As COVID-19 continues to spread, a lot of Canadians are wondering how to protect their children and how to explain the pandemic without scaring them. On this episode of Family Matters, we look for the facts from <a href="https://fhs.mcmaster.ca/medsci/faculty/bowdish_dawn.html">Dawn Bowdish</a>. She&rsquo;s the Canada Research Chair in aging and immunity at McMaster University. She answers why, at this point, is COVID-19 not affecting children? And offers advice for parents wondering if they should be avoiding public places and even grandparents? Plus, why you need to be your child&rsquo;s go-to-person for information about the virus. Registered psychologist Vanessa Lapointe joins us to for some advice on what to say and what not to say. You can find out more about Vanessa by <a href="https://drvanessalapointe.com/">clicking here</a>.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, a lot of Canadians are wondering how to protect their children and how to explain the pandemic without scaring them. On this episode of Family Matters, we look for the facts from Dawn Bowdish. She&rsquo;s the Canada Research Chair in aging and immunity at McMaster University. She answers why, at this point, is COVID-19 not affecting children? And offers advice for parents wondering if they should be avoiding public places and even grandparents? Plus, why you need to be your child&rsquo;s go-to-person for information about the virus. Registered psychologist Vanessa Lapointe joins us to for some advice on what to say and what not to say. You can find out more about Vanessa by clicking here.

Family Matters

Talking Coronavirus with Kids

Have you ever felt like you got a raise at work or an "A" on an exam merely by fluke or luck? Consistently doubting your accomplishments is known as Imposter Syndrome. Even Sheryl Sandberg, Serena Williams and Tom Hanks say they've experienced it. It's so common on campus at the University of Alberta that school is <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6624641/imposter-syndrome-students-family-matters/">holding workshops</a> to help students cope. Rachel Greenly is a mental health consultant at the U of A and joins us to talk about imposter syndrome and how to overcome it. We also hear from child psychologist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/drjodycarrington/">Jody Carrington</a> about her battles with self-doubt. You can connect with Jody through her website by <a href="http://www.drjodycarrington.com/">clicking here</a>.

Have you ever felt like you got a raise at work or an "A" on an exam merely by fluke or luck? Consistently doubting your accomplishments is known as Imposter Syndrome. Even Sheryl Sandberg, Serena Williams and Tom Hanks say they've experienced it. It's so common on campus at the University of Alberta that school is holding workshops to help students cope. Rachel Greenly is a mental health consultant at the U of A and joins us to talk about imposter syndrome and how to overcome it. We also hear from child psychologist Jody Carrington about her battles with self-doubt. You can connect with Jody through her website by clicking here.

Imposter Syndrome

The traditional thinking about houses has often been &ldquo;bigger is better&rdquo;. But when it comes to connecting with your kids, the secret may be embracing smaller spaces. Parenting expert <a href="https://twitter.com/alysonschafer">Alyson Schafer</a> walks us through this theory and also offers some advice for parents who want to get in their children&rsquo;s space but aren&rsquo;t ready to move. Plus, veteran house flipper and designer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/inthefunlane/?hl=en">Holly Baker</a> shares the surprising benefits of her latest project, one that saw the family lose 1000 square feet and go from three bathrooms to one. You can find out more about Holly by checking out her <a href="http://hollybaker.org/">website</a>.

The traditional thinking about houses has often been &ldquo;bigger is better&rdquo;. But when it comes to connecting with your kids, the secret may be embracing smaller spaces. Parenting expert Alyson Schafer walks us through this theory and also offers some advice for parents who want to get in their children&rsquo;s space but aren&rsquo;t ready to move. Plus, veteran house flipper and designer Holly Baker shares the surprising benefits of her latest project, one that saw the family lose 1000 square feet and go from three bathrooms to one. You can find out more about Holly by checking out her website.

The Upside to Downsizing

Snakes, spiders and heights - they're the stuff of horror movies and the things we claim to fear right from birth. But do we? A <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6564849/fear-nature-nurture-snakes-spiders-heights/">research review</a> is challenging that notion suggesting parents can pass on fear to children. <a href="https://twitter.com/vanessalobue?lang=en">Vanessa LoBue</a> is a psychologist at Rutgers University and joins us to talk about her work on the research review and offers up some advice for parents. And while on the topic, we are turning to child psychologist <a href="https://www.autendye.com/">Tammy Auten-Dye</a> for advice on helping your child overcome fear.

Snakes, spiders and heights - they're the stuff of horror movies and the things we claim to fear right from birth. But do we? A research review is challenging that notion suggesting parents can pass on fear to children. Vanessa LoBue is a psychologist at Rutgers University and joins us to talk about her work on the research review and offers up some advice for parents. And while on the topic, we are turning to child psychologist Tammy Auten-Dye for advice on helping your child overcome fear.

Childhood Fears

Health Canada is making it easier and cheaper for women undergoing fertility treatment to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6536407/regulation-change-makes-it-easier-for-women-undergoing-fertility-treatment-to-access-sperm-from-known-donors/">access sperm</a> from known donors. Up until recently, if a woman wanted to use a friend's sperm, they had to use a designated clinic (Western Canadians often went to Toronto) and the sperm would have to undergo testing for 180 days (half a year). This was costly and time consuming. Now, local clinics can carry out this procedure and there's no quarantine period. Infertility specialist <a href="https://pacificfertility.ca/our-people/caitlin-dunne">Dr. Caitlin Dunne</a> calls it a big win for women trying to conceive alone or in a same sex partnership. She joins us to talk about the change and exactly how you can start the process. &nbsp;And what is it like to shop for sperm? A Langley, B.C. mother joins to share her experience in browsing for donors. She even talks about having to weigh the pros and cons when it comes to siblings.

Health Canada is making it easier and cheaper for women undergoing fertility treatment to access sperm from known donors. Up until recently, if a woman wanted to use a friend's sperm, they had to use a designated clinic (Western Canadians often went to Toronto) and the sperm would have to undergo testing for 180 days (half a year). This was costly and time consuming. Now, local clinics can carry out this procedure and there's no quarantine period. Infertility specialist Dr. Caitlin Dunne calls it a big win for women trying to conceive alone or in a same sex partnership. She joins us to talk about the change and exactly how you can start the process. &nbsp;And what is it like to shop for sperm? A Langley, B.C. mother joins to share her experience in browsing for donors. She even talks about having to weigh the pros and cons when it comes to siblings.

Looking for Sperm?

CrossFit for kids is growing across Canada with a number of gyms offering programming for children as young as 3 years old. Gyms like <a href="https://www.firepowerkids.com/">FirePower Kids</a> in Milton, Ontario. In the seven years since it started offering pint-sized workouts, it has grown to 200 members. Jodi Nieuwendyk is a coach at FirePower Kids and joins us to talk about the workouts and how her gym decides if their little Crossfitters are ready to lift weight. CrossFit has a reputation for intensity and sometimes even injury, so what do the experts say: is it safe for children? <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/glen-sather-clinic/our-team/sport-exercise-medicine-physicians/dr-marni-wesner">Dr. Marni Wesner</a> is a sport and exercise medicine consultant at Edmonton&rsquo;s Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic. She joins us to talk about the sport and what parents need to know before enrolling.

CrossFit for kids is growing across Canada with a number of gyms offering programming for children as young as 3 years old. Gyms like FirePower Kids in Milton, Ontario. In the seven years since it started offering pint-sized workouts, it has grown to 200 members. Jodi Nieuwendyk is a coach at FirePower Kids and joins us to talk about the workouts and how her gym decides if their little Crossfitters are ready to lift weight. CrossFit has a reputation for intensity and sometimes even injury, so what do the experts say: is it safe for children? Dr. Marni Wesner is a sport and exercise medicine consultant at Edmonton&rsquo;s Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic. She joins us to talk about the sport and what parents need to know before enrolling.

CrossFit for Kids

Your kids spend hours on their phones but are they getting any real-life tech skills out of it? No, according to the HR Mom. Melissa Griffin is a long-time human resources professional whose post on the topic went viral in January 2020. She says young adults are ill-prepared for the real world and believes parents have one job: to work ourselves out of a job. Griffin suggests giving your kids technology inspired tasks and shares some examples. You can connect with Griffin on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/askHRmom/about/?ref=page_internal">Facebook</a>.

Your kids spend hours on their phones but are they getting any real-life tech skills out of it? No, according to the HR Mom. Melissa Griffin is a long-time human resources professional whose post on the topic went viral in January 2020. She says young adults are ill-prepared for the real world and believes parents have one job: to work ourselves out of a job. Griffin suggests giving your kids technology inspired tasks and shares some examples. You can connect with Griffin on&nbsp;Facebook.

Raising Tech-Savvy Kids

Raising kids without debt? Can it be done? Blogger <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mommyisweird/">Kyla Cornish</a> is sharing her family&rsquo;s journey to get <a href="https://www.mommysweird.com/2019/02/our-debt-story.html">back in the black</a>. Like many families, they were relying on a line of credit. It wasn&rsquo;t until they hit their version of &ldquo;rock bottom&rdquo; that they knew they had to take action. She joins us to talk about that moment and what has happened since. Plus, if the first step is realizing you have a problem, then the second would be tackling it. Personal finance educator <a href="https://twitter.com/KelleyKeehn?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Kelley Keehn</a> shares her advice on where to start and explains how you can get a better understanding of your finances in her new book <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Talk-Money-Me-Spend-About/dp/1982117559">Talk Money To Me</a>. You can find out more about Keehn by <a href="https://kelleykeehn.com/">clicking here.</a>

Raising kids without debt? Can it be done? Blogger Kyla Cornish is sharing her family&rsquo;s journey to get back in the black. Like many families, they were relying on a line of credit. It wasn&rsquo;t until they hit their version of &ldquo;rock bottom&rdquo; that they knew they had to take action. She joins us to talk about that moment and what has happened since. Plus, if the first step is realizing you have a problem, then the second would be tackling it. Personal finance educator Kelley Keehn shares her advice on where to start and explains how you can get a better understanding of your finances in her new book Talk Money To Me. You can find out more about Keehn by clicking here.

Parenting without Debt

If you&rsquo;re old enough to love, you&rsquo;re old enough to grieve. That&rsquo;s the message from Canadian author, speaker and child psychologist <a href="https://twitter.com/JodyCarrington">Jody Carrington</a>. She wants to encourage parents to stop sheltering kids from sadness. Dr. Carrington joins us to explain why and also offers some tips for making it easier for children to cope with the tough stuff. You can find out more about her by visiting <a href="http://www.drjodycarrington.com/">her website.</a> We are also joined by Cathy Decker. She started <a href="https://averyslegacy.com/">Avery&rsquo;s Legacy</a> after the sudden loss of her 13-month-old daughter. Decker creates, sells and donates grief boxes for families dealing with the loss of a loved one. Avery&rsquo;s Legacy recently started to create bereavement gifts specifically designed for children.

If you&rsquo;re old enough to love, you&rsquo;re old enough to grieve. That&rsquo;s the message from Canadian author, speaker and child psychologist Jody Carrington. She wants to encourage parents to stop sheltering kids from sadness. Dr. Carrington joins us to explain why and also offers some tips for making it easier for children to cope with the tough stuff. You can find out more about her by visiting her website. We are also joined by Cathy Decker. She started Avery&rsquo;s Legacy after the sudden loss of her 13-month-old daughter. Decker creates, sells and donates grief boxes for families dealing with the loss of a loved one. Avery&rsquo;s Legacy recently started to create bereavement gifts specifically designed for children.

Helping Children Mourn

A reverse lunch, more recess breaks and no try-outs for school sports. We are taking a look at some of the changes happening in the education system hoping to help improve student performance.&nbsp; We unpack the <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6199892/family-matters-reverse-lunch/">reverse lunch</a> that sees students go out for recess before sitting down to eat. Plus, we update a rural Alberta school where they are <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4733405/canadian-schools-recess-breaks-family-matters/">stretching out recess</a>. The elementary school has four recess breaks in its day. And, is a <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5053954/family-matters-sports-no-cut-programs/">no-cuts policy</a> at the junior level of a junior high school still happening? We check in and debate team cuts.

A reverse lunch, more recess breaks and no try-outs for school sports. We are taking a look at some of the changes happening in the education system hoping to help improve student performance.&nbsp; We unpack the reverse lunch that sees students go out for recess before sitting down to eat. Plus, we update a rural Alberta school where they are stretching out recess. The elementary school has four recess breaks in its day. And, is a no-cuts policy at the junior level of a junior high school still happening? We check in and debate team cuts.

Schools Doing School Differently

The kids table was invented for a reason, to keep the mess and the bad manners far away from the adults trying to enjoy their meal. But when is it time to stop ignoring bad table behavior? Now, according to <a href="https://www.vipprotocol.ca/blog-1">Jeannie Vaage</a>. She is the owner of <a href="https://www.vipprotocol.ca/">VIP Protocol</a>, an Edmonton company that specializes in etiquette training. She joins us with her dos and don&rsquo;ts for table manners.&nbsp; You can find out more about Jeannie by clicking here.

The kids table was invented for a reason, to keep the mess and the bad manners far away from the adults trying to enjoy their meal. But when is it time to stop ignoring bad table behavior? Now, according to Jeannie Vaage. She is the owner of VIP Protocol, an Edmonton company that specializes in etiquette training. She joins us with her dos and don&rsquo;ts for table manners.&nbsp; You can find out more about Jeannie by clicking here.

Table Manners to Teach Your Kids

Born as &ldquo;Dear Diary&rdquo; confessionals the mom blog has transformed into lucrative businesses for many Canadian women. Even basic posts with product reviews or sponsorships can earn these content creators $10,000+ a month. Two of Canada&rsquo;s top mom bloggers <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladymarielle/">Marielle Altenor</a> of <a href="https://www.ladymarielle.com/">Ladymarielle</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nestingstory/">Joanna Venditti</a> of <a href="https://nestingstory.ca/">Nesting Story</a>, offer some insight into their journey and how they are making it work. And what&rsquo;s next for the mom blog? <a href="https://twitter.com/KJezerMorton?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Kathryn Jezer-Morton</a> is a PhD candidate at Concordia University and is writing her thesis on mompreneurship. She makes her predictions on the future of the mamasphere plus talks about how the blogs have allowed moms to talk discuss once taboo topics.

Born as &ldquo;Dear Diary&rdquo; confessionals the mom blog has transformed into lucrative businesses for many Canadian women. Even basic posts with product reviews or sponsorships can earn these content creators $10,000+ a month. Two of Canada&rsquo;s top mom bloggers Marielle Altenor of Ladymarielle and Joanna Venditti of Nesting Story, offer some insight into their journey and how they are making it work. And what&rsquo;s next for the mom blog? Kathryn Jezer-Morton is a PhD candidate at Concordia University and is writing her thesis on mompreneurship. She makes her predictions on the future of the mamasphere plus talks about how the blogs have allowed moms to talk discuss once taboo topics.

Mom Blog Evolution

As parents, we are our children&rsquo;s first model of what a relationship looks like. So what happens when the example is one of abuse? According to domestic violence survivor Chantel Sparklingeyes, the cycle of violence continues. She joins us to talk about her journey and also explains why she wants schools to bring the tough topic into the classroom. We also hear from <a href="https://www.farrahkhan.ca/">Farrah Khan</a>, a sexual violence educator and support worker. She believes a robust relationship health education can prevent domestic violence from happening, now and in the future. But what would that curriculum look like? Khan offers her suggestions. This is episode is part of a special Global News series <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6123532/violence-against-women-2/">Broken: Canada&rsquo;s ongoing failure to end violence against woman</a>. &nbsp;Reporter <a href="https://globalnews.ca/author/meghan-collie/">Meghan Collie</a> is part of a team of journalists working on it. She took a look at what kids in Canada are taught in <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6229210/violence-against-women-education-2/">sex education</a> and joins us to look at how it varies between provinces. &nbsp;

As parents, we are our children&rsquo;s first model of what a relationship looks like. So what happens when the example is one of abuse? According to domestic violence survivor Chantel Sparklingeyes, the cycle of violence continues. She joins us to talk about her journey and also explains why she wants schools to bring the tough topic into the classroom. We also hear from Farrah Khan, a sexual violence educator and support worker. She believes a robust relationship health education can prevent domestic violence from happening, now and in the future. But what would that curriculum look like? Khan offers her suggestions. This is episode is part of a special Global News series Broken: Canada&rsquo;s ongoing failure to end violence against woman. &nbsp;Reporter Meghan Collie is part of a team of journalists working on it. She took a look at what kids in Canada are taught in sex education and joins us to look at how it varies between provinces. &nbsp;

Relationship Education

Less toys, more joy. That&rsquo;s the case parenting author <a href="https://www.simplicityparenting.com/about-simplicity-parenting/about-kim-john-payne/">Kim John Payne</a> is making this holiday season. He is behind <a href="https://www.simplicityparenting.com/">Simplicity Parenting</a> and believes if you want to raise children who are more grateful and less entitled, then surround them with less stuff. His pitch is supported by years of research showing fewer toys lead to more play in young children. Payne joins us to share some alternatives to presents and advice for getting the extended family on board. We are also looking for ways to tackle our current toy count. Organizational coach <a href="https://www.instagram.com/organizedwithkids/">Sarah Renner</a> shares her de-cluttering tips. Renner is a consultant with <a href="http://www.organizedwithkids.com/">Organized with Kids</a>.

Less toys, more joy. That&rsquo;s the case parenting author Kim John Payne is making this holiday season. He is behind Simplicity Parenting and believes if you want to raise children who are more grateful and less entitled, then surround them with less stuff. His pitch is supported by years of research showing fewer toys lead to more play in young children. Payne joins us to share some alternatives to presents and advice for getting the extended family on board. We are also looking for ways to tackle our current toy count. Organizational coach Sarah Renner shares her de-cluttering tips. Renner is a consultant with Organized with Kids.

Less Toys

After shelling out hundreds of dollars in extracurricular activities, the last thing you want to hear from your child mid-season is &ldquo;I quit&rdquo;. Many of us will forge ahead often negotiating, bribing or even forcing our little athlete to finish. But is that the right answer? And at what point should we let them pull the plug? &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ka_tamminen?lang=en">Katherine Tamminen</a> is a sports psychology researcher at the University of Toronto and has been tracking youth experiences in sport. She joins us to offer some scenarios and advice parents can try-out in their own home. Plus &ndash; we&rsquo;ve been told our kids need to play more than one sport so why are parents still struggling to make the multi-sport athlete a reality? We hear form <a href="https://activeforlife.com/author/rmonette/">Richard Monette</a>. He&rsquo;s the head of Active for Live and behind the new campaign &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQHR4Qrj6fM&amp;feature=emb_logo">Change it Up</a>&rdquo;. To find out more about it, <a href="https://playmoresports.activeforlife.com/">click here</a>.

After shelling out hundreds of dollars in extracurricular activities, the last thing you want to hear from your child mid-season is &ldquo;I quit&rdquo;. Many of us will forge ahead often negotiating, bribing or even forcing our little athlete to finish. But is that the right answer? And at what point should we let them pull the plug? &nbsp;Katherine Tamminen is a sports psychology researcher at the University of Toronto and has been tracking youth experiences in sport. She joins us to offer some scenarios and advice parents can try-out in their own home. Plus &ndash; we&rsquo;ve been told our kids need to play more than one sport so why are parents still struggling to make the multi-sport athlete a reality? We hear form Richard Monette. He&rsquo;s the head of Active for Live and behind the new campaign &ldquo;Change it Up&rdquo;. To find out more about it, click here.

Quitting Sports

Family Matters is a conversation sparked by parents, for parents, where we explore the issues that matter to you and navigate the challenges we all face. We are not experts but rather every day moms learning by trial and error. Our biggest hope for is that you walk away feeling a little more informed and above all – understood…like we get you because we're in it too. Host Kim Smith is a Global News reporter who has worked in Regina, Calgary and Edmonton. When her son was only three months olds, Kim went back to work as a full-time reporter and juggled breastfeeding while on the job. She would often pump in her boss’s office or in a Global News vehicle. Her son is now two and she is navigating the world of daycare, potty training and picky eating. Producer Christine Meadows has been with Global Edmonton for a decade, minus the 2 years spent on maternity leave with her boys. She is constantly navigating balance in her life as a working mom who loves her boys but also loves her “me time”. She fears screen time is going to be her biggest life regret and recently ditched social media after hours to be more present.

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Family Matters

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