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Family Matters

Curiouscast

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.

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.

Location:

United States

Networks:

Curiouscast

Description:

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.

Language:

English

Episodes

Childhood Fears

2/24/2020
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.

Duration:00:23:40

Looking for Sperm?

2/17/2020
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...

Duration:00:18:20

CrossFit for Kids

2/10/2020
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,...

Duration:00:19:07

Raising Tech-Savvy Kids

1/27/2020
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 Facebook.

Duration:00:16:10

Parenting without Debt

1/20/2020
Raising kids without debt? Can it be done? Blogger Kyla Cornish is sharing her family’s journey to get back in the black. Like many families, they were relying on a line of credit. It wasn’t until they hit their version of “rock bottom” 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...

Duration:00:22:34

Helping Children Mourn

1/13/2020
If you’re old enough to love, you’re old enough to grieve. That’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’s Legacy after the sudden loss of her...

Duration:00:24:10

Schools Doing School Differently

12/30/2019
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. 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...

Duration:00:17:52

Table Manners to Teach Your Kids

12/23/2019
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’ts for table manners. You can find out more about Jeannie by clicking here.

Duration:00:19:12

Mom Blog Evolution

12/16/2019
Born as “Dear Diary” 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’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’s next for the mom blog? Kathryn Jezer-Morton is a PhD candidate at Concordia University and...

Duration:00:18:53

Relationship Education

12/9/2019
As parents, we are our children’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...

Duration:00:19:49

Less Toys

12/2/2019
Less toys, more joy. That’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...

Duration:00:24:28

Quitting Sports

11/25/2019
After shelling out hundreds of dollars in extracurricular activities, the last thing you want to hear from your child mid-season is “I quit”. 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? 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...

Duration:00:24:40

The Dirt on Building Immunity

11/18/2019
You know when a soother or baby toy falls on the ground and parents joke about the five-second rule, “Well it’s good for them! It will build their immune system!” On this episode, we are wondering if there is truth to that? Is it healthy for babies, toddlers and young kids to ingest dirt and germs to build up their immune system, or can it be harmful? We turn to expert known as the “Germ Guy”, Jason Tetro. He is a microbiologist, research, educator and host of the Super Awesome Science Show....

Duration:00:19:09

Cutting Your Family’s Plastic Waste

11/11/2019
Canada will ban harmful single-use plastics as early as 2021 in a bid to reduce ocean waste. Some families aren't waiting until then. Edmonton mom Christine Hutchinson has reduced plastic use in her home by 60 per cent. How? She takes her own containers to the meat counter, picks produce that isn’t in plastic and the plastic she does buy must be re-used multiple times. You can find out more about Christie’s journey by following her on Instagram by clicking here. We also hear from Allyson...

Duration:00:19:17

Building a Growth Mindset

10/28/2019
No mistakes. Embrace failure as a way to learn. Love the struggle. It’s all part of a growth mindset: the idea that talent is a starting point and abilities can improve dramatically with hard work, persistence and determination. Renee Jain is the founder of GoZen!, a resilience program for children. She joins us to talk about adopting this mindset and how we can practice it with our own children to help set them up for success.

Duration:00:25:06

Online Friends vs Real Life Friends

10/21/2019
These days, the word "friend" is often associated with someone who "likes" your social media posts and photos. And surprisingly that’s enough for some Canadian girls to define online friends as close friends. Girl Guides of Canada recently took a look at the state of friendships, surveying more than 1,000 girls who confessed they had more friends online than in real life. We look at the numbers. We also have some advice from educator and research Linda Stade who talks about the role parents...

Duration:00:18:27

Webcams in Daycares

10/14/2019
More and more child care centres are offering parents a chance to literally be a fly on the wall. They are installing cameras and letting parents livestream the day's events. Florence Ann Romano, best known as the Windy City Nanny, believes in webcams. She says your day home or daycare should have nothing to hide. On the other hand, parenting expert Alyson Schafer is encouraging you cut the cord. She argues surveillance will only increase mom and dad’s anxiety. We debate both arguments. To...

Duration:00:19:47

College vs University

10/7/2019
Why does university get all the glory? We hear from a number of students who say there’s still a stigma around attending college and reveal the pressure comes from their parents. Career coach Tonya Pomerantz says kids can make the case for college by creating a business plan for their parents and explaining exactly why they want to take this route. She also shares some important questions to ask before applying. You can find out more about Pomerantz by visiting Puddle Jump Coaching. Today’s...

Duration:00:18:55

Family Over Politics

9/30/2019
The house was built with oil money but suddenly the kids want to save the world from climate change. We take a look at the political divide happening across the country but especially in Alberta. We hear from Calgary's Ben Laird, who makes pro-environment t-shirts and feels strongly that the federal government needs to do more to prioritize the planet over profits. His dad is retired from the oil industry, his brother is helping plan pipeline expansion and his sister works in eco tourism....

Duration:00:18:01

Real-life Education

9/23/2019
Are we actually preparing our children for the future? In the next few months, thousands of Canadian high school students will have to figure out what they want to do after they graduate. What these teens choose will affect the trajectory of their lives. So we ask the experts, are students getting enough “real-life” education before graduating? And we head inside a Regina classroom where the students are asked “What do you want to learn this year?” Aaron Warner has used held a Genius Hour...

Duration:00:18:25

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