Sign In•Sign Up
Family Matters-logo

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 Laurel Gregory is an award-winning journalist who has worked in Canadian media for 16 years. The mother of two co-created Family Matters in 2016 in order to create a reliable source of information to both educate and entertain parents. She secretly envies parents who raised children prior to the information age and is confident that – big or small - a walk in the woods and a good night’s sleep cures all. 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 is still trying to ditch 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 Laurel Gregory is an award-winning journalist who has worked in Canadian media for 16 years. The mother of two co-created Family Matters in 2016 in order to create a reliable source of information to both educate and entertain parents. She secretly envies parents who raised children prior to the information age and is confident that – big or small - a walk in the woods and a good night’s sleep cures all. 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 is still trying to ditch 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 Laurel Gregory is an award-winning journalist who has worked in Canadian media for 16 years. The mother of two co-created Family Matters in 2016 in order to create a reliable source of information to both educate and entertain parents. She secretly envies parents who raised children prior to the information age and is confident that – big or small - a walk in the woods and a good night’s sleep cures all. 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 is still trying to ditch social media after-hours to be more present

Language:

English

Episodes

Education, Interrupted

5/25/2020
The majority of Canadian students are learning online, yet how they are being assessed differs dramatically across Canada. Annie Kidder from People for Education has compiled the provincial policies from coast to coast. She shares the results and offers up her opinion on whether we should be grading during the pandemic.

Duration:00:18:46

Pandemic Puppies

5/18/2020
Can we get a dog? It’s a question more Canadian families are saying yes to, partly because of the pandemic. We suddenly have the time and energy to welcome a new puppy. Alberta’s Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) has seen its monthly fostering inquiries increase tenfold. Terra MacLean is the training coordinator for SCARS and joins us to talk about the demand and why you may want to paws and reflect first. You can find out more about SCARS by clicking here. And we get some training...

Duration:00:22:42

Grief during COVID-19 & Back in Class in China

5/11/2020
While COVID-19 is postponing events across the globe, there’s one ceremony Jeremy Allen doesn’t think should wait. A funeral. The grief educator and funeral director is encouraging Canadians to start the grief process even if it means saying goodbye in a different way. He joins us to explain his stance and also has some advice for helping your children grieve during this pandemic. You can find out more about Jeremy by visiting his website DeathEd.ca. And later in the show, we find out what...

Duration:00:28:39

Coronavirus Cleaning

5/4/2020
If you were a clean freak before this pandemic, there’s a good chance you’re even more so now. A lot of families wonder how much they actually need to clean to protect themselves from COVID-19. We talk to the University of Alberta’s pathogen-fighting power couple, David Evans and Mary Hitt, for tips on how they tackle and disinfect their own home. And in the era of #quaranCLEAN we talk to the founder and director of Go Clean Co, Sarah McAllister. The Calgary cleaning company has tripled its...

Duration:00:23:15

Frontline Families

4/27/2020
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are sacrificing their health to serve on the frontlines of this pandemic. Many of them are living apart from their own families to avoid potentially spreading COVID-19. We share one family’s story. Plus we talk to psychologist and author Jody Carrington about the short term and long term implications for families on the frontlines. You can connect with Jody through her website drjodycarrington.com. And shifting gears to the growing season, we take a look at...

Duration:00:23:07

Screen time-Social media during the COVID-19 Crisis

4/20/2020
One month into school closures, families are leaning on screen time for everything from schoolwork to playtime or hangouts. In the first couple weeks of the pandemic, parenting experts’ message to parents was to ease off on screen time limits. With no return to normalcy in sight, should parents continue that approach? On this episode of Family Matters, we explore screen time with Dr. Michael Rich, the “mediatrician” and the director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston...

Duration:00:31:28

The Power of Play

4/13/2020
No playdate, no problem. Kids are coping with a great deal of change in a short period of time, but child and adolescent development counsellor Deborah MacNamara says there's a simple solution to the upheaval… encourage play and lots of it. More play doesn’t mean you have to become a full-time playmate. Family therapist David Loyst joins us to pitch what he calls “collect before we neglect” promising to free up more time to get back your job. You can connect with David by clicking here.

Duration:00:25:18

Helping teens handle COVID-19

4/6/2020
For a lot of Canadian teens, the prospect of skipping school to wear PJs, watch movies and FaceTime friends sounded like a vacation. But now in the third week of school closures and social distancing, the COVID-19 honeymoon is over. How can we help teens establish a new normal with no return to routine in sight? Calgary psychologist and mother of a teenage daughter, Caroline Buzanko weighs-in. You can find out more about Buzanko by clicking here. We also throw the question “what to say when...

Duration:00:20:47

Co-parenting in a Pandemic

3/30/2020
Custody and coronavirus: who gets the kids? You likely didn't plan for a pandemic when coming up with a custody agreement. We turn to the experts to find out your legal rights and how to navigate co-parenting in the COVID-19 crisis. Karen Stewart from Fairway Divorce offers up some tips on dealing with a difficult ex. You can find out more about Karen by clicking here. And registered psychologist Vanessa Lapointe joins us for what turned out to be a mini co-parenting counselling session. You...

Duration:00:29:03

The COVID-19 ‘New Normal’

3/23/2020
School is out indefinitely and suddenly parents are feeling adrift. If you can work from home, how will you keep your kids both educated and entertained? Jennifer Sutherland-Miller has home-schooled all four of her children and has some advice for getting started and getting creative in this new normal. Also, ​We chat with Global video journalist Jamie Mauracher. She is set to welcome her first baby during the COVID-19 outbreak. She’s not only had to cover the pandemic as part of her job as...

Duration:00:22:50

Talking Coronavirus with Kids

3/16/2020
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’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...

Duration:00:20:05

Imposter Syndrome

3/9/2020
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...

Duration:00:26:30

The Upside to Downsizing

3/2/2020
The traditional thinking about houses has often been “bigger is better”. 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’s space but aren’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...

Duration:00:19:54

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

See More