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...

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...

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...

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 Children’s...

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.

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...

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...

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 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’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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...