Helpful Links for Young Families

Spring is finally here (and very soon, summer)! Everywhere we look, there's a tinge of green!

Now that my school term is finally over (at least for me), it's time to do some yard work and seed planting. But what's more important is doing some activities with my family like biking, swimming, painting, and simply going around the city to see a few attractions.

There are many websites that can help you and your family keep moving. Whether it be for some physical activities or simply doing some sightseeing!

Here are a few links which you can visit and find one that can really be helpful. If there's any other site which you'd like to share with other families, please don't hesitate to comment on this post and we'll share that information to others.

Have a wonderful spring and summer, everyone!

Things to do or places to visit in Winnipeg:

Manitoba Children's Museum

Assiniboine Park Zoo

The Manitoba Museum

The Forks

IMAX Theatre Winnipeg

Tinkertown

Fun Mountain Water Slide Park

What Really Is A Bearhug?

Everytime I hear my daughters say, "Mom, kiss and hug!" I would reply back by saying, "Wait a minute!". This happens on a daily basis before my daughters would go to bed every night. Well just to be fair on myself, most of the time I would readily walk over to their room to give them their much deserved kisses and bearhugs without making them wait even for a second.

But what really is a bearhug? In my Writer's Craft class yesterday, we started analyzing a few poems and one of them was a poem by Michael Ondaatje. It gives an explanation on what a bearhug is, as well as evaluating the feeling of hugging his child.

A bearhug is a grappling clinch hold and stand-up grappling position where the arms are wrapped around the other person. A line in the poem says, "Why do I give my emotion an animal's name, give it that dark squeeze of death?" To better understand this line (or the poem as a whole) is to know that an actual hug from a bear can actually kill you. People use this term to define that a tight squeeze hold on another person. For most of us (even everyone), we think of bears as 'cuddly,' 'soft,' 'adorable,' and 'lovable.'

So whenever I hug my kids, it's always a sign of affection, of loving, and of bonding. For your pleasure, here is the poem 'Bearhug.'












Bearhug by Michael Ondaatje


Griffin calls to come and kiss him goodnight

I yell ok. Finish something I'm doing,

then something else, walk slowly round

the corner to my son's room.

He is standing arms outstretched

waiting for a bearhug. Grinning.



Why do I give my emotion an animal's name,

give it that dark squeeze of death?

This is the hug which collects

all his small bones and his warm neck against me.

The thin tough body under the pyjamas

locks to me like a magnet of blood.



How long was he standing there

like that, before I came?

Sleep Well, My Child

Children need to sleep well so does everyone. During school time, children use up their energy more. A lot of physical and mental activities take place and to get enough sleep each night is just the proper thing to do.

But how much sleep does a child need? According to the National Sleep Foundation, children age 5 to 12 need 11 hours of sleep every night. Yes, 11 hours. But it seems like in today's world, more and more children get distracted with a lot of things in the evenings that sleep becomes a last priority. But this can be remedied. By going back to the basics and learning about sleep, we can help our children be successful in this area. We do have to remember that a child who is well slept functions better the next day. That child will be able to focus well in school and will be able to think creatively.

So here are a few methods which may help put your child to sleep:

* Reduce stimulation, light, noise, and activity
Oftentimes we overlook the fact that we have too many distractions at home. If you really want your kids to go to sleep early, try to lower down those volumes on your TV, CD player, etc. At the same time, switch off strong lights and leave lampshades on.

* Avoid giving your kids heavy snacks or meals right before going to bed
It will be best to simply give your child a glass of warm milk before bedtime.

* Be consistent with bedtime routines
Children learn best if they follow a certain routine, until they grow accustomed to doing it and make that activity a habit. In this case, have your kids prepare for bed. Children can put on their pyjamas, comb their hair and brush their teeth. After brushing, children can go to their beds and hear a bedtime story (children still love bedtime stories!). Should there be any night wherein it's impossible for your kids to go to bed early (because of weeknight activities or lessons), you may veer away from your original plan. But make sure to go back to it on other days.
Best of all, if your child is having trouble getting to sleep, try to count sheep with your child.This method still works!

On Brownies and Bob

In one of my previous posts, I talked about making brownies and how my kids played a vital part in making their favourite treat. This afternoon, my kids spent the time drawing and just making creative stuff. One of my kids drew Bob The Tomato from the VeggieTales series on an inflated white balloon and it turned out really good! She's a very good artist by the way, and exploring her creativity is a daily thing. With the other balloon she has, she drew Larry The Cucumber on it. What turned out were two puppet balloons! She drew them so well that it looked like the original characters.

This long weekend, we'll be spending more time exploring their creativity on top of our regular routines. Maybe next time, we'll create sceneries on balloons to complete our puppet balloons and tell a wonderful story!

If you have kids, try something ceative! Something new! You'll be amazed on what you can come up with!