It’s almost here. Back to school. This year is such an odd year for school (thanks pandemic). Our mixed emotions are difficult, but we are all coming around to the idea that a fresh year is about to begin.
Over the years, we have prepared for back to school in a variety of ways. Here are a few ways we go about it:
1- Begin the new sleep schedule
We need a new back-to-school sleep routine. We’ve moved bedtime up earlier and are working on maintaining a new, more structured bedtime plan. It hasn’t always been easy, but we know we have to keep with it. The sleeping in needs to stop too (and that goes for me as well!)
2- We shop and include the kids
The kids love getting new stuff (of course), and by including them in some of the decision making about their school supplies or their new clothes, we are getting them excited about returning. But we’ve also talked about how to reuse items and that not everything has to be brand new. Thrifting can help save you some money parents!
3- We talk
We have long conversations about what we are looking forward to this school year, what is making them nervous, and of course since this year is so different, we are open and honest that there is a lot of unknown. Dinner conversations are inclusive of their questions and concerns, and we try to listen and respond accordingly. There are always mixed emotions.
4- We find learning moments in the day to day
There are learning opportunities all around us, constantly, and even when the kids don’t realize they are learning, they are. Even in the summer.
By keeping the communication open, keeping some routines, getting the rest we need and being open to adjusting plans as needed, we are going to try and do our best.
Here are a few things that I need to make sure I have for the kids before they go to school next week. I created it as a printable check list to make it easier for you to use too! I’ve left a couple of ‘other’ spots so you can add your own to-do items. I know there are things I must be forgetting!!
TIP: You won’t need to buy all fresh school supplies. Check out your pencil cases, craft bins and more to see what you have from previous years!
A quick edit to this post for 2023: My kids are teens, both in high school this year (one is beginning, one is graduating) and I have a lot of feelings. BUT these tips actually can still help at all ages! Instead of practicing how to open lunch containers, we may practice how to use a Debit card or open a locker lock…
Good luck parents!
How to make the back to school transition easier for all
I have learned that the back-to-school transition doesn’t always only take a few days. Sometimes it can take weeks or months.
I know this from experience. While my daughter is having no issues being dropped off for JK, my son a number of years ago was a different story. There were some days that I left him at the teacher’s side with tears in his eyes. Other days were fine. Other days we both were crying.
This went on for weeks, and just when we thought we had a good routine, an extended weekend would happen and starting over was tricky.
But we did it. He did it. And we had many many successful days. I do have a few tricks that I’ve learned to help our little ones transition whether it’s the start of preschool or kindergarten.
1- Be excited for them – and show it!(but be honest with everyone’s feelings)
It’s tough to do, but even though each year I’m all ‘DOWN WITH SCHOOL’, I try to talk up some of the positive points in front of the kids while listening and acknowledging what we are all feelings. I don’t want my stresses or worries to be projected. When my son started school, I spoke to him about the excitement that would happen and encouraged a discussion, I didn’t just focus on the worries I had.
It is ok to acknowledge what everyone is feeling. That you will miss each other, that these feelings are perfectly normal for the kiddos and for mom and dad and so on.
Listen to their feelings and words. Really listen.
2- Talk about their day – but get some help
It’s easy to want to know every detail about their time at school but usually the kids answer with ‘it was good’. Or ‘we played’. My kids are most excited to talk about school on the drive home, so I pump as many questions as I can then, because once they are home they aren’t as forthcoming.
But asking leading questions helps. Instead of ‘how was your day?’, if you can ask ‘Which centre did you like best?’ or ‘I heard you went to the library, how was that?’ you might pull more responses, which will lead to positive conversations and hopefully more encouragement to go the following days.
To find out what is happening in the class you can often ask the teacher roughly what the week looks like (they would tell you on Tuesday is library day, Wednesday is gym time etc) or if your child is having a really hard transition, I’ve emailed or phoned teachers to get more specific day to day info to help guide my conversations.
The more we chatted about likes, dislikes, worries etc. The more we were able to help alleviate his concerns.
3- Try this, then that
I used to bring my son early in JK so he got play time. Then it just seemed to make the morning wait too long. His best days were the ones that he basically got there in time to line up. He had no time to worry about saying goodbye to me, or stress, so in he would go and the day was fine.
I also noticed that on days when it wasn’t his teacher’s turn to have duty, he had a harder time. When she was in the yard, he was happy to go to her, otherwise, he wasn’t sure what the plan was. I had to have a back up plan for those days, either waiting with him longer, or suggesting a new teacher he could find.
Another thing that worked was when his teacher saw us arrive for drop off, she would personally walk over and help to bring him into the yard. I appreciated that!
Keep trying different things to see what might help.
4. Practice at home first
Practicing how to do things like hanging up jackets, or opening lunch containers, may help your child reduce their worry about it while at school.
We always made sure lunch containers and water bottles could be opened unassisted by the kids (many won’t ask for help and just won’t eat, or it can be stressful to have a mess if the container bursts open). The same goes for any food that is pre-packaged.
Your child may want to practice putting their lunch kit in their bag (this is when you may discover that the book bag is too small!) and so on.
And finally a few tips for you, dear parent.
This is a big transition for everyone. You and your child are allowed to feel many things. Don’t worry if you are the only one with the sad child at drop off. Or the only one waiting to watch them all go in, or the only one at home feeling sad about this time. I’ve been there.
It gets better and easier for everyone.
A quick tip? Keep busy these first few weeks. I was the worse when sitting at home in silence. I’ve been keeping busy with friends and errands and coffee dates. Once you find your new groove, and see how happy your child is, the transition will be easy as pie.
Remember that each child is different (as my own kids have shown me) and that sometimes, it just takes time. And chances are, once you leave at drop off they will really love school!
Our experience was gifted to us by Tourism PEI. All opinions are my own
I have two words for you: Beach. Goats.
Having visiting Prince Edward Island for many years with the kids (we began when our youngest was only 2 and now both are teens), I can safely say that we have been able to experience so many activities, food bites and generosity the Island has to offer. And of course, it’s no secret that we love to visit year after year.
Family Activities in PEI to do with Kids and Teens
We’ve gone to lighthouses, Bottle Houses, many beaches, and foodie destinations (some, admittedly, were more for mom and dad than the kids) and as the years have gone by, we’ve reduced how ‘busy’ we keep ourselves.
Because our cottage is a destination and attraction on its own, we don’t leave for day trips like we did when the kids were smaller and were waking up earlier in the day. We’ve been treating our vacation as a ‘home away from home’ for a while now.
However, when Tourism PEI offered us the chance to try something new, we welcomed the opportunity to become adventuring tourists again. All the offerings that we could have done looked like a blast, but it was the Beach Goats activity on the list that BOTH my kids insisted we do.
What is the Beach Goat experience?
Beach Goats are located on the southern part of PEI in St. Chrysostome. This family run business has been operating for five years, welcoming visitors to their beach-front property to play and walk with the goats.
On the day of our visit, we had about 17 goats taking us for a walk (and yes, I say they took us because we just followed along as they strolled the beach, snacking on vegetatian and playing around).
While we booked a private experience (which meant it was just us, the owner (Devon), and the goats), there are a variety of ways to come hang with the goats.
You can visit during a public drop in ‘sampler’ on Tuesdays and Saturdays in August from 1 pm to 4 pm (no reservations required), sign up for goat yoga or paddleboarding, book your own private experience or check out one of their special events like Paint Night.
If your little one is 5 and under, you may want to attend the playgroup, a visit designed for younger kids.
Rates, schedules and registration information are listed on their website.
Our hour-long visit seemed to fly by while Devon kindly told us stories about the goats (they all have their own unique personalities, and names of course), and as we walked the beach at low tide, followed by Jimmy, the extremely friendly dog, it was easy to see why so many people love visiting the goats.
We just watched them eat, play, frolic and fed them dry pasta snacks Devon had brought and it was just what all of us needed. My youngest held them from time to time and both kids had big smiles on their faces while they petted and walked along.
It’s an experience that landed high on the ‘top things we did’ list this year, and there are already plans to book again next year to visit our new friends. How could we not when we had such a great time?
If you are visiting PEI, with kids or without, you’ll want to book your own visit to the Beach Goats.
If you are travelling with kids, of any age (remember, my kids are teens!!) this is a must-do and will become a highlight for your trip I’m sure. BUT for special events and activities like paddleboarding, bookings do fill up quickly (and are dependent on the tide schedules) so you’ll want to book in advance.
It’s time for one of my most favourite topics of conversation when it comes to chatting about PEI Travel: I am of course talking about food.
Me – happy in PEI
Where to eat when you visit Prince Edward Island
This is not going to be a complete list because there are so many excellent places to eat when you visit PEI. And yes, there are a lot of great food places even if you don’t like seafood (something I’m asked often).
We are seafood lovers – at least Andy and I are. The kids are becoming more adventurous each year, but aren’t full fledged seafoodies (see what I did there?) yet.
Mussels and lobster rolls are on their list though.
As for family friendly places to eat, this is by far not an issue in PEI. We’ve never encountered anything but friendly service at the variety of restaurants we’ve been too. When possible, we seek out patios – being outside with the water as a backdrop? Amazing.
Below is a list that Andy and I have talked about to recommend to you. As I said, this isn’t inclusive of all the places we’ve been, but these are the spots we either go to (or want to go to) all the time, or feel that you might love.
This is a must, I mean a must. The food is incredible, the setting beautiful and no matter what you do you have to order pie at the end. Not only is the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company a restaurant, but it’s also a shop where you can buy delicious jams and treats, plus lemon curd. LEMON CURD!
Go here, at least once. My recommendation? Plan to go for breakfast and get the blueberry pancakes. Still order the pie.
Funny thing with Leonhard’s, situated in Charlottetown, is that we stumbled on it at the last minute. It was a Saturday morning and we went to the lovely Charlottetown Farmer’s Market and were planning to eat breakfast there. It was packed, so we decided to find somewhere else. A quick ‘Brunch places Charlottetown’ Google search, and Leohnard’s appeared, with rave reviews. We crossed our fingers and were able to be seated.
This was the best accidental find we could have hoped for. Amazing food, with food such as sausages from the Market itself, and an atmosphere that was inviting and relaxed. We gobbled up our breakfast and swore we’d be back next year. (Actually, we stopped one morning to grab yummy breakfast croissant sandwiches for our travels!)
Okay, I’m cheating, this is a place not a restaurant, but in Victoria By The Sea there are many places to eat. The Landmark Cafe is well known (we’ve done take out from here but haven’t eaten at the location – with oysters on the menu it’s tempting to finally give it a try!), the Lobster Barn has delicious lobster rolls, a great patio and a takeout window. And now, the very popular Richard’s is right in town (you’ll want to go for their lobster roll!)
Delicious Handpies (frozen or already warmed up) await you at The Handpie Company. We haven’t had a flavour we don’t love, but if I could only recommend one it would be the breakfast handpie! Grab them to take for a picnic or reheat them at your cottage.
Handpie Company
Taters
Perfect for simplicity and flavour, Taters is a french fry shop in Charlottetown. This is a favourite stop for everyone but be sure to grab a fresh squeezed lemonade too!
With four locations on the Island, a delicious menu, beer on tap and outdoor seating that is inviting, casual and family-friendly, it’s hard not to love The Lone Oak. Having a location right after you cross the bridge in Borden-Carleton works amazingly well for us (especially since our cottage is on the South Shore) and we already have plans to visit a few times in our two week stay.
Seafood Markets
Find a great seafood market close to where you are staying if you want to enjoy even more of it at the place you rent. We love JMK Fish Mart in Summerside. You can not only find fresh and frozen catches and whole lobsters, but fresh take out too. Grab a lobster roll or chowder to go!
I think we average 4-6 COWS Ice Cream visits in our stays, depending on how long we go for. Yes, it’s an addiction, but so so good. With flavours such as Birthday Cake, Gooey Mooey, Moo Henry, Wowie Cowie and more served on a waffle cone it’s hard to resist. The shop is also well known for their cheese. At the COWS Factory, you can take a tour and learn about how the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts are made.
The kids usually also pick out a gift to take home and it’s one of their favourite souvenirs. While at the shop, grab a package of COWS chocolate covered potato chips. Trust me.
Have a place to recommend? Add them to the comments!!
For years, we have been going to PEI in the summer, and this year is no exception.
If you’ve been following this blog, or any of m y online accounts, you know that PEI holds a dear place in my heart. It’s become the most fantastic travel spot for our family each summer.
We’ve been visiting since my youngest was 2 years old, so from a family travel perspective we’ve learned quite a few things along the way.
It’s become one of our most loved trips to plan, primarily because we feel like locals when we go now.
Every year, I’m asked about our trips to PEI and I highly encourage other families to make vacation plans to visit PEI as well. The memories will last a lifetime.
What to do in PEI with kids
Most people ask me what we ‘do’ on PEI while there with the kids. The answer is a bit confusing because we do nothing and everything all at once.
We spend a lot of time on the beach, we eat fantastically, we explore, we find new places, we try new things, we watch the sunrise and sunset over the ocean water, the play, we laugh and ultimately we spend time together, just the four of us, that our responsibility-filled lives don’t usually allow for, at least not in the same way.
Every year, we seem to find a new local spot to hang out. But more and more, we just sit back and enjoy our time in the gorgeous space we have.
One thing I recommend is to lean into what the kids love themselves. My son loves history so we usually find spots that have historic stories to share (Charlottetown is the perfect place for this).
My daughter, meanwhile, becomes a little mermaid when we head East so we look for new beaches or build into swimming time for her throughout the weeks.
These activities may change as they grow, but there’s always something to do.
Mostly, we spend a lot of time at our cottage making memories, playing games, reading, swimming and challenging each other to epic soccer tournaments and pop-fly 500 games.
I do recommend a few places when people ask about visiting the Island. Keep reading for some suggestions.
There are so many beaches to choose from, and those visits usually depend on where we will be and the weather, but a few to look into are Thunder Cove, Brackley Beach, Basin Head, the Argyle Shore, and North Rustico.
I also always recommend you find some lighthouses to explore. There’s a map that you can get on the Island that shows you where they all are. These make for amazing photos, history lessons, and a great way to see a lot of the province.
PEI Vacation Planning: Want more information about PEI?
Here are some posts I’ve written to help you make your own plans.
There’s so much to see and do on the Island. It’s historical significance is being celebrated against the backdrop of green lands and glorious beaches. We are pretty excited about heading back each year.
Where to stay when visiting PEI
Want to spend the afternoon looking at cottages? Check out the Tourism PEI website to start. We’ve also used Home Away and Rentalo in our searches.
There are many parts of the Island to stay on. We stay on the southern shore because we love the tide coming in and out, the red sand, the shallow (warmer) waters, and the bird life.
But that area may not be for everyone.
Another spot we love is East (Panmure Island, Souris if you go further North East).
Location based on Beach
I always recommend you think about the following before deciding where to go
a) the beach you want to be on
b) how close to the nearest larger City you want to be (Charlottetown or Summerside for example)
You need to decide if you what type of beach you want to be on first (regular, sandy style beach, or the red sand and extreme tides?) and that should help. The closer you are to open water, the better the breeze typically which has helped us greatly with bugs and not having air conditioning.
We typically would recommend you look for properties near or on the Straight or Coasts with open water because the Bays can sometimes not get enough breeze which means it can be really hot and really bug invested. The same for inland rentals.
What’s the weather like in PEI?
The weather on the Island can vary in the summer months, but typically we deal with warm, summer weather and the nights tend to cool.
Some years have been much warmer than others but the cooler mornings and evenings only add to the attraction. We love sitting on the deck with our coffee and a sweater to start the day.
It can rain, which will affect your beach time, but there are plenty of indoor activities and plans to make on rain days. But of course, we always hope for sunny weather! Also, just because the weather calls for rain doesn’t mean it will last all day. Sometimes the showers are short!
If you rent a cottage, like we do, you’ll find warm days are cooled slightly if you are near the open water and there’s a breeze.
We live in Ottawa and it’s about a 14 hour drive from Ottawa to PEI. We drive and stay over for one night on the way before taking possession of the cottage rental.
In previous years, we have stayed in Saint John and Fredericton and other places along the way.
The plan is typically to drive the furthers on the first day, and then have a leisurely morning the second day.
We usually drive to Fredericton and stop for a picnic lunch in La Pocatiere, QC. This is about a six and a half hour drive. We pack our own lunch (although there is fast food nearby) and we can stretch our legs.
When the tides are right, you could consider a stop at Hopewell Rocks (this is such an amazing area). We’ve done this on the way to PEI and on the way home from PEI before.
On the drive home, we drive it all in one day.
PEI also has an airport, so you could fly into Charlottetown and rent a car to get around the Island as well.
Summer vacation planning to PEI is so much fun! Enjoy!
Have you been to PEI? Going to summer? Let me know below!
It’s the July long weekend for most of Canada and while some families will be looking to find Canada Day celebrations this weekend, others may want some different activities to do together.
I have a few ideas for Ottawa families who are looking to kick off the summer and enjoy the long weekend in a different way! These three activities and events look like a lot of fun!
Saunders Farm
Yes, you’ll want to go to Saunders Farm in the summer, not just for the haunting season! This Sunday on July 2 you can get a Buy One Get One Ticket! Purchase your Summer Maze Days ticket online, and show it at the gate to bring a guest!
Details are on their Instagram (but my hot tip: Sign up for the newsletter!)
*this photo was taken when we went in 2021
Indigenous Outdoor Market
On July 2nd , from 10 am until 4 pm, shop the Indigenous Outdoor Market! It’s organized by and taking place beside Maker House (a local ottawa shop that I love purchasing from!)
From their website:
Celebrate the end of Indigenous History Month with this fun event near the store! Support talented Indigenous Makers from across Turtle Island. Shop their unique wares, hear our Keynote Speaker and listen to some live music!
The Canadian Museum of Nature has several exhibits that families will love. The OWLS are back (yay!) and there’s also one all about Wolves. Or take in the Ocean Wise Sea Dome 4D cinematic immersion experience to go under the sea and learn about climate change, ocean health and more. It’s done in a planetarium style format. But you don’t want to wait for this one! While the Owls and the Wolves will be sticking around until 2024, the Ocean Wise event is only here until July 4!
This post is a paid partnership with the City of Ottawa
There are two things I want you to know about:
a) There are still some space in the City’s summer camps available!
b) There is a 10% discount reflected in the pricing
Camps in the City of Ottawa
Don’t panic if you are realizing that you need a summer camp options. While many City of Ottawa camps are indeed full now, there are still some that have availability at the last minute. Phew!
Browse the City of Ottawa website to find a camp in your area, for your child’s age and that has availability. Remember that the fees you see already reflect a 10% discount being offered!
We know how important summer camp days are for many families, and they are a lot of fun for the kids.
There are camps for coders, LEGO lovers, mini chefs, hockey fanatics, and more!
Browse the Ottawa website if you are looking for a summer camp to find a week and location that works for your family.
Not interested in a camp?
Don’t forget there are still summer activities running for kids throughout the summer including special events that only take place for an hour or two on a specific day. (And example? Become a mini Indiana Jones on an archeological dig at the Billings Estate National Historic Site on August 10!) So even if you aren’t looking for a full day/week activity, there’s still plenty happening to keep the kids busy!
Two weeks ago my dad passed away. It was after receiving a cancer diagnosis just over a year ago and after a hospital stay since the end of March. It’s been quite the few months. There were many moments of togetherness but also difficult times too.
There were many parts of it that felt unexpected, likely because we expected the cancer to be held back for a couple more years. Time is never guaranteed I suppose.
This means we’ve been grieving. My mom and his four kids miss him, but also his 10 grandkids which is where much of his heart was.
Telling my kids was hard. As a child, losing your parent is difficult. Pair that with sharing the news to your own children and it’s a mess of emotion.
While I’ve always shared snippets of my life on this blog, I have never gone into too many specific details or stories and even though it’s a personal blog, I’ve still always held back a bit. That’s just how I want to live, and to write.
But this space is special to me and I did want it to hold place for someone who was so dear to me. So I needed to post. When we went through the photos for his celebration of life the stories reflected on were held dear by all of us. There is a lot of oral history of our family.
As a writer, I keep feeling like I should be able to wax poetic about our memories but I find myself reflecting only to myself or family, and maybe even more in my heart. There’s nothing wrong with this. My space has no expectations. Maybe in time I’ll share more stories.
Grief is an odd thing. If you watch Succession this season, as our family has, you may remember that Roman Roy felt like he was handling things well, that he had ‘pre-grieved’. Part of me felt like maybe that could be a thing given how the last few months had been. And yet in the moments after, I’m discovering that grief comes as a series of waves. Sometimes hard and rushing, crashing along the shore and almost knocking your feet right out from under you. Other times they are smaller, but still have the ability to wash over you. Like Roman, the wave breaks at times. It’s inevitable. And that’s ok.
There’s nothing wrong with grief, and we’ve shared that with the kids. None of us shy away from talking about my dad or reflecting on how we miss him at moments when he would normally have joined us. But it’s a hard emotion to understand since it’s not linear.
This post has no real conclusion I think.
It’s a statement of fact maybe. A post to commemorate a signifigant moment in my life. A post to remind me that even if I type it out into the world, expecting something cathartic to come through with these words, it won’t stop the way I feel. Grief will show up and I will ride the wave as needed.
Disney World in 2015. A vacation we took with my kids and parents.
Grab your tickets with EARLY ACCESS to the September show dates at the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe and enjoy this duo in person. I remember watching them when my kids were so little on TV!
Here are the details:
There’s a presale code that is required if you want to get your tickets before they sell out, and tickets are available to the general public starting May 5 but they’ve opened the ticket doors early with a presale.
Then, purchase your tickets and wait until September to enjoy your show.
More about the Wild Kratts coming to Ottawa
The show dates are September 15-16 with multiple shows per day.
There is an option for regular tickets OR VIP tickets.
This performance is fun for all ages, even better for 2 to 10 year old children, but best suited for 3 to 8 year olds.
VIP Meet & Greet description: VIP tickets include admission to a special meet and greet with Chris and Martin Kratt right after the show. Please note that each child attending the meet and greet must be accompanied by an adult, who must also have a VIP ticket.
The performance is 85 minutes total, which includes a 20 minute intermission.
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