Right now in Canada there are around 30,000 children in need of a permanent home, including more than 5,000 in Ontario alone.

30,000 is the entire population of towns like Stratford, Orillia and Orangeville. It’s everyone in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

My kids don’t play with toys.

For the last couple of years, my husband and I have made a conscious effort to give our boys experiences as Christmas gifts instead of toys. We don’t do this to be mean, we do this because we think experiences are much more valuable than a house full of toys. I would MUCH rather give them an experience that we can do together as a family, than bring another action figure or talking dinosaur into the house that they’ll play with for a week…and then toss aside in their bedroom or playroom.

One of my favourite things to talk about is adoption, and one of my favourite things about adoption is Gotcha Day.

We do a lot for our boys. When I say that, I mean we literally do a lot of things FOR them. Things that they should probably be doing themselves since they’re 7 and 9 years old. Let me be clear, it’s not that they CAN’T do any of these things for themselves, or that I ENJOY doing these things for them, it’s just…you get into a habit, you know? Over the years, you just get used to doing certain things yourself simply because you’ve always done it that way and well, let’s be honest, it’s usually easier.

Do you have a kid who has an unusual interest? We parents are constantly surrounded by kids who play hockey, do competitive dance or take horseback riding lessons. But how do you support your kiddo who has an unconventional hobby?

A parent trying to get a cranky preschooler to cooperate with a routine task (such as getting ready to leave the house) can be likened to a rodeo clown chasing around a bucking bronco.

Even before my kids were in school, I knew I wanted to be a parent volunteer. There’s just something so awesome about volunteering your time where you’re needed – especially at a place where your kids spend so much of their time.