Waiting for Dinner
Cow bells are especially useful in the country. Not only do they warn of oncoming bovines, but they can summon the family from far...
A Graduation Speech
We are not preparing children well for the real world. Want proof? Here’s Exhibit A, the children’s soccer league in Ottawa, which made headlines...
On the Other Side of the World
Last month my family and I took a trek to Kenya. We were visiting the Mulli Children’s Family, a home for over 1000 orphaned...
The Hormones Made Me Do It
A few weeks ago I wrote about the Prince Albert baby who had been abandoned by his mother after being born head first in...
Ending Harassment
A friend of mine is having his name dragged through the mud in a quasi-sexual harassment suit. The whole episode has got me thinking...
Wedding Extravaganza
According to wedding specialists, couples are lining up to tie the knot next Saturday, the seventh of July. It seems the date 7/7/07 is...
No More Platitudes
Earlier this year, after the tragic fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Manners in a Toronto high school, I made the mistake of reading a...
Saying Thanks
Thanksgiving should be a lovely holiday: we get together with loved ones, we eat a delicious meal, and we talk about our blessings. But...
Unaccompanied Parents
A few years ago, while flying to Vancouver from Toronto, I had a case of déjà vu. Seated in the row in front of...
Living in Limbo
An interesting thing happened about a century ago when nutrition started improving. The average age at puberty started declining, and it hasn’t stopped. In...
Your Child’s Expert
I spent a week last summer reminding myself why I hated being a teenager. I was working as office manager at a camp while...
We’ve Got Cooties
Recently, a friend warned me that one of my daughter’s playmates had lice, so before Katie went to bed that night, I called her...
Creating Christmas Memories
Never place the Santa booth next to the fountain at the mall.
The one and only time I ever took a child to see Santa...
A Virtual Childhood
Last week the stick was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame. It met all their criteria for a great toy: it’s been around...
When Schools Drop the Ball
I’ve been writing my Reality Check column in various forms now for almost five years, and I’ve noticed a pattern in the responses I...