Parenting

I am a mum to one and a former staff writer at Romper, the leading digital destination for millennial moms. I've also written extensively for Parents, as well as a selection of other parenting sites.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

I made six changes to my phone habits and now sleep perfectly every night

Using smartphones at night can disrupt our sleep, leading to serious health risks including high blood pressure and anxiety. Here's how one mother transformed her phone habits - and with it her sleep.  I’ve always been a pretty solid sleeper – head hits the pillow, I’m out. I’d even nod off during my bus ride home from work as a primary school teacher without a second thought. But everything changed when I became a parent in 2014.

Effective Strategies For Navigating Tough Parent Conversations

A teacher’s job is made easier through collaboration. This can be with school administration, other educators, and professionals like speech pathologists and psychologists. One of the most vital partnerships, however, is with parents. By fostering a strong home-school connection, parents can support homework and
provide insights about their child, while teachers can share classroom strategies for success.

Why Some Parents Are Turning to 'Edutainment' to Get Their Kids More Excited About Learning

It’s no secret to parents that learning, especially in a school setting, isn’t exactly thrilling to kids. That’s why families are always on the hunt for creative ways to make learning more enjoyable for their kids—so that they might actually be excited about science, reading, and maybe even math. The growing trend among families who want to make learning fun for kids is called “edutainment.”

How to plan for (and maybe even avoid) everything that could go wrong on a family road trip

My childhood holidays revolved around the car. My family would pile into our silver Toyota Corolla and drive from East London to the British seaside. We’d stay in a caravan park, similar to Canadian campgrounds and a traditional, budget-friendly British holiday staple, where we’d eat fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, and brave the icy waters of the North Sea for a dip. Before moving here, I thought those short seaside trips were road trips.

Does Your Adult Child Want to Go 'No Contact'? Here's What to Do

The internet is awash with tales of adult children severing ties with their parents. Think Britney Spears' highly publicized fallout with her parents, and Shiloh Jolie (child of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) petitioning to take "Pitt” off of her previously hyphenated last name. Stories of estrangement aren’t just the stuff of tabloids or celebrity gossip, though. They reflect real, complex family dynamics.

Athens, Greece with kids: Beaches, trains, and mind-blowing ruins

People visit Athens, Europe's oldest capital city for the awe-inspiring ancient sites such as the Acropolis and Parthenon. And while kids of all ages can find these sites interesting, Athens also offers lots of other family-friendly activities and attractions including museums, parks, promenades, and more. Whether you’re squeezing Athens in while traveling around Europe, combining a stay in the capital with island hopping, or lingering a little longer, these are the best things to do with kids in Athens.

Is Social Media Rewiring Our Children's Brains?

Some of Canada's largest school boards think so and are suing tech giants Meta, Snapchat and TikTok.

Educators and health experts around the world have been raising the alarm about the negative effects of social media on children’s behaviour and development for years. Last week, U.S. Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, declared social media unsafe for kids’ mental health. Now some of Canada’s largest school boards are taking their complaints to court.

Teach Magazine Book Club

The literary and educational communities are grappling with the challenge of recent book bans across the United States. In 2022 alone there were 137 gag order bills introduced in 36 state legislatures that sought to limit what materials could be taught or made available in public schools and libraries. Like so many American trends, this one is unfortunately migrating up to Canada too with recent stories such as a ban on books containing LGBTQ themes by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.
AleksanderNakic / Getty Images

Top Things To Do in the Maldives With Kids

Known as the ultimate honeymoon destination, the Maldives might not automatically register as a family friendly vacation spot.

However, thanks to the warmth and kindness of Maldivians who genuinely seem to find kids delightful, the extraordinarily rich marine biodiversity and a range of fun excursions and activities, these 26 atolls floating in the Indian Ocean are a natural playground for kids of all ages.

Gross Motor Skills in Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Your little one will master a myriad of milestones in their first few years, and many of them involve gross motor skills. These "whole body" movements require coordination of the large muscle groups, like those in the legs, arms, and torso.

Gross motor skills are necessary for everyday activities like walking, jumping, balancing, kicking, running, and climbing. Mastering these skills lets your child perform everyday tasks like sitting at the table, playing in the park, and throwing a ball.
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