Your Child’s Education
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What To Say To a Child Who Doesn’t Want to Go to School
When your child starts to hate school and wants to stay home, these strategies are crucial to support your child and ensure the greatest outcome with the school. Here you will find expert tips from parenting experts, a former school principal and university instructor as well as videos from a family therapist. My five-year-old daughter […] Continue reading
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Stressed out about remote learning? These 5 tips are game-changers.
The truth is – you and your children are not the only ones struggling with remote learning… Researchers found that Chinese children were affected by toxic stress during the initial stages of the pandemic. Now, North American children are likely experiencing chronic and repeated activation of their fight-or-flight response too. Continue reading
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Crisis School: How to find peace of mind when so much is uncertain
Back to school during a pandemic will mean living in a new normal. Find out how to navigate and balance crisis schooling based on educational psychology. The table was cleared, pencils sharpened, and fresh paper was ready. On the first day of my son’s remote schooling, I did some frontloading. “Some of your friends will […] Continue reading
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School Principal says to follow these tips for a successful start to kindergarten
It is bittersweet to send your child off to school for the first time. On one hand, you’re excited for this milestone. On the other, it’s heartwrenching to send your baby out into the real world. In order to help both parents and children feel ready for kindergarten, I assembled ten dos and don’ts for […] Continue reading
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There is an undeclared war on childhood. This is how to stop it.
There is a higher incidence of child stress, anxiety and disorders than ever before. This is how to change the course and improve your child’s life. My two oldest children bound off of the school bus. Their backpacks bounce with their gate. They’re grinning from ear-to-ear, elated to be home and see me. Because the […] Continue reading
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Extracurricular activities for kids: Why science says less is more
With summer holidays approaching, it’s natural to worry about our kids’ boredom. No one wants their kids spending the summer fighting over the iPad or in a state of complacency. It doesn’t help that this time of year, Facebook newsfeeds are punctuated with articles about ‘The Summer Slide.’ They warned that some students experienced academic regression as a result of being away from school for so long. Continue reading
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Experts say this is the best way to learn to read and love it too
Competency in reading is one of the greatest predictors of success in children. But in order to procure the benefits, students must be motivated to learn to read. Here are the best ways for kids to learn to read backed by research. One of my most painful childhood memories is learning how to read at school. The […] Continue reading
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Why Kids Benefit From More Outdoor Play
Sadly this generation is spending less time engaged in outdoor play than generations before. Find out why we should prioritize time in nature for our kids. One of the best parts of my childhood was living in a house that backed onto greenbelt. The evergreen forest became the stage for mine and my brothers’ curiosity, […] Continue reading
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How to set up three simple science activities for preschoolers
It doesn’t take a science degree to execute simple science activities for preschoolers. In fact, all you need are common household items and minimal prep to teach children about physical and chemical reactions. Find basic ideas to promote physics and biology as well as three science activities for preschoolers here. This post originally appeared on […] Continue reading
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This is why free-play is more valuable than extracurricular activities
When summer hits, naturally parents want to avoid the summer slide. We want to schedule enough summer activities so that our children are challenged and go back to school ready. While all of this is done with the best of intentions, free play is more beneficial than most of these extracurricular activities for kids. This […] Continue reading
About Me
Hi, I’m Alana. When I’m not nursing cold, stale coffee, I usually can be found with the baby on my hip, barefoot, and racing after my two older kids.
Thanks to a degree in psychology and a free-range childhood backing onto an expansive evergreen forest, positive parenting and play-based learning are my passions.