do so while maintaining social distancing. If this is not an option, wearing a mask is a must!
This is also the year to get extra creative! Pre-packaging your candy a few days ahead of time, placing the candy on an outdoor table or another area that they can easily be grabbed from, using long salad tongs, and even the growing popular Candy Chute DIY are all great options.
Whatever you decide, the guidelines from the Alberta Government strongly discourages leaving out bulk bowls of candy for anyone to grab from.
Do you have other tips for celebrating Halloween safely this year? Leave a comment below so we can add it to our blog post!
World Mental Health Day is this weekend and as parents with children who have a mental health illness will know, finding adequate treatment is virtually impossible.
By Ashley Anjlien Kumar, The Confidence Coach
In Part 1 of this 3-part series, I described some of the behaviours a child might exhibit if they have perfectionist tendencies. To refresh your memory, check out the post here. Not only will this help a child with perfectionism, but it can prevent it from developing in the first place.
Sounds counter-intuitive doesn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to prevent our kids from making mistakes? As kids we were always cautioned against making mistakes, right? So why do I want to celebrate my kids mistakes?
I hear kids all the time, especially in a dance class or sports, “I hope I don’t make a mistake” or “I hope I don’t get it wrong.” They hope they don’t make a mistake because they view the mistake as a diminishment of who they are. That somehow, they aren’t good enough. Many kids, by age 5 or 6 years old, are already determining their self-worth by their mistakes.
In my family, similar to many conservative traditional families, making mistakes was not okay. You did not make mistakes. Mistakes meant punishments.
Negativity and fear seem to be a daily fixture in society right now.
I know I have had many sleepless nights and tumultuous days worrying about everything that is beyond my control. In order to maintain sanity I have chosen to focus on what we still have, and some positive changes amongst all of this crazy Covid-19 chaos. Last night as my husband and I curled up with our glass of wine to watch the last episode of Tiger King, it dawned on me that this was the first Netflix series we had been able to watch in its entirety since the birth of our first daughter seven years ago! We have a million series we want to watch, but never the time to sit down and binge. This hiatus has allowed us the gift of trashy television viewing without guilt! So here are a few more silver linings I’ve been able to identify amongst one of the larger storm clouds of our lives.
For reasons unbeknownst to everyone, including myself, I have saved much of my childrens’ hole-y, ripped and slightly stained clothing. This is perfect, because now we can save our nicer and more socially acceptable wardrobes for the return to normalcy. As for now, its shredded leggings and mismatched socks all the way!
