I have been hearing a lot of news coverage recently about the impact of urban sprawl on obesity so I thought I would take a closer look.  As it turns out, it wasn't as straight forward as I assumed.  It is true that, in general, people residing in suburban areas weigh more than those living in the city.  What was not initially clear is why. Early studies on this topic only looked at the facts - people in cities had lower Body Mass Index scores than those in the suburbs.  Therefore, it was concluded that it must be because of... More »

Recently, I was at a conference and we talked a lot about "Mom".  We analyzed, we compared, and we assumed.  We were presented with data, facts, and information about how to speak to "Mom".  What I found curious about this and slightly disturbing was that many of us, if not most, in the audience were moms ourselves.  We listened intently and learned that "Mom" can be defined in 4 buckets.  "She" can also be predicted and targeted and influenced.  Simply get to know "her" habits and "her" behaviours and you can influence "her" purchasing decisions, create brand loyalty, and... More »

I have been pretty busy lately, feeling a bit stressed.  Instead of hibernating or wallowing, what is my solution?  Time with my gal pals!  This probably doesn't seem strange to you because, as women, we inherently know the value of our friendships.  Who do we depend on when the going gets tough?  Other women.  I am going up north this weekend with a few of my friends.  Nothing terribly exciting.  A few glasses of wine, a soak in the hot tub, a good night's sleep, and plenty of conversation.  What better way to reduce stress!  Strangely enough, it wasn't... More »

We received many emails from members and visitors to the site looking for and requesting an urbanmoms.ca forum. Well, here it is!  This is a place where you can go to relax and chat with other urban moms about what's happening on the site or in other areas of your life.  The forum would also be a great place to get information and resources from urban moms in your community.  So sit back, make yourself a cup of tea or pour yourself a glass of wine and hang out with your friends on urbanmoms.ca! Connect with us in the... More »

Today was one of the most strangely difficult days of my parenting career.  I am not exactly sure why but I am an emotional wreck.  My 2 1/2 year old daughter.  My little beauty with flowing shoulder length hair (see pic to the left) was playing at a friend's house when the friend's brother decided to chop off her hair.  I don't mean a chunk or something that could be fixed into a cute, little bob, I mean ALL of it.  She is bald, at least in patches. When I first saw her I cried.  Partly out of shock because... More »

Q:  I see so many parents pushing their children so that they'll be at the top of the heap.  I don't remember being pushed like this as a child.  Sure, my parents wanted good things for me, but I wonder if somehow people want too much for their children?  What do you think? A: This is an interesting question because over the past twenty-five years I have worked with children in a variety of settings, from the elementary school classroom, to camp outs with Girl Guides of Canada, to my own children and their playmates and now to my... More »

Do you ever wonder why certain things come your way?  I know I have.  Usually I am able to figure it out in the end but the reasons are not always clear at the time.  When my brother-in-law remarried and my teenage niece, who had dropped out of school in grade 8, was left without a home, I knew with 100% certainty why this was coming my way.  I was to rescue her.  Little did I know... I was on maternity leave with my second child and my husband and I decided to give this lost soul, our niece,... More »

  My son started grade one this year. He has gone from a 1/2 day of social interaction and play, to homework and scheduled play time. I think he is ready for more structure but many kids have a hard time adjusting to their new academic careers. What we know intuitively, and studies are reinforcing, is that kids learn a heck of a lot from unstructured play. Obviously, they can't play all of the time but a recent study from the Economic and Social Reserach Council in England shows that the strong focus on literacy and academics in 4... More »

Q: Hi Holly. I have a question for you. I have a beautiful little boy who will be 5 in September. He will be attending S/K and I am concerned about him fitting in. The problem is he is, well, a very big boy, not fat, just tall, and stocky like his dad. Presently he is around 70 lbs and a good 4 foot 3 inches. He is heads and weights over any of the kids that were in class with him in J/K, and the other kids picked on him a bit, which made him very aggressive towards them.... More »