Canada Day

Start Canada Day and Every Day with a Good Deed

If you see someone carrying a heavy bag or struggling with something, regardless of age or gender, give them a helping hand.

Hold the door open/ offer your seat on the bus – not for a reason…just because it is a thoughtful and courteous gesture.

Add a smile and you will make someone’s day!

“Happy Canada Day”

Is your Child a Victim of Cyber-Bullying?

Cyber-bullying is very scary and on the rise. Not sure what Cyber-bullying is? It is when pre-teens or teens bully using technology. Cyber-bullying is minor against minor. If adults are bullying it isn’t Cyber-bullying, it is Cyber-harassment or Cyber-stalking.

The techniques that children use to Cyber-bully are limited only by their imagination and access to technology; hateful websites that taunt and tease, hundreds of text messages that create huge bills, chatting on social sites using the victim’s name and sending out mass emails with hateful comments are some of the many ways to torment via technology.

Keep your child informed by encouraging them to practise the following

10 Tips to Safe Cyber-Etiquette:

1. Never attack others online. Don’t say anything online that hurts someone’s feelings, attacks one’s character, or invades one’s privacy online or offline.
2. Don’t pose as someone else and post under someone else’s name.
3. Don’t write, post or send anything when you are angry. Cool down and then re-read the message.
4. Don’t reply to anything created to offend, bully or insult you. This may be hard but, usually, the offender quickly becomes bored and stops if he/she does not get a reaction.
5. If your child receives hateful or threatening emails or texts make them aware that they are to tell you or their teachers immediately.
6. Don’t open strange emails that may be offensive. Delete without responding.
7. Install spam filters. Monitor your Child’s access to technology. What Web Sites or Social Sites/ Chat Rooms do they visit online? Are they receiving Texts from unknown numbers?
8. Staying silent, when others are being bullied, is not okay. Don’t allow bullies to use your child to harass or torment others. Your child will be safer online and offline if the support for bullies is stopped.
9. Everyone has a right to use email, their cell phone or a social networking site without being harassed, insulted, hurt or embarrassed.
10. Don’t try to stop Cyber-bullying with more Cyber-bullying. Delete without responding – Ignore to beat Cyber-bullies!

Treat Dad Like a King on Father’s Day

A day without chores and some special surprises will most certainly make Dad’s  Father’s Day a day to remember.

Not sure what to do or what to buy him? Here are some helpful tips that will definitely put a smile on his face:

1. For those on a tight budget, make a Gift Certificate on the computer or draw and colour one on paper. Make it to the value of: “A Clean Car – Washed and Vacuumed”  By (Your Name).
2. Mow the Lawn and weed the garden – a real Royal treat
3. Spend some time together – take Dad out for Breakfast
4. A Book or Magazines that relate to his hobbies eg: Woodworking, Hockey, Boating, Cars etc.
5. A gift certificate to his favourite store
6. A light summer Shirt and Tie
7. A Movie and Popcorn night
8. A Gas Card

Remember it is the thought that counts not the amount of money you spend.

Tell him what a “Great” Dad he is and enjoy the day!

Multi-family Vacations

Planning is Key to Successful Multi-family Vacations

What could be better than getting away for a holiday and having your friends or extended family with you? Sharing a vacation with others can be a convenient and fun way to spend time together and you can save money by sharing the costs.

Before you embark on a multi-family vacation there are a number of things you should discuss in the planning phase that will help to avoid misunderstandings and conflicting expectations:

1. Identify the goals of the trip Depending on personal preferences, vacations can be a time to sit back and relax or a time to explore and participate in many new activities. When planning a group vacation, be sure to consider what each person wants to get out of their vacation and try to include opportunities for everyone to do at least some things that they want to do.
2. Agree on a budget Discussing money can be uncomfortable, but it is important to be sure everyone understands the limitations and responsibilities around paying for the trip. Make sure both parties agree on the budget before hand. If you will be sharing accommodations, be sure everyone knows how the costs will be divided and how much they are personally responsible for.
3. Decide on accommodations If you are sharing a suite or house, decide on how the space will be divided. Try to include some private areas for each person or family and identify which areas will be common areas. Depending on the needs of your families and the number of bathrooms available, it might also be a good idea to have a basic schedule and limits for bathroom use. If private areas are not of equal size, determine who gets the larger area. Are they required to pay extra for that luxury?
4. Arrange for Food and Chores Discuss food options and set basic rules for sharing a space. If you choose vacation accommodations with a kitchen, you can reduce your overall costs by preparing some meals yourselves. Determine what foods you will bring or buy and who will do the cooking. You might want to share those responsibilities or assign one person as the cook and give the others different duties. However you divide the tasks, make sure that no one person is doing more than their fair share. Also set some ground rules for keeping the common areas tidy. Everyone should be responsible to put away their own belongings and you may want to divide other cleaning tasks so everyone takes a turn.
5. Discuss the activities Determine what activities you will each participate in, as well as which ones you want to do together as a group. Having a joint vacation does not necessarily mean spending all of your time with each other. Each family or individual may want to participate in some activities on their own. To avoid hurt feelings, be sure to set the expectation in advance for having some alone time and also schedule times that you will be together.

Sharing a vacation with friends or extended family can be an enjoyable way to spend time together, but it does require compromise and understanding. Set the expectations before you leave to avoid disappointments. Don’t let hurt feelings stop you from enjoying vacation time with your friends and family.

Choosing Appropriate End-of-School Teacher Gifts

As the school year comes to an end, it is customary for students and parents to offer a gift of appreciation to teachers who have helped them throughout the year. Although, one should never feel obligated to give a teacher gift, if you were happy with their work, a gift is a nice gesture.

Knick knack and ornamental items with labels professing “Number 1 teacher” and “Best Teacher” are often chosen as teacher gifts particularly by students in earlier grade levels.

These types of gifts are adorable and carry the intended sentiment; however, if you consider the number of students a teacher will have throughout their career, you may appreciate how many similar items a good teacher is likely to receive and opt for a more practical gift.

When choosing a gift for teachers, consider their interests and preferences and choose something that they would find useful. Some ideas include:

• A gift card for a coffee shop or book store
• A nice flowering plant for the garden (unscented incase of allergies)
• A gift certificate for a restaurant
• A gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure

For a particularly helpful teacher who had a positive influence on many students in the class, you may want to organize a gift collection and offer a single large gift from the group rather than each family giving their own small item.