How much screen time is reasonable for children?

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We are parents of young children and seek advice concerning what is a reasonable amount of screen time for kids. We see many of our friends and relatives allowing their children to spend copious hours a day in front of screens? We sometimes wonder what has happened

Navigating the conversation about divorce with the kids

 QUESTION Dear Adele, My husband and I have finally come to a decision to separate and divorce. We both love our children dearly but need advice on the best way to tell them about the split. In the end, we think it will be better for them as it will

Helping your child deal with feelings and emotions

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our young children do not seem to always deal well with their emotions and feelings. Like all of us adults, they take their turn at being angry, anxious, frustrated, embarrassed, jealous, happy, sad and so on. Knowing what they are feeling and then dealing with those feelings

What can parents do when grandparents play favourites

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our children have overall, wonderful grandparents who love them dearly. We are sincerely grateful for this. However, one grandmother seems to favour one of our children more than the others. Her gifts for him are just a little bit nicer, her attendance at his sporting events is

When your Academy Award contender acts out in public!

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, We need help! Our young son will soon be deserving of an Academy Award for his acting out behaviour in public! When we are out of the home, he seems to purposely decide to misbehave and act out, knowing we will not respond as skillfully as we

When your child always wants to be the ‘Top Dog’

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our young son seems obsessed with winning! Everything turns into a competition and he loves to loudly boast of winning. This seems to be the case in everything from his team sports to family boardgames. Sometimes when he does not win or sees that there is little

Why your kids should do homework

 Question Dear Adele, My children attend in-person school and seem to be required to complete copious amounts of homework. My ‘mom’s group’ and I are ready to throw up our hands in frustration at trying to complete the work, supervise the children, and factor in everything else we have to

Easy ways to help build self-esteem in kids

 QUESTION: My daughter is a preteen and often seems shy and lacking in confidence. I try to tell her how awesome she is, but somehow, she doesn’t seem to appreciate how many good qualities she has. Can you share a few tips with me on self-esteem building? Proud Parent ANSWER: 

Mental health concerns skyrocket for children during Covid-19

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, Covid-19 seems to be taking a toll on our son. He is out of in-person school, away from his extracurricular activities, and has little chance to interact with peers. He appears mopey, disconnected and disheartened about his life. We are worried about him but really do not

Understanding why some kids turn into bullies while others don’t

 QUESTION Dear Adele, We understand that bullying is quite a problem in today’s society. My husband and I both recall a few incidents of being bullied ourselves as teenagers. Now we are young parents with two preschoolers who want to avoid raising a bully. Can you clue us in on

Making your child’s first dental visit a happy experience

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our toddler has a mouthful of pearly whites now! I have always hated going to the dentist myself, so have been unenthusiastic about making an appointment for him, to say the least. Any suggestions on how I can make a first dentist appointment, an easy, relaxed and

Managing messy munchkins

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, Our three munchkins, ages five, eight, and eleven are driving us bonkers! They are wonderful children in so many ways, but their messiness is extremely irritating. You would think a tornado had gone through my eldest daughter’s room by Saturday, not to mention that the rooms of

Meltdowns and explosive behaviour in young kids

 QUESTION Dear Adele, Our two preschoolers are getting more proficient every day in the art of delivering monstrous Mount Vesuvius meltdowns. When they become angry or frustrated, they yell, scream, cry and sometimes throw things, bite and hit. We often wonder what has happened to those adorable cooing babies in

Does ‘birth order’ impact a child’s character and personality development

 Dear Adele, We have three little munchkins who are as different as night, dawn and day. Sometimes we wonder how they could all the been produced by the same parents, from the same gene pool. I have heard that birth order affects personality development and other traits of an individual.

Hand your kids a shovel and let them clear their own way

 QUESTION Dear Adele, I was recently called a ‘Snowplow’ parent. I don’t know whether to be complimented or feel offended. Can you tell me what ‘Snowplow’ parenting is all about? Snow Shoveler ANSWER Dear Snow Shoveler, The characteristics of ‘Snowplow’ parents are shared by those called ‘Lawnmowing’ parents or ‘Bulldozing’ parents.

Ensuring your child knows you love him unconditionally

 Dear Adele, Question I’m worried that my preteen son may not feel loved because I never tell him that I love him. I am just not that touchy-feely, mushy-gushy, emotional kind of guy and feel quite uncomfortable with saying “I love you” to a five-foot-six, hundred- and thirty-pound hunk of

Will my children inherit my Grinch attitude at Christmas?

 Question: Dear Adele, Sometimes when December rolls around I feel like the ultimate Grinch. I find myself hating Christmas carols, the tiring shopping and wishing the Christmas turkey dinner with aunt Gertrude never had to happen. I’m not exactly sure why I feel this way but if truth be told

How to talk to young children about Covid-19

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, We have two children ages four and six. We have always thought we were decent communicators and able to talk to our children about almost anything. We need to talk to them about the coronavirus and issues related to it but surprisingly find ourselves feeling a bit

Advice for families dealing with crammed curriculums

 ANSWER Dear Adele, Our two teenagers are attending an Ottawa high school and find the new quadmester system just too much, too fast! Information is being presented in roughly half the normal time, switching between in- school and online learning. We are worried that our boys will not be prepared

Choosing presents for the grandkids at Christmas

 Question Dear Adele, I am a grandparent with a Christmas conundrum. I have several grandchildren and am stymied trying to imagine what kind of toys to give them for Christmas. They seem to have everything, and the plethora of toys on the shelves in the retail stores, is crushing. Can

It’s never too late for a family

 QUESTION: Dear Adele, My husband and I married in our thirties and Mother Nature did not provide us a biological child, though we dearly wanted one. We are closing in on 40 years of age and wonder if creating a family through adoption is realistic or simply a pipe dream.

The case for cursive — why kids should be taught handwriting

 QUESTION Dear Adele, I recently asked my 10-year-old granddaughter to read the cursive written message on a card prepared for her father’s birthday. I was surprised that she was unable to read the few sentences and had to ask an adult at the table to explain what I had written.

Turn Halloween at home into a wonderful evening for the whole family

 Question: Heart to Heart with Adele- Halloween at home Dear Adele, The witches, goblins and ghouls will soon be coming to town. Our children are already disappointed that trick or treating is off the table this year for celebration. Have you any ideas to help our children over the frustration

Avoiding videogame addiction in children

 QUESTION Dear Adele Our two children, ages nine and 12 seem to spend a lot of their free time playing video games or on apps on their smart phones. We are beginning to wonder if they might be getting addicted. We also are unsure what is a reasonable amount of

The Yin and the Yang of children and competitive sport

 Question: Dear Adele, Our primary school aged son is displaying exceptional athletic abilities. We have had him in numerous house league sporting activities such as T-ball, soccer, hockey and swimming. We have heard mixed reviews about competitive sport, in which we feel he may best reach his potential. What say