Shan Roth of Jammy Time Sleep Solutions talks about helping parents feel confident and on top of their game
Shan Roth is a local pediatric sleep expert and founder of Jammy Time Sleep Solutions. What is Jammy Time Sleep Solutions? Roth: Jammy Time Sleep Solutions is a paediatric sleep consultancy – basically, I help parents teach their children how to sleep through the night and take long naps during the day. Many parents think…
Vaping comes with serious health risks, just like other tobacco products, but the Ontario government doesn't seem to care
As a clinician and researcher in the field of tobacco control, what I see happening with vaping marketing and promotion is déjà vu of the very worst kind. It’s pervasive and insidious. And in Ontario, we’re failing our youth by permitting it. Over the last 30 years, we have fought many policy battles with the…
How Canada's upper house can work across party lines and stop the marketing of junk food to kids
By Tom Warshawski and Yves Savoie The crops grown by Canadian farmers and the livestock they raise are of the highest quality. In many cases, however, when these healthy foods are industrially processed, harmful amounts of salt, sugar and saturated fat are added. Consumption of excessive quantities of these nutrients of concern are known to…
From Congo Bill to Zorro, they were fertile ground for a youngster's imagination as we waited for next week's derring-do
Because my lifelong affair with the movies began at the tail end of the film serial era, I missed most of what’s been described as the genre’s golden age. But I did experience the thrill of watching a story evolve week to week. It was great stuff, or at least that’s how it appeared at…
With early intervention and the right supports, children with autism can learn and thrive. But too many doors are closed to these children
“As soon as I mentioned the ‘A’ word, I knew she would not be calling me back.” This was what one of the parents I met at my preschool told me it was like trying to register her son with autism in a non-specialized local community program. Once the registrar heard the word autism, they…
It will make care more affordable, recognize that parents have a right to choose and be relatively cost-effective
The tug of war over child-care funding in Canada is entering a new chapter, thanks largely to Ontario’s latest provincial budget. The province announced new tax rebates for child-care costs – almost irrespective of the type of care chosen. While the policy may not be perfect, its implementation will signify an important shift in the…
President Neil Gruninger wants to create a YouTube alternative for families, content producers and family brands
Neil Gruninger is president and chief product officer of Kidoodle TV. What is Kidoodle TV? Gruninger: Kidoodle.TV is a Safe Streaming video service for children that delivers thousands of hours of vetted children's programs to Internet-connected devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, personal computers, Roku, Apple TV and many others. How, when and why…
Let’s make industry’s job of marketing to kids easier by not letting them do it in the first place
I was as happy as anyone with the release of the revised Canada’s Food Guide last month. There wasn’t much to complain about and, in fact, much to praise. This is as true for what was in the guide – sensible guidance around cooking more and consuming less processed food – as well as what…
The health of our children is at stake. Bill S-228 should be brought to a vote in the upper chamber
The Senate of Canada has several key roles and makes important contributions to the development of the country’s most pivotal public policy initiatives. But lately, several key government and private members’ bills have suffered the consequences of political theatre as we enter into the throes of an election year. In recent months, we’ve seen a…
When youth take a political stand, it’s inspiring. History is full of such amazing and courageous young people
Nelson Mandela said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.” American news and social media were recently stirred up by a video of children meeting with Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The video went viral. The children represented a youth organization known as the Sunrise Movement, which…