Halloween is just around the corner! It is one of the most exciting holidays of the year in most homes. It is a magical time of excitement, imagination, and lots (and LOTS!) of sugar. Like many celebrations it brings new experiences, sights and sounds that can quickly make it overwhelming for some. Over the years we have learned many ways to make Halloween more accessible so that any child who wants to join in can participate and enjoy themselves. Read on for some great tips for both home and community. Halloween at Home: Some children love to scrape the pulp[Read more...]
One of our themes at Quinte Parents this month has been Bears. During our Toddler program we read a story, sing songs, create a craft and have a sensory bin each week that matches the theme. Here is how you can recreate our Bear themed sensory bin at home. Most of our materials except for the black beans can be found at your local dollar store. I started with a large kitty litter box from the dollar store. It is affordable and just the right size with low sides so the kids can get into all the items inside. I[Read more...]
When you ask about ice cream in Belleville there is one place that comes to mind. Reid’s Dairy! Since the 1960’s, Reid’s Dairy has been a staple in the Belleville community. They proudly serve farm fresh ice cream and other dairy products all year round. With its castle tower it stands out in the city, my kids cannot go by without pointing it out. Children are fascinated by the cow that moos, the train above their heads and by all the endless ice cream possibilities! When the sun is shining you can also enjoy the park, visit their farm animals,[Read more...]
Living on the east coast of Canada is challenging with kids during the winter months, but our summers rock! So many festivals, concerts, boardwalks, patios and beaches. There is nothing better than packing up the car with kids, picnic basket, beach chairs, sand toys, cooler, towels, extra towels, bathing suits, change of clothing, and two toddlers. Our coastline is gorgeous, and the drive to any of our beautiful beaches is breathtaking and very relaxing. Until the arrival to the public parking area. When “mom” now has to manoeuvre all of our belongings in one sweep onto the sand, along with[Read more...]
I wrote the following piece in December 2010, when I still had time to actively blog. It’s not a “feel-good” piece. It’s about loss. It’s about reading about it, and hearing about it from acquaintances, and seeing it on TV and hoping it will never happen to you. And then it does. Between then and now, our second child, Addison Elizabeth, has joined our lives (March 2012) and is the perfect piece to our puzzle. I don’t like to think “What if”, because that means we wouldn’t have Addy. Fiery, fiercely independent, unabashedly girly Addison, who loves mommy’s make-up and[Read more...]
Many children go through phases of food preferences. They want to eat the same food as often as possible, even at every meal, and completely refuse other foods. Studies show that up to 50% of children become picky eaters for a while, peaking at about 2 years old. For a smaller group of children, eating does not become easier, and they do not become open to more foods. This group includes children up to 11 years of age and older. For up to 40% of these children, the problem lasts 2 years or more, and isn’t as simple as a phase. Scientific American[Read more...]
What is soiling, or encoporesis? Soiling, or encoporesis, happens when a child passes all or part of a bowel movement into underwear or pajamas without meaning to. Often a child is actually not aware that soiling has happened until alerted by the smell. This can be enormously frustrating for parents and caregivers, who may struggle to understand how a child can have a bowel accident without being aware of it. And it is almost always embarrassing for a child, particularly if it continues even when a child is trying to pay attention and avoid accidents. What causes soiling? There are[Read more...]
What do we know? The tongue is actually fused, or fully attached, to the floor of the mouth early in pregnancy. As the fetus develops, the tongue separates from the floor of the mouth. Only the frenulum is left. This is the thin band of tissue attaching the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Its full name is lingual frenulum. Beginning at about 6 months of age, the mouth begins to develop further. Teeth begin to break through. At this point, the frenulum usually becomes thinner and less prominent. However, for some, the frenulum remains short, or[Read more...]
What do we know? Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal. It occurs outside of the eardrum and is called otitis externa. Most ear infections are behind the eardrum, called otitis media. It occurs when water stays in the ear canal after swimming. This allows bacteria which are naturally in the ear canal, or bacteria from the water, to grow and multiply in the wet ear canal. Swimmer’s ear can also occur when the ear canal is scratched. This can occur from fingers in the ear, cotton-tip swabs, or ear buds. What are the symptoms of swimmer’s ear?[Read more...]
What do we know? Head lice are tiny parasites. Their formal name is Pediculus humanus capitis. Their perfect living conditions are at the base of the hair shaft on the head, eyebrows and eyelashes of humans. From there, a louse feeds on blood from the scalp several times a day. This location also provides an ideal temperature for eggs, or nits, to incubate. A nit hatches into a nymph after about a week. The nymph grows into an adult louse in another 9-10 days. Adult lice then live for 3-4 weeks. Nits can be hard to remove because the female louse[Read more...]
