Family

Parenting

Another school fundraiser? Rethinking funding for education

Another school fundraiser? Rethinking funding for education

You’ve baked cupcakes and now the school council wants volunteers for the spring fair. Is there a better solution to the underfunding of public education?

Kerry Clare

Parents who smoke pot

Parents who smoke pot

When parents post #wineoclock memes on Facebook, no one bats an eye. So why is there still a huge stigma around moms and dads who use marijuana?

Jennifer Goldberg

The technology trap: Should you give your kid a smartphone?

The technology trap: Should you give your kid a smartphone?

Parents are turning to devices to keep tabs on their children, affording the youngsters much-needed independence. Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Aaron Hutchins

How to feel like yourself again after having a baby

How to feel like yourself again after having a baby

Life has changed in a major way, but you can get back to feeling like yourself again—inside and out—with a little style, beauty and emotional self-care.

Today's Parent

We need to stop worrying and just let our kids play

We need to stop worrying and just let our kids play

Kids want to play with real tools, to jump from heights, to make up their own minds about what's dangerous and what's not. So what are we so afraid of?

Stephen Marche

Why helicopter parenting can be a sign of privilege

Why helicopter parenting can be a sign of privilege

For some moms and dads, hovering is just not an option. Why are their peers so quick to judge them?

Bee Quammie

I am not overprotective—I am a mom who lost a child

I am not overprotective—I am a mom who lost a child

When a child dies, you lose the choice to be a carefree, free-range mother. Here's why one mom wants the indictment of helicopter parenting to stop.

Heather Hamilton, as told to Kate Rae

How did good parenting become a crime?

How did good parenting become a crime?

Parents get visits from family service workers over complaints they let their kids play in the backyard. Have we taken this safety thing too far?

Aaron Hutchins

How the Mark Zuckerberg backlash is for people who’re #ActuallyAutistic

How the Mark Zuckerberg backlash is for people who’re #ActuallyAutistic

As a Facebook user I’m furious at Mark Zuckerberg. As an autism mom, I’m furious at the people mocking him.

Alexandra Samuel

New study shows FASD rates in Canada higher than we thought

New study shows FASD rates in Canada higher than we thought

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder often goes undetected and untreated, but new research shows it’s surprisingly prevalent in Canada.

Valerie Howes

I’m going to stop sharing photos of my daughter online when she turns 2

I’m going to stop sharing photos of my daughter online when she turns 2

I posted a video of my daughter dance-wiggling). I was taken aback to receive, among the aww responses, a finger-wagging comment.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Chatelaine

The problem with the bad*ss-working-mom meme

The problem with the bad*ss-working-mom meme

Viral photos of politicians and CEOs working with their babies on their laps are meant to inspire, but they are SO unhelpful for real working parents.

Shannon Proudfoot, Maclean's

How Disney is giving kids who've lost limbs superpowers

How Disney is giving kids who've lost limbs superpowers

OpenBionics teamed up with Disney, Marvel and Star Wars to make bionic arms that make kids with limb loss feel like superheroes

Adriana Parente

Kids with autism will love all the exciting changes at Sesame Place

Kids with autism will love all the exciting changes at Sesame Place

This Pennsylvania theme park is the only Certified Autism Centre in the world and is ready to open its doors on April 28 for children of all abilities.

Adriana Parente

I'm a writer, but my autistic child can barely speak

I'm a writer, but my autistic child can barely speak

One mom had simple expectations for her son: He would learn to walk, talk, socialize and inherit her affinity for reading. But then he didn't.

Emily Schultz

The most autism-friendly town in Canada

The most autism-friendly town in Canada

How two women transformed their tiny Newfoundland community from a zero-resources town to the best place in the country to raise kids with autism.

Valerie Howes

Today’s Parent launches first autism eBook for Canadian parents

Today’s Parent launches first autism eBook for Canadian parents

“My hope is that this eBook can offer families a glimpse into what their child’s future might look like. And, more important, what they can do to prepare for it.”

Today's Parent

6 ways to be a more consistent parent

6 ways to be a more consistent parent

If your kids aren't listening to you, we hear you! Consistent parenting (with a little wiggle room, when life demands it) begets good behaviour.

Gordon Graham

An age-by-age guide to kids and smartphones

An age-by-age guide to kids and smartphones

How should kids use cellphones? And at what age are they emotionally ready to have their own? Here’s what the experts have to say.

Stacey Stein

10 ways to tame dinnertime drama

10 ways to tame dinnertime drama

Are meals turning into drawn-out battles? Do your kids simply refuse to eat? Here’s how to restore some peace to the kitchen table.

Ceri Marsh