** This week’s podcast on self-care and was inspired by this blog post, originally published on Vie de Cirque in 2015. ** As a mother of many, I am often asked about self-care and finding time for oneself in the midst of chaos. Where can a mother find peace when the things that bring her […]
Category: Family Life
Blog posts about parenting and family life
Life as a river
I was going to start this blog post with some poetic musing about life being a winding road and how we don’t always end up where we thought we would. But even winding roads lead somewhere: a ditch, a dead-end, another road, a pretty little cabin in the woods. Life is a series of decisions […]
2016: The Soundtrack
One of my favourite non-family-related holiday traditions is the browsing of “Best albums of the year” articles, blog posts and podcasts. Back in the days, my holiday music-buying lived and died according to what former broadcaster and pariah Gian Gomeshi offered as his top 20 albums of any given year. Since Gomeshi’s fall from grace, […]
On being fearless
Imagine that you and your family are in a boat. You can work together to get somewhere or you can work against each other and sink. Whatever you decide, you’re in this together.
Peppers
In the pantry, a jar sits on a shelve, lonely and unused. Its bright red colour livens the mess of spices and aromatics standing at attention in a practical array. Bird’s Eye chili peppers, dried to a dusty crisp, artifacts of a summer’s past. We had planned a large garden, tilled long and narrow mounds […]
Netflix and Chills: Gran Hotel
Today I am reclaiming the concept of Netflix & Chill because someone has to and because there has to be a voice for people watching a period drama while knitting. Edgy. In Canada good TV shows are few and far between. Regional licensing *yawn* agreements — or lack thereof — mean that the Netflix Canada […]
La discipline sans menaces
Lorsque j’ai commencé à éduquer mes enfants à la maison, j’ai rapidement remarqué un rétressissement marqué de mon espace vital. Mes enfants étaient omniprésents. Soudainement, nous étions ensemble toute la journée. Et la soirée. Et la fin de semaine aussi. Il nous fallait apprendre à vivre ensemble et à respecter l’espace de chacun. Pas une […]
“I was spanked as a child and I turned out fine”
This post was first published on Vie de Cirque in 2015. I am reposting it in light of the recent policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that parents avoid corporal punishment to manage challenging behaviour. A Facebook Friend (who is also a blog reader, hi!!) recently posted the meme above on her […]
L’école à la maison en français en Ontario: à quoi ça ressemble?
Il y a longtemps que je vous ai promis une publication sur l’enseignement à domicile en français. Je dois avouer que cette publication s’est fait attendre parce que nous nous ajustons encore au rythme de l’éducation à domicile. Les bonnes intentions de septembre se sont métamorphosées en réalité de janvier. Mise en face des limites […]
Why I don’t spank or “The day my daughter slew me.”
This post was first published on Vie de Cirque in 2014. I am reposting it in light of the recent policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that parents avoid corporal punishment to manage challenging behaviour. Yesterday, I was advised to spank my children for getting out of bed after bedtime. I was […]