In late August a viral video surfaced online of a woman named Dena Blizzard rampaging through Target, pledging to buy anything and everything her kids needed for school.
Seventy-eight. Yes, that is the number of Halloween costumes I’ve had to deal with in my parenting career. Certainly there have been costumes that have been re-used and handed down, but regardless, parenting six children through a combined total of 78 trick-or-treat nights has not been without its share of costume adventures and misadventures.
You wouldn’t think a dentist’s office and trick-or-treaters would have a common goal at this time of year, but Dr. Mayada Kheriba is trying to change that. Every year, her dental office in New Hamburg, Ontario hosts a “candy buy back” a week after Halloween, where kids can swap their extra candy for cash.
“We started it three years ago as an initiative to give back to the community,” says Dr. Kheriba. “The kids wear their costumes to the office and receive a dollar for every pound of candy they trade in. The candy is then donated to Ronald McDonald House at Sick Kids Hospital, where it is shared with young patients – along with their siblings and families – who may have missed out on Halloween.”
I’m a big fan of fall, and it has nothing to do with the pumpkin spice latte. Nothing against people who like flavoured coffee, but if you’re spending these months solely focused on your PSL, you’re missing out on many other reasons to fall for fall. For example:
Are your kids getting excited about Halloween yet?
It’s early morning. Still dark outside. And the routine you know all too well has begun for another season. As you stretch and think about which Tim Hortons you’re going to hit on the way, a little voice in the darkness asks mid-yawn… “Is it time to go now?”
The first time I had ever been to the most magical place on earth was almost 2 years ago with my husband’s side of the family. There was 10 of us all together including FIVE boys aged 10 years old and under. Let me tell you, it was a BLAST! Super crazy busy and tiring…but a trip we’ll never forget.
My oldest son, who is now 13, had his first sleepover when he was just 5 years old. His bottom bunk hosted his best buddy and it was a very sweet and drama-free event. When sleepovers are done right, they create a bond between kids that a play date cannot replace. However, if your child is not ready for sleepovers then all hell can break loose. The problem is how do you know when your child is ready for his first sleepover experience? Here are my top 6 tips for pain-free sleepover success:
The first time my son cooked he was 3.
My son has escaped the kindergarten pen at his school at least four times. The pen, perhaps harsh in name, is actually a lovely fenced-in play area with toys, a large sandbox and shade-giving trees. It exists to keep the smallest of our school-aged children safely contained until they’re mature enough to be let loose on the field at recess, and gives many parents peace of mind. Most of the kids seem to enjoy the pen, running around happily and taking turns on a few small bikes. It’s one of the nicest kindergarten areas I’ve seen, with large rocks and tree stumps for climbing on, and a raised garden bed where things can grow. It’s more than pleasant, but to my son, it represents absolute oppression (or at least a challenge). He is not staying in there without a fight. God help me, and his teachers.