Drum roll please!  Announcing the winners of the LISTERINE® SMART MOUTH KIDS contest.  Please join UrbanMoms and LISTERINE® as we congratulate Dianne from Vancouver, British Columbia, Kitsa from Scarborough, Ontario, and Kristi from Port Alberni, British Columbia.Dianne, Kitsa, and Kristi, have all won a $1,000 cash prize that can be used towards their children's education.  Thank you to all of our UrbanMoms members for sharing your stories.  We have learned so many great tips, tricks and challenges that your children face when taking care of their teeth.  ... More »

"What have you been feeding your child?"These words - dripping with judgment - were uttered by my child's first dentist. My daughter was four years old and it was her first dental checkup. At the time, the prevailing wisdom from parenting books, magazines and even my family physician was that this was the right age for a child's first visit to the dentist. Turns out the prevailing wisdom was wrong.At the tender age of four, my little one already had four cavities. They were shallow and easy to treat, but I will never forget the hot flush of shame I... More »

Dentophobia...we tend to make light of it; joke about our apprehension about dental appointments, or our dread for an annual cleaning. But have you ever dealt with someone who actually suffers from dentophobia? What would you do if it were your own child?My sons started visiting the same dentist my husband had been going to since he was a child when they were toddlers. They'd watch their father get his teeth cleaned, then hop into the chair while the hygienist would "ooh and aah" at their tooth brushing prowess and then hand them a treat. By the time that dentist... More »

Raising children is challenging to say the very least. There are daily challenges and sometimes I feel like they come every 10 minutes. There are days where I will let some things slide. There are days where I will let everything slide. Sometimes it's all I can do to make it through the day. While some challenges are molehills, such as doing homework; other challenges - such as dental hygiene - are mountains. But, I have a mouth full of cavity-filled teeth and I was going to do everything in my power to spare my children that pain.  We... More »

When my daughters were younger, they would sometimes thrash and scream and bite when I tried to brush their teeth. Often, I'd bargain for a shorter brush or possibly a brush without toothpaste, but sometimes - I'll admit it - I let my kids get away with missing a daily brushing.And based on a recent New York Times article, it seems I'm not alone. More and more, preschoolers are coming to dentists' offices with advanced decay in several teeth - in some cases as many as 10-12 cavities at one time. One of the serious outcomes of tooth decay on... More »

Every day as I leave for work the sun is already up. When did that happen? Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Even though we didn't get the cold winter that some pundits were predicting, I am still more than ready for winter to be done, and the longer days are early harbingers of spring's arrival. Yay!Early spring means two things to me: slush and Easter. Slush (unless dispensed in a highball glass by my friend Lorraine) has nothing to recommend it, but Easter is the high point of the season. Even though in Canada we don't get the... More »

By Heather Hamilton (@TZJMommy) Today is Zack's 4th birthday.

The entire week leading up to this day has been so difficult and emotionally draining. You see, Zack is a twin, and while we are overwhelmed with the fact that Zack won't be there to turn 4, his brother still deserves a fun birthday celebration! I've been overwhelmed with memories of the day that the boys were born. Looking at my sweet little ones and being so worried for Zack's future. My life changed four years ago today. This day means so much more to me than just cake and lootbags.

It's really... More »

By Heather Hamilton (@TZJMommy)I was on Twitter the other day, when Jen Maier tweeted about her son and his questions regarding death.  Since this is a huge discussion in our house, I jumped in with my thoughts and advice about how I have spoken to my sons about their brother's death.  I was so honoured when she asked me about the possibility of exploring this topic in a series of posts on UrbanMoms.ca.  I knew that I was willing to talk about my experiences and how our family is working through our questions and feelings regarding the loss of our... More »

Join UrbanMoms and some of our other members in the "sandwich generation" as we discuss keeping our hearts healthy in the "Life in the Sandwich" Blog Series. On March 23rd, add a new item to your heart health shopping list and visit your participating Loblaw banner store for a free Healthy Heart Check. It only takes 20 minutes of your time, but you will get a personalized picture of your key heart risk factors. Share your thoughts in the comments below for your chance to win some great prizes and learn some important information about heart health."I'm scared."When your dad says... More »

Join UrbanMoms and some of our other members in the "sandwich generation" as we discuss keeping our hearts healthy in the "Life in the Sandwich" Blog Series. On March 23rd, add a new item to your heart health shopping list and visit your participating Loblaw banner store for a free Healthy Heart Check. It only takes 20 minutes of your time, but you will get a personalized picture of your key heart risk factors. Share your thoughts in the comments below for your chance to win some great prizes and learn some important information about heart health.From the time... More »