On "Fixing" ASD
I watched a course-load of videos by Dr. Alok Kanojia (@HealthyGamerGG) this past summer. He’s a therapist specializing in addiction in his day job and focused on gaming addictions online,…
Parenting
PARENT TO PARENT: Learning to TRANSITION
A few weeks ago, I came across this wonderful piece on transitions by a parent of twins, Marquitha Gilbert. I contacted Marquitha and we had a rich conversation about parenting,…
Oh–What’s a Teacher to Do?
Starting next Friday, secondary students in my board will be forced to be in a room with about 15 other students they might not know, many of whom will take…
Jinx! and Political Studies Goofiness
The following conversation is being shared with the permission of my children. My teenager jinxed the eleven-year-old. This rules of jinxing is that two people attempted to say the same…
Go Ahead and Make Your Kids Work
Raising kids is hard, raising them to be above-average productive members of society is even harder. Indeed, one of those hard things about raising kids is hearing endless advice on…
The Mike Harris Sequel No One Wanted
“We will be there to support you one 1000%. What I can tell you one thing… I promise you… you won’t have to be protesting on the front of Queen’s…
Guest Post By The Girl Who Waited: I Am Not Mad As Hell, I Am Just Tired Of Your Bullshit (Redux)
I am finished. I am done. I try to stay rational, but cannot stay quiet any longer. I know some will try to dismiss me as yet another angry leftist…
Who Is Andrew Scheer? Lesson #1
I was having a conversation with a good friend that I worked with in politics (names are hidden to protect the innocent) years ago, he is still fairly plugged in…
Kids Don’t Benefit from Helicopter Parenting
Being a parent must be hard since websites are constantly telling you what you’re doing wrong. If you’re letting your kid explore the world on their own terms than you’re…
I ASKED, “WHAT DO OTHERS LIKE ABOUT YOU?”
I’m working on a writing project and looking through old notes. Today, I found this fascinating gem from 2011:Yesterday, I had the most interesting conversation with our son Nicholas. On…
A Healthy Mind Comes from Autonomy and a Sense of Control
A new book authors William Stixrud and Ned Johnson describe a healthy way to raise children is to let me e themselves. In the book, The Self-Driven Child, they argue…
On Anxiety
I just finished John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down, which I read because he claimed it was his way of trying to put words around what it’s like to…
7 Reminders for White Parents Talking to Their Kids About Police Killing Black People
When White parents talk to their children about police killings of Black people, they create future White co-conspirators/allies for primary forces working against racism, the prison industrial complex and other…
LISTEN: Our Family Experience With Disability Told to a Med Journal
This is a podcast and article I did for The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The piece is a shorter version of an address I gave at the American Academy…
Meltdowns in Kids with Disabilities: Coping Tips for Parents
By guest blogger Kristen Heller Whether you have a child who has Down’s syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome, or a child who is somewhere on the autism spectrum, there’s a good chance…
On Rising Anxiety Rates
A couple weeks ago, CBC ran an article about a high-school guidance counsellor, Boyd Perry, concerned with the increase in anxiety in students, and I’ve been dwelling on it ever…
On Rising Anxiety Rates
A couple weeks ago, CBC ran an article about a high-school guidance counsellor, Boyd Perry, concerned with the increase in anxiety in students, and I’ve been dwelling on it ever…
Orlando shooting: Is there a link between being in the closet and being homophobic?
This research-based piece discusses the possibility that Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was motivated by a struggle with his own homosexuality, Islam and parental pressure. The post Orlando shooting: Is there…
My child has a race face
My child has a race face.
On Student Stress
I've been teaching long enough to have watched a generation of students file passed me. It's fascinating from a social science standpoint because I can watch trends evolving before my…