todays parent

Toilet training is my favourite game-changer milestone. I still get a thrill when I think about The Day the Diaper Genie Left the Building. This stage was one of the tougher (wetter and smellier) ones to get through, taking about six months longer than the three-day weekend I envisioned. But the end result was well

You could call a plumber, but try these steps first if your toilet is clogged because your child has flushed something down there. With the kids at home more than ever, I’ve seen a big increase in kid-related plumbing incidents, usually involving toys and other assorted items being flushed down the toilet. If your toilet

We can’t guarantee your baby will sleep through the night (there’s a huge age range for that!), but these nine nursery tips will help set them up for a successful slumber. When you’re designing a nursery, it’s fun to focus on the aesthetics, scanning Instagram and Pinterest for just the right paint colours, decals and

Here’s the latest research on lulling your baby to sleep with white noise and sound machines. (Also, what the heck is pink noise?) Ever since we sleep-trained our first baby, I’ve been a white noise advocate—even packing our white noise machines for both kids when we fly across the country to visit family, and making

1. Lay it all on the table Sit down and finally figure out all the money that’s coming in every month and everything that’s going out. Fixed expenses—the ones that don’t change month to month—typically include rent or a mortgage payment, hydro, cellphone bills and the like. Variable expenses, also called discretionary spending, vary a

Ever wonder why your child does certain things, as though by instinct? Here are some primitive reflexes your little one has already developed. It’s a moment captured on countless cameras: You touch your newborn baby’s tiny palm and he grasps onto your finger with surprising strength, like he intends to never let you go. Maybe

The proof is in the stats—bilingual kids have a higher likelihood of graduating with more job opportunities waiting for them. Plus: the smaller school sizes and community values at MonAvenir and Providence Catholic School Boards are a win for all. Since French is the second official language of Canada and about 30 percent of the

It’s been a whirlwind few months for researchers working furiously on COVID vaccines, and for the frontline healthcare workers who were, in many places, first in line to suddenly receive them in the days just before Christmas. But there’s one group that has struggled with mixed messages and unclear guidance about COVID vaccine safety: anyone

I got my G1 learner’s licence for the third time when I was 48 and figured I had five years to overcome my fear of the road. But somehow it never felt like the right time to get behind the wheel—never mind take a test. The years ticked by. When I received notice that my

The first day of school is a mix of new experiences for most kids, but Phoenix Washington*’s introduction to kindergarten in suburban Massachusetts left them with an all-too-familiar feeling: the feeling of not belonging. From being asked to sit boy/girl/boy/girl on the carpet to gendered washroom choices, Phoenix (now 12) felt “just really tired of

Some dogs integrate into a family with kids seamlessly. Others not so much. If you’re wondering, “How can I make sure my dog likes my kids?” try these six strategies. If your family welcomed a dog into your family during the pandemic, you’re definitely not alone. There’s been a big spike in purchases and adoptions

Toddlers tend to fall down a lot—they’re top-heavy, they’re still getting used to this walking and running thing and they often have zero fear—so it’s not surprising that their teeth can bear the brunt of the impact. “Everything’s OK; it’s just a little tiny chip,” Victoria Russell-Matthews’s mom told her over the phone. Her two-year-old

New moms typically experience feelings of isolation, plus a huge identity shift, and the pandemic has only amplified this. These coping strategies can help you connect and find support while still staying safe. Under normal, non-pandemic circumstances, new moms typically experience feelings of isolation and a huge identity shift when they go on maternity leave,

The most common migraine triggers can be hard to avoid when you’re a parent. Try these tips to stop a migraine before it starts. Hydrate often Drink lots of water. “Migraine patients need to have at least 1.5 to 2 litres a day—some people more,” says Christine Lay, medical director of Centre for Headache at

Even at age four or five, Annie Lake* remembers being debilitated by headaches that came on quickly. “I’d be at the park and I would get really hot and sweaty. Then I’d get a besieging, painful headache,” she recalls. Now, at age 42, she’s finally got a bit of control over her excruciating headaches—but not

There are many migraine treatments beyond Advil and Tylenol, including supplements and wearable devices. Here’s what’s out there. Pain relievers When headaches strike, it’s best to treat them right away. For some migraine patients, over-the-counter medications are sufficient. Sian Spacey, director of the University of British Columbia Headache Clinic, suggests starting with an anti-inflammatory, like

“You know,” I said to my husband this summer as we sat on a friend’s dock,  stealing some much-needed time away together. “If I don’t make it—” “Hold on,” he tried to interrupt.  “No, Mark, please, just let me say this. If I end up not making it, and you eventually move on—which I’m OK

I started taking the pill in my teens. Most of the girls I knew at my high school were prescribed it, too, whether or not they were sexually active. My doctor told me that there were other benefits aside from preventing ovulation and avoiding pregnancy: It would make my period lighter and the cramps less painful.

Are you having pain or cramps but no period in sight? Pelvic pain can signal a variety of different health issues—some are serious, while others are nothing to worry about.  “There is a lot going on in the pelvic area,” notes Sony S. Singh, an ob-gyn and professor at the University of Ottawa. Generally, your

Permanent forms of contraception are covered under provincial healthcare in Canada, but is a tubal ligation or salpingectomy right for you? An expert weighs in. Let’s start with a quick physiology lesson so we’re all on the same page about reproduction: The ovaries are each connected to the uterus by a fallopian tube. During typical

Everyone has an opinion on how to get your pre-baby body back—and now! It’s as if that’s all you can say to a mother who has just had a baby. It’s not. When you’re pregnant, your body becomes public domain—people endlessly comment on your bump and reach out to touch your belly. And after you’ve

POLICIAS MUERTOS POR LA DELINCUENCIA. EL PORQUE A VECES MUCHOS POLICIAS TIENEN TANTO MIEDO POR SUS VIDAS QUE A VECES NO SABEN MEDIR SUS FUERZAS. Miren bien sus caras, son algunos de los 1,627 Oficiales de la Policía de EEUU asesinados por delincuentes en los ultimos 10 años mientras cumplían con su deber de proteger

Fue encontrada sana y salva la adolescente, residente en el sector Los Mina, de Santo Domingo Oeste, provincia Santo Domingo, que estaba desaparecida desde la madrugada del domingo 12 de abril. Thalia Nicole Ureña, de 16 años de edad, se encontraba en la casa de su novio, identificado como Luis Enmanuel Cristo, quien reside en

Un niño, de un año y dos meses de edad, murió en la tarde de este viernes ahogado en canal de riesgo localizado en la comunidad de Villarpando en la provincia Azua. El infante fue identificado como Frailin Rosso Guzmán, quien era hijo de la señora Nayelis Guzmán Geraldo y el señor Frailin Rosso De