Mom2Mom

Marilyn (mom of a teen with cerebral palsy), Jessica (mom of a deaf daughter) and Vigya (mom of a girl with autism) talk about the unique challenges of raising active kids with disabilities. They share:

• what they consider when choosing programs for their kids
• what makes a program work for special needs kids
• where to go for information and ideas
• advice for families that live in smaller centres with fewer organized activiti...

Shelley (mom of 2), Tracy (mom of 1) and Jayne (mom of 2) talk physical literacy and how parents, schools and others can help kids become confident movers. The episode covers:

• whether running, jumping, throwing and other skills come naturally to kids
• why these skills are important building blocks for a happy, healthy life
• what childcare providers, schools and communities can do to help
• the fact that developing physical literac...

In this episode, Kara F. (mom of 2) and Louise H. (mom of 2) join our host Tenille Lafontaine to talk about the challenges of keeping girls active. Their conversation touches on:

• tips for getting and keeping girls active
• the importance of parents as active role models
• why good phys ed programs are important
• Whether we're unwittingly undermining our girls' confidence

Tenille lets us in on what our Facebook friends had to ...

Saskatchewan mom bloggers Kathryn Gignac, Shayna Murray and Laura Monchuk join us to talk about their picks from the Mom2Mom Book List.

Hear Kathryn, Shayna and Laura talk about:

• the biggest take-aways from their books
• how the books have inspired them to do or think about things differently
• why you should check them out too

Laura shares her thoughts on Mike Lanza's Playborhood.

Shayna tells us about The Stick B...

Sara (mom of 4) and Corinna (mom of 2) talk about keeping kids active at school. They touch on:

• how recess has changed since we were kids
• whether it's different for girls and boys
• the trend toward banning certain activities on the playground
• their thoughts on taking away recess or phys ed class as a punishment
• Sara's experience with alternative school hours (no set recess times)

Sara and Corinna also share their thoughts...

Michelle (mom of 3) and Jenn (mom of 2) chat about their approaches to keeping kids active in summer (hint: they're not big planners) and discuss:

• encouraging kids to be creative and independent
• planning active vacations
• making summer more memorable with family activity

Michelle and Jenn also shared their tips for planning active vacations, including:

• giving the kids a say
• packing active gear and toys
• making sure ev...

Barb McGrath (mom of 2) joins Tenille for a chat about screen time, one of the biggest barriers to getting kids moving. In addition to the surprising stat that the average Canadian kid spends 6-7 hours a day in front of a screen, they talk:

• finding a method of managing screen time that works for your family
• tools to help parents monitor and control screen time, including ChoreMonster and Qustodio
• whether it's realistic to expe...

Shauna Bear (mom of 2) and Lana Lingelbach (mom of 3) talk kids and sport. Hear their take on:

• picking activities for your kids
• what kids get out of sport (besides physical activity)
• what to do when kids want to quit
• sport sampling vs. specialization

Both moms have kids involved in competitive sport (hockey and gymnastics). Hear how they make it work for their families, what they think about sport specialization and thei...

Led by host Tenille Lafontaine, our panel of moms took to the stage at Regina's Amazing Family Expo. Holly Gustafson (mom of 5), Diane Ell (mom of 2) and Catherine Gryba (mom of 3, including NHLer Eric Gryba) chat about:

• managing screen time with black out periods, parental control software and more
• walking to school
• kids and sport, including the question of quitting
• bubble wrapping our kids to keep them safe
• the importa...

Corinna Dahl Ritco (mom of 2) and Holly Gustafson (mom of 5) have a cozy chat about a chilly topic: outdoor winter play.

Our moms share:

• why it's important to make a conscious effort to get outside in winter
• how they think their families benefit from outdoor winter play
• tips for getting started if you're a family of hibernators
• how making it a family affair increases your chance of success

Corinna shares her perspec...

Tracy Bosche (mom of 3) and Jayne Leibel (mom of 2) join Tenille for a chat about active toys, including active video games.

Hear why they think:

• having the right toys and gear can help keep kids moving
• nothing beats having someone to play with (often mom and dad)
• it's important to give kids interesting spaces to play

Tracy and Jayne also share their thoughts on:

• whether active video games are a good substitute for ...

Michelle Strawford (mom of 3) and Cindy McMorris (mom of extreme snowboarders Mark & Craig) talk with Tenille about risky play.

Michelle and Cindy share their thoughts about:

• learning to let go
• how the freedom to play and take risks has influenced their boys
• the trend toward bubble wrapping our kids
• the 2015 Report Card on Children and Youth, which tells us that the biggest risk to kids' development is keeping them indoors
...

Sara Toth (mom of 4) and Sheila Hryniuk (mom of 2) join Tenille to chat about walking to school.

Sara and Sheila share their thoughts about:

• how they make walking to school work for their families
• why walking is more convenient than most parents think
• why walking to school is good for kids (and parents too)
• some of the reasons most families choose not to walk
• the best age for kids to start walking on their ...