A parents guide to surviving Westfest

by Andrea June 10, 11, 12 are tripled-circled in our calendar. We are BOOKED, and have been for weeks. We are officially ready for Westfest Weekend.

Like many of my Westboro-area neighbours, my family and I are proud of Westfest. Westfest is, at it’s heart, a giant street party. Some would argue that it’s the kind of street party that’s experienced a few forgivable growing pains in past years, but that’s to be expected from an undertaking of this size.

Today our collective chests puff out a little when talk comes around to this little festival that grew. It draws massive crowds, great musical acts, and best of all, it’s a great family-friendly event that’s totally free.

Every year my daughters (who are now 10 and 12) marvel at the fact that Westfest takes place at the end of our street. We live so close that we end up paying multiple visits over the entire weekend. Westfest weekend is the one time of year we get to visit and chat with almost all of our friends and neighbours. (Of course it goes without saying that my kids hate this part, because it holds them up from The Fun Stuff.)

Westfest has become a summertime tradition in our family, and since we’ve been doing Westfest since the very beginning I think I’m qualified to give some advice on how to survive with kids in tow.

If you live close enough to Westfest you must consider walking. If you live outside a comfortable walking distance, please be aware that street parking is extremely limited. Get comfortable with the idea that you will have to leave your car far from the action.

Wear your best walking shoes and haul out that umbrella stroller, because it’s a bit of hike if you plan on taking everything in. Westfest covers 14 blocks, nearly a one kilometre chunk of Richmond Road, which can feel very long if your feet hurt.

Taking your bike is another option. Save yourself some aggravation and lock it up in the secure area on Tweedsmuir Avenue at Richmond.

Check the weather before you leave the house, and if you’re planning on spending some time there, prepare for any weather-related eventuality. We’ve been going to Westfest every year since it began and have experienced it all: days so cold you crave cups of coffee just so you can warm up your hands, and days so hot we’ve come close to fainting from heat stroke. And on that note…

Bring water and sunscreen, and make a food plan. If it’s a nice day it is guaranteed that restaurants will be packed. Many of them extend out to the street and serve a pared down menu in order to take pressure off the kitchen staff. The Works, for example, only serves two or three kinds of burgers during Westfest. If you don’t have a plan and find yourself walking from restaurant to restaurant long after lunchtime you will soon come to regret it, especially if there are kids involved. One year we just plain gave up on finding room on a patio and so we ordered takeout pizza from Newport and ate it by the side of the street.         And last but not least, tie balloons securely around little wrists!

Daytime at Westfest is for the families to enjoy what they call the “On The Street” stuff. There is a lot for kids to see and do. In past years we’ve seen many cool street performers, enjoyed various inflatable bouncy things, and taken advantage of some great facepainting artists too.

But in my view, Westfest is truly about the music. Check out the lineup here first, and then book a sitter. The Domicile main stage has moved to a new location and is now situated along the grassy strip behind the Real Canadian Superstore. (Here’s a map.) The main stage will open at 5 pm and the entire audience area at this year’s Domicile main stage will be fully licensed. (!)

Our family is really looking forward to a bigger and better Westfest this year. If you see us, please stop and say hello!

Andrea Tomkins is mother of two imps and wife of one. She on the board of directors of the Westboro Community Association and keeps a personal blog called a peek inside the fishbowl.

Question of the month : Sleep

Kids in the Capital is all about parents in Ottawa helping each other out by sharing tips and advice. Each month we ask a parenting question and we want to hear all the gems of advice you have to share. Just leave your answers in the comments! And if you have a question you’d like to see be a future question, leave it in the comments too! Sleep, or really, the lack thereof, is one of the biggest hurdles in parenting.  Being tired can make everything else so much harder.

My four year old is no longer going to sleep until after 9 just about every night.  This seems too late to me but despite all our efforts (waking him up earlier in the morning, running him like crazy after dinner) he just isn't tired.

Is 9 too late for a 4 year old? How late do your kids go to bed? Have you found strategies that have helped a kid who "isn't tired" relax, wind down and go to sleep more easily?  Please share!

Also, we're starting to use our Facebook Page more actively.  I posted this question there yesterday and got a lot of great feedback.  Please use this space if you have any questions for other parents (there are hundreds of them who could offer great advice!) - we're here to build community and help each other!

TeleHealth Ontario

by Sasha When I showed up at the hospital at 4:30 this morning, the staff were friendly. And when someone asked the nurse how he was enjoying his first night on triage, I joked that this was not what a nervous mom wants to hear.

I do have one complaint about the exchange, though: some derogatory comments made about TeleHealth. The gist was that without TeleHealth, I would not have shown up.

I can tell you that without TeleHealth, I would have been at emergency not just tonight, but several times in the past few years.

My first call was for a miscarriage. In the middle of the night (isn't it always the middle of the night?), the pain and bleeding suddenly got much worse. The last place I wanted to be right then was a hospital waiting room. Telehealth saved both me and the system the burden of that trip.

Another call. This time, a 1 year old with high fever and vomiting. But perhaps the most disturbing was the extreme lethargy. I hardly recognized my usually vivacious daughter. Telehealth told me to administer water, a tablespoon at a time, every 5 minutes. It worked. And once again, saved everyone a visit to emerg.

These are not the only times. This is just what I can remember as I peck away on my phone in a woken-at-4-am hospital-waiting-room stupor.

I want to reiterate: the staff were kind, even if they did make me feel silly for being there. And I recognize that the job they do is tough, and that they deal with a lot of unpleasantness. But I think it is important to understand that when I call TeleHealth, it's to try and avoid a hospital trip. Without it, I would have shown up anyway.

And they don't get to - or have to - talk to me when I don't.

The number for TeleHealth Ontario is 1-866-797-0000 . You can talk to a Registered Nurse 24-7. And if there's a wait you have the choice to hold the line or get a call-back.

Sasha is an Ottawa area mom, blogger, and fan of the Oxford comma. This post first appeared on her blog as Talking TeleHealth.

Voting and your kids

by Amy

I grew up in a house where we talked about current events and politics. My uncle worked for a political party – the same one I currently work for – and I always knew that my mom voted, my grandparents voted. My father has donated money to any candidate that asked him, whether he supported them or not, because he believes in their right to run.

I firmly believe that people should be engaged in politics, should talk about the issues they feel passionately about, and everyone – everyone – should vote.

This engagement and passion starts with education. Since my daughter was born 15 months ago, I have taken her while I voted in a provincial by-election, a municipal election and to the advance polls for the federal election. As she grows up and understands more, I will explain the process to her – presenting your voter card, taking your ballot behind the ballot station, marking an ‘x’ next to your choice.

I firmly believe it’s incredibly important that Canadian citizens understand the way Canada’s parliament works. When you take your son or daughter to vote, explain that you’re voting for your Member of Parliament. Currently 308 Members of Parliament make up the House of Commons, and the party with the most seats in the House of Commons is invited to form the government. The leader of that party becomes our Prime Minister, and the leader of the second party becomes the leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition – because we are a Commonwealth country and the Queen is still our head of state.

Explain why you chose who you did, what they say that you believe in, what they will do for your neighbourhood – the constituency. Kids always want to understand what’s important to their parents. They are naturally curious and whatever you can do to help them understand how important voting can be will make them better citizens in the future.

As kids get older, you can take them to all-candidates debates or to campaign events. Since you are lucky enough to live in the capital, you can take them to visit Parliament and even take in some of the debate in the House. One of my favourite things to do as a kid was to visit the Hill and have my grandfather tell us who all the statues were.

Another great things that parents and teachers can do, something that we did at my elementary school that I still remember, is put together a mock election. Tell your kids about the candidates, maybe even get the candidates in to talk to the class, and let the kids vote.

Anything you do to help your kids understand what their voice can mean in our democracy will make this country a better place.

Amy is mom to  one year old Maggie and a 4 year old schnauzer named Henry. You can read her blog at amyboughner.ca where she writes about motherhood and anything else that’s on her mind.

Another successful walking adventure

by Ezmy I have been itching to take Budsie to the park for as long as I’ve known him.

Even when he was in utero, I would get all giddy after seeing people with their tots in the park and then I’d talk to my stomach excitedly: “Mummy is SO going to take you to the park and we’ll have picnics and swing times and it’s going to be awesome.” People definitely gave me strange looks on the bus.

So when the snow finally melted, I figured it was time for a little park outing. But where would I find a park with swings (swings being essential to park awesomeness, in my humble opinion)? It occurred to me that because I was on bed rest, then wedding planning, then in hibernation for the winter, I really had no idea where a park for Budsie might be. I mean, I knew I had seen parks somewhere…but where?

Clearly it was time for a walking adventure. So A. and I packed up the carrier and set off to find a park with swings.

*30 seconds later*

There is a park with swings BEHIND OUR HOUSE! Nifty! Unfortunately, Budsie did not share in my excitement about this discovery. Probably because his mother is crazy and it was still a bit too cold for good park times:

But still! A successful, albeit short walking adventure, proving once again that while it is a bit more challenging to find activities that babies can get into, walking adventures are always an option. So if you are a parent with a young baby and you are lamenting the lack of baby good times, strap the kid to the front of you and get out for a walk. Who knows what you’ll find – even in your own backyard!

Ezmy is a new mum to son Ewan (aka Budsie). When she isn’t working on her master’s thesis, or playing games with her boy, she’s blogging furiouslyabout life as a stay-at-home mum in our nation’s capital. Follow Ezmy on Twitter (@ezmytweets) where she posts daily resolutions and updates on life with an active and very vocal baby.