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March 2023

HAPPY MARCH!

Now that we have ‘sprung ahead’, it’s time to look forward to the warmer weather, more sunshine and spring break.

Whether you vacation or stay-cation, spring break is a great week to take time to enjoy some family downtime. It’s also a great time to start to plan for summer, it feels so much closer! Pick up your free copy of Winnipeg Parent at many locations across the city for the summer camp guide to help with your plans and check out the camp information in this edition of The Scoop!

If you are vacationing this month, enjoy and safe travels! If you stay-cation, be a tourist in your own city and take time to explore! Visit the Forks, hike many fabulous walking trails in the city, visit a museum (we have incredible museums to choose from) or take a day trip and picnic to Gimli, the Whiteshell, or Birds Hill Park. However you decide to spend your time, remember to get outside and enjoy your family time, the warmer weather and the sunshine!

Dana Todd

Editor

TAKE A STAY-CATION THIS PRING BREAK!

Spring break is a great time for a Stay-cation. As kids, it is one of my most favourite memories. We would be tourists in our own backyard for the week. My mom and dad would rent a hotel room with a pool for a night or two. We would tour and visit fun local spots. Maybe go out and eat at one of our favourite local spots. Visit the mall to window shop and maybe pick up a souvenir or two from our staycation! Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your Spring Break! (Read more)

CHOOSING A CAMP FOR YOUR CHILD OR FAMILY

There is no ‘best’ camp, but there may be. a best camp for your family. We recommend the following.

Work with your child to determine their preferences in terms of;

• What activities they want to do at camp

• The size of the camp (options range from 30 to 150 or more campers)

• Coed or single gender camps

• The age range of campers – some camps focus on a narrow age range while others will have 6-16 year olds at camp at the same time

• The length of time they will be at camp.

You need to consider:

• The value you place on ‘Accreditation’

• How much you would like to pay for the camp

• Whether you need the camp to provide transportation

• Does your child have any special needs

• Use the information you have prepared to select a number of camp options as you go through review the list of Accredited Camps.

• Contact the camp to find out if space is available and to ask any additional questions you may have (including registration processes).

You should then have an idea as to your first two or three preferences. Now all you have to do is register for your first preference.

The Manitoba Camping Association recommends choosing an Accredited Camp.

Visit www.mbcamping.ca for further information about accreditation.

STRESS PREVENTION TO EMPOWER OUR CHILDREN FOR INDEPENDENT COPING

Apparently children and their parents are facing more stress and anxiety than they ever have before. It appears as though the years in isolation from the constant changing guidelines within the evolving pandemic had an impact on increasing those challenges tenfold. Moreover, the challenge that has become even greater is that children do not know how to cope independently. They have become too reliant on their parents doing it for them or distracting themselves with video games or their various forms of handheld technology and avoiding actively confronting their struggles. Similarly as parents juggle work-life balance they are not always setting the best examples for their children leading to a significant number of angry, anxious, negative, and stressed out homes in our province. Part of the challenge is that our children have become accustomed to everything happening immediately and when it does not pan out that way, their irrational thoughts emerge and emotions become significantly elevated. (Read more)

THE SOCIAL DILEMMA: HOW “BIG VAPE” IS REACHING
YOUR TEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA

If your teen has a smartphone, chances are, they’re on social media. In fact, approximately 72% of Canadian teens use social media sites like Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, and this number steadily increases year after year.1

While this may come as no surprise to most parents, what’s shocking is this same cohort of young Manitobans is using vaping products at an alarming rate. In just two years, from 2017 to 2019, vaping among Manitoban youth (grade 7-12) increased by a whopping 21.5%.2 During this time, Big Vape (primarily Juul, one of the largest e-cigarette companies in North America) were leveraging social media to hook a new generation on nicotine.

So how were they doing this, what impact has it had on our youth, and what can we do about it? (Read more)

– Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance / The Quite Crowd