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Happy November!
Halloween has come and gone, and only the candy hangover and slightly frozen Jack-o'-Lanterns remain! Now that we're well and truly settled into the school year and winter is looming on the horizon, it's time to think about how to prepare for cold weather fun while keeping things running smoothly at home and at school.
This edition of our newsletter is full of cold-weather fun ideas, advice, and support for parents of school-aged kids, and tips to maintain YOUR health and wellness all winter long!
Enjoy!
Ellen
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It's Here! - Our November/December 2016 Issue
Health & Family Life, Plus Winter Fun, and More!
This issue features our Healthy Living Guide, Winter Fun & Getaway Guide, plus our Home School 101 Guide. It also includes events, our annual 'Wish List' Holiday Gift Guide, suggestions to celebrate the season in style, and our annual Parents' Choice Awards ballot.
- Healthy Living Guide: We help parents be informed and active participants in their family's health and well-being. We help them make decisions about medical, vision, and dental care, plus fitness, prevention, healthy eating, and eco-savvy choices.
- Parents Only: The Rest, Relaxation and Getaway Guide: Show parents how your product, class, service, or getaway helps make the most of 'me' and 'we' time.
- Alternative Learning & Home School Guide: For those just getting started to families who are already well on their way, our Guide will provide additional resources and options to enhance the curriculum and home-school experience.
- Winter Fun & Getaway Guide: There's no need to hibernate this winter - our Winter Fun & Getaway Guide will help Calgary families ward off the winter brrr's and find cool things to do - inside, out, and away! This Guide also includes our Winter School Break Camp & Activity Feature.
- Resources for Kids with Special Needs Feature: Sometimes, families with special needs need a little extra support. Whether it's access to information, professional support, or resources for busy families, we are here to help families find it.
Find it on stands and online now! Just click on the cover at calgaryschild.com!
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The 2017 Parents' Choice Awards Ballot is Here!
Vote
online now for your favorites, and you could
WIN a one-night stay at the
Delta Lodge at Kananaskis!
Results will be published in our Mar-April 2017 Issue.
*Suggestions in the drop-down boxes were compiled from the top results of last year's ballot. These are suggestions only; feel free to enter your favorite if it's not there.
*To ensure our results are as accurate as possible and to recognize those businesses that go above and beyond, please give an answer in every category. If a category doesn't apply to you, then you can answer 'Don't Know.' *Limit one entry per IP address.
Vote Now!
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| PARENTING THE SCHOOL-AGED CHILD |
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WHEN YOUR CHILD FAILS - THE VALUE IN MAKING MISTAKES
Written by Jan Pierce, M.Ed., Photo: Fotolia.com
Your son tried out for the junior high basketball team and didn't make it. Your daughter wanted a part in her school play, but wasn't chosen. Your youngest child failed an important math test.
What is your response when your child goes through disappointments and outright failures? Perhaps a better question to ask is: What can you teach your children through the inevitable disappointments and failures of life?
PHYSICAL, VIRTUAL, DIGITAL: SO NOT YOUR GRANDMA'S LIBRARY
Written by Calgary Public Library; Photo: Fotolia.com
When you were little, along with all the great kids' books, did your community library have a full-size fire truck where you could play with the lights, test the siren, and take in story times with a real-life firefighter? (Visit calgarylibrary.ca for details on The New Adventures of Engine 23!)
When you were a teen, did you hang out at the library, learning code and building your own apps?
Did your parents brush up on their job interview skills or update their résumés... at the library? Or download bestsellers, magazines, movies, music, or newspapers from around the globe on their tablets for free from the library? (Last year, Calgarians downloaded more than 1,000,000 eBooks from the Library - with no late fees!)
Today's library is so much more than a building or rows of great books; today's library is a transformational space - virtual and physical - that encourages you to wonder, seek, discover, and share all that you find there.
CONQUERING FEARS WITH A 'BUCKET LIST'
Written by Lara Krupicka; Photo: Fotolia.com
My roller-coaster-fearing daughter Katherine has flown in a Breezy (an experimental open-air airplane). My eldest daughter Bethany overcame an aversion to rodents and other pests while working her dream job at a summer camp. And I jumped from a three-storey-high platform (zip lining) in spite of an intense fear of heights. All of these happened in the pursuit of our bucket list goals.
A bucket list provides a fun and motivating means for conquering a variety of fears. And it creates opportunities to learn fear-busting skills. Teach your kids how to overcome common fears, such as the fear of failure, fear of the unknown, and fear of missing out, through setting and completing bucket list goals.
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Everyone's Talking
We shared a video from Scottish mom Laura Hopkins, whose little two-year-old Noel definitely knows his dinosaurs!
For videos, news, and discussion of many other topics, foll
ow us
on Facebook
!
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SICK AND TIRED: WHEN A PARENT GETS THE FLU
Written by Lisa Nord Seplak; Photo: Fotolia.com
Winter is a wonderful time of year with the joy of holiday traditions, family gatherings, and travel. It is also the time of year when germs abound. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu activity peaks during December, January, and February.
So what happens if you get the flu? Here are six ideas to help you get through the day and the season.
FIVE SNEAKY DATE ESCAPES
Written by Julie Van Rosendaal; Photo: Courtesy of Julie Van Rosendaal
All parents need to get away for a little alone time once in awhile... but when it depends on babysitters and busy schedules, it's not always possible. Here are a few ways to rekindle your relationship over dinner - whether the kids are around or not.
1. Date night in the car. No, it's not ideal. But when our son was tiny, one night we drove to Kensington out of desperation and ordered hot chocolates to go from Starbucks, and got a pizza from Pulcinella, and sat in the car with our fussy baby, listened to music, and ate pizza. When he roused and cried, we'd drive until he settled, then pull over, and eat another slice. Not a perfect night out, but a memory we still have 10 years later.
MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS - TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT A LOVED ONE'S TERMINAL ILLNESS OR INJURY
Written by Christa Melnyk Hines; Photo: Fotolia.com
Learning that you, your spouse, or another family member suffers from an incurable illness or a serious, possibly fatal injury is devastating. After the initial shock, you may wonder how to break the news to your children.
"What we try and tell parents is that we can't fix things that are heartbreaking, but we can make them easier to understand," says Heather Kinney, CCLS, CPST, a senior child life specialist at Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCU).
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Game On! Enter to Win the PLAYMOBIL® Rivalry on the Pond Advent Calendar for the Holidays!
PLAYMOBIL® is the world in miniature. The creative toy system offers everyday play themes, historic play sceneries, and virtual theme stages for action and adventure. For more than 40 years, PLAYMOBIL® has been inspiring children to create their ow
n adventures and let their imaginations soar. Magnificent, one-of-a-kind themes that stimulate imagination and creativity have earned PLAYMOBIL® numerous international awards. For more information, visit
playmobil.ca
; like them on Facebook, @PlaymobilCanada,
facebook.com/PlaymobilCanada
; and follow them on Twitter @playmobil,
twitter.com/playmobil
.
For your chance to win the PLAYMOBIL® Rivalry on the Pond Advent Calendar,
enter here
(contest code: Playmobil). Contest deadline is Monday, November 21, 2016.
Cook Up a Storm with the Little Tikes Cook 'n Learn Smart Kitchen™ Contest!
Your pint-size chef can cook up a storm with the Cook 'n Learn Smart Kitchen™! It expands their level of play with responsive Bluetooth technology. Toddlers and preschoolers will love hearing the knife chopping, eggs sizzling, and water pouring just like in a real kitchen! Introduce a mobile device and load the free app to take kitchen role-play to a new level of interactive play. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Sears, Indigo, and Walmart.
For your chance to win the Cook 'n Learn Smart Kitchen™,
enter here (contest code: Little Chef). Entry deadline is Monday, December 5, 2016.
Babe in Paris Contest!
Exclusive Atelier Choux™ Gift Set: Designed in the style of a Parisian 'hotel particulier,' Atelier Choux's signature gift set contains their three best-selling organic cotton, large format carrés. The top floor's windows open to showcase each carré's unique print, featuring Atelier Choux's signature swan and her multi-story château, a clattering clan of Robots in Action, and the wiggly creatures of The Ocean Deep. To purchase this gift set and to also use the code 'CALGARY10' to receive 10 per cent off your next purchase, exclusive to
Calgary's Child readers!, visit
atelierchoux.com.
For your chance to win the exclusive Atelier Choux™ Gift Set,
enter here (contest code: Gift Set). Entry deadline is Monday, December 5, 2016.
Baby Bling Contest!
Six Sisters Beadworks Hand Stamped Gold Cuff Bracelet: A true classic! This 14K gold cuff bracelet is the perfect keepsake gift for a baby or little girl. Custom-sized to fit. Also popular as a gorgeous mother-daughter set. Use the inside for adding a special date, message, or verse. Purchase at
sixsistersbeadworks.com.
For your chance to win the Six Sisters Beadworks Hand Stamped Gold Cuff Bracelet,
enter here (contest code: Gold Cuff). Entry deadline is Monday, December 5, 2016.
Move, Build, and Zip Contest!
Fisher-Price® Dance & Move Beat Bowwow: The buttons on BeatBowWow's paws activate fun songs, lights, and dance moves! His head bobs side-to-side, his ears wiggle to the beat, and his soft tail wags back and forth. He will introduce your babe to colors and counting. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
Mega® Bloks First Builders Block Scooping Wagon: Combines classic wagon play and construction fun with block-picking surprise! Watch the blocks spin inside the clear compartment when being pushed along. Dump the blocks out and use them to build anything your little one can imagine or build directly to the handle. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
Fisher-Price® Little People® Sit 'N Stand Skyway: Kids can zip their Wheelies vehicles over the roads and down the ramps of the horizontal town. It can change from a sit-at roadway to a stand-up mountain skyway! Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
For your chance to win the Dance & Move Beat Bowwow, First Builders Block Scooping Wagon, and the Sit 'N Stand Skyway,
enter here (contest code: Zip). Entry deadline is Monday, December 5, 2016.
The Need for Speed Contest!
Fisher-Price® Thomas and Friends™ Trackmaster™ - Thomas Sky-High Bridge Jump: This train set takes Thomas off the track and into the air! Thomas soars over two feet in the air before landing safely on the other side. Features a cargo hopper, waving flags, a barrel cargo piece, and removable Harold the helicopter. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
Hot Wheels® Criss Cross Crash: Kids can launch their vehicles on the track, sending them spinning around, racing closer to an exhilarating collision in three different crash zones. With two launchers, kids can add more cars until they meet up in a dramatic crash. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
For your chance to win the Thomas and Friends™ Trackmaster ™ and the Hot Wheels® Criss Cross Crash,
enter here (contest code: Speed). Entry deadline is Monday, December 5, 2016.
Play with Your Favorite Heroine Contest!
DC Super Hero Girls Action Dolls: Inspired by the story of teenagers with super powers in high school. These dolls' fashions include elements from original super heroes. Articulation allows for lots of action and super hero poses. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
Barbie® Dancin Fun Horse: Simple setup and activation! Barbie can swing up onto her horse and begins to ride in one swift motion. Purchase at Toys "R" Us, Walmart, and
amazon.ca.
For your chance to win the DC Super Hero Girls Action Dolls and Barbie® Dancin Fun Horse,
enter here (contest code: Super Hero). Entry deadline is Monday, December 5, 2016.
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Free Live Webinar - "Every Child is Gifted: Understanding Multiple Intelligences"
November 24, 8 to 9pm MDT; Every Child is Gifted: Understanding Multiple Intelligences. Brought to you by Professional Parenting Canada and Calgary's Child Magazine. Register today!
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WHAT'S COMING UP IN CALGARY?
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MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY PRESENTS THE FAMILY PORTRAIT SERIES, THE SECRET LIVES OF A SUITCASE
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Proudly sponsored by Calgary's Child Magazine!
November 2 to 6, shows at 2 & 7pm.
Mount Royal University Presents the Family Portrait Series, The Secret Lives of a Suitcase. A story about the thrill of adventure told with puppets and suitcases!
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit
the website.
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CALGARY'S CHILD MAGAZINE ON GLOBAL
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For parenting tips and updates from the experts, don't miss our
Calgary's Child Magazine segment on the
Global Morning News show on Mondays!
Each segment has a different guest and topic, from Family Fun to Health & Safety.
To find out who's on next, look down the left column of our
Calendar!
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Want to know what's up in Calgary?
No matter the age, stage, or size of your family, we can find you something to do!
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