“Mom Grief” Could Apply To Anyone

A couple of months ago, I was talking with two of my colleagues about something we dubbed “mom grief.” The three of us are at different stages of our parenting journeys, but we agreed that there is a not-often-discussed grief that applies to all involved parents. Just seeing your children grow is incredibly beautiful, but Read More

How can I be writing about this again?

It has been almost a decade since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Is that enough time between senseless mass killings of American children? How can we be here again? Being a human, and especially an elementary school teacher, I grieve every time this happens, anywhere. I’m sure these Grade 4 students in Texas are Read More

World Children’s Day – Gratitude Day 20

Today, on World Children’s Day, I’m grateful for the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I’m glad so many people agree that children have the right to a safe, happy, healthy childhood. I’m especially grateful to live and parent and teach in a Read More

Back-to-School Thoughts from a Teacher/Parent

A week ago, as you know, it became official in Ontario: we’re going back to school this September. In the days since then, there has been an outcry from parents, staff, unions etc. who feel that the Covid-19 measures announced by the government do not go far enough to keep students and staff safe. I Read More

To My Firstborn On His 10th Birthday

Dear E, It’s Thursday night, June 6th, 2019. Tonight marks a whole decade since I went to the hospital to have the first procedure of my induction, because you were already 9 days late. You were born two days later, utterly uprooting and replanting our lives with your arrival. This evening, you and I took Read More

The Apocalypse is now… and the kids know it.

It’s Monday, and the 2018 Climate Conference in Poland (COP24) is in full swing. Seems as good a day as any to talk about the Apocalypse. I’ve been hesitating on this writing, because I understand that a blog post about the world as we know it going down in flames is… a bummer of sorts. Read More

Raising a Daughter in Scary But Hopeful Times

Recently, I had the chance to catch up with an old friend whose family was expecting their third child: a daughter, after two sons. [Actually, I started this post more than a month ago, and as it happens, said daughter was born TODAY, early this morning! So read on, in honour of wee baby EC’s Read More

Paragon of Calm needs a reboot. Already.

In my last post, you may remember that I have made it my mission to be calm in the mornings with my kids. I’d like to tell you proudly that I made it through the week with exemplary calm! But I didn’t. Not quite. I think it comes down to a sleep problem – one Read More

Stress Is Just How We Roll These Days

Doesn’t it seem like stress has been trending for too long? Like it’s a bit ridiculous that feeling hassled is not reserved for crunch times – that instead it’s just a way of life? Last week a colleague, who also happens to be my friend and neighbour, asked me, “Do you ever feel like you’re just barely Read More

Bullies: How You Treat People = WHO YOU ARE

For your reading pleasure today, we have a rant for and about BULLIES. Specifically, adult bullies who need to know better. I’m incensed after reading an article about disgusting trollery cropping up among Ontario doctors, targeting other doctors with whom they disagree on their internal politics. Click on over if you’d like to bear witness to some truly heinous Read More