I have two boys; a 9 year old (DS9) and a six year old (DS6). They are at an age where they have had enough Christmases for our family's traditions to really show themselves.
As we prepare for Christmas this year, I am often asked by one of them if we are going to do certain things that they have come to expect to happen. "Are we going to open a present early (Christmas Eve) this year?" was one DS6 asked when he saw me put some gifts under the tree. "Are we going to put out carrots for the reindeer" DS9 inquired. It got me thinking about all the things we do every year that they will always remember.
Here are the top 10 traditions we follow each year:
1. Opening a gift on Christmas Eve.
The kids each open a gift on Christmas eve that consists of new pajamas and a Christmas story book. They wear the pajamas that night so they will have them on in the photographs the next morning. We read the books before bed.
2. Leave out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.
As a token of thanks to Santa the kids leave him and reindeer some traditional treats. Santa enjoys them :)
3. Watching Christmas movies together each week in December.
We watch different Christmas movies each year together as a family. This year we will introduce the kids to the Home Alone series.
4. Decorating a gingerbread house
The kids and I decorate a gingerbread house together each year. After Christmas the kids enjoy eating it.
5. The kids buy me new ornaments
My husband takes the kids to the Disney Store to pick out a new ornament for me to add to my (huge) collection. What I love about this is they tend to choose what they like best and I have token to remember what they were interested in every year.
6. Go to my dad's house for dinner.
I know this tradition can't last forever, but right now I enjoy it. I love our Christmas traditions there and seeing my family.
7. Getting pictures taken with Santa
I keep all the Santa pictures with the Christmas decorations and put them all up at Christmas time. I enjoy looking back and seeing how much the kids have grown.
8. Baking cookies
What fun is Christmas without some holiday treats? We usually bake 3-4 different kinds of cookies each year. We don't have specific traditional recipes that we use. I just look for interesting recipes online.
9. Watching the TV fireplace channel
When we wake up on Christmas morning we turn on the fireplace channel to watch while we open our gifts.
10. New this year: Mistletoe
When I was a kid I remember my grandmother always hung mistletoe. I saw one by chance in a store the other day and decided to add this as a new tradition at our house. It's only been a few days since I put up and it's already a huge hit with the family.
What are some our your family's Christmas traditions? Share them in the comments.
I was in the passenger seat while my father drove along the 400 Highway. My husband and 6 month old son slept in the back seats. The road was busy that night. I can't remember but most likely it was a Sunday after a long weekend. My father usually drove us home after a family holiday get together.
We were between two tractor trailers when it happened. The truck on the right decided he was switching into our lane right now. I could feel myself unable to breathe. "My son is in this car and we are trapped" was all I could think. There is no where to go.
My father was so calm as he slowed down and laid on the horn allowing himself to fall back behind both trucks. It felt like forever before the truck driver realized what he was doing and returned to his own lane. He was no more than a few inches from my window. I was so shaken up I cried. Perhaps tears of relief. Maybe because I realized how precious my son's life really was. Most likely because of fear because I knew that I didn't know what I would have done. I believed that had I been driving my son would be dead. I decided right then and there that I did not ever want to operate a vehicle with my child inside. Isn't that what everyone always says? "If you can't drive, stay off the road". I planned to steer clear off any and every road. If I didn't get my license then I would never have to drive and be responsible for putting him in danger.
That was about 8 years ago.
As time tends to do, the 'trauma' I felt that night subsided and I was able to get a grip on reality for periods of time. It started in 2008 when I decided that I would get my G1 and face this fear, or deal with my lack of photo ID issue. One or the other. It must have been the latter because it wasn't until March of this year that I actually forced myself to get behind the wheel and get rid of this fear once and for all.
Ironically I was forced to learn to drive with my 2 kids in tow. Nothing could make me feel more better than the two of them cheering me on when I managed to get the vehicle between the lines in the parking lot. It reminded me of the cheers I used to give them for peeing on the potty.
For the past 3 months I did all the driving I could do and actually began to like it. "Turn here. Go this way" my husband would say and I'd go straight saying "I want to go this way". I want to go this way. Yes, I want to make my own choices. I want to be in control.
Today I took my driving test for my G2. Wearing a necklace my son made me for luck I took a deep breath and; turned left, turned right, 3 point turned, parallel parked, parked uphill and down, and parked between two lines and you know what; I passed.
More than that I conquered a fear that has burdened me most of my adult life. I feel so free to no longer have this desire to run free but feeling trapped between two trucks. Now I know what I would do in that situation, just as my father knew so many years go. I am glad that I waited until I was ready, but I will not allow fear to hold me back like that again. From now on I will look fear straight in the face and conquer it. Unless of course it's a creepy crawling insect or a bumble bee. Those are fears for another day.
Spring is in the air and with it comes a perfect time to start fresh. One way to do that is to clear out the clutter in your home. Sometimes finding the motivation to get in spring cleaning shape is difficult. I have found the solution: plan a street sale.
A street sale is similar to a garage/yard sale except you don't have to do it alone (hence the 'street' part). I am in the middle of planning a street sale on my street and so far it's been so easy and rewarding. Who knew someone from a local newspaper lives on my street? Not me. Until she offered to provide free advertising for the sale in this paper 3 times a week for 2 weeks. I couldn't have had that if I was planning a garage sale solo. I smell success!
Planning a sale with others makes you accountable to get the job done, provides an opportunity to get to know some new neighbours, cleans out the junk in your trunk closets, and gives you some extra cash to put towards new junk something on your wish list.
Here are some simple steps to get your street in gear for an awesome street sale:
1. Select a weekend that you are available for the Saturday and Sunday. As the leader it's good for you to provide support to participants on both weekend days.
2. Create a simple flyer that is worded like an invitation answering the who, what, where, and when questions as well as a way to provide you with an RSVP. Explain a few benefits of a street sale and what your plans are to make it successful for everyone.
My Flyer said the following message:
You're invited to participate in the (your street) cres. Street Sale!
Date:
Time:
Place: Your Driveway
RSVP: My email and date I'd like reply by
Street sales are a great way to increase the number of shoppers attending, and a great motivation to clean out your closets. All profits are your own.
I will take care of signage/advertising. Please RSVP so I can estimate the number of homes participating. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to share via email.
3. Place a flyer in the door/mailbox of every home on your street two full months prior to the date. Preparing for a sale can be a big job and you want to give everyone a chance to plan accordingly.
4. As replies come in keep a list of addresses, contact names and email address to see how many homes are participating and so you can easily email everyone updates a few weeks before the event.
5. (This step is optional) One month before the event send a second flyer to every home to remind people of the upcoming event. I reworded this version to make participating even more appealing.
Last chance to be included in our (your street) cres. Street Sale!
Date:
Time:
Place: Your driveway
RSVP: your email/ phone and reply by date
Progress/Updates
* 7 families (and counting) participating so far
* A neighbour offered advertising in (local paper) for 2 weeks
* Intensive marketing plan including: social media, classified sites, street signage, and more (all done at no cost to you)
Don't miss out on the chance to have a successful garage sale and start the summer off with a clutter free home and some extra cash!
6. Gather your own stuff together and start thinking of prices etc.
7. Two weeks before the sale email everyone who's on your email list with any updates you have or anything you might need. I plan to ask for any big ticket items they may wish to have mentioned on kijiji/craigslist listings, and list in detail my advertising plan. This is optional but helps people feel a sense of community and they may offer their own suggestions or assist you with some tasks.
8. You can advertise about 1-2 weeks prior on social media sites but refrain for posting signs outside until the day before the sale. Target signs around schools before children will be picked up for the day so their parents can see them.
There are so many other things you can add to your sale to make it even better such as: encourage children to sell lemonade, freezies or cookies, put balloons out near the front entrances leading to your street, play music, or even hire a clown or face painter to entertain your shoppers. However, the frills aren't necessary for a fun, successful day. All you really need are a few neighbours, some signs, and some junk; because one person's junk is another person's treasure.
Today is the Monday after a weekend full of birthday celebrations. This year was a milestone birthday for me; the big 3 oh. It does feel different to me than say my 26th, 27th, or 28th birthdays. Thirty feels like the end of a chapter and the start of a new one.
First my family took me to the Mandarin for dinner. The kids showered me with handmade cards, necklaces and drawings and Family Game Night for the xbox, and my husband gave me a card and a charm necklace I wanted. The next day the celebration continued with a game night party with extended family and friends. It was tons of fun.
My twenties included the accomplishments and milestones of having 2 beautiful children, starting my own business, getting married, graduating from college, and taking my family to Disney World (all in that order). Not bad for a 10 year chapter.
Now that a new chapter has begun I find myself with two main goals moving forward; getting healthy, and reaching my other entrepreneurial dream of starting a new business. I figure that within 10 years I should be able to accomplish that.
Since they say wisdom comes with age I thought I would list 30 things I've learned or come to realize over the last 30 years. (in no particular order).
TOP THIRTY IN THIRTY
1. Life doesn't always go as planned
2. It's important to surround yourself with positive people
3. Lifelong friends can pick back up right where they left off no matter how much time has passed
4. It's always easier to give up, but sticking it out is the only way to ever reach success
5. The difference between dating and marriage is in marriage you must reach a working solution.
6. Children grow up quickly, take lots of pictures
7. It's important to back up your computer files every once in a while
8. Debt is a part of life, you can't let fear of it stop you from living
9. The 'perfect' family you idolize thinks your family is perfect. Truth: no family is perfect or always happy and that's okay.
10. Vacations are important to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul.
11. Sharing a bloodline isn't what makes sisters close. Sharing your time and secrets makes sisters. (I love mine).
12. I have an addictive personality
13. Grandparents know a lot. It's important to have conversations with them about important issues and to do more listening than talking.
14. It doesn't take long before your kids know more than you do about certain things. Listen to them too.
15. Helping others when they need it most is the best feeling in the world
16. Putting time, thought and effort into a gift is what makes it memorable; not the price tag.
17. No matter how much you want to; it's always better not to burn any bridges with others, as you never know when you may need to cross their path again.
18. It's a small world
19. Fairness isn't sameness
20. You don't fully know someone until you live with them
21. 'Never' rarely ever means never.
22. Just because society accepts certain things doesn't mean you have to accept them too
23. People who would be afraid to take risks will try to discourage you from taking any yourself
24. People who love you will try to discourage you from making a big mistake
25. It's important to learn how to identify the difference between #23 and #24
26. Don't let a first impression carve your opinion of a person/company in stone; you could have caught them on a bad day.
27. You can tell who loves you most when you are at your worst
28. Most things shouldn't be taken at face value
29. One person can make a difference
30. You are never too old and it's never too late. Just do it!
Early Childhood Education is a field that has been extensively researched and backed by theory for a long time. It is hard to argue the obvious; early childhood education is beneficial to the overall development of children.
For many years the battle in the field has been to make society understand that it is important to invest in the early education of our children. This is difficult because history of the family is having the mother home raising her children. How do you convince someone that child care (even part time) can be better for children’s early learning than being home with their mother?
As more and more women entered the work force and needed care the opinion of child care became more understood and continued to expand. There were still alternative choices; you could choose to leave your child home with older siblings, a family member, a lady down the street, or at a child care center. The main decision making issue was usually cost and it still is.
In 2007, Dalton McGuinty hired Charles Pascal to advise him on how to implement full day kindergarten. In 2009 full day kindergarten was launched and a piece of child care died.
You see, early childhood education and full day kindergarten are not the same. How could they be when they follow direction from different legislation.
Understanding the difference
Child care centers follow the Day Nurseries Act which outlines a minimum standard that directors and educators must abide by. They are regulated by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services through a minimum of once a year inspections. And a licensing process.
Full day Kindergarten classrooms do not follow the Day Nurseries Act.
They do not follow the Day Nurseries Act. The minimum standard.
This should be an eyebrow raiser to parents, but unfortunately it still comes down to the power of money when swaying opinions. I have no money to offer to help you see my view, only the facts as I see them.
Because Full Day Kindergarten classrooms do not follow the Day Nurseries Act they have higher ratios (that will only get higher with the removal of Early Childhood Educators in the classroom. Current ratios are 1:13, but 1:26 could be the future. Child Care centers are 1:10 for J/K and 1:12 for S/K. Outdoor spaces do not have the same requirements either, leaving children with less opportunity to refine their physical skill development. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is the results of years of research of what quality care looks like is not present in these classrooms.
Why Can't we have both?
The message I want to send loud and clear is that we can't have it all. We will not have full day kindergarten and available child care in Ontario at the same time.
This is because child care is a business like any other and with the Day Nurseries Act's strict ratio and classroom size guidelines, child care centers rely on the older age groups (with lower ratios) to offset the operating costs of the younger age groups.
Full day kindergarten is taking away this group of children because families tend to choose what appears more affordable. However, in the long term this initiative will result in more and more mothers having no choice but to stay home with their children until they are old enough to go to school as alternative care becomes even more scarce than it is today.
Don't believe me?
Even the Region of Peel's Learn Play Care centers are threatening closure of all 12 centers. They are very clear on the reason why: Full day kindergarten is taking their children away leaving the future operations too costly to stay open. So far the decision is on hold but the issue is far from over.
I believe that child care has major gaps and there are major flaws in the system that do need immediate attention and correction, but I do not believe that full day kindergarten (at least not the way it is now) is the answer.
And while I am the minority in my views, I am not alone. One of Dwight Duncan’s 360+ recommendations that were submitted to Dalton McGuinty today included a recommendation to scrap full day kindergarten. This is because the program is too costly and quite frankly the government cannot afford it.
So if not full day kindergarten, what do I think should happen?
I think the government should scrap full day kindergarten and invest in child care instead. I think the government should help all existing child care programs provide quality care (rather than only the current select few), and help create new child care centers. This way parents will hold on to their right to choose the best environment for their child, without the dangling carrot of "free child care" as full day kindergarten is portrayed and viewed as by parents.
Currently, even a parent on subsidy can choose: a Montessori, High/Scope, Play Based, or any other curriculum model that best meets their ideas of what early childhood education looks like. This choice will slowly fade away as the government takes over control of what and how our children learn. Essentially the goal for the government is to get an early start at shoving their academic driven curriculum down our children's throats.
Where child care sits today
Today, Dwight Drummond put forth a 700 page report outlining over 360 recommendations to help Ontario get back of financial track. One of the recommendations was to scrap Full day Kindergarten.
Another part of Drummond’s recommendation that is not at the forefront of news stories, is to remove Early Childhood Educators from the Full Day Kindergarten classrooms if the government doesn’t follow the advice of scrapping them all together.
As an Early Childhood Educator myself, I can tell you that Educators are properly trained to care for young children and provide a developmentally appropriate classroom environment and program. To avoid getting too heavily into this point I ask you; would you want a gynecologist to perform your heart transplant? (Hopefully your answer is no). It’s the same thing.
As of today the Ontario government is standing firm is their decision to go ahead with Full Day Kindergarten because they know that the only reason they won the votes of Ontario voters is because of this very promise. However, it is a huge mistake that, unfortunately, parents can't seem to see yet.
If we do not get off this road or address all the potholes ahead, we will lose our quality child care in Ontario. period.
I watched the laptop shooting dad video several times trying to comprehend how any normal human being (especially a parent) could watch it and think it was cool of dad to do it. How can they think that the daughter deserved this or that this is acceptable parenting? Did we all watch the same video, because I am left floored with a hurt heart just thinking about the life of this teen and the future of this family?
There is little doubt in my mind that this brick wall family has left this girl emotionally abused long prior to the disrespectful messages. I also sense that the father doesn’t care in the least about the emotional stability of his daughter and doesn’t even make an effort to understand her.
I am not blind to society. I know many teens are defiant and downright spoiled. I know that the generation of today has it easier than generations past. However, this video contained so many examples of deeper issues that I need to point out to you. One of the first things the father says in the video is that Hannah was grounded for 3 months for doing something similar in the past. That is an extremely long sentence for exercising freedom of speech.
I am not saying what she did is ok, but it’s not like she is the first teen to vent in anger. Doesn’t anyone remember bitching to their friends about their parents during those years? Sure we didn’t have Facebook back then but the concept doesn’t change. Facebook is a method of communication for teens of today and that isn’t their fault.
If this father had not grounded her for 3 months and instead dealt with the REAL problem at that time, perhaps things wouldn’t have gotten this far. You see, punishments tend to escalate each time and when you start excessive it gets more excessive each time. Let’s hope that the next time (because there will be a next time) that he doesn’t “show her who’s boss” but putting every bullet he has in her actual ass.
He should have figured out WHY she was so angry with him and had a discussion like adults and work together for a solution. That way, he would have taught his daughter a lesson in respect by saying “what you did hurt me, but I still love you, I hear what your concerns are, these are my concerns”.
Because he treated her unfairly, trust was already long gone in their relationship. It was to the point where this father decided to spy on his daughter through Facebook and didn’t like what he found.
Then he pre-meditated a revengeful plan to get back at her. To get back at her. His ultimate goal as a parent was to make his daughter hurt and suffer embarrassment through public humiliation because he was humiliated. How is he any better than her? Actually, he is worse than her because as an adult you would expect him to have better parenting tools to set an example of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.
When I listen to Hannah’s posting I hear a teen who is feeling stressed out, in need of a break and on the verge of depression. I don’t care what teens of yesteryear went through that was worse. Everyone handles stress and expectations differently and something isn’t right with her and it needs to be addressed. There are also many contradictions between what she says she does and what the father says she does.
Listen.
Hannah says she feels like a slave. Perhaps it’s because of HOW these chores are presented to her and how her work is treated by the family. She said she has to make their coffee. I wonder if she is busy doing something important to her and called downstairs to make it while the parents watch TV. (that’s an assumption on my part, but why is she responsible for this I wonder). She also says she is shoveling fertilizer for the garden but the father doesn’t list that in his (edited) short list of what he wants viewers to think the chore list is. He also left out the work she does at his clinic. He didn’t deny that she does these things either. But the part that I heard loud and clear as the major problem she has with doing chores is not the chores themselves but the disrespect of having people carelessly mess up the work she just put in. As a wife and mother I can appreciate that frustration. Who would like to just clean floors and then have people walk all over them with muddy shoes knowing that she will have to clean it up again or be grounded. That does sound slavish to me. I would surely feel like one.
The way this father speaks to his daughter on this video gave me an insight to how he talks her in real life and what he thinks of her. If I can hear it and feel it, certainly she is too. I sense he has little respect for her as a human being. He thinks that doing things for his child, like installing software, makes him a good parent. He thinks of his daughter as lazy, not worthy of trust and not smart enough. Hannah says she is finding it hard to keep up with school and chores and burdened by the hanging threat of being grounded constantly. The father seems to feel like he had a hard life and is so full of himself that he doesn’t care about the individual needs of his daughter. She should just be like he was and if she can’t handle it than he will sit back and emotionally abuse her.
Now, I am not saying that she should be coddled and not have to do anything because that will not help her either. However, she needs support, encouragement, to be treated fairly, and to have a voice in the household. Teenagers need a sense of empowerment so that they can learn to take responsibility for their own lives.
The father doesn’t show respect for what she does in the video, so I can’t imagine he shows any in day to day life. He had initially listed several chores and his lowball estimate of how long they would take (obviously he has never actually done any of these chores in his life), but then he turned around after listing his superhero powers in his own teenage life (which I also assume are exaggerated) and said her ONLY responsibilities were waking up on time and catching a bus. If you were actually doing a lot more than that and then told by your father that was all you are responsible for is waking up and catching a bus, how would you feel? Now imagine its been happening your entire 15 years of life.
He also belittled her for having a list of the chores she is to complete. Wouldn’t a good parent encourage the use of lists? Isn’t that a sign of responsibility? I have countless lists in my life, does that mean I’m stupid?
Teenagers need discipline and guidance, not punishment and unforgiveness. I think he has forgotten that his daughter is a human being, not a robot. She will make mistakes, and so will he (as he clearly demonstrated through the creation of this video). However, even a person who comitted a real crime would receive more forgiveness than she did. She is going to put in 3-4 years for posting a mean status on Facebook. I’m pretty sure a rapist somewhere is getting a lesser sentence. I come to this conclusion because he said she will not get her things back until probably college. This punishment is far too extreme. Where is the guidance and where is the chance to do better? Where is the love? Several times in the video we are told of past groundings and the constant threat of grounding. The punishments are meaningless and not working (because punishment doesn’t correct behaviour) and so each time they escalate until you wind up shooting 9 bullets in your daughter’s laptop.
Now let’s assess the message this father sent to his little girl. He said you love your laptop. It contains your school work, pictures, a social life and who knows what else and I am going to destroy it in the most violent way I can think of. I feel powerful when I use a gun and since I will go to jail if I shoot you, I will just shoot this and make you watch it and post it so your friends can laugh and you and the whole world can see what a brat you are. He showed his daughter and everyone who watched the video that if someone ever disrespects you that it is ok to disrespect them right back in an ever worse way to show them they are worthless and you are king. It’s ok to humiliate them back and then take it a step further by deliberately and violently destroying something meaningful to them to emotionally hurt them and make sure they suffer for years. Then, to add insult to injury he makes immature comments that she will owe him for the cost of the bullets and the cost of the software.
As he pulled out a gun and began shooting the laptop all I could feel was the hate he was feeling towards his daughter. No other emotion would bring about such an over the top action. He shot his daughter’s property in cold blood. This said so much to me about his character that I am left feeling like “no wonder she is the way she is”. Look at her role model? And if he isn’t enough he implies that the other trusting adults in her life feel the same way. Could you imagine being treated this way for making mistakes in your life?
Before you jump on the bandwagon that he is the coolest father ever, giving him kudos and egging him on for his amazing parenting skills, perhaps you should try to remember mistakes you made as a teen and then imagine your parents not forgiving you. Who would you be today if that happened to you?
If you are not one of the 13,000,000 people (and counting) who watched this video, you can watch it here:
I live with a bunch of Star Wars nerds. At first it was just my husband who would race to the theatre to watch every movie the minute it was released (Like he will Friday when Episode I comes out in 3D), and buy every video game in the same fashion. But then we had kids, and those kids are boys. It was only a matter of time before he got to them. Now I have three out of control Star Wars nerds running around.
In my house there are Star Wars: movies, video games, clothing, books, toys of every kind (stuffed animals, costumes, lightsabers, lego, transformers etc), bedroom decor (wall stickers, lightsaber lamp, piggy banks, tins, posters etc), and even spatulas and pancake molds.
Not a day goes by where the kids don't dress up and chase each other around the house with lightsabers. And more often than not my husband is also in on the action (sans costume).
That's why Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando Florida was our first stop on our Disney vacation. From the Star Tours ride, to the Tatooine gift shop, to the Jedi Training experience, my Star Wars family has enough memories to last us a lifetime, including this family photo we had done:
We rode the Star Tours ride three times, which also meant that we visited the Tatooine gift shop three times. (Every ride at Disney drops you off inside a gift shop). The kids were able to build their own lightsabers in the gift shop for only $21. They even light up and make the cool lightsaber sounds.
DeAndre's lightsaber
Dorian's lightsaber
But by far, the best experience they had was being a part of the Jedi Training Show in front of an audience. At the end they received a certificate declaring them official Padawans which we framed and hung up in their Star Wars bedrooms.
Without further ado, I present to you my little Padawans in action.
DeAndre is the one with the green lightsaber in the back right, and Dorian is the one in the front on the left. You can see DeAndre attack Darth Vadar at 9:16 and Dorian attacks him at 11:00 in.
While this news is hard to digest, especially for the families who attend these centers, it certainly does not come as a surprise to Early Childhood Educators who understand the dynamics of the field.
Why is this happening?
Child care is a business like any other, and part of this business is making ratios work. Ratios are determined by the Day Nurseries Act and regulate the maximum number of children allowed in any one classroom and the number of educators required to meet the ratio. The current ratios are:
Infants (6 weeks-18 months)-1:3, maximum 10 children Toddlers (18 months-30 months)-1:5, maximum 15 children Preschoolers (30 months-48 months-1:8, maximum 24 children J/K (4 year olds)- 1:10, maximum 20 children S/K (5 year olds)-1:12, maximum 24 children
The older age groups require less staff per child whereas the younger groups require more staff. Child care centers rely on the older groups to offset the costs of the younger age groupings.
With full-day learning being implemented all across Ontario, child care centers are losing their older age groups and thus finding it difficult to keep their businesses open.
The Region of Peel centers were probably the least thought of as likely candidates to face closures, but it makes sense.
By closing these centers the funding can be used for the full-day kindergarten programs that are proving more costly than governments can afford.
It can encourage families to go to new centers that are also suffering through the the loss of kindergarten children, and perhaps help keep them from facing similar closures.
Unfortunately, it also means that Early Childhood Educators have less opportunity for fair paying jobs, and families relying on subsidies in Peel will have a harder time finding centers that accept subsidy because of new guidelines for child care centers in peel; any for-profit child care center can no longer accept subsidized children unless they were approved before the change.
What does the future look like?
Full-day kindergarten was part of the Charles Pasqual Report which is a document outlining recommendations by Pasqual on how to create a universal child care for all. Other suggestions in the report were to extend maternity leave to 2 years and send children to public schools at age 2. So the child care of the future looks non-existent.
Some would argue that this plan sounds perfect. But there would be so many areas affected including: businesses that will have staff off work for 2 years instead of 1year, families having 2 years off at a lower percentage than the current 55%, and taxpayers paying more to afford all these extra children in schools.
Not to mention the children who will be placed in environments where teachers are not allowed to assist with washroom routines. This means that a child who has an accident must change themselves or the parent will need to be called in to take care of the child because the teacher cannot provide care.
My views
I believe that Early Childhood Educators are the best qualified people to care for young children. I believe that young children do not belong in the public school system, and instead need to be in a building that follows different Ministry guidelines that leaves the care in child care.
I feel that parents are excited for the idea of saving money on child care without fully understanding what they are giving up with Full-day learning. Here are a few examples:
-Hugs -Washroom routine -Rest time routine (naps) -Encouragement to eat lunch/snacks -Individualized accommodations for cultural preferences and needs -A more controlled environment for those with food allergies -Smaller ratios -More stimulating outdoor environments to encourage physical development
What I ask of you
Please do not believe everything advocates tell you. Question their goals, plans, and ways they see their ideal child care operate in the real world. I have. And I have noticed that most have no real answers. The future of our children needs clear answers and a solid plan to implement quality care.
The main idea advocates want to pass on to you is that quality care is only found in non-profit centers and should be free for all families.
The only reason non-profit centers are of higher quality is because the government only gives them adequate funding. But a non-profit center means that the person who starts up the business cannot make a living at all. That could be why there aren't enough child care spaces. What's wrong with entrepreneurs making a living while providing quality care? Perhaps the real issue to advocate for is fair funding to all centers. Perhaps if we did that we wouldn't have such a crisis today.
Our vacation was planned to suit the interests of my family. All the work I put into it paid off. Our trip was completely magical. Even my husband who wasn't sure if this vacation was worth all the money said that he had the most fun he's ever had in his entire life.
Here is a brief summary of what we did on our trip. I hope it will inspire you to research and plan the perfect trip for your family.
When we went:
We decided to go from Friday, January 27th to Friday, February 3rd so that we would have the weekend at home to recover. The whole family appreciated this minor, but significant, detail.
Going in January was a great time to go. The weather was between 74-84 degrees every day but by 6:00p.m. we needed a zip up sweater. The crowd levels everywhere were very low. The longest line we waited in was 30 minutes but the average line was about 5-15 minutes.
Where we stayed:
We stayed at Vacation Village at the Parkway, a Timeshare 10 minutes away from Disney World. Our unit had a full kitchen so we were able to have some of our meals there. There were two large heated swimming pools, two hot tubs and a kiddie pool with a waterfall (but that pool was freezing so no one used it). We declined the complimentary breakfast and averted any sales pitch attempts from the timeshare reps.
What we did:
Friday
We flew down, rented our car and picked up a few groceries. Then we just explored our resort. We weren't able to swim because it was too cold.
Saturday
We went to Disney's Hollywood Studios. This was our first stop because my guys love Star Wars and at Hollywood Studios you can sign up for Jedi Training and be part of a live show. We almost didn't get to sign up in time but got our guys into the last show of the evening (thank Goodness). This was arguably the highlight of the trip for the kids.
Hollywood Studios also has Star Tours which is a ride were you go on a mission with C3PO. After the ride (like almost every ride) you get dropped off inside the gift shop. Tatooine is full of Star Wars stuff. I got the kids each a Star Wars piggy bank for their bedrooms and some T-Shirts. They were even able to make their own light sabers for only $21. It was a great price for such a cool experience.
Sunday
We went to Universal Studios Island of Adventure. We had reservations for Confisco Grill's character breakfast where we were greeted by Spider man, Thing 1 & Thing 2, and The Cat in The Hat. I highly recommend this breakfast experience as it was so much fun (and delicious too).
We loved the Dr. Seuss area, Superhero area and the Jurrasic Park area. In the Dr. Seuss area we loved the look and feel of everything around us. It felt like we walked right inside a cartoon world.
The Spider man ride was by far the favourite for my guys. In the superhero area the superheros were spread out to take pictures and sign autographs, then villain music would fill the air and they would rush over to their bikes and take off down the park. Then the villains would come out to take pictures and sign autographs. It was so dramatic and made for a fun experience.
Monday
On Monday we took a break from theme parks and spent the morning at the pool. In the afternoon we went to Downtown Disney to shop and eat at the T-Rex restaurant. The kids loved the Lego store and I loved the Disney Store and the Disney's days of Christmas store. T-Rex was out of this world. I highly recommend it.
Tuesday
We went to Magic Kingdom on this day. We loved the Monster Inc. Laugh Floor comedy show and Mickey's Philar Show. We managed to get on a lot of rides because the lines were so short. We didn't see as many characters as we wanted to see but we did find Chip and Dale, and Mickey and Minnie.
The celebrate a Dream Come True parade was very exciting to watch. We all enjoyed seeing all our favourite characters up close.
For dinner we ate at the Crystal Palace which was a character dinner. We met Tigger, Eyeore, Piglet and Pooh. It's a buffet restaurant and the kids really enjoy buffets.
Afterwards we found a seat to get ready for the Light show and Firework display. The best moment was when Tinkerbell flies out of the castle through the sky. Now that is magical :)
Wednesday
This was another theme park break day. We swam all morning again and into the afternoon. Then we went shopping for a bit at a flea market up the street from our resort.
After that we went to watch Cirque Du Soleil in Downtown Disney. The show was amazing with cool stunts and costumes. I couldn't really follow the storyline but it seems the girl got her prince.
Thursday
This was our last day of activities. We went to Animal Kingdom. We enjoyed looking at all the animals. The kids enjoyed collecting stamps at all the workshop stations throughout the park. We watched the Lion King show and loved the energy of it. Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade was fun too.
We had a lunch reservation at the Rain Forest Cafe. We all shared the massive Volcano dessert and still couldn't finish it.
Friday
This was a sad day. Home day. We woke up, finished gathering our things and headed for the airport at 7:00a.m. only to discovered our flight was delayed. We spent the entire morning hanging out in the airport.
Final Thoughts
We found Disney's Magical experiences that were perfect for our family. There was nothing planned that wasn't thoroughly enjoyed by all of us. I challenge you to explore what Disney has to offer that meets the interests of your family and make your reservations early so that you can experience the magic for yourself.
So, apparently Pope Benedict says that gay marriage will ruin humanity. I'll let you digest that thought for a moment.
Somehow two people who want to be exclusive, loyal, and tell the world that they actually love each other enough to want to spend their lives together are harming humanity's future.
On The View this morning Elisabeth Hasselbeck said that gay marriage doesn't threaten her marriage, but that divorce does. I agree with her. Here are the things that I believe are ruining marriages and thus the future of humanity (in no particular order):
1. Technology
We all have some form of technology that we use on a daily basis. There are 100's of gadgets designed to keep us connected and in the loop at every waking moment. We are becoming addicted to checking for updates and afraid we will miss something. Some people even bring their phones to bed with them. This cannot be good for marriages/relationships. While we may be more social with strangers, we are actually less social with people in front of our faces.
2. Porn
Porn may arguably be the most accessible thing on the Internet, providing men (and women I guess) with on-demand movies featuring anything (and I do mean anything) your heart desires. Unfortunately it can leave married women (or any woman) feeling less than perfect and not good enough which does put a strain on marriages. It conditions men to believe that it's ok to look at other naked women having sex because they don't touch. However with this conditioning the chances of in real life cheating rises if the opportunity were to present itself.
3. Strippers/Prostitutes
Similar to, but much worse than the porn, strippers and prostitutes bring sex closer to home and provide temptation to cheat. These women make cheating that much more accessible which is far more threatening to humanity's future than gay marriage.
4. Photoshop
Yes, photoshop is a threat because it is used to create outrageous images of women and how they should look which are unattainable. This puts a lot of pressure on women to try to look like the images they see all around them. Since they will never look like the photoshopped images, self esteem is lowered and a negative cycle begins that will trickle into the marriage.
5. Desire for everything to be fast and easy
I blame the "instantness" of the Internet for this one. We want everything and we want it now. We want to "click" and be done with it. We want easy quick food, easier ways to do housework, easier ways to make money, etc. No one wants to put in time and effort and actually earn achievements in their lives anymore, and this is evident in the effort we put into our relationships as well. Many people want to just quit when a problem arises. Somewhere a long the line we started to believe that love shouldn't take work. This is why the divorce rate is so high.
6. Credit/Debt
In relation to the point above: we want everything now even if we cannot afford it. Thanks to credit cards, lines of credit and loans of every kind we can now have everything in exchange for a lifetime of debt. As we get buried in debt and financial problems occur, ( you guessed it) marriages suffer.
So before the Pope tries to blame gay marriage for ruining the future of humanity, perhaps he should look at all the things we are accepting in our world that are actually directly related to the future of what marriage and family will be moving forward.
What do you think puts the future of humanity in jeopardy?
