There has been a lot of media coverage lately of the youth mental health crisis, which is particularly bad here in Calgary. And it's about damn time. I've known about this crisis for a long time now, because I've been part of it. And it's getting worse, not better.My oldest daughter has anxiety. And not just your garden-variety anxiety, either. I'm not talking about getting a nervous tummy before a big test or having rubbery knees before the big game or a dance recital. What I'm talking about is paralyzing, crippling Anxiety with a capital A. Social Anxiety Disorder. Generalized Anxiety... More »

Not that long ago, I went to see a psychiatrist for the first time.It's kind of a funny story how I ended up there, but the Cole's Notes version is that my kids drove me crazy. True story.But whatever the cause, there I was sitting in her office and answering all her backgrounder-type questions with half my brain, while wondering with the other half how someone so young could possibly have spent enough time in university to be a qualified psychiatrist. Eyes scanning her office walls looking for possible forgeries of medical degrees, I absent-mindedly responded to her queries about... More »

You know when you go to a place for the first time, and you are full of expectations of what it will be like, and it turns out to be nothing like you expected, and yet everything you expected all at once?That was Las Vegas for me.I flew in Friday night, and flew home Sunday evening, and in the intervening forty-eight hours, somehow every stereotype I had of Vegas was simultaneously smashed and reinforced. The strip was everything I expected it to be, and yet so much more.I loved the bright lights and huge energy. It made me feel a... More »

Lately I've been watching a lot of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix. It's totally a hilarious show and I find it to be a nice little indulgence after a busy, busy day.There's one particular thing about this show that I really, really enjoy, and that's us. That's because one of the main characters - Robin Scherbatsky (played by Canadian actress Cobie Smulders) - is Canadian. As you would expect, there are times when the writers of the show hit the Canadian references perfectly, and other times when they are just a little bit off: take for example the... More »

"Why don't you ever write about our cheerleading?" Charlotte asked me the other day (after blog-stalking me until the wee hours late one night, but that's another other bottle of wine, as one of my dear friends is fond of saying).It's a fair question, actually. I write about a range of different things - lots of them related to parenting - but I've only once blogged about cheerleading, exclusively. So why not? I don't think there's any one reason in particular. Perhaps because cheer has consumed so much of our family life these past nine months it feels like I... More »

Congratulations to our third Weight Watchers contest winner Teresa! Way to go Teresa, you've just taken the first step in your journey towards a happier, healthier you. And speaking of journeys, I'm well on the way in my own weight loss journey. I've been at this for 10 weeks now and I've lost 12 pounds. That's still right on track for the one to two pounds per week that Weight Watchers recommends, and I'm pleased as can be with my results. I have more that I'd like to do - in fact, I'm only just about half-way towards my ultimate... More »

So I haven't been immune to all the talk on parenting sites and the media in general about screens, and the inordinate amount of time we spend on them. It's just that I was never all that inclined to do much about my own use of screens (Facebook! Pinterest! iPhone in bed!) or the amount of time my kids spent on their screens. But a few weeks ago I sat down with my daughter who suffers from severe anxiety disorders and we crafted a routine that we both thought would be most conducive to helping her manage her anxiety and return to... More »

As a teacher I often get asked questions from my layperson friends about their children's school lives, and honestly, I'm happy to help out when I can. And perhaps it's not that surprising, but the two most common themes I get consulted about are:ReadingMathTimes change and schools change, but the three Rs are still the going concern for parents, it seems (or at least two of them are, anyway. I do find it interesting that I almost never get asked about writing, despite the fact that the argument can be made that learning how to communicate clearly and effectively using... More »

I haven't written a lot about my daughter's struggle with anxiety and school refusal, partly because it's as much her story to tell as it is mine, and also because...well, to be perfectly honest it's embarrassing. It makes me feel like a bad parent. Like I've failed my daughter and I've failed as a parent - my most important job.Bottom line: dealing with severe anxiety and school refusal (my daughter has been diagnosed with severe Social Anxiety Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder - along with a few other things) is no easy task for either the child suffering from them... More »

Before I get into talking about myself (oh, the self-indulgent world we bloggers live in) let me offer up an enthusiastic congratulations to our first Weight Watchers contest winner, Kim! Congratulations, Kim! You're taking the first step in an incredible journey and you know we're there with you every step of the way! Do you feel ready to begin your own weight loss journey? Well today could be your lucky day! Weight Watchers is offering another membership to a lucky UrbanMoms member! To be entered in this contest, simply comment below with an answer to my question at the... More »